Pete Olson

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) for being named the best community college in Texas. WCJC first opened its doors in 1946 in the small town of Wharton, Texas. Over the last 70 years, WCJC has grown and now boasts a total of four campuses across the Houston area. Today, WCJC strives to empower its over 7,000 students with programs that prepare them to succeed in the workforce or transition to a four-year institution. From liberal arts to nursing to business degrees, WCJC is filling a critical education and workforce training role for our communities and employers. I'm grateful that WCJC provides our students with so many opportunities to learn and grow. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations to WCJC for being named the best of the best. We can't wait to see what the next 70 years brings you.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, in the movie ``Forrest Gump,'' Tom Hanks runs for over 3 years. A good friend of mine is like Forrest Gump. His name is Kevin Kline. He is a DJ on the 93Q morning radio show. His partners, Erica Rico and Tim Tuttle, call him Kevin Gump or Forrest Kline. Why? Because for 55 hours over New Year's, Kevin and others ran, walked, or crawled to save kids with cancer. With his wife, Trish, Kevin started the Snowdrop Foundation because cancer touched a 16-year-old, who lost her life, named Chelsey Campbell. Snowdrop has raised over $1 million in just 9 short years. They did this to ensure no child or parent hears those three awful words, ``You have cancer.'' All Texans are proud of Kevin and Trish and Snowdrop. To quote Kevin's idol: ``That's all I have to say about that.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Ed Uthman for being named OakBend Medical Center's 2015 Physician of the Year. Dr. Uthman has a long and distinguished career with OakBend Medical Center, serving as its Laboratory Medical Director since 1990. During his 25 years with the hospital, he's helped countless patients and continues to lead his colleagues with distinction. Dr. Uthman was also named to OakBend Medical Center's board of directors. Thank you for taking such great care of our community. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Dr. Ed Uthman for being named OakBend Medical Center's 2015 Physician of the Year.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Katy Firefighter Lt. Simon VanDyk for receiving this year's Fire Chief Gary Tilton Firefighter of the Year Award. Lt. VanDyk's efforts to create and build a program to inform the citizens of Katy about fire and life safety practices has been a long time passion. VanDyk took it upon himself to create a program that would expand outreach and safety education in the community. Rallying other battalion chiefs, the Katy area now has in place an educational safety program for its residents and firefighters alike. Lt. VanDyk has shown what it means to go above and beyond the call of duty and truly has improved the safety of the Katy community. Keep up the hard work and thank you for all that you do. On behalf of the Twenty-Second District of Texas, congratulations again to Lt. Simon VanDyk for winning this year's Firefighter of the Year Award.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Paddy Fisher of Katy High School for winning the Greater Houston High School Rotary Lombardi Award. Each year the Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded to a player who displays talent, leadership, and respect on and off the football field. The award honors Vince Lombardi's legacy and recognizes talented Houston athletes. Paddy, a senior at Katy High School, was selected as this year's recipient for his outstanding talents on the defensive side of the ball and for being a leader on the team. Paddy's parents and coaches are no doubt proud of his talent and character. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Paddy for winning this prestigious award. We wish him continued success at Northwestern on and off the field.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Coach Ricky Tullos for being named the Touchdown Club of Houston's Coach of the Year. Coach Tullos has helped the young George Ranch Longhorn football program write quite a success story. Under Tullos' guidance, the Longhorns are 44-8 and undefeated this season. His players love the intensity he brings to the game and have great respect for him as a leader. This weekend, Coach Tullos will coach his team to victory in the state championship game. Coach Tullos, keep doing what you're doing and bring home the championship. Good luck to you and your team this weekend. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations to Coach Tullos for being named Coach of the Year. The Longhorns are lucky to have a leader and mentor like him.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Darius Anderson from George Ranch High School for being named the Touchdown Club of Houston's Offensive Player of the Year. This running back sure can run. During his award winning senior year, Darius has rushed for over 1,700 yards and has 27 touchdowns. A young man of character and a strong work ethic, he no doubt makes his parents, coaches, and teachers proud. The next trophy in his sights? The football state championship trophy he and his teammates will compete for this weekend. Best of luck to Darius and his Longhorn teammates. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations to Darius for all of his success. We look forward to seeing where his football career takes him.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Pearland Fire Chief Vance Riley for his 12 years of service on the Texas Governor's EMS and Trauma Advisory Council (GETAC). Chief Riley was first appointed to the Council in 2004 under Governor Rick Perry. After six years of dedicated service, he was appointed Chair of GETAC in 2010. GETAC reviews EMS and Trauma rules and recommends changes that need to be made. It also develops certification plans for emergency personnel and plans for emergency medical services. Now, after 12 years of service, Governor Abbott recently presented Chief Riley with a certificate of appreciation for his outstanding work and dedication. Pearland and all of Texas have benefitted from Chief Riley's leadership and commitment to keeping our communities safe. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, thank you to Chief Riley for his 12 years of service to our great state.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate young Liliana Segura of Katy, Texas for recently being awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). While a student at Beckendorff Junior High, she was fortunate enough to enroll in a Gifted and Talented Independent Study with Mentorship course. During this course, Liliana brilliantly invented a new clipboard design and worked with her mentor to file a patent application with the USPTO as an eighth grader. Her design for the ``Particulate Collecting Pad'' was awarded a patent for her insightful and ingenious creation. Liliana's invention is a testament to the innovation and ideas our students are capable of achieving when given the opportunity. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Liliana on her now patented invention. Keep working hard and dreaming big.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, the color purple and Panther Pride are alive and well in Texas. Ridge Point High School has been open for 5 years--5 short years--yet last Saturday, they took us to heights that schools that have been around for 50 years have never achieved. They made the Final 4, the Texas 5A Division 2 State semifinal football playoffs. Mr. Speaker, the Panthers came up a little short, but fans like me walked out darn proud of our guys. They never quit, and they never will. I have a warning for teams we play next year: Panthers don't retreat--we reload.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three talented students from Challenger Elementary School in Pearland for winning top honors in the Texas Renaissance Festival's art contest. In the drawing category, Brendon Thai took home first place and Amanda Yee took home third place. Katherine Tran took home second place in the painting category. Challenger Elementary is lucky to have such talented young artists and an incredible teacher, Lori Ellis, who does a great job of helping her students find their creativity. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Brendon, Amanda, and Katherine for their award-winning art.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brittany Mayland for being named a Star in the Classroom by the Houston Texans. Ms. Mayland is a kindergarten teacher at Oyster Creek Elementary School in my hometown of Sugar Land, Texas. Her positive impact and commitment to her students led one of her students, Izabelle Paul, to nominate her for this award presented by the Houston Texans and First Community Credit Union. Her dedication to creating a fun and engaging learning environment shows her star quality in the classroom. The students at Oyster Creek are lucky to have her. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Ms. Mayland for being named a Star in the Classroom.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Evann Wehman of Turner High School for winning her second state championship at the Texas Future Farmers of America (FFA) Leadership Development Events Competition. Evann, who is also her school's FFA President, won the state competition last weekend at Sam Houston State University. Her victory at the state competition earned her a spot at the National FFA Convention next October in Indianapolis. Evann has a history of success as part of the horse judging team that won the first ever state championship by Pearland FFA students. That team went on to national success and placed eighth in the nation. Her impressive accomplishments reflect her hard work and will carry her far in her future endeavors. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Evann on her second state FFA championship. Best of luck in all of your future endeavors.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, this Congress and the White House agree, by December 15, the Federal Government will shut down. No one on Capitol Hill wants a shutdown. I don't. No House Republican does. No House Democrat does. All we want are honest negotiations. President Obama's spokesman said: ``The President is not going to sign a CR that will give Members of Congress additional time to negotiate.'' Clearly, President Obama wants a shutdown. Why? He thinks a shutdown is good election-year politics. Pain is never good politics. I ask the President to change course. Negotiate. Don't shut down our government.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Harmony Science Academy in Katy, Texas for winning the It's Time Texas (ITT) Growing Healthy Schools campaign. The Growing Healthy Schools campaign helps organize and fundraise for projects to improve health and wellness in the school's community. For their project, Harmony Science Academy chose to construct a new soccer field to encourage everybody to get outside and get moving. Of the 17 participating schools, Harmony Science was selected to receive $10,000 to complete their project. What an incredible accomplishment for the entire school community. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Harmony Science Academy for promoting healthy living. We're ready to get out on the field and play.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Texas skies were not as big and they weren't as bright. We lost Shirley Johnson, the wife of our hero and our colleague, Sam Johnson. They were high school sweethearts and were married for over 65 years. The entire 8 years that Sam was being tortured in Hanoi, Shirley kept a seat at the family dinner table for Sam. She knew Sam would come home. Sam came home broken and battered. He worried, how would his family react to the new Sam? As you can see, Sam had nothing to worry about. Led by Shirley, he was swarmed with love back home in Texas. Shirley is now among the heavens, and those Texas skies tonight will be as bright and big as ever. God bless Shirley Johnson.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I thank the chair and my good friend from Kentucky for the time to speak on this important resolution. Mr. Speaker, today is a sad day for America when our administration harms our country without a valid reason, and yet that is exactly what President Obama's EPA has done with their clean power rules. Without input from Congress and with only small, limited public meetings, EPA rammed through new rules to limit CO2. These rules destroy new coal power in America. In my home State of Texas, our grid is regulated by ERCOT, 90 percent. They say they lose 4,000 megawatts of power, at a minimum, with the early retirements of coal plants because of the Clean Power Plan. Energy costs for customers may be up by 60 percent by 2030 due to the CPP. EPA's actions violate the words and the intent of the Clean Air Act, and that is why a majority of States have sued in Federal court to stop its implementation. EPA's actions have Texans scratching their heads and saying, ``What the heck?'' Why is EPA's CPP tougher on newer coal plants than older ones? Newer is always cleaner than upgraded, retrofitted older plants. What the heck? This is all done in the name of climate change. Climate change has happened since God created our Earth. Over 66 million years ago my home State of Texas was under water. Texas, as an ocean, is huge climate change unlikely due to human campfires set at that time. In September 2014, a high ranking former Obama administration member, the under secretary for science at the Department of Education, Dr. Steven Koonin, wrote this in The Wall Street Journal: ``The climate has always changed and always will.''

