Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I reintroduced H.R. 449 to enhance counterterrorism preparedness at the local level.

In recent years, we have seen acts of terrorism, especially in planning and execution, take place in cities throughout our Nation. Whether it occurs at a church in Charleston, a synagogue in Pittsburgh, or a nightclub in Orlando, local law enforcement is the front line of defense in protecting our communities from acts of violence. It is, therefore, necessary to equip our first responders with the tools to allow them to quickly adapt to the evolving terrorist threat landscape. This bill, H.R. 449, does just that.

Today, the Department of Homeland Security's training catalogue is a primary resource for State and local jurisdictions to find opportunities to enhance their counterterrorism and preparedness capabilities.

Specifically, H.R. 449 directs DHS' Office of State and Local Law Enforcement to produce, as you have heard, and distribute an annual catalogue of training programs and services to State, local, and Tribal law enforcement communities. To ensure that this information is shared throughout the law enforcement community with agencies large and small, H.R. 449 requires this comprehensive catalogue be posted on the DHS website, as well as on the Homeland Security Information Network.

Enactment of this bill will further strengthen the Department's partnership with State and local law enforcement to help better protect the homeland. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Charlie ``Chief'' Ings, a legend in the Orlando Police Department.

Charlie ``Chief'' Ings spent nearly thirty years with the Orlando Police Department. He was a trailblazer in every sense of the word, serving as one of OPD's first black police officers and serving as the first black detective.

Charlie Ings' commitment was real, his dedication fierce, and his perseverance unwavering. Before joining the police department, he spent seven years with Orlando's Recreation Division. While walking a different type of beat, he mentored children and teenagers and stood as a strong role model and source of strength and inspiration for his community.

By the time he joined the Orlando Police Department, he was called a ``walking encyclopedia'' of West Orlando's families by his peers. What came naturally to Charlie Ings is today known as ``community-oriented policing.'' Simply put, he always put service above self. The community trusted him, and that meant getting calls and tips to fill in crucial details on unsolved cases.

He worked long nights and cold mornings, broke up crime rings and built lifelong friendships. He was married to his wife Pearl for thirty years and was father to six children. One of his children, Commissioner Samuel Ings, followed in his footsteps by joining the Orlando Police Department.

What Charlie ``Chief'' Ings' former colleagues remember about him is his character. His integrity was renowned, and he treated everyone with dignity and respect. He was an officer and a gentleman and leaves an exemplary roadmap for others to follow. He will be remembered by his family, his friends, former colleagues, and a grateful community.

Madam Speaker, this shutdown is causing fear, pain, and stress for thousands of families in central Florida.

Now, this may be confusing to the President and to Senator McConnell, but to Brandon and his wife, who both have Federal jobs in my district and zero income coming in, it is all too clear.

It is all too clear to Ralph, an Army veteran who is trying to juggle expenses for three children, including a special needs child.

It is all too clear to Doug, who keeps sensitive equipment working at the airport, but now he is struggling to cover daily expenses while also taking care of his mother.

It is all too clear, Madam Speaker, to my constituent Jeff, a Coast Guard retiree, now a civilian employee, who is working to raise money to help current Coast Guard servicemen. But Jeff himself is also not receiving a paycheck.

Families like these--and there are hundreds of thousands of them--are real people with real pain.

The President and Senator McConnell need to do the right thing and put an end to this destructive shutdown now.

Madam Speaker, it is surely a shame that it is necessary in the year 2019 for the U.S. Congress to denounce white nationalism in Congress.

As a police officer, I worked white supremacist rallies. The words alone hurt enough, but as a police officer, I also saw vicious acts of violence by those inspired by those hateful words.

Words do have consequences, and if you promote hateful, ignorant beliefs, then you will be held accountable. Certainly, Congress should lead the way.

This week, the ignorance of white nationalism was defended by one of my colleagues. Today, as we recognize Dr. King's birthday, I am reminded that Dr. King called on all Americans to enlist in a crusade finally to end the race question and make it an ugly relic of a dark past. But still we know hate crimes are on the rise. We understand why.

