Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Frederick Lippman, whose more than two decades as a pharmacist and community leader have had a monumental impact on students, medical professionals, academics, and the underserved in South Florida. I applaud his long career of service, and I am honored to represent him in Washington.

Frederick Lippman has served the people of South Florida as a pharmacist for over 20 years, but his contributions to our community reach far beyond the scope of daily patient care. Dr. Lippman served in the Florida House of Representatives for two decades, during which time he was a strong advocate for increasing educational opportunities and expanding health care access, particularly for children. His numerous awards and accolades include being named ``Outstanding Health Services Person of South Florida'' in 1995 by the University's Institute of Health Policy and Administration, ``Child Advocate of the Year'' in 1996 by the Florida Pediatric Society, and ``Outstanding Advocate'' in 1997 by the Institute of Holocaust Documentation at Florida International University for his leadership in adopting Holocaust educational curricula in the state of Florida.

In 1985, Dr. Lippman was instrumental in helping to create the State of Florida's Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC), which improved the supply and distribution of primary health providers in rural and urban areas by creating partnerships with academic health centers. And as the current Chancellor of the Health Professions Division of Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Lippman has helped the university develop a strong research infrastructure, which has led to an increase in funding, and broader opportunities for undergraduate researchers.

Dr. Lippman's work has undoubtedly made South Florida a place where families can grow and thrive. It is an honor to represent him the United States Congress, and I look forward to his continued good work for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Jeffrey L. Klein, on the occasion of his 25th Anniversary as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. His years of dedicated service have been instrumental in building a vibrant, diverse Jewish community in Palm Beach County and throughout South Florida. It is truly an honor to represent him in the United States Congress.

The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County would not be what it is today without Mr. Klein's visionary leadership. During his tenure, the organization grew dramatically to include two state-of-the-art campuses in West Palm Beach and in Boynton Beach. In addition, the Federation was able to unveil many new programs to promote leadership, assist seniors, and educate teens about their Jewish heritage. Perhaps most importantly, Mr. Klein's efforts have led to the creation of programs that go beyond South Florida to strengthen ties to the global Jewish community in Israel, Ethiopia, and the former Soviet Union.

It is a privilege to represent an individual who has done so much to promote the welfare of the Jewish community across the world. I applaud his efforts, and I look forward to his and the Federation's good work for years to come.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Klein, together with his wife Carla, his children, and his grandchildren, as they celebrate this well deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Annette Gumm, who has dedicated herself to improving the welfare of the people of south Florida. It is truly an honor to represent Annette in the United States Congress, and it is a privilege to call her my friend.

Annette has a rich history of extraordinary service to our community. After moving to south Florida with her husband Emmett, she began to search for projects where she could help those in need. As a mother of three, Annette was inspired to volunteer at Plumosa Elementary School, as well as the Delray Community Hospital. But she still wanted to do more to serve her community and become civically engaged. In the spring of 1992 she was given the opportunity to join the campaign of Burt Aaronson, and soon became the commissioner's administrative assistant, a position that she held for many years.

But Annette's involvement didn't stop there--she soon became a member of the Atlantic Democratic Club, where her energetic contributions to the community did not go unnoticed. She worked her way up the ranks, becoming treasurer, and then executive vice president of the United South County Democratic Club, an organization that strives to get south Floridians more involved with local, State, and national politics. Finally in 2006, Annette became the first woman to serve as president of the organization, and helped elect many individuals who shared her desire to help the south Florida community.

As Americans, one of our greatest responsibilities is to participate in civic life. Annette has dedicated the last 25 years to that very cause, and is truly an inspiration to all those who wish to become community leaders. I applaud her efforts, and I look forward to her continued good work.

Mr. Chairman, it's no surprise that I am disappointed with the content of this bill before us today. I join with my colleagues who have expressed their disappointment, but I'm also disappointed with the process behind it.

Yesterday, for a totally bogus reason, the Rules Committee declared an amendment I offered out of order. They claimed it would add to the cost of the bill despite having no numbers. The amendment did not create some new regulation. It did not create new judicial proceedings. It did not set aside money for a new program.

