Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle from Florida talked about the 1.7 million concealed weapons permits that are issued in Florida. Let me make it quite clear that those permits are issued to Floridians for Floridians, not to any person from any State at any time who wants to bring a gun into Florida.

Different from my colleague, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advocate for the safety of every American and for the safety of our first responders, who are entrusted with that awesome responsibility.

As Members of Congress, our question should be: What can we all do to make living in America safer?

Every day, law enforcement officers risk their lives to keep our communities safe. Last week, I was honored that the House passed the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act unanimously. Police officers have a tough job, and I think we can all agree on this point: the job is getting tougher.

Mr. Speaker, we must ask ourselves: Why would any Member, Republican or Democrat, support this legislation that would make a police officer's job harder, more dangerous, and open our officers up to personal liability for simply doing their jobs?

This reckless piece of legislation would allow persons from outside your State to bring their firearms anywhere, including school zones, without applying the guidelines, laws, restrictions, or oversight of your State.

Mr. Speaker, I want you to envision this situation from the perspective of a law enforcement officer. An out-of-state, armed individual is stopped by that officer. Maybe that individual's license is legitimate, maybe it is not. The officer is on the side of the road, facing an armed individual, trying to figure out whether the individual's permit is authentic, which the officer is obligated to do.

If the permit is fake, failing to stop that individual puts the community at risk. If the permit is real, stopping the individual has opened the officer up to potential personal liability.

In the last year, I have heard my colleagues on the other side talk about how we should better empower States to decide what is in their own best interest.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation strips individual States of their power and puts our public safety officers in legal and personal jeopardy.

Supporting this legislation is reckless and irresponsible. As a former chief of police, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 38.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 995, the 21st Century Respect Act, which we all know is a bipartisan bill that will remove outdated and offensive racial labels from the Code of Federal Regulations.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that words matter. They matter. We all stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. Every day I take those words very, very seriously. Words do matter.

It is time that we remove outdated and offensive language from any code, policy, law, regulation: words like Eskimo, words like Oriental-- my God--words like Negro. They matter. As elected officials, we have a responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for being a leading voice on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, which I am proud to cosponsor with my friend and colleague, Representative Susan Brooks from Indiana.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank all of my colleagues for their support on this very important issue.

Our law enforcement officers respond to some of the most horrific scenes and situations. After 27 years in law enforcement, how well I know. They respond without regard to their own personal safety, and they are the thin blue line that stands between a safe place and the dangers that lurk in our society.

We should all thank God for the men and women who patrol our streets, our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, and our highways to keep us safe.

Being a law enforcement officer is not just what they do, it is who they are--all the dangers, the unknowns, the graphic crime scenes, split-second, life-and-death decisions. Don't be fooled. There is no other job quite like it.

The national president of the Fraternal Order of Police said this: ``Unlike many other professions, sometimes you can't leave the job at the office.''

Mr. Speaker, as a former law enforcement officer, I am proud to cosponsor the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act. This important piece of legislation would ensure that agencies are better equipped and officers have the resources needed to effectively deal with the stress and mental health challenges associated with the job.

Mr. Speaker, what an amazing opportunity we have to pass legislation to protect the mental health and overall well-being of the men and women in blue as they continue to protect and take care of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to the Republican tax bill.

Mr. Speaker, how much can the American people take? How many alternative facts will we ask them to believe? How many broken promises will we ask them to overlook?

The proposed tax bill is camouflaged as a tax break for the middle class, but you and I both know the only permanent tax breaks are for the richest people and corporations in America. As a matter of fact, over 36 million families will see a tax increase.

Now, there is a new flimflam on the table. Mr. Speaker, you are well aware that Republicans have voted over 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. All attempts failed. But now a repeal of the mandate that all Americans have healthcare has mysteriously been added to the tax bill. Is it possible that tax reform is just a ruse to repeal the Affordable Care Act?

Enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, I believe the American people are paying attention, and I believe the American people will hold those accountable who vote against them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Virgin Islands for her leadership on this issue and for making it a priority and giving it the urgency that those under TPS status deserve.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, of course, I want to extend my condolences to the families whose loved ones were murdered in Sutherland Springs, Texas, while attending worship service.

