Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our Texas-24 Hometown Hero of the week, Hollis Owens. Hollis is the founder and Executive Director of To Be Like Me, a nonprofit organization that offers North Texas school field trips hosted by individuals with

disabilities, called LEADers. Prior to founding To Be Like Me, Hollis graduated from UT Southwestern Medical School and spent 20 years as a physical therapist primarily working with children. Her work allowed her to learn more about the barriers facing people with disabilities which ultimately lead her to founding the nonprofit. During To Be Like Me's field trips, LEADers provide disability awareness education to students and teachers. Students rotate through five interactive experiences where LEADers discuss what it's like to have a disability in different environments and the tools they use daily to help them adapt. These experiences also teach students about mental health and medical devices and assistive technologies used by people living with disabilities. About 50 LEADers work for To Be Like Me, providing them with meaningful employment and advocacy opportunities. I thank Hollis for providing a program that fosters more compassion and empathy for North Texans living with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our Texas-24 Hometown Hero, the Coppell Fire Department. Due to a power failure at the Village Parkway Pump Station earlier this year, the City of Coppell announced a Boil Water Notice and requested that residents and businesses only use water in emergency situations. The Coppell Fire Department's Emergency Management and Public Works team leapt into action and helped restore power to the water pump, all during a brutal Texas heatwave. The department offered multi-faceted assistance, from staffing the Emergency Operations Center, providing heat rehab support at the distribution point, transporting water from local vendors to the public library, on top of the normal daily operational items. I'd like to thank the Coppell Fire Department for their quick response and service to the residents of Texas-24 by helping make Coppell's water safe to drink again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our Texas-24 Hometown Hero, Jeff Williams. In 2012, Jeff founded Taste Project, an organization that provides meals in Fort Worth to those in need. Jeff knew what food scarcity felt like growing up in a family of 4 where both of his parents worked hard to keep food on the table even though money was tight. When he was younger, his parents would sometimes skip meals to make sure him and his sister had dinner. Jeff's upbringing gave him the idea to create a place where members of the community could go to always get an affordable meal. In 2017, the Taste Project opened a pay-what-you-can community restaurant in Fort Worth, the Taste Community Restaurant, where diners can pay as little as a penny for a meal. Beyond the restaurant, the Taste Project empowers and provides hope to North Texans through culinary classes, job training programs, and even a community garden that helps teach people gardening skills. In the last 6 years, Jeff and Taste Community Restaurant have helped more than 150,000 people and are currently serving more than 1,000 people a week. Jeff and his team work hard every day to make sure they help as many people as possible. I'd like to thank Jeff for his dedication to serving the people and families of North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Robert Pinholt, co-founder and CEO of the Coppell-based Claymore Operations, which was founded to prepare active-duty military personnel to transition into civilian life. As a high school student during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Robert felt called to make a difference and joined the U.S. Army upon his graduation. After serving in eastern Afghanistan, Robert returned home and began the strenuous process of readapting to civilian life. His experience helped him realize the need for additional resources for our servicemembers as they transition from active-duty to life beyond service. Founded on the tenets of faith, Claymore's mentorship program is based on the power of three: the mentee (servicemember), a civilian mentor, and a veteran mentor. I want to thank Robert for serving as a guiding light to the great men and women that serve our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our Texas-24 Hometown Hero, 9-year-old Bennett Hills from North Richland Hills. At 7 years old, Bennett started dreaming of one day becoming a LEGO master. Now, as a fourth grader at Liberty Elementary, he's one step closer to that dream. He was recently named a finalist in LEGOLAND's `2023 North American Mini Master Model Builder' contest. Bennett was tasked with creating an original LEGOscape that depicted his hometown through the LEGOLAND Discovery Center of Dallas/Fort Worth. He chose to proudly fill it with Dallas' Reunion Tower, Fort Worth's famous Stockyards, cowboys, longhorns, oil rigs, and even construction cranes to represent the growing Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is now one of 13 Mini Master Model Builders from around the U.S. who will represent Dallas/Fort Worth in LEGOLAND's nationwide competition, in hopes of claiming the national title. I want to congratulate Bennett on his hard work and wish him the best of luck at the national competition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lisa Goodwin, a shepherd of altruism in North Texas. Lisa routinely goes the extra mile to give back to our North Texas community through her charitable conduct and volunteerism. Lisa has earned a well-deserved reputation for going above and beyond to help others, including using her own resources to purchase childcare products for families in need. In her free time, Lisa visits nursing home residents and refugees in the Fort Worth area to offer them companionship. When Lisa is not volunteering her time at church, she can be found helping teens register for volunteer hours.

