Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Brain Science Awareness Week and to highlight amazing advances made by south Florida's neuroscience community to unravel the mysteries of the mind.

At the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, research is yielding new insights for the treatment of devastating neurological disease, like Alzheimer's. My mother died from complications of Alzheimer's, so I know how terrible this disorder is.

Investigators at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis are translating progress into hope for understanding traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries that are impacting thousands of our bravest warriors returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq.

On Saturday, March 22, scientists will introduce students to the wonders of the human brain at the Miami Brain Science Fair in hopes of inspiring young people to pursue the educational and professional fields that will fuel the next significant scientific discoveries.

Mr. Speaker, last week people across the Nation and in 51 other countries around the world came together to raise awareness about eating disorders. It was National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a time not only to learn the facts but also to give people the knowledge and the resources to treat and prevent eating disorders.

Most people know that eating disorders are common in our country. They may even know about them through experience, whether through a friend, a family member, or perhaps they suffered or continue to struggle with one personally.

What is actually not known is how prevalent they are, the reasons why they occur, and what we can do to prevent these tragic illnesses.

According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, eating disorders impact at least 14 million Americans and are so common that 1 to 2 out of every 100 children in America have one. Although eating disorders affect both men and women, the young and the old, and all the races and economic classes, we know that they are seven times more likely to impact women. In fact, 1 in 200 American women suffers from anorexia, and 2 to 3 in 100 women suffer from bulimia, the two most common eating disorders.

Distinguished by an obsession with thinness and fear of weight gain, anorexia usually results in extreme weight loss because of restricted eating habits.

Bulimia is similar in that those suffering also have an obsession with weight and body image. However, while anorexics restrict their food consumption, bulimics instead purge their food after binge eating.

Both anorexia and bulimia can cause heart problems, brain damage, osteoporosis, and even death. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and those suffering from it are 57 more times likely to die of suicide relative to their peers.

Many people are also not aware that they can be genetically predisposed to an eating disorder. As reported by the Eating Disorders Coalition, 50 to 80 percent of the factors determining who develops an eating disorder is based on a person's genes. However, just possessing one of those genes does not automatically result in an eating disorder. Other factors like peer pressure and false advertising can be the ultimate contributors.

More and more academic evidence, as well as a study by the American Medical Association, has linked eating disorders with unrealistic body images found in advertising. By the time our children reach 17 years of age, they will have been exposed to over 250,000 television commercials depicting unrealistic body sizes. Too often, this exposure, combined with other factors like predisposition, feelings of inadequacy, societal pressures, and competition, depression, or anxiety can lead to an eating disorder.

The kinds of altered or photoshopped images found in our media today can cause unrealistic expectations of what the body is supposed to look like, causing emotional, mental, and physical health issues, and often resulting in an eating disorder.

That is why I plan to offer legislation to look at how advertising can more closely resemble the true human form while making sure that artistic expression and the freedom of media outlets is not restricted. If enacted into law, this bill would have the Federal Trade Commission work with stakeholders like the Eating Disorders Coalition and other experts across our Nation to study the serious impact of advertising that promotes unrealistic body image expectations, and then report back to Congress on how to best stop the destructive impact of this practice.

Together, Congress can have a positive impact on the tragic epidemic of eating disorders. I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring this important legislation to the floor soon.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize the hardworking women leaders who, throughout the years, have made instrumental contributions to the district I so humbly represent and to our entire south Florida community, in fact.

On March 13, the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women, the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, and the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department will be hosting the In the Company of Women Awards in celebration of Women's History Month. This annual celebration honors some of the exceptional women in our community in fields like the arts, communications, government, and athletics.

The 12 honorees this year will join the ranks of many outstanding women, including my late mother, Amanda Ros, who was honored during their third annual In the Company of Women celebration. As a fellow recipient of this award also, I am pleased that the great passion and dedication of these women leaders will be recognized, and it will inspire them to do even better work. Their many accomplishments are an example of what women everywhere can strive to attain.

