Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of SEIU-FPSU President Alphonso Mayfield, a beloved labor leader and tireless champion across the State of Florida and across the South.

Alphonso was a young, Black labor leader from the South who understood the struggles of working-class families and dedicated his life to advancing economic and social justice.

For more than 25 years with the SEIU, including serving as president since 2010, he fought tirelessly for union members, securing important victories and inspiring countless workers to stand together in solidarity. He understood that the true power of our communities rests in the hands of working people united with a common purpose.

Alphonso led with love and an unwavering commitment that rests in the hands of working people.

As we mourn his loss, we must also honor his legacy by continuing the work that he dedicated his life to.

My deep condolences to his family and all touched by his leadership.

May his memory continue to be a blessing, and may his vision continue to guide us forward.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act.

Sponsors claim this bill prevents the privacy of gun owners, but in reality, it protects mass shooters, terrorists, gun traffickers, and the profits of the firearms industry.

Financial institutions have already been using merchant codes to detect crimes like money laundering and human trafficking. They should be allowed to use that same responsible monitoring to help prevent gun violence.

I know personally why this matters. The Pulse nightclub shooter opened up six new credit cards in 8 months. He racked up more than $26,000 in credit card charges on guns and ammunition in the days before his killing spree in the middle of my district in my home of Orlando, Florida.

Our system failed to turn those warning signs into an alert for police. He murdered 49 angels in my community and wounded another 49.

Instead of helping to prevent the next tragedy, this bill makes it easier for those warning signs to be missed yet again. It strips law enforcement of an essential tool to stop violence before it happens, making every community in our Nation less safe.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered an important amendment to make clear that nothing in this bill should prevent law enforcement from using merchant category codes to assist in investigating and preventing acts of terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to say because we hear over and over from our colleagues about the Constitution: If using merchant category codes violated the Fourth Amendment, where is your bill on amending this for every purchase at a pharmacy, liquor store, or casino?

This is a standard accounting tool that is used by banks. This argument, unless you are going to follow it up with legislation to essentially make it illegal to track and have the same codes, which is just a four-digit number, for pharmacies, casinos, liquor, and other things as well, the argument falls flat. Law enforcement needs to go through a legal process to access the financial records here.

Mr. Speaker, it is not a good argument. We are talking about something that doesn't track what you are buying. It doesn't track the guns you are buying. It won't tell them that, but it is just a general tool to help us stop some of the worst of the worst mass shootings.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

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

Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago today, in my home district, in Orlando, a man walked into Pulse nightclub, opened fire, and killed 49 innocent angels.

The pain from that day still hasn't subsided in our community. I still feel the same despair, anger, and fear that I felt that day, the day this tragedy happened.

I remember getting the call. I wasn't home at the time. I knew the area very well because, in high school, I got an internship to be a techie at a music venue in downtown Orlando, so I knew a lot of the people who worked at a lot of the clubs.

I was in Fort Myers, working my first campaign, when I got the call that this had happened. I was actually about to perform with the local symphony there for the first time, but I got in my car and drove back home.

At the time, Pulse was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. Since then, there have been over 4,500 more shootings across this Nation. It is 10 years later, and absolutely nothing has changed. It is still too easy to acquire a gun.

Congress has failed to pass commonsense laws, like universal background checks, or to pass an assault weapons ban. If you are outraged by hearing this, you should be. I am outraged that I have spent about the last 15 years of my life fighting for gun violence prevention, and we are still in the same place.

I don't want to live in a country or in an America where people can walk into schools, grocery stores, churches, concerts, nightclubs, and immediately look for the nearest exit.

I will always remember the first time I had an elementary school come visit me here from my district when I first got into Congress, my first year. I was really excited. I stayed up really late, practicing what questions I would ask them to inspire them to learn more about government.

One of the questions I asked was: If you were a Congressperson, what law would you pass? I was excited to hear ice cream for dinner, no homework, and soda in the water fountain.

I picked this little girl. I think she was 7 or 8 years old. She told me: I would ban assault weapons so I don't get shot in school.

Today, I hold the victims of Pulse and their loved ones in my heart. Pulse was more than just a nightclub. It was a place of joy, community, and belonging for Orlando's LGBTQ+ community. On that night, as people gathered for Latin night, the attack also devastated Orlando's Latino community, as well.

