Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I wish to highlight the Step Forward to Cure TSC Miami Walk, which took place last weekend at my alma mater, Florida International University. Tuberous sclerosis complex, or TSC, is a rare genetic disease that causes uncontrollable tumor growth across the face, body, and organs of impacted individuals.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for TSC. South Florida's own hero, Max Lucca, pictured here, was diagnosed with TSC when he was only 2 weeks old. Now, he is 9 years old, and he has thrived because of the constant love and care provided by his parents, Vanessa and Max. The TSC Miami Walk brings together patients like Max Lucca and their families with supporters who are committed to improving their lives.

Every year, the walk plays an essential role in advancing lifesaving research and programs to increase awareness of TSC, and expanding the network of resources that improve the lives of patients and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the work of Vanessa Vazquez; her husband, Max; and all of the other activists who are so needed from the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance who work so hard to make this walk a reality.

I want to thank everyone who came out to FIU last Saturday and made this event a resounding success. Due to your efforts, due to your commitment, I am confident that we will be able to increase the research and education needed to find a cure for this tragic disease.

Meanwhile, go Max Lucca.

Commit to Ending Pediatric HIV/AIDS Worldwide

Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage my colleagues to support H. Res. 593, a bipartisan resolution reaffirming our national commitment to ending pediatric HIV/AIDS worldwide.

It is a resolution that I introduced with my friend, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. The fight against pediatric AIDS is a great example of how our country is a positive and transformative force in the lives of many across the world. Because of our leadership here in the United States over the past 12 years, there has been a 62 percent increase in the number of women receiving mother-to-child transmissions prevention services. Wow.

Thanks to positive American involvement through programs like PEPFAR, more than 11.5 million expectant mothers around the world have received HIV testing and counseling, and nearly 2 million babies have been born HIV-free.

However, even though we have made great strides in a fight against pediatric AIDS over the last few years, we cannot rest, Mr. Speaker. We cannot rest while more than 400 children around the world are born with HIV every day; 400. We cannot rest when less than half of the children suffering from HIV have access to the lifesaving treatments they so desperately need; less than half. Indeed, we must redouble our efforts to reach every single mother and child impacted by this terrible disease.

For this reason, my friend, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and I just reintroduced H. Res. 593, a bipartisan resolution recommitting our country, the United States, to eradicating pediatric AIDS worldwide and supporting those who have been impacted by this epidemic. Our resolution also supports our national efforts to provide women and children with HIV counseling, with HIV testing services, as well as expanding their access to lifesaving treatments.

America's ongoing commitment has helped save the lives of many, but so much more remains to be done. We are one of the greatest hopes for a better future for countless others. Now, more than ever, it is essential to ensure that we remain committed as a nation to creating a future where no child suffers from HIV/AIDS.

I urge my colleagues to support this worthwhile cause and cosponsor our resolution, H. Res. 593.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for authoring this bill alongside our good friend Ranking Member Eliot Engel, the dynamic duo of Foreign Affairs. I want to thank them for their leadership and their continued effort in holding Iran accountable.

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill is called the Iran Ballistic Missile and International Sanctions Enforcement Act, authored by our chairman and ranking member. It is a strong and important bill. It sanctions Iranian and foreign persons and entities that support, that facilitate, that finance Iran's ballistic missile program. It is a necessary measure because, as we know, Iran has felt emboldened to continue advancing its missile program since the P5+1 and Iran concluded the weak nuclear deal.

Tehran has taken advantage of this deal and the U.N. Security Council resolution that endorsed the agreement. Despite language that prohibits Iran's ballistic missile testing in U.N. Resolution 2231, Iran has actually increased its missile activities, violating both the spirit and the letter of the resolution.

With the President having made his determination 2 weeks ago that Iran is not in compliance with its commitments under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, we now have an opportunity to address the weakness in the nuclear deal and also Iran's illicit activity.

We must continue to press forward on a dual track. We must continue to hold Iran accountable for its nonnuclear illicit activity, while also looking to address our concerns with the nuclear deal. They are not mutually exclusive, Mr. Speaker. Both are extremely important for our national security. This is an important step.

