Jeff Denham

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge and honor El Concilio, the Council for the Spanish Speaking, for their participation in the Sixteenth Annual Binational Health Week, taking place this October. Since October 2001, El Concilio has led the Binational Health Week of Stanislaus County in a collaborative effort with a number of partner organizations, including the Tzu Chi Foundation and the Health Initiative of the Americas. This unprecedented effort is overseen by multi-agency taskforces, and conducts health promotion and education activities for the Latino population in the United States. To date, over 1,000,000 people in our country have benefited from the health care activities provided during the Binational Health Week. Binational Health Week represents an international effort between the United States, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Uruguay and Peru to improve the quality of life for members of underserved populations by expanding their access to health care, increasing their health insurance coverage, and addressing their unmet health needs. The Health Initiative of the Americas, and the consular network here in the United States, are coordinating the Sixteenth Annual Binational Health Week. Activities throughout the country will be centered on the communities that have a high level of need for accessible health care. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending El Concilio upon their efforts to improve public health for the Latino community by participating in the Sixteenth Annual Binational Health Week.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to introduce to the House our guest chaplain, Reverend Marvin Jacobo. Reverend Jacobo is the executive director of City Ministry Network, an incredible organization that is the catalyst for transformation in the city of Modesto, California. As lifelong Modesto residents, Marvin and his wife, Cheryl, have continued to minister to thousands of youth in our community, changing lives and bringing people from humble backgrounds to leaders in our community. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in welcoming him today. We thank him for offering this afternoon's prayer in the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Manteca City Police Chief, Nick Obligacion, who announced his retirement after 24 years of service. Nick was born in Fort Ord, California and was raised in Monterey County. He attended college at Monterey Peninsula College where he graduated with an Associate's Degree in General Education and a certificate in Electronic Technology. Before working in Manteca, Nick was a Deputy Sheriff at Monterey County Sheriff's Department in Salinas. He received his basic certificate in 1989, and applied for the Police Officer position in Manteca in 1991 and began his first shift as an Officer in December of that year. Nick completed the Field Training Program in January of 1992 and was then released to patrol. In addition to being recognized as Employee of the Month in 1992, Nick and his patrol canine, Barry, received several awards for their trial showings throughout the state of California. His commitment to excelling as an Officer was evident through his continued education and certification in many tactical areas of training. Nick had a very long and successful career and was promoted to Police Sergeant in July of 2007 and ultimately to the position of Manteca Police Chief in January of 2012. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending the outstanding contributions made to law enforcement services in the City of Manteca by Chief Nick Obligacion and hereby wish him continued success in his retirement.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Manteca City Fire Chief Kirk Waters, who has announced his retirement after 29 years of service. Kirk always sought a career that allowed him to be of service to others, and ultimately received a degree from Pruitt College of Respiratory Therapy. After becoming a state-licensed respiratory therapist, he began working for the Modesto City Hospital. In keeping with his devotion to service, Kirk applied for a position with the Manteca City Fire Department in March of 1986. Being the son of a firefighter, Kirk was captivated by the idea of following in his father's footsteps. He began his work in June of the following year, and quickly proved himself to be an invaluable member of the Department. He was consequently promoted to the position of Firefighter Engineer in November of 1990. Due to his strong work ethic and desire to improve the community, Kirk was named Acting Captain in July of 1995. He was subsequently made Fire Captain the following year. He continued this trend of advancement by being named Fire Division Chief in February of 2005 and Fire Chief in November of 2009. During his tenure as Chief, Kirk was responsible for speeding up response times in spite of a 40 percent increase in emergency calls. Furthermore, he orchestrated a plan to improve response efficiency at large structure fires through the strategic positioning of fire trucks. These are only two feats among the many innovative measures Chief Waters spearheaded during his tenure. He undoubtedly went above and beyond in his duty to improve public safety in the community. Fire Chief, however, is not the only capacity through which Mr. Waters sought to benefit his community. In fact, Kirk serves on the Board of Directors for the Manteca/Lathrop Boys and Girls Club, the Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Raymus HOPE Family Shelter. Along with all of these honorable commitments, Kirk makes time to coach youth basketball for the Manteca Parks and Recreation Department. It is clear that he has dedicated his life to service for others. Kirk and his wife, Shelly, have 6 children, are very involved with their church, and enjoy remaining healthy and active. Following his retirement, Kirk will return to his roots as a respiratory therapist and help sick newborns at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending the outstanding contributions made to fire services in the city of Manteca by Chief Kirk Waters, and wish him continued success in his retirement and future endeavors.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I was inadvertently detained on rollcall vote 351 regarding H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2015. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``yes.'' Stated against:

