Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I came to speak on this bill because it means a lot to me. My war was Vietnam, and I remember the end of that war. I remember the friends that we left behind, I remember the families that were torn apart, and it still weighs on me.

Now I have a son who spent years in Afghanistan, and when he talks to me, he does not talk about taxes or healthcare. He talks about the people he left behind in Afghanistan and what we are doing for them. We cannot do this again. We must not do this again. We have to rise and bring back and repatriate all the people who were so important to us in combat.

Mr. Speaker, I know you understand that. Please do not abandon friends of America again.

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

Mr. Speaker, I was recorded as Yes--I intended to vote ``No'' on Rollcall No. 201.

personal explanation

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the centennial celebration of Dixie County, Florida. Dixie County, FL will turn 100 years old on April 25, 2021. Formerly part of Lafayette County, Dixie County was created in 1921 and is home to the incorporated towns of Cross City, Old Town, and Horseshoe Beach.

Dixie County is known for showcasing its rich history and beautiful landscapes. Home of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, Dixie County is a main attraction for the historic Suwannee River, and the unique beaches nestled along the Gulf of Mexico.

Cross City is the county seat of Dixie and is known for its central location along the Old Spanish Trail, running East to West and ``crossing'' with Old Salt Road that leads to Horseshoe beach. In and around Cross City, you will find rural small towns that promote a thriving logging industry. South of Cross City you will find a coastal oasis where an abundance of commercial fishermen still exists today. In addition to logging and fishing, there is an array of farming operations that largely contribute to Dixie County's economy.

Boat, plane, or train, there is no limit in getting to and from Dixie County. The Dixie County Airport has served the community and our nation for many years. The airport was previously used as an advanced fighter base during World War II.

Generations of some of the most hardworking, hospitable, and humble people have called Dixie County, Florida home. Since its inception, the citizens of Dixie County have taken pride in preserving its history and educating our youth. Built in 1910, Old Town Elementary School is the oldest public building in Dixie County and currently houses the Dixie County Historical Society. Year after year, the county has worked hard to promote community engagement by hosting annual festivals to showcase its rich cultural history. This year is no exception.

It is my honor to recognize 100 years of growth and prosperity for Dixie County.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of a special member of my community, Ms. Elana Thomas, who went to be with her Savior on March 1, 2021.

Elana was born May 7, 1948, in the small rural community of Sneads, Florida. Surrounded by pine forests and agricultural land, Sneads and greater Jackson County are home to hard-working men and women, many of great faith and fortitude. Elana was no exception.

Her life was not marked by monetary wealth or great business achievements, but her impact within her community was vast. She was not an elected official, but she was a leader to those who knew her. She was a trusted counselor and friend to many, a sounding board, and a valued advisor. She will be sorely missed, but those who knew her in life are assured she is in a much better place. Her faith in God was the bedrock she built her life upon.

Elana was a devoted church member of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church for more than 30 years, often serving as a lay speaker or leading songs during services. She taught teens during Sunday School and was the president of the church's ushers' ministry. She had a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible, which she read and studied every day. She would often quote scripture to folks in crisis, providing them with relatable passages that might help them get through the period of turmoil they were experiencing. She counseled those in distress, providing loving and kind advice and direction to those who sought it from her.

She ministered with members of her church to inmates at nearby Apalachee Correctional Institution, volunteering her time and treasure to help men who had strayed from the path regain their footing for an eventual successful restoration back to their communities. She performed local missionary work, helping those less fortunate with a helping hand, a kind word, and a shoulder to lean upon.

When her mother fell ill, she diligently visited her every day she was able, in the assisted living facility, even after her own health made it difficult to do so. When her mother passed away, it was Elana who gave the eulogy, speaking eloquently and from the heart about her mother to the assembled family and friends who came to mourn her passing. Elana never let her health issues deter her from the service she was called to do.