Let me tell you what it did do, Mr. Chairman. It would have made a terrible bill slightly better. It's simple.

My amendment ensured that doctors who intentionally--not accidentally, but intentionally--harm their patients are not exempt from medical malpractice liability. If this Congress wishes to tell a child made blind by the negligence of his doctor that those in this Chamber know better than a jury, if my colleagues wish to pretend that the Seventh Amendment of the United States Constitution, guaranteeing a trial by jury, was somehow omitted from the Bill of Rights, I disagree, but so be it. The very least we can do is ensure that if a doctor intentionally abuses his patients that he will not evade justice.

Surely, the sponsors of this bill did not intend to extend liability caps to a pediatrician who sexually abused a child or a dentist who raped his patients under sedation. I'm disgusted to say that those are both real examples of the kind of abhorrent behavior H.R. 5 may mistakenly immunize without clarification.

Is it too much to ask that we simply think this through? Can someone explain to me how this amendment costs a penny? Better yet, will someone explain to the 103 children who were molested by a Delaware pediatrician that Washington wants to make it easier for sexual predators to evade justice?

My friends, differentiating between medical errors and intentional harm is not some wild and crazy new idea being pedaled by the left. Many States--blue States, red States, and in between--limit malpractice awards but make distinctions for intentional torts.

The majority could have considered my small change and protected the commonsense State laws that are already on the books. Instead, under the 112th Congress, relentless partisanship has poisoned this well and impeded our ability to write good laws. Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, perhaps the reason Americans are so disenchanted with Congress is because they know that it doesn't have to be this way.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, nearly 2 years ago, an explosion on the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling vessel unleashed a steady gush of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico that went unstopped for 3 full months. The 4.9 million barrels of crude oil spewed into the gulf and jeopardized an ecosystem that is home to over 15,000 species and claimed the mantle as the worst environmental disaster in our Nation's history.

Yet the BP Deepwater Horizon spill was also an economic disaster. And, Mr. Chairman, that is the issue addressed in the amendment I present to this body today. My amendment simply provides that no one shall be eligible for a lease issued unless there is, first, an estimate of the economic impact, including job losses resulting from a worst-case discharge of oil from facilities operated under that lease.

Right now under current law and under this legislation, as drafted, companies applying for new oil drilling leases are not required to project the toll on local economies resulting from a worst-case scenario spill.

In my home State of Florida and in other Gulf Coast States, like Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana, the economic consequences were enormous. Forced closures of fishing areas led to shuttered businesses. Fewer tourists led to job losses. The powerful economic ripple effect was felt by millions of Americans in States whose coastal towns, cities, and businesses depend on the livelihood of tourism, fishing, restaurants, shrimping, and other industries.

The bill before us today would open large areas of the Gulf of Mexico, the east and west coasts of the United States, and areas in Alaska to oil drilling. Opening these areas to drilling exposes the coastal communities and coastal States to significant economic impact and job losses should a large-scale oil spill like BP Deepwater Horizon occur.

And while BP created a $20 billion recovery fund to assist communities devastated by this bill, litigation over the total cost of the disaster continues today. As BP seeks financial contributions from Deepwater Horizon contractors for payout of claims, estimates of the spill's total economic impact are upwards of $40 billion and more. The Federal Government has a real interest in ensuring that companies applying for new oil drilling leases are aware of and are prepared for the potential economic impact and job losses resulting from a worst- case scenario spill. It only makes sense that these applications require an economic, in addition to the environmental, estimate of such disasters.

My amendment, therefore, would require the person to include in their application this estimate of economic impact arising from a worst-case discharge of oil from the facilities.

I urge my colleagues to join me in safeguarding our economy from tragedies like the Deepwater Horizon spill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Washington I respect a great deal, but to say this is redundant of current law is just incorrect. The gentleman knows, and in fact told us, that the requirement he referred to is in regulations.

