Darren Soto

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chair, our constituents across America would be surprised to know that so many of these districts have been poisoned by a chemical they never even heard of, the PFOS and PFAS chemicals. But they would be even more shocked to know that the very cookware that they cook their meals to serve to their little kids and to their families contain that very poison. So why wouldn't we want to let them know, give them a heads-up? And then, turning to Florida, we had a cancer cluster in Ocala, Florida, that hurt countless firefighters. If we are not here to protect little kids and firefighters, why are we here? We don't need to wait for the Senate to tell us whether we can act or not. We need to act now, and that is why I am supporting this bill.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Doyle and Ranking Member Latta, as well as Representative Flores, for all of their work and the work of the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is essential that the United States be at the forefront of the deployment and development of 5G technologies. 5G is the infrastructure that will allow our country to be the leader in the 21st century economy. There is fundamental importance of internet connectivity across the country for both metropolitan and rural areas, highlighting both cities and rural areas, and this is a need that telecom technology must be developed in a practical but secure way. In a district like mine, we have urban, suburban, and rural, so we look out for all of these different areas. The equipment and services in U.S. communications networks provide critical infrastructure for 5G deployment, making them appealing targets for foreign adversaries. For these companies in particular, experts have noted that China has ``the means, opportunity, and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes.'' We have seen this problem in Chinese telecom chips made by companies like Huawei and other supply chain security issues that have been making news as of late. We started local efforts in Florida's Ninth Congressional District, along with the University of Central Florida and others, to produce components that are tamper-resistant sensors developed at national foundries, like the BRIDG facility in central Florida. But we must do more. For these reasons, I am proud to be the Democratic colead on H. Res. 575. This resolution provides a sense of the House of Representatives that developers of 5G technologies abide by wireless technology recommendations made at the Prague 5G Security Conference. Some of these Prague Proposals include communications networks and services be designed with resilience and security in mind, and every country is free, in accordance with international law, to have security requirements.

Mr. SOTO. Policies governing 5G deployment should be guided by principles of transparency and equitability. Stakeholders should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and risk mitigation of products. And customers must be able to be informed about the origin of components in software that affect the security level of the products they use. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Doyle, Mr. Flores, Mr. Latta, and others for their great work, and I urge everyone to support H. Res. 575.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that Division A of H.R. 1158, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020's Joint Explanatory Statement to Division A, provided an increase to the Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology Program within the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide account. Specifically, a general program increase of $20,000,000, a $5,000,000 program increase for manufacturing engineering programs, a $10,000,000 program increase for manufacturing innovation institutes, a $10,000,000 program increase for advanced manufacturing, and a $14,000,000 program increase for manufacturing cybersecurity. I want to express my gratitude to Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Visclosky, and the full Committee for the inclusion of joint explanatory language to the bill noting the importance of obtaining advanced microelectronics manufacturing, in support of the defense industrial base, from trusted domestic suppliers. Ensuring quick, reliable, and secure access to leading-edge microelectronics is often a challenge. The changing global semiconductor industry and the increasing sophistication of U.S. adversaries require us to update our domestic microelectronics security framework by establishing a comprehensive, public-private partnership- structured microelectronics cybersecurity center. This center can provide the defense industrial base with access to manufacturing resources to support antitamper, devices, hardware security, and other evolving new concept technologies that support trusted and assured manufacturing, combined with advanced system integration and packaging technologies--known as heterogeneous integration. The Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology Program enables the Department of Defense to advance reliable and secure state-of-the- art technologies. The funding increase provided in this legislation, along with the increased funding for advanced manufacturing, will facilitate America's innovative, secure, and domestic foundry operations and greatly contribute to our national defense through the establishment of a microelectronics cybersecurity center structured as a public-private partnership. Again, I thank the Committee for recognizing the urgent need to invest in trusted foundries, advanced microelectronics cybersecurity, and manufacturing capabilities that will translate our domestic research into fielded capabilities for the warfighter. I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Visclosky, and the full Committee for all their work on the issue.