Floor Statements

I thank my dear friend, the great leader from south Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Today, a resolution, the resolution that we are debating, discussing, has been brought to the floor. It has been authored by another great leader, Congresswoman Berkley of Nevada, who I have the honor of serving with on the Taiwan Caucus, both of us as cochairs. She is an extraordinary leader, and I thank her for doing this.

Taiwan is such a special friend. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I often think about the undignified and treacherous betrayal of that exemplary friend and ally, the Republic of China, when the United States broke diplomatic relations--and again, I say, in a treacherous and undignified manner--in 1978.

So everything and anything that we can do to help our friends in that miracle of freedom and economic development, through their hard work and talent, achieved through their hard work and talent, that miracle of freedom and economic development that is Taiwan, anything that we can do and everything that we can do to help them, is appropriate and is dignified.

So I thank my colleague, Ms. Berkley, for bringing this resolution to the floor. I wholeheartedly support it and urge all of our colleagues to do so as well.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recall the tragic anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that occurred on July 20, 1974.

Thirty-six years ago, Turkey attacked the Republic of Cyprus. Tragically, the legacy of that brutal act continues to this day. To this day, approximately 40,000 Turkish troops continue to occupy Cyprus. Turkish troops, in blatant disregard for the Rule of Law and the basic rights of the Cypriot people, continue to illegally divide the island into two areas. As a result, the Republic of Cyprus is one of the most militarized areas in the world.

I strongly urge both sides to fully comply with the guiding principles of the July 8, 2006 agreement. This agreement sought to establish working groups to operate together to reunify Cyprus into one bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality. The July 8 agreement is an important achievement that has given both parties the framework to work toward a permanently unified and free Cyprus. Since September 3, 2008, the leaders of the two communities have held direct talks that are continuing regularly.

On March 5, 2010, President Demetris Christofias of the Republic of Cyprus sent a letter to President Obama and other world leaders to assist him in moving forward a proposal that would allow experts under the umbrella of the United Nations to enter the city of Famagusta and conduct a study to plan for the restoration of the city and refurbishment of its infrastructure, among other things, so that its inhabitants may return.

These are positive steps toward liberating the Cypriot people. A lasting and equitable solution for the people of Cyprus, the goal of a united Cyprus, and the restoration of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots is too important to abandon.

While the international community should support the Cypriot and Turkish leaders as they work toward a solution, the solution to the illegal occupation of Cyprus must be solved by the Cypriots themselves. Any solution must serve the interests of the people of Cyprus and must not be imposed by outside parties or subject to arbitrary timeframes.

Madam Speaker, I remain committed to the goal of a united and free Cyprus. After 36 years of illegal occupation, the Cypriot people deserve to be free from division and oppression at last.

The world, and especially the press and the media in the United States, continue to treat the political prisoners in the gulags of the Cuban dictatorship as nonpersons.

The most well-known and respected political prisoner in Cuba is Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. He has been in the gulags of the Castros for a decade due to his peaceful, pro-democracy work inside that enslaved island. Dr. Biscet is the Mandela of Cuba. Today is his 49th birthday. I wish him Godspeed and freedom, and freedom for Cuba.

To the press I ask, how long do the heroes of Cuba have to suffer before you acknowledge their existence?

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) for the time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Almost 18 years ago, in 1993, I first arrived in Congress right in the aftermath of the greatest natural disaster that had ever hit south Florida. August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew, a category 5 storm with wind gusts of over 200 miles per hour, hit our community and devastated it. That storm caused over $26 billion of damage to south Florida. Entire communities were destroyed. Until Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast in 2005, Hurricane Andrew was the costliest natural disaster in American history.

We in south Florida were very fortunate to receive generous assistance from our fellow Americans in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. That assistance was vital for our recovery, and I won't forget the support and compassion my colleagues in this Chamber demonstrated during those difficult times.

The National Flood Insurance Program, established by Congress in 1968, was designed to provide an alternative to disaster assistance and to reduce the costs of repairing flood damage to buildings caused by hurricanes or inland flooding of rivers, lakes, or streams. Approximately 20,000 communities across the country participate in the program by adopting and enforcing floodplain management regulations to reduce future flood damage.

