Mike Haridopolos

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate another historic achievement for America's space program and Florida's Space Coast. On August 30, I had the honor to watch firsthand the launching of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Kennedy Space Center. Named in honor of NASA's first chief astronomer, Roman will travel nearly 1 million miles from Earth and give scientists an unprecedented view of our universe. The telescope will help us better understand how the universe has evolved, study distant galaxies and black holes, and search for planets in our solar system. As chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, I am proud to represent the men and women of our Space Coast who make missions like this possible and ensure America continues to lead in space exploration because, after all, you can't be number one on Earth if you are number two in space.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Joseph Matthews, a distinguished Army veteran from Florida's Eighth Congressional District. Colonel Matthews dedicated 27 years of his life to serving our Nation in the United States Army, specializing in military intelligence. His remarkable career took him to places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Germany, and Saudi Arabia. His service also reflects a deep appreciation for the freedoms he spent his career defending with pride. It is my honor to recognize Colonel Joseph Matthews as Veteran of the Month and thank him for his extraordinary service, sacrifice, and commitment to the United States of America. Celebrating Launching of Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eugene Vogt, a distinguished veteran from Florida's Eighth Congressional District. Mr. Vogt served our Nation in both the United States Air Force and United States Coast Guard for more than two decades. Throughout his career, he served with the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron aboard the Coast Guard cutters Point Swift and Gallatin conducting patrols between Venezuela and Canada. Mr. Vogt has said that his experiences around the world taught him that our freedoms are only guaranteed when future generations are willing to participate in and protect them. It is my honor to recognize Eugene Vogt as Veteran of the Month and thank him for his decades of service to our country. Recognizing Colonel Joseph Matthews

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a major step forward in transportation and economic opportunity on Florida's Space Coast. Last month, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded more than $57 million to help build the new Brightline station in Cocoa. For years, residents of Brevard County watched Brightline trains travel through the community without having a station of their own. The new station will now connect the Space Coast to the rest of Florida, providing new opportunities for tourism, business, and continued economic growth. I was proud to work alongside local and State leaders to provide the necessary funds to make the Brightline a reality, and I look forward to the day that Brightline welcomes its first passenger aboard in Cocoa. Recognizing Eugene Vogt

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Titusville Police Officer Jason Van Zile for an extraordinary act of courage and selfless service. During a sudden and dangerous storm on the Indian River Lagoon, a family paddleboarding near Parrish Park was thrown into the water after a violent storm. Officer Van Zile was the first officer to arrive. Seeing that there was no time to wait, he removed his gear and entered the water. Despite dangerous conditions and a safety rope that became caught in submerged rocks, the officer continued to rescue all three members of the family, including two children. He is a former lifeguard, a United States Marines veteran, and his courage that day reflects a lifetime of service to others. I congratulate Officer Van Zile on being named the city of Titusville's Employee of the Month and thank him for his incredible service. Celebrating Brightline's Cocoa Station

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for yielding, and I am proud to stand beside her today in support of this good rule and talk about the future of America. I first have to say this: One of the things that makes America great is that anything is possible, and I am very optimistic that we will be able to pass legislation to make us all proud. Just last week, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of America and the idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In my mind, when you talk about the pursuit of happiness, it means improved by care. That is exactly what we are looking to do when we change for the better our VA system. As the son of a veteran and a father of a person now in the military, we make very simple pledges: that if you choose to serve your country, we will provide for you after your service. This bill will make sure that surely not only will you get the pension you deserve, but also benefits if injured in service. It is common sense, and it has, unfortunately, taken this long to get it all together. The good news is that help is on the way. We respect those who serve, those soldiers who put their lives on the line every single day for us and allowed us to live in freedom for over 250 years. For too many veterans, getting healthcare benefits means dealing with long lines, confusing paperwork, or unnecessary government red tape. This bill will fix that. It makes it easier for veterans to see a doctor when they need one, whether it is at a VA hospital or a trusted provider back at home. It speeds up disability payments, expands access to mental health care, and also improves care for veterans with serious injuries. It also helps families who have sacrificed alongside them. It provides more support for caregivers, protects benefits for surviving spouses, and gives servicemembers better tools to transition from military life to civilian careers. Just last week, I met with so many veterans back in my district, and they know that there are some things that maybe we can improve, as always. What I think politics is is the art of the possible, and without a doubt, this bill will move forward, keeping the promise that you will get not just your pension but your benefits that you have earned should you be injured in service. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair for putting this forward. It is so important that we move this type of bill forward because we are celebrating the 250th anniversary and the pursuit of happiness because of the sacrifice our veterans have made.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about something that maybe isn't the most exciting subject, but it is something I used to teach in the classroom. It is called federalism. The map to my left here shows exactly what is happening in America today, and it is a great thing. People have the power to vote with their feet and leave failed States. There is a reason States like Texas and Florida are attracting more and more people. It is because the system works. People are recognizing that when we have high taxes and high crime, it is time to leave that State. That is what is happening today: the idea where people are voting with their feet. Federalism is that opportunity, and it is the reason why I want to talk about what has happened in the last few years. One of the issues I want to talk about is what I would call amnesia or maybe memory loss. During the Biden years, food prices went up dramatically. You will see that what you used to spend $200 for at the grocery store, you now spend $250. If you spend $1,000 a month at the grocery store, you are now spending over $1,200, almost $1,300. That is a significant amount of money. It is fundamental. Especially as we move toward the MAHA movement, people are making better choices but with great challenges. With the idea of amnesia, what is the Democratic plan? Their plan has been: Let's go back to those failed policies. It wasn't just on groceries. In early 2021, the monthly rent was between $1,550 and $1,600. When we took over in early 2025, it had gotten as high as over $2,000. Again, that is a radical increase. Their plan is to go back to this plan. This is why I want to make sure people recognize where we are. The affordability issue is a challenge, no doubt, but to return to failure is not an option. That is why I am pleased to see that we are moving in a direction that should matter because not only are we reducing some of these costs, but, more importantly, we are putting more money back in people's pockets. The Democrats had the opportunity in 2021 and 2022 to pass all types of things to actually reduce taxes for the working class. They could have cut taxes on Social Security, overtime, and tips, yet they failed to do so. They could have reduced taxes on the middle class, who are so hard hit by the inflationary numbers I just talked about. They did nothing. We gave them a second chance. We said: We are actually going to reduce taxes on overtime, tips, and Social Security. Join us in that effort to help people hard hit by higher food costs and higher rent costs. To a Member, they said no. They wanted to actually let the tax rate regress back to the old Obama rates, which would have been, on average, a 23 percent increase. Is that giving relief to people? Absolutely not. That is why I think, as I have mentioned before in this map, that people have the power to vote with their feet. They know when they go to my home State of Florida that taxes are lower. I will give you one simple example. I am a former New Yorker. Do you know that Florida actually has more people than New York, and yet their State budget is twice as high? That means people are paying twice as much in taxes than you are in Florida. I will ask the other logical question: Would you feel safer today in New York City or in Florida? These are the choices that people get to make in America. It is a great thing. It is the reason why we don't think one size fits all and the reason why we want to allow people to vote with their feet, whether it be on education issues, tax issues, or even public safety. The choices are clear. Stay on the positive path of putting more money in your pocket, giving you the flexibility to lives in States that actually believe in freedom or regress to 4 years of failure. It is not just, again, on money issues, but that issue of crime is so important today in understanding where we want to go. They even want to change the number of people on the Supreme Court, pack the Court in order to get their way in the end. That is not the way to solutions. That is why I think people need to make sure they do not have amnesia moving forward or memory loss. The best way to solve problems is to empower the individual, send less power to Washington and more power back home.