Randy Fine

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today angry. I rise angry by the stunning disparity between the priorities of the two parties. This week, Republicans' number one priority is to reopen the Department of Homeland Security because our homeland is under threat, whereas Democrats' number one priority, as we will see this afternoon, is to stop and protect those who would endanger our homeland. The U.S. Coast Guard is actively in operations in Bahrain, protecting the United States, and every one of those brave individuals is not being paid. Not only that, but the DHS Office of Counterterrorism and Homeland Threats is not being paid to look after those who would threaten us in the United States. What has changed in the last 3 weeks? Let me give you some examples. Today is March 4. Two days ago in Michigan, Islamic scholar and expert in Islam Hassanain Rajabali said the following about the killing of Khamenei: Why do we keep hearing our leaders--this is someone in America referring to Khamenei as ``our leader''--why are we hearing our leaders are being killed and the other side does not? It will come. Don't worry. ``Mahdi will cut tentacles of Rothschilds.'' We need Homeland Security to protect us from this guy. On February 28, someone who came to Michigan in 1991, who got two degrees at American universities, Dearborn Heights Imam--a religious leader running a mosque--Mohammad Ali Elahi eulogized Khamenei: He would have loved to end his life this way--being killed by the most wretched hands on Earth--speaking about the United States. Even Democrats believe Khamenei was a bad guy. Nothing is greater than martyrdom after 86 years of service. We need DHS to be funded to protect us from this guy. Third example: A taxpayer-funded government employee working at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Ali Akbar Shdid: Trump made a huge mistake by killing our leader--again, ``our leader'' being Khamenei. He continued: We are going to continue on his path. We are going to hold his blood and ideology and teach it to our children. We are paying for this. We need DHS to protect us from this guy. That is just Michigan. State number two, California: February 28, someone who came from Iraq to the United States in 1994, another Muslim scholar, an expert in Islam, Dr. Sayed Moustafa Qazwini, a Ph.D.: I pray to exit life as a martyr. Like Khamenei, may Allah be pleased with him, not in bed, home, or hospital. DHS needs to protect us from him. Mr. Speaker, down the road in Virginia, a mosque in Manassas honoring what they call, again, our leader, Khamenei, extending condolences and glad tidings on his martyrdom. By the way, these are not being captured with a hidden microphone. They are proudly broadcasting this. In New York, Zohran Mamdani, February 20, attended a mosque with known ties to Iran and sat there as the imam prayed for the Mahdi to kill the infidels by his sword. We need DHS open to protect us from that. This is personal for me. In Austin, a Muslim terrorist, who never should have been in this country, just killed three people, and I will talk about him in a bit. He retweeted, commented on one of my tweets, upset about my criticism of the kind of terrorism that he so engaged in. I didn't find it. So lest any Member of Congress think these threats are not real, if they can do it to me, they can do it to any one of you. I will close with this. We hear the names of the two who died in Minnesota, but how do we not say the names of Ryder Harrington, Savitha Shan, and Jorge Pederson, who were killed by that man in Austin. We need the Department of Homeland Security open to protect us from them. How many Americans are going to die while the Department of Homeland Security is closed? We swore an oath to protect Americans, not to protect terrorists. We need to get the Department of Homeland Security open so that we can live up to that obligation.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I approach this debate from a very simple perspective: When people say they want to kill you, you should believe them. For 47 years, the Iranian Government in their version of this Hall, on the streets, on television, anywhere they can find, has yelled ``death to America.'' They don't just yell it. They actually do it. Over those 47 years, it is estimated that 1,200 Americans have been killed by those saying ``death to America.'' Not all of those were military. On October 7, Hamas, directly funded by Iran, killed 46 Americans--46. We hear a lot about how bad they are. We can agree they are bad, but there is always a ``but''--``but we shouldn't do anything,'' I guess. Again, I believe that when someone tells you thousands of times over 47 years that they want to kill you, you should believe them. This resolution makes a simple premise that we cannot allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. Why? We cannot allow Iran to get nuclear weapons because of the second thing Iran seeks to do: create missile capability to deliver those missiles to the United States of America. We have to stop them from creating the missile shield, the drones, and the shorter missiles that they can use to overwhelm our forces in the region, that gives them a shield to continue to deliver those weapons. We have a choice. We can say: Well, they say ``death to America,'' but they aren't really going to do it, or we can realize they have given us 1,200 reasons over the last 47 years to believe them. I hope this passes unanimously. It certainly should. It is three lines long, this resolution. It says that: ``The House of Representatives declares it is the policy of the United States that Iran continues to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism.'' That is all it does. If you believe like I do when people say ``death to America'' you should believe them, then you should vote for this, and this should be an easy vote. I thank the chairman for bringing this up today, and I hope all of my colleagues will support it.