Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support the Iran sanctions conference report, including robust sanctions on refined petroleum in Iran.

I am proud that the final bill includes my amendment requiring companies that are applying for contracts with the United States Government to affirmatively certify that they do not conduct business with Iran.

This legislation gives companies a simple choice: Do business with the United States or do business with Iran. We cannot allow Iran to continue its pursuit of nuclear weapons--not on our watch and certainly not on our dime.

As a conferee, I am proud that the final bill also takes into account any developments that have arisen in recent months. Iran is attempting to circumvent global sanctions, and this bill seeks to cut off their strategies, such as Iranian investments with companies like BP and joint ventures outside of Iran.

I would also like to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros- Lehtinen for their leadership.

I urge my colleagues to support the conference agreement.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Marna Davidson, a great educator and leader in our community. Marna has worked in the south Florida office of the United Federation of Teachers for many years and has helped to run an extraordinary program for retired teachers in our community. After a total career of 45 years, Marna has decided to retire this year, and I would personally like to thank her for her service and wish her a wonderful retirement.

People like Marna are what make south Florida the best place to live in the country. Her lifelong dedication to teachers and her tireless dedication and commitment have had a real and lasting impact in our community. Of her decision to retire this year, Marna said she wants to ``leave while I'm still in love.'' That sentiment truly captures Marna's spirit. And while the Boca Raton-based UFT office will surely be sad to see her go, we all respect her wise decision and wish her the very best in the next phase of her life.

Thank you, Marna.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 1359 and mark the 4-year anniversary of the capture of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. On June 25, 2006, Shalit was taken in a cross-border raid, remains held in Gaza, and for the past 4 years, he has been denied virtually all contact with the outside world.

When he was kidnapped, he was only 19 years old, the age of an average American college student. But instead of being able to serve his country and continue with his bright future, he has been held a prisoner for 4 years.

The plight of this soldier must not be forgotten. I want to honor the sacrifice of this young man and his family who wait every day for news of their son's circumstances. I have met the Shalit family and I have seen the pain in their eyes and the pleading in their voices. The Shalit family has also met with many communities across the United States, urging people to remember their son and speak out on his behalf. Today, I join the communities in Palm Beach and Broward County in sending a message to Gilad Shalit's captors: Let Gilad Shalit go.

As Israel faces dangerous threats from throughout the region and still makes unprecedented sacrifices for peace, America stands with Israel in its hope for the release of Gilad Shalit. American families and Israeli families are united in the hope that the Shalit family should suffer no longer.

I thank the gentleman from Colorado. All of us share a common goal: We are committed to an economic recovery. We also agree that small business lending is critical to achieving that recovery.

Small businesses in my district in south Florida and around the country are struggling to get access to credit so they can grow their businesses and create jobs. Even though bank regulators at the top are telling banks to lend, I have heard over and over again directly from dozens of businesses in my community and the banks locally that examiners on the ground are giving the exact opposite message.

It is essential that we do everything we can to increase small business lending. This amendment provides incentives for small business and real estate lending, exactly what south Florida and other communities need to continue on the road to recovery. The amendment provides a solution to a critical problem, and I am proud to have worked with community banks, our Realtors and real estate community on this issue.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to continue my regular real-time updates to my south Florida constituents on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I believe it's my responsibility to keep the families, homeowners, and businesses along the 75 miles of my coastline in my district fully informed so they can be prepared for all possibilities.

First things first. Obviously, the spill itself has to be capped. I certainly call on BP to deploy every possible resource, every expert, every technology, every available opportunity to plug this hole. This is not about a question of whether the Federal Government is going to step in and come on with some magic silver bullet. This is an all- hands-on-deck approach. Everyone should be involved. And it will require scientists and geologists and people from other oil companies from around the world to help figure this thing out. The permits should have probably never been issued in the first place without having the necessary cleanup plans in place, but it is here and it is now and we need to get it done.

I had the opportunity a week or so ago to join some NOAA researchers, those are oceanographic experts, on a 9-hour mission in a P-3 plane over the gulf to really understand what was going on, what the currents were doing. Obviously, from the southeast Florida side, we're concerned about the current which may bring it through the Florida Straits and up through the Gulf Stream. We saw through the research that was done. There is this possibility of course, and the sooner we can cap the oil, the better.

We all know that if this oil does come to the east side of Florida, as it has to the panhandle, it will impact Florida homeowners and businesses--not to mention the environment--for generations to come. We need to do it now, and we need to take whatever action is necessary to finish that job.

