John Rutherford

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Chair, I thank the ranking member for this opportunity. Madam Chair, I represent three coastal counties along northeast Florida's Atlantic Coast, and one of the biggest grievances that I hear in our coastal fishing communities is that there are simply not enough days to fish for red snapper. Anglers tell me time and time again that they can't fish without catching red snapper. One diver even relayed to me that the red snapper were so thick over the reefs, that you could literally walk across their backs. Even so, Federal regulators only gave recreational anglers 5 days to fish for red snapper in the South Atlantic this year, down from 6 days the previous year, all of this because NOAA simply does not have accurate data. Lack of data leads to short seasons or, even worse, no seasons, which devastates both recreational and commercial fishing and significantly impacts Florida's economy. To fix this problem, my amendment will increase the funding in this bill for data collection of reef fish in the South Atlantic by $3.5 million, which will bring the total to $5 million, which is the same amount that has been used for the last few years in the Gulf of Mexico, where it has been incredibly effective. The funding made available there to improve data collection in the Gulf over the last few years has made significant improvement in Gulf red snapper management. For example, in 2014, the Gulf red snapper season was only 9 days. This year, it is 62 days. So by providing NOAA with an increase for reef fish data collection in the South Atlantic, we could ensure commercial and recreational fishermen have stable access to this crucial fishery and enough fishing days to maintain their businesses. We have seen our neighbors along the Gulf use this funding very successfully. The South Atlantic is in dire need of the same success. Madam Chair, I urge all my colleagues to support this simple amendment, which will greatly benefit the fishermen and the economies all along the South Atlantic. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize City Councilman William Gulliford of Jacksonville, Florida, who is retiring after serving as Atlantic Beach Mayor, Atlantic Beach Commissioner, and President of the Jacksonville City Council. Today we honor Bill's outstanding public service to our community. Aside from his role in local government, Bill is also a longtime business owner who is sincere in his desire to do good for the citizens of our community. He is a respected as an honorable, collegial leader who is known for bringing people in government and the private sector together to solve problems. Most recently, Bill worked to focus the City's attention on the opioid crisis and worked with numerous partners on solutions. This is just one example of his leadership and value to our community. Besides his electoral contributions, Bill is a founding Board Member of Habitat for Humanity of the Jacksonville Beaches, and past president of the Beaches Boys Club, the Beaches Quarterback Club and the Rotary Club of Mandarin. He presently is a member of the Oceanside Rotary Club and has received numerous awards, including the Charles D. Webb for Extraordinary Commitment to Public Service and the Mary L. Singleton for his work on City Council. Bill has also served in both President Carter's and President Reagan's Small Business Councils. Bill has been a resident of Jacksonville since 1954 and of Atlantic Beach since 1972. He graduated from Bishop Kenny High School and the University of Florida. Bill and his wife Harriet have four children, Trip, Thad, Katherine and Elizabeth, and nine grandchildren. His dedication to his community, his strong work ethic, and his generosity of spirit are reasons to celebrate Bill Gulliford's public life and to honor his service.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Second Lieutenant Matthew Chaires on his graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Lieutenant Chaires, or Gunner, as his family and friends call him, is from Hilliard, a small town in northeast Florida with a population of just over 3,000. At Hilliard Middle-Senior High School, he was a student athlete and all-State football player, and he received numerous athletic and academic honors. In fact, Lieutenant Chaires is the only Hilliard resident to ever attend and graduate from one of our Nation's prestigious service academies. At West Point, he was assigned to Bravo Company B2 Bulldogs in the second regiment and was a member of the cannon crew for the Black Knights during football season. With his time at West Point complete, he now heads to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to begin field artillery training. On behalf of the Hilliard community and all of northeast Florida, thank you to Lieutenant Chaires for his commitment to both service and academic excellence. We are all very proud of him.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, l rise today to recognize the St. Augustine Art Association (STAAA) on the 95th anniversary of its founding in 1924. Founded by Spanish explorers in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the continental United States, making it our nation's first city. The STAAA plays an integral role in preserving and promoting the artistic heritage of St. Augustine, and has been described as the epicenter of the local art community. The STAAA Art Center is open year-round and is free to the public, welcoming roughly 10,000 visitors annually. Its gallery hosts exhibitions, concerts, workshops, classes, lectures, and other art-related events. More than 1,000 artists of all backgrounds display their artwork during the gallery's season of juried exhibitions. These contemporary artists make up St. Augustine's present-day art colony. The STAAA outreach programs serve many, including the blind, local public school students, and patients and caregivers at Flagler Hospital. Additionally, elder groups, community businesses, and others all benefit from STAAA's user-friendly gallery in the heart of St. Augustine. I am pleased to recognize STAAA for its contributions to our unique local culture, history, and community.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained during the second vote series on May 15, 2019. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 209.