Who is the us representative 2019
2019 Val Demings - U.S. Representative, Florida's 10th Congressional District
it is now my privilege to introduce the
United States congresswoman boul
Demmings representative for the citizens
of Florida's 10th congressional district
since 2017 representative Demings sits
on the house permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence the House Judiciary
Committee and the House Committee on
Homeland Security prior to being elected
to Congress Representative Demings
served honorably with the Orlando Police
Department for 27 years working in
virtually every department until making
history in 2007 when she was appointed
to serve as Orlando's first female Chief
of Police
[Music]
you know I love that background it was
through her hard-working leadership in
the dedication of her officers that the
Orlando Police Department was able to
reduce violent crime by more than 40
percent
she worked tires tirelessly to make the
Orlando community a partner of the
department all while improving the
quality of life in Orlando's most
distressed community besides serving as
a subcommittee vice-chair congresswoman
Demings leadership positions include
serving as assistant and regional whip
for the house Democratic caucus co-chair
of candidate recruitment for the
Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee and vice chair of the gun
violence prevention task force let's
give a warm VFW and auxilary welcome to
Florida's 10th congressional district
congresswoman bout Demings
well good morning VFW and auxilary it is
my honor it's a joy for me to be with
you of this morning to your commander in
chief
Vijay Lawrence to your executive
director Bob Wallace and to your
national president it was so nice to sit
there and see her be honored this
morning sandy crib all right I'd also
like to take just a moment I do have the
microphone you all invited me I want to
acknowledge the Orange County mayor who
was gracious enough to accompany me here
this morning we are in the convention
center that is in his jurisdiction
please join me in recognizing Orange
County mayor who just happens to be my
husband Jerry Demings
it's an honor for me to be one of 435
members who represent you in the United
States House of Representatives but let
me pause for just a moment
are there any Floridians in the house I
thought so
are there any law enforcement in the
house thank you so very much for double
service I'm delighted that you have
chosen to hold your one hundred and
twentieth National Convention in Orlando
and we just happen to be in
congressional district 10 I stand before
you this morning as a member of Congress
and as a former police chief and I
believe in giving honor to whom honor is
due
VFW I believe in protecting those who
have worked so hard to protect us our
national defenders as this crowd knows
oh I know you know I know you know that
the United States of America is the
greatest country in the world am I right
about that yeah we are we are and we are
not just the greatest nation by chance
but because of the brave men and women
our servicemen and women who live and
die to protect our nation to protect our
freedoms and protect our democracy in
Congress we know that our veterans have
honored our country and now we as
members of Congress must honor them
by ensuring that we finish the v8
mission act and allow veterans to get
the care they need regardless of where
they live what else can we do to do our
part well we can be there for our
veterans and their surviving family
members by eliminating the 15-year use
or lose it limitation then and make the
GI Bill truly a forever GI bill and we
do acknowledge the 12-month inlay but we
must continue to work so that you will
understand that blessings delayed or not
blessings denied we're going to get it
done the blue waters veterans Navy
veterans Act was signed into law on June
25th yeah just a little while ago
bringing the decades-long fight for
disability benefits linked to exposure
to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War
to victory but we also realize there are
many other locations where we believe
our servicemen and women were exposed to
Agent Orange and we are working to
extend this act to cover those service
locations as well
[Applause]
in Florida there are 6,000 295 gold star
families who lose out on their survivor
benefit plan payments due to the
dreadful widows tanks with 168 of those
families living in congressional
district 10 to sum things up we need to
in the widow's tax VFW and auxilary this
week as you conduct the business of the
VFW I pray that you will have a
productive yet fun time in Orange County
and if you need something and don't get
it just give me a call because I know
the Orange County Mayor so thank you
thank you for the millions of volunteer
service hours thank you for scholarship
thank you for the advocacy you continue
to bring to Capitol Hill and to local
communities Thank You VFW and auxilary
for having our service men and women's
banks and making a difference we are a
better nation for it enjoy yourselves
be safe and may God continue to bless
and keep you thank you thank you thank
you
god bless you thank you
[Applause]
