Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Will Roark for winning the Missouri Class 1 State wrestling championship in the 120 pound division.

The win capped off a commanding season for Will, a sophomore who went 54-1 this season. His record after two seasons stands at 109-4, a truly impressive record. Will reached this level of success through hard work and dedication. In his off-season and regular season matches, he would often choose to wrestle opponents in higher weight categories, accepting the challenge as a way to improve.

Will was also voted District 2 Class 1 Wrestler of the Year.

Will's hard work also extends to the classroom, and the results show: he is a two-time Academic All-State scholar.

This win is a vindication of his efforts. His work to improve on the mat and in the classroom is truly commendable, and I urge my colleagues in congratulating Will on his championship win.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Republic High School Boys Basketball Team for winning the Missouri Class 4 State Championship.

Winning the state championship is a proud moment these boys achieved through team work and commitment. Members of the team include: Ty Abney, Jake Fletcher, Derric Mertes, Grant Hancock, Marcus Miller, Dylan Bekemeier, Canyon Smith, Cody Geiger, Chase Hoffmann, Dillen Ramsey, Dakota Fortner, Josh Vaughn, Jordan Kerr, Brock Yocum, and managers Tyler O'Dell and Zach McGill. Through their hard work and dedication they finished the season with an overall record of 28-4 and the Missouri Class 4 State Championship.

I also want to commend the coaching staff, which includes Head Coach Trevyor Fisher, Dan Stander, and Donny Call, for a job well done. This season was Coach Fisher's first year at the program, and he certainly begins his head coaching career on a strong foundation.

The Republic Basketball Team had tremendous support throughout their season; their friends, family, and fans attended the tournaments, cheered them on throughout the basketball season and followed them to Columbia for the state championship. Over 500 fans welcomed the team home for a victory celebration.

This win is a proud moment for the team and the community, and I urge my colleagues in congratulating the team on their victory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Republic High School Boys Basketball Team for winning the Missouri Class 4 State Championship.

Winning the state championship is a proud moment these boys achieved through team work and commitment. Members of the team include: Ty Abney, Jake Fletcher, Derric Mertes, Grant Hancock, Marcus Miller, Dylan Bekemeier, Canyon Smith, Cody Geiger, Chase Hoffmann, Dillen Ramsey, Dakota Fortner, Josh Vaughn, Jordan Kerr, Brock Yocum, and managers Tyler O'Dell and Zach McGill. Through their hard work and dedication they finished the season with an overall record of 28-4 and the Missouri Class 4 State Championship.

I also want to commend the coaching staff, which includes Head Coach Trevyor Fisher, Dan Stander, and Donny Call, for a job well done. This season was Coach Fisher's first year at the program, and he certainly begins his head coaching career on a strong foundation.

The Republic Basketball Team had tremendous support throughout their season; their friends, family, and fans attended the tournaments, cheered them on throughout the basketball season and followed them to Columbia for the state championship. Over 500 fans welcomed the team home for a victory celebration.

This win is a proud moment for the team and the community, and I urge my colleagues in congratulating the team on their victory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Rayanna Anderson for her service as Director of the Small Business and Technology Development Center, SBTDC, at Missouri State University.

Throughout her tenure as the SBTDC director at Missouri State University, Rayanna and her staff have consulted with over 605 small businesses and helped business owners obtain over $54 million in financing and investments. Their efforts towards helping small businesses have had a profound economic impact for Southwest Missouri. In 2009 alone, the SBTDC helped 170 local small businesses retain or create over 1,500 jobs while boosting sales by over $21 million.

To recognize these achievements, the U.S. Small Business Administration recently awarded the SBTDC at Missouri State University its Region VII Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award, an honor that this center certainly merits.

SBTDC programs fulfill a vital role in our economy by fostering small business growth, which provides most jobs in America. The start-up and growth of small businesses is a crucial component of our economy's success because roughly 60 percent of all jobs in America are provided by small businesses. They are also a key source of innovation and creation, measures that further enhance economic growth. For people who are new to business, assistance with funding or receiving sound advice can be invaluable in making a business succeed.

The SBTDC at Missouri State University plays an important role for Southwest Missouri businesses, and Rayanna Anderson's leadership has been outstanding. I am proud of her, her staff, and of the center's accomplishments, and I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing her for her outstanding efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Springfield Missouri's ``History Museum on the Square.''

The new History Museum on the Square encompasses several historic buildings that are being renovated to offer the community state-of-the- art exhibits in over 55,000 square feet, including the historic Fox Theatre. The museum houses a collection of over 100,000 artifacts, including 40,000 historic photographs.

The artifacts and exhibits showcase Springfield's prominent past, which includes the Battle of Wilson's Creek, a shootout in the town square involving Wild Bill Hickok, and the development of Route 66 through the heart of the city.

The new exhibit that opens on April 28 features ``Woodruff's Dream: The Mother Road

through Springfield--The Route 66 Exhibit,'' which explores the impact of Route 66 on the Springfield community and will feature never-before- seen items and photographs.

The Museum on the Square is a great way to restore and transform the beautiful historic buildings throughout the square. By offering these new interactive exhibits, the museum has created an exciting way for visitors to explore Springfield's past.

