Alan Grayson

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize David Baldree. Born in Shelby, North Carolina in 1966 to J.D. and Margaret Baldree, David grew up in a home committed to volunteering and giving back to the community. Even now, David's parents, a retired school teacher and small business owner, continue to volunteer their time assisting the visually impaired, the homeless, and the needy families in their local area. This lifetime commitment to service was lovingly ingrained in David, who spends countless hours giving back to his community. After attending Mars Hill College on both music and academic scholarships, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre, David pursued an early career as a performer and entertainer. Soon, his focus shifted to production and he spent the next several years traveling as a company manager for Sesame Street Live! and producing and stage managing in San Antonio, Texas. While in Texas, he worked on Governor Ann Richards' final gubernatorial campaign and was honored to present the San Antonio bid for the 1996 Democratic National Convention to then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. After leaving Texas and moving to South Carolina to start his own entertainment production company, David was recruited by the Walt Disney Company in 1996, where he is currently the Producer for Disney Cruise Line. He holds a Masters of Science degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University and lectures on cruise line operations and management at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Much of David's free time is spent serving on several boards, volunteering his time, and advocating for the rights of others. Serving as the President of the Board of Directors for The Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, he is committed to expanding the opportunities for artists in the Orlando area. David is a member of the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee and serves on the Equality Florida Orlando Steering Committee, both of which allow him to work for advocacy and legislation that guarantee and expand the rights of the LGBTQ population. David is an active member of the Central Florida Softball League, an organization that brings amateur softball competition to the Central Florida LGBTQ community and its allies. He has volunteered for The Hope and Help Center of Central Florida and actively supports the Zebra Coalition, where he not only gives his time, but also serves as a role model for the LGBTQ youth with whom he interacts. The model of service and community involvement that David's parents created in their home is a difficult standard to uphold, but David continues to prove that he is an incredible asset and a boon to his community. I am happy to honor David Baldree, during LGBT Pride Month, for his political, civic, and professional contributions to the Central Florida community.

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Dan R. Tanner. From a very young age Dan knew that he was different, years later coming to the realization that he was gay--a significant challenge for him, as he lived in a very conservative part of the United States. Dan was influenced by his experiences as a child to become a teacher, a position where he had a platform to be a positive role model for his students by impacting their educational success and sense of self- worth. But he later left teaching because of the fear of losing his job if the school district administration, parents, or community found out he was gay. The ability to teach children and spark their academic interest is something that Dan misses to this day. As Dan became more comfortable in his own skin and less fearful of the fallout from bridging his personal and professional lives, he realized he wanted to be involved in his community and have a positive impact on it. In April 1993 on C-SPAN, Dan watched the brave LGBT community members and supporters who convened on our nation's capital to demand the rights and respect entitled to all Americans. He saw the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) equality logo for the first time and wondered if the HRC would help him find his voice and make a difference in the lives of others. After moving to Orlando in 1998, Dan became fully engaged in a new LGBT community and continued his search for a volunteer organization where he could learn, make a positive impact, and develop his leadership skills. The opportunity to build an HRC community in central Florida came in 2004, when Dan was given the responsibility of acquiring pledges from HRC supporters and overseeing the local organization and volunteer structure. Dan believes that who he is today, and what he has accomplished, is due to the many LGBT leaders who came before him. Soon he knows the country will see federal laws change again through protection for LGBT employees and full recognition of marriage equality in all 50 states. Dan's years of experience in the LGBT community and his volunteer leadership with HRC have enabled him to be his best. Today, Dan is able to be the man he dreamt of being as a young boy in Oklahoma--a great father to Finn, a loving husband to Steven, and a positive contributor to the world. He feels an unrepayable debt and great thanks to those that took the challenge before him and gave him the voice that he has today. I am happy to honor Dan R. Tanner, during LGBT Pride Month, for his contributions to the LGBT community in Central Florida.