I want to thank Lisa for being a shining beacon of light in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Colleyville Heritage High School's Softball Team, who recently won the 2023 UIL Class 5A Region I championship. This is the first time in the school history that the softball team advanced to the UIL 5A State Tournament. On Saturday, May 27, 2023, head coach Allison Conaway led this group of talented young women to victory. In the regional finals they beat Northwest High School, in the third game of the round with a final score of 1 to 0. This team has shown hard work and dedication all season and this was a well-deserved victory. I commend this group of young women on their UIL Regional championship victory and representing the 24th Congressional District of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kandi Stewart, co-owner of Courage to Conquer Cancer (C2CC). C2CC is devoted to promoting research, advocating for patients, and ensuring cost- efficient resources and systems that will enhance post-surgical management outcomes for dialysis, cardiac surgery, cancer, and other patients. Kandi is a HEBISD teacher and was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2014. After her diagnosis and treatment, she had the inclination to help other cancer patients surmount the financial and physical costs. C2CC's first initiative was the Breast Cancer Recovery Tee Shirt, which is designed with fashion, affordability, and functionality in mind. The nonprofit arm of C2CC works to donate free recovery kits to mastectomy patients facing financial hardship through post-surgical care. Kandi is undergoing cancer treatment for the second time after being in remission for years. I want to thank Kandi for being a beacon of selflessness and strength within our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Dessie Radu of Bedford, Texas in celebration of her 100th Birthday.

Mrs. Dessie Radu is a valued member of the Bedford community who has bettered the lives of countless people throughout North Texas. Whether she is spending time with her large family, catching up with lifelong friends, or talking with someone she doesn't know yet, there is no doubt that she leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets. Dessie spent years traveling the world with her husband, Major (Ret) John Radu II, as he served our Nation for 24 years in the United States Air Force. Following in his father's footsteps, Dessie's son John Radu II served 4 years in the United States Air Force and was a Vietnam veteran. Today, we come together to recognize the 100 years Dessie has spent with us, and the impact that she has and continues to make on our lives.

Mr. Speaker, please join me--and Dessie's many family, friends, and loved ones--in recognizing Dessie and wishing her a happy 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. President's Biden's policies have caused a massive surge of 370,000 unaccompanied children to come to our southwest border since he took office. Where is the outrage? Where are the tears?

According to an HHS whistleblower, the U.S. Government has become a middleman in a large scale, multibillion-dollar child trafficking operation run by bad actors seeking to profit off the lives of children. Where is the outrage? Where are the tears?

We have seen from Members on the other side of the aisle that they are claiming that this bill is going to somehow hurt children. Are they reading the reports of minors as young as 9 who are being brought over illegally and are working the midnight shift, the graveyard shift, in meatpacking plants? Again, where are the tears? Where is the outrage?

H.R. 2 stops future surges and protects children by treating unaccompanied children from Mexico and the rest of the world in the same manner, enabling their safe return home to their families after they are screened for indications of trafficking or a credible fear of persecution.

I was on the city council for 6 years, and I was mayor for 6 years of a city of about 250,000 people. I saw the cost of illegal immigration firsthand at the local level. I saw the toll that it put on our local cities and communities in housing, in schools, in crime, in resources.

I was lucky enough to be able to partner with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and we saw at that time more illegal criminal aliens that were deported from our city per capita from any other city in the country. What did we see from that? Our crime dropped, and people who lived in low-income areas, minority areas, were the ones who benefited the most, because they were being targeted by that crime.

