Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the Sunshine State of Florida for yielding, and I am so grateful that we have been able to find some areas of common ground in this Congress on the issue of cannabis reform.

I am very proud, Mr. Speaker, to announce that, in the coming days, I will be joining the Judiciary chairman, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), in introducing legislation that enjoys support from across the ideological spectrum, and it will do several important things:

First, it will increase the number of people who are growing medical- grade cannabis for research purposes.

Second, it will end the gag rule at the VA that precludes physicians from being able to consult and speak with their patients about the laws in their particular States.

Third, it will create a safe harbor so that some of the finest medical institutions and universities in this great country will be able to research and partner with private sector entities to determine the potential that medical cannabis can have to improve people's quality of life.

And finally, this legislation will end the prohibition from having commercial, for-profit entities working in concert, in collaboration with some of those very universities and medical institutions.

So my hope is that by focussing first on the issues that bring us together, we will be able to advance legislation to democratize medical cannabis research, and that, ultimately, can unlock cures and unlock potential for a generation of Americans that shouldn't be lied to by their government about the potential health benefits of cannabis.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and pay tribute to the life and accomplishments of Ina Thompson, who is the ninth woman to be honored in the Women of Light program sponsored by the DeFuniak Springs Woman's Club. Women of Light honors women past and present who have made significant contributions to our community or who came from this area and made contributions elsewhere.

Ina Simmons was born October 3, 1902 in Freeport, Florida. Her parents were Dr. Daniel Simmons and her mother Mary Ansley Simmons, an early education teacher. She had five siblings; Minnie Ruth, Sarah Gertrude, Mary Edith, Daniel Curtis and Martha Louise.

Her family moved to DeFuniak Springs in 1909 where her father opened a private practice in addition to caring for lumber and turpentine workers as a company doctor. Ina attended schools in Walton County and graduated from Walton High School in 1920. She loved sports and was on the girls' basketball team. Her favorite subject was history.

She attended Florida State College for Women and was a forward on the basketball team. She also played tennis and held an elected office each of the four years she attended the school. Ina graduated in 1924 with majors in history and English. She returned in 1948 and received a Masters Degree in Education at what was by then Florida State University.

After graduation Miss Simmons returned to DeFuniak Springs and taught English and history at Walton High School. In 1928, Miss Simmons married Warner Thompson who had graduated from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. The couple moved to Wilmore where Warner finished his last two years at Asbury Seminary. Their son, Warner Paul Thompson Jr. was born in 1929. Rev. Warner graduated from seminary in 1930 and became a Methodist minister.

The family moved to Gamber, Maryland where Rev. Thompson pastored a church. Two years later he was a minister for a church in Baltimore. Daughter Gretchen Ann was born there in 1936. Rev. Thompson suffered from asthma in an age where there were not the medicines we now have to treat it. There were times when he was too ill to give the sermon on a Sunday. On those days the church allowed Mrs. Thompson to fill the pulpit and deliver the sermon.

In 1941, after the passing of Rev Thompson, the young widow and her two children returned to DeFuniak Springs and her family home.

Mrs. Thompson worked as a visitor for the Welfare Board. In 1943 she was made a Welfare Board supervisor for Walton and Holmes Counties.

In 1945 the Florida legislature provided funds to create in each county a new position, general supervisor of schools. This position was appointed by the county superintendent of schools. Mrs. Thompson was the first general supervisor of schools in Walton County. She was in charge of curriculum development for elementary through high schools. She held this position for ten years. In 1955, newly elected Florida governor LeRoy Collins wanted a woman to be a member of his ``little cabinet'' and be the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles. His friend, Tom Bailey, was the state superintendent of schools and Mr. Collins asked if he could recommend someone. Mr. Bailey named Ina Thompson and she agreed to take the position. She was in charge of distributing auto license plates and collecting $27,000,000 in annual taxes.

