Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, FY2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, FY2010

Account: Department of Energy, Science

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Barry University

Address of Requesting Entity: 11300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, FL 33161

Description of Request: I have secured $1,200,000 to fund Phase II of the Institute for Collaborative Sciences Research which is intended to create a state-of-the-art research infrastructure through new laboratory and teaching space in health care and physical sciences programs. The focus of the Institute will be to prepare minority leaders for future work in healthcare professions while facilitating important research that has a direct benefit on minority populations in my South Florida community.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, FY2010

Account: Department of Energy, Science

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Miami-Dade College Hialeah Campus

Address of Requesting Entity: 1780 W 49th Street, Hialeah, FL 33012

Description of Request: I have secured $400,000 to implement a Physical and Biological Sciences Laboratory Learning Center at Miami Dade College's Hialeah Campus. Funding will develop both face-to-face and virtual Physical and Biological Science labs, and technology- enhanced learning systems to support student recruitment, retention and graduation rates in Science career fields. Having these options will allow students to use technology to conduct experiments and test hypotheses in class under the direct supervision of an instructor or in the traditional wet lab setting. The Physical and Biological Sciences Laboratory Learning Center at MDC-Hialeah Campus will promote graduation rates in degree programs in the sciences fields. The national need for college educated workers in STEM fields is well documented.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, FY2010

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Investigations account

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Miami-Dade County

Address of Requesting Entity: 111 NW 1st Street, Suite 1032, Miami,

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the H.R. 3170, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act,

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

The underlying legislation, the Energy-Water Appropriations Act, provides over $33.2 billion in funding for critical water projects. It helps to develop a cleaner, more dependable energy sector that is less dependent on unreliable sources of foreign energy. It also supports our national defense system by funding critical weapons and nonproliferation programs. The Water Resources Development Act of 2007, known as WRDA, authorized the deepening of the Miami Harbor to a depth of 50 feet. The underlying legislation follows up on that authorization with $600,000 for the planning of the dredging project. Reaching a depth of 50 feet by the time that the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014 is of both local and national importance. Once the Panama Canal expansion is complete, a new class of supercargo carriers will be able to traverse the canal and will be looking for new deepwater ports to unload their cargo. However, there are very few ports in the United States ready to handle those carriers. Once Miami reaches the 50-foot depth mark, it will be the closest U.S. port to the Panama Canal that can handle the carriers and will serve as a vital entry point for international trade in and out of the United States. The ability of the Port of Miami to accommodate those carriers will double the amount of cargo the port is able to handle and will serve to cement Miami's position as the trade capital of the Americas. It will also create numerous high-paying jobs; and it will have an extraordinary impact, obviously, on the local economy.

The Florida Everglades is a great national treasure. The Everglades' combination of abundant moisture, rich soils and subtropical temperatures traditionally supported a vast array of species. Flood control and reclamation efforts in the 1940s and the 1950s manipulated the Everglades' hydrology, redirecting fresh water destined for the Everglades out to sea. Its ecosystem was also harmed by degraded water quality. Pollutants from urban areas and agricultural run-off, including pesticides and excess nutrients, have harmed plant and animal populations. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which I strongly support, will capture fresh water destined for the sea, the lifeblood of the Everglades, and direct it back to the ecosystem to revitalize it. At the same time the project will also improve water supplies, provide flood control for South Florida and protect wildlife. My colleagues in the South Florida delegation and I have worked closely with appropriators to secure funding for this important project. I'm thankful to my colleagues, and I am pleased the Appropriations Committee agreed on the importance of this project by appropriating $210 million. I would like to thank Chairman Pastor and Ranking Member Frelinghuysen for their bipartisan work on the important underlying legislation that we're bringing to the floor today.

While I support the underlying legislation, I must oppose the rule by which the majority is bringing this bill to the floor. Last month the majority set a dangerous precedent to limit debate on appropriations bills, debate that, historically, was almost always considered under an open rule, an open process of debate. Today, Mr. Speaker, we are set to consider the eighth of 12 appropriations bills, and every bill considered so far has been considered under a structured rule that severely limits the ability of Members from both sides of the aisle to bring amendments to the floor for debate and for a vote and is not in the usual open procedure which allows every Member to offer their amendments.