In exchange, federally backed flood insurance becomes available to homeowners, renters, and business owners in those communities.

The NFIP was self-supporting through policy premiums and fees until 2005 when the program incurred approximately $17 billion in flood claims caused by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Currently, the program is over $18 billion in debt.

Reauthorization of the NFIP is very important to the economy in south Florida. Without the program, home buyers are unable to close on new homes, suppressing home sales at a time when they're desperately needed in south Florida.

For example, a constituent, Chris O'Neal, wrote to me last month asking for Congress to reauthorize this program. Because the majority had let the program lapse, he and his family were unable to close on their new home and they faced being homeless because their current landlord had forced them to vacate their home. Mr. O'Neal's case wasn't an isolated incident. A number of my constituents have been unable to close on their new homes, and it's my understanding that many throughout the country face a similar situation.

This underlying legislation would rectify that problem and would reauthorize the NFIP through 2015. The bill provides premium discounts to assist residents in newly designated flood hazard areas who would be subject to a new requirement to purchase flood insurance during a phase-in period of 5 years.

Other provisions include extending the Severe Repetitive Loss grant program to allow government buyouts of properties with frequent and severe losses to reduce program losses in the long term. The bill also allows for premiums to be paid in installments for lower-income property owners, thereby helping them to afford flood insurance and encouraging them to continue to purchase protection.

Although I support the underlying bill, Mr. Speaker, it could have been better, especially if the Taylor-Scalise amendment had been made in order. Their amendment would allow coastal homeowners to buy an option for both wind and flood insurance coverage from the NFIP. This option would be extremely helpful to coastal communities like south Florida and the gulf coast. Unfortunately, the majority on the Rules Committee decided to block even debate on that amendment. And not only did they block the Taylor-Scalise amendment, they blocked out nearly 90 percent of the Republican amendments submitted to the Rules Committee while allowing nearly two-thirds of the Democratic amendments.

So today we will consider three minority and eight majority amendments, plus another 10 majority amendments included in the manager's amendment. That's quite a contrast. It's especially unfortunate when you consider we were told that the process was going to change, that it wasn't going to be this way. The distinguished Speaker promised the American people that her party would run the most open and bipartisan Congress in history. Yet week after week, the majority continues to block an open process. We have yet to consider even one open rule during the entire 111th Congress, not even on the historically open appropriations bills. That's quite sad.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ana Sotorrio, the Associate Director of Government Affairs for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, who has announced that she will be retiring from her post after 30 years of dedicated service to our community.

Mrs. Sotorrio joined Miami Dade's Aviation Department in 1988 and became an Associate Director in 1990. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department operates several aviation facilities, including Miami International Airport. Under her tenure, the airport experienced dramatic growth, becoming one of the leading international passenger and freight airports in the world, as well as the largest U.S. gateway for Latin America and the Caribbean. As Associate Director of Government Affairs for the department, Mrs. Sotorrio worked alongside the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and gained approval for several of her department's leases, contracts, fiscal, and legislative proposals.

Ana has left a mark of professionalism and serves as an example for others to follow.

Mrs. Sotorrio has earned the opportunity to spend time with her loved ones and dedicate herself to other pursuits. Her family is everything to her, and she will love spending more time with her beloved granddaughter, Bianca, her son, Carlos Jr., her daughter, Jessica, and of course, her husband, Carlos to whom she has been married for over 35 years.

On behalf of a grateful community, I wish to thank Ana Sotorrio for her outstanding service and wish her the best in her future endeavors. Ana, may you long enjoy your retirement with family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, Fidel Castro showed himself on television this week to remind the world that he is alive and in power, despite having turned over some titles to his puppet brother. What he does is he throws Cuban patriots in the dungeons; and then when he feels pressure, he releases Cuban patriots, deports them from the country, expels them, gives them the choice, ``Do you want to stay in the dungeon or be expelled from your country?'' to gain diplomatic and economic oxygen. He wants U.S. sanctions eliminated and he wants the European common position, which ties a close relationship between Cuba and Europe to an improvement in human rights, he wants that common position eliminated.