Madam Speaker, if we are who we say we are, a great nation, one nation with liberty and justice for all, then we all must exercise our power and take a stand so strong that even the white supremacists cannot ignore it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a legend in the Orlando community--the peerless James ``Chief'' Wilson.

Mr. Wilson was father to two daughters, but a father figure for thousands. As band leader at Jones High School--a program he built from scratch into one of the finest programs in the country--he brought a lifetime of learning, music, and joy to his students and his community.

Mr. Wilson was famous not only for his high expectations, but for his lifelong advocacy for the young men and women in his care. He helped them prepare for college and win scholarships. He stayed in touch with them for years after they graduated. Many credit him with turning their lives around.

Simply put, he was a role model. He provided the guidance that only an incredible teacher can give. Telling his pupils that ``perfect practice makes perfect performance,'' he cultivated an attitude of excellence in his students that would last a lifetime.

But underneath the demand for excellence and the incredible legacy that he built, there was also the man himself--a man whom his

children described as a ``kid at heart.'' A man who loved music, Christmas lights, and the old car which he used to give rides to students and take his family on road trips.

``Chief'' Wilson never met a stranger, and he remembered his students when he crossed paths with them years later. A faithful member of Washington Shores Presbyterian Church, a homeowner in the Washington Shores community for over 50 years, and a charter member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., his roots were deep.

He will be missed by all. But I know that his positive influence will live on in his students, his program, and his incredible legacy for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, let's discuss voting in America.

Mr. Speaker, 53 years ago--I believe we all know it--Congress passed the Voting Rights Act to stop discriminatory practices which denied minorities the right to vote. Poll workers would ask people of color ridiculous questions like how many jelly beans are in a jar or use humiliating literacy tests and poll taxes to take away this constitutional right from good, decent people.

Now here we go again. Because the President of the United States just can't accept the fact that he lost the popular vote, which he did, my Republican colleagues are using racial fears and dishonest words like ``protecting our elections'' to encourage Americans to turn against each other.

If my GOP colleagues want to protect our elections, they should join us in restoring the Voting Rights Act, which was gutted in 2013. If my Republican colleagues want to protect our elections, they should join us in passing legislation to protect the special counsel. But obviously the GOP feels that they can't win on their merits, so they will suppress the vote instead, change the rules, close polling places in Black and Latino communities, remove legitimate voters from voting rolls, pass laws like the one in North Carolina that targeted African Americans with--and I quote--surgical precision.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are tired of the division and distractions from the White House and the GOP to turn us against our neighbors, especially along racial lines. And 53 years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the American people expect men and women of conscience to step up and refuse to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Boy Scout Troop 221 of Apopka, Florida. They truly exemplify of the Scout values of duty, service, character, leadership, and self-reliance.

Last year, they led the Central Florida Council in community service. Together, they volunteered over 4,000 hours of their time. One project was a memorial to the victims of the September 11th attacks created by Eagle Scout Christian Lamphere in honor of the first responders who died in the attacks.

Christian wanted his community to know the risks that our first responders take every day. For that project, Christian won the Central Florida Eagle Scout Project of the Year.

This week, I had the honor to meet with Troop 221 here in Washington. I am proud of all of our Scouts, thankful for all they do for the community, and I can't wait to see what they do next.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Ron Plummer, Manager of Orange County, Florida, Office of Emergency Management, who passed away last week.

Ron was a dedicated public servant, husband, and father. Ron served in the Army and the Marine Corps for 27 years.

Since 2002, he has helped our community through countless storms and disasters. As every Floridian knows, getting through hurricanes and other emergencies requires calm leadership and deep compassion.

Ron lifted the spirit of storm-stricken neighbors, brought kindness to those with special needs, and made hope a tangible presence.

Ron united peers and partners to keep us safe, and shared his vast expertise throughout the State and the Nation.

