Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased tonight to rise to congratulate a Miami teacher who is going above and beyond for our south Florida students.

Myrna Betancourt, a culinary arts teacher at the South Dade Educational Center, is Miami-Dade County's 2015 Teacher of the Year.

Working out of her kitchen in the Chapman Partnership Homeless Center in Homestead, Myrna is giving hundreds--thousands--of often disadvantaged, special needs or homeless Miami students a second chance at life. A former social worker and public schoolteacher, Myrna has always wanted to help those in need. Thanks to her hard work, Myrna's chefs are learning to cook gourmet foods, are finding jobs in good restaurants, and are receiving scholarships at the finest culinary schools in our country. More importantly, Mr. Speaker, Myrna is giving them hope and an opportunity to follow their dreams.

Congratulations, Myrna. South Florida is also very proud of you.

Mr. Speaker, my home State of Florida has been an overly responsible--and even generous--partner in the National Flood Insurance Program.

In the last 20 years, Floridians have paid four times in premiums than we have seen returned in claims. Yet FEMA is raising thousands upon thousands of policy premiums to absurd levels, easily doubling, tripling, or quadrupling them, and in some cases far higher.

These radical changes are counterintuitive and are forcing hard- working, diligent, and responsible families from their homes. It is time to take a step back and rein in this agency and its harmful belief that this is a potential path forward.

Families in our communities need and deserve relief from these ridiculously high premiums. I will continue to work with my colleagues on trying to find a reasonable solution to this crisis, one that will address the immediate needs of local homeowners.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to recognize Alexander Montessori School for 50 years of providing exceptional educational opportunities for generations of children in south Florida.

Fifty years ago, Beverly McGhee founded Alexander Day School in honor of her parents, Alice and Henry Alexander, in order to provide an early childhood facility for her two children. From the outset, her school has enjoyed a reputation as a place where kids wanted to learn and where the staff and teachers cared about what they did.

Within a few years of the school's founding, Beverly became aware of

what is known as the Montessori Method. Named for Maria Montessori, her teaching philosophy was to foster in children a desire to think independently and be creative. Its environment maximizes independence and includes a strong focus on communication and self-molding for young students.

Beverly became certified as a preschool Montessori teacher and renamed her school Alexander Montessori School. She gathered teachers around her who shared her passion and dedication for providing a quality and caring Montessori environment for children, ones with only the highest standards of excellence.

From modest beginnings of that single kindergarten class, Alexander Montessori School has grown to be one of the largest and most renowned Montessori schools in the country. Today, in south Florida, Alexander Montessori School has two toddler environments, nine children's houses, and an elementary campus. These are centers where children lead the way, follow their natural talents, and fall in love with learning, an attitude summed up in its motto: ``To learn to Love to Learn.''

This independent school remains the only fully accredited American Montessori Society School in our community and one of only 10 throughout the State of Florida. I can relate to Beverly's story, her spirit, and her relentless dedication to provide children with high quality education.

I am a former Florida certified teacher and founded and was principal of a small private bilingual school in Hialeah. I know the challenges faced by our educators as well as the positive impact that an amazing teacher can have on a young mind.

I am a product of the south Florida school system. I graduated from West Miami Middle School and then Southwest Miami High School. I have an associate of arts degree from Miami/Dade College; bachelor's and master's degrees from Florida International University in education; and as an older adult, I completed a doctorate in education from the University of Miami. I am very grateful for the support that I received while I was in school, and I am certain that I would not be the same person without this support.

So ensuring that our children have the same access to a comprehensive education has become a top priority of mine. Our students deserve the best that we can offer them, and that is why I continue to work with strong partners like Alexander Montessori School to constantly improve our school system.

Education is the key to self-empowerment, and teachers like those at Alexander Montessori School are giving our students the tools they need to develop and to excel. Teachers have the power to inspire and to open whole new horizons to our youth, setting them up on a positive path with high hopes and expectations for the future.

For the professionalism and care that Beverly and everyone at Alexander Montessori School have shown in the pursuit of this most noble of professions, I thank each and every one of them. They have shaped the lives of so many students over the last 50 years, and we are truly privileged to have such wonderful individuals taking on this rewarding work in south Florida.

