Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5576, the Cyber Deterrence and Response Act. I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel and his staff for helping usher this bill through the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The threats of cyber attacks on our country and the American people are growing in their sophistication and frequency by the minute. Targeted attacks against the Federal Government, private businesses, and individual Americans continue to pose escalating threats to our Nation.

Foreign adversaries like Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China have developed sophisticated cyber capabilities that can disrupt our networks, threaten our critical infrastructure, harm our economy, and undermine our elections.

As Members of Congress, we must work to deter and respond to these state-sponsored cyber attacks against the United States.

This is why I stand here today to urge support for H.R. 5576, the Cyber Deterrence and Response Act. This legislation codifies and enhances the substance of the cyber executive orders that are currently the foundation of the United States cyber policy.

This bill will enhance cybersecurity by defining state-sponsored attacks and establishing strong penalties for would-be attackers. It will deter bad players from attacking the U.S. Government and our businesses.

H.R. 5576 establishes a three-step process for the U.S. strategy to respond to cyber threats.

The first step will require the President to identify and designate individuals and groups who are responsible for and are complicit in state-sponsored cyber attacks as critical cyber threat actors.

This name-and-shame tactic will expose current hackers and deter future threats, making U.S. sanctions more consistent with other successful sanction procedures, like the SDN, which is a Specially Designated National list. The administration would then be taske with imposing appropriate actions and sanctions on the designated actors.

A third step would include imposing additional sanctions against the foreign governments that are behind these attacks. In this way, like our State Sponsors of Terrorism list and the Trafficking in Persons watch list, my legislation goes to the governments that are at the root of the threat, not stopping at the agents that carry out the attacks.

As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, I understand the importance of protecting our Nation from malicious cyber attackers. Some of the worst offenders fall inside my jurisdiction. It is vital that we improve our ability to thwart these potential devastating cyber attacks.

Understand this: An attack on just one government agency or any individual business is an attack on all Americans. To adequately protect our national security from advancing threats, we must put politics aside and put our country first.

The Cyber Deterrence and Response Act will do just that, and I encourage all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Lynetta Usher Griner, an outstanding community leader and a friend, on being named the 2018 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Florida Farmer of the Year.

Lynetta is a timber and beef cattle producer who operates a large, successful agricultural business in north Florida. Her operation is a model for success and sustainability, and she has been recognized on many occasions for her effective natural resource conservation.

Lynetta's businesses have received the Florida Audubon Sustainable Forestry Award, the Florida Farm Bureau's CARES Award, and the Logger of the Year Award from the Florida Forestry Association.

Aside from her dedication to the timber and beef industry, Lynetta is an outstanding community leader. She has served on the Suwannee River Water Management District's governing board for over 14 years and was named the first female president of the Florida Forestry Association.

Additionally, Lynetta regularly advocates for good and effective farm policies at both the local and national levels.

It is my greatest honor to represent Floridians like Lynetta in the United States Congress. Her selfless leadership and dedication to her industry and community are admirable.

Congratulations again, Ms. Lynetta Usher Griner.

Mr. Speaker, I am excited to speak on behalf of H.R. 5105, the

BUILD Act, and urge its passage in this Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, Ranking Member Sherman, and my lead cosponsor, Adam Smith of Washington, for the hard work they and their teams have done to bring this bill to the floor. These gentlemen worked tirelessly along with their teams. I would also like to give a shout-out to our legislative director, James Walsh, who did yeoman's work for this bill.

Today, America is confronting unprecedented instability and growing humanitarian crises around the world, all of which have a direct impact on our national security and economic interests here at home.

Delivering effective U.S. foreign assistance is crucial, especially in the current fiscal climate in which it is imperative for the U.S. Government to use every dollar more efficiently and effectively. The BUILD Act will ensure the United States delivers foreign assistance both effectively and efficiently by catalyzing the private sector to invest in developing countries.

Of our top 15 trading partners, 12 of them were once recipients of foreign aid. Forty-three of our top 50 consumer nations of American agriculture products were once U.S. foreign aid recipients. Additionally, 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside of the United States, and the poorest two-thirds of the world now represent about $5 trillion in purchasing power. Their markets are growing faster than many of our traditional partners and are central to the future of America's economic prosperity, job growth, and security.

It is imperative to the United States economy that we seize upon these opportunities and make the investment now so that we may reap the benefits down the road. One of the ways to do this is to make our development finance more efficient and nimble.

U.S. businesses have the capital to invest and lead the world in the understanding of capital markets and sophisticated financial transactions, generally delivering investments in infrastructure and other industries quicker and less expensively.

