Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to law enforcement men and women who have provided distinguished service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District.

Law enforcement is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others. Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm's way to enforce the laws of our society and protect public safety. They deserve our gratitude and respect.

Eleven years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional Law Enforcement Awards, CLEA, to give special recognition to law enforcement officers, departments or units for exceptional achievement.

This year, I will present congressional law enforcement awards to the following winners chosen by an independent panel comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel representing a cross-section of the district's law enforcement community:

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award: Sergeant Aaron Bowling, and Detectives Tyler Ackerman and John Jones, Jr., of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Associate Service Award: Director Matoaya Wimbley of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Dedication and Professionalism Award: Corporal Christopher P. Slowick of the Florida Highway Patrol; Sergeant Dino Murges, Detectives Derek Pollock and Raymond Richter of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office; Assistant State Attorneys Dawn Buff and Courtney Hollen of the 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office; Lieutenants Adam Kaskey and Jamesa Tose, Sergeants Don Bennett, Sam Lutz and Ray White, Deputies John Albee, Mark Eve, Wida Law, Phil Lucia, Grace Luh, Dean Pappas, Teodoro Perez, Luis Reyes, Neftalii Santos, Daniel Schenck, Rod Stewart, Deb Stookey, Mark Truskowski, Ray Vleck and John Wenzel, Civilian Lou Wolf, Detectives Hayden Gallof and Brendan Keats, Chief Pilot Brent Wineka, Pilots David Bouffard, Chirs Laster and Stephen Shull (posthumous), Mechanics Arthur Grassia and Douglas Wenz, and Radio Technician Steve Duzs of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Gary Tibbetts Career Service Award: Detective Eddie Howell of the Sarasota Police Department; Manager Valorie Knight of the Bradenton Police Department; Major Daniel Kaufman of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office; Joseph (Chris) Panichello of the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority,

Preservation of Life Award: Officers Paul Gagnon, Jared Lawhead, David Roberts and Cody Stanaland of the Sarasota Police Department; Sergeant Keith Noordzy, Deputies Keith English, Tyler Lewis, Donald Mays, Jacob Merrill, Deborah Perry, Jonathan Rubi, Todd Seillitto and Patti Smith of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Unit Citation Award: Sergeant Daniel Weinsberg, Officers Sean Carter and Matthew Hughes, and Administrative Specialist Tina Shumway of the Sarasota Police Department.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to law enforcement men and women who have provided distinguished service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District.

Law enforcement is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others. Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm's way to enforce the laws of our society and protect public safety. They deserve our gratitude and respect.

Eleven years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional Law Enforcement Awards, CLEA, to give special recognition to law enforcement officers, departments or units for exceptional achievement.

This year, I will present congressional law enforcement awards to the following winners chosen by an independent panel comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel representing a cross-section of the district's law enforcement community:

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award: Sergeant Aaron

Bowling, and Detectives Tyler Ackerman and John Jones, Jr.,

of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Associate Service Award: Director Matoaya Wimbley of the

Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Dedication and Professionalism Award: Corporal Christopher

P. Slowick of the Florida Highway Patrol; Sergeant Dino

Murges, Detectives Derek Pollock and Raymond Richter of the

Manatee County Sheriff's Office; Assistant State Attorneys

Dawn Buff and Courtney Hollen of the 12th Judicial Circuit

State Attorney's Office; Lieutenants Adam Kaskey and Jamesa

Tose, Sergeants Don Bennett, Sam Lutz and Ray White, Deputies

John Albee, Mark Eve, Wida Law, Phil Lucia, Grace Luh, Dean

Pappas, Teodora Perez, Luis Reyes, Neftalii Santos, Daniel

Schenck, Rod Stewart, Deb Stookey, Mark Truskowski, Ray Vlek

and John Wenzel, Civilian Lou Wolf, Detectives Hayden Gallof

and Brendan Keats, Chief Pilot Brent Wineka, Pilots David

Bouffard, Chirs Laster and Stephen Shull (posthumous),

Mechanics Arthur Grassia and Douglas Wenz, and Radio

Technician Steve Duzs of the Sarasota County Sheriff's

Office.

Gary Tibbetts Career Service Award: Detective Eddie Howell

of the Sarasota Police Department; Manager Valorie Knight of

the Bradenton Police Department; Major Daniel Kaufman of the

Manatee County Sheriff's Office; Joseph (Chris) Panichello of

the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority.