Congratulations to each award winner.

Mr. Speaker, we will finally vote on the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.

Times are still tough for many hard-working families. Federal agencies like FEMA should not be in the business of making things tougher. Yet that is exactly what FEMA's callous and impractical administration of the National Flood Insurance Program is doing. Homeowners in south Florida, and throughout our Nation, cannot afford the astronomically increased insurance premiums forced on them by FEMA.

Without action to correct this agency's abuse, many family budgets that are already at the breaking point will fall apart.

Although I support passage of this vital bill today to protect our families and the American Dream of homeownership, we absolutely must do more to help bring premiums down.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 488) supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democratic change and calling to end the violence, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 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, H. Res. 488 signals U.S. support for the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democracy in the face of Nicolas Maduro's violent repression and his crackdown on those who express their opposition to his regime's failed policies.

We must take a clear stand because the Maduro regime has responded in a deeply undemocratic manner by forcibly repressing protesters, attempting to silence critics by blocking media outlets, and even authorizing the arrests of key opposition leaders such as Leopoldo Lopez.

As protests have swelled throughout the country, the actions of regime forces have led to the deaths of at least 15 and to the unjust detention of more than 100 freedom seekers.

It is incumbent upon the Organization of American States, the OAS, to act according to the principles of its Inter-American Democratic Charter and address this crisis of democracy. Yet recent history has shown us that the Secretary General of the OAS will not lead the way in this important effort. Thus, in the absence of his leadership, responsible nations in the hemisphere must act. They cannot remain silent.

The Panamanians have stepped up to the plate. They have proposed a ministerial meeting at the OAS, but regrettably, Mr. Speaker, that proposal has not moved forward. This resolution will send a clear message to the OAS and to Nicolas Maduro that the United States condemns these undemocratic actions.

We see the plight of the people of Venezuela, and we stand on their side in the struggle for democratic change. We stand together with the Women for Life, Mujeres por la Vida, who march clad in white through the streets of Venezuela peacefully, like their companions in the struggle for freedom in Cuba--Las Damas de Blanco, the Ladies in White.

We stand with the students who take to the streets demanding the release of their fellow students who have been unjustly detained, only to be met with the clubs and the teargas of Maduro's henchmen. And we stand together, Mr. Speaker, united with the people of Venezuela who wish to cast the yoke of repression and oppression and the influence of the Castro regime, which has

been more than eager to help Maduro silence the oppression in Venezuela because it fears that the movement will sweep over the island of Cuba.

We must stand together and support those who seek freedom: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and the freedom from government abuse and government oppression. We must speak with a unified voice, Mr. Speaker, about the crisis of democracy in Venezuela and stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people in their spirited struggle.

But in the face of a determined autocrat who disregards expectations of right conduct and who is willing to use violence to impose his will on free citizens, well, Mr. Speaker, words are just not nearly enough. We must act, and we must act now. We must support those who are pleading for respect for democratic principles and for human rights in Venezuela.

I want to thank the chairman of our important committee, Chairman Royce, and my good friend, also, Ranking Member Eliot Engel, for getting this measure to the floor so quickly. I also want to thank their exceptional staff. I want to thank Congressmen Albio Sires and Mario Diaz-Balart, who have supported this resolution from the very beginning. Mr. Speaker, we have worked closely together in a bipartisan and a bicameral way, including with the State Department, to ensure that this is a strong, bipartisan resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), our colleague who is on the Appropriations Committee who has been a leader in this fight for freedom and liberty for the Venezuelan people.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and honored to yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, this resolution can only be the first step to hold Maduro and his fellow regime thugs accountable for their terrible and violent response, and their abuse of Venezuelan people's liberties and human rights.

I have already begun circulating a letter amongst my colleagues in the House addressed to President Obama asking him to take immediate action against Maduro and other Venezuelan officials who are responsible for violations of their people's human rights.