Mr. Chairman, for anyone who has watched what's gone on in this body, in this Congress, it has been this House of Representatives that has brought to the floor bill after bill after bill to give this Congress the ability to repeal regulations and to block regulations. I don't want to have to rely on what's in regulations. If we believe in American jobs, and the suggestion that somehow the American jobs in the energy industry are more important than the American jobs in the tourism industry and the shrimpers and the people in tourism who realize every day the opportunity to provide for their families because of the beautiful, pristine coastline that we have in Florida and because of all that surrounds the environment in the other States in the gulf, to suggest that those are somehow less important than energy jobs is inappropriate.

But more than that, I don't want to have to rely on regulations, Mr. Chairman. If we are committed to ensuring that there is an analysis of what would happen in the worst case, then let's put it in the law. Let's put it in the statute. Let's not rely on the regulations that my friends so often blame on these bureaucrats for writing. Let's not rely on them. Here's an opportunity for us to stand together and not want to rely on regulations.

Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to join with me, as they've already acknowledged that this is an important issue, to not have to rely on regulations any longer. Let's make this a part of the law.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, there are lots of amendments that are controversial. Simply requiring that companies do what the regulations require them to do, which my colleague from Washington acknowledges that they are already required to do, but making it a part of the law instead of requiring regulations that may change from time to time is the appropriate step. I think we should all be in agreement on that, and I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Temple Beth Kodesh of Boynton Beach, Florida, on the occasion of their 36th Double Chai Anniversary. Temple Beth Kodesh has become an integral part of our vibrant, diverse community in South Florida, and it is truly an honor to represent its congregants here in Washington.

Temple Beth Kodesh comes from humble beginnings. In 1976, a small group of Jewish residents in Boynton Beach began holding services in each other's apartments in Village Royale on the Green. Less than a decade later in 1983, with the help of generous donations from members of the community, construction of Congregation Beth Kodesh was completed.

The story of Temple Beth Kodesh is also one of perseverance in the face of hardship. In 2004, Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne destroyed the temple and much of the surrounding area. Although devastated by the loss, congregants worked tirelessly to restore and reopen the synagogue in time for the 2005 high holidays.

Temple Beth Kodesh has thrived due to the dedication and hard work of its living past Presidents Leo Birdie, George Brindis, Fred Brown, Mike Friedland, Roy Haas, Irwin Hochman and Bob Rosenthal. I am proud to represent constituents who have dedicated the last 36 years to bringing Jewish Americans together to worship. I commend their efforts, and it is my hope that Temple Beth Kodesh continues to serve the South Florida community for years to come.

Madam Speaker, even as we stand here today, the centrifuges continue to spin in Iran, and their illicit nuclear weapons program forges ahead.

Yet, they are more isolated today than they have ever been. I commend President Obama for his Executive order freezing the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and making it impossible to do business both with Iran and with the United States. I thank our Asian allies for reducing purchases of crude oil and slashing trade with Iran, and I commend our European allies, as well, for banning the import of Iranian crude. The Iranian economy is in shambles. As a result of these international efforts, its currency is plummeting and inflation is skyrocketing.

I urge my colleagues, our friends across the way in the Senate, to pass tighter sanctions still to tighten the economic noose on the ayatollahs and to force them to give up their illicit nuclear ambitions. We must stand with the Iranian people even as their human rights are crushed by the Revolutionary Guard. In their quest for democracy, we stand with them. Our efforts are paying off, Madam Speaker, we cannot let up.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Joan and George Kessel, two outstanding members of the South Florida community who have dedicated their lives to advancing the security of Israel, promoting Jewish values, and protecting the welfare of Jewish people across the globe.

Joan and George Kessel embody the spirit of adventure. They may spend a great deal of time in South Florida, but they truly are citizens of the world. While they have traveled the globe far and wide, it is their trips to Israel that have touched them most profoundly. During their many stays in Israel, Joan and George have learned firsthand the challenges faced by the Israeli people in a hostile, volatile region. These are the experiences they carry with them back to South Florida.

At home, the Kessels are known for their willingness to take on leadership roles in any endeavor that advances the security of Israel and strengthens the bond between our two nations. They generously support a wide range of Jewish organizations, yet their dedication to these causes extends far beyond philanthropy. By opening their home to visiting Israeli soldiers and dignitaries, they have fostered the kind of cultural exchange between Americans and Israelis that is the bedrock of the deep friendship between our two nations.