He comes together with the Spanish Foreign Minister, Mr. Moratinos, and they agree upon a supposed number of political prisoners; under 200, they say there are. The U.S. State Department, in March, makes clear that only those charged under so-called dangerousness--whatever that means--number 5,000 in the Cuban dungeons.

Let's not be fooled. Let's not be fooled. The solution to the Cuban problem is free elections, the release of all political prisoners through free elections in Cuba.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commend the Republic of China, Taiwan, for assisting the oil spill relief efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

In response to requests by the International Spill Control Organization and BP, the Environmental Protection Administration of the Republic of China, Taiwan, airlifted 600 feet of fire boom for use in the Gulf in order to contain surface oil and burn it offshore.

What is truly remarkable is the speed with which Taiwan has responded. When the request arrived in Taipei, Taiwanese officials and agencies worked expeditiously to process the request. Taiwan has joined seventeen other nations and various other international bodies in helping to mitigate the effects of the oil spill in the Gulf

Taiwan's efforts should be recognized and commended. Taiwan has been most generous in helping the United States in its hour of need. We also remember Taiwan's humanitarian assistance to Haiti after its January earthquake. The world certainly could use more caring nations like Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of legislation to honor Senator Paula Hawkins by designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 151 North Maitland Avenue in Maitland, Florida, as the ``Paula Hawkins Post Office Building.''

Senator Hawkins was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 24th, 1927 where she attended Utah State University. In 1947 she moved with her husband to Atlanta, Georgia, before finally relocating to Winter Park, Florida, in 1955 where she became active in local politics.

In 1972, she became the first woman elected to statewide office in Florida by winning a seat on the Florida Public Service Commission. After years of hard work and dedication, she ran for the U.S. Senate in 1980 and won, becoming the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate with no previous familial ties to the institution.

Serving a 6-year term in the Senate, Senator Hawkins worked hard to defend abused children, fought drugs, championed stay-at-home mothers and fought for freedom across the globe. Her signature pieces of legislation were the Missing Children's Assistance Act and the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

We lost Senator Paula Hawkins this past December. On behalf of the Florida delegation, I would like to express my condolences to her family and friends. For her contributions as a Senator and her hard work for the State of Florida and the Nation, I rise in remembrance of the late Senator Paula Hawkins and also to express my support for this legislation in her honor.

Bob Mayer is south Florida's most tenured television newscaster. He has logged more hours both in the field and at the anchor desk than any other south Florida television journalist.

Bob joined WTVJ News in June of 1969. Over the years, he has held numerous positions at TVJ, such as investigative and consumer reporter, crime reporter, business reporter, general assignment reporter, and talk show cohost. In addition, he served as anchor of TVJ's early evening newscasts, weekend newscasts, and midday morning newscasts. Bob has been coanchoring the NBC 6 morning show ``Today in South Florida'' since 1990. He is an extraordinary journalist.

Bob Mayer retires this week from NBC 6, and our entire community will miss his professionalism and objectivity dearly. Congratulations for a job well done, Bob. The best to you and your family.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Garrett Wittels of Florida International University, FIU, who has extended his hitting streak to an astonishing 56 consecutive games.

Garrett has been a standout student-athlete since his days at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School in Miami, Florida. While there, he made the Miami Herald's All-Miami-Dade teams from 2006 to 2008, was selected as team MVP his sophomore and senior seasons and posted a .420 average with six home runs and 29 RBI's during his senior campaign. He was recruited by the University of Miami, North Carolina State, and Louisville, but he chose to attend FIU, Miami's first and only four- year public research university. With a student body of nearly 40,000, FIU is one of the 25 largest universities in the nation.

