Today, in honor of Trooper Zachary Fink, I reintroduced a bill to rename the Post Office building located at 290 NW Peacock Boulevard in Port St. Lucie, FL.

There are no words or actions that can truly repay the debt we owe to heroes like Zachary. However, it is my hope that dedicating this facility in his honor will ensure his legacy is preserved for generations to come.

On February 2, 2024, our community tragically lost one of Florida’s finest, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Fink. At just 26 years old, Trooper Fink was killed in the line of duty.

Trooper Fink made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our community. He will be remembered by all who knew him as someone you could always count on, a natural comedian who could de-escalate tense situations, an avid outdoorsman, and a man deeply proud of his law enforcement brothers and sisters. He considered it an honor to serve among their ranks.

It is my hope that this legislation dedicating this facility in his honor will preserve his legacy and heroism for generations to come. 

Every day, hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers wake up with a single mission: to protect their communities. We all have people in our lives we would do anything to protect—our children, spouses, siblings, and friends. But few among us would lay down our lives for strangers. Law enforcement officers, like Trooper Fink, are willing to make that sacrifice every day. As we recognize Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, I want to thank each and every member of the thin blue line for their dedication and selflessness.

I cast my first vote of the 119th Congress today, and I cast it in favor of a secure border, in support of law and order, and in honor of a Georgia nursing student who would still be with us today, if it weren’t for Joe Biden’s disastrous immigration policies.

Laken Riley was tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant who should have been detained following his arrest in New York months earlier. However, he was released, and as a result, Laken was taken from her friends and family far too soon.

The Laken Riley Act will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal immigrants who commit crimes such as theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting, and ensure they are detained until they are removed from the United States. This common sense legislation will prevent them from reoffending and causing further tragedies in our communities. It will also protect Americans by allowing states to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration laws or who violate them.

This is a nationwide problem. Just last year, hundreds of illegal immigrants in Florida’s 21st Congressional District were arrested. If a single one of those individuals had an ICE hold removed and he or she was released, it’s an unacceptable failure and a threat to public safety. 

We must restore law and order, and passing this bill is an important step to do just that.