Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero is a courageous pro-democracy activist and president of the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Independence Movement. His pro-democracy activities have helped the world to learn the facts about the nightmare that is the Castro regime. Unfortunately, those who believe in truth are targeted by the tyrant's machinery of repression.

On March 19, 2003, as part of Castro's condemnable crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy activists, Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero was arrested. In a sham trial, he was sentenced to 12 years in the totalitarian gulag.

Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero is currently languishing in the abhorrent gulag because of his belief in liberty for the Cuban people. According to CubaNet, Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero's family has been harassed and threatened by the dictatorship's thugs. His wife, Marlene Gonzalez, said that she had been threatened by the dictatorship's organized mobs and that her neighbors have been warned not to let their children play with her daughter Melisa.

Mr. Gonzalez Tanquero is an excellent example of the heroism of the Cuban people. No matter how intense the repression, no matter how horrifically brutal the consequences of a dignified struggle for liberty, no matter how often their families are harassed and threatened, the totalitarian gulags are full of men and women of all backgrounds and ages who represent the best of the Cuban nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is as inconceivable as it is unacceptable that, in the 21st Century and only 90 miles from our shore, brave men and women are locked in dungeons because they believe that all people have basic human rights. It is a profound embarrassment for mankind that the world stands by in silence and acquiescence while political prisoners are systematically tortured because of their belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Jorge Luis Gonzalez Tanquero and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Orlando Zapata Tamayo, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Zapata Tamayo is a member of the Alternative Republican Movement as well as a member of the National Civic Resistance Committee. Because of his belief in freedom and democracy, Mr. Zapata Tamayo has been a constant target of the tyrant's machinery of repression. According to Amnesty International, he was detained and harassed by the dictatorship's thugs on July 3, 2002 and October 28, 2002. In November 2002, after taking part in a workshop on human rights in the central Havana park, he and eight other dictatorship opponents were arrested again. He was also arrested and thrown into the totalitarian gulag in December 2002.

Mr. Zapata Tamayo, knowing full well the heinous repression that awaited him if he continued to advocate for freedom for the people of Cuba, never wavered in his convictions. Unfortunately, on May 20, 2003, he was arrested again for taking part in a hunger strike to demand the release of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet. According to Information Bridge Cuba-Miami, in a sham trial, Mr. Zapata Tamayo was sentenced to 3 years in the totalitarian gulag for the supposed crimes of ``public disorder, disobedience and resisting authority.''

Brave men and women like Mr. Zapata Tamayo represent the best of mankind. He and other pro-democracy activists languish in abhorrent dungeons, defy the dictator's machinery of repression and, despite every threat and obstacle, relentlessly demand liberty for the people of Cuba. Because of their unwavering dedication and the hard work and commitment of countless other patriots, Cuba will be free again.

Mr. Speaker, it is categorically unacceptable that, while the world stands by in silence and acquiescence, Mr. Zapata Tamayo languishes in a grotesque gulag because of his belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We cannot permit the brutal treatment by a demented and murderous tyrant of a man like Mr. Zapato Tamayo for simply supporting freedom for his people. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Orlando Zapato Tamayo and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Raul Arencibia Fajardo, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Arencibia Fajardo is a member of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, the Human Rights Friends Club, and a delegate of the 24th of February Movement. He is a peaceful pro-democracy activist who has worked for basic human rights for the people of Cuba. As an opponent of the tyrannical regime in Havana, he has faced constant harassment and repression.

According to Amnesty International, he was arrested on December 6, 2002, along with fellow opposition activists Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet and Mr. Virgilio Marante Guelmes. He was summarily incarcerated in the grotesque totalitarian gulag for 3 months without trial. During his unjust imprisonment, and after being released, Mr. Arencibia Fajardo never wavered in his commitment to bring freedom, democracy and human rights to the Cuban people.

Unfortunately, according to Amnesty International, on May 18, 2004, Mr. Arencibia Fajardo was, in a sham trial, sentenced to 3 years in the totalitarian gulag for the ``crimes'' of ``disrespect'' and ``resistance.''

According to CubaNetcom, Mr. Arencibia Fajardo has a chronic cough, high fever, throat infection, and has been confined in a cell without food and water. He is suffering in abhorrent conditions because he refuses to accept the reality inflicted on the Cuban people by the tyrant. Let us be very clear, the repression and tyranny practiced by the regime in Havana are incompatible with the democratic values of the western hemisphere.

Mr. Arencibia Fajardo is one of the many heroes of the peaceful Cuban democratic movement who are locked in the dungeons of the dictatorship for their beliefs. They are symbols of freedom and democracy who will always be remembered when freedom reigns again in Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Arencibia Fajardo is suffering in a grotesque gulag because he believes in freedom, democracy and human rights. My Colleagues, it is absolutely unacceptable that peaceful pro-democracy activists are languishing in the depraved prisons of tyrants. We must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Raul Arencibia Fajardo and every prisoner of conscience in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that House Resolution 481 be considered as amended by striking the number 3983 in each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof the number 3893.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order at any time to consider in the House the resolution, H. Res. 480; the resolution shall be considered as read; the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution to its adoption without intervening motion except 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of the House, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 480) permitting individuals to be admitted to the Hall of the House in order to obtain footage of the House in session for inclusion in the orientation film to be shown to visitors at the Capitol Visitor Center, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a very simple resolution which allows the Speaker, in consultation with the minority leader, to allow individuals to be admitted to the Hall of the House in order to film the House in session for inclusion in an orientation film to be shown to visitors at the Capitol Visitor Center. This resolution is necessary because clause 2(b) of rule IV of the rules of the House provides that the Speaker may not entertain a unanimous consent request or a motion to suspend clause 2 of rule IV, which restricts access to the floor of the House while the House is in session.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge all Members to support this resolution which will provide edification for millions of visitors to our Nation's Capitol.

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

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

Pursuant to the order of the House of today, the resolution is considered read and the previous question is ordered.

The question is on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 481 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my dear friend from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

(Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 481 is a structured rule that provides for the consideration of H.R. 3893. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule also provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, in the last 24 years, our refinery capacity has dropped from almost 19 million barrels a day to less than 17 million barrels a day. Now, this has happened at the same time that our gross domestic product has quadrupled. In other words, because of the sustained growth of our economy and the fact that we have not built a new refinery in almost 30 years, the United States is now forced to import over 4 million barrels a day in refined products, and that is when our refineries are running at full capacity.