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Susan Laginess. Known as ``Sue-Bee'', Susan Laginess was born to Mel and Charlotte Laginess in the small suburb of River Rouge, Michigan, located on the southwest side of Detroit. As the youngest of seven children, and an aunt and great-aunt to over 35 nieces and nephews, Sue-Bee never had shortage of love or close family values. After high school, Sue-Bee entered the hospitality industry in a Detroit area hotel and restaurant. Soon after, she joined her newly retired parents in the Brevard County area on Florida's east coast. Ten years on the beachside managing restaurants and nightclubs led Sue-Bee to the areas of event planning, hosting and emcee work. Sue-Bee became passionate about being involved in community events and decided to leave beachside living for a big city. After the death of her father in 1991, Sue-Bee moved to Orlando, a city that is still close to her mother. Sue-Bee began working in theme park restaurants, and soon discovered the charm, culture and especially welcoming LGBT community in Thornton Park and downtown Orlando. After four years as a manager of Hue Restaurant, in 2004, Sue-Bee joined Palm Properties of Central Florida and began a career in real estate. A year later, she became part of the team at Olde Town Brokers. Sue-Bee co-founded Phish Phest events in 2001 to help fill the void of lesbian nightlife in Orlando. In its early years, Phish Phest held large bi-annual events for the LGBT community. Now they host monthly happy hour parties that rotate to different venues and special events during Gay Days and the Pride Parade. In 2003, Phish Phest held a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the first ``unity'' events. Since then, Sue-Bee served several years on the HRC's steering committee and is a current Federal Club member. Sue-Bee is also a member of the Metropolitan Business Association and was a sponsorship director for the organization's largest event, Come Out With Pride. She also served as the emcee for the event's signature Pride Parade alongside Mayor Dyer. Sue-Bee has been on the sales team for the Hope and Help Center's Headdress Ball and has hosted numerous fundraisers for the organization. She has recently produced events for the Zebra Coalition, helping to raise much needed support for Orlando's LGBT youth. Sue-Bee has been the emcee and on the committee for the annual Scooters 4 Hooters event since 2008. Her involvement has been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars in sponsorships and donations. Fundraising for Libby's Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation and riding her own scooter through Orlando's neighborhood is one of her favorite pastimes. Sue-Bee currently resides in Thornton Park, sells real estate, is on the board for The Thornton Park District, and recently became event manager at the Veranda and Neighborhood Rogue. I am happy to honor Sue-Bee, during LGBT Pride Month, for her contributions to the LGBT and Central Florida communities.

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Stratton Pollitzer. Stratton is the co-founder and Deputy Director of Equality Florida. A Phi Beta Kappa Political Science graduate of Emory University, Stratton has spearheaded numerous community-based campaigns that respond to political attacks and build support for anti- discrimination ordinances, safe schools policies, and domestic partnership laws at the local and state level. He also oversees all Equality Florida fundraising programs and has raised over $15 million for LGBT organizations and political campaigns. Since founding Equality Florida in 1997, Stratton and Executive Director, Nadine Smith, have helped it grow into one of the largest LGBT equality organizations in the country. Today, Equality Florida has over 185,000 members, over a thousand volunteers, and a staff of 22. Equality Florida fights at the state level to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The organization has helped overturn the state ban on gay and lesbian adoption, implemented a statewide anti-bullying law that has led to specific bans on LGBT bullying, and passed over 130 local policies addressing LGBT discrimination and providing domestic partnership benefits. As a key spokesperson on LGBT issues, Stratton is a regular contributor to major television, print, and radio outlets throughout the state. He has had opinion columns published in the Miami Herald, Broward Sun-Sentinel, Saint Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune, Daytona Beach News Journal, and Orlando Sentinel. From 2004-2006, Stratton served on the board of directors and as Vice-Chair of the Equality Federation, a national network of statewide LGBT advocacy groups. In 2011, he was presented with the Harvey Milk Foundation's Honors Medal. Stratton lives in Miami with his husband of 20 years, Christopher Boykin and is the father of 17 year old twins, Ben and Sarah. I am happy to honor Stratton Pollitzer, during LGBT Pride Month, for his activism on behalf of the LGBT community in Central Florida and nationwide.

