[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4524-4525]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Curbelo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize April as 
Autism Awareness Month, an opportunity for our communities to come 
together and become more educated and understanding of autism and its 
impacts on our students and society.

[[Page 4525]]

  Reports from 2014 state that autism affects 1 in 68 children in the 
United States, a 119 percent increase from the year 2000. Despite the 
great scientific strides that have been made to understand autism, not 
much is known about how the disorder actually develops in the brain.
  The BRAIN Initiative is an ambitious program which aims to advance 
our understanding of how the brain functions. It is my firm belief that 
the BRAIN Initiative is an instrumental step toward revolutionary 
breakthroughs in neuroscience. For these reasons, I introduced the 
Mental Health Awareness Semipostal Stamp Act to help raise additional 
funding for the BRAIN Initiative, at no expense to taxpayers. I am 
confident that together we can make great strides for autism awareness, 
and I hope that you join me in lighting it up blue for the rest of 
April.


                              Team Vision

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize M-
Vision Miami, a group comprised of young professionals in the Youth 
Leadership Miami program, sponsored by the Greater Miami Chamber of 
Commerce.
  M-Vision, in partnership with PACE Center for Girls, has worked to 
create a career development and college preparatory lab for PACE 
students. The M-Vision program focuses on financial literacy training, 
interview etiquette, college preparation, career awareness, 
exploration, and community service. This group, which is completely 
volunteer based, has dedicated countless hours to building 
relationships throughout Miami-Dade County in order to support their 
mission.
  I thank M-Vision and centers like PACE Miami for their efforts to 
ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic class, have 
an opportunity to achieve college and career success. They have done a 
remarkable job, and I am certain that they will continue doing great 
work for years to come.


                      Congratulating Debbie Brady

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Debbie Brady, the executive director of the Dade County Farm Bureau, 
who will be retiring this year after a life dedicated to educating 
others on the importance of agriculture in our daily lives. Debbie is 
also the president of the Florida Agri-Women, a member of the American 
Agri-Women, and a longtime resident of South Dade. She has worked in 
agribusiness for over 30 years and has a true passion for farming. Her 
knowledge and experience are unparalleled, and she will be greatly 
missed.
  I have had the privilege of meeting with Debbie on many occasions and 
know how much of a resource she has been to both me and my staff. We 
have strongly advocated together on behalf of the South Dade farmers, 
especially during the recent oriental fruit fly quarantine and 
devastating floods that crippled the region's ag community. Her immense 
knowledge of the issues has helped us make very positive gains on 
behalf of the farmers in South Dade.
  Debbie, thank you for dedicating your life to helping our community. 
We wish you the best in your retirement. You have certainly earned it.

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