[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 23, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H1005-H1006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING SERGEANT ALIPIO ARROYO RAMOS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Soto) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant Alipio Arroyo 
Ramos. First Sergeant Alipio Arroyo Ramos, resident of Kissimmee, 
Florida, was born on January 14, 1949, in Cayey, Puerto Rico.
  At the age of 18, he joined the United States Armed Services where he 
served proudly for over 22 years. During his time in the Armed Forces, 
he obtained a degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and 
completed combat medical training at the U.S. Army Medical Department 
Center and School in Texas.
  In 1969, he volunteered and served in the Vietnam war as a combat 
medic where he fought for our Nation and provided critical medical aid 
to wounded fellow servicemembers and civilians in the line of fire.
  As a result, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his courage in the 
Vietnam war. After the Vietnam war, he briefly returned to the civilian 
sector and applied his military medical experience with the 
epidemiology division of the Puerto Rico Department of Health before 
deciding to rejoin the United States Armed Forces on Active Duty.
  Upon rejoining, Mr. Arroyo was assigned to multiple posts throughout 
the United States and abroad. In 1988, he was stationed in Fort Bragg, 
North Carolina, where he successfully passed rigorous training and 
evaluations to

[[Page H1006]]

become a member of the United States Special Forces Command, a lifetime 
achievement he and his family are proud of to this day.
  During his tenure with the United States Special Forces he worked 
directly under two different four-star generals. Since his retirement 
in 1998, he continues to be an active member of the Disabled American 
Veterans organization and is a passionate and fierce advocate for 
veterans' rights, particularly those, such as him, who have suffered 
the unfortunate and debilitating consequences of having been exposed to 
Agent Orange during the Vietnam war. To this day, he continues to adopt 
the motto: ``Duty, Honor, Country,'' as his life creed.
  First Sergeant Arroyo resides in Kissimmee, Florida, with his wife, 
Luz Amary, who has always stood by his side in support throughout his 
entire military career. He is the father of three children: Nikolas, 
Phillip, Zulimar Arroyo; and three grandchildren, Camila, Valeria, and 
Sofia, all of whom he loves dearly.


                       Unpaid Government Workers

  Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I want to take a moment to talk a little bit 
about the shutdown. We are in day 33, since the shutdown began. The 
House and Senate came together originally with bipartisan budgets to 
try to resolve this. But then on that fateful day, President Trump said 
that he will take the mantle and he would shut down the government over 
border security.
  Over 2 weeks ago, I met with TSA, PASS, and Department of Corrections 
employees, and they told me their stories about not being able to make 
a mortgage; about not being able to have healthcare and childcare; 
about those facing diabetes and cancer.
  Last week, I returned back to the TSA in their break room to speak 
with workers about how we were going to transport people to and from 
work, waiving tolls, addressing diabetes, and childcare, once again.
  This past week, I joined Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed 
Federal employees because the United States Government is not paying 
them. Our Federal workers are about to miss their second paycheck.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the President: How long will TSA protect our 
airports without pay; how long will the IRS workers clock in to timely 
process our tax refunds if they are not getting a paycheck; and how 
long will U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents protect our very 
border that we are debating without getting paid?

                              {time}  1045

  We can debate and negotiate over border security.
  But why, Mr. President, must you hold nearly 800,000 Federal workers 
and their families hostage?
  Where is the Senate?
  We have voted 10 times to reopen the Federal Government. The number 
of times they voted: zero.
  The offer that was given this week, a temporary 3 years for Dreamers 
and TPS refugees for a permanent border wall with $5.7 billion and a 
political asylum system that is worse than the current one.
  If you are really serious, President Trump, why not make the changes 
for our Dreamers and TPS refugees permanent, much like the wall you are 
asking for?
  Now the House Democrats have a counteroffer. We already put in a $1.3 
billion increase for border security in a bipartisan Homeland Security 
budget. This was the budget passed by the last GOP Congress. Now we are 
adding an additional $1.5 billion to improve our security in a three-
part border and security plan: one, more security for our ports of 
entry where most of the drugs are coming in; two, more technology at 
the border so we know when people are coming across it; and, three, 
more personnel.
  Mr. President, reopen this Federal Government.
  I ask the Senate to get a backbone and act.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience.

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