I want to congratulate the Museum for its creative efforts, and I urge my colleagues to join me.

We're a Nation of builders.

We all agree we need to get the Nation's economy growing again in order to create jobs. The manufacturing sector will play an integral role in creating jobs for hardworking Americans.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, I look forward to working with my colleagues as we continue our hearing series focused on our Nation's manufacturing sector.

I enjoy highlighting the strong manufacturing base in the Seventh District of Missouri and showcasing the amazing work of businesses in the district.

I'm looking forward to our annual manufacturing tour next month and meeting with the hardworking, tireless Missourians who are the backbone of a strong manufacturing sector in the United States.

I remain hopeful that these opportunities will result in a growing manufacturing base and more jobs for southwest Missouri.

Our Nation needs a strong and robust manufacturing sector which will help create jobs and grow our Nation's economy. I will continue to support that effort and allow our Nation's manufacturing sector to prosper.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mike Jackson, a distinguished wrestling coach from Ozark High School, who was recently inducted into the Missouri Wrestling Association Hall of Fame.

Mike established Ozark's wrestling program and coached there for 26 years before he retired in 2012. During the course of his tenure, Mike amassed an impressive 210-59 record, including 10 conference championships and eight district titles. His teams produced 157 state qualifiers and 49 state medalists.

Mike developed such a strong program because he instilled in his wrestlers a strong sense of character on the mat, in the classroom, and in the community. He prided himself on these qualities. During his final year of coaching, for example, he and his squad raised $2,500 for breast cancer awareness.

The Ozark community is lucky to have had a coach, teacher, and mentor like Mike Jackson, and I am proud to recognize his accomplishments and induction into the Missouri Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the 50th anniversary of Glenn Bernet's career at Evangel University, a Christian university in Springfield, MO.

Dr. Bernet began his career in 1963 as a professor of mathematics while finishing his master's degree, and he rose to become dean of the university in 1985, a position he still holds today.

Through his tireless work as an educator over the last 50 years, Dr. Bernet has proven to be a constant factor that has given encouragement and growth to not just the university, but to each individual student.

Dr. Bernet's leadership has inspired the university to reach for greater things. Under his leadership, Evangel achieved university status, and student enrollment has quadrupled to over 2,100 students.

Throughout his career at Evangel, Dr. Bernet has proven to be a model example of an educator, and Evangel University and the Springfield community have benefited greatly because of it.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Glenn Bernet on his 50th anniversary at Evangel University.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sigma House of Springfield, Inc. under its new name, Clarity Recovery and Wellness.

First opened in 1977, Sigma House of Springfield, Inc. was the area's first addiction treatment center. Focused on individualized long-term treatment of substance abuse, it provided 1,150 units of treatment in its first 19 months. Over the last 25 years, the center has expanded to include four facilities. In 2012 alone, it treated nearly 12,000 people.

Treatment and long-term recovery from substance abuse can offer a renewed outlook on life for those who are addicted and their family members, which can lead to more productive and fulfilling lives and an improved quality of life for the entire community.

Resources for treatment and recovery provide important assets for the communities of Springfield, Branson and surrounding counties, and I am proud that Clarity Recovery and Wellness remains committed to providing quality care to those in need of rehabilitation services.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize long time family friend David Leong, a truly unique American hero who has become a local Springfield legend for his creation of Cashew Chicken.

Born in Guangdong, China, David immigrated to the United States in 1940 and later went on to serve his new country during World War II. He trained in Fort Lee, Virginia for 3 months before shipping out to Europe. He participated in the Normandy invasion where he hit Omaha Beach as part of the fourth wave of troops. By the war's end, he had served in England, France, Italy, and Belgium.

David and his late wife, Wong Shau Ngor, are the proud parents of seven: the late Wing Cheong Leong; Evelyne Leong Mousted; Wing Ling Leong; Wing Yee Leong; Yim Fong Leong; Wing Loke Leong; and Wing Wah Leong.

In November 1963, David opened Leong's Tea House, a 350 seat white tablecloth restaurant on the edge of town in what had been a cornfield in Springfield, Missouri. When he started the restaurant he knew that most people were not familiar with Chinese food, but they loved fried foods. He decided to come up with a recipe that combined both worlds together. He created a cashew gravy from soy and oyster sauce, added stock, and poured it over fried chicken, creating the immensely popular Cashew Chicken. There are now over 300 restaurants in the Springfield area that serve it.

He decided to close the original restaurant in December 31, 1997, following the death of his beloved wife. After falling ill in 2009, David decided he wanted to open a new restaurant to keep busy. Two years of success at the new Leong's Asian Diner inspired David to

launch Leong Foods Incorporated, which specializes in David's original sauces and foods for retail sale in grocery stores. Today at age 92, he still comes in at 8 a.m. and leaves when it gets dark seven days a week.

Throughout David's life, he has served his country and city proudly. His story is an American story, and I am honored to recognize his service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Glendale Girls Swim Team for

winning the Missouri State High School Swimming Championship.

