Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 637.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following votes because I

was in my congressional district tending to urgent business. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner:

YEA on Roll Call No. 605; NAY on Roll Call No. 606; YEA on Roll Call No. 607; YEA on Roll Call No. 608; YEA on Roll Call No. 609; NAY on Roll Call No. 610; NAY on Roll Call No. 611; and NAY on Roll Call No. 612.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following votes because I chose to remain in my congressional district in Miami for safety reasons due to serious threats I received.

Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: YEA on Roll Call No. 569; YEA on Roll Call No. 570; YEA on Roll Call No. 571; NAY on Roll Call No. 572; NAY on Roll Call No. 573; YEA on Roll Call No. 574; YEA on Roll Call No. 575; YEA on Roll Call No. 576; YEA on Roll Call No. 577; YEA on Roll Call No. 578; YEA on Roll Call No. 579; NAY on Roll Call No. 580; YEA on Roll Call No.581; NAY on Roll Call No. 582; NAY on Roll Call No. 583; NAY on Roll Call No. 584; YEA on Roll Call No. 585; YEA on Roll Call No. 586; YEA on Roll Call No. 587; NAY on Roll Call No. 588; NAY on Roll Call No. 589; and YEA on Roll Call No. 590.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 604.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of U.S. Army Sergeant La David T. Johnson, who was killed in Niger, West Africa, during an ambush carried out by Boko Haram and other extremists linked to ISIS.

This tragic loss of a life, still so young and so full of promise and potential, is one of the saddest ironies that I could ever imagine. Sergeant Johnson was just 25 years old, the father of two children, and a beloved member of the Miami Gardens community in which I reside.

He and his two younger brothers, Keon and Richard, are proud members of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, an in-school dropout prevention program that I created soon after Sergeant Johnson was born, to ensure that he and other boys and young women of color have unfettered access to roads to success. Five thousand Role Models members all over the world are mourning his death.

Sergeant Johnson is married to Myeshia Johnson and has two children, and Myeshia is expecting their third child.

I sprung into action after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in their boarding school in Nigeria. I traveled to Nigeria four times in my quest, and I have initiated the ``Bring Back Our Girls Wear Red Wednesdays'' in the Congress of the United States. I appreciate the support, especially from our leader, Nancy Pelosi.

I traveled there in August and met over 100 girls who were once hostages of Boko Haram. I wanted them to know that this Congress loves them and we will never, ever forget them.

Boko Haram actually means ``Western education is a sin.'' They believe girls should be denied the privilege of an education, and they have killed more people than ISIS. In fact, they have joined forces with ISIS in the region and have killed over 20,000 Africans, sexually abused women and girls, and sends them on suicide missions using babies as decoys.

More than 1 million people have been displaced from their homes and are starving to death. What a tragedy. It would be an even greater tragedy to allow the deaths of Sergeant Johnson and his comrades--Staff Sergeant Bryan C. Black, 35, from Washington; Staff Sergeant Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39, from Ohio; and Staff Sergeant Dustin M. Wright, 29, from Georgia--be in vain.

Nearly a year ago, this Chamber voted unanimously for legislation that Republican Senator Susan Collins from Maine and I introduced that directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence to jointly develop a 5-year strategy to end Boko Haram's reign of terror. The law also calls for a plan to assist the Nigerian Government, the Multinational Joint Task Force, and international partners in their efforts to counter this regional threat.

Our soldiers were not there to fight but to provide training and assistance to the Nigerian Army forces and the multinational joint task force created to combat Boko Haram.

Yes, my heart breaks for this monumental loss, but it is also bursting with pride for all that he achieved and would have accomplished. During the few years in which he bravely served our Nation, he received several awards and accolades, including the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and, ironically, the Global War on Terrorism Medal.

Boko Haram is a threat to the many nations across the globe that, like the United States, have committed monetary and human resources to help defeat this terrorist group, and we must never ever forget that this heinous organization's daily list of casualties could include one or more of our own, like Sergeant Johnson, Staff Sergeant Black, Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson, and Staff Sergeant Wright.

