Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding member of the United States Air Force, Colonel Joe ``Solo'' Kunkel. Solo has been selected for reassignment from Tyndall Air Force Base in the Second District of Florida, where he served as the vice commander of the 325th Fighter Wing.

He will continue his service at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho as commander of the 366th Fighter Wing, the ``Gunfighters.''

Colonel Kunkel has been an exceptional leader at Tyndall, where he oversaw more than 4,000 people who train and support F-22 Raptor pilots and crews.

He has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his officers, airmen, and their families. He improved mission performance, facilities, and family programs at Tyndall.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending congratulations and gratitude to Colonel Kunkel; his wife, Jenny; and their children, Madeline, Drew, Riley, and Brayden.

May God continue to bless our Nation with his kind of exemplary patriotism and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of Hearing Officer and Former Gilchrist County Court Judge Edward Philman, who passed away on May 17th.

Judge Philman was a pillar of the community and served the citizens of Gilchrist County as their County Court Judge for 24 years before his retirement in 2012. He then went on to work as a Senior Judge and as a Civil Traffic Hearing Officer for the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida.

His achievements were many during his lifetime. He served his country in the U.S. Army infantry and was a combat veteran in Vietnam. He was named the Gilchrist County Citizen of the Year in 1989. Judge Philman was an involved member of the Trenton Rotary Club and served as district governor from 2012 to 2013.

Judge Philman also instituted the Fifth-Grade Mock Trials in Gilchrist County. Since it began, the Mock Trials have taught hundreds of local students how the judicial system actually works.

Judge Philman earned his Juris Doctor from Mercer University in 1981 with honors and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida in 1978. He also attended Lake City Community College and Lake City Forest Ranger School, after graduating Bell High School.

He has been quoted saying, ``Let my life and the work I have done speak for me.''

Mr. Speaker, Judge Philman's life and work have truly spoken to the character of the extraordinary man we lost last month. Please join me in honoring a man who dedicated his life to the letter of the law, the late Judge Edward Philman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3003, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act.

Congress has a responsibility to protect the rule of law in our country and to provide for the safety of our citizens. The American people overwhelmingly oppose sanctuary cities and believe that we should be doing more to enforce our Federal immigration laws.

The No Sanctuary for Criminals Act clarifies the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to order the detainment of illegal immigrants arrested for crimes until they can be processed for deportation.

It also cuts off certain Federal grants to cities and States that violate Federal immigration law. It is simple: If you don't comply with the Federal immigration law, you are not eligible for certain Federal grants.

It is time for us to enforce our immigration laws.

National attention was brought to the consequences of the sanctuary city policies by the death of Kate Steinle, who was killed by an illegal immigrant who had previously been convicted of seven felonies and deported five times. If the city of San Francisco had worked with the Federal Government to enforce the Federal immigration law instead of releasing this criminal, Kate Steinle would be alive today.

Our current system of laws failed Kate and all those who have died at the hands of convicted felons in this country illegally. The people who I am honored to represent do not understand why some American cities get to flout the law and not cooperate with Federal officials. This legislation makes it clear that they don't, that sanctuary cities are illegal. By holding these jurisdictions accountable and stopping sanctuary cities, we will make Americans of every background safer on our streets.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Florida Highway Patrol Master Sergeant William Bishop of Lake City. Sergeant Bishop was killed last Saturday while working a traffic accident on I- 75 in Alachua County, Florida.

Sergeant Bishop is a 30-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol, and he dedicated his life to law enforcement. He truly loved his patrol family. He also served in the United States Army, serving on the front lines all his life. That is a calling, not a job.

Many of Bishop's colleagues remember him as someone who exhibited compassion, honesty, and faith. He loved watching football, but his greatest love of all was his family, especially his son, Trampas.

His service and sacrifice to the State of Florida is a debt we will never be able to repay.

Please join me in honoring Florida Highway Patrol Master Sergeant William Bishop and all of our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. This important legislation will streamline the arduous process to remove, demote, or suspend any VA employee for poor performance, negligence, or misconduct.

