Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to wish a happy birthday on September 1st to Shirley Hartmann on turning 90. Shirley, a native of New Jersey, now a resident of Bentley Village with her dog Brando, is enjoying her retirement. Shirley is a fixture on the golf course and has even served as the President of the Ladies 9-Hole Association. When she isn't spending her time golfing, she enjoys playing bocce ball, volunteering at a local community thrift shop, and catching up with friends over dinner.

It is my hope that Shirley continues to enjoy her retirement and putting a smile on everyone's face she meets for a long time to come.

Happy Birthday Shirley.

Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Michael Wynn who was recently voted the Collier County Citizen of the Year for 2019.

Being chairman and president of Sunshine Ace Hardware in Naples, Mr. Wynn provides leadership to stores delivering friendly and helpful service with ``Big City'' quality in stores in Estero, Bonita Springs, Golden Gate, Marco Island, Naples, Port Charlotte, Largo and Port Charlotte. Since 1992, Mr. Wynn has held various positions increasing in responsibility with Sunshine Ace Hardware.

Michael is especially grateful for the opportunity to provide several basic hardware lines, such as tools, builders' hardware, paint and glass, housewares and household appliances, outdoor living and fishing products to the citizens of Florida. His good-natured service to the community has led to Michael being voted as the Collier County Citizen of the Year for 2019.

I am grateful for Michael and his commitment to his community. I look forward to seeing what the future holds from the positive effects of Mr. Wynn and Sunshine Ace Hardware.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Florian Mickuleit on receiving the Citizen Commendable Action Coin for aiding law enforcement in rescuing a man from a canal. This award is given by an Officer of the Cape Coral Police Department to a civilian for exemplary behavior or a remarkable act.

On June 4, 2019, a concerned citizen called Cape Coral Police to report that a man had been swimming in the canal by their home for an extended period, and he refused to come out of the water. When police arrived, they found the man was not acting rationally and was out of their rescue rope's range. The man claimed that the current was too strong for him to swim to shore.

Mickuleit had been delivering a rental boat in the area and offered to use the boat in a rescue attempt. He drove the boat to the middle of the canal with officers onboard, and they were finally able to bring the man safely to shore. The man was then taken to the local hospital by Lee County Emergency Medical Services.

I am grateful for Florian and his actions to help save a citizen in need. I commend his actions and congratulate him on receiving this honor.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague from the east coast of Florida, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, for her courageous leadership on this issue and join and echo what the Governor said as we continue to work together to fight the scourge of offshore drilling.

Offshore drilling anywhere near Florida represents an existential threat to our tourist and recreation economy that we cannot risk taking.

We also have the important military bases all along the Gulf Coast that the Governor referred to that are equally important that use the Gulf as offshore testing grounds. This is the only place in the world where our United States Navy and Air Force can conduct these tests.

I want to thank Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz for her leadership and to urge adoption of this amendment and protect Florida. Twenty-one million people are being protected by Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lorelei Domke, a Cape Coral, FL resident and senior at New College of Florida studying Chinese language and culture, who was awarded the U.S. Department of State's Critical Language Scholarship.

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is merit-based and funded through an annual appropriation to the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The scholarship program seeks to expand the number of Americans studying foreign languages for national security and economic prosperity by providing instruction abroad in fourteen key languages. Out of more than 5,500 student applications, Ms. Domke was among the 572 students to be selected.

I congratulate Lorelei on her selection for the Critical Language Scholarship and look forward to seeing the contributions she will make to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Anthony Neri, an officer with the Sanibel Police Department who passed away on Monday, May 6, 2019. Mr. Neri had served the Sanibel Police Department since 2012, and as an officer since 2015.

Prior to serving with the Police Department in Sanibel, Mr. Neri was a Revenue Officer with the U.S. Department of the Treasury for 30 years. He also served as a police officer in Union Township, New Jersey prior to moving to Southwest Florida.