I thought it was impacting when I learned this fact that I have just relayed. We have not built a single refinery in the country during the time period that our gross domestic product has quadrupled. I think if there has ever been an example of a great superpower really sitting on its laurels, it is pointed out by this example. We have to take steps, as we are with this legislation that we bring to the floor today, to maintain the necessary infrastructure to continue being the most successful economy in the world.

Now, any change in our refinery capacity can cause supply constraints and price spikes, especially, for example, in the gulf coast, where we have almost 50 percent of our refinery capacity. That is what happened when we had the two natural disasters in the last weeks, hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They hit the gulf coast, causing gasoline prices to rise significantly.

On August 25, Hurricane Katrina began her path of destruction. The eye of that hurricane passed right by my district. It was fortunately then only a category 1 hurricane, but it hit us in South Florida; and then of course, as we all know, it went into the Gulf of Mexico and became a monster storm. That storm then headed towards Louisiana and then the Mississippi gulf coast as a category 4, almost category 5, storm.

Once that storm passed, we awoke to the greatest natural disaster that the United States has ever faced. The Mississippi gulf coast was decimated by that deadly combination of the powerful winds and the storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina.

In Louisiana, the storm surge submerged a large portion of the southeastern part of the State, toppling over the levees that protected the area, including the city of New Orleans. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, several refineries were shut down, accounting for about 11 percent of the total United States refinery capacity.

As of the beginning of October, four oil refineries remain closed. Now, those refineries provide almost a million barrels a day, almost 5 percent of our refining capacity; and even at this time it is still not known when those four refineries will be able to reopen.

A month later, we had Hurricane Rita hit the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast with 120-mile-an-hour winds, causing widespread damage and flooding. In anticipation of the storm, several oil refineries in the warning area, constituting over 4 million barrels a day in refining capacity, were shut down. Some of those refineries were able to restart, but as of the first of October, nine refineries with the capacity to refine over 2 million barrels a day, about an eighth of our capacity, remain shut down.

Now combine that with the four refineries closed because of Hurricane Katrina, approximately 18 percent of the refining capacity in the United States is off line. Pipelines from the gulf to the Midwest and East Coast have also been affected by the hurricanes. The Colonial and Plantation pipelines serving the whole East Coast with refined products resumed operation not long after Hurricane Katrina. However, they were shut down again by the subsequent hurricane, Hurricane Rita, and are still not working at full capacity.

In order to prevent the sharp price increases we have seen after the hurricanes, we have to make sure that we do everything possible so that refineries, new refineries, are built. And if another hurricane or a terrorist attack were to hit our refineries, we will still have the capacity to produce enough gasoline for the needs of our economy; that must be our goal.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3893, I am so pleased to see the author, the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) here who has done a tremendous job. He has done a tremendous amount of hard work in a very difficult area. This is an area that you cannot alleviate, much less solve, this problem overnight. It requires the kind of hard work, dedication, seriousness, that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) has demonstrated day in and day out. We are seeing it in legislation that we are bringing to the floor today.

Now, this bill, H.R. 3893, will remove some of the obstacles that have prevented the construction of new refineries. The underlying legislation streamlines the cumbersome environmental and energy provisions that affect construction of facilities such as refineries and oil pipelines. Bringing new refineries online will alleviate our reliance on foreign sources of refined products, will allow us to have enough refinery capacity to meet the needs of our growing economy, while providing a backup if any of our refineries are shut down in the future.

Now, to help conserve gasoline, the legislation also directs the Secretary of Energy to establish and carry out programs to encourage the use of carpooling and van pooling. After the hurricanes, we saw reports of unscrupulous business practices engaged in in some instances. The bill addresses unfair or deceptive acts or practices of any person selling crude oil or gasoline or diesel fuel or home heating oil at a price that constitutes price gouging.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3893, as I stated before, required a tremendous amount of hard work. It was introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton), reported out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 29. It is a good bill. I think it is very important to our energy needs, to the health of our economy and to the national security of this country.

So again I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton). I know the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) has worked extraordinarily hard, as he has for decades in this House on so many important issues. I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), chairman of the Committee on Rules.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), distinguished chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).

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

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how today is a clear example of how anything, anything, is possible on this floor. Anything can be said. That is freedom. Even the most inconceivable, out of touch with reality statements.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the author of the legislation, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. Speaker, after hearing more prophecies of pessimism, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).

Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the author of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important piece of legislation that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) has brought forward today. I urge support of the rule. I urge that we reject the arguments we have heard from the prophets of pessimism. This is an important piece of legislation to keep the economy's infrastructure in place for sustained economic growth and for the lifestyle that this great Nation has become accustomed to, and so we would ask all colleagues to support the underlying legislation as well as the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about Virgilio Maranta Guelmes, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Maranta Guelmes is a pro-democracy activist and a delegate of the 24th of February Movement. The movement is named for both the commencement of the glorious Cuban War of Independence in 1895, and the day in 1996 when two civilian aircraft carrying four members of the Brothers to the Rescue movement were shot down over international waters by the Cuban dictatorship's fighter jets. The 24th of February Movement desires and struggles for freedom in Cuba.

Because of his belief in freedom and democracy, Mr. Maranta Guelmes has been a constant target of the tyrant's machinery of repression. According to Amnesty International, he was arrested and imprisoned in the totalitarian gulag on December 6, 2002. On May 19, 2002, he was again detained and interrogated by the dictatorship. In that interrogation, he was told to abandon his activities with the 24th of February Movement.

Mr. Maranta Guelmes, knowing full well the heinous repression that awaited him if he continued to advocate for freedom for the people of Cuba, never wavered in his convictions. Unfortunately, on May 18, 2004, in a sham trial, Mr. Maranta Guelmes was sentenced to 3 years in the totalitarian gulag.

Let me be very clear, Mr. Maranta Guelmes is locked in a dungeon because he desires freedom for Cuba. The U.S. State Department describes the conditions in the gulag as, ``harsh and life threatening.'' The State Department also reports that police and prison officials beat, neglect, isolate, and deny medical treatment to detainees and prisoners.