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I believe in symbolic things at times. It was 47 years ago that Iran began chanting ``Death to America.'' I don't think it is symbolic that the 47th President of the United States is the first to do something about it, but only one number away from that is 46. That is the number of Americans that, thanks to Iran, were killed on October 7, 2023. I don't think Iran had a meeting where they debated whether they should support Hamas to go and do that attack. They did it, and now America is in the position that we are in. There was a press conference not too long ago where the Speaker was asked: You are saying that the President did not need authorization initially and still does not need any authorization from Congress? The Speaker of the House answered that question: Yes. That was Nancy Pelosi when asked about an attack on Libya. President Trump is doing exactly what he is authorized to do: protecting the United States by making sure a terrorist regime cannot attack us using nuclear weapons. While there may be some who want to wait until America is nuked to have that discussion, I am not one of them. I support the President. I support his judgment. He has not let us down. He has defined the mission in clear, compelling, and concise ways to make sure they don't get nukes, to make sure they can't develop intercontinental ballistic missiles, and to make sure they don't have a military shield to support them as they do that. I don't have to have a debate before he does that sort of thing. That is what our Framers intended. The fact of the matter is I wouldn't trust some of the people in this room to have that debate if we wanted to put handcuffs around him before he did that. The President is doing the right thing. Congress should stand by him. Congress should trust Trump because he is not letting us down, and he won't let us down.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, sometimes in this room I feel like I am in the twilight zone. We are hearing that the world is going to end, but Americans need to understand that this bill does two and only two things. By the way, these are things that we already do in Florida today, and we don't have issues with our elections. Number one, it says you have to show a photo ID in order to vote. This is something that people overwhelmingly support because we have to do it in every aspect of our lives. Second, it says you should have to prove you are a citizen in order to register. Now, the argument that is made against these things is it is somehow racist to require them. What I find repulsive about that argument is it is racist to imply that minority communities somehow don't have the ability to go and get a photo ID, somehow don't have documentation to prove that they are an American. I have talked to my constituents about this, and they are aghast at the idea that anyone would make this claim. Now, look, this is a real issue. In Florida, I worked on a bill when I was in the legislature where people would call who had been accidentally put on jury duty and say: Hey, I don't know how I got registered to vote, but I am not an American. We had to take them off jury duty. Democrats opposed our efforts even there to clean up the rolls. There is nothing we have more important to do here than to make sure that Americans are confident in our elections and the results that they achieve, particularly with the kind of heated rhetoric that we say here. Why do they oppose it? There is one simple reason: It is because they want to cheat. We pass this bill, we clean up our elections, and we make sure that Americans can have confidence in not only what we do here but in the elections that we are going to have this November.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, we have heard the opposition to this take on two things: number one, that this has somehow raised the cost of living and that, somehow, the fentanyl crisis is not a national emergency. I would like to disassemble those two arguments. A long time ago, long before I came to Washington, one of my first jobs was I taught economics. I would say to my colleagues that they need to get beyond Karl Marx's ``The Communist Manifesto'' to understand how the world actually works. When Joe Biden was President, prices went up 5 percent a year. Under the Trump trade regime that is supposedly making things so expensive for people, it has gone up one-half that amount, 2.7 percent. Obviously, tariffs are not the problem. Economic results: The last quarter, our economic growth as a nation was 4.4 percent. The economy is booming. That is almost double what we saw the previous year under Joe Biden. His number started with a two. These tariffs, rather than hurting America, have brought $15 billion, that is just from Canada, that we can use to pay down our debt and pay down our deficit, again, as we have lower inflation and higher economic growth. It has worked. The chairman talked about the cost of 5,000 lives a year in New York, almost 100,000 nationwide, but those statistics are 1 year old. Under President Trump's tariff regime where he has cracked down on it, last year, fentanyl deaths in this country dropped by 21 percent. That is 20,000 Americans who did not die because of a fentanyl overdose. That is 20,000 national emergencies diverted. That is 20,000 families that aren't destroyed, and that is 20,000 futures that still get to be in our country. We should not be criticizing the President for what he has done, because the last thing I will say is this: When I taught economics, we had a concept called Pareto optimality. It is something where everything is good and nothing is bad, and that is exactly what is happening here.