Ron Plummer will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for a life well lived.

Mr. Speaker, during my 27 years in law enforcement, I fought many threats to our families. But today, I have to say that I am ashamed that our leaders now say that those families are the threat.

Families seeking asylum are not a threat. Toddlers and children at the border are not a threat. Dreamers who are brought here as young children, both of us know, are not a threat.

Mr. Speaker, I ask: Why is it so easy to reject those who we believe are different from us? We will not allow this administration to make America a country that only accepts the rich and well-connected. When we know better, we are supposed to do better.

And so I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, you are right, let's stop playing politics. Let's do better and reject this dangerous piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4627.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Donovan, for this important legislation, which contains a critical provision to ensure that our antiterrorism funds go to their intended purpose.

Three months ago, we heard rumors of plans to use precious homeland security funding to distribute guns to teachers. I introduced language to block this idea, and I am glad to say that this language has, indeed, been included in H.R. 4627.

As a former law enforcement commander, I was assigned to Orlando International Airport during the 9/11 attacks. I have seen firsthand the vital

need for our antiterrorism funding to be used wisely, carefully, and precisely to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur.

It is essential that our students go to school safely. Arming teachers would be both impractical and immoral. Requiring teachers to stop mass shooters not only shifts our responsibilities as lawmakers to them, but it also shifts the hurt, the pain, the guilt, and, potentially, the liability when they find themselves outskilled and outgunned by a shooter with a weapon of war.

We already, as you all know, ask our overworked and underpaid teachers to do too much. We must find ways to continue to allow them to teach. Let's support them in helping all of our children reach their full potential and continue to work with our law enforcement departments to reduce gun violence.

Our limited homeland security funding should be used to prevent terrorist attacks in our local communities. Therefore, I join my colleagues here on the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4627.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, today marks 2 years since the Pulse shooting. Tonight, my colleague Congressman Soto and I stand on the floor of the United States House of Representatives to honor and remember the victims of that horrible night.

The Pulse attack was the second worst mass shooting marring American history, the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, and the worst attack against the LGBTQ population in our history.

This evening, in our hometown of Orlando, thousands of people are gathered, like they were 1 year ago and 1 year after that. They gather to mourn, to honor, and to pay tribute to the 49 lives we lost on June 12, 2016, just as we do here tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I wish I could be there with my friends, neighbors, and loved ones in Orlando, but I felt it was important to be here, fulfilling our duty as Members of Congress. We stand here tonight on the floor of the House of Representatives so that the world will not forget the lives we lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting.

This month, we are celebrating Pride Month. June 1 was Gun Violence Awareness Day. For the men and women at Pulse 2 years ago, the nightclub was a refuge. It was a haven for our LGBTQ community and their friends; and particularly, it was Latin Night, and they gathered to celebrate. It was a place where, my bishop likes to say, they were there for a late night fellowship.

This is what I want to emphasize. The victims at Pulse, like every other mass shooting, were not in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were living their lives, taking refuge in song, dance, joy, and celebrating their common humanity at a time when the common humanity of LGBTQ Americans was not, and it is still not, universally recognized in our country.

It was supposed to be, Mr. Speaker, like any other Saturday night for the men and women inside the Pulse nightclub. It was about 2:02 a.m., when everyone was closing their tabs for the night and about to head home. That is when an ISIS-inspired gunman walked into the club with an assault rifle and a handgun. Within a few minutes, he killed 49 people and wounded 53 others.

The innocent men and women in the club didn't stand a chance against the gunman. We will return to that point later. The fact is that the weapons available to this gunman made his attack, in many instances, as bad as a battlefield.

Orlando lost 49 lives that night; we lost 49 lives that night. Many others have had their lives changed forever. But after the attack, we saw our community come together. We donated blood together. We raised money together, and we mourned and grieved together. Mr. Speaker, tonight we continue to mourn, and we continue to grieve.