We are calling for the President to enact immediate sanctions against those officials under authorities granted to him under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, including denying them visas to enter the United States, blocking their property, freezing their assets in the U.S., as well as prohibiting them from making any financial transactions in the U.S. This letter already enjoys bipartisan support. I invite my colleagues to join me in signing this letter, and I hope that the President will recognize the severity of this issue and do the right thing and take these important steps.

However, Mr. Speaker, I will file a bill this week that would force the implementation of these sanctions even if the President chooses not to use these authorities granted to him under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Now is not the time to dither or sit on the fence. The United States must stand up for the people of Venezuela and for the American ideals of freedom, democracy, of the rule of law, of respect for human rights. Failure to hold Maduro and his officials accountable would be irresponsible and a failure of leadership.

On the resolution before us today, Mr. Speaker, I am optimistic that the U.S. House will pass my bill expressing support for the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democracy. I hope that it will pass so that we can send a swift and strong message to Maduro that the United States House of Representatives has taken notice of the developments in Venezuela and that we will not allow these transgressions to pass by quietly.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate my strong thanks to the chairman of our committee, Mr. Royce, and to our esteemed ranking member, Mr. Engel. Both of them have been very present and very energized on the United States House of Representatives speaking in a clear voice in favor of democracy, the rule of law, freedom, and liberties being respected by the Maduro regime, and so far we have seen the opposite be true.

I want to again suggest to my colleagues that passing this resolution of solidarity with the peaceful protesters of Venezuela is an important first step, and we hope that those who support this cause will follow- up with my office and sign the letter to President Obama asking for economic sanctions against human rights violators and also cosponsor my bill that follows and tracks that same letter.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, Congressman Ted Deutch and I introduced the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act because we are committed to the security of our friend and ally in an increasingly volatile Middle East.

Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel have been instrumental in getting this important bill to the House floor today. Today is, indeed, a very significant day in the history of the relationship between the United States and Israel.

This bill takes the already strong bonds between our two countries and makes it even stronger. With over 350 Members of Congress having lent their support to this bill as cosponsors, it is truly a bipartisan measure.

This bill designates Israel as a major strategic partner of the United States and extends U.S.-Israeli cooperation in a variety of areas, including intelligence, homeland security, energy, science, trade, and so forth. It supports U.S. efforts to help Israel maintain its qualitative military edge over its neighbors and its foes.

As Israel faces even more dangerous threats than ever before, particularly now with so much uncertainty and so much violence spreading throughout the region, and as Iran continues to announce advancements on its nuclear program due to this weak interim agreement, Israel needs our support now more than ever.

Passing this bill, Mr. Speaker, will send a strong message to those that continue to seek to harm Israel and to harm the United States. It will show the rest of the world just how seriously we value our friendship with the democratic Jewish state of Israel, not only because Israel has been a true ally, but because we share the same ideals and the same values.

In a time, Mr. Speaker, when there is a worrisome movement to delegitimize Israel, a campaign by some to boycott and divest from Israel, now is the time to lend our unequivocal support to the democratic Jewish state of Israel.

With anti-Semitism on an alarming rise throughout the world, Israel and the worldwide Jewish community need to know that the United States will do everything we can to ensure Israel's continued safety and security.

Mr. Speaker, this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a time to learn more about eating disorders, what causes them, and how to best treat and prevent them.

Eating disorders are widespread, affecting at least 14 million Americans, and are so common among our youth that at least one to two out of every 100 children in America has an eating disorder.

Research has shown that while many eating disorders are caused by a genetic predisposition, environmental factors like peer pressure and false advertising can be overriding contributors.

By the time our children turn 17, they have been exposed to over 250,000 television commercials depicting unrealistic body sizes. Too often this exposure leads to an eating disorder.

I will offer legislation to look at how advertising can more closely resemble true human form. I look forward to working with my colleagues to fight this tragic epidemic of eating disorders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my voice to those who are being brutally silenced by the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela.