The other thing I would like to say to my constituents--and obviously this is a national issue--but no one should have to suffer because of BP's recklessness, and taxpayers cannot and will not be stuck with footing even a dime of the bill for this debacle. BP has to be fully responsible for the full cost of plugging the leak, cleaning up the spill, and making every person, every business who is harmed whole again. I appreciate the fact that today there was discussion about $20 billion being put in escrow that can be drawn down for businesses and local groups that have to clean up this mess to pay for it, but this may play out for a generation. Let me repeat myself: BP is responsible for the full cost down to the last dime.

In Florida, we have always been concerned about offshore drilling because we have a multibillion-dollar tourism industry that depends on our pristine waters, beautiful beaches, and coral reefs. Right now, every restaurant owner in places like Deerfield Beach, which is part of my district, every hotel worker in West Palm Beach, every entrepreneur with a small souvenir shop or a fishing charter is concerned and they're holding their breath as to whether this water spill will affect them, affect their businesses, their jobs, and their livelihood. I have seen the fear on their faces, and meeting with them has only strengthened my resolve to make sure we do not leave our children with this terrible fate.

We cannot let another generation pass without making a serious move to not only clean up this mess, but to

make sure that we have a plan in place for other types of energy. The issue with deepwater drilling is not just a question of--of course we need more energy and we need more oil, but to do it in places where there is no plan in place to clean it up for BP or anyone else is unacceptable.

So I think this is also an opportunity to not only clean this up and deal with this issue, but also to recognize this is a moment in time that should be our put-a-man-on-the-Moon moment, or the Manhattan Project, where every American says, you know something? Yes, we're going to have oil and, yes, there are others--there is a lot of natural gas and a lot of opportunities out there, but why not more solar? I live in a State, we call it the Sunshine State. Why aren't we building the jobs and having the types of technology which we're not only creating for Florida, but for the United States and the rest of the world? Whether it's hydrogen or nuclear or any other possibilities, there are lots of opportunities, and we should use this moment as a time to also recognize we shouldn't be dependent on fossil fuels.

So as we look at this historic disaster, we should also look at this as an opportunity for the future. And I believe that now is the time to not only bring the best and the brightest to clean up this mess. It is also an opportunity to bring our best and brightest minds together to end our dependence on foreign oil over the next 10 years and become a world leader in the kind of clean, affordable alternative energy that will create good jobs right here in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day for seniors in south Florida.

Today, more than 3 weeks ahead of schedule, checks to help cover the costs of prescription medication will be mailed to seniors who have fallen into the dreaded Medicare part D doughnut hole.

I have talked to many seniors in West Palm Beach and other parts of my district who had to make the wrenching choice between food and medicine. This should not happen in the America that I know, and that's why I personally have fought so hard to make sure that health care reform included reducing the cost of medicine for our seniors.

Starting today, payments of $250 will be mailed to every senior who falls in the doughnut hole to help cover their costs. This is an important step, but it's just the beginning, because starting next year, seniors will see a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and we will begin to close the doughnut hole for good.

Fighting for our seniors in south Florida is one of my top priorities, and today's checks will make a real difference for seniors who have worked hard and paid into the system. I look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen and protect Medicare.

Madam Speaker, on Thursday, May 27, I was unavoidably detained.

Had I voted, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 312.

I thank the gentleman from Missouri for his great leadership on defense issues.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support the en bloc amendment number 9, which includes my amendment to H.R. 5136, the Defense Authorization Act. As Congress continues to consider robust Iran sanctions, we must work every day to ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon in the meantime.

Therefore, I've offered an amendment to require Department of Defense contractors to certify that they do not conduct business in Iran. For months, I and others have been urging the State Department to enforce existing law on Iran sanctions, to investigate and punish those companies who are breaking the law by investing in Iran's energy sector or facilitating a weapons program.

While the State Department is making progress in these investigations, these investments continue. According to the Congressional Research Service, several companies have violated the Iran Sanctions Act over the last number of years. And according to The New York Times, over $107 billion in government contracts have gone to companies that are doing business in Iran.

That is why we cannot wait for companies to be designated as violators of the Iran Sanctions Act. Taxpayer money is being spent now on goods and services to companies that are thwarting the law. Companies must be able to self-certify that they are not conducting illegal business in Iran or not do business with the United States government.

All companies with U.S. operations, especially those who receive taxpayer funds intended for our national defense, should not be undermining U.S. foreign policy and our troops or our national security.

The certification requirement reflects the choice that each of these companies must make: either do business with the United States Government or do business with Iran. Iran must not get a nuclear weapon, not on our watch, and certainly not on our dime.