The American people did not vote for this chaos. They voted to have control over our borders. What we have seen from this administration is they continue to take every single tool out of the toolbox that is able to actually secure our borders.

The American people sent us to D.C. to secure our borders and put an end to the worst humanitarian crisis our Nation has ever seen. It is absurd that we are even here today having to pass a bill to force this administration to enforce the laws and do its most basic job, which is to enforce our laws, secure our border, and protect our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mary Little of Irving, Texas as she celebrated her 90th birthday last Sunday.

Mary Little is an established woman who has accomplished so much in her lifetime. Today, we come together to recognize the 90 years Mary has spent with us, and the impact she has and continues to make on our lives.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Mary and wishing her a happy 90th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize North Texas teacher Denise Jones. Denise has faithfully served Birdville Independent School District for over 50 years as an administrative assistant and educator. Denise is a dedicated, loving and loyal teacher who cares about her students and their well-being.

Joining Birdville ISD in 1972 as a senior in high school, Denise has shown unwavering commitment to the school district and her students. 2023 marks her 50th year as an educator working across numerous grade levels and subjects. This year also marks her 25th working in the special education department. Denise believes regardless of what may be happening in the world, teaching children kindness should always be a priority. I think I speak for everyone in Birdville ISO and in Texas-24 when I say thank you to Denise for devoting 50 years of her life to educating our children and securing their future.

I congratulate Denise on earning this recognition for all her tireless and dedicated work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lucy Billingsley, a trailblazer in the real estate space and a legendary North Texan. Lucy has been selected to receive the Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award from Texas Woman's University.

In 1978, Lucy and her husband Henry founded the Billingsley Company to manage their growing real estate portfolio. Thanks to their innovative approach and grit, the Billingsleys have become some of the most sought-after developers in Texas, and their company has received numerous awards for design excellence.

In addition to her work as a commercial real estate developer and business owner, Lucy has remained civically involved and has served our community through her involvement on numerous boards and advisory committees. Lucy's tenacity has brought great economic opportunity to North Texas, and her civic leadership has forever bettered our community.

Lucy has received many other prestigious accolades for her work, including being inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, the Junior Achievement of Dallas Business Hall of Fame, the North Texas Commercial Association of REALTORS Hall of Fame and was awarded the 2013 H. Neil Mallon Award presented by the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Lucy also has been recognized by Commercial Real Estate Women as a distinguished leader in commercial real estate.

I thank Lucy for going above and beyond for our community, and I congratulate her on this well-deserved award. Her selflessness and devotion do not go unnoticed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Julie Schatz of Comp Group. Julie is a leader in the complex, intricate industry of construction management. She has been identified and awarded Associate of the Year by the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).

CFMA is a figurehead in the construction industry by virtue of its support for financial managers through networking, educational, and informational services. CFMA grants more opportunities and resources to empower advanced, innovative development of infrastructure in the prosperous district of TX-24. The Associate of the Year award goes to an individual that substantially impacts the DFW chapter of CFMA. Julie has established her commitment, contribution, and influence in the industry as she has emerged as a prominent leader. Her unwavering work ethic and devotion to advocating for her clients yield noteworthy results in the expedition of development projects.

Congratulations to Julie on earning this high recognition for all her impressive work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kyra Coker of National Roofing Partners. Kyra is a pioneer in the intricate, multidimensional industry of construction management. She is an esteemed awardee for Construction Financial Professional of the Year from the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).

CFMA is a figurehead in the construction industry by virtue of its support for financial managers through networking, educational, and informational services. CFMA grants more opportunities and resources to empower advanced, innovative development of infrastructure in the prosperous district of TX-24. Kyra goes above and beyond by fostering innovative perspectives, judicious contributions, and collaboration within her company and community. She has been acknowledged as a prominent leader and mentor to her company. Kyra's remarkable professionalism and sense of community have allowed her company to thrive.

Congratulations to Kyra on earning this high recognition for all her impressive work.