Darren Soto

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Soto amendment, Soto number 27 to Division D, the Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018, increased funding to the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program by $1,000,000. It did so by making an additional carveout of money from the overall Taxpayer Services Account. I support increased funding for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program and thank Chairman Graves and my colleagues for their support of my amendment.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Soto amendment, Soto number 11 to Division H, the Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018, increased funding to the Housing for the Elderly Program by $2,500,000. It did so by shifting $2,500,000 from the Policy Development and Research, Research and Technology account within HUD. I support increased funding for the Housing for the Elderly Program and thank Chairman Diaz-Balart and my colleagues for their support of my amendment.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and privilege to recognize the life of fallen Kissimmee Police Sergeant Sam Howard III, who passed away August 19, 2017. Sam and his fellow officer, Matthew Baxter, were fatally wounded on August 18, 2017, while responding to a shots-fired call in the northern area of Kissimmee. Both officers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty protecting a woman, whose own statement said, ``without question,'' the two men were responsible for saving her life. Sam was born on September 20, 1981, in Bartow, Florida. Raised in Central Florida, he graduated from Osceola High School in 2000. Shortly after graduating, Sam joined the Florida Army National Guard and served in Iraq from December 2003 to March 2005. Fulfilling a goal his wife, Billie Jo Howard, says was always on his mind; to serve and protect. After his military service, Sam's desire to serve and protect led to his pursuit of joining the Kissimmee Police Department on January 22, 2007. Sam was a Detective Corporal, Street Crimes Corporal, Traffic Homicide Investigator, DUI Officer, Motors Officer, and S.W.A.T. Sniper. On July 7, 2017, his impressive work effort and dedication led to his promotion to the rank of Sergeant. Sam's sense of duty also carried over to his responsibilities as a father and husband. Sam had always kept his promise to be a role model and good father to his daughter, Unique. Through hard times and good, Sam always put Unique as his priority; as he would always attend her sporting events. Sam's wife would say ``everyone should be blessed to have a father like Sam.'' Sam was not only a leader of our community in Kissimmee, but he was also a good person and friend to those who knew him. Through Sam's passion for cars and athletics, his positivity brought joy to those around him. As a leader, Sam only wanted what was best for the community, and to make sure the people knew he was there to help those in need. For those who guard over us are our fellow brothers and sisters, who give their hearts to the communities they serve.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and privilege to recognize the life of fallen Kissimmee Police Officer Matthew Baxter, who passed away August 18, 2017. Matthew and his supervisor, Sergeant Sam Howard, were fatally wounded while responding to a shots-fired call in the northern area of Kissimmee. Both officers sacrificed their lives in the line of duty protecting a woman, whose own statement said, ``without question,'' the two men were responsible for saving her life. Matthew lived and served honorably, proving that no matter where you come from or where you are going, you can make a difference. Matthew was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Throughout his youth Matthew demonstrated his energetic personality and desire to be a role model in the community through his participation in athletics like basketball, football, and wrestling. His motto was ``pursue the dreams closest to the heart and never giving up,'' led to his graduation from Jefferson High School in 2009, graduation from Valencia College with a degree in Criminal Justice, and his pursuit of a graduate program at Eastern Florida State College. Matthew joined the police academy to give back and help his community. Through his participation in programs such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and through his role as a police officer, Matthew was able to mentor youth. Instilling in them his dedication to pursue a path of helping those around them for the betterment of the community. Matthew's message of love, encouragement, strength, and community live on in every one of the people he touched in the community and with his family; which includes his wife, Sadia Baxter, and his four daughters Sariah, Isabella, Zarah, and Sofia. For those who put the wellbeing of others before their own, they will never be forgotten.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York. However, on September 5, President Trump announced he would end DACA and look to Congress to develop a legislative solution for DACA recipients. Well, Congress has a solution. It is H.R. 3440, the Dream Act. We have heard about it from sea to shining sea. The Dream Act would allow DREAMers to earn lawful permanent residence with a pathway to citizenship. It would also give them the opportunity to continue contributing to their communities by encouraging them to pursue higher education, work for at least 3 years, or serve in our United States military. To qualify under the Dream Act, a person must graduate from high school, pass a background check, demonstrate proficiency in the English language, and not have a felony or any other serious crime that could pose a threat to our country. With the DACA set to expire, now is the time for Congress to act. We must bring the Dream Act to the floor for a vote because Congress has been silent for too long. DREAMers are doing their jobs. What we ask is that Congress does theirs. It is time for Congress to do its job and pass the Dream Act without delay.