Preservation of Life Award: Officers Paul Gagnon, Jared

Lawhead, David Roberts and Cody Stanaland of the Sarasota

Police Department; Sergeant Keith Noordzy, Deputies Keith

English, Tyler Lewis, Donald Mays, Jacob Merrill, Deborah

Perry, Jonathan Rubi, Todd Seillitto and Patti Smith of the

Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Unit Citation Award: Sergeant Daniel Weinsberg, Officers

Sean Carter and Matthew Hughes, and Administrative Specialist

Tina Shumway of the Sarasota Police Department.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of outstanding public school teachers in Florida's 16th Congressional District.

I was once told that children are 25 percent of the population, but they are 100 percent of the future.

And it's true. The education of a child is an investment, not only in that student, but in the future of our country.

Therefore, I established the Congressional Teacher Awards to honor educators for their ability to teach and inspire students.

An independent panel has chosen the following teachers from Manatee, Sarasota, and Hillsborough counties to receive Florida's 16th District's 2021 Congressional Teacher Award for their accomplishments as educators:

Tammy Merrell for her accomplishments as a teacher at Samoset Elementary School.

Carol Mays Davis for her accomplishments as a teacher at Lincoln Memorial Academy.

Jeramiah Bowman for his accomplishments as a teacher at Braden River High School.

Kari Johnson for her accomplishments as a teacher at Fruitville Elementary School.

Judi Robson for her accomplishments as a teacher at Sarasota Middle School.

Jeanette Marks for her accomplishments as teacher at Sarasota Military Academy.

Timothy Mays for his accomplishments as a teacher at East Bay Senior High School.

On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, I congratulate each of these outstanding teachers and offer my sincere appreciation for their service and dedication.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment. For my constituents and my area, it is very important to them.

The amendment would prohibit permits for hunting and killing endangered lions and elephants for trophies in various countries in Africa--Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania.

Both the African elephant and lion are endangered species on the verge of extinction. We have seen lion populations decline by 50 percent in the past decade. In Tanzania, the elephant population declined by 60 percent between 2009 and 2014.

This amendment is critical to help ensure these creatures do not become extinct. President Trump has called elephant hunting a ``horror show.''

There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that trophy hunting aids in helping to manage the population of these animals. If this were the case, we would see an increase in the species, not a dramatic decline of the elephant and lion populations.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), my co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus.

Mr. Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), the chairwoman of the subcommittee.

Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment.

My amendment instructs the National Institutes of Health to designate $6.25 million to research the long-term effects of red tide and other harmful algal blooms on human health.

As you may know, last year, Florida suffered from one of the longest and most devastating bouts of red tide in our State's history. I witnessed firsthand as thousands of tons of dead marine life washed ashore our local beaches, causing significant hardship on both our local residents and county governments.

While some of the short-term health impacts of red tide are well documented, as swimmers and beach goers often suffer from severe respiratory issues, skin irritation, and rashes, the long-term health effects of exposure to red tide are largely unknown. That is why my amendment will devote critical resources to help us better understand the lasting health impacts on people exposed to red tide.

I urge the amendment's adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to law enforcement men and women who have provided distinctive service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District.

Law enforcement is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others. Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm's way to enforce the laws of our society and protect public safety. They deserve our gratitude and respect.

Eight years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional Law Enforcement Awards, CLEA, to give special recognition to law enforcement officers, departments, or units for exceptional achievement.

This year, I will present congressional law enforcement awards to the following winners chosen by an independent panel comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel representing across-section of the district's law enforcement community:

Dedication and Professionalism Award: Detective Ben Lubrano, Lieutenant Arlene Tracy, Sergeant Ivan Nelson of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Sergeant Brian Hall and Officer Michael Walker of Holmes Beach Police Department, Officer Patrick Mahoney of the Bradenton Police Department and Lieutenant Mark Morie of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Career Service Award: Sergeant John Negron of the Bradenton Police Department, Detective Anthony DeFrancisco of the Sarasota Police Department, Detective Derek Pollock of the Manatee County Sheriff's Department and Sergeant Todd Bergman and Corporal Kimber Benavidez of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Preservation of Life Award: Mr. Harry Mofield (civilian) nominated by Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Sergeant Rob Hendrickson of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Unit Citation Award: Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit: Lieutenant Chris Montalbano, Sergeant Scott Huber, Sergeant Rob Jovanovski, Detective Eric Griffin, Detective Lyle Kennedy, Detective Ralph Manzano, Detective Michele Pufnock, Detective Jason Smith, Detective Erica Dawson, Detective Mark Eve, Detective Chandler Hartman, Detective Dominic Makowiecki, Detective Kyle Pfender, Detective Adam Shaw, Detective Brian Keane, Detective Ronald Koenig, Crime Analyst Natalie Johnson-Mayer.

