Pete Olson

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the incredible effort to feed our community that is being done by Alexandra Castillo, a nine- year-old girl from Friendswood, Texas. As we continue to weather the economic impact of the coronavirus, some in our community face a choice between shelter and food. Alexandra is helping some avoid making that choice. Alexandra was already sewing masks and giving them to those in need, but knew she could do more to help those around her. Seeing her neighbors go hungry, Alexandra had the idea of opening up a food pantry so that they could get the groceries they need. When her mom heard about the idea, she got the word out on social media. Soon after, their neighbors came together to give their supplies and their time to make Alexandra's idea a reality. Alexandra's ingenuity and compassion illustrate how one person can help an entire community in tough times. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, we thank Alexandra--a young girl providing an example of selfless leadership to people of all ages.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, in unprecedented times like these where the will and spirit of America are tested, Americans band together to weather the storm. Heroes like Zach McAllister in Friendswood, Texas stand up to support their neighbors and defend our community from the invisible enemy known as coronavirus. Supplies of hand sanitizer are depleting and have left the medical professionals working on the front lines of this crisis in critical need. Our doctors and nurses in TX-22 and across America need hand sanitizer to keep them healthy while they treat COVID-19 patients. Seeing the shortage, Mr. McAllister and his company Custom Chemicals and Coatings stepped up to produce the needed sanitizer at their warehouse in Pearland. Soon, Mr. McAllister and the heroes at Custom Chemicals and Coatings were able to start selling their supply to hospitals and emergency responders as well as fire and police departments and EMT agencies. Mr. McAllister's decision to start manufacturing hand sanitizer in bulk helps defend our doctors, nurses and health care professionals. By taking action like this, Mr. McAllister and Custom Chemicals and Coatings are playing an integral part in stopping the spread of coronavirus and ensuring that their friends, families, neighbors and communities stay well. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, I want to commend Mr. McAllister for the important work he is doing to help our community. It should come as no surprise that our country has a friend in Friendswood.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize three young heroes from Pearland that are doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. When Amar Sehgal, Karthik Bhagavatula and Praneel Bhagavatula heard that hospitals could possibly face shortages of face masks and other personal protective equipment, the three decided to act. Although COVID-19 had cancelled this year's Texas Science and Engineering Fair, this trio of heroes found a way for their work to help protect their community. Known as ``The Three Masketeers,'' Amar, Karthik and Praneel have been using 3-D printing to create N95 facemasks to give to people at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. These masks take only three hours to print, are cost-effective, and the Three Masketeers aren't charging a dime for them. When we face great challenges like COVID-19. the people of TX-22 come together and lift each other up; Amar, Karthik and Praneel are living proof. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, I thank ``The Three Masketeers'' for their hard work protecting our community from coronavirus. They have provided critical aid to people in need during these unprecedented times.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an incredible young man in TX-22. Jackson Goodman is a ten-year-old fourth grader at Epiphany Catholic School who at a young age is already making a sincere impact in our community. Jackson has been gathering diapers and baby wipes through diaper drives for the past two Lenten seasons to help the Pregnancy Help Center. This needed center gives confidential and free care to people with unplanned pregnancies. In his first year collecting donations, Jackson gave the Pregnancy Help Center almost two thousand diapers. He more than tripled that contribution the following year, donating over 6,900 diapers. This year, Jackson was able to donate over 7,000 diapers and almost 10,400 baby wipes to the Pregnancy Help Center. These supplies may seem like an easy grocery store grab, but for some mothers and families they are a needed--and expensive--commodity. And, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, they are harder to get than ever. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, we commend Jackson Goodman: an impressive young man who more than lives up to his last name.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Forward Science, one of our many businesses in TX-22 for their efforts to aid those on the front lines fighting against coronavirus. As our Houston hospital heroes face down the coronavirus pandemic, they need to stay healthy so that they can help others fighting to overcome this disease. Hand sanitizer plays a critical safety role in this fight, but our hospitals have faced a medical supply shortage. Like many regions across the nation, our Houston hospitals faced a dire shortage of personal protective equipment or PPE's. Doctors and nurses have been forced to improvise and use their own makeshift PPE's, turning to raincoats and swim goggles to protect them from the coronavirus because the supply of masks and gowns was depleted. TX-22 comes together to face challenges head on. Forward Science, an oral healthcare products company out of Stafford, Texas, has joined other companies in shifting their production to provide a needed supply of hand sanitizer for our healthcare heroes. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, we extend our deep gratitude to Forward Science for their commendable actions filling the gap and helping our healthcare professionals at this critical time.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Harmony Public School for their efforts to protect our hospital heroes on the front lines fighting the coronavirus. As COVID-19 has rocked our communities and pushed our hospitals into overdrive, our healthcare professionals have faced a critical shortage of personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as face masks and rubber gloves. PPE provides critical protection for our doctors and nurses, shielding them from diseases like coronavirus and other biohazards. Seeing our heroes needing help, Harmony Public School used their 3-D printer to create 2,000 plastic face shields over the course of six weeks, using modern technology to help medical professionals working to save lives. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, we send our sincerest thanks to the men and women at Harmony Public School for doing their part to help our community during these challenging times.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise to invite the entire Congress and all my fellow Texans, especially my neighbors in Texas 22, to the biggest Texas-size birthday party of 2020. This picture to my left is pure Brookwood. They are turning 35 years old this year. Since 1985, citizens at Brookwood with mental and physical challenges are taught real job skills. They are infused with pride, self-worth, and Christian love. Brookwood was started by Yvonne Streit. Her 1-year-old daughter, Vicki, had severe brain damage. Yvonne had a mission. From her backyard to churches to the current two campuses with 230 or more citizens, Brookwood is making their citizens in Texas better every single day. Their official birthday party is April 3 at 11 a.m. The catering is done by the Brookwood Cafe. If you want a belly full of food and a heart full of Christian love, come see us in Brookwood.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, the First Amendment to our Constitution says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press. The strength of our First Amendment is our local independent newspapers. These papers fan the flame of American rebellion. There is no America without a free local press. Last week, we lost a local press newspaper in Katy, Texas, Covering Katy News. They ceased operations. The owner and founder, Dennis Spellman, left radio 8 years ago to get in the field and report on stories that matter to people back home. Covering Katy News was 21st century news, online primarily. Dennis' family put their heart and soul into this paper, Covering Katy News. He would stay awake from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.--without a day off in 5 years. Dennis' last article was entitled, ``Time to Say Good-Bye.'' My dear friend, that is the wrong headline. The headline should be, ``Time to Say Good Luck.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, last Thursday night, as the House was recessed, I stood at this podium with a future President of the United States of America. His name is Hank Wolgamott. He is on the right in this picture. Hank is one of my bosses in Texas 22. When he was 9 years old, his left arm was in a cast. The doctors said he had fractured his elbow. They were wrong. Blood was going into his elbow joint. He had severe hemophilia. With the love of his mom, Amanda; his dad, Jesse; and his brother, Jack, Hank went to war against his condition, even though he was too young to know what was happening inside his body. At 16 months old, he had a port placed in his left chest as part of his immune tolerance induction therapy. That was there for over 6 years. A fever or a fall meant a trip to the hospital to stop the bleeding. But Hank soldiered on. My dad always told me: There are no guarantees in life. I have been alive now for 57 years and 3 months, and my dad has never been wrong-- until I met Hank. There is a new guarantee in my life: Never bet against Hank Wolgamott. Hank always wins. Vote for Hank in 2048. You will be glad you did.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, with Easter around the corner, I rise to heap praise on an icon in Katy, Texas, in Fort Bend County. Her name is Deysi Crespo. She is the CEO of Katy Christian Ministries, otherwise known as KCM. KCM has one holy mission: transforming life through God's grace and generosity of the community. KCM has 52 member churches, partners. Deysi started there as a volunteer in the resale shop in 2007. Deysi is a living, breathing example that the American Dream comes through faith. At 7 years old, she left rampant poverty in Central America for Katy, Texas. After a few months, she no longer hungered for food. Deysi had a building hunger inside of her body to end poverty for others and intervene in crisis with God's love. The rest is history. Under Deysi's leadership, KCM earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and the Hurricane Harvey Response Award from the Houston Food Bank. If you are in Katy this March, say hola, or hello, to Deysi. She will be at the Katy Charity Bubble Run. That is set on March 28 in Katy, Texas, and Deysi guarantees the love of Christ will be waiting for all who come to the Bubble Run.