Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor the police officers across our country.

As we commemorate National Police Week, I can't help but think about the barrage of attacks that our LEOs have come under in recent months and years.

Police officers have constantly been vilified by the media and those in leftwing politics for just simply doing their jobs. It is a job that comes with significant challenges and dangers and is often thankless, at best.

At this time, I would like to thank my colleagues here today for joining me for this Special Order to honor our heroes in blue.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank our police officers all across this Nation for their work and sense of duty. They walk the beat and meet people at their worst moments, all while maintaining professionalism and a steadfastness to the rule of law.

This is a job that affects not only the individual officer but their entire family. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters worry if their loved ones will return home from a shift. This fear is very real and very raw.

As the wife of a first responder, I, too, have felt this fear and dread as my husband, Matt, drives to a SWAT call-out.

Too often, these brave men and women in uniform don't make it back after that shift. They pay the ultimate price for their bravery, and their families are left to pick up the pieces.

Just this year alone, we have lost too many brave officers in the line of duty. I will honor them here today by saying each of their names. Their memories and bravery will be recorded in the Congressional Record and etched into the archives of American history.

Their names are as follows:

Sergeant Gordon Best, Sergeant Daniel Mobley, Lieutenant Jeff Bain, Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Howell, Sergeant Randall Sims, Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Price, Officer Jay Hughes, Officer Brian Sicknick, Sergeant David Crumpler, First Sergeant Timothy Howell, Lieutenant William Gardner, Conservation Officer Steven Reighard, Officer Arturo Villegas, Officer Tyler Britt, Master Corporal Brian LaVigne, Agent Luis Marrero- Diaz, Agent Luis Salaman-Conde, Agent Eliezer Hernandez-Cartagena, Officer Melton Gore, Sergeant Frederick Cameron, Detective Sergeant Stephen Desfosses, Officer Hector Moya, Chief of Police Tony Jordan, Corporal Christine Peters, Constable Sherry Kay Langford, Lieutenant Treva Preston, Officer Alfred Jiminez, Officer Jerry Hemphill, Sergeant Edward Marcurella, Lieutenant John Reynolds, Officer Joseph Martini, Deputy Sheriff Adam Gibson, Officer Brandon Stalker, Warrants Officer Toby Keiser, Deputy Sheriff Jacinto Navarro, Officer Byron Shields, Lieutenant Robert Van Zeyl, Lieutenant Frank Arnold, Special Agent Wayne Snyder, Captain Michael Garigan, Lieutenant Juan Rafael Rivera- Padua, Deputy Sheriff Frank Gonzalez Holguin, Auxiliary Sergeant Louis Livatino, Director of Field Operations Beverly Good, Sergeant Tommy Cudd, Sergeant Jeffrey Smith, Special Agent Robert Mayer, Sergeant William Brautigam, Correctional Officer Juan Llanes, Sergeant Grace Bellamy, Lieutenant Michael Boutte, Special Agent Laura Ann Schwartzenberger, Special Agent Daniel Alfin, Detention Officer Robert Perez, Deputy Sheriff Jack Gwynes, Agent Juan Rosado-Lopez, Patrolman Darian Jarrott, Detective Pedro Mejia, Officer Cesar Sibonga, Deputy Sheriff Ross Dixon, Officer Vicky James, Investigator Eddie Hutchinson, Chief of Police Timothy Sheehan, Deputy Sheriff Donald Gilreath, Police Officer Mitchell Penton, Officer Genaro Guerrero, Corrections Officer Tawiwo Obele, Major Esteban Ramirez, Deputy Constable Manuel Phillipe De La Rosa, Sergeant Richard Brown, Deputy Sheriff Michael Magli, Police Officer Horacio Dominguez, Lieutenant Eugene Lasco, Officer Jasaon Lagore, Parole Officer Troy Morin, Officer Carlos Mendoza, Deputy Sheriff Thomas Albanese, Reserve Deputy Constable Martinus Mitchum, Police Officer Dominic Winum, Captain Justin Bedwell, Police Officer Jose Anzora, Corrections Officer Tracey Adams, Officer Crispin San Jose, Officer Jesse Madsen, Sergeant Barry Henderson, Deputy Sheriff Stanley Burdic, Police Officer Gary Hibbs, Border Patrol Agent Alejandro Flores-Banuelos, Police Officer Kevin Valencia, Sergeant LaShonda Owens, Police Officer Matt North, Police Officer Eric Talley, Chief of Police Fred Posavetz, Corrections Officer Robert McFarland, Senior Master Trooper Todd Hanneken, Corporal Kyle Davis, Trooper Joseph Gallagher, Sergeant Shane Owens, Reserve Deputy Sheriff James Driver, Trooper Chad Walker, Officer Luis Hernandez, Officer William Evans, Lieutenant James Kouski, Officer Brent Hall, Deputy Sheriff Joseph Gore, Deputy Sheriff Christopher Knight, Sergeant James Smith, Deputy Sheriff Thomas Barnes, Deputy Sheriff Carlos Hernandez, Border Patrol Agent Christopher Simpkins, Detention Deputy Mark Anderson, Officer Jimmy Garcia, Officer David Parde, Deputy Sheriff Terry Dyer, Deputy Sheriff Alexander Gwosdz, Officer Anastasio Tsakos, Corporal Keith Heacook, Sergeant Chris Ward, Deputy Sheriff Logan Fox, Officer Christopher Farrar, Detective Luca Benedetti, Deputy Sheriff Samuel Leonard, Deputy Sheriff Stephen Jones, and Officer Jimmy Inn.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention our K9 officers that also gave their lives in the line of duty: K9 Figo, K9 Riley, K9 Luna, K9 Joker, K9 Kozmo, and K9 Jango.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in a moment of silence to remember these heroes.