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, President Barack Obama, under his executive powers, established the DACA program which temporarily protected immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children from potential deportation. Our Nation made a promise to DREAMers that by coming out of the shadows, following the rules and laws of our great land, they would not be deported to a foreign country that they never knew or barely remembered. DREAMers came to the United States under no volition of their own as young children, making this country the only home most have ever known. DREAMers have jobs, pay taxes, and contribute to the prosperity of our Nation's economy. Since its implementation, the DACA program has added over 50,000 jobs to our economy. Ninety-three percent of DREAMers are currently employed. Over the next decade, DACA beneficiaries are projected to contribute $460 billion to our Nation's GDP; $24.6 billion in Medicare and Social Security; and an estimated $2.5 billion annually for State and Federal contributions.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, first, to the President: Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are in crisis. People are dying, and the time for action is now. Send our ships. Send our planes. Send our soldiers and our personnel over. We need water and food and medicine. These are Americans, and we can't turn our backs on them. To Mr. Speaker: We need a FEMA supplemental package without delay, and include not only Texas and Florida, but the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with the same funding per capita as the States. They need resources just like our great State of Florida. To the Governors in many States from whom folks from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will seek refuge in the meantime: Be prepared--your schools, your hospitals, shelters. Families in these areas, open your homes to our friends and to your neighbors. The United States Government must act with urgency beginning today.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his inspiring words. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to update the House on what has occurred in Florida after the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. First, I want to start by thanking so many Members of Congress for supporting a package that doubled from $7 billion to $15 billion, the emergency relief. Not only was it so critical for the great State of Texas, but it was absolutely essential for anticipating the effects that Irma would have on the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, up through South Carolina, and southeast United States. When I arrived back on Friday--you know how important it is to go back to your district when there is a crisis on hand--I saw people taking the notice of evacuation seriously. I saw people stocking up on gas, stocking up on water, stocking up their cupboards, making sure to be ready. While it was initially supposed to hit the southeastern portion of Florida, as you know, these predictions can be somewhat accurate, which is why we always need to be sure to always prepare, whether you think you are in the eye of the storm or not. Because, in fact, after it went through the central Keys and leveled a lot of Marathon and other central Keys islands, it hit southwest Florida. The eye went right through the Naples-Fort Myers area, and a lot of those folks are still struggling with that. It actually went up through the western center of the State, through the western portion of my district in Polk County, as well as Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and other areas, and then finally going up through the Big Bend. That night, the wind was so loud and the rain was so hard that you couldn't even hear the trees snapping. When I woke up the next day, I knew it was bad, but, to my surprise, there were trees down everywhere. Right outside our door, right down the street, in Osceola, Orange, and Polk Counties--all the counties that I represent--one of the first initial acts of courage that I saw was neighborhood folks with nice F- 150s, chainsaws, and all of this construction equipment, volunteering their time to get these major trees out of the roads. We saw that throughout Kissimmee, east Orlando, Winter Haven, Haines City, Lake Wales, and so many areas, like St. Cloud, that I represent. That debris removal that the State was approved for by FEMA is going to make sure, now that those trees are on the sidewalk or they are on the median, that they are going to get picked up. It is going to be so critical that we have that either 75 or 90 percent reimbursement for debris removal to make sure that these neighborhoods can come back to normal. One of the other impacts of having all of these trees down, since we haven't had a hurricane with major winds since 2004, was that it absolutely decimated the power grid. If our fellow Members remember nothing else about what I have to say here today, it is that our power grid was absolutely annihilated--the worst that Duke Energy, FP&L, and municipal electricity providers like KUA and OUC said they have seen in their history. There are people that are without power now--several hundred thousand--and it is primarily because we saw so many of these trees go down on power lines. When I went through my district, I saw rivers swell to floods. We saw worse in Harvey--far worse flooding in Harvey. We know with the supplemental FEMA packages that we are going to have to take care of Texas and Louisiana. But there are areas that are still under water as of yesterday, as of last night, and as of this morning. A few of them in east Orlando, where the Econlockhatchee River swelled over into the swamps and over into apartment buildings. There were still, unfortunately, some UCF students that needed to evacuate; and I think, after the firefighters got there with the fire trucks, they heeded that warning. I saw in Kissimmee flooding in the Mill Slough area. The slough flooded over. And we saw in Buenaventura Lakes flooding in the streets in many neighborhoods. I witnessed folks throughout the area in mobile homes suffer pretty extreme damage in certain areas of Polk County. I commend FEMA for allowing these counties and many others on the central and southern part of the State to get the designation of individual assistance. These folks are still