Val Demings: “I thank my colleague from Georgia (Mr. David Scott) for his leadership on this very critical issue. Mr. Speaker, America…”

“I thank my colleague from Georgia (Mr. David Scott) for his leadership on this very critical issue. Mr. Speaker, America is a great nation, and tonight we continue to celebrate that fact. But we do know that great things don't just happen on their own. If we take a serious look through the pages of history, we will see the blood, the sweat, and the tears of many people. Some of those people came on cruise ships, and some came on slave ships. But regardless of the foundation on which our journey in America began, many were there helping to build what we now know as a great nation. Mr. Speaker, the American worker is intertwined in the moral fabric of our great society. As America began to grow as an industrialized society, so did its workforce and the need to develop fair and equitable workplace standards. I joined the Orlando Police Department in 1984, and on my first day of orientation, I joined the union. I joined a great department, and I wanted to do my part to keep it a great department. I proudly joined the union, and I clearly understood--and it appeared at that time that those in management also understood--that the union was working hard to ensure that employees, both sworn and civilian, worked in a safe work environment, were paid fair wages, and were fairly compensated in the event of death on the job.…”