As president of the fourteen state South Eastern Region of Motor Vehicle Administrators, she would travel and host conventions to

address their mutual problems. She also traveled all over the United States and Canada as one of 500 delegates of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

Mrs. Thompson was an active member of the First United Methodist Church as a Sunday School teacher, director of youth and board member. She was a speaker for the United Methodist Women. She was involved in the community as a member of the Pilot Club, Woman's Club and Garden Club in DeFuniak Springs.

Mrs. Thompson died November 23, 1993. Her son, Paul, became a lawyer and daughter, Gretchen McCall, taught third grade and plays organ at the First United Methodist Church in DeFuniak Springs. She had five grandchildren; Ann Thompson, James McCall, Donna Powell, Beth Hrabal and Mary Grace Brooks. She had five great grandchildren; Paul Thompson, Hailee, Trevor and Christian Powell and Carolyn Brooks. Mrs. Thompson was honored as a Woman of Light on April 20, 2018 at the First United Methodist Church in DeFuniak Springs.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize and honor Woman of Light Honoree Ina Thompson for her countless contributions and accomplishments. She led a remarkable life and her legacy lives on through her children and the invaluable impact she had on her community.

Mr. Speaker, tax day is a frustrating day for most Americans because filing taxes is hard. The Tax Code is extremely long and complex, and filing taxes is a complicated mess of forms and paperwork.

American families spend $378 billion a year on tax preparation. That is enough money to send every U.S. family to Disney World. As a Floridian, I think that would be fantastic.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will make things easier next year. This simple system will allow American families to see rising income and more economic opportunity. It will allow businesses to grow and expand and achieve even greater economic potential.

I am proud that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed, and I look forward to the continuing progress of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding, and also for leading on the great question of whether or not we should have a second special counsel to evaluate the misconduct of the FBI and the Department of Justice in pursuing unfounded and inappropriate warrants to spy on a member of the Trump transition team without due process and without proper protocol.

One of the reasons I join the gentleman from New York in this call is that, currently, the person making critical decisions regarding Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and this narrative regarding Russia is Rod Rosenstein; and I believe Mr. Rosenstein has a series of conflicts of interest, each of which would independently disqualify him from overseeing this review; and yet, he continues. That is troubling to me, and it is one of the reasons why we need to have a second special counsel.

In fact, it was Mr. Rosenstein who signed a FISA warrant renewal to spy on Carter Page. He did this, even though the FBI and Department of Justice knew that Christopher Steele, the author of the dossier that was the principal basis for that warrant had been deemed uncredible and had said things that were not true to the FBI.

Mr. Rosenstein also signed pleadings seeking to silence a witness who may have had information regarding the sale of uranium to Russians. Mr. Rosenstein took no real action against Bruce Ohr, a senior official at the Department of Justice, even though Mr. Ohr failed to report the facts that his wife was moonlighting as a researcher to dig up dirt on Donald Trump and then commingle that dirt with lies told by Russians and folks from Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC.

Mr. Rosenstein allowed Bob Mueller to pick a biased team, people who had gone to Hillary Clinton's election night party, people who had represented the Clinton Foundation when they had been accused of not producing public documents. Mr. Rosenstein could have stepped in. He could have demanded a higher standard in the assembly of that team, but he didn't.

Mr. Rosenstein wrote a secret memo to expand the scope of the Russia investigation. He approved the raid on

Mr. Trump's personal lawyer. He took no action on criminal referrals well laid out by Senators Grassley and Graham, Mr. DeSantis and others, indicating that Christopher Steele and Glenn Simpson had lied to the FBI and potentially had failed to register as agents of a foreign government as they were seeking to lobby for changes to the Magnitsky Act.

But when Mr. Rosenstein's own action was questioned, when his own propriety, when his own integrity was called to bear as a consequence of his participation in the illegal spying by our government on American citizens, well, he didn't go seek the same special counsel remedy that he sought to go after Mr. Trump. He went and picked his own employees to investigate himself.