Mr. GRAYSON

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

Mr. GRAYSON. Madam Chair, you may recall, yesterday, I gave an impassioned plea in favor of a different version of this amendment, which was ruled out of order. I am hoping for a better result tonight; but in any event, there is only so much passion in the world, so I will keep my remarks short. I rise today to address a growing problem throughout our country, which is the militarization of local law enforcement agencies. The New York Times recently reported that police departments have received thousands of pieces of camouflage and night-vision equipment and hundreds of silencers, armored cars, and aircraft directly from the Department of Defense. These are military weapons. I think this is appalling. That is why my amendment would prohibit the Department of Defense from gifting excess equipment, such as aircraft--including drones--armored vehicles, grenade launchers, silencers, and bombs to local police departments. Those weapons have no place in our streets, regardless of who may be deploying them. As The New York Times article ``War Gear Flows to Police Departments'' explains: Police SWAT teams are now deployed tens of thousands of times each year, increasingly for routine jobs. Masked, heavily armed police officers in Louisiana raided a nightclub in 2006 as part of a liquor inspection. In Florida in 2010, officers in SWAT gear and with guns drawn carried out raids on barbershops that mostly led only to charges of ``barbering without a license.'' One South Carolina sheriff's department now takes a new tank that it received from the Department of Defense with a mounted .50-caliber gun to schools and community events. The department's spokesman calls that tank a ``conversation starter.'' I don't think this is the way I want my America to be. I think we should help our police act like public servants, not like warriors at war. I think we should facilitate a view of America where the streets are safe and they don't resemble a war zone, no matter who is deploying that equipment. We don't want America to look like an occupied territory. I hope for the support of my colleagues, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. Madam Chair, what I am saying is not so much a question of whether the equipment is being occasionally misused. The question really has become whether it is ever properly used. Can any of the gentlemen here tonight or anyone else identify a single act of terrorism that was thwarted by handing police officers helicopters that are militarized, bombs, and all sorts of gear that you would only expect to see on the battlefield? In fact, I would venture to say that the only examples we can come up with for the actual use of these objects is the misuse of these objects, the examples that I gave that were pointed out in national media. These weapons are not being used to defeat terrorism on our streets. Where is the terrorism on our streets? Instead, these weapons are being used to arrest barbers and to terrorize the general population. In fact, one may venture to say that the weapons are often used by a majority to terrorize a minority. Certainly, we know of many cases--both recent and in the deep, dark past--where police have used their weapons improperly for the sake of brutality. Now, it used to be that they could only use billy clubs or guns. Now, they can use helicopters and bombs. Before long, I suppose, given the logic propounded by my colleagues, they will be able to deploy nuclear weapons. That is not an America that I want to live in. I respectfully submit that this amendment deserves support. We are not cutting off the use of any equipment that is already in the field. On the contrary, that is gone. That is out the door. Bear in mind that, under the current program, these weapons are given without any strings attached. These are weapons of mass destruction, and they are deployed within our borders by our military to our law enforcement. That is not something I can abide. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. I think my colleagues must be attacking some other amendment, not this amendment. This is not an amendment that restricts the distribution of guns or ammunition; rather, this is an amendment that restricts the distribution of armored vehicles, grenade launchers, silencers, toxicological agents, chemical agents, biological agents, launch vehicles, guided missiles, ballistic missiles, rockets, torpedoes, bombs, mines, and nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, Madam Chair, those are all legally permitted to be distributed to our local law enforcement under current law. That is what I am trying to prevent here. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, this is an amendment that is substantially similar to an amendment that passed by unanimous voice vote among Democrats and Republicans on the House Science and Technology Committee a couple of weeks ago. My amendment, the Grayson-Holt-Lofgren amendment, seeks to address a serious problem. Recently, it was revealed that the National Security Agency has been recklessly subverting American cryptographic standards--and deliberately so. Cryptographic standards for the national security community and the commercial software industry are developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. That is an agency within the House Science and Technology jurisdiction. These standards are intended to protect Americans from foreign intelligence agencies, from cyber criminals, from industrial espionage, and from privacy violations by those who wish us harm. They are embedded in software products which are used and sold widely--in fact, almost universally in this country and elsewhere. Unfortunately, recent media reports indicate that the National Security Agency successfully and deliberately weakened encryption standards promulgated by NIST to further NSA surveillance goals at the cost of the privacy of ordinary U.S. citizens--in fact, universally throughout the United States. This is extremely dangerous. It leaves users of these standards vulnerable to anybody who is familiar with these weaknesses. We can recall that, just a few weeks ago, millions of Americans were told that they had to change their user IDs and their passwords. That, Mr. Chairman, was because of this. The NSA apparently is doing this as part of its domestic spying program, but as World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee put it: It's naive to imagine that, if you deliberately introduce into a system a weakness, you will be the only one to use it. My amendment would seek to address this issue by prohibiting the intelligence community from subverting or interfering with the integrity of any cryptographic standard that is proposed, developed, or adopted by NIST. It is only common sense that we should not want taxpayers' dollars that are appropriated to one agency being used to deliberately and actively subvert the work of another agency and, at the same time, destroy the privacy and the liberty and the personal property of our own citizens. I urge support for this amendment on both sides of the aisle, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, I want to, in some respects, associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from New Jersey. Obviously, we have a difference of agreement about the facts, but I think we agree that the NSA should actually be helping to establish the best possible standards for privacy in this country, regardless of whether the published reports that have been widely reported in the media are true or not. I appreciate the gentleman's allegiance to the underlying principle that Americans deserve privacy. How much time do I have remaining, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, I join in the gentleman's desire to move on, and I appreciate the gentleman's fair consideration of this amendment on the merits. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, Grayson Amendment 5.