On January 8, 2012, Joan and George Kessel were honored by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) for their work on behalf of a safer and more secure Israel. I can think of no two individuals more deserving of this honor. I am humbled by their generosity and commitment, grateful for their friendship, and look forward to their continued leadership in the pro-Israel community for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the contributions and celebrate the seven years of service that Phillip C. Allen has given to the South Florida community as Director of the Port Everglades. Under his leadership and guidance, Port Everglades has become an economic powerhouse for South Florida.

Mr. Allen's commitment to creating jobs and fostering economic opportunity in our community is evident in his accomplishments. He helped craft a 20-year master plan for development of the port, and facilitated three critical expansions that are expected to create 7,000 new jobs in South Florida and 135,000 jobs statewide. Under his leadership, the port has grown substantially to accommodate our growing tourism industry, which has brought some of the world's largest cruise ships to Florida. Even more impressive is his plan to dredge the port in advance of the widening of the Panama Canal, which sets the stage for South Florida to serve as a bustling center for international commerce upon its completion in 2014.

Given his many contributions to our local economy, it should come as no surprise that on November 4, 2011, Mr. Allen was named South Florida Business Leader of the Year. I can think of no person more deserving of this honor than Mr. Allen, a leader who understands that building state-of-the-art infrastructure is imperative if we wish to give our businesses a competitive advance in the global marketplace. I commend Mr. Allen for his years of hard work and dedication, and pledge to him my continued support for the development and expansion of the Port Everglades in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Broward County Sheriff's Office Anti-Bullying Initiative, the efforts of which have undoubtedly helped make South Florida a safer and more tolerant community.

Bullying of young gay Americans has reached epidemic proportions in this country. In fact, more than 80 percent of LGBT students report suffering harassment, humiliation, and even violence at the hands of their peers in school. Even more tragic are the cases of children who take their own lives after being led to believe there is no hope for acceptance in their community. Despite these overwhelming statistics, many schools have shown an unwillingness or inability to openly address anti-gay bullying.

I commend the Broward County Sheriff's office and their many partners throughout South Florida for setting themselves apart by establishing an Anti-Bullying Initiative to address this issue head-on. Together, law enforcement officials and community leaders are acting on a shared belief that in America, no child should be afraid to go to school because he or she is different. On January 30, 2012, the Anti-Bullying initiative hosted an event at the Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts, where they screened the film Bullied and discussed the impact of anti-gay bulling on our nation's youth. This event is one of many undertaken by the Broward County Sheriff's office to give students, teachers, and administrators the tools they need to effectively address bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The opportunity for every child to receive a quality public education is a cornerstone of our nation. To achieve their potential, our children need schools that provide safe, accepting, and abuse-free environments. I am honored to recognize the people of Broward County, whose efforts to stop bullying are helping ensure our schools are places where everyone, regardless of their sexual identity, has a safe place to learn and grow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Elaine Bernstein, National President of the Ladies Auxiliary Department of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America (JWV), on the occasion of her official visit to the dedicated members of the Department of Florida Ladies Auxiliary. The gathering of these dedicated advocates for our nation's veterans is truly a cause for celebration.

Jewish Americans have a long, rich history of service in our armed forces. Over half a million Jewish Americans fought for the United States in World War II, and 11,000 of them perished while fighting for this country. Jewish Americans have served in Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, and countless other missions around the globe. They are among the brave young men and women who served in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, and who are serving in Afghanistan as we speak. For the past 83 years, JWV's mission has been to support for these heroes, strengthen the American values of liberty and equality, and to combat bigotry and anti-Semitism.

Elaine Bernstein has played a vital role in advancing JWV's mission across the country. She began her career of volunteerism at the tender age of four, when she became a mascot for her local Auxiliary junior division. After a lifetime of dedicated service, Elaine was elected President of JWV in August of 2011. I am humbled to welcome this accomplished leader to Florida's 19th district, which I am proud to say is home to one of our nation's largest chapters of the Jewish War Veterans of America.