Mr. Speaker, it is unconscionable that anyone, anywhere, is imprisoned in sub-human gulags simply for their belief in truth, freedom and democracy. At the dawn of the 21st century, mankind must no longer tolerate prisoners of conscience in any form, in any place, in any country. My colleagues, we must cry out for the immediate and unconditional release of Virgilio Maranta Guelmes and all prisoners of conscience in the totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, first of all, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), who has been so kind to bring forth this resolution today as a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations and as a great friend and supporter of human rights throughout the world, including in that oppressed island just 90 miles from our shores.

The gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), when I first arrived in this Congress in January 1993, that same month I was able to witness firsthand the man who has devoted his entire life to defending those who cannot defend themselves, and since that very month, my admiration that I already had for him has grown ceaselessly. I thank him for, once again, coming forth here in this hall and speaking on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.

The resolution before us today, Mr. Speaker, calls for the liberation of each and every one of the thousands, really, unknown is the number, of political prisoners in Cuba. There are hundreds recognized, identified and called ``prisoners of conscience'' by international organizations such as Amnesty International. There are thousands of others who commit so-called crimes that are not crimes anywhere else, certainly in any democratic societies, crimes like trying to feed their families, crimes like trying to leave the country, something guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So there are countless political prisoners.

The resolution before us calls for the liberation of each and every one of them, immediately; it calls for the legalization of political parties, labor unions and the press by that tyranny; and it calls for free elections, because ultimately the right of self-determination is the only right that guarantees all other human rights, and without the right of self-determination, all other human rights, when they are granted by tyrants, they are but gifts from the tyrants to people, to his people, gifts that can be withdrawn at any time.

In addition, as the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) stated, this resolution remembers those who, as we speak today, as we speak, are languishing in dungeons for the so-called crime of seeking and supporting the rights that we cherish and take really for granted, and have for over 200 years in this country, and much of the world certainly takes for granted, the right to speak and the right to elect leaders in periodic elections.

The right to organize political parties and labor unions, and the right to free expression and to freedom of the press, the right of association, for trying to seek those inalienable rights, people are languishing and suffering, and we remember them today.

Now, just a few weeks ago, in July, when this latest round-up occurred of opposition leaders inside of Cuba, perhaps the most well- known was the very prestigious jurist Rene Gomez Manzano, as well as the other leaders of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society. A few were subsequently released at the whim of the dictator; they may be picked up at any time. Mr. Gomez Manzano remains in a cell at this time and has engaged and is engaging in a hunger strike. And there are others whose health has already deteriorated to the point where, for example, Mr. Victor Rolando Arroyo, his wife informs us today that she fears his imminent death because he is engaged in a hunger strike protesting the conditions that all political prisoners suffer each day in that oppressed island. Mr. Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique is also engaging in a hunger strike.

He received a month ago, approximately a month ago, such a brutal beating inside the prison that when he protested for receiving that beating, he was put in what they call a punishment cell, as others in that prison, like Adolfo Fernandez Sainz, and others in hunger strikes like Jose Gabriel Ramon Castillo, like Normando Hernandez, and I will, Mr. Speaker, with your authorization, submit for the Record a list that I mentioned before is recognized by international organizations, such as Amnesty International, of hundreds of prisoners of conscience.

Now, what we are also doing in this resolution is asking the European Union, because they, in response to this series of crackdowns that the dictatorship has engaged in against the pro-democracy movement, the European Union has, in its wisdom, Mr. Speaker, following the advice and consent of Mr. Zapatero, the Prime Minister of Spain, has decided to appease the dictatorship even more. And the few sanctions that the European Union had, political sanctions they called them, for example, inviting the dissidents to receptions in embassies and allowing them entry into embassies to have discourse, dialogue with members of the diplomatic corps in the embassies of the European Union, those so- called sanctions were ended by the European Union under the premise and theory that they would encourage the ending of the sanctions, the dictator to be more benevolent. Well, we have seen how the dictator has responded.

We are asking in this resolution for the European Union to reconsider its policy of appeasement, and we are asking also that the United Nations, in its Human Rights Commission, pass a resolution asking for the cessation of human rights violations in Cuba.

So it is a very appropriate resolution. I commend, again, my colleagues who have been supportive. It is in the tradition, it stands in the tradition of this House of Representatives, this Congress that, in April of 1898, passed the resolution that is well-known in Cuban history, saying that Cuba is and, of right, ought to be free and independent, and it is in that tradition that we bring forth this resolution today, and I urge its adoption overwhelmingly by colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this day in which so many continue to suffer on that oppressed island.

Brief Examples--All Information From Amnesty International

Mijail Barzaga Lugo, 36; Independent Journalist; Sentence:

15 years; Date of arrest: 20 March 2003.

Oscar Elias Biscet Gonzalez, 43; Human Rights Leader;

Sentence: 25 years; Date of arrest: 6 December 2002.

Marcelo Cano Rodriguez, 38; Medical Doctor, Human Rights

Activist; Sentence: 18 years; Date of arrest: 25 March 2003.

Eduardo Diaz Fleitas, 51; Farmer, Opposition Activist;

Sentence: 21 years; Date of arrest: 18 March 2003.

Antonio Ramon Diaz Sanchez, 41; Electrician, member of the

Christian Liberation Movement; Sentence: 20 years; Date of

arrest: 18 March 2003.

Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, 55; Member of the United Cuban

Workers Council; Sentence: 26 years; Date of arrest: 18 March

2003.

``Antunez'' Jorge Luis Garcia Perez--18 years (sentenced in

1990).

Partial list of political prisoners in Cuba, provided by

Plantados Hasta La Libertad De Cuba.

Adolfo Fernandez Sainz, Adrian Alvarez Arencibia, Agustin

Cervantes Garcia, Alejandro Cabrera Cruz, Alejandro Gonzalez

Raga, Alexei Solorzano Chacon, Alexis Rodriguez Fernandez,

Alexis Triana Montecino, Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, Alfredo M.

