Neal Dunn

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, today, I join my colleagues in calling for an immediate vote on disaster funding. In 2018 and so far in 2019, we have witnessed devastating disasters with hurricanes hitting Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas; wildfires in California; flooding in the Midwest; an earthquake in Alaska; and several other widespread weather events that have harmed communities across our country and our territories. The people in our districts and States need our help, and it is our duty to fight for them. I thank my colleagues for joining me today, and I yield to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Mrs. Roby), whose district adjoins my district.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I wish to express my gratitude to Martha Roby for her speech and for her sentiments on her people in Alabama. Next, Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott), who is my good friend and who has been one of the champions for the disaster supplemental. He has worked tirelessly for the last 7 months to advance this effort.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Austin Scott, for his words. He has truly been at the forefront on the fight for this disaster supplemental since day one. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Omaha, Nebraska, (Mr. Bacon). General Don Bacon is my good friend and classmate.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank General Bacon for his words. Madam Speaker, from Nebraska we have a true leader of the House and a good friend. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry).

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Fortenberry for his compelling description of the damages that were suffered in Nebraska and also of the response of those brave people. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Riggleman). Representative Denver Riggleman is my good friend and one of the most outstanding members of the new class here in Congress.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Riggleman for his words, and I know that his constituents are fortunate to have a man of his rare abilities serving them at all times. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Johnson). Representative Dusty Johnson is another outstanding member of the freshman class.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Johnson for his description, his words, and also for his granular knowledge of his district. I know that that is a benefit to everybody there. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford). Sheriff John Rutherford is my good friend whose district of Jacksonville, Florida, abuts mine on the east side.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Sheriff Rutherford for his words. He has been a stalwart ally and a great friend ever since we arrived here on day one. He is a true friend to all of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), one of the true leaders of our Conference.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative LaMalfa for his sincere words and his seasoned judgment and insights. Let us hope that those words fall on fertile ground. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida's First District (Mr. Gaetz), one of my dearest friends in the House. We were friends for many years before we came to this House, and his talents are known to all of us. He is an Olympian among his class.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to introduce Representative Gaetz and hear his oratory. I thank him for his brilliant words. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer). Representative Rouzer is a friend. He has visited my home. I have visited his district. He truly knows what it is like to see other districts and empathize with them and to reach out; and I am deeply gratified to have him here speaking today.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative David Rouzer for those words. It is a sad story that the gentleman told, but it is a story that needed to be heard and is one that is being lived out through many of our districts; the end of generations of farming in some families. It is a very sad story. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), a good friend of mine from our class. He is a great Congressman. We have visited in his district. And let me say that it has been a pleasure to work with him and his wife.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I wish to thank Representative Allen for his words and his support. Next, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), one of the most senior and experienced representatives in the delegation from Florida, a man who has been a personal mentor to me and a great model.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Bilirakis for his leadership and for the personal generosity of his time spent with me tonight. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, next, I would like to introduce the third and final Representative from Nebraska, a good friend and a good friend of Nebraska. Thank you so much very much for being here. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Smith for his words. It speaks to the disaster, what happened in Nebraska, that all three Representatives showed up. Madam Speaker, next, I would like to introduce and yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho), my good friend. We share more in common than most Representatives. Because of the vagaries of redistricting, we ran in 2016 in the same 12 counties. He was a great support, a great example, and cleared the way for me. I want to say that I am deeply grateful for having Dr. Ted Yoho here tonight.