We all know the list of scandals: veterans dying on wait lists, intoxicated surgical staff, armed robbery, grossly mismanaged construction projects. Yet the civil service rules allow bad VA employees to stay on the public payroll.

Our veterans deserve better.

Today we take a bold step toward reversing that failure. This legislation will allow Secretary Shulkin to immediately remove bad employees as he works to restructure and improve veterans' care. It also ensures that whistleblowers are protected from retaliation. The bottom line is that it implements real accountability at the VA, accountability to the men and women who have bravely served this country.

The Veterans Affairs Accountability Act is an important first step in addressing poor performance and misconduct at the VA, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation.

I thank the chair and the ranking member very much for their work on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an industry that is recognized nationwide during the first full week of May, but recognized locally in my district by the Bay County Chamber of Commerce during the entire month of May: travel and tourism.

If tourism is the body, then our visitors are the blood sustaining life. From our award-winning restaurants and warm and welcoming hospitality businesses, to our entertainment events featuring world- renowned artists and the alluring charms of small town life, each and every member of the tourism industry is critical to making our communities thrive. I commend you for your work and am thankful for your contributions to making our communities an incredible place to call home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of James Edwin Gasper, who today celebrates 90 years on this earth.

James, or ``Jimmy'' as his friends know him, moved to Washington County, Florida in 1932 with his mother, father and brothers and, with the exception of his time serving our nation during World War II, has lived there ever since.

In 1945, Mr. Gasper enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was assigned to 1223 Military Police Company in Bad Kissingen, Germany--ultimately completing his tour of duty in 1947 as a member of the newly-minted United States Air Force in Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. Mr. Gasper's service earned him the WWII Victory and Army Occupation medals, and he was qualified as Marksman for both Pistol and Carbine.

After returning home from his time in the service, Mr. Gasper married the love of his life, the late Nellie Gasper, and raised a family that has grown from four children to include six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Mr. Gasper also went on to dedicate 40 years to the Florida Department of Transportation and served Washington County by setting up voting machines for all local elections.

Mr. Gasper is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the VFW Military Order of the Cootie, Disabled American Veterans, the DAV National Order of the Trench Rats, and above all else, is a devout member of the Church of Christ.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring a great American of the Greatest Generation on his 90th birthday, James Edwin Gasper.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2288, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017.

This important legislation will update and streamline the bureaucratic nightmare that is the disability appeals process. This bill breaks appeals down into three lanes to expedite decisionmaking and improves the ability of veterans to offer new information about their condition. The bill requires Secretary Shulkin to provide a comprehensive plan of how he plans to implement the crucial changes which are supported by both the VFW and the American Legion.

Our men and women in uniform served with the assurance that they would be well treated when they came home. They earned and they deserve timely service from their government. Instead, veterans wait years to hear from an out-of-date, backlogged appeals system. Sometimes that process takes 5 years--5 years. That is an insult to their service, and it is an insult that we cannot tolerate.

Our veterans fought for their country abroad. Now it is our job to ensure that they don't have another fight when they come home. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the promise we made to our veterans and introduce the Veterans Increased Choice for Transplanted Organs and Recovery Act of 2017, the VICTOR Act.

The VICTOR Act will allow veterans who live more than 100 miles from one of the Nation's 14 VA transplant centers to receive care at a local, federally certified facility.

From Florida's Second District, the closest VA facility which performs heart, lung, and liver transplants is in Nashville, Tennessee. A veteran in Ocala would have to travel more than 600 miles to receive a new liver, despite there being seven federally certified centers in Florida.

As a surgeon, I know that timely organ transplants can make the difference between life and death, and yet our veterans sit on waiting lists for organs they may never receive. Government bureaucracy should not hurt our Nation's veterans when they are in desperate need of care. The VICTOR Act will give those who fought for our freedom a fighting chance here at home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of fallen Taylor County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Scott Williams.