Despite our comparative advantage, other countries, especially China, are using development finance institutions more effectively to expand their influence into the developing world, even here in the Western Hemisphere in the country of Haiti.

Our tools for development finance are dispersed across too many Federal agencies and need to be streamlined. The primary U.S. development agency, OPIC, has not been significantly updated since its creation in 1971. The BUILD Act will modernize all foreign finance development and bring it into the 21st century.

As you can imagine, the world of financial development has vastly changed since 1970, as all things do, to stay competitive. A modernized Development Finance Corporation is imperative to capitalizing upon those changes. It will help transition countries from aid to trade.

We want to help countries become robust trading partners with the United States. By doing so, we will be helping create stable, self- sufficient societies around the world and open new markets for U.S. goods and services. If we are trading goods, economies are growing, they are growing stronger, and relationships are forged, increasing national security.

There is truth to the saying, ``a rising tide lifts all boats.'' The BUILD Act will help make this a reality by transitioning recipient countries again from aid to trade.

In addition to improving efficiency, the BUILD Act also creates a more significant amount of oversight and increases the United States' development effectiveness.

The BUILD Act empowers the new Development Finance Corporation, as Secretary Pompeo testified to the Senate, ``to have the flexibility to identify a development need, bring to bear the right resources over the right period and manage it in a way that effectively delivers the outcome and measures it all along the way.''

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleague to pass the BUILD Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am excited to have this opportunity to recognize and congratulate three exceptional students in my district who placed in the top five for their project categories at the 2018 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. This competition is the largest precollegiate science fair in the world and is comprised of students from more than 75 countries who come together to compete and share their research with others in their STEM community.

Himanshi Verma, from Eastside High School, received the fourth place award in the biomedical and health sciences category; Gianfranco Cortes-Arroyo, from West Port High School, received the third place award in the mathematics category; and Evan Collins, one of my former district interns and a student at Ridgeview High, received the third place award in earth and environmental sciences category.

STEM education is vital to the advancement of American society, and I am proud to represent students who will lead their generation in innovation and expertise.

Congratulations again to Himanshi, Gianfranco, and Evan, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Madam Chairman, as a veterinarian, I rise to voice my opposition to the amendment.

Madam Chairman, the amendment poses a threat to the health of Americans. Consumption of raw milk has demonstrated public health risks, as you just heard. The link between raw milk and foodborne illnesses has been well documented in scientific literature for over 100 years.

Raw milk is a key vehicle in the transmission of human pathogens, including E. coli, campylobacter, Listeria, tuberculosis, leptospirosis, cryptosporidiosis, brucellosis, cowpox, diptheria, and typhoid fever. You can throw some ascarids in there, too.

Since the beginning of time, humankind has strived to improve survivability and increase human health. In fact, Louis Pasteur, in 1864--1864, over 154 years ago--discovered the benefits of heating milk to kill the microbes that were detrimental to human health, hence the term ``pasteurization.''

Nearly two-thirds of all raw milk or raw milk products--cheese, butter, ice cream--and the outbreaks that come from those involve children who are not able to make informed decisions on what to consume. And according to the

CDC, at least one child younger than 5 was involved in 46 percent of the raw milk and raw milk product outbreaks reported between 2007 and 2016.

It is obvious and scientifically proven that this amendment would threaten the health and well-being of all Americans. I am not against raw milk, but if it is your cow, I think you ought to drink it at your house, and it shouldn't be sold as a healthy product without contaminants.

Madam Chair, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this is a farm policy. The farm policy is there to produce a policy so that the American farmers can go out and raise crops for the United States of America to continue to produce the highest quality, the most abundant, and the cheapest food produced in the world of any industrialized nation. That is why we have a farm policy.

This amendment of Ms. Foxx goes after the American farmers for the betterment of multinational soda companies and candy companies, and the price of sugar won't go down. In my hometown, a 4-pound bag of sugar costs $2.64.

I would ask every Member of Congress: How many constituents in your district have come up to you and pleaded for you to do something about the cost of sugar?

This is about the American farmer, not about candy companies and soda companies. It is misdirected. I oppose it and strongly advise everybody to vote against it.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Only two times each decade do we in Congress have the privilege to effect productive, meaningful change for America's farmers and ranchers--those same citizens who help feed and clothe the entire world.

Let us not forget that America's farmers and ranchers make up only 1 percent of our Nation's population, yet they make sure that dinner tables across the country have food on them. In fact, one farm feeds 165 people in the U.S. and abroad. As such, U.S. farm policy is now a target due to its own success.