We will continue the fight because I do believe that the best way to honor their lives is to honor their lives with action.

I remember when I first got involved in this, I always had this sticker on my driver's license that a lot of young people put on their license at this point. It said that if I die due to gun violence, politicize my death to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else ever again.

So, after every shooting, I will always speak out because true justice is more than words. It is ensuring that we do not live in a country where the leading cause of death for a child is a bullet, because that is the reality of the United States of America in 2026.

We honor their lives. We don't just remember how they died, but how they lived. We remember the fact that it was a preventable death and that this body has done nothing to ensure it never happens again. There is a lot more work to do.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my community in Orlando to continue to speak out and to keep fighting and remembering, and we will do the same.

Mr. Speaker, on May 12, 2026, Oversight Committee Democrats convened the first-ever hearing to solicit testimony from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes. The hearing, ``Survivors Fight for Justice: Exposing Epstein's Crimes in Palm Beach and Across the World,'' marked a critical step forward in the fight for justice and accountability.

On behalf of all the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes, I rise to include in the Record the testimony offered by Ms. Lauren Hersh:

Hello, I am Lauren Hersh, CEO of World Without Exploitation

(WorldWE), the largest national coalition in the United

States dedicated to ending human trafficking and commercial

sexual exploitation. Our coalition represents nearly 200

organizations across the country, and our work is grounded in

close partnership with survivors to advance survivor-centered

policy, education, and advocacy.

I want to begin where this conversation must begin: with

survivors.

What we have witnessed in the handling of the Epstein files

is not simply a bureaucratic misstep--it is a profound and

deeply troubling failure to protect the very people the

system is meant to serve. Survivors were promised dignity,

confidentiality, and care. Instead, we have seen a breakdown

in the protection of their identities and personal

information. That failure is unacceptable.

The Department of Justice did not comply with the

requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This

raises urgent and fundamental questions: Why did this happen?

Where, procedurally, did the system fail? Who made the

decisions that led to this outcome? And what safequards were

either ignored or insufficient?

These are not abstract questions. They demand clear,

transparent answers. Survivors--and the public--deserve a

full accounting of what went wrong inside the Department of

Justice. But accountability cannot stop at process. It must

extend to outcomes. We must now turn to the question of

accountability moving forward--both criminal and civil.

Recent assertions by Kash Patel that there are no credible

investigative leads, echoed by Todd Blanche, are deeply

concerning. From my perspective as both the CEO of WorldWE

and a former prosecutor, that conclusion is not only

premature--it is inconsistent with the available record.

There is an abundance of potential investigative leads that

warrant serious, independent review, The notion that no

viable paths forward exist undermines public trust and risks

foreclosing justice before it has even been pursued.

We are looking at a pattern of systemic failure:

A failure to protect survivors as promised

A failure to ensure transparency and proper process

And increasingly, a failure to pursue meaningful

accountability

This cannot stand. There are known areas that demand

further investigation. These include individuals whose names

have surfaced

repeatedly, as well as institutions that may have had

knowledge of or facilitated abuse. This includes major

systems such as Mount Sinai Health System and New York-

Presbyterian Hospital, as well as academic and other

institutional actors. Each of these potential leads deserves

careful, independent examination through appropriate legal

channels.

Every credible lead should be assessed through a

structured, impartial process--whether through independent

hearings, investigatory bodies, or prosecutorial review.

Dismissing them outright is not due diligence; it is

abdication.

And let me be clear: the burden should not fall on

survivors to prove their worthiness for justice. The onus is

on investigative bodies--on prosecutors, on the Department of

Justice, on all relevant authorities--to do their jobs

thoroughly, transparently, and with integrity.

Survivors have already carried far too much. They should

not have to carry the failures of our institutions as well.

What is needed now is not defensiveness, but

accountability. Not closure, but investigation. Not

dismissal, but action.

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from Glisten opposing this bill.

[From Glisten, Apr. 29, 2026]

New York--Today, Glisten issued the following statement

urging Congress to vote NO on H.R. 2616 (aka PROTECT Kids

Act). This dangerous bill requires public elementary and

middle schools that receive funds under the Elementary and

Secondary Education Act of 1965 to obtain parental consent

before changing a minor's gender markers, pronouns, or

preferred name on any school form. It requires parental

consent for students to access appropriate in-school spaces,

such as locker rooms or bathrooms. It would also prohibit

school staff from discussing ``gender ideology,'' which is an

attempt to further marginalize transgender and non-binary

students.

