Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Prevent Blood Loss with Emergency Equipment Devices Act of 2019--the Prevent BLEEDing Act--legislation that would expand access to Bleeding Control Kits (BCKs) in public gathering places across the country. I would like to thank my colleague, Dr. Brad Wenstrup, for introducing this legislation with me, which will help to save lives during emergency situations.

Approximately 214,000 people die every year from traumatic incidents. Motor vehicle crashes, shootings, natural disasters, and workplace accidents, to name just a few, oftentimes result in situations where people suffer traumatic blood loss. Such an injury can lead to death within five minutes, where many of these deaths can be prevented. The Prevent BLEEDing Act will help states to distribute thousands of BCKs to schools, libraries, places of worship, concert venues, shopping malls, and any other place where people gather, while providing staff and volunteers at these facilities with the necessary training to utilize the materials.

Following the disaster at Sandy Hook in December 2012, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as well as others in the medical community, the federal government, and the U.S. military, convened the Joint Committee to Create a National Policy to Enhance Survivability from Active Shooter Events and Intentional Mass Casualty. The committee's recommendations are called the Hartford Consensus, and they led to the establishment of the Stop the Bleed Program, a national awareness campaign to train and equip everyday Americans with the skills to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. To date, Stop the Bleed has trained nearly 125,000 Americans anti blood-loss skills, empowering them to help prevent unnecessary deaths from blood loss.

This legislation builds on that program's successes by amending the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make it easier for states to apply for BCKs through the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). By making these materials more accessible during times of disaster, bystanders with little or no medical training can save lives when confronted with traumatic injury, similar to the use of CPR or automatic defibrillators (AEDs).

Madam Speaker, this bill will help save lives. We can't prevent disasters, but we can help to ensure we are ready to respond to them. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 40 high school seniors from Florida's 20th Congressional district, who have chosen to enlist in the United States Armed Forces.

Of these forty fine young people, seventeen have joined the United States Army, to include: Yvelande Blanc, Brisa Gonzalez, Coraleigh Little, Josue Aguilar-Gonzalez, Terry Akins, Jovaughn Campbell, Rusheem Gibbs, Richard Joseph, Patrick Newton, Andrea Velez, Christopher Whyte, Tyreik Kelly, Brandon Lee, Yuliana Osoria, Terry Hines,

Vanessa Perez-Morales, and Tae'Lonte Wainwright.

Eleven have joined the United States Marines Corp, to include: Ernesto Ibarra, Jefremias Mazariegos, Harold Khyle Ong, Caleb Walker, Jose Diez Munoz, Jesus Juarez, Jay Marine, Anthony Medina, Shiloh Robinson, Joseph Saavedra and Alberto Velazquez. Furthermore, eleven have joined the United States Navy, to include: Alessandro Riccio, Shahine Beaumont, Jacob Carrigan, Juliandra Faust, Shakarra Haigood, Julia Hernandez, Dakota Downs, Noah Gonzalez, Jorge Salmeron Gomez, Ciclary Rosas Carranza and Brandon Diaz Guzman.

One has joined the Air Force, to include: Alexia Ayers.

Thanks to the dedication of patriots such as these, we are able to meet here in the United States House of Representatives and openly debate the best solutions to the diverse issues that confront our nation.

On behalf of myself and all my constituents in Florida's 20th Congressional District, I thank them for their service. I wish them the very best of luck now and in the future.

Madam Speaker, as an original co-sponsor of H.R. 9-- Climate Action Now Act, I would have voted YES on rollcall #184, had I been present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor my dear friend, Maude Ford Lee. Maude was a long-time civil rights activist and truly one of a kind. A native of Tallahassee, Maude spent her life advocating for equality. She participated in a bus boycott in her hometown in the 1950s. That action led Tallahassee to desegregate its public transit. She moved to West Palm Beach in the 1960s and spent decades working as a manager of county social programs. Among her many accomplishments, she was the first black candidate elected to the Palm Beach County Commission, where she served for ten years. Her husband, the late Percy Lee, ran the Urban League of Palm Beach County.

Maude lobbied for the creation of commission districts as the only way for a black candidate to win a seat in a mostly white county. Through her efforts, single-member districts were created, expanding opportunities for African Americans to run and win in those districts.

After stepping away from politics, Maude became president of the West Palm Beach chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In that role, she continued her advocacy for the needs of the African American community, working to address inequities locally and nationwide. She reveled in another first, the 2008 election of Barack Obama as president. ``This is our greatest accomplishment,'' she told the Palm Beach Post at the time.