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, there is one way to reduce prices: You increase supply. That is exactly what this bill will finally do. The package focuses on the simple idea of building more homes which means lower costs and more expanded opportunities for all Americans. I want to say this: I think it is really nice to see in my first term here people working together. I consider politics the art of the possible, and our chairman has done a remarkable job of bringing everyone together, even the Senate, in order to pass this landmark legislation. I could not be more proud of their effort. I have learned a ton by working under their leadership. We are on the right path to finally reduce costs and empower the public once again and prove that homeownership is, once again, attainable. Supply and demand laws do work, especially when you increase supply.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight an innovative effort on Florida's Space Coast to improve the health of the Indian River Lagoon. The city of Titusville has partnered with local organizations and businesses to pilot a new water treatment technology that uses nanobubbles to improve water quality and also reduce harmful nutrients in our lagoon. The Indian River Lagoon is one of North America's most diverse estuaries. It supports marine wildlife, recreational fishing, tourism, and thousands of local jobs. This project brings together local government, private industry, and community stakeholders to test new solutions that could help restore and preserve this national treasure. From launching astronauts into space to developing new technologies here at home, innovation is part of what we are on the Space Coast.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very important man in our community, Dennis Woytowitz of Cocoa, Florida, who is making a real difference on Florida's Space Coast and the health of the Indian River Lagoon. As the founder of Space Coast Water Sweep, Dennis has dedicated himself to locating and removing derelict crab traps and marine debris that threaten wildlife and the lagoon. Working under a permit authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Dennis and his volunteers help remove these hazards from our waterways. Dennis also created an online tool that allows other citizens to submit photos and solve problems. I thank Dennis and his volunteers of Space Coast Water Sweep for their commitment to preserving the Indian River Lagoon. Highlighting Innovative Solutions for Indian River Lagoon

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding group of young leaders in our Space Coast. Recently, I had the privilege of honoring the 2026 Brevard County Medal of Merit recipients, a tradition established by my predecessor, the late Congressman Bill Posey. Each year, local high schools select one graduating senior who exemplifies academic achievement, character, leadership, and service to others. These students have distinguished themselves not just in the classroom but by setting an example to others in their school. As a former history teacher, I have always believed that education not only opens doors but it is the ultimate civil right and opportunity. These students recognized in this Medal of Merit program represent the best of our public schools, and they are why I am very excited about the future of America. I congratulate this year's recipients and wish them the very best in their future academic endeavors. I know they will serve us well. Recognizing Dennis Woytowitz

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the students, teachers, and the proud parents of Brevard County Public Schools for earning an A grade from the Florida Department of Education. As a former history teacher myself, I know that success is not measured by a single test or a single classroom. It is the result of years of hard work by students and dedicated teachers who value learning. This A rating reflects academic performance, student achievement, graduation rates, and college and career readiness for our future. On Florida's Space Coast, our schools are preparing for the next generation of engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, servicemembers, and community leaders. I commend the school board: Megan Wright, Gene Trent, John Thomas, Katye Campbell, and their chairman, Matt Susin, for their incredible work along with our superintendent, Dr. Mark Rendell. Their leadership and their passion make this A grade possible. Recognizing Brevard County Medal of Merit Recipients

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 215.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, Laken Riley, 22 years old; Jocelyn Nungaray, 12 years old; Rachel Morin, a mom of five--all preventable tragedies. Every person in this room knows the pain when you lose a son or daughter, and that is what we are talking about today. The most fundamental responsibility of a government is to protect life and property. For 4 years, too many bad people were allowed to enter this country illegally. We are having a great struggle today rounding up rapists and murderers who committed crimes against these innocent Americans. That is not to mention human trafficking. That is not the right word. The word is sexual slavery. These are what these animals were doing who are transporting young boys and girls across the border. Since January, when we had a deal, by the way, with the Democrats to fund this, they have played politics with people's lives. The fundamental of every society is trust. Where fraud is permitted to flourish, that foundation will crumble. That is where we are at right now. To put a dollar amount on a person's life, I find it unacceptable. I keep hearing these allusions to how things were better a few years ago. I serve on the Financial Services Committee. I asked the chairman of the Fed Board, who the other side of the aisle champions every day. I asked him a simple question. It is all on the record. Why do we have such inflation, meaning higher gas, rent, and food prices? He said it: The government spent too much money. Now, we have to spend more money because, for 4 years, the other side was derelict in their responsibility to actually defend the border and allow these animals who committed the crimes against the individuals I speak of today to come into this country. When they didn't allow local law enforcement, because 40 percent of the country is surrounded by sanctuary cities, we brought in ICE agents because they wouldn't do their job. Mr. Speaker, I am here to stand up for Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin. I am glad we are finally passing legislation to secure our border.