Pulido Lopez, Alfredo Rodolfo Dominguez Batista, Alilas Saes

Romero, Alquimidez Luis Martinez, Andres Frometa Cuenca,

Antonio Augusto Villareal Acosta, Antonio Ramon Diaz Sanchez,

Antonio Vladimir Rosello Gomez, Ariel Aguilera Hernandez,

Ariel Sigler Amaya, Armando Sosa Fortuny, Arnalda Ramos

Lauzerique, Arturo Perez de Alejo Rodriguez, Arturo Suarez

Ramos, Arturo Suarez Ramos, Benito Ortega Suarez, Bernardo

Espinosa Hernandez, Bias Giraldo Reyes Rodriguez, Carlos Luis

Diaz Fernandez, Carlos Martin Gomez, Cecilio Reinoso Sanchez,

Charles Valdez Suarez, Claro Fernando Alonzo Hernandez, Claro

Sanchez Altarriba, Daniel Candelario Santovenia Fernandez,

Daniel Escalona Martinez, David Aguila Montero, Delvis

Cespedes Reyes, Digzan Ramirez Ballester, Diosdado Gonzalez

Marrero, Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet

Gonzalez, Duilliam Ramirez Ballester, Eduardo Diaz

Castellanos.

Eduardo Diaz Fleitas, Efrain Roberto Rivas Hernandez, Efren

Fernandez Fernandez, Egberto Angel Escobedo Morales, Elio

Enrique Chavez Ramon, Elio Terrero Gomez, Elizardo Calbo

Hernandez, Enrique Santos Gomez, Ernesto Borges Perez,

Ernesto Duran Rodriguez, Ezequiel Morales Carmenate, Fabio

Prieto Llorente, Felix Geraldo Vega Ruiz, Felix Navarro

Rodriguez, Fidel Garcia Roldan, Fidel Suarez Cruz, Francisco

Herodes Diaz Echemendia, Francisco Pacheco Espinosa,

Francisco Pastor Chaviano Gonzalez, Guido Sigler Amaya,

Hector Larroque Rego, Hector Maceda Gutierrez, Hector Palacio

Ruiz, Hector Raul Valle Hernandez, Hiran Gonzalez Torna,

Horacia Julio Pina Borrego, Humberto Eladio Real Suarez,

Ignacio Ramos Valdez, Ivan Hernandez Carrillo, Jesus Manuel

Rojas Pineda, Jesus Mustafa Felipe, Joel Cano Diaz, Joel

Perez Ozorio, Jorge Alvarez Sanchez, Jorge Gonzalez

Velazquez, Jorge Luis Gonzalez Riveron, Jorge Luis Gonzalez

Tanquero, Jorge Luis Martinez Roja, Jorge Luis Suarez Varona,

Jorge Ozorio Vazquez, Jorge Pelegrin Ruiz, Jorge Rafael

Benitez Chui, Jose Agramonte Leiva.

Jose Antonio Mola Porro, Jose Benito Menendez del Valle,

Jose Carlos Montero Ocampo, Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, Jose

Enrique Santana Carreiras, Jose Diaz Silva, Jose Gabriel

Ramon Castillo, Jose Joaquin Palma Salas, Jose Miguel

Martinez Hernandez, Jose Ramon Falcon Gomez, Jose Rodriguez

Herrada, Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, Juan Alfredo Valle

Perez, Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta, Juan Carlos Vazquez

Garcia, Juan Ochoa Leyva, Julian Enrique Martinez Baez,

Julian Hernandez Lopez, Julio Cesar Alvarez Lopez, Julio

Cesar Galvez Rodriguez, Lazaro Alejandro Garcia Farah, Lazaro

Gonzalez Adan, Lazaro Gonzalez Caraballo, Leandro Suarez

Sabot, Lenin Efren Cordova, Leoncio Rodriguez Ponce, Leonel

Grave de Peralta Almenares, Lester Gonzalez Penton, Librado

Ricardo Linares Garcia, Luis Cabrera Ballester, Luis Elio de

la Paz Ramon, Luis Enrique Ferrer Garcia, Luis Milan

Fernandez, Manuel Ubals Gonzalez, Manuel Ubals Gonzalez,

Marcelino Rodriguez Vazquez, Marcelo Cano Rodriguez, Marco

Antonio Soto Morell, Marino Antomachit Rivero, Mario Enrique

Mayo Hernandez, Maximo Omar Ruiz Matoses, Maximo Robaina

Pradera, Miguel Diaz Bauza, Miguel Galvan Gutierrez, Mijail

Barzaga Lugo, Nelson Aguiar Ramirez, Nelson Molinet Espino.

Norberto Chavez Diaz, Normando Hernandez Gonzalez, Omar

Moises Hernandez Ruiz, Omar Pernet Hernandez, Omar Rodriguez

Saludes, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, Pablo Javier Sanchez

Quintero, Pablo Pacheco Avila, Pedro Arguelles Moran, Pedro

de la Caridad Alvarez Pedroso, Pedro Genaro Barrera

Rodriguez, Pedro Lizado Pena, Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos,

Pedro Pablo Pulido Ortega, Prospero Gainza Aguero, Rafael

Corrales Alonso, Rafael Gonzalez Ruiz, Rafael Ibarra Roque,

Rafael Jorrin Garcia, Rafael Millet Leyva, Ramon Fidel

Basulto Garcia, Randy Cabrera Mayor, Raul Alejandro Delgado

Arias, Raumel Vinagera Stevens, Regis Iglesia Ramirez,

Reinaldo Calzadilla Paz, Reinaldo Galvez Contrera, Reinaldo

Miguel Labrada Pena, Ricardo Enrique Silva Gual, Ricardo

Gonzalez Alfonso, Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso, Ricardo Pupo

Cierra, Ridel Ruiz Cabrera, Roberto Alejandro Lopez

Rodriguez, Rolando Jimenez Posada, Santiago Adrian Simon

Palomo, Saul Lista Placeres, Tomas Ramos Rodriguez, Vicente

Coll Campaniony, Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, Virgilio

Mantilla Arango, Yosbel Gonzalez Plaza, Felipe Alberto

Laronte Mirabal, Rene Montes de Oca Martija, Adolfo Lazaro

Bosq Hinojosa, Alberto Martinez Fernandez, Alexander Roberto

Fernandez Rico.