As you can see, that is a pretty lengthy list. I hope that, even though I may have mispronounced some of their names, their families seek comfort in knowing that their names will forever be remembered.

Again, these are just some of the heroes that we have lost this year. It is May, and this list takes up four pages of paper. May we always remember their names and recognize their service in keeping law and order for our communities.

To the brave men and women who we just named: Rest easy. We've got the watch.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford), a good friend and sheriff of the great city of Jacksonville.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, former sheriff from Jacksonville, Mr. Rutherford.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. C. Scott Franklin), a true friend to law enforcement, a fellow Floridian, and veteran.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins), my good friend, who is also a law enforcement officer and great patriot.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Nehls), another great friend of law enforcement; the former sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, who knows truly what it is to be a man of the law.

Thank you to our sheriff from the great State of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, during this National Police Week, we have highlighted many officers who have met the call of duty with courage and unmatched service. Two such officers I would like to highlight today are from my district in the great little tiny town of High Springs, Sergeant Gary Moore and Officer Mayuly Nodarse.

On April 28, these two officers of the High Springs Police Department responded to a call about suspicious activity. Upon arriving on scene, they observed a suspect standing in the bathroom of a house with a knife and a victim yelling for help.

After these two officers gave multiple commands, they forced entry into the bathroom and found the armed suspect who was uncooperative. Based on their training and experience, they were able to disarm the suspect. Everyone on scene lived to see another day, thanks to the work and quick thinking of these officers.

For their bravery and professionalism, they have been awarded the Medal of Valor. I thank these two officers for their quick thinking and decisive action. They show us what proper training and a well-funded police force can do to keep our communities safe.

As I stand here today, I know my husband is watching, on shift, from the station. So, a quick hello to my husband Matt, and thank you. I also would like to thank my colleagues for joining me here today and a big thank you to every officer who gets up every day, puts on their vest, puts on their badge, walks out that door not knowing if they will make it home at the end of their shift. To the families, thank you for your service alongside our men and women in uniform.

As we have listed the names here today of those that we have lost this year, rest easy, know that we have to watch.

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

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Miss Samantha Harper, 2020 National Teen Miss Agriculture USA of Florahome, Florida. Miss Harper is a 2021-22 Florida State Fair Ambassador where she demonstrates her love for Florida's strong agricultural traditions. She also serves as president of the Putnam County 4-H County Counsel and is a proud FFA student and student government participant at Q.I. Roberts Jr./Sr. High School. Congratulations to Samantha on all of her accomplishments.

Madam Speaker, last week the press--not the Department of Agriculture--reported that the Trump administration's Farmers to Families Food Box Program would come to an end.

