Pete Olson

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three TX-22 Katy Independent School District (ISD) state wrestling champions--Kayla De Leon, Gabi Holloway and Daniel Manibog. Cinco Ranch High School's Kayla De Leon finished her senior season with an individual gold medal and a 35-2 record. Gabi Holloway, a junior at Seven Lakes High School, finished off an undefeated 9-0 season with a gold medal. Daniel Manibog, a repeated state champion from Katy High School, also received a gold medal and pinned his final match in 45 seconds. Each of these students has made Katy and all of Texas proud! On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to each of you on your accomplishments. I look forward to seeing what you will accomplish in the future.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tanner Scott and Morgan Long of Katy, TX for being named 2018 National Merit Finalists. Only 50,000 students out of over 1.6 million are chosen to be National Merit Scholars based on their PSAT/NMSQT scores. The finalists were selected in February and the winners will be announced between April and June. Both Tanner and Morgan are seniors at Harmony School of Innovation and will attend college in the fall. Tanner has committed to Stanford for the class of 2022, where he plans to study biology and pre-medicine. Morgan plans to study physics and will share his college decision at the annual HPS College Acceptance Pep Rally April 19th. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Tanner and Morgan for this great academic accomplishment. I am proud of them and look forward to their future successes.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Officer Matthew Shockey for being named the Sugar Land Police Officer of the Year. An eight-year veteran of the Sugar Land Police Department, Officer Shockey is the Head Firearms Instructor/Rangemaster and oversees the Taser Program and Ti Simulator Training program. He is a Master Explosive Breacher and is also a grant advisor and serves as the agency 1033 Program Liaison. Before pursuing a career as a police officer, Shockey served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. He was deployed to Iraq twice and spent the last year of service as a Combat Marksmanship instructor Trainer at the Division Marksmanship Training Unit. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Officer Shockey for this great honor. I thank him for his commitment to keeping our community safe.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lauren Mathews, a freshman at Seven Lakes High school and Lauren Yang, a junior at Dulles High School for being selected for Young Masters Class. Texas Young Masters recognizes students from grades 8-11 who excel in dance, theater, film, music, media, and literary and visual arts. More than 300 students from across Texas applied, but only the most talented fifteen students received the title of ``Young Master.'' These students were awarded with $10,000 multi-year scholarships to enhance their studies and provide them access to enhanced opportunities prior to college. Lauren Mathews plays the cello and Lauren Yang was given the award for her dedication to visual arts. These two outstanding students will be recognized during the 2018 class of Young Masters during an awards ceremony and concert on April 16th at Austin's ZACH Theater. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Lauren Mathews and Lauren Yang for achieving this great artistic accomplishment. I am proud and confident of their continued success.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Crystel Ware for being awarded the 2018 Texas Alliance of Black School Educators (TABSE) Educator of the Year. Crystel is the math and science facilitator at Williams Elementary School in Rosenberg, TX. The TABSE Educator of the Year award is gifted to teachers who truly make a difference with their students and demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to enhancing the quality of classroom instruction by using innovative teaching techniques. Ware also previously received the Educator of the Year award from the Houston Area Association of Black School Educators in 2017. Her achievements were recognized on February 25th at the TABSE'S annual conference in Houston. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Crystel on receiving this honor. We thank her for her dedication to her students and look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the future.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cade Deroche of Sugar Land, TX for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Eagle Scout is the highest honor a Boy Scout can earn. Only a small percentage of Boy Scouts reach the rank of Eagle Scout, which requires years of effort to develop the necessary leadership, service and outdoor skills. To earn this honor, Cade earned 21 merit badges, and developed and provided leadership to others in a service project. For his project, Cade repaired and completed a memorial garden at Fort Bend Family Promise an organization that supports families who have lost their homes and need emergency housing. Cade and his troop also completed over 500 hours of service following Hurricane Harvey. His hours of service were above and beyond what was required for scouting. He simply wanted to help his community. Cade also designed the patch earned by Scouts who participated in the relief efforts. Cade's dedication to our community has prepared him to be a leader in his future career. The leadership skills he has learned through Boy Scouts are already benefiting our community. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Cade for becoming an Eagle Scout. I am proud and confident of his continued success. I thank him for his dedication to making our community a better place.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, President Lincoln used the term ``four score and 7 years ago'' at Gettysburg. If President Lincoln reappeared today, he might say: One score and zero years ago, a new Houston hospital, Houston Methodist, was brought forth in Sugar Land, Texas, a new hospital, conceived in medicine, and dedicated to the proposition that all Texans have the best care. Seven thousand patients in 1998 became 225,000 in 2017. Over the 20- year score, Houston's Methodist Sugar Land Hospital scored numerous awards, like the best metro area hospital from Fortune magazine. There is a very simple reason for this amazing success, I CARE values: I, integrity; C, compassion; A, accountability; R, respect; E, excellence. As CEO Chris Siebenaler said in a recent interview in the Fort Bend Focus: ``Houston Methodist Sugar Land is committed to cultivate a safe, spiritual, and healing environment for every single patient.'' Congratulations on 20 amazing years, 20 more to come

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, the American people hate the # inhuman liberal media more and more every day. The last example? A Washington Post op-ed, titled, ``I Would Have Aborted a Fetus With Down Syndrome.'' My entire hometown of Sugar Land, Texas, was disgusted by those nine words. I sent the hurtful article to Ammie, Massey, and Kristin, three friends with gorgeous Down kids. Ammie was stunned, because The Post basically said: If you knew your child would have cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, be deaf, blind, mute, or autistic, they should be aborted. Ammie's Sadie has Down. Ammie says about her daughter: Even on my hardest days, her smile can take all the difficulties away from my day. I will forget them. Through my tears, I typed this note. Mr. Speaker, none of us is perfect and none of us should be aborted because we are not perfect.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to return from my home district in time for votes on Monday, March 5 or Tuesday, March 6. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 092; YEA on Roll Call No. 093; NAY on Roll Call No. 094; and YEA on Roll Call No. 095.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, in 1898, the Katy school district opened. In those 120 years, no Katy team ever played in the Texas Men's Basketball Championship. The Tompkins Falcons have only been around for 5 years. Yet, 4 days ago, those 5-year-old Falcons led Katy to its first Texas 6A finals. They came up 1.1 seconds short, losing by 2 points in overtime. There is an old saying in Texas: You see the true character, the true heart of a team, in defeat, not victory. That means the Tompkins Falcons have the biggest hearts in Texas. The best example is the words of the Falcons star senior Jamal Bieniemy: ``We still have life after basketball. We still have to wake up. We still have to breathe and live for each other.'' I will close with words from Falcons head coach Bobby Sanders: ``It was gratifying we got this far. I am proud of them.'' Mr. Speaker, on behalf of 850,000 Texans in Texas 22, I want to say: Darn straight, coach. Darn straight.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mo's Place, of Katy, TX, on its 30th Anniversary. Mo Jeloudarzadeh came to America with only his suitcase in hand, and worked his way through college as a dishwasher. He was later promoted to bartender and it was during this time that Mo fell in love with country music. In March 1988, he opened Mo's Place in a small strip center in the Katy area. Mo's passion for serving others and his welcoming hospitality have been the key ingredients to his success. Last year, Mo was awarded the Pioneer Award from the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame for his continued support of Texas Country music artists. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Mo Jeloudarzadeh for celebrating 30 years of success at Mo's Place. We're excited to see what the next 30 years bring.