During last week's Rules Committee hearing on the State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Lewis, testified that there was still time to undo the majority's new precedent, restricting the ability of Members to offer amendments to appropriation bills. Mr. Lewis asked the majority to reconsider the use of structured rules on appropriations bills, to return to regular order, to historical order, to the tradition of an open debate process on appropriations bills. He even offered his services to persuade Members to not offer dilatory amendments, which would hamper the ability of Congress to complete its appropriations work on time, something that both the majority and the minority wish to accomplish. Ranking Member Dreier of the Rules Committee and I also offered to help Ranking Member Lewis rein in any Members who wished to unnecessarily prolong the debate process. I really hoped that the majority on the Rules Committee would heed Mr. Lewis' thoughtful suggestion and accept his offer to help move the process along if an open debate process was returned to. However, the majority, once again, blocked the overwhelming majority of Members from both sides of the aisle from having a full opportunity to debate the bill and represent the interests of their constituents.

So, Mr. Speaker, the majority has not understood the damage it is causing this House by closing debate unnecessarily on appropriations bills by breaking, in effect, two centuries of precedents. It is sad.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Nathan Deal.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, Mrs. Matsui, once again for her courtesy, and I want to thank all of my distinguished colleagues who have participated in this debate on the rule bringing forward to the floor the appropriations bill, the Energy and Water appropriations bill.

I was particularly impressed by the arguments brought forth by Lee Terry who explained--and I wasn't aware of it--how, in the authorizing committee, and, quite frankly, then the Appropriations Committee, there have been systematic attempts to limit, close down debate, really, on developing, encouraging in a serious, comprehensive way nuclear power for the Nation.

It reminded me of what I consider an unfortunate aspect of the dogma of the left of the United States. Curious is their opposition to nuclear power. Not necessarily is that the case with the left everywhere. In France, for example, where about 80 percent of electricity is generated from nuclear power, governments of the left and the right. President Mitterand was a strong supporter of nuclear power, as obviously was President Giscard, and then President Chirac, and now President Sarkozy. Left and right in France have seen the critical importance of developing nuclear power and the importance of reprocessing, which was what Lee Terry was talking about, that ever since the Carter years here we have limited, we have excluded, in effect, that option.

So we're at a point now where we spend so much--we use so much imported oil in this country to generate electricity. That's insane when there is a clean option, nuclear power, which requires reprocessing in order to be really effective, as demonstrated in France. And yet the dogma of the American left on that issue curiously does not make that option possible.

Let me ask, how much time do I have remaining, Mr. Speaker?

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

I yield myself the remainder of my time.

It is a pillar of thought of the American left's opposition to nuclear power. I think it's evident. And the American left controls the leadership of this Congress, and it's unfortunate, as Mr. Wamp pointed out, because, and as I tried to point out earlier, in other countries left and right agree on the importance of nuclear power. It's clean energy that is available, readily available, and safe to reduce dependence on oil immediately.

Alternative sources are being developed, and they're important. But in terms of the significant substitution of oil with new sources, clean and reliable sources of energy, there is nothing that's available that can be more impacted or more effective than nuclear power. So it's a curiosity.

As a student, I studied comparative politics, comparative law. As a student of the left and the right in many countries, I find it curious as to why it is, because it is evidently a pillar of thought of the American left--opposition to nuclear power--but it's a fact.

I will be asking for a ``no'' on the previous question, Mr. Speaker, so we can amend this rule so we can allow an open process. There is no question that the rules the majority bring forth today will help to cement the dangerous precedent that it set last month. It will further damage bipartisanship and comity in this body.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question so we can uphold our tradition of allowing free and open debate on appropriations bills. If we do not do so, I believe the majority will come to regret their decision to close down the deliberative process of the House on appropriations bills.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

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.

I want to thank my dear friend from Texas, a great leader in this House, Mr. Sessions, for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise because this legislation that we are bringing to the floor today includes the last installment in a project that is very important to the community that I represent. The Southern Command is in the congressional district that I represent, and it is receiving in this legislation $55.4 million that completes the $237 million required for the new headquarters of the Southern Command, which is extremely important to the national security of the Nation and of the hemisphere, the defense of the hemisphere, and obviously to the community that I am honored to represent.

SOUTHCOM personnel and supporting services have contributed over $1.2 billion and over 20,000 jobs to south Florida, and south Florida is the right place for SOUTHCOM. And we have been, for many years, working to make sure that it stays in south Florida.