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of former Lady Lake Commissioner John Gourlie. John Gourlie, a beloved community member known for his musical talent and infectious personality, unfortunately passed away a few days ago at the age of 74. Commissioner Gourlie was first elected in 2022 and reelected in 2024. He proudly represented what it meant to be a Floridian. I mourn the passing of a man whose life reflected a dedication to servant leadership. During his time in office, Commissioner Gourlie represented Lady Lake with the utmost precision and attention to what made the city great. As a former businessowner, welder, and auctioneer, he understood the necessity and vitality of connecting local commerce and fiscal responsibility. Beloved within the community, those who knew him knew him not just as a commissioner, but as a friend who could put a smile on anyone's face with his karaoke and guitar. As a man of many roles and regions, there was no better representative of Florida. I know there is no replacement for a man this rooted and invested within the community, and there are no words I can speak which may ease the pain, loss, and grief experienced by both his family and the town he so lovingly served. Mr. Speaker, to the town of Lady Lake, I offer my full support as a Member of Congress and wish his family the best in this difficult time.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Representative Jack for asking me to do that. I think he has raised the expectations here, so we will see what I can do. Mr. Speaker, I have been in Congress now for 10 months, and this is the second time the government has been shut down. What is similar in them both is the reason because Democrats have put the priorities of illegal immigrants over the priorities of the people that we swore an oath to protect; that is, the American citizens. A few months ago, the shutdown was to try to give illegal immigrants free healthcare, and now the shutdown is simply over whether they should go home. What we are dealing with is a fetishization of illegal immigrants that I simply can't understand. Sometimes I think it is delusion, that they live in a world of sunshine and rainbows and pixie dust and unicorns where anyone who wants should be able to come to the United States; that everyone is good; that no one causes a problem; that they can get all the free stuff they want; that they can vote in our elections; and everything will work out just fine. That is not how it works. We hear a lot about the two Americans who were killed. It is unfortunate that that happened. What I would note is, if they had been staying away from law enforcement while law enforcement was doing their job--which is to round up and send home people who are in our country illegally, who have been told to leave and refuse to do so--nothing would have happened to them. Do you know who they don't talk about? They don't talk about the estimated 500 Americans that are killed each year by illegal immigrants. Why do we not know their names? What about their families? That is 500 families whose lives are destroyed, 500 spouses and mothers and fathers and children who are dead because of someone who should not have even been here. That is who I swore an oath to protect. Mr. Speaker, let's make no mistake what this is about. Democrats do not care about illegal immigrants. They don't care at all. What this is about is political power. That is what this is about because the States that they run, real Americans, actual Americans, people who should be able to vote in our country, are fleeing in droves. U-Haul business is going through the roof in places like New York and California, and they are moving to my State of Florida. As Americans leave these horribly run States that do not cooperate with law enforcement, where they release these criminals out on to the streets, the only way they can retain power is to import illegal immigrants to try to hold on to their seats in this House, to try to hold on to their Federal funding, and to try to hold on to their elections. That is what this debate is about. I believe that we need to move forward today because all this vote is right now is a vote on whether to discuss and vote on whether to reopen the government. I will be honest. There are things in the underlying appropriations bills that make my stomach churn, but I believe we have an obligation to the American people to have that debate and to have that vote. To vote against the rule means you do not believe the American people should even have the possibility of having the government reopened again. I came here to fight to make sure there are not another 500 families next year and 500 the year after and 500 the year after. We need to get the government reopened. We need to get our folks back to work, and we need to be focused not on illegal immigrants, not on people who shouldn't be here, but those who should and have the right to be and have the right to be safe. That is why I will be voting for the rule today, and I hope all of my colleagues do, as well.

