Floor Statements

I want to thank the chair from the great State of Florida and the ranking member for their work putting together this bipartisan legislation.

I rise today in support of the en bloc amendments that include my bipartisan amendment to the Defense appropriations bill with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman). Our amendment would eliminate wasteful spending on unused facilities, which can save tens of millions of dollars in fiscal year 2014 alone.

The Department of Defense has hundreds, possibly thousands, of buildings and structures that it has rated at zero percent utilization. This is an incredible number of useless facilities the Department of Defense is paying to maintain.

Federal agencies as a whole must do a better job at managing their facilities. Taxpayers cannot continue paying for unused and underused buildings while the Nation is at record levels of debt. That is not good government and not smart spending.

That is why earlier this year I introduced the SAVE Act to root out up to $200 billion in wasteful and duplicative government spending over the next 10 years.

This amendment is an extension of one of the 11 commonsense solutions included in the bipartisan SAVE Act, preventing the Department of Defense from spending money on facilities that the Department itself has rated at zero percent utilization.

Mr. Chairman, we all agree that we must rein in government spending, and the best place to start is by rooting out waste. My amendment is a commonsense solution to do just that, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment.

First, I want to thank Mr. Cardenas for putting this Special Order together. I'm here tonight to call on the House of Representatives to pass bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform that would reduce our deficit and grow our economy.

Madam Speaker, now that the Senate has passed comprehensive immigration reform with broad bipartisan support, it is time for the House to step up and do the same. Passing immigration reform will cut our Federal deficit and grow the economy. The Congressional Budget Office reported that the Senate immigration bill would reduce the Federal budget deficit by $850 billion over the next 20 years. Comprehensive immigration reform will also grow our economy. By expanding the U.S. labor force and America's productivity, increasing the number of available high-tech visas and increasing foreign investment, comprehensive immigration reform will increase our gross domestic product. It is projected that this will increase GDP by $1.4 trillion by 2033.

While not perfect, the Senate immigration bill is an important bipartisan compromise to address what is currently a broken system. I came to Washington to work across the aisle and find commonsense solutions just like this. Furthermore, the fact that this bill would reduce the Federal deficit and grow the economy should be something we can all agree on.

I urge my colleagues to support passing the Senate's bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of an outstanding young man. Aaron Jason, a rising junior at South Fork High School, passed away on June 26, 2013 at the age of 16. Aaron is survived by his mother Roylyn, his father Nigel and his two sisters, Ayanna and Amina.

Aaron was born on May 5, 1997 and attended South Fork High School in Martin County, Florida and was scheduled to graduate in 2015.

Aaron was a member of the Youth in Government program at the YMCA for 3 years, and cared deeply about his country and community. His interest in government and politics lead him to become involved in my race for Congress, in which he was active as an intern and volunteer. It was through this volunteer work that I had the fortune of meeting Aaron and the privilege of getting to know him.

In addition to his community involvement outside of school, Aaron was an active member of South Fork's Key Club and was a member of the track team. Always pushing himself to excel, he was enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program, as well as in Advanced Placement courses. He was a smart young man with an incredibly bright future ahead of him. He always had a smile on his face and was articulate, easy to get along with, and very quick with a joke or kind word. He had an incredible work ethic and was a true pleasure to be around.

Aaron was planning to go to law school and become an attorney or enter public service as an elected official. Having known him personally, I know he would have been successful at anything he put his mind too, and we are all saddened that he was taken from us well before his time. Given Aaron's love for American government and politics, I hope he would have appreciated having his life memorialized in the Congressional Record here today.

Mr. Speaker, Aaron Jason was a truly special young man with a good heart, a strong will, and a deep commitment to his community. He will be missed by his family and friends, by me, and by everyone whose lives he touched in the Treasure Coast community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to echo the sentiments of many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle regarding the urgency to fix the student loan interest rate hike that took place last Monday.

The inability of Congress to come together and compromise on behalf of America's students is embarrassing. Doubling interest rates makes college less affordable, and the increased debt burden threatens the middle class and harms our economy.

Recent graduates who should be putting away money for their first home or saving up to start their own business are instead spending upwards of $500 per month paying back loans for their college education. Recent Florida graduates left college with student loan debt equal to 54 percent of their annual income.

Just this Monday, I heard the concerns of students in my district on how this debt will impact their future. Some students are even considering dropping out of college.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. I once again urge the House of Representatives to set politics aside and immediately take up legislation to right this wrong.

I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chair, I rise today to voice my support for vital funding for important Army Corps of Engineers' projects across the Palm Beach-Treasure Coast district that I proudly represent.

