Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Dennis Frisch, a podiatric physician who practices in his hometown of Boca Raton, Fla., for his installation on March 18, 2018, as President of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Dr. Frisch has dedicated his life to service in his profession and his community. After graduating from Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine and completing his residency at the Franklin Boulevard Community Hospital in Chicago, Ill., Dr. Frisch went into private practice in Boca Raton. 30 years later, he continues to provide podiatric care in that community.

He has been board certified in podiatric surgery by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons for nearly 25 years and is a founding member of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeon. Dr. Frisch has also served as president of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association, winning the FPMA Podiatrist of the Year Award and its President's Award. In addition, he has twice been named one of the top 150 Most Influential Podiatrists in America and was appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida Board of Podiatric Medicine, serving for 6 years.

Dr. Frisch has also been an active member of the American Podiatric Medical Association. He was elected to its Board of Trustees in 2007 before becoming Treasurer. He is also a member of APMA's Annual Meeting Committee and Scholarship Committee, as well as serving as the APMA Barry University liaison.

Dr. Frisch is also active in the Boca Raton community. He has served two terms as president of the Boca Raton Rotary Club and served for eight years as a Commissioner for the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Parks District. Currently, he is an appointed Board member to the City of Boca Raton Parks and Recreation Department Advisory Board. And last, but most importantly, Dr. Frisch is a proud husband to his wife Jennifer, father to his two children, Ashley and Daniel, and Pa Pa of two grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Dr. Frisch great success as he takes the helm of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Weiss School, a K-8th grade school in Florida, whose students designed the WeissSat-1 satellite selected by NASA to be launched into space.

I have had the opportunity to meet a number of these incredible students. They devote themselves fully to the pursuit of knowledge. Some of them remarked to me that the worst part about school was that they had to leave at the end of the day and they wished that there were apartments there. I think that speaks to the incredible high quality of their teachers and the faculty in that institution of learning.

The WeissSat-1 was selected for its outstanding design and scientific importance, as part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, an excellent program that, unfortunately, has a very uncertain future. The CubeSat Launch Initiative was established in 2008 as a mutually beneficial program to spur innovation in the STEM community and simultaneously advance NASA missions.

Since its inception, NASA has selected 149 CubeSats, built by 85 organizations across 38 States, and they have launched 58 of these CubeSats to date, all of them at a fraction of the cost of developing satellites in-house.

NASA's Office of Education is currently being restructured and the future of the CubeSat program is in jeopardy.

Students and teachers from the Weiss School are in the House gallery today to witness the introduction of a resolution that they themselves helped to write.

The WeissSat-I resolution that I will introduce today with bipartisan support from my Florida colleagues will raise awareness of the CubeSat Launch Initiative and encourage continuance of the program as NASA reorganizes their Office of Education.

I would like to thank the students of the Weiss School for their dedication, their faculty, their teachers for their work in helping their students to reach the highest and fullest potential that any students could reach.

Mr. Speaker, I dedicate my time today to a man, who as a resident of Jupiter, Florida, I am honored to represent in Congress. His name is Mr. Thomas Corey, a decorated Vietnam hero who proudly served our country as a combat infantryman.

During the 1968 Tet Offensive, he received an enemy round in the neck that hit his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed and a quadriplegic for life. But this did not stop him from dedicating his life and work to our veterans, and our country.

Since then, he has done extraordinary work: he has served on many Advisory Boards with local governments, and with the VA Medical Centers in West Palm Beach and Miami, the VA Research Foundation of Palm Beaches, VSIN 8 Management Assistance Council, Friends of Veterans Board, Friends of Fisher House Board, as President of the Vietnam Veterans Peace Initiative, and as the founding president of the Vietnam Veterans of America's Palm Beach County Chapter.

Mr. Corey has even returned to Vietnam 16 times since 1994, representing the Vietnam Veterans of America's Veterans Initiative program dedicated to recovery efforts for our Vietnam Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action, as well as to studies on the health effects of Agent Orange. In that capacity, he met with top Vietnamese and Laos leaders, leaders and members of the Veterans Association of Vietnam, U.S. Ambassadors, and the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting in Vietnam and Laos. For these extraordinary efforts, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize. He was also the first recipient of the Vietnam Veterans of America's Commendation Medal, the VV A's highest award for service to veterans, their families, and the community.

He is also a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars,1st Cavalry Association and the National Association of Uniformed Services.

To this day, Mr. Corey is still fighting for his fellow veterans, serving as Ombudsman and Program Specialist with the Director's Office at the West Palm Beach VA. I can't think of anyone who has given more for his comrades, and for his country, than Mr. Thomas Corey, and I could not be prouder to represent him in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I dedicate my time today to a man whom I am honored to represent in Congress. His name is Mr. Thomas Corey, a decorated Vietnam hero who proudly served our country as a combat infantryman.

