Michael Waltz

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, This week is Daytona Bike Week, where my district welcomes nearly 300,000 avid motorcyclists for our community's 78th annual celebration of liberty, freedom, and two-wheeled, motorized muscle. No other event comes close to matching our combination of bikes, Florida beaches, sun, and fun. It all started in January 1937, on a 3.2-mile race course running along the world's most famous beach--Daytona Beach. Riders first headed south on the paved roadway of Route A1A, turned left onto the beach, then raced north on the sand until turning back onto the pavement at a spot now marked by a favorite local restaurant named Racing's North Turn. Then, the riders did it again and again and again for 200 miles. This was the birth of the famed Daytona 200 motorcycle race and the Bike Week that now surrounds it. Since then, only World War II has interrupted these annual festivities. Today, the Daytona 200 headlines Bike Week as a spectacular finale in the famed Daytona International Speedway. Don't miss the week's other high-adrenaline racing, too. The American Flat Track series opens its season this week, and the Daytona Supercross is back again, bigger and better than ever. If you are unsure of where to start, try the brand-new official Bike Week Welcome Center, located in One Daytona. So to everyone visiting Daytona this week, thank you for supporting our local businesses. Have fun and ride safe.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, due to logistical challenges, I unintentionally missed a roll call vote on H.R. 502. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 53.

Mr. WALTZ

Mr. WALTZ. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today as we approach the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade to speak on behalf of Americans who cannot speak for themselves. Our Nation was founded on the notion that every American has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As legislators, we are bound to protect these rights, especially as they relate to our most vulnerable population, which is why we cannot ignore the fundamental right of an unborn child to live. While Roe v. Wade may be the law of the land, I am here today because I, along with many of my fellow Floridians, disagree with it. I believe it is incumbent on this institution to debate the definition of life as well as our authority and responsibility to protect it. As a father, I have the privilege and have had the privilege of watching my daughter grow from a tiny blip on a monitor, to a beautiful baby girl, and now to a strong, courageous young woman, the young woman that she is today; and when I look at her my heart breaks. It breaks for the children whose lives have been and continue to be taken from them just as they are beginning. These children could have been future doctors, lawyers, Members of Congress, teachers, military servicemembers, anything they wanted. But, unfortunately, because of a court decision made nearly 46 years ago, we will never know who those children would have become. Madam Speaker, as a veteran, I have seen horrible things. And, yet, I believe abortion is one of the greater tragedies of our generation. I believe, in time, future generations will look back on this era in American history and condemn us for the millions of children that we have allowed to be taken. Because the truth is, each life, from the moment it begins to exist, is a precious person, and therefore, has a fundamental God-given right to live. So on this anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I stand with my colleagues in solidarity for the lives lost, and I pray for the mothers and fathers that face very difficult circumstances surrounding new life.