Rick Larsen

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Professor Emeritus James E. ``Jim'' Jernberg of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, Professor Jernberg built a career devoted to education, public service, and mentorship that spanned generations. He earned his bachelor`s degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth, master's degree in public affairs at the University's Twin Cities campus, and PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty in 1964 and served at the University for 31 years before retiring in 1995. Throughout his career, Professor Jernberg was known for his passion for teaching and his commitment to preparing students for careers in public service. He helped shape generations of public servants who went on to influence policy and serve in every level of government. Professor Jernberg was my professor at the Humphrey School, and he left a lasting impact on my approach to public service and the responsibilities of government. He taught me to appreciate that ``in government, nothing ever ends,'' which has served as a reminder that the work of public service requires persistence, and that progress must be sustained long after a law is passed or a policy is adopted. Professor Jernberg was a kind and generous mentor who valued his relationships with students and alumni. He and his wife, Sally, welcomed students into their home, creating a place where they could share meals, discuss public policy, and talk about their lives long after graduation. That spirit of hospitality and friendship continued for decades through regular gatherings known as ``Lunch with Jim.'' Even 30 years after his retirement, Jim remained an active member of the Humphrey School community. Mr. Speaker, Professor Jernberg's legacy lives on in the students he taught, the public servants he mentored, and the communities they serve. I extend my condolences to his family, friends, and the entire Humphrey School community. I am grateful to have been his student.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Paul Roberts, a dedicated public servant, environmental advocate, policy expert, musician and proud resident of Everett, Washington. Sadly, Paul passed away on June 24, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer. Paul Roberts was instrumental in making Everett the city it is today. His legacy can be seen in the fabric of everyday life in Everett--in its environmental plans, transportation investments, schools, arts and music scene and in its future light rail system. Whether as a city planner, policy consultant, representative for regional boards or as a long-time member of the Everett City Council, Paul used his extraordinary talents to serve the people of Everett and the greater Puget Sound region. From a deep passion for protecting our cherished environment, to his foresight on bringing the naval base to Everett, Paul was the embodiment of what a lifelong public servant is. Even after leaving the City Council, he continued his work in public service for my office, ensuring that local communities benefited from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. His knowledge of local government and unwavering focus on delivering results helped Northwest Washington communities access critical resources to build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation network. Paul was one of the kindest, most dedicated and hardworking people I have ever known. He was an amazing mentor and inspiration for the members of my staff that were lucky enough to work with him. He had a real gift for bringing people together to seek common ground and solve tough problems. Mr. Speaker, Paul Roberts' impact on Everett and Northwest Washington is immeasurable. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his remarkable service, celebrating his legacy, and extending our deepest condolences to his wife, Marianne, their family and all who were fortunate to know and work alongside him.

Mr. LARSEN

Mr. LARSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 2860, the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act. The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative started as a bipartisan, homegrown idea. Thanks to the foresight and hard work of Democratic Senator Patty Murray and my predecessor here in the U.S. House of Representatives, former Representative Jack Metcalf, and local stakeholders, Congress created the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Commission in 1998. The commission works with seven county-based marine resources committees, or MRCs, in northwest Puget Sound. Five of these seven MRCs are in the five counties I represent in northwest Washington State. Over the past 20 years, the commission's bottom-up approach has ensured that local communities and Tribes have the resources and expertise that they need to keep marine habitats healthy and recover endangered and threatened species, including the southern resident killer whales and salmon. My bill would reauthorize the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Commission for 7 years, ensuring the commission can continue its work to restore the marine ecosystem of the Northwest Straits region, including by restoring shoreline in Skagit County, conserving Olympia oysters in Whatcom County, monitoring kelp beds in Island County, removing derelict vessels in San Juan County, and surveying forage fish eggs in Snohomish County. Mr. Speaker, all of these projects work in tandem, or work together, throughout the Puget Sound in order to increase the whole health of the Puget Sound. Not only do these projects restore the environment, but they are also supporting local jobs. According to the commission, the Northwest Straits region creates 16,000 jobs in Washington's commercial and recreational fishing industries and $150 million in economic input for the State's aquaculture industry. The commission partners with ports, local authorities, State agencies, marine-based businesses, and Tribes on everything from trapping invasive European green crab that threaten local shellfish economies, to helping boaters identify and communicating eelgrass locations, which are poor