Madam Speaker, if there was such a thing as a community servant, than Maude Ford Lee was it. She will always be remembered for her tireless efforts to bring resources to Florida and the African American community. Her legacy of public service speaks for itself, and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her. I offer my deepest condolences to Maude's family, during this extremely difficult time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in honor of the late Nathaniel P. Reed. Nathaniel, who was known as Nat, was an enviromnentalist and champion of Florida's environment. He served as Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks at the United States Department of the Interior from 1971 to 1977, under President Richard Nixon and President Gerald Ford. Furthermore, had it not been for Nathaniel, our nation would be without the Marine Mammals Protection Act, the intact and expanded Redwoods National Park, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act.

Originally born in New York City, Nathaniel spent much of his time growing up in Hobe Sound, Florida. His concern for the environment developed from his firsthand experience with the threat of overpopulation to Florida's natural landscape and by the example of his mother, who was a lead organizer in opposing the development of a theme park on an island near their home.

Nathaniel started his career in the family real estate and hotel business in Florida, where his concern for the environment steered him into public service. He went on to serve six Florida governors.

He was a member of many environmental advocacy groups, most notably the 1000 Friends of Florida, an organization which he founded, and served as president and chairman. He also served on the boards of the Everglades Foundation (which he helped found), the Nature Conservancy, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Audubon Society, Yellowstone National Park, the National Geographic Society, and the South Florida Water Management District. Throughout his career, he was one of the most eloquent and effective advocates for fish, wildlife and nature of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Hobe Sound National Wildlife refuge is a part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge system, and is the type of vulnerable land Nathaniel dedicated his life to protecting. The newly named Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge will rightly honor his life's work.

Madam Speaker, Nathaniel was a powerhouse of Florida politics, but more than that, he was a dear friend and a mentor to me, as well as to countless others. During his six decades of activism, he was a tireless crusader for the environment and the Everglades. Nathaniel inspired generations of conservationists, and what he did for America's River of Grass is immeasurable. Hobe Sound represents the starting place of Nathaniel's love for our nation's environment, and this dedication of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge in his honor will allow his life and legacy to always endure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Jubilee Day, which is celebrated on October 6th of every year by the Fisk University community.

Just after the end of the Civil War, the Fisk School was founded in Nashville, Tennessee as an educational institute that would be open to all, regardless of race or age. However, just five years after its founding, the school faced dire economic struggles.

In an effort to save the University from closing, a group of students formed a choral group, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, with the goal of raising money to fund the institution. They took all of the funds in the university's treasury for travel expenses, hoping that the enormous risk would pay off.

Despite a few initial struggles, the Jubilee Singers eventually came to tour throughout the United States and Europe and raised enough funds to not only preserve the University, but also to pay for the construction of Jubilee Hall, the first permanent structure built for the education of African American students in the South.

The singers performed for such notable figures as William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Ulysses S. Grant, William Gladstone, Mark Twain, Johann Strauss, and Queen Victoria. Through their music they introduced the world to the spirituals of enslaved Africans as a musical genre.

Since its founding in 1866, Fisk University has educated countless intellectuals, artists, and civic leaders, and has played a pivotal role in the advancement of education for African American students. None of its accomplishments would have been possible without the talents and sacrifices of that first group of nine students.

Madam Speaker, as a proud alumnus of Fisk University, I urge my colleagues to honor the hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments of the original Jubilee Singers by cosponsoring this resolution, and I urge its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, this body has long recognized the accomplishments and unique heritage of cultures that make up and enrich the United States. Today, I, along with my colleague Representative Steve Watkins of Kansas, am proud to introduce a resolution recognizing and celebrating the heritage of Romani Americans.

Few cultures are as geographically diverse as the Romani people. Tracing their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent, the Romani people migrated and settled throughout Europe over the last millennia. Often, they faced scorn, hatred, persecution and discrimination. Nevertheless, they maintained their unique language and culture while enriching the culture and economies of the countries in which they became citizens. They have made distinct and important contributions in many fields including agriculture, art, crafts, literature, medicine, military service, music, sports, and science.

