Rick Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, Judge Allen Winsor has honorably served the State of Florida for several years, and I proudly support his confirmation as a district judge for the Northern District of Florida today. He has demonstrated a keen legal acumen and adherence to the rule of law, both in his prior capacity as the solicitor general in the Office of the Florida Attorney General and in his present role as an appellate judge on Florida's First District Court of Appeal. His service on the appellate bench in Florida has consistently reflected his respect for the separation of powers and devotion to the proper function of the judiciary in our democratic system. As Governor of Florida, I had the distinct honor to appoint him to the First District Court of Appeal in 2016, and I am proud to support his confirmation to the Federal bench, where he will continue to serve our State and Nation well.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, Judge Rodney Smith has an impressive record of honorably serving the State of Florida, and I am proud to support his confirmation as a district judge for the Southern District of Florida. After receiving a bachelor's degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a law degree from Michigan State University, Judge Smith worked as a personal injury attorney. He then pursued a career in public service as a senior assistant city attorney for the city of Miami Beach, before his appointment to the Miami-Dade County Court in 2008. In my role as Governor of Florida, I had the honor of appointing Judge Smith to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in 2012. Judge Smith will continue to serve our State and Nation well on the Federal bench. nomination of thomas p. barber Madam President, I am honored to support Judge Thomas Barber to serve as a district judge in the Middle District of Florida. Judge Barber graduated from the University of Florida in 1985 and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1992. Since then, Judge Barber has served as an Assistant State Attorney, an assistant Statewide prosecutor, and a circuit judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Our citizens deserves judges like Judge Barber that are committed to enforcing our law, not legislating from the bench. With his long and distinguished history of public service, I have no doubt Judge Barber will serve Americans honorably as a Federal judge.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 246, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, on June 12, 2016, our State was attacked. Forty-nine innocent and beautiful lives were senselessly lost, and the lives of countless families and loved ones were forever changed. The attack--an attack on America, our State, the city of Orlando, our Hispanic and gay communities--was a terrorist attack. This act of terrorism was an attempt to rip at the seams of our society, to divide us, to instill fear in our hearts. But Floridians are strong. Floridians are selfless. Floridians are fighters. The days I spent in Orlando following the shooting will always be with me. I talked to many parents who lost their children. I went to funerals and wakes, and I sat in hospitals. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done as Governor and as a parent. Through our State's most challenging times, we also saw incredible bravery and heroism. We saw it in the brave members of law enforcement who selflessly ran into danger to help those in need; we saw it in the doctors and nurses who tirelessly worked to save lives; and we saw in the community that came together after this horrific tragedy to repair and rebuild. Three years removed from this unimaginable loss, our State is changed forever. Every year on this day, the State of Florida stands united with heavy hearts to honor the victims. I vow to never forget that evil exists in this world, and we must always stand up against those who wish to harm us. And we vow to always remember the beautiful lives taken far too soon.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I am proud to speak today in honor of Military Appreciation Month. Our men and women in uniform are true heroes. They risk their lives every day to protect our freedoms and our way of life. I had the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam war, and my adopted father was one of the few who made all four combat jumps in the 82nd Airborne during World War II. As Governor, I made it my mission to turn Florida into the most military- and veteran-friendly State in the Nation, and we succeeded. We championed important legislation and funding to support priorities that matter most to Florida's military families, and we took every opportunity to recognize veterans for their service. Florida has 20 military bases and 3 unified commands--more than almost any other State. As Governor, I met regularly with Florida's base commanders to see how I could help support their missions and their troops. As a Senator, I continue to host base commander meetings to make sure our military has every resource they need. America is blessed with the protection of the strongest military in the world. Our military provides not only for the safety of our country but also leads in supporting our allies and protecting freedom and democracy across the globe. For decades, we have invested in building our military into the most lethal fighting force in the history of the world, but we live in a dangerous world, and we must avoid complacency. Our military readiness was diminished by budget cuts and the sequester under President Obama, which reduced defense spending across the board. The dysfunction in Washington has many consequences, but a significantly weakened military is the most dangerous. Our military superiority is never