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4582, the Save Our Salmon Act, which I introduced earlier this year, removes a contradiction in Federal law. This Federal law mandates that not only do we double the amount of threatened and endangered species, the salmon and steelhead, that we spend so much time, effort, and money trying to save, but the contradiction is it also wants us to double the striped bass that eat 98 percent of the fish we are trying to save. This is a simple bill that is bipartisan that will save taxpayer dollars and that will save our water in California while addressing what we feel is a simple mistake. Under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, the CVPIA, this doubling goal was set in place in 1992. Again, the steelhead and the salmon are being eaten by the striped bass, which is a nonnative predator fish. This mandated population doubling of the predator fish has proven contradictory to protecting native species under the Endangered Species Act. This bill not only removes this provision, but at the request of the administration, my bill also removes other sections in the CVPIA which provide for the implementation of the strategies to double the striped bass. NOAA, NMFS, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have all indicated that predation of juvenile salmon is one of the primary stressors to these endangered species. In California, predation is rampant. Predation of endangered fish in California continues to be one of the major factors in the complex equation of California water and the drought that our State faces. By eliminating this contradictory provision in the CVPIA, native species will again thrive without wasting the massive amounts of freshwater and taxpayer dollars currently required to do so. Again, this is a commonsense, easy solution for Republicans and Democrats to agree on. If we want to save the threatened endangered species, let's stop spending so much money on the very fish that eat 98 percent of the fish that we are trying to save. I want to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for cosponsoring this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4582.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Sam Farr. Together, we have coauthored a bill that brings two valleys together. We have the Salinas Valley and the Central Valley that come together in this beautiful spot and bring a national forest to what its intended use is--for hikers, for off-roaders, and for people who just want to use the beauty of this park. This has truly been a bipartisan effort, not only between Republicans and Democrats, but by pulling two valleys together, a number of different Members are wanting to see this area open back up and be utilized by the taxpayers. This is something that is going to provide generations to come an opportunity to spend time together--to off-road together, to hike together, and to even take photographs, which I know my good friend likes to do in areas like this. I am proud to be a coauthor, and I am proud of the widespread bipartisan support. I am proud to have worked with such a good friend on a fine piece of legislation.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the Native Daughters of the Golden West non-profit organization by proclaiming June 21, 2016 as Native Daughters of the Golden West Day. The Native Daughters of the Golden West was founded on September 11, 1886 in Jackson, California by Lilly O'Reichling. The non-profit Mutual Benefit Corporation of Women was established on the principles of love of the home, devotion to the flag of our country, veneration of the pioneers of California, and an abiding faith in the existence of God. The Native Daughters of the Golden West will be celebrating its 130th year of admirable work for our great State of California. They have grown to over 4,500 dedicated members and 80 Parlors throughout the Golden State. The society remains true visionaries and continues to be one of many stable and thriving women's non-profit organizations. The Native Daughters of the Golden West offers its members a variety of valuable charitable organizations including, but not limited to, children's foundations, veterans' welfare, education and scholarships, and mission restoration. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending the Native Daughters of the Golden West upon this important milestone and for their exuberance and dedication to our State of California.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor DLA Distribution San Joaquin Deputy Director Colonel Paul Balash III on his retirement. I would also like to personally thank him for his many years of profound service to our Country and to San Joaquin County. Colonel Balash was born on May 19, 1948 in Fremont, California. After obtaining his degree from San Diego State University, he attended the Marine Corps War College and the National Defense University. Col. Balash dedicated 34 years of service to the Marine Corps, beginning as a Private and retiring at the rank of Colonel. His outstanding leadership allowed him to serve as a logistician, strategic military planner, and a national security specialist. Throughout his time in service he was involved in over 50 studies, analyses, and gaming events aiding the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense. Events under his supervision included the Comprehensive Material Response Plan, DLA and USTC efforts for material positional, distribution for a national defense strategy, and PRIME CHALLENGE III. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending Colonel Paul Balash for his service and dedication to our great country.