[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 25 (Monday, February 13, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING PERRY C. McGRIFF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Yoho) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, February 2, 2017, Gainesville, 
Florida, and the State of Florida lost a favorite son in Mr. Perry C. 
McGriff. Perry was an icon in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, and 
was known for his strong civic duty in helping people wherever and 
whenever they needed it.
  Perry was born in Arcadia, Florida, in 1937, and went to school at 
the University of Florida, where he became an all-star standout in both 
Gators football and baseball. His contributions on the field earned him 
entry into the prestigious Hall of Fame as a Gators Great in 1969.
  Perry was married to his wife, Noel, for 57 years, raised four 
children--Jana, Mark, Keith, and Matthew--and enjoyed the joy and 
laugher of their 15 grandchildren.
  A tremendous family man, Perry was also successful in business. He 
was an insurance agent for 48 years. He had the honor of being the 
youngest person ever elected as mayor of Gainesville, and he was a 
representative for the State of Florida.
  He was a tireless volunteer and doer in Gainesville, receiving 
countless awards and recognition for his community service. Two of 
those particularly stick out to me. He received the first ever Ethics 
in Business Award and the Service Above Self Award, given by the 
Gainesville Rotary for his lifetime of service. In addition to his 
time, Perry donated more than 60 gallons of blood and set an example 
for all to follow.
  For all the things Perry was and all the good things Perry did, I 
will always remember him most for his smile, his great attitude, and 
his notorious reputation to have his camera at the ready. He was always 
snapping pictures of people enjoying life and making sure to send to 
each individual a copy so they could remember the happy moments in the 
life that he captured.
  To Noel and the McGriff family, thank you for sharing Perry's time. 
Thank you for sharing your husband and father with all of us. We will 
miss him forever, but we will never forget Perry. All of us, the city 
of Gainesville, the State of Florida, and I are all better for having 
known Perry.


                  Standing Strong Against North Korea

  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, North Korea said it had 
successfully completed the launch of a new ballistic missile. The 
Pukguksong-2, a medium-range ballistic missile, was test-fired on 
Sunday. The actions by the North Korean regime are unacceptable and in 
clear violation of the U.N. Security Council.
  It is imperative that the U.S. stand strong with Japan, South Korea, 
and all of our allies in the region against the provocative and 
threatening actions of the North Korean totalitarian regime. It is a 
regime that is determined to thumb their nose at the world by advancing 
their nuclear capabilities, thus threatening their neighbors, the 
region, and for that matter, the world.
  The United States and its world partners must continue to persuade 
North Korea to adhere to the U.N. Security Council resolutions or they 
choose to invite worldwide sanctions upon them. This is North Korea's 
decision and nobody else's.

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