Lincoln Diaz-Balart an American Patriot with Cuban Roots

Lincoln Diaz-Balart was born in Cuba and escaped with his family to live in South Florida where he was educated and practiced law, until he went into politics. First he was elected to the state congress. Then in 1992, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was the first Hispanic to be assigned to the House Rules Committee. He is also on the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, and became the Co-Chairman of the Florida Congressional Delegation. He also became the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and is also on House Foreign Affairs Committee. The House Rules Committee decides which legislation may reach the House Floor and what amendments may be debated. (diaz-balart.house.gov)

His primary success was in the areas of immigration and the welfare treatment of legal immigrants to this country from several Central and South American countries. His efforts successfully restored SSI and food stamp benefits to legal immigrants in 1997, which had been lost the year before through the Welfare Reform Law. This especially affected Nicaragua, El Salvador and Columbia. Our neighbor is Nicaraguan. His father worked in the Nicaraguan government and he and his family had to flee to this country to save their lives.

In 1996, he wrote much of the legislation which tightened the embargo on Cuba, linking lifting of sanctions with the release of all political prisoners and multi-party elections in Cuba.

He was also instrumental in the legislation that successfully formed Homeland Security.

His work for the restoration of the Everglades and for a more efficient use of the our natural energy resources has so far not been successful. But it is still ongoing.

As for Lincoln Diaz-Balart leaving office at the end of his term. It seems to be a very popular thing to do right now. Nearly every election cycle there are those who choose to retire. However, this time around there a lot more leaving than usual. Some are leaving due to the difficult political season that this country has been going through, some to escape a bruising reelection or different charges of malfeasance and still others have been planning to retire for a while.

His stated reason for leaving is to further what he'd already begun in Congress, to continue with the immigration issues and issues with the changing of the guard that is going to be happening soon in Cuba. This is an important area that does need attention. (miamiherald.typepad.com)

His brother, Mario, has stated that he's running for his vacated seat and leaving the one he is presently occupying. Which will cause another opportunity for more open competition with more volatility in the election.

As for what is going to happen this fall, with the Tea Party movement and the general anger in the country for what is going on in Washington, it is going to be a very interesting election year. On the one hand it is said that there is going to be a Republican resurgence, and on the other that this is going to be an anti incumbent election regardless of the party. Then again, there's talk of the Tea Party Movement becoming another political party.

Personally, I see the Tea Party movement still being a movement at the end of this year and definitely having an influence on the outcome of some of the election results this fall. I also see that it's way too early to predict how the elections are going to turn out because the political climate is so volatile right now and it wouldn't take much for everything to turn on a dime, since everything is in such flux in this country right now.

Sources:

http://diaz-balart.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Biography.Home

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/lincoln_diazbalart/