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, as I close, before I yield to our friends on the other side of the aisle: Bill Posey will not be forgotten because he never forgot those folks who gave him the opportunity to be here. I am looking forward to seeing so many friends back home on Saturday as we celebrate his life. I was with him sadly that Thursday before he passed on that Saturday. To see the love that his family expressed in those days as they knew they were going to leave him for a period of time, it just shows the commitment that his family had for him because he loved his family and he loved this country. I will try to leave it on a lighter note. I remember he said to me when I got elected to the legislature: Mike, I remember when I first was elected to the legislature, and I couldn't believe I was in the Florida Legislature. Here was a guy from Rockledge, Florida, who grew up loving cars and space and had a beautiful family and a young wife. Then he said: After about a month or so, I couldn't believe how these other people got here. That was the thing about Bill Posey. He had that wry sense of humor, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz spoke of. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity for us to speak about our good friend Bill Posey. He will be dearly missed. He was a true patriot and friend to our community, and I know I have very big shoes to fill here in the United States Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona.) Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz for her kind words. It is great to see her. I know Bill spoke highly of how you all worked together across party lines. I am really grateful that she is here tonight. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to close tonight by walking through some of the things that Bill did work on, as the Congresswoman just spoke of. Again, it was a passion for him. He saw problems, and he fixed them. That is what, again, I loved about Bill, as I mentioned earlier. He was a person who stayed out of the limelight. He didn't really care about who got the credit, but he wanted to just go out and solve problems. He was, again, a mechanic at heart. One of those issues, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz talked about, was the Indian River Lagoon. This is a lagoon that historically has had challenges, and Bill was passionate about taking this on. One of the issues that he did, again, work across the aisle on was what he created with Members of the other side of the aisle on the Congressional Estuary Caucus. That is where we are focused on solving the problem, where it is not happening just in our home State but around the country, how we can clean up our rivers that eventually work into our oceans. It was mentioned with NASA--again, a champion for NASA, not just because he represented the area, but he literally worked on the Apollo program, and it was something that he knew would bring America together, even in the most partisan of times. Before entering politics, he was a person who, after leaving his work at the Kennedy Space Center, went into the real estate business and found tremendous success. But he was willing to put aside that incredible economic success for his own family because he wanted to serve this country. That is why he entered public life and left a lot of, candidly, resources on the sideline because he chose to serve in public life. He was known as Mr. Fix-It. I will be talking about this at his celebration of life on Saturday in Melbourne. But one of the issues that really separated him, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz talked about on some fronts, was everybody remembers the election of 2000. That was the year where we had the hanging chads and, of course, that incredibly razor-thin election where Florida would decide the election. Candidly, we were embarrassed of what happened in the election of 2000. So when people looked around the room in the Florida House and Florida Senate and when Jeb Bush was Governor, they said: Who are we going to bring in to fix the election laws in the State of Florida? They brought on Bill Posey. If you haven't noticed, guess who is running the best elections right now in the entire country: The State of Florida. I remember when I was elected last November, in 2024, within 7 minutes we knew not only who won the election, but almost all the results were in after the polls closed at 7 p.m. in Florida. That is how remarkable and that is how efficient we want it to be. We were counting those early votes, counting those absentee ballots, and once those ballots were tabulated, within minutes you knew the verdict, which is very different than what we are seeing right now in some States. That is who Bill Posey was. He saw a problem, he wanted to fix it, and he never talked about it again. That was the ironic part about it. Here is a person who should be known around the country for fixing elections in a positive way and getting the tabulations