Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the hard- working men and women of the David A. Stein Jewish Community Alliance on the celebration of their 30th Anniversary of enriching the lives of those with a variety of needs. JCA is a pillar in our Jacksonville community. The Jewish Community Alliance (JCA) is a non-profit community center affiliated with the Jacksonville Jewish Federation, the United Way of Northeast Florida and the Jewish Community Centers of North America. Its focus is to enhance the quality of life for families and individuals of all ages, religions, races, financial means, and physical and mental abilities.

To this end, JCA has impacted tens of thousands of citizens in our community. Situated on the Ed Parker Jewish Community Campus, JCA welcomes preschool-age children to get a good start in life and embraces teens and adults to join classes on health, heritage and other diverse subjects. At the JCA, there is a spirit of intergenerational sharing of values and ideas. The after-school and school-closed day programs give peace of mind to working parents, both married and single. Seniors and adults with special needs are offered opportunities to reach their potential with dignity and tradition.

The JCA facility offers swimming, theatre and camp programs, fitness and exercise classes, sports teams, and art and academic classes to all members and welcomes all for membership. JCA offers an array of creative and innovative classes, programs and events sure to inspire and benefit participants.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and Members of the House to join me in acknowledging the 30th Anniversary of the JCA and its commitment to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor World War II Veteran, William John Tomka, with whom I had the recent pleasure of joining to celebrate his 100th birthday on January 27, 2018.

Born in Dover, New Jersey to immigrant parents, William spent his formative years in New Jersey, developing a love of music. This resulted in him becoming a music teacher until he was drafted into the United States Army on July 11, 1941. He left a successful teaching job in New Jersey to defend our great nation. After completing his radio operations training at Fort Dix and Fort Bragg, he was deployed to Iceland as part of the 50th Signal Battalion, in which he served as a Technical Sergeant, leading a group of 8 men who were also trained radio operators. His team was responsible for code, receiving and transmitting from the field, as well as in command cars. This group was part of the first American Army personnel to be sent into the European Theatre of Operations. After 22 months in Iceland, he was sent to England to be a part of the invasion force of France on D-Day. He was dropped on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944 and bravely fought through the campaign of Europe, including the American bombardment of the German forces at Saint-Lo. He and his fellow soldiers proceeded to serve at the Battle of the Bulge.

When accounting his most memorable times in the Army, Mr. Tomka will tell you about his time in Europe after D-day. He told me about his time in France where he witnessed American fighter pilots bomb the German forces and of his time served in joint force with the Russians at the river of Elbe. Mr. Tomka was discharged after three and a half years of foreign duty on June 22, 1945.

After his years of service, Mr. Tomka went back to his passion of teaching music. He started an instrumental music program in the Flidgefield school system of New Jersey. During his years of music education, Mr. Tomka obtained his master's degree from NYU in Supervision and Administration, and while he was at NYU, he played violin in the orchestra. Even at 100, his talents are still impressive. At his recent birthday celebration, Mr. Tomka expertly played the clarinet, violin, piano, and sang for his family and friends.

I salute William John Tomka on his years of faithful service to our country and the public-school system. He has exemplified qualities of a true American hero, and I, on behalf of a grateful nation, admire his service and sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor World War II veteran William John Tomka, with whom I had the recent pleasure of joining to celebrate his 100th birthday on January 27, 2018.

Born in Dover, New Jersey, to immigrant parents, William spent his formative years in New Jersey developing a love of music. This resulted in him becoming a music teacher until he was drafted into the United States Army on July 11, 1941.

He left a successful job teaching in New Jersey to defend our great Nation. After completing his radio operations training at Fort Dix and Fort Bragg, he was deployed to Iceland as part of the 50th Signal Battalion in which he served as a technical sergeant leading a group of eight men who were also trained radio operators.

His team was responsible for code, receiving and transmitting from the field, as well as in command vehicles. This group was part of the first American Army personnel to be sent in the European Theater of Operations.

After 22 months in Iceland, he was sent to England to be a part of the invasion force of France on D-day. He was dropped onto Utah Beach on June 6, 1944, and bravely fought through the entire campaign of Europe, including the American bombardment of the German forces at Saint-Lo. He and his fellow soldiers later proceeded to serve at the Battle of the Bulge.

When recounting his most memorable times in the Army, Mr. Tomka will tell you about his time in Europe after D-day. He told me about his time in France, where he witnessed American fighter pilots bomb the German forces, and of his time served in joint force with the Russians at the river of Elbe.