While he began his collegiate baseball career with moderate success, he is now headlining sports pages and captivating the nation with his amazing feat. As FIU battled to stay alive in the NCAA Regionals of the College World Series, Garrett extended his hitting streak to 56- consecutive games; a streak which began on February 19, 2010. This matches the Major League Baseball record held by Yankee great and Hall of Famer, Joe DiMaggio, who hit in 56-straight games in 1941. The only other person with a longer streak in college than Garrett is the all- time Division I record holder, Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State University, who hit safely in 58-consecutive games in 1987.

Garrett helped lead FIU to the Sun Belt Conference Championship and a berth in this year's College World Series. Garrett had 100 hits in 2010, which set the single-season record for FIU; he was selected as the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Player of the Year; and was named to the Louisville Slugger All-American Baseball Team (first team).

While he is showing the nation that he can excel on the diamond, less attention is being focused on his achievements off of it. He has made the Academic Honor roll as he works towards his degree in Sports Management. He shows us that he is as dedicated to hitting the books as to hitting line-drives. He is a true scholar-athlete and a fine example for other young athletes to emulate.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait till next season to see if Garrett can continue his streak but, I'd like to take the time to congratulate Garrett Wittels, his family, his teammates, and the entire FIU community, for being one step closer to baseball immortality. We all look forward to the start of FIU's 2011 baseball season and Garrett's pursuit of the record.

Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the privilege of speaking by telephone with one of the most important and respected leaders of the pro-democracy movement inside Cuba, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, ``Antunez,'' from his house in the town of Placetas in the province of Villa Clara.

I always learn when I speak to Antunez. He conveyed to me some facts that I think should be known by my colleagues.

Fact: There are not 200 political prisoners in Cuba; there are thousands of political prisoners in Cuba. As Amnesty International has recently admitted in one of its published reports, the dictatorship uses criminal penal charges and sentences for so-called crimes, such as contempt against authority and dangerousness--criminal charges to deny, to hide the status, the political status, of prisoners of conscience.

Fact: Various pro-democracy leaders and political prisoners are on hunger strikes, as we speak, in Cuba. Most well-known is the hunger strike being carried out by the peaceful pro-democracy leader Guillermo Farinas, a psychologist and journalist who demands the release of the 25 most gravely ill prisoners of conscience to their homes.

But there are others also engaged in hunger strikes at the moment, and their heroic efforts need to be known as well. Guillermo del Sol Perez, a former political prisoner, is on a hunger strike in Santa Clara. And the following current political prisoners are engaged in hunger strikes at this moment: Egberto Angel Escobedo Morales, Mario Alberto Perez Aguilera, and Ernesto Mederos Arrozarena.

Fact: There are many political prisoners who are gravely ill and, yet, have not been included on any of the lists that have been made public--for example, Armando Sosa Fortuny and Cecilio Reinoso Sanchez.

Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, ``Antunez,'' is a great leader and one of my heroes.

Before being released from prison in 2007, he spent 17 years as a political prisoner due to his peaceful advocacy for democracy in Cuba.

He and his wife, also photographed here, Iris Perez Aguilera, have been detained, harassed, spat upon, and beaten innumerable times since his release in 2007 from prison. But Antunez never gives up. He told me this morning he has a new blog, ``Ni me callo, ni me voy''--``I won't shut up, I won't leave.''

I not only learn, Mr. Speaker, when I am able to speak with Antunez, I receive strength from his courage, patriotism, and devotion to the struggle for Cuba's freedom.

Madam Chair, when the President announced his decision to repeal the current policy, known as ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'' earlier this year, the military service chiefs and the Secretary of Defense requested the opportunity to carry out the President's directive in an orderly manner that would assure the maintenance of discipline and morale in the Armed Forces. It was agreed to at that time, including by the President, that a survey would be sent to all the troops so that their input would be taken into account regarding how best to implement the new policy, and that a report with such recommendations as to how to best implement the new policy would be issued this December, before any legislative action was taken. I believe that process, which was agreed to by the President pursuant to the request of the service chiefs and the Secretary of Defense, should be followed.

Breaking the agreement now by having this vote is most unfortunate, and I strongly disagree with the decision of the President, the Speaker, and the majority leadership to break that agreement today.