I would like to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for their leadership in beginning the fight to prevent U.S. defense contractors from contributing to Iran's dangerous nuclear program.

I urge support of the amendment.

I thank the gentlelady, and I thank the gentlelady for bringing this forward as an important part of our American fabric, as she talked about Jewish American Heritage Month as just one of many that make up the fabric of the United States, the people of the United States; the fact in many ways we are an immigrant population, but we are very diverse, both in religion, background, ethnicity, and it is a way of celebration that we are celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month, and we will have the opportunity to do that tomorrow and for weeks to come.

Being from Cleveland originally, Cleveland, Ohio, I grew up in a family that had roots. My family came to the United States in the twenties from Europe, from a persecuted background in countries where they weren't welcome as Jews. Of course, we know the history of what happened during the Holocaust.

But they came to the United States and did what most immigrant families did: They congregated among themselves initially, went to small towns, figured it was important to get an education, started little businesses and things like that.

My dad had a variety store, which is, for those of you who remember what that is, sort of like a Woolworth's, but a small, independent store started by my grandfather during the Great Depression, and then it was a family business all the way through. My dad taught me all about what it was to be part of that American fabric.

Being Jewish was unique where I came from, but not totally unique. There was a Jewish community in Cleveland. I eventually, with my wife, moved to Florida. Obviously, in Florida there was a larger Jewish community where I moved to. But it was only one generation before that that in that same community where I grew up, there were restrictions on where people could live. There were restrictions in deeds where you could purchase a home or a condominium, and they didn't allow various minorities, not just Jews, but African Americans and various others, to go into those communities and buy properties. It was only one generation before I moved there.

So it is really sort of in our own lifetime that all these things have changed. Of course, we know as Americans there is still more work to be done with various forms of discrimination.

But I do want to mention a couple of names and sort of have some fun tonight. First of all, the first Jewish Member of Congress was from Florida. In 1841, David Levy Yulee became the first Jew to serve in Congress. It was obviously even before the Civil War. He eventually went on to serve in the United States Senate. Then it was a

long, long time after that before another Jewish resident from the State of Florida came back to represent the community in Congress.

But I am going to mention a few entertainment people, because I think those are some of the fun people. Many of you remember Sandy Koufax. Now, this is not entertainment, this is sports, but one of the great, truly great pitchers of all time, Los Angeles Dodgers. I think many of you remember him.

He refused to pitch on Yom Kippur, which is the most significant holiday of the year for the Jewish community. It was the World Series. He made a conscious choice and sort of sent reverberations throughout the sports community. How could he make this decision? But he became a folk hero for many people to say he stood up for himself. He stood up for his religion, he stood up for his family, and although he wasn't a religious man, he did something that was quite unique at that time.

Steven Spielberg. How many of you know Steven Spielberg and the touch he has had on all of our lives, with the movies and so many important cultural things that he has been a contributor to? He obviously for many reasons, not only as a great film director and producer, he has also taken it upon himself to set up the Shoa Foundation and has funded it with others as a way of taking the written testimony of people who survived the Holocaust, to preserve it forever. That, to me, is a great contribution.

Groucho Marx, we all know Groucho Marx. I won't do the imitation because I see my colleague from Denver, from Colorado, over there is going to make fun of me if I do that. But Groucho Marx is truly one of the greats. And, of course, it was all the Marx brothers. They just left such a mark in that time. They came from that background of that early vaudeville era and sort of expressed that great sense of humor.

So there are so many, and I know my colleagues are going to mention one after the other here. But I am just happy to be here tonight to celebrate this important milestone, to celebrate it every year as part of this community, to talk about it, to learn about it, and to get our community to talk about it and teach others as well.

I thank the gentlelady for bringing us all together tonight.

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the front page of our local newspapers in south Florida had some good news. Home sales are finally looking up. Our real estate market is

crucial to our local economy, and this is an important sign of progress.

South Florida is one of the best places to live and work and raise a family, and I am glad people are getting back into the market. Many folks took advantage of the first-time home buyer tax credit, and others are moving because their families are growing or they are ready to downsize.

I am constantly working side by side with our local homebuilders and realtors, great members of our community, like Nancy Hogan, Adam Saunders, who is executive director of the Fort Lauderdale realtors, and Deidre Newton from Palm Beach County.

Putting their ideas into action is one of the best ways to turn the corner in our local real estate market. And it is more than just buying a new house. Families with a new home need new furniture, flowers for their garden, and maybe a plumber or a painter or electrician to come by. These are all services and products that come from our local businesses and make a huge impact on our economy.

