Darren Soto

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I firmly support H.R. 2639--The Strength in Diversity Act of 2020. This bill will bring much-needed support to school districts that are committed to school diversity initiatives. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 185; YEA on Roll Call No. 186; NAY on Roll Call No. 187; YEA on Roll Call No. 188; and YEA on Roll Call No. 189.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our bill, H.R. 2969, which passed the House today. This bill names the Florence Villa United States Post Office located at 1401 1st Street North in Winter Haven, Florida, as the Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building. Ms. Althea Margaret Daily Mills is an unsung hero in the fight for desegregation in Florida. Ms. Mills began her education in Pughsville, Winter Haven's first Black community. When she was 13, she moved to Pennsylvania to live with an aunt. There, she was able to attend integrated schools. In 1963, Mills filed a lawsuit against Polk County Board of Public Instruction to end the dual school system and allow her son to attend the then-all-White Winter Haven High School. This lawsuit eventually led to integration of all Polk County public schools. When asked about her motivation to challenge the system, Mills would later say: ``Our instructors were just as good, but some of my son's textbooks would go to page 3 and then skip to page 35. You can't learn like that.'' Ms. Mills was also the first Black career employee of the United States Postal Service in Winter Haven and eventually became a manager of the Florence Villa Post Office, which will bear her name. Mr. Speaker, although she passed in 2008, her legacy lives on, and I thank my colleagues for the support of this bill.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Soto Amendment, Soto number 77 to Division B, the Department of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2021, specified that at least $40,000,000 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Planetary Science budget to be applied to the general budget and applied to the Near Earth Object Surveillance Mission (NEOSM). Space may be vast, but it's not empty. Earth is bombarded by tiny space rocks called meteors every day, most of which burn up in our atmosphere. Larger meteors, like the one that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, can damage buildings and cause minor injuries. And on rare occasions, asteroids and comets strike Earth and cause global devastation--the dinosaurs perished when this happened 66 million years ago. NEOSM is a 50-centimeter-wide telescope. Its camera sees things in infrared wavelengths--a type of light not visible to human eyes. Infrared light reveals heat signatures, which is perfect for asteroids because they are very dark and hard to see against the blackness of space. In infrared light, they glow because they heat up in the Sun and re-radiate that heat back into space. This is the impetus behind NEOSM, NASA's Near-Earth Object Surveillance Mission. NEOSM would launch as soon as 2025 and within 10 years meet Congress's goal of finding 90 percent of near-Earth objects 140 meters and wider. Finding and studying these objects will not only help us figure out if any are on course to hit Earth, but will also help lay the groundwork for survey and deflection missions if one is found. I support ensuring funding for the Near Earth Surveillance Mission efforts to identify potentially hazard near Earth objects and thank my colleagues for their support of my amendment.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the appropriations package we just passed today. Central Florida is space and technology country. We just launched the Perseverance rover yesterday, which we could see from my backyard. We are the busiest spaceport in the world at Cape Canaveral. I was honored to help boost funds and recognize the important global competition and for America to be a leader in low-Earth orbit and commercial spaceflight operations. We advanced Outer Planet and Ocean Worlds, including the Europa Clipper mission to advance humankind. We also fought for more funding for emerging technology like solar energy, artificial intelligence, to improve blockchain, and for quantum computing investments. Why is this important? We use quantum computing to identify 12 separate antiviral drugs, one of which ended up being remdesivir, through quantum computing and artificial intelligence here in the Federal Government. We can solve the next generation's problems with cutting-edge technology. We will continue to do that going forward.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation we just passed, the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys that was sponsored by my fellow Floridian, Congresswoman Wilson. Slavery lasted for over 246 years in America, from 1619 to 1865. It is one of America's original sins. People think of the Civil War as ancient history, but there are actually still even children of slaves alive today. They may be in their late eighties, early nineties, but it makes you realize it wasn't that long ago. In the 13th through 15th Amendments, we saw a great change prohibiting slavery, creating citizenship, due process, and the right to vote for African Americans. Then, you had the Reconstruction Era. It started out with promising potential. Federal troops helped ensure votes throughout the Nation. We elected African Americans to the House and Senate, and according to Sherman's promise, everyone would get 40 acres and a mule. It all came tumbling down, though, starting with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and President Johnson began to dismantle Reconstruction. Then, President Hayes ended Reconstruction in 1877 as part of a corrupt deal to ensure his Presidency. Those in the South, African Americans, were arrested and put on chain gangs, among other ways, to force them into indentured servitude. Those in the North and West faced discrimination, discrimination in jobs, housing, justice, education, healthcare, marriage. Even facilities became segregated. It reached a fevered pitch with ``The Birth of a Nation'' in 1915, restarting the KKK and lynchings and renewed interest in the Confederacy, its leaders, and its symbols. It played upon every terrible stereotype of African-American men on the silver screen for an impressionable public to see. But it didn't stop there. Financial segregation was generationally punishing. African-American troops fought in World War I and World War II in segregated units for a country that discriminated against them. Then, they came home and were shut out of the New Deal programs during the Great Depression, shut out of VA student loans and home loans. They missed out on the greatest expansion of the middle class during the 1950s, and it was then that their renewed civil rights fight was just beginning. With the success of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act of the 1960s, we saw some improvement, victories fought hard by John Lewis, who we just lost. Even with these advances, discrimination persisted in the systems of justice, finance, business, and other foundations of our society. Add in the 1980 war on drugs and the 1994 crime bill, and the list of laws and rules to systematically break up Black families, especially the arrest of Black men, reverberates today as our Nation looks inward after the murder of George Floyd about our country's racist past and institutional bias against Black men and boys, as well as Black women and girls. This is why the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, as well as the Justice in Policing Act, are so important. There must be an investigation, a realization, and reckoning in America about the racist past of this country and generational theft. We must develop lasting solutions if we are to progress as one Nation where every American is created equal.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, this appropriations package continues to make important investments to restore and protect the environment of our beautiful State of Florida. We have language in there encouraging the National Park Service to consider the Kissimmee River at the headwaters of the Everglades for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, one of the highlights of our district. Everglades restoration: over $15 million, including $10 million for CERP. We help address harmful algal blooms that hurt our coast, including recognizing the threat and encouraging EPA for more support and research. We address the threats to the Great Florida Reef by recognizing the coral disease outbreak and recommending additional resources with State and local partners. We help out with sinkholes throughout Florida by having the USGS identify and map them out so we can protect Floridians. We are also recognizing natural disasters like the earthquake in Puerto Rico by continuing to develop new programs.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, Mr. John Lewis has often been called the conscience of the Congress. He also led our Democratic Caucus during some of our toughest moments. In 2017, there was a strong effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We were in the minority. We were demoralized. Things seemed hopeless. It was in this darkest hour that the legendary John Lewis thundered; channeling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he said, We may have all come on different ships, but we are all in the same boat now. We have to stick together. We have to stand up. We have to do what is right. Millions of Americans are counting on us. And as he thundered those words, chills ran down my spine, and a moral righteousness took over me as he brought our entire caucus to our feet. And we fought the good fight, though we lost the vote in the House. But we still inspired the American people. The effort to repeal ObamaCare ultimately failed in the Senate, and Mr. John Lewis lit the spark with his words, his spirit, and his courage. Rest in power, Mr. Lewis.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California and our friends across the aisle for their support. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings).