In 2005, the European Parliament estimated that there were 12 to 15 million Roma in Europe. Roma were among the many groups of people that suffered at the hands of the Nazis and their allies during World War II. It is estimated that between 200,000 to 500,000 Romani people were killed in death camps and elsewhere throughout Europe. In an attempt to liquidate the so-called ``Gypsy Family Camp'' at Auschwitz-Birkenau, on August 2 to 3, 1944, between 4,200 and 4,300 Romani men, women, and children were murdered in gas chambers in a single night. This year marks the 75th anniversary of that tragic event.

Roma have also been a part of every wave of European migration to North and South America. In the United States, there may be as many as 1 million Americans with some Romani ancestry, whether distant or more recent.

Representative Steny Hoyer was the first Member of Congress to raise concern about the situation of Roma, doing so in meetings with Romanian government representatives during a 1990 congressional visit to Romania not long after the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu. In 1994, the late Congressman Tom Lantos, himself a Holocaust survivor, convened Congress's first hearing regarding the situation of the Romani people. That hearing, before the Subcommittee on International Security, International Organizations and Human Rights, received testimony from Dr. Ian Hancock, Andrzej Mirga, Klara Orgovanova, and Nicolae Gheorghe.

Though a great deal has changed since then, sadly, Romani people still face widespread human rights abuses and discrimination in employment, housing, and education. However, there is greater urgency for Roma to advance their causes today than ever before as evidenced by organizations such as the European Roma Rights Center and the still new European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture.

The Helsinki Commission has maintained robust engagement on these issues and, as

chairman during this Congress, I will build on those practices.

The resolution I am introducing today does four things. First, it celebrates Romani American Heritage. Second, it supports International Roma Day and the Department of State's robust engagement in related activities. April 8 marks ``International Roma Day'' around the world and is a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people. Third, it commemorates the 75th anniversary of the destruction of the ``Gypsy Family Camp'' at Auschwitz. Fourth, it commends the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for its critically important role in promoting remembrance of the Holocaust and educating about the genocide of Roma.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully ask all Members to support this resolution and for its timely consideration on the House Floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Wildlife Veterinarians Employment and Training Act of 2019. This bill will provide incentives for students to pursue wildlife and zoological medicine and increases the number of positions available at wildlife and zoological facilities.

Wildlife and zoo veterinarians are the primary source of essential health care and management that is required for animals in both their natural habitat and in captivity. These physicians preserve natural resources and the lives of animals, while also protecting human health by preventing, detecting and responding to exotic and dangerous diseases.

With the intensification of globalization and climate change, along with the growing interaction among humans, livestock and wildlife, the threat posed by emerging infectious diseases to humans and wildlife continues to increase. Controlling pandemic and large-scale outbreaks of disease has become more challenging over the years, yet there has never been a time where this is a more pertinent issue.

We must take preventative measures to ensure the well-being of both animals and humans. In spite of these threats to public health, the United States faces a shortage of positions for wildlife and zoo veterinarians. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), less than one percent of AVMA members identify themselves as wildlife or zoological veterinarians.

On average, veterinarian graduates owe $143,000 in student loans. Relatedly, salaries for wildlife and zoological professionals are relatively low compared to those who practice companion animal medicine, ranking second to the bottom for salaries paid to veterinarians as a whole. Lower salaries, combined with high educational debt and the small number of positions available, discourage students from becoming wildlife or zoo veterinarians. The number of internships, practical training programs, and formal education programs specializing in wildlife and zoological veterinary medicine are also insufficient.

My bill directly addresses the aforementioned issues, by doing the following:

Create new positions for wildlife and zoo veterinarians.

Limit the amount of educational debt for veterinary medicine students, while providing incentives to study and practice wildlife and zoo veterinary medicine through a scholarship program and a loan repayment program.

Help schools of veterinary medicine develop curricula and training programs specializing in wildlife and zoo veterinary medicine.

Develop affordable and well qualified opportunities for individuals to become wildlife and zoo veterinarians, spur job growth, and promote public health policy across the nation.

Madam Speaker, as you know, wild animals play a very critical role in our natural resources and contribute to maintaining a balanced ecosystem. The number of endangered species has only increased. Invasive non-native species and infectious disease threaten our public health. Therefore, wildlife and zoological veterinarians must be prioritized and given the resources and recognition necessary to protect both animal and human lives.

I urge my colleagues to extend a helping hand to America's veterinarians by supporting this important piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Donate for Disaster Relief Act.

Last year, there were 53 major disasters declared. The year before that, we had 61 declared major disasters. As we continue to feel the effects of climate change, there are going to be more major disasters and we as a nation are going to have to pay for the response and repair after these events. Now is the time to start thinking about what we can do to be better prepared for when these disasters strike.