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I would just point out that we don't run the show. I wish we did. Perhaps the gentleman from Massachusetts wants to work with me to encourage the Senate to get rid of the filibuster because we have to tell the truth in this process. If we could pass this budget with 51 votes, and we didn't, then that point would be valid and that criticism would be just. We don't have 60 votes in the Senate. We are relying on Democrats to join us in order to get it over the finish line. A deal was cut, apparently, where we made a deal that we said we will pass all of these bills as one package. Republicans voted for things they didn't like because, allegedly, Democrats in the Senate would go along at the end. As sometimes happens, people don't keep their word. That package that was negotiated, that was agreed upon, and that was a compromise between all parties failed to pass. What we must agree upon, what we must say, and what is absolutely true is that we don't control the show in the Senate. The last thing I would say is this. It was brought up about how I spoke about those tragedies in Minnesota, and I did, but we need to be careful. When we talk about people being murdered in Minnesota because they were lawfully carrying a gun, using their Second Amendment rights, we are belying decades of concealed-carry classes that tell people who are carrying guns how they should behave around law enforcement. Now, I know Democrats generally hate guns, and probably none of them carry concealed. As someone who does and who has many friends who do, we are told not to physically confront law enforcement when we are carrying that gun, which is exactly what happened here. Do I wish he hadn't died? I absolutely do. We have to be careful because we don't want more of that to happen. When we say he did nothing wrong, we are setting the stage for more of that to happen. These words matter. We have to tell the truth, whether it is the deaths of Pretti and Good or whether Republicans actually control the show in the Senate.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. My friend, the chairman, referred to stupidity in debating this resolution. I would like to talk about hypocrisy and illiteracy. Ten days before Joe Biden left office, he raised the bounty on Nicolas Maduro to $25 million. Now, I don't know if my Democratic colleagues thought that he would go: Wow, $25 million, maybe I should just turn myself in. I would like to believe that when they put that bounty out there they actually believed he should be removed from office. There is an old Twitter post from President Biden that said: ``Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolas Maduro.'' Guess what, Mr. Speaker. I think President Trump showed in actions, not words, that he was determined to remove a drug lord, and that is what Nicolas Maduro was, from power. The President doesn't have to let us know every time they go and arrest somebody who has broken the law. That is exactly what happened here. Now I want to talk about illiteracy. My friend, the chairman, talked about people not understanding what is in the resolution. Before I got to Congress, I used to complain about really long bills that no one read before they voted on them. Well, this one is six lines long, and it doesn't talk about things like my colleague spoke about like escalation. This resolution deals with escalation. That is not what it does. It is six lines, and two of them say this: ``Congress hereby directs the President to remove United States Armed Forces from Venezuela . . . '' There aren't any there. They proposed to have us vote on something that is irrelevant because the action they want to stop is not taking place. There is no war there now. I think what my colleagues are is shell-shocked because after all of these years of empty comments condemning Maduro, empty statements by them, empty statements by Joe Biden talking about how bad of a man he was, we finally have a President who actually went and did something about it. That is what President Trump did. We should be proud. We should be thanking him. We should be supporting him for what he did, and we should be voting down this resolution.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Mr. Glenn Ritchey, a distinguished Floridian whose lifelong dedication to civic leadership, business excellence, and community service has left an indelible mark on Daytona Beach, the State of Florida, and the Nation. Mr. Ritchey is the former mayor of Daytona Beach, serving from 2006 to 2012. He contributed his time to a wide range of civic, educational, and charitable organizations. His service demonstrates a steadfast commitment to progress and public good. His accomplishments have been recognized with dozens of prestigious awards, including the United Way's Herbert M. Davidson Award for Outstanding Community Service and the NAACP Humanitarian of the Year Award. In 2019, he was honored for the 18th consecutive year as a GM Dealer of the Year, one of only three dealers in the Nation to hold that distinction. Glenn Ritchey is also a proud family man, with four children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to honor Glenn Ritchey for a life dedicated to service, leadership, and community. He embodies the very best of American citizenship, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing his remarkable contributions.