In subsequent reporting and an unapologetic email from the USDA, it was made clear that the only reason for its termination was because of the man who created it.

The Farmers to Families Food Box Program had open eligibility, making certain anyone and everyone in need, regardless of status, income, or household size, had supplementary access to fresh meats, dairy, and produce. Since May 2020, this program has provided more than 156 million boxes to households across the United States.

Farmers to Families provided an alternative market for food intended for restaurants and food service, creating outlets for supply chains. Due to COVID this food could not easily be realigned to retail markets quickly enough to prevent spoilage. Even today, Farmers to Families provides fresh products in greater quantities than traditional emergency feeding programs--items such as dairy, meat, and fresh produce, which have always presented unique logistical challenges for distribution.

The program reemployed workers in the commercial food distribution sector whose work was halted by the closure of restaurants, hotels, and other food service industries during COVID.

In my own district, L&M Farms, a participant in the program, managed to supply more than 600,000 boxes of fresh produce to those in need.

Regardless of the various hiccups heard during USDA's listening sessions in previous hearings and from Members of this very House, the program worked exactly as intended, as a lifeline for consumers and producers alike during a challenging time.

Nine hours after the press broke the story, USDA relayed, via email, that commodity purchases will ``continue to occur and be directed to existing, reliable channels of distribution.''

This leads me to believe that locally focused producers and distributors who benefited greatly from Farmers to Families are being traded in for billion-dollar organizations that have already received billions in government aid to perpetuate dependence instead of eradicating it.

Madam Speaker, I hope this body comes together to voice their strong opposition to the termination of this small piece of salvation that had a positive impact on all of our local communities, particularly those in rural areas.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the service, sacrifice, and recent nomination of one of my constituents, Rear Admiral Michael E. Boyle.

Admiral Boyle has served as director of Maritime Operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet since June of 2020. Admiral Boyle was designated a naval aviator in January of 1990.

In his 30 years of dedicated service, he has held numerous positions throughout the United States Naval Command. Whether it was operational tours, like aboard the USS Forrestal in support of Operation Provide Comfort in Northern Iraq, or aboard the USS Saratoga in support of Operation Provide Promise in Bosnia, Admiral Boyle has shown what leadership, fortitude, and duty look like in the United States Navy.

I commend the Secretary of Defense, General Lloyd Austin for his nomination of Rear Admiral Boyle to the rank of two-star flag officer, rear admiral, in the United States Navy. His work in keeping our Nation safe and securing American interests abroad have not gone unnoticed.

I want to personally thank Rear Admiral Michael Boyle for his service to this country and his steadfast duty in defense of our Constitution.

Congratulations, Admiral. Semper Fortis.

Honoring Assistant Chief of Police John Jock

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished service of Assistant Chief of Police John Jock of the Orange Park Police Department.

Over the past 25 years, Assistant Chief Jock has worked under three police chiefs, four town managers, and has become a valued member of the force in our community. Starting as a patrol officer for the OPPD back in 1996, he has earned promotions three times, achieving the rank of assistant police chief, and even receiving his master's degree in the process.

He graduated from the FDLE Florida Leadership Academy in 2011, and served on the Clay County SWAT team for over a decade. Mr. Jock has been on the front lines of law enforcement for a quarter century and, in that time, has investigated and solved criminal cases, provided disaster training and communication, and has been a valued community leader.

As a citizen of Orange Park for the last 22 years, Assistant Chief Jock entered retirement earlier this month after 25 years of service. As the wife of a fellow SWAT team member, I want to wish him and his family a happy, safe, and productive retirement.

Honoring Captain Mark Elam

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the life and service of Captain Mark Elam of the Putnam County Department of Corrections.

Captain Elam served in the Putman County Sheriff's Office for nearly 20 years and, in that time, proved himself to be a hardworking servant.

Before joining the sheriff's office, Mark served 4 years in the United States Marine Corps. But the role that he excelled at the most was as a family man. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Lachrisha, for 15 years and a father to two children. Before Captain Elam's death last week, Mark and his wife were in the process of adopting five siblings.

He had a servant's heart and so much compassion to give. His loss leaves a hole in the Putnam County law enforcement community, but his memory will live on in the work and good deeds he did in life.