Bradenton Police Department Social Media Group: Captain Brian Thiers, Rose Hedberg, Emily Bibb, and Detective Frank Coleman.

Sarasota Police Department's SWAT Unit: Lieutenant Kenneth Rainey II, Lieutenant Michael Schwieterman, Sergeant Jeffery Ball, Sergeant Tyler Rossnagle, Sergeant Dwayne

Shellhammer, Officer Helios Blanco, Officer Kevin Campbell, Officer Sean Carter, Detective Patrick Comac, Officer Terry Crenshaw, Officer Nicholas Dominis, Detective Dustin Luciano, Detective Gary McDowell, Officer Jacob Nelson, Officer Michael Schultz, Officer Michael Skinner, Officer George Terris II, Officer Jonathan Misiewicz.

Sarasota Police Department's Crisis Negotiation Team: Sergeant Tammy Featherstone, Officer Luis Paris, Officer Michael Dreznin, Officer Matthew Grochowski, and Officer Aaron Stoll.

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award: Corporal Angel Uruchima and Officer Madison Peters of Palmetto Police Department, Sergeant Orval Walker, Deputy Jeffery Cowling, Deputy Gerrod Huff, Deputy Kenneth Jewett, and Deputy Rodney Norris, Deputy Richard Young, Deputy Krystal Carpenter and Deputy Peter Papas of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of outstanding public school teachers in Florida's 16th Congressional District.

I was once told that children are 25 percent of the population, but they are 100 percent of the future. And it's true. The education of a child is an investment, not only in that student, but in the future of our country.

Therefore, I established the Congressional Teacher Awards to honor educators for their ability to teach and inspire students.

An independent panel has chosen the following teachers from Manatee and Sarasota counties for Florida's 16th District 2019 Congressional Teacher Award for their accomplishments as educators: Marissa Dobbert for her accomplishments as a 7th Grade Math Teacher at Sarasota Military Academy Prep; Elizabeth Harris for her accomplishments as a 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Interventionist at Myakka City Elementary School; Chris King for his accomplishments as a 6th-9th Grade Special Education Teacher at Haile Middle School; Kate Kramer for her accomplishments as an Exceptional Student Education Liaison for PK and Autism at Fruitville Elementary School; Kari McMillan for her accomplishments as a Math Teacher at Palmetto High School; Ashlee Middleton for her accomplishments as an 11th and 12th Grade English and Reading Teacher at Sarasota High School; Nancy Miller for her accomplishments as a 3rd Grade Teacher at Ballard Elementary School; Kymberli Rivers for her accomplishments as a Literature and English Teacher at Manatee High School; Maria Underhill for her accomplishments as an 8th Grade Reading Teacher at Braden River Middle School.

On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, I congratulate each of these outstanding teachers and offer my sincere appreciation for their service and dedication.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of outstanding public school teachers in Florida's 16th Congressional District.

I was once told that children are 25 percent of the population, but they are 100 percent of the future.

And it's true. The education of a child is an investment, not only in that student, but in the future of our country.

Therefore, I established the Congressional Teacher Awards to honor educators for their ability to teach and inspire students.

An independent panel has chosen the following teachers from Manatee and Sarasota counties for Florida's 16th District 2019 Congressional Teacher Award for their accomplishments as educators:

Marissa Dobbert for her accomplishments as a 7th Grade Math Teacher at Sarasota Military Academy Prep;

Elizabeth Harris for her accomplishments as a 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Interventionist at Myakka City Elementary School;

Chris King for his accomplishments as a 6th-9th Grade Special Education Teacher at Haile Middle School;

Kate Kramer for her accomplishments as an English as a Second Language Teacher at Fruitville Elementary School;

Kari McMillan for her accomplishments as a Math Teacher at Palmetto High School;

Ashlee Middleton for her accomplishments as an 11th and 12th Grade English and Reading Teacher at Sarasota High School;

Nancy Miller for her accomplishments as a 3rd Grade Teacher at Ballard Elementary School;

Kymberli Rivers for her accomplishments as a Literature and English Teacher at Manatee High School;

Maria Underhill for her accomplishments as an 8th Grade Reading Teacher at Braden River Middle School.