I would like to thank my friend, the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree), for the time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, our Armed Forces have been deployed in two major theaters of operation-- Afghanistan and Iraq. Like their forefathers of long-ago wars, too many of these noble servicemembers have paid with what Abraham Lincoln called the ``last full measure of devotion to the Nation.'' Many more brave men and women bear the physical and mental scars of battle, which will last their lifetimes.

Just this past week, two of my constituents were killed in the line of duty. Marine Lance Corporal Patrick Xavier, Jr., of Pembroke Pines, fell during a firefight in Afghanistan; and Army Staff Sergeant Amilcar Gonzalez, of Miami, who signed up 1 week after the cowardly attacks of September 11, 2001, passed away in Iraq when insurgents attacked his unit.

I know I speak on behalf of the entire Congress and a grateful Nation to express our deepest condolences to Patrick and Amilcar's families and pray for God's mercies upon them as they cope with their sorrow.

After learning of his son's death, Corporal Patrick Xavier's father said, He went out there to do what he wanted to do. He wanted to defend this Nation. Although I feel the loss, I am proud of how he conducted himself.

His father's words remind us about the solemn sacrifices that our veterans and family forces continue to make for us. The freedom we have is made possible by men and women like Lance Corporal Patrick Xavier and Staff Sergeant Amilcar Gonzalez. Each have stood ready in defense of the Nation. Our Nation owes them an immeasurable debt of gratitude. We have our freedoms because of their valor.

As a Congress, we are committed to ensuring our veterans and their families receive all the benefits and assistance they require and they certainly deserve. It is wholly appropriate, therefore, that we bring up this legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, on the eve of the Memorial Day weekend.

Among its provisions, the bill provides our military personnel a 1.9 percent pay raise, versus the 1.4 percent proposed by the Obama administration.

It increases the family separation allowance for service members who are deployed away from their families from $250 to $285 a month.

It increases hostile fire and imminent danger pay from $250 to $260 per month.

For the purpose of the Federal student loan cancellation program, it defines a year of service as 6 months or longer of deployment in hostile fire or imminent danger zones.

Recognizing the critical role military families play and the sacrifices they make, the bill also establishes a career development pilot program for military spouses.

To address the physical and mental scars borne from combat, the legislation allows for an exemption for military medical providers older than 42 years to be considered for recruitment.

It also increases incentives for students in health care education programs to pursue military careers by allowing Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance Program participants to also receive payments

from the Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program.

It also requires the services to increase the number of authorized mental health providers by 25 percent.

The legislation authorizes $567 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense and the national security programs within the Department of Energy.

The bill also authorizes $159 billion to support overseas contingency operations and $34 billion for the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as disaster assistance for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Later today, we are expected to consider an amendment by Mr. Murphy of Pennsylvania on the repeal of the so-called Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. I am not interested in whatever legal activities adults engage in after-hours, off-base, out of uniform. Sexual preference should not even be a point of reference when judging individuals.

I also believe that when the President announced his decision to repeal the current policy and the military service chiefs and the Secretary of Defense requested the opportunity to carry out the President's directive in an orderly manner that would assure the maintenance of discipline and morale in the Armed Forces, and it was agreed to by all, including the President, that a survey would be sent to all the troops so that their input would be taken into account regarding how best to implement the new policy, and that a report with such recommendations as to how to best implement the new policy would be issued this December, before any legislative action was taken, it is my view that that process, which was agreed to by the President pursuant to the request of the service chiefs and the Secretary of Defense, should be followed.

So, breaking the agreement now by having this vote today is most unfortunate, and I strongly disagree with the decision of the President, the Speaker, and the majority leadership to do so, to break that agreement today.

I wish to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for their hard work on the underlying legislation and their commitment to producing a bipartisan bill that enjoys widespread support. Through the process, members on both sides of the aisle on the Armed Services Committee worked to produce a bipartisan bill, but as the bill made it up to the Rules Committee, that bipartisan spirit did not survive.