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the centennial of the Farm Credit System and its unwavering dedication to our nation's agricultural sector. As an almond farmer, House Ag Committee member and Representative of California's abundant Central Valley, I understand that our nation's farmers and ranchers are continuously faced with unique credit and finance needs. Since its inception 100 years ago, the Farm Credit System has worked to serve our nation's farmers and rural communities. Roughly $240 billion in loans have been made to 500,000 borrowers nationwide. These funds have built viable farming operations, improved expanded existing ones, improved trade opportunities, and enhanced vital infrastructure needs. Farm Credit was integral in helping the ag sector to navigate the Great Depression, World War II, the Farm Crisis of the 1980s, and the Great Recession. What may be more important than Farm Credit's impact on a national scale is its presence at the local level. Our local branch and representatives work hard to establish relationships and craft finance options that work for their clients, whether they are small farmers new to the business or the next generation of an established family operation. Over the years, this institution has also committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to support our district's student ag programs, scholarships, and community events. I'm proud to cosponsor H. Res. 591, an overwhelmingly bipartisan commendation of the Farm Credit System and the service its cooperatives provide. California's Central Valley is the most productive ag region in the world, and I remain committed to ensuring our farmers and their communities have access to the financial support that the Farm Credit System and others provide.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2276) to amend title 49, United States Code, to provide enhanced safety in pipeline transportation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 2276, as amended.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the Chair for the time to express my support for the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016. This is the PIPES Act of 2016. The United States has the largest network of energy pipelines in the world--over 2.6 million miles of pipe. Pipelines are a critical part of our energy infrastructure, with over 64 percent of our energy being transported by our pipes within this country. The sustained oversight of the Department of Transportation's pipeline safety programs is critical for pipelines to continue to safely transport our energy products. This bill was developed in a bipartisan manner over the past several years. My subcommittee held a number of hearings and roundtables to hear from stakeholders on the need for reauthorization. On April 20, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved our bill. Similarly, the Energy and Commerce Committee, with which we share jurisdiction, passed its version on April 27. Since then, both House committees have worked on a bipartisan basis to meld this version with the Senate's version, which passed last December. This collaborative, constructive process has resulted in the bill we are considering today, which we believe is a solid safety improvement. First, we require PHMSA to set minimum Federal standards for underground natural gas storage facilities--a critical issue for my home State of California after the Aliso Canyon leak. We make sure PHMSA is focused on finishing outstanding issues from the last reauthorization by requiring PHMSA to update Congress every 90 days on its progress. The bill also authorizes emergency order authority for the pipeline sector but with important preorder requirements to make sure, if the DOT uses such authority, it does it right. This legislation promotes the better use of data and technology to improve safety, including studying the latest innovations in pipeline materials and corrosion prevention. Ultimately, our goal is to make sure that we have the safest pipeline network in the world. We have worked in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to develop this bill. I believe that this bill will improve the safety of our pipeline infrastructure. I thank Messrs. Capuano, Shuster, and DeFazio for their work on this bill. I also thank Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Upton, who has worked tirelessly on this with Ranking Member Pallone. Lastly, I thank the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation for its hard work. Together, we have made a great bill that will create a safer infrastructure for our pipelines. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the full committee chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. Capuano has been a great partner in this. This has been going on for many years now, many months of roundtables, many months of hearings, and it has been a true pleasure working together in a bipartisan way to address our differences, but most importantly, to actually address the safety of the American public. This is a big bill: 2.6 million miles of pipeline, 64 percent of our Nation's energy. We didn't take it lightly. We wanted to hear from the public. We wanted to hear from stakeholders across the country, and we wanted to hear from Members across the country representing their districts. It was truly a bipartisan effort. We appreciate the support and work of the ranking member and full committee chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as the ranking member and the committee chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Specifically, I want to thank Mr. Knight for his leadership on this issue. You never expect to have an emergency in the middle of deliberating on a bill. In this case, we did. He showed real leadership in coming to the table and inviting us out to his district to see it firsthand so that we could actually address safety concerns in this bill as well. It is a great bill to improve the safety of the country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the final passage of this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Congressman McNerney and Congressman Swalwell to acknowledge and honor Director Elizabeth Joyce Freeman for her many years of service to the Palo Alto Veteran Affairs health care system. Director Freeman