May they rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, on July 14, 2017, I mistakenly voted ``no'' on Roll Call 375, the Hunter-Wilson amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. I cosponsored this amendment and intended to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Chairman, today, I join with my colleague and friend, Representative Duncan Hunter, in offering an amendment to the maritime administration title in the NDAA.

The cruise industry, which is a vital source of economic opportunity for my constituents, has come to me with concerns about lawsuits it says are clogging U.S. courts and making it more difficult to conduct business and create opportunities in my district and elsewhere.

I take these concerns seriously and want to help address them, but I also want to make sure that they are protecting workers and that we don't shut off opportunities for them to be fairly compensated if they become ill or injured in the course of their employment.

The Hunter-Wilson amendment is intended to do just that. It safeguards U.S. courts against further crowding of court dockets, while not denying foreign crewmembers remedies.

This provision has been passed in the House five times in the past 3 years, and most recently, the Senate Commerce Committee included it in the maritime administration title of the Defense Authorization bill for

Mr. Speaker, on the night of April 14, 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School in Nigeria, a night we all remember.

Although some girls fled or have been released, more than 100 Chibok girls remain in captivity today with Boko Haram, the deadliest terrorist organization in the world.

Last year, Congress unanimously passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Susan Collins and myself to require a 5-year strategy to conquer Boko Haram. Last night, an amendment to solidify the bill and add a sense of Congress that expresses our support for the kidnapped schoolgirls and the United States strategy for countering Boko Haram was passed in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.

I thank Armed Services Committee Chairman Thornberry, Ranking Member Smith, Rules Committee Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Slaughter, and Congressman Alcee Hastings.

We will continue to fight against Boko Haram and their vicious and cruel tactics against the Nigerian people. We will continue to wear red every Wednesday until all of our girls are released.

Remember to tweet, tweet, tweet, #bringbackourgirls.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to welcome the esteemed Reverend Dr. Howard Siplin to the House floor as our guest chaplain.

Reverend Dr. Siplin was my classmate from first grade to twelfth grade in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Reverend Siplin is the senior pastor of Beulah Missionary Baptist Church located in Coconut Grove, Florida.

Before joining the ministry, Reverend Siplin proudly served in law enforcement. He is a graduate of the Miami-Dade Police Academy who made history by earning the distinction of becoming the first African American to serve as president of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Three years ago, after joining Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Siplin was ordained a deacon and later became chairman of the church's deacon ministry.

He was called to preach in the year 2000 and, in August 2003, was ordained and installed to serve as the church's pastor. Under his leadership, Beulah Missionary Baptist has helped the surrounding community confront and combat various challenges. He also has used his experience in law enforcement to help forge and strengthen bonds between residents and local police.

Reverend Siplin has dedicated himself to educating members of the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church community to live spiritual lives so that they can be productive citizens.

He holds a bachelor's and master's of ministry degree from the Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2014, the seminary awarded him an honorary doctorate degree.

Reverend Siplin is married to the former Zelma Ferguson who is with him here today. Her father, the late Reverend E. R. Ferguson, founded Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in 1954. They are the proud parents of 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask everyone to join me in thanking Reverend Siplin for leading today's opening prayer and to thank him for his outstanding service to the south Florida community.

Mr. Speaker, I am a strong supporter of career and technical education. While this bipartisan bill makes needed improvements to current law, during the committee markup I offered and later withdrew an amendment to provide more Federal support for skill development and training programs for ex-offenders who need a second chance and opportunity.

Ex-offenders, who are disproportionately young men of color due to the bias in the criminal justice system, face numerous hurdles when they try to reintegrate into society after serving their time. Finding a decent job is a necessary first step towards developing self-esteem and self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, and too often, a prior criminal history is a barrier to ex-offenders seeking employment.

I withdrew my amendment because of the important work. Nevertheless, it is my view that my amendment should be considered as this bill advances to future conference consideration. Let's help stop recidivism for this special population.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the House today will vote to pass a bipartisan reauthorization of H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act. I strongly believe that this measure will not only help our Nation's at-risk youth, but it will also vastly improve the juvenile justice system in each State.