Amado Idelfonso Ruiz Moreno, Andres Sabon Lituanes, Angel

R. Eireo Rodriguez, Ariel Fleitas Gonzalez, Ariel Ramos

Acosta (Hijo), Arnaldo Nicot Roche, Augusto Cesar San Martin

Albistur, Anita la de Chaviano, Augusto Guerra Marquez,

Candido Terry Carbonell, Carlos Alberto Dominguez, Carlos

Alberto Dominguez, Carlos Brizuela Yera, Carlos Brizuela

Yera, Carlos Israel Anaya Velazquez, Carlos Miguel Lopez

Santos, Carmelo Diaz Fernandez, Carmelo Diaz Fernandez, Dania

Rojas Gongora, Delio Laureano Requejo Rodriguez, Edel Jose

Garcia Diaz, Edel Jose Garcia Diaz, Emilio Leyva Perez,

Enrique Dieguez Rivera, Enrique Garcia Morejon, Antonio

Marcelino Garcia Morejon, Ernesto Duran Rodriguez, Francisco

Godar Marino, Froilan Menas Albrisas, Guillermo Farinas

Hernandez, Guillermo Renato Rojas Sanchez, Humberto Acosta

Yorka, Humberto Eladio Real Suarez, Idelfonso Batista Cruz,

Inocente Martinez Rodriguez, Jesus Adolfo Reyes Sanchez,

Alejandro Mustafa Reyes, Joaquin Barriga San Emeterio, Jorge

Hanoi Alcala Gorrita, Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, Jorge Olivera

Castillo, Jorge Olivera Castillo, Jose Alberto Castro

Aguilar, Jose Arosmin Diaz Kolb, Jose Lorenzo Perez Fidalgo,

Jose Miguel Martinez Hernandez, Jose Patricio Armas Garcia.

Juan Carlos Fonseca Fonseca, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leyva,

Juan Luis Corrales Perez, Juan Pedoso Esquivel, Juan Ramirez

Gonzalez, Juan Rodriguez Leon, Julio A. Valdes Guevara,

Lazaro Iglesias Estrada, Lazaro Miguel Rodriguez Capote,

Leobanis Manresa Osoria, Leonardo Corria Amaya, Leonardo M.

Bruzon Avila, Lexter Tellez Castro, Luis Alberto Martinez

Rodriguez, Luis Campos Corrales, Manuel Vazquez Portal,

Manuel Vazquez Portal, Marcelo Lopez Banobre, Margarito

Broche Espinosa, Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, Migdalia

Hernandez Enamorado, Migdalis Ponce Casanova, Miguel Angel

Gata Perez, Miguel Sigler Amaya, Miguel Sigler Amaya, Miguel

Valdes Tamayo, Noel Ramos Rojas, Normando Perez Alvarez,

Ociel Olivares Tito, Reinaldo Hernandez 02/05/05, Omar Wilson

Estevez Real, Orlando Fundora Alvarez, Oscar Mario Gonzalez

Perez, Oscar Espinosa Chepe, Osvaldo Alfonso Valdes, Pedro

Pablo Alvarez Ramos, Rafael Perera Gomez, Ramon Herrera

Corcho, Raul Rivero Castaneda, Raydel Ramirez Valdes, Raul

Arencivia Fajardo, Ricardo Ramos Pereira, Ricardo Rodriguez

Borrego, Roberto de Miranda Hernandez, Roberto Esquijerosa

Chirino, Roberto Montero Tamayo, Rodolfo Barthelemy Coba.

Rogelio Ramos Prado, Rolando Corrales Martinez, Ulises

Manresa Osoria, Victor Bresler Cisneros, Victor Campa

Almarales, Virgilio Marante Guelmes, Yoel Vazquez Perez,

Rolando Ferrer Espinosa, Nestor Rodriguez Lobaina, Julio

Cesar Morales Gonzalez, Roberto Bruno Fonseca Guevara,

Abelardo Cesar Cordero Perez, Adolfo Fernandez Sainz,

Alejandro Gonzalez Raga, Alfredo Felipe Fuentes, Alfredo M.

Pulido Lopez, Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Paneque, Fabio Prieto

Llorente, Hector Maceda Gutierrez, Ivan Hernandez Carrillo,

Jose Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernandez, Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta,

Julio Cesar Galvez Rodriguez, Lexter Tellez Castro, Mario

Enrique Mayo Hernandez, Miguel Galvan Gutierrez, Mijail

Barzaga Lugo, Normando Hernandez Gonzalez, Omar Moises

Hernandez Ruiz, Omar Rodriguez Saludes, Pablo Pacheco Avila,

Pedro Arguelles Moran, Ricardo Gonzalez Alfonso, Victor

Rolando Arroyo Carmona.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Oscar Mario Gonzalez, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Gonzalez is an independent journalist and pro-democracy activist in totalitarian Cuba. His peaceful, pro-democracy activities and truthful articles have helped the world to learn the facts about the nightmare that is the Castro regime. Unfortunately, the dictatorship forcefully represses those who bravely support freedom and rise in resistance to the despotic regime.

According to Reporters Without Borders, on March 24, 2005, Mr. Gonzalez was summoned and questioned by regime agents, who threatened that he would not be able to see his family again if he continued practicing as an independent journalist. Despite these gangster tactics and heinous threats, Mr. Gonzalez continued to demand basic human rights for the people of Cuba.

As part of the tyrant's heinous July 2005 crackdown on peaceful pro- democracy opponents, on July 22, Mr. Gonzalez was arrested as he tried to participate in a peaceful demonstration outside the French Embassy in Havana, demanding the release of political prisoners in Cuba. As part of this vicious crackdown, approximately 33 brave opponents were arrested at home, on their way to the demonstration or on the sidelines of the gathering.

According to CubaNet, Mr. Gonzalez has been charged with violating Law 88. This is the same sham law that the tyrannical regime used to wrongly convict many of the prodemocracy activists arrested in March 2003.

Mr. Gonzalez is a brilliant example of the heroism of the Cuban people. Despite incessant repression, harassment, incarceration and abuse, he remains committed to the conviction that freedom of the press and democracy are the inalienable right of the Cuban people. It is a crime against humanity that Castro's totalitarian gulags are full of men and women, like Mr. Gonzalez, who represent the best of the Cuban nation.

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear, Mr. Gonzalez is languishing in the grotesque squalor of the gulag because he desires freedom for all Cubans. My Colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Oscar Mario Gonzalez and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Madam Speaker, it is a curiosity to see how our friends on the other side of the aisle have now discovered, it seems like they discovered the Mediterranean today when they say that independent commissions in their view, so-called independent commissions, are not political.

It is not by chance, Mr. Speaker, that the first article of the United States Constitution created the Congress, article I created the Congress. Among the duties of the Congress, constitutional duties of the Congress, is the responsibility of oversight.