After 15 years of suffering under Hugo Chavez's rule, the people of Venezuela have watched their liberties continue to be violently stripped away as Maduro further radicalizes the country's failed policies.

These policies produce the highest inflation rates in Latin America, leading to shortages of such basic goods as milk and toilet paper, and sending Venezuela into a desperate downward economic spiral that worsens every day.

The corruption that is enabled by the Maduro government and its supporters has also contributed to a society that is plagued by rampant violence. In this country of 30 million inhabitants, nearly 25,000 homicides were committed last year alone.

Worse still, the vast majority of these murders went unpunished, creating a climate of impunity that leaves ordinary citizens paralyzed by fear and hopeless about their own future and the future of their country.

As if this was not harsh enough, Mr. Speaker, Venezuelans are now facing the regime's repressive and violent actions. Weeks ago, Maduro and his cronies unleashed a bloody crackdown on students as they demonstrated against the regime's failed policies and peacefully demanded their basic human rights and democratic freedoms.

These students are expressing the sentiments of millions of Venezuelans who are sick and tired of the regime's destructive policies and fear for what may happen next. These students were exercising freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, yet Maduro responded to their brave calls of liberty with tear gas, rubber bullets, beatings, and live ammunition.

As the number of Venezuelan protesters swelled to the millions, Maduro has only stepped up the violence and his attempts to silence his critics by censoring radio and social media platforms.

By controlling the flow of information and the major media outlets, Maduro perpetuates his absurd conspiracy theories which cast blame on everyone, but himself, for this crisis of democracy in Venezuela.

Through the use of intimidation, unjust detentions, and violence, Maduro has followed the familiar playbook of other rulers who fear the desire of their citizens to live in freedom and under the rule of law.

This is especially the case with the brutal Castro tyranny, which has the biggest stake in keeping Maduro in power because of its mutual disdain for freedom, for democracy, for liberty, for the rule of law, and because of Castro's dependence on Venezuelan oil.

We have witnessed the Castro regime parachute in their own hired guns to help the Maduro regime continue its oppressive tactics against the people of Venezuela.

Since the countrywide protests began on February 12, Maduro's regime has murdered at least 14 Venezuelans, injured or unjustly detained hundreds more, and committed the worst abuses against protesters as stories of torture and other human rights violations continue to pour in.

This relentless repression will continue and intensify unless the United States and the international community speak with a unified voice and help to promote the rule of law, the human rights, and the democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people.

I hope that we will be able to say that we did not stand idly by as the Venezuelan people were brutally repressed and that we had a voice in making sure that people knew what was going on in Venezuela. I hope that we will be able to say that we stood for justice, that we stood for peace, that we stood for human rights, that we stood for freedom, and that we stood for the rule of law at the moment when these were needed the most.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the Women for Life in Venezuela. These women, headed by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and the wife of an opposition leader who is in jail, Leopoldo Lopez, who is also a leader in this march, they have dressed in white, and they have carried white flowers as they march peacefully, demanding that the Maduro government end its violent suppression of pro-democracy movements in Venezuela.

In these protests, at least 14 people have been killed by the state thugs of Maduro, and many more have been unjustly harassed, detained, and beaten.

It is poignant that these women model themselves after the Ladies of White in my native homeland of Cuba, because Maduro seeks to do to the Venezuelan dissenters what the Castro brothers do to theirs: silence them through intimidation.

This is a classic example of an autocratic regime's false notion that might is right, but we must show Maduro and other violators that the world is watching, and that we will not allow these transgressions to pass unnoticed.

I stand in solidarity with the Women for Life in Venezuela, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, today I rise for those who cannot speak freely in Venezuela. Widespread demonstrations have broken out throughout Venezuela to protest an oppressive regime that seeks to silence the people and deny their fundamental freedoms of expression and the right to assembly.