Officer Neri was honored along with 18 other officers at the Lee County Fallen Officer Memorial Ceremony held on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at Centennial Park in Fort Myers, Florida.

I am grateful to Officer Neri for his service to our community, and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker, who passed away early Tuesday, April 23 at Hope Hospice.

Mr. Kiker grew up in Clovis, New Mexico and moved to Southwest Florida two decades ago. After moving to Florida, he became a charter boat captain and then owned and operated a Fort Myers Beach realty company with his beloved wife, Paula.

Larry was first elected to the county commission in 2012--defeating a 24-year incumbent commissioner--and won re-election in 2016. Prior to his service as commissioner, Mr. Kiker had a long career in managing customer service at several high-tech companies, and served as a Fort Myers Beach Town Councilman and as mayor. Larry's leadership and team building skills were well recognized by his peers and the citizens of Southwest Florida.

Larry served our community with honor. We are all grateful for his contributions and commitment to our community. His passion, intellect, and wit will be long remembered, and

greatly missed. Our prayers are with his wife, Paula, and his entire family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lee Memorial Hospital as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their trauma center. Serving as the only trauma center on the Gulf Coast of Florida and covering five districts with nearly 1 million residents, the trauma center has provided lifesaving care to over 42,000 critically injured patients.

Trauma is Florida's leading cause of death for residents between the ages of 5 and 46. Studies have shown that patient mortality is significantly reduced when treated in a trauma center. Last year, Lee Memorial Hospital's trauma center treated more than 2,500 residents and visitors.

I congratulate Lee Health and the Lee Memorial Hospital team on providing Trauma Care to our community over the past quarter century. The contributions made to our region are priceless. I am proud to extend best wishes to those observing Trauma Awareness month during May, 2019.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jefferson Lievense and his election to the National Academy of Engineering Board for leadership in biomanufacturing and sustainable chemicals. The National Academy of Engineering recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the field.

Mr. Lievense is currently a Senior Advisor to the CEO of Bioengineering and Technology at Genomatica. Mr. Lievense has 37 years of industrial biotechnology experience and has contributed to many important projects and achievements.

I congratulate Jefferson Lievense on his election to the National Academy of Engineering Board as it is one of the highest distinctions an engineer can receive.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Venezuela Arms Restriction Act introduced by my colleagues from Florida, Congresswoman Shalala and Congressman Diaz-Balart, to whom we are deeply grateful. I would also like to thank Chairman Sires for his support and leadership both of our committee and of this bill.

The criminal socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro is systematically violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people through violence, intimidation, torture, and murder. According to local NGO Foro Penal, there are more than 850 political prisoners in Venezuela today.

Just last week, Maduro's intelligence services arrested Roberto Marrero, the chief of staff for the interim President and constitutional leader of Venezuela, Juan Guaido. The regime has made ludicrous claims that Marrero was leading a terrorist cell and it reportedly planted weapons and cash to try to frame him.

The Congress and the people of the United States must stand united with the people of Venezuela to help ensure that all individuals who violate their human rights are held accountable.

This bill supports these efforts by identifying and holding accountable any U.S. entities providing defense articles to Maduro's security forces, and it restricts all U.S. sales of defense articles to his socialist criminal dictatorship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in demonstrating our commitment to defending the security and human rights of the Venezuelan people by supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers.

In closing, I thank the authors of the bill. Congresswoman Shalala just spoke about the depth and breadth of the horrible humanitarian crisis that we see on our doorstep in Venezuela. I would like to comment that the average Venezuelan has lost over 20 kilos of weight in the last 2 years and they haven't had protein, so the whole country is starving to death, worse than any Warsaw Pact dictatorship has ever done.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Congressman Diaz-Balart and certainly Chairman Sires for their leadership on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I call on all of my colleagues to enthusiastically support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Humanitarian Assistance to the Venezuelan People Act introduced by my colleague from Florida (Ms. Mucarsel-Powell) and supported enthusiastically by our chairman, Albio Sires.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is unprecedented in our hemisphere and is affecting the entire region. So far, more than 3 million Venezuelans have fled the criminal socialistic dictatorship of Maduro, whose mismanagement and repression are creating immense challenges for neighboring communities.