without power--many of them worried about the dangers that are still going on. So to know that the Federal Government--Congress--has their back is absolutely a hope that they can hang on to as they sit day after day without power, slowly but surely getting back on their feet. I will be having outreach events throughout the district. Some of my fellow peers who went through Harvey have suggested that it is critical to have these, not only major FEMA centers, but ones that are embedded in the various neighborhoods, because some people have trouble getting gas and transporting around, and have trouble through mass transit getting to some of these major centers. So we will be following the cue of others, our brothers and sisters in Houston, by having localized FEMA outreach centers in the district, and I look forward to hosting some of those this week. Throughout the State, we see the Federal and State government working hand in hand with our local governments. It is key that we are going to need a supplemental package for Texas, parts of Louisiana, Florida, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and parts of Georgia and South Carolina. I know that Congress, like last Friday, will hopefully come together to pass that package. One of the things that we are going to need to do going forward is continue encouraging local governments and utilities to harden their infrastructure. We in the Federal Government should be promoting and matching funds with those utilities that are going to put their power lines underground. The cost of keeping them up aboveground is going to continue to exacerbate these disasters. Just understanding by the numbers, we had one of the largest evacuations in the Nation's history. Nearly 7 million people were asked to evacuate from central and southeastern Florida to shelters or other facilities. As of Monday morning, over 200,000 Floridians were still in shelters. Nearly 33.8 million Floridians lost power to their homes and businesses, with hundreds of thousands still without power. We saw a massive hit to our citrus crop, which is already struggling with citrus greening, and we have bipartisan letters going out from Congressman Ross, Congressman Rooney, myself, and others making sure that the USDA follows along with FEMA to make sure that our citrus growers can have some relief as they grapple with what will be a dismal 2017-2018 crop. We saw Florida's coasts, especially in cities like Jacksonville, experience historic flooding. The Atlantic came into the St. Johns. The St. Johns, being one of those rivers that flows north, took much of the water from central Florida and brought it forward to create a terrible situation of flooding of 2 to 3 feet in downtown Jacksonville alone. For the first time in U.S. history, we saw two Category 4 hurricanes make landfall in the same year. Obviously, we need to continue to prepare for the increasing weather events caused by man-made climate change, and that will be why, whether you agree or not with the cause of it, that we will need to harden our facilities, our infrastructure, our buildings, and our utilities. Whether or not you agree with what the cause of it is, we know that the solutions are making sure to have more resilient infrastructure, building up our coasts, and making sure that we have, through the Federal Government, incentives for our local and State governments to do that. Officials have reported 31 dead across three States in connection with this hurricane, 24 of those in Florida. One other area that Congress needs to look at is generators for our nursing homes. This is already required under Florida law, yet we saw several people yesterday, eight of them, pass, our seniors in their golden years, who should be protected. And when you are talking about no power in Florida, you are talking about not only no ability to turn on the lights, but air-conditioning, which is critical when it is 90-plus degrees out, particularly for our seniors, our children, and our persons with disabilities. I want to thank all of our first responders: our firefighters; our cops; our EMTs; all the county officials and city officials who put together all this demanding information to get the FEMA Individual Assistance designation; our local officials for continuing, to this moment, to give us information on hardest hit areas; and also our community for coming together, our volunteers, those who are helping get the trees out of the streets, for providing water and food to hardest hit areas, to people opening up their homes, contributing through nonprofits such as the Red Cross. All these issues, all these commitments, all this volunteerism is coming together to help out our constituents. I am appreciative, Mr. Speaker, for this time to be able to brief Congress on some of the issues affecting central Florida, and I thank my peers for their help and for their continued efforts in Texas, in Florida, in Puerto Rico, in the Virgin Islands, and in South Carolina and Georgia, where we saw a lot of this damage happening. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, it happened on a Friday night, August 18, that Sergeant Sam Howard and Police Officer Matthew Baxter responded to a report of three suspicious persons around Palmway Street and Cypress Street in Kissimmee. I remember hearing about it. It was unfortunate because a veteran, a marine who lived in our community, had a moment of post-traumatic stress disorder and ambushed these two Kissimmee police officers, killing one nearly instantly and the other only a little over a day later. Officer Matthew Baxter was 27 years old. He grew up in Baltimore and moved to central Florida after high school. He had been with the department for only 3 years. He met his wife, Sadia, a detective of the Kissimmee Police Department, on the job. He left behind his wife and four young children, the youngest under a year old. He was courageous and passionate in his devotion to public service, and he was known as a sharp dresser and as someone with overwhelming confidence. Sergeant Richard ``Sam'' Howard was 36 years old, born and raised in Kissimmee. He served in the Army and fought in Iraq. He was a 10-year veteran of the department and a member of our SWAT team. He left his wife, Billie Jo, and teenage daughter, Unique, behind. My wife and I got to visit his wife's classroom and brought supplies to her students, knowing how