has worked nobly in serving veterans since 1983, and after 33 years of honorable service to the VA she has announced her retirement on June 7, 2016. Graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1983, Ms. Freeman obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. She returned to school in 1987 at Louisiana Tech University where she graduated with her Master's Degree in Business Administration. In 1983, Ms. Freeman's began her extensive career with the VA as a Resident Engineer at the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City. She moved up the ranks quickly and became the Senior Resident Engineer in Oklahoma City and later moved to Shreveport, Louisiana. Other positions she held with the VA include the following: Project Manager of the VA Central Office Southern Region; Health System Administrator Trainee of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System; Chief Operating Officer of the VA Sierra Pacific Network Office in San Francisco, California; Associate Director of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System; and Director of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. In 2001, Ms. Freeman was appointed to Director of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and since then has efficiently and successfully overseen the complex organization. In her capacity as Director she is tasked with overseeing an annual budget of over $1 billion, a capital portfolio of $2.6 billion, and more than 7,000 staff and volunteers. In addition to Ms. Freemans' numerous professional achievements, we would like to highlight some of the work that Ms. Freeman did outside the VA Office. She served on many boards and committees, such as the Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research and the Quality Board, Patient Care, and Patient Experience Committee of the El Camino Hospital Board. She was a member of the California Hospital Association's Santa Clara County Section, and served on the Board of Directors for the Hospital Council in 2006. She should be commended for her outstanding involvement in the community. The abundance of awards Ms. Freeman has received demonstrates her exceptional leadership and proven work ethic. Ms. Freeman received the Presidential Rank Award at the meritorious level in 2005 and the distinguished level in 2009, she was a recipient of the Leadership VA Senior Executive Leadership Award, she received the VA Alumni Association's Honorary Leadership Award in 2005, and was named one of the top 100 influential women in Silicon Valley. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and recognizing Director Elizabeth Freeman's leadership that brought invaluable institutional knowledge to the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. We thank her for her unwavering leadership, devoted service and contributions on behalf of the community and the Nation.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Latino Emergency Council as we celebrate their tenth-year anniversary. Since their founding in 2006, they have provided exemplary service in promoting emergency preparedness and communication with the Latino community in Stanislaus County, California. The LEC was conceived in the fall of 2005 as a partnership between the Stanislaus County Hispanic Leadership Council, El Concilio, and the County of Stanislaus. The initial goal was to formalize a communication channel with leadership from the Latino community and the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services in the event of an emergency. The organization is a leader in emergency communication response as well as in personal emergency preparedness. The LEC distributes emergency preparedness information throughout the community in nonemergency situations and offers training to the community as a means of building community capacity and self-reliance in emergency situations. The LEC has assisted in multiple emergency responses, such as the H1N1 swine flu outbreak, heat emergencies, the West Nile virus, and cold weather situations. They also participate in multiple disaster exercises, translate vital information into Spanish, provide training for underserved community members, and perform outreach throughout Stanislaus County by distributing tens of thousands of pieces of literature in Spanish. Organization members also travel to the FEMA Region IX office in Oakland, California, and in Washington, D.C., and advocate for emergency preparedness capacity in the Latino community. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and in recognizing the Latino Emergency Council for their service and outstanding contributions to the Latino community as they celebrate their tenth-year anniversary. They are an example of how amazing things can be done when people come together with passion and purpose to make change in the local community.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation I have authored to help reduce the size of the Federal footprint. I first would like to thank Chairman Shuster and Chairman Barletta for their ongoing support in this effort, as well as Ranking Member DeFazio and Ranking Member Carson for their help also. This is truly a bipartisan bill. It is a bill that has garnered a lot of support because we have worked with both sides of the aisle, as well as with groups that have a vested interest in making sure that this happens correctly. I also thank Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member Cummings of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for working to bridge the differences between our two committees. Given our trillion-dollar deficit and skyrocketing debt, we have to examine every area of government and look for ways to continue to cut spending. This bill has taken 5 years in the making. It was one of the first actions when I, as a chair of this subcommittee, initially, we held a hearing in the Old Post Office in D.C. It was a January morning with freezing temperatures. We went in to show that this vacant building was sitting there and could be revitalized. Now we are going to see that building not only reopen as a hotel and retail space, but it is going to generate