Glisten's CEO Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she) issued

the following statement:

This bill would pose a great risk to student safety and

undermine safe learning environments. This legislation is yet

another example of federal overreach at the expense of our

Nation's students.

This act does nothing to actually protect a child's

freedoms, but instead, drastically limits the freedoms that

young people need to learn, explore, and grow as humans. This

act will stomp out students' ability to live authentically,

creating an environment where students who are different are

vilified and unwelcome. Our education system is meant to

create a world where youth can flourish as themselves and

where safety is paramount.

Many students find their safe space at school amongst

supporting adults and peers. Educators shouldn't be forced to

`out' their students, especially if a child's home situation

compromises their safety.

Glisten urges Congress to vote NO on this dangerous bill.

Glisten will always support LGBTQ+ students and prioritize

their education and safety, and we urge you to do the same.''

For press inquiries, please reach out to:

Mark Umbach, Lucky Break PR.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this so-called Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act.

This bill does not protect kids. In fact, it just bullies them.

From affordability to educational achievement, Congressional Republicans won't tackle the country's real issues. Instead, they are going back to their one very weird trick that we see over and over again: bills that obsess over the genitals of children.

We have dealt with cruel policies like this in Florida for years, and it hasn't stopped Florida from now ranking dead last in reading.

This bill threatens children by forcing teachers and staff to out kids to their parents even if it puts them in danger. You call this the PROTECT Kids Act. You say this is about protecting kids. Do you want to know the biggest danger to our kids and our children? It is not trans people. It is not queer people. It is not drag queens. It is not books. It is bullets. The leading cause of death for a child in this country is to be shot.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman if he can tell me what he intends to do to protect kids from the leading cause of death for kids.

That silence that you hear, that silence means they have got nothing. This bill does nothing to protect kids. It just bullies them.

Trans people have always existed. They always will exist, no matter what bills you pass. I hope this body, if you actually care about kids and care about their schooling, will fund public education. Why don't you make sure that the leading cause of death for a child isn't to be shot in their schools, shot on their block. Stop with bullying children and our most vulnerable people.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank an extraordinary public servant, River Curt, who has been my legislative director for the past 3 years.

River has been a steady and thoughtful force behind so much of the work our office has been proud to lead, bringing not only deep policy expertise but a commitment to improving people's lives, from advancing housing solutions like the PRO Manufactured Home Communities Act to shaping efforts around the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention that we got done just a few months from being in the office in our freshman term.

Beyond the policy wins, what stands out the most is how River shows up with integrity, compassion, and purpose. They have strengthened our team in ways both large and small, including being a part of our now kind of legendary tiny desk-style concert in the office, a moment that has captured their creativity and spirit.

I thank Riv for everything. You inspire me. I thank you for your impact on this country. The Nation is better because of you and your work. I love you, dude.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of extending temporary protective status for Haitian nationals living in the United States.

I am proud to represent Orlando, Florida, where one of the largest populations of Haitians live in the country. They are facing a humanitarian disaster and crisis, and we are facing a clear humanitarian and policy problem.

Haiti remains in the midst of a severe crisis, unlike anything we can find in the entire world. While hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals live in the United States, Haiti remains in severe crisis and a horrible humanitarian situation. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals in the United States are living and working under temporary protective status, and now that is at risk.

Conditions in Haiti are not safe to return. Armed groups control parts of the country. Access to food, medical care, and basic security remains deeply unstable. Deporting or forcing families to return under these conditions would be dangerous and unjust.

At the same time, Haitian TPS holders are fully integrated into our communities and societies. They are working, raising families, and contributing to our economy and neighborhoods every day.

The question before us is whether we allow this uncertainty and instability to continue or whether we will act. That is where this discharge petition comes in. The normal legislative process has failed to move this important issue forward, but this discharge petition has succeeded in forcing the House to finally consider legislation to extend TPS for more than 350,000 Haitian nationals. It is important we keep that in mind.

