Matt Gaetz

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Andrea Brown as the 2016-2017 Okaloosa County Teacher of the Year. For 18 years, Ms. Brown has served the Okaloosa County School District with exceptional passion and an unwavering commitment to serving others. In Northwest Florida, we are fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the Nation. It is recognized that the teaching profession is one of the most difficult yet rewarding professions in existence. Ms. Brown has exceptionally performed her teaching duties, while also striving to be an active and supportive member of her team at Baker School. Most recently, Ms. Brown has served as a Title One Remediation Teacher for both math and reading. Through her work, she has helped countless students improve their reading and writing skills. The effects of her guidance and instruction will continue to have a profoundly positive impact on her students for many years. Her support and outreach extends beyond the classroom as well, through her service on the Homecoming Committee, involvement with the Aspire after school program, and with Okaloosa Online. Ms. Brown has displayed remarkable compassion and devotion by spending time outside the classroom helping others. I commend her for her steadfast willingness to serve those that matter most, the students and youth of our Nation. For all of her admirable contributions, I am truly proud to have Ms. Brown as a constituent in Florida's First Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Ms. Andrea Brown for her accomplishments and her commitment to excellence in the Okaloosa County School District. I thank her for her service and wish her all the best for continued success.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Will the gentleman yield for a question?

Mr. GAETZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The gentleman is from Texas. I am from Florida. Both of our States have seen many of the negative economic consequences of illegal immigration, but my question relates to the negative national security consequences that result from illegal immigration. We are receiving more reports that ISIS, Daesh, other Islamic fundamentalists are exploiting America's weakness on our southern border with Mexico for their own economic gain, as well as to smuggle people into the United States who may function as lone wolves or even as a part of a coordinated terrorist attack against Americans. So I would hope that the gentleman would speak to the interconnectivity between the need for strong border security and a wall on our southern border with Mexico and the risks posed by Islamic fundamentalism.

Mr. GAETZ. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Isn't it refreshing to have a President of the United States who is willing to do, in office, precisely the things he said he would do on the campaign trail, notably, putting the interests of Americans and the security of Americans first in a world that even former Secretary of State George Shultz said is more dangerous and perilous today than the highest tensions of the Cold War? So to specifically answer the gentleman's question, I am grateful that President Trump is prioritizing the security of Americans. My hope is that in the 115th Congress, we will work with the President, with his administration to ensure that, as we continue to mature these policies and advance them, we do them in a way that is easily understandable for those enforcing them and for the American people, and that it sends a message to the world that America continues to be the most generous country on the planet when it comes to welcoming individuals who share our values and who aspire to be productive and prosperous and inclusive. What we have no tolerance for are those who would want to come to the United States of America not to be part of the American experience, but to destroy it. Too often that has not just been the fear that we have felt from some who have been embedded by Daesh within refugees, but it is exactly what is preached by the Government of Iran. How silly of the United States to think that we would give hundreds of billions of dollars to a nation that calls America the Great Satan, that seeks to wipe Israel off of planet Earth, and believe that that money will be used for peaceful purposes. It won't. Iran's desires for expanded hegemony are not to stabilize the Middle East, they are expressly to destabilize the Middle East. This regime in Iran will never share America's values, so America should not be funding the very destructive behavior that has done so much to harm the lives of so many people. The gentleman from Texas brings up a great point. If we hadn't endured the policies of appeasement for the last 8 years, if America hadn't withdrawn from the world stage so suddenly, then perhaps we would not have the conditions in the Middle East that have made life so difficult for people that they have wanted so badly to be refugees to Europe and to the United States. We should want countries to succeed that are willing to be stable and inclusive, but those who are our sworn enemies, those who do not share our values should receive no quarter from the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I have the great honor to serve on the House Committee on Armed Services. We received briefings this week, thanks to Chairman Thornberry, from General Petraeus and other national security experts. They reinforced the fact that the world is dangerous as a consequence of American withdrawal. I am grateful that the 115th Congress will stand with President Trump in his agenda to rebuild our military, to rebuild our standing, and to make very clear to the world that we will be with you if you want peace. But if you aspire to spread terror, there is no role for you on the global stage, and we will not do the things to elevate those terrible regimes to any place of prominence. This is a great time for revival and renewal in this country, and as Americans do more to rebuild the country internally and grow our economy and achieve more prosperity with lower and fairer taxes, with a regulatory climate that is more acceptable for a prosperous country, we also have to keep an eye on the world and our position on the global stage. I think that it is refreshing that that is a time of revival and restoration of American prominence, because the world is a safer place when America is the strongest country in the world. President Trump's actions today to create sanctions against those who have been directly involved in ballistic missile tests send a clear message: We will stand with our allies, and we will stand against the enemies of peace.