Politically driven think tanks and antifarmer groups believe that there is no longer a point to have a farm policy in the United States. They fail to realize that America's farmers and ranchers do business with foreign competitors who do not share the free market values our country adopted at its founding, placing them at a disadvantage; therefore, we have to properly equip our producers to compete with countries that directly subsidize and own the means of production. It is, indeed, an issue of national security.

Support this farm bill. Defeat all antifarmer amendments that hurt American farm families only to enrich multinational soda and candy makers for more profits. Let us ensure the farmers and ranchers of this great country continue to plant the seeds and raise the herds that secure our national abundance, high quality, and least costly food prices in the world and support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the sheriff in a neighboring county, for bringing this and putting this on tonight. I think it is great that he is doing this because we need to highlight the successes that we have had.

All across the country, America sees the benefits of lower taxes from the GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We are hearing about the tax cuts that benefit hardworking families and those that are benefiting the business community to grow our economy all across the Nation.

But here in Florida, the average family of four is saving $2,069 due to the Federal tax reductions. That is $2,000 they didn't have before that they can use for retirement, college, unplanned expenses, or to invest back into the Florida economy.

In addition to the personal cuts to Federal taxes, businesses across the country are giving their tax cuts back to their employees in the form of bonuses, retirement benefits, family leave, and increased pay.

We see this in millions of jobs across the Nation. I have never seen this before. I am 63 years old. I remember the `86 tax cut when Ronald Reagan and the Republicans did it then. This has been so much more significant, and the impact on the economy is multiples of that.

In Florida's Third Congressional District alone, there are several businesses--ranging from large corporations like the Walmarts and Wells Fargo to the small mom-and-pop businesses, such as The Flood Insurance Agency in my district--who are giving back to their employees in our local community. The Flood Insurance Agency in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, gave $1,000 bonuses to each of their 17 full-time employees. $1,000. That is $17,000 reinvested into our community because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that the Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law.

Additionally, CenterState Bank, which is headquartered in Davenport, Florida, but has branches in five cities across my district, gave out $1,000 bonuses to non-officer employees. These bonuses went to roughly 700 people across the State of Florida. Let me do my math: 700 times $1,000. I believe that is $700,000 being infused into the Florida economy because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Cintas, which has a location in Alachua, Florida, gave all employees of over a year of employment $1,000 bonuses and gave $500 bonuses to all employees who have worked there less than a year. While $1,000 may seem like crumbs to some in Congress, as we heard that day of the vote--they are just mere crumbs--we find that that is not the truth when we get out to the district.

These bonuses are invested in the people of Florida, not to mention an investment of over $700,000 into the Florida economy. And this is just from three businesses listed above, not including Walmart raising wages for 67,500 employees--that is just in Florida--or the bonuses Lowe's gave to 21,000 employees, just in Florida.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is benefiting all Americans. Individuals know how best to use the money they earned, not government, whether by saving or by reinvesting in their community. By lowering the tax burden on working Americans and businesses, we have incentivized hard work and investment. When this happens, tax revenues rise and people thrive, not only because of a lower tax burden, but also because businesses now have the means to reinvest in their employees and in their community.

When that money goes back to the people, they know how best to spend that, not government. It was interesting: As I was touring through our district, as we often do when we go back home, I have never had this happen--this is my third term in Congress--I was at an event, a ribbon- cutting, and I had two unsolicited people come up to me, and they thanked us for the Republicans' Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This happened on multiple occasions.

One individual came up to me, again, this was unsolicited--we know, as Members of Congress, that this doesn't happen often--but he goes: I want to let you know that because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act I am receiving an extra $120 per paycheck, and I get paid twice a month. That is $2,880 in crumbs he is getting.

Another individual at the same event came up and said--and they didn't know each other. This was so neat, because he came up to me and he said: I just want to let you know, because of the tax cut, I am getting an extra $500 a month, $500 a month times 12 months. That is $6,000 a year. He was excited. I was excited for him.

A local trucking company we went by in the small town of Starke, he had out on his billboard: Beginning January 15, all drivers, all employees, get a 15 percent pay raise. And when I talked to him, he said it was because of the tax bill, the tax reform, that we did. These are, again, unsolicited.

Another individual called me up, he has got an air-conditioning and heating contract company, he told me that he gave out an extra $74,000 in bonuses due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And I had a family member who sometimes isn't user-friendly--he is retired--and he called me up and said he was receiving an extra $120 a month, and he thanked me.

Again, some from the other side of the aisle claimed that this tax bill was nothing but mere crumbs, mere crumbs, and only benefiting the wealthy. The examples I just read off are from the Joe-lunch-box type, people out there working every day, five days a week, just the average moms and dads who, at the end of the month, are sitting around their dining room table wondering if they are going to have more month than money at the end of the month. They are realizing that they have extra crumbs at the end of the month, and they thanked me. They came up to me, they thanked me. They thanked the Republican Party. They thanked President Trump for signing this into law. And they thanked us for the extra crumbs.