Mr. Tomka was discharged after 3\1/2\ years of foreign duty on June 22, 1945. After his years of service, Mr. Tomka went back to his passion of teaching music. He started an instrumental music program in the Ridgefield school system of New Jersey. During his years of music education, Mr. Tomka obtained his master's degree from NYU in supervision and administration.

While he was at NYU, he also played violin in the orchestra. Even at 100 years old, his talents are still impressive. At his recent birthday celebration, Mr. Tomka expertly played the clarinet, violin, piano, and sang for all of his family and friends.

I salute Mr. William John Tomka on his years of faithful service to our country and to the public school system. He exemplified qualities of a true American hero. I, on behalf of a grateful nation, admire his service and sacrifice.

30th Anniversary of the David A. Stein Jewish Community Alliance

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the hardworking men and women of the David A. Stein Jewish Community Alliance on the celebration of their 30th anniversary of enriching the lives of those with a variety of needs.

The JCA is a pillar in our Jacksonville community. The Jewish Community Alliance is a nonprofit community center affiliated with the Jacksonville Jewish Federation, the United Way of Northeast Florida, and the Jewish Community Centers of North America. Its focus is to enhance the quality of life for families and individuals of all ages, religions, races, financial means, and physical and mental abilities.

To this end, the JCA has impacted tens of thousands of citizens in our community. Situated on the Ed Parker Jewish Community Campus, the JCA welcomes preschool-aged children to get a good start in life and embraces teens and adults to join classes on health, heritage, and a variety of subjects.

The JCA is a spirit of intergenerational sharing of values and ideas. The afterschool and school-closed day programs give peace of mind to working parents, both married and single. Seniors and adults with special needs are offered opportunities to reach their potential with dignity and tradition.

The JCA facility offers swimming, theater, and camp programs, fitness and exercise classes, sports teams, art, and academic classes to all members and welcomes all for membership. The JCA offers an array of creative and innovative classes, programs, and events to inspire and benefit its participants.

Mr. Speaker, I ask Members of the House to join me in acknowledging the 30th anniversary of the Jewish Community Alliance and its commitment to our community.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4555) to authorize the participation in overseas interagency counterterrorism task forces of personnel of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, as terrorists and foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria seek to return home or travel to other regions in the wake of the defeat of ISIS on the battlefield, cooperation among U.S. military, national security, and law enforcement agencies is vital.

When these fighters move from the Middle East to the West or other regions, information collection and tracking becomes extremely difficult, especially when ensuring that all relevant Federal agencies have access to the same critical information. An enhanced, whole-of- government effort to share information and intelligence related to these fighters and their movements would improve security of the homeland.

In order to achieve this, H.R. 4555 authorizes the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to assign DHS personnel to overseas interagency counterterrorism task forces to facilitate the sharing of counterterrorism information and combat threats stemming from overseas sources of conflict or terrorism. This will enable DHS to build on existing initiatives to colocate DHS personnel with other Federal departments and agencies that play a crucial role in the fight against terrorism.

For example, assigning DHS personnel to the Department of Defense locations would facilitate better collection and sharing of information recovered from those conflict zones, which significantly improves our ability to interdict terrorists before they enter our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for her very commonsense amendment to this bill, which made it stronger and better, and I do appreciate the bipartisan work on that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this emergency supplemental bill.

This emergency funding provides much-needed and, frankly, overdue relief to my district in northeast Florida.

In September, Hurricane Irma caused flooding that the city of Jacksonville had not seen in more than 150 years. Downtown was literally under water, power was out for many days, and homes and businesses were shuttered.

In our more rural agricultural communities in Nassau County and St. Johns County, crops were wiped out, hurting our agriculture community for months, if not years to come.

The city of Jacksonville recently projected that Hurricane Irma will cost the city $85 million.

I would be remiss if I did not commend the quick Federal response, the leadership of our Governor, and the planning and coordination of local emergency management officials and first responders, who saved lives and made our community safe and quickly back up and running.

But the Federal support in this bill provides the next phase in emergency response that we so desperately need.

I would like to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and his committee and committee staff for their work to get this bill over the line. I urge my colleagues in the strongest way possible to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, in my 41 years of law enforcement, 12 years as a sheriff of Duval County, Florida, I can tell you I have seen many, many times where good, law-abiding citizens used legal firearms to stop dangerous people from harming them, their loved ones, and even their neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, as a law enforcement professional, I want good people carrying firearms.

The Fraternal Order of Police that represents thousands of officers all across the United States of America supports good people carrying firearms. Do you know why? Because we know, as law enforcement officers we understand that, at our agencies, our priority one response time target is 7 minutes.