When a so-called independent commission is created, we have to ask ourselves, who funds the independent commission? Congress, created by the first article of the Constitution with the duty of oversight.

Who appoints, Mr. Speaker, the so-called independent commissions? Congress or if Congress authorizes the President, the President authorizes. The decision is ours. Ours is the duty under the Constitution to investigate. Ours is the duty to carry forthwith oversight.

What we are doing today is trying to do our duty in creating a bipartisan committee of this House with the solemn obligation of investigating this tragedy, this ongoing tragedy that is going on now in the gulf States, and to do so as soon as possible.

I am proud of the fact that the House is bringing forth this measure today, proud to support it; and I ask all of my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Julio Cesar Lopez Rodriguez, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Lopez Rodriguez is an independent librarian and pro-democracy activist in totalitarian Cuba. According to Human Rights First, Mr. Lopez Rodriguez is Vice President of the Frente Linea Dura movement and Director of its independent library. He is a longtime activist for democratic change.

Independent librarians in Cuba, such as Mr. Lopez Rodriguez, provide the indispensable service of circulating truth at a time when the tyrannical regime provides only propaganda. These heroic librarians circulate important works, including literature written by authors such as George Orwell, Vaclav Havel, and Dr. Martin Luther King, whose works are among the classics of anti-totalitarian literature.

As part of the tyrant's heinous July 2005 crackdown on peaceful pro- democracy opponents, on 22 July, Mr. Lopez Rodriguez was arrested as he tried to participate in a peaceful demonstration outside the French Embassy in Havana, demanding the release of political prisoners in Cuba. As part of this vicious crackdown, approximately 30 brave opponents were arrested at home, on their way to the demonstration or on the sidelines of the gathering.

Mr. Lopez Rodriguez is currently languishing in an abhorrent, inhuman cell in the totalitarian gulag. The State Department reports that police and prison officials beat, neglect, isolate, and deny medical treatment to detainees and prisoners, including those convicted of political crimes. It is a crime of the highest order that people who work for freedom are imprisoned in these nightmarish conditions.

Despite the regime's constant gangster style repression, freedom and democracy are on the march in Cuba. Courageous leaders like Mr. Lopez Rodriguez defy the dictator's machinery of repression and, despite every threat and obstacle, demand liberty for the people of Cuba. Through their bravery, through their actions, and because of their unwavering commitment, and the works of thousands of other Cuban patriots, Cuba will be free again.

Mr. Speaker, it is completely unacceptable that, while the world stands by in silence, Mr. Lopez Rodriguez languishes in the gulag because of his belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Julio Cesar Lopez Rodriguez and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 426 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

(Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 426 provides that suspensions will be in order at any time on the legislative day of Thursday, September 8, 2005. This resolution will allow the House to consider and debate legislation to address the needs of the hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast in our country, such as increased borrowing authority for the National Flood Insurance program, the Student Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Response and Recovery Act, and a supplemental emergency appropriations bill.

Mr. Speaker, my community in South Florida was very fortunate that we did not have to bear the full brunt of this latest hurricane, Hurricane Katrina. Over a million of us in South Florida lost electricity. Many homes and businesses were flooded and some structural damage was caused to homes and businesses, but we did not bear the full brunt, the full fury of this latest hurricane, Katrina.

We in South Florida were very fortunate as well to receive generous aid from fellow Americans in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. As a Hurricane Andrew survivor, I have an idea of the trials and tribulations that face hurricane survivors. I am also very much aware that assistance from the Federal Government is essential for a comprehensive and robust recovery effort.

With that said, I wish to make clear to our friends in the Gulf Coast that we will continue to mobilize nationwide in response to this tragedy, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to the recovery effort, and we will not walk away from our obligations to our fellow Americans. Just as we did after Hurricane Andrew, Mr. Speaker, together it is that we will rebuild and together it is that we will recover.

In response to this terrible disaster, the majority leadership of this House has set out a plan to continue helping the victims of this terrible catastrophe. Last week, the House of Representatives passed emergency funding totaling $10.5 billion to provide urgently needed relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Congress needs to do more for the victims of this catastrophe, and we will. We will consider, I am certain, other supplemental bills, and they will provide additional billions for recovery and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast.

The American people have demonstrated their resiliency before and will do so again. We will continue to work to comfort those who suffer. Rescue workers are at this moment lined up across this great Nation to support the recovery effort that is under way, and volunteers from every corner of America are ready to support those efforts. Our prayers continue to go out to the victims, to their families and to all the valiant rescue workers. The spirit of community, of generosity and good will across the country gives me confidence that Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama will recover from this tragedy, and they will be better than ever before.

House Resolution 426, Mr. Speaker, is a necessary rule for our efforts to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I would like to say a special word of thanks to the Speaker, to the majority leader, to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and to the minority leadership for their swift action on this issue as was begun to be demonstrated last week. I urge my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to support both the rule and support the emergency legislation that is authorized under this rule.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be bringing forth to the floor today a rule that will permit the consideration of various pieces of legislation to continue to provide very needed assistance to those who are suffering as we speak.

As I mentioned before in my prior remarks, Mr. Speaker, there are four pieces of legislation that this rule that we will be voting on this morning authorizes consideration of: the national flood insurance program, assistance for that program; the Student Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act, assistance for that program; the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Emergency Response and Recovery Act, assistance for that program; and an emergency supplemental. Those four pieces of legislation, the rule that we are debating on at this time, are authorized to be debated by this House.

I wish to commend the two Senators from the State of Louisiana who, I was just able to read some of their joint statements, I think are demonstrating great responsibility in a spirit of bipartisanship. For example, the two Senators from Louisiana have stated, they say there will be ample time, and I agree with them, for Congress to thoroughly investigate the event.

They say, as well, and I also agree with them, that the focus now needs to be on food, on housing, on employment, on education and on health care, not on investigations. There will be plenty of time for this Congress, in its constitutional duty of oversight, to investigate. But I agree, as I say, with the Senators from Louisiana.

The focus now, and our focus in bringing forth authorizing consideration of the four pieces of legislation this morning, is on food, housing, employment, education and health care, assistance to those and for those who are suffering.

I see the Senators from Louisiana also made another point. In a joint bipartisan statement they say, please do not make the citizens of Louisiana victims once again by allowing our immediate needs to be delayed by partisanship.