I also extend my condolences to my colleague from Texas, Eddie Bernice Johnson, who is mourning the death of her sister.

Mr. Speaker, after college--it was a lot of years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday--I worked as a social worker, working with families in need of emergency services, in need of shelter, in need of food, and in need of medical care. I also worked with foster care children.

Mr. Speaker, you may know that I also spent over 20 years as a law enforcement officer. As such, the preservation of human life was my number one priority. Saving lives was first. But then we also wanted to improve the quality of life for persons living and working in our community.

Mr. Speaker, the quality of life matters also. That is what we are here to talk about tonight as Members of Congress: improving the quality of life for families who desperately need our help.

Approximately 50,000 Haitians hold TPS status, and 32,500 of them live in Florida. 18,800 U.S.-born children in Florida have Haitian parents who are TPS holders.

How did we get here, Mr. Speaker?

As you know, an earthquake--not planned, not expected--left thousands dead and resulted in the total collapse of Port-au-Prince's infrastructure. A few years before the earthquake, I participated in a mission trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We worked with children and families from a local church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. That church was totally destroyed by the earthquake.

The earthquake displaced 1.5 million Haitians within their own country, destroyed more than 100,000 homes, and damaged nearly 200,000 more. The number of schools that were destroyed in Port-au-Prince alone is unbelievable. Over 55,000 Haitians who lost their homes in the earthquake are still living in 31 camps for internally displaced persons, unable to leave.

We are here tonight to talk about improving the quality of life for persons, for families, who desperately need our help.

This crisis is not over. In April of this year, heavy rains caused flooding and landslides. According to the Haitian officials, an estimated 80 percent of spring harvest may have been destroyed.

This crisis is not over. Since September of 2016, damage from Hurricane Matthew and recent rains have compounded food insecurity experienced by an estimated 3.2 million people in Haiti, not to mention the devastation caused by Irma and Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Matthew also exacerbated the food insecurity crisis that already existed, placing 2.4 million Haitians, 32 percent of the population, in the grips of an acute food insecurity crisis.

Mr. Speaker, forcing the return of 50,000 people to Haiti would disrupt any meaningful effort to recover. As you know, in May, the Department of Homeland Security redesignated Haiti for 6 months of temporary protective status rather than the full 18 months requested by the Government of Haiti. DHS' decision, obviously, did not reflect the reality on the ground.

Regardless of how you might feel about the policy, TPS holders are perhaps the most vetted, legally present, and work-authorized community in our country. They have submitted to numerous criminal background checks every 18 months. Americans with temporary protective status are hardworking individuals who are contributing to our economy, our communities, and our industries. Just check the numbers.

Mr. Speaker, the only strategic and humane decision is to fully extend Haiti's TPS designation for 18 months by the November 23 deadline. Working to improve the quality of life for families who desperately need our help, that is the promise of America, and I pray that America keeps its promise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to the Republican deal to cut taxes for the superrich at the expense of everyone else.

Apparently, Republicans believe the American people are just too distracted to recognize a con game when they see one. But make no mistake, the Republican plan is about giving tax breaks to the largest corporations and the superrich. It is not about the middle class or people who have to go to work every day. If working families had an opportunity to read the fine print, they would see that this bill has nothing to do with them.

Don't be fooled. The money needed to make this plan work has to come from somewhere. It will hurt working Americans and will cause our deficit to explode.

The strength of our country requires investing in people: so our children can have a better future, so their parents can have better jobs, so small businesses can thrive, and so seniors can retire with dignity. That is the America that we want, and that is the American promise we must keep.

Mr. Speaker, my return to Washington this week was delayed by the impacts of Hurricane Irma.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 485, NAY on Roll Call No. 486, and NAY on Roll Call No. 487.

Madam Speaker, I spent 27 years as a law enforcement officer. I had the honor of working my way up through the ranks to become the chief of police. I co-chaired an antigang task force for the State of Florida. As chief, I launched an all-out war against violent crime. Through the hard work of a lot of good men and women, we were able to reduce violent crime by 40 percent.

Do I take gang activity very seriously? You better believe I do. I have the record to prove that.

The spirit of H.R. 3697, with this broad, new definition of what constitutes a gang, has nothing, based on my experience on the ground, to do with curtailing gang activity.