Together with my colleague, Congressman Darren Soto, we want to remember the victims, tell their stories, and celebrate the lives we lost 2 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto), my colleague, whom I am absolutely honored to serve with.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Soto as he talked about the advocacy that we have seen in the place that we call home, the place that we love in Orlando.

It is amazing how, out of the ashes, out of tragedy, good things can happen. We are so proud of Brandon and others like him who have turned their unbelievable, unbearable pain into action.

Congressman Soto said one of the best ways to honor the victims is through action. When we looked at the devastation 2 years ago, we started a serious conversation about how to do that.

Of course, this year is a painful time for us, for Orlando, for our Nation, for the world, for so many who grieved with us and continue to grieve with us. But as we think about action and what has happened since Pulse, I just have to mention a horrible tragedy that happened in Orlando yesterday, as we talk about gun violence and continue to work hard to turn our pain into advocacy and to legislation.

Yesterday, the Orlando Police Department responded to a domestic violence call. The suspect was a convicted domestic abuser who had been arrested several other times for felonious actions and for violating his probation, but he also had a gun.

When the officers arrived, he opened fire, hitting one officer, Officer Kevin Valencia, who had been with the department since 2016. This young officer is in his twenties, and he has a wife and two young children. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Valencia, who is in critical condition, fighting for his life.

But, inside, the shooter had his partner's four young children:

Irayan was 12. She wore glasses with pink rims. She had dark, wavy hair and a bright smile. At school, she was known as an overachiever.

Lillia was 10. She was blonde and wore glasses.

Aiden was 6. He and his sister attended Sadler Elementary School, and he loved dinosaurs.

Dove was 1 year old. She loved to play outside.

Officers evacuated the apartment complex where the standoff was occurring. Neighbors stood by in parking lots, some of them in their pajamas, while the hours ticked away. But when the police entered the apartment, desperate to save lives, they found all four children dead, as well as the shooter.

As we very painfully remember the victims of Pulse, a day before the 2-year anniversary, we lost two young girls and two young boys. These children will never grow up, will never realize their full potential.

It is amazing what our children are now having to endure and having to deal with. A 10-year-old girl who lives in the area spoke to a reporter this morning, and she said: ``He killed himself and killed the little kids.'' That is this 10-year-old girl's reality.

Gun violence kills our children. It kills our future. It breaks into our homes, our theaters, our restaurants, our nightclubs. It turns nightclubs into shooting ranges. It turns homes into battlefields. It turns schools into theaters of war at worst, prisons at best.

We have few answers at this point about what happened and why on the eve of a 2-year anniversary of Pulse, why this man, this convicted felon with a history of violence, had a gun.

We know that in more than half of our Nation's mass shootings, a family member is at least one of the victims.

We know that in nearly half of our Nation's mass shootings, there are warning signs beforehand, often violence against family members.

Let's think about it. Before a gunman in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killed 26 people, he had been convicted of domestic violence. Before a shooter tried to kill our friends and colleagues at the congressional baseball practice, he had beat his foster daughter and shot a gun at her boyfriend. Before the Sandy Hook murderer killed 20 children and six others at a Connecticut elementary school, he first killed his mother.

There are usually warning signs beforehand.

The Pulse shooting was no exception. Before the Pulse gunman murdered 49, he beat his previous wife and locked her away from her family.

The American Journal of Public Health found that having a gun in the household during a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that the abuse will turn into a homicide.

So what do we do? What do we do as we talk about the advocacy that we are so proud of that is going on in our hometown? What do we do as legislators in one of the most powerful bodies not only in our country, but in the world?

We remember our victims. We tell their stories. We grieve with their families and with the survivors.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to Congressman Soto to continue to share his thoughts with us.

Congressman Soto, I want to thank you so much for several things that you've talked about.

First of all, your recognition of our first responders, our brave police officers and firefighters and the absolutely amazing job that they do, not just in Orlando, but across the Nation, to keep, as you put it, our homeland safe.

