Carlos A. Gimenez

“I want to congratulate Dr. Jose Dotres on his retirement. He was an immigrant who became a teacher and then led the Miami-Dade school district, the third largest in the country. I thank him for his years of service to our students and families.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Jose L. Dotres, superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools, following a distinguished career dedicated to education and public service. Dr. Dotres arrived in Miami at 5 years old as an immigrant. He graduated from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and ultimately dedicated his career to serving the same school community that welcomed him. Dr. Dotres has served as a teacher, reading coach, principal, district administrator, and senior leader. As superintendent, he led the third-largest school district in our Nation, serving more than 300,000 students and 34,000 employees. His accomplishments include induction into the Miami Dade College Alumni Hall of Fame, Barry University’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and service as president of the Florida Association of District Superintendents. As Dr. Dotres begins this new chapter, I congratulate him on his retirement and thank him for his decades of service to the students, teachers, and families of Miami-Dade County. Mr. Speaker, I wish him and his family all the best.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It keeps a program going that stops unnecessary second baggage checks for people flying into the country from trusted foreign airports. This cuts down delays while keeping strict security.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan One-Stop Pilot Program Extension Act. In south Florida, Miami International Airport is one of the busiest international gateways in the United States. Every day, millions of passengers pass through airports like Miami International Airport throughout the country. We have a responsibility to keep those passengers and our airports moving efficiently while maintaining the highest security standards. This bill does exactly that. By extending this successful pilot program, passengers arriving from trusted foreign airports can connect to their final destination without unnecessary duplicate baggage screening. Security is never compromised. Every participating airport must meet strict TSA standards. Customs and Border Protection retains full oversight, and any passenger or bag identified as a security concern receives additional inspection. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will reduce delays, ease congestion, improve the travel experience, and strengthen our aviation system while protecting our homeland. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Garbarino for his leadership. Also, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter) for cosponsoring this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the One-Stop Pilot Program Extension Act.”