During the 1968 Tet Offensive, he received an enemy round in the neck that struck his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed, a quadriplegic for life. But with true American grit, that did not stop him from dedicating his life and his work to our veterans and to our country. He was a tireless patient advocate, working on medical research and family support for disabled veterans.

Mr. Corey returned to Vietnam 16 times, promoting reconciliation for individual veterans, accounting for those missing in action, and to study the health effects of Agent Orange. For these extraordinary efforts, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was also the first recipient of the Vietnam Veterans of America Commendation Medal, their highest award for service.

Mr. Corey, your Nation is grateful to you. I am grateful for you. America is proud and blessed to have men like you who never stop fighting for this country on and off the battlefield. And, Mr. Corey, I salute you.

Madam Speaker, this legislation does stir a great number of emotions in me. I do know what it is to protect life, take life, and to see life lost, and our role should always be to protect the innocent.

But I also know that our role as a society has been to subsidize the genocide of our unborn, and that reflects how desensitized we have become to the true value of a child each year, as we kill hundreds of thousands of the most innocent among us: unborn children who smile, who grab, and who are self-aware and feel pain.

If we truly are what we do, then who are we if we purposely bring unthinkable pain to a baby boy or baby girl just before their life is snuffed out of them?

This legislation is a leap forward for our collective conscience as a nation, and it is a strong step forward in returning value to life that we see, especially the most unique life that exists out there: that special creature that was created by God.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today especially pleased to have had my personal pastor, Todd Mullins, give our opening prayer this morning to the House of Representatives.

I am honored to welcome Pastor Mullins onto the floor of the House of Representatives as our guest chaplain this morning, and I thank him for sharing those very important words with our colleagues and that scripture as well.

Todd Mullins is the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he served since his father founded the church in 1984.

I can say a great deal about my friend, Pastor Todd Mullins, but the most important thing that I could say about him is that he is a man of God, and that he works every single day to try to help and change lives.

I think that is the most important thing any one of us can do. That is why I am so proud to call him a friend. He is a person who has devoted his life to working on the lives of others.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Florida for the time.

Without action from Congress, the authority for the VA Secretary to carry out many essential activities that are critical to helping our veterans will expire.

I get my healthcare from the VA. I get it alongside a great number of my best friends in life, and I can tell you, my favorite part about going to the VA in West Palm Beach, Florida, is when I meet one of my fellow veterans in the lobby. It might be a veteran from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf war, Iraq, or Afghanistan, and the first thing that we do with one another is we jab at one another about the different branch that the other person served in: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard. But after that, it gets back to the very serious work that we are all at the VA to have completed.

The heroic men and women that I have had the honor of fighting alongside have earned--they have earned; that is the most important word, they have earned--the very best care that our country has to offer. But without this immediate action from Congress, veterans could lose those benefits--healthcare, support for the homeless, and many other provisions--and this is absolutely unacceptable.

This bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2017, does everything that was already mentioned, which is extremely important. It extends the number of expiring authorities to include nursing home support, support for our caregivers, support for transportation, childcare assistance, adaptive sports programs, housing and home loan services.

This legislation also makes some important technical changes that will aid the VA's implementation of the Forever GI Bill, a critical priority for ensuring that as many veterans as possible can use that important program.

This is the definition of must-pass legislation. I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a member of our 18th District community, Mr. George T. Farrell, who has been working diligently to engage minority voices in the electoral process through education, communication and active involvement in community events.

I met Mr. Farrell at his organization's Juneteenth Celebration in Palm Beach, Florida, during the summer of 2015. Since then, I have witnessed his steadfast commitment to developing the highest standards and best practices for increasing civic engagement among minority communities.

Mr. Farrell's organization was also recently approved by the Florida Department of State to serve as a Third-Party Voter Registration Organization. With increased grassroots activity, active social media and daily communication with thousands of citizens, I have no doubt that Mr. Farrell will continue to be successful.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud his hard work and wish him the best in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today because I represent the Treasure Coast of Florida, and it is facing an environmental disaster that, sadly, communities across the Nation face, from down along the Mississippi, up in Michigan, to the east coast of Florida. We face these disasters year after year. This disaster is toxic algal blooms.

The water that is discharged into my area comes out of Lake Okeechobee and goes into the Treasure Coast of Florida. It puts people out of business, kills sea life, sea grass, manatees, and fish. It makes people sick. It destroys home values and businesses. It is all because of a guacamole-like toxic algal bloom that can occur year after year. This can't continue. Our communities can't wait any longer. Our lagoons, beaches, and water have to be restored.