When you think about it, our first responders get called to every tragedy. I heard someone once say that--I believe it was Chief David Brown, former Chief David Brown in Dallas, Texas who said that every time society fails or something goes wrong, law enforcement's called in to deal with it, to fix it. So thank you for your recognition of them.

We lost four law enforcement officers in the line of duty last year. And we have one, as you heard me mention earlier, Officer Valencia, who is in the hospital fighting for his life.

I also thank you for the beginning comments when you talked about the bravery of some of the survivors at the Pulse nightclub, those who did what they could to shield others from harm, to help others get to places of safety.

But also, I think the elephant in the room are the giant loopholes that you spoke about. When we share the stories of the Pulse victims, it is impossible to separate those stories from the discussion of gun violence in this country. The two are certainly intertwined, and we cannot discuss one without discussing the other.

As we remember the lives of these 49 victims, and countless others throughout the great Nation that we serve, I am reminded that every American should have the right to go to school or church or a mall, synagogue, a movie theater or a nightclub without being brutally murdered or wounded by someone with a gun.

You have reminded me, Congressman Soto, that our job as legislators is to create laws that allow Americans to live their lives in safety and security. Two years after Pulse, we have not done that job, and you so clearly pointed that out in your comments.

We have not closed the loopholes that allow disturbed people to buy a gun without a background check, even though we represent Americans and 97 percent of Americans support that idea.

We have not implemented universal background checks while we represent Americans, although 83 percent of Americans support universal background checks.

We have not banned assault weapons like the one that was used to take so many lives in the Pulse shooting, the Las Vegas shooting, the Parkland shooting, and so many others, while 67 percent of Americans support banning assault weapons.

The gentleman talked earlier about what those weapons were designed to do. I spent 27 years in law enforcement. I can tell you that they were designed for the battlefield. Persons shot by assault weapons, the chances of survival are greatly diminished.

They were not designed for the streets of our neighborhoods and in our communities and in our school campuses and at our churches and in our movie theaters and other places that are designated safe places.

No, we have not banned bump stocks. What sense does it make to say that automatic weapons are illegal, but allow individuals to go out and, for less than $200, purchase a device that will take your semiautomatic weapon and make it function like an automatic weapon?

As the gentleman mentioned earlier, no, we have not fully empowered law enforcement to better protect our families by allowing them to temporarily remove guns from troubled individuals.

Mr. Speaker, 2 years after Pulse is more than 2 years too late, but the time is always right. I believe Dr. King said this, to do what is right.

Instead of responding to mass shootings where police officers are shot in the head, and children are killed and other innocent people, we should work to prevent them. As a police chief, my goal was to stop violence from occurring in the first place. We, as Members of Congress, have the ability to do that.

Congress has acted on this issue before. We passed the National Firearms Act of, gosh, 1934; the Gun Control Act of 1968; the Gun-Free Schools Act; the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act; and the Federal assault weapons bans. These were bipartisan efforts that saved lives.

Where is the legislative response to the Pulse shooting 2 years later? Where is the legislative response to the Parkland shooting?

I urge my colleagues, my friends, let's do our job and make schools and theaters and nightclubs of our country truly safe.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Speaker, we are here tonight to honor the victims of Pulse. They deserve to be remembered. Their families deserve recognition, and they also deserve action. The men, the women, the mothers, the fathers, the sons and daughters, the brothers and sisters gunned down in our country deserve remembrance.

They also deserve courage from their leaders. They deserve action from us.

As we utilize the last, I guess, 11 minutes now, I will yield to Congressman Soto to just kind of wrap up his thoughts and leave with us some words that, hopefully, will carry us to the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, 49 bells to represent 49 people. Our community declared June 12 to be Orlando United Day, a day of love and kindness.

Today, we take time to remember the 49 angels and all of those who still carry physical and mental wounds from that day, 2 years after the attack.

I believe, Congressman Soto, more strongly than ever, that love will win. While the pain will never go away, I do believe that we have an obligation to turn our pain into action. We will not forget those who lost their lives.