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I met with a lot of angry constituents over the last 2 weeks. They are angry about how expensive America has become. They are angry, in large part, because they realize one simple truth: The Somali pirates are not in the Horn of Africa anymore. They are right here in our country, and their captain is Tim Walz. While my constituents suffer today, 81 percent of Somali families are on welfare. Nine billion dollars was stolen from child nutrition, housing, and autism services in Minnesota, largely through Feeding Our Future, a program that theoretically opened more than 250 sites and was supposed to be feeding 91 million meals. It was not doing that. There was a Medicaid program, the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program, where the Federal Government was paying 64 percent and fake autism treatment firms were created. Our constituents are suffering. Before we ask them to continue to suffer, we owe it to them to root out everyone who was involved in this fraud and hold everyone accountable, and that is exactly what I intend to do.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, today I have the extraordinary privilege of honoring Elias Sussman, a man whose life spans a century of American history and whose service continues to inspire and guide us. At 100 years young, Mr. Sussman's story began in Brooklyn, New York, where he was born on October 28, 1925. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in December 1943. Driven by dedication, he volunteered for jump school and rigger training, earning the rank of Technician Fifth Grade and becoming a vital part of the Airborne Forces. As a Member of the 17th Airborne Division, he saw heavy action, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and participating in Operation Varsity, the mass parachute drops into Germany. His heroism reached beyond combat. After landing, his unit liberated American prisoner-of-war camps. Moving to what he thought was a nearby labor camp, he freed Jewish survivors suffering from extreme hunger, sharing every ration that he had to sustain himself. This act of profound compassion is the true hallmark of his service. Returning home after the war, he was honorably discharged in April of 1946. Mr. Sussman's journey from the streets of New York to the front lines of freedom is an enduring inspiration to us all. We thank Elias Sussman for his sacrifice, his bravery, and his incredible 100 years of life.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the town of Lady Lake, Florida, which celebrated its remarkable centennial in November. Though the town held its first official meeting in 1925, Lady Lake's story reaches back to the 1880s, when a new railway depot sparked growth in a community first home to the Seminole Indians. From its early years as a hub for citrus and watermelon growers to the history now preserved by the Lady Lake Historical Society Museum, the town's heritage reflects a century of resilience. The recent weeklong celebration brought that heritage to life, uniting residents, visitors, and community partners in a series of events to honor 100 years of hometown pride. I extend my sincere appreciation to the town commission, along with Town Manager Lawrence and Police Chief Hunt, for their leadership in making this milestone possible. My thanks also go to every department, volunteer, and community partner who helped make that celebration unforgettable. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to represent the residents of Lady Lake in Congress. Here is to another 100 years of community connection and tradition. Recognizing City of Flagler Beach

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the city of Flagler Beach, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, marking a century since its official incorporation. Though it would not become an official city until 1963, Flagler Beach's history stretches back even further, when it was originally known as the town of Ocean City. The iconic Flagler Beach Pier quickly became a gathering place for residents and visitors alike, and the existing A-frame carrying the city's name remains a treasured piece of that early history. My office will continue working with FEMA and our State, county, and local partners to assist with the pier's restoration, ensuring this landmark endures for future generations. Flagler Beach has always been defined by its close-knit community, small businesses, and the enduring spirit that makes this city truly unique. I extend my sincere thanks to the Flagler Beach City Commission and the staff for their leadership and dedication in preserving this community and its heritage. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to represent the people of Flagler Beach in Congress. Here is to 100 more years of community, resilience, and a bright future for this coastal gem. Recognizing Lake County Superintendent Diane Kornegay

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Diane Kornegay for her selection as Florida's 2026 Superintendent of the Year. Ms. Kornegay is a seasoned educator with more than 35 years of experience. Under her tutelage, Lake County Schools have made significant strides in academic performance, achieving an A grade from the Florida Department of Education in 2025 for the first time since 2008, which is no easy task. Since the beginning of her tenure, Lake County Schools have also seen notable increases in proficiency, including 15 percentage points in algebra 1 and 7 percentage points in English language arts for grades 9 and 10. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Kornegay is committed to serving her community and ensuring academic excellence for her students. Lake County is fortunate to have such an excellent servant, and I am honored to congratulate her on receiving this award. Honoring the Life of Julius ``Jules'' Kwiatkowski