On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, I congratulate each of these outstanding teachers and offer my sincere appreciation for their service and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to welcome to the United States Capitol my pastor, William Hild, who led us in the opening prayer today.

Pastor Hild is not only a tremendous community leader in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida, but he has been a great friend to Sandy and me, and a resource to me and my family, for nearly 18 years.

Since 1997, Pastor Hild has served as the pastor of FirstSarasota, the Downtown Baptist Church. Under his leadership, the church has grown. It is very dynamic. It makes a big difference in my community. Also under his leadership, we have seen the incredible outreach that he has done in terms of strengthening and encouraging people on our beautiful Gulf Coast.

My wife Sandy and I want to personally thank Pastor Hild for what he has done for us in our life and what he continues to do in our community to make it a better community. It is a privilege to have Pastor Hild and his family here today.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1084, I call up the bill (H.R. 6756) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to promote new business innovation, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 6756, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful this bill has been brought to the floor for consideration.

I rise in support of H.R. 6756, the American Innovation Act, which supports and encourages entrepreneurs to start new businesses.

The United States recently dropped out of Bloomberg's list of the top 10 most innovative countries in the world. New business formations in the United States have taken a dramatic downturn since the 2008 recession.

Between 1977 and 2007, those 30 years, the economy added 120,000, net, new businesses each year. Since 2008, however, the economy has added only about 2,000, net, new businesses each year since.

We should all be committed to making the United States the innovation leader of the world. The American Innovation Act is a down payment towards reaching that goal.

The American Innovation Act encourages entrepreneurs in two ways:

First, H.R. 6756 allows new businesses to immediately deduct more of their startup organizational expenses. It simplifies the Code and allows businesses to deduct up to $20,000 of startup and organizational expenses when their new business begins. This doubles the amount of the expenses that a business may write off in its first year.

Second, the American Innovation Act helps new businesses innovate by preserving valuable tax benefits, like the R&D credit, that are generated from activities conducted in the business' early years.

As any entrepreneur knows, starting a new business requires hard work and a lot of capital. During its early years, many businesses operate at a loss, and these losses are used in later years when the business matures and becomes more profitable. To fund their innovation and growth, entrepreneurs and business owners may seek equity capital from other investors.

Today, the infusion of this new investment may trigger limits on the use of a corporation's valuable losses and credits from the business' earlier years. Under the American Innovation Act, our country's businesses may fund their growth and innovation with equity investments from new shareholders without limiting the use of these valuable losses and credits.

Mr. Speaker, the American Innovation Act supports our entrepreneurs and innovators and facilitates the creation of new businesses. I urge support for this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me say to the gentleman that I am not sure how the economy works in Vermont, but I can tell you that in terms of the tax package--the original one and this one, 2.0--Florida is on fire, in terms of growth. There is more energy and more excitement about the tax thing.

Ninety percent of people are getting a tax break. For families of four in my area, it is $2,400. We have seen little or no growth for the last 10 years. Now we are at 2 to 3 percent. We have got real growth. It is tough to get the amount of workers that we now need in Florida, in general. That is pushing paychecks.

So I don't know what is going on in Vermont or different parts of the country, but I can tell you that in Florida it is making a huge difference in terms of the confidence with a lot of startups and entrepreneurs.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I just want to mention to the gentleman from Wisconsin that there were no amendments offered on this bill, if he wants to check that.

I also have a list of groups who are supportive of this bill, such as Associated Builders and Contractors, the Chamber of Commerce, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and Angel Capital Association.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this document listing organizations in support of the bill.