This bill includes funding for the critically important Indian River Lagoon C-44 project, which will greatly improve the water quality in my district. For those of you unfamiliar with this local treasure, it is the most diverse estuary in North America, many of its species already threatened or endangered. But due to extreme pollution, local officials have issued health warnings advising residents to not contact this waterway. Tragically, it has also witnessed a major die-off of its population of manatees, dolphins, pelicans, and other crucial species. Completion of this project is essential to protecting this vital ecosystem as well as improving the water quality throughout the region.

The C-44 project is part of broader Everglades restoration efforts that the Army Corps is tasked with, which will protect this unique and important habitat. Furthermore, the Everglades provide drinking water for one in three Floridians, and restoration efforts also have a 3-to-1 return on investment in the local economy. Completion of the overall Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project will shore up Florida's access to clean drinking water and improve the local environment and economy.

Locally, Everglades restoration is part of the solution to the harmful discharges that are currently being released from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River on the Treasure Coast. By returning water flows south of the lake and improving water quality in the area through projects such as C-44, we can mitigate the effects these harmful discharges from the lake continue to have on our local waterways year after year, devastating the environment and the economy.

Furthermore, the Army Corps is responsible for repairing the Herbert Hoover Dike, which surrounds Lake Okeechobee and is listed as one of the most at-risk of failure in the Nation. This project keeps local residents safe from devastating flooding that could occur if the dike were to fail. The Army Corps has already been struggling to meet its obligations on this and other projects, which is why we must continue to provide funding or risk further delaying these important ongoing jobs.

In addition to the important Indian River Lagoon, Lake Okeechobee, and Herbert Hoover Dike projects this bill supports, it also provides important funding for inlet dredging projects. Being able to access and safely navigate our local waterways and ports is essential for public safety and our economy. The same can be said for those shore restoration programs that this bill also funds, returning our local beaches to their pre-storm conditions after extreme weather events such as Hurricane Sandy.

If you speak with any of my constituents, they'll tell you that all of these projects are vital to their daily way of life and to the health of the local population as well as the economy. We must provide certainty and continue the Corps' funding or risk devastating their progress on these important projects. Jeopardizing funding for these ongoing projects would only further aggravate the serious problem of toxic discharges in my district, prevent progress on essential water quality restoration projects, and have an overall negative impact on our local environment and, in turn, our local economy. To me, that's simply not an option.

Madam Chair, we have the obligation to provide adequate resources for programs that protect public safety, water quality, and our environment, such as these. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the underlying legislation to continue to fund these projects that are critical to the well-being of the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of U.S. Army Sergeant Justin Johnson, who was killed during an attack at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Tuesday, June 18th Sgt. Johnson was on his third tour of duty at the age of 25. He enlisted in the Army immediately following his graduation from South Fork High School in Stuart, Florida, speaking to his commitment to serving our nation.

As we remember Sgt. Johnson here today, let us also pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the military families who support our brave men and women in uniform, all the while knowing that their loved ones may not return home. Sgt. Johnson leaves behind his mother, Sonia Randolph, and a four-year-old son, Justin Johnson, Jr. Even faced with the loss of her son, Ms. Randolph remarked that she is ``blessed that he was happy and willing to do what he needed to do for his country.'' This strength and dedication speaks volumes to the man that Sgt. Johnson was--a true American hero.

Mr. Speaker, Sgt. Justin Johnson bravely served our nation and ultimately gave his life to defend this country. I extend my most heartfelt condolences to his friends and family during this most difficult time. It is an honor and privilege to recognize his life of service here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the small businesses across our nation on the 50th anniversary of National Small Business Week. Small businesses are the backbone of our country-- making up 50 percent of American jobs--and are essential to our economic recovery. It is our job as Members of Congress to provide support from Washington to small businesses by reducing unnecessary regulations and improving access to credit and small business assistance programs.

As a former small businessman, I am proud to serve on the House Small Business Committee and to use my prior experience to promote the interests of this vital sector of our economy. There is so much work to be done to help small businesses prosper. That is why I support legislation to create a stable business environment by passing a budget that reduces the deficit, simplifying the tax code for all Americans, and continuing to support essential small business assistance programs. To that end, the first bill I introduced was the Partnering with American Manufacturers for Efficiency and Competitiveness Act to foster more efficient manufacturing capabilities in small businesses, to promote competitiveness, and to create jobs. Having seen firsthand the havoc hurricanes can cause for small businesses, I also recently introduced the Small Business Disaster Reform Act to help small business owners recover more quickly in the wake of natural disasters.

