Today, Representatives Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Jeff Denham (R-CA), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, introduced the Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act, known as the Highways BEE Act (Legislation Attached): “I am pleased to introduce the Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act with my Co-Chairman of the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, Representative Denham. This bi-partisan bill provides much-needed aid for the birds, bats, be...
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Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Congressman Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL) introduced a resolution to express condolences and support for assistance to the victims of the historic flooding in the Western Balkans, which began on May 13, 2014. The record rainfall caused widespread flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, and the Republic of Serbia, leading to landslides, massive destruction, and over 40 deaths. More than half a million people across the region have b...
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Today, Representatives Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), along with 61 of their colleagues in Congress, sent the following letter to President Barack Obama, urging him to direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program that would allow Haitians with approved family-based visa petitions to come to the United States and work while they await their visas. (Please find below and attached a copy of the letter). Joining Hast...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement commemorating Memorial Day, which falls on May 26, 2014: "On Memorial Day, we remember the brave men and women who have fought and died in defense of our country. As we pay tribute to the millions of Americans that have served in the armed forces throughout our nation’s history, let us honor their courage, sacrifice, and dedication to preserving the freedoms we so often take for granted. “We must also remain committed to protectin...
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Today, the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, co-chaired by Representatives Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), hosted a briefing on the impacts of the lapse of emergency unemployment insurance (UI) on families at risk of losing their housing. The participants on the panel included: Cara Baldari, Senior Policy Director and Legal Counsel at First Focus; Sharon McDonald, Director for Families and Youth at the National Alliance to End Homelessness; Jerry Jones, Executive Dire...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings released the following statement marking the 60th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education: “Today, our nation marks the 60th anniversary of the historic U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision, which overturned 58 years of ‘separate but equal’ jurisprudence that had been established by Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown was a landmark decision for the Civil Rights Movement and a turning point for our nation. It served as th...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement at a meeting of the House Rules Committee last night in response to the scheduled vote on the resolution recommending the House hold Lois Lerner, former Director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in contempt: “What the scandal is in all of this stuff is that there is no scandal. What happens is, you haven’t been able, nobody has been able, to tie this to the administration. And just to abu...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement recognizing the 66th Anniversary of Israel’s Independence: “On Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel celebrates its founding by Prime Minister David Ben Gurion in 1948. Since then, Israel has stood as a dynamic democracy in the Middle East region with its rich culture, vibrant economy, and commitment to peace. “Yet, independence has come at a great price. This is why on the day before celebrating its independence, Israel observes Yom Hazikaron, ...
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Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), along with Representatives Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), introduced legislation marking the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. (See attached legislation) “Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark decision for the civil rights movement and a turning point for our nation,” said Hastings. “Brown overturned 58 years of a ‘separate but equal’ policy established in Plessy v. Ferguson that was anything but equal. Because of...
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Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement in recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day and the Days of Remembrance: “Between 1940 and 1945, two out of every three Jews in Europe perished. By the end of the Holocaust, nearly eleven million people had been murdered by the Nazis, including six million Jews, of which one million were children. This week, we observe the Days of Remembrance by honoring the lives that were cut short in this tragedy and reaffirming our obligation ...
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