I want to thank Chairman Edwards and Ranking Member Wamp and really all of the members of the Florida delegation and others who have worked so hard in a united fashion to make this a reality, a permanent facility for SOUTHCOM.

It's in a location that is leased from the State of Florida for the great total of $1 a year, long-term lease, $1 a year. That's what it is going to be costing the taxpayer.

So I want to thank former Governor Bush, Jeb Bush, for his help, in making this a reality, as well as Governor Charlie Crist, who has also demonstrated great leadership in making this project a reality.

We have worked with the county. We have worked with Mayor Bermudez of the City of Doral. The City of Doral has been marvelous in its cooperation with the men and women of SOUTHCOM; so, too, General Craddock, with whom we began working on this important project; and then Admiral Stavridis, who has done a tremendous job as the head of SOUTHCOM, and now he is leaving us to go to Europe and defend that continent; and now General Fraser, who has joined SOUTHCOM as the new head. All of them have done a tremendous job, along with all of the men and women there at the Southern Command.

So I thank all who have had an important role in this development and wish the men and women of SOUTHCOM well as I congratulate them, because Congress has done its job in funding the new headquarters.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 3082--Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill Number: H.R. 3082--Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2010

Account: Military Construction--Army

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: SOUTHCOM Headquarters, Incr 3

Address of Requesting Entity: United States Southern Command, Doral,

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

I would like to thank my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza) for the time.

I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their efforts on this important legislation. This bill provides almost $50 billion in funding for a number of U.S. government programs and activities, including the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, foreign economic and military assistance, contributions to international organizations, and international broadcasting programs.

In today's world, foreign assistance is as important to our national interest as it is ethical. I am pleased that the legislation recognizes our shared democratic values and our special friendship with Israel, and includes $2.2 billion in Foreign Military Financing programs, FMF assistance, for that great friend and ally.

Our aid to Israel is especially important as the ruthless tyranny in Iran threatens to wipe it off the face of the map and rockets continue to rain down on Israel from terrorist groups, whether they be Hamas or Hezbollah. Israel is a true friend and partner of the United States, and we must now, more than ever, show unwavering support for our friends, not only through this legislation, but through every other available means.

I am deeply concerned about the funding provided in this legislation to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Without determining that the agency does not have members of Hamas on its payroll, U.N. agencies such as that, for example, such as the so-called Human Rights Council, a club of tyrannies, do not deserve American taxpayer support, just like the useless embarrassment that is the Organization of American States.

Now, there are some good things, very good things in this legislation.

The legislation provides $165 million in Economic Support Funds, for example, for Haiti, to help the authorities consolidate democratic gains and promote development.

Since the recent devastating storms hit Haiti, I have called, first on the Bush administration and then on the Obama administration, to grant temporary protected status to Haitian nationals in the United States.

I visited Haiti last month, and my visit reinforced my belief that TPS for Haiti is well overdue. Again, I call on the Obama administration to finally grant TPS for Haitians. The Obama administration needs to stop dragging its feet on this important issue.

I wish to thank the Appropriations Committee for the $20 million in Economic Support Funds for pro-democracy activities in Cuba in this bill. Those funds will support efforts for a transition to democracy and freedom in the only totalitarian dictatorship in

the Western Hemisphere, through support for dissidents, human rights activists, independent librarians and others who risk their lives each day struggling for freedom in that enslaved island, the only country in the Western Hemisphere where free elections have been denied to its people for over 50 years.

The legislation includes $1.4 billion for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, MCC. Assistance to foreign nations from the MCC is linked to greater responsibilities from those nations. The new responsibilities those developing nations accept in exchange for the funds ensure that the assistance we provide does not go to waste and has the greatest possible impact on those who need the help the most.

I have been a longtime supporter of the MCC. But last year I learned that one recipient country may not be keeping up their end of the bargain. APR Energy, a Florida company, has an ongoing contract dispute with Tanzania, which I understand Tanzania has failed to resolve. I urge the Tanzanian government to comply with both the contract with APR Energy and their MCC compact and expeditiously resolve the dispute with APR Energy pursuant to the law and the utmost transparency.

I have concerns with the increased funding levels in two areas of the bill, the United Nations Population Fund and international family planning. In the past, this United Nations fund has been found to support and participate in programs of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. While the international family planning money doesn't go directly to fund abortions, it will go to organizations that promote and provide advocacy for abortion.