In a life-and-death situation, we target getting there in 7 minutes. That is in a well-policed community. I want to put Republicans, Democrats, and everyone on notice that, for that 7 minutes, you better be prepared to protect yourself.

If an active shooter in a mall, in a school, in a church like we just saw in Sutherland Springs, Texas, is killing people, let's say to the tune of five people per minute, that is an average of 35 dead, unarmed citizens before the police can even arrive at the scene.

Believe me, we want good, law-abiding citizens who are authorized to carry firearms to have the ability to intervene in a violent situation before law enforcement can even arrive at the scene. We need the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act to ensure that these good, law-abiding citizens can retain the constitutional right to bear arms legally across State lines and hopefully be able to stop a violent incident.

Mr. Speaker, none of our other constitutional rights stop at a State line. Our Second Amendment rights should not stop at that line either.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 38 and save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3731) to provide overtime pay for employees of the United States Secret Service, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3731, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3731, the Secret Service Recruitment and Retention Act of 2017.

This bipartisan legislation was introduced by my distinguished colleague, Mr. Katko, and negotiated between the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. It would make small, but significant, changes to the Federal law to ensure that the men and women of the United States Secret Service are fairly compensated for performing their duties.

This bill is necessary because, under current law, many Secret Service agents have hit the lawful cap that restricts overtime pay in some circumstances. This means that the brave men and women standing post, for example, at 2 a.m. in the morning are doing so for free. This is, without question, an untenable situation.

H.R. 3731 makes two important changes to the law to address this problem.

First, it raises the overtime cap to ensure that these agents are paid.

Second, it includes a reporting requirement, directing the Government Accountability Office to study the

Service's implementation of the recommendations of the Protective Mission Panel, or PMP. This change is intended to help address the recruitment and retention issues at the Secret Service.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will ensure that the Secret Service is able to recruit and retain an elite group of dedicated law enforcement officers. This is an issue that rises above party affiliation, or ideology. The protection of the President, the First Family, and others is something that, obviously, we all should want as American citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), my good friend, and sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice), who is a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other Members to speak on this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas for helping to bring this bill to the floor today. I congratulate my good friend from New York, Mr. Katko, on this legislation. It is going to be very important to our men and women of the Secret Service who put their lives on the line every day in dedication to their service.

Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3731, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3317) to amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the penalty for female genital mutilation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3317, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 3317, the Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation Act, or the SAFE Act.

This legislation increases the criminal penalty for female genitalia mutilation of a minor from a maximum of 5 years to a maximum of 15 years. It also encourages States to adopt laws to require certain professionals who work with children to report suspected mutilation cases.

Female genitalia mutilation, or FGM, is internationally recognized as a human rights violation for girls and women. It is an extreme form of abuse against women and girls, often causing serious and permanent health complications, including shock and death.

Across at least 30 countries, more than 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to FGM and more than 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk every year of being subjected to this procedure even though it is outlawed in 42 countries.

Congress first passed legislation making this horrific practice illegal in 1996. The Federal Prohibition of Female Genitalia Mutilation Act made it illegal to perform FGM on girls younger than 18 years of age in the United States.

In 2013, Congress passed another law, the Transport for Female Genital Mutilation Act, which amended the 1996 legislation and made it a crime to knowingly transport a girl out of the United States for the purpose of FGM, yet the practice still continues. According to some estimates, the number of girls who have undergone FGM has tripled over the past 2 decades.

In 2017, after 20 years on the books, the first charges were filed under the FGM statute against a doctor in Michigan who performed this disfiguring assault on two 7-year-olds.

By increasing the criminal exposure for this crime, we send a message that our country will not tolerate the mutilation of our young girls and women and we will do what we can to prevent that.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Trott from the great State of Michigan for introducing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Trott), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers on this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

I would first like to thank the gentlewoman from Texas for helping to manage these two very important bills on the floor today.

I, too, want to congratulate Mrs. Maloney and Mr. Trott on H.R. 3317, to ban this horrible procedure of FGM and really help to protect the women and girls of the United States.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable and missed Roll Call Vote 647.

Had I been present, I would have voted NAY of Roll Call No. 647.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Conference Report to the FY18 National Defense Authorization Act. This legislation helps ensure that our men and women in uniform are equipped to carry out their national security mission.

As the proud Representative of Naval Station Mayport--the East Coast homeport for Littoral Combat Ships--I commend the Committee for authorizing three more of these ships. The LCS platform currently provides a much-needed U.S. naval presence in global hotspots, especially in contested waters, and will do so for years to come. I would also like to commend them for allowing the Navy to make common- sense changes to the routine and low skilled maintenance requirements and practices of our forward deployed Littoral Combat Ships.