H.R. 6756 the American Innovation Act of 2018

AdvaMed

American Dental Association

Americans for Tax Reform, 60 Plus Association, American

Commitment, American Conservative Union, American Consumer

Institute, ALEC Action, Americans for a Strong Economy,

Association of Mature American Citizens, Campaign For

Liberty, Ryan Ellis, Center for a Free Economy, Center for

Freedom and Prosperity, Center for Individual Freedom, Center

for Worker Freedom, Citizen Outreach (Nevada), Consumer

Action for a Strong Economy, Council for Citizens Against

Government Waste, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Digital

Liberty, Family Business Coalition, Florida Center Right

Coalition, FreedomWorks, Frontiers of Freedom, Goldwater

Institute (Arizona), Granite State Taxpayers (New Hampshire),

Heritage Action for America, Hispanic American Center for

Economic Research, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Independent

Women's Forum, Independent Women's Voice, Institute for

Liberty, The James Madison Institute (Florida), Jesse Helms

Center (North Carolina), Kansas Policy Institute, Less

Government, Maine Center-right Coalition Meeting, Mississippi

Center for Public Policy, National Taxpayers Union,

New Hampshire Center-Right Meeting, Ohioans for Tax Reform,

The Ohio Diversity Coalition, Oregon Capitol Watch, Pegasus

Institute (Kentucky), Pegasus Institute (Kentucky), Pelican

Institute for Public Policy (Louisiana), Property Rights

Alliance, Reaching America, Rhode Island Center for Freedom

and Prosperity, Rio Grande Foundation (New Mexico), Small

Business & Entrepreneurship Council, Ohio House of

Representatives Chair, Ohio Center-right Meeting, Taxpayers

Protection Alliance, Tea Party Nation, We the People

Convention, Women for Trump

Angel Capital Association

Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (Key Vote)

Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Chamber of Commerce

Club for Growth

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration

Industry: Air Conditioning Contractors of America, Heating

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors

International. Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors

Association, AMCA International, Air-Conditioning Heating and

Refrigeration Institute

Heritage Foundation

National Venture Capital Association

The National Electrical Contractors Association

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as someone who has been in business 30 years, I can just tell you that, in the last couple of years, our economy in Florida and I think all over America has exploded. People are excited. They are enthusiastic.

In fact, I did a roundtable of all women in my district. Why did I do that? Because 57 percent of startups in the next 10 years will be women led. So why would we want to not support giving them additional deductions? Instead of just writing off $5,000, they can write off $20,000.

In terms of opening businesses, it is as little as 2,000 a year. It used to be 100,000-plus new startups a year. That is where the jobs are created.

I chaired the local chamber in Sarasota, Florida. I can tell you, out of the 2,400 businesses, most of them were 15 employees or less, 90 percent.

I also chaired the Florida chamber. There were 126,000 businesses in that federation, and most of them were 15 employees or less, many times 1, 2, 3 employees.

It is tough when you open a business. Usually, you have losses for a couple of years. This bill helps to address that, especially as they try to attract capital. They could use some of those losses to attract capital.

This is all about pro-business and growth. We have had little or no growth for the last 10 years. Now we are starting to take off and be much more competitive in the world. That is what this bill is all about.

Mr. Speaker, let me just close with this thought. For too many years, the United States has been lagging in the creation of new businesses. Startup businesses are vital to the American economy, because they are significant contributors to innovation, productivity, and job creation.

Together, we should all support the legislation. This makes it easier and less costly for hardworking Americans to realize their American Dream of starting businesses.

The American Innovation Act does just that. It supports innovators, entrepreneurs, workers, and the economy with commonsense policy solutions.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Fire and Rescue and EMS personnel who have provided distinguished service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District.

As first responders, fire departments and emergency medical service teams are summoned on short notice to serve their respective communities. Oftentimes, they arrive at scenes of great adversity and trauma, to which they reliably bring strength and composure. These brave men and women spend hundreds of hours in training so that they are prepared when they get ``the call.''

In 2012, I established the 16th District Congressional Fire and Rescue and EMS Awards to honor officers, departments and units for outstanding achievement.

On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, it is my privilege to congratulate the following winners, who were selected this year by an independent committee comprised of a cross section of current and retired Fire and Rescue personnel living in the district:

Division Chief Randy Bach, Quality Assurance Officer Derek

Butler, Chief Leslie Karen Davidson, Captain Aaron Gross,

Battalion Chief John Perez and Division Chief of Special

Operations Robert Collins of the Hillsborough County Fire

Rescue received Career Service Awards.

Deputy Gabriel Bogart, Deputy Chad Richards, Detective

Charles Butler, Detective Seamus Dwyer and Detective Scott

Durocher of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office received the

Associate Service Award.