As Chairman Sires said, there are millions of refugees in Colombia, the United States, and around the world who fled from Venezuelan oppression.

This bill will ensure that we have a long-term strategy for U.S.-led humanitarian assistance to address the crisis so that it is coordinated effectively with local partners to meet the needs of its beneficiaries.

It condemns violent actions by the Maduro regime to block humanitarian aid from entering the country, and it authorizes funding necessary for future humanitarian assistance.

The administration has courageously led the humanitarian effort for the people of Venezuela and has received invaluable support from the Governments of Colombia and Brazil; and, more recently, the Government of the Netherlands has agreed to allow the nearby island of Curacao to be used as a hub to support future humanitarian aid.

The United States and this Congress must remain united in our support for the people of Venezuela in their struggle for freedom and democracy, especially as they struggle to survive without adequate food and basic medicines.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers.

I would like to thank the author once again, my colleague, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, and my neighbor in the Cannon Building.

I would like to also thank, once again, Chairman Sires for his leadership in this area, and I enthusiastically encourage everyone in this Congress to support this bill and prepare for the day when we can get aid to the people of Venezuela.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the European Energy Security and Diversification Act, which the Foreign Affairs Committee adopted unanimously earlier this month.

This bill, sponsored by Mr. Keating and Mr. Kinzinger, for whom we are deeply thankful, will help European and Eurasian countries reduce their reliance on Russian energy by providing diplomatic, political, technical, and financial support to projects that diversify energy sources and supply routes, enhance energy market integration across the region, and increase competition within the energy markets.

Europe imports nearly 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia. Some EU countries source as much as 100 percent of their gas from Moscow, which has weaponized its energy dominance in the region to coerce, intimidate, and influence the political decisions of countries that depend on it for their energy.

In 2006, 2009, and 2014, Vladimir Putin cut off gas to Ukraine, a country he has tried to dismember through his illegal annexation of Crimea and his continued aggression in the East.

Putin is now trying to build a massive new pipeline to Germany, the Nord Stream 2. This pipeline will increase Russian influence over Berlin, a key NATO ally and the largest economy in the EU, and also reduce Russia's reliance on Ukraine as a vital pipeline transit route to other European markets. This will deprive Ukraine of its critical transit fees, the proceeds of which are roughly equal to what it spends on its military.

It is not hard to see that this is a strategic play by Putin to increase pressure on Ukraine, where he continues to wage a war, and also get closer to Germany and dominate their energy.

This bill isn't just about helping Europe. This bill advances U.S. foreign policy and economic interests by strengthening our alliances with countries in the region and promoting U.S. energy as an appropriate alternative to the bondage of Russia.

The shale revolution and the repeal of the 1970s-era ban on crude oil sales in 2015 have unlocked America's abundant oil and natural gas reserves. These have enabled us to become the world's largest producer of oil and gas--some 13 million barrels a day now--giving our partners and allies a reliable alternative to unstable sources of energy.

We also lead the world in cutting-edge clean energy technologies, one of which, carbon sequester, is very important for the environment as well. Others are like nuclear and renewables, which this bill promotes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would once again like to thank the authors of this important bill, Mr. Kinzinger and Mr. Keating, as well as Chairman Sires for his support, and I am glad to know that Senator Murphy is on the case as well.

One more time, I would just like to say, if I might, what a terrible idea the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is, and I appreciate the strong comments that Congressman Keating just made. We should be opposing that, and we should be supporting the Trans-Caucasus pipeline to get more oil into Eastern Europe, away from Russia, and out of the bondage of their control of the pipelines.

So, I would like to thank the authors one more time and encourage all our colleagues to support this important bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Russian-Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act introduced by our colleagues from Florida, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Diaz-Balart. I also want to thank Congressman Malinowski for his leadership in bringing this to the floor right now.

