Neal P. Dunn

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Robert W. Rust, whose actions helped prevent an assassination attempt on President John F. Kennedy before he took the oath of office.

Colonel Rust passed away on September 1, 2024, in Florida at the age of 96. He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in March of 2025.

Colonel Rust had a long career in public service and law enforcement, serving as a Marine Patrol Officer for the City of Miami; Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice for the Southern District of Florida; Chief Assistant County Prosecutor; State Representative for the Palm Beach and Martin Counties in the Florida House of Representatives; and U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice for the Southern District of Florida from 1969 to 1977 before returning to privately practice law until his retirement in 1989. These are only a few of his many accomplishments and positions over his long life.

In December 1960, during his time as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice, he used his authority to protect the then President-Elect John Fitzgerald Kennedy by intercepting the attempted assassin Richard Paul Pavlick.

After his Presidential win, Kennedy vacationed at his family's estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Richard Pavlick followed Kennedy from New England to Florida, planning to carry out a suicide car bombing targeting the 35th President. Pavlick waited for an opportunity when Kennedy would not be with his wife, Jacqueline, and their two young children.

Acting on a tip from Postmaster Thomas Murphy of Belmont, New Hampshire, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rust and John Marshall, Agent in Charge of the Secret Service for South Florida, intercepted Pavlick after he was detained by Palm Beach motorcycle police officer Lester Free for a traffic infraction. Agent Marshall persuaded Pavlick to sign a consent-to-search form, which led to the discovery that his car was filled with dynamite. Rust had traced Pavlick's purchase of the dynamite to New Hampshire, uncovering that Pavlick had followed President-elect Kennedy to Florida with the intent to assassinate him.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rust subsequently charged Pavlick federally with attempting to bomb a church, which had recently become a federal crime. At that time, it was not yet a federal crime to murder or threaten a President or President-elect; previous assassinations had been prosecuted only under state law. Rust and Marshall also persuaded Pavlick to sign a consent form to search his motel room. After obtaining his signed consent, they discovered a manifesto detailing his intent to assassinate Kennedy.

Around this time, the Secret Service detail assigned to Kennedy's Florida visit checked into a hotel across the street. Kennedy was scheduled to arrive in Palm Beach the following day. Rust and Marshall then walked the handcuffed Pavlick over to the Secret Service. Pavlick was ultimately committed to an institution after it was determined that he had a history of mental illness.

This attempt on President Kennedy's life is often overlooked due to an airline accident that occurred the same day and, of course, because of his tragic death nearly three years later.

Rust received the Secret Service Treasury Department Award of Merit in 1964, as well as a letter of commendation from U.S. Secret Service Chief U.E. Baughman.

In 1961, at the beginning of the 87th Congress, Public Law 87-829 was introduced and passed the following year, extending Secret Service protection to include Presidents-elect, Vice Presidents-elect, former presidents, and their families--considering the threat the previous December.

Without Colonel Rust's efforts, Pavlick could have inflicted great harm on the future President and innocent Americans around him, I am proud to honor his legacy with these remarks today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptional Air Force leader for his outstanding service and upcoming retirement following more than 20 years of service to the United States. Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Olde is the F-15 Legacy and Advanced Eagle Acceptance Test Pilot and Director of Operations at Defense Contract Management Agency Fixed Wing St. Louis.

Lt. Col. Olde is an elite aviator whose role bridges the gap between manufacturer production and military combat readiness. He is responsible for rigorously testing and evaluating all newly built or upgraded F-15 aircraft before the United States Department of War officially accepts delivery and they enter active military service within the US or various international allies and foreign partners.

During his time of service, Lt. Col. Olde has accumulated over 2,300 hours in the jet to include 574 combat hours and has delivered all 46 of 46 of Boeing's F-15QA Aircraft. Additionally, he served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve with an additional year of deployment to King Khaled Air Base within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On the lighter side of his service, Lt. Col. Olde served as the director of the Wings Over Wayne Air Show at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in 2017 as well as coordinated and flew five F-15 flyovers during Military Appreciation Night at St. Louis Cardinals Stadium from 2022 through 2026.

Lt. Col. Olde reflects the highest standards of leadership and conduct and is a credit to the U.S. military. I wish Lt. Col. Olde, his wife, Sarah, and their children, Reagan, Patch, and Sybil only the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to be here in support of this bipartisan, commonsense bill to reauthorize the First Responder Network Authority.

I thank Chairman Guthrie and Chairman Hudson for their work throughout this process, along with my colleague on the other side of the aisle, my friend Representative Jennifer McClellan of Virginia, for co-leading this legislation with me.

The First Responder Network Authority, known as FirstNet, was established by Congress with a clear objective in mind: to build a preemptive network for the first responders that they can rely on in any emergency.

The brave men and women who risk their lives day in and out for our communities deserve nothing less than a resilient and dependable communication system.

FirstNet has delivered on this promise, and today, it is the backbone of public safety communication in the United States.

The authority governing FirstNet is set to expire in February 2027. Without proper action, we are putting the safety of our first responders and our communities at risk.

This crucial legislation would extend that authority through September 2037, giving FirstNet the long-term certainty it needs to continue investing in our Nation's safety.

In the wake of some of the most destructive natural disasters in recent memory, the importance of this network could not be more clear.

My home State of Florida understands all too well how devastating these natural disasters can be. My district has endured literally dozens of hurricanes and tropical storms in the last 10 years, most notably Hurricane Michael in 2018.

In those moments when every second counts, when innocent lives are on the line, the question of whether or not first responders can communicate with one another should never be in doubt.

At this time, I would like to take a moment to recognize the brave men and women who step forward when others step back.

I give a special thank-you to Walton County's very own Sheriff Michael Adkinson for his leadership in underscoring the imperative nature of FirstNet.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.