I do not think this is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Even though the majority on the Rules Committee last night rejected the Smith-Stupak amendment on this issue, I continue to hope that the issue will be addressed in conference.

I commend the committee, the Appropriations Committee, for recognizing many other important foreign policy priorities in the bill, $21 million for the American Institute in Taiwan, for example, and over $740 million for broadcasting through such important media outlets as the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and for Radio and TV Marti. I also commend the committee for maintaining the Greek language broadcasts in the Voice of America and also for wisely providing assistance to promote as much as possible the reconciliation to end the violence in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Speaker, while I support the underlying legislation, I must oppose the rule by which the majority is bringing this bill to the floor. Last month, the majority set a dangerous precedent to limit debate on appropriations bills, debate that historically was almost always considered under open rules, open debate process. Today we are set to consider the sixth of 12 appropriations bills, and every bill considered so far has been considered under a structured rule that severely limits the ability of all Members of this House to introduce amendments and have them debated.

During yesterday's Rules Committee hearing, Appropriations Ranking Member Lewis testified that there is still time to undo the majority's new precedent restricting the ability of Members to offer amendments on appropriations bills. He asked the majority to reconsider the use of structured rules on appropriations bills, to return to regular order, to historical order, to the tradition of an open debate process on appropriations bills. He even offered his services to persuade Members to not offer dilatory amendments which would hamper the ability of Congress to complete its appropriations work on time.

Rules Ranking Member Dreier and I also offered to help Ranking Member Lewis rein in any errant Members, any Members who wished to prolong unnecessarily the appropriations process. I really hoped the majority on the Rules Committee would heed Mr. Lewis' thoughtful suggestion and accept his offer to help move the process along if an open debate process was returned to. However, the majority once again blocked Members from both sides of the aisle from offering amendments.

Mr. Speaker, the majority has simply not understood the damage, unnecessarily, that it is causing this House by closing debate on appropriations bills, by breaking two centuries of precedence. How myopic. How sad.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt).

I yield 4 minutes to my friend, the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

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

I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mack).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate again my gratitude both to Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger of this appropriations subcommittee, and all of the members of the subcommittee. They have done great work.

When Chairwoman Lowey appeared yesterday in the Rules Committee, it was really remarkable how on a bipartisan basis she received the commendation and admiration of all of us, and, quite frankly, I think in representation of the entire House. So I thank her.

And she has a wonderful ranking member, Kay Granger, who also works extremely diligently in a way that has made the House also admire her deeply.

I think we have had a good debate on the underlying legislation. I think it is most unfortunate that the tradition of two centuries of open debate on appropriations bills has been broken by the majority. And so, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking for a ``no'' vote on the previous question on this rule so that we can amend the rule and allow an open rule.

The rule that the majority has brought forth today will only cement the dangerous and unnecessary precedent that it has already set. So let's have an open rule. Let's revert to tradition. Let's return to an open process.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the previous question.

I urge all of my colleagues, and I am sure many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree with us, that this unnecessary lessening of the House, this diminishing of each of the Members' rights is most unfortunate. And so we should return, as Ranking Member Lewis said before the Rules Committee last evening, let's return. There is still time, let's return to the tradition of two centuries and have an open rule.

And we pledge, as Ranking Member Lewis did last night before the Rules Committee, full cooperation, consistent with that tradition, after debate has begun on these appropriations bills that still remain to be considered, to work out unanimous consent agreements to limit time and allow the process to be finished in a timely way. So let's return to that tradition of two centuries and preserve the rights of each of the Members of this House.

I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question in order to return to those two centuries of tradition, to return to open rules on appropriations bills.

Mr. Speaker, 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.

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

Madam Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure and privilege to be able to welcome Pastor Alberto Delgado to the House of Representatives. Pastor Delgado and his wife, Mariam, also a wonderful religious leader, are pillars of strength, faith, and good works in south Florida.

Their church, Alpha and Omega Church with more than 5,000 members, is a sanctuary which opens its doors to over 2,000 worshipers per service, with services in both English and Spanish. It is a place of miracles, where, as Pastor Delgado always reminds the faithful, everything is possible with faith and where the family and the word of God are revered.

The ministries of Alpha and Omega Church have already spread to other States in this great and generous land, and to other countries as well, including Cuba, Guatemala, Argentina, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Belize. And the work of Pastor Delgado never stops.