The rule brought forth by the majority today allows the House to debate a total of 82 amendments. Eleven of those amendments are bipartisan ones, while 64 are majority amendments and 7 are minority amendments.

So the majority has decided that on this always bipartisan bill, the bill that authorizes our military programs, they will allow nine majority amendments for every one minority amendment. That is some bipartisanship. But, again, it is typical of this majority to claim that they want to work with the minority, but even on bills that have overwhelming bipartisan support, they just can't seem to loosen their overwhelming urge to stifle debate, stifle debate, and block minority participation in the legislative process.

So, while I am disappointed by the majority's decision to allow such a disproportionate share of majority amendments compared to minority amendments, I have become quite accustomed to their behavior.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to my good friend from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey.

I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my friend, the gentleman from Colorado, knows that I have extraordinary respect for him, and that we have a legitimate disagreement with regard to our analysis of what I consider was an agreement that was entered into, including by the President, after he announced his decision to repeal the current policy as Commander in Chief, that this study that will lead to a report in December that would be conducted before legislative action takes place. And so I reiterate my respect to the gentleman from Colorado.

And I have many friends who believe differently than I do with regard to the vote that I will be taking today. I studied this issue very thoroughly and know that it is a very serious matter. But I stand by what I said in my previous remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished friend from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Michigan (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Texas (Mr. Olson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend from Missouri (Mr. Akin).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Arizona (Mr. Franks).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Florida (Mr. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Arizona (Mr. Franks).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield for the purpose of a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. Speaker, I would make that request.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend from Indiana (Mr. Pence).

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

Mr. Speaker, it's been a good debate. It's unfortunate there is not

more fairness, procedural fairness in this rule with regard to what is traditionally a bipartisan bill. I urge a ``no'' vote on this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter), for the time. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In order for the United States to compete in today's global marketplace and to spur long-term growth, we must invest in basic science research and development. In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, collectively known as the National Academies, published the report ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.'' The report concluded that the United States faces a serious challenge with regard to our future competitiveness and standard of living. That report led to the bipartisan enactment of the America COMPETES Act of 2007, which implemented the report's recommendations.

Today we are set to consider H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. The bill reauthorizes the America COMPETES Act for 5 years, increases authorization spending levels to $86 billion, and creates new programs.

I understand and I support the underlying principles of the America COMPETES Act, prioritizing and strengthening investments in basic research and development and STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. But we need to have an economic strategy that encourages companies, businesses in the United States, to compete, to grow, and to hire new workers, a strategy that includes the streamlining of burdensome regulations, a strategy that reduces taxation, that brings our Federal spending under control, and controls the spiraling national debt.

So, Madam Speaker, as much as I would prefer to support the underlying legislation, I believe that at this time of severe budgetary constraints, the underlying legislation includes excessive spending levels.

The bill has an overall authorization of nearly $86 billion, which represents approximately $20 billion in new funding above the fiscal base of this year. That is a significant increase when we're facing record budget deficits. And that is after the so-called stimulus bill injected 6 billion additional dollars into the agencies funded by this bill.

The current national debt projections and the majority's insatiable appetite for spending are unsustainable. And if we continue on that trajectory, the America that we know, love, and admire will be severely threatened. Our excessive spending threatens the very foundation of our economy and our way of life. We could very well find ourselves in a position, soon, similar to today's Greece.

As we saw last week when the House considered the legislation on credits for refurbishing homes by my friend from Vermont (Mr. Welch), Congress is beginning to realize the magnitude of the Nation's fiscal problem--though the congressional majority leadership has not yet realized it or simply does not care.

I may have voted in favor of the underlying legislation if the majority, nevertheless, had allowed the House to consider and vote on amendments that would have reduced the spending levels on the bill.

For example, my colleague Representative Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida came before the Rules Committee yesterday to request that the

committee allow the House to consider his amendment to cut the authorization of the bill from 5 years to 3 years. His amendment would have lowered the cost of the overall bill. It would also have given Congress the ability to come back in 3 years and determine if the legislation was achieving its intended purpose.