I thank the school again, and congratulate them on a half century of great work. Good luck in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I will now enter the names of the remarkable team members at Alexander Montessori School into the Congressional Record.

Mrs. Beverley A. McGhee, Superintendent

Mr. James R. McGhee II, Headmaster

Dr. Joyce McGhee, Headmistress

Mr. Brette Rothfield, Business Manager

Ms. Anne Becton, Administrator

Mrs. Maria McGuire, teacher

Ms. Brenda Orihuela, teacher

Ms. Mirnely Borrero, teacher

Ms. Sharon Dalton, teacher

Mrs. Marta Demmer, teacher

Ms. Maria Luisa Ferro, teacher

Ms. Soraya Penate, teacher

Mrs. Grecia Perez, teacher

Mrs. Beatriz See, teacher

Mrs. Maria Teresa Vicens, teacher

Ms. Pamela Earl-Parler, teacher

Mrs. Linda Habich, teacher

Ms. Milagros Vargas, teacher

Ms. Cynthia Arboleda, teacher

Ms. Anne Becton, teacher

Mrs. Meghan Camilletti, teacher

Mrs. Melanie Carlson, teacher

Mr. Michael Depew, teacher

Mr. Stephen Falk, teacher

Ms. Lessie Fleischfresser, teacher

Mrs. Gretchen Goldstein, teacher

Ms. Ines Hanna, teacher

Mrs. Ismary Hassun, teacher

Mrs. Caroline Jacobellis, teacher

Mrs. Gail Jacobs, teacher

Mrs. Ellen Kahn, teacher

Mrs. Maria Claudia Kondrat-Libreros, teacher

Mrs. Mary Kucera, teacher

Mrs. Robbie Lukes, teacher

Mrs. Nina McClendon, teacher

Mrs. Debra Mistretta, teacher

Mrs. Colette Myers, teacher

Mrs. Patricia Pittaluga, teacher

Mrs. Cecilia Richter, teacher

Mrs. Sandra Salinas, teacher

Mrs. Janet Sanson, teacher

Mr. Samuel Steele, teacher

Mrs. Lauren Stern, teacher

Mrs. Gladys Tirse, teacher

Mrs. Virginia Vaca, teacher

Ms. Jodi Veillette, teacher

Ann Blau, Campus Secretary

Jennifer Dipolito, Accounts Payable

Gioconda Dynes, Accounts Receivable

Maria Franco, School Secretary

Odalys Fernandez, Campus Secretary

Jose Casares, Director of Maintenance

Marta Valdes, Campus Secretary

Carol Wolcott, Administrator

Cathy Rapport, Campus Director

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart in remembrance of a dear friend and one of Miami's legal giants, Tom Tew. Tom passed away last week at the age of 73 from pancreatic cancer, an unfortunately common and terrible disease. Tom was the cofounder of the Tew Cardenas law firm and worked closely with my husband, Dexter, for many years.

Tom specialized in securities litigation, having represented the Florida Department of Insurance and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as having testified before this body on five occasions about securities and insurance fraud. Tom led a full life, including forming an intercollegiate boxing league and supporting the athletics program of our hometown University of Miami Hurricanes.

Tom's lovely and energetic spirit will be greatly missed. He is survived by his loving daughter, Kristina; brother, Jeff; sister-in- law, Maureen; his long-time partner, Marta; and his long-time secretary, Jo Anne.

We will miss you, Tom. You were a good friend to all.

Mr. Speaker, to the sound of cracking claws, Joe's Stone Crab, a famous, and especially delicious, South Beach institution has made its debut here in the Nation's Capital.

Over 100 years ago, in 1913, Joe and Jennie Weiss started a lunch stand on Miami Beach that has become a south Florida icon, as recognizable as South Beach, Little Havana, or the Everglades.

Many families view the opportunity to dig into a plate of Joe's stone crabs as a special treat, especially because they have to save up their money for a while in order to get to Joe's.

South Floridians are proud to support Joe's because even after 100 years, it is still a family-owned business, one that treats their nearly 400 employees like they are part of that family.

So, to all of my congressional colleagues, if you cannot make it down to my sunny and warm Miami congressional district to try these delicious stone crabs, at least you have the opportunity to get a taste of what you are missing in our tropical paradise through a brand new Joe's in downtown D.C. Come and enjoy what south Florida has to offer.

Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to rise today and extend my sincere thanks, on behalf of all of us, to a distinguished public servant, Chief Clerk of Debates Trudi Terry, that humble lady who sits behind us.

After 15 years of serving the United States House of Representatives and the American people, it is with sadness that we see such a fine and dedicated public servant retiring.

Trudi began her tenure in the House in 1999 as a transcriber in the Office of the Official Reporters. Her diligence and commitment to her duties saw her promoted to Chief Clerk of Debates in January of 2004.

Trudi's outstanding contribution to the smooth running of this institution over the past decade has been substantial, and her warm demeanor will be missed by all of us who work in this Chamber.

I will remember Trudi as a bubbly and energetic and warm personality who always went out of her way to help. I hope that Trudi enjoys the added time so she can now commit to her hobbies of attending the theater and bird-watching, much better than watching Members of the House.

So I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in thanking Trudi Terry for all that she has done for all of us in the House of Representatives, and to truly wish her the best in the years to come.

Congratulations, Trudi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, a national organization that for almost 12 years has made its mission ``to provide support for people with paralysis and prevent spinal cord injuries.''

On Friday, May 9, this important foundation will be holding an event in my congressional district to assist in providing power wheelchairs to children and young adults with spinal cord injuries.

Darrell Gwynn, son of former NHRA drag racing world champion Jerry Gwynn, seemed destined to replicate his father's achievements when his life took a tragic turn at the young age of 28. While participating at a demonstration race in England, Darrell's car broke apart, then veered into a retaining wall at 240 miles an hour.

He sustained life-threatening injuries, but faith and determination allowed Darrell to survive this ordeal.

In response to his new circumstances, Darrell was motivated to help others who face similar challenges, and he founded the Darrell Gywnn Foundation. The Foundation's cornerstone, the Wheelchair Donation Program, provides the gift of mobility and independence to those living with paralysis.

Darrell's spirit and relentless efforts to offer support to people living with paralysis have earned him the respect and adulation of his colleagues. My good friend for many years--decades, actually--Angel Pardo, president of Spinal Cord Living-Assistance Development, said the following:

Mr. Gwynn is passionate about his work, and works hard to

help others. Despite being quadriplegic and a partial arm

amputee, he often works 7 days a week.

Thank you, Angel.

Mr. Speaker, the work that Darrell Gwynn and Angel Pardo do every day on behalf of individuals afflicted by this condition is very important. There are an estimated 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury and paralysis each year. Over 36 percent are a result of car accidents.

I know from the many personal stories from my constituents and friends just how devastating these injuries can be. The toll is often not exclusively physical. The emotional and financial tolls can be substantial, both on the victims and their families.

The provision of a power wheelchair can return confidence, freedom, and independence to a victim. This life-changing piece of equipment, however, comes at the considerable cost of approximately $25,000 a chair, and that is where the Darrell Gwynn Foundation comes in. They are committed to improving the victims' quality of life by providing each with a power wheelchair.

I encourage all members of our south Florida community to attend the Darrell Gwynn Foundation event on Friday, May 9, at Casa Larios Restaurant in Miami.

Congratulations, Darrell and Angel. May you continue to help so many afflicted individuals.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Messrs. Smith and Lipinski for introducing H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, a crucial bill that will help us save so many innocent lives. As pro-life Members of Congress, we have a commitment to fight on behalf of those who have no voice and to take the necessary steps to advance legislation on the floor.

The vast majority of Americans do not want their tax dollars to be used to pay for abortions. This bill would establish a permanent prohibition on taxpayer subsidies for abortions.

For many years, the Hyde amendment and other Federal prohibitions on public funding for abortion have been enacted as appropriation riders, but they are not permanent. We need to get rid of this patchwork approach and enact H.R. 7 to ensure that Federal funds are not used to pay for abortions.

I will continue to work with like-minded Members of Congress to promote H.R. 7 and all pro-life legislation because I understand that we have a responsibility to protect the innocent unborn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commend Gene Prescott, a dear friend and a pillar within our south Florida community. Gene received the 2014 Hotelier Hall of Fame Award from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association for his success in managing a network of hotels that provide exquisite accommodations and excellent service.

