Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it is a real honor for me to be able to say a few words about Judge Hatchett. I heard my good friend and person I served with for many years, Congressman Webster, say how well he knew Judge Hatchett and the honorable man that Judge Hatchett was and all the things that he did for the State of Florida.

I can tell you, instead of going back to what some of the people said, the Federal courthouse is about a block from my business office that I pass by almost every day. When this bill was defeated on the House floor, people from all over the State of Florida, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, none of them understood what really happened, as much as they loved Judge Joseph Hatchett and the things that he meant to Florida and to this country; not because of his military background or because of the way he was treated because of Jim Crow and other things, but because of his leadership and the way that he was fair and the way that he loved people and the way that we wanted to have judges like Judge Hatchett serve on the bench.

When asked why my colleagues across the aisle voted against this measure, many of them were clueless. That should never happen on the floor of the House. Or rather they were ill-advised, when a 1990s ruling by Judge Hatchett began circulating which detailed opposition toward prayer at a public high school graduation, when Judge Hatchett simply followed the precedent of the U.S. Supreme Court.

It is very bad here in Congress, or anyplace, for those of us who have served in public office, not only in the State, but here in Congress, for someone not to tell everybody exactly what you are talking about. Many will get confused. When I called some of my colleagues, they didn't know what I was talking about. It was embarrassing to our two Senators, Rubio and Scott. It was embarrassing to them, because it was passed unanimously out of the Senate, to be blindsided because they didn't know what had happened.

We are talking about an individual that gave his career in public service to protect people's rights, to stand for those who are less fortunate, a person that cared not because of the color of an individual but because of the individual themself.

Throughout the State of Florida, people constantly call and ask why would this happen to such a hero, a Florida's son, one that sacrificed his life? I cannot tell you all of the things that he had to go through. You have heard most of them. But he was an honorable man.

And one great President said: People will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but they will never forget what we did here.

Madam Speaker, they will never forget what we did here. No one in the State of Florida, whether Democrats or Republicans, will ever forget what Judge Hatchett did for the State of Florida and for this Nation.

Madam Speaker, the Member, who is my designated proxy, did not submit my vote as instructed on September 23, 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on Rollcall No. 289, En Bloc No. 3 to H.R. 4350, National Defense Authorization Act.

Madam Speaker, the Member, who is my designated proxy, did not submit my vote as instructed on September 24, 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 295, passage of H.R. 3755, the Women's Health Protection Act.

Personal Explanation

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to highlight the impactful work that is being done at the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Bragg Memorial COVID-19 testing site in Tallahassee, Florida.

Since the start of the start of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the FAMU testing site has been providing free testing for residents of Tallahassee/Leon County, and indeed all of North Florida and South Georgia for nearly 10 months.

The FAMU COVID-19 testing center first opened on April 25, 2020, and has administered more than 234,000 tests. I applaud FAMU for springing into action to address the needs of North Florida residents by serving as a COVID-19 testing site. I am convinced that their efforts have helped to save lives in our community.

Madam Speaker, I would especially like to thank FAMU President Larry Robinson, Tanya Tatum, FAMU Director of Student Health Services, Cynthia Harris, Ph.D., FAMU associate dean for Public Health, and all the others who saw the need and spearheaded this effort, along with the frontline heroes coordinating and administering the tests.

Their efforts are working to keep us safe and save lives. They are putting their health and safety at risk for the safety of our families and to protect our community. I understand the tremendous sacrifices they are making, and I sincerely appreciate their service.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment on the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise to support the Consumers First Act and my amendment that would provide transparency in the number of fair lending cases that are opened and closed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

This Bureau was created under Dodd-Frank to provide consumer protection from unfair lending practices. These individuals include our Nation's veterans, students, those who have mortgages, and individuals with auto loans, which is very prevalent.

Since the creation of the CFPB, it has helped over 31 million harmed consumers with over $12 billion in relief. That is pretty substantial.

In addition, the CFPB has received and taken action on nearly 1 million complaints.

Today, the CFPB's ability to continue protecting our Nation's borrowers has been severely limited by the Trump administration. The administration has weakened the supervision and enforcement of fair lending, blocked payday loan cases, dismantled protections for servicemembers, and has reduced transparency and accountability.

The Consumers First Act fights back.

The bill, along with the amendment, specifically requires transparency in fair lending investigations, requires interagency cooperation, and demands diversity and inclusion efforts.

My home State of Florida has one of the highest rates of consumer complaints in the Nation. Some of it might be due to the elderly population that we have or the high number of just regular citizens who need protection.

What would these consumers do without the CFPB? What would be their recourse for Federal action?

Madam Chair, it is time that we put consumers first. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and to support the underlying bill.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, how many minutes do I have remaining?

Madam Chair, I would say to the distinguished member from North Carolina, who I have enjoyed working with, during my tenure in Florida, especially in the Florida legislature, one of the biggest complaints was for protection for the consumers.

I spent my career there fighting on their behalf, for the voiceless who did not have a voice, and I continue with this fight here, because I know the importance of it.

