FBI speech by Frederica Wilson mentioned by General Kelly, Chief of Staff to Trump

Frederica Wilson's 2015 speech, made at the dedication of a new FBI building in Florida which Chief of Staff General Kelly referred to while defending Trump.

April 10, 2015

I call their name. Ladies first.

Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
who was a fighter and a champion

for the people.
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart,

who is always advocating for the issues
that impact our community.

Congressman Carlos Curbelo,

who is new to the Congress but
is blazing his own great trail.

And they all helped move this bill.
I always want to take a moment again

to recognize the family of
Special Agent Grogan who are here with us,

and the family of Special Agent Dove,
wherever they might be.

We have the honor of having FBI Director
James Comey with us.

He has the enormous task of
keeping all Americans safe.

and I'd seen him so many times,
but he looks taller today.

We're also happy to have GSA Administrator
Denise Roth here today.

We're fortunate to have a great
local leader as the head of

the Miami field office,
Special Agent-in-Charge George Piro.

And I also want to acknowledge our mayor.

Consider this scenario:

The brand new federal building
housing the FBI has been built.

And the FBI approaches my office.

Congresswoman Wilson:

The ribbon cutting has been scheduled
in four short weeks.

The dedication is
on the government's calendar,

and cannot be changed.

One problem.

The FBI wants to name
this gorgeous edifice

at the same time it opened.

Everyone said: “That's impossible.

It takes at least eight months to a year
to complete the process,

[through] the House, the Senate
and to the president's office.”

I said: ‘I'm a school principal.

And I said’ — excuse my French —

‘Oh, hell no.
We're going to get this done.’

Immediately, I went into attack mode.

I went to the speaker, Speaker Boehner.

I said, ‘Mr. Speaker, I need your help,

the FBI needs your help.

And your country needs your help.

And we have no time to waste.’

He went into attack mode,

and in two days pulled it out
of committee.

Brought it to the floor for a vote.

Rep. Curbelo and I presented it.

We all voted for it.

And I dashed it over to the Senate.

And put our senators on notice:
Put it on your radar.

Senator Nelson and Senator Rubio,

who I believe have representatives
here today,

they hotlined it to the Senate floor
in just two days.

And guess what?

The president signed the bill into law
this past Tuesday, April 7, 2015.

With a bang, bang, bang!

You know what?

I will be presenting the bill, a copy of the bill,
that was signed into the law, to the FBI

and also the pen the president used
to sign that document.

It is a miracle, to say the least.

But it speaks to the respect our Congress has
for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The men and women who put their lives
on the line every single day.

And today we're providing a boost to our nation

by naming this fantastic building in honor of
Special Agent Benajmin Grogan and Jerry Dove,

who died valiantly on Friday, April 11,

in what is still considered the bloodiest gun battle
in the storied history of the FBI.

Most men and women in law enforcement
leave their homes for work

knowing that there is a possibility
that they may not return.

I may [inaudible] for all men and women
and first responders to stand up.

Stand up now, so that we can
applaud you and what you do.

Stand up! We are proud of you.

We are proud of your courage.

Thank you.

I don't know if that was on the minds
of agents Grogan and Dove

as they left their homes on April 11, 1986.

But I do know it was an unusually breezy
spring morning in South Florida.

So eerily similar today,
and the actual anniversary is tomorrow.

I do [know] that Miami in the 1980s was plagued
by crime and graphic violence.

We all know that.

This period has been chronicled
in media reports,

and portrayed on TV shows like Miami Vice
and movies like Scarface.

I know that Agent Grogan was a company man,
and one year from retirement.

His wife also was an employee of the FBI.

I know that Agent Dove joined the bureau
after completing law school,

and was living his boyhood dream,
according to his family.

I know their bravery was the motivation
for joining a team on that morning.

A team that was tailing a vehicle
with two suspects

who were connected to a string of murders
and violence and bank robberies.

The agents attempted to get
the drivers to pull over.

They were cornered.

A gun battle immediately ensued.

There was a barrage of bullets.

I can only imagine the frustration
of those agents.

Yet they battled on.

In a desperate attempt to flee, the suspects
tried to commandeer Grogan and Dove’s vehicle.

It is reported the suspects shot both agents
with a high-powered rifle at close range.

Shortly after, the suspects were themselves
fatally shot by Agent Morales.

Agent Morales made a memorable statement
about his role in that historic event.

He said, 'I just knew I was going to die.

But I was going to do my very best to make sure
that those suspects did not get away."

When the smoke cleared, two agents lay dead.

And five were seriously injured.

So today it is our patriotic duty to lift up

Special Agent Benjamin Grogan
and Special Agent Jerry Dove

from the streets of South Florida,
and place their names and pictures high.

Where the world will know that
we are proud of their sacrifice.

Sacrifice for our nation.

It is only fitting that their names should be placed
on the same mantle with the letters FBI.

Because Special Agent Grogan and Dove embody

the sacred motto for which
the agency has become known.

- Please repeat it after me, fidelity.
- Fidelity.

- Bravery.
- Bravery.

- And integrity.
- And integrity.

God bless you, God bless the FBI,
and God bless America.