As I was leaving, one of the individuals--and I had to laugh at this--says: When the next election comes up, just remind your colleagues on the other side that it is the economy, stupid. And he smiled, and that is all he had to say.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman putting this on. Great job.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove myself as a cosponsor from H.R. 60.

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening with a saddened heart to honor Sergeant Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey of the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office, who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty on April 19, 2018, in a senseless, evil, and cowardly act, with complete disregard and respect for law enforcement officers and life itself.

While I no longer represent Gilchrist County here in Congress, my wife, Carolyn, and I operated two of our veterinary businesses there. It is the epitome of an idyllic American town that espouses the values of America, God, country, and family. Our thoughts are with the entire community as we recover from this tragedy.

Sergeant Ramirez was born on June 30, 1988, in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating high school in Puerto Rico with honors, he began his career in law enforcement.

During his service to the people of Gilchrist County, he played an active role in recruiting new members to the Gilchrist team to grow what he liked to call ``the family'' in the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office.

He was a medalist in the First Responder Games in both basketball and weight lifting, but more importantly than that, he was a loving and dedicated father and husband.

He is survived by his wife, Gigi; their two children, Noel Lito and Zoey; along with his parents and family.

Deputy Taylor Lindsey was born on June 30, 1992, in Gainesville, Florida, and graduated from Gainesville High School. Deputy Lindsey joined Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office in 2013, where he began his lifelong dream to be a law enforcement officer.

From a young age, he wanted to be a law enforcement officer, and he couldn't say ``patrol'' so he called it ``P-trol,'' and he went on to fulfill that dream. He worked there for 3 years.

While quiet at first, he was quick to laugh, and those who worked with him can tell you a favorite Taylor Lindsey story.

Deputy Lindsey is survived by his parents, his family, and his girlfriend, Kristin Hite.

John 15:13 reminds us there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for their friends. Both officers gave the ultimate sacrifice and epitomized the meaning of service before self. Our lives and our community, our State and, in fact, our Nation are better because of their service.

Rest easy, gentlemen. We now have your watch.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Lady Rock Lions basketball team for winning the 2018 National Association of Christian Athletes Division 2 women's tournament.

These young women from The Rock School in Gainesville played through a grueling season to earn their spot in the tournament this past February. Their dedication paid off, and the Lady Rock Lions were named national champions.

Their hard work, discipline, and unbreakable spirit have earned them the right to stand among the greats of high school basketball. I am confident in their ability to continue to succeed both athletically and academically, and I look forward to watching these young women bring more honor, pride, and success to not just their lives, but to our district.

Go Lady Rock Lions and, yes, you do rock.

Mr. Speaker, President Trump has declared today to be National Agriculture Day, a time of celebration and gratefulness to our Nation's farmers and ranchers. Whether we realize it or not, agriculture is a part of all of our daily lives from morning until night. In fact, each American farmer feeds over 144 people, providing vital nutrition, and helping us better connect with our God-given resources.

Every $1 of United States agricultural products and food exports creates another $1.27 in business activity. Our country's agricultural exports are valued at more than $100 billion, including $4 billion from my own home State of Florida. Every $1 billion in exports supports approximately 8,000 American jobs. That is over 8 million jobs created by agriculture.

While celebrations such as these mark tremendous achievements for U.S. agriculture, we must continue to construct policies that supports and strengthens all of our farmers and ranchers. As lawmakers, let us make this celebration a time of action and work towards initiatives that continually uplift our ag industry.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday our world lost the beloved Stephen Hawking, a man who spent his life defying all obstacles and pursuing the depths of human knowledge. He is the epitome of proving your circumstances don't define you.

Hawking faced being told in his early twenties that he only had a few years to live. Fearlessly, he went on to not only beat those odds, but, along the way, demonstrated the beginning and the end of our universe as we know it today.

Hawking taught us that, if you dare to dream and work hard, you can succeed; and I know he is responsible for inspiring many of our scientific minds, both young and old alike.

As we celebrate his life, let us remember not only his accomplishments, academic and otherwise, but his fighting spirit. We are grateful for all he taught us and the legacy he left our world. Let us all remember him by embracing his steadfast determination and lead lives of action, as he did.

Mr. Speaker, in my previous life, before Congress--I am a veterinarian in the practice for 30 years--I have had the pleasure of taking care of all of God's creatures. It has been a privilege, a pleasure, and an honor.