As a former law enforcement officer who has been there on the front lines, there is no way I would vote for this law. This law targets a group of people based on their status and does not target criminal activity. That is what law enforcement officers do.

We all take gang activity seriously. I heard the question earlier: Who would favor gangs? Who really would favor gangs?

I invite my colleagues on the other side to join me in continuing our aggressive efforts to target criminal behavior, because that is really what we want to stop--criminal behavior--and not profile or target people. That is just not who we are.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Minority Business Development Agency, the MBDA. My amendment, number 84, which is included in the en bloc amendment, would increase funding for the MBDA by $5 million in Fiscal Year 2018.

With three MBDA Business Centers in Florida, including one in my home district, we in Florida understand the value the MBDA provides. In 2012, Florida had the third highest number of minority-owned businesses, in the country, with a high concentration of: African American-owned firms; Native American-owned firms; Asian American-owned firms; Hispanic American-owned firms; and Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander-owned firms. All that rely on the assistance of the MBDA.

For 48 years, the MBDA has been the only government agency focused solely on fostering the growth and development of minority-owned businesses; identifying and assisting to overcome the barriers to economic growth.

According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau's Survey on Business Owners, minority-owned businesses contributed $1 trillion in economic growth to the $16 trillion U.S. economy, and employed 6 million Americans. Additionally, minority-owned businesses are twice as likely to generate sales through exports, compared to non-minority owned firms, due to their language and cultural ties.

While their economic contributions are significant, minority-owned businesses struggle in acquiring private capital and securing government contracts at disproportionate rates, compared to non- minority owned businesses.

Studies have also shown that minority loan-seekers are given less information on loan terms and offered less help with their loan applications. They are also denied loans at three times higher than non-minority firms.

The MBDA assists minority-owned businesses in: financing, joint ventures, and more. Firms assisted by MBDA secure an average of $5.4 billion dollars in contracts and investments. Given this significant contribution to the U.S. economy, it is vital to support the work done by the MBDA to grow our nation's 8.5 million minority-owned business.

I want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Serrano for including this amendment in the en bloc amendment. I would also like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Butterfield, Jackson Lee, and Velazquez for their co-sponsorship of my amendment, and for their previous work on these important issues.

Mr. Chair, the en bloc amendment also includes my amendment, number 95, which increases funding for the Office of Juvenile Justice Programs' Youth Mentoring Grants by $5 million--restoring those grants to the Fiscal Year 2017 enacted level.

These grants allow local jurisdictions to develop, expand or sustain youth mentoring efforts using evidence-based best practices.

Mr. Chair, improving outcomes for disadvantaged youth requires more than simply expanding opportunities at school, because the challenges they face often extend beyond the schoolhouse door.

In my 27 years in law enforcement, I saw this first-hand. As Chief of Police for the City of Orlando, Florida, I had the honor of founding Operation Positive Direction--a program through which OPD Officers mentor Orlando youths.

Across the nation, youth participating in these programs show improvements in their perception of social support and acceptance, their family relationships and a decrease in antisocial behaviors. Youth that meet regularly with their mentors are 46 percent less likely to start using illegal drugs, and youth that face opportunity gaps, but have a mentor are 55 percent more likely to go to college.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Culberson and Ranking Member Serrano for including amendment number 95 in the en bloc amendment as well. I would also like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Langevin and Butterfield, not only for their co-sponsorship of my amendment, but for their continued leadership on these issues.

I urge all my colleagues to support the en bloc amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Robert ``Bob'' Billingslea of Orlando, who passed away on Friday, September 1.

Dr. Billingslea was the founding executive of Walt Disney's Corporate Urban Affairs and Development department, and served as its vice president until his retirement in 2012. In this position, he led the company's minority outreach efforts, and was a firm believer that diversity drives growth, creativity, and innovation.

Bob's unwavering commitment was evident by his service. He served on numerous organizations and boards, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Boys and Girls Clubs, and founded the Orlando Urban League, to name a few.

