Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and acknowledge all the hardworking teachers being honored at the Rotary Club of Boca Raton's 38th Annual Teacher of the Year Awards Celebration for the Palm Beach County School District on April 18, 2024. As a father of two growing boys eager to learn, I know educators' lifelong impact on their students and families. Education is the foundation of our country's future, and as a community, we depend on our teachers daily to prepare the next generation of Americans.

We are thankful to be gifted with extraordinary teachers in Florida's 23rd Congressional District. As Teachers of the Year, they serve as an inspiration not only to their colleagues but also to educators across the region. These teachers serve as a shining example of the positive difference that teachers make in the lives of their students. Their passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to shaping the future leaders of tomorrow are truly commendable, and there is no doubt that they will continue to inspire and empower countless students in years to come.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating all the teachers being recognized at the Rotary Club of Boca Raton's 38th Annual Teacher of the Year Awards Celebration: Kristin Potter-Oliveri, Debra Tower, Laureen Potts, Danielle Hazard, Kelly Schroeder, Cynthia Petillo, Sonja Shear, Jennifer Weber, Kelly Urbano, Josh Bender, Samantha Seider, Sandra Vanegas, Denise Zegers, Clarence Crane, Laura Kirland, Brett Swan, Amanda Kennedy, Stephanie Cutrona, Michele Juceam, Tisha Thomas, Meredith Gaynor, Susan Hutchings, and Sheyla Guerrero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a truly significant milestone--the 75th Anniversary of the Fort Lauderdale Dog Club. This occasion will be celebrated at its upcoming dog show at the South Florida Fairgrounds from April 26-28, 2024.

The Fort Lauderdale Dog Club, founded in 1949, has had a remarkable journey. From its inception as an obedience training club, it has evolved into a distinguished all-breed American Kennel Club (AKC) member club, earning its place in the hearts of dog lovers nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, as a dog owner and lover of dogs, I am honored to recognize the Fort Lauderdale Dog Club on its 75th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 66.

Madam Speaker, today is Valentine's Day, but I don't celebrate Valentine's Day anymore. I haven't celebrated Valentine's Day in 6 years. Today is a difficult day for myself, many in the city of Parkland, and my constituents. You see, it is the sixth anniversary of the mass shooting at my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas in my hometown of Parkland.

I remember February 14, 2018, like it was yesterday. I was in Tallahassee when my wife called and said something terrible has happened at the high school around the corner from our home. I was informed that there had been a mass shooting.

I immediately traveled home to Parkland. I went to the school that I graduated from and saw what it looks like when your high school is turned into a war zone.

I then went to the hotel where they were keeping the families of the kids who were missing. I knew they weren't missing.

For 8 hours, they waited in that hotel while the Broward Sheriff's Office and the FBI told them what happened to their kid. They pulled families out one by one into a separate area of the ballroom separated by a partition. The process went on from 12:30 in the morning until 3 in the morning. I didn't hear crying. I heard screaming. It haunts me every day.

Madam Speaker, 17 innocent people didn't make it out of that building on that fateful day. I knew we had to do something, and so I brought my colleagues from the Florida legislature to see the building firsthand and see how it affected families in my community.

What we saw was unfathomable to imagine--the sight of the deadliest high school shooting in American history.

Families now have empty rooms in their homes. They have empty chairs at the dinner table. My own son, who was 4 years old at the time, went to preschool right around the corner separated by a traffic light from Marjory Stoneman Douglas. The teacher that was with my 4-year-old in a closet that day, her daughter was killed. While she was protecting my son, her daughter, Jaime, was killed at Douglas.

Like previous Valentine's Days, parents and wives will spend their time visiting their children or their husbands at the cemetery.

I remember parents telling me one thing, and they said it over and over, and it has stuck with me ever since. They said that the only thing I did wrong was send my kid to school. That is not on them. That is an indictment on us. It is an indictment on the elected officials who have failed to do nothing to keep our kids safe in school.

I mean, look at them. These were babies murdered in their classroom. They were teachers. I went to high school with Aaron Feis. He was on my football team when we were in high school. He became a football coach. He ran in to try to help, and he was gunned down.

At least in Florida we did something after the shooting at my high school. The Florida legislature passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act. It raised the age to buy a firearm to 21. It instituted red flag laws and 3-day waiting periods. By the way, those red flag laws which take weapons out of the hands of people who are mentally ill have been used 12,000 times in 6 years. Madam Speaker, 12,000 times law enforcement in the State of Florida has deemed someone either a danger to themselves or a danger to others.

We put hundreds of millions of dollars into mental health, school resource officers, school safety, and this was passed on a bipartisan basis. In fact, it was led by my Republican colleagues, A-plus rated members of the NRA, and signed into law by Governor Scott who became a U.S. Senator. They got it right that day. They got it right. We did that while still upholding people's constitutional freedoms and rights.

Madam Speaker, as we sadly reflect today on the sixth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, I am going to use the rest of my time to sit in silence after I read the names of the victims: Alyssa Alhadeff, Martin Duque Anguiano, Scott Beigel, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, and Peter Wang.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Jonathan Daniels, the CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades, for his service and leadership to the industry.