Mr. GAETZ. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the danger that is currently posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran and its fundamentalist government pose the gravest threat to global peace, stability in the Middle East, and Israel's existence. Iran continues to extend its dangerous hegemony through the region in places such as Lebanon, by arming and training Hezbollah; in Gaza, by arming Hamas; in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Iran's taking hostage of U.S. sailors and its continued ballistic missile tests and death threats to Israel highlights Iran's evil intentions and the need for the United States to play a leading role in rolling back Iran's growing influence and its push to destabilize the Middle East and the world. These issues have been exacerbated by the irresponsible and catastrophic nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1. It is obvious to anyone that the $150 billion given to Iran will be used to fund more terror and further Iran's destructive ambitions. In addition, the nuclear deal legitimizes Iran's ability to enrich uranium and functionally ensures Iran's path to a nuclear weapon within 10 years. The deal is structured to mask Iran's inevitable noncompliance. As a member of the Florida Legislature, I had supported Florida's Iran divestment. As a Member of Congress, I very much look forward to reauthorizing the Iran Sanctions Act. I am extremely proud of President Trump and his administration for enacting appropriate sanctions against Iranian officials who have been engaged in the most recent destructive and destabilizing nuclear tests. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Americans, Israelis, and all citizens of the world who aspire to peace continue to be harmed by the reckless and irresponsible foreign policy of the past President's administration. Former President Obama believed in a policy of appeasement toward Iran. This is not dissimilar to the policies of appeasement that Neville Chamberlain used when confronting the threats of Nazi Germany. But if President Obama was America's Neville Chamberlain, perhaps his time has given rise to Donald Trump and the opportunity to be America's Winston Churchill. I support President Trump's efforts to send a message to Iran that ballistic missile testing will not be tolerated. Iran only understands strength. For the last 8 years, they have seen from this country far too much weakness and far too much willingness to accept their destructive role in the world. Mr. Speaker, the way Iran operates is through a series of franchises for terror. Whether that is Hamas or Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, we see time and time again Iran acting as a neo-Persian, neo-Ottoman Empire. That cannot be tolerated in a peaceful world. It cannot be tolerated in the most dangerous neighborhood on Earth. It underscores the purpose of Americans speaking with resolve and with strength in condemning the most recent ballistic missile tests and in standing with our greatest ally, Israel. It was shameful that, in the waning hours of the Obama administration, President Obama was willing to allow the United Nations to take action against Israel while continuing its furtherance of appeasement toward some of the most dangerous countries on the planet Earth who do not share our values or our interests. So I am glad to see an American reset, a resurgent America again speaking to the great values that have functioned as a beacon of hope for the world for generations. That is what we must return to, and that is what President Trump is doing today. I applaud his administration. I applaud his Secretary of the Treasury for stepping forward and advancing these needed sanctions. I am hopeful that this Congress will continue to take action to show support for President Trump in this endeavor, but we must also recognize that this is but a first step. So much damage has been done to the cause of peace for the last 8 years under President Obama, and we have much work to do in this Congress, whether it is rebuilding and restoring our military so that we can be a force for peace, whether it is making sure that our allies know that we will stand with them, or whether it is making sure that our adversaries know that we are very serious and there will be serious consequences for their bad behavior. I am proud of this America that we are working toward together. I am proud of these policies. The gentleman from Texas may now wish to speak to the importance of Americans speaking with a voice of clarity for peace, prosperity, and strength throughout the Middle East and the world.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Texas yielding for a question. Not long ago, we heard members of the Congressional Black Caucus take to this floor and make the argument that it was hypocritical and improper that in President Trump's order and in the follow-on execution of that order by the Department of Homeland Security that there would be some preference given to religious minorities in these predominantly Muslim countries, particularly Christians, who are often persecuted, harmed, or killed. In many circumstances in which the President has allowed for through exceptions to his order, there will be people from these seven countries allowed into the United States as a consequence of the persecution that they feel and that they endure as a consequence of their Christian faith. And so my question to the gentleman from Texas is whether or not he shares the Congressional Black Caucus' view that it is improper to treat Christians who are being discriminated against in these predominantly Muslim countries differently and to give them the opportunity to immigrate to the United States of America and realize freedom in the absence of this terrible persecution that they feel?