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Commissioner Julius ``Jules'' Kwiatkowski, a faithful public servant who served as commissioner of the East Flagler County Mosquito Control District for 17 years. We have a lot of mosquitoes in Florida. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Kwiatkowski helped guide the district through major accomplishments, including the expansion of mosquito control services to meet the needs of a growing community. His service to the community was so exemplary that he was honored with the unveiling of the ``Jules the Turtle'' statue to celebrate his enduring community spirit. Even before his election as commissioner, Mr. Kwiatkowski was a dedicated community servant. Upon moving to Florida, he volunteered with Palm Coast Fire and Police and served during the 1998 Flagler County wildfires. Beyond his service, Jules was a dedicated husband and father. Flagler County was incredibly fortunate to have such an excellent man serve the community. May his memory be a blessing. Recognizing Volusia County Superintendent Carmen Balgobin

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Superintendent Carmen Balgobin of Volusia County Schools for her selection as 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents. Superintendent Balgobin's leadership of Volusia County Schools has been transformative. Under her watch, the district received its first A rating in 16 years from the Florida Department of Education, achieved a 93.7 graduation rate, and eliminated all D-rated schools in the county. Her innovative approach of focusing on college and career technical pathways programs, which specify teaching students practical skills for their next steps, has paid dividends for the education of all Volusia County students. Mr. Speaker, Superintendent Balgobin is committed to serving her community and ensuring academic excellence for her students. Volusia County is fortunate to have such an excellent servant, and I am honored to congratulate her on receiving this award.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize First Lieutenant Duncan DeMarsh, a proud lifelong resident of Volusia County and an outstanding young leader who will soon deploy for 1 year to the Middle East with the Florida Army National Guard in service to our Nation. First Lieutenant DeMarsh has distinguished himself through his public service as the legislative aide to my friend, State Representative Tramont, where he worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Florida. He was also elected vice chairman of the Volusia Republican Party, where he helped secure important victories in the most recent election. As he prepares for his deployment, I express my deep gratitude not only to Duncan, but also to his new bride, Savanna DeMarsh, and the rest of their family, who share in the sacrifice that military life demands. Their strength and support make his service possible. We in Congress and the American people are indebted to the brave men and women who stand watch on our behalf. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing First Lieutenant Duncan DeMarsh a safe mission and a swift return home.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, every time I come on to this floor, I marvel at the fact that I get the opportunity to serve here, but today it means a lot more because 35 years ago as a page in this institution, my mom used to come and watch me every day. She would come and sit in the gallery over there never knowing that 35 years later, her son would ultimately serve in Congress. Frankly, had you asked me 1 year ago today, I would have told you that I would not expect to be serving here. However, it was 1 year ago today that my mom died. It was 5 days after that that President Trump asked me to run. Today, as I mourn my mother on the 1-year anniversary of her death, I think of all of the things that I can do to make sure that I make her proud in how I served her every day because as I often say to my constituents, I won't let you down because I am not going to let her down.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a warrior of the United States Air Force, Chief Master Sergeant Jason Q. Shaffer. Chief Shaffer embodies the mindset and diligence that is needed to defend our Nation. He entered the Air Force in March 2000 as a security forces member and has been serving for 25 years. During his time in the Air Force, he developed an impressive background, which includes experience at varying levels in the Security Forces. He has participated in operations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Pacific region. He is now retiring after all of that time. Being a servicemember is tough. It is demanding, and the time spent away from your family is even harder. Yet, we can never forget to thank those who make that sacrifice. I thank him; his wife, Tawny; and his children, Dallas, Ashlynn, and Teagan, for making sacrifices so our Nation can prosper. Chief Jason, Aim High and have a happy retirement.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize a hero who tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Bradley Michael Link, age 28, was a beloved figure of the Lake County area. At a young age, he was committed to serving his community. Bradley started as an Explorer, which is a Boy Scout program, with the Lake County Sheriff's Office as a teenager. That motivated him to join the Polk County Sheriff's Office for 2 years and then, later, the Lake County Sheriff's Office for 4\1/2\ years. On Friday, August 2, 2024, almost 1 year ago, Bradley and his fellow deputies responded to a disturbance at a home on Brookside Drive in Eustis, where he was shot. He later died the next morning. Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Link embodied what it means to give. We must always remind ourselves that our men and women in blue are someone's loved ones. They are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters--people who are willing to give up their time and peace to serve and protect. Bradley was one of those people, and he left behind his wife, his mom and dad, and his brother. I recognize the Link family and continue to remember Bradley. May God bless the Link family, and may God bless all of our officers in blue.