Now, we do not want to delay assistance by partisanship or any other reason, and that is why we are bringing forth this rule. We have brought forth this rule to authorize consideration of four measures to take assistance, to

continue to make available assistance to those who are suffering at this time, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that the rule that we have brought forth this morning, and I reiterate that I am so, authorizes consideration by this House today of four legislative measures, four, to continue to increase assistance to those who are suffering pursuant to the destruction caused by that extraordinary tragedy in the Gulf Coast.

Four pieces of legislation are being brought forth today, are being authorized to be brought forth today with the rule that we are considering this morning. Yes, I am very proud of that, Mr. Speaker.

Now, I have questions as well. I have questions as well with regard to a number of Federal agencies, State agencies, local agencies as well in the Gulf Coast.

My wife was reminding me last night that on the Friday before this horrible storm hit the Gulf Coast, she saw the director of the National Hurricane Center on national television with the Governor of Florida, by the way. We had the Governor of Florida and our local officials speaking to us continuously before and at the time and after the hurricane passed through us in south Florida before it went into the Gulf and then gathered all that strength that bore down with such horrible power on the Gulf Coast. And she was reminding me that the director of the National Hurricane Center, this is Friday before the hurricane hit late Sunday night, early Monday morning, the Gulf Coast, said it is headed to the Gulf. It is going to pick up strength and it could hit, it is going to land anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to New Orleans.

Now, as I was discussing with my wife last night, when we had the four hurricanes in Florida last year, and this one in south Florida this year, immediately our local officials, the mayor, the county commissioners, the mayors and the Governor, the State officials, they were speaking to the populace and instructing people to leave, evacuating people. Five times we have done so in 1 year.

So, yes, I have questions as to why that was not done in Louisiana, why it was not ordered by the mayors and by the county commissioners and by the Governors. I have questions. Of course I have questions, Mr. Speaker. We all have questions, and those questions need to be addressed. And they will be addressed as we proceed with our oversight function, which is legally required.

But today what we need to do is to get help to the people who need the help, and that is what we are doing, Mr. Speaker. That is why we have brought forth the legislation to authorize consideration of four measures to take assistance to those in need. That is what we are debating this morning.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, again with regard to what we have brought forth this morning, a rule for consideration of four pieces of legislation to provide assistance and to increase the aid that is going to those who are in desperate need in the Gulf Coast area now due to the great catastrophe that has just been suffered, that is what we are doing. We are authorizing consideration of four pieces of legislation to increase assistance to those in need.

Now, last night in the Committee on Rules, Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle, the minority party, brought forth one amendment to the rule that we are considering this morning and that amendment called for what is known as an open rule. In other words, that any Member of this House could bring forth any and all amendments that they may wish to do so, that they may have wished to do so with regard to any of the four pieces of legislation.

Now, I generally, Mr. Speaker, am for open rules. I think that is an appropriate goal and I think that we should, as much as possible, permit the free flow of debate on as many ideas as Members have. But if there has ever been a time when we could not, when we should not have an open rule which would permit, even if each of us only had one idea, and I think the Obey amendment is a very interesting one, he just explained it a few minutes ago, even if each of us had one idea in the form of an amendment like the one that was just explained by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), we would have 435 amendments, Mr. Speaker, to debate.

This is not the time to have 435 or 100 or 50 amendments. This is the time to bring forth legislation, a rule in this case to authorize consideration of four pieces of legislation to assist those in need.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

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

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that we realize that in the same fashion in which last week's supplemental legislation was considered under a unanimous consent request, it is the hope and wish of the majority leadership that the next supplemental bill also be considered in that way under unanimous consent.

With regard to additional time for debate or other matters, that could be obviously worked into a unanimous consent agreement like the one that brought forth and permitted debate and permitted passage of the first supplemental.

So what we are voting on today, the rule does not preclude that. On the contrary, as I say, it is the wish of the majority leadership to continue to engage in dialogue and hopefully have a unanimous consent agreement. I wanted to make that clear because sometimes I think the facts are important to be made clear.

Mr. Speaker, we reserve the balance of our time.

Yielding myself such time as I may consume, Mr. Speaker, we will have time for any and all of the measures that are brought forth if this rule passes, under authorization of this rule, for rational and any other kind of debate. I can assure my colleagues of that, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we reserve the balance of our time.

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

We are considering today, or authorizing consideration, bringing forth today under this rule, the national flood insurance program, assistance for that program for those in need in the

Gulf; the Student Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act, assistance for the people in the Gulf with regard to student grants and disaster relief; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Response and Recovery Act, assistance for those in need under this act, under that law, with that program, through that program.

We are bringing those measures, those specific measures to the floor today, in addition to a significant and substantial supplemental appropriations bill to get aid immediately to those in need.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop), my distinguished friend and colleague from the Committee on Rules.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman

from California (Mr. Dreier), the chairman of the Committee on Rules.

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

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

What we are doing today, Mr. Speaker, is not shoving words down anybody. We are authorizing consideration for this House to pass assistance for the National Flood Insurance program, the Student Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Response and Recovery Act, and an emergency supplemental bill to continue the assistance to those in dreadful need as we speak.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank all of our colleagues who have debated this important issue this morning.

I would like again to also thank the two Senators from Louisiana, Senators Landrieu and Vitter for their joint bipartisan statement where they say that Congress will have ample time to thoroughly investigate this event and that they plan, as many of us do, to play a major role in those important investigations, but they continue saying, please do not make the citizens of Louisiana a victim once again by allowing our immediate needs to be delayed by partisanship.

Now, we have heard a number of ideas today brought forth, really for sweeping policy changes. They definitely should be considered. And perhaps many of those ideas will become law. But today what we need to do is what we are doing. We are getting the assistance and we are increasing it to those who are in desperate need.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this rule that brings forth four pieces of assistance, legislation for assistance to those in desperate need, and would also urge, obviously, favorable consideration of the underlying pieces of legislation that we are authorizing being considered today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Rene Gomez Manzano, a political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Gomez Manzano is a lawyer and a distinguished member of the pro- democracy opposition in Cuba. Along with fellow Cuban patriots Martha Beatriz Roque and Felix Bonne Carcasses, he is a leader of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society. The Assembly is an umbrella organization of over 300 groups of Cubans who have asserted their independence from the totalitarian state. On May 20, 2005, the Assembly carried out a meeting of approximately 200 Cubans who publicly demonstrated their rejection of totalitarianism and their support for democracy and the rule of law in Havana. Mr. Gomez Manzano was one of the primary architects of that historic, admirable accomplishment. Accordingly, he has been the constant target of Castro's machinery of repression. He has been harassed by the tyrant's thugs and, now, unjustly incarcerated as a political prisoner for his peaceful activities.