So much is going on in Washington and the world, and we hear a lot of bad things going on, so tonight we are going to do a Special Order honoring K-9 Veterans Day, March 13. This evening, my colleagues and I would like to take a moment and pay tribute to the thousands of working dogs that serve our Nation.

They serve in the military. They serve in the fire department, the police department, and the Drug Enforcement Agency. They serve in your neighbor's house next door to alert people of intruders, maybe a fire, or finding a lost child. There is a group of people who do search and rescue only on a volunteer basis.

These unsung heroes, our K-9s, serve our Nation in many ways. Their contributions to our neighborhoods, communities, towns, cities, States, and even Nation cannot be overstated.

The biggest thank-you goes out to all of these K-9s serving our Nation's military and working to keep the homeland safe both here and abroad, as well as our local law enforcement K-9s. Tonight we honor you.

Over the past few months, I have had the honor of getting to know the working K-9s and their handlers that serve

Florida's Third Congressional District. After great visits, demonstrations, discussions--and I even had the experience yesterday with our team in our district; I experienced the subdued tactics of these dogs, wearing protective gear, of course--I am convinced more than ever that these amazing animals and their handlers need support and recognition for the incredible work that they do.

It is not just in north central Florida and northeast Florida. You can find these selfless heroes in all districts all across our great country. Whether it is checking the stadiums top to bottom, which, incidentally, yesterday, when we got to talking to the different sheriff's organizations, they said, at every Gator game at the University of Florida, the dogs check the entire stadium.

For those who have been to Gator Nation and seen our stadium there, it is a huge stadium, as all are, and they check it before every game, every basketball game, every big venue, and these dogs are out there working to keep Americans safe. Whether it is checking, as I said, the stadiums top to bottom for explosives or narcotics prior to big sporting events or helping find a missing person or being there at just the right moment when an officer is in need of backup, these K-9s deserve to have their stories heard tonight.

Tonight we celebrate National K-9 Veterans Day. My colleagues and I intend to do just that. While we celebrate their services tonight, I want to encourage all Members to do what they can to support these K- 9s, their handlers, and the departments they represent.

National K-9 Veterans Day began in World War I, when the most famous K-9, Sergeant Stubby, shined a spotlight on the incredible working dogs and the value they bring to our national service. Brigadier General Scott Perry is going to talk about Stubby more tonight, so I will leave that for him.

In Vietnam, nearly 4,000 dogs actively served, and in Iraq, these dogs were critical in sniffing out deadly IEDs. Since then, these dogs have served in our military and law enforcement, working hard to keep Americans safe. We owe not just today to these K-9s, but a thanks every day for their service.

To begin tonight, I would recognize the K-9 teams that serve in my home district and will share many of their stories here tonight. However, I want to start with one of my favorites from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.

In December 2017, in the far northern reaches of rural Alachua County, a previous victim of domestic violence and battery was walking out to meet detectives when she heard the voice of her assailant calling to her from the darkness. Terrified, she ran back inside, called 911, and deputies responded in an effort to catch the suspect with active warrants that included kidnapping and sexual assault.

Deputy Sheriff Chris Drake and K-9 Rous arrived, knowing full well that the suspect had not only stolen the victim's car with a gun inside earlier, but dug a hole and buried himself to elude a helicopter searchlight and a floor camera the night before. With that information, Chris and his dog, Rous, began to track the suspect.

Lifting K-9 Rous over some fences and cutting their way through others, Deputy Drake and others continued following the suspect's scent until, as Drake's report reads: ``Rous . . . still smelling human odor . . . ears forward, and staring intently . . . identified something lying in the water . . . the man stood up from the water . . . turned north into the woods and disappeared.''

Continuing their track, K-9 Rous and Deputy Drake again found the suspect hiding in a separate swamp, with only his back exposed. That is not a good thing with a catch dog.

When challenged, the felon fled again, and K-9 Rous was released to catch him. K-9 Rous ran into the water, swam briefly, and apprehended the suspect on the arm, enduring punches to the head and holding on until deputies could arrive and assist, placing the suspect in handcuffs for a trip to the hospital and then jail.

These deputies and their K-9 partners are on the road every day, working 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, supporting every local law enforcement patrol task and providing mutual aid to our neighboring jurisdictions when called upon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Abraham), another veterinarian.

Mr. Speaker, next I yield to the gentleman from my Pennsylvania, Brigadier General Scott Perry, my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Pennsylvania, Brigadier General Scott Perry, for sharing that story.

The attitude and loyalty of the dog is amazing, as well as the singularity of purpose in their drive and ambition.