If we fail to move this forward, we are talking about expelling 350,000 of our neighbors to a country that is deeply unstable and dangerous.

By signing this petition, my colleagues have already recognized the urgency of the issue. Now it is time to follow through with action. A vote in favor of this measure provides stability for families, communities, and for critical parts of our workforce.

A vote in favor of this measure provides stability to families for communities and critical parts of our workforce. A vote against it sends people into conditions that we know are unsafe.

This work does not end here. We hope that in the future we can do the same thing for Venezuelan nationals. I am proud to be a part of this fight right now following the leadership of Representative Ayanna Pressley.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the discharge petition to extend temporary protected status for Haiti.

This petition, which I am very proud to be following the leadership of Representative Ayanna Pressley in helping her co-lead this, has secured the 218 signatures needed to force a vote.

Tomorrow's debate is a critical moment. This is about over 350,000 Haitian nationals, our neighbors, who have built their lives here and contribute to our communities every single day.

Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis. Forcing families to return under these conditions would be dangerous and unjust.

We are seeing bipartisan support emerge in real time as Members from both parties recognize what is at stake. Tomorrow, it is important that we do the right thing, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Next, we must move forward and pass the discharge petition to extend temporary protected status for Venezuelan nationals, as well.

Women's History Month District Honorees

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize extraordinary women from central Florida for their work and impact on the community that I proudly represent.

Last month, our office celebrated these women at an in-district event, and I will continue that celebration here today. They are mothers, public leaders, entrepreneurs, changemakers, educators, caregivers, and innovators. They are advocates and champions for communities that are often forgotten. They fight hard, and we see them.

The first is Ericka Gomez-Tejeda, a community organizer for over 33 years in the central Florida area and a fighter for immigrant rights.

Shirley Richardson Bradley is a retired educator of 38 years, a community trailblazer, and a historian.

Roniece Weaver and Fabiola Gaines are the cofounders of Hebni Nutrition and authors of several cookbooks that have revolutionized healthy eating in our underserved communities.

Michelle Sperzel is the CBO of Harbor House of Central Florida, and her work really helps local survivors of domestic violence.

Jamilyn Salonga Bailey is the owner of Kaya and a recipient of Florida's first-ever Michelin Green Star, located in Orlando's Mills 50 district.

Ossyris Bury is a first-generation Panamanian American majoring in aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida and a researcher and aspiring astronaut who has already

made a lasting impact on her campus today.

Today and every day, we celebrate their achievements and honor these empowered women who uplift and inspire others.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about the investigation and horrific crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.

Last Friday, I attended President Clinton's deposition in New York. This deposition raised even more questions about President Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Let me explain why. First off, of course, President Clinton said that President Trump flew on the plane; but not just that, President Clinton also recounted a conversation he had with President Trump about Jeffrey Epstein on a golf course in New York in the early 2000s. He said that President Trump had told him that the reason him and Jeffrey Epstein had a falling out had to do with a real estate land dispute.

This directly contradicts information that President Trump has stated in the past. He has claimed that their falling out was over spa workers at Mar-a-Lago.

We also know his own Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, is in the files, as well. Despite this, the President contends that he doesn't know anything about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. The question is: If you don't know anything about the crimes, how do you know that Howard Lutnick is innocent, as the President has stated multiple times.

I also have unanswered questions about President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. President Trump himself said that Jeffrey Epstein stole many of the women who worked at the spa in Mar-a-Lago.

I made a motion in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to subpoena documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and Mar-a-Lago. No Republican on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform supported my motion.

Republicans on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wanted to spend our time talking to Secretary Hillary Clinton. If we are calling spouses before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, why haven't we talked to Melania Trump about what she knows?

There are still many questions that need to be answered. I am proud that yesterday the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a subpoena to Pam Bondi. We will hold her accountable for what is obviously a coverup in her withholding of many of the Epstein files.

DOJ Visits and Reddit

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to chat about what I have been doing at the Department of Justice. Many Members have been going to the Department of Justice to view the Epstein files unredacted. Many of the files I have looked at were still redacted, even ones without victims' names in it. Some of the files I went to look for are no longer accessible and actually have been removed from the website. We know these files existed, but they have been scrubbed by the DOJ.