Jonathan Daniels has been the CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades since the summer of 2020. Located in South Florida, Port Everglades is one of the busiest ports in the world, welcoming cruises and container and cargo traffic. Assuming the role at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Daniels successfully led the port through tumultuous times and helped build a future of sustained growth. Through his leadership and the efforts of his staff, the port persevered and is experiencing a revival with the return of cruises and upgrades to infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in recognizing Mr. Jonathan Daniels for his outstanding leadership and contributions to Port Everglades and the constituents of Florida's 23rd Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Luke and Jett Justin, the founders of the nonprofit Cereal4All, for their tremendous volunteer work in Broward County, Florida.

Both twins are cadet sergeants in Boca Raton's Civil Air Patrol Squadron. Through this, they have dedicated much of their time to community service and volunteered at events such as the Special Olympics airlift. While volunteering for Boca Helping Hands, Jett and Luke got the idea to create their nonprofit, Cereal4All, in 2016. Their nonprofit aims to ensure everyone in their community receives a good breakfast and raise awareness about food insecurity.

Averaging around 35-50 hours of volunteer work a month, Luke and Jett have provided over 275,000 bowls of cereal to needy families. They even went international, donating over 100 pounds of Quaker Oats Protein Instant Oatmeal to vulnerable families in Bimini, Bahamas, in their ``Oatmeal Airlift'' operation. Furthermore, the twins have partnered with organizations such as Kindness Matters 365 and the FAU Community Service Club and have even received donations from companies such as General Mills, who were eager to get involved with Cereal4All.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in recognizing Cereal4All founders Luke and Jett Justin for their outstanding community service in Florida's 23rd Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kelley Shanley, the President and CEO of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, for his 25 years of leadership and countless contributions to the industry.

As a patron of the arts, Kelley Shanley has made endless contributions to Broward County, including but not limited to a yearly $130 million financial impact, as well as opening the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center, which has fostered a love of the arts for over 130,000 students annually. Under his leadership, the Broward Center has developed a reputation as a leader in the performing arts industry, with over 700 performances each year, viewed by more than 700,000 guests. It is known for bringing South Florida the finest arts and entertainment programs. The Broward Center has become a cultural anchor and beacon of community impact and engagement in the downtown arts district.

Shanley is admired for many things, but his commitment to innovation and how he has redefined the role of the performing arts center stand out the most. Through his hard work and leadership, the Broward Center and The Parker, a sister theater, have been revolutionized and transformed into world-class entertainment facilities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in recognizing the President and CEO of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Kelley Shanley, for his outstanding career and leadership of the Broward Center in Florida's 23rd Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, we are about to begin the impeachment inquiry debate, and my Republican colleagues are going to show you how important it is to them.

They are going to show you how much evidence they have supposedly uncovered. They are going to show you how serious of an issue they think this is.

Do you want to know why? Because as soon as we take this vote today, you know what they are going to do? They are going to break for 3 weeks. They are going to run out of this place and leave for 3 weeks, even though it is so important and it is so overwhelming and the Nation must be focused on this, that they are going to run away and leave Washington for 3 weeks.

It is because there is no evidence on Joe Biden. The only thing they have uncovered is that Joe Biden is the father of Hunter Biden.

That is it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize McAllister Towing, their President and CEO Brian Buckley McAllister, and their recipient of the Patriot Award, Senior Vice President Captain Chuck Runnion.

Founded in 1864, McAllister Towing operates a fleet of more than 70 tugboats, crew boats, and barges in 14 locations along the U.S. East Coast from Eastport, Maine, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. McAllister is engaged in each port's ship docking, general harbor towing, coastal towing, windfarm support, and bulk transportation. Additionally, McAllister manages and operates the POLARIS ATB Unit that is used to bunker vessels with Liquefied Natural Gas in Cape Canaveral. The assets and talented teams at McAllister continue the McAllister family tradition of being an innovative force in marine transportation.

Furthermore, I would like to recognize Brian Buckley McAllister the President and CEO of McAllister Towing and the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company. Mr. McAllister serves on the Steamship Mutual P&I Club boards, the Seamen's Church Institute, and the Coast Guard Foundation. He is also a Member of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey and the American Bureau of Shipping. He served as Chairman of the American Waterways Operators from 2013 to 2014.

McAllister's senior vice president, Captain Chuck Runnion, also received the prestigious Patriot Award. Captain Runnion has worked in the industry since 1980, adding invaluable experience and insight to McAllister's Southeast operations. Captain Runnion is being honored for his effort to hire and retain veterans through thoughtful efforts that support specific veteran needs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in recognizing McAllister Towing, their President and CEO Brian Buckley McAllister, and their Senior Vice President, Captain Chuck Runnion, for their contributions to ports across the eastern shore and Port Everglades, proudly located in Florida's 23rd Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, Israel has a right to exist. There are only two ways to vote on this. Either you vote ``yes'' or you vote ``no.'' ``No'' means you do not believe Israel should be a country. ``No'' means you believe a country should be wiped off the face of the Earth. A ``present'' vote means you do not believe Israel should be a country. Hanging out in the cloakroom, having a hot dog, or missing the vote means Israel shouldn't be a country.

