Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Palm Beach County schools for promoting music educational excellence in Florida. Palm Beach County received a 2019 Best Communities for Music Education Award from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).

This award celebrates school districts for their commitment to music education and efforts to promote music for all students as part of a well-rounded education.

In achieving this national award, Palm Beach County teachers and faculty have demonstrated an exceptionally high commitment to enriching students' lives through music.

Madam Speaker, I hope these music programs will continue to expand and give even more students the opportunity to thrive in our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate recent high school graduates from Palm Beach County who have made the decision to enlist in our Armed Forces. I would like to thank them for volunteering to serve our country. They include: Scott Carroll, Aspen Draeger, Gopal Harpalani, Tyler Huntoon, Ryan Keip, Michael Mee, Jaslyn Senger, Patrick Tierney, Devinity Salon, Deiontae Shannon, Andrew Hogan, Abigail Dasilva, Jaime Bustillo, John Dowd, Casey George, Peter Kanelidis, Stephen Manley, Andres Moreno, Ashton Skinner, Brandon Suh, and Skylar Thompson.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great program that is promoting civic engagement in Florida and across the country. The YMCA's Junior Youth In Government Program is a model legislative forum where students learn to write bills, as well as develop critical debate and leadership skills. In Martin County, the Junior Youth In Government Program started at Murray Middle School, and now all middle schools in Martin County have successful programs.

I want to especially recognize four students who dedicated their time in this program to addressing the water quality issues plaguing our community. Emma Mauri, Jasper Millette, KJ Thompson and Donovan Soars all recognized the pressing issues caused by polluted water and harmful algal blooms.

These students researched the issues thoroughly, proposed policy changes and successfully got their bills passed. They exemplify the kinds of future leaders we need in our government because they understand that protecting our environment is also essential to defending human health and strengthening our economy.

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate Emma, Jasper, KJ and Donovan on their success, and I also hope these programs will continue to expand to give even more students the opportunity to learn more about how citizens can participate in our government.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great program that is promoting civic engagement in Florida and across the country. The YMCA's Junior Youth In Government Program is a model legislative forum where students learn to write bills, as well as develop critical debate and leadership skills. In Florida, these bills amend existing laws or create new legislation to better serve Floridians.

In Martin County, the Junior Youth In Government Program started at Murray Middle School, and now all middle schools in Martin County have successful programs. I want to especially recognize David Yankwitt. In addition to teaching American History and Civics at Murray Middle School, he works as the coordinator for the Junior Youth In Government Program for Martin County. His work is inspiring a new generation of leaders to engage with our state in a civic-minded way.

I also want to recognize the 15 students who participated in this program at Murray Middle School and the 35 students who participated county-wide. As students continue in Junior Youth In Government, they can then move into Senior Youth In Government. South Fork, Martin County and Jensen Beach High Schools all have great student-led programs that could result in students receiving college credit and scholarships.

Madam Speaker, I hope these programs will continue to expand and give even more students the opportunity to learn more about how citizens can participate in our government.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great group who has been documenting something tragic going on in our community, the Toxic 18 group on the Treasure Coast of Florida.

The administrators and the members of Toxic 18 have dedicated countless volunteer hours to taking pictures, videos, and looking at the destruction which has included dead animals, sickness, destroyed environment, and businesses being forced to close across the Treasure Coast, all as a result of the harmful algal blooms going on in our area.

Their administrators, people who I have had the chance to get to know, like Cyndi Lenz, Jennie Pawlowsky, Cristina Maldonado, Kim Streiber, and Troy Brown have done an outstanding job, and because of their work, I am very optimistic for a great 2019 and future beyond that because of the work they have already done in 2018 and before.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today also in support of H.R. 1331, the Local Water Protection Act. I thank both my colleagues for their support and their comments on this legislation.

Let's talk about what this really does, how this bill is so important, and how it makes a difference with nonpoint source pollution.

Point source pollution is easy to identify, for most people. They have an image of it in their head. It is that pipe coming out of some sort of seawall, coming out of the ground somewhere, dripping something that doesn't look so fresh into their waterways that they want to look pristine and beautiful.

That is easy to identify. The nonpoint stuff is not quite as easy for everybody to go out there and see.

What this does is it helps us prevent toxic agricultural runoff that can have an impact from things like fertilizer spraying, those things that go out there and are put onto our crops at different times.

It can help implement best management practices. It can install pump stations where they might be needed. It can assist with septic to sewer conversions for those issues that arise in our more suburban and residential areas where we have runoff coming off yards, leaky septic tanks, things that we also don't want in our waterways coming from those areas.

It can help address legacy pollutants already in our waterways. It can help prevent other forms of pollutants from coming in. This is why it is so important.

For us, Mr. Speaker, in Florida, this is a huge issue because our Florida waterways, we know how irreplaceable a treasure they are. They are ecologically unique. They are central to our economy. They are central to our health because our family members are in and out of the water so often, whether they are fishing, whether they are swimming, whether they are boating, whether they are recreating, whatever it is, whether it is a part of their livelihood, it is what they are in, so it is a big deal for our health.

The community that I represent, like many others, is plagued with toxic algal blooms that result from algae-laden discharges, an unnatural infusion of freshwater into our salt water that causes this. It creates a real mess for us.

When this nutrient-loaded freshwater hits our saltwater estuaries, it wreaks havoc on our coasts. It kills everything in the sea life in its path.

This past summer, we had freshwater that was released into our coastal estuaries that was labeled nearly 50 times too toxic for human contact. Now that water has tested positive for a number of toxins in areas that are very heavily populated. It is a very bad situation for what we experience each and every year.