Madam Chair, I can tell the gentleman, if I walked out of here today and just walked down the street and asked an average person what was more important to them, they would say the consumer protection that they feel that they don't really have.

This is the most important legislation that I have seen since I have been in Congress, because it goes straight to the people who need it the most, our veterans, our students, regular consumers, just the average people.

Big banks and institutions have a lot of protection, but the average person does not have this protection.

Madam Chair, I can guarantee my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, if they vote for this protection, it will be in the same vein of when our great President Lincoln said that: ``The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.''

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I rise to express my support for H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019. This $17.2 billion package is essential to providing critical relief to communities that were hit by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019, including my Congressional District, Florida's Fifth.

More than seven months has passed since Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida and citizens are still reeling from the historic Category 5 storm. Our community has a long way to go on the road to recovery, including our timber industry and forests.

My support for this disaster supplemental package comes in part because of an understanding that the language within Title I of this bill grants the Secretary of Agriculture the discretion to provide assistance to producers who suffered timber loss due to Hurricanes Michael and Florence.

In the 11 counties in Florida hit by Hurricane Michael, more than 16,000 forest land owners reported damage to their timber. The storm destroyed more than 72 million tons of timber, totaling over $1.3 billion in economic loss.

Forest lands are essential to North Florida's economy and ecology, and we must do everything to ensure we get it back on track. I look forward to working with my colleagues in both Chambers of Congress, as well as with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, to ensure that North Florida's forestlands are supported as we recover from Hurricane Michael.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express support for a resolution I filed to honor the heroic women who have dedicated themselves to serving our country with devotion and distinction by designating March 10 through March 16 as National Women Veterans Recognition Week. This observance would celebrate the achievement of our female veterans and raise awareness to the unique challenges they face.

Women are now the fastest growing segment of the veteran community. Approximately 2 million women in the United States are veterans.

Florida hosts the Nation's largest segment of population of women veterans, especially in Duval County, in my district, which has the largest number of female veterans in the State.

I want to take this time to recognize one of my distinguished staffers, Sherry Barfield, who was recently recognized as one of the Northeast Florida Women Veterans Center's 2019 Women Who Rock.

Madam Speaker, it is with great personal sadness that I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Seaman First Class Earl Paul Baum, who was killed in action on December 7, 1941, when his battleship, the USS Oklahoma, was attacked in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. He was 19 years old. Seaman First Class Baum served his country admirably with courage and dedication. It was a tragedy that he was taken from us so young. Many brave and dedicated individuals who serve our country every day are faced with life threatening challenges, and when we lose one of them, their loss is felt throughout our nation.

Seaman First Class Baum joined in the U.S. Navy when he was 18 years old, leaving behind his parents, a brother and three sisters in Chicago for a naval base 4,000 miles away. He served on the USS Oklahoma as a printer when the ship was struck by seven torpedoes, capsized and sank within ten minutes. Four hundred and twenty-nine sailors and marines perished, from a total crew of 1353.

Madam Speaker, his legacy provides an extraordinary example for other young men and women who aspire to serve.

I hope it is a comfort to his sisters Emily Golz and May Gresh, his twelve nieces and nephews, and numerous great and great, great nieces and nephews, to know that so many in our community and around our nation respected and admired Seaman First Class Baum and thank him for his ultimate sacrifice.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ann L. O'Neal, a dear friend, a beloved daughter of Florida A&M University (FAMU), the Tallahassee community and, indeed a great Floridian.

Ann had a tremendously vibrant presence in and around the Florida A&M campus, where she was widely known as ``Auntie Ann''. She was a tremendous advocate for FAMU and was a tireless force for the betterment of the university, its students, and victory for all its athletic teams.

Ann truly took that line from the FAMU alma mater to heart--``on gridiron, diamond, track and field, I will fight whatever the battle be . . .'' Ann was a fixture at every single football, basketball, softball, baseball game on campus for over 50 years, and her enduring loyalty to the University was infectious.

I can remember my time as a Rattler basketball player, Ann would always sit in the stands, right behind the team bench cheering us on. She would offer us encouragement when we needed it, and if you messed up or made a bad shot, she'd let you know that too. But it was all in love and Ann loved hard. And, I can say with great certainty that no one loved the Rattlers as Ann did.

In her professional life, Ann O'Neal broke barriers as the first female Space Analyst in FAMU's Division of Facilities Planning, where she worked for more than 30 years. She did her job well, and with pride. She was recognized by the Florida Board of Regents, which preceded the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees Florida's public universities, as the best Space Analyst in the state. For a time, she knew every inch of Florida A&M and its buildings and made sure that its space was allocated properly and accounted for.

Ann O'Neal was always full of enthusiasm, for all things FAMU and for life in general. In our sadness at her sudden passing, we remember that Ann loved the Lord, and Ann loved FAMU. She seized every opportunity and enjoyed every moment that she was given. I hope it is a comfort to Ann's family and friends that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them during this sad time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 77. This resolution expresses the sense that financial institutions should do everything within their power to ensure that their customers who were impacted by the Trump shutdown receive the resources they need to get back on track.