Madam Speaker, allow me this moment to express condolences to Elana's family, friends, and colleagues. Though her presence will be sorely missed by many, I pray we may find solace in remembering her legacy for years to come. On March 13, 2021, family and friends traveled from far and near to celebrate her life and her church family was in attendance in great numbers. In the words of Bishop Adrian Abner of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, ``Elana lived a life of devotion to those less fortunate. She was a woman of great faith and prayer and a treasured member of this church and our community. She touched many with her kindness in word and deed.'' She leaves treasured memories with one son, Eddie D. Lovett, II and wife Susan of Raleigh, North Carolina; one brother, Jimmy Walker of Oxon Hill, Maryland; two grandchildren; and a host of relatives and friends. I join the entire community in honoring Elana Thomas for her dedicated life of service to others.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, to get our kids out from behind screens and back in the classroom.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Colonel (Doctor) (Retired) David G. McLeod, who passed away on December 18, 2020. I know the thoughts of many thousands of military medical officers, protegees, surgical colleagues, and patients are with the McLeod family, especially his wife of 55 years, Claudia, their children, David Jr. and Ayvette Sailer, and treasured grandchildren.

After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Doctor McLeod joined the U.S. Army, completed medical school and began what would become a five- decade storied career in Army Medicine. Drawn to service in direct support of troops in combat, Doctor McLeod delayed his surgical training to serve a distinguished combat tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. Following his urology residency, he went on to serve as Program Director, Chief of Urologic Oncology, and Chief of Urology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

In 1992, Colonel McLeod established the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. At its helm until his retirement from the Army in 2016, Dr. McLeod led CPDR's growth to ultimately become one of the world's finest, most influential prostate patient care and research centers, home to one of the largest and most comprehensive prostate cancer databases and tissue repositories in the country. For his part, Dr. McLeod would become internationally renowned for CPDR's groundbreaking and pioneering work that combined molecular biology and clinical research.

He rose in academia to serve concurrently as a Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery (Urology) at Georgetown University Medical Center. He also earned his Juris Doctor from Northern Virginia Law School. His published work appeared in major medical journals, including Urology, the Journal of Urology, the Journal of Urologic Oncology, and the Journal of Cancer. His contributions included co-authoring multiple chapters and publications on urologic oncology, educating his students and advancing the field of research simultaneously. He was a member of numerous professional societies and served as President of the American Foundation of Urologic Disease (now known as the American Urological Association Foundation) and past President of the Mid-Atlantic Section of the American Urologic Association. He was also a member of The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Virginia and the D.C. Bar.

After more than 50 years in uniformed service to our Nation, having personally cared for senior leaders within the highest branches of government with the same commitment and dedication as that given to active duty service members, foreign heads of state, veterans and their family members, Dr. McLeod was revered as an exceptional surgeon, urologic oncologist and patient advocate. To the thousands of physicians, surgeons, scientists and other healthcare providers who passed through the halls of Walter Reed during his tenure (myself included), and for civilian surgeons, urologists and oncologists throughout the nation and around the globe, David McLeod was revered as an extraordinary mentor and clinical pioneer. He was tough and had zero tolerance for nonsense; after all, you can take a man out of the Marines, but you can't take the Marine out of the man. However, despite the rough exterior, Dr. McLeod was adored and respected by everyone. Indeed, the trajectory of current prostate cancer detection, prevention, treatment and care rest on the shoulders of this giant in the field.

Madam Speaker, Colonel (Doctor) (Retired) David G. McLeod is very clearly one of the giants of Army Medicine, one whose contributions to both military medicine and global health will be felt for years to come, and whose legacy will stand the test of time. To say it was a privilege working beside this man would be an understatement. I am honored to recognize his service, and on behalf of the 2nd District of Florida and all those who have known this phenomenal American, I wish to express my deepest thanks to David McLeod for his commendable years of service and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the late Harry K. Weaver of Live Oak, Florida. From a very young age, Mr. Weaver had an unwavering desire to serve others and make the world a better place.

Mr. Weaver was born in 1929 in Bristol, Florida. Shortly after earning his degree at Florida State University, he enlisted in the United States Army.