I thank the Members for their great leadership. I support passage of Chairman Royce and Eliot Engel's measure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our dynamic duo once again for this wonderful legislation and for bringing this bill before us this afternoon. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3342, Sanctioning Hizballah's Illicit Use of Civilians as Defenseless Shields Act, authored by our friends, Congressmen Gallagher and Suozzi. I thank the gentleman for their leadership.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, Mr. Speaker, and I applaud our effort here in the House to take up several measures, as you have heard, that address a variety of threats that Iran and its proxies pose to our national security and the security of those in the region.

The use of human shields is unconscionable, morally unacceptable, and a clear violation of human rights. Yet for terrorist groups such as Iran proxies, Hezbollah, and Hamas, the use of human shields is an acceptable tactic. It is a tactic used because they engage in terror activity and asymmetric warfare. They don't have the same beliefs and morals of the United States or Israel.

It is an attempt to cause innocents to be dragged into their conflict and to cause as many casualties as they can with no regard whatsoever for human life.

Iran and Hezbollah know that if they engage in hostilities with Israel, the world will be quick to blame Israel for civilian deaths despite the great precautions Israel takes to not only save human lives, but to only go against belligerents.

Responsible nations must condemn this tactic by Hezbollah and by all of its state sponsors of terrorism. We must take action to hold anyone who engages in such actions accountable.

Iran and Hezbollah will continue to take advantage of our morality-- what they perceive to be a weakness on our part--and they will continue to employ the use of human shields during armed conflicts until the world sends a strong and unified message, and that is what this bill does.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and I thank the ranking member.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of our committee, Mr. Royce from California, and the ranking member, Mr. Engel from New York, once again for their leadership. They are the dynamic duo of the Foreign Affairs Committee on this issue. This is a very important day, in terms of sanctioning evildoers in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor the bill promoted by Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel, H.R. 3329, the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act. This is yet another strong, bipartisan bill that they have authored and brought to the floor, aimed at holding Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, accountable for their illicit activity.

I was pleased that my amendment to this bill was included to ensure that we identify those Hezbollah parliamentarians and cabinet officials who are subject to the sanctions in this bill and the underlying bill that it amends.

This is important, Mr. Speaker, because Hezbollah members have prominent positions in Lebanon's Government, and we want to ensure that they cannot use government funds to divert to Hezbollah's terror activity, and, if they do, those institutions that help facilitate such activity are held to account.

I was also pleased to see other provisions approved that would allow us to identify and track individuals and entities that are being used by Iran to supply Hezbollah with arms or support for its missile production facilities in Syria.

We know that Iran uses commercial civilian aircraft to fly weapons, arms, and fighters to Syria in support of Hezbollah. We cannot allow Iran to use these civilian aircraft for such activity. This is the first step toward making sure that, once these aircraft are identified, responsible nations will think twice about allowing these Iranian planes to land in their countries.

This bill also addresses Iran's and Hezbollah's ability to finance their illicit activities, which is so important, Mr. Speaker. We must go after those individuals and those institutions that provide financial safe havens to these terror groups, and we have got to disrupt their financial networks.

That is why this bill is so important, and I urge my colleagues to support Chairman Royce's and Ranking Member Engel's measure before us today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

For 30 years, Hezbollah has remained Iran's proxy and Iran remains Hezbollah's primary source of financial support--a cozy relationship.

In April 2015, its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, boasted that, even under sanctions, Iran still funds Hezbollah's terror. He anticipated that ``a rich and powerful Iran, which will be open to the world'' will be able to do even more.

The Iran nuclear agreement has made it possible for Iran to provide Hezbollah with a windfall. But Tehran is not Hezbollah's only source of income. Since its inception, Hezbollah has developed a broad criminal network involved in a range of illicit activities, from drug trafficking to cigarette smuggling, to money laundering to counterfeiting.

These global terrorists double as global criminals. This is why we must employ a combination of law enforcement, financial, criminal, civil, and regulatory tools to deter, disrupt, and publicly illuminate the global illicit Hezbollah network.

I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for closely collaborating and developing this critical legislation, as well as Senator Rubio and Senator Shaheen in the Senate that have taken the lead on this effort in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with them to get this critical legislation signed into law.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 359) urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a terrorist organization and increase pressure on it and its members, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker and Chairman Royce, as well as Congressman Engel, the ranking member, for their help in bringing this important resolution to the floor.

I also want to say how proud our committee is of the great work of Ranking Member Ted Deutch of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and our Florida colleague, Gus Bilirakis, who are the authors of H. Res. 359, urging the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. I thank Mr. Deutch for his leadership on this.