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that Division A of H.R. 1158, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020's Joint Explanatory Statement to Division A, provided an increase to the Trusted and Assured Microelectronics program within the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide account. These funds will allow the Department of Defense to leverage existing public-private-partnerships to enable a U.S. based manufacturing development platform for advanced microelectronic system integration, including anti-tamper heterogeneous integration and foundational copper-based silicon interposer technology. I want to express my gratitude to Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Visclosky, and the full Committee for the inclusion of this funding increase and for recognizing the urgent need to invest in trusted foundries, advanced microelectronics cybersecurity, and manufacturing capabilities that will translate our domestic research into fielded capabilities for the warfighter. Ensuring quick, reliable, and secure access to leading-edge microelectronics is often a challenge. The changing global semiconductor industry and the increasing sophistication of U.S. adversaries require us to update our domestic microelectronics security framework. Continued U.S. global leadership in microelectronics depends on U.S. owned firms operating at the leading edge of advanced logic technologies and digital memories. The next generation of electronic devices will require significantly greater functional density, in other words, packing functional components together even more tightly than current technology allows. This requires technical leadership in microelectronics system integration, specifically in the microelectronics manufacturing areas of integrating heterogeneous devices, stacking memory, logic processing, sensors, communications, and packaging with security and advanced interconnect methods. One of the foundational technologies required for advanced system integration is copper-based silicon interposer technology--also known as heterogeneous integration. This foundational interposer technology can enable almost any microelectronic dependent, or internet of things, system. However, advanced system integration capabilities have moved offshore due to cost, and there currently is no domestic sources that can reliably serve the low volumes of advanced microelectronics that the Department of Defense requires. That's why this funding is so critical. We must invest in these advanced integrated capabilities so we can secure our microelectronic systems that our service members depend on. Again, I support disruptive science and technology that enables a rapid modernization of our trusted and assured microelectronics systems. I thank my colleagues for their shared support.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that Division A of H.R. 1158, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020's Joint Explanatory Statement to Division A, provided an increase to the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Support program within the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide account. Specifically, a general program increase of $10,000,000, a $12,500,000 program increase for manufacturing engineering, a $20,000,000 program increase for machine and advanced manufacturing, and a $5,000,000 program increase for an interdisciplinary center for advanced manufacturing systems. These funds will allow the Department of Defense to leverage existing public-private-partnerships to establish a U.S. based manufacturing development platform for advanced microelectronic system integration, including anti-tamper heterogeneous integration and foundational copper-based silicon interposer technology. The Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program is dedicated to ensuring that the Department of Defense is positioned to more effectively, and efficiently, address industrial base issues, and support the National Security Innovation Base. This includes the ability to proactively mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities within the global defense industrial base, and to cultivate next generation, emerging, defense manufacturing and technology sectors. Continued U.S. global leadership in microelectronics depends on U.S. owned firms operating at the leading edge of advanced logic technologies and digital memories. The next generation of electronic devices will require significantly greater functional density, in other words, packing functional components together even more tightly than current technology allows. This requires technical leadership in microelectronics system integration, specifically in the microelectronics manufacturing areas of integrating heterogeneous devices, stacking memory, logic processing, sensors, communications, and packaging with security and advanced interconnect methods. One of the foundational technologies required for advanced system integration is copper-based silicon interposer technology. This foundational interposer technology can enable almost any microelectronic dependent, or internet of things, system. However, advanced system integration capabilities have moved offshore due to cost, and there currently is no domestic sources that can reliably serve the low volumes of advanced microelectronics that the Department of Defense requires. That is why there is a need for the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Support Program to leverage existing public-private- partnerships to establish a U.S. based manufacturing development platform for advanced microelectronic system integration, including the foundational copperbased silicon interposer technology. This funding increase will help to accomplish this, and I thank the Chairwoman for the overall funding increases for the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Support Program within the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide Account. I want to express my gratitude and thank Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Visclosky, and the full Committee for all their work on the issue.