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, this week, thousands of law enforcement officers, their families, and their supporters from around the country gathered in Washington, D.C., to commemorate National Police Week. We are here tonight to thank those who put on the uniform every day to protect our communities and put their lives in the breach between the criminal element and the public they protect. We are also here to recognize those who have completed their service and now enjoy a well-deserved thank-you for their selfless service to their communities. But, most importantly, we are here to honor the fallen. Last year, 158 police officers gave their last measure of devotion to their communities. Among these heroes, you will find every gender, every creed, every race, every religion. They hail from every corner of America. One of those 158 officers was not only from my district, but served at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office with me, where I spent a 41-year career. Officer Lance Whitaker began his career with the Atlantic Beach Police Department and then served 17 dedicated years at Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. He was tragically killed while responding to a call in the early morning hours of May 15, 2018, almost 1 year ago today. He left behind his son, Cade; his mother, Lannie; and his sister, Angela. He also left behind a memory and a legacy that will live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew him. Many of us are here today to honor friends, family, and loved ones like Officer Whitaker, who gave his last full measure of devotion to a community he loved and a community that loved him back. I now ask that we observe a moment of silence for Officer Whitaker and all of the 158 brave law enforcement officers who lost their lives protecting our community. Tonight, Madam Speaker, in a very bipartisan fashion, we will hear from Members on both sides of the aisle and from all across the country as we join together to show our unity in supporting our police officers. Madam Speaker, I am proud to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Hill), my friend who is from a law enforcement family and brings a strong pro-police voice to Congress.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Hill, and I look forward to working with her on some of the bills she just highlighted. I know that her law enforcement family is proud, so I thank her. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil), my good friend, who is from Wisconsin's First District.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman and the great State of Wisconsin for their support of law enforcement. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Torres Small), a colleague from New Mexico's Second District. She serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, and, actually, after law school, worked for a U.S. district judge in New Mexico, so she has got that law enforcement background, also.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the kind words of support for our law enforcement community, and I thank her for her service earlier, as well. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), my good friend from Nebraska's Second District. He serves on our Agriculture Committee and Armed Services Committee. He is a retired brigadier general and did his deployment in Iraq, and we thank him for that service.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of the gentleman's LEOSA bill, and having been a law enforcement officer, I understand exactly what the gentleman is trying to accomplish. I support him 110 percent in that effort, and I appreciate the words. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger), who serves on the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Committees. She is also--I think we can say this--a former CIA case officer. Is it safe to say that now?

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, the gentlewoman's father was a career law enforcement officer also.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Virginia and just know that our condolences go to those two officers' families, those heroes that you lost this last year. God bless. Madam Speaker, I would like to introduce the Member from the great State of Minnesota's Eighth District, Pete Stauber. He serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Small Business Committees and was a police officer in Duluth, Minnesota, for 23 years. I thank the gentleman for his service. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the gentleman's 23 years of service. I know what commitment that is, and God bless him for that. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), who is my good friend. Josh Gottheimer is from New Jersey's Fifth District who serves on the Financial Services Committee and worked in both the public sector as a White House speechwriter and in the private industry for Ford and Microsoft. I thank the gentleman for being here this evening.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for having the backs of police officers who have our back, and I thank the gentleman very much for being here tonight to show that support for law enforcement that is so important across the country. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline). Representative Ben Cline serves on the House Judiciary and Education and Labor Committees. He is a lawyer and serves as an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney and was also chief of staff and--I didn't know this--chief of staff for my good friend, Bob Goodlatte, who is one of my heroes from Congress.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia. In particular, I want to offer, again, our condolences to those officers, those heroes from Virginia, who gave their lives in service. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize Representative Clay Higgins from the great State of Louisiana, their Third District. He was a National Guard military police officer for many years, a SWAT operator. I am sure he will have some great words for us. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Louisiana for all his service those many years. I would like to recognize, again, my cohost for tonight, Representative Katie Hill. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Hill).