Nearly 800,000 Federal workers across this Nation were impacted by the shutdown, 13,000 of which are in my district. Throughout my district in Florida, from Quincy, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and even in the rural areas, constituents expressed to me the challenges of not receiving their paychecks. This meant not paying their mortgage or rent, not paying for childcare, hardships purchasing gas and groceries, or having to miss a car note. Some of these individuals even relied on their banks for loans.

These are hardworking Americans who did not ask for the shutdown, should not have had to suffer as a pawn in the shutdown, or did not deserve to be furloughed because of a shutdown. That is unacceptable.

Because of the shutdown, these employees made difficult financial decisions. That is why it is necessary for our financial institutions to step up and provide relief to those impacted. That means extending payment deadlines, reducing the interest rate on short-term loans, and providing financial and customer education that will help Federal employees prepare for the potential of other financial hardships.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Congresswoman Waters for introducing this resolution and for standing up for Federal workers, and I ask that all of my colleagues in this House vote in favor.

Mr. Speaker, for the past 2 years, serving on the Agriculture Committee, we worked on the farm bill. But also, in my district, which is so important and critical, we have had two hurricanes. The resources that we have had from previous farm bills were very significant. We just got over Hurricane Michael, which has caused a lot of damage throughout my district.

But the most important issue, even the other things that we are doing for farmers in this, is about food insecurity. When I talk about food insecurity, I talk about going into my area where 100 percent of students are on free and reduced lunch, and the farm bill takes care of that.

I congratulate my leader and my chairman over here for their work and the hard work they put in to make this a reality.

Also in this farm bill is money for HBCUs, historically African American universities, to do more research and to get more involved so that we can feed America.

I am so proud and ask all of my colleagues to vote positively for this farm bill, because one great President said: ``The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.''

I can tell you that when we vote for this bill, people in need-- farmers, all those people in this bill, the Forest Service and everything--will never forget what we did here, and I encourage you.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to congratulate Florida State University women's soccer team for winning the NCAA national championship over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

I know we have a lot of Tar Heels here, and I would like to congratulate them for their work, too.

These extraordinary women trained day in and day out to become the champs that they are today.

Coach Mark Krikorian's work and relationship with his players speaks volumes to the work they have been able to accomplish and to develop a program that will continue to produce remarkable results in the future.

I hope these young women continue to work hard as they grow to new heights. I encourage them to carry over the same training, mind-set, and attitude into all the things that they do here in life.

I join my fellow alumni and fans from across the Nation to say congratulations, and go Noles.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support my bill, H.R. 6367, the Incentivizing Fairness in Subcontracting Act of 2018.

This bill will clarify what credit is given for certain subcontractors and to provide a dispute process for nonpayment to subcontractors. Simply put, this bill will help contractors receive the credit they need to satisfy Federal requirements.

Small businesses put in a tremendous amount of effort to receive Federal contracting jobs. There are tons of requirements, paperwork, and costs that go into applying and being awarded these opportunities.

Unfortunately, even after a Federal contract is awarded, small businesses still struggle. Whether it is a delay in payment due to the lack of an administrative dispute process or not being able to count lower tier subcontractors toward goals, many contractors face obstacles during the implementation of their contracts, creating the need for safe harbors to guarantee that they can move forward in the most effective and efficient manner.

H.R. 6367 will do just that. This is a bill that provides the clarity and resources needed to help contractors work at full capacity.

This bill is endorsed by the National Electrical Contractors Association, an association whose 4,000 members are 85 percent small businesses. NECA is the voice of about a $160 billion industry responsible for bringing electrical power, lighting, and communication to buildings and communities across the United States.

I am proud to work with Ranking Member Velazquez, the chairman, and the Congressman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly). This is an important step in

guaranteeing that our contractors are treated fairly when carrying out their contracts.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 363.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman

Bishop for moving this fine bill through his committee.

James Weldon Johnson was born in 1871 in Jacksonville. This is very significant and probably should have been done many years ago for his contributions to education and the accomplishments he was able to make throughout his life.

He also was not only the first African American admitted to The Florida Bar but also the first African American to teach at New York University. I think most significant was that he was appointed by President Roosevelt to serve as a dignitary to Venezuela and Nigeria. His accomplishments are revered by everyone in the United States.

He was a great writer. In fact, when he wrote ``Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,'' he wrote it to celebrate President Lincoln's birthday. His brother later put it into lyrics. It was adopted by the NAACP as the Negro national anthem.

Ever since I was small, we would hear ``Lift Ev'ry Voice,'' ``Lift Ev'ry Voice.'' Little did we know that ``Lift Ev'ry Voice'' would be presented at every festivity and graduation throughout America, at football games and everywhere, because of Mr. Johnson's contributions.

I feel very honored to have this historic site among our Park Service so people can know the history of James Weldon Johnson, not only in the Jacksonville community but throughout America. I think it would be fitting that many people have the opportunity to visit his birthplace to see the contributions he has made.