Mr. Prescott's dedication to excellence is best reflected in his leadership role of a 10-year, $40 million renovation of the Biltmore Hotel, an iconic and historic Coral Gables landmark located in the heart of my congressional district, as all good things are.

Thank you, Gene, for helping to make south Florida an even more welcoming destination for tourists who keep our economy strong, and congratulations on this well-deserved honor. You make us proud, amigo.

Congratulations to Gene Prescott.

Mr. Speaker, each year the United States taxpayers are on the hook for over $7 billion in contributions to the United Nations.

While some of this money is given by the United States on a voluntary basis and goes toward funding some helpful agencies at the U.N., a large portion of these funds are compulsory payments over which we have no oversight. Without the ability to perform oversight and mandate transparency and accountability, we have seen entities within the United Nations drift far away from the ideals and objectives it was designed to achieve.

One need look no further than one of its main bodies, the Human Rights Council, where just this past November, the U.N. General Assembly selected China, Russia, and my native homeland of Cuba--where my family and I were forced to flee Castro's Communist regime, and where terrible human rights violations have been occurring for over half a century.

This is the same organization where a rogue regime like Iran, that had no less than six U.N. Security Councils resolutions against it for its illicit nuclear program, was actually selected to chair a disarmament conference. Only in the U.N. would this happen.

It is the same organization that spends a great deal of time and effort adopting resolutions against our friend and ally, the democratic Jewish State of Israel, ignoring the brutality of the Assad regime and the crimes that it commits against the Syrian people.

Perhaps nowhere is this agenda more prevalent at the U.N. than at UNESCO, where in 2011 that entity allowed a nonexistent state of Palestine into its anti-American and anti-Israel organization.

This move triggered decades-old law in the United States that prohibits us from funding any agency at the U.N. that admits Palestine or any other nonrecognized organization into its membership. By recognizing Palestine at UNESCO, that entity is attempting to grant the Palestinian Authority a de facto recognition as a state before it works out a peace settlement with Israel, and it actually undermines the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

The powers that be at UNESCO knew what they were doing when they did this, and they knew that there would be repercussions; yet they chose to test our mettle and our willingness to do the right thing, to stand by our ally and to stick to our principles and to stick to our U.S. laws.

For a time it appeared as though they may have been right. The administration has made no secret of its desire to seek a waiver to this prohibition in order to turn the money spigot

back on for UNESCO. Not only does it wish to pay nearly $80 million in dues this year. No, but because it chose to remain in UNESCO rather than doing the prudent thing and withdrawing our membership, we have piled up hundreds of millions of dollars in arrears, late fees.

There has also been an appetite by some here in Congress to partially fund UNESCO and, in effect, turn a blind eye to this troublesome agenda, all for a designation that studies have shown has a minimal, if at all, economic benefit to the local site.

Luckily, Mr. Speaker, we have managed to stave off such a calamitous decision. Reversal of U.S. law on this issue would have set a dangerous example, and it would have shown the world that the U.S. lacks the courage of its convictions and will only do the easy thing when it comes to helping our ally, Israel.

But I know this won't be the last time that we will have to fight this battle, and I would urge my colleagues to not allow any partial funding or any waiver that would undermine our U.S. laws.

I would like to thank my House colleagues who did the right thing and prevented this grave mistake from occurring. We must fully enforce these laws and we must seek ways to leverage our assistance to the United Nations to force the reforms it needs or we have to seek ways to change the way in which we fund the United Nations.

Enough is enough, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Donna Shalala, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services and the president of my alma mater, the University of Miami.

President Shalala is the recipient of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Sand in My Shoes Award, which is given to community leaders who have shown through their exceptional contributions that south Florida really is the best place in which to live and work. Under Donna's leadership, the University of Miami has grown in quality and prominence and is ranked not only as the best university in Florida, but is consistently in the top 50 nationwide; and its undergraduate, sports, law, and medical programs are recognized as some of the best in the country.

President Shalala's achievements at the ``U'' have strengthened and advanced our unique, diverse, and remarkable community. Donna Shalala is a true champion of south Florida.