On the morning of October 31, 2016, Deputy Williams put on his uniform and climbed into his patrol car, heading to the job he loved. He was tragically killed in a collision that morning.

Deputy Williams joined the Taylor County Sheriff's Department in May of 2015, and was promoted to officer in charge, serving as his sergeant's second in command. He dedicated his life to law enforcement. For him, it was not just a job; it was a calling. Friends and family described Deputy Williams as a quick study and an experienced lawman who loved to make people laugh.

This week, Deputy Williams was honored at the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service in Washington, a fitting reminder that his heroism will not be forgotten.

Please join me in honoring Deputy Michael Scott Williams and all of our fallen law enforcement heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our safety.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Sheriff Tommy Ford and the Bay County Sheriff's Office for their service and for holding a memorial for those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The brave men and women of law enforcement put their lives at risk every day. They run into danger so that others can escape it, and they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect their communities.

In 2016, our country lost 145 law enforcement officers in the line of duty, and so far this year, 50 law enforcement officers have died on the job. We owe these officers and their families a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay.

Leah and I are eternally grateful to the Bay County Sheriff's Office, and indeed, all who wear the badge, for what they do to keep us safe, and to honor their brothers and sisters who have fallen.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Thin Blue Line Act, which will make murder or attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, or first responders, an aggravating factor in death penalty determinations.

The officers of the thin blue line put their lives at risk every day and are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we can rest easy at night. Our law enforcement and first responders run into danger so that others can run away from it. They do this despite the rise in violence against them.

We have witnessed a 167 percent increase in ambush-style killings of police officers in 2016 alone. This is tragic, and it is unacceptable.

The Thin Blue Line Act will hold cop killers accountable and seek justice for those murdered in the line of duty, and it will show our resolve as citizens to protect the officers who have sworn to protect us.

During this week, National Police Week, we can also show our gratitude to law enforcement and their families by passing the Thin Blue Line Act. It is an honor to represent them in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, once again, in support of the American Health Care Act. I do this as a doctor for the good of my patients. We are here today to repeal ObamaCare, to take healthcare decisions away from Washington bureaucrats and give them back to the people.

The American Health Care Act will create a patient-centered system that will lower the cost of health care and serve patients. This act eliminates ObamaCare's taxes, subsidies, and mandates. It defunds Planned Parenthood. It puts Medicaid on a budget, and it is the largest entitlement reform in a generation.

Without Washington mandates driving up costs and limiting access to care, Americans will have the freedom to obtain quality healthcare plans that fit their needs at a cost they can afford.

All this talk about preexisting conditions, this bill provides guaranteed issuance.

Let's not break our promise on repealing ObamaCare. Let's be true to our word. We owe it to the people who sent us here.

I support the American Health Care Act, Mr. Speaker, and I urge all Members to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish Mr. Ryan Ziem's American Government students at Arnold High School the very best luck in their upcoming advanced placement exam. I visited these students last fall, and I was impressed by their articulate questions and commitment to understanding our system of government.

Of course, understanding our system of government means understanding the U.S. Constitution. It is the greatest gift left to us by the Founders, and it has stood the test of time.

The success of the Constitution is due to its carefully designed system of checks and balances. By separating the powers of government into separate but equal branches and guaranteeing individual rights, the Constitution has been, as James Madison suggested, ``the guardian of true liberty.''

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing these bright young students good luck on their AP exam and in their college applications.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Arthur C. Butler, Sr. of Lake City, Florida who turns 100 years old today.

Mr. Butler has led a life of service to this country and represents the best of America. He served as a Technical Sergeant in the 10th Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Army Air Corps.

In 2015, Mr. Butler was awarded the French Legion of Honor for his role in the liberation of France and the Battle of Rhineland. During his tour he witnessed General Patton and troops march through his base outside Paris on their way to the Battle of the Bulge.

Mr. Butler is also a Knight Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor.

Mr. Butler has been a pillar of the community and a member of the Lake City Lions Club for over 60 years.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Mr. Arthur C. Butler a Happy 100th Birthday and thanking him for his service to our great country.