When Bob walked into a room, people noticed; and when Bob spoke, people listened. Bob Billingslea was smart, impactful, and unforgettable. He made a difference.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing time for this tribute as we celebrate the life of Dr. Bob Billingslea.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill, and particularly the provision that creates a new competitive grant program designed to preserve core capability gains achieved with previous Urban Area Security Initiative, UASI, grant funding.

The UASI program provides critical Federal support to local law enforcement in large metropolitan areas to help them protect their residents and visitors. I was the police chief in Orlando when Orlando was initially approved for UASI funding, and, therefore, I know firsthand how critical such Federal support is to Orlando and other large metropolitan areas.

Orlando, a number one destination, is now where an ISIS-inspired terrorist took the lives of 49 people and injured many more, the deadliest in our Nation's history.

As first responders from my district responded to the scene, the dedicated staff and analysts of the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange, CFIX, a member of DHS' National Network of Fusion Centers, sprung into action together and shared information. Together, the courageous first responders and CFIX saved lives and helped to quickly identify the perpetrator.

The capabilities that led to their successful response were created through previous grant investments, in particular, the Urban Area Security Initiative. Unfortunately, such Federal funding capabilities and preparedness can be severely diminished or even lost.

My concern is this: What will happen to the capabilities developed with previous grant support now that the funding is no longer available?

The bill today would create a $39 million competitive grant program for former UASI cities and would make sure that core capability gains achieved with previous grant funding were supported and maintained.

Mr. Speaker, as Secretary Kelly acknowledged before the Committee on Homeland Security last month, the threat of terrorism has metastasized around the country. Whether it is New York City, the largest municipality in the country, or some other small town in the middle of Arkansas, the potential is about the same, in my view, for a lone-wolf attack. That was how the Secretary described it last week, and I could not agree with him more. The demands on local law enforcement are even more increasing, ever changing, and more complex.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and our ranking member for their vision and commitment to keeping our homeland safe. Do we have any greater purpose?

Reauthorization of the Department is long overdue and I commend the Chairmen and Ranking Members for their commitment to working together, in a bipartisan fashion, to accomplish what had not been possible for so many years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill and particularly the provision that creates a new competitive grant program designed to preserve core capability gains achieved with previous Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant support.

The UASI program provides critical federal support to local law enforcement in large metropolitan areas to help them protect their residents and visitors.

I was the police chief when Orlando was initially approved for UASI funding and, therefore, I know firsthand how critical such federal support is to Orlando and other large metropolitan areas.

Orlando, a number one destination, is now where an ISIS-inspired terrorist took the lives of 49 people and injured many more.

As first responders from my district responded to the scene, the dedicated staff and analysts at the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange (CFIX)--a member of DHS' National Network of Fusion Centers-- sprung to action to gather and share information.

Together, the courageous first responders and CFIX saved lives and helped identify the perpetrator.

The capabilities that led to their successful response were created through previous grant investments, in particular the Urban Area Security Initiative.

Unfortunately, such federally funded capacities and preparedness can be severely diminished or even lost.

My concern is this: what will happen to the capabilities developed with previous grant support now that funding is no longer available?

The bill before us today would create a $39 million competitive grant program for former UASI cities, and would make sure that core capability gains achieved with previous federal grant support are maintained.

As Secretary Kelly acknowledged before the Committee on Homeland Security last month, the threat of terrorism ``has metastasized around the country, whether it's New York City, the largest municipality in the [ ] country, or some little town in the middle of Arkansas, the [ ] potential is about the same in my view for a lone wolf attack.''--that was how the Secretary described it last week.

My constituents in Florida know, all too well, the truth of the Secretary's words.

No city in America can afford to go backwards; to lose ground on preparedness.

The demands on local law enforcement are ever increasing, ever changing, and more complex than ever before. The federal government must continue to be a strong partner to local law enforcement who are our first line of defense.

I thank the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security for his support of this program

The bill would also require the Government Accountability Office to perform an independent review of the risk formula and award

processes for the UASI program, as well as the State Homeland Security Grant Program.

The preparedness of urban areas and the threats they face has changed since the programs were created after the 9/11 attacks, and this report will assess the current process used to collect and evaluate threat information in order to ensure grant funds are provided where they are needed most.

I am also pleased that this bill would reject a proposal, put forth earlier this year by President Trump in his first budget, which called for transitioning almost 1,100 Transportation Security Officers currently staffing airport exit lanes to security checkpoints.