One area I was particularly interested in addressing in this bill is finding ways in which State-based practices that have been developed to end the school-to-prison pipeline can be expanded. I strongly believe that youth-based mentoring programs are key to achieving this goal. For that reason, I added language to the bill that expands the definition of juvenile delinquency programs to include youth mentoring programs so those programs will have greater access to Federal grant funding.

One of my life's missions has been to help build a permanent roadblock on the destructive and demoralizing path that has entrapped so many boys and young men of color and other at-risk youth. In fact, there are 50 ninth grade boys from the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project visiting Washington today. If you see them in their red ties, give them a hug and tell them you love them.

My experience as a teacher and principal has taught me the very real benefits of reaching children as early as possible and how, with proper encouragement, support, and resources, young lives can be transformed so that they will make positive and productive choices.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Committee on Education and the Workforce for working very closely together in a bipartisan manner to vote to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. I think we can all agree that this bill's passage will go a long way toward assisting at-risk youth by giving them a second chance at success as well as opportunities to be able to learn from their mistakes and move beyond those mistakes to get an education, build a successful career, and contribute to society.

I especially commend Chairman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott, who I know care so much about this issue. I also applaud Representative Jason Lewis of Minnesota for his spirit.

I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Madam Speaker, tomorrow 50 Miami-Dade County ninth grade boys from various chapters of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project will visit Washington, D.C. They are all college- bound and have earned the promise of a 4-year scholarship from the program.

5000 Role Models is an in-school dropout prevention program that will turn 25 years old in January 2018. There are

6,000 participants in Miami-Dade County, 3,000 in St. Petersburg, and 2,000 in Jacksonville school districts.

The program's goal is to mentor minority boys beginning in elementary school, middle school, and high school, all the while guiding them along a carefully charted path to manhood and sending them to college.

Madam Speaker, in this season of youth violence, during which boys get entangled in the school-to-prison pipeline, we are proud of the project and the tens of thousands of boys it has helped to become successful, contributing men in society. For example, Barry Jenkins, director of the Oscar-winning film ``Moonlight,'' is a 1998 graduate of the program.

I look forward to welcoming these young men here tomorrow and hope you will get a chance to meet them, also. If you do, give them a hug and tell them that you love them.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 265.

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, on May 6, Nigerian Government officials announced the release of 82 Chibok schoolgirls who have been held captive by Boko Haram since April 20, 2014. I couldn't believe it.

It is truly, truly a reason for celebration, and I thank each and every Member of this House who has shown support for this extremely endless cause.

Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled for the families whose daughters were among the 82 released, but we cannot forget that there are still 113 waiting to be freed. Nigerian President Buhari has vowed to bring them all home.

When we began this fight, the lives of more than 200 girls were at stake. Slowly but surely, we are making progress. The release of the 82 underscores why we cannot give up. We have to keep pushing and pressing, doing everything we can to ensure that this fight doesn't end until the last girl has returned home.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is Wear Something Red Wednesday, and I hope that this news will compel every Member of Congress to wear something red and show his or her support for the #bringbackourgirls movement.

Women of Congress, wear your red scarf, a gift for Valentine's Day from Congresswoman Dingell. Men of Congress, wear a red tie, Republicans and Democrats, and tweet, tweet, tweet.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by asking my Republican colleagues one simple question: Don't you have constituents who get sick and need insurance?

Everyone gets sick, rich and poor, Black and White, men, women, and children.

Having insurance gives us peace of mind. It helps ensure that a medical crisis is not exacerbated by a financial crisis. It often makes a difference between life and death. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, your constituents and millions of people will be kicked off the insurance roll, and that is a shame. They will suffer, and their families will suffer.

I have health insurance, and so does every Member of Congress. We even have a clinic and doctors at our disposal right here in this Capitol.

Doesn't every American deserve the same treatment as Members of Congress?

Instead of moving backwards, Republicans should partner with Democrats to amend and strengthen the existing law. By working together, we can create a plan that works for all Americans, not just the Members of Congress. Vote ``no.'' Vote ``no.''