This notion, Mr. Speaker, that there can be separate wings of a terrorist organization is as absurd as the notion that Iran can be a responsible member of the international community. There is no distinction between Hezbollah members. Anyone who pledges allegiance to this terror group must be labeled accordingly.

One needn't look further than Hezbollah's activities in Syria or its terror attacks against Israel or even the statements coming out of Iran, its patron, and Hezbollah itself to know that if you are Hezbollah, you support terror activities. Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism, and Hezbollah is its proxy.

There is simply no justification at all for our European friends to try to differentiate between a military wing and a political wing of a terrorist organization. They may justify it by saying it will upset the delicate balance in Lebanon and they worry about the fallout, but the sad reality is that it comes down to money.

They will not take any action against Iran, as we have seen since the JCPOA, because members of the EU have signed lucrative business deals with Iran, and they don't want to damage their economic opportunities. It is as simple as that, because even our Gulf allies have labeled Hezbollah, in its entirety, as a terrorist organization.

The European Union needs to wake up, and we must urge it and its member states to designate the whole of Hezbollah as the terrorists that they are, and it must realize that doing so would be in their best interest and in the best interest of Israel, a nation that shares their values and their ideals, unlike Iran, a regime that benefits by the lack of a full designation of Hezbollah.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I will wait for Mr. Deutch to close on his time. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida, Ranking Member Deutch, for authoring this resolution and bringing it to the floor today.

Hezbollah has a single leadership, fungible finances, and a single hostile mission. All branches and operations serve its terrorist activities, and it is a deadly mistake to attempt to distinguish among its arms.

I again want to thank Mr. Deutch, Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel for their work on this important resolution, which calls for our European allies to designate all branches of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This is a critical step that our partners across the Atlantic must take to protect our citizens and allies from a highly organized, capable, and increasingly battle-trained terror group that operates networks in countries around the world.

We must work together to deprive this organization of its support. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution. I thank the gentleman from Florida for his authorship.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), the chairman of the House Committee on Small Business and a senior member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to shed light on domestic violence during this month of October, I would like to highlight a bill, H.R. 909, the Pet and Women Safety Act.

This necessary bipartisan legislation introduced by my friend Representative Katherine Clark and I will establish a Federal grant program to provide a safe haven for the companion animals of domestic violence victims.

Studies show that almost half of domestic violence survivors do not leave their abusive relationships out of fear of what would happen to their beloved pets. When less than 5 percent of domestic violence shelters are able to house pets, it is no wonder why so many victims choose to stay in these relationships for as long as they do.

Our bill empowers these victims and gives them the necessary resources to help them step out of the shadow of fear and uncertainty.

Mr. Speaker, the Pet and Women Safety Act now enjoys the bipartisan support of 237 of our colleagues. I encourage every Member of Congress to add their name to this legislation, and I ask our leadership to bring H.R. 909 for a vote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight the 2017 Miami Walk to End Alzheimer's that will take place at Museum Park in downtown Miami on Saturday, November 4.

Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that impacts over 54,000 seniors in my county of Miami Dade and more than 500,000 individuals across the Sunshine State. It is not just the patients who suffer. Family members and caregivers also bear the brunt of this tragic and emotionally draining disease.

I know this personally, having lost my mother due to complications from Alzheimer's 6 years ago. The Miami Walk to End Alzheimer's plays an essential role in helping advance Alzheimer's care and research in our community and across our Nation.

This wonderful event is also important to patients, families, and caregivers as a reminder that they have the full support of our community as they battle this terrible disease.

I encourage everyone in our south Florida community to come out on November 4 and support and raise awareness for Alzheimer's.

Mr. Speaker, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, it is with great pleasure that I send warm greetings to the Baha'i community of South Florida and beyond.

Baha'is have thrived in the United States for over 120 years, making the world a better place by being good citizens, serving their communities, and working with those around them to promote the common good. With over five million followers around the world, the Baha'i Faith continues to promote Baha'u'llah's message of justice, unity, and peace, as it calls for equality, education, interfaith harmony, and international cooperation, and an end to racial prejudice.

Despite the Baha'i message of peace, Baha'is in Iran continue to endure severe persecution because of their faith. In the last two Congresses, I have been honored to introduce a resolution which condemns ``the Government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.'' Last year the House unanimously passed this resolution, sending a strong message that Iran must be held accountable for its actions, and we continue to garner strong bipartisan support for a similar measure, H. Res. 274, this year.