After years under Chavez and now Maduro, those brave men and women are expressing themselves in a united, clear voice that what they want is what should be rightfully theirs: respect for human rights and a true democracy in Venezuela. In response, as you can see here, Maduro and his thugs treat them like criminals.

Over the past weeks, Madam Speaker, 14 people have been killed by Maduro's forces; over 100 have been unjustly detained. But because Maduro controls the major media outlets, he has silenced many of those who attempt to draw attention to the plight of the Venezuelan people and instead cast the blame on the United States for all of the country's ills. The nerve of him.

Blaming the United States for his own domestic problems seems to be the modus operandi for Maduro, but the Venezuelan people are smarter than that. They recognize that this is just another scheme of Maduro's.

The regime tried to silence its people by blocking images on Twitter, as Venezuelans turn to social media to show the world the ugly reality that they are going through.

As the violence in Venezuela continues to escalate, responsible nations in the hemisphere and throughout the world have a moral obligation to stand with the people of Venezuela against the forces of fear and oppression. We must be the voice for those suffering under this repression. At the same time, we must condemn the violent actions of the Maduro regime against people who are yearning for liberty, justice, democracy, respect, and for human rights.

This fight for democracy and human rights isn't the struggle of Venezuelans only. It is the struggle of all who seek to advance the cause of human dignity and freedom.

How we respond matters. Madam Speaker, it is a test of our commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy for everyone, not just for a few.

It is also a test of our resolve. Other oppressive leaders in the region are watching us to see if we back up our lofty words with action, so we must not equivocate. We must not waver.

We must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, and we must be the voice for those who are

being silenced by this repressive regime, because our inaction would only serve to embolden other rogue regimes that seek to fight back the tides of democracy.

Throughout the Western Hemisphere, Madam Speaker, we have seen these regimes, such as Venezuela and the one in Cuba, work together to oppress and silence civil society.

Just yesterday, in my native homeland of Cuba, Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a leading Cuban pro-democracy advocate and a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, was unjustly arrested by agents of the Castro regime for expressing his support for Leopoldo Lopez in Venezuela, one of the leading opposition figures who remains in military jail as we speak.

We must send a unified message to these and other repressive leaders that we will not look the other way when they commit heinous acts against their own people. We must show them that the world is watching and that they will face serious consequences for their transgressions.

That is why, Madam Speaker, I have proposed House Resolution 488, that expresses solidarity with the people of Venezuela who yearn for freedom, for democracy, and dignity.

I commend the Government of Panama for calling for an urgent meeting of Latin American foreign ministers at the Organization of American States, OAS, to address this ongoing crisis in Venezuela. Sadly, this response is an exception, as other countries in the hemisphere remain deafeningly silent.

I call on the OAS to demonstrate its commitment to the principles of its Inter-American Democratic Charter and support the Venezuelan people's right for democratic reforms to be respected in their country and respect for human rights.

I urge the United States administration to make a priority of supporting the Venezuelan people's aspirations for democracy and liberty, and I urge my colleagues in the Congress to join me in this important call for solidarity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on the Organization of American States, OAS, to take immediate action in support of freedom and democracy in Venezuela. The OAS must not remain silent while the people who are peaceful in Venezuela are being murdered on the streets by the Maduro regime.

I commend the government of Panama for proposing a region-wide foreign minister meeting to discuss the violations of human rights in Venezuela.

If the OAS can convene a special session over the lack of airspace access for a plane from Bolivia, then surely it must convene one on the ongoing democracy in Venezuela.

As a member of the OAS and its largest international donor, the U.S. has a moral obligation to ensure that these democratic principles are upheld, and if the OAS does not do more to address these attacks on freedom, then, Mr. Speaker, we must use our full voice, vote, and influence to compel it into action.

Mr. Speaker, it is right and fitting for the United States House of Representatives to pay attention to the case of Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who has been unjustly imprisoned by the puppet regime of Nicolas Maduro.