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I will quote from Dr. Koonin: ``There isn't a useful consensus at the level of detail relevant to assess human influence on climate change.'' Yet, here we are, fighting for American jobs and commonsense regulations while world leaders are in Paris making promises they can't keep. Enough of the Band-Aids from EPA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for S.J. Res. 24 and S.J. Res. 23 and for American jobs.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Terri Wenzel from Pearland, Texas for being named President of the Texas Council for the Social Studies (TCSS). Ms. Wenzel is a fourth grade teacher at Pearland's Challenger Elementary. For almost 15 years, she has been involved with TCSS in order to promote Texas social studies around our great state. From encouraging development for her fellow teachers, to bringing history to life in her classroom, Ms. Wenzel has truly shown her commitment to Texas. She begins serving on the TCSS Executive Council in January 2016 and will begin her term as president in 2017. Ms. Wenzel is making Pearland and Challenger Elementary proud. TCSS made a great decision by selecting her. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Terri. Thank you for teaching young Texans about our great state.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tom Heinly, Head of School at The Honor Roll School in my hometown of Sugar Land, for being named K-12 Principal of the Year by Nobel Learning Communities, Inc (NCLI), the school's parent organization. Mr. Heinly has served as Head of School of The Honor Roll School for two years. Before joining the team at Honor Roll, Tom spent 18 years in public elementary and middle schools. Throughout his career he has helped his students become leaders and carries out that same mission at The Honor Roll School. He continually demonstrates great leadership with his positive attitude and dedication to his students and colleagues. By fostering a community that works as a team, everybody achieves success. The Honor Roll School is lucky to have him. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Tom Heinly on winning Principal of the Year.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a great hospital in my backyard, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, for once again getting an ``A'' grade for patient safety in the most recent Hospital Safety Score ratings. Twice a year, hospitals across the country are rated based on how well they protect patients while they're under the hospital's care. Houston Methodist Sugar Land was among less than one-third of hospitals to earn an ``A'' grade. This grade reflects their commitment to patients through continual staff training and updated best practices. Methodist Sugar Land provides its community with peace of mind should a medical emergency arise. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Houston Methodist Sugar Land. Thank you for putting patient safety above all else.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital in Katy, Texas for earning national recognition for its excellent surgical patient care. Memorial Hermann Katy was one of three Texas hospitals and one of 52 hospitals nationwide to earn meritorious rankings from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). Hospitals across the country are assessed based on how well they protect and care for surgical patients. This ranking reflects their commitment to practicing high-quality care, patient safety, and surgical care improvements. Memorial Hermann Katy provides its community with peace of mind should a medical emergency arise. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Memorial Hermann Katy. Thank you for putting patient safety above all else.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Joshua Okolo of Katy, Texas for winning the Texas Summer THINK Challenge. Joshua, a student at Fielder Elementary, dedicated his summer to keeping his mind sharp. Over the course of the summer, he completed over 2,000 math problems--approximately 52 hours of math. What a great way to spend a summer. Thank you to his parents and teachers for encouraging Joshua to love and excel in math. We are all proud of your hard work. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Joshua for winning the Texas Summer THINK Challenge. What a way to strengthen your math skills.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Rayito Stephens of Pearland, Texas on her appointment to the Texas Real Estate Commission by Governor Greg Abbott. Mrs. Stephens is a licensed realtor and broker with over twenty-one years of experience. Throughout her career, she has been involved in almost every aspect of the real estate industry from home construction to real estate negotiation. She shows her big, Texas-sized heart by dedicating her time to helping veterans and people with disabilities become homebuyers. Rayito's appointment is a reflection of her impressive career and dedication to others. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations to Rayito Stephens on her appointment to the Texas Real Estate Commission. Governor Abbott made a great decision in selecting you.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three outstanding young men who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout with Missouri City Boy Scout Troop 395. These three Scouts are among less than five percent of all Boy Scouts to earn such a prestigious rank by dedicating countless hours towards organizing and working on service projects with Troop 395. For his Eagle Scout project, Ethan Spendlove, a senior at Ridge Point High School, built a shade canopy for a local community garden. Matheus Meneses, a senior at Elkins High School, built a corral trap for wild hogs at an area nature preserve. Tyler Echard, a sophomore at Ridge Point High School, built bat houses in his neighborhood to help lower the mosquito population. These Eagle Scouts exemplify the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership. We are extremely proud of their selfless dedication to our community and for demonstrating such strong leadership. On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Ethan, Matheus, and Tyler for earning Eagle Scout. They have bright futures as community leaders ahead.