Like I said, yesterday, we got to experience police K-9 dogs going after a victim. I was the victim. I had a glove on my arm. But we saw the intent and the way those dogs focus. They showed us a demonstration of sniffing out gunpowder. They hid it in a big room with all sorts of explosives. These dogs just go to task and don't complain. I think there is a lesson we all can learn from.

I thank the gentleman for his participation and for his story. I look forward to that movie. It is funny how people say dogs can't talk, but we know they do through their body language. That is why movies like that that highlight the actions of an animal, especially dogs, do so well. I know that will be a blockbuster.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from North Carolina. And I love that story. That is a great story. What you touched on is the loyalty, the trust, the integrity of these working dogs--not only in the work they do, but when they come back to the home--of what they do. It is unconditional love and unconditional loyalty.

We should take a lesson from that as humans, shouldn't we?

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to tell a story from my district, and this deals with seizing the drugs and profits that arm criminals: As part of their regularly assigned duties with the Gainesville-Alachua County Drug Task Force, Sergeant Bryan Jones and K- 9 Jerry responded to assist another agent with a traffic stop on Interstate 75. Despite a series of efforts by the suspect, like those seen on television to hide contraband in hidden compartments, K-9 Jerry couldn't be fooled--locating nearly $100,000 in cash and over a kilogram of narcotics. It is just amazing how these dogs know what to do and they are so good at it. They smell things that we can't even think about with their sensory perception.

Another story is rescuing those that need our help: In February 2018, the Florida Highway Patrol contacted the Alachua County Sheriff's Office after finding an abandoned vehicle along Interstate 75 near San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park. It appeared as though the driver, diagnosed with a mental illness and having fled his home in south Florida, may have wandered into the park and its over 7,000 acres of forest, sinkholes, rattle snakes, ponds, alligators, and trails.

Deputy Sheriff Lloyd O'Quinn and K-9 Eins began tracking the subject through the woods until becoming physically exhausted in the heat. Deputy Sheriff James Riley and K-9 Knight, Deputy Sheriff Esau Bright and K-9 Rosco, Deputy Sheriff Chris Drake and K-9 Rous, and Sergeant Michael Hurlocker and K-9 Havok all responded and relieved one another with tracking throughout the park.

After tracking and searching the wooded area for several hours, and with the help of the prison bloodhounds sent to assist from the Florida Department of Corrections, the driver was safely located and was provided the treatment he needed at an area hospital to the relief of his family and friends far away.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia, Tom Garrett, a good friend of mine that served in our military in the Army.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the good gentleman from Virginia. The gentleman brought up some great things there, the dedication of the handlers. Here we have got the Clay County Sheriff's Department with Diesel, a bloodhound that these guys are so dedicated with the dogs that they work with. It is unbelievable, the good they do, the search and the rescue that they do. And you brought up on Maggie how she had-- the 350th working call that Maggie had performed for the people of our country.

And this is something people don't realize, the amount of calls these dogs go on and the amount of work that they do. The average lifespan or service of these dogs is anywhere from 7 to 9 years, and people wonder about the cost of the dog, the cost of a program. Yeah, it is expensive to keep these dogs, but what we have found is so many people out there who are goodhearted who realize the benefit of the working K-9 that they donate the cost of the dog. Many times the cost of the dog can run from $5,000 to $9,000 by the time you get it trained, and $4,000 to $5,000 a year to maintain these. And there is a lot of community help to make sure this gets done.

Mr. Speaker, I will now talk about another dog at the Gainesville Police Department: Justice is a German Shepherd that worked for the Gainesville Police Department starting in September 2006. During his career, Justice was responsible for locating hundreds of--hundreds of offenders. He assisted several other agencies throughout his career to include the Florida Highway Patrol, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the University of Florida Police Department, the City of Alachua Police Department, and the City of High Springs Police Department.

Justice was credited with saving a life. The incident involved a suicidal person who had taken a deadly amount of prescription pills, left a suicide note, and walked off into the woods. After 2 hours of officers trying to locate the person, Officer Owens and Justice were called to the scene while off duty. Justice was able to track and locate the person who was passed out by the effects of the pill and clinging to life. EMS was called, and the person was taken to the hospital. Doctors stated that if the person was not located when they were, the medications taken would have, no doubt, ended in their death and another suicide.

Justice received a lifesaving award through the department. On the last night of his career, Justice was called to locate a suspect that fled from an officer who recognized him as a felony habitual traffic offender and a drug dealer. The officer tried to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle being driven by the suspect. When the officer activated his overhead lights, the suspect turned off his headlights, accelerated to a high speed, fleeing through a neighborhood. The officer did not pursue the vehicle. Another officer located the abandoned vehicle minutes later. A perimeter search was established.

