Charlie Crist

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Chair, my amendment today is simple. It clarifies that projects to address harmful algal blooms are eligible for priority funding under the climate change adaptation, preparedness, and response program created by the underlying bill. Last year, the State of Florida was ravaged by simultaneous outbreaks of red tide and blue-green algae. Floridians across the State were forced to endure threats to their health. Dead fish, dolphins, and Florida's iconic manatees washed up on our beaches in droves, and an awful and inescapable stench drifted inland for miles. In Florida, our waterways and natural resources are our livelihoods, but these harmful algae blooms threaten that. According to a damage assessment from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, businesses in the 12 most impacted counties lost over $130 million in 4 short months, and at least 300 hardworking Floridians lost their jobs as a direct result of these outbreaks. This is not just a seasonal nuisance. These outbreaks are a threat to Florida's environment and to our very way of life. As our State still struggles to recover from last year's disaster, another red tide outbreak is happening right now. The reality is that these outbreaks will only get worse as our climate changes and our oceans warm. It is imperative that any program to help prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change also includes initiatives to address harmful algae blooms such as red tides. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the bipartisan sponsors of my amendment: the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rooney); the gentlewoman from Oregon, Chairwoman Bonamici; the gentlewoman from Ohio, Chairwoman Kaptur; and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings). I would also like to thank the Rules Committee for making my amendment in order. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this critical amendment as well as the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, last week, the Sunshine State was devastated by the 393rd mass shooting of 2019. On December 6, a gunman opened fire at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, killing three and wounding eight. One of the victims is Pinellas County's very own Mohammed Haitham. Nineteen-year-old Mo, as he was known to his family and friends, was a track star at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg and a shining example of all the best our community has to offer. He joined the Navy to serve his country shortly after finishing high school, with a dream of graduating from flight school. Our Nation was robbed of a sailor, and a St. Pete family was robbed of a son. My heart goes out to Mo's family and loved ones as they try to make sense of the senseless. Madam Speaker, we stand with the Haitham family. The entire community is behind them. I pray for all those affected in Pensacola, and I pray for Congress to take action on gun violence.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, the American people are fed up with spam robocalls. Today, we are bringing to bear the full weight of the Federal Government to go after those calls. We have an obligation to do what is right for the people. The TRACED Act utilizes all known weapons in the arsenal, from cooperation, to investigation, including enforcement. I am especially proud that the TRACED Act includes my bill, the Spam Calls Tax Force Act, which will bring together agencies, the private sector, and consumer advocates to shut down spam robocalls. All hands on deck is necessary here. I thank Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden for their leadership, and I also thank my partners on the Spam Calls Task Force: the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto). I am filled with optimism that the work of the people goes on: Members of both parties coming together, setting differences aside to work on commonsense solutions to real problems. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the TRACED Act.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of lower drug prices, because Americans are getting squeezed while drug companies are raking in the cash. One of my constituents, Mike McKenny, runs a minority-owned, small business in St. Petersburg. He works hard for a living, making payroll, serving his customers. When Mike's daughter Taylor was diagnosed with diabetes, he had to pull thousands out of the family's 401(k) and do, in his words, ``other creative things'' to make ends meet when the insurance coverage ran out. At the toughest point, he paid $120 for a 3-day supply of the insulin to keep his daughter alive. Mr. Speaker, $120 for 3 days. That is immoral. Under the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, nearly 600,000 of my constituents will pay less for drugs, some dramatically so. End the drug company abuse. Lower drug prices now.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football in the United States. For fans, college football is a coming together to honor athleticism, hard work, and your favorite team. For players, it's an irreplaceable opportunity to hone work ethic, gain leadership skills, become part of a close-knit team, and play for your school. As a former college quarterback, I'm thankful for the opportunities playing this amazing sport provided, and as a Floridian I'm thrilled when Florida's teams win. From storied institutions to rising stars, Florida's collegiate football programs are unmatched, as is their fans love for the game. Madam Speaker, may college football continue to thrive for another 150 years.