difficult it was. He was a family man, hardworking, very optimistic, and quite the fast talker, as we were reminded by everybody during his wake. There are moments like these that test our will, our strength, our compassion. There are moments like these that test our community and even our faith. And more than we can ever imagine, there are moments like these that test the families of Sergeant Sam Howard and Officer Matthew Baxter. We are here today and I am on the floor today to proclaim aloud what we already know in our hearts to be true. And make no mistake about it: these men were heroes, and we will never forget their sacrifices. They are heroes because they got up every day and put on the Kissimmee Police uniform. They went out in our community every day to protect us. And, yes, they put themselves in harm's way every day to keep us safe. These men are heroes because they were good family men. They were loving husbands, great fathers, and they were pillars of our community. Yes, these men were heroes because when the moment came where they had to lay their lives on the line to protect our community, they did so without hesitation. For those reasons, we will never forget Sergeant Sam Howard and Officer Matthew Baxter. On August 21, 2017, an American flag was flown over our Capitol in honor of Sergeant Howard, and on that same day, an American flag was flown over our Capitol in honor of Officer Baxter. These flags cannot take away the pain caused to their families. They cannot take away the pain caused to our community, to their fellow officers, and to the police department in general. But they were flown over our Nation's Capitol for a very good reason--to show that their lives matter, their sacrifices matter, and that their families matter. For that, they remain in our hearts, they remain in our thoughts, and they will always be in our prayers. God bless Sergeant Sam Howard, Officer Matthew Baxter, and their families. God bless the city of Kissimmee, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Soto amendment, Soto number 19 to Division A, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018, moved $1 million from the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide account to the Defense Health Program's Peer-Reviewed Gulf War Illness research program. If we are going to spend money on medical research within the Department of Defense, the Department must adequately fund research on those diseases that originate in war and wholly affect our servicemen and women. Over a quarter of a million veterans display symptoms of this disease, and the time has come to find, and fund, a cure for it. I support funding Gulf War Illness research and thank my colleagues for their support of my amendment.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase funding for the Small Starts program by $48 million. This is the amount that SunRail, a constituent passenger train system in my district, would need to begin phase 3 of construction. Phase 3 would connect the commuter rail system to the Orlando International Airport. Currently, the Orlando Intermodal Terminal is under construction at the airport that would connect two transportation systems, both Brightline and SunRail, which were only really divided by a few miles, and Federal funding will eventually be key to connect this intermodal system and SunRail. Central Florida needs to be more mobile, and I urge in the future that we look as we go forward with phase 3, and stand ready to help. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time and I withdraw my amendment.

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect DREAMers like Juan, who obtained a master's degree from our Florida State University and works in digital advocacy.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Soto amendment, Soto number 20 to Division A, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018, moved $10 million from the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide account to the Defense Health Program's Peer-Reviewed Prostate Cancer Research Program. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and is the second most common cause of male death. In 2017, approximately 161,360 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and an estimated 26,730 will die from it. The Prostate Cancer Research Program is a unique research program in that it prioritizes research that will lead to the elimination of death from prostate cancer while enhancing the well-being of men experiencing the impact of the disease. I support funding prostate cancer research and thank my colleagues for their support of my amendment.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a resolution for Tom Flores urging he be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tom Flores had an outstanding and successful career, both as a quarterback and as a head coach. This resolution pays tribute to his inspiring athletic talents. Flores became the first Hispanic starting quarterback in professional football history and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams. Also, he was the first Hispanic head coach to win two Super Bowls, a feat he accomplished on two separate teams, and he became the first Hispanic manager in the National Football League. He left with an impressive lifetime record and an 8-3 playoff record. Tom has been a trailblazer for Hispanics in the NFL and has motivated a generation of new players by showing they can compete and win. Let's enter this trailblazer into the Hall of Fame.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, recall President Trump's promise on the campaign trail: we will build a wall and have Mexico pay for it. Not only is it costly and unnecessary, but it will do more to divide America than it will to keep us safe. First, taking the fact that Mexico is not paying for it, nor would anybody in their right mind think that Mexico was ever going to pay for it, now he is asking for $1.6 billion of Americans' hardworking taxpayers to pay for it. We already have 650 miles of border fencing, but representing the Sunshine State, with over 1,000 miles of coastline, this isn't going to make us safer. It is not going to help us at all. And then you look to how there are racial undertones to this. Notice how there is a focus on the Southern border, but not the Northern border? While I would not support that, we can't help but notice that this is focused on dividing America on racial lines, on making us less safe and on wasting taxpayer dollars. It is time to unite America. It is time to look forward to a safer America, and spend our money on the Coast Guard, on custom border control, and other works that will make us safer.