[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H2987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PROVIDING RESOURCES TO REOPEN SAFELY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Spano) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, the overwhelming majority of constituents in 
my district are eager to get back to work, and I believe it is 
Congress' duty, our duty, to ensure that our citizens have the 
necessary resources to reopen in a safe and responsible way. That is 
why I am proud to have introduced two bills that focus on this very 
need.
  The SAFE at Work Act would create a tax credit for businesses that 
allow their employees to work from home. This not only protects 
employees and employers against the spread of COVID-19 but also 
encourages employers to create telework opportunities for those most 
susceptible to the virus.
  I also introduced the KEEP Act, which supports the President's push 
for a 3-month payroll tax holiday. This initiative would allow millions 
of Americans to keep more of the money that they already earn, thus 
providing critical capital to weather this crisis without involving 
Federal bureaucracy.
  No government program, no matter how generous, can replace a 
functioning economy. These measures would support hardworking 
Americans' efforts to get our economy back on track, so I urge their 
immediate adoption.


                 Highlighting Border Wall Effectiveness

  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to lend my voice to the fight to 
protect our Nation by securing its borders.
  Since arriving in Congress, I have stood by the President and his 
efforts to protect our children from traffickers, dealers, terrorists, 
and other criminal elements by building a wall.
  For decades, our porous borders have threatened our national 
security, and it wasn't until President Trump took office that our 
government took this threat seriously.
  Just how effective has the wall been?
  It is a fact that nearly 1 million people were stopped at the U.S.-
Mexico border in 2019, but in the last 12 months, illegal immigration 
has been down 84 percent and illegal crossings from Central America are 
down 97 percent.
  It is a fact that President Trump has deported over 6,000 MS-13 gang 
members.
  And it is a fact that this barrier between the countries is helping 
stop the flow of illicit drugs. Nearly 450,000 pounds have been seized 
this year alone.
  For far too long, too many have ignored the facts, but I haven't, and 
I will continue doing everything I can do to keep Florida 15 residents 
and its businesses safe.


                     Honoring Sergeant Andrew Bosko

  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Andrew Bosko, a 
Lakeland, Florida, World War II veteran who is 98 years young.
  Andy was born in Ohio, raised in Pennsylvania, and one of 13 children 
of immigrant parents from Austria and Czechoslovakia.
  He entered the Army Air Corps in 1943, assigned to the VII Fighter 
Command in Hawaii. In 1945, the command was reassigned to Iwo Jima, 
which had been seized by Marine units, to provide emergency landing 
fields supporting bombing operations against Japan.
  Meanwhile, his wife and true love, Sophia, was supporting the war as 
a Rosie the Riveter. Yet, they still found time to write to each other 
each day.
  Following the war, Andy worked as a machinist in New York and later 
launched some of Lakeland's favorite restaurants.
  Andy, you, together with your bride of 74 years, represent the 
greatest of our Greatest Generation. You experienced economic and 
social turmoil and a World War, and then you rebuilt our Nation into 
the greatest on Earth.
  It is our honor to serve you, as you, for so many years, have served 
us.


              Saluting Ella Erickson, Veteran of the Month

  Mr. SPANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the inspiring story of 
a World War II veteran from Lakeland, Florida.
  At 100 years young, Ella Erickson is a unique personification of what 
heroism is about.
  Raised in Wisconsin, she joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943. 
Following basic training, she reported to Marine Corps Headquarters 
here in Washington, and for the next 2 years, Staff Sergeant Erickson 
maintained the records of Marine prisoners of war.
  Discharged at the end of the war, Ella married and began her family 
and career.
  While holding demanding jobs at Wheaton College and as a nurse caring 
for the ailing, she also found time to be a supportive wife to 
international evangelist Victor Erickson and raise four children, two 
of whom went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force.
  She has been a hero to the sick and to our Nation and an even greater 
one to her family. She epitomizes what heroism is all about, 
sacrificial service.
  Thank you, Ella. Thank you for serving us and showing us how to live 
well.
  On behalf of Florida 15, I salute you.

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