Deputy Carmine Luper of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office

received the Preservation of Life Award.

Captain James ``Troy'' Onan of the Hillsborough County Fire

Rescue received the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award.

Battalion Chief Richard T. Losek of the West Manatee Fire &

Rescue District received the Career Service Award.

Captain Brian Kehoe of the Sarasota County Fire EMS

Operations received the Career Service Award.

District Chief Keith Lock of the Manatee County EMS

received the Career Service Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to law enforcement men and women who have provided distinctive service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District.

Law enforcement is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others. Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm's way to enforce the laws of our society and protect public safety. They deserve our gratitude and respect.

Seven years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional Law Enforcement Awards, CLEA, to give special recognition to law enforcement officers, departments, or units for exceptional achievement.

This year, I will present congressional law enforcement awards to the following winners chosen by an independent panel comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel representing a cross-section of the district's law enforcement community.

Ms. Carolyn Mason, a citizen affiliated with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, will receive the Associate Service Award.

Lieutenant William Tracy of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Major John Baumann and Captain John F. Donovan of the Florida Highway Patrol, Detective David Tuck of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and Sergeant Michael Kenyan of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will receive the Career Service Award.

Detective Frank Coleman of the City of Bradenton Police Department, Trooper Kenneth Watson of the Florida Highway Patrol, Sergeant Bruce King and Officer Chase Gloeckner of the City of Sarasota Police Department and Detective Joseph Petta of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will receive the Dedication and Professionalism Award.

Deputy Willie Finklea of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Detective Ashely Lindeman of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award.

Trooper Gerry Smith of the Florida Highway Patrol, Sergeant Jeffrey Steiner, Officer Elise Schanley, Officer Derrick Gilbert, Officer Devin Epps, Officer Ronald Dixon, Officer Sean Gleason, Officer Kevin Sullivan, Sergeant Anthony Frangioni and Officer Bryan Lundstrom of the City of Sarasota Police Department, Deputy Efrain Taveras of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Carmine Luper, Deputy Terry Blake, Deputy Timothy Collins, Detective Dino Murges, Deputy Selina Sly and Deputy Jerod Wolfe of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will receive the Preservation of Life Award.

Sergeant Shawn Johnson, Detective James Klay, Detective Eric Wedin, Detective Eric Ellis and Civilian Brook Buzzell of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office's Digital Forensics Lab will receive the Unit Citation Award.

Captain Jim Rieser, Captain (ret.) Kevin Stiff, Lieutenant Michael Schwieterman, Sergeant Jaymi Delcos, Officer Clifton Bishop, Officer David Dubendorf, Officer Dan Griesdorn, Officer Matthew Grochowski, Officer Matthew Kimball, Case Manager Krystal Frazier and Legal Advisor Joseph Polzak of the Sarasota Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team will receive the Unit Citation Award.

Lieutenant Darin Bankert, Sergeant Karen DeVries, Detective Charles Butler, Detective Darryl Davis, Detective Daniel Dickerman, Detective Benjamin Main and Detective Rabun Moss of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Lieutenant Bob Bourque of the Longboat Key Police Department, Detective Chad Oyler of the Palmetto Police Department, Sergeant Brian Hall of the Holmes Beach Police Department, Sergeant Lenard Diaz of the Bradenton Beach Police Department and Detective James Curulla of the City of Bradenton Police Department will receive the Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit Citation Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to law enforcement men and women who have provided distinctive service to the people of Florida's 16th Congressional District.

Law enforcement is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others. Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm's way to enforce the laws of our society and protect public safety. They deserve our gratitude and respect.

Seven years ago, I established the 16th District Congressional Law Enforcement Awards, CLEA, to give special recognition to law enforcement officers, departments, or units for exceptional achievement.

This year, I will present congressional law enforcement awards to the following winners chosen by an independent panel comprised of current and retired law enforcement personnel representing a cross- section of the district's law enforcement community:

Ms. Carolyn Mason, a citizen affiliated with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, will receive the Associate Service Award.

Lieutenant William Tracy of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, Major John Baumann and Captain John F. Donovan of the Florida Highway Patrol, Detective David Tuck of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and Sergeant Michael Kenyan of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will receive the Career Service Award.