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Chair, I want to make a statement regarding the passage of H.R. 3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018. Specifically, I would like to make a statement about my amendment, Soto Number 20, to Division A, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018. My amendment moved $10 million from the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide account to the Defense Health Program's Peer- Reviewed Prostate Cancer Research Program. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and is the second most common cause of male death. In 2017, approximately 161,360 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and an estimated 26,730 will die from it. The Prostate Cancer Research Program is a unique research program in that it prioritizes research that will lead to the elimination of death from prostate cancer while enhancing the well-being of men experiencing the impact of the disease. I support funding prostate cancer research and thank my colleagues for their support of my amendment. Mr. Chair, I want to make a statement regarding the passage of H.R. 3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018. Specifically, I would like to make a statement about my amendment, Soto Number 19, to Division A, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018. My amendment moved $1 million from the Operation and Maintenance, Defense- Wide account to the Defense Health Program's Peer-Reviewed Gulf War Illness Research Program. If we are going to spend money on medical research within the Department of Defense, the Department must adequately fund research on those diseases that originate in war and wholly affect our servicemen and women. Over a quarter of a million veterans display symptoms of this disease, and the time has come to find, and fund, a cure for it. I support funding Gulf War illness research and thank my colleagues for their support of my amendment.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, next week we will see consideration of the repeal of ObamaCare without a replacement. This would be a life-and- death issue for most Americans. First, we would see skyrocketing uninsured rates: 18 million people would lose insurance next year; 32 million people would lose insurance by 2026. We would also see skyrocketing premiums: 20 to 25 percent by next year, 50 percent by 2020, and 100 percent by 2026. Seventy-five percent of Americans would live in a place where there would be no marketplace insurer. We know that for every 455 people who gain coverage across the United States, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, that at least one life is saved. So if we lose coverage for 20 million people next year, we would be looking at 43,000 to almost 44,000 avoidable deaths in the United States. That is why this is life and death. TrumpCare has had its shot, and it has failed. It is time for the parties to come together now. It is time to have a bipartisan bill to fix the ACA. The American people deserve nothing less.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings) for sharing Brandon's story. Next we have a story from a friend. ``My name is Jim McDermott, and I am a good friend of Chris Brodman who was the first survivor of the Pulse massacre to pass away of a rare brain aneurysm on September 11 of last year. Chris came to Orlando and made it his home in the fall of 2007. His outgoing, natural interest in other people and their stories made him quite popular in our community--and we are still grieving his loss to this day. It is hard to imagine that his constant, wonderful smile is not around anymore to brighten our days. ``He was and is the best friend one could ever have. ``Chris was celebrating at Pulse a few days late because he had to work on the actual day of his birthday itself. He was lingering with friends, enjoying the festive atmosphere of the club that was one of his favorites, when the attack began. In what I find to be an example of his character, Chris pushed his friends to safety over the back fence first before escaping himself. Not one person who knows him finds this to be a surprise, as Chris was always our protector, our confidante, and our hero. ``As we come upon the one-year mark of the assault on Pulse, we wanted to remind the world of his heroism and his day-to-day loving example of how a great person can affect your life for the better. Chris loved people that were utterly themselves and unique. He prized authenticity and loyalty wherever he went. He had high standards, and he lived by them, and it made us want to live up to them as well. ``I know in my heart that he would want us to bridge the divides that separate us. He believed strongly in forgiveness and kindness. He was open to new ideas and new ways of thinking if it would lead people to a better life. My favorite recent picture of him was after the shooting where he proudly held up a sign at the LGBT Center downtown saying: `Love always wins.' ``In his memory, let us strive to remember not just the victims of this tragedy but the survivors as well. Let us ensure that they are getting the counseling and medical care that they continue to need. We should strive to maintain the loving bubble of hope that has surrounded our city, because of this event, despite all of the strife and division elsewhere in this country. We need to tell, preserve, and remember their stories, for they are worth hearing.'' ``They have important lessons to teach all of us. Orlando is known as being the premier destination in the world for families of all kinds--a rainbow of diversity that is infused in every aspect of our city beautiful. So today let us protect the loving vision Orlando has become around the world in the face of this tragedy. Let us stay Orlando Strong. And in so doing, we remain the beautiful haven that drew Chris to us. ``And let us never forget the red-haired boy from Shirley, New York, who taught us about unconditional love and friendship from the day he arrived. ``We love you forever, Chris. ``Sincerely, ``Jim McDermott.''

