Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am paying tribute to Floridians who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country.

Today I rise to honor Amy Mercado.

Amy was born and raised in the Bronx. Her mother, Carmen, was a New York City Police Officer, while her father, Victor, was a New York City Transit Police Detective. Amy and her family moved to Central Florida in 1996.

In 2004, Amy earned her bachelor's degree from American Intercontinental University and later earned her Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University. She worked in health care at Florida Hospital Orlando, now Advent Health. Amy has also served as the Director of Operations for a U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Program. Beyond these roles, Amy has worked in other diverse industries, including management, operations, and legal services.

In 2016, the people of House District 48 elected Amy to represent them in the Florida House of Representatives. She was subsequently re- elected in 2018. In 2020, Amy was elected to the office of Orange County Property Appraiser and is the first Latina ever to serve in this role.

Amy has continued to positively impact Central Florida through her public service and community activism.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Amy Mercado.

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am paying tribute to Floridians who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country.

Today I rise to honor Johanna Lopez.

Johanna was born in Puerto Rico. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies from the University of Puerto Rico and holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico.

Later, Johanna moved to Central Florida where she taught Advanced Placement Spanish at Colonial High School for 19 years. While teaching, Johanna earned the distinction of being named the 2017 OCPS Teacher of the Year. Johanna has also received the Governor's Shine Award for Inspirational Teachers, the Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban Public Education, Macy's Magic of Leadership Award, the Wings of Inspiration Award, Coca-Cola's Educator of Distinction Award, and the Life Changer of the Year Award.

Johanna founded the Families Presentes Movement, a non-profit that educates and empowers Latino families and educators across Central Florida. Their online forum, Familias Presentes: Estudiantes Excelentes, informs and engages parents on a wide range of education- related issues and opportunities. She also founded Maestros Puertorriquenos en Accion, or Puerto Rican Teachers in Action, which is dedicated to providing aid and assistance to educators displaced from Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017. Johanna was also involved with many other organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Teacher Advisory Council, the OCPS Foundation Board and Mi Familia Vota's Education Committee.

When Johanna was elected to the Orange County School Board in 2018, she became the first Puerto-Rican born Board Member in the school district's history. Her campaign was fully organized and run by current and former Orange County Public School students. Not long after, Johanna was honored to be named the Executive Director for Voces Unidas por la Educacion Publica, a Latinx coalition that mobilizes, engages and educates Hispanic communities on legislative issues and topics in their native language.

Today, she is the Executive Director of the Alianza Center, a non- profit that serves the Puerto Rican and broader Hispanic communities of Florida by developing and promoting leadership, the environment, healthy living, and civic engagement.

Throughout her time as an educator, a school board member, and a community leader, Johanna has touched countless lives and made a positive impact on our Central Florida community.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Johanna Lopez.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Senate passed the bill with all 50 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting yes. Now, it is time for the House to follow suit. Then we can send the bill to President Biden, who played a critical role in crafting this legislation.

In Congress, we have been talking about investing in America's infrastructure for decades, to the point that it has become a punch line. Now, we are finally on the cusp of taking action to match the rhetoric.

Passage of this bill will prove the two parties can still work together in partisan times. It will show the American people their elected leaders can govern in a competent and constructive way, despite their differences.

The bill will provide my home State of Florida with better roads and bridges, improved rail and bus options, modernized air and seaports, high-speed broadband, and clean drinking water. It will improve quality of life

and create good-paying jobs, helping to diversify our economy and sustain our growing population.

The bill will also make historic investments to combat climate change, an existential threat to our planet, our country, and the Florida way of life.

I urge my Republican colleagues to abandon their cynical quest for political advantage and to vote for this good bill. I ask my Democratic colleagues to discard their ill-fated effort to gain leverage over members of their own party and to vote for this good bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor my constituent, John Foy Lowndes, who passed away on February 12, 2021, at the age of 90, after a long and illustrious life.

John was born in Medford, Massachusetts and raised in Durham, North Carolina. He graduated from Durham High School in 1949 and went to work as an assistant foreman in a tobacco factory. Later that year he gave up the tobacco job and enrolled at Duke University.

Early in his freshman year, John joined the Marine Corps Reserve and was given the rank of Corporal in the Platoon Leaders group. When he graduated from Duke in 1953, he was made a Second Lieutenant.

After a brief stint as a traveling soap salesman for Proctor & Gamble, John accepted a Marine Corps invitation to The Basic School and then went on to Air Control School. He was stationed in Miami, among other places, and he fell in love with Florida.

In 1955, John left Miami and active duty with the Marine Corps and returned to Durham to attend the Duke University School of Law, graduating first in his class.

After law school, John moved to Central Florida. He practiced law in Daytona Beach, and then in Orlando with the Anderson and Rush law firm.

In 1969, John and three of his law partners decided to launch their own firm. The firm would flourish, becoming one of the largest and most prestigious in the state.