guaranteed. Russia and China continue to build up their militaries with a single goal in mind: to dominate the world stage. To avoid a national security emergency, we must act now. That is why, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am fighting to match the President's request of $750 million in defense spending, and I am fighting to secure a pay raise for our men and women in uniform--our heroes. I have also sponsored the Pay Our Coast Guard Act to make sure military pay is never affected by a government shutdown. We must also work together to pass disaster relief funding immediately, which will help rebuild Tyndall Air Force Base following the devastation of Hurricane Michael. I will never lose sight of one of the most important roles I have as a U.S. Senator: to protect and serve the families of our Nation. None of us should lose sight of that. I look forward to working closely with each of you to invest in America's greatest asset--the men and women of our Armed Forces. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today commence.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of Rodolfo Ruiz to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. I first met Judge Rudy Ruiz in 2012 when I appointed him to the Miami-Dade County Court, when he was only 33 years old. He served Miami-Dade County very well, and 3 years later I had the opportunity to appoint him to the circuit court bench. Judge Ruiz has an impressive record. He graduated from Duke University and earned his law degree from Georgetown University. Following law school, Judge Ruiz clerked for Federal Judge Federico Moreno in the Southern District of Florida and later served as assistant county attorney for Miami-Dade County. With 7 years of distinguished service as a judge in Florida, it is no surprise that the administration has nominated him for this position, and the American Bar Association agrees. They unanimously rated him as ``well qualified'' for the robe. Judge Rudy Ruiz has honorably served the State of Florida, and I am proud to support his appointment to the Federal bench today. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Good afternoon. The crisis in Venezuela is a crisis in America. Senator Rubio, Congressman Diaz-Balart, and I have been talking about this for years and worked with the White House on a comprehensive strategy. More than 200,000 Venezuelans live in Florida, and their concerns are our concerns. Make no mistake--this is a crisis. It is a humanitarian crisis that threatens the lives of the people of Venezuela and has created a flood of refugees numbering in the millions. It is also a crisis that threatens the safety and security of our allies in Latin America and in the United States of America. The dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro and the creeping influence and military presence of our global adversaries represent a clear and present danger to the entire Western Hemisphere. There are some who will say that this is not our fight, that the millions of Venezuelans suffering 2,000 miles away are not our concern. Some have criticized the mere mention of the crisis in Venezuela by those like myself as American imperialism or a U.S.-backed coup. I reject that. This is our fight. Freedom and democracy in Latin America is our fight. I remind these critics that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. We cannot let evil triumph in Venezuela. It would be a failure of leadership with disastrous consequences. There is only one option left to get aid to the people of Venezuela. It is something that no one is willing to talk about. It is becoming clear that we will have to consider the use of American military assets to deliver aid. Maduro and his thugs have left us no choice. I applaud President Trump and his administration for taking bold action by recognizing Juan Guaido as the legitimate President of Venezuela and organizing the international community to do the same. The sanctions implemented by this administration against the Maduro regime and its puppet masters in Havana reflect their commitment to freedom and democracy in Latin America. Yet Maduro remains in power, the people of Venezuela continue to suffer, and the influence of Cuba, Russia, China, and international terrorist organizations grows. We must do more, but in order to understand where we go from here, we need to look at history. Hugo Chavez might have been elected democratically, but he never intended to govern democratically. He built a socialist dictatorship by hollowing out all the democratic institutions: the constitution, the electoral system, and the courts. He made civil society and the business sector bend to his will or face elimination. He nationalized entire sectors of the economy and used them to pay off his cronies. He took over the oil sector and made the national energy company his piggy bank. He made common cause with our enemies--most notably, the Castro regime. Cuba received and continues to receive free oil from Venezuela and in return provides political and internal security operatives. In other words, Cuba provided and is still providing military thugs to help stop freedom. Chavez allowed his regime to engage in illicit trafficking of drugs and people. He cooperated with Middle Eastern terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the terrorist state of Iran. This cooperation has only intensified under Chavez's successor, Maduro. The path of socialism chosen by the Chavistas inevitably led to a failed state that relies on bad actors for survival. The result is one of the worst humanitarian crises in our hemisphere's history. We cannot ignore the impact the socialist policies of Chavez and Maduro has had on the people of Venezuela. Nine out of ten households say they don't have enough money to buy food. That