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a list of the names of those who perished in the Pulse Nightclub shooting. [From www.cityoforlando.net, June 12, 2017] Victim's Names 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; 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 Delesus Velazquez, 50 years old; Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old; Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old.

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, Congresswoman Demings, my colleague, for reading the letter of Joshua. How inspiring it really was. Next we have a statement from our dear friend, Eric Rollings, who is one of our supervisors of the Orange County Soil and Water Board, and who also is one of our only openly gay elected officials. ``As an openly gay elected official and Orlando resident for 27 years, I know the city and Orange County very well. We are a loving, caring community that supports the rights and pursuit of happiness for all of our residents. One year ago this very day, we were devastated to feel the loss of so many lives from every part of all of Orlando. Yes, Pulse by name was a gay nightclub, but it was attended by everyone and all walks of life felt safe dancing and having a good time for more than a decade. ``As the night became dawn and the horror of the extent of what happened became painfully available by every media outlet, I didn't need to listen to news reports because I live right across the street from Pulse. The sound of the blades from the helicopters above my house cut through June air, day after day, looking for a better camera angle. Out of so much pain came so much love. ``Immediately Orlando went into action. The outpouring of love from everywhere in the world is still so incredible. The help came from faith-based organizations, the small stores, corporate America. Most of all, it came out of love and our neighbors. I hope this never happens to your community or any community, but it most likely will. Let me offer some advice. ``Love thy neighbor, know your neighbor, and take care of your neighbor. Do not wait until another tragedy. Talk to your children about violence. Let's help the persons that suffer from mental illnesses. ``There is a significance and real difference between a city that is tolerant, a city accepting, and a city that embraces the LGBTQ and all its communities and individuals within those communities. I am proud to live in a city and a county that embraces! We are Orlando Strong and we are Orlando United.''

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Demings for sharing Chris' story. A coworker of mine, Ramses Tinoco, who survived the Pulse Nightclub shooting, sent me this letter entitled ``Everlasting Unity.'' ``My name is Ramses Tinoco, and I am a Pulse Nightclub shooting survivor. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to continue with my life so that I can spread empowerment, compassion, love, and unity. ``I want to express my feelings and point of view. Realistically, as a community and nation, we all suffered a tragic attack of terror on this one-year remembrance of June 12, 2016. Today, this is known as the biggest mass shooting in American history. Here at the doorsteps of Pulse Nightclub, let's take in consistent consideration of the ones who ultimately suffered the most: the victims, families of the deceased, the injured survivors, the other survivors who were there and escaped by God's grace, and the community who stood by, grieved in the aftermath. ``As a community, we have been given an opportunity to rebuild ourselves as stronger individuals and help those that are falling behind in depression, anguish, lament, and grief. As a community, we must show that constantly we are not alone, we are united more than ever, and, above all, that we are better than yesterday. ``This attack was a terrible and unfortunate tragedy to live through. It was an ultimate reminder that there is still a lot of discrimination and hate in this world. However, we must engage, learn from it, and utilize it to confront and prevent future fear in our community and ultimately the rest of the world. We can't be stronger if we fuel hate and negativity. We can't be stronger by pointing fingers and censoring others based on their race, financial status, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. ``Our world is facing some hard times. Everyone is becoming a victim. How can we stop this and end the fear? We must stand up and speak out for our rights, for our peace and protection, and for the safety of our country. Above all, we need to engage solidarity and equality for the love of humanity. We can begin to make this world a better place, right here, right now. It starts with you going out and doing something nice for someone. We need to live in a world free of fear. That time begins now. ``Ramses Tinoco'' of Orlando, Florida.