Since coming to Congress, I have met with several small business groups, and recently hosted a small business roundtable in my district. I also have met staff from Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and SCORE, and I will continue to push for full funding for both of these organizations that play a crucial role in supporting small business growth. I ask my colleagues to recognize the significance of these organizations and the importance of preventing proposed cuts to SBDCs in the budget. We must also immediately consider legislation that creates jobs and those that help provide America's small businesses with new incentives to grow and hire.

This week represents half a century of recognition of the importance of small businesses and I am proud to join in commemorating National Small Business Week and thanking small businesses across the nation for the important work they do. They create jobs and stimulate the economy, all in the face of tremendous personal risk. I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of small businesses and in creating an economic climate where they can thrive.

Mr. Speaker, on the 50th Anniversary of Small Business Week, it is clear that Congress still has much more work to do to help small businesses, but by working together we can better support the backbone of our economy to create jobs and continue on the path to economic recovery.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would address wasteful government spending on unused and underutilized facilities. The Department of Defense has hundreds, possibly thousands, of buildings and structures that it has rated at zero percent utilization. This is an incredible number of useless facilities that taxpayers are paying to maintain.

The extent of this wasteful spending, however, is not currently known, even by the Department itself. My amendment would fix that, requiring the Department of Defense to disclose just how many of its facilities are unused or underutilized and how much it is costing American taxpayers to maintain these facilities. The Department of Defense would be required to report back to Congress in six months, explaining what they are doing either to dispose of these wasteful facilities or increase their utilization.

By forcing the Department of Defense to take a serious look at its facilities, gather data on how these facilities are managed, and develop a coherent plan for reducing costs and improving efficiency, my amendment seeks to eliminate this wasteful government spending.

Unfortunately, the Department of Defense is not the only federal agency that is currently wasting taxpayer money on maintaining unused or underutilized facilities. As a whole, the federal government must do a better job at managing its facilities. At times of record debt, taxpayers should not continue paying for unused and underused buildings. That is not good government, and that is not smart spending.

That is why I recently introduced the SAVE Act to root out up to $200 billion in wasteful and duplicative government spending over the next 10 years. This amendment is an extension of one of the 11 common-sense solutions included in the bipartisan SAVE Act, holding the Department of Defense accountable for spending taxpayer money on facilities the Department itself has found to be unused or underutilized.

We all agree that we need to reduce government spending. We should also all agree that the best place to start is by rooting out waste. This is a common-sense solution to do just that and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment.

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding.

I rise in support of H.R. 1256.

Title VII of Dodd-Frank contains important structural reforms to the derivatives market so that complicated, unregulated financial instruments can never bring our economy to its knees again. However, no law is perfect, and we should look for ways to improve Wall Street Reform to keep unintended consequences from trickling down to Main Street.

The bill before us would put SEC and CFTC on the same page, giving American businesses the ability to compete with foreign companies on a level playing field. This will not destabilize the global financial system because the bill demands a broadly equivalent swaps regime as Title VII.

The global derivatives market deserves smart regulations, not duplicative or conflicting requirements. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, technical adjustment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy signing the Equal Pay Act into law on June 10. When he signed it, President Kennedy stated that ``when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay envelopes.'' Unfortunately, fifty years later, women are still looking for that equality. The recognition of this anniversary serves also as a proclamation for Congress to close the wage gap and continue to strengthen the economy. Women make up almost half of the American workforce and the disparity between men and women's wages needs to be recognized and corrected. This isn't just a women's issue--it's a family issue, an equality issue, and an economic issue.

According to the United States Census Bureau's 2011 American Community Survey Data, a woman in Florida makes 82.6 cents for every dollar a man makes, an African American woman makes 62.4 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes and a Hispanic woman makes 58 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes. My commitment to working towards fairness and equality led me to cosponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act, which reinforces the Equal Pay Act by providing solutions to women who are not being paid equally for identical work and protecting employees from retaliation for sharing salary information with their co-workers.

The time is now to strive for wage equality. Recent efforts such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act have helped propel us forward on a path to equality but have not been enough to balance the discrepancy at this time. As we look back in time when the Equal Pay Act became law we see that fifty years later, women are still not receiving the same wages as men for the same work. This is beyond disappointing and should no longer be tolerated. As our great nation continues to progress, there is no reason why women should not receive equal wages when held to the same standard as men.

Mr. Speaker, on the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act it is clear that we still have work to do to end the wage gap and I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in the fight for the enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

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

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will be amended and immediately proceed to final passage.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Carter and Ranking Member Price for working together in a truly bipartisan manner on the underlying legislation. With this bill, we have shown that we can put partisanship aside and do what's right for the American people--providing the necessary funding to the Department of Homeland Security to keep our Nation safe from attacks as well as responding to national disasters. But just as we have the responsibility to support the important work that Homeland Security does, we also have the responsibility to make sure we are spending smartly by allocating funds where they are most needed.

