[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6436]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE MEMORY OF MIAMI-DADE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mitchell). The Chair recognizes the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as we approach Peace Officers Memorial 
Day, I would like to honor the service and the sacrifice of law 
enforcement officers in my south Florida community who bravely lost 
their lives in the line of duty. On April 29, through the project that 
is called Project Honoring Every Resting Officer, or Project HERO, the 
Miami-Dade Police Department embarked upon its annual mission to pay 
tribute to the memory of each fallen officer in every department.
  By placing an American flag and a Blue Line flag at the resting 
location of these valiant men and women in uniform, we remember their 
sacrifices and ensure that their memories will be immortalized.
  I would like to thank the director of our fine police department, 
Juan Perez, for spearheading this noble cause on behalf of the 
families, friends, and colleagues of all of our fallen officers and 
also for Director Perez's work in making our community a safer place in 
which to live.
  I encourage all south Floridans to also remember the fallen and to 
attend the Miami-Dade Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony on May 
4 at 7 p.m. at Tropical Park.


               Recognizing the Contribution of PortMiami

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I recently visited PortMiami, one of 
the prime economic engines in Miami-Dade County.
  Located in my congressional district, PortMiami is known as the 
cruise capital of the world. With its exclusive geographic location, 
the port is accessible to many international markets. In 2016, it 
handled an impressive 9 million tons of cargo and close to 5 million 
passengers.
  With such large numbers, we can already imagine the powerful impact 
of PortMiami. It grows our economy. It creates jobs in Miami-Dade 
County and, indeed, throughout our great State of Florida.
  Recent investments in infrastructure have been instrumental in 
guaranteeing that PortMiami remains a world class cargo and cruise 
port.
  Throughout my years in Congress, I have been a strong supporter of 
our port. A project to dredge the channel to accommodate megacontain-
er vessels was completed in 2015. Also, four gantry cranes were 
purchased in order to operate the higher cargo volume. The completion 
of a tunnel has also accelerated the port's capacity to increase the 
volume of trucks that travel to and from the marine terminals, further 
strengthening the competitiveness of PortMiami.
  PortMiami is currently undergoing some additional infrastructure 
projects, such as a new cruise terminal, security enhancements, and 
cargo yard-related improvements, all very important so that PortMiami 
continues to be a world class cargo and cruise port.
  The Port of Miami is very important to my congressional district, to 
our south Florida economy, and I will continue to embrace this 
enterprise and economic force for our residents.


                         Lupus Awareness Month

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, May is Lupus Awareness Month. Lupus is 
an autoimmune illness that has the ability to attack any part of the 
body and unfortunately has no cure yet.
  According to the Lupus Foundation of America, more than 1.5 million 
Americans, including my lovely stepdaughter Katharine, are living with 
lupus; and millions have already sadly lost their battle with this 
terrible disease.
  So this month, we raise awareness and educate our communities about 
lupus; and we also thank the researchers, doctors, and scientists who 
work around the clock to research, diagnose, treat, and eventually cure 
this disease.
  I would like to highlight the wonderful work that the Sylvester 
Cancer Center at my alma mater, the University of Miami, is doing to 
get closer to finding safer and more effective treatments.
  I have been honored to join forces with the Lupus Foundation and my 
colleagues in the Congressional Lupus Caucus to secure new Federal 
funding to advance lupus research, education, and awareness. These 
funds will help foster new scientific breakthroughs to better 
understand the disease and to help patients living with lupus.
  Finally, I want to recognize the hard work and the dedication of 
caregivers and advocates who raise awareness for lupus who create a 
better life for those impacted by this terrible disease.
  In particular, I want to highlight the Florida Chapter of the Lupus 
Foundation. From their local Walks to End Lupus to their tireless 
advocacy on behalf of patients and caregivers, they have been an 
instrumental source of hope, guidance, and comfort to those living who 
have been transformed by this disease.
  So I invite our entire south Florida community to join them and the 
Miami Marlins on May 10 at Marlins Park for Lupus Awareness Night.
  Mr. Speaker, this month, let us remember those who we have lost and 
those who are currently impacted by this terrible disease. Let us thank 
the advocates and caregivers, empower researchers, and, most 
importantly, let us work together for the day when no one will be 
diagnosed with lupus.

                          ____________________