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida, Representative Val Demings. First of all, I thank her for her service in law enforcement and also for her husband, Jerry Demings' service in law enforcement and to remember the 1-year mark of the Pulse nightclub shooting. I wrote a poem entitled: ``Our Pulse Still Beats.'' Inspiration from a brother lost too soon A place for his memory to play the tune Alas his pulse ceased A safe place for a rainbow of people Full expression was presented throughout this steeple They all danced to the pulsating sounds Then came a night of celebration For many friends from many nations On the move to impulsive grooves In the midst of the night a dark figure entered Hate-filled heart and soul a splintered His guns pulsating death. Horrors, and cries, as bullets fly Some they ran and some they died Their pulses ceased to be Brave officers infiltrated the scene A melee ensued amidst the smoke and gleam And in the end terror was silenced, the repulsive vanquished Medics and firefighters quickly came to the rescue Seeking out those who cried out with fading hues Come quick he is still breathing, wait she has a pulse In makeshift ambulances staining ER floors in red One by one saved from the dead On the monitor, pulses finally steady beep, beep, beep In the morn Orlando awakes in sadness But comes together as One above the madness The pulse of the city is unspeakable grief and unbreakable love From everywhere we came to the Center, the Bloodbank, the Lake, and the Streets We gave our time, our pennies, our blood, our hugs, and our eats Donors with a strong pulse are needed to replenish our stock Makeshift monuments grew before our eyes We gathered at Dr. Phillips for those we lost and those still alive As the bell rang 49 times, sorrow became the natural impulse, but so was unity This emotion, this grief, this love was felt around the world By mothers and fathers, boys and girls A community pulsating with sadness and defiant hope Our happy little tourist town known for magic Became the site of history's most violent shooting, tragic But our community's pulse still beats One year later one community stronger Our pulse still beats For those who survived Our pulse still beats And for those we lost Our love still remains For the 49 angels our love still remains Though pain will ever be in our hearts Our love still remains.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the beautiful State of Hawaii for yielding to me, and I thank her also for being a champion of immigrants, both in her State and across the Nation. It is Immigrant Heritage Month this month, and I think it is critical that we take a few moments to talk about the state of immigration here in the United States. I can't do that any better than by talking about a few stories of what I have experienced over the past few months. On January 27 of this year, we saw President Trump sign his executive order, quite expeditiously, on a travel ban that specifically targeted the Muslim community, with seven countries, where 90-plus percent of the population practice Islam. It was an interesting moment for me. My wife and I were having dinner with a few friends of ours in the district, and one of them had asked me: Well, how is this ban going to affect you? How is it going to affect your district? At the moment, I wasn't really sure, but then I got a call only a few minutes later by my district director. Our first constituent was identified as coming back on a United Arab Emirates flight back from Iraq and was scheduled to land the next morning: a girl who had graduated from the University of Central Florida and lived a very productive life as a legal resident in central Florida for the last 6 years after her graduation. So we went the next day--early the next morning because, if anything, my legislative experience in the State legislature has told me: go to where the action is, go to where the controversy is, and do what you can to help. First, we went to Customs and Border Protection, and we got no response. We actually got surprise responses of what were we even doing there, because this was not a matter they were prepared to handle. So we went to the airport and were greeted by Greater Orlando Aviation Authority officials who were very helpful and understood that these were central Floridians who had been flying for 20 hours and were just about to arrive back into Florida, where they lived. That morning, I also met a young man who was a citizen from an area just north of the district, who was waiting for his two parents to come in on the same Emirates flight. We found out that the constituent and the two parents were three people who were held back and questioned. Throughout the day, we would get updates, but what we found out is there was very little information because there was very little understanding by Customs and Border Protection about how to implement this very vague order. The court had just ruled that it was potentially unconstitutional. So working with our local officials after hours of building up, hours of waiting with the families, hours of press starting to arrive, hours of TV coverage, and hours of protest, right when we were in the middle of doing interviews, that is when the families were finally released, after 7 hours of being questioned without water, without food, after a 20-hour flight. You could not have scripted this to make the point of how misguided this ban was than what happened. Right in front of TV cameras from across central Florida, first, the two parents came down--parents of a citizen who hadn't seen his parents in over 5 years. The scene was traumatic: crying, hugs, and welcomed by cameras wondering what had happened to these two individuals. These were simply two citizens of Iraq trying to come over to visit their son, who had already been given visas to come on over. A few minutes later, our constituent finally arrived as well. She also had been held for 8 hours without water, without food, after a 20- hour flight, and a barrage of questions. After that, we saw public opinion change sharply in central Florida as people saw these were the alleged people that were getting extreme vetting: people who were visiting their son in central Florida, longtime residents, who only had productive lives in central Florida. A few weeks later, we had the deportation force memo come down. I was shocked. We sent out letters to our sheriffs, we