I am proud to represent a community that has acted with such incredible strength and love. I am proud to continue to honor these men and women, not only through our words, but through our actions. I am also proud to be joined by Congressman Soto, and I thank the gentleman for his unwavering commitment and dedication to protecting our homeland, and his commitment to creating and passing meaningful legislation to keep guns out of the hands of bad people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his advocacy and his leadership on this issue, and I thank him for joining me in this day of remembrance.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments and life of Mary Lee Allen as she celebrates her 10th birthday this year.

Mary Lee Allen was born on May 15, 1918 in Branchville, South Carolina. Throughout her adult life, Mrs. Allen has given back to her community, neighbors, and church. She is known as a proud local small business owner and mentor to countless young women.

Mrs. Allen attended public school in New York and went on to earn a degree from cosmetology school. After she moved to Florida, she continued her education, taking advanced classes in hair and beauty.

On May 7, 1938, she married the late William J. Allen. The couple moved to Winter Park, Florida, and quickly became involved in their community. Mrs. Allen took the bold step of opening her own business-- Mary Lee Beauty Shop. Throughout the shop's years of business, Mrs. Allen provided constant advice and support to young employees.

Mrs. Allen has been a member of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church for over 60 years, and joined the church's Senior Missionary Society and Senior Choir. She also helped found the 'Ideal Women Club.' Over the years, she has received numerous awards and recognitions for her outstanding community service, and has earned the love and friendship of her neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have Mrs. Mary Lee Allen as a constituent, and I extend best wishes to her on her 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments and life of Ella Augusta Johnson Dinkins, as she celebrates her 100th birthday this year.

Mrs. Dinkins was born on April 20, 1918 in Orlando, Florida. She is the first child of Addie Mae Gramling Johnson, a school teacher, and Augustus Newsome Johnson, an architect and builder.

When the onset of the Great Depression destroyed her family's financial security, she moved with her parents to Eatonville, the first black incorporated municipality in the United States of America. There, she attended and graduated from the Historic Hungerford School.

Mrs. Dinkins worked hard to support her family--as a domestic servant, truck farmer, insurance agent, hair dresser, and chicken farmer. During certain periods of her life, she worked three jobs at once. She retired in 1984 from her position with the United Telephone Company.

Mrs. Dinkins quickly built a reputation in Eatonville as a civic and faith leader. She is a member of Eatonville's oldest congregation--St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal Church--where she has served on countless committees and as Chair of the Board of Trustees.

In segregated Orlando, black women were forced to deliver babies in the basement of Orange Memorial Hospital. No incubators were available for children who needed them. Mrs. Dinkins helped to found Eatonville's Mothers' Club, which raised funds to buy incubators, saving the lives of vulnerable children in her community.

During the 1950s, Mrs. Dinkins joined Eatonville's Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary. In the 1960s, she worked to elect representatives who would work for equality, fairness, and progress.

In the 1980s, she became a Founding Member of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (PEC), and has spent thousands of hours organizing programs, volunteering at the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, and representing her community at historical preservation conferences nationwide. When Eatonville was designated the Historic Town of Eatonville, Mrs. Dinkins served on the first Historic Preservation Board. PEC continues to organize the ZORA Festival, STEM Initiative, and other community programs.

Today, Mrs. Dinkins is widely known as a volunteer, civic leader, and community voice, who attends every Town Council meeting and other official community gathering.

Mr. Speaker, the Historic Town of Eatonville is blessed to count Mrs. Dinkins as a resident. I am honored to represent her, and I congratulate her on her 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Vice Mayor Billie Dean, who will retire this month after serving the city of Apopka, Florida, for over twenty years.

Mr. Dean was born and raised in Clermont, Florida, across the lake from his current home. He attended Jones High School and Eustis Vocational High School, and earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Florida A&M University.

Mr. Dean also served our nation with honor and courage in the United States Army. A Korean War veteran, he received a Bronze Star for valor.