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the instructors and cadets of Lamar Consolidated High School's Air Force Junior ROTC for receiving the assessment score of ``Exceeds Standards.'' The JROTC program received the ``Exceeds Standards'' designation, the highest rating attainable by a JROTC program, based on a formal Unit Evaluation on December 4. Major Jeffrey M. Shelton and Senior Master Sergeant Jeffrey T. Moffet have created a learning environment where cadets take great pride in accomplishing their goals and making a positive impact on their community. They are outstanding leaders and role models for their cadets, Maeseille Calonia, Jesus Lopez, Christopher Coats, Manuel Arriaga, Carolina Garcia, Adrianna Rios, Matthew Alfaro, Azahel Vazquez, Julian Vinsonhaler and Isabel Arviso, who performed exceptionally well during their evaluation. Thanks to this JROTC program, they are paving the way to make outstanding military leaders. On behalf of the Twenty-Second District of Texas, congratulations again to Lamar Consolidated High School's Air Force JROTC for receiving this high assessment score. Keep up the fantastic work.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jack Armstrong, of Manvel High School, for earning a pair of gold medals at the Class 5A Swimming and Diving meet in Austin. Armstrong broke the 5A record with a time of 44.57 seconds in the 100 free in the preliminary round on Friday. On Saturday, he won both the 50 and 100 free events. His accomplishments in the pool have made his family and our Manvel community proud. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Jack Armstrong. We look forward to seeing what he will accomplish in the future. Hoka Hey.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Kylie Powers, of Ridge Point High School for earning a silver medal in the 6A 100-yard breaststroke. Powers finished an impressive high school swimming career with a 100- yard breaststroke silver medal with a time of 1:01.15. She is a signee at Texas A&M. Her accomplishments in the pool have made her family and our Missouri City community proud. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Kylie Powers. We look forward to seeing what she will accomplish in the future.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Fort Bend County women honored by the Suburban Sugar Land Women (SSLW) for Women's History Month 2018. The National Women's History Project celebrates the diverse and historic accomplishments of women. Every year, SSLW recognizes women who have made a positive impact upon our community. There are six women from Fort Bend County who received this honor--Evelyn Peters Dean, president of the Suburban Houston Fort Bend Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Ammie Blahuta, president of Gigi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, Tran Pham Rich, president of Cookie Joe's Dancin' School, Sugar Land, Manuela Arroyos, CEO of Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, Cynthia Ginyard, a passionate retired educator and public servant and Lupe Uresti, former mayor of Rosenberg and current Rosenberg Housing Authority director and treasurer for the board of directors of the Fort Bend Hispanic Heritage Forum. Each of these women contributes to the strength and vibrancy of our community and we thank them. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to the Suburban Sugar Land Women honorees. Thank you for all you do for our community.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate five Katy ISD state swimming medalists. Kaloyan Bratanov, a senior at Katy High School, won the 6A championship in the 200-yard medley and won the silver medal in the 100-yard freestyle. Emma Sticklen, a sophomore at Taylor High School, brought home a bronze medal in the 100-yard backstroke. Cinco Ranch High School senior, Aria Bernal earned her third consecutive state silver medal in the backstroke, finishing with a time of 52.72. William Coakley, a junior at Seven Lakes' High School, earned a bronze medal in the 200 free. Senior Brayden Rudd of Seven Lakes' High School finished his high school career with a bronze medal in the breaststroke. Each of these students has made Katy and all of Texas proud. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to each of you on your accomplishments. We look forward to seeing what you will accomplish in the future.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Foster High School Girls Varsity Swim Team for earning a silver medal in the 200- yard freestyle. Kalissa Niles, Maddie Jacks, Sophie Gibson and Meagan Clark finished in second place with an impressive time of 1 minute and 39.47 seconds. Their accomplishments in the pool have made their families and the Richmond community proud. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations to the ladies of the Foster High School Girls Varsity Swim Team. Keep up the great work.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the men and women honored by the Richmond Police Department at their annual awards banquet last month. The banquet honors dedicated employees and citizens committed to the mission of the Richmond Police Department. Each Division Commander picks someone from their division to honor. Officer James Williams was named 2017 Officer of the Year and Officer Vladimir Golovine was named 2017 Employee of the Year. The department awarded the Business Sponsor of the Year to The Church of Rosenberg for outstanding support to the department during 2017. Josh Landry was honored as 2017 Citizen of the Year. Also receiving awards were Rookie of the Year Officer Ruben Robles, Top Gun Division Winner Officer Robert Oliver, Co-Detective of the Year Detective John Dawson, Top Gun Division Winner and Overall Champion Sgt. Steven Rychlik, Co-Detective of the Year & Top Gun Division Winner Detective David Childs, Top Gun Division Winner Detective Andrew Runge and Telecommunicator of the Year Danell Gaydos. Our communities are safer thanks to strong police departments and the critical organizations that support them. Thank you to each of these honorees. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to the Richmond Police Department honorees. I thank them for all they do to keep the Richmond community safe.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Illinois. No one knows how many lives and souls Reverend Billy Graham saved. We know that for every one he saved, he saved two, two saved four, four saved eight, et cetera. One life we know he saved was Louis Zamperini. Louis' story is in a book called, ``Unbroken,'' and a movie by that same name. He was a track star, a silver medalist, 1936 games, Olympic games in Munich. In World War II, he flew B-24 bombers. That was a dangerous plane. Twice, his plane crashed. The second time, he floated the Pacific Ocean for 47 days. He said: ``God, if I survive this ordeal and get back to America alive, I'll seek You and serve You.'' He was captured by the Japanese and spent the rest of the war in a prison war camp in Japan. A guard there he called, ``The Bird,'' knew of Louis' fame, and he beat him to a pulp every single day. Louis said: ``I was constantly being tormented by the guy. And you talk about hate. I wanted to kill him.'' His nightmares of the POW camp came home. He was consumed by anger. One night, Louis dreamed he was strangling The Bird to death. Instead, he woke up to find out he was strangling his wife, Cynthia. He started getting drunk as a skunk every night to forget about the horrors that plagued him. With her husband getting drunk every single night, Cynthia filed for divorce, and that is when a friend invited her to see the Reverend Billy Graham crusade in a Los Angeles tent dubbed, ``The Canvas Cathedral.'' She accepted Christ that night. She convinced Louis to attend Reverend Graham's service. After storming out of that tent the first night, Louis returned for one more evening. That time, the Bible verse Billy Graham quoted went straight to Louis' heart. He said: ``Of all my near-death experiences, my life never passed before my eyes. But when Billy Graham quoted Scripture, my life did pass before my eyes.'' For the first time in years, Louis remembered the promise he made God when he was floating in the South Pacific. That night, he went forward and accepted Christ, and the biggest miracle of his life was set in motion. Louis' transformation was so complete that he returned to Japan to share the Gospel with the hundreds of Japanese troops that tortured him that he once hated. He watched many of them accept Jesus Christ. He went to share his faith all around the world, speaking at several Billy Graham crusades, and had a great friendship with Reverend Graham that lasted until Louis' death on July 2, 2014. Before he died, Louis said these important words: ``This Billy Graham thing is a phenomenal miracle the way it started, the way it spread out. I'm one guy that got saved, and I've spoken to hundreds of thousands and had my testimony in papers where millions read it. One person. Think of the spider-web effect all over the world.'' Thank God for Reverend Billy Graham. Amen, Louis. Thank God for Reverend Billy Graham.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, my friend from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), and his cohost, Mrs. Walters of California, for this first Special Order of the Tax Reform Truth Squad. We are thrilled that Texans have the first chance to speak on such an important issue. Texans love to brag about Texas, and that is what we will do tonight. That is what I will do. I want to brag about two stories from home and two faces from home. The first face is Justin Mannino. He runs the Houston Shoe Hospital in my hometown of Sugar Land, Texas. It is right there at the corner of Williams Trace and State Highway 6. For 10 years, I have taken my boots to be shined at that store. I have talked to Justin about what the Tax Code and the cuts will do for his business. He said: It is simple. More money in my pocket means I will pay off all my credit cards and all our debt. But most importantly, Justin met his bride in Mexico. They were married there. With all this new money he has because of our tax cuts, he plans to take his two kids to the same church where they were married to baptize them in the Lord, Jesus Christ. That is priceless. That has happened because of these tax cuts. A second story and face that comes to mind is a dear friend, Andres Novoa. He is the owner of a Fort Bend County icon, La Cocina Mexican Restaurant, right there off of Highway 357. He told me that the biggest benefit to his business is that he can pay his employees more--more money in their pockets. He can expand his business. He can get new equipment. He said the last 4 years of high taxes and the exploding regulations have caused a small retraction in his business. He is now in full expansion mode. He is giving his employees more pay and has plans