Office Charles Owens and Justice responded to the scene. Justice began a track from the driver's side door. The track led through several backyards and for several blocks. Justice's track led into a wooded area where the suspect was located by Justice trying to conceal himself under a fallen tree. If not for Justice, the suspect would have eluded capture. Justice was sent to retire at the end of the shift, which ended at 4 a.m. He captured his last suspect just in the nick of time at 3 a.m. Officer Owens took possession of Justice after his retirement, and they have been with each other since.

Justice turns 15 on March 15 of this year and is still as active as he can be in his seasoned age. And I think, again, that is a model for all of us to follow.

Another story, Mr. Speaker, K-9 deputy successfully talks down an armed suicidal subject: The Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the 17,800 block of County Road 25 in reference to a domestic altercation. It was learned that the suspect battered and strangled a female victim. The suspect fled the area, just prior to the deputy's arrival. K-9 Deputy Jeremie Nix and K-9 Drago tracked and located the suspect in a wooded area, at which time the suspect advised he was armed with a firearm and a knife and threatened suicide.

Deputy Nix was able to create a dialogue with the suspect and persuaded him to surrender peacefully. He did not have a firearm, but he was armed with a knife. The suspect was arrested and charged with domestic battery by strangulation and is being held in the Marion County Jail on $10,000 bond.

During this standoff, Deputy Nix and K-9 Drago accidentally stepped into a yellow jacket nest and were stung over 20 times. K-9 Drago was taken to the veterinarian's office to be checked out after the call, and he and Deputy Nix recovered and are back to work. Great job for everyone.

The K-9 team locates burglar, recovers approximately $3,500 of stolen property: On the morning of Thursday, February 1, 2018, Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to Ernie's Auction Center, located at 5305 South Pine, in reference to a burglary that just occurred.

As employees were opening the business, it was observed that the front door had been forcibly entered and suspects were observed running through the inside of the business.

Deputy Branden Donahue and his K-9 partner, Tipster, and Deputy Nickolas Frost immediately tracked the suspect and located him within 30 minutes. During the track, two different locations were found where the suspects were stashing stolen items from the business. The stolen property, valued at $3,500, was recovered and returned to the businessowner.

People just don't realize the acute sense that these dogs have and why they are so valuable.

Another story is about Deputy Brian Litz. On February 7, 2004, Deputy Brian Litz and another deputy responded to the Pine Run subdivision in reference to a well-being check on a 74-year-old individual.

When the deputies arrived at the house, the individual met them at the door with a handgun. Deputy Litz was attempting to pass under the front window of the home to get a better visual on the individual with the gun. Unknown to Deputy Litz, this person was watching from the window, and he then shot and killed Litz.

Today, a statue in honor of Deputy Litz and his K-9 stands proudly in Florida's capital. In a tragic twist, Deputy Litz' call sign was Batman. Today, visitors of this statue at the Florida capital can find the Batman emblem on the bottom of his K-9's foot.

Just an amazing story and, again, a great example of the ability of these dogs and their success in helping out with people, whether it is the person in need, the lost individual, search and rescue, the drug dealer, and just people who want to do other people harm in domestic violence.

I just want to briefly talk about dogs and handlers. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office has five dogs: Aries, handled by Sergeant Randy Hayes; Judo, handled by Blaine Moody; Zeke, handled by Jerry Gentry; Halo, handled by Josue Garriga; and Putnam, named after the county, handled by Emmett Merritt.

Bradford County Sheriff's Office: Deputy Brandon Shoup and K-9 Grim.

Ocala Police Department: Officer King and K-9 Zorba; Officer Burgos and K-9 Babbo; Officer Arnold and K-9 Senior.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office, again, yesterday, we had the privilege of going down and presenting all the working dogs and their handlers with our Congressional Challenge Coin. As you can see, that dog looks rather well the way he is wearing that. At the Marion County Sheriff's Office, where we were yesterday, we got to have the demonstration on the catch dogs, or attack dogs, and we got a great demonstration. There are: Sergeant Daniel Trammell and K-9 Nitro; Deputy Alan Lee, who handles K-9 Zeus; Deputy Timothy Fretts with his dog, K-9 Robo; Deputy Colton Sullivan with his dog, K-9 Adelmo; Deputy Matt Bowers with K-9 Otow, which is named after a retirement village that donated the money for their dog; Deputy Jeremie Nix with his dog, K-9 Drago; Deputy Branden Donahue with his dog, K-9 Tipster; and as we just heard the story, Deputy Matt Hopper with K-9 Rambo.