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that Division A of H.R. 1158, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020's Joint Explanatory Statement to Division A, provided an increase to the Soldier Lethality Technology Program within the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army account. Specifically, a general program increase of $5,000,000. I want to express my gratitude to Chairwoman Lowey, Chairman Visclosky, and the full Committee for the inclusion of this funding increase. These funds allow the Army Research Lab to conduct work on a number of important disruptive science and technology programs, including millimeter-wave imager sensor technology needed to improve situational awareness to our service men and women. Ensuring access to low cost imager sensors to provide leap-ahead capability in urban combat and situational awareness will enable troops to move, communicate, protect, and sustain themselves better in any combat environment. Such sensors can be used in a reconnaissance role, with the ability to see inhabitants within building structures and provide significant situational insight within dense urban environments. Again, I support the modernization of the U.S. Army and to support disruptive science and technology. I thank my colleagues for their shared support.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Chair, back in central Florida, we had a townhall where we had everyone from Bernie Sanders supporters supporting Medicare for all to Donald Trump Make America Great Again, red hat- wearing Trump supporters, and all of them, regardless of the political spectrum, could not believe Medicare can't negotiate. ``What a sham'' is what they said. Well, today is the day. We are going to end the ban on Medicare negotiating. So you can wring your hands, contort the facts, but then you are going to have to go home and explain why you campaigned on ending the ban on Medicare negotiating and then you voted ``no,'' and then you voted to keep this sham system in place where we don't even allow the government to negotiate for lower drug prices. This bill caps out-of-pocket costs at $2,000. That saves $1,196 per senior for the over 124,000 seniors in my district. It also applies to the 550,000 people who have private insurance. What do we do with the $500 billion we save? We finally crack that injustice for seniors to get dental, vision, and hearing coverage. We hear scare tactics: Hundreds of drugs aren't going to be improved. Try 8 to 15, while 300-plus drugs, according to the CBO, will be improved over the next 10 years. So let's stop the scare tactics. And is it worth it? Of course it is worth it. Hundreds of new cures; finally giving dental, vision, hearing coverage--of course it is worth it. $1,196 in savings per senior in my district. Of course it is worth it. America put us in the majority because they think it is worth it, so it is time to pass the Lower the Drug Costs Now Act.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, due to unforeseen travel delays, I unfortunately missed the votes for December 9, 2019. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 655 and ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 656.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), my dear friend, for yielding. You know, we had a rally a while ago where I got to hear my dear friend from New York talk about, as he was addressing Dreamers, that they were the tears of their grandparents, they were the dreams of their parents, and how generations led up to the moment where their children can experience the American Dream. And it really got to me. It was an emotional moment for all of us, thinking about that story that all of our families, other than our Native Americans, experienced at one time or another, that someone had to make a choice, someone had to cross an ocean or a desert, or so many other barriers to get here to the United States. You know, as we look at what the Supreme Court, yesterday having their oral arguments, is set to rule upon, it is pretty clear that terminating DACA would not be in the best interests of the Sunshine State. It is pretty clear that ending DACA would be bad for Florida, President Trump's new home State. When you look back, our State passed in a bipartisan fashion in the Florida legislature when I was there in-state tuition for Dreamers. We also passed a bill that I filed and was able to pass to admit Dreamers to the Florida Bar, all defined as DACA recipients. So in a State that many people refer to as purple, being Democrats and Republicans going back and forth on close issues and in close elections, we came together to protect our Dreamers. So I hope as the Trump administration is examining their arguments and working before the Supreme Court, that they recognize that this wouldn't serve in Florida's best interests. In Florida, we have over 80,000 Dreamers, 30,000 of whom were DACA recipients. I wanted to spend a few minutes tonight talking about their stories, about my constituents. The first Dreamer I would like to speak about, a DACA recipient, is Herman Younger, otherwise known as Herman to us affectionately. Herman Younger grew up in the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Wanting to give him and his sister a better life, his family decided to migrate to Miami, Florida, in 2002. During this time, his parents instilled in him a respect and curiosity for the law. This led him to join the Miami-Dade Police Explorers while in high school. In 2012, Herman applied for DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which allowed him to pursue educational opportunities post high school. After graduating, he moved to Gainesville, Florida, where he studied political science at the University of Florida with a focus on ethics and moral law. During this time at UF, he joined the College Democrats; prelaw fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta; and Assembly for Action, a conference that aims to build community relations with local organizations. During his junior year, Herman interned for our office in D.C., where he helped draft a bill I introduced earlier this year, the Artificial Intelligence JOBS Act, otherwise known as AI JOBS Act. After his internship, Herman worked not only on our campaigns, but oversaw phone bankers and canvassers as our district coordinator. Herman has since graduated from the University of Florida, receiving his bachelor's degree. In May of this year, he spearheaded a group advocating for restaurant workers to unionize against unfair treatment and pay, and now currently holds a position with the Sierra Club as their organizing representative for the Wildlands Red Tide Campaign. Herman continues to be an advocate for other Dreamers and hopes to fight the structural inequities and racism stemming from colonization. Another amazing DACA recipient, an amazing Dreamer from my district is Mariana Castro. Mariana came to the United States from Peru at the age of ten with her mother, leaving her brothers and father behind. While her mother worked three jobs to keep food on the table for her family, Mariana excelled as a central Florida high school student. In tenth grade, she realized that regardless of her excellent grades, involvement in hundreds of community service hours, that her undocumented status would impact and potentially stop her academic career. Opportunity shined when DACA became a reality a few months before her graduation. She