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, the amendment at the desk is simple. It reads as you just read it. As you know, Guantanamo was opened for business, so to speak, in January of 2002. It is now June of 2014. My amendment seems to give some kind of clue as to how long we, a free people who respect freedom, are willing to incarcerate and imprison people who have been accused of no crime, have faced no judge, no jury, and have never been subject to the American system of justice. My amendment has no immediate effect during this fiscal year. As it says, it is limited to persons who have served for 15 years or more at Guantanamo Bay. The facility itself is only 12 years old. What this amendment does do is ensure that no funds will be made available by this bill that are carried over to future fiscal years and are then used to imprison anyone for 15 years or longer if they haven't been accused, much less convicted of any crime. I would hope that we, as a free people, would understand that principle and agree that this is reasonable. Nobody, nobody, foreign or American, should be subject to imprisonment for more than 15 years without ever even facing his accusers, much less being convicted of a crime. That is particularly true under the auspices of the U.S. Government because we are a people of laws, not a people of people. This amendment is silent as to whether detainees could be convicted under an article III court, a military tribunal, a commission, or some other form of court with the authority to render any judgment. It simply says that a person must be convicted of a crime or must be released from Guantanamo if they have served 15 years, 15 years, Mr. Chairman, of detention. We have speedy trial rules in this country that guarantee the right to face your accusers within 6 months. These prisoners, both the innocent ones and the guilty ones, have been incarcerated without hearing any charges against them now for more than a decade. I would urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment and recognize the dignity of all human beings, whether or not they have the privilege to be American citizens. In the year 1209, in a French city called Beziers, a monk oversaw the Albigensian crusade. The crusaders were brought into that city to deal with the heretics, the Albigensians, who lived in that French town. Arnaud Amelric, a monk, was asked: What should we do with these people, these Christians who are like us who don't believe exactly what we believe? He said: Kill them all and let God sort it out. That has stood for many years as a signal that we must expect more from civilized people than that. We are holding these people in that prison, all of them, the innocent and the guilty apparently, under current rules, forever and ever and ever. What is worse, killing them all and letting God sort it out, or holding them forever and not letting them ever meet their God but remain in prison for their entire lives? I submit to you that we Americans are better than this. There has to be some kind of limitation. This amendment will not force the release of anyone imminently, but will be a signal to all mankind that we, the American people, we retain our dignity and our humanity. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. I would respectfully submit that, on the gentleman's logic, there is no longer any distinction between the innocent and the guilty. Those who are at Guantanamo Bay undoubtedly contain both innocent and guilty, but those categories, under the gentleman's logic, do not even apply to them any longer. They are simply captives forever and ever, going untried until they themselves decide to end their life, and we permit it. That is a fundamentally undignified view of the human conditions. Whatever these people may be, American or not American, they are not just innocent until proven guilty, but on the gentleman's logic, they are not just guilty until proven innocent. They are guilty, guilty, guilty--no matter what. That is something that is fundamentally unfair to them and to us and has cast an aspersion and a blotch on the American reputation throughout the world. That is why I call on this to end. I am not saying that these people need to be released. I am saying that they need to be tried. Let's get to the bottom of it and determine if they are guilty or innocent. For God's sake, let's stop punishing the innocent. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON. Well, of course, nothing that we do here today is likely to bring any of those victims back; but as President Lincoln once said, It is for we, the living--we, the living, that carry forth the principles of justice. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Billy Manes. Billy Manes is senior staff writer for Orlando Weekly, an alternative newsweekly dedicated to giving the deserved breadth, character and feeling to stories that are often overlooked. Immediately after graduating from the Florida State University, Manes began a career in journalism, helping to launch an alternative weekly out of the Tallahassee Democrat offices in 1995. In 1997, Manes moved to Orlando and began freelancing for Orlando Weekly, soon developing a following as a pop-cultural raconteur and nightlife columnist. In 2005, he ran for Mayor of Orlando in a special election which was later cancelled. Nonetheless, Manes caught the political bug, and soon became a full-time news reporter for Orlando Weekly. In 2007, Manes detailed the difficulties facing gay couples who were seeking legal validation for their relationships in the face of an imminent marriage ban in Florida. Controversy arose when a photo of Manes and his longtime partner kissing was used as the cover photo of Orlando Weekly for the article. In 2012, that story would prove all too prescient, when Manes' partner of 11 years, Alan Ray Jordan, passed away, setting off a string of horrible events pitting Manes against both his partner's family and the laws of the State of Florida. Manes went on to document that fight in what would become a globally circulated story and later, a documentary. He traveled to Tallahassee two years in a row to fight for a statewide domestic partnership registry so that others might not have to experience the pain that he had. In addition to numerous awards over the years from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the Sunshine State Awards, and the Florida Press Club, Manes was named a 2013 Voice of Equality by Equality Florida. He would like to dedicate this honor to his family and, most especially, to the man who taught him the most, Alan Ray Jordan. I am happy to honor Billy Manes, during LGBT Pride Month, for his contributions to the LGBT community and the State of Florida.