Detective Frank Coleman of the City of Bradenton Police Department, Trooper Kenneth Watson of the Florida Highway Patrol, Sergeant Bruce King and Officer Chase Gloeckner of the City of Sarasota Police Department and Detective Joseph Petta of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will receive the Dedication and Professionalism Award.

Deputy Willie Finklea of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Detective Ashley Lindeman of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will receive the Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award.

Trooper Gerry Smith of the Florida Highway Patrol, Sergeant Jeffrey Steiner, Officer Elise Schanley, Officer Derrick Gilbert, Officer Devin Epps, Officer Ronald Dixon, Officer Sean Gleason, Officer Kevin Sullivan, Sergeant Anthony Frangioni and Officer Bryan Lundstrom of the City of Sarasota Police Department, Deputy Efrain Taveras of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Carmine Luper, Deputy Terry Blake, Deputy Timothy

Collins, Detective Dino Murges, Deputy Selina Sly and Deputy Jerod Wolfe of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office will receive the Preservation of Life Award.

Sergeant Shawn Johnson, Detective James Klay, Detective Eric Wedin, Detective Eric Ellis and Civilian Brook Buzzell of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office's Digital Forensics Lab will receive the Unit Citation Award.

Captain Jim Rieser, Captain (ret.) Kevin Stiff, Lieutenant Michael Schwieterman, Sergeant Jaymi Delcos, Officer Clifton Bishop, Officer David Dubendorf, Officer Dan Griesdorn, Officer Matthew Grochowski, Officer Matthew Kimball, Case Manager Krystal Frazier and Legal Advisor Joseph Polzak of the Sarasota Police Department's Homeless Outreach team will receive the Unit Citation Award.

Lieutenant Darin Bankert, Sergeant Karen DeVries, Detective Charles Butler, Detective Darryl Davis, Detective Daniel Dickerman, Detective Benjamin Main and Detective Rabun Moss of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Lieutenant Bob Bourque of the Longboat Key Police Department, Detective Chad Oyler of the Palmetto Police Department, Sergeant Brian Hall of the Holmes Beach Police Department, Sergeant Lenard Diaz of the Bradenton Beach Police Department and Detective James Curulla of the City of Bradenton Police Department will receive the Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit Citation Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of outstanding public school teachers in Florida's 16th Congressional District.

I was once told that children are 25 percent of the population, but they are 100 percent of the future.

And it's true. The education of a child is an investment, not only in that student, but in the future of our country.

Therefore, I established the Congressional Teacher Awards to honor educators for their ability to teach and inspire students.

An independent panel has chosen the following teachers from Manatee, Sarasota, and Hillsborough counties for Florida's 16th District 2018 Congressional Teacher Award for their accomplishments as educators:

Ms. Michelle Brewster for her accomplishments as a sixth grade Math teacher at Eisenhower Middle School.

Ms. Karen Lewellen, for her accomplishments as a Math teacher at State College of Florida Collegiate School.

Ms. Carrie Ling, for her accomplishments as a Math and Science teacher at Braden River Elementary School.

Mr. Nelson Lopez for his accomplishments as an ELA and Journalism teacher Palmetto High School.

Ms. Barb Rannigan, for her accomplishments as a third grade teacher at Alta Vista Elementary School.

Ms. Es Swihart for her accomplishments as an English teacher at Riverview High School.

Dr. Terri St. John for her accomplishments as an English teacher at Sarasota High School.

Ms. Deborah Walker, for her accomplishments as a sixth grade Science teacher at Sarasota Military Academy Prep.

On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District I congratulate each of these outstanding teachers and offer my sincere appreciation for their service and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to acknowledge our incredible chairman and his leadership over the last 7 years I have been here and working this plan forward. It is an exciting time for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation to provide tax relief to middle class families and small- business owners across America.

As a businessman for more than 30 years, I have had the opportunity to employ thousands of workers. I have seen firsthand how broken our tax system can be for many hardworking Americans.

Under this bill, not only will the average family of four receive a tax cut, but small businesses will finally be taxed at a lower rate to help them expand and grow jobs in America.

According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, this bill will create 1 million new jobs and grow the economy by 4 percent, a growth rate this country hasn't experienced since 2000.

It is time to give all Americans a break in terms of their taxes. With passage of this bill, we will finally have the opportunity to help middle class families and get our economy back on track.

I urge support for this critical bill to cut taxes and reform our tax system.