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, it has been an honor to be here with the gentlewoman tonight to recognize our law enforcement community. Madam Speaker, I will close with this. It is from Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said: The purpose in life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. Madam Speaker, the 158 lives that we honor tonight, all the thousands of law enforcement officers serving this moment, they live well. For that, we are grateful. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the E-2 visa holders and their families who have been ignored by our Nation's immigration laws. E-2 visa holders are required to be business owners, job creators, and risk takers. They are filled with the American spirit that makes this country great. And yet, their children are unfairly forced to leave this country on their 21st birthday. The E-2 children have no protection, no leniency, and unlike DACA recipients, they receive no attention from the mainstream media. We cannot continue to put the children of illegal aliens before the children of legal aliens. That is why I introduced the E-2 Visa Improvement Act, which will do two things: create a path to legal permanent residency after 10 years in the U.S., and allow children of E-2 visa holders to stay in the country until 26 years of age and to apply for work authorization. I urge my colleagues to support these simple, commonsense reforms that will make a huge difference in the lives of law-abiding immigrants who are hiring and helping carry our economy forward.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, due to illness, I was unable to vote April 1 through April 4. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 137; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 138; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 140; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 141; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 142; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 144; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 145; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 146; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 147; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 148; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 149; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 150; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 151; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 152; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 153; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 154; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 155; and ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 156.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding and giving me the opportunity to speak about this very important topic impacting our State and our constituents. Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly urge House and, particularly, Senate leadership to stop turning their backs on hurricane survivors in my home State of Florida and pass a disaster supplemental bill before Congress leaves for the next 2 weeks. Last October, Hurricane Michael ravaged our State, hitting the panhandle with speeds of up to 155 miles an hour and killing 49 people. Six months later--6 months later--families, farmers, and businesses are still waiting for the assistance that they deserve. Families lost homes, precious belongings, things that can never be replaced. Florida's timber industry was decimated. The total timber damage is an estimated 2.8 million acres of timber that is now lying rotting on the ground--2.8 million acres. This is, unquestionably, one of the worst storms to hit Florida in our long history. But not only are Florida agriculture and other industries desperately awaiting our help, our national security is also being impacted. Tyndall Air Force Base, one of the Nation's premier military installations, was completely demolished by this storm. Since Congress has not passed emergency funding, the Air Force has been forced to move money from other accounts to help pay for the recovery. The Air Force is now facing even tougher choices, like limiting flying time and construction projects from other installations. Madam Speaker, this is simply unacceptable. Maybe if the Senate Democrats would spend less time focused on running for President and more time doing the job that they were elected to do, folks back home would already have the disaster relief that they are due. I voted, along with my House colleagues, to pass a supplemental back in December. In December, we passed that. The Senate Democrats have just obstructed that effort. Entire small communities that were wiped away still have no assistance coming from the Federal Government. I hope the hardworking taxpayers of Florida remember this lack of concern when they go to the polls in 2020. Our Senate is broken by a 60-vote cloture rule that has to be removed, and I hope the folks back home will remember this in November of 2020.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Dennis Brown on 50 years of employment at the Anheuser- Busch Jacksonville Brewery. Mr. Brown began at the brewery in April of 1969, working onsite even before it packaged its first barrel of beer. His attention to detail, unmatched work ethic, and commitment to quality has allowed him to excel as a leader in the brewery. I have visited the Jacksonville brewery and can personally attest to its productivity and efficiency. There is great honor in hard work at a job worth doing, and the admirable record of Mr. Brown's longevity speaks to his successful career. I thank Mr. Brown for his part in making Budweiser the King of Beers and wish him the best in all future endeavors. Cheers.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I was ill. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 106, and Nay on Roll Call No. 107.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Mayor Nancy Shaver and her tenure of dedicated service to the citizens of St. Augustine, Florida. A strong advocate for the Nation's oldest city, Mayor Shaver recently stepped down from her position with an admirable record of leadership in her community. Mayor Shaver, who previously served as a teacher and businesswoman, was elected to office in 2014. During her time as mayor, she was a tireless advocate for important issues that are very unique to the city of St. Augustine. It was my honor to work with her in the effort to combat sea level rise to protect our coastal economies and safeguard the priceless historical and cultural features that make St. Augustine so special. As mayor, she exemplified the virtues of local government by putting citizens, not politics, first and remaining devoted to the northeast Florida community. I thank Nancy Shaver for her commitment to the city of St. Augustine and our fellow citizens, for whom she so dearly cared. I wish her and her family the best in their future endeavors.