John Rutherford

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I stand today in celebration of the 100th birthday of Ponte Vedra, Florida's own Pat Jeffery. Pat was born in Miles City, Montana, on August 30, 1926, but spent much of her childhood in Indiana. She attended Indiana University, and after graduating, she moved to New York City to attend the Katharine Gibbs School. Pat soon began working as a publicity writer at NBC Studios. It was in New York City that Pat met her husband, Scott Jeffery. Soon, they were engaged. Scott was promoted and transferred to Colombia by the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Together, they moved to Colombia and married in the Panama Canal Zone on January 25, 1956. Over the next 30 years, they raised four children and built a wonderful life together in Colombia. Pat immersed herself in community service through their Episcopal church, helping to establish the Trinity school, which provided educational opportunities for children without access to schooling. Pat also helped other mothers in the area earn incomes to help support their families by teaching them how to make handbags and macrame. Some of those bags actually were eventually sold at Bloomingdale's and other boutiques throughout the United States. Pat even started her own tennis apparel company called Aire, which her daughter, Barbara, and the family helped grow. However, living in Colombia was becoming increasingly more dangerous for the family. After three decades in Colombia, Pat and Scott made the difficult decision to leave and return home to the United States. In 1986, they retired and moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. There, they embraced their new chapter in life and found a community filled with wonderful friends, endless activities, and a true sense of belonging. From Montana to New York City and Colombia to Ponte Vedra Beach, Pat has spent her life inspiring those around her with selflessness, curiosity, appreciation, and always a zest for life. Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize and honor Pat for living an extraordinary century filled with adventure, courage, friendship, and community service. I wish Pat a happy 100th birthday from all the constituents of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and Florida's Fifth Congressional District. God bless her, and we pray for many more.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I missed the following Roll Call vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 284.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to a vote happening in Committee, I missed the following Roll Call Votes on April 22, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 130.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to celebrate Police Week, the National Police Week celebration for the police officers who have given their lives in service to their communities. This is a very bipartisan hour that we are going to have, and I am glad and proud to have with us here on the same side Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey who is, without a doubt, I think, one of the most supportive of our law enforcement officers in the Chamber. I have always enjoyed working with Josh. Mr. Speaker, I will begin with this quote: ``As a law enforcement officer, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence and disorder; and to respect the constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.'' That is the first line of the Law Enforcement Officer's Code of Ethics, a code every officer whose name is etched into the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial lived and died by. Today, I rise to honor the 363 fallen officers whose names were added to the wall this year, including 10 officers from Florida. Sadly, these officers are joining over 24,000 of their brothers and sisters whose names are already etched into that wall. Each fallen officer said goodbye to their loved ones as they put on their gun and badge to protect and serve their community, not knowing if they would ever return home. They stood as a shield between the vulnerable citizens that they vowed to protect and those intent on doing them harm. Of the 363 officers added this year, 111 were killed in the line of duty in 2025, which is 111 too many. Ambushes and unprovoked attacks on our Nation's law enforcement officers are happening at an alarming rate, making the job of a law enforcement officer even more dangerous. Almost daily in 2025, an officer was shot in the line of duty, totaling 347 shot, and 45 of those officers died. Specifically, there were 67 separate ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers which left 90 officers shot and 22 of them fatally. There was also over 90,000 officer assaults last year, indicating a rate of 13.8 assaults per 100 officers, the highest officer assault rate in 10 years. This violence upon our officers is unacceptable, and ambushes on our officers must stop. That is why I want to make it clear to the criminal element who are intent on attacking our officers, if you target law enforcement, Congress will target you. This Congress, Josh Gottheimer and I introduced the Protect and Serve Act, a bipartisan bill to increase penalties on those who target, ambush, and harm our officers. I urge all of my colleagues to support passage of this very important legislation. It is our responsibility to protect those who protect us. Of the 111 officers killed in the line of duty this past year, I would like to take just a minute to honor a few of them. On July 23, Ohio's Lorain Police Department Officers Phillip C. Wagner and Peter Gale were taking their lunch break in their police vehicle when a 28-year-old man with a high-powered rifle opened fire on them and later a responding officer, Brent Payne. The officers were able to return fire, killing the heavily armed assailant who had ambushed the two patrol cars parked at the end of a dead-end street. Officers Gale and Payne were critically injured but made recoveries. Sadly, Officer and United States Marine Corps veteran Phillip C. Wagner's end of watch was July 24, 2025. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, including his wife and three children, his friends, and the men and women of the Lorain Police Department. I also rise today to honor the life and service of four Northern York County Regional Police Department detectives in southern Pennsylvania whose lives were taken in a senseless ambush on September 17, 2025. Detective Sergeant Cody Becker, along with Detectives Mark Baker and Isaiah Emenheiser, were attempting to serve a warrant for a stalking suspect when they were met by gunfire that took the lives of three detectives and wounded two others. Together, Detective Sergeant Becker, Detective Baker, and Detective Emenheiser served the Northern York County Regional Police Department for a combined 57 years. I will close with this, Mr. Speaker: Ralph Emerson once said that the purpose of life is not to be happy; it is to be useful; it is to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you lived and lived well. These officers did just that. They lived well. We are forever grateful for their service and the heroic legacy of these fallen officers. I ask, Mr. Speaker, that all of us and all of those watching, that we would all live the rest of our lives worthy of these officers' sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar), who is a great supporter of our law enforcement officers across the country.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), a great champion of law enforcement and our great country.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Gillen), someone who has been an avid champion of law enforcement. Like Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Gillen has been a great friend of those in blue.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Kennedy), a true supporter and backer of our law enforcement officers across the country.