That is why I am introducing the Donate for Disaster Relief Act, which creates a completely voluntary check-off on income tax returns that lets taxpayers elect to donate to a disaster relief trust. This bill is an opportunity for us to share our selflessness and generosity and be better prepared to adequately fund our response to an emergency situation.

The harsh reality of disasters is that while we may not be able to predict when or where they will always occur, we certainly can be prepared. The altruism of the American people is on display in their willingness to pitch in and help those in their greatest time of need. This bill creates an easy way for concerned Americans to anticipate the need for disaster relief, wherever and whenever it may be necessary.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critically important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the law firm of Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. on celebrating their 10th anniversary.

Kluger Kaplan was founded in 2009 by attorneys Alan J. Kluger and Abbey Kaplan. Since opening, they have expanded their offices from Miami and Boca Raton, Florida to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The firm focuses on a range of disciplines and industries, including business and corporate litigation, real estate litigation, securities and financial fraud, corporate governance, bankruptcy litigation and debtor and creditor's rights, appeals in state and federal courts, professional liability, intellectual property law, entertainment sports law, fashion law, class actions, and complex matrimonial litigation.

Kluger Kaplan has always taken great pride in the work that they do on behalf of their clients and has rightly earned national recognition for that work.

As a firm, they have made giving back to their community a top priority. Organizations they are working with include: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), America's Second Harvest, Boy Scouts of America, Chapman Partnership for Homeless,

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Diabetes Research Institute, Dr. Abe Chames Foundation, Florida International University Alumni Association, Friends for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Hispanic Unity Charity, Jewish Adoption & Foster Care Options (JAFCO), Lawyers for Literacy, Legal Services of Greater Miami, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Miami Art Museum, Miami Children's Museum, Miracle League of Howard--Palmetto, Howard-Palmetto Baseball & Softball Association, Mt. Sinai Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art, Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School's President's Award for Pro-Bono Work, and Top Responsibility Israel, Business & Education Society (TRIBES).

As an attorney and former judge, who practiced law in South Florida for many years, it is always great to see the success of law firms such as Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. The firm's esteemed lawyers continue to be advocates for their clients, taking on many complex cases around the nation.

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pride to honor Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine, P.L. on the occasion of their 10th anniversary. They have had a tremendous impact on our community over the past 10 years, I wish them many more years of continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Florida B. Thomas. Florida was a selfless member of her community and spent her life serving others. She was a woman of strong values and always worked to help her community through her church and her jobs as a teacher and librarian.

Florida was born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1938. She attended Florida A&M University where she received her Bachelor of Science

degree in Library Science, before continuing her education at the University of South Florida where she received a Master's in Administration and Supervision.

She served for 59 years at Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, where she was on the finance committee and served as a choir member and secretary. In addition to serving at her church, Florida worked for 40 years as a teacher within the Hendry County School System. After retiring from teaching, Florida felt she could still serve her community so she began working as a full-time librarian at the Harlem Library where she worked until she retired in 2014.

Throughout her career, Florida was recognized again and again for her hard work and dedication to those around her. She was the first black librarian in the state of Florida within the integrated school system and was named ``Children Intermediate School (CIS) Teacher of the Year'' in 1987. She was also an active member of The Order of the Eastern Star fraternity. In May, 2017 the Harlem Community Library was re-named in her honor, and now serves the community as the Florida B. Thomas Library. And, just last year, she was honored with The Heritage Award for 2018.

Madam Speaker, Florida Thomas was a champion for her community and she positively impacted the lives of many in Harlem and surrounding communities. I extend my deepest condolences to her husband, Melvin, and the rest of her friends and family during this extremely difficult time. Florida Thomas was a blessing to our community and I am proud to honor her memory today. She will be dearly missed.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution with my good friends and colleagues, Representatives Gregory Meeks of New York, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, and John Lewis of Georgia, which recognizes People of African Descent and Black Europeans.

Our resolution would observe the history and current situation of People of African Descent living in Europe and Black Europeans during the United Nations designated International Decade for People of African Descent. It also encourages the U.S. Secretary of State to take a number of steps to ensure their situation is improved following recommendations from last year's People of African Descent Week (PADWEEK) held by our colleagues in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium May 13-17, 2018.