I am also deeply concerned about Russia's continued support for the Socialist and criminal dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro and the threat that this relationship poses to the national security of the United States and the rest of the countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Russia has invested over $16 billion in Venezuela and has provided billions in military equipment to that murderous regime.

In December of last year Russia sent two nuclear-capable bombers to conduct joint exercises with the Venezuelan military. In January of this year, he sent mercenaries to help protect Maduro--this is Mr. Putin doing that. Just this last weekend, as Congressman Malinowski referred to, we saw a report of about 100 additional Russian troops landing in Venezuela.

Russia continues to finance the regime through billions of dollars in investments and is directly aiding the Maduro regime's efforts to bypass U.S. sanctions. There is also a great concern over the potential acquisition of a U.S.-based oil company, CITGO, which has refineries in Corpus Christi and Lake Charles by the Russian oil company, Rosneft, which has a collateral position of about half of its equity.

The bill requires that the State Department provide Congress with an assessment of the threat that the Russia-Venezuela relationship poses to U.S. national security and a strategy to combat that threat.

The bill also requires the specific assessment of the threat posed by a potential acquisition of the oil infrastructure I referred to, CITGO, by their debtor, Russian state oil company Rosneft.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I urge all of our colleagues to join us in standing against Russia's continued support for the Maduro regime and the threat it poses to U.S. national security.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would once again like to thank my colleagues for the three bipartisan bills on Venezuela that have been considered by this House today.

This is one issue where all Members of Congress, regardless of party or background, should stand together with the people of Venezuela and support interim President Guaido's efforts to bring free and fair elections to the country.

The criminal socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has driven Venezuela to ruin. He is clinging to power by repressing the people of Venezuela while surrounding himself with foreign forces from Cuba and Russia.

Millions of Venezuelans have fled the dangerous and deteriorating circumstances at home, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz mentioned about Weston. We also know about other places in west Miami where the Venezuelans, fortunately, are adding value to our economy now.

They have created burdens and instability far beyond Venezuela's border. The average Venezuelan has lost 20 kilos in the last 2 years. These people are starving to death under a repression that hasn't been seen since Ceausescu's Romania or Stalin's Russia.

Congress should support the administration's efforts to bring democracy and prosperity back to Venezuela, and these bills demonstrate our support for the values of freedom and liberty that the Venezuelan people desire and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 1477, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank Megan O'Grady, a high school student from Cape Coral and founder of Blue Line Bears, for the work she has done to honor fallen police officers.

Through her non-profit organization, Blue Line Bears, Megan makes teddy bears using the uniforms of fallen police officers and delivers them to the officers' families. The daughter of a police officer, Megan was inspired to do something for the families of law enforcement in the wake of the murder of 5 police officers in Dallas.

Megan is especially grateful for the opportunity to make the bears for children and to provide them with tangible mementos of their loved ones. Since she started two years ago, Megan has made 454 bears for families in 36 states.

I am grateful for Megan and her commitment to honor police officers and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Blue Line Bears.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish Michel Doherty a Happy 94th Birthday and to honor her for a lifetime of community service.

Mrs. Doherty is well-known in our community for her extensive service through the countless organizations she participates in. The two projects that bring her the most pride have been the development of Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve and the opening of the Veterans Administration Clinic in Cape Coral, but these are only a few examples of all the contributions she has made to the Cape Coral community.

Mrs. Doherty also participates as a member of the Cape Coral Civic Association, Fort Myers Women's Community Club, Tiger Bay Club of SWFL, chair of the American Red Cross ``Simply Red Gala,'' Voices for Kids, Lee County Homeless Coalition, Giving Heart for Cancer, Abuse Center for Women, Downtown River District Art Walks, Boys and Girls Club of SWFL, Hope Hospice Planning Committee and Pace Center for Girls. There is no doubt that her work will positively impact our community for generations to come.

I thank Michel for her service to the Cape Coral community and wish her a Happy Birthday.