Eight years before, in 1997, after coauthoring the important and historic work ``La Patria es de Todos'' (``The Homeland Belongs to All'') with Martha Beatriz Roque, Felix Bonne Carcasses and another Cuban patriot, Vladimiro Roca, Mr. Gomez Manzano was arrested by the dictatorship and sentenced to various years in the gulag. During his unjust imprisonment, and after being released, Mr. Gomez Manzano never wavered in his commitment to bring freedom, democracy and human rights to the Cuban people. Unfortunately, in an additional act of extreme and despicable repression by the dictatorship, Mr. Gomez Manzano, along with dozens of others, was arrested once again on July 22, 2005, before he could attend a peaceful demonstration in front of the French Embassy in Havana to protest the resumption of the European Union's policy of so-called engagement with the terrorist regime in Havana.

I have never had the honor of personally meeting Mr. Gomez Manzano, but I can certainly say that I know him quite well. I have spoken to him by telephone during various Congressional hearings and other public events dedicated to highlighting the suffering and oppression of the Cuban people. He is a great patriot, a man of the law, a man of peace, and an apostle of freedom for Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, it is completely unacceptable that, while the world stands by in silence and acquiescence, Mr. Gomez Manzano languishes in the gulag because of his belief in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We cannot permit the brutal treatment by a demented and murderous tyrant of a man of peace like Mr. Gomez Manzano for simply supporting freedom for his people. My colleagues, we must demand the immediate and unconditional release of Rene Gomez Manzano and every political prisoner in totalitarian Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 396 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

(Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 396 is a traditional, standard rule for consideration of the conference report for the fiscal year 2006 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.

The legislation before us appropriates $3.084 billion for operations of the legislative branch. The bill is fiscally sound. It includes a modest increase from the bill of fiscal year 2005.

In accordance with long practice, Mr. Speaker, each body determined its own fiscal requirements. As such, the conference report includes $1.1 billion the House of Representatives originally appropriated for its operations earlier this year. It also includes the $759 million the Senate appropriated for its operations. The appropriations for both the House of Representatives and the Senate includes funds for Members' representational allowances, leadership and committee offices. These funds will help Members fulfill their duties to legislate and to oversee.

These funds also help Congress complete the vitally important task, as I have just mentioned, which is the oversight of the executive branch. The Constitution grants Congress broad powers that include the extraordinarily important power of oversight. This includes obviously getting to know what the executive is doing, how programs are being administered, by whom and at what cost, and whether officials are complying with the law, with the intent of the law.

For the Capitol Police, who each and every day protect us, our staffs, and our constituents visiting the Capitol, the bill appropriates over $249 million. This level of funding will support the current staffing level of 1,592 officers, an additional 43 officers for the Library of Congress and 45 new officers for the Capitol Visitors Center. Also included is an inspector general for the Capitol Police to help the Capitol Police with administrative operations such as financial management and budgeting.

The bill also includes an important piece of legislation, the Continuity in Representation Act of 2005. As we all know, Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, flight 93 was headed toward us here. If it were not for the heroic acts of the passengers on flight 93, we could very well have faced a situation where Congress may not have been able to function. We cannot allow this to happen. We certainly have to do everything we can to not allow it to happen.

H.R. 841 would accelerate elections in case a terrorist attack leaves the House of Representatives with over 100 vacancies. It provides for the expedited special election of new Members to fill seats left vacant in ``extraordinary circumstances.''

The House passed this bill earlier this year by an overwhelming bipartisan margin of 329 to 68. In the 108th Congress, the House passed a similar bill by a vote of 306 to 97. Each time the Senate has failed to consider this vital piece of legislation; so the Speaker wisely asked that this very important legislation be included in this process.

We must not ignore the threat to our constitutional duty. It is time that we have legislation such as this that can handle such an inconceivably horrible possibility and does not leave our duty to legislate and oversee in limbo.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, essential to our continued ability to legislate, to our power of oversight and the continuity of government.

I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Lewis) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), ranking member, for their leadership on this. And I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from California for her hard work and friendship.

I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution condemning the Cuban dictatorship's most recent measures of extreme repression against Cuba's pro-democracy movement.

Following Castro's condemnable, March 2003, crackdown against peaceful pro-democracy activists, the European Union correctly took measures against the Cuban regime. However, in January 2005, the European Union suspended these measures and resumed its policy of so- called ``engagement'' with the terrorist regime in Havana. This policy of appeasement includes inviting regime officials to diplomatic events and shamelessly disinviting Cuba's brave pro-democracy activists. Unfortunately, on July 14, 2005, the Government of France invited the dictatorship's Foreign Minister to the French Embassy in Havana for a Bastille Day celebration. And, the Government of France did not invite the heroic members of the democratic opposition to the same celebration.

To protest this cowardly policy, members of the pro-democracy opposition in Cuba sought, on July 22, to demonstrate in front of the French Embassy in a peaceful and orderly manner for the liberation of all Cuban political prisoners, and to denounce the current policy of the European Union.

In a viscous display of gangster-style repression, the Cuban regime mobilized its repugnant state security apparatus to try to intimidate and harass the peaceful demonstrators. Members of the Assembly to Promote Civil Society in Cuba, who were planning a peaceful demonstration in front of the French Embassy in Havana on the morning of Friday, July 22, were the victims of hate acts (``acts of repudiation''), their homes were ransacked, and at least 20 of them were arrested. Among those arrested were the leaders of the Cuban opposition Martha Beatriz Roque, Felix Bonne Carcasses and Rene Gomez Manzano. Mr. Gomez Manzano and other opposition members remain in prison as I speak.

This is one more example of the brutality of a dictatorship that does not allow freedom of

expression for Cubans, and instructs its thugs to assault the members of the peaceful opposition for the ``crime'' of seeking freedom, democracy and respect for human rights in Cuba. The world needs to respond in the strongest possible terms to this latest violation of the most elemental human rights in Cuba. This resolution condemns the latest violations of human rights by the Cuban regime, a regime of gangsters, by gangsters and for gangsters, led by a gangster in chief.