anchorage sites but important for commercial and recreational marine species. This is locally driven, job-creating work that Congress should continue to support. I thank Representative Emily Randall for co-leading this bill; Senators Murray and Cantwell for their partnership in the Senate; and Representatives Marilyn Strickland, Suzan DelBene, Adam Smith, Pramila Jayapal, and Kim Schrier, all my colleagues here in the House, for cosponsoring this bill. I thank the many partner organizations in our State, whose advocacy and hard work got the bill to this point, particularly the Northwest Straits Advisory Commission and the Puget Sound Partnership. Finally, I thank Ranking Member Huffman, Chair Westerman, and the entire House Natural Resources Committee--the members of the committee and the staff--for working with my office to move this bill forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to keep the momentum going to restore marine habitat, protect Washington State's environment, and create more jobs in northwest Washington State.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes on Friday, May 15, 2026, for an important family commitment. I will be present and voting when the House returns to session this week. Had I been present, I would have voted; NAY on Roll Call No. 174, and YEA on Roll Call No. 175.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, we must do everything that we can to prevent another midair collision and to improve aviation safety. That is why I support H.R. 7613, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7613, the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act, or the ALERT Act, as amended, bipartisan legislation introduced by T&I Committee Chair Sam Graves, House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers, Ranking Member Adam Smith of the Armed Services Committee, and myself, as the ranking member of the T&I Committee. This bill responds to all the probable causes of the tragic midair collision near Washington National Airport, DCA, on January 29, 2025. On that evening, American Airlines Flight 5342 arriving to DCA from Wichita, Kansas, and an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flying a routine training mission collided above the Potomac River, resulting in 67 tragic deaths, representing the deadliest U.S. aviation accident since 2001. To the families and loved ones of those lost in this tragedy: You certainly have my deepest condolences. What you have gone through is unimaginable, and you have my sincere gratitude for your advocacy. Your tireless efforts to effect real change and improve aviation safety have made this bill better. I also thank the chair of the NTSB, Chair Jennifer Homendy, her investigators, and the staff for their diligent work to uncover the cause and contributing factors of this accident, as well as their valuable input as our committee developed and refined this legislation. After the accident, the NTSB was on the scene and initiated its thorough investigation into determining the probable cause, identifying factors and findings, and issuing recommendations to the appropriate Federal agencies. The NTSB published its final report in February that contained the probable cause of the collision, its findings, and 50 new safety recommendations directed to the Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense. Today, we are considering legislation that responds to all the NTSB's safety recommendations. The ALERT Act has been bipartisan from its inception and is the result of productive, good-faith collaboration between the T&I and Armed Services Committees and the impacted agencies. Since the D.C. midair tragedy involved both the FAA and the DOD, the solution has to involve both committees to make lasting changes. This bill we are considering today--as I like to call it, the ALERT Act version 7.0--looks vastly different from the legislation introduced in February, version 1.0. It incorporates feedback from the families of the victims, the NTSB, and other stakeholders who have helped make the ALERT Act a truly comprehensive safety bill that works to address all 50 NTSB safety recommendations. The legislation contains a sense of Congress and 23 provisions requiring the FAA and the DOT to act on safety recommendations issued in the NTSB's final report. These provisions require ADS-B In and collision prevention technology on virtually all aircraft, enhance air traffic control training and traffic management procedures, modernize ATC facilities and technology, address deficiencies in DOT and FAA's safety culture, and strengthen the safety of the national airspace system and safety in the airspace around DCA. A key provision of the ALERT Act is its equipage requirement for collision prevention technologies, including what we call ADS-B In. The important thing to know about ADS-B In is it is only one part of a collision prevention equation in the ALERT Act. While useful, ADS-B In must be paired with the right system in the cockpit--the right displays, the right audible alarms, the right software--to effectively increase a pilot's situational awareness. As a result, the ALERT Act not only requires ADS-B In but also requires each aircraft to have collision prevention technology. For all mainline air carriers, this ADS-B In enabled ACAS Xa is what we call the next-generation collision avoidance system. For everyone else who is currently required to have ADS-B Out, they will be required to have any of the ADS-B In-enabled collision prevention technologies that also meet a strict set of minimum requirements. These ADS-B In capabilities, fed into the right collision prevention technologies, provide pilots with an unprecedented level of situational awareness and will increase the safety of the airspace across the country. The time to act is now. House passage of the ALERT Act is the next step in delivering on Congress' safety commitment to the flying public and addressing all 50 NTSB recommendations. Moreover, passage of the ALERT Act in the House will allow us to begin critical discussions with the Senate on a final legislative response to the DCA midair tragedy. I urge all my colleagues to support the ALERT Act, as amended. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Again, I just reiterate, the bill before us today does not resolve this dispute between the Mexican Government and an American company. There are tools available and that continue to be available to resolve that. It gives the Coast Guard more work on top of all the work our U.S. Coast Guard is already doing. I had an amendment in the Rules Committee. They rejected an amendment that would have required the President to consider potential costs before exercising the authorities granted in this bill. That Rules Committee amendment was rejected. Arbitration, treaties, trade agreements, these mechanisms exist to solve international disputes. These are appropriate venues for this dispute and not legislation. For those reasons, I will be voting ``no.'' In conclusion, I do want to note something. These 13 to 14 bills that came before this body earlier this week from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee--those were on suspension. This one was not. But it needs to be said that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee works extremely well. We see ourselves as an island of partnership in a sea of partisanship in the U.S. Congress. Even though this bill may not fit that bill, the Committee works that way because of one person, and that one person is Representative Sam Graves. This morning, it was announced that Sam will not be running for reelection. I wanted to take this brief moment as part of my time in closing to just note that we are going to be losing a fierce advocate for infrastructure investment and for transportation safety with his announcement that he will not run again. Sam and I have served together nearly 26 years. We came in together. In recent years, we have developed a partnership that overrode the partisanship in Congress. This body has dealt with the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, a Coast Guard reauthorization, a Water Resources Development Act reauthorization, and a lot of other things. We have passed a FEMA act that reforms FEMA. We have yet to get that to the floor. We certainly want to see that get to the floor. Importantly, we are working right now on a bill to reauthorize the surface transportation authorization to fix roads, bridges, highways, transit, rail, and some other things. We are working on that right now. That work continues to progress, all because of the work of Representative Sam Graves. Although the House is losing Sam, his home is regaining him back in Tarkio, Missouri, at some point at the end of this year. His family is getting him back. I have always said that Sam likes three things in life: his grandkids, vintage aircraft, and Congress, and in that order. I thank Sam Graves for his friendship and his partnership and helping us to continue to do the work of this Committee to bring bills to the floor that we can debate in a manner that is respectful of the body that we all get to serve in. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to H.R. 7084, the Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026. As we have seen with recent vessel boardings and border operations, the Coast Guard has broad authority to enforce American laws on the water. The Coast Guard routinely interdicts drugs and migrants, enforces fisheries laws, and ensures the safety of property and life at sea. In fiscal year 2025, the Coast Guard set record breaking numbers. The service seized over 510,000 pounds of cocaine in the maritime domain, over triple its yearly average. Even more impressively, the Coast Guard saved over 2,200 lives and over $40 million of property by running over 6,700 search and rescue cases. They do all this while protecting global fish stocks and by enforcing domestic and international fisheries laws. H.R. 7084 does not help the Coast Guard address violations of the law at sea. Instead, the bill inserts the Coast Guard into what is a property dispute between a U.S. company and the Mexican Government that, if anything, will only add to the Coast Guard's burden. The Coast Guard is already strained in its ability to effectively conduct its missions. Just last week, the Vice Commandant testified before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that the Coast Guard is a $20 billion organization operating on a $13 billion budget. H.R. 7084 prohibits vessels, commercial shipping or cruise vessels, from entering or operating in U.S. waters if that vessel made a port of call at a port that was nationalized or expropriated by another company from a U.S. citizen or company. Now, requiring the service to identify and prohibit vessels from entering U.S. waters due to an international property dispute further strains the service's resources. This legislation is meant to only apply to one port in Mexico, but it is written so broadly it could encompass disputes in other countries and with other companies both today and in the future. Now, Congress has many pressing issues that we should be considering today. The President himself has promised less war and lower prices. Instead, the American public is getting more war and higher prices. I wish we were taking time today to discuss those lower costs for my constituents. I wish we were taking time today to discuss those lower costs for my constituents. Instead, we are interjecting Congress into an international land dispute. Now, I want to be really clear. I am sympathetic to the plight of this particular U.S. company involved in this dispute. This legislation doesn't solve their problem. That solution can be found, and opportunities are available through diplomacy and even trade agreements but not really legislation. For those reasons I will be voting ``no'' on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Allison Larsen, a dedicated educator and principal of Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington, whose impact on her school and community will be felt for generations. Sadly, Allison passed away on March 15, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer. Allison devoted her career to serving students, families and staff with compassion, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the power of