This bill helps to stop this pollution by increasing the EPA's successful section 319 grant program. It addresses nonpoint source pollution through State-run nonpoint source pollution management, not Washington, D.C., one-size-fits-all approaches, but State-run. The bill reauthorizes this program and increases funding levels up to $200 million annually through 2024. This is an amazing bill. I am very proud to work with everybody else on it.

In short, Mr. Speaker, this is a bill that can make a real difference for communities across our country, but specifically for communities in and around Florida and our beautiful peninsula, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I fully support its passage. I thank Congresswoman Craig for leading this effort with me.

By the way, congratulations to Congresswoman Craig on passing her first piece of legislation, as well. Let's get this bill passed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Indian River State College on being named a winner of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

IRSC has made it their mission, literally, to provide the best to every student developing academic plans. They have proven their ability to consistently improve student success rates. Their effort to create educational opportunities beyond the 2-year degree have produced amazing results worth recognizing.

I have been on the campus many times. I have never spoken to a student there that hasn't said anything but praise for IRSC.

So congratulations to Indian River State College, to Dr. Massey on receiving this special recognition to help educate and prepare the next generation of young professionals for success.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1063) designating room H-226 of the United States Capitol as the ``Lincoln Room''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 1063.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1036 designates the room H-226 of the U.S. Capitol as the Lincoln Room.

I appreciate my colleagues' work on this and find it an appropriate honor for such a distinguished leader of our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7318) to amend the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to ensure that the Public Buildings Reform Board has adequate time to carry out the responsibilities of the Board, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7318.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7318 amends the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to align the timeline for the sale of unneeded properties with the appointment of the Public Buildings Reform Board.

This bill will result in more savings for the taxpayer by providing the Board with sufficient time to identify properties to be sold or redeveloped.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7319) to amend the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to provide flexibility with respect to the leaseback of certain Federal real property, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7319.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7319 amends the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to provide leaseback flexibility in certain circumstances to facilitate the sale of property and maximize the return to the taxpayer.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7329) to make technical corrections to provisions of law enacted by the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7329.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This bill makes technical corrections to the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, which was signed into law on December 4, 2018. It corrects certain dates and updates membership on a Coast Guard advisory committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3367) to amend certain transportation-related reporting requirements to improve congressional oversight, reduce reporting burdens, and promote transparency, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3367.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 3367 enhances transparency for certain Department of Transportation reports, eliminates or sunsets certain advisory boards, and makes technical amendments to the rail improvement grants.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a debate on education, but I am worried about the ability of my colleagues to add.

As we talk about tax and rates and terms thrown out about things like ``irresponsible'' and ``giveaways,'' I think it is incumbent that we reflect on those terms and what that actually means.

When we think about the rates that were passed, you think about somebody's rate going from 15 percent down to 12 percent, or from 25 percent down to 22 percent, or from 28 percent down to 24 percent, and you think about that as an overall of a 10 percentage point move. Or you think about the top three brackets coming down from 39.6 percent down to 37 percent. Or going down another point below that, maybe a 3.6 percent decrease, total, on the top three brackets, and 10 percent on the bottom four brackets. That is not an inequitable distribution of those tax cuts.

You think about the term being thrown around when somebody says it is a giveaway. When somebody says that it is a giveaway to allow somebody to keep more of their earnings, what they are saying, fundamentally, is that a person's earnings don't belong to them; they belong to the Federal Government, and the Federal Government can give those earnings back to them.

That is not the truth. All of the earnings, the work of somebody's hands, the fruits of somebody's labor, those are the earnings of the individual, and they are good enough to give the Federal Government some of those dollars to go out there and function.

When you think about that term ``irresponsible,'' what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are saying is that it is irresponsible to allow somebody to keep more of the fruits of their labor.

I rise in support of this bill. I encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to reflect about the things that they are saying, the lies that they are literally out there saying. I hope that they can go to work for the American people instead of going to work online.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for yielding me the time and for his continued leadership on this critical issue. It has been an honor to serve with him and to learn from him. Absolutely, I couldn't say that more seriously. It has been an honor.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of H. Res. 1165. It is a resolution condemning the Assad regime and its backers, including Iran and Russia, for their continued support of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria.

Now, after 7 years of war, as was already mentioned, the deaths of more than half a million people have occurred. Now, let's do a little bit of math on that. That would be over 70,000 people each year. When you think of the march of killing each and every day, that is a government march by the Assad regime of killing over 200 people every single day of the year.

The atrocities of the Assad regime are still ongoing with the help of Russia and Iran. And what do these atrocities look like: burning individuals to death, having them buried under rubble, having an adult put a 7.62 Kalashnikov round into a child, the use of chemical devices. The United States must push for an end to this and must push to hold these perpetrators accountable.

Currently, Iran is estimated to have deployed over 3,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps soldiers into the area. Iran is also responsible for directing Hezbollah and other militia fighters to battle on behalf of the regime.

Should Iran be allowed to maintain a permanent military presence in Syria, it will pose an even greater threat to Israel, to Jordan, and to all United States interests in the region.

This resolution calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to work towards a sustainable political transition in Syria and a strategy to stop a permanent Iranian presence in the region.

The resolution also condemns the Russian Federation, which has deployed more than 68,000 Russian personnel, for their continued support of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria.

H. Res. 1165 reiterates Congress' opposition to U.S. assistance to government-controlled areas in Syria.

Mr. Speaker, the United States must continue to work with our partners to condemn the Assad regime's horrific abuses against the Syrian people and counter Iran and Russia's malign influence in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical resolution.