The Gainesville Police Department: Corporal Jeff Kerkau with his dog, K-9 Roo; Corporal Dylan Hayes-Morrison and his K-9 Ares; Officer Rob Rogers and K-9 Nero; Officer Ed Ratliff and his dog, K-9 Ace; Officer Josh Meurer and his dog, K-9 Ranger.

And the Alachua County Sheriff's Office:

Deputy Sheriff Lloyd O'Quinn and K-9 Eins. We just heard a story about them. A Malinois working in patrol, narcotics, and tracking.

Deputy Sheriff Esau Bright and K-9 Deacon, a Malinois working in patrol, narcotics, and trafficking.

That is what a lot of people don't realize. These dogs are trained in multiple disciplines and just work their hearts out.

Deputy Sheriff Mikell McKoy and his dog, K-9 Kaos, a Malinois working in patrol, narcotics, and trafficking.

Deputy Sheriff Brian Ritter and his dog, K-9 Kolt, a Malinois working in patrol, narcotics, and trafficking.

Deputy Sheriff Chris Griseck and his dog, K-9 Mack, a Malinois working in patrol, bombing, and tracking.

Then there is Deputy Sheriff Bill Arnold and his dog, K-9 Wick, a Malinois working in patrol, narcotics, and trafficking.

I think we are getting the point here of how valuable these dogs are. I would recommend to people, if you want to see the value and why we want to spend money and allow these dogs to be in our law enforcement, military, DEA, then watch demonstrations of these dogs and the acuteness of them.

There is Deputy Sheriff Chris Drake and his dog, K-9 Rous, a Malinois working in patrol, bomb, and tracking.

Sergeant Michael Hurlocker, who we heard the story of, and his K-9 partner, Havok, a Malinois working in patrol, bomb, and tracking.

Deputy Sheriff Adam Diaz and his dog, K-9 Shiloh, a Labrador Retriever working with the Drug Task Force.

Sergeant Bryan Jones and K-9 Jerry, a Malinois working with the Drug Task Force.

And then there is Sergeant Nigel Lowe and K-9 Zoey, a mixed breed working narcotics detection in our schools; and K-9 Malzi, a Malinois just joining the sheriff's office as a gun detection dog in our schools.

It is interesting, after the Parkland shooting on February 14, we had a roundtable of law enforcement, county sheriffs, city police chiefs, superintendents, school resource officers, and one of the things that came out of there is how the resource officers in our schools act as a deterrent for a lot of the kids. They are there. They see a person of authority.

One of the sheriffs brought up what I thought was a great suggestion that a lot of people also thought was a great suggestion, and that is a dog that can detect gunpowder in our schools. Let them tour the schools, let them show what the policemen can do beneficially to all of us.

It is a shame that we are in a time in society where we have to worry about guns going off in school, but until we rectify the underlying cause of that, I think we need to do what we can to keep our schools safe so our kids feel safe going to school.

I just want to end with this picture. Again, this is the Clay County Sheriff's Office with their dog, Diesel, who proudly took our Congressional Challenge Coin.

Mr. Speaker, I want to give a shout-out to all the offices that participated and shared stories with us. We are proud of them. We are proud of their K-9s. I don't want to say we are more proud of the K-9s than we are of them, but we are proud of all of them for the work that they do to keep us safer as citizens of the Third Congressional District, but also around the country and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant James A. Mazzuchelli of Orange Park, Florida, a naval flight surgeon who passed away on February 24 as the result of a tragic accident that occurred while he was on duty.

Lieutenant Mazzuchelli graduated from Clay High School in 2003, where he served in the Naval JROTC program. Upon graduation, he received a full scholarship to Drexel University in Pennsylvania, where he studied commerce and engineering.

After graduation from Drexel, he decided to follow in his parents' footsteps and join the Navy. He did so while attending medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, and received his naval officer's commission while finishing his studies.

Lieutenant Mazzuchelli served as a flight surgeon with the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 stationed out of Camp Pendleton, California, and was deployed to Japan as part of the Marines' Unit Deployment Program in 2016.

Over his 7 years of service, Lieutenant Mazzuchelli provided exemplary medical care to the brave men and women who protect America. In fact, 2 weeks before his death, he completed his aircrew syllabus and received his aerial observer/aircrew wings, making him one of the very few naval doctors to have them.

He is survived by his parents and stepparents, as well as two sisters. I know his family, his community, and his squadron will miss him dearly.

Hailed by his fellow soldiers for his enthusiasm and dedication, Lieutenant Mazzuchelli's example of leadership through service will continue to inspire others.

We as a nation thank James and his family for his dedication and service to our great Nation. He will be missed, but not forgotten.