millions in profits for the Federal Government. We continued to hold hearings like this in abandoned buildings all across the country, ones that were neglected, underutilized buildings, just to highlight the failed state of failed property management. We were successful in pressuring GSA in selling the long vacant Georgetown West Heating Plant. That netted $20 million to the American taxpayer. Sadly, this has got to be done across the entire country. Every year since 2003, GAO, the Government Accountability Office, has found that the Federal Government fails to manage hundreds of thousands of buildings across the entire country. According to the GAO, the Federal Government continues to maintain too much excess and underutilized property, relies too heavily on costly leased space, and maintains unreliable and misleading real property lists. The GAO agrees and has stated before this committee that legislation like the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act would go a long way toward fixing the problems with Federal real property. The President has also continued to support reforms to Federal real estate since speaking on it in his 2011 State of the Union. He has included it in his budget since then, and I am also pleased to have secured the commitment of this administration to advance legislation and work with myself and Chairman Chaffetz to see real reforms signed into law. Additionally, both Houses of Congress have included this idea in their annual budget documents. I believe that we have the potential to save billions of dollars in real estate property. To be successful, this board will need to consolidate the Federal footprint, house more Federal employees in less overall space, reduce our reliance on costly lease space, sell or redevelop high-value assets that are underutilized, and dispose of surplus property much, much quicker. This bill creates an environment that will achieve these goals and creates a reliable and comprehensive real property database so the public can actually see government's progress. Additionally, as I said, we worked with other groups. One of those was dealing with the McKinney-Vento Act to better facilitate access to unneeded Federal real property to serve our Nation's homeless population. I am proud that these changes have led to the endorsement of this legislation by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. I am pleased to work with the Law Center throughout this process and look forward to continuing to work with them to address our Nation's most vulnerable citizens. Again, this is a good bill. This has been done in a bipartisan fashion, and it is going to save billions of dollars for the taxpayer.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Mr. Jim Costa, to acknowledge and honor the life of a beloved leader in the Merced Community, E.J. Almo Lorenzi on his 85th birthday. This is a tremendous milestone that deserves to be commended. E.J. was born in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley's fertile lands of California on May 18, 1931. Growing up, he attended Our Lady of Mercy. At the young age of 13, E.J. began his first job working at Purity Stores as a box boy. He graduated from Merced Union High School in 1945 and then began working for Stefani's Clothiers. In 1954, he was offered a job working for the firm of I.H. Reuter Insurance Agency. He purchased Reuter and Merced Tordini Agency with a partner, John Masasso and together they created the Lorenzi Masasso Agency. They eventually branched out to form Professional Benefits Services. Mr. Lorenzi worked endlessly to advance the status and relationships of the agency and maintains an active role as the Managing Partner of Lorenzi Land and Lifestyle Investments. Involved in the Merced community, E.J. is a member of several organizations including: the Mercy Hospital Heritage Club, Golden West, Boosters of Merced, Catholic Professional Business Club, and Italo- American Lodgers. He is a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus, Italian Catholic Federation, and the Commonwealth Club of California. The Merced City Council selected E.J. Lorenzi as the City's Ambassador of Goodwill and in 2011 he was selected as Man of The Year by the Greater City Chamber of Commerce. E.J. is happily married to his wife, Madeline. They have five children, ten grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. E.J. is known in the community for his perseverance, honesty, and integrity. Mr. Speaker, please join me and my colleague, Mr. Costa, in honoring E.J. Lorenzi for his unwavering leadership and recognizing his many accomplishments and invaluable contributions.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Mary Lou Hoffman for her 53 years of outstanding service to the educational community. Mary Lou announced that she will be retiring on July 1, 2016 from St. Anthony School in Manteca, California. Graduating from California State University Chico, Mary Lou had found her passion in education and pursued a profession as a teacher. After college, she spent two years at Annunciation School in Stockton, where she began her lifelong career. For twelve years, she was a teacher at local public schools. In 2005, Mary Lou became Principal of St. Anthony School, Diocese of Stockton. As the Principal, she made a tremendous impact on the students, families and faculty. The Pastor, Patrick Walker fondly stated, ``Our principal, Mary Lou Hoffman, has made significant strides to make St. Anthony's school better in the past decade.'' Through her many years of dedicated service, Mary Lou has touched the lives of thousands of children. She is not only an exceptional role model but provides a positive institution of learning to her students. Mary Lou's heart has deeply resided in education and her great accomplishments have demonstrated her tremendous impact. Mary Lou loved her profession, but she is looking forward to spending time with her husband, three children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and recognizing Principal Mary Lou Hoffman for her many years of service and outstanding contributions to the lives of her students, peers, and our community.