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Mucarsel-Powell).

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the vice chair of our caucus.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I would inquire how much time we have remaining.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy), my neighbor in central Florida.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We all agree this was an attack motivated by hate, and today, we recognize the 49 angels we lost and the 53 who were injured during the Pulse nightclub shooting. Vigils occurred across this Nation, across the political spectrum, after this deadly shooting. I can tell you, on behalf of Congresswoman Demings, Congresswoman Murphy, myself, and our region, we want to thank everyone for doing that. We want to thank our colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, for coming together: Chair Grijalva, Ranking Member Bishop, Mr. McClintock, Miss Gonzalez-Colon, Mr. Fitzpatrick. We appreciate all the work being done in the Senate. Today, we recognize the memory of these 49 angels across our Nation by making this the Pulse National Memorial. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3094) to designate the National Pulse Memorial located at 1912 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida, 32806, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, on June 12, 2016, a gunman shot and killed 49 people and injured 53 others in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. It was the single deadliest known violent attack on the LGBTQ community, the deadliest violent attack in America at that time, and an attack on our Latino community, our African-American communities, and so many others. After this tragedy, our city came together. Doctors, first responders, and friends rushed to save the wounded; others donated funds, supplies, even their blood. Countless works of art, gifts, and letters were left at impromptu memorial sites paying tribute to the victims and survivors. We came together in candlelight vigils across the globe to grieve and remember. We became truly Orlando Strong in the face of adversity for the whole world to see. As we continue to honor 49 angels, we remind the world that love will always conquer hate in the end. The designation of the Pulse nightclub as a national memorial honors the lives taken, as well as the survivors, first responders, and an entire central Florida community. Together, we will open minds and hearts and make the Pulse Memorial a national symbol of hope, love, and change. I thank my Orlando area colleagues, Congresswoman Val Demings and Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, for joining me in leading this important bipartisan legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I have three more speakers.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a list of the names of the 49 victims we lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting. Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old; Amanda L. Alvear, 25 years old; Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26 years old; Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33 years old; Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old; Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old; Angel Candelario-Padro, 28 years old; Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old; Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old; Cory James Connell, 21 years old; Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old; Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old; Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old; Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old; Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old; Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22 years old; Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old; Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old; Frank Hernandez, 27 years old; Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old. Javier Jorge Reyes, 40 years old; Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old; Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old; Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old; Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old; Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old; Brenda Marquez McCool, 49 years old; Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25 years old; Kimberly Jean Morris, 37 years old; Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old; Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20 years old; Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25 years old; Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old; Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old; Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old; Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old; Jean Carlos Nieves Rodriguez, 27 years old; Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35 years old; Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old; Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old; Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old; Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old; Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old; Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24 years old; Juan Pablo Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old; Luis Sergio Vielma, 22 years old; Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velazquez, 50 years old; Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old; Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in my hometown of Kissimmee, Florida, I joined our local protest of the murder of George Floyd. We came together, members of the NAACP, Black Lives Matter, our Sheriff Russ Gibson, local police chiefs, and a multitude of my fellow Puerto Rican brothers and sisters. We decried hate, condemned police brutality, and stood unified for change. I then led a conversation on justice and equality in America with Black civil rights leaders, law enforcement, and local officials from across central Florida. I listened intently, and their voices were clear: Black lives matter, and support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. We see you; we hear you, and we will honor those we lost with action.