is socialism. Eighty percent of children under 5 are in some state of malnutrition. That is socialism. Inflation is over 10 million percent this year, and their currency is worthless. What does that mean to the average person? A bundle of carrots costs 3 million bolivars. A dozen eggs costs $150 USD. That is socialism. Venezuela has the highest murder rate in the world. That is socialism. More than 3.5 million refugees--about 12 percent of the population-- have fled to nearby countries because they can't get food, water, medicine, or safety from their government. Two million more Venezuelans are expected to flee before the year is out, with Colombia taking the brunt of this refugee crisis. Colombian resources are strained, as they do all they can to help the refugees fleeing persecution, starvation, and sickness, while the Maduro regime blocks aid caravans, sets them on fire, and continues to cooperate with the narcotrafficking rebels that plague Colombia. I want to thank my good friend President Duque for all he is doing. Other nations in the region, such as Brazil and Peru, have also chipped in, accepting hundreds of thousands of refugees. For weeks, millions of Venezuelans have been left without running water and amid a series of massive blackouts. Journalists report scenes that are now a part of the daily life for Venezuelans: dozens sleeping in line for their turn at a well in one of the city's biggest slums; three men tossing an old paint bucket tied with ropes down a well hoping to hit water; people parked by the highway, waiting their turn to place bottles under small streams that run down the Avila Mountain. Many Venezuelans call these conditions a genocide because the violence and starvation are being imposed on the civilian population as a conscious policy of Maduro and his Cuban puppet masters. Dictators like Maduro recognize weakness as an opportunity. The hungrier and sicker his people are, the easier they are to repress. This is the kind of evil we are facing in our hemisphere. But one thing is clear: Maduro underestimates his people. They may be oppressed, but they are not weak. They may be hungry, but their hunger is for freedom, and they are making their voices heard. We need to listen. Nicholas Maduro is an illegitimate President. His election was a sham, just like the elections in Cuba and Russia--a complete sham and a joke. Dozens of countries across Latin America and Europe have recognized Juan Guaido's right to the interim Presidency. As President of the National Assembly--the only democratic body left in Venezuela-- Juan Guaido has the right and the duty to preside over new elections and the return of democracy. The people still in power in Venezuela are corrupt bureaucrats and military officers engaged in embezzlement, narcotrafficking, and human rights abuses. Since being tested by uprisings in 2014 and 2017, the regime has reinforced a repressive apparatus that uses armed mobile civilian gangs known as colectivos, specialized police units, and anti- riot forces of the National Guard to terrorize and control the civilian population through arbitrary arrests, beatings, detentions, and killings. The Maduro regime has gone so far as to arrest the Chief of Staff for Interim President Guaido, Roberto Marrero. I met his wife Romy on Monday in Miami. She fled the country 3 weeks ago with their 7-year-old son, right before Maduro's thugs destroyed their home. The majority of the armed forces want change in their country, but they live under the repressive forces of control, threats, intimidation, and violence. Russian mercenaries protect Maduro because he can't trust his own troops, and the Russian Government has provided military advisers and specialists to maintain the Maduro regime's defenses, including surface-to-air missile systems. Russia has also sent nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela, in violation of the Venezuelan Constitution, to intimidate the United States and other countries in the region. In short, Russia is expanding its military presence in Venezuela to prop up a regime hostile to the United States and create a foothold in the Western Hemisphere. Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis has Russia taken such an aggressive step to expand their influence in the region. Meanwhile, China evades sanctions we have placed on the regime by investing in the country and extending generous loans to prop up the dictatorship in Caracas. The United States faces a serious national security threat and a humanitarian crisis at our doorstep. This is becoming as dangerous for us as the Syrian civil war has been for Europe, Israel, and Jordan. Left unchecked, it will destabilize our regional allies and provide a base of operations for our enemies. Today, I am urging the administration, Congress, and the American people to see the crisis for what it is--a rising tide of social and political collapse encouraged and funded by our enemies. The socialist dictatorship of Nicholas Maduro and his Cuban, Russian, Chinese, and narcotrafficking allies do not care how many millions of Venezuelans suffer and die. He is determined to remain in power, sucking the life out of a once-vibrant nation and creating an outpost for adversaries and a safe harbor for terrorists intent on harming Americans. We cannot let this stand. We will be judged for our response to this crisis--not just the humanitarian crisis but the threat to our hemisphere. The credibility and security of the United States is on the line. The question is not whether we can tolerate this crisis that is worsening daily--we surely cannot. The question is, When will we act to end it? Hostile regimes like Russia, China, and Cuba are digging in. They are training killers, distributing weapons, and placing military assets in Venezuela. Their message is