Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Dr. Moises A. Carreon for receiving the 2013 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers presented by President Barak Obama. Dr. Carreon is a researcher at the Colorado School of Mines. He received this award for his pursuit of innovative research in the frontiers of science and technology and his commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education and community outreach.

The dedication demonstrated by Dr. Carreon is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. The Presidential Early Career Awards embody the high priority the Obama Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the nation's goals, tackle grand challenges, and contribute to the American economy.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Dr. Carreon for receiving this prestigious award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Brian Vankeuran for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year Award.

Brian has been a vital contributing member and leader of the Golden Young Professionals since the organization started in January of 2012. He served two years on the Executive Committee, and he is now serving as Historian for the committee. Brian continuously demonstrates his professionalism. He is an organizer, a team player and a great leader. He served as Chair Elect in 2012 and was the Chair for 2013.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Brian Vankeuran for his well deserved recognition from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all his future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Mesa Meadows Land Company and Patrick Foss for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award.

This award is given to an outstanding Chamber of Commerce business member who contributed substantially to the Chamber of Commerce and the community.

Henry Foss and his wife Dorothy, moved to Golden to open up Foss Drug in 1913. Henry's wish was to keep Foss Drug running as a legacy for his son. The Foss Drug Store, also known as The Foss General Store, closed its doors in 2007.

In the summer of 2013 a celebration was held to celebrate the 100th year of the Foss Building. The totally renovated facility is now the home to 12 small businesses. The building, now known as the Mesa Meadows Land Company, is still owned by the Foss family.

``We are still here, still pitching for Golden and still doing all we can to keep the retail district strong down here,'' says Patrick Foss, owner of Mesa Meadows Land Company. ``Our intention is to keep this going as long as we can be a vital part of Golden''.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Mesa Meadows Land Company and Patrick Foss for this well deserved recognition by the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for your continued commitment to the Golden community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the Golden Farmers Market for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Civic Award.

This award is given each year to an organization or individual who contributed greatly to the quality of life in Golden.

The Golden Farmers Market completed its 12th year in 2013 and is known as a model Farmers Market in the State of Colorado. It is a place where one can purchase fresh produce, vegetables and many other goods, and it is a place to get to know your neighbors. Sales turned in by the vendors totaled $613,000 in 2013 and nearly $4 million throughout its 12 year history. This generated more than $120,000 in city tax revenue.

I extend my deepest congratulations to the Golden Farmers Market, and all the volunteers which make the Golden Farmers Market so successful, for this well deserved recognition from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Mike Helms for receiving the Charlie O'Brien Award from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce.

This award goes to members who are well respected within the organization and are motivated by an unselfish desire to contribute to

the community for the betterment of greater Golden.

Seven years ago Mike Helms had a dream to have a monthly event for residents of Golden who love the outdoors and who ride their bicycles. Mike, along with a few others who had this same dream, came up with Golden Bicycle Cruise. The excitement from the first cruise events quickly caught on. Through a partnership with the Golden Civic Foundation, in 2013 the Golden Bicycle Cruise had their most successful year with over 400 riders attending most cruises.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Mike Helms for this well deserved recognition by the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. Your commitment has made our community a better place for all of us to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Megara Pullen for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year Award.

This award is given each year to an individual who is a member of the Chamber Ambassadors. This individual is active in promoting the Chamber in several ways including attending ribbon cuttings, grand openings, ground breakings, mentoring new Chamber members, attending Chamber functions, helping at the Chamber Back Yard BBQ, and the list goes on.

In addition to her job as Marketing Director for four Mahnke Auto Body locations, Megara is always available to take on the role of volunteer or leader. Her dedication to the Greater Golden Chamber makes her a real asset to the Golden community.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Megara Pullen for her well deserved recognition from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Fred Joseph for his outstanding commitment to our community.

When Fred Joseph's 83 year old mother got two calls in two days from scammers, she knew what to do. She'd read her son's columns in Prime Time News, the newsletter for Colorado's seniors. She called the scammers out and hung up.

Fred Joseph's mother is not the only person he helped. For 30 years, he served the people of Colorado, starting as deputy commissioner of savings and loans, and now he's retiring as the Colorado Banking and Securities Commissioner. He held both positions since 2011. He helped see Colorado through tough times, most notably the 1980s savings and loans crisis and the global financial crisis of these last few years.

For 10 years, Fred was on the board of the North American Securities Administrations Association. During his tenure as President of the NASAA, his mission was to protect investors from fraud and maintain the integrity of financial markets so small businesses can raise capital.

Fred Joseph doesn't think of himself as a hero, though. Throughout his career, he stood up for ordinary, everyday folk against people who are out to take advantage of them.

To me, that's heroic.

Working tirelessly in a dual role as banking commissioner and securities commissioner, which will be two separate jobs now that he's retiring. That's honorable.

Fred does great work as both banking commissioner and securities commissioner: he's helped protect people from identity theft, helped prevent scammers from preying on the vulnerable and he ensured not a single penny was lost in an insured bank.

``The Commish,'' as he is referred too, is often described as fair, honest, devoted and a voice of reason.

I'm grateful for his trusted advice, counsel and friendship. I wish him all the best and want to honor ``The Commish'' for his 30 years of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Page Lambert for her outstanding service and commitment to our community.

Page's motto--Connecting People with Nature; Connecting Writers with Words--describes her passion and her life. For 17 years, she has partnered with professional organizations such as True Nature Journeys, Grand Canyon Field Institute, and the Aspen Writers' Foundation to help women connect more creatively with the natural world. Page serves as an advisor to national writing organizations and nonprofits such as the Children & Nature Network and Women Writing the West. She also donates services locally--co-leading a two-year volunteer effort to build a community horse barn for Mount Vernon using fire-mitigation timber, and serving as Creative Consultant for the Clear Creek Land Conservancy, helping to foster a deeper appreciation for Colorado's open spaces.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Page Lambert for her well deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Patsy Mundell for her outstanding service and commitment to our community.

Patsy Mundell is Division Chief and a 28-year veteran of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Recognized by her peers as an innovator of inmate management and program development, Patsy implemented successful inmate education and mental health programs. She has also reformed ADA policies regarding inmates and developed video visitation in the jail. In addition to her advocacy for women in law enforcement, Patsy Mundell mentors individuals within the organization on career goals and promotions. As a Metro State University graduate, she is also a mentor for the Metro State Women's Basketball team.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Patsy Mundell for her well deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Sonya Estes for her outstanding service to our community.

Sonya is dedicated to the health and fitness of her community. For over nine years she has promoted the sport of running and its opportunities for community involvement. She was recognized by Jefferson County Public Schools for her support of cross-country and track events, and she sponsors middle school and high school races and Girls on the Run. As the owner of Lakewood's Runners Roost Sonya has opened up her store as a lecture and event location for local charities including Team Challenge, the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado and the American Lung Association of Colorado. She also donated thousands of recycled shoes to the More Foundation. Working with the City of Lakewood Parks and Recreation she contributes to the Lakewood Trail Running Series and the Bear Creek Grin and Bear It. Sonya doesn't walk the talk . . . she runs it!

I extend my deepest congratulations to Sonya Estes for her well- deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.

Well, I thank my friend from Tennessee and my friend from Kentucky. Three years ago today, one of our best friends here, Gabby Giffords, was shot, shot at close range, shot when she was doing her job, Congress on the Corner. She was out in front of a Safeway in Tucson, Arizona, meeting with constituents.

Our job as Members of Congress is to be the voice of our district, to listen to what the people in our districts have to say about a million different subjects and be their voice here in Washington, D.C. She was just that. She was the voice of that district. And she worked hard, she represented them, and she was enthusiastic and energetic and a voice of reason here in Washington, D.C., and she was shot.

But that hasn't stopped her. This woman has such energy, such discipline and such perseverance that she just keeps going. She is dealing with a subject that is very tough to address in the United States of America. On the one hand, we have the Second Amendment, and law-abiding citizens have rights under the Second Amendment to possess weapons. On the other hand, people have the right not to be shot. And she is trying, as part of her work these days, to make sure that people who are criminals, who are domestic abusers, who may have mental health issues aren't in possession of weapons that can hurt people. And as the gentleman from Tennessee said, in my area we have had shootings at Columbine High School and at the Aurora movie theater. Seventy people a year and a half ago, July of 2012, were shot. And in Colorado we have addressed it, but not without some real resistance by some communities.

What we want to make sure here in this country is that people who are law-abiding citizens can have their weapons, but they should undergo a background check to make sure that they are not domestic abusers or criminals or stalkers. We need to make sure of those kinds of things. And Gabby is working hard to make sure that that happens after--she is doing that on top of her rehabilitation. Her work ethic is second to none in doing this.

There is a lot of work to be done to try to minimize gun violence, and there is a lot of work that she is doing to recover. And this woman was doing both of those things when she nearly died from a shot at close quarters. She is tough. She is an American through and through, and she never says die. She is going to continue to work and work for the betterment of her community and of this Nation.

I'm glad that I got a chance to say something, Mr. Cohen, in terms of some kind of tribute to the effort that she is making on behalf of so many of us.

So I would return, or I can lead to one of our other classmates of '06, but I can say we are very proud of Gabby Giffords, both when she was here and now in the service that she provides to our Nation just in her everyday life.

I thank the gentleman from Tennessee, because I want to just talk about something Mr. Welch said and also something Mr. Courtney said.

Mr. Courtney said that she had worked on some things involving technology with respect to the VA, and there were some technological problems with whatever it was she was getting. She was a curious, and is a curious, individual. She brought a curiosity about technology. She was one of the first adopters of the iPad as we began using it here. She just had become an expert in it long before any of the rest of us.

She also was strong enough that she worked in her dad's tire store. So here is a woman who brought that energy, brought that enthusiasm, brought that curiosity and brought a real service, a desire for service to this country. Despite terrible wounds, she continues that service today. If we could all do that this Nation would be unbelievable. It is our job to continue to try to provide that service and follow her example. Despite all the obstacles, here is a woman still changing the world. I am very glad to be able to speak for her in this moment today, 3 years after she was shot, but she is still making a difference.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Mag Strittmatter for her outstanding service and commitment to our community.

It takes great strength to face the heart-breaking issues of poverty day after day, and even more strength to lead others in that fight. Leading The Action Center, Mag has that strength in abundance. She has overseen a revolution in volunteer engagement at the Action Center, where more than 7,000 volunteers contribute annually for the good of the community. She has built on-going partnerships with Red Rocks Community College, Jeffco Human Services and the Metro Community Provider Network to bring resources to clients in one location. In her mentoring she can identify strengths and build the organization around them, with the deep wisdom to see

that each person has an important role. Under her leadership, The Action Center's revenue increased by more than 600% since 2002. Directly affecting the community she serves in such a positive way.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Mag Strittmatter for her well deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Lakewood High School for their tremendous compassion and character shown during the floods that happened in the State of Colorado in September. This high school located in Lakewood, Colorado must be acknowledged because they showed incredible spirit and support to other schools around Colorado during a time of emergency.

After winning the Good Morning America Katy Perry contest, the students of Lakewood High School used their moment in the national spotlight to direct national attention towards other students throughout the state affected by the floods. There are countless stories of different student groups and organizations within the school sending supplies, money and support to other students who were in need the most. This is exemplary of the character and compassion the faculty instills in the students at this high school.

I extend my deepest gratitude to Lakewood High School in their display of school spirit for their school and also for the State of Colorado. I am certain the students in this school will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of their future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Carol Salzman for her outstanding service to our community.

Carol began her career as a critical care nurse at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in 1978 and is now the executive director of the

ELMC Foundation. Two signature fundraising events she created and leads are the White Rose Evening and the Leaves of Hope Run/Walk, which support Lutheran's hospice and cancer programs respectively. Carol has a passion for community health improvement and serves as the