This is a moment for people in this body, on a bipartisan basis, to stand together and say they believe Israel has a right to exist.

Hamas doesn't think Israel has a right to exist. Hezbollah doesn't think Israel has a right to exist. Iran doesn't think Israel has a right to exist. People who vote ``no'' or vote ``present'' side with them. They pick a side with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.

I don't want to hear excuses. ``Oh, I didn't like this `whereas' clause,'' or, ``Oh, there was a period or a comma out of place,'' as if somehow we always vote on perfect resolutions around here. Again, it is an opportunity to show the world that we believe Israel has a right to exist.

We see anti-Semitism in the streets and at rallies. At cease-fire rallies, which is a foreign policy position, we see people holding signs that say: ``Gas the Jews,'' ``Kill the Jews,'' and ``Cleanse the Jews.'' That is not a foreign policy. If it is, it is a foreign policy of Germany in the early 1940s.

This is a moment for people in this body, some of whom sit in the rows behind me, to show they believe Israel has a right to exist.

I am for a two-state solution, Mr. Speaker. I think it is important that the Palestinian people get a state. But rest assured, in that two- state solution, one of those states is going to be Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I conclude with this: Anyone who believes that Israel doesn't have a right to exist is calling for genocide. We hear that word thrown around a lot now on

social media, ``genocide.'' We have a war in the Middle East. We don't have genocide.

If you believe a country should not exist, the millions of people in that country should also not exist, which means you are calling for genocide.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this resolution. Israel has a right to exist.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor South Florida's first responders as they are celebrated at the fourth annual Blue Mass at Assumption Catholic Church taking place in Florida's 23rd Congressional District on November 15, 2023.

Today and every day, America's first responders remain on alert and on call whenever we need them. Putting themselves at great personal risk. They are our police officers and sheriff's deputies protecting our communities. They are our firefighters running into burning buildings or emergency medical technicians, paramedics, 911 dispatchers and other public health workers providing emergency cases. There are not enough words to explain how grateful we are to all our extraordinary brave men and women who put themselves in harm's way each day, to keep our Nation safe.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great appreciation that I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring our first responders for their service and sacrifice to our communities. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.

Mr. Chair, during rollcall Vote No. 603 on amendment 5 to H.R. 4820, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``no'' when I should have voted ``aye.''

Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Perry

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lori Baer, the Executive Director of the Port Everglades Association and port industry veteran, for her three decades of contributions to the industry.

Lori gained her port experience in the public and private sectors, holding various distinguished roles. At AECOM, a global engineering and consulting firm, she held the positions of Vice President and Ports and Marine Lead for the Americas. She also served as Executive Director of the Port of Palm Beach. Additionally, she has performed in senior management positions at the Port of Miami and the Western Hemisphere- wide American Association of Port Authorities. Lori has dedicated her career to developing an unmatched expertise in the port industry, which has served her communities domestically and internationally.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in recognizing the Executive Director of the Port Everglades Association, Lori Baer, for her outstanding career and contributions to the ports of the Western Hemisphere and Florida's 23rd Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th Anniversary of Charter Schools USA and its President and CEO, Jonathan Hage.

Mr. Hage worked closely with former governor Jeb Bush in developing charter school legislation in Florida, opening the first charter school in the state. He has diligently worked with legislative representatives on both sides of the aisle to create equitable student learning opportunities. He has provided high-quality educational options for more than 95,000 students in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Furthermore, Mr. Hage is a veteran who served in the Army Special Forces as a Green Beret. He is committed to supporting the military community through hiring practices that recruit, maintain, and promote veterans from all military branches. Additionally, where permitted by each school's charter agreement, students from military families are given enrollment preference. These commitments helped a Florida school receive the Florida Purple Star School of Distinction, recognizing schools that support the unique needs of military families and provide resources for military-connected students when transitioning to a new school environment.

I am pleased to honor Mr. Jonathan Hage and Charter Schools USA for their continued commitment to student excellence by providing an educational environment that builds strong minds and good hearts to ensure a brighter future for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize former Coconut Creek City Official Mikkie Belvedere for her many years of public service.

Born in Tel Aviv to German parents who fled Nazi persecution, Mikkie emigrated to the United States as a teenager. Elected to the Coconut Creek City Commission at 72, she has a long history of serving her community in Coconut Creek. Mikkie served three four-year terms, during which her fellow commissioners elected her Vice-Mayor and then Mayor of Coconut Creek.

Her public service extends far beyond city government, becoming active in various local groups, from helping establish and grow the Coconut Creek Multicultural Circle to serving as President of the Wynmoor Democratic Club. She is also an active member of her synagogue congregation. In her retirement, Mikkie remains intent on staying positive and helping her community, encouraging everyone she meets to ``Keep Smiling.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in recognizing former Coconut Creek City Official Mikkie Belvedere for her outstanding service to the people of Coconut Creek in Florida's 23rd Congressional District.