After witnessing the tragedies caused by the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, wildfires in California and New Mexico, and the Northeast still recovering from Superstorm Sandy, we are reminded that disasters can strike in any community. Having lived in Florida my entire life, I have experienced firsthand the impact these disasters can have, especially when local and State governments are not on the same page as the Federal Government in adequately preparing for and responding to extreme weather.

As we debate today, Florida and the eastern coast is preparing to deal with the potentially devastating effects of Tropical Storm Andrea. With the start of what is predicted to be an active tornado and hurricane season, it is especially important for Congress to act. That is why this week I announced the formation of a bipartisan Disaster Relief Caucus to work toward improving the effectiveness of disaster preparedness and response efforts. It is vital that we work to make disaster preparedness efforts more efficient across all levels of government.

My amendment would take $2.5 million from the Department's administrative operating expenses to put towards the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program. This important program will assist State and local governments in better preparing for natural disasters, saving American lives and communities. Furthermore, better preparedness efforts reduce the costs of disaster response and cleanup efforts, ultimately saving American taxpayer dollars.

Additionally, with less than 2 months having passed since the tragedy of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, we must also recommit ourselves to funding antiterrorism efforts. My amendment would provide a 5 percent increase in funding to train emergency responders on the Federal, State, and

local level so they can be better prepared to prevent and respond to domestic attacks. Again, this funding is actually fully offset from the Department's administrative operating expenses.

My amendment should have the full support of the House, and I once again want to point out that it will not kill the underlying legislation. It would simply shift spending from administrative operations to invest in natural disaster preparedness and antiterrorism efforts. As we continue to tighten our belts in Washington, I think we can all agree that these programs are a more vital use of resources than administrative expenses.

Natural disasters impact all Americans, as do acts of terrorism. These are two areas that should never get caught up in partisan bickering. We must stand united to prevent future tragedies caused by both natural disasters and acts of terrorism, which know no party affiliation. Anyone who supports the underlying legislation has no reason not to also support this amendment to spend smarter to better protect our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, my amendment is an opportunity to show the American people that Congress is willing to work together to put the safety and well-being of the American people first. I hope to see the same bipartisan support for my amendment as we have seen for the underlying legislation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in support of this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

I move to strike the last word.

I yield my time to Ranking Member Maxine Waters.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act that would cut over $300 million from a program that is supposed to cost taxpayers nothing. If you, like me, are wondering how we got to this point of paying for a cost-free program, keep listening.

Customs and Border Patrol, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducts agricultural quarantine inspections on incoming vessels and passengers. This is an essential service that protects our Nation's agriculture and wildlife.

CBP and USDA have claimed that the cost of this program is covered by imposing fees on incoming vessels and travelers--a sensible approach. However, when the Government Accountability Office last examined the program in 2011, the fees covered only 60 percent of the program's cost. As a result, the taxpayers had to cover a $325 million shortfall.

I recently introduced the bipartisan SAVE Act with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), which would implement recommendations by the GAO to

push Customs and Border Patrol, along with the USDA, to adjust its fee structure and administration to fully cover the cost of this program.

My amendment would prevent Customs and Border Patrol from continuing to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize incoming vessels and travelers and make the program truly fee-supported.

My amendment would free up remaining CBP funds to do what they should be doing: securing the homeland and facilitating travel, tourism, and trade. More tourism and more trade mean more American jobs.

Mr. Chair, I think we can all agree that this is a commonsense amendment that saves taxpayers dollars and improves the environment for greater job growth. I urge my colleagues on both sides to support this cost-saving amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that would boost competitive bidding across defense construction projects.

The Department of Defense manages hundreds of billions of dollars in contracts each year, 43 percent of which are noncompetitively awarded. The Government Accountability Office has reported that the Department of Defense does not keep accurate records of which contracts received multiple bids or why sole-sourced contracts are awarded. This is not good government.

Competition works because it drives down cost while giving consumers greater choice. It is the cornerstone of our free-market economy and needs to be integrated throughout the government.

I recently introduced the SAVE Act with my colleague, Representative David Joyce from Ohio, to root out wasteful and duplicative government spending. The bipartisan legislation would implement several commonsense solutions outlined by the GAO to reduce up to $200 billion in spending over the next 10 years.

One of the 11 measures in my bill encourages the robust use of competitive bidding to reduce contract costs across all agencies.

Today's amendment is an extension of the SAVE Act. It would prevent the Department of Defense from spending the taxpayers' money on contracts over $1 million that have not received at least two competitive bids.