So while there is more work to be done, and we know that, I was glad to read some good economic news in this morning's newspaper.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 403, legislation I introduced calling for the establishment of a National Teacher Day. I believe it is important that we recognize the hard work of our Nation's teachers who prepare our students for a stronger America. The education of our children is critical to the future success of our country and our global competitiveness. And despite limited compensation and increasingly high expectations, our teachers rise to the challenge each and every day.

As the son of an elementary school teacher--my mom taught second grade, I was proud to introduce this resolution. My mother, and so many other teachers across the country, spend their lives working to inspire children and open their minds to new ideas so they can grow up to be successful in whatever path they choose.

I am sure that each and every one of my colleagues in Congress can identify at least one teacher from their past who made a difference in their lives. I know that I wouldn't be where I am today without the motivation and encouragement of teachers who challenged me to pursue my dreams of public service. This legislation also comes at an extremely critical time for our Nation's teachers. In this tough economy, State budgets are suffering, and it is important more than ever that we find solutions to budget challenges that threaten to cut academic programs and lay off good teachers to the detriment of our children and the future workforce of our country.

Rather than slash school budgets, increase classroom sizes, and stretch our teachers even thinner than we already have, we must work to keep good teachers in the classroom and incentivize more people to enter the teacher workforce. We cannot improve our education system in the United States if we don't invest in quality teaching as it is. That is why I have consistently voted to prevent massive statewide layoffs of our education professionals.

I would also like to thank my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam) for joining me in introducing this important piece of legislation, and thank the overwhelming number of Members who have joined me in support of the establishment of a National Teacher Day.

Mr. Speaker, when you get a chance, thank teachers for the great work that they do.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the great leaders in my district in South Florida--Frank Herhold.

Frank is the executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, a position he has held since 1990. Even before taking on this leadership role, Frank operated a shipyard of his own, bringing his total career in the marine industry to over 30 years. After decades of hard work, Frank will be retiring this summer. I would personally like to thank him for his hard work and dedication to our community.

The marine industry is critical to South Florida's economy, and, under Frank's leadership, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show has become the world's largest, pumping millions of dollars into our local economy.

Frank is the consummate professional and friend, and it was a pleasure to work with him as we reformed Longshore insurance together and tackled other issues essential to the marine industry.

Frank, I wish you the best in your retirement, and thank you for your service to South Florida.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for his leadership on the America COMPETES Act. I rise in strong support of the rule and the America COMPETES Act itself. I believe it will play an integral role in creating jobs and turning our economy around. I also rise in support of an amendment which I introduced, which has been made in order under the rule, to instruct the director of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership to evaluate challenges that are unique to small manufacturers and facilitate improved communication between the MEP centers so they can readily share with one another which solutions best address particular problems faced by small firms, which really are the bulk of the types of manufacturing businesses in my district in Florida.

In my meetings with many of the manufacturers in Palm Beach and Broward Counties in Florida, as well as the South Florida Manufacturing Association, I've been told that while MEP services are helpful for some businesses, they often have greater expertise in developing business solutions for medium- to large-sized businesses. Small manufacturers, such as Uniweld, which is in Fort Lauderdale, a family- owned business which has been run by a World War II veteran and his two sons for many years, make up a large sector of the manufacturing firms in Florida, and as a result, they are critical to our industrial and technological competitiveness. In these challenging times, small manufacturers in my home State have faced many obstacles, financing being one of them, but many of the support services by the MEPs can truly make a difference to our small manufacturers as well.

While basic research investment is important to advancing our Nation's innovation infrastructure, we must build and sustain a strong manufacturing base in the United States which will bridge the gap between research and commercial development of new technologies. That's where these small manufacturing businesses and the MEPs together can accomplish that goal. Under my amendment, we will be able to provide increased assistance to reduce manufacturing costs and increase productivity, thereby allowing our small manufacturing base businesses to significantly improve their bottom line.

I thank the gentleman for yielding the time, and urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment and the underlying bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to state how I would have voted on Thursday, April 29, 2010 when I was unavoidably detained.

Had I voted, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 242.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the motion to go to conference on the Iran sanctions legislation.

I am grateful to Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for working with me on a provision included in the House version of this legislation to require companies applying for contracts with the U.S. government to affirmatively certify that they do not conduct business with Iran.

This legislation gives companies a simple choice: do business with the United States, or do business with Iran. We cannot allow the U.S. taxpayer to be last crutch of Iran's dangerous nuclear program. Not on our watch and not on our dime.

The time to act is now, and we must move with fierce urgency.