I want to extend my condolences to his wife, children, and the entire Putnam County Sheriff's Office in their enormous loss.

God bless Captain Elam and his family.

You've got the watch.

Honoring Gilchrist County Sheriff's Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy

Taylor Lindsey

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember Gilchrist County Sheriff's Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey who were both gunned down in the line of duty 3 years ago today.

On April 19, 2018, Sergeant Ramirez and Deputy Lindsey were eating lunch at a restaurant in Trenton, Florida, when a coward fired through a window and killed both officers in the line of duty. That man--whose name does not deserve to be mentioned--killed those two officers, consumed by a radical hate for law enforcement. That same hate for law enforcement that we saw then I continue to see today.

Now more than ever we need to publicly and boldly support our law enforcement officers.

Noel and Taylor's deaths remind us of the constant vigilance that an officer needs to have in order to return home safely to their families every night. Being an LEO is a difficult and often thankless job.

I want to take a moment to thank Sergeant Ramirez and Deputy Lindsey for their service and sacrifice to our community. We honor their legacy by continuing to say their names and remember their sacrifice and love for our hometown.

I pledge to always have our brothers and sisters in uniform's six.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1446 and H.R. 8, a/k/a the gun-grabber bills.

Madam Speaker Pelosi, you were elected in 1987, and I was born in 1988. During that time, you say that background checks have saved millions of lives. But what about the more than 50 million babies that have been murdered through abortion? So I am just going to leave that there as we talk about the value of life.

These bills are not about gun safety, and they certainly aren't about reducing crime. These bills are about control.

Two weeks ago, Democrats voted to strip religious freedom. Last week, they voted to defund our police. Today, they are now taking our guns.

In reality, these bills do nothing to improve background checks, as noted by an Obama official in 2013: ``The effectiveness of universal background checks depends on requiring gun registration.''

Instead, it would increase our wait times and allow for endless delays for law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms.

Our communities have seen too many tragedies perpetuated by sick people intent on committing violence, no matter the weapon.

H.R. 1446 puts the onus on individuals to contact the government if their background check hasn't been completed in 10 days.

You know who cannot afford to wait? The single mom looking to protect herself and her children from a violent ex who has just been released from jail. You think this situation isn't real? It happened last month in Orlando. And there are thousands more like them.

You know that the more garbage that we find in these bills, the more I believe that the motto of these Chambers is changing from ``We the People'' to let's screw the people.

H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 does nothing but make it more difficult for law- abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families. Under this legislation, criminals will do what they do best: Break the law and perpetuate crime.

So I ask my colleagues considering supporting these bills: Do you honestly think that punishing law-abiding constituents in your districts, stripping them of their constitutional rights will make them safer? Will you be able to look them in the eye as they are the next victim of crime?

As Members of Congress we swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and that includes the Second Amendment.

Shall not be infringed.

You and I both took that oath, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this rule as well as H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, a/k/a the legislation to deny Americans their Second Amendment rights.

Common sense and data tell us that these bills will do nothing to prevent criminals from obtaining firearms or stop mass shootings in the United States. Instead, these bills will make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutionally protected rights.

H.R. 8 would lead to a national gun registry which every American should be concerned about. Even former Obama officials acknowledge that universal background checks are only effective with a national registry in place. H.R. 1446 would lead to unnecessary and potentially indefinite delays in law-abiding citizens purchasing the tools necessary to defend their families and their homes.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim that H.R. 1446 would close a loophole, but we know the truth. The only loophole will be that the criminals will continue to get guns on the black market while lawful citizens are denied their rights.

As Members of Congress we swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and that includes the Second Amendment; and it reads plainly: shall not be infringed.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand up for all Americans' rights to bear arms, uphold their constitutional oath, and reject this rule and these horrendous bills.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona for yielding, and I am proud to support her amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1, the so-called For the People Act a/k/a the for the politicians act. Supporters of this bill claim that it is the fix needed for the problems within our Nation's electoral system, but in reality this bill is a power grab that will blur the lines between official and campaign resources and leave taxpayers footing the bill.