As we celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, let us remember his words: ``so powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.'' In our quest for justice and peace, we must all work together to combat religious persecution whenever and wherever it is found

My best wishes to the entire Baha'i community on this very special occasion.

Mr. Speaker, it is with my deepest sympathy that I rise today to recognize the tragic loss of Sergeant La David Terrence Johnson, one of four brave U.S. Special Forces soldiers--and you see them here listed--killed during an ambush in Niger on October 4 as a result of enemy fire.

Sergeant Johnson was a proud south Floridian, a decorated soldier, having been awarded several honors, and well-loved throughout our community.

Sergeant Johnson was a loving husband to his wife, Myeshia, and a devoted father to their wonderful children, Ah'Leeysa Jones and La David Johnson, Jr. He leaves behind a baby girl due in January.

Sergeant Johnson will always be remembered as a loyal family man, a dedicated soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

I offer my deepest sympathy to Sergeant Johnson's mourning family, friends, and loved ones.

Godspeed to Sergeant La David Terrence Johnson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a constituent and local South Florida artist, Xavier Cortada, and congratulate him on his inaugural art exhibit titled ``Florida Is'' at the Hibiscus Gallery at Pinecrest Gardens.

Throughout the years, Xavier's passion has been to generate awareness for our environment and global climate change through his art work.

His work is included at my alma mater, Florida International University, where he serves as Artist-in-Residence.

His current exhibit ``Florida Is'' truly allows viewers to immerse themselves in the beauty of Florida's natural beauty.

His exhibition will be available until November 15th at Pinecrest Gardens where visitors will have the opportunity to connect with his incredible art while walking around the garden.

Mr. Speaker, I would once again like to congratulate Xavier Cortada and invite my fellow colleagues to celebrate our nation's artists and their endeavor to change the world through the power of art.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage my colleagues to support the Care Corps Demonstration Act.

By the year 2030, there will be more than 72 million older Americans. As they age, many of these seniors will require long-term support and services, placing a significant burden on our elder care system that is already struggling to provide and finance services to our seniors.

The Care Corps Demonstration Act, which my colleague Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham and I have introduced, will address this growing need by placing Care Corps volunteers in communities where they will provide essential services to seniors that will allow these older Americans to remain independent. In turn, these wonderful volunteers will receive assistance in paying down their educational expenses.

More importantly, Mr. Speaker, this program will help us train a new generation of healthcare providers to meet our Nation's demand for senior care services b giving our students essential, real-world experience in the field.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will create stronger communities across our Nation by bringing generations of Americans together. I encourage my colleagues to support our bill, the Care Corps Demonstration Act, of this session. The bill number, Mr. Speaker, is H.R. 3493.

So please contact my congressional office or the office of Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham to cosponsor H.R. 3493.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues' support for the Senior Citizen Protection Act, which I introduced along with my friend, Congressman Brad Schneider.

Seniors are valued members of our society, and we must do everything we can to ensure that they can live with dignity and without fear of being abused by those entrusted to care for them.

This bipartisan bill seeks to achieve that goal by creating a national registry for those convicted of elder abuse that will be accessible to senior care providers and families before they make a decision on whom they hire as a caregiver for their loved ones. This national database will bring together local and State registries in order to prevent abusers from continuing to inflict suffering on senior citizens by simply relocating from one community to another.

I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Schneider and me in support of this measure that will help ensure that our parents, grandparents, and loved ones are looked after by professional caregivers who will give them the treatment and respect they deserve.

Caring for Seniors During Natural Disasters

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Protecting Seniors During Disasters Act, which I introduced with my colleague, Congresswoman Lois Frankel of Florida.

The horrific deaths of 14 seniors in a Florida nursing home facility in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma made it abundantly clear that more must be done to protect seniors during and after natural disasters.

In times of emergency, many senior citizens find themselves disconnected from caregivers and without the treatments and resources that they so desperately need. Our bill seeks to reconnect seniors by requiring that Federal agencies assess how their emergency response efforts impact the elderly. It also calls for the implementation of standards to better protect and care for senior citizens and nursing home residents across our Nation during and after emergency situations.

