[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 382-383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  MOMENT OF SILENCE IN RECOGNITION OF VICTIMS OF THE TWO MOST RECENT 
                TRAGEDIES IN FT. LAUDERDALE AND ORLANDO

  (Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the Florida 
delegation and other colleagues with the heaviest of hearts. In the 
last few days, our State has witnessed two horrific tragedies.
  The first occurred Friday, in my congressional district, when a 
gunman mercilessly unleashed a hail of gunfire on passengers in the 
baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International 
Airport, murdering five and injuring six other innocent victims. Our 
thoughts and prayers are with the victims, the wounded, their families, 
and the countless others traumatized by this tragedy.
  I commend both the Broward County Sheriff's officers who swiftly took 
down the perpetrator and minimized the loss of life and the airport 
personnel who are tirelessly reuniting passengers with 23,000 personal 
items left behind in the chaos that ensued, stranding many of them 
without identification or an ability to travel.
  The second tragedy occurred today when Orlando Police Officer Debra 
Clayton was slain by a murder suspect. Later, Orange County Sheriff's 
Deputy Norman Lewis went looking for her killer and died in a traffic 
accident.
  On behalf of the Members from Orlando, I want to say, to lose two 
officers on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is an unspeakable tragedy. 
Mr. Speaker, I ask, on behalf of my colleagues, for this moment of 
silence to remember these victims.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will observe a moment of silence.

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