Leopoldo is a grassroots leader and founder of the political party Voluntad Popular. He has been wrongfully accused of criminal incitement, conspiracy, arson, and intent to damage property.

Leopoldo is being held in a military prison, and his proceedings have been kept secret from the public. We cannot stand idly by while democracy and due process are trampled on in our own hemisphere, Mr. Speaker. Being silent is not an option.

Venezuelan students have been peacefully demonstrating against this regime that has no qualms repressing the protest with live ammunition and shock groups whose tactics are extremely violent.

Those of us who advocate for freedom have a moral responsibility to support the students in Caracas, Merida, San Cristobal, Valencia, and throughout Venezuela who, through peaceful means, seek the way to create a more perfect union with democracy and freedom as their guide.

I thank the gentleman from Iowa for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge this legislative body to stand in solidarity with the freedom seekers and the pro-democracy advocates of Venezuela. They have taken to the streets, as you can see in these posters, to demand an end to the rule of Nicolas Maduro's antidemocratic measures and his failed economic policies that have caused a shortage of basic necessities like bread, electricity, and more, despite the vast oil wealth that the nation has.

But the harshest shortage is democracy. These unarmed freedom seekers have predictably been met by the heavy hand of Maduro's state thugs. As the Venezuelan forces have responded with violence, Maduro remains intransigent. He vows to continue to unleash the National Guard on these unarmed protesters under the false pretense of protecting the people of Venezuela.

Montesquieu said that there is no crueller tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of law and in the name of justice, and that is what we see with Maduro in Venezuela. There have been over a dozen deaths so far, Mr. Speaker, a high number of arrests, including one of the most vocal critics of Maduro, Leopoldo Lopez, who turned himself in even though he is facing serious, trumped-up charges. His case caused Amnesty International to condemn Maduro, saying the charges against Leopoldo Lopez were politically motivated and an attempt to silence dissent in Venezuela. I agree.

I ask my colleagues to be as vocal and as engaged on the crisis of democracy in Venezuela as they have been on the problems in Ukraine. It is vitally important to highlight the democratic struggles of the people of Venezuela,

where over a dozen pro-democracy advocates have been killed in the past weeks as Maduro unleashed the thugs in an effort to silence the masses.

The people of Venezuela deserve better than Maduro's abuse of power, his corruption and his antidemocratic measures, and they are pleading for help and looking to the world, turning to the United States, to speak out against these injustices and to help--help them as they fight for their fundamental rights.

The United States must stand with them in this struggle. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I have introduced a bill tonight, H. Res. 488, a resolution that says to the people of Venezuela, to Maduro, and to the world that the United States stands on the side of those who seek liberty and who seek democracy in Venezuela, and that we will not remain silent while those abuses persist.

This resolution also deplores the inexcusable use of violence against opposition leaders and the protesters--many of whom are just students-- and the use of intimidation to try to silence dissent. H. Res. 488 also urges responsible nations to not sit quietly by on the sidelines but to instead stand with them in solidarity with the people of Venezuela to actively encourage a process of dialogue to end the violence.

Mr. Speaker, this body must not remain silent on Venezuela. I urge my colleagues to stand in support of freedom, in support of peace, in support of nonviolence, in support of democracy, and in support of those seeking a peaceful, democratic process in Venezuela, and to cosponsor my resolution, H. Res. 488.

I thank the Speaker for the time, and I thank the gentleman from Iowa for yielding me his time.

Thank you, sir.

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, we had beautiful skies in Miami. It was a perfect day for flying. I was given the opportunity to visit the Wings Over Miami Air Museum to revel in the history of aviation with veterans, fliers, and the families of World War II Women Airforce Service Pilots celebrating the life of one special WASP, Fran Sargent.

We came to honor these American heroines, the first women in history to fly America's military aircraft. They flew over 60 million miles in every type of aircraft on every type of mission, except combat missions.