right now to buy more equipment. And there is more. Andres is the heart and soul of an annual fundraiser for seniors' Meals on Wheels in Fort Bend County. Every Cinco de Mayo, when Mexico celebrates their independence from France, he has a fundraiser at La Cocina. Last year, he raised over $60,000. With more money in his pocket, he thinks he can have a bigger party and maybe raise $100,000, or maybe purchase a new van to deliver food. This is a picture of Andres. He is smiling because he was talking with us about those amazing tax cuts. He is just one more picture. I invite America to check out Justin's and Andres' story at my website, my Facebook page, or on Twitter. Hear their voices. See them speak. Learn what they have learned. I will close with a request from Justin and Andres. They want me to say thank you to President Donald Trump and thank you to every Member of Congress who voted for this bill. This bill is not about crumbs. This bill is about real money in real people's pockets. I invite everyone to come down to Houston, Texas, in Sugar Land, and get your boots shined at Houston Shoe Hospital. If you have some time, add another belt buckle, because you will get filled up at Andres' restaurant, La Cocina.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Debbie Wilson on her contribution of 28 years of freelance photography for the Alvin Sun and congratulate her on her retirement. Debbie is retiring after almost three decades of photographing sports for the Alvin Sun. During her tenure, Debbie traveled around the state to cover Alvin Yellowjacket teams and Manvel Mavericks state title appearances. Her last assignment was the Mavericks' state football championship game in December. Her photos have earned awards from the Texas Community Newspaper and Texas Press Associations, and have played a role in helping the newspaper win numerous awards for their sports coverage. She is a fantastic photographer and her talent will be missed by both her coworkers and by the teams that she photographed. On behalf of the Twenty-Second District of Texas, thank you again to Debbie Wilson for 28 years of outstanding work at the Alvin Sun. I wish her good luck in her retirement.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Debra Haney for her appointment as superintendent of the Archdiocese of Galveston- Houston Catholic Schools. Debra has served in the Archdiocese for 25 years. She previously served as the interim superintendent and principal of St. Laurence and St. John Paull II Catholic Schools. The Archdiocese's district spreads across 10 counties and serves 18,700 students, making it the largest private school district in Texas. Using her wealth of knowledge and experience in the Archdiocese, Haney is committed to improving the district by raising funds for programming and technology. She is also focused on helping the district recover from Hurricane Harvey. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Debra Haney on her new position. I'm excited to see what she accomplishes.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John Sampa, of Katy, TX, on his new assignment as Command Sergeant Major for the U.S. Army National Guard. Sampa will be the twelfth person, and first African-American to serve as Command Sergeant Major for the Army National Guard. He will be the ``eyes and ears'' for Lieutenant General Timothy J . Kadavy, who handpicked him to serve as his advisor. Previously he served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Texas Military Department. Sampa is also a Texas State Trooper. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Command Sergeant Major John Sampa. I thank him for his service and sacrifice.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Lawrence Fan, of Pearland, TX, on 30 years of service at the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. Dr. Fan was honored at a luncheon recognizing employees that have served a milestone number of years. He is among 600 employees who have been with Kelsey-Seybold more than 15 years. Countless kids in Fort Bend County have benefited from the wonderful care they have received from Dr. Fan. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Dr. Lawrence Fan for achieving this milestone. I thank him for his dedication to keeping our Fort Bend community healthy. Keep up the great work.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to work for the Texans in a small town on the Brazos River, in Simonton, Texas. There is an icon in Simonton that is loved by all in Fort Bend County. It is called Roper's Country Store and Cafe. Roper's fought Mother Nature twice: the Brazos River dropped by uninvited in 2016, and again with Hurricane Harvey in August of last year. At 6 a.m., exactly 1 week ago, Roper's beat Mother Nature. As you can see in this photograph, the owner, Lauren Gillespie, is watching Maria Silva welcome Anne, Ramona, and Laura home to Roper's. I dropped by last Saturday and had a homemade breakfast with Simonton Mayor Louis Boudreaux. Maria was still smiling when I went there Saturday, as I filled up. Her shirt says: Texas Strong. What that really says is: Simonton Strong, Roper's Strong. Welcome home, Roper's.