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, let me say that I am deeply indebted to Dr. Yoho. Our channel of communications went down after the storm in a way that America has never seen. We lost cellphones, landlines. We lost police radios. We were talking to each other by ham radios and runners. When Dr. Yoho could not raise me or my office staff, he mounted a rescue operation complete with food and supplies and took care of the east end of my district. I will always be grateful to Dr. Yoho for that, and I thank him so much. Madam Speaker, for my final guest, I would like to introduce the Representative from south Georgia, another good friend and a neighbor. We don't quite abut districts, but we come pretty close. I spend a lot of time in his neighborhood. He needs to spend more time down on my beaches. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, Representative Carter, for his impassioned words. Obviously, he is echoing thoughts that we have heard from the other speakers. Seldom has a Special Order been so well subscribed. So many people came to speak, so many people moved and hurt by the disaster. It leaves me with very little time, but I want to say a couple things. I want to reiterate that this is an unprecedented event for timber. Nobody has ever seen this much timber on the ground, 3 million acres of timber. Think about what that does to the foresters, the loggers, and the sawmills. The military, we have lost an Air Force base, probably $4 billion to $6 billion worth of damage to that. We will rebuild it. We will rebuild it, and it will be great, but we need help from Congress to do that. I have a Navy base in my district, $288 million in damage. I have a Coast Guard base in my district that is particularly sad. They have a single building standing. They were victims of the storm; they were first responders to the storm. They were not paid, because they are with the Department of Homeland Security, for a month. It is shameful. These are fine people in the Coast Guard. We have housing problems right now. Thirty percent of the homes in my home county is uninhabitable. Fifty percent of the commercial real estate is not usable. We have special geography. We are 100 miles away from the next place where there is multifamily housing. We need housing on the ground in the affected areas. Madam Speaker, I thank all the people who took time to come and tell our story, which is a sad story, and I urge the Congress to come to our rescue. That picture, by the way, is not 6 months old. It is 2 weeks old. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to demand a vote on disaster supplemental funding. Next Wednesday will be the 6-month anniversary of Hurricane Michael and 6 months with absolutely no supplemental disaster funding, no serious action on the part of Congress to help the victims of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, and even the California wildfires. Every time I am in Florida, I discover new destruction. That debris has become firewood and is leading to massive wildfires. One just took out 700 acres. That debris is also clogging our stormwater system, and flooding will be our next disaster. One of the strongest hurricanes in the history of the United States ravaged Florida and left a path of destruction across the South, and yet, here we are with only 3 legislative days before Easter and no relief in sight. The Senate again failed to pass a disaster bill this week, and the House appears to have given up. This is shameful. The lack of action is a disgrace to the American people. Madam Speaker, American citizens are hurting. We must pass a disaster relief bill and do it now.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Leon Arthur Bellot, Jr. who passed away on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at the age of 67. Mr. Bellot was born and raised in Dixie County, Florida and has held a multitude of roles in Dixie County throughout his lifetime--each of them with the main purpose of serving others. His love for education and investing in children was one of the many passions that Mr. Bellot dedicated his life to. A graduate of Dixie County High School, Mr. Bellot would return to this same school to not only teach, but also to hold the title of Assistant Principal and Dean of Students. He protected the citizens of Dixie County through his service as a volunteer fireman, Assistant Fire Chief for the Cross City Fire Department, and through his role with Dixie County Emergency Services. He would even go on to become the first Emergency Services Director for Dixie County in 1975. Mr. Bellot served in the capacity of Emergency Services Director for 24 years before also becoming the first County Administrator for Dixie County. Throughout his career and community involvement, there was always one aspect of Mr. Bellot's life that would remain constant--his love and commitment to the Lord God our Savior. Mr. Bellot was a member of the Faith Baptist Church where he dedicated his time to the church as a Deacon. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of a courageous educator, protector, and leader who will be missed by many, Mr. Leon Arthur Bellot.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I regret that due to the funeral services for Seaman First Class Earl Paul Baum. I was forced to travel back to my district and miss the vote on amendments and final passage of H.R. 1. Had I been present, I would have voted nay on Roll Call No. 115; nay on Roll Call No. 116; yea on Roll Call No. 117; and nay on Roll Call No. 118.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mayor Betty Walker of Chiefland, Florida, who passed away on Monday, February 25. Mayor Walker served the citizens of Chiefland as an elected city commissioner for over 15 years and as mayor and vice mayor for 11 of those years. Betty Walker was the first African American female elected official for the city of Chiefland. She was a great leader. She loved her community immensely. She advocated for the police and fire departments and the maintenance departments as well. Mayor Walker had recently retired after spending almost 40 years helping adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She truly loved the people of Chiefland. She was passionate about parks and recreation and always had a vision for her city. Mayor Walker leaves behind a rich legacy that not many can match. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring a life well lived and a community leader who will be missed by many, Mayor Betty Walker of Chiefland.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of former Panama City Fire Chief and United States Navy veteran Robert Richardson. Chief Richardson passed away at the age of 79 on January 5. Chief Richardson proudly served our Nation as a submariner in the Navy, and he went on to serve his community in Bay County for 33 years--first as a firefighter and then as the Panama City Fire Chief. He was honored by the State of Florida for his work, earning the distinction of Florida's Firefighter of the Year and Florida's Fire Chief of the Year. Chief Richardson was appointed by Governor Bob Graham to serve on the Florida State Fire Board and used that position to fight for stricter building codes. He dedicated his entire life to protecting others. Madam Speaker, I can attest that Panama City is a better place because of the lifelong service of Chief Richardson. Please join me in honoring the life of Chief Richardson.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Oklahoma, Mr. Lucas, for yielding to me. H.R. 425, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, is about helping expand veterans' job and education opportunities in the sciences. The bill directs the National Science Foundation to develop a veterans outreach plan and publish data on veterans' participation in mathematics, science, and technology in its annual ``Science and Engineering Indicators'' report. The bill also updates the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, its fellowship programs, and the cyber grant programs to include outreach to veterans. Additionally, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is tasked with overseeing an interagency working group to examine how to increase veteran participation in the STEM career fields, including addressing any barriers for both servicemembers and their spouses. In the next 5 years, between 1 million and 1.5 million members of the Armed Forces will separate from the military, according to the Department of Defense. Many of these veterans will be seeking new careers, and by a great margin, veterans cite finding employment as their number-one need when separating from Active-Duty service. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupations in STEM fields are projected to grow to more than 9 million jobs by 2022. Research shows that many military veterans already have skills and training that align with STEM careers, particularly in the area of information technology. However, it also shows that veterans face many barriers as they reenter the workforce, including a lack of formal certified STEM education, career guidance, and the difficult task of transferring military credits to civilian college credits. Our Nation's veterans deserve every opportunity to transition to a rewarding and successful civilian life. This bill will help all servicemembers continue to serve our Nation in new ways by fulfilling 21st century jobs and keeping America on the cutting edge of innovation. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Lamb, a fellow member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and a Marine Corps veteran, for cosponsoring this bipartisan legislation. And I salute my fellow veterans on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee who joined me in introducing this bill. Last year, the House passed this legislation by an overwhelming margin, but we did not make it across the finish line in the Senate. This year, we have a bipartisan companion bill in the Senate, introduced by my home State Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Amy Klobuchar. Mr. Speaker, I believe that now is the time to get this done to help our Nation's veterans. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill and the Senate to act on it and send H.R. 425 to the President's desk.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. DUNN

Mr. DUNN. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding and also for the opportunity to bring up an important issue to my district and State. As you all know, Hurricane Michael had a devastating effect on my district. One of the most important areas in my district that was destroyed was Tyndall Air Force Base. The underlying bill before the House today contains $700 million for planning, design, and construction related to the consequences of Hurricane Michael at Tyndall Air Force Base. This funding would support the relocation of the F-22s, the beddown of the F-35s, and the planning of facility construction so that the base can continue to recover. This is a down payment for the Air Force, and it signals that Congress is committed to rebuilding Tyndall Air Force Base because Tyndall will need additional funds.