The WASPs served our country without hesitation and no expectations of recognition or praise. Yet, as our 23rd President, Benjamin Harrison, once noted:

The manner by which women are treated is a good criterion

to judge the true state of a society.

These courageous women had never received the full recognition they warranted for their wartime military service to America. It was my honor then, as the most senior Republican woman in the House of Representatives, to introduce the bipartisan legislation to honor and award the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II with the Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor that this body, the United States Congress, can bestow. Cointroducing the bill with me was Congresswoman Susan Davis of California and Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. I was so honored to be part of this effort to finally grant these women the recognition they deserved.

It was right there at the Wings Over Miami Air Museum in August of 2009 that I was able to present to our local WASP framed, signed copies of the legislation for the Women Airforce Service Pilots' Congressional Gold Medal; and in March of 2010, the presentation ceremony of the Congressional Gold Medal was held in Emancipation Hall, in our Nation's Capital, with over 100 WASPs in attendance.

South Florida is very fortunate to herald several Women Airforce Service Pilots in our midst. Air Force Major Ruth Shafer Fleisher is now retired. Bee Haydu is active and says ``hello'' to her fellow WASPs. Shirley Chase Kruse was there with us on Saturday and shared her vivid memories, while Jeremy Snapp and family represented his mother, whom we recently lost, Helen Wyatt Snapp. Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, we gathered for a celebration of life and a memorial for Frances Rohrer Sargent, who was well represented by her daughter, Donna--and Terry and Jim--Timmons, and Fran's son, Kenny Sargent, with many grand- and great-grandchildren honoring their WASP.

My thanks to aviatrix Ursula Davidson and all of the women pilots flying with the Ninety-Nines for honoring these women of aviation and to the Civil Air Patrol and the crew at Wings Over Miami for making the day possible. We know you loved Fran as your director emeritus and as a great teacher of flight.

How special are they, these women pioneers of flight? While 25,000 volunteered, only 1,830 qualified women pilots were accepted, and then only 1,102 women earned the wings of WASP. The WASP are all true pioneers whose examples paved the way for the armed services to finally lift the ban on women attending military flight training in the 1970s. While flying their P-14s and AT-4s in training in Sweetwater, Texas, the WASP never sought to break the barriers for women, but through their service and their success, more opportunities became available for women in all fields.

Fran became a professor at my alma mater, Miami Dade College, where she took charge of developing the aviation program. One of her students, 73-year-old Judy Portnoy, called Professor Sargent ``the most amazing person I know.''

Mr. Speaker, today, women in military fly every type of aircraft, from the F-15s to the space shuttle. My daughter-in-law, Lindsay Nelson, a Marine Corps pilot, is part of this lasting legacy of WASP. Lindsay, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan where she flew F/A-18 fighter jets. I am so proud of Lindsay and of all of our servicewomen, past and present, who continue to inspire young women to achieve what was, heretofore, unimaginable. So, on behalf of Lindsay, my congressional colleagues and a grateful Nation, I offer my sincere thanks and utmost admiration to our WASP.

Climbing high into the Sun, Helen, Ruth, Bee, Shirley, and Fran, thank you all, women pioneers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Matt Cowdrey on being named Australia's 2013 Multi-Class Swimmer of the Year.

Matt is serving as a fellow in my office as part of the UNI-Capitol Washington Internship Program, which is ably led by Director Eric Federing. Matt is no stranger to success. He is the most decorated Paralympic athlete of all time in Australia, having won 13 gold medals, and 23 overall in Athens, Beijing, and London.

Even though Matt was born Down Under, he exemplifies the American spirit and is a testimony to the power of hard work and determination.

Matt, it has been wonderful having you be part of our congressional team. I look forward to hearing all about your future successes, including from the pool in Rio in 2016, and likely someday in the Australian Parliament.

Congratulations, Matt, once again, on all of your amazing accomplishments. It has been great having you on our team.