The elimination of exit lane staffing in budget proposal is problematic for a few reasons.

First, exit lane staffing responsibilities and expenses would be shifted to local airport authorities. The primary responsibility for security of the traveling public should remain in the hands of the TSA.

Second, elimination of such staffing would directly contradict the statutory language of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2013 that requires TSA to monitor passenger exit points from the sterile areas of airports.

As a former Captain of the Airport Division of the Orlando Police Department, and a 27-year veteran of law enforcement, I can tell you: There is no question about it. TSA is responsible for exit lane staffing.

Eliminating federal exit lane staffing would not enhance our nation's security, and doing so would be a contravention of the existing statutory requirement.

I offered an amendment in the Homeland Security Committee, which was accepted, that explicitly authorizes funding at the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 level for exit lane coverage through Fiscal Year 2019.

As a result, the bill before us today sends a clear message to the Administration that we will not stand for TSA attempting to foist its Congressionally-mandated duties onto its local partners.

Again, I thank the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security for his support of these measures, and I thank Ranking Member Thompson for his vision and commitment to keeping our homeland safe. Do we have any other greater purpose?

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

I am opposed in its current form.

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

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today not just as a Member of Congress, but as a 27-year veteran of law enforcement and as a former police chief. As such, I am compelled to warn of the harm this bill, in its current form, will cause for our law enforcement agencies.

As a police chief, it was my responsibility to reduce crime and maintain livable neighborhoods; neighborhoods where families can live in peace, and enjoy local parks, community centers, restaurants, and shopping; neighborhoods where children can walk to school and play in their front yard and backyard without fear.

That is the kind of community that everyone in America deserves--one where they feel safe and secure.

H.R. 3003 impedes on law enforcement's ability to effectively do its job. It will create an environment that will erode the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

The local police are the first ones to respond. They are the thin blue line that stands between those who are in this country, who are trying to live in peace, and those that would do them harm. We want our neighbors--immigrants--to call the police to report crimes without fear or hesitation. When they do not, Mr. Speaker, our community is at the mercy of the criminals.

This does not make our communities more safe, yet that is what is at stake with the bill before us. Supporters of the bill claim that it has an exemption for victims and witnesses, but it is not a complete exemption.

Law enforcement officers investigate and interview witnesses. Their goal is to solve crimes, regardless of the immigration status of victims and witnesses, including victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

I filed an amendment with the Rules Committee that would have exempted victims and witnesses from all of the bill's intrusive requirements. The Rules Committee blocked me from offering that amendment, but the bill, in its current form, would undermine law enforcement's ability to do its job, therefore, making our communities less safe.

Mr. Speaker, don't just take my word for it. The National Fraternal Order of Police stands against the bill. They represent over 330,000 law enforcement officers across the Nation. These officers are not responsible for creating laws, and eliminating Federal grant funding for political reasons impedes their ability to solve crimes.

As the FOP writes:

Withholding assistance to law enforcement agencies, which

have no policymaking rule, will hurt public safety efforts.

No one knows our communities better than the law enforcement officials sworn to protect their communities, which is why I have offered this motion which would exempt from the mandates and penalties in the bill those jurisdictions in which local law enforcement officials conclude that the mandates in this bill would endanger public safety.

Politics should never impede public safety. The President has said that, when lawmakers vote on this bill, they should put America's safety first.

I strongly agree, and I urge my colleagues to support this motion and put our public safety first.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, 1 Corinthians 12:26 reads:

If one member suffers, all the members suffer together.

I stand today to show my support for my colleague, Congressman Steve Scalise, his wife, and his family. We pray for their strength, their courage, and their faith as they deal with the unthinkable.

I pray for Steve's speedy recovery. We know he is a fighter, and we pray he will be back soon fighting for the people of Louisiana's First District.

We offer prayers for Matt and his family, who was also injured during the shooting.

I rise today to remember the courageous Capitol Police officers who were injured; our heroes. If not for their bravery, more people could have been wounded and possibly killed. They risk their lives to protect us. The U.S. Capitol Police do this every day for us, for our staff, and for the public.

We stand together during this challenging time. When it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.