done quickly and correctly. That is what we need more of in America is a problem- solver like him. Also mentioned was Bill being on the Financial Services Committee. When I was thinking about what committees to serve on as I enter Congress, I went to him and said: Where was your passion? He said: Mike, I held out for one job, and that was to be on Financial Services. He really felt like some of the banking laws in our country needed commonsense reforms, and he worked all 16 years on the Financial Services Committee. So many people saw his work with NASA, but as French Hill, our current chairman, talks about, Bill Posey was always diligently there pushing for the idea of transparency. Through the years, we have seen horrible situations, whether it be Enron or the housing market crash. He was making sure that when people put those dollars in banks or in investments, there was more transparency, that the investor actually had the information in front of them. That was the kind of person he was. I am just so grateful that his colleagues who served with him so long showed up tonight because it was that work behind the scenes that really made a difference. What I saw firsthand in our 25-year-plus relationship was that it was always remarkable watching Bill, a tried-and-true fiscal conservative, be willing to listen to whoever came before him. He was a person who said you can disagree without being disagreeable. That is what I loved about him. He could be a little cantankerous at times, but he always took the time to listen. As I mentioned and I will mention again over and over, he never left Brevard County. Whenever he could get out of Washington, he got out of Washington. He and Katie loved to get back home and be around the people they loved most, especially their daughters Pamela and Cathi. After he left Congress in 2024, after those elections, he spent really the last 18 months being involved in those passion projects. One of those is he was actually involved in a car rally across the country as he and Katie went around the country. I am still amazed they actually did it because it was a challenging race, but he had such a passion for cars. I remember he even went to New Smyrna racetrack for the Governor's Cup for many years because he just loved stock car racing. That was his passion and it was in his blood. Most recently, he spent so much time with his grandkids, whether it was out West in California or in Alabama, and spending a ton of time with his daughters, especially those who lived in Brevard County. He was a guy who put family first. It wasn't a cliche. He was a person who, again, was passionate about things when other people took passion in those same ideas. I am just so grateful that I had the opportunity to know him for so long as he served our country so ably, and he gave back so much and took on so many financial challenges because he loved this country so much. General Leave

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman McClain Delaney for her kind words. I know she is dear friends, especially with Katie, and it means a lot to us that she is here tonight. I know there are others who are coming in and out tonight, but I wanted to kind of give those who were listening some background, as some had mentioned, about Bill's storied career in Florida politics. It is a memorable one. I had the opportunity to know Bill for almost 30 years. He was a true mentor of mine as I was elected back to the House of Representatives in 2000 when he had moved over to the State Senate. He always offered a guiding, smart hand to a young member of the legislature. It was that confidence that allowed me to find some success in the legislature because he treated me like a son. It really meant a lot to me that a person who was just such a storied person in our community would take the time for new members to get up to speed on some of the challenges we faced in Tallahassee at that time. One of the people who really made a difference on me, as well, was one of his former staffers, now my staffer, Valentina Valenta. She is a remarkable person and understands the budget inside and out because Bill focused so much on the transparency angle in the budget. That was his passion. As Congressman Biggs talked about earlier, this idea of a 72-hour rule is something we have in the State of Florida. We are the Sunshine State, and he really believed that when you are spending other people's money, you should allow time so that it goes into the sunshine. He would like to say: Good ideas in the sunshine prosper and grow. Bad ideas will wither under that powerful sunshine, as well. That was the vision of what Bill Posey had when he served in not only the United States Congress but before then, the State Senate; before then, the State legislature; and before then, in local government on the city council in Rockledge. Bill was a person who, put simply, when there was a problem, like a good NASCAR or maybe a NASA mechanic, he went out and fixed it. Bill didn't care about the headlines. In fact, whenever I talked to him, he tried to avoid the press. He wanted to do his work behind the scenes, work with people and just go out and solve problems and then get back to his family and friends, who understood his commitment to his home community, known as Brevard County. That is what Bill--we already mentioned this--as I think Congressman Babin and others talked about, his heart was always in Brevard. Though he served here in Washington for 16 years, he was always focused on Brevard County and making sure we did not have some of the challenges we faced after the Apollo program. He did so much to make sure that when the