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, after 9/11, thousands of America's best had to offer to sign up for our freedom. They served their country with honor to keep all of us here and our loved ones save. Many of these heroes suffered greatly with wounds that you can see and, in many cases, wounds that you cannot. Too many veterans face mental and physical disabilities. Too many veterans come home without support structures. Too many veterans lack opportunities. And too many veterans self-medicate, find themselves in the criminal justice system, and are forgotten. In 2008, the first veteran treatment court was established in Buffalo, New York. The idea is that veterans face unique challenges that require veteran-specific care. While the VA can be an option for a veteran in crisis, including at the C.W. Bill Young Medical Center in my district, not every veteran in crisis goes to the VA, and if they do, they may not have somebody to check on them and make sure they are okay. Veterans treatment courts are diversion programs. Working with justice outreach specialists at their local VA medical centers, social workers and counselors at the local level, and veterans service organizations, vet courts get nonviolent veterans who qualify into treatment and counseling instead of just locking them up. After they complete the requirements, the veteran can even have their record expunged, preserving housing and employment opportunities. Just over 10 years after the first court, there are now hundreds all around the country, including one in my home of Pinellas County, Florida. Each vet court is different, starting in the community from scratch and coordinating the people and organizations that will help rehabilitate veterans in their program. Congress, recognizing the importance of these courts in our districts, has provided funding for vet courts for a few years now, including a record $25 million in the House-passed Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. However, unlike other justice grant programs, like juvenile justice programs, there is still not adequate coordination at the Department of Justice to provide best practices, support, as well as technical assistance to communities that have vet court or want to start one. The Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act fixes this, establishing the Veteran Treatment Court Program in the Office of Justice Programs. I am thankful to my colleagues on the Committee on Appropriations, of which I am a member, particularly the gentlewoman from New York, Chairwoman Lowey, and the gentleman from New York, Chairman Serrano, for their steadfast support of the veteran treatment court funding. However, the Department of Justice, which administers the grants, needs an office dedicated to helping and guiding communities that want to access grants or want to set up their own veterans court. I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik) for her work over this past year, as well as the gentleman from New York, Chairman Nadler, and the gentlewoman from California, Chairwoman Bass, for their leadership on the Committee on the Judiciary, fighting for criminal justice reforms as well as diversion programs. Lastly, I thank all the organizations, both veterans service organizations and criminal justice professionals, that have helped build support for this over the past 2 years and that have worked tirelessly in our districts to make veterans treatment courts so successful. This includes the National Military and Veterans Alliance, the National Veterans Court Alliance, and the National District Attorneys Association, all of which have endorsed the legislation, along with 19 veteran groups total. When a veteran suffering because of their service makes a mistake, we have a duty as a country to do all we can to give them the very best possible outcome. We have a duty to fight for those who fought for our freedoms. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CRIST

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

Mr. CRIST. Madam Chair, I was Governor of Florida in 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana. It killed 11 people and sent millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. I witnessed firsthand the tar balls on our beaches, the marine life drowning in oil, and the billions of dollars of economic damage inflicted on countless families and small businesses. As the largest offshore oil spill in American history, this should have been a huge wake-up call to everyone. Floridians said never again and voted almost 70 percent in the last election to ban offshore drilling because, as we learned, drilling doesn't have to take place right off our shores to upend your way of life. My amendment is simple. It reinstates two critical rules regarding offshore drilling and safety regulations, the Well Control Rule and the Production Safety Systems Rule, that were put into place after the Deepwater Horizon disaster itself. Sadly, the current administration has chosen to ignore the mistakes of our past and has, instead, weakened these rules, opening the door to self-regulation and less stringent standards. That is why my amendment codifies these rules in their previous form, reinstating critical safety requirements and reducing the risk of another tragedy. I would like to thank the bipartisan cosponsors of my amendment, the Rules Committee for making the amendment in order, and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Barragan) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price) for their tireless efforts to support these regulations. Finally, on behalf of Florida's 13th District, I give my heartfelt thanks to the distinguished bipartisan colleagues from Florida, Representative Castor and Representative Rooney, for their tireless leadership on the underlying bill to keep drilling out of the eastern Gulf of Mexico for good. In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to drill at all. But as long as drilling does occur in the western and central Gulf, the site of the Deepwater Horizon spill, we must do everything in our power to make sure that history does not repeat itself. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment so that no State ever has to endure another Deepwater Horizon. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), my colleague, the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. CRIST. Madam Chair, first, I thank the chairman for his support of the bill. I appreciate that very much. In response to my colleague from across the aisle, what is necessary and what is important is to make sure that we have stringent rules on this dangerous industry, to make sure that we protect our ecosystem and our environment. As I said, we, as Floridians, already understand it, voting almost 70 percent of the vote in the latest election to ban offshore drilling from our beautiful coast. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to applaud the heroic work of the United States Coast Guard in response to the historic Category 5 Hurricane Dorian. The Coast Guard motto is ``Always Ready,'' and they have shown that in the wake of this disaster. By strategically positioning personnel, aircraft, and cutters ahead of the storm, they were able to respond quickly and save lives. In fact, in total, the Coast Guard first responders rescued over 200 people in Dorian's wake. Back home in Pinellas County, Florida, I had the opportunity to visit the first responder crews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater after they returned home. We could not be prouder of their dedication as well as their service. Again, I thank the brave folks of the United States Coast Guard for always being ready to keep America--and our neighbors--safe and secure.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, today I rise to celebrate August 4 as Coast Guard Day, marking the service's founding by Alexander Hamilton in 1790. We are very grateful for the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard who selflessly serve America, both at home and abroad. My congressional district of Pinellas County, Florida, is proud to be home to numerous Coast Guard commands, both ashore and afloat. We have the largest and busiest air station in the country, Air Station Clearwater, and a robust maritime operation at Sector St. Petersburg. Coast Guard families serve as well, providing the Coasties themselves with the support and resilience they depend on to stand watch, day in and day out. So, Madam Speaker, I would like to wish a happy 229th birthday to the United States Coast Guard.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone for his leadership on this important legislation, and I thank the ranking member. The American people are fed up with spam calls. They are predatory, incessant, and an invasion of privacy. We need a comprehensive approach to root them out, and our Federal Government plays an important role in that. Whether it is the FCC, Department of Justice, Homeland Security, or FBI, these agencies should have the authorities and tools to shut down these spammers' calls, and these powers are maximized when they are coordinated. That is why I included in this legislation the creation of the Spam Calls Task Force. The task force will coordinate the Federal response. Madam Speaker, I also thank Representative Darren Soto for his help with this. I am confident that by working together, we can all put a stop to spam calls once and for all, and Americans will no longer have to fear robocalls.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Interfaith Tampa Bay on their fifth annual Interfaith Pride Worship Service in St. Petersburg, Florida. I am honored to represent such an inclusive and diverse district. This worship service demonstrates that an attitude of not just tolerance, but acceptance, is shared by our faith leaders of all beliefs and backgrounds. Interfaith Tampa Bay is an organization uniting faith leaders and believers of different religious backgrounds, coming together in prayer, service, and mutual support. The Pride Worship Service, taking place within the city-wide celebration of St. Pete Pride, gives LGBTQ members of the faith community an opportunity to worship and celebrate God's love surrounded by those who accept and support them. The Pride Worship Service invites all in attendance to worship at the altar of compassion, kindness, and understanding. Hosted by King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Pride Worship Service features leaders of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist faiths. This service is proceeded by a Pride March through the streets of the city to the steps of the church, demonstrating the interconnectivity between faith, pride, and self-love. It is a message to all that one need not choose between their faith and their identity, and that it is only when we are able to truly love ourselves that we are able to love God. Through the Pride Worship Service and other community gatherings, Interfaith Tampa Bay is fostering a sense of community between the faith communities in our region, and reestablishing the church, mosque, synagogue, and other houses of worship as places of love and enlightenment for all. Recently, the organization hosted the Tampa Bay Iftar Dinner to celebrate the Muslim observance of Ramadan and recognize the achievements of Tampa Bay's Muslim community. In light of recent incidences of violence within these sacred spaces, the role of Interfaith Tampa Bay and similar institutions is incredibly important in the fight against intolerance and hate. On behalf of my Tampa Bay neighbors, I want to recognize Interfaith Tampa Bay, King of Peace MCC, Allendale UMC, Congregation B'Nai Israel, and all participating faith organizations for their support of the LGBTQ community.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) for her incredible leadership on an issue we should all be able to agree upon: protecting all of God's creatures, great and small. When Congress creates laws, we intend for them to be enforced. That is pretty simple. The Stevens amendment would help the Department of Justice do exactly that. This issue is bigger than senseless animal abuse. There is an established link between animal fighting and abuse and drug trafficking and gang activity. This means that laws protecting animals also protect our communities. This amendment is common sense, and I urge support.