education. She joined Edmonds-Woodway High School in 2014 as an assistant principal, where she quickly earned the trust and admiration of those around her. In 2020, she became the school's principal, leading with a steady hand, a caring heart and a deep belief in the power of education to transform lives. Throughout her professional career, Allison was known for her genuine care for people and her ability to build meaningful relationships across her school community. She believed deeply in the work of educators and took great pride in supporting students and staff in achieving their fullest potential. Her leadership reflected both high expectations and heartfelt compassion, ensuring that every student felt seen, supported and valued. Even in the face of a terminal illness, Allison's dedication to her school never wavered. She remained committed to uplifting those around her, leaving behind a legacy defined by kindness, strength and purpose. Allison was also a beloved member of the Larsen family as the wife of my cousin Mike, and our family deeply mourns her passing. Allison added spice to family events with her wit and insights. We will all terribly miss her. Mr. Speaker, Allison Larsen's impact on Edmonds-Woodway High School and the broader Edmonds School District community is immeasurable. Her life stands as a testament to the profound difference one educator can make. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her remarkable service, celebrating her legacy and extending our deepest condolences to her husband, our family and all who were fortunate to know and work alongside her.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to speak on the ROTOR Act and on the ALERT Act. I really appreciate the bipartisan work and joint committee work done here in the U.S. House to produce the ALERT Act, the comprehensive response to the tragic DCA air crash. I look forward to continue working with the T&I Committee and the House Armed Services Committee to bring that bill into markup in committees and onto the floor as soon as possible if we are allowed to. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Amo).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, last month marked the 1-year anniversary of the D.C. midair collision where a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 near Washington National Airport, or DCA, tragically claiming all 67 lives aboard both aircraft. It was the first mass-casualty commercial plane accident in the United States in nearly 16 years and marked the end of one of the longest streaks without such an accident in U.S. history. This devastating accident is a stark reminder that we have to remain vigilant in our pursuit of aviation safety. More can always be done to make air travel safer. We owe it to the victims, to their families, and to the flying public to leave no stone unturned and to learn every lesson we can. I thank the friends and families of the victims. Their presence keeps loved ones' memories alive, and their advocacy reminds us to focus on this unwavering pursuit of improving aviation safety. After the D.C. accident, the National Transportation Safety Board started its thorough investigation. Like every accident, the House waited for the NTSB's final report and recommendations. Now, we do that deliberately to give the agency's investigators the room to pursue every lead and vet every theory, especially when it comes to complex accidents. This patience proved to be prudent. For instance, the hypothesis that ADS-B In coupled with the right interface could have given more warning was in fact correct. However, some of the NTSB's initial theories about ADS-B Out usage were ultimately not included as part of the probable cause. Allowing NTSB investigators to pull on threads and test their theories is important, and it is why the House did not rush an investigation but instead allowed for the final conclusions from the entire Board. When it comes to the ROTOR Act, I appreciate the urgency to act on the safety gaps in our aviation system. Although I disagree with the ROTOR Act's approach and have concerns about how it executes, both the ROTOR Act and the ALERT Act--the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services' response to the D.C. accident--seek to respond to this tragedy in their own ways. While I know some have attempted to pit the bills against each other, suggesting there could only be one right bill to respond to the tragedy, we all do want the same thing. As the chair of the full committee said, we want to make our skies safer. The ROTOR Act responded first before the NTSB's investigation was complete. As a result, it only addresses a few of NTSB's final 50 recommendations. All of the NTSB's recommendations are important and deserve to be considered by Congress and implemented by the respective Federal agencies. Bypassing the House's regular order and forcing the ROTOR Act through this typically deliberative process doesn't get us to this goal. That brings me to the ALERT Act, the comprehensive bipartisan House response to the NTSB's recommendations on the D.C. midair collision. Chair Graves of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Chair Rogers of the Committee on Armed Services, Ranking Member Smith, and I introduced this bill. The ALERT Act was bipartisan from its inception and emerged from productive and good-faith collaboration between the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services. It also builds on the ROTOR Act's momentum and tackles many of the issues the ROTOR Act does not address. For instance, the ROTOR Act's ADS-B In mandate doesn't apply to military aircraft since the FAA Administration equipage requirements don't apply to military aircraft. The ALERT Act does. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure purposely partnered with the House Committee on Armed Services to make sure that both the FAA and the Department of Defense have strong ADS-B requirements. The D.C. midair tragedy involved both the FAA and the DOD. Consequently, the solution needs to involve both of the committees. Through that partnership, the ALERT Act is truly comprehensive. It works to address all 50 recommendations. Now, the excellent work of the NTSB investigators provided a thorough report that identified many--not just one--goals which Congress has to now pursue. The ALERT Act is the necessary response and narrowly focuses on the NTSB recommendations. Each provision can be tied to one or more of the NTSB recommendations and corresponding findings. To the critics of the ALERT Act, I just say that legislating is a collaborative process. A bill is introduced as a draft until it is passed, and until then, all feedback is welcome. Upon introduction, we immediately requested that the NTSB and FAA provide feedback, and we have solicited stakeholder input from many folks to ensure that we get the ALERT Act's swift implementation. We are still getting feedback. The ALERT Act works to address all of the NTSB recommendations. These recommendations deserve full consideration by Congress. In the meantime, the ROTOR Act and the vote before us this week address just a small percentage of these recommendations. Now, the NTSB has nearly 200 outstanding aviation recommendations, dating back to the year 2000. If the ROTOR Act passes as is, all we are doing is adding 45 or more recommendations to this long list that Congress has already not acted on. If the Speaker can, in fact, promise the Senate that the Senate gets a vote on their bill--that only partially addresses the tragedy--then I certainly hope the Office of the Speaker can promise a floor vote on the one bipartisan joint committee House bill that comprehensively addresses all of the issues. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate Colonel Margarethe ``Grethe'' Cammermeyer's contributions to LGBTQ rights and neuroscience nursing in the United States. Born in Oslo, Norway, Grethe became a citizen in 1960 and joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1961 when she was just 19 years old. After finishing college, she served on active duty as an Army nurse in Germany, the U.S. and Vietnam. She later earned a master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Washington's School of Nursing. She served concurrent careers in VA medical centers, the Army Reserves and the National Guard. In 1988, while answering a question during a routine security clearance interview, Grethe disclosed that she was a lesbian. The National Guard then began military discharge proceedings against her, but Grethe challenged this action in federal court. In June 1994, a federal court ruled that her discharge and the ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military were unconstitutional, paving the way for future LGBTQ service members in our armed services. After returning to the National Guard, she served courageously as one of the few openly gay or lesbian people in the U.S. military until her retirement in 1997. Grethe is a decorated member of the U.S. military and a nationally recognized practitioner of neuroscience nursing. With a focus on neuroscience, she has been an active researcher and author or contributor to dozens of publications. She has been recognized as the Veterans Administration Nurse of the Year in 1985, earned the Bronze Star for Service in Vietnam, and was Chief Nurse of the Washington National Guard. Throughout her career, she challenged policies that discriminated against married women and married women who became pregnant. In 2010, after 17 years of advocating for the repeal of ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'', Colonel Cammermeyer led the Pledge of Allegiance during President Obama's ceremony repealing the policy. Gay men and women are now allowed to serve openly in the military because of her determination and persistence. In 2012, after same-sex marriage was legalized in Washington State, Grethe and her partner Diane Divelbess became the first same-sex couple to receive a license in Island County. Grethe is not just celebrated among her Island County neighbors but recognized nationwide for her contributions to LGBTQ rights. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to commend Grethe for her outstanding courage, dedication to expanding the field of neuroscience nursing and enduring legacy of service to her community. I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest gratitude for her service.

Mr. LARSEN of Washington

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate Lisa Janicki's service as a County Commissioner for Skagit County, Washington. Commissioner Janicki was first elected to the Skagit County Board of County Commissioners in November 2014, following a career of more than thirty years as the Chief Financial Officer for Janicki family businesses. During her eleven years in office, Commissioner Janicki has been a tireless leader in fighting the opioid epidemic across our communities and Washington state, advocating for policy solutions, programs and investments to end this scourge and repair the incredible damage it has caused. She has worked collaboratively with the county's partner jurisdictions to increase services available for community members in need of urgent crisis support. She was a founding member of North Star, a partnership between the county commissioners and government, the mayors of the four largest cities in Skagit County, and service organizations to end homelessness and enhance effective delivery of crisis response, recovery and support services countywide. Commissioner Janicki also oversaw the development of the STAR Center providing acute behavioral health care services to Skagit County, in addition to the county's first permanent supportive housing development, Martha's Place, and the Skagit First Steps Shelter. Commissioner Janicki's heartfelt leadership, strategic foresight, and compassion are an inspiration to leaders and community members in Skagit County and across northwest Washington. She has been a transformational advocate for the people of Skagit County. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to commend Commissioner Janicki for her outstanding leadership and vision, dedication to serving her community, and the enduring legacy she has helped to cultivate. I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest gratitude for her service.