As it was quite rightly put by European Parliamentarian Cecile Kyenge, ``The People of African Descent Week reaffirms European values by developing strategic and coherent responses to make our society more inclusive in the face of rising racial prejudice and violence across Europe.'' Recommendations from the week included a European Black History Month and Remembrance Day for Victims of Colonialism and Enslavement; a fund for Black European led initiatives to address continuing disparities and discrimination and support for empowerment initiatives; European-wide strategies for the inclusion of People of African Descent; and support for transatlantic exchanges on common issues of racial prejudice and discrimination.

The need for recognition of Black populations in Europe became clear ten years ago when I chaired a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing entitled, The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, and Politics, where we learned that the situation in Europe is very similar to the one in the United States. While the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to enslavement, colonization, military deployments, voluntary or forced migration, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, or educational and other professional exchanges, the story of Europeans of African Descent and Black Europeans still remains largely untold, rendering many of their past and present contributions to the very fabric of Europe unseen or forgotten, which is unacceptable.

Madam Speaker, it is my hope that when we gather in the years to come to review the efforts of the United Nations designated International Decade for People of African Descent, we will not only speak of how our efforts resulted in our respective nations publicly recognizing the injustices and long-term impact of slavery and colonialism, but also of how our societies reconciled these issues in a manner that ensured equal opportunity, access, and justice for all people of African descent.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the African Descent Affairs Act. As we continue to highlight the International Decade for People of African Descent, we have seen a sharp increase in racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, homophobia and other forms of discrimination across the globe.

Human rights violations emanating from racial prejudice and discrimination have negatively impacted people of African descent around the world, resulting in racial bias and disparities in education, employment, health, housing, justice, and other sectors.

We must act now to reverse these disturbing trends. The International Decade for People of African Descent provides an opportunity to not only draw attention to these inequities, but to also join efforts with countries around the globe to develop and implement national strategies honoring the vast contributions of people of African descent and to combat continuing issues of prejudice and discrimination such as those currently gripping our nation.

To aid these efforts, I have introduced the African Descent Affairs Act. This bill seeks to improve the situation of people of African descent around the world by establishing within the United States State Department a Global Office of African Descent Affairs to establish global foreign policy and assistance strategies for people of African descent; creating a ``Fund'' to support antidiscrimination and empowerment efforts by African descent led civil society organizations; requiring Annual State Department Human Rights Reports to include a section on discrimination faced by people of African descent; and creating similar initiatives at the United States Agency for International Development that can work in partnership with the State Department.

U.S. foreign policy strategies such as these have improved the situation of vulnerable groups internationally and would greatly assist in responding to increasing levels of prejudice and discrimination faced by people of African descent around the globe. The State Department has already launched many successful initiatives that have aided vulnerable populations, such as the Office of Global Women's Issues, the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, and special initiatives focusing on disability, LGBTQ+ and other communities.

Implementing a Global Office of African Descent Affairs will continue this tradition and facilitate the full and equal participation of people of African descent in our society, promote knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture and contributions of people of African descent, and strengthen and implement legal frameworks that combat racial discrimination.

Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will embrace the challenge of combating prejudice and discrimination around the world. I encourage them to join me in recognizing the collective history and achievements made by people of African descent by supporting the African Descent Affairs Act.

Madam Speaker, had I been present for roll call vote No. 125 to H. Con. Res. 24--Expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Mueller should be made available to the public and to Congress, I would have voted AYE on the measure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Corey Jones Act, which is named after a young man who was taken from us far too soon under circumstances far too tragic and preventable to be allowed to happen again.

During the early hours of October 18, 2015, Corey Jones of Lake Worth, Florida, was shot and killed by Nouman Raja, a plainclothes police officer operating an unmarked vehicle. Corey was legally and peacefully pulled to the side of the road awaiting roadside assistance when he was approached by Mr. Raja. Corey had no reason to believe that the person in plainclothes and driving an unmarked vehicle was a law enforcement officer. This uncertainty and confusion ultimately led to a tragedy that could have been easily avoided.

After Corey's tragic death, I met with members of his family as well as officials from Palm Beach County. We discussed the urgency of addressing the issue of plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles engaging in routine traffic stops. I promised that I would work to promote safer policing practices in our communities and the Corey Jones Act helps to accomplish this goal.

Madam Speaker, Nouman Raja, the officer involved in the tragic shooting death of Corey Jones, was recently found guilty of manslaughter and attempted murder. In an effort to ensure that this tragedy does not happen to other families, I respectfully ask my colleagues to lend their support to this important bill.