Welcome to the United States Congress, Alberto and Mariam. It is an honor to have you here. Thank you for all that you do.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2997--Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill number: H.R. 2997--Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, Fiscal Year 2010

Account: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Research and Education Activities, Other Federal Administration

Legal name of requesting entity: Southeast Climate Consortium

Address of Requesting Entity: Florida State University, Tallahassee,

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2996--Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill Number: H.R. 2996--Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2010

Account: U.S. Forest Service, Land Acquisition

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Florida National Scenic Trail

Address of Requesting Entity: 5416 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608

Description of Request: I have secured $500,000 to acquire critical and strategic holdings buffering or adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base, its flyways over the Northwest Florida Greenway, the National Forests in Florida and other Federal and State land.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2647--National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart

Bill Number: H.R. 2647, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: Military Construction

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: United States Southern Command

Address of Requesting Entity: City of Doral, Florida

Description of Request: I have secured an authorization for $55.4 million for construction of a new headquarters for the U.S. Southern Command. Currently, the Department of Defense is leasing the land on which SOUTHCOM is now located from a private individual. The funds would be used by the Department of Defense to build the new SOUTHCOM headquarters adjacent to the current SOUTHCOM facility in Doral, Florida. The land for this facility will be leased from the State of Florida. SOUTHCOM received $100 million in the FY08 Military Construction Appropriations bill and $81.6 million in the FY09 Military Construction Appropriations bill as the first two installments of $237 million, previously authorized in the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (division B of Public Law 110- 181; 122 Stat. 504).

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.

While our men and women in uniform are risking their lives in war zones, we, in Congress, need to support them. I am proud to once again support the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to honor and support the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

I also wish to commend and congratulate both the Armed Services Committee Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for their commitment to put partisanship aside in order to get this important bill to the floor.

The National Defense Authorization Act, which passed unanimously out of the Armed Services Committee, authorizes $550.4 billion for the activities of the Department of Defense. It also provides $130 billion to support our combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other fronts of the war on terror.

Our men and women in uniform and their families have sacrificed dearly to protect the United States, and that is why I am pleased that the bill will provide our troops with a 3.4 percent pay raise.

Furthering our commitment to our troops, the bill extends TRICARE eligibility to Reserve members so they can receive full TRICARE coverage 100 days before they go on active duty and provides almost $2 billion for family housing programs to expand and improve the quality of military housing.

The bill authorizes the expansion of the size of the military by 15,000 Army troops, 8,000 Marines, over 14,500 Air Force personnel, and approximately 2,500 sailors in the Navy.

I would like to thank the committee and the distinguished chairman for including my request for funding, authorization obviously of funding, for the construction of a new, permanent headquarters for the United States Southern Command that is located in the congressional district that I am honored to represent. Currently the Department of Defense is leasing the land for SOUTHCOM from a private individual. The funds authorized by this bill will be used to build a new headquarters on land adjacent to the current location and lease it from the State of Florida for the grand sum of $1 per year.

This provision is extremely important to my community because SOUTHCOM personnel and supporting services have contributed over $1.2 billion and over 20,000 jobs to south Florida's economy.

Mr. Speaker, while I support the underlying legislation, I have deep reservations about the majority's decision to block full restoration of missile defense funding. This comes as North Korea's demented despot continues to mock global condemnation of his nuclear program and threatens the United States and our friends and our allies with mass destruction.

Just today an official from the North Korean Central News Agency, a mouthpiece for the dictatorship said, ``If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and the people of Korea will wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all.''

At the same time, the Iranian tyranny, while it massacres its own people in the streets, continues to threaten to wipe Israel off the face of the map. It is clear to me that the world faces a grave and, I believe, imminent threat from both of those dictatorships in North Korea and Iran. Now is not the time to cut missile defense.

Since the beginning of military aviation, the United States has wisely invested in our military air superiority, and in recent military operations we have clearly seen our investments pay off. Our military air superiority saves the lives of our men and women in uniform and also saves the lives of countless civilians. Unfortunately, the Obama administration feels that it is not necessary to continue our long history of investment in air superiority and is calling for the termination of the F-22 fighter aircraft production, even though the chief of staff of the Air Force publicly called for continued production of F-22s.

