[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 10, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H3062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RAFAEL DIAZ-BALART

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sadness that I 
rise today to report to our colleagues of the passing of the father of 
our two very distinguished colleagues, the gentlemen from Florida (Mr. 
Lincoln Diaz-Balart) and (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).
  Rafael Diaz-Balart passed away last Friday after a brief illness of 
about 3 weeks. And he was one of the most incredible men I ever had the 
privilege of knowing.
  I will say that, as we all know, the Diaz-Balart family has long been 
great champions of the cause of freedom and democracy in Cuba. And the 
greatest champion was the father, Rafael Diaz-Balart.
  He had a very, very distinguished and varied career. He served as the 
majority leader in the Cuban House of Representatives, during the time 
of the Cuban Republic. Later, from exile, he founded the White Rose 
Party to fight the communist dictatorship.
  He served 14 years as a Costa Rican diplomat, and was a legal advisor 
to the Spanish Government. He always continued to do everything that he 
possibly could to encourage the cause of democracy and freedom in his 
homeland.
  He is an individual who was extraordinarily dedicated to his family. 
He had four wonderful sons. And I had the chance to talk to our two 
colleagues just last Friday shortly after he passed away. And I was 
struck with some of the things that were said.
  As I said, it was a brief illness. And the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart) told me that his father said to the doctors, 
whom he had just met, he said, ``It was worth getting sick just to have 
the chance to meet you wonderful guys.''
  And the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart) said to me 
that our father taught us how to live, and now he has taught us how to 
die. And I will say that for me personally it will be a great loss, 
because I had the opportunity to spend many wonderful times with Rafael 
Diaz-Balart, and I know that we all, as we think of his passing and the 
wonderful life that he led, will redouble our efforts to ensure that 
his dream of freedom and democracy finally come about for the Cuban 
people.

                          ____________________