Mr. GAETZ. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GAETZ. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. I believe his question highlights an increasing problem that we have had for the last 8 years that I hope we will cure, and that is the politicization of the important work that the executive branch ought to be doing on behalf of the American people. The Justice Department should not be Republican or Democrat. It should stand up for the rights of all Americans, the laws that are enacted by this Congress, and the orders that are issued by the President. We shouldn't have circumstances where we have to wonder whether or not the people who are tasked to uphold the law, as the gentleman from Texas did as a jurist and did in a very colored legal career--we shouldn't have to worry about that. But, in fact, for the last 8 years, that has been the problem. That is perhaps one of the reasons why the Senate should act with due haste in confirming Jeff Sessions as the Attorney General, so we go back to a system that is governed by the rule of law, not the rule of popular opinion or politics or one particular ideology. More specifically to the gentleman from Texas' question, I believe that what undermines the Justice Department is this partisan tilt, are these lenses through which many of President Obama's appointees evaluate the great questions that impact the security of Americans. The gentleman from Texas correctly points out that what President Trump has done is hardly unprecedented. In 1979, President Carter, hardly one that is held out among conservatives as a great standard- bearer on foreign affairs and a strong America, was one who recognized that there were unique challenges in a unique period of time from those who may be coming to the United States from Iran, and he took action. Similarly, in 2011, President Obama was concerned that, during an act of conflict with Iraq, there may be circumstances where people would come from Iraq to do harm to Americans on American soil, and so he took action. I guess the difference with President Trump is that he is willing to take action immediately, and that we are not going to have a Presidency with a bunch of handwringing and bedwetting over the questions that impact the safety of Americans and the dignity of this country and its borders. President Obama was unwilling to heed the counsel of those in his own administration who indicated that there were insufficient vetting procedures in place previously. And so it strikes me as only reasonable, Mr. Speaker, that a new President coming in, having heard that there were inadequate screening procedures, not from a Trump appointee but from an appointee of President Obama, that we would take a finite period of time, 90 days, and we would analyze what would be the appropriate protocols, screening procedures, and vetting algorithms that we would use to ensure that America's interests were placed first. I am glad we have a President who puts this country first; I am glad we have a President who does not view himself as a citizen of the world more than he views himself as a citizen of this country; and I am glad that he takes that responsibility seriously. And to answer the gentleman's question, I would say that we ought to have a Justice Department that is led by those who will follow the rule of law, who will defend the rights of Americans, and who will stand up for the security of this country.

Mr. GAETZ. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. I similarly thank him for many nights coming to this floor and defending values that are not only uniquely American, but which are unmistakably conservative. I appreciate him for being the fire keeper on this floor for those values and those principles for constituents in his district and in mine and all throughout this great country. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my fellow northwest Floridians, brave airmen who serve at Eglin Air Force Base and Duke Field and skilled aviators who train out at NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field and some of the planet Earth's most hardened and successful warriors in the 7th Special Forces Group and those who also deploy out of Hurlburt Field in northwest Florida. They are the best among us and they often inspire the best within us as a consequence of their patriotic service. So when I encounter them at townhall meetings or in church or at grocery stores, I often ask: How do you do it? How do you leave your family, your home, your community, risk your life, your health to go to places that many Americans couldn't point to on a map and to fight against an enemy who is evil and vicious and determined and increasingly equipped? And almost to a man and woman, they tell me: We fight them over there so that we don't have to feel the consequences over here in America. It is that spirit that I join in supporting and honoring in my full- throated and unequivocal support of President Trump's most recent executive order so that we are not devaluing the service of my constituents by risking the lives and the health and security of Americans here in this great country. Mr. Speaker, I wish so much that President Trump's executive order were unnecessary. I wish that we lived in a world that was more stable and secure, where America could welcome with open arms anyone from anywhere for whatever reason at whatever cost. But the reality is that American taxpayers can't pay for everything, and American families cannot shoulder the risks of insecurity for the consequences of terrible foreign policy decisions that have been made over the last 8 years. Maybe if the former President hadn't withdrawn from the Middle East, these regions would be more secure. Maybe if our policies hadn't so destabilized north Africa that we had failed state after failed state functioning as a caldron of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, this