Beyond his work as an attorney, John was a pillar of his Central Florida community.

He chaired--or served on--many boards, including the Orange County Bar, the Orlando Museum of Art, Winter Park Memorial Hospital (now AdventHealth Winter Park), the Winter Park Health Foundation, Friends of the Mennella Museum, the Holocaust Center of Florida, and the UCF Foundation.

John shared an enthusiasm for arts and culture with his wife Rita, and they were instrumental in building and naming the John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Loch Haven Park, which opened in 2001.

John lived a rich and full life, doing well and doing good, contributing his time and energy to the causes he cared about, and always making a positive difference.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring John Foy Lowndes.

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I am paying tribute to Floridians who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country.

Today I rise to honor Sabrina Javellana.

Sabrina, who is a proud lifelong resident of Hallandale Beach, graduated from Hallandale High School and Florida International University. On November 19, 2018, Sabrina made history as she became the first Asian-American, and the youngest person, ever elected as a Commissioner of Hallandale Beach. Within days, her colleagues selected her to serve as Vice Mayor.

A dedicated public servant and community activist, Sabrina has championed environmental policies to protect Florida's coral reefs and waterways. She has advocated for the City of Hallandale Beach to recognize the devastating effects of climate change and to prepare for climate change-related extreme weather events and natural disasters.

Sabrina is a champion for equity and justice in South Florida.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Commissioner Sabrina Javellana.

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I am paying tribute to Floridians who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country.

Today I rise to honor Alex Sink.

Adelaide ``Alex'' Sink, who is originally from North Carolina, graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in mathematics. Alex taught at girls' schools in Liberia and Sierra Leone before launching her career in banking and in politics.

Former Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Alex to the Commission on Government Accountability to the People, and later to the Commission on Education. In 2006, she was elected as Florida's Chief Financial Officer, becoming the first--and, to date, the only--woman to hold this cabinet-level position. On August 24, 2010, Alex won the Democratic primary for governor and launched an historic campaign. Throughout her career in public service, Alex has proven herself to be a compelling advocate for affordable health care, non-discriminatory adoption placement practices, and reproductive justice.

Alex has continued to positively impact Florida as a mentor and community activist.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Alex Sink.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to vote on Roll Call number 147 on May 18, 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 147.

Madam Speaker, on May 12, 2021, I was absent from the House chamber because I was attending an event relevant to my responsibilities as vice chair of the House Armed Service Committee's Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations. As a result, I was unable to vote on three recorded votes. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 135; YEA on Roll Call No. 136; and YEA on Roll Call No. 137.

Madam Speaker, I rise to say my final goodbye to Alcee Hastings, the dean of Florida's congressional delegation, who recently passed away.

Someone will be elected to fill his seat, but Alcee is irreplaceable. His life was full, complex, and extraordinary.

Born in 1936, Alcee spent his formative years in my district. He lived in Altamonte Springs and attended the all-Black Crooms Academy in Sanford.

This was the segregated South where the opportunities available to African Americans were few and the obstacles to success were many. But Alcee was a force of nature. He rose to become an attorney, then a State judge, and then a Federal judge.

Judge Hastings suffered a setback, but he rose again becoming a Member of Congress admired by his colleagues and beloved by his constituents.

As Congressman Hakeem Jeffries put it, he loved the people he served, and he always fought for the least, the lost, and the left behind.

The book of Alcee's life contained challenging chapters, but ultimately it is a story of redemption and achievement in the face of adversity, written by a warrior for justice and equality who left the world far better than he found it.

Rest in peace, Congressman. You have earned it.

Madam Speaker, although Women's History Month recently concluded, it is never too late to honor Florida women who have made outstanding contributions to their community and to our country.

Today I rise to honor Nikki Fried.

Nikki was born and raised in Miami. She is a proud Gator, having received her bachelor's degree, her master's degree, and her law degree from the University of Florida. While attending UF, Nikki served as student body president and was a member of Florida Blue Key, the prestigious student leadership honor society.

Upon her graduation from law school, Nikki worked in the Alachua County Public Defender's Office, in private practice in South Florida, and then as a government consultant. In 2017, Nikki began her own government consulting firm to advocate for children and medical patients before the Florida Legislature.

In 2018, Nikki broke an important barrier. She was elected as the state's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, a cabinet position, becoming the first Jewish woman ever elected to statewide office in Florida. As

Commissioner, Nikki has been an effective advocate for conserving Florida's lands, fighting hunger, combating climate change, supporting farmers, and reducing gun violence.

Commissioner Fried is an exceptional public servant devoted to the cause of improving quality of life for all for Floridians.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Nikki Fried.

Madam Speaker, although Women's History Month recently concluded, it is never too late to honor Florida women who have made outstanding contributions to their community and to our country.

Today I rise to honor Daniella Levine Cava.