graduated from Celebration High School in 2013, received the highest academic scholarship in the State, and chose the University of Florida to be her home for the next 4 years. At the time, even with DACA, she was denied an in-state tuition rate in college and her scholarship was revoked. Mariana paused her education and fought for the in-state tuition, that I previously mentioned in my speech here tonight, for undocumented students in the State of Florida. Her efforts came to fruition, as she stood side by side with so many other Dreamers when we finally passed the in-state tuition bill for Dreamers 1 year later. And what happens when we give someone like Mariana an opportunity? She returned to the University of Florida, where she graduated with a degree in biological sciences this past May. As a DACA recipient, Mariana was unable to receive any state scholarships, Federal aid, or loans. While being a full-time student, she worked 40 hours every week at restaurants to pay for her education out of pocket. During her college career, she interned at my congressional office in 2018 and was later hired as a legislative aid in the Florida Senate. She also helped start university programs that provide visibility to undocumented students, most recently institutionalizing a training for professional staff about relevant immigration laws that affect the student body, while raising funds for the Out of the Shadows scholarship, a scholarship specifically for undocumented students in Florida that she oversaw for 3 years. Over the years, she received several awards for her advocacy in the immigrant community, including being named the only female Outstanding Student Leader in her graduating class. Today, Mariana Castro serves as the central Florida business manager for Impact Fund, working to change public policy around immigration through coalition building and bipartisan action. Mariana plans to obtain a combined JD and PP degree and continue to use legislation and grassroots organizing in order to fight for disenfranchised communities in the Nation. Also, as the Civil Rights Action Task Force chair for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I wanted to talk a little bit about the issues before the Supreme Court. We know, with the DACA program, that the Federal Government created a promise, a promise to these eventual DACA recipients that their deportation would be deferred, and it was for an obvious reason: there are over 10 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and these were the lowest priority for deportation because they were young people who came here through no fault of their own, that knew no other country other than this one. And I can tell you, as we heard from Mariana's story and from Herman's story, that they are indeed ambitious, and they are indeed contributing to our society. So a promise was made to these young people, and they relied on that promise, to their detriment, by giving their information to the Federal Government every 2 years periodically. And then from there, the Federal Government should be estopped from being able to use that to deport them, to single them out in any way. If the program is going to be wound down, it should be wound down in an ordinary and orderly fashion. And I think those who are in the program should at least be able to stay in the program, or if not, not be targeted by the Federal Government. So I think it is right that the Federal Government should be estopped from using this information to the detriment of these young people. Then we look at the reasoning, and it is hard to see under either a rational review or a higher scrutiny that the court may apply, that there is enough information to strike down this executive order. It was done through the ordinary process. And now the reason they originally proffered was simply that it was unconstitutional. You know, that is the purview of the Supreme Court. That is not a reason for an administration to be able to strike down a program. They actually have to give a reason beyond their own opinion that something is unconstitutional. Of course, the Trump administration didn't do that in all their procedures to try to end the law. Then eventually in the appellate courts, they tried to come up with some statistics, come up with some justifications after they had already gone through the process, and now they want to put the genie back in the bottle. Now they want to say, ``Well, our rationale was given in the appellate court, so we should be able to just use that from the beginning,'' and that is not the way the process works. Even then, it was the same xenophobic misrepresentations that we hear about these young people being spouted to this day. Whether it is under estoppel or whether it is simply under the court's scrutiny, I think it is pretty clear. We hope the Supreme Court will decline to end the program or, at the very least, have an orderly termination of it, protecting these kids and stopping the Federal Government from hurting them any further.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Henry Cordero. Henry was born and raised in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. He was raised by his parents, Felix Cordero and Norma Melendez. During Henry's school years, he was elected president of the 4-H Puerto Rico chapter. He won the National Citizen award, representing Puerto Rico, and was nominated and elected the president of the Puerto Rico Council Youth Office. Henry is a natural artist, playing instruments without taking any music lessons. He has been the singer of several music groups, such as Juventud 78, The Caps Band, and Henry's Combo Show. Henry worked at Cordero Studios as a photographer with his brother, Felix Cordero, for over 20 years. Henry learned all about photography, lights, illumination, setup, portraits, and other techniques from his brother, Felix Cordero. Since Henry moved to Florida in 1996, he has not stopped working to reach the American Dream. As an entrepreneur, he developed his own business, Cordero Studio Productions, which offers services for all your needs, such as photography, videography, photo booths, sound, music, pipe and drape, video projectors, video screens, event coordinator, t-shirt printing, and more. Henry is very involved in the community. With his talent, he provides services to local schools, nonprofit agencies, churches, and other local groups. Henry lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife of 33 years and his three children, Mariangelix, Henry, Jr., and Erik. At this time, Henry has one grandchild, Soleil. He is also supportive of his wife, Maribel, who has been elected as Orange County Commissioner in central Florida. Henry continues to be an asset within our community, with all his talents and dedication. For that, we honor Mr. Henry Cordero. Honoring Kelly Quintero