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the atrocities committed against Armenian civilians during the pogroms in Sumgait and Baku, Azerbaijan that took the lives of many innocent people. From February 26 to March 1 of 1988, the Armenian population in Sumgait was the target of a horrendous massacre. Innocent Armenian civilians in this seaside town were beaten, raped and murdered in the streets and even in their own homes, simply because of their ethnicity. A similar atrocity occurred in Baku, Azerbaijan just two years later. A seven-day massacre of Armenian civilians saw them attacked, beaten and killed as perpetrators roamed the streets, committing arson and robberies. Many Armenians were expelled from the city, targeted, as before, for their ethnicity. Madam Speaker, in order to combat atrocities such as these, we must first look to the past and ensure the victims of hate are never forgotten. We must educate ourselves and our neighbors on these events and all events like them to prevent further massacres in the future. We have a solemn duty to remember the devastation the Armenian people suffered--and demand a world where freedom can be found for all people, and where events like the Baku and Sumgait Pogroms are relegated to a dark and distant past.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize sisters Sasha and Francesca Klink and their mother Irma Klink, for their tremendous effort to help women going through cancer treatment feel their best. Cancer is a disease that affects people of all walks of life, regardless of race or economic status. Sasha and her mother Irma are both breast cancer survivors. The Klinks opened their Sugar Land, TX beauty boutique, Cure & Co., and spa Pop & Pigment in 2013 to bring positive distractions to other women going through cancer treatment. By providing beauty products, wigs, head coverings and spa treatments to cancer patients, the Klinks have helped many women feel beautiful and confident during their journeys to wellness. Sasha, Francesca and Irma all understand the toll that cancer affects patients and their families, as well as the fear, uncertainty and frustration it brings. Their valuable work eases the pain of patients, helps heal the hurt of their families and inspires others to assist those in need. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, I thank Francesca, Sasha and Irma for their dedication to helping the women of TX-22 on their journey to beat breast cancer.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the tragic deaths of over 600 Azerbaijani civilians that took place in Khojaly on February 26, 1992. On that heinous day, Armenian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) forces massacred 613 civilians. Innocent women, children and elderly men were brutally killed over the course of 22 hours. Azerbaijan has been healing over the 28 years since this horrendous event, working hard to become a successful nation with a booming economy. They are a reliable friend and trade partner to the United States and our ally Israel in a geopolitical region rocked by turmoil and turbulence. We must stand by our allies and friends in condemning attacks like this--past, present and future. Atrocities such as this have no place in our world. I urge my colleagues to join me and all of our Azerbaijani friends in remembering the lives lost during the Khojaly massacre.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kristen and Travis Cowan of Katy, TX for their work turning a family tragedy into life-giving acts: promoting organ donation. Two years ago, the Cowans lived every parent's nightmare when their 13-month-old son Rylen passed away from bacterial meningitis. Kristen and Travis lost a son and their six-year-old son Corbyn lost his brother. In the face of this devastating loss, the Cowans chose to save lives by donating Rylen's organs. This decision could not have been an easy one but doing so saved the lives of five others. The Cowans then began the Smilin' Rylen Foundation in honor of their son, a charity that helps raise funds for organ donation-centered charities and increases awareness of lives that are saved through organ donation. Recently, the Cowans were flown out to California for the Rose Bowl Parade by the nonprofit LifeGift, one of their charity's beneficiaries and the organization that procured Rylen's life-saving organs. Travis and Kristen walked with LifeGift's float in the parade, which was themed ``A Light in the Dark'' and bore Rylen's picture. Organ donation is a selfless act that, in death, gives others the gift of a longer life. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, I thank Kristen and Travis for their work to raise awareness of the selfless act of organ donation. My deepest appreciation to Rylen for his inspiration and the gift of life he gave others that ensures his memory lives on.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I love to listen to music, modern country like Kenny Chesney, classic country like Johnny Cash, `90s grunge like Pearl Jam, and `80s rock like The Who with Pete Townshend doing windmills. But there is another Townsend that does more than Pete to keep music alive. This past Saturday, I dropped by to meet Chase Townsend and to thank him for creating jobs. He runs The Music Factory in Pearland, Texas. That small business was started 50 years ago by his dad, Steve. I was overwhelmed by the guitars, ukuleles, cellos, keyboards, and drums. I asked him: Why do you do this? What keeps you going? He said: It is a Harry Potter and the wand moment. There is that divine light coming down from somewhere. There is music out of nowhere. Rock on, Chase. Rock on.