clear: They don't intend to give up without a fight. History has proven that permitting the former Soviet Union to establish a presence in Cuba perpetrated a six-decade, totalitarian dictatorship that has exported instability to the region and worked against U.S. national security interests. Our safety, national security, and the peace of our hemisphere demand that we take action. We cannot allow this murderous regime to continue spreading misery within its borders and into neighboring countries. There is a democratic government-in-waiting in the form of National Assembly and Interim President Juan Guaido. U.S. policy relies on rallying his internal support and forcing those around Maduro to see their future as brighter if they defect and support the movement toward freedom and democracy. There are steps we can take to accelerate this process. First, we must follow through on American policy and indict regime leaders for human rights violations and for narcotrafficking and money laundering crimes. The region's strongest supporters do not care if the people suffer, but they do care if their stolen fortunes and their freedom are at risk. We must make clear to them that their future is in jeopardy if they continue to support Maduro and interference from Cuba, Russia, and China. There will be nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The United States will give no quarter to those who support the brutal Maduro dictatorship instead of freedom and democracy for the people of Venezuela. Second, we must break the hold the Cuban Government has on Venezuela. It is imperative that the United States fully implement the sanctions contained in the LIBERTAD Act to allow U.S. nationals to sue over property confiscated by the Cuban Government and to deny entry to those who traffic in stolen property. Cuba cannot continue to freely incite violence in Venezuela while profiting from the use of stolen property and human trafficking. Chavez and Maduro kept the Cuban regime afloat for decades, and now Cuban operators are keeping the Maduro regime in power. It is time we recognize that these problems are one and the same. Third, we must encourage our allies in the region to join us in this effort. President Trump has repeatedly called on regional counterparts to exert more leadership, and he has a right to do so. The United States has implemented strong sanctions on Venezuelan leaders, on oil, and on trade. Our allies must join us in this effort. The Lima Group, made up of our friends in the region, has given broad support to the strategy of isolating the Maduro regime in favor of Interim President Guaido, urging additional sanctions. That is welcome, but they should not rule out the possibility that they need to pursue more aggressive means to secure this threat. Their security and economic well-being are also at risk. They should remember that the Maduro regime and its supporters want Venezuela's neighbors to live in fear. Even before this crisis began in earnest, Colombia and Guyana faced regular interventions and threats from the Venezuelan regime. Maduro and his supporters do not want peaceful relations with other countries except on their own terms. I am quite sure that Cuba, China, and Russia do not have the best interests of the region in mind. I was glad to see the Organization of American States accept the appointment of the designated permanent representative of the National Assembly, Gustavo Tarre Briceno. Consistent with the Inter-American Democratic Charter, the Organization of American States must expel Maduro's representative. The Maduro regime is not a legitimate government and has no right to send a representative to the very body in the Western Hemisphere charged with protecting and promoting democracy in the region. Fourth, we must not appear weak in the face of Chinese, Russian, and Cuban determination to prop up Maduro. Our adversaries question our will and determination. Put simply, they don't think we are serious. We should disabuse them of that notion. All options, including the use of American military assets, must remain on the table. If sanctions can cripple the Maduro regime, we must continue on that path, but so far, sanctions alone are not stopping the Maduro regime, and the United States needs to start considering the use of military assets to bring aid to the millions of starving and sick Venezuelans. I call on all of our allies and those supporting Guaido to help us in this effort. Let me repeat that. The United States must consider the use of military assets to bring aid to the people of Venezuela, but that doesn't end the conversation. If embargoes and blockades can help, we should consider them. If military force on the part of the United States and our allies in the region is necessary to rid us of the scourge of Maduro and his thugs, then we cannot rule it out. If the Venezuelan people, through their elected National Assembly and their own laws and Constitution, request assistance to restore constitutional government and democracy, we should be ready to answer that call. The Maduro regime has not been broken yet and can count on billions of dollars looted from the Venezuelan people and generated from 20 years of narcotrafficking. The Cubans, Russians, and Chinese see Venezuela as an economic opportunity, but, more importantly, they see a chance to intimidate the United States--to be a thorn in our side. This is a ``great power'' confrontation and one that our national defense strategy might not explicitly contemplate. Yet it is a confrontation we must be willing to meet with decisive action. The Venezuelan people want change, and even now they think of survival as much as they think of a democratic future. They are looking to the future. They are looking to the United States and democratic countries to help them. We must answer that call. I yield the floor. nomination of david bernhardt