Americans are tired of the corruption. They are tired of a tiered justice system where depending on how big your bank account is and how connected you are will directly impact the outcome of your case. They want transparency.

I went online to Reddit and different websites to ask folks what I should look at and what they wanted transparency on as far as the Epstein files were concerned. Here today, I wanted to come to the floor to share some of the files that people online have asked me to look into.

The first one was this file that talked about a torture video. This right here is an email. The email belongs to Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, and that is who this was sent to.

The next one has to do with an email that says: ``Did you know somewhere

in the hills outside Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G. Both died by strangulation during rough fetish sex.'' This is from a fake email right here, dfd42299@protonmail.com. Then at the bottom down here, they are arranging for a Bitcoin to be sent to a wallet address. I am actually going to read that address out loud: 3Cr9TpVeBegey 4zGRPEdzMC94HzUUScBHN.

One of the other files people asked for some transparency on had to do with the Federal Bureau of Investigation CHS reporting document. This is still redacted. Even when I went into the DOJ and clicked a button to unredact it, it was still redacted. I was told they received it this way.

The next one has to do with a diary of drawings and collages, something that could definitely give us some more information that could be useful. This is also still redacted. There are many pages from the diary, all redacted. Of course, we need to keep the victims' names from being made public, but Congress has a right to investigate this important information.

One of the files that folks asked me to look into is about Donald Trump. Jeffrey Epstein forwarded an email to Ghislaine Maxwell. This email was from Jack Goldberger.

Mr. Speaker, one of the files is about President Trump and Mar-a-Lago.

What it reads, starting here, is:

Jeffrey Epstein forwarded Ghislaine Maxwell email from Jack

Goldberger.

What it says, starting here, is:

JE ever expelled from Mar-a-Lago? No. He was not a member.

May have been a guest. Never asked to leave.

Mark Epstein said Trump on JE plane is true. I've been on a

lot of planes, may have been on his plane. No young girls on

plane.

What do you know about allegations against JE? Only what I

read in the paper.

Trump ever been at JE house? I may have been there with my

wife. Any young girls there? No. May have been children of

guests, but that's it.

Trump specifically asked Garten to advise us of the

interview. Brad had also previously talked to a manager at

Mar-a-Lago. Bernd Lembcke confirmed JE never asked to leave

Mar-a-Lago.

That is this document, the final one that we will report on today.

The Department of Justice is still sitting on about 3 million files. They continue to pull things back and hide them every day. The government is lying to us, and we will continue to fight until we have full transparency.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Black History Month and celebrate the leaders who have dedicated their time and effort to making a difference throughout my home state and city, Orlando, The City Beautiful. I stand to honor them for their achievements, which have had a significant impact on the community. These leaders are devoted to action and advocacy across many areas of Central Florida and, more importantly, to the lives of those who call Orlando home. I include in the Record the following names of impactful Black leaders in Central Florida:

Admiral David Brewer; Alvin J. Cowans; Jennifer Desir

Hilaire; Chet Glover and the Central Florida Association of

Black Journalists; Florida Supreme Court Justice James Perry;

Anne Piervil; Lisa Williams; State Senator Geraldine

Thompson; and Eatonville Mayor Eddie Cole.

Among the leaders who are being honored today, are passionate youth advocates and mentors, former devoted public servants, spirited writers and journalists, those who have proudly served our Nation, those who have fought for and are continuing the fight for justice, and those who are holding the torch that represents the next generation of trail blazers in our Nation.

I am proud to stand alongside the leaders being honored today. As the work towards a better community, city, and Nation continues, it is important to highlight the efforts of those who dedicate their lives to this pursuit.

Today and always, we celebrate their achievements and continue to honor Black excellence.

Mr. Speaker, in celebration of Black History Month, I rise today to recognize extraordinary Black luminaries from central Florida for their work and impact on the community that I proudly represent.

Through tireless advocacy, they have strengthened our neighborhoods, expanded opportunity for those too often left behind, and improved the lives of countless families across Orlando: Admiral David Brewer, Alvin J. Cowans, Jennifer Desir Hilaire, Chet Glover,

Florida Supreme Court Justice James Perry, Anne Piervil, Lisa Williams, the late great State Senator Geraldine Thompson, and the late Eatonville Mayor Eddie Cole.