Daniella, who is originally from New York City, moved to Miami in 1980 after graduating from Yale University and Columbia Law School. She spent a decade working for the Legal Services of Greater Miami and for the Guardian Ad Litem program, which gives a voice to young children in our legal system. In 1996, Daniella founded the innovative Catalyst Miami. Since its inception, Catalyst has created paths to economic prosperity for approximately 5,000 people each year.

In 2014, Daniella was elected to the Miami-Dade County Commission, and she was re-elected in 2018. In November 2020, Daniella made history when she was elected as Miami-Dade County's first-ever woman Mayor. As Mayor, she has been a fierce advocate for her three million constituents--advocating for young children, increased affordable housing, opportunities for small businesses, and improved public transportation.

As an attorney, as an activist, and now as an elected official, Daniella Levine Cava has never stopped fighting for South Florida families.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment in the en bloc package. If it is approved, I will vote for the bill.

The PRO Act aims to protect the right of workers to decide whether to form a union that can negotiate with their employer over working conditions. It proceeds from the principle that America is stronger when the middle class is stronger, and the middle class is stronger when unions are stronger.

This principle is personal to me. I grew up in Virginia, and my dad worked at a power plant and he was in a union. He was a refugee from Vietnam. He had an incredible work ethic, but he struggled with English and relied on the union to fight for him to have a living wage and good healthcare. This allowed our family to have opportunities we otherwise wouldn't have had.

There are many provisions in the PRO Act I support. There are also provisions that give me pause, especially the changes made to the definitions of employee and joint employer in the National Labor Relations Act.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Education and Labor Committee and Democratic leadership for working

with me to craft an amendment that addresses my concerns enough for me to support the PRO Act passage. My amendment requires GAO to prepare a report on the impact of these two changes on workers in businesses. The President is required to consider the report, and he can recommend that Congress modify one or both of these definitions.

My amendment also expresses the sense of the House that Congress shall consider whether to accept, reject, or modify any recommendations received from the President. This is called evidence-based policymaking, and we should do more of it.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for my amendment.

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Black History Month, I am paying tribute to African- American leaders from Florida who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country. These accomplished men and women have not always received the recognition they have earned.

Today I rise to honor Fentrice Driskell. Originally from Lakeland, Fentrice graduated as valedictorian of Lake Gibson High School and was the governor of Florida's 50th session of Girls State. Fentrice earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard University and her law degree from Georgetown University. As an undergraduate, she was the first Black woman ever elected as Harvard's student government president.

After returning to Florida, Fentrice clerked for the Honorable Anne C. Conway of the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida. She served as a leader in The Florida Bar, and is currently of counsel at the Tampa-based law firm, Carlton Fields. Fentrice is a past president of the George Edgecomb Bar Association, Tampa Bay's largest predominately African-American voluntary bar association.

In 2018, Fentrice was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where she serves as policy chair for the Democratic Caucus.

Representative Driskell is a trailblazer, a fierce and effective advocate for her Tampa constituents, and a source of tremendous pride for her fellow Floridians.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Fentrice Driskell.

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Black History Month, I am paying tribute to African- American leaders from Florida who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country. These accomplished men and women have not always received the recognition they have earned.

Today I rise to honor Joshua Simmons. Joshua was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended high school in Virginia. He moved to Coral Springs in 2011 to raise his younger sister while their mother was deployed overseas with the U.S. Navy. Joshua was an active member of the city's Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Cultural Advisory and Customer Involved Government committees.

Joshua earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University and his master's degree in psychology from Kaplan University, after which he worked in the mental health and subsequently as a teacher in the Broward County Public School system. Currently, he works in the private sector as an Account Manager at Hotwire Communications, an internet and cable service provider.

In 2018, Joshua was elected to Coral Springs' City Commission, becoming the first Black elected official in the city's history. In 2020, Joshua became the first African-American man to serve as the city's Vice Mayor.

As both an educator and a public servant, Vice Mayor Simmons has brought new perspectives to the City of Coral Springs. He is a strong advocate for his community, working tirelessly to improve the lives of his constituents.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Joshua Simmons.

Madam Speaker, as part of our national celebration of Black History Month, I am paying tribute to African- American leaders from Florida who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country. These accomplished men and women have not always received the recognition they have earned.

Today I rise to honor Linda Hill Anderson. Linda is a fourth- generation Hollywood, Florida native. She graduated from Hollywood Hills High School and Sheridan Vocational School and served in the Broward County Public School system for over 40 years.

Linda has been an active member of her community, serving as president of the Liberia Civic Association and on the African-American Advisory Council.

Linda was elected to Hollywood's city commission in 2020. She is the first Black woman ever to serve on the commission in Hollywood's 95- year history.

Commissioner Anderson is a trailblazer and an extraordinary public servant. She has dedicated her life to making her Hollywood community stronger and fairer. Every day, she works tirelessly to improve the lives of her fellow Floridians.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Linda Hill Anderson.