As the Navy and we in Congress work to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars while meeting the global threat, we must reevaluate our sustainment strategies so that LCS can be utilized to the fullest extent possible. However, I would like to express my strong belief that the more complex maintenance availabilities and modernizations still require the expertise, proficiency and experience of the U.S. ship repair industrial base. Without a strong industrial base, our assets and sailors would be unable to meet the requirements facing our Navy.

I thank the Committee for including detailed reporting requirements and a two-year sunset so Congress can work closely with the Navy to balance the importance of the U.S. ship repair industrial base and the flexibility needed for the Littoral Combat Ships on extended deployments.

This bill is a strong example of Congress's commitment to the LCS program and using taxpayer dollars wisely. I again thank the Chairman and the Committee for their hard work on this legislation

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I think no one in this Chamber can dispute when I say that America's Tax Code is broken. I rise today to stand with my colleagues in support of progrowth tax reform because our Tax Cuts and Jobs Act works for the middle class.

For too long, a complex Tax Code, high rates, and burdensome regulations have held back opportunities for hardworking families. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act offers much-needed tax relief for low-income and middle-income Americans.

It focuses on middle class tax cuts that allow hardworking Floridians to keep more of their paychecks so that they can save for their children's college fund, so that they can invest in their retirement, so that they can enjoy vacations with their family.

Florida families know how to spend their money better than the government, and this plan allows them to keep more of the money that they earn instead of waiting for tax returns and deductions to give them their money back.

This bill is profamily. It is probusiness, and it will give our economy a boost. Nothing will address our debt more than growth.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Naval Station Mayport as it marks 75 years of service to the United States Navy and our nation. This base was born of necessity during World War II and has served the United States Navy and our country almost continuously since. Today, it is one of the Navy's most valued and utilized military bases and is the country's third-largest naval surface fleet concentration area in the United States.

In April 1939, hearing that the Navy was looking to establish an aircraft carrier base on the East Coast of the United States, citizens of Duval County promised to purchase the land that would become home to Naval Station Mayport and give it to the Navy. In July of that year they passed a bond that enabled them to solidify the purchase. In December

1939, the Mayport area was selected for the new base.

Lt. Commander Maynard R. Sanders assumed command of the new U.S. Navy Base in October 1940. Construction began immediately and Building 1, the Administration Building, was opened on Nov. 4, 1941. Although the plans for Mayport being a carrier base were put on hold, the base became a vital crash and patrol boat training facility.

When the war began in earnest, the Atlantic Fleet was dispersed leaving the shipping lanes along the East Coast vulnerable to attack from German submarines. The Porgy Patrol, named after the foul-smelling porgy fertilizer processing plant in the Village of Mayport, went on constant patrol hoping to spot submarines and reporting those findings to the radio tower so aircraft could be launched. Then, on April 10, 1942, with citizens watching from the shore in Ponte Vedra, the S.S. Gulf of America was sunk by the German U-boat U-123. Once again, the civilian population stepped up and the Porgy Patrols expanded to include shrimp boats, trawlers and yachts, which were converted by the Gibbs Shipyard, now BAE Systems.

The marine side of the base with its protected harbor was commissioned as Naval Station Mayport in December 1942. On April!, 1944, Mayport's air facility, the Admiral David L. McDonald Field, was commissioned as Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS). After the war, both the marine base and the airfield were decommissioned. The United States Coast took over the base and operated small boot camps until 1947. Because its location is so pivotal, less than a year later Naval Station Mayport was reactivated, and within three years, its land area was expanded and its runway extended. Several name changes occurred over the years and during the Cold War, Mayport became the East Coast home for the Light Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) squadrons and in 1988 the base was re-designated as a naval air station.

Naval Station Mayport began teeming with life once again. Investments continued and growth in land area, activities and command importance enhanced its value. As Mayport expanded, it began to accommodate more ships and sailors with their families. Its role was crucial during the Cuban Missile Crisis, providing logistical support as well as an advanced staging area for the Second Marine Division. The base has also received visits from Presidents Nixon and Reagan.

The first carrier to be stationed at Mayport was the USS Tarawa (CVS- 40) and the last carrier to call Mayport home was the USS John F Kennedy (CV-67) was decommissioned on March 23, 2007. The Navy continues to entertain the idea of Mayport as a second carrier site on the East Coast but funding is not available.

