[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H27]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          ADMINISTRATION'S OIL DRILLING PLAN INCLUDES FLORIDA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Curbelo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last week, the Department of the 
Interior announced a newly proposed plan to expand offshore drilling 
off our country's coasts, including Florida's. Shortly after making the 
announcement, Secretary Zinke guaranteed that States will have a voice 
in this process.
  So I have come to the floor today as the elected Representative of 
the Florida Keys and southern Miami-Dade, a district that includes 
ecological treasures and economic drivers like the Florida Keys 
National Marine Sanctuary, Everglades National Park, and Biscayne 
National Park, to be that voice.
  I can say this with confidence: the people of Florida and its 
leaders, including myself, have made it clear over and over again how 
we feel about offshore drilling near Florida. We don't want it.
  We don't want to put our beautiful beaches and environmental 
treasures at risk. We don't want to risk the livelihoods of millions of 
hardworking American men, women, and families when there is no need. 
Florida simply has too much to lose.
  Mr. Speaker, I, along with many of my colleagues in this Chamber, 
both Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, and our Governor 
Rick Scott, are going to make sure Florida's voice is heard loud and 
clear on this issue: we don't want drilling near Florida's shores, we 
don't need drilling near Florida's shores, and we will not allow this 
or any administration to put our economy or our environment at risk.


         Honoring Milken Educator Award Recipient Dale Adamson

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dale 
Adamson, a dedicated teacher of mathematics at Howard D. McMillan 
Middle School in my district and a recent recipient of the prestigious 
Milken Educator Award.
  Central to Mr. Adamson's selection was his classroom rapport with 
students, ability to explain complicated concepts through real-world 
applications, and a daily commitment to his craft. Not satisfied with 
simply lecturing on abstract theories at the chalkboard, Mr. Adamson 
gained well-deserved renown for exciting his students with real-world 
problems like how algebra was used by NASA recently to land a probe on 
an asteroid or the multitude of mathematical principles one might 
observe launching objects off the school's roof.
  The Milken Family Foundation's motto states that ``the future belongs 
to the educated.''
  As a past member of the Miami-Dade School Board and the proud father 
of two daughters in the public school system, I am glad to have 
teachers like Mr. Adamson in our community. I sincerely believe that 
educators with the heart and imagination displayed by Mr. Adamson are 
the key to unlocking the next generation's potential.


                           Immigration Policy

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my 
colleagues how critical it is that Republicans and Democrats work in 
good faith to find a compromise on immigration policy in the coming 
days.
  Congress first began trying to pass legislation for the benefit of 
young immigrants who were brought to our country as children through no 
fault of their own some 17 years ago. All attempts have failed, but 
this time failure is not an option.
  800,000 DREAMers who came forward and registered with the government 
in recent years would be at risk. These are young people who are 
working, paying taxes, getting educated, and contributing to our 
country. They speak English. Some of them want to serve in our military 
to defend our freedoms. They sat in the same classrooms and grew up 
with our own children. Many have no memories of their countries of 
origin.
  Mr. Speaker, these are America's children. That is why we all need to 
work together in the coming days and find a compromise that can secure 
the future for these young immigrants and, at the same time, make our 
country safer and more prosperous by securing our borders and reforming 
our immigration laws.
  Americans have been expecting results from Congress on immigration 
policy for years. Enough is enough. The time for action is now.

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