order would not have been necessary. But, alas, it is necessary. I think it is important to distinguish between the realities of this executive order and the hysteria that has been created by the media. Some would believe, if they were to look only at media reports, that this was a ban on all Muslims who would seek to come to this country. Let me affirm: our war, our conflict is not with the Muslim faith. As a matter of fact, this consequence, this conflict we are engaged in is all about the future of that faith and religion, and I am hopeful as a Christian that we are able to forge a lasting peace among all people on Earth. The reality is that there are more than 50 countries that are majority Muslim, and most of those countries will see no impact as a consequence of this most recent executive order. But there are seven countries--I guess it is perhaps a bit generous to call them countries, Mr. Speaker, because they are failed states that function to do very little other than to breed more terror and discontent and anti- Americanism. But from those seven countries, the President has taken the position that we ought to take a closer look, we ought to have a belt-and-suspenders approach to the security of American families. Of the more than 325,000 people who have recently come to the United States from foreign countries since the President's most recent executive order, about 100 have been kept for additional screening, more thorough review, and a more thoughtful approach. So as I stand here with the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Speaker, know that I am in full support of President Trump's most recent order. When I go back to northwest Florida and I look into the eyes of the warfighters, the airmen, the sailors, and the patriots, I will know that in this House there were those who were willing to stand with them, honor their service and sacrifice, and do everything possible to put America first and to keep Americans safe.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Lacey Brown as the 2016-2017 Escambia County Teacher of the Year. For four years, Ms. Brown has served the Escambia County School District with exceptional passion and an unwavering commitment to serving others. In Northwest Florida, we are fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the Nation. It is recognized that the teaching profession is one of the most difficult yet rewarding professions in existence. Ms. Brown has exceptionally performed her teaching duties, while also striving to be an active and supportive member of her community. Ms. Brown is revered by her principal and colleagues at Jim Allen Elementary in Cantonment, Florida. She was chosen to receive this honor because of her exemplary classroom management, thoughtful employment of unique teaching techniques, and her effective engagement of students through the use of technology in the classroom. Her support and outreach extends far beyond the walls of her third grade classroom through her willingness to serve as a supervising teacher to University of West Florida Student Teachers. Through her position as grade level chair, Ms. Brown has also displayed remarkable leadership and dedicated teamwork. I commend her for her steadfast willingness to serve those that matter most, the students and youth of our Nation. For all of her admirable contributions, I am truly proud to have Ms. Brown as a constituent in Florida's First Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Ms. Lacey Brown for her accomplishments and her commitment to excellence in the Escambia County School District. I thank her for her service and wish her all the best for continued success.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Kathleen Redfern as the 2016-2017 Walton County Teacher of the Year. For several years, Ms. Redfern has served the Walton County School District with exceptional passion and an unwavering commitment to serving others. In Northwest Florida, we are fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the Nation. It is recognized that the teaching profession is one of the most difficult yet rewarding professions in existence. Ms. Redfern has exceptionally performed her teaching duties, while also striving to be an active and supportive member of her community. Ms. Redfern is revered by her Principal and colleagues for her incredible kindness and positive attitude. She thoughtfully engages her students by employing interesting and exciting methods of focusing on their interests. Her support and outreach extends far beyond the walls of her Kindergarten class through her sponsorship and involvement with the K- Kids Club, a Kiwanis Club program. Ms. Redfern has displayed remarkable leadership and dedicated teamwork through her outreach projects in her community. I commend her for her steadfast willingness to serve those that matter most, the students and youth of our Nation. For all of her admirable contributions, I am truly proud to have Ms. Redfern as a constituent in Florida's First Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Ms. Kathleen Redfern for her accomplishments and her commitment to excellence in the Walton County School District. I thank her for her service and wish her all the best for continued success.