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, to recognize Boyd Lindsley. Lindsley openly identified as a gay cisgender male as a teenager. By allowing himself to be authentic, he was able to find his voice for activism. Since identifying, he has been a stalwart advocate for the LGBT community and women's reproductive rights. Lindsley serves on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando. He is also the founding President of the Pride Faculty and Staff Association (PFSA) at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he is a faculty member and the assistant director of the Nicholson School of Communication. As president of PFSA he oversaw the official incorporation of the organization, the creation of bylaws for the organization, the recruitment of a significant membership, the execution of events, and initial fundraising for PFSA's operational costs and student scholarships. In this role, Lindsley advocated for domestic partner benefits for UCF employees, met with the UCF police department to address safety concerns for UCF's LGBT community, and petitioned the Orange County Mayor and Orange County Commissioners to support a Domestic Partner Registry for all Orange County residents. Lindsley is also an active member of Equality Florida (EQFL), the state of Florida's largest LGBT civil rights advocacy organization. He attends events throughout the state of Florida supporting EQFL and serves on the host committee for the Greater Orlando Equality Florida Gala (the annual fundraiser for the organization). Additionally, he volunteers on campaigns for pro-LGBT leaders on the local, state and national stage. He holds a bachelor's degree in Advertising-Public Relations with a minor in Psychology, and a master's degree in Communication with a concentration in Interpersonal Communication from UCF. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Executive Leadership. I am happy to honor Boyd Lindsley, during LGBT Pride Month, for his activism on behalf of women's reproductive rights, and his contributions to the LGBT and Central Florida communities.

Mr. GRAYSON

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, Grayson Number 8.

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, this amendment increases the Defense Health Program account by $10 million in order to help find a cure for Gulf War illness. Currently, there is no cure for Gulf War illness, and it affects over a third of the veterans who served in the first Gulf War. This amendment is identical to an amendment offered last year that passed this body by a voice vote. I respectfully urge the same today. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase funding for prostate cancer research under the Defense Health Program by $10 million. This increase would result in a total funding level of $90 million, which is still $10 million below what this account was funded at in 2001, more than a decade ago. This amendment passed the House as part of an en bloc amendment last year. I hope we will all agree on its passage again this year.

Mr. GRAYSON. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.