shuttle program was ended in 2011 and 2012, we made a successful transition over to what we now know as the Artemis project that is so successful, which, back in April, found, of course, so much success, going around the Moon for the first time since 1972. It was his work behind the scenes with so many other Members here in Congress. I am proud to say that, with NASA, as my colleague, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is here today, it was a bipartisan project to make sure that Florida stayed the epicenter of space flight in America, and we are seeing that success today. It is, again, that work behind the scenes that no one saw, and no one really thought possible, that we could find the amazing success we are seeing today with new companies along the lines--in fact, one of those being SpaceX, which is being potentially valued at over $1.75 trillion, to show where we are going in space. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my former senate colleague in the legislature and now congressional colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I recognize her and thank her for joining us tonight.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Bilirakis for his comments for our good friend, Congressman Posey. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. McClain Delaney). I thank her for joining us tonight.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Biggs for his personal visit, as well. It means a lot to us. I thank him for being here tonight. Next, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my colleague from Florida. He and I, of course, served together with Congressman Posey in the Florida Legislature in the early 2000s as part of that memorable election of 2000, as well.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind words. I know they were dear friends. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Congressman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs). Actually, the first time I had the pleasure of meeting him is because of Bill Posey. I remember that event we did in Vero Beach and I look forward to serving together in years to come.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the kind words for our good friend. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, with a heavy heart today, we recognize our former colleague of 16 years here in the House of Representatives, Congressman Bill Posey. Sadly, on May 9th he passed away surrounded by his lovely family, led by his fantastic wife, Katie; and their two children, Cathi and Pam. We have many Members here tonight who would like to express their not only condolences to the family but, of course, talk about his success serving our country, State, and community. I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), chairman of the Science Committee.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize the National Kidney Foundation of Florida and the participants of the 15th Annual Footprints in the Sand Kidney Walk, which will be held on May 9, 2026, in Cocoa Beach, Florida. This treasured tradition brings together families, advocates, healthcare professionals, and community members to raise awareness about kidney disease, support those affected by it, and advance lifesaving research and treatment efforts. Across Florida, kidney disease impacts thousands of individuals and families, making the work of the National Kidney Foundation more important than ever. This year's event also honored thirty-two donor families whose generosity and commitment have helped save lives through organ and tissue donation. Their selflessness serves as a powerful reminder of the impression one person can have on the life of another. I would also like to recognize and include in the Record the following honorees and donor families for their contributions and the lasting impact they have made on their communities: Anand Persaud, Anaya Bayona-Davis, Andrew Kyle Dorsey, Aryia Grace Seitz, Blake Eden, Brenton Harrington, Brianna Angelica, Brooke Elizabeth Dawkins, Chadale Jordan Michael Grey, Charles Connelly, Chase Alexander Agudelo, Christopher Scott Bell, Decobe Esters, Deja Thompson, Destiney Menke, Donald Walker, Dylan Rowe, Elienisse Diaz-Rodriguez, Elijael Martinez Reyes, Geoffrey Wasden, Jacob Monroe, Joey Scuderi, Jose Collins, Kory Humphrey, Linda Marie Couch, Maximus Robinson, Melissa Gail Houser, Michael Covello, Patrick Gorman, Seth Anthony Beyrooti, Shawn Carpenter, and Solomon Proftitt. I commend the National Kidney Foundation of Florida for its dedication to improving lives and promoting organ donation awareness throughout our communities. On behalf of Florida's 8th Congressional District, I congratulate everyone involved in the continued success of the Footprints in the Sand Kidney Walk and thank them for their service to others.

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS

Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding veteran, entrepreneur, and leader from Florida's Space Coast, Alec Hall. Alec is the president of Alliance Cyber, a service-disabled, veteran- owned small business based in Cocoa, Florida. Through Alec's leadership, Alliance Cyber provides cybersecurity and IT solutions that protect government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses across our State and beyond. Alec's impact goes far beyond business. Through the Alliance Cyber Gives Foundation, his team supports STEM education, workforce development, and career pathways for transitioning servicemembers, investing directly in the next generations. It is because of these efforts that we recognize Alec Hall and the amazing work at Alliance Cyber.