It is shameful that this body is even considering this legislation that forces hardworking Americans amid an unprecedented crisis to give politicians money. H.R. 1 would funnel millions of taxpayer dollars into the campaign accounts of politicians through voucher and funding match programs. This bill will allow 16-year-olds to vote, give $25 vouchers to individuals to donate to the candidate of their choice, redefines free speech, triggers universal mail-in ballots, creates an election czar, strips voter ID requirements, and so much more.

This bill jeopardizes the future of Americans' freedom of speech with new requirements for public disclosure of support of political campaigns and candidates.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot claim to be protecting the rights and freedoms enshrined in our Constitution when this, the For the People Act--more aptly named the for the politicians act--is under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong opposition to the efforts by you and your colleagues to defund our police.

This week we will be voting on H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This bill is named after a man who was murdered by a police officer. The officer responsible should have never been allowed to don a badge and act on behalf of the agency sworn to protect its citizens. He should and is being held accountable.

Now, as a member of a first responder family, I can say definitively on behalf of our officers that there is absolutely nothing, nothing that a good cop hates more than a bad cop. And as the wife of a first responder, this issue could not be more personal to me.

Mr. Speaker, my husband serves our local community as a firefighter and a SWAT medic for our local sheriff's department. And next to me here today, you see one of his SWAT vests.

This is the same vest that he wore for 14 hours while on a massive manhunt for a man who had just been released from prison, who promptly raped and killed his girlfriend.

It is the same vest that he wore while responding to a man who had barricaded himself with weapons, threatening to kill his own children.

These are just some of the scenes that this vest and my husband have seen, like so many of our LEOs. But the real threat here is not the dangerous situations that my husband has seen in protecting his community, it is the fact that this bill--and by extension, you, Mr. Speaker--want to take this vest off my husband's back because, yes, what this bill does is take this kind of equipment off the backs of our men and women in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues who are considering voting for this bill:

Are you waking up at 2 a.m. to respond to a gruesome murder?

Are you missing your children's birthday parties to respond to gang shootings?

There is absolutely room for us to improve. There is absolutely room and a necessity for us to do better. But the answer is not to defund the police. It is not the answer. What this bill ultimately does is defund the police.

You want a better trained, more responsive police force in your hometown? Fully fund the police. You say this is a reform bill, and I say that is BS.

Mr. Speaker, your own conference members have been advocating for the defunding of our local police officers, calling them names that I cannot and will not repeat here today. In fact, many of your members have made it a top priority of their platforms.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor hometown heroes in my district and across the Nation, these proud Americans embodying the persistent, giving, and fighting spirit of our national creed.

The COVID pandemic has put our country and our communities to the test, pushing us to seek positivity and hope in each day as we have weathered the storms that have come our way.

Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight the great work and service of my constituents who have shown bravery and empathy in these trying times.

Last week, I invited the constituents of Florida's Third Congressional District, the Gator Nation, to submit their nominations for individuals they would like to honor for their dedication to our communities over the last year. I received several nominations with the names of constituents who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, who put service above self, so many nominations, in fact, that we have pledged to continue this series throughout the year to highlight their great work.

Included in this group are first responders, law enforcement officers, teachers, nurses, and Good Samaritans. They are the backbone of our communities. I am honored to be able to represent them in Congress and share their stories with you today.

The first is my friend, and the only woman sheriff in the great State of Florida, Sheriff Michelle Cook. Sheriff Cook, in her long tenure in law enforcement, has walked the beat and fought against the scourge of the opioid epidemic and human trafficking in Clay County.

She is also the proud mother to four foster children, who she lovingly brought into her own home to prevent their separation. She works every day to protect our community and our great county of Clay County. I am so grateful for her service.

Thank you, Sheriff Cook.

Now, much like Sheriff Cook, Sergeant Kim Miller put service above self as a member of the Green Cove Springs Police Department. While Sergeant Miller celebrated her retirement earlier this year, she has spent the last 15 years of her life dedicated to the children of Clay County and their safety and development.

She is proud to have been the first Black female sergeant for the Green Cove Springs Police Department and continues to make the citizens of Clay County proud.

