[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 14] [House] [Pages 19786-19787] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]THANKING LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART FOR HIS SERVICE IN CONGRESS The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized for 5 minutes. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to honor a great public servant and a dear friend, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who, after 17 years of distinguished service to our south Florida community here in Congress, is retiring. The House of Representatives is indeed losing a great man and a dedicated leader. Lincoln Diaz-Balart has left a legacy that is extensive and worthy of praise. He has led a life guided by his principles, and he has not wavered in his convictions; convictions based on his love for this great country and the freedom that it embodies. Lincoln's story is truly an American story. Having fled the Castro regime with his family, he became a fierce and staunch defender for human rights and the rule of law throughout the world. He became a voice for those whose own voices are silenced by repressive governments. His commitment to public service is a testament to not only his character, but to the valuable lessons that he learned from his father, Rafael Diaz-Balart. The courage that Rafael demonstrated as he fought against Castro's totalitarian tactics left a profound impact on his son Lincoln. It instilled in Lincoln a sense of duty and a fierce urgency to help others. From the beginning of his life in public service, Lincoln devoted himself to aiding those less fortunate. Early in his career, he used his expertise as an attorney to assist south Florida's most vulnerable by providing free legal services to the poor. He also served as an assistant State attorney in Miami-Dade County. Lincoln began his career in politics by being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1986 and later to the Florida Senate in 1989. And then, in 1992, he was elected to our body, the U.S. House of Representatives. I have enjoyed working with Lincoln as we have tackled the issues that have been of vital importance to our south Florida communities. And two of his proudest moments, Madam Speaker, were the passage of the Helms-Burton Act and the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, both of which he helped author. The Helms-Burton Act strengthened and codified into law the embargo against the Castro dictatorship. And the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act granted temporary protected status to hundreds and hundreds of refugees who were fleeing repressive governments in Central America. Another proud moment came in 1997, when Lincoln helped secure legislation that extended SSI benefits to so many legal immigrant families. {time} 1910 Lincoln has also been a tireless advocate for providing Hispanic youth the resources necessary to compete in a global economy. Recognizing that the Hispanic community has and will continue to contribute much to our great Nation, Lincoln helped create the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, CHLI, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides Hispanic youth with the opportunities to interact with leaders in the public and private sectors. Its Global Leaders Congressional Internship Program has helped hundreds of Hispanic students expand their professional horizons and enhance their understanding of governments and businesses. Lincoln will be missed in Congress, but I know that south Florida will continue to count him as a leader. He will soon begin to work closely with the group Rosa Blanca, or White Rose. This organization was formed by his father, Rafael, in order to counter the totalitarian and collectivism objectives of the Castro regime. As Lincoln begins this new stage in his professional and personal life, I know that our entire south Florida community, as well as my esteemed colleagues in the Congress, wish him and his family, his dear wife Cristina, and his sons, Danny and L.G., nothing but the best. Godspeed, my friend. [[Page 19787]] ____________________