It is a privilege to represent members of the Department of Florida Ladies Auxiliary, who share the belief that in America, no veteran should become a forgotten hero. Because of their work with the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, our people will continue to honor the contributions of the Jewish American men and women who for centuries have not only shaped our national culture, but defended our people in times of great challenge.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, although I regret that this Congress is considering the full repeal of a promising effort to address the looming long-term care crisis in our country, I have to admit I'm not surprised. This is the action of a Congress deserving of America's low opinion of us.

We know the facts. A vote against this amendment is a vote for increased Medicaid spending.

No one is immune from becoming disabled or growing old, yet just 10 percent of Americans over age 50 can afford long-term care insurance. As a result, a staggering 90 percent of Americans rely on long-term care provided by Medicaid. It is no wonder that over a third of Medicaid spending is on long-term care, not on checkups for impoverished children, not on prenatal care for poor, expectant mothers. No, it is the expensive, institutionalized long-term care funded by Medicaid.

The goals of the CLASS program represented an alternative to this system on which we all could have agreed, a fully solvent, affordable, premium-financed, long-term care program. It emphasizes personal responsibility, lessens the burden on taxpayers, and reduces unnecessary Medicaid spending.

Sometimes, as things happen here, Congress passes imperfect legislation. But rather than address these imperfections, the legislation before this House today gives up on our grappling with this long-term care crisis altogether.

We've overcome challenges like this before. In the early 1980s, Social Security faced a crisis. So what happened? Did my Republican friends, concerned about having an imperfect law on the books, castigate what they called ``RooseveltCare'' and bring to the floor a two-page bill to revoke the Social Security Act? That's not, thankfully, what happened. What did happen was that Democrats and Republicans worked together, with President Reagan, and strengthened Social Security. As a result, Social Security continues to keep millions out of poverty, ensuring against the universal risk of old age, disability, or death of a breadwinner.

The amendment I offer today would prevent repeal of the CLASS Act from taking place if failure to implement the CLASS program would increase State and Federal Medicaid spending.

Greater reliance on the safety net has led many to conclude that Medicaid has become unaffordable. Instead of cutting basic health care for our most vulnerable--the elderly, the disabled, poor children--we ought to reduce Medicaid spending. We ought to put more Americans back to work. We ought to make private health insurance more affordable.

There are many prescriptions for reducing Medicaid spending; but let's be clear, repeal of the CLASS Act and upholding our long-term care crisis is not among them. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that even the imperfect CLASS bill that passed would reduce Medicaid spending by at least $2 billion.

If more older Americans had access to affordable long-term care insurance, middle class seniors could secure a less costly, more independent lifestyle in their own homes instead of spending down into poverty to receive expensive, institutionalized care.

What message is Congress sending by repealing CLASS? We are proclaiming that the current system, which incentivizes elder poverty and forces seniors to blow through their life savings, is just fine. Save nothing. Pass what you do have on to your children before you get sick. Own little property, and don't purchase long-term care insurance. Follow this plan and you'll be eligible for expensive, institutionalized care through Medicaid. If CLASS is repealed, it is exactly the children and grandchildren that my friends on the other side say they worry about who will pay the cost.

A premium-financed long-term care program would shift people from reliance on Medicaid. This should be our shared goal. We ought to work together to fix a program that represents the first real path toward making affordable long-term care available to middle class families who want to secure themselves against possible poverty.

I respectfully ask my colleagues to support this amendment, because reducing Medicaid spending while improving the lives of seniors and persons with disabilities is a conversation worthy of this office.

And with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment reads, ``The Secretary shall develop three actuarially sound benefit plans.''

This amendment's small fix gives the administration the ability to implement a program that enjoys the support of two-thirds of all Americans, including, I should add, over half of Republicans. The stipulation for moving forward, however, is that CLASS is implemented on an actuarially sound basis.

The distinguished gentleman from Louisiana and author of the underlying bill has expressed some opposition to my amendment, suggesting that it will waive the solvency requirement. I respect the gentleman's work and service, but I regret that the claim is simply untrue.

This amendment gives the Secretary waiver authority only after three requirements are met. The plan must be actuarially sound, must address adverse selection, and must have market appeal.