My amendment increases the Aquatic Plant Control Research Program within the Army Corps of Engineers' Engineer Research and Development Center, or ERDC, by $500,000 above the appropriated level.

The Aquatic Plant Control Research Program is the only federally authorized research program directed to develop the kind of technology for management of nonindigenous aquatic plant species, like these toxic blooms.

When I talk to the Corps about the issue in my community and the communities across the country, I am told that they don't have the technology to scale the type of equipment that cleans out fish tanks to the level that we are facing in these large bodies of water.

This amendment replaces the $500,000 shortfall from last year's appropriation and makes important investments in the research in order to ensure that the Army Corps has all of the information required to develop that technology that can scale the size needed to successfully complete their mission.

Mr. Chair, I urge immediate passage, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the four Fulbright scholarship recipients from Florida's 18th Congressional District.

The Fulbright scholarship is a competitive, merit-based grant program for international educational exchange. Each year, the program grants students the opportunity to study, research, or teach abroad.

Dr. Nancy Ackles of Juno Beach, Amanda Fleming of West Palm Peach, Dr. Jan Fritz of Palm City, and Laura O'Connor of Jupiter are all recipients of this prestigious honor.

Dr. Ackles will be traveling to Uzbekistan to teach English; Ms. Fleming will be living in Asia, working to enhance communication with the Vietnamese people; Dr. Fritz will be spending her time in Hungary as a sociology scholar; and Ms. O'Connor will be working in Spain as she teaches English to the local community.

On behalf of the 18th Congressional District of Florida, I want to again congratulate these outstanding students and scholars for receiving the

2018 Fulbright scholarship. I am proud to represent them in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the work of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and, specifically, chapter 717.

My friends and neighbors there who serve in this chapter are working to erect a monument on the Treasure Coast of Florida to those who were injured in battle while defending our great Nation. They may have been targeted by a sniper, a victim of an improvised explosive device, or they may have been charging a hill somewhere in Vietnam.

The marker that they have worked to erect at Indian Riverside Park in Martin County will bring awareness and recognition to the true cost of freedom, which is the blood that is shed by selfless men and women who have served across the world in defense of

others because of their sense of duty to America.

I thank all members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart for never forgetting and never for one second taking for granted the price paid by our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsman.

May God bless the work they are doing.

Alzheimer's Awareness

Mr. Speaker, I rise today so that we think about the over 5 million Americans, including thousands of Floridians and nearly half a million American veterans, who are living with Alzheimer's and dementia.

Alzheimer's is the only one of the top 10 causes of death that cannot be prevented, cannot be cured, and cannot be slowed. As the sixth leading cause of death in Florida, and with so many affected by this incurable disease, we have to continue to stress the importance of early diagnosis and the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses.

But awareness is never enough. As a member of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I am determined to make progress for all those affected. We must act proactively to achieve breakthroughs in prevention and treatment. We also have to act to ensure that those who currently have Alzheimer's have the tools that are needed to manage their symptoms, reduce pain, and increase comfort.

Nearly half of all people with Alzheimer's and other dementias are in hospice care at the time of their passing, but less than half of nursing homes have some sort of palliative care program. For people with advanced dementia, palliative care improves their quality of life, controls costs, and enhances both patient and family satisfaction.

As the demand for this kind of care grows with the aging population, more has to be done to ensure that there is a workforce equipped to provide that care. That is why I recently signed onto the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, a bipartisan bill that will help our Nation's seniors who are struggling with the effects of Alzheimer's.

I have spoken to a few Members in this House who have not been touched by this serious illness in one way or another. Whether they have been impacted personally, supported a loved one during a tough time, or prayed for a friend who needed help, we all know how difficult that situation is.

This is a great bill. I urge my fellow colleagues to think back to that person that they have known and how much this could have benefited them.

Mr. Speaker, let us take some decisive action to help patients with Alzheimer's and their families. Let's pass this bill.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 369, I mistakenly voted ``no'' when I intended to vote ``yes.''

Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Gosar

Mr. Chairman, I rise today because veteran suicide is an epidemic. Nearly every week, I hear from a veteran who is thinking about taking their own life--maybe walking into their garage, turning on their car, and never coming out.

That is why I introduced the Oath of Exit, and why I urge you to pass this bill as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill creates a voluntary operation oath for members of the Armed Forces with a specific aim of reducing veteran suicide.

The idea for this bill came from friends of mine who have struggled with suicidal thoughts since leaving the military--people like my friend Boone; people who have actually been there on the edge.

I think we all know that, throughout our lives, the most important commitments that we make are spoken--

whether it is an oath upon joining the military, the vows at our wedding, or saying the Pledge of Allegiance--and this verbal commitment to reach out to a brother- or sister-in-arms is important, as well.