I agree with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin), that that is a standard that erodes our trust in the rule of law. When you have got one set of rules for the Clintons and the FBI and the deep state and another set of rules for anyone that has had anything to do with Mr. Trump, we deprive ourselves of the ability to find the facts, and to ensure that people who have truly broken the law are held accountable.

I support Mr. Zeldin's call for a second special counsel. I would note that this is an organic call from the membership of this body. It began with several members of the Judiciary Committee in July. Under Mr. Zeldin's leadership, we have had a number of Republican colleagues sign on, including the majority leader of the House and the whip of the House. So we invite and encourage our leadership to continue to support these efforts so that we can restore the rule of law in this country.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Board of Directors of the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, a group of doctors working tirelessly for the advancement of medical marijuana as a treatment for their patients.

I was not always supportive of medical marijuana. What changed my mind was hearing testimonials from suffering people who had turned to medical marijuana for relief. The choice to use medical cannabis for treatment was often a decision made when all other treatments had failed, when patients and families alike had lost hope.

I have seen families in the throes of grief at their loved ones' illnesses--including parents who watched their children with epilepsy suffer from daily, debilitating seizures. Every day brought a new heartbreak, until medical cannabis finally brought patients and families some much-needed relief. For many patients, this was the first relief from their symptoms that they had felt in many years.

But while some patients discover medical cannabis after research, many patients do not know, or even consider, that medical marijuana may help their conditions.

AMMPA, the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, has been instrumental--particularly in Florida--in raising patients' awareness of medical cannabis as a valid treatment option. They have helped many find relief when other treatments had not worked.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I want to recognize the Board of Directors of the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association, and to thank them for their good work.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and pay tribute to a local hero who has dedicated his life to humble service; service to his country, service to others, and service to the bench. One can get a slight understanding of the impact he's had on the lives of others by some of the powerful testimonies his colleagues will give about the man and his work, such as, ``you will not find a more forceful advocate for justice'' and ``he is an irreplaceable asset to Okaloosa County.''

The history of the life and work of Judge T. Patterson Maney is nothing short of astounding.

In 1974, he was admitted to the Bars of Kentucky and Florida and after a year of practice in Kentucky, moved to Okaloosa County where he established a general practice. He was appointed Okaloosa County Court Judge by Governor Bob Martinez and took the bench on June 5, 1989.

Brigadier General Maney's military service and experience played an intricate role in shaping his service on the bench. He served in the Army Reserve for almost 37 years in positions of increasing responsibility retiring as a brigadier general in 2007. During his reserve service, he was deployed to Panama, Haiti, Bosnia and Afghanistan for contingency operations. He commanded a reserve civil affairs brigade in Maryland as well as the 350 Civil Affairs Command in Pensacola and later served as the deputy commander of the Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) and deputy commandant of the John F. Kennedy Special Operations School (Airborne) at Fort Bragg. In Bosnia, he served as the special assistant to the chief of staff and later as acting chief of staff of the Office of the High Representative, an international organization created to implement the Dayton Peace Accord. He played a key role in freedom of movement issues and security of meetings of the Bosnian tripartite Presidency and the visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Sarajevo in April 1997. Later, in Afghanistan for 17 months, he served the U.S. Ambassador as senior advisor for the political sector with the status of attache. In that role, he coordinated with the office of the presidency, various ministers including the Ministers of Justice and the Supreme Court, and the Joint Election Monitoring Commission.

In 2005, Brigadier General Maney was severely injured by a blast in Afghanistan and spent nearly 2 years recovering from those injuries. Brigadier General Maney returned triumphantly to the bench in May 2007. He has

since been a staunch champion for veterans, mental health, and civil rights.

Judge Maney's personal experience as a wounded warrior helped inspire him to create a Veterans Court in 2010 that, since then, has helped veterans dealing with issues related to their military service avoid getting caught up in the legal system.