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank Josh. Madam Speaker, as we come together this year to celebrate the lives of 111 officers who paid that ultimate sacrifice, that full last measure in service to their communities, I think it is very appropriate that we come together, not as Republicans, not as Democrats, but as Americans to recognize those men and women. I can tell you that for the 41 years that I served as a law enforcement officer, I didn't serve Democrats and Republicans. I served the public. Still today, in Congress, I serve Americans, not just Republicans and Democrats. I think it is important that we do change the tenor. This is a great opportunity to get that message out as we celebrate the lives of men and women who gave that last full measure of devotion. For many years, I talked about law enforcement being a noble profession, not because it was just about service, but because it was truly about service with self-sacrifice. That is what we celebrate this National Police Week. I thank my good friend from New Jersey for being here and helping to put this together. I look forward to our continued collaboration on issues that are important to law enforcement and our communities. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, as many of you know, this National Police Week is dedicated to the brave men and women of law enforcement who have fallen in the line of duty. As a lifelong law enforcement officer and a former sheriff, this day is both reflective and somber for me, my colleagues, and our law enforcement communities nationwide. Every day, our officers put on a gun and a badge and say good-bye to their loved ones, not knowing if they will return home again. They stand as a shield between the vulnerable, who they vow to protect, and those intent on doing harm. Last year alone, 111 officers sacrificed their lives in service to their communities. For this, we owe them a debt of gratitude, and I call on all of us to live our lives worthy of their sacrifice. I have here with me and am proud to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), my good friend and co-chair of the House bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the fiscal year 2026 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act and urge my colleagues to do the same. This bill champions public safety, and it refocuses the Department of Homeland Security back on its fundamental mission that was really lost sight of during the Biden administration. This legislation, Mr. Speaker, provides funding to important agencies to defend the Nation against the threat posed by terrorists, criminals, and foreign adversaries. It aligns with President Trump's agenda to close our border and supports local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers that are deporting dangerous criminal aliens out of our communities. Mr. Speaker, this bill gives TSA the resources to keep the flying public safe while getting rid of wasteful programs like VIPR. It supports CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which is securing vital infrastructure from adversaries like China. It also provides FEMA with the resources it needs to support communities following disasters, and it invests in the Coast Guard, who is keeping fentanyl and other dangerous drugs off our shores and out of our communities. This bill, Mr. Speaker, puts America first. It protects Americans and secures our homeland, and I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and congratulate Penny Justice on her selection as the winner of the Patriot of the Year Award. This annual award ceremony celebrates our great American servicemembers, first responders, and citizens, and recognizes men and women who, through their actions and words, exemplify servant leadership and patriotism. Mrs. Justice has made exceptional contributions in support of service members, veterans and their families in Northeast Florida, and has demonstrated extraordinary patriotism and dedication to our Nation's ideals. On this historic occasion, I congratulate and recognize Penny Justice. I thank her for her dedication and leadership. May God bless her and congratulations to her.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of James ``Jim'' P. Citrano, who passed away this last August at the age of 83. Jim was born on January 2, 1942, in Newark, New Jersey. After graduating from Colgate University, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1967, Jim was deployed to Vietnam as an H-34 helicopter pilot with the HMM-363, also known as the Lucky Red Lions. They were flying assault support missions, earning Jim the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, Mr. Speaker, this American hero relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and four children. There, he built a successful 40-year career in commercial real estate property management, development, and brokerage. Always a community servant, Mr. Citrano generously dedicated his time, serving on numerous boards, including St. Vincent's Hospital and the University of North Florida. As a law-and-order man, Jim was also a faithful supporter of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. As sheriff, I was very proud to call him my friend. Jim was a valued member of our northeast Florida community and will be greatly missed by all. I pray for Mr. Citrano's beloved family and friends as they mourn this great loss.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on January 7, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 2; YEA on Roll Call No. 3; and NO on Roll Call No. 4.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on January 9, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 12.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on January 8, 2026. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 5; YEA on Roll Call No. 6; YEA on Roll Call No. 7; NAY on Roll Call No. 8; NAY on Roll Call No. 9; NAY on Roll Call No. 10; and NAY on Roll Call No. 11.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on December 11, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 322; YEA on Roll Call No. 323; YEA on Roll Call No. 324; NAY on Roll Call No. 325; NAY on Roll Call No. 326; NAY on Roll Call No. 327; YEA on Roll Call No. 328; NAY on Roll Call No. 329; YEA on Roll Call No. 330; NAY on Roll Call No. 331; and NAY on Roll Call No. 332.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on December 12, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 333, and YEA on Roll Call No. 334.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on November 18, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 294; YEA on Roll Call No. 295; YEA on Roll Call No. 296; and YEA on Roll Call No. 297.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on November 19, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 298; YEA on Roll Call No. 299; YEA on Roll Call No. 300; YEA on Roll Call No. 301; and PRESENT on Roll Call No. 302.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on November 20, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 303, and YEA on Roll Call No. 304.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, due to an illness in my family, I missed the following Roll Call votes on November 21, 2025. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 305.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and congratulate Penny Justice on her selection as the winner of Florida's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot of the Year Award. This annual award ceremony celebrates our great American servicemembers, first responders, and citizens and recognizes men and women who, through their actions and words, exemplify servant leadership and patriotism. Mrs. Justice has made exceptional contributions in support of service members, veterans and their families in Northeast Florida, and has demonstrated extraordinary patriotism and dedication to our Nation's ideals. On this historic occasion, I congratulate and recognize Penny Justice. I thank her for her dedication and leadership. Congratulations to Penny and may God bless her.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable, and I missed the following Roll Call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 265; and YEA on Roll Call No. 266.