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

Mr. Speaker, as I stand here tonight before you, in my hometown of Orlando, thousands of people are gathered at Lake Eola Park like they were 1 year ago to mourn, honor, and pay tribute to the 49 lives we lost on January 12, 2016. We were with them earlier today. We would love to be with them tonight, as we were last year, but we are here doing the job we were elected to do.

I am joined tonight by my colleague--I am absolutely honored to serve with him--Representative Darren Soto. We stand here tonight on the floor of the House of Representatives together so the world will not forget the lives we lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting.

It was supposed to be like any other Saturday night for the men and women inside the Pulse nightclub. I can only imagine the excitement they shared that evening as they celebrated birthdays and friendships. Mr. Speaker, they were out for what my bishop likes to call late-night fellowship.

Then, at 2:20 a.m., when everyone was closing their tabs for the night and about to head home, it was then that an ISIS-inspired gunman, motivated by hate, walked into the club and opened fire. Within a matter of minutes, he was able to kill 49 people and wound so many others. The innocent men and women in the club didn't stand a chance against him that night.

We lost 49 lives. Their full potential will never be known, and we will always wonder, when we think about their lives, what could have been. Many others continue to recover from their visible and invisible wounds.

In the days and weeks following the Nation's deadliest mass shooting, we saw our community come together in beautiful ways. We mourned with those who lost their loved ones. We came out in droves to donate blood for the survivors who needed it. We showed support and gratitude for our law enforcement officers, our first responders, and the nurses and doctors who acted with courage and bravery in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

We embraced and celebrated the diversity that makes Orlando ``The City Beautiful.'' We showed the world that we are a city who defeats hate with love.

One year after the shooting, the wounds are still fresh and the scars are still not fully healed, but our community is resilient and united in the face of this tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague from Florida, (Mr. Soto).

I want to thank my colleague from Florida (Mr. Soto) for that very beautiful and inspiring poem that really captures not only the tragedy that occurred in Orlando at the Pulse Nightclub that night, but the heroic acts, how our community came together, and really provides the hope that our community needs in moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, no one can tell the story better than the family members who lost their loved ones that night, the survivors who were within the club that night. At this time, we would like to share some of the letters from family members and survivors.

The first letter that I would like to share comes from a mother who, if you were watching at all during the early hours of this tragic incident, this particular mother was going around asking anyone who she could about her son, trying to find him, trying to get word of him. I would like to share a mother's story from Christine Leinonen.

``My son was one of the 49 people killed at Pulse Nightclub on June 12 of 2016. Those were 49 humans who collectively could have lived another 2,500 years. That is longer than we have had civilization. They were moms, dads, siblings, kids, straight, gay, Latino, Asian, Caucasian. They were your constituents. They deserved better than to die in a flurry of bullets.

``My son Chris was a happy, quirky, goofy young man and had been from baby on. He was every mother's dream to hit the kid lottery. He was an only child, and I never married. I couldn't have loved him more.

``He became a licensed mental health therapist. He loved his work and his personal life.

``Chris had many friends. Chris and his boyfriend, Juan, were one of at least three couples to die together that night: another Juan and two Luises. Chris was one of two Christophers to die that night and at least six Christophers who died or survived. The magnitude of the killing is that there were so many names repeated.

``My son was a loving and giving person. He was someone who was going to be my right-hand man as I became old and incapacitated. Now I have no one.

``Chris lived his life with love and kindness. He was a walking, talking United Nations, inclusive of all; not by design, but because he cared about character, not race, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity. He lived a life of inclusion. You would have loved him if you knew him, whether he was your child or friend or cousin or coworker. The world has a little less joy without him in it.

``Hugs and kisses, Christopher's mom.''

And at this time, I would like to yield to my colleague from Florida (Mr. Soto), who will continue to share.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Soto for his remarks.

I would like to continue to share letters from the survivors of Pulse. The next letter that I will share comes from Brandon Wolf.

``It is hard to believe it has been a year. That Saturday night was like any other: loud music, skinny jeans, cheap drinks. Alongside my best friends, Drew Leinonen and Juan Guerrero, I was as free as ever. Standing outside on the patio, in his typical way, Drew tossed his arm around my shoulders and spoke his last words to me: `You know what we never say enough? That we love each other.' ''

Those were the last words that Drew spoke that evening.