sent out letters to our schools, asking if they were planning on participating in this deportation force that President Trump had called upon to help implement and enforce our immigration laws. We called immediately a round table, where we invited immigrant groups, we invited law enforcement groups, and so many others to talk about the issues that were happening. Two of my three sheriffs immediately said they weren't planning on participating, that this was a Federal issue. A third ended up going from fully participating to, a day later, walking back that position, to just picking up folks who had been accused of violent felonies. Then our schools responded very quickly after they were posed with a scenario--a situation that was going down the very same day: a citizen, a young woman of Mexican descent, whose parents were also legal immigrants, was asked in front of their classmates about her status. Afterwards, there were a lot of finger-pointing and excuses that these were questions that were being levied to determine whether she needed to participate in the ESEA program. But at that moment, it was just more of this anti-immigrant rhetoric that was coming out of so many areas in central Florida. But like that incident, which was covered at length, minds and hearts changed in central Florida. There was an apology given to this young woman who was a citizen, and they changed the policy so that no one would be asked about immigration status in front of their peers, even if it was for something as harmless as the ESEA program. With our sheriffs clarifying their policies to not join this DHS call for deportation force, we were proud once again to have an inclusive society in central Florida where we welcome everybody. We are such an international community, home to the best theme parks in the world, a world-class convention center and hotels, and we welcome everybody from across the globe. Then, in addition, I just received a letter from a constituent. Her daughter had grown up, gotten a job, fallen in love, and had a bright future ahead of her. But she worried because her daughter's boyfriend potentially could be deported because he is on an H-1 visa. These types of policies breaking up families don't serve any interest in helping people pursue the American Dream and don't serve any interest in protecting our economy and protecting growth in central Florida, where we have such a large cattle industry and where we have such a large citrus industry. Finally, we have so many DREAMers, young students, who live in central Florida, who are working and striving, rising up in our society, and helping people along the way, immigrants who potentially could be one of 40 percent of creators of Fortune 500 companies that have been created here in America, one of the 65,000 servicemen and - women who are immigrants, who serve in our United States military. And we find that, with every 100 immigrants, we are creating 120 new jobs because our country has been founded and created on growth and equality. So I would like to see a few things happen, things that I believe Democrats and Republicans can agree on. First, let's make sure to ratify the DREAMer program, the Deferred Action program. You have bipartisan cosponsorship for this bill. This is something we could get done, especially for our veterans and those serving in our U.S. military. In addition, I believe that we need to relook at the H-1 visa program, the farmworker program. We need to acknowledge the reality that we have had for the last 150 years of agriculture here in the United States, which is that we rely on many of our immigrants coming from Mexico and Central and South America to help with our agriculture. This has been going on for over a century. What we can do is simply go from a 1-year to maybe a 3-year or 5-year program. I know our immigrants' rights community would support it. I know our agriculture communities would support it; and we wouldn't have people unwittingly not getting back to their country of origin after the 1-year visa expires, when they just want to go back and come back again to help out as seasonal labor. Then thirdly, there is an arbitrary cap on highly skilled workers here in this country. We train them in Ivy League schools, in brilliant schools in Texas, California, Florida, and across this Nation. And then, because of an arbitrary cap that no one wants to change because of the hot-button issue of immigration, then we send them on their way, back to their countries of origin, rather than keep them here and harness their talent for the future of our economy. Canada has even got word of this and welcomes these folks. When they realize their visas are up, they beg them to come to Canada to help start new businesses. So these are some of the ideas that we can fix, that we could all agree on, that both parties can agree on. And of course, in the end, we need a comprehensive immigration reform. But, in the meantime, let's get some things done that we all agree on and move our country forward. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii, one of the most beautiful States of the Union, for her leadership.

Mr. SOTO

Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the United States- Israel Agriculture Strategic Partnership Act, H.R. 2659, a bipartisan bill that permanently authorizes the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development program, otherwise known as BARD, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. I thank my co-introducer, Congressman Yoho, as well as you, Mr. Speaker, for being a cosponsor, and many others in the Florida delegation. I could wax ecstatic and poetic about BARD, but let me just say this: the program works. It inspires healthy competition of good ideas. It is beneficial to both countries and provides a fantastic return on investment; over $440 million worth of benefits for the United States and $300 million of benefits for Israel. BARD is focused on urgent goals like increasing agricultural productivity, particularly in hot and dry climates. BARD is training the next generation of innovators through ag science workshops and postdoctoral fellowships. It funds programs in over 25 States, including our great State of Florida. It strengthens our relationship with our best ally in the Middle East: Israel. This is a forward-looking, commonsense, bipartisan bill supported by experts and advocates on both sides of the aisle.