The team included sisters Nikki and Kaylee Sisson, Madeline Nelson, Lauren Beatty, Emma Chadwell, Tori Harmon, Hannah Leif, and Macie Beairsto. It was through their hard work and dedication that they took overall first place with a score of 190, beating the runner-up by nearly 40 points.

I would also like to commend Nikki Sisson on winning the 50-yard freestyle, as well as the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay teams for also taking first place.

Head Coach Steve Boyce and Assistant Coach Robert Muench should also be proud of their accomplishments in guiding this group of talented athletes. I commend them all on a job well done. The Springfield community is justifiably proud of the extraordinary accomplishments of these young ladies. This is the first swim team from Southwest Missouri to win the championship.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Glendale High School State Champion Girls Swim Team.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dale Russell on his induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Dale has seen success throughout his career, both on and off the basketball court. As a senior at Branson High School, he led the Pirate basketball team to a perfect 41-0 record, capped off by the 1955 Class B State Championship. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

As a senior at Southwest Missouri State University, Dale and his teammates finished second in the National Division II Basketball Championship.

Dale went on to coach basketball for 24 years in Southwest Missouri, including his last 13 at Branson High. In addition to impacting our district's young people on the court, he taught science, health, and physical education classes.

The City of Branson, Branson High School, and the 7th District should be very proud of Dale's accomplishments. He truly represents us all in a positive manner.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dale, a phenomenal athlete, teacher, and coach on his impressive accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise-today to recognize and honor a distinguished and accomplished individual from the 7th Congressional District of Missouri, Stephanie Klang.

Stephanie Klang was selected to be a Captain of America's Road Team for 2013-2014. America's Road Team is the premier group of professional truck drivers, with millions of accident free miles, a commitment to community service, and superb record of safety. Stephanie will spend the next two years traveling our nation representing the trucking industry and promoting highway safety to the public.

Stephanie, a resident of Diamond, Missouri and employee of Con-Way Truckload in Joplin, Missouri, is an outstanding driver who is passionate about truck safety advocacy. She exemplifies safety consciousness as the first female in Con-way Truckload history to log more than 2,000,000 miles on America's highways without a preventable crash.

With 32 years of truck driving experience, Stephanie represents her company and the industry with the utmost professionalism. She values her role in ensuring the safety of the motoring public and delivering a highly valuable service to our nation's economy.

Leading by example, Stephanie has helped to elevate the reputation of professional truck drivers everywhere as safe, conscientious professionals. In March, 2012, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman was Stephanie's passenger for the first leg of her trip from Washington D.C., to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Kentucky. At the show, Chairman Hersman called Stephanie out by name during a Women In Trucking event to praise her for staying calm while safely navigating her truck through some of the nation's most congested roadways.

Stephanie has proven that she is a top-notch driver, employee, and safety proponent for the trucking industry. She is highly dedicated, qualified, and ready to lead on safety issues as she embarks on her new mission as a member of America's Road Team. I am proud of the example that she has set and honored to call her a neighbor in the 7th Congressional District of Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, which is February 7th-14th.

This week is dedicated to the millions of Americans who have been diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects, the challenges their families face and for the families of those who have sadly lost loved ones to this condition. Congenital Heart Disease is considered to be the most common birth defect and is also the leading cause of birth defect related deaths worldwide.

Each year approximately forty thousand babies are born in the United States with Congenital Heart Defects and some remain undiagnosed for months or even years after birth. This dangerous condition, if left undiagnosed, can cause sudden cardiac death especially in young adolescent athletes.

Unfortunately, despite these statistics, newborns and young athletes are not routinely screened for Congenital Heart Defects and funding for research regarding the condition is limited.

Mr. Speaker, Congenital Heart Defects affect millions of Americans and I rise to recognize those affected by this condition and to help bring awareness to this important cause.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 40th Anniversary of the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. I was a senior in high school when the case was decided and I still remember that decision vividly today. I could not understand how the Court could legalize the stopping of a beating heart on demand. I thought it was outrageous then and the intervening years since then have done nothing to change my opinion. My opinion has been reinforced by the tragic record of abortion. Fifty five million innocent children have been lost and countless women have suffered both mental and physical pain as a result of abortion.

We are a nation of 315 million people. That means that over one sixth of our friends, neighbors, and family members are not with us today because of abortion. Millions of children have been denied the right to live their own lives, to skin their knees on the playground, to go on their first date, to graduate from high school, and to go on to have families of their own. All those unique, amazing lives were ended before we were even able to know them.

The tragedy of abortion doesn't stop with the loss of so many innocent children. Like any medical procedure, abortion can have devastating side effects and complications that cause pain and suffering. Mental anguish, regret, and other emotional pain can also result from abortion.

It is time for us as a nation to reject such a dismal and heartbreaking procedure. It is time for us to reject the cold callous indifference of abortion that abandons women and their precious children. We're a nation that takes care of our own, that protects the most innocent and vulnerable among us, and stands up for justice for women and children. As Roe v. Wade shows, justice does not flow from the pen of a judge. Justice comes from the loving heart of a human being and from the natural law enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'' Today, let us continue the fight for Life and justice for all Americans and especially for unborn children and their mothers.