Today, Naval Station Mayport has undergone major developments in technology, services and infrastructure, making it well positioned to act at a moment's notice. The station's protected harbor can accommodate 34 ships and its runway is capable of handling most aircraft in the military's inventory. It is host to the Navy's United States Fourth Fleet, and is home to the USS Iwo Jima, the USS New York and the USS Fort McHenry. On November 7, 2014, Naval Station Mayport became the East Coast home port for the Navy's newest ships, the littoral combat ships. Mayport has become an asset not just to Northeast Florida, but to country.

I salute the 75th Anniversary of Naval Station Mayport, which continues to be a major employer and economic stimulator. More importantly, its personnel continue to contribute through their hard work and dedication to the important missions of our nation's defense. Naval Station Mayport has a long history of supporting both the local community and the country and will continue to do so for years to come. I rise today to congratulate them on 75 successful years and hope Mayport sailors continue to keep their home anchors in Northeast Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my colleagues to our guest chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives, Reverend Captain Michael Halyard of Jacksonville, Florida--previously of Jacksonville, Florida, I should say. Upon his return from Iraq just recently, he has been deployed to San Antonio, Texas, and that is a loss for northeast Florida.

Reverend Halyard is a respected community leader who is devoted to his community, country, family, and faith. Reverend Halyard serves as a staff chaplain at Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, and he served as an assistant pastor at the United Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville. He is also a member of the Florida National Guard, where he has served as the combat veteran battalion chaplain since 2009.

Reverend Halyard leads his church and his community by serving his Nation, leading worship services, and by providing support for grieving families.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues today to welcome Reverend Halyard. May God bless him and our Nation, and especially those who he will be serving in Texas, particularly Sutherland Springs, Texas, today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Meredith Corey- Disch, a leader and business owner in my district, who was a recipient of a spot at the James Beard Foundation's Inaugural Class of the Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellowship program. This program, hosted at the prestigious Babson College, aims to help female chefs and owners grow their businesses by cultivating women's leadership in the culinary industry.

Meredith Corey-Disch and her business partner, Sarah Bogdanovitch, are exceptional entrepreneurs. Their business was founded on the belief that it should be local, community focused space that provides organic, traditional foods with shared work and fair pay. ``Community Loaves'' began in 2011 in Jacksonville, as an organic bike-delivered subscription bakery. The pair then opened a bread shop in 2014, where they served all-organic bread and pastries for breakfast and lunch. They kept the business community focused by holding special pizza nights and farm to table dinners in their garden and invited surrounding neighbors to these events.

Meredith began her love of bread making through an apprenticeship in a bakery, while brainstorming ways she could start a business people would enjoy back in her hometown of Jacksonville. She can be described as thoughtful, kind, generous, and creative. With these skills, along with her passion of bread making, Meredith will continue to spread her passion throughout Northeast Florida. We need more creative small business owners like Meredith. She has been a true example of leadership for women in Northeast Florida and I look forward to seeing her future culinary successes.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud Meredith Corey-Disch for her leadership in not only the culinary community, but in Northeast Florida as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Atlantic Coast Young Marines and their hard work during Red Ribbon Week.

The Florida regiment of Young Marines has performed more than 50,000 service hours since last October, with more than 35,000 hours of community service dedicated to our veterans.

As you can see, the Atlantic Coast Young Marines and their fellow Young Marines throughout Florida are very active in their local communities.

Reduction of drug demand is a major issue of the Young Marine program, and Red Ribbon Week is an excellent opportunity to recognize the Atlantic Coast Young Marines' emphasis on this mission.

Red Ribbon Week is the oldest drug prevention program in the Nation, reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October each year. By wearing red ribbons and participating in community antidrug events, Young Marines pledge to live a drug-free life and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enrique ``Kiki'' Camarena.

Special Agent Camarena was a veteran of the DEA assigned to Guadalajara, Mexico, where he was on the trail of the country's biggest drug traffickers. Because he was so close to unlocking a billion-dollar drug pipeline, he was kidnapped and murdered by drug traffickers. His tragic death opened the eyes of many Americans to the dangerous illicit drug trade.

Red Ribbon Week celebrates Agent Camarena's life and his vision for a drug-free America.

Last week, the Atlantic Coast Young Marines honored his life through events that helped reduce the demand for drugs throughout northeast Florida.

These young men and women who participate in this education and service program are known to be excellent leaders inside and outside of the classroom. The Atlantic Coast Young Marines are a shining example of our First Coast youth.

They also serve our veterans in numerous ways, by cleaning yards, making hospital visits, and simply writing cards. Their dedication to community service and our veterans is a shining example of noble selflessness.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Atlantic Coast Young Marines for their service to Florida's First Coast community.