Perhaps if that amendment had been allowed, a number of Members like myself who are concerned about the uncontrolled spending of this majority could have voted for the bill. Instead, the majority in the Rules Committee decided that they would block consideration of the Mario Diaz-Balart amendment and also the Sessions amendment, amendments that sought to reduce the spending in the bill. Not only did they block the Diaz-Balart and Sessions amendments, they blocked out almost three- fourths of the Republican amendments submitted to the Rules Committee, while allowing nearly 90 percent of the Democrat amendments. So today we will consider four Republican amendments and 48 Democrat amendments. That's quite a contrast.

It's especially glaring when you consider that we were told that it would not be this way. The distinguished Speaker promised the American people that her party would run the most open and bipartisan Congress in history; yet week after week the majority continues to block an open process. We have yet to consider even one open rule during this entire Congress--not even on the historically open appropriations process. It is quite sad.

I reserve my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend, Mr. Perlmutter, for reminding us of the Clinton years.

I was elected to Congress when President Clinton was elected President. Two years later, we, the Republicans, captured the majority here in the Congress, and I remember how we had to fight tooth and nail to balance the budget. President Clinton never submitted a budget with a deficit less than $200 billion a year. I remember ad infinitum his budgets at least had $200 billion of deficits. It used to be, Madam Speaker, that $200 billion was a lot of money for a deficit. And I remember how this Congress had to fight day in and day out, and we finally achieved, in very arduous negotiations with the executive, a balanced budget. So that's the record.

I would like, at this point, to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished ranking member of the Rules Committee from California (Mr. Dreier).

Madam Speaker, we have great differences, great disagreements often here on the floor of this House. Rare is the occasion when there is no debate, when there are no differences.

Muftiah McCartin enjoys the admiration of all Members on both sides of the aisle who have worked with her. She personifies the best of this institution. She personifies competence, professionalism, and courtesy. And as someone who has had the privilege of working with her, I thank her for her service and commend her for her professionalism, competence, and that courtesy.

So the best to you, Muftiah, and your family as you move on to other endeavors. You are an example of the wonderful men and women who have through the years made possible what this Congress gets accomplished. And so I join all of my colleagues in wishing Muftiah the best.

I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished friend and colleague from Georgia, Dr. Broun.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend from California (Mr. Bilbray).

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Perlmutter, for his courtesy and for his management on the majority side of this rule.

While reiterating that I am so pleased that Members on both sides of the aisle have joined to commend and wish the best to Muftiah McCartin, with regard to the legislation that we are bringing to the floor with this rule, I would say, Mr. Speaker, while not minimizing its importance because I think it's obviously dealing with a very important set of subjects that enjoy bipartisan support in this Congress, I would bring to the attention once again of all Members what we saw last week with legislation on--I believe it was a $6 billion tax credit to allow--I remember it was a credit for home refurbishings, brought to the floor by my good friend Mr. Welch. And I noticed at that time a--I think it was a change in attitude.

I was impressed. I was certainly impacted by what I perceived as a change in the Congress on what normally I think would have faced little opposition. Certainly it would have been expected that that legislation would have faced little opposition. We saw--what I saw, what I perceived was a ground swell of concern on the spending. You know, refurbishing one's home and encouraging citizens to refurbish their homes to keep them energy efficient, you know, that's not something that in itself would have opposition. It was the spending that touched a nerve because of the moment we're living. And so with the legislation that we bring to the floor today that is being increased from the basic spending by about $20 billion, I certainly would not be surprised if we see a similar nerve being touched. That doesn't mean that the subject is not of great importance.

Science, education, keeping the U.S. leading edge, cutting edge in so many ways, that is obviously something that has enjoyed bipartisan support, and it should. But I think the majority is failing to sense that moment that the Nation at large and the Congress now is finally manifesting or reacting to. There is concern about the path we are on with regard to spending.

Having said that, I again thank Mr. Perlmutter for his courtesy and management of this rule, as well as thanking all who have participated in this debate today.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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