This is a commonsense, bipartisan legislative initiative that aims to save the lives of many senior citizens and helps ensure that the tragedy that took place in south Florida will not happen again. I urge my colleagues to join us in support of this lifesaving measure.

Building a National Museum of the American Latino

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the many contributions of our vibrant community throughout our country, I would like to bring attention to a bill that I have sponsored that would permanently showcase the history and stories of American Latinos.

H.R. 2911, the National Museum of the American Latino Act, will establish a world-class educational institution on The National Mall for the millions of visitors who come to our Nation's capital every year eager to learn about American history.

Latinos have served our great country in every war dating back to before the Revolutionary War and continue to proudly serve in our military. They are small-business owners, job creators, TV stars, athletes, and public servants.

An initiative over 20 years in the making, this museum would be a visual representation of the difficulties that Latinos have overcome leaving their home countries, whether to flee an oppressive communist regime in my native homeland of Cuba, or Venezuela, or for the opportunity to partake in the American Dream, as well as the

story of Hispanics who have made the U.S. their home for many generations.

As the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress, I am proud to invite my colleagues to join me in this endeavor and cosponsor H.R. 2911, the National Museum of the American Latino Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor my constituent, Jesus A. Permuy, for a lifetime of service to our south Florida community and to the cause of liberty in my native homeland of Cuba.

Like my family and me and so many others in my congressional district, Jesus was forced to flee Castro's brutal tyranny. Jesus embraced his new life here in the United States and became involved in numerous civic and community affairs while working to restore freedom and democracy in Cuba.

In 1976, Jesus secured accreditation for the Christian Democratic Movement of Cuba to speak before the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

For decades, Mr. Permuy has been involved in a number of human rights advocacy organizations denouncing the systemic repression brought upon the Cuban people by the evil Castro regime. Jesus founded the Center for Human Rights in Miami. He is a dedicated husband, a proud father of 8 children, and a grandfather of 11 grandchildren. Jesus is a shining example to us all.

Thank you, Jesus A. Permuy, for your service to our community and to my native Cuba.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind on its new Lighthouse Learning Center and Pre- K program.

The Miami Lighthouse has served south Florida since 1931, offering life-changing programs and resources for those who have visual impairments. President Virginia Jacko and her staff are making history once again with the Lighthouse Learning Center.

The Miami Lighthouse is partnering with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to provide a comprehensive learning program for pre-K students using an evidence-based curriculum to support and empower visually impaired students to achieve their potential. Children in this program will receive the training they need to perform at the same level as their sighted peers by the time they enroll in school.

Mr. Speaker, it fills me with great pride to recognize Virginia Jacko and the entire staff at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind for their tireless work in launching this wonderful learning center in the heart of Little Havana, located in my congressional district.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce; Ranking Member Engel; and, in this case, especially Congressman Albio Sires, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, for once again helping to bring another important bipartisan Foreign Affairs measure to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of the Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act. My good friend, Steve Chabot, has been a real leader in Congress when it comes to ensuring that girls around the world have the opportunity to achieve a better future for themselves through access to education.

Mr. Speaker, I am a former Florida certified teacher. I understand the value of education. Mr. Sires from New Jersey is also a former teacher. We heard from Mr. Chabot, who is also a former teacher. We understand how important education is to future success.

Right now, sadly, Mr. Speaker, there are 65 million displaced people around the world, and about half of that population is under 18. This bill before us prioritizes State and USAID efforts to support access to primary and secondary education for displaced children, with a specificity to helping displaced girls.

Unfortunately, sometimes young girls fall victim to exploitation, to trafficking, or they get married off, sold off, without having the opportunity to determine their own future; something that we might take for granted in this glorious country. That is why Mr. Chabot's bill is so important. We need to reach out to those young girls. We need to have them have access to primary and secondary education so that they can increase their own chances for a prosperous future, Mr. Speaker.

Access to education, I know, empowers young people, and it will especially empower young girls. It will offer them a chance at socioeconomic opportunities that heretofore have been closed to them. It offers them stability. It offers them empowerment.

Mr. Speaker, we have got to pass Mr. Chabot's bill. We have got to do more to ensure that displaced people, especially young girls, have access to education. I urge my colleagues to support this important measure. I urge our partners in responsible nations around the world to join us in prioritizing our efforts toward access to education for all.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Royce and Mr. Engel, and I especially thank my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Sires).