Today and always, we celebrate their achievements and continue to honor Black excellence, not just Black history, but also the history we are continuing to create.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly oppose the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act, a very disingenuous title for a bill that doesn't mention law enforcement through the text of the bill.

This bill does weaken gun laws in this country. This bill will lead to more ghost guns across this country. I promise you that within weeks of this being passed, files will be online for people to be able to 3D print just the few parts that will be needed to transform a taser that uses gun powder to a gun that is going to be able to shoot bullets. Then, within months, people would be able to purchase the same parts online or in their local gun store.

The sponsor of this bill says that it makes it possible for law enforcement to obtain tasers. They don't need this bill to do that. In fact, this bill isn't even tailored specifically to law enforcement. It changes gun laws in this country.

Law enforcement uses tasers in all 50 States. Gun violence is already the leading cause of death for children in our country. This Congress does not need to be in the business of weakening the laws that we do have, but we do need to be in the business of doing what we need to do to end gun violence in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, when I first heard about this bill, I thought it was very interesting that my Republican colleagues had this newfound conviction in helping to prevent law enforcement doing bad things to people and working to de-escalate law enforcement.

I am someone who has been a victim of the abuse of law enforcement, and I just haven't heard my colleagues ever talk about it. I came at this bill skeptically when I looked at it. It turns out the bill itself was pretty much written by a corporation, Axon, that wants to sell a new type of taser.

Let's be clear with everyone. Anyone can buy a taser right now. I would ask everyone watching to go online and look at the fact that anyone can buy it. It can be purchased on Amazon. Anyone can buy a taser right now.

This has to do with new technology that uses gunpowder. This is the reason the ATF decided to regulate this years ago. This doesn't have to do with de-escalating law enforcement, which has tasers in all 50 States. This has to do with selling more weapons and firearms, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, this month, I celebrate Florida Citrus Sports and its significant impact and dedication to communities throughout Central Florida. Since its founding in 1946, Florida Citrus Sports has committed to hosting nationally and internationally recognized events, some including the Florida Classic, the Cheezits Citrus Bowl, and several competitions that gather people from all over the world.

Florida Citrus Sports has cultivated and supported opportunities for employment, students, teachers, and communities that will continue to contribute to the elevation of all Florida residents. Celebrating 80 Years of Impact demonstrates resilience and a growing passion for community service, despite challenges faced and to come.

Through numerous partnerships and leadership, Florida Citrus Sports has invested in the future of Florida's economy, education, and countless neighborhood revitalization initiatives.

I thank Florida Citrus Sports for their 80 years of dedication and service. Their contribution has, in many ways, enhanced Central Florida's vision to maintain a strengthened, hope-filled, equitable, and innovative legacy for all future residents.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose the rule because it contains H.R. 2189, the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act. This is a terrible bill and a billion-dollar giveaway to gun manufacturers wrapped in a deceiving title.

The corporate lobbyists pushing this bill claim it is an effort to prevent police violence, but, in reality, it would make everyone less safe. In fact, the words ``law enforcement'' aren't even found anywhere in the bill.

Even Gun Owners of America is not being shy about what the bill really does. They posted the summary online. Just today they posted it as a bill exempting certain weapons from all firearms regulation under the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act. There will be no background checks and no questions asked.

Nowhere in the bill text does it mention law enforcement because law enforcement already has and uses the power to purchase tasers. What the bill actually does is create a new loophole that will flood our communities with more weapons and new ghost guns.

Axon and other companies that make and sell weapons will benefit from this bill, but none of us will benefit from it. Our communities will be less safe.

Every time the government creates a new opening, the gun industry will take advantage of it. I promise you, Mr. Speaker, within weeks there will be files online to 3D print the parts you need to make this weapon you got without a background check into a gun that can shoot bullets, and within months you will be able to purchase those same parts online legally.

When gun violence remains the leading cause of death in the Nation for our kids, Congress must not hand unregulated weapons over to the public. We must not make Axon, a multibillion-dollar company, even richer. I am someone who has witnessed both police violence and gun violence, and I want Congress to consider real reform like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

This bill was rushed to the floor. We tried to make changes, but our edits were rejected.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to vote ``no'' on this rule, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Folks should know that voting ``yes'' on this is voting ``yes'' on more guns in our communities.