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the award-winning host of XL 106.7's morning show, Johnny Magic, with his show, Johnny's House, for the great work he has done for the Central Florida community. Johnny was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but has called Orlando home for the last 30 years, while working for XL 106.7. He uses his voice, talents, and resources to work with our community. During times of need, after natural disasters, and times of crisis in our community, he has gone out of his way to help those in need. He genuinely cares for this community, and it shows through all of his hard work. Johnny Magic has witnessed firsthand the struggles that many families in our community experience. These experiences inspired him to develop a program that would make it possible for disadvantaged families to provide a wonderful holiday experience for their children. This is how the Baby DJ, Inc. program came to fruition. Over the last 25 years, this program has worked and collaborated with local churches, nonprofit organizations, and community partners to fulfill this mission. With the help of volunteers, the Baby DJ program has been able to provide resources to assist families in need and, in recent years, has expanded their operation to serve other charitable efforts that take place throughout the year. The program has provided backpacks and school supplies to countless schools in need in central Florida. These supplies provide a welcome relief to the families and students, as well as to teachers who routinely pay for school supplies for students and for their classrooms. Johnny Magic, and his team, and the Baby DJ program, are not only inspiring, but it is also what makes central Florida so wonderful. So I want to thank Johnny Magic, I want to thank the good folks at Johnny's House, the Baby DJ, Inc. program for their contributions and for his contribution to central Florida. Honoring Dr. Yarisa Bonet

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Dr. Yarisa Bonet. Dr. Bonet is a professional dedicated to education. Her mission is to provide tools to individuals to achieve a productive work-life balance and adopt healthy lifestyles. Dr. Bonet is active in many community organizations. She is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce, and the chair of the adult leadership class. She is a Haines City Rotarian and an active member of the Hispanic Professional and Business Women Association. Dr. Bonet is a community-centric individual who has counseled, trained, mentored and educated her community for over 16 years. In 2014, she founded Fibrofit Wellness & Yoga, a wellness and yoga center with offices in Orlando and Davenport. She has also developed wellness-related education programs, such as ``Kill Stress in 3 Steps.'' Last summer, Dr. Bonet launched the YLove Project, a free yoga, meditation, and emotional intelligence program for kids. She also has over 14 years of experience in healthcare management and has been the keynote speaker for hospitals and medical organizations in the areas of teaching about emotional intelligence and patient-centered care. Dr. Bonet holds a doctor of education from Nova Southeastern University. She has a master's degree in mental health and rehabilitation counseling from the University of North Florida, a graduate certification in psychiatric vocational rehabilitation from Boston University, and a bachelor's degree in sciences from the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Bonet is a certified emotional intelligence facilitator, a registered yoga teacher, and a certified meditation teacher. Yarisa also holds a certification in executive and talent coaching by Peoples Advantage. Dr. Bonet has been married for 17 years and has three boys. I would be remiss if I didn't mention she is a fellow Boricua. For that, we honor Dr. Yarisa Bonet. Honoring Claudia Camacho

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Claudia Camacho. Claudia Camacho is a bilingual professional and experienced administrator in the areas of admissions, academic affairs, faculty supervision, and training at Ana G. Mendez University. Claudia has over 20 years of a strong background in customer service. In 2002, she started working at Walt Disney World, providing orientation and mentorship to new cast members in all aspects of merchandise operations in the park and assisting managers. In 2005, she started working as an integrated services officer at Ana G. Mendez University, Metro Orlando Campus. Through her 14 years of experience working in various positions at the university, she has championed the admissions and academic affairs departments. Along with recruitment and personnel training, she has continuously succeeded in the development of program initiatives and special projects. As an associate director, she has participated in various events across central Florida in support of the Hispanic community. In addition, she has served as a liaison between the university and different organizations across central Florida, providing assistance and resources to the community. Claudia has been a member of the Academic and Student Affairs Commission; the Academic Leadership Team; and the Discipline, Curriculum Development, and the Commencement Coordination Committees of the university. Ms. Camacho earned a bachelor's degree in industrial chemistry from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Humacao campus in 1991. In 2005, she graduated from the Universidad Metropolitana at Ana G. Mendez University with a master's degree in business administration. Claudia also promotes a respectful, inclusive environment that embraces diversity. As a leader, one of her top priorities is to serve and support the Hispanic community and other fellow Boricuas from central Florida. For that, we honor Ms. Claudia Camacho. Honoring Yanidsi Velez Quiles