The deliberate obfuscation of this amendment's intention is a textbook example of why American's are fed up with Washington. I would work with anyone in any party to protect the financial security of middle class and near-retirees. But when attempts to improve the existing law in a fiscally responsible way are treated in this manner, it is no wonder why we can't get things done.

The bill's proponents say, Trust us. We'll replace this. Unfortunately, over a year ago they said the same thing about the Affordable Care Act. Instead we had repeal and replace, minus the replace.

As we all know, the CLASS program, as drafted, is facing challenges of implementation. Critics have focused on fiscal sustainability. The good news is that there is a fiscally sustainable path forward. With greater flexibility, a program could be designed that addresses adverse selection and improves market appeal.

We must remember that even with implementation, CLASS would only be a start addressing a very serious long-term care crisis.

Looking back on our history would serve us well today. In the infancy of Social Security, Senator William H. King, a Democrat from Utah, supported the Clark amendment which would have undercut the Social Security program. He was concerned that Social Security would crowd out private pensions and conditioned his support of Social Security upon a guarantee that the Clark amendment would later be taken up.

When Congress returned, Senator King was asked about the amendment. He said, You can forget about the amendment. The passage of the Social Security Act has got everybody talking about pension plans. You can forget it forever.

Americans ought to be talking about long-term care. We should all be lucky enough to grow older. We should all be lucky enough to retire in south Florida.

However, no one is immune from the frailty of old age, and no one is exempt from disability.

I can't help but think of a very impressive man from south Florida, a good friend named Alan Brown, who, on January 2, 1988, at the age of 20, was hit by a strong wave at the beach that caused a catastrophic spinal cord injury that leaves him a quadriplegic to this day.

Mr. Brown has an endless list of expenses from his wheelchair and medication, to disability through accessible transportation, and long- term care. Even while holding two jobs, he struggles to support his family in the face of rising health care costs.

As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to remember that those who are young and healthy may not always remain so and act on the fact that long-term care is out of reach for the majority of Americans. Any one of us could experience an unpredictable accident like Mr. Brown. If that is not compelling enough, the inevitability of aging should be.

What message is this Congress sending when our response to the long- term care crisis is ``just say no''? Why should Americans be thinking about long-term care if their leaders in Congress answer a complicated and systemic problem with a politically charged two-page bill?

If the Secretary were given the flexibility in my amendment, the CLASS program would remain the furthest thing from an entitlement, as it would remain fully financed by premiums. This fix to CLASS is true fiscal responsibility, an individual retirement security; and I respectfully urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Deutch

Amendment No. 4: At the end of the bill, add the following

new section:

Offered By: Mr. Deutch

Amendment No. 5: At the end of the bill, add the following

new section:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of the quarter of a million Haitians who lost their lives during the devastating earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010. As we reflect on the two years that have passed since this tragedy, it is important to express our gratitude to those who have helped rebuild Haiti and renew our commitment to further assist survivors.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, over 50 percent of American households donated to earthquake victims, and the United States dispatched 20,000 civilian and military personnel to Haiti. These Americans put into operation the largest urban food distribution in history to 3.5 million people, provided emergency shelter to 1.5 million people, and implemented a vaccination campaign for more than 1 million people. Within the past two years, aid has shifted from rescue efforts to innovative reconstruction and development strategies. Still, there remains much more work to be done. The generosity of millions of people around the globe gives us hope that Haiti will be rebuilt.

The South Florida community displayed its continued commitment to the reconstruction of Haiti at a special event recognizing the two year anniversary of the earthquake on January 8th, 2012. Arranged by the Democratic Haitian American Caucus of Florida, the event included a Catholic Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church, a memorial service at Parish Hall, and a donation drive in partnership with a church group to collect supplies for victims.

I am proud to represent so many men and women in South Florida who in these past two years have supported our vibrant Haitian community in a myriad of ways, from housing displaced victims to donating supplies for reconstruction. As we remember those lost in this devastating natural disaster two years ago, we must reaffirm our commitment to helping Haiti rebuild their nation and forge a better future for themselves and their families.