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Deltacon Global for earning an Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Medallion Program Demonstration Award. As a Navy veteran, I know all too well the incredible sacrifices our veterans make while protecting America from dangers both foreign and domestic, often risking life and limb. Deltacon Global has gone above and beyond helping veterans successfully transition into the private sector at the conclusion of their service. The Hire Medallion was awarded to Deltacon Global for their efforts recruiting, hiring and training veterans for their business. As our nation's military transition from active duty to veteran status, their skills and talent are needed in our nation's workforce. I'm pleased to see companies like Deltacon Global tapping into this incredible talent. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, I congratulate Deltacon Global, on their achievement. Their commitment to bettering the lives of our nation's veterans is an inspiring example of the many ways American businesses can thank our veterans for their service by providing them with the dignity of work.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, due to a family issue, I was unable to make today's votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 33 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 34. Personal Explanation

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend, Mr. Newhouse, for yielding. He is from my birth State of Washington, Fort Lewis, the old Madigan Army Medical Center in 1962. That was a long, long time ago. I thank the gentleman for coming to see the Petra Nova project in my district, the only viable carbon capture project in the whole world. I thank the gentleman on behalf of the Congressional Western Caucus for taking the time to see real solutions to real problems. My bride is a girl from Los Angeles, California--Hollywood. This is a big time back home for my Nancy: the Screen Actors Guild, the SAG Awards, which happened last weekend, and before that, the Golden Globes. The granddaddy of them all, the Oscars, is coming up this weekend. If the success of the ESA was a movie, it would get a 0.0 Rotten Tomatoes score. It would be a horror story that surpasses Hannibal Lecter, Freddy Krueger, and Jason. It would be a story of how misused ESA is a threat to our national security, global freedom, and guarantees more greenhouse gases plaguing our world. This story will be set in west Texas and southeast New Mexico. It stars an unremarkable creature named the dunes sagebrush lizard with best supporting actor played by a radical, antigrowth environmental activist. The lizard lives on top of the Permian Basin, the most powerful force America has had for peace and clean air in the past two decades. That happened because of reemergence of American oil and gas as the number one producer in the entire world. That is because of the hydraulic fracturing revolution that has swept our Nation and the world. The Permian Basin is leading the hydraulic fracturing revolution. Experts expect it to produce, by itself, 8 million barrels of oil per day in the next 4 years. That is up from its high, a mere 2 million barrels per day just 10 years ago. That means, one, American shale play will be a bigger producer of oil and gas than every country in the world. That means bigger than Saudi Arabia, bigger than Russia, bigger than OPEC. Two countries that emit the most greenhouse gases, they are China and India. Their only natural power source is coal. Right now, as I speak, megatons of American liquefied natural gas coming from the Permian Basin, the Bakken shale play in South Dakota, and Marcellus shale play here out East are going to China and India. Their air will be cleaner because of American energy. It is a win-win for the jobs here in America, exporting technology to our friends for cleaner air and cleaner air in the global context. You would think the environmental groups would love this, but, sadly, you would be wrong. For 10 years, people who have never been to the Permian Basin and can't spell Odessa if I spot them O-D-E-S-S, are pushing actively to have the dunes sagebrush lizard listed as an endangered species. In 2012, they pushed President Barack Obama hard to have that listing. President Obama said, No, it is unnecessary. The locals are taking care of the issue by themselves. President Obama was right. The species is still with us today. But that hasn't stopped these liberals from using the Endangered Species Act to support OPEC and Russian energy. They filed another lawsuit this past summer that is going through the courts. They know by doing that, they hinder growth because people are afraid to invest in the place that may have a pop-up endangered species that is not actually endangered. These groups follow someone from Hollywood who is not a real person. His name is Forrest Gump. His motto is: ``Stupid is as stupid does.'' Enough of the stupidity. The ESA must focus on species, not political dreams: My bill, the Listing Reform Act, H.R. 5585, addresses this exact problem. I close by saying something we all know: ``Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to provide for a motion to recommit on the Senate amendment to H.R. 550 so that minority voices can be heard on the critical issue of war.