His advocacy and support of mental health has also been a cornerstone of his career. Judge Maney started the Okaloosa Mental Health Court and has been appointed three times to the Supreme Court's Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, where he advocated for passage of a veterans treatment court bill and for a revision of Florida's mental health laws. The Veterans Treatment Court Act was named for him, a singular honor for a county court judge. Because of his service as the Okaloosa judge supervising Baker/Marchman Act cases, he served on the statutory ``Suicide Prevention Coordinating Council'', 2010 to 2014. He also served on the statutory ``Florida Defense Support Task Force'', 2011 to 2015 where he successfully pushed for the passage of a veterans treatment court law. As a judge who fulfilled statutory duties as head of the election canvassing board, he successfully supported two amendments to Florida election law to protect the voting and privacy rights of military service members.

Patt Maney's guidance and expertise has been and will continue to be an invaluable asset to Northwest Florida. His determination and selfless service are an inspiration to all who are blessed to know and work with him.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize and honor Judge Maney for his countless contributions and accomplishments. I'd like to extend my gratitude to him for all that he has done for his country and community. As he will be retiring his gavel soon, I would like it included in the Record of the United States Congress, that there is absolutely no doubt that Judge T. Patterson Maney has served fairly, patiently, and followed the law.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Christian Oakes of Walton County, for his success and remarkable relief efforts to reach those devastated by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Weathering through the storm to reach those previously deemed ``unreachable,'' Christian Oakes defied all odds. His leadership and persistence represent what Northwest Florida is all about--helping those in times of need.

Christian and Cass Oakes were married on August 21, 2017. Four days later, they exchanged their honeymoon for a rescue mission. Without a second thought, they loaded up donated supplies that Christian miraculously accumulated by reaching out to business partners and clients, and headed to help Harvey victims in Texas.

Mr. Oakes' relentless spirit in helping the people of Texas is a spirit that I hope everyone can look to and admire. He proved nothing would stop him from doing everything he could to help, when he offered the very shoes off his feet. He traveled from truck to foot to boat and finally had to be airlifted by a Blackhawk--which he thought was pretty cool. Christian extended his hand to people he had never met before. He simply wanted to help.

When Hurricane Irma hit south Florida, Christian and Cass immediately began planning and executing. Using only their Excursion and U-Haul trailer, they delivered over 5,000 cubic feet of supplies in Collier County, Florida alone. Christian was so incredibly dedicated to this mission, he passed up an opportunity to meet the President so he could immediately begin preparation for the next relief effort.

Following the aftermath of Maria in Puerto Rico, Mr. Oakes' rose to overcome many challenges. One of those being the need to administer vaccines to those affected by the flu. After running into some issues, he contacted my office for assistance and throughout the night, together, through many phone calls and emails, we were able to successfully get those vaccines to the proper destination in time for most to be administered.

I am very proud of Christian, his wife Cass and their incredible team for the phenomenal aid for victims in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. This spirit of duty to help others during times of disaster should inspire and be emulated by every American.

Cass Oakes summed up their mission statement well as she stated, ``I never want to buy anything for myself again, I just want to help others. Everything you work so hard for in life can just be taken away in an instance.''

Christian and Cass Oakes continue to give of themselves on a daily basis to assist those in need. I look forward to partnering with them in the future and I am honored to be their Congressman.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Christian and Cass Oakes for their extraordinary humanitarian and relief efforts across our state of Florida and around the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, we sure find a lot of ways to waste money in this town, but the EPA may have just reached a new low. We are spending $5 million on a study to force-feed rats lard and coconut oil until they are morbidly obese, then we pump their enclosures full of exhaust until they die. Then the EPA measures the amount of toxins in the fat cells of the rats as opposed to their skinny counterparts.

So we are borrowing money from the next generation so that we can fat-shame dead rats that we ourselves have poisoned in the government.