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of one of Florida's brightest lights--a light that was extinguished far too soon. One year ago today, we lost Jeri Bustamante in a tragic accident. She was my press secretary, but she was so much more. She was my Spanish tutor. She was my travel partner. She was so kind to everyone that you couldn't help but love her. Everyone thought Jeri was their best friend because she was so loving to everyone. She brightened every room that she walked into and made everyone around her better. There is not much that brings the Florida political world together, but Republicans, Democrats, and even her friends in the press loved and respected Jeri. She lived the American dream. As a small child, Jeri moved from Panama to the United States with her family, speaking only Spanish. She grew up in Miami, where she attended Miami Beach High, Miami-Dade Community College, and Florida International University. She had a passion for communications. She started out at a local Miami TV station and eventually worked for the Miami-Dade property appraiser under Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who became my Lieutenant Governor. She joined my reelection campaign for Governor in 2014, and she was with me for 4 years. She was determined. She was courageous. She had big goals. She wanted to be the Press Secretary for the President of the United States, and I have no doubt she would have been. That is the kind of person she was. She never stopped working to meet her goals in life, but she always did it with a smile, with a joke, and with a kind word. In Jeri's memory, my wife Ann and I established the Jeri Bustamante Memorial Scholarship to support a graduate of Miami Beach Senior High School, who, like Jeri, is trying to become the first in their family to go to college. Today Senator Marco Rubio and I are introducing a resolution to honor Jeri's memory. We will never forget her, and we will never forget the ways she made all of us better. Now I would like to honor Jeri in the best way I know how, speaking the Spanish she taught me. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate in Spanish.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. I have provided a translation to the Senate for the Record. (English translation of statement made in Spanish is as follows:) Jeri lived the American dream. She was determined. She was brave. She had great goals. She wanted to be the Press Secretary of the President of the United States. I have no doubt that she would have achieved it. That is the kind of person she was. She never stopped struggling to fulfill her goals in life and always did so with a smile, a joke, and a kind word. Senator Rubio and I today present a resolution to honor Jeri's memory. We will never forget her. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 147, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, when it comes to bankrupting our country, the Green New Deal puts all other ideas to shame. It calls for rebuilding or retrofitting every building in America in the next 10 years, eliminating all fossil fuels in 10 years, eliminating nuclear power, and working toward ending air travel. This Green New Deal is not a serious policy idea; it is a unicorn. Democrats failed to grasp something basic: Republicans and Independents care about the environment. We want clean air, we want clean water, and we want to take care of our environment and natural resources. At the same time, we also care about our economy, jobs for families in our States, and making sure that everyone in our country has the opportunity to succeed. We believe that taking care of the planet and working to create a better economy are objectives that can and must be pursued at the exact same time. You can't afford to take care of the environment if you don't have a strong economy. The Green New Deal would destroy our economy. To embrace this Green New Deal plan is to be an enemy of the American economy and the American worker because when you stop and think about it, the Green New Deal is, in reality, the green job killer. Some will say: Why bother picking on this plan? It is not like it has any chance of being enacted. Here is the problem: A socialist from New York City with a massive Twitter following introduced this nonserious plan, and every single major Democrat running for President immediately embraced it. Let that sink in for a moment. Climate change is real and requires real solutions, but the Democratic Party has accepted this economy-destroying new deal as a new commandment to go alongside single-payer healthcare and higher taxes on job creators. For most Americans, this plan is a declaration of war on the economy, our way of life, and the standard of living for working class families across our great country. What does this mean for Florida? Well, it would mean the end of the tourism industry; that is, 1.4 million jobs, massive job loss, and unemployment. As for me, I love and cherish the environment. It is what makes the great State of Florida so great. What I don't love are naive plans that would destroy Florida's economy. During my time as Governor of Florida, we made record investments in our environment, and we were able to do that only because Florida's economy was booming and we had the resources to make these investments. The Green New Deal would reverse every ounce of progress we have made. The most incredible part of the Green New Deal plan is the statement that they will provide ``economic security for all people of the United States.'' No government can ever do that. To argue otherwise is a disservice to all hard-working Americans and nothing more than phony political posturing. I look forward to a time when we don't have to argue about ridiculous proposals being amplified in the media and can actually focus on real solutions to protect our environment and build our economy. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I oppose amendment No. 193 to S.J. Res. 7, as I believe it is an unnecessary measure that too broadly narrows the President's role in international affairs. I would have voted no if the amendment had been called for a rollcall vote.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I thank my colleague Senator Rubio for standing with me to remember the victims and their families on this tragic anniversary and for his unwavering commitment to school safety. Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, Peter Wang--one year ago today, these 17 souls were taken from us in a brutal act of violence. They were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters; they were students and athletes and musicians and teachers. Not a day goes that I don't think about that day and the amazing people who were snuffed out by the deranged actions of a madman. Over the course of the last year, I have spent countless hours with the families of the victims. Unfortunately, I wish we had never met like this. They have been partners in our efforts to ensure that this never happens again. We worked together, along with educators, mental health professionals, and law enforcement, to pass the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, to make sure our State does everything in its power to prevent tragedies like this from happening again. Today, the State of Florida stands united with heavy hearts. Nothing we say here today can bring back the lives that were lost. Nothing we do can replace the angels of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who were taken from us too soon. But we must never forget them. We must honor their memory every day, and we must rededicate ourselves to the goal of ending violence in our schools. I yield the floor. Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today as a voice for the people of Puerto Rico. I intend to be their voice in the U.S. Senate. They are Americans--as American as the people of Florida whom I was elected to represent. They are our brothers and sisters, and they deserve a voice. Their success is America's success. Their recovery is America's recovery. In September of 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by a devastating hurricane. Maria's landfall changed the landscape of the island forever. As Governor of Florida, I worked to be there for the people of Puerto Rico. I worked with Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon, Governor Rossello, Lieutenant Governor Luis Rivera Marin, Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, and House Speaker Carlos Johnny Mendez to provide whatever support and aid they needed. Jennifer has been a tireless advocate for Puerto Rico, and she has been fighting so hard for this funding. I am proud to join her in this fight. In Florida, we created welcome centers at the airports in Orlando and in Miami to support those coming to Florida from the island. We waived housing and education regulations to make sure families coming from Puerto Rico could easily settle in Florida, whether they planned to stay permanently or just for a short period of time. I have visited Puerto Rico eight times since the deadly storm and provided Florida State resources to the citizens of Puerto Rico to aid in rebuilding and recovery, but the island still has a long way to go. The bill I supported today does many good things. It reopens the government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It provides significant funding to secure our southern border--funding that is long overdue and that is needed to keep American families safe. It extends protections for children who were brought to this country illegally through no fault of their own, and it extends TPS. While I would prefer a permanent solution for the DACA kids and TPS, this is a positive step. Putting protections for the DACA population into law is also long overdue. The bill also provides significant disaster funding for the State of Florida following the devastation of Hurricane Michael, which hit Florida's Panhandle just a few months ago. The funding includes resources specifically for Tyndall Air Force Base. I would like to thank Majority Leader McConnell for putting a bill forward to help Florida recover from this horrible hurricane. On all of these points, I join many of my colleagues in support, but, unfortunately, the Senate version of the government funding bill does not include $600 million in essential disaster funding for our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico. I am offering an amendment today that would add the $600 million included in the House bill back to the Senate version. Puerto Rico's recovery continues, and the U.S. Congress must do everything we can to support that, with responsible safeguards against fraud and waste. As long as I am a Member of the U.S. Senate, I will fight to make sure the people of Puerto Rico are represented. I am proud that the first amendment I filed and my first speech on the Senate floor is to fight for Puerto Rico. To the people of Puerto Rico, know this: I will be your voice in the Senate. I will fight for what is right, and I will never give up. I will now address the Senate in Spanish. I provided the translation to the Senate for the Record. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) The people of Puerto Rico deserve real change. We have to strengthen the economy of the island. As a Senator, I will fight for the families of Puerto Rico and work to ensure that Puerto Rico is treated fairly. Thank you so much. Mr. President, the amendment is at the desk. I yield back the balance of my time.