Following years of service to our country, he returned to Florida, where he would dedicate more than 33 years of his life first as the administrator, then the president of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, a program that has served over 150,000 children.

Harry was also a founding member of the National Association of Homes for Children, where he served as its first president. His legacy will live on in Suwannee County, and the impact that he has made on the youth has left a lasting impression.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the life and legacy of Mr. Harry Weaver.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lieutenant General Robert Scott Williams as he retires after 32 years of service to the United States Air Force.

On June 20, General Williams completed his tour as dual commander of Air Forces Northern and First Air Force headquarters at Tyndall Air Force Base, capping a long and distinguished career.

His service to the Air Force included a tour as commander of the 169th Operations Group and Fighter Wing at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in South Carolina.

General Williams' leadership during and after Hurricane Michael was top tier. He and his team at Tyndall Air Force Base overcame numerous obstacles and exceeded expectations by opening First Air Force headquarters way ahead of schedule. This is only 2 short months after the category 5 storm Michael devastated the panhandle.

Madam Speaker, I applaud the work he has accomplished over his last 3 years of command and his 32-year career. Please join me in saluting Lieutenant General Robert Scott Williams for his great service to the Air Force.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and could be sent to the President's desk today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Staff Sergeant Clifford Chester Sims. Sergeant Sims made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during the Vietnam war.

Sergeant Sims was born in Port St. Joe, Florida, and orphaned at a young age. He was adopted at age 13 by James and Irene Sims. He met his wife, Mary, and joined the Army after high school.

On February 21, 1968, while behind enemy lines during the Battle of Hue in the Republic of Vietnam, Sims threw himself on a grenade in defense of his squad. Sergeant Sims made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his comrades in arms, all while fighting in the name of liberty.

Sergeant Sims was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions. This week, Bay County officially named June 18 Staff Sergeant Clifford Chester Sims Day.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Sergeant Clifford Sims and all our fallen heroes who gave that last full measure of devotion to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2157, which will finally provide desperately needed long-term recovery resources to the communities that I represent. Until today, my constituents have waited for 7 months with no certainty that help would ever come.

This is particularly true for North Florida agricultural producers and most critical for the foresters. Hurricane Michael left millions of acres of forestland in ruin--causing catastrophic damage and resulting in billions of dollars in losses.

My support for this bill was partly due to my understanding that money appropriated under Title 1 will give the Secretary of Agriculture the flexibility necessary to compensate timber producers for losses or to issue block grants allowing a state to do so when appropriate. I look forward to working with Secretary Perdue throughout the implementation of this bill to ensure it can best help all struggling panhandle agriculture producers.

Mr. Speaker, today, this Congress will finally finish its work on a disaster supplemental. For my district, this bill comes almost 8 months after Hurricane Michael destroyed 12 counties in Florida.

For 8 months, I have hammered this Congress about the devastation and desperate needs in my communities. Month after month, one political excuse after another has been used to delay the emergency disaster supplemental, which had always been prompt and never been politicized.

But not this time. This time, my neighbors, my communities, and my friends were left to wonder why Washington doesn't care about them.

Whatever became of Americans helping Americans?

To my colleagues who have unnecessarily delayed this bill, and who may even today vote against it, I ask why. Some colleagues will say their principles required a recorded vote, even though the content of this bill has been known for months and debated for months. In fact, we had a chance to vote on the amendments to it just 2 weeks ago.

For those upset at the cost, okay, spending in Washington is a problem. But are they willing to make an empty gesture about balancing the Federal budget on the backs of Americans who have lost everything? Are they willing to force the airmen at Tyndall and the marines at Camp Lejeune to halt work to repair their bases because they ran out of money over a month ago? How about the foresters in the timber industry who grow a commodity not covered by Federal crop insurance or any other program? Are they willing to bankrupt them? A ``no'' vote today does exactly that.

I would like to close with a simple thought for those who would think about voting ``no'' on this bill: There but for the grace of God go I.

If this happened in their districts, would they be willing and prepared to vote against their neighbors in the face of a disaster that literally destroyed their homes and businesses? Would they look them in the eye and vote ``no''? I rather doubt it.