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Sue Brack as the 2016-2017 Walton County Educational Support Professional of the Year. For almost three decades, Ms. Brack has served the Walton County School District with exceptional enthusiasm and an unwavering commitment to excellence. In Northwest Florida, we are blessed with exceptional educational professionals and schools, as evidenced by the fact that Walton County School District is among the top performing school districts in the state. Ms. Brack's contribution has been integral to the success of this district, working diligently to meet the requirement of high expectations, paramount to the mission of the District. As an incredibly knowledgeable Bookkeeper, Ms. Brack has admirably managed a multitude of budgets and projects for the District. Her colleagues have expressed their extreme gratitude for her many years of service. Ms. Brack's innumerable skills and historical knowledge make her an invaluable and greatly appreciated resource. Ms. Brack has also generously shared her expertise by serving as a mentor to new school bookkeepers. The guidance that she has provided throughout so many schools has been a significant contribution to the success of countless staff members and students. For all of these reasons and more, I am truly proud to have Ms. Brack as a constituent in Florida's First Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Ms. Sue Brack for her accomplishments and her continued commitment to excellence at the Walton County School District. I thank her for her service and wish her all the best for continued success.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Milton VFW Post 4833, John O. Connor Post, in Northwest Florida. This month the Post will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary. For five decades, this Post has been committed to serving our Nation's veterans. In the past year alone, they have made seventeen visits to area hospitals in support of ill or injured veterans, conducted funeral services for two combat veterans, and sponsored two handicap ramps for veterans. The Post's commendable care for their community is exemplified by some of their service acts including conducting a cleanup and beautification of Strickland Cemetery, prompting other local organizations to follow suit, and placing more than three hundred flags and wreaths on gravesites of local veterans. The members of Post 4833 have proven their enthusiasm for engaging the youth in our communities by participating in and funding a local Eagle Scout project, overseeing local submissions to the VFW's Voice of Democracy scholarship program, and by briefing the local Boy Scout pack on proper handling of the American flag. Additionally, Post 4833 has demonstrated impeccable generosity by organizing three major fundraisers in support of veterans in need, sponsored facilities that house the offices for Disabled American Veterans serving in the Pace and Milton area, provided funding to the Veteran's Dive Locker program, assisted two families by providing grant money for temporary lodging, and donated one thousand two hundred dollars for transportation services of disabled veterans. This year the Post has provided an impressive amount of donations, grants, and assistance; including over eight thousand dollars to Veterans' Programs, three thousand dollars to college grant foundations, and one thousand dollars to summer student leadership courses. I would like to personally thank all of the members of Milton Post 4833 and specifically recognize the Post's Officers: Post Commander Mike Messer, Senior Vice Commander Bill Ross, Treasurer Chris Williams, and Chaplain Florencio ``Cho'' Ramirez. Under the officers' leadership, the Post has accomplished increased involvement with community programs and has demonstrated a laudable degree of service for veterans. On behalf of the United States Congress, I am honored to recognize VFW Post 4833 for their long history of unwavering service to veterans and their community, and sincerely congratulate them on celebrating their 50th Anniversary.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Chairman, lend me your ears. I come to bury ObamaCare, not to praise it. The evil that men do lives after them. This is the true legacy of the last 8 years: a doubling of the national debt and $4 trillion in additional spending projected through ObamaCare. What have my constituents gotten from ObamaCare? Higher taxes, higher premiums, unaffordable deductibles, crippling drug costs, fewer choices, and more mandates. This resolution shows what will happen if we do nothing. Inaction will lead to $30 trillion in debt, the greatest generational theft the world has ever known. So it is past time to get the Federal Government out of the healthcare mandate business. Let people buy insurance across State lines; allow people to own their own healthcare decisions through health savings accounts; block-grant Medicaid to our States, our laboratories of democracy; and let's reinvigorate a Federal system that is promised by our Founders. The jobs data cited by the Democrats doesn't assume the positive economic benefits that come from ObamaCare repeal, including, according to the Congressional Budget Office, $200 billion in additional economic activity, more jobs, more opportunity, and more freedom. This is a flawed study that my friends across the aisle cite, and it is the Republican resolution before this body that offers a better way.

Mr. GAETZ

Mr. GAETZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I support this rule and the underlying legislation. Today the Federal Government's rules exceed 97,000 pages--the most in American history. So we ask ourselves: Do we really need 20 pages of rules governing vending machines? Could we cover fuel standards in less than 578 pages? Would the Union crumble if we didn't have 61 pages of regulations on residential dehumidifiers? Each of these rules has compliance costs that exceed $100 million. In my home State of Florida, we passed a version of the REINS Act. The result has been repeal or replacement of over 4,000 job-killing regulations. We can only make America great again if we make Americans free again--free from the tyranny of unelected Washington bureaucrats huddled in windowless cubicles dictating to Americans how they should live their lives, build their businesses, and protect their own property. Voters sent us here to drain the swamp, but with so many regulations, we would be lucky to get permission to mop up a puddle.