Dan Newhouse

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary milestone in the history of American reclamation, Western agriculture, and responsible local stewardship.

On June 30, 2026, the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District in Quincy, Washington, made its final construction repayment obligation associated with its portion of the Columbia Basin Project.

This is more than the closing of an account. It is the fulfillment of a promise made across generations.

The Columbia Basin Project is one of the great infrastructure achievements in the history of the American West.

At the center of the Project is the Grand Coulee Dam, one of America's most remarkable public works.

Through the Project's pumping plants, reservoirs, canals, laterals, and drains, water from the Columbia River is lifted, stored, delivered, reused, and put to beneficial use.

What was once arid ground today serves over 700,000 irrigated acres sustaining the production of potatoes, apples, wheat, corn, hay, grapes, livestock, and many other crops.

It also supports processors, equipment dealers, truck drivers, local banks, schools, small businesses, and rural communities whose futures are tied to the land.

Today, the Columbia Basin Project supports a diverse agricultural landscape that helps feed families across the country and around the world.

So we honor the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District, its irrigators, its landowners, its employees, and the generations of Central Washington families who made this achievement possible.

I congratulate the District on this historic accomplishment, and I took forward to the continued success of Central Washington agriculture for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Moses Lake Police Officer Edgar Salazar for his public service and congratulate him on being named the 2026 Hometown Hero by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington.

This well-deserved award is in recognition of Officer Salazar's heroic actions at the Gorge Amphitheater Campground in 2023, when he put his life on the line and helped to prevent a mass shooting.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Officer Salazar for the remarkable courage he displayed that day in saving dozens of lives and for his continued service to the Moses Lake community. He represents the best in law enforcement and we are all grateful for his service.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of