Mr. Chairman, integrity is more than a word to a servicemember. So, if we commit that we will reach out to a brother or a sister because we need help, then we will do it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about two very honorable lives, Paul Besaw and Lahiri Garcia, who were both taken from us far too soon by the criminal acts of one who was illegally in our country.

A death of our innocent neighbors is especially devastating when it could have been prevented had our immigration laws been upheld and had they been working.

Paul and Lahiri were paramedics in my community, dedicated to saving lives, but on January 1, a man illegally in our country, driving drunk, collided with their ambulance and killed both of them.

Paul left behind his loving wife, Dawn, and his 6-year-old daughter, Allison, who you see here behind me. When I spoke with Paul's widow, she rightfully said that if our country wasn't ``too afraid or inept to enforce immigration law,'' her husband would still be with her today, and she is absolutely right.

Lahiri's wife, Julie Garcia, told me how hard it was for her four children to not have their father this Father's Day. She expected to grow old with her husband, but because this man wasn't sent home the first three times he was pulled over, she will no longer have that opportunity.

Both wives, both mothers, expressed to me sincere disbelief. They don't understand why this was allowed to happen, and, for the life of me, I can't understand why it is allowed either.

The bottom line is that this should never happen to anyone. Sanctuary cities are a violation of the rule of law, they are absolutely unacceptable, they

cannot be tolerated. We must enforce this rule of law.

It is, in fact, the right of every American to be protected by this government. It is not the right of anybody to spend one day, one moment, in our country illegally or without invitation.

Today, Congress is addressing this epidemic. Our bills, they crack down on dangerous sanctuary policies that put these kind of innocent lives at risk.

So let us ensure that unlawful immigrants convicted of crimes are, in fact, detained and are, in fact, deported.

Mr. Speaker, let's pass these bills. More importantly, let us be convicted that what happened to Paul and what happened to Lahiri is never allowed to happen again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the patriotic efforts of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Veteran's Associate Program (VAP) and its Executive Sponsors Andrew Karp and Brian R. Carosielli, as well as William T. Golden, Co-Head of the NY Chapter of the Military Support and Assistance Group, for their steadfast and selfless commitment in helping members of the military transition into careers in the financial services industry.

Recognizing the unique experience and leadership of our servicemembers, Bank of America Merrill Lynch once again conducted a 10-week rotational program to provide on-the-job training and experience to assist veterans transitioning into the financial services industry. Ten veterans from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines participated in this year's VAP program; all were subsequently offered full-time placement in either the Office of the Chief Financial Officer or the Global Banking and Markets division.

Efforts like the VAP at Bank of America Merrill Lynch distinguish the service of the men and women in our military and make our country stronger.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for yielding me time, and the ranking member, both of the gentlemen, for their leadership, and also our Senator from Florida, Senator Rubio, for his leadership on this bill.

This is a great bill, and that is why I couldn't be more happy than to rise and speak about this bill. For a long time, our veterans have deserved better, and this bill is exactly that: It is better.

Veterans across the board--Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard--they have common experiences and common healthcare challenges as a result of certainly combat, but also as a result of just simply the austere life of being in the military. Whether it is a daily life of jumping out of planes or roping out of helicopters or kicking in doors or jumping off the back end of trucks, you live an austere life.

Oftentimes, I hear people say a year in the military can be like a dog-year. It is tough on you, and that is why the VA is so critical. It is so critical that the VA maintain an expertise in providing for our unique healthcare needs.

I get my healthcare from the VA. I know many VA employees who are hardworking and certainly unyielding in their dedication, but I have also encountered many who are not, plain and simple, many who lack the hunger or who lack the appropriate mentality or the decorum to care for our men and women who are willing to give their last breath in defense of our country. This is the reality.

Every single veteran needs to be treated like the most important patient ever to be seen every single time they walk into the VA. Anything less is a failure.

In the past several years, this bureaucracy of rules, it has obstructed the VA's ability to go out there and fire employees who have been charged with armed robbery, who have been accused of being drunk while performing surgeries, and this simply cannot stand.

There should never be somebody allowed to service our veterans who would receive a dishonorable discharge in the military for what their actions are. They shouldn't be allowed the honor of serving people who served this country in World War II or Korea or Vietnam or Panama, Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, the Gulf war, Iraq, Afghanistan. Folks shouldn't be given that honor lightly.

It is exactly why this bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act is so important. The bill establishes whistleblower protections so that we can ensure veterans get the best possible care and make sure that no veteran is ever dishonored twice by the same person.

I want to thank you again for yielding me time. I want to thank you on behalf of every single veteran across this country for this great bill.