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Yanidsi Velez Quiles. Yanidsi Velez Quiles was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and raised in the municipality of Carolina known as La Tierra de Gigantes, the land of the giants. Yanidsi is the granddaughter of two veterans who served in the 65th infantry division of the United States Army, also known as The Borinqueneers, which served in World War II. Yanidsi is the daughter of two self-driven entrepreneurs and a first- generation college student. She is also the wife of a loving and supportive Ponceno, someone from Ponce, and a devoted foster and adoptive mother. Yanidsi has been a leading advocate for Hispanic grassroots organizations and pro-Latino legislation at the local and statewide level. Her public service and nonprofit career spans more than a decade. Yanidsi's leadership and community expertise, developed from doing work on the ground through community organizing, capacity-building, and advocacy work, has helped improve our way of life. She has led multiple civic engagement initiatives, issue-based campaigns, and programs that resulted in empowering over 800,000 Latinx individuals. In recent years, she has been a strong advocate for the thousands of displaced Puerto Rican families who have sought to rebuild their lives in Florida, as well as those who continue to work to rebuild on the island. Currently, Yanidsi is a senior State director for the Hispanic Federation. Yanidsi manages Hispanic Federation's Florida operations overall, with a primary focus on strategic planning, program development, public policy advocacy, and resource development. Yanidsi is most known as a woman of faith, passion, and compassion. She embodies the courage and strength within our community. For that, we honor Ms. Yanidsi Velez Quiles. Honoring Henry Cordero

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Kelly Quintero. Kelly Quintero is a first-generation American born to Colombian immigrants, Juan Carlos and Julieta Quintero, in New Jersey. As a student at the University of Central Florida, Kelly was actively involved in a number of student organizations on campus while earning her bachelor's in international relations. Kelly interned for my office as a then-State senator in Tallahassee during the State legislative session. Since then, Kelly knew that being part of politics and the political process was her calling. Soon after graduating, in 2013, Kelly worked for the Orange County government, overseeing bilingual communications. She then transitioned to central Florida political director for Hillary Rodham Clinton's Presidential campaign. Kelly's involvement with the campaign introduced her to community leaders who inspired her to use her skills, knowledge, and relationships to advocate for communities in need. In 2017, Kelly was the State legislative advocate for the League of Women Voters of Florida, where she worked with allies and elected officials to advocate on issues like gun control, voter rights, and funding for public education. Kelly successfully raised awareness on these issues with the help of statewide members. Soon after, Kelly began a new challenge as the director of advocacy and government relations for Second Harvest Food Bank of central Florida, the largest hunger-relief organization in the region. In this role, she has increased community engagement on advocacy efforts, including the farm bill, the intersection of health, hunger, and education of food insecurity and other issues at all levels of government. This has resulted in receiving Feeding America's Advocacy Hall of Fame Award every year. Kelly is also a 2018 recipient of the Orlando Business Journal's 40 Under 40 award. Kelly resides in Orlando, Florida, with her husband, Eddie Johnstone, and their two cats. For that, we honor Ms. Kelly Quintero. Honoring Soraya Marquez

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Soraya Marquez. Soraya Marquez is a Venezuelan leader in central Florida. During the last 20 years, Soraya Marquez has organized local communities within different Latin communities in Orlando, Florida. Soraya has also conducted electoral campaigns, motivating citizens to register and exercise the right to vote in each election, having led the registration of 100,000 new voters in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Hillsborough Counties in elections since 2012. Soraya's work has transcended to local high school projects, where she has encouraged students to become an active part of the electoral process. Soraya has promoted conferences with elected officials about the operation of cities and counties, as well as incorporating the importance of climate change. Soraya keeps the immigrant community on her daily agenda through meetings, informational sessions, and clinics in the face of immigration reform. Another priority for Soraya in the community has been free citizenship workshops, promoting the change and the perception of permanent legal residents by taking the important step of being a citizen of the United States. Soraya Marquez and her husband, Gustavo Marquez, are the founders of the C-Ciudadano organization. Soraya is also the state director of Mi Familia Vota in Florida. One of Soraya's most important awards includes the recognition of the Government of Mexico with the Ohtli Award for community leaders. For that, we honor Ms. Soraya Marquez. Honoring Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Jennifer Marcial Ocasio. Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio is the senior content editor of El Sentinel Orlando. Jennifer manages the team covering all news related to the central Florida Hispanic community and focuses mainly on El Sentinel's digital platforms and the production and editing of the Spanish weekly. Jennifer has been working in the media business for over a decade. Before joining El Sentinel, Jennifer launched and managed the online web page for Univision Puerto Rico, where she served as a team leader for nearly 5 years. Jennifer is driven by breaking news, human interest stories, and social media. Jennifer is a proud, born-and-raised Puerto Rican and feels honored representing her culture in the continental United States. Jennifer has a bachelor's degree in journalism with a second concentration in political science from the University of Puerto Rico and a master's degree in communications from Florida International University. Since she moved to Orlando, Jennifer has become a key role model and leader for the Hispanic community. She has given a voice to the underserved communities and works tirelessly to have their stories and achievements heard. Jennifer serves as the current president of the central Florida chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and works to promote the work and opportunities of #MoreLatinosInNews. For that, we honor Ms. Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio. Honoring Homan Machuca