It was always a pleasure seeing Sergeant Miller's smiling face when I visited the department, and I congratulate her on her retirement this year. Although she is not on the force any longer, her service to the Green Cove Springs community is remarkable. I am honored to celebrate her here today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Carl).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama. Even though, the SEC Nation, we may be rivals on game day, when it comes to honoring our hometown heroes, we are united, and I appreciate you taking the time to share these stories.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield to another one of my great colleagues, I want to highlight a great man, Mr. Mike Leader, from Fleming Island, Florida, who is an active duty physician proudly serving in the United States Navy.

Mike was deployed in April 2020 to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has been working tirelessly to save lives over the last year. His wife, Adriane, and his three children have remained strong and positive during his time away from home, recognizing his sacrifice for our fellow Americans.

Mike is set to be deployed again next month to once again take up the fight against this pandemic, and he and his family will be in my thoughts and prayers as he continues the fight to end COVID-19.

I would also like to honor Orange Park native Peggie French. Ms. French is what her nominators call an angel to seniors. Ms. French spends hours every single week scheduling vaccines for seniors in Clay County. She has become somewhat of an expert in the process and even helps to monitor the vaccine sites for cancelations to help seniors trying to get appointments.

To date, she has helped over 60 senior citizens to get appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine in her spare time. I visited the COVID vaccination sites in my district a few weeks ago, where these very seniors that she helped were being vaccinated. I want to thank Peggie and those just like her for helping folks in our area.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the great State of Oklahoma. It has been an honor so far serving with her in this Congress, and I expect that we will be hearing many more stories of great Oklahomans who are doing incredible work in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to honor a gentleman who is much like my husband, a hero and a firefighter. Justin Dean serves the Orange Park Fire Department and its city both in his capacity as a firefighter and as a heroic private citizen. Mr. Dean was driving home one afternoon recently when he noticed a car parked on the side of the bridge near Doctor's Lake. He pulled his vehicle over, proceeded to talk to the woman standing at the top of the bridge, and he offered her a hug. When she accepted, Firefighter Dean jumped into action and pulled her tightly over the rail to safety. He was awarded a meritorious award for his brave, lifesaving action.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Justin.

Mr. Speaker, Rhonda Wilson is a hero from my hometown of Gainesville, Florida. She wears many hats in our community. She is a middle school teacher, a thespian, a theater director, and a philanthropist. She founded the Star Center Theatre nearly two decades ago and, in the years since, has provided an opportunity for local children and families to perform and enjoy fine arts.

A portion of all the theatre's proceeds go to Created Gainesville, a nonprofit committed to reaching and restoring women caught in sex trafficking and sexual exploitation in Gainesville. Rhonda's work is especially impactful to me, as I have worked to eliminate human trafficking from our District and our State.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Donalds).

Mr. Speaker, as a fellow Floridian, I look forward to getting to know the gentleman's hometown heroes at some point in the near future. I thank the gentleman for joining me here on the floor of the people's House to honor the hometown heroes who make up the great State of Florida.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to recognize my friend and the great sheriff of Marion County, Sheriff Billy Woods. I have known Billy for nearly a decade, and in that time, I have seen his passion for helping people. I am proud to have worked with Sheriff Woods on combating human trafficking in the State of Florida, as well as taking on criminal drug traffickers and supporting the rights of lawful gun owners. I am also proud to recognize his tireless efforts tonight to protect and serve our ever-growing community in Marion County. I know Billy to be a man of integrity, grit, and honesty. He is a tremendous defender of freedom and security, and I am proud to call him and his wife, Samantha, dear friends.

I am deeply grateful for all of the people who have spoken here today. Their work and their efforts to make my district and its many communities a better place to live and raise a family do not go unnoticed. They make me proud to be an American and the Representative from Florida's Third Congressional District. I chose to celebrate these hometown heroes today to honor their work and celebrate their passion for helping others. I challenge my constituents and all Americans to take stock of the everyday heroes all around us and thank them for what they do.

Whether it is working as a frontline healthcare worker in a local clinic, a law enforcement officer supporting children, librarians assisting students with virtual learning, or a delivery worker ensuring that we all get our critical packages on time, they are all--and there are so many more out there--extraordinary Americans who continue to put duty above all else.

I thank the nominees and the nominators of today's heroes. Again, I look forward to continuing this yearlong series of honoring our hometown heroes, and I look forward to hearing more of my colleagues' stories from their hometown heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity here tonight to honor these heroes, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life of Luke Letlow.