After settling in Apopka--where he has lived for over 35 years--Mr. Dean became a teacher and activist. He has served as a member of the Florida League of Cities, a Board Member of the Lake Apopka Natural Gas Board, a CARET Representative for Land Grant Colleges and Universities on behalf of Florida A&M University.

He has been a role model in his community, both through his example, and as a member of the 100 Black Men of Orlando, Inc., a long-term mentoring group for black children.

An active member and trustee of Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Orlando, he has put his faith into practice in his community.

In 1994, Mr. Dean was elected to the Apopka City Commission. In 2014, he became Vice Mayor--the honor bestowed upon the city's longest- serving Commissioner.

Mr. Dean was an educator. He knew that education is the key to success, and worked throughout his life to ready the next generation to thrive. He married Isadora Moye Dean, and together they have five children and three grandchildren.

In Mr. Dean, our children see a model for public, civic, and community service. While Apopka will miss him as a Commissioner, I am certain that his positive influence on our community will be evident for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I offer my heartiest congratulations to Mr. Dean upon his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, 1 month ago today, a man brutally murdered 17 children and educators in Parkland, Florida. He killed these innocent people using a semiautomatic, assault-style weapon. These weapons, designed for the battlefield, are easily available across this country.

It has been 19 years since the Columbine school shooting. That massacre shocked America. Our country debated that shooting and the causes for months, for years. But in what has become an all-too- familiar pattern, Congress did nothing to address the factor that makes these massacres so deadly, the easy access to guns.

You see, after Columbine, the gun lobby knew that they were in trouble, so they put a whole lot of time and a whole lot of money into confusing the issue. They said: ``It's not guns. It's bullying. It's not guns. It's the lack of school security. It's not guns. It's our violent culture, music, and video games.''

Well, other countries have all of these things, but other countries do not have mass shootings like ours because other countries have responsible gun safety laws.

Today, 1 month after the Parkland shooting, we are, once again, discussing guns. Today, as after Columbine, the gun lobby knows that they are in trouble because this time these children who survived the Parkland shooting are not trying to return to the way life was before the shooting. They are taking a stand. And, yes, we do stand with them.

See, these children believe that they can change the world. They should, and they are. I mean, after all, isn't that what we taught them: that when they see something wrong, they do something about it?

So the gun lobby is going back to their same old tactics: It is not guns; it is the fact that the teachers don't have guns.

How surprising that the gun lobby solution to school shootings is to buy more guns. But as a former law enforcement officer who has been trained in active shooter situations, I can tell you that arming teachers is a dangerous and disturbing idea. We should prevent mass shootings and not complicate them.

I can tell you that having multiple armed individuals present in an active shooter situation only complicates the response. Arming teachers would lead to taxpayer-sponsored shootouts, endangering outscaled and outgunned teachers, putting our children at risk.

We already ask our overworked and underpaid teachers to do too much. A national survey of teachers found that, if offered the choice to carry a firearm, most would refuse. Many have said they would quit.

The solution to gun violence is not shootouts between teachers and school shooters. Instead, we can finally take serious but real measures addressing gun safety.

We should stop this absurd idea before it becomes reality. Congress should move swiftly to prevent the administration from shifting tax dollars meant for antiterrorism programs to buying guns for teachers. I had hoped to incorporate this commonsense idea in a bill scheduled to come before the Homeland Security Committee last week, but I was blocked for doing so, and that is why, last night, I introduced a new bill to put the idea into law. Money for fighting terrorism should stay where it is, and our teachers should be allowed to teach.

We saw that in my own congressional district in Orlando, Florida, the result of lack of action where 49 people were killed and 58 still suffer life-changing injuries when they were gunned down in a nightclub. See, everybody, living in a country that we say is the greatest country in the world should have the right to go to church, to go to school, to go to a mall, to go to a movie theater without being gunned down.

Mr. Speaker, we should take action after this shooting and do our jobs to protect our children and serve our communities.