Now, thankfully, the Armed Services Committee successfully reinstated over $300 million to at least keep alive F-22 production. Unfortunately, I am shown at this time a statement of administration policy where it reads that if the final bill presented to the President contains this provision keeping alive the F-22 production line, that the President's senior advisers would recommend a veto. Mr. Speaker, I think that's most unfortunate.

I am also concerned that the majority failed to support a repeal of the so-called widow's tax. This provision penalizes surviving spouses of servicemembers who die on active duty or from service-related conditions by forcing them to accept a dollar-for-dollar reduction in their military survivor benefit plan payments in order to receive tax- free dependency and indemnity compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I have cosponsored two-pieces of legislation introduced by Mr. Buyer and Mr. Ortiz to remedy this injustice, and I am hopeful that Congress will soon address it.

Now, as supportive as I am of the underlying legislation, I must oppose the rule brought forth by the majority.

Prior to the consideration of the rule, Members from both sides of the aisle submitted 129 amendments to the Rules Committee. The vast majority of amendments, 79, were introduced by members of the majority party. Last night, the majority on the Rules Committee decided to make in order for discussion on this floor two-thirds of the majority amendments and one-third of the minority amendments.

Last week, when members of the minority submitted a number of amendments to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill, the majority claimed the minority were using dilatory tactics and shut down the ability of Members to offer amendments. This week, when the majority party offered a large number of amendments, the majority rewarded them for doing their jobs and representing their constituents by allowing 51 of their amendments for debate by the House.

At the same time, minority party members who were also representing the interests of their constituents were once again punished by the majority for doing their jobs and were only allowed 11 amendments.

In the end, the majority gets about five times the number of amendments made in order as the minority, and I think that's unfair. I think it's petty and unfair. What does the majority gain by using such an unfair process? In reality, nothing more than ending comity and diminishing the stature of this House and its Members.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished Republican whip, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I simply wanted to point out to my friend that despite the fact that we support the committee having maintained the production line for the F-22, we made a motion in committee for an open rule that would have permitted the gentleman's amendment.

I will yield.

I thank the gentleman for his debate. Despite the fact that we're in disagreement on this issue, he is a great parliamentarian and it's an honor to serve with him.

At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Broun.

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

I thank my friend from Maine and I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your courtesy, and I want to thank all who have come to participate in this debate. This legislation enjoys extraordinarily wide bipartisan support.

It's unfortunate that the rule that brings it to the floor is not fair. As I pointed out, it makes about two-thirds of the amendments that were introduced to the Rules Committee from the majority party in order and only about one-third of the amendments presented or introduced, proposed for debate by Members of the minority party. That's not fair. And it maintains a pattern that obviously we have seen deepened, augmented significantly in a very worrisome way in the appropriations process, where for the first time all of the appropriations bills are being brought to the floor under restrictive rules. We have had significant debate, but that's something that is also unfair and unfortunate, and it diminishes the rights of each of the Members of this House.

So I do think it's important we get to debate on legislation, in this case, this authorization of the Armed Forces legislation that enjoys such widespread bipartisan support.

So once again, opposing the rule and opposing the previous question, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the so-called ``supreme leader,'' is the ruthless dictator of Iran. Ahmadinejad is his puppet. In this farcical election, Khamenei overstepped blatantly. The others in the dictatorship who aspired to the puppet presidency are upset.

The Iranian people are utilizing this moment of division in the dictatorship to heroically express their opposition to the dictatorship. The issue is not one of who is entitled to be the puppet president in the Iranian dictatorship. The issue is the Iranian people are entitled to an end of the dictatorship and to live in self- determination and freedom and democracy.

The President of the United States has been silent and confused. The Congress of the United States clearly stands with the Iranian people, and they will prevail.

I rise today to congratulate my friend Rolando Ochoa, vice president and branch manager of the Sunny Isles branch of BankUnited, upon earning a Doctor of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University in South Florida.

As part of the program, Dr. Ochoa completed a grueling program of at least 68 credit hours in difficult disciplines. Although already greatly respected for his career in the banking industry, Rolando Ochoa has continued to deepen his knowledge of business and the banking industry. His admirable pursuit of excellence in his field will be of great assistance to our South Florida community.

On Saturday, Dr. Ochoa will graduate from Nova Southeastern, having been granted his doctorate. It is my privilege and honor to congratulate you, Dr. Rolando Ochoa, on this great achievement. I know that your dedication to excellence will continue to serve our community well.