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from Florida, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for her leadership on this important issue and for working with me and the Florida delegation to include banning drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico in this amendment. I represent most of Pinellas County, Florida, on the Gulf Coast. My district is surrounded by water on three sides. It is virtually a peninsula. As you can imagine, this issue is deeply important to me, my constituents, and all Floridians. I was Governor of Florida when the Deepwater Horizon exploded in 2010. I saw the tar balls wash up along Florida beaches. I saw the harm done to Florida's economy and our way of life. I have seen firsthand the consequences of offshore oil drilling. I hope to never see it again. We must protect the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the environmental, economic, and national security benefits it provides to the region and to the United States of America. I could not be more proud that the Florida delegation stands united to do exactly that. I urge passage of this amendment and the underlying legislation.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, due to a flight cancellation, I was not present on Monday, June 10 for votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 242; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 243; and ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 244.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, I stand before you 2 days before the third anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, to tell this body, the people's House, that we have work to do. The Pulse shooting shook us all to our core, and for so many in the LGBTQ community, these wounds may never fully heal. We honor the memory of those whose lives were taken, but for those 49 people, their families, and, importantly, their chosen families, thoughts and prayers will never be enough. ``Orlando Strong'' and ``Never Again'' are only words until we take action. We are united by the power our constituents have given to us to make laws. We must use that power to stop gun violence. What does it say to the victims at Pulse, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Aurora, Virginia Beach, and too many others to list? Do we not care? Making life safer for our constituents is not right versus left; it is right versus wrong. Madam Speaker, I urge action on this national epidemic.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Engel for yielding me the time. I rise in strong support of the Climate Action Now Act written by my dear friend and the chairwoman of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Kathy Castor. We are both blessed to represent the Tampa Bay region of Florida, which is the most economically vulnerable to climate change in the world. For the people back home, this isn't a partisan issue. It is real. It is happening. It threatens our environment, our quality of life, and our economy. I know there are friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle struggling with this issue, and I want to offer encouragement: Do not wait for the next 1,000-year flood to hit your district or the next freak Category 5 hurricane that explodes over warming seas right before landfall. Do not wait for the next drought-fueled firestorm to destroy one of your towns or for rising sea levels to flood the streets when it rains during high tide, as it does in parts of my district. The time to act is yesterday. Please vote ``yes.''