With the national deficit currently at almost $17 trillion, and the current deficit over $600 billion annually, it is clear that we must rein in government spending, but we must do it in a strategic way, cutting programs that are wasteful, duplicative, or ineffective; and this amendment would do just that.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense and cost-saving amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

I rise today to offer an amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that would eliminate wasteful spending on unused facilities, which could save tens of millions of dollars in fiscal year 2014 alone.

The Department of Defense has hundreds, possibly thousands of buildings and structures that it has rated at zero percent utilization. This is an incredible number of useless facilities the Department of Defense is paying to maintain. Federal agencies, as a whole, must do a better job at managing their facilities. Taxpayers cannot continue paying for unused and underused buildings while the Nation is at record debt levels. That is not good government and that is not smart spending.

That is why I joined with Representative David Joyce of Ohio to introduce the SAVE Act to root out the up to $200 billion in wasteful and duplicative government spending over the next

years. This amendment is an extension of one of the 11 commonsense solutions included in the bipartisan SAVE Act, preventing the Department of Defense from spending money on facilities that the Department itself has rated at zero percent utilization.

Mr. Chairman, we all agree that we must rein in government spending. The best place to start is by rooting out waste. My amendment is a commonsense solution to do just that, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ran for Congress on a pledge of bipartisanship. I ran on behalf of citizens who were disappointed in their leaders in Washington who focus on partisan bickering rather than problem solving.

In my first days in Congress, I was also disappointed in Washington. I was disappointed that everything in D.C. was separated by party affiliation. This is why one of my first actions as a freshman was to join the No Labels Problem Solvers group, of which I am now proudly a cochair.

Mr. Speaker, No Labels has offered a way for Members of both parties to get to know each other. Simply put, it's easier to solve problems when you know the person you're working with. However, No Labels does more than break down barriers. It helps build trust between Members that is necessary to solve problems.

Many of the fiscal problems we face today developed over many decades. Fixing these problems will take steady, committed work. No, we won't agree on everything, but I am optimistic. I'm optimistic because more and more leaders are focusing on problem solving rather than partisanship. I've already seen more bipartisanship and substantive action in this Congress than many in recent memory. In fact, I've seen an overwhelming amount of bills introduced by No Labels members, with both Republicans and Democrats as lead sponsors.

We must urge and support our leaders to go big to solve the fiscal issues we face. We must push for a grand bargain. We need long-term solutions, not short-term political gimmicks.

Unfortunately, a number of scandals have contributed to one of the biggest problems our country faces: a lack of trust in government. The public sees their leaders focusing on beltway intrigue rather than pragmatic solutions. Mr. Speaker, that is why I invite more of my colleagues to join me in this group to work together to solve problems and to restore the trust of the American people. There is no ideological litmus test to join this group. What is required is a willingness to respect one another and resolve to work together to solve problems. No Labels is doing just that--fix, not fight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to all those who serve and who have served as peace officers to protect and serve our great nation. Today is the day we demonstrate our respect for the men and women and all that they do for us and our country. We especially honor those who sacrificed everything and lost their lives in the line of duty. On this day we remember all those who don a uniform signifying the protection of our country's citizens by means of defending the laws of our nation.

Since October 1, 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a special law, May 15 has been National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week containing May 15 has been recognized as National Police Week. This is a time when Americans are given a chance to honor the extraordinary service given year after year by our police forces. Although people sometimes forget those in uniform, we must recognize this day to understand the length these officers go to in order to do their job and serve our communities. These officers are special because they have taken the initiative to sacrifice their own safety for the safety of others. They exhibit bravery and courage every day to keep our communities safe, to preserve and protect our laws and our constitution in their line of duty. It is important they know that they have the full support of the United States Congress and the American people.

We must commemorate the dedicated law enforcement officers who serve our communities, states and country. This being said, I would like to take this opportunity to remember our own Sergeant Gary Morales, who was shot and killed in the line of duty at the age of 35 on Thursday February 28, 2013 in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was a selfless hero, like all those who have lost their lives during service. The motto of police week, ``Never Alone, Never Forgotten,'' must be observed and remembered not only today, but every day. Sergeant Morales--you will never be forgotten.

Peace Officers Memorial Day gives us all the opportunity to thank those in our community who do so much for us. This day, as well as National Police Week, pays tribute to the local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers who serve and protect us with courage and dedication. This opportunity to thank those around us also allows for the coming together of communities. These observances remind us all of the ongoing need to be vigilant against all forms of crime and violence. The service of these brave men and women must not go unrecognized and I would like to extend my personal thanks to all those who serve.