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Homan Machuca. At the age of 16, Homan Machuca began a career in broadcasting as a recording assistant at Nuevo Continente of Bogota, the first evangelical Christian radio station founded in Colombia, where he later advanced to general manager. Homan also worked at Todelar, one of the largest radio networks in Colombia. Homan studied at Colegio Superior of Telecommunications and the University of America in Bogota, where he received his degree in journalism and communications. Homan relocated to the United States in 1984, where he was employed as a journalist for La Magica 1220 news. He then worked as the news director for Noticias 11Q radio; Cosmos 1270 radio; Cadena Fantastica radio; Viva 1160 AM radio; and Univision television channel 63, in Orlando, Florida, as well. Homan was the first Latino to transmit via satellite for the NASA space shuttle launches with United Latin Television to stations in Latin America and Europe. Homan Machuca won an Emmy Award for his work in television arts & science. Machuca is a five-time Paoli Award recipient. In 2008, he was awarded the Don Quijote award. He was awarded the Reportaje del Ano with United Press International for the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that deeply affected our State and the Nation. Before the Challenger disaster, he was on the list of journalists to be able to travel to space. Machuca is currently working as a senior reporter for Telemundo 31 NBC Station in Orlando and is the host of ENFOQUE, a program that explores social, economic, political, and community analysis. Homan continues to report and perform voiceovers for organizations such as National Geographic, Discovery, and others. Machuca serves with different organizations as a volunteer in the Hispanic community, including COAMED, a group of doctors from Orlando who travel to different countries helping people with medical necessities. He also is part of Whipping Childhood Cancer, an organization dedicated to helping kids diagnosed with cancer. He has served as a board of director there for 4 years. Machuca married his wife, Dawn Dodge Machuca, in Colombia in 1975. They currently reside in Florida with their children, Elaine, Timothy, and Nathalie. Mr. Speaker, for that, we honor Mr. Homan Machuca. Honoring Jackie Colon

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Jackie Colon. Jackie Colon was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and came to the United States at the age of 7. After Jackie lost her father, Julio Jaime, at the age of 11, her mom, Maria, was determined to carry on her husband's legacy for her family. Jackie attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and received her MBA from Florida Christian University. Ms. Colon married her high school sweetheart, Charles Colon, who later became a U.S. Navy officer. They have two children, Jasmine and Charles Jovani. Before moving to Florida, Ms. Colon worked for several Fortune 500 companies on Wall Street. Jackie Colon is now the southeast regional director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, known as NALEO. She is also CEO and President of JC Consulting, LLC. Jackie became the first Hispanic elected to the Palm Bay city council. She was the youngest deputy mayor in the history of the city of Palm Bay, Florida. She was the first elected Hispanic elected to the Brevard County Commission and served as chairman of the board of the County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida. Jackie served as a gubernatorial appointment to Governor Jeb Bush as Florida Commissioner on the Status of Women; gubernatorial appointment to the East Central Florida Planning Council by Governor Charlie Crist; Space Coast delegation liaison to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson; senatorial appointment to U.S. Senator Mel Martinez to the Armed Forces Service Academy Selection Committee. Ms. Colon was a board member of the Association of the United States Army and chairman of the Juvenile Justice Council as well. She has received the Legislator of the Year Award by the Children's Advocacy Council; Woman of the Year Government Award by the Central Florida Citrus Council; Leadership Award by the 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base; Patriot Award by the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans; named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in Central Florida by Vision Magazine as well. Ms. Jackie Colon has served at the local, State, and national level. She has represented companies in North and South America as well. Ms. Colon has been a keynote speaker in International Business Summits in Brazil. She is a life coach, motivational speaker, and continues to inspire thousands across North and South America. Mr. Speaker, for those reasons, we honor Jackie Colon. Honoring Alibeth Suarez

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to recognize Alibeth Suarez. Alibeth Suarez is a journalist, originally from Venezuela, with a passion to communicate and to support humanitarian causes. She graduated from high school with the best school rating average and obtained a bachelor's degree in communications from Central University of Venezuela. Her graduation project was the creation of a community digital newspaper, which received a distinguished mention. In 2015, Alibeth moved to the U.S. She started attending English classes with the Orange County Library System. Today, she is bilingual and works as a Questline Reference Assistant and has been with the libraries for 4 years. She is a Library Ambassador, promoting different classes, events, and programs. In the last 2 years, she has spoken to around 20,000 people about library resources and created the idea of a radio show called Portada in Mas 100.7 FM to express in English and Spanish the different options the library offers, especially to the Hispanic community. Currently, with about 50 shows aired and 31 guests interviewed, Alibeth continues to open new bridges for the community to learn, grow, and connect. She is planning a project for Hispanics to help better understand the need to save the planet and be grateful about how the U.S. is a land of opportunities. She acts as media coordinator for Casa de Venezuela Orlando, where she is helping in the process of collecting and shipping medical supplies to Venezuela in the cause for freedom and restoring democracy, as well as assisting fellow immigrants, especially lobbying for a bipartisan bill to approve temporary protective status for Venezuelans, a bill that I had the honor of passing through this Chamber last month. At present, Alibeth lives in Orange County, Florida, and is a proud constituent of Florida's Ninth Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, for that, we honor Alibeth Suarez. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Florida hosted over 100 million tourists last year. They came from every State in the Union and from around the world. Many came to our world-class beaches. Florida's beaches are a national treasure beyond just our district, but across our Nation. We also have major Air Force exercises throughout the Gulf of Mexico. For this reason, there is a Federal moratorium on oil drilling in the Gulf. But in 2022, that moratorium is set to expire. It is time to end this looming deadline and make the moratorium permanent. That is why we have come together in a bipartisan fashion to do just that. This week, we will have a chance to protect Florida's wildlife and sea life, to protect our military operations and readiness, and to protect the national treasure of Florida's beaches for all Members of Congress' constituents and for the world. I urge all my colleagues to support this critical legislation.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I also want to just make a point that the temporary protected status program is the current law of the land. The program was created for this exact purpose, to help people living under dire conditions, like Venezuelans who fear for their lives. It allows them to stay in the U.S. until the situation changes in their home country. In this broader debate over immigration and over TPS, let us not sacrifice the Venezuelan people in the process but, rather, come together in a bipartisan fashion to show the very best of this Chamber in the interest of freedom and liberty, not only to Venezuela, but across the globe.

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman from California for her time and her leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I think that Congress understands at this point that Venezuela is in crisis; that its people are in crisis under the evil fist of a tyrannical dictator who has stayed in power through fraudulent elections. That is why the United States recognized Juan Guaido as interim President in a bipartisan fashion, from President Trump and leaders in the Senate, to leaders in the House, including our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. And that is why we have come together in a bipartisan fashion to file and pursue the passage of the Venezuela TPS Act. It was cointroduced with bipartisanship in its heart with Congressman Diaz-Balart, who has joined me here today to try to get the job done and to get everybody together. We have been joined by such amazing leaders like Congresswoman Shalala--who we will hear from in a second--who helped on the Rules Committee; or with the help of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who helped to work with leadership; and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Congresswoman who helped us guide it through the Judiciary Committee, along with Congresswoman Lofgren as well. The administration has said positive statements about this. Just this past week, Secretary Pompeo said that this could happen. And we had Vice President Pence in Florida saying that we need to act to help the Venezuelan people. So I think we are going to have a second chance. We are going to have a chance tonight to vote on this again where we won't need a two-thirds vote, but it would say a lot about saying that the Socialist regime that Maduro has in Venezuela needs to go, and that we, as a Congress, stand together as Democrats and Republicans to condemn that; and to allow people who are here, over 170,000 in Florida, and over 1 million throughout the United States, to have a second chance. Mr. Speaker, I really hope the House can come together and show our very best tonight with the vote. According to USCIS, Venezuelans have become the largest group of asylum seekers applying for refuge in the U.S. Venezuelans made up one- third of all asylum claims, ahead of people from Central America, China, and all other countries. That is really significant considering the humanitarian crisis that all parties have recognized is at the border right now. Only Venezuelans already in the United States who pose no risk to the safety or security of our country are eligible for TPS. The program already contains the most stringent criminal and public safety bars in all of immigration law, so we make sure that there are only those who are worthy. Lastly, temporary protective status is the current law of the land.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, Jim Freeman, who has served as the County Manager of Polk County, Florida since 2010 will retire on July 31. Jim is a true public servant who began his career with Polk County in 1989 as Director of Information Technology. From 1997 to 2003, he served as Administrative Services Director, becoming Deputy County Manager in November 2003. His previous experience includes eight years with the Gwinnett County, Georgia, Board of Commissioners and four years with the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Commission in Gainesville, Georgia . A native of the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, he holds an AS in Business Data Processing from Gainesville College, in Georgia, and a BA in Business Administration from Saint Leo University in Florida. Jim is a Certified Public Manager and a member of the Florida City and County Management Association, the International City and County Management Association, and a graduate of Leadership Polk, Class Il, and has served on the Board of Directors of Polk Vision and the Advisory Board of Polk County Career Academies. Jim has lived in Winter Haven since 1989 and is married to Gena Freeman. Between the two of them, they have seven children and 11 grandchildren; and are members of the Calvary Baptist Church in Winter Haven. We worked together to bring critical funding back to Polk County for Hurricane Irma relief, to combat citrus greening, to bring higher paying jobs, and to protect our environment. I have truly appreciated the time I have spent working with him. I congratulate Jim on a tremendous career and wish him much happiness in his well-deserved retirement.