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I have a question. What does Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street have in common with the republic of Georgia's oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili? What do they have in common? Answer: They are both puppets who trash their own home. Vladimir Putin's puppet has attacked foreign investment in Georgia and crushed basic human rights. A company from Texas, Frontera Resources, has been drilling in Georgia for years and years and years. They have created great jobs in America and great jobs in Georgia. They have created freedom. That was until the government took over all of their operations, all of their equipment. Now, they are drilling zero wells in Georgia. Of course, the Napoleon of Siberia, Vladimir Putin, is happy to control Georgia's oil. His puppet, oligarch Ivanishvili, is getting rich off the backs of the Georgian people. It is time to wake up. As this photo from Getty shows, the protesters in Georgia need our support. Join me in raising our voices for freedom in Georgia.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind America that Fort Bend County, Texas, is the ice-skating mecca of our country. Here is Fort Bend's Tara Lipinski, the youngest woman ever to win a figure skating gold medal in Olympic history. I regret that I have some bad news for Tara. She is about to become the second youngest woman to win a gold medal in skating. Here is the soon-to-be youngest woman gold medalist. This is Kaylee Tolleson. She lives in Fort Bend County, just like Tara did. She has already won a gold medal--her life. Last year, at 9 years old, young Kaylee found out that she had a cancerous tumor the size of a softball on her ovary. Kaylee fought to live. With the love of mom and dad; the miracle workers at Texas Children's Hospital; and her personal idol, Channel 13 weatherman Travis Herzog, recently, Kaylee rang a bell. She is now cancer-free. Mr. Speaker, I invite all of America to watch Kaylee skate in the World Olympics in 2026 in Milan, Italy. May God bless Kaylee, and we look forward to watching her on TV.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, every time I come home from Washington, D.C., I am welcomed by the sight of Clements High School. Clements High School has a marquee on the corner of Sweetwater and Elkins that tells information about their school. That marquee was heartbreaking for the Ranger Nation this past week. One of our icons, tennis coach John Furlow, ``Mr. Clements,'' put on angel wings and flew to Heaven last Thursday. Coach Furlow was our coach since 1983. He wasn't just content with winning titles. He wanted each of his players to win with class, dignity, and respect the Furlow way. His players loved him. They loved the fact that coach always had warm Shipley Do-Nuts for that bus ride at 6 a.m. before dawn for a Saturday meet. When they were coming home, they had to stop at Whataburger. Coach, thank you for the Shipleys, the Whataburger, and for your love. All of us are better off because of you. I will close with your final statement: ``Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, my hometown of Sugar Land, Texas, keeps setting records and leaving all the others in the dust. Today, we found out we are the fourth fastest growing city in America, growing 49.3 percent over the last decade. That growth would not have happened without Philip Savko. Philip ran Sugar Land Regional Airport for nearly 21 years. Under his leadership, his two decades of leadership, our airport went from flying Cessna 152's and crop dusters to being the go-to airport in the Houston region for Fortune 500 corporate jets. One hundred of these jets use our airport on a regular basis. Philip delivered these birds by arranging to have on-call U.S. Customs service at our airport. Philip brought 692 jobs to Sugar Land, with the impact of $93 million. Philip took his last flight from our airport. He flew up to heaven over the holidays. We imagine Philip, on approach, God in the control tower, saying: ``Philip, you are on course, on glide slope. You are cleared to land. Welcome home, dear man.'' Rest in peace, Philip, with our many, many thanks.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, Webster's dictionary defines the star chamber as ``characterized by secrecy and often being irresponsibly arbitrary and oppressive.'' Sadly, my Democratic friends have turned this Chamber, the people's Chamber, into the star chamber of the people. One great example is the most important thing we can do as Members is declare war. The next one is to impeach a President. We are hoping Republicans can have every Member stand up and vote, like for Speaker, and say their vote loudly.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, a Texas legend, Houston Oilers Coach Bum Phillips, said this about Hall of Famer Earl Campbell: Earl may not be in a class by himself, but whatever class he is in, it don't take long to call the roll. Those exact words apply to our retired city manager, Allan Bogard. Allan is retiring after 19 years running our city. Sugar Land is Sugar Land because of Allan. He created Sugar Land Town Center, brought Constellation Field, brought Minute Maid's headquarters to Sugar Land, made our airport number one in its class in America, all this while keeping a AAA bond rating. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 130,000 Texans who live in Sugar Land, Allan has given us a motto for all time: In Sugar Land, our sugar is so sweet, we have no Equal.