I would invite my colleagues to join me in fighting against this and so much other wasteful spending that we seem to find in Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I also thank the gentleman from Tennessee for introducing this responsible legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to circumstances where this administration will have additional tools to deal with transnational criminal organizations, and I hope that we will use those tools to counter the threat posed by Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is not a political party. It is not a quaint reflection of history. It is a web of terrorists and criminals, and that web extends here to our hemisphere.

In fact, in 2009, there was an arrest made in Philadelphia, where Hezbollah operatives were looking to move 1,200 machine guns into Syria.

More recent arrests have been made in Latin America, where countries like Argentina, Peru, and Paraguay are dealing with an enhanced Hezbollah presence.

This important legislation will help us build a plan to leverage our allies, to leverage the Organization of American States and other assets so that we recognize the threat that Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations pose and so that we meet that threat head-on.

Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States should have the power to appoint judges to the FISA Court. This would lead to a more ideologically diverse court, more transparency in oversight, and better FISA outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't just my argument. It is the argument of the gentleman from California, the ranking

member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and this is the gentleman from California making that very argument on Russia Today.

Here, YouTube has actually had to say:

Russia Today is funded in whole or in part by the Russian

Government.

So my question is this, Mr. Speaker: If it is good enough for a bill to be filed by the gentleman from California in 2013, and if it is good enough to talk about it on Russia Today, why is it not good enough to give President Trump the very same powers that he wanted to give to President Obama?

That is my question. I am waiting for an answer.

Mr. Speaker, in the United States of America, cash at a political party should never be convertible to a warrant to spy on American citizens.

Because I expect Republicans and Democrats will both be empowered at some point in the future, we should be looking for bipartisan solutions to revise the FISA process so that what happened to President Trump never happens to a future American President.

I went looking for solutions, and I found that, in 2013, the gentleman from California, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, wanted to give the President of the United States the power to appoint FISA judges. He argued that then judges would be more ideologically diverse. They would come from different areas in the United States, and they would be subject to Senate confirmation.

Today, I filed that legislation, and I would encourage the gentleman from California to join me as a cosponsor so that we could advance bipartisan legislation to improve the FISA process, because, Mr. Speaker, if it was good enough to give President Obama these powers, it is good enough to give President Trump these powers.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Heather Phillips, the Teacher of the Year for Okaloosa County School District. For many years, Ms. Phillips has served the Okaloosa County School District with exceptional enthusiasm and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Ms. Phillips is a fourth-grade teacher at Bluewater Elementary School in Niceville, FL. Even though she has taught for 15 years, she feels like she is just getting started.

Ms. Phillips finds the greatest inspiration from her faith in God and the support of her family. She loves seeing the world through the eyes of children and allowing their energy to influence her focus on what truly matters.

Her teaching experiences in Japan and Hong Kong help her appreciate diversity. She is also an active member of her church in Niceville and enjoys being part of the community where she teaches.

Ms. Phillips believes being an educator is never predictable, and she thrives on the everchanging nature of her profession.

Ms. Phillips' many skills and wonderful character truly make her an invaluable and greatly appreciated resource. For all these reasons and more, she has been selected as the 2018 Okaloosa County School District Teacher of the Year.

She is honored to represent Bluewater Elementary and humbled to be considered among such an immensely talented group of educators.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Ms. Heather Phillips for her accomplishments and her continued commitment to the Okaloosa County School District. I thank her for her service and wish her all the best for continued success.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize an organization of true American heroes and patriots.

Over fifty years ago, a survey by military organizations found that over 50,000 widows of retired military members were living in poverty. U.S. Air Force members found this news to be a travesty and decided to do something about it. On January 17, 1968, the Airmen's Widows and Dependents Home Foundation (now Air Force Enlisted Village) was incorporated with the mission to provide senior housing to widows of retired enlisted U.S. Air Force members.

The Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) is a nonprofit organization whose core mission is to provide a safe, secure home for surviving spouses of retired enlisted U.S. Airmen. The Air Force Enlisted Village is situated along the beautiful Emerald Coast of northwest Florida in Shalimar near Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field.

Air Force surviving spouses live at Bob Hope Village or Hawthorn House among peers, where they are able to share memories of military life. All residents of AFEV are treated with the highest level of love and respect.

The Air Force Enlisted Village is one of four official charities of the U.S. Air Force and is an affiliate of the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign that takes place February through May each year at all U.S. Air Force installations. The Air Force Enlisted Village is also one of seven worthy charities of the Air Force Sergeants Association.

Any service member will testify that the support of their spouse was one of the most important contributions during their years of service. Most military spouses are known for their ability to adapt and find happiness wherever their spouses' career took them and their families. The journeys were not always easy or short, but these spouses made a home wherever the military needed and sent them.

The United States Military family is stronger because of these spouses and their dedication and support. It is only fitting that when the time comes, they are provided a loving and worry-free place to call home. For the past fifty years, the Air Force Enlisted Village has been committed to making sure that the widows of service members always have that home.

The mission of The Air Force Enlisted Village is highly revered by our community, which is full of partners who strive to fulfill that mission daily. There is no greater gift than providing basic essentials that may be taken for granted as one ages; a safe home, security, dignity, independence, and camaraderie. The AFEV community gives residents the feeling of being cherished and not forgotten.

I extend my gratitude to all who have served in any capacity with the Air Force Enlisted Village and its honorable mission.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize and celebrate the Air Force Enlisted Village on their 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Karen Carroll, the Educational Support Professional of the Year for Okaloosa County School District. For many years, Mrs. Carroll has served the Okaloosa County School District with exceptional enthusiasm and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Mrs. Carroll has been married to her husband Steve for 44 years. They have a beautiful daughter and 3 wonderful grandsons. Like most grandmas, spending time with her grandsons having adventures and making memories is her most favorite thing in the world.

She began her career with Okaloosa County School District in August 1987 at Cherokee Elementary on Eglin Air Force Base. In 1998, she moved from Cherokee to the Bay Area Office to work with the ESE Department, where she truly found her calling.

Mrs. Carroll has many duties including bookkeeping and maintaining and processing all ESE student records. She considers it a privilege to be on a team that supports special education students.

Mrs. Carroll is also a very active and supportive member of her community and church, Shalimar Baptist. She has impressively served as the church's pianist for 33 years. She generously volunteers much of her time helping those in need throughout the community by organizing events, teaching, cooking, and helping with mission projects.

Mrs. Carroll's innumerable skills and wonderful character truly make her an invaluable and greatly appreciated resource. The service that she has provided through the years has

been a significant contribution to the success of countless staff members and students. For all these reasons and more, she has been selected as the 2018 Okaloosa County School District Educational Support Professional of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Mrs. Karen Carroll for her accomplishments and her continued commitment to excellence at the Okaloosa County School District. I thank her for her service and wish her all the best for continued success.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the appointment of my good friend, Florida State Representative Carlos Trujillo, to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Organization of the American States.

In the Florida Legislature, Carlos serves as the Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Alternating Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee where he executes his kind approach and strong leadership. I had the privilege to serve alongside Carlos in the Florida Legislature, and witnessed firsthand how his straightforward approach earned him respect from both sides of the aisle.

I was pleased to hear of his recent appointment by President Trump as Ambassador to the Organization of the American States. I can assure you that he will do well in advancing the American principles of freedom and prosperity on the global stage. His background in law and his natural talent for negotiating ensure that for him, success is inevitable.

Carlos is a family man, and his success is strongly supported by a strong, loving family consisting of his wife Carmen and his children Carlos Manuel, Isabella Alba, Juan Pablo, and Felipe Andres.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to congratulate Florida State Representative, and my friend, Carlos Trujillo on his appointment to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of the American States.