U.S. House fails to pass a balanced budget amendment

The U.S. House of Representatives turned down a balanced budget amendment Friday afternoon, with Florida's congressional delegation largely voting along party lines. Although the proposal had 261 votes, 165 members voted against it and it was 29 short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage. Just four Republicans voted against the bill; 25 Democrats voted for it. 

Miami GOP Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and David Rivera voted for the amendment, as did Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, voted against it. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, did not vote. 

Diaz-Balart, Ros-Lehtinen applaud trade agreements

Saying "it's about time," both Miami Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Monday said they support the free trade agreements the White House sent to Congress Monday.

President Barack Obama on Monday submitted agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. Some tTrade unions disagree with the free trade agreements -- and will be holding several events Tuesday to protest them. But the White House said Monday that the agreements will make it easier for American companies to sell their products in South Korea, Colombia, and Panama and provide a major boost to our exports. 

"These agreements will support tens of thousands of jobs across the country for workers making products stamped with three proud words: Made in America," Obama said.

Diaz-Balart said that the Colombia agreement alone could create more than 6,400 jobs for Florida -- and increase exports by $500 million annually. "These agreements will not only get Americans back to work but also demonstrates solidarity with our democratic allies, Colombia, Panama and South Korea," he said.

Ros-Lehtinen, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the agreements will "level the playing field for American businesses, including many in South Florida.  The billions of dollars in increased sales that will result will enable these companies to create tens of thousands of jobs for hard-pressed Americans."

Obama also called on Congress to pass trade adjustment assistance that will help workers whose jobs have been affected by global competition.

Florida Republicans to ask for the release of Cuban political prisoners

South Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and David Rivera will ask today for the unconditional release of several political prisoners held in Cuba. They'll hold a press conference this afternoon at Diaz-Balart's office in Doral.

They include Yris Tamara Perez Aguilar, the wife of Jorge Luis ‘Antunez’ Garica Perez, Donaida Perez Paseiro and Yaimara Reyes Mesa.

The activists and others were brutally beaten and detained this week while visiting Cuba’s main State Security office to demand information regarding the welfare of other political prisoners, Diaz-Balart's office said. Accounts provided by witnesses to the attack indicate that the injuries caused by the beatings were severe. Their extent of their injuries and their whereabouts, remain unknown, his office said.

President Barack Obama on Wednesday said that his administration has tried to send a signal "that we are open to a new relationship with Cuba." But that's only if the Cuban government "starts taking the proper steps to open up its own country and provide the space and the respect for human rights that would allow the Cuban people to determine their own destiny," Obama said.  

Spotted on Capitol Hill: Miss Florida, Glades advocate

Miss Florida Kristina Janolo made the rounds in Washington Wednesday to promote Everglades restoration as part of her new role as spokeswoman for the Everglades Foundation. We ran into her, wearing sash and all, walking into the office of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Miami Republican who used to represent the district including the Everglades.

Her visit comes as politicians have reignited the debate on oil drilling in the Everglades. Presidential hopeful Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota brought up the issue recently in a jaunt through the state, and Gov. Rick Scott later weighed in.

Florida reaction to Obama's jobs speech

President Barack Obama urged Congress Thursday night to back his new $447 billion jobs package, saying repeatedly that they should "pass this jobs bill" and "you should pass this jobs plan right away."

Here's how some South Florida members of Congress reacted:

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.: "So there are some things that the President outlined that I think we can be supportive of, but my problem with this, quite frankly, is that a lot of it just won’t work. A lot of it sounds like things we’ve already tried, such as more government spending. $800 billion didn’t create jobs, how is $447 billion going to create jobs? So, ultimately I think the problem is there are some things in there that are good, but by and large, it’s a proposal based on things that just won’t work, haven’t worked in the past and they won’t work in the future." 

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.: "I think the President did a good thing by making jobs expansion priority number one, and I think we can do more.  For example, fixing the economy by straightening out the banking system so that it can loan to small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy in Florida.  And by so doing, getting community banks to be able to lend to mom-and-pop firms to expand, it provides a lot more jobs. That’s critical to Florida."

On debt ceiling, lawmakers turn to Spanish-language radio

If you tuned into Spanish-language radio in Miami Thursday, you were bound to hear from federal lawmakers -- and wannabe lawmakers -- making their cases on the debt-ceiling battle in Washington D.C.

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Miami Republican, speaking on WQBA-AM (1140), put the blame of the impasse squarely on a Senate controlled by Democrats and on President Barack Obama.

The House's proposal is imperfect, Diaz-Balart acknowledged. "But up to now, the only thing we have from the Senate or the President are speeches," he said.

"The one responsible if this doesn't get approved is one person, the president," Diaz-Balart said. "He's in another world. It's as if he were in his living room drinking martinis" and not paying attention, he added.

Mario Diaz-Balart: Haiti report won't affect aid

The Miami Republican who sits on a House panel that oversees foreign aid says a new report that says fewer people died or were left homeless in last year’s earthquake in Haiti won't effect foreign funding -- though it underscores a need for greater transparency.

"We're already looking at more accountability because there clearly is not enough, but whether it was 200,000 or 80,000 killed, it was a catastrophe," Diaz-Balart said. "There's no doubt that the assistance is needed, but we also need to continue to make sure its done with accountability."

"This just re-emphasizes that you don't just want to send money without checks because it will just vanish," he said.

Mario Diaz-Balart: Not a birther

The Sun-Sentinel editorial board hosted the Miami Republican today and asked him what he thinks of some GOP'ers' insistence that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the U.S.

Diaz-Balart told the board he has "no reason to believe that he was not born here. It's just not an issue. What is an issue is that he's been a dismal president. That's the issue. I actually think that that kind of detracts from the real issues, but you know thank God we live in a free country."

Lincoln Diaz-Balart gives, but not to all

The Miami Republican who gave up his congressional seat last year is still making campaign contributions: Campaign finance reports filed late Friday show Diaz-Balart gave $2,000 to his brother, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, and $2,000 to Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami. Not getting a contribution: Rep. David Rivera, the third Miami Cuban American Republican. He had hosted a fundraiser for Rivera during the last quarter.

But Diaz-Balart did give $2,000 in February to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who raised money in Miami that month while studiously avoiding Rivera, who has been the focus of a criminal investigation into his finances.

Diaz-Balart also gave $1,000 to the Miami-Dade Republican Party, which Rivera once chaired. Diaz-Balart's campaign finished out the quarter with $99,495 in the bank.

White House announces progress on Colombia trade deal; Republicans take credit

The White House on Wednesday said it's struck a deal to begin the ratification of a long-stalled free trade agreement with Colombia — a move that backers say will boost the U.S. economy and improve the U.S. standing in Latin America.

House Republicans — who had threatened to block a pending $10 billion trade deal with South Korea if the administration didn't move on Colombia — hailed the move, and credited the refusal to act on Korea with prodding the White House.

"We are estactic," said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., who called it "about time" for the administration to get the deal rolling. "This is jobs, jobs, jobs. We have small businesses ready to go, to hire people, to get this started."

U.S. Trade Rep Ron Kirk told reporters on a conference call that it was President Obama's direction that got the deal moving. The president is to meet Thursday at the White House with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

"We do respect their voices," Kirk said of Congress, "But we are where we are because of this president's courage and resolve." 

The deal has been languishing since 2007 with many Democrats fearful of labor abuses in Colombia.