Madam Speaker, I regretfully missed votes on 5/8. I was forced to return to my district with the President who was surveying damage from Hurricane Michael. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 187, and YEA on Roll Call No. 188

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, my amendment increases military construction funding in the bill for the Air Force and the United States Marine Corps.

Last year, Hurricanes Florence and Michael destroyed two of our Nation's premier combat and training bases.

Camp Lejeune in North Carolina sustained $3.6 billion in damages due to Hurricane Florence. Lejeune is critical to our Nation's defenses not only for the Marine Corps, but it is also home to a major Navy command and a Coast Guard command.

The base's unique access to two deepwater ports allows for rapid seaborne deployments. It also has vast amounts of land and deep training resources. This is what makes Camp Lejeune the home of ``Expeditionary Forces in Readiness.''

Tyndall Air Force Base, in my district in Florida, took a direct hit from a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Michael. Tyndall is home to the largest F-22 base in the world. It is one of only two Air Force bases that has immediate access to the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range, a range that is like no other in the world. Our airmen are able to train and test on the next generation of supersonic and hypersonic aircraft and weapons systems in a live-fire environment.

A few months ago, President Trump came, and he ordered the Air Force to make Tyndall a fifth-generation Air Force base outfitted with three squadrons of F-35s and a squadron of MQ-9s. This rebuild will cost $2.7 billion in military construction alone, and it will make Tyndall the base of the future.

My amendment will raise MILCON funding in fiscal year 2019 up to $500 million for the Marine Corps and up to $1 billion for the Air Force. This is only a downpayment to help these services continue on their rebuilds.

This funding is crucial for our military. Our Nation's defense is in crisis, and our readiness will continue to deteriorate if we do not provide the necessary funds to our armed services immediately.

I would like to make a couple of other points that sometimes seem to get lost in our discussions.

The Federal Government knows that it self-insures the military. From the moment the storms occurred, it was 100 percent certain that we were going to need a disaster supplemental. By law, the funds cannot come from FEMA, and they cannot come from HUD. They must be directly appropriated by this Congress.

Hurricane Michael was a unique storm. It was more like a tornado than a hurricane, but it was a tornado that was 80 miles wide and 120 miles deep. In my district, we have 3 million acres of land that is crushed.

By way of comparison, in 2017, three hurricanes affected Florida: Hermine, Maria, and Irma. Fifty counties were affected.

Just the county that Tyndall Air Force base sits in has already cleaned up 30 million cubic yards of debris, compared with less than 3 million in those 50 counties in 2017. Nobody in the history of America has ever seen this much debris. We estimate that we are 20 percent of the way through our debris cleanup, and we have done more than anybody has ever seen in history.

What are we going to do with these bases? Well, we are going to rebuild them. Of course, we are going to rebuild them. We love our military, and we need our military.

I have never been prouder of any group than I have been of the airmen at Tyndall and the job that they have done to stand that base back up. They already have the first Air Force headquarters up and running, and that is air defense for all of North America. And we are ready to take back the F-22 training mission.

Madam Chair, I am proud to say that Tyndall has done a great job rebuilding, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), my friend and colleague.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I rise today because the United States Air Force is in desperate need of our help.

I am proud to cosponsor this amendment that raises the Air Force funding levels for fiscal year 2019.

Our amendment brings the operations and maintenance account up to $670 million, which is the minimum the Air Force needs to continue to rebuild Offutt and Tyndall Air Force Bases.

On October 10th, Tyndall--in my district--took a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Michael.

Now, 7 months later, no supplemental funding has been provided. That is irresponsible.

On May 1, Secretary Wilson was forced to halt all work rebuilding Tyndall due to lack of funds. This is a severe blow to our Nation's military readiness.

These bases are critical to our Nation's defense for both combat and training missions, and some of the missions literally cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world.

Madam Chair, our ability to defend America is suffering. My district and many other districts across our Nation are suffering from hurricanes, fires, and floods.

Madam Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment.