Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Women's History Month, I rise to recognize Deborah Bowers Kippley for her years of dedicated public service in the State of Nebraska. As an arts educator, Debbie's leadership, skills, and initiatives have benefited the minds of our youth for decades.

Debbie had a strong interest in the arts from an early age. In 1974, she graduated from Omaha Burke High School where she participated in band, orchestra, and art. She continued her education, obtaining a bachelor's degree in art education and elementary education from Hastings College.

After college, she toured with a Christian repertory theater company before being hired as an elementary arts teacher for Omaha Public Schools. During her time with OPS, Debbie participated in several Nebraska art-based programs. After 13 years with OPS, she wanted to start the elementary art program at Papillion La Vista Community Schools.

After obtaining her master of science from the University of Nebraska Omaha, she earned her doctorate in administration, curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, concentrating on the variation of people's ability to create mental images and the effect this has on learning.

As someone who struggled with math, reading, and spelling during her elementary years, Debbie believes her inability to create mental images at that age was the cause of her struggles. Her conclusion was to enhance the five senses by using art in learning in her elementary teachings to better help students learn.

For the last nearly 40 years, Debbie has consistently given back to the community. Just a few of her accolades include Elementary Educator of the Year, president-elect and president of the Nebraska Art Teachers Association, and the Nebraska Art Teachers Association Roscoe Shields Award for her continued service to art education. She also assisted with the writing and creation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money for the arts.

As a now-retired educator, Debbie continues to promote the arts by her work with the Congressional Art Competition for the Nebraska congressional districts, founded in 1998, and still manages the Papillion La Vista Arts Network, providing a theater experience for elementary and middle school students. Supervising art student teachers for the University of Nebraska Omaha is another task that she loves, and she is the president of the Papillion Downtown Business Association.

Debbie has always believed in the power of the arts to heal, encourage, and empower. This has been her mantra for all her years of educating young minds.

I salute and thank Debbie for her impression upon the community, a tremendous impact, which will be felt for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, 16,226 children in Ukraine have been taken from their families by Russia through forced transfers and deportations between February 24, 2022, and March 22, 2023. Let me say it again. 16,226 Ukrainian children have been taken from their homes and sent to Russia. Most people call this act kidnapping or abduction.

In March, the United Nations Human Rights Council determined that the Russian actions are a violation of human rights. On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin for these kidnappings.

When the Russians take these children, they are sent to ``reeducation camps'' where they wait until a Russian foster family is found.

What lies are told to these children? That their family is dead?

In the case of 12-year-old Sashko, the Russians told him his mother ``no longer needed him.''

In March of 2022, Sashko and his mother, Snizhana, were captured in Mariupol and separated in the Russian camp, not even allowing them to say goodbye to each other. Sashko was taken to have an eye injury treated and was then placed in an orphanage. After some time, he found a phone and secretly called his grandmother. She gathered all of his documents and risked her own freedom and possible detainment to go and get him. The love of a grandmother.

With his grandmother's efforts, his courage, and the assistance of a large network of government and nongovernment entities, they were happily reunited. Sadly, they have not heard from his mother or even know where she is.

While this story is hopeful, there are only 307 other children who share the same happiness of being returned to their families in Ukraine, which means there are approximately 16,000 missing Ukrainian children in Russia. We must join and support the Child Rights International Network, Bethany Christian Services, Voices of Children, and approximately 34 other organizations who are working together to save these children.

The concurrent resolution we are proposing and submitting today strongly condemns this practice by Russia. This practice was employed by ruthless dictators like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet, and other sadistic tyrants. Today, we can add Putin to that terrible list.

Children everywhere should be protected from the cruelty of being ripped from their families and trafficked to another nation to be ``reeducated'' and placed with a foreign family under the guise of the child not having a family.

This resolution rebukes nations who provide aid and support to the Russian kidnapping enterprise. It condemns the forced adoption of Ukrainian children and implores Russia to work with international human rights and child welfare organizations to ensure the return of Ukrainian children to their home country and their families.

We should have zero moral ambiguity when it comes to Putin. He is a war criminal and is committing barbaric human rights violations. He should be a global outcast and be held accountable.

I thank Senator Klobuchar for introducing the companion legislation in the Senate, and I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in this mission of getting the Ukrainian children home.

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 5 that supports students, parents, and school personnel. My amendment would simply add that local education agencies provide to parents the number of school counselors employed at their child's school so that parents have a better idea about their child's education and safety during the school day.

As we all know, school counselors play an important role not only in the academic and career development of our students, but they address emotional challenges that are a critical component of safety in our schools. This simple provision gives parents the full knowledge and transparency needed to decide if their children need additional resources outside of the academic environment. This can assist our educators in making sure our children are best prepared for school and learning.

So, Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment which has support from both sides of the aisle. A happy and healthy student empowers our educators to provide the best possible education, and parents deserve to be empowered to best help their children achieve that.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, this amendment doesn't increase the number of counselors, but it allows the parents to know if the number of counselors is adequate or not. This is very important for our parents to have.

This is being requested by teachers and parents. I have received this request from teachers and parents to have this added to the bill because they said it will make the bill better.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I will close by saying that I would appreciate the support of both sides of the aisle. This bill has support from teachers and parents to have this added in.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of African American History Month, we recognize a leader who has helped people of all ages thrive in sports, education, and life. North Omaha's and Nebraska's Johnny ``the Jet'' Rodgers is more than a sports legend; he is a community champion.

Johnny became known as ``the Jet'' because of his speed and agility. Even in his teenage years, participating in football, track, and basketball, the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame described Johnny's performance as ``nothing short of legendary.'' He would go on to establish an incredible football career as a punt returner, pass receiver, and running back at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

On his way to winning the Heisman in 1972, Johnny set an all-purpose 5,586-yard NCAA record; 72 yards were attributed to a punt return during the ``Game of the Century'' between Nebraska and Oklahoma in 1971. Not only did this gain him national acclaim, but College Football News and former coach Tom Osborne would go on to recognize Johnny as one of the best kick returners in college football history. He would later be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame after a professional career in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers and the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes.

When he returned to his hometown, he began building a legacy as an entrepreneur and community leader. While mentoring and teaching life skills to young athletes, Johnny served as the President of the 100 Black Men of Omaha and began the prestigious ``Jet Award'' honoring the best return specialist in NCAA Division 1 college football, all while creating the Johnny Rodgers Career and Technical Scholarship--serving students from ages 18 to 62, emphasizing thevalue and accessibility in education.

Beyond his commitment to education is his belief in representation. Johnny and I have had the honor of working together to achieve one of the country's highest response rates to the Decennial U.S. Census. Johnny lent his time and community connections to advocate for a complete and detailed census where ``Everybody Counts.''

On and off the field, Johnny has continued to accelerate and elevate his community. We thank him for his dedication to his hometown and his willingness to lead. On behalf of our Omaha community, I thank my friend for his leadership and service to our community.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 117.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the President's hypocrisy when it comes to the debt ceiling. He opposed raising the debt ceiling three different times.

Here are some of those quotes when he voted to oppose debt ceiling increases. He said, ``My vote against the debt limit increase cannot change the fact that we have incurred this debt already, and will no doubt incur more.''

He also said, ``It's a statement that I refuse to be associated with the policies that brought us to this point.''

He also said, ``There is just so much of our debt that other nations want to hold. The more of it they accumulate, the closer we are to the day when they will not want any more.''

He also said, ``Our interest rates will go up, the value of their U.S. bonds will drop, and we will have big problems.''

The roots of that threat lie in the disastrous policies of this administration. I could go on and on. It is all in the Congressional Record.

Three times he has opposed raising the debt ceiling. The way you spell hypocrisy when it comes to the debt ceiling is simple. It is B-I-

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Lamborn for organizing this Special Order.

I thank God for the Bible. The Bible is God's Word, and it tells us who God is, that He loves us, that He made us and created the world, that He has an eternal plan for us. The Bible gives me hope. It teaches me how to live, love, forgive, be humble, have self-control, and to be kind. It has given me life's roadmap and a compass to steer me right.

Knowing God's eternal plan and that He gave guidelines on how to live, gives me meaning in life. Without meaning, I would not have been able to face the darkest days of my life, like when I lost my best friend and sister. I have lost four siblings and my mom. Without God, I would not have been able to move forward on many of these days. One of my favorite hymns says: ``I can face tomorrow because He lives.''

My theme verse, that comes from Matthew, says:

Do not store up treasures on Earth, where moth and rust can

destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up

treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor

rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

When I was deployed in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 and we were losing so many soldiers, brothers and sisters in arms, I thought of this other verse from Matthew every single day: ``Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.''

I knew al-Qaida and the Shia militias could possibly kill me, but I was assured that my soul was secure with God.

When things are not going well, I think of Paul's words when God told him: ``My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.''

Now that I am in political office, I often apply this verse, one I overlooked much of my life: ``Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.''

We are all imperfect and need God's redemption. Thankfully, God sent His only Son to take the punishment of the sins we commit. He saved us. The Bible says that when we put our faith in Him, we are redeemed.

John Newton famously wrote: ``When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Michelle Waite for her lifetime of dedication to the Great State of Nebraska, the University of Nebraska--Lincoln, and our military and veteran community. After twenty-four remarkable years, Michelle is retiring after a career of incredible service to our university and the citizens of our state.

Michelle hails from Cody, a town in the beautiful Sand Hills of Nebraska and she completed her undergraduate education at Doane College in Crete. She also earned a Master of Legal Studies Degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. In addition, Michelle is the proud mother of Cody and Logan, and we are grateful to Cody for his service in our Armed Forces.

Since 1998, Michelle Waite has served in the office of the chancellor where she currently works as the Assistant to the Chancellor for Government and Military Relations. In that role, she serves as the principal advisor to UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green. In 1987, Michelle went to work for former Speaker of the Legislator, Ron Withem of Papillion, serving as his Legislative Assistant until his retirement in 1997. Following Speaker Withem's retirement, Michelle went on to work for State Senator Ron Raikes until she was hired in

1998 as the Associate to UNL Chancellor James Moeser.

Michelle Waite has been an impactful and transformative leader during her tenure for our university and her work has changed the lives of people all over our state. She has worked for three different chancellors as their principal advisor, helping guide the University in its relationships with many different external constituencies, including federal, state, and local agencies. In that capacity, she has been responsible for the strategic management of the University's legislative agenda, and she has worked as the primary representative tasked with interfacing with our unique single house legislature, affectionately known by many as the Unicameral. I am also appreciative of the advice she has provided my team in the years since I first took office.

Considering that we just celebrated Veterans Day, I also want to highlight Michelle's outstanding contributions for our military and veteran community. As the school where General of the Armies John J. Pershing served as the Commandant of Cadets, the University of Nebraska--Lincoln has a proud and long military tradition that has produced countless men and women charged with leading our Armed Forces. During her tenure, Michelle Waite has been responsible for supervising the campus ROTC units and she has been liaison with all branches of the military, as well as with our veteran community. As a military parent, Michelle carries that unique perspective shared by countless military families and this has helped further inform her leadership over the course of many years.

From her efforts towards the adoption of academic regalia denoting military service to helming the Veterans Tribute to memorialize our veterans in the heart of campus, Michelle's impact on the campus military community will be long enduring. Michelle played a critical role in helping the University adopt a resident tuition program for non-resident service members and she has been a leader in the effort to provide enhanced benefits for disabled service members and their families. Under her guidance, UNL established the Military and Veteran Success Center in 2015 which has become a valuable resource providing professional, educational, and personal services for our entire student veteran population.

Nebraska's Memorial Stadium was built in honor of those Nebraskans who fought in the war to end all wars and originally the stadium displayed plaques recognizing those Nebraskans who paid the ultimate price. In order to ensure their memory never fades, Michelle led the effort to create replacements for the long-lost original plaques. Now, those new plaques honoring those Nebraskans who fought and died in World War I greet all visitors who enter this special monument for freedom. She also helped pave the way for veterans to be recognized during football games, with a video tribute for one veteran during the second quarter of every home game and she was the driving force behind the POW/MIA Chair now on display in Memorial Stadium. Finally, Michelle topped off her career by spearheading the multimillion-dollar Veterans Tribute monument dedicated on September 11th of this year in the heart of campus.

Whether it is working with the military or serving as an advisor to collegiate organizations like UNL's Innocents Society, Michelle Waite has had a positive impact on students, faculty, and citizens from every corner of our state. I thank Michelle for her faithful service and leadership for all of Nebraska and I congratulate her and her family on a well-earned retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant Dennis L. Pavlik, who is believed to be the last living Korean war POW from Nebraska.

Sergeant Pavlik joined the United States Army in October of 1952 when he was inducted at Fort Omaha in Nebraska. Sergeant Pavlik was then assigned to B Company, the 22nd Armored Engineer for artillery basic training, which he completed at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas.

Following his completion of basic training, Sergeant Pavlik was assigned to C Battery, the 555 Field Artillery, also known as the Triple Nickel.

Sergeant Pavlik then moved to a variety of locations across Korea, finally landing near Kumsong in a location known as the Kumsong Salient. It was there, on the night of July 13, 1953, that Sergeant Pavlik's artillery was under intense enemy counter barrage ending in the eventual imprisonment of multiple United States soldiers.

Sergeant Pavlik and his fellow soldiers were then forced to march north to a POW camp the Chinese referred to as Camp Six. It was here Sergeant Pavlik spent 42 days as a prisoner of war, which he has referred to as ``the longest 6 weeks of my life.''

Sergeant Pavlik stated the most important lesson he learned during those 6 weeks is the knowledge of freedom. As the war in Korea ended, Sergeant Pavlik was then released from Camp Six and eventually returned to United States soil on August 25, 1953, just 1 month after the official end of the Korean war.

Sergeant Pavlik ended his military service on July 20, 1954, and was awarded the Bronze Star with the ``V'' for Valor Device, the Good Conduct Medal, the POW Medal, National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with two Battle Stars, United Nations Service Medal, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.

Today, he resides in Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife, Luella, and has three children and five grandchildren.

Sergeant Pavlik also serves as the Post Commander for the American Ex-Prisoner of War Department of Nebraska.

It is with great honor that I recognize the last-known prisoner of war survivor for the Korean war, and my good friend, Nebraska Sergeant Dennis L. Pavlik.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge someone I have the privilege of calling both a friend and close colleague. Josh Nass is a leader in both the Jewish and pro-Israel communities, and someone whose contributions to strengthening our nation's alliance with the State of Israel has been critical to fostering the US-Israel relationship.

As Israel finds itself under constant attack on the battlefield, it is incumbent upon members of this chamber to speak out in her defense. But sadly Israel is not just the subject of a military war; but also facing a continuous onslaught of attack in the public domain.

Intellectually dishonest movements such as the Boycott Divestment & Sanctions campaign have exposed Israel's detractors for their unmitigated hate toward a country whose contributions to the Western world are enumerable. For that reason I believe it to be fitting for leaders such as Josh who fearlessly stand up for our nation's lone friend and ally in the Middle East to be recognized for having the courage of their convictions to speak truth to power.

For his fearless advocacy on Israel's behalf, Josh was recently honored alongside Secretary of State Pompeo with the Builder of Jerusalem Award. Among the distinguished government officials who recognized him for his award was The State Department's former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Heather Nauert.

Josh is also involved in a myriad of social and public policy endeavors designed to advance a more muscular American foreign policy, while ensuring our nation's steadfast support for Israel remains unwavering. Among these commitments is his service as the Treasurer of The Israel Heritage Foundation, an organization dedicated to strengthening Israel's security and combatting bigotry and antisemitism in all forms.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the last living Korean War POW from Nebraska, Corporal Dennis L. Pavlik. Corporal Pavlik joined the United States Marine Corp in October of 1952 when he was inducted at Fort Omaha in Nebraska. Corporal Pavlik was then assigned to B Company, 22nd Armored Engineer for artillery basic training which he completed at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. Following his completion of basic training, Corporal Pavlik was assigned to C Battery, 555 Field Artillery also known as the ``Triple Nickel.'' Corporal Pavlik then moved to a variety of locations across Korea finally landing near Kumsong in a location known as the Kumsong Salient.

It was there, on the night of July 13, 1953, that Corporal Pavlik's artillery battery was under an intense enemy counter barrage ending in the eventual imprisonment of multiple United States Marines. Corporal Pavlik and his fellow marines were then forced to march north to a POW camp the Chinese referred to as Camp Six. It was here Corporal Pavlik spent 42 days as a Prisoner of War, which he has referred to as ``the longest six weeks of my life.'' Corporal Pavlik stated the most important lesson he learned during those six weeks is the knowledge of freedom. As the war in Korea ended, Corporal Pavlik was released from Camp Six and eventually returned to United States soil on August 25, 1953, just two days before the official end of the Korean War.

Corporal Pavlik ended his military service on July 20, 1954, and was awarded the Bronze Star with the ``V'' for valor device, Good Conduct Medal, POW Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with two Battle Stars, United Nations Service Medal, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. Today, he resides in Omaha, Nebraska with his wife Luella and has three children and five grandchildren. Corporal Pavlik also serves as the Post Commander for the American Ex-Prisoner of War Department of Nebraska. It is with great honor that I recognize the last known Prisoner of War survivor from the Korean War--Nebraska Corporal Dennis L. Pavlik.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work and accomplishments of my friend and former Congressman, Brad Ashford, who passed away April 19, 2022. Brad began his career in politics by faithfully serving in the Nebraska State legislature for 16 years, focusing on ways to solve problems in education, labor, and urban affairs.

After being elected to represent the Second Congressional District of Nebraska, Brad worked hard to advance multiple bills in support of veterans. He was a co-sponsor of the Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015, which helped veterans find sustainable employment and apply their skills to work for Customs and Border Patrol. He also co-sponsored the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015, which allowed veterans with a service-related disability to take an increased amount of time to seek treatment and heal as needed.

Brad will most be remembered when people drive by the nearly 2-year- old Ambulatory Care Clinic at Omaha's VA Hospital. This facility, funded through a public-private partnership, was largely the result of Brad's efforts to craft and pass the CHIP In for Vets Act of 2016.

This innovative legislation was a first of its kind that enables the use of Federal funds to be matched with privately raised donations. Brad and I became friends after 2016 and we worked together to see the project come to fruition. This past September, I was humbled to carry on his legacy by passing the reauthorization of this important legislation.

It was Brad's mission to ensure all constituents of the Nebraska community felt well-represented. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Brad consistently sought to reach across the aisle and advocate for bipartisan legislation, highlighting that Representatives are not only capable of working together, but must do so to advance our Nation, and we do this regardless of ideology or political party.

He was a problem-solver and a man of action. Even after his time in Congress, he continued to advocate and educate the public on justice- engaged youth, including our last project together finding pathways to careers that could reintegrate them as productive members of our community and reduce recidivism.

I salute and thank Brad for his leadership, mentorship, and friendship. We went from being political adversaries to great friends. It is my hope that we all carry on Brad's legacy of civility, compassion, and cooperation. I personally will miss the optimistic and hopeful conversations with my friend that we frequently enjoyed.

My heart goes out to his wife, Ann, his children; John, Ellie, and Tom; his granddaughter, Rosie; and his many loved ones. We are eternally grateful for all that Brad has done for our Nation.

Honoring Nebraska Senator Tom Brewer

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, I rise to recognize the dedication and accomplishments of Senator Tom Brewer, a veteran with 37 years of service, including six tours to Afghanistan, two Purple Hearts, and a Bronze Star.

His experiences show resilience and true patriotism as he holds the title of the first senator of Native American descent to serve in Nebraska's unicameral. He was first elected in 2016 and represents the 13 counties of District 43 in the western Nebraska Sandhills.

Senator Tom Brewer is a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux and grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation before he enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard. He attended college at Doane University in Crete on an ROTC scholarship and continued to serve us internationally as he fought on behalf of our freedoms in Afghanistan.

Although gravely wounded in his final tour, Senator Brewer did not let this injury prevent him from fighting for his country through public service. After serving nearly four decades, Senator Brewer retired from the Army and was then elected to the Nebraska unicameral.

His inclusion represents how far we have come as a State, as well as the ways that we as people can come together in the future to uphold the proposition that all men are created equal.

Since his time in office, he has worked on legislation that improves veterans' affairs and agriculture policy to help all Nebraskans.

Senator Brewer continues to advocate for farmers and ranchers, servicemen and women, and fights to protect our constitutional rights. He has just returned from 2 months in Ukraine doing humanitarian relief in the Kharkiv region.

Though he has faced much adversity, he has managed to overcome it and use his experiences to create new standards in Nebraska's government. We thank him for his service and honor him for paving the way for all Native Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to recognize women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have either survived or unfortunately lost their hard-fought battle. A rare but deadly disease, only approximately 19,880 women will receive a new diagnosis this year--this past March, our Communications Director Danielle Jensen was one of them.

The deadliest of the reproductive cancers, only 20 percent are diagnosed early in Stages I or II, with a five-year survival rate of over 93 percent. Unfortunately, the majority of cases are diagnosed in Stages Ill or IV, when the survival rate can be as low as 30 percent. The risk of a woman getting ovarian cancer is about 1 in 78 in her lifetime and it is estimated that 12,810 women will lose their lives to ovarian cancer this year. Fortunately, Danielle was diagnosed as Stage II and recently completed chemotherapy.

There are several factors that can increase the risk of ovarian cancers. Age is the biggest one. Half of all ovarian cancers are found in women 63 years of age and older. Another is if a woman has never carried a pregnancy to full-term or had a child after the age of 35. Hormone replacement therapy, a family history of ovarian, breast or colorectal cancer, or a personal history of breast cancer are also risk factors.

There is no reliable screening or diagnostic test for ovarian cancer, and it cannot be detected during a pap smear, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms. This includes back pain, bloating, frequent urination, feeling full quickly after eating, fatigue, upset stomach-heartburn-or constipation, pelvic or abdominal pain, or changes in menstrual cycles. While these symptoms are most likely not signs of cancer, they should be of concern if they don't go away after two weeks following normal interventions such as changing diet and exercise, laxatives, or rest. It is because of this that ovarian cancer is often referred to as ``the silent killer.''

There are different treatments for ovarian cancer. Danielle had surgery and she went through six cycles of chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells that may have been left. Some women will also undergo radiation to treat it.

What can lower the risk of ovarian cancer? Women who have been pregnant and carried to term before the age of 26, and each full-term pregnancy lowers the risk. Some studies show that breastfeeding may lower the risk even further, as well as using birth control pills.

Finally, we are thankful that Danielle was diagnosed when she was and is on the path to being a survivor. She said she credits God and her faith for keeping her motivation focused and strong, as well as her medical team at Estabrook Cancer Center, including Dr. Crotzer, her nurse navigator Emily and PA Lorna, and her infusion nurse Abbey. She also thanks her family, including her mom who went to every appointment and her daughter who would check in on Danielle when she heard her crying from the pain, and her friends who supported her every day.

Madam Speaker, I rise today during Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize Carolina Padilla and the Intercultural Senior Center in my district.

Historically, National Hispanic Heritage Month has been a way to appreciate the contributions and influence Hispanic Americans have made to our history, culture, and achievements of the United States. I can think of no better way to recognize the achievements of Hispanic Americans in our district than by recognizing Carolina and the Intercultural Senior Center, which provides language interpretation, cultural insight, community events, as well as social workers, to better connect community members with outside resources.

Carolina, who was born in Guatemala City, immigrated to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1993 with her husband and three children. She then started her career in the United States by spending 12 years working for One World Community Health Center, a nonprofit primary healthcare facility. During her time at One World, she worked in a variety of health departments in both administrative and leadership positions.

Additionally, she worked for Catholic Charities, where she was the director of their Latina Resource Center. In this role, she worked to develop social service programs for women in need of assistance with English as their second language, as well as women facing issues of domestic violence.

During this time, Carolina realized that one segment of the population, the Latino elders, were largely overlooked and underserved. Inspired by her aging family in Guatemala and her need to serve others within her own community, Carolina founded the Intercultural Senior Center in 2009 in the Latino neighborhood of South Omaha. The Intercultural Senior Center, however, has extended much farther than the Latino community as it now welcomes refugee communities, including Sudan, Somalia, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Burma, as well as native English speakers.

Today, the Intercultural Senior Center is a unique place where seniors find enrichment and belonging, regardless of language, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and any other differences that too often create separation and isolation.

As Omaha's population ages and becomes more diverse, Ms. Padilla's mission and the Intercultural Senior Center will continue to embrace the elderly and bring awareness to the community about the aging population.

Congratulations again to Carolina Padilla and the Intercultural Senior Center on this amazing work you are doing within the Omaha community.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Madam Speaker, I rise today during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to recognize women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer who have either survived or, unfortunately, lost their hard- fought battle. A rare but deadly disease, only about 19,880 women will receive a new diagnosis this year; but this past March, our communications director, Danielle Jensen was one of them.

The deadliest of the reproductive cancers, only 20 percent are diagnosed early in stages I or II, with a 5-year survival rate of over 93 percent. Unfortunately, the majority of cases are diagnosed in stages III or IV, and the survival rate can be as low as 30 percent.

The risk of a woman getting ovarian cancer is about 1 in 78 in her lifetime, and it is estimated that 12,810 women will lose their lives to ovarian cancer this year. Fortunately, Danielle was diagnosed at stage II and has recently completed chemotherapy.

There are several factors that can increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Age is the biggest one. Half of all ovarian cancers are found in women 63 years of age and older. Another is if a woman has never carried a pregnancy to full term or had a child after the age of 35. Hormone replacement therapy, a family history of ovarian, breast, or colorectal cancer, or a personal history of breast cancer are also risk factors.

There is no reliable screening or diagnostic test for ovarian cancer, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms, which includes back pain, bloating, frequent urination, feeling full quickly after eating, fatigue, upset stomach, heartburn, or constipation, pelvic or abdominal pain, or changes in the menstrual cycle. While these symptoms are most likely not signs of cancer, they should be of concern if they don't go away after two weeks following normal interventions such as changing diet and exercise. It is because of this that ovarian cancer is often referred to as the silent killer.

There are different treatments for ovarian cancer. Danielle had surgery and she went through six cycles of chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells that may have been left. Some women will also undergo radiation to treat it.

Finally, we are just thankful that Danielle was diagnosed early when she was and is on the path of being a survivor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Amber Richardson who has recently been nominated for the Angels of Adoption Award. Historically, the Angels of Adoption program has celebrated individuals, couples, families, and organizations from across the nation who have made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of vulnerable children and families. Those recognized through Angels of Adoption represent a wide variety of individuals involved in the adoption, foster care, and the child welfare world. I am proud to nominate Amber for this award as she is the founder and CEO of Foster Love and has fostered 14 different children over her lifetime.

In June 2020, Amber Richardson Founded Foster Love, an official 501c3 within my district in Omaha, that has made an extraordinary impact on the lives of foster children within our community since its creation. Their mission is to provide basic needs and opportunities for children in foster care, so they feel confident, empowered, and valued, and foster families feel supported. They have done this by opening a storefront boutique in which foster children can shop the latest trends in a welcoming, unique setting where merchandise is new, high quality, and free of cost. The store front offers multiple programs each month such as shopping days, appointments for emergency needs, and an art program called Artsy Kids.

Amber and her husband, Matthew, have fostered 14 different children. Starting in 2007 they welcomed Trevor, their first foster child, into their home and later adopted him in order to give him a ``forever home''. This was the spark that led Amber to continue developing relationships within the foster community as well as volunteering and advocating on different foster panels. Amber has been a driving force within the Omaha foster care community; her drive and passion for this cause has been truly inspiring.

Through Foster Love, Amber has built a vibrant community that helps support both foster children and their families. To date, Foster Love has served and supported over 800 children and foster parents, their work continues to expand and grow. Not only are these children provided with the necessary resources that they need to thrive on a daily basis, but they are also loved every step of the way. Foster Love exemplifies love and dignity, and I could not be happier to recognize Amber Richardson for the Angels of Adoption Award.

I salute and thank Amber for her impression upon the Omaha community, which will be felt for years to come.