As a Member-elect of this freshman class, Luke was one of us. We didn't get the privilege of serving alongside him, but in getting to know his family, I have no doubt that he would have been an energetic leader among us.

In talking with Luke's wife, Julia, I have come to know the very best of what Luke stood for and why he will forever be with us as a Member of this body.

Luke's love of Louisiana ran as deep as the roots of generations that came before him. Luke revered leaders ranging from Ronald Reagan, whose optimistic vision of conservatism transformed the Republican Party and the world, to the local Richland Parish police jurors who ensured residents received the essential services that local

government was charged with providing.

Luke loved studying Louisiana political history and voraciously read every out-of-print book on the subject that he could get his hands on. Luke's passion for preserving the history of Richland Parish and his forebears took him from documenting gravesites and local churches to building a website that chronicled the history of the rural community where he was raised.

Luke's love of America, Louisiana, and Richland Parish defined him as a person and motivated him to pursue a career in the noble profession of public service.

Tonight, we honor his memory. But moving forward, we will strive to embody his passion for people, our history, and our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today in opposition to this rule. Since we began this new Congress in January--and I realize that I am new here--I have yet to see a single action by this House that could be interpreted as bipartisan; unifying; or, if we are being honest, a good use of our collective time.

Our Nation is experiencing one of the worst crises in our history. Last Congress, this body passed legislation that was quadruple the size of all New Deal programs combined, and that is adjusted for inflation. We are talking about $4 trillion. Today's solutions cannot be tomorrow's problems.

Madam Speaker, I am in favor of relief for our struggling businesses, our constituents, and our hardworking families. However, what we are considering here today is not relief. Rather, we are garnishing the wages of future generations. While the left is focused on charging Members of Congress thousands of dollars for their masks falling below their nose, mom-and-pop shops back home are having their local, State, and now Federal Government stand in the way of them opening their doors and getting this economy up and running.

And what of the $1.3 trillion that this body recently passed and that this administration has yet to spend? Where is that money going?

History shows us that the most successful actions by government have been bipartisan. It is time to let everyone, including Republicans, have a seat at the table. Until we prioritize all--all--of our people instead of just some coastal elites, I will not and I cannot support the actions of this majority.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support the objection of the electoral certification of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, as a new Representative here, I did not envision my first speech on the House floor to be this, here tonight, but rather, a tribute to our first responders and frontline workers who have been a shining light in an otherwise tough year for us all.

After the events tonight, I am especially grateful for our men and women who put service above self, confronting lawlessness and danger while protecting this very Chamber, its Members, and our constitutional Republic.

As a Member of the people's House, and the wife of a first responder, thank you to our law enforcement here today. But, especially, after tonight's unacceptable breach of the people's House, I am furthermore resolved in the fact that we, as representatives of the people, must take a stand for every American's right to a free and fair election as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 of the Constitution explicitly rests the time and manner of our elections in the hands of our State legislatures. However, State law in the 2020 election was modified or circumvented without approval of the State legislature. These actions are in clear violation of the Constitution, specifically Article II, Section 1, Clause 2, which grants State legislatures the sole authority to establish how State Presidential electors are appointed.

These changes, along with other election irregularities throughout the 2020 election, require me, as a Member of this body, to object to the certification of these electoral votes, just as my colleagues across the aisle have objected to every Republican Presidential election over the last 20 years.

Tonight, as we undertake the very serious responsibility of debating these State electoral certifications, I urge my colleagues to listen earnestly and with an open mind, remembering that just 3 days ago, we swore an oath to the United States Constitution, not a political party.

Our constituents are counting on us. Our country is counting on us. Our children are counting on us, and we cannot let them down.

Madam Speaker, in December, 25 of my freshman colleagues and I sent you a letter imploring you to investigate these election irregularities. To date, we have not received a response. That brings us to today.

My colleagues across the aisle have repeatedly invoked our Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, who famously said: We have a republic, if we can keep it.

I say, let's keep it.

Madam Speaker, it is with that sentiment in mind that I ask my colleagues to defend the power vested in this legislative branch by the U.S. Constitution and reject the certification of the electoral votes of the State in question. It is our responsibility to have

courage in the face of adversity and bring integrity back to this process.

Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Arrington).