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of Walter Loebenberg, a community leader, advocate for the less fortunate, philanthropist and founder of the Florida Holocaust Museum. As a young man, Mr. Loebenberg was forced by the Nazis to flee his native country of Germany for the United States. Mr. Loebenberg returned a few years later, where he honorably served the United States during the Battle of the Bulge. His service was so distinguished he was personally awarded a Bronze Star by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. After the war, Mr. Loebenberg returned to the United States and moved to Florida where he managed local hospitals, became a philanthropist, and fought to improve the lives of the blind, the hungry, and those who could not fight for themselves. He dedicated his life to improving the world, one act at a time. In 1992, Mr. Loebenberg founded a Holocaust Museum at the Jewish Community Center of Pinellas County in Madeira Beach. This rapidly expanded into the Florida Holocaust Museum, opening in downtown St. Petersburg to great fanfare in 1998. Mr. Loebenberg understood the importance of building a lasting tribute to the horrors and lives lost in the Holocaust--so that history might never repeat itself. His work, and his museum, will stand the test of time, as a testament, and a warning to all of us, and all who come after us. For the people of Pinellas County, the state of Florida, the U.S. House of Representatives, and a grateful nation, we honor the life of Walter Loebenberg.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Madam Chair, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown), for his leadership on this issue. Souls to the Polls is a bedrock of Florida elections. For my colleagues who may be unfamiliar, minority communities, particularly African American and Latino, use Sunday early voting to energize their communities to make their voices heard. For those without reliable transportation or with unpredictable work schedules, Sunday voting is critical and sacred. This is how a healthy democracy should work, communities organizing themselves to increase participation, doing their civic duty. Higher turnout and greater participation strengthen our democracy, giving elected leaders a stronger, more representative voice. Unfortunately, some States have targeted Sunday Souls to the Polls voting. My own State tried to shut it down in 2012. This amendment would block States from using voter suppression tactics against Souls to the Polls. I urge my colleagues to support the Brown-Crist amendment and let the underlying bill pass. Let's refresh our democracy, for the people.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, for 19 days, critical financial agencies which serve the people have been closed. Taxpayer assistance has stopped; the people's refunds are at risk of serious delay; small business support is suspended; and consumer protection work has been halted. People are hurting. It is a self-inflicted wound. But today, we have the opportunity to reopen these critical agencies for the people. The solution is simple: vote ``yes'' on this legislation; put people above politics; and reopen our government today.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Waters for her tireless leadership for a strong, affordable National Flood Insurance Program. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill. More than 5 million middle class and working Americans rely on the National Flood Insurance Program for economic security and peace of mind. Congress cannot allow this program to expire. A lapse would leave countless families unable to renew their policies, putting them in financial peril if disaster were to strike. It would also upend the housing market, with closings coming to a full stop due to the inability to secure required coverage. While I wish this bill included a much longer term extension, providing American families with another week of coverage is far preferable to a damaging lapse. But, my colleagues, we must do better than 1 week. The people have endured seven stopgap extensions, including two brief lapses, since September 2017--7 extensions, 14 months. The bill before us is number eight. While almost everyone can agree that flood insurance is long overdue for reform, particularly to address the affordability challenges that plague policyholders, we should not allow that goal to threaten the program's very existence. I urge my colleagues to not only support today's bill but to work together in the coming days to reach agreement on a longer term extension.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today urging action to extend the National Flood Insurance Program. If Congress fails to reauthorize the NFIP by November 30, millions of homeowners will be unable to obtain or renew their flood coverage; housing markets will grind to a halt; and families will be left at risk of financial ruin should a flood occur. Congress must put this uncertainty to rest. Policyholders need stability. Our housing markets need stability. American families also need stability. I urge my colleagues to bring to the floor, and to pass, the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program as soon as possible.

Mr. CRIST

Mr. CRIST. Mr. Speaker, this is very bipartisan. First, I thank Ms. Tenney for putting this together. It is wonderful of the gentlewoman to do that. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to say a few words about Ileana, what everybody knows. I am sure Mr. Gaetz will echo this, too. Just a wonderful lady, a great public servant, a heart of gold, and always with a smile on her face. Around this place, that is very uplifting and wonderful to see. I wanted to come down here and testify, if you will, on her behalf. What a wonderful shining light she really is. So, again, I thank Claudia for organizing this and putting this together. It is great of her to do so. And, Ileana, if you are watching, God bless you and your wonderful family, and I know your future is going to be very, very bright. Thank you so much.