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this America last amendment and reject the premise of the arguments that are being made. There are 600,000 Americans who live in Israel, and one rocket has been fired against every 23 of them, 26,000 rockets since October 7. Forty-three Americans were killed on October 7, and 12 were taken hostage. More importantly, the research that this funds is the premise behind the Golden Dome. When we support research and development for the Iron Dome, we are creating the capability for the United States to defend itself as well. I have news. We have a nuclear weapon, too. That doesn't get you off the hook with those who are out to get you. When we oppose this amendment, when we vote it down, we are not only standing with Israel. We are standing with the best interests of the United States.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, as I sat here and listened to that panoply of speeches or motions over the last few seconds, I was reminded of the fact that when we say there should be no cuts to Medicaid, we are saying there should be no cuts to illegal immigrants who are getting Medicaid. We live in a world where we spend more money than we bring in, and it is not fair to actual Americans to be forced to take on additional debt to give benefits to people who are not in this country legally. Mr. Speaker, I note that the Democrats have not proposed a solution that would allow us to continue to give benefits to people who shouldn't be here anyway and pay for them without our children going into future debt. We must keep that in mind. I am here to fight for Americans, and that is what this bill does.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank President Trump for saving the world. For those who don't recognize it, we have been at war with Iran for the last 46 years, or more likely and more accurately, Iran has been at war with us. In 1979, they took American citizens hostage and paraded them out on the news day after day after day until President Reagan secured their release. In 1983, a suicide bomb in Beirut, paid for by the Iranians, killed 63 people, including 17 Americans. In 1983, later that year, we all know they blew up our barracks with our marines, killing 241 people. Between 2003 and 2011, more than 600 American soldiers were killed by Iranian proxies. Then obviously on October 7, 2023, 1,200 people were killed by Hamas, but Hamas is a proxy and largely paid for by Iran. Within that 1,200 people, 48 were Americans. It leads me to ask this simple question: What if they had had a nuclear weapon? For decades, American Presidents have said Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. It is a lot of talk but not a lot of action. Over and over and over again, Iran moved forward, building their bunkers deeper, building their sites more widespread, putting the world further at risk. When Donald Trump talks, he doesn't just talk. When he says he is going to do something, he does it. Over the weekend, we saw this President do what has been necessary for decades: To make sure the largest sponsor of terrorism in the world does not have the power to kill us all. Make no mistake, just imagine if they had a nuclear weapon on 9/11. Imagine if they had a nuclear weapon on October 7. When our enemies tell us they want to kill us, we should believe them. When they say, ``death to Israel,'' when they say, ``death to America,'' and when they say they want to wipe us off the map, they mean it. They mean it because we live in a world where we do not all share the same values. We live in a world where there is good and evil in our civilization. In the Judeo-Christian civilization of the United States and the West, we believe in life. We believe in prosperity. We do not believe in martyrdom. We do not celebrate death. That is not what we believe. There are those that do, and we put ourselves in great peril when we fail to recognize that. Donald Trump recognized it. Our brave American soldiers who flew 40 hours round trip to deliver a message that under this President and under the Congress that is here and under this leadership, we will never allow Iran to have those nuclear weapons. The days ahead will be scary because Iran has said that they will respond. They should make no mistake: They mess with America at their own peril. The last thing I will say is this, and I say this to those on my side. It is one thing when I call out the anti-Semitism of those who do not stand in my party, who do not agree with me, who do not call themselves conservatives, but I am an equal opportunist. It is easy to call it out on the other side. You must do it on your own. To those on my side who hate Jews and hate Israel so much that they are willing to jeopardize the security of the United States, know this: You are in the minority, you will lose, and I and President Trump are going to fight you every step of the way.

Mr. FINE

Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I have heard from my colleagues on the other side that we should be focused on issues that matter, that we should be thinking about our kids. As I lay awake at night here in Washington--I have only been here a couple months, but as bad as I thought it was going to be. It is far worse because Rome is burning and too many people in this building say that that is a great opportunity to roast marshmallows. The fact of the matter is, if we can't make these cuts, which are as simple and as easy as you would think--$6 million to fund media in Gaza, funding PBS and NPR--even if it was a good idea, you can't do it when you are borrowing trillions of dollars a year. If we can't make these cuts, which should be the easiest imaginable cuts, then there is no hope for us. I am grateful to my leadership for bringing this forward. I am grateful to President Trump for doing it, but make no mistake: This is only the first step if we want to put out the fire.