`` . . . I learned a lesson from Orlando's recovery: that equality and unity aren't trophies, and the journey we are on isn't over. We can't take our eyes off the prize or forget what lies ahead.

``We have to disarm hate. Silence it. Snuff it out. Replace it with the same message Drew had for me: love.

``Brandon Wolf.''

At this time, I yield to my colleague from Florida (Mr. Soto) to share another letter regarding this tragic incident.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to share a survivor's letter by the name of Joshua McGill.

``My name is Joshua McGill, and I was there the night of the Pulse shooting a year ago.

``Although nothing will ever take away that tragic night for me and the fellow LGBTQ community, not only for Orlando, but for all people around the world that were affected by this form of hate towards our community, I must say that we have not let hate win thus far, and continue to spread love and prayers for one another and for the other families and victims that were either there that night, or affected in some way.

``It has been a true honor in seeing how close everyone has come together. It shows our strength as a whole and the love that we can all provide for one another in a time of need.

``The continuance of all of this gives me hope for my future in the community and in the world. May God bless you and everyone out there.

``I've become a stronger person since then, and if my strength can help others, I want to.

``Thank you for hearing my words.

``Joshua McGill.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield again to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto), my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share this last survival letter for tonight. It is from Eric Borrero. It says:

``Dear Congress,

``It is to me how fast one year has gone by. The horrifying emotions and feeling of that night have not fleeted. Instead, they lay dormant in the recesses of my mind, bubbling up like lava in a moment's notice from unforeseen triggers.

``It is like living on a roller coaster: having great moments over the past year, making things feel absolutely normal; and extreme lows, feeling as if I will never come out of the darkness.

``Even through the disturbing images of the past, I am optimistic about the future I have ahead of me. I can fully grasp that life will never go back to the normal that I once knew, but this experience has helped me focus on what is needed in the world. That is love and inclusion for all people.

``Over the past year, I have had the most amazing support system of friends and family, who have been there for me as I have cried and battled the demons that lay with me when I sleep.

``These feelings have not changed since that night, but I remain positive and stand with my LGBTQ and Latinx brothers and sisters for a better future for everyone.

``Regards,

``Eric Borrero.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share that, today, Representative Soto, Representative Stephanie Murphy, and I introduced a resolution to recognize and mark one year since the Pulse tragedy. We were joined by 143 Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, who are standing to show the community of Orlando that we stand with them in support; that Congress will not forget the victims, the survivors, the first responders, and the communities that are shattered by the hands of domestic terrorists; and that we will do everything we can to prevent future mass shootings, and take care of the people who are left standing in the wake of these tragedies.

Mr. Speaker, our community declared June 12, 2017, Orlando United Day, a day of love and kindness. All across our community, people are coming together to honor the victims by volunteering and attending vigils and memorials.

We are a community that will never forget. We won't forget those 49 innocent men and women who were sons, daughters, mothers, husbands, wives, students, teachers, entrepreneurs, and dreamers, who had a lot of life left to live. We are a community that will continue to honor these men and women, not through our words, but through our actions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank God for Representative Soto, for his service to our community. I am honored to serve with him in the United States Congress. I appreciate the work that he has done for the last several years throughout our community. I was honored to share this Special Order with him.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto).

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

Mr. Chairman, do we have a role as Congress to protect American families?

In my home State of Florida, it is hard to go anywhere without meeting a family who was affected by the foreclosure crisis. Many not only lost their homes, but their life savings.

Through Dodd-Frank, Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to go after the bad actors that made tough times worse for homeowners in Florida by giving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the authority to go after mortgage companies for deceptive practices, threatening people who were behind on payments and putting them into debt collection when they were eligible for loan modification programs.

Dodd-Frank also allowed state attorneys general to file consumer protection lawsuits against bad actors on behalf of families in their States.

The Financial CHOICE Act would repeal these important consumer protections and return us to a time when families were being unfairly forced into foreclosure.

Mr. Chairman, we can't go back. This is America, where we take care of our own, don't we? If Congress doesn't protect American families, who will?

I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and to reject this bill.