[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 123 (Wednesday, July 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE MEMORIES OF THE VICTIMS OF THE BUILDING COLLAPSE IN 
   SURFSIDE, FLORIDA, ON JUNE 24, 2021, AND THE BRAVERY AND SELFLESS 
   SERVICE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO RESPONDED TO THE BUILDING COLLAPSE

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I would like to thank my 
colleague Senator Rubio for joining me to honor the lives lost in the 
horrific tragedy on June 24, when the Champlain Towers South condo 
building in Surfside, FL, suddenly collapsed in the middle of the 
night, and honor the brave men and women that have risked their lives 
in search, rescue, and recovery efforts.
  Senator Rubio and I were on the ground in Surfside following the 
collapse, talking to families, first responders, and members of the 
community. The pain these families are experiencing is unimaginable. 
Those unexpectedly lost in this horrific tragedy were mothers, fathers, 
grandfathers and grandmothers, friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins. 
They were children and grandchildren with their full lives ahead of 
them.
  I can't imagine losing any member of my family like this, but the 
thought of losing one of my grandchildren is too painful to imagine. We 
mourn with these families, and our hearts break for them. We continue 
to pray for the Surfside community, the families and loved ones of 
those lost, and all of those working tirelessly to serve the Surfside 
community.
  In the face of tremendous tragedy, our first responders ran into the 
danger. They are heroes. They immediately answered the call to serve, 
and firefighters, law enforcement officers, rescue and recovery crews, 
emergency medical technicians, physicians, nurses, and others from 
across the State of Florida and the Nation came rushing to save them.
  When you meet with the first responders--I mean, they are working 
tirelessly trying to find somebody that has survived, and your heart 
goes out to them as they went from rescue to recovery. Miami-Dade Fire 
Rescue, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Surfside Police 
Department, and others from around the area were there every step of 
the way.
  Some of these responders lost family in the collapse; yet they still 
answered the call. We heard the absolutely devastating story of a 
Miami-Dade firefighter who carried the body of his own 7-year-old 
daughter, Stella, away from the rubble. You just can't even begin to 
imagine the pain and loss experienced by this father.
  International rescue crews and emergency support organizations from 
Israel and Mexico also responded to the site to aid in the search and 
rescue efforts. Numerous volunteer organizations responded, including 
the Red Cross, as well as community leaders and individuals offering 
resources, support, and comfort to the survivors and community in 
Surfside.
  Our Jewish community, particularly Orthodox Jews, have been 
especially affected by this tragedy, and we thank CSE, Hatzalah, ZAKA, 
and all those who have worked selflessly to support our Jewish 
community. We can never thank these brave men and women enough for 
their bravery and determination in the face of this terrible tragedy.
  I know right now we all have a lot of unanswered questions. We are 
all going to work tirelessly to understand exactly what happened. And 
while we can't bring back the lives lost, I will always work to honor 
those lost and will be relentless in the search for answers to make 
sure a tragedy like this never happens again.
  As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 300, submitted earlier today
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 300) honoring the memories of the 
     victims of the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, on 
     June 24, 2021, and the bravery and selfless service of the 
     individuals who responded to the building collapse.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the 
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with 
no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 300) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I appreciate the unanimous 
support of my Senate colleagues passing this resolution to honor the 
lives lost in the horrific tragedy in Surfside, and I thank the many 
first responders for their incredible bravery in the search and rescue 
and recovery efforts.
  Our hearts are broken, but we stand together. Florida is ``Surfside 
Strong.''
  I yield the floor.

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