Congrats, Donna, and Go Canes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Frances Rohrer Sargent, a courageous woman who selflessly helped defend our country during World War II. Being a member of the renowned Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASP, Frances pushed beyond the boundaries that limited opportunities at that time for women of her generation.

The Women Airforce Service Pilots were the first women to fly military aircraft, flying noncombat operations between the years 1942 and 1944.

These pioneers paved the way for women pilots to fly nearly every type of military aircraft from F/A-18 to the

space shuttle today. My daughter-in-law, Lindsay, flew combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan for the marines, but she would not have been able to do so without the women who came before her, Frances and all the other members of WASP.

Frances had a fulfilled life. She began flying at the age of 22 in Atlanta and would come to be one of only 1,704 women who were accepted to the prestigious Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP, out of more than 25,000 women who had applied for the program.

Frances and other female pilots from our south Florida community, including Helen Wyatt Snapp, Ruth Schafer Fleisher, Shirley Kruse, and Bee Haydu, flew more than 60 million miles between '42 and '44.

As the author of the legislation awarding WASP the Congressional Gold Medal in the year 2009, I had the privilege to present the award to Frances Sargent for her patriotic service. The Congressional Gold Medal, as we know, is the highest civilian award in the United States; and it was presented to these women who were the first females to ever fly military aircraft. Their missions were mainly composed of safeguarding the U.S. coastal line so that male pilots could take on combat roles abroad.

Quite often Frances' life and that of her colleagues were on the line with constant attacks from enemy forces. The service of the WASPs to the U.S. military greatly contributed to the triumph and success of the U.S. and our allies in the defeat of the Axis powers during World War

Mr. Speaker, Dress for Success is celebrating 20 years of service to Miami-Dade County residents who have benefited through its training and clothing programs. This noble organization promotes self-sufficiency to low-income women by providing professional attire, while equipping them with the tools and resources to help them thrive in work and in life.

Over 35,000 women in Miami have already succeeded and transitioned from unemployment to economic independence. We have seen that when women have the possibility to earn an income, find stability, and invest back into their communities, they successfully break the dreadful cycle of poverty.

The Dress for Success celebration will also honor the first woman to serve as president of any State senate in the United States, Florida Senator Gwen Margolis. I have had the pleasure of knowing Gwen for over 30 years and can testify on her commitment to public service, to our community, and to her many capacities as a member of the Miami-Dade County Commission, the Florida House of Representatives, and the Florida Senate.

I thank Florida Senator Gwen Margolis and Dress for Success Miami for what they do on behalf of low-income women of south Florida.

Mr. Speaker, because UNESCO admitted the nonexistent state of Palestine to its membership, we were obligated, under U.S. law, to cut off funding for that anti-American, anti-Israel organization.

Yet some in Congress are trying to change these laws in the upcoming omnibus spending bill without giving Members of Congress the opportunity to have an open and honest debate on the merits of having our constituents fund UNESCO.

There is no incentive for the House to go against our principles, to go against U.S. law; and I will remain in absolute opposition to any proposition that offers the administration a waiver on this or offers a plan to fund, partially or fully, any part of UNESCO.

UNESCO knew what it was doing when it voted Palestine into its club, but UNESCO counted on the squishy Obama administration to fund the agency anyway.

Well, Congress should say ``no'' to UNESCO. We should say to UNESCO, no, you are not worthy of the hard-earned taxpayer dollars of our constituents; and enough is enough, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to attempts in the omnibus budget bill to restore any U.S. funding to UNESCO, a corrupt entity that is an extension of an anti-America, anti- Israel U.N. agenda.

UNESCO is attempting to pull a bait and switch on the American public. It says that it will use our constituents' money on World Heritage sites in our districts, but what it really wants is to use the funds that it lost when it admitted Palestine to its club.

UNESCO knew what would happen to it if it admitted Palestine, but the agency counted on this administration to give it the money anyway. Not only is money fungible, Mr. Speaker, but studies indicate that there is no guarantee that this designation of World Heritage site is beneficial to the local economy.

Taxpayer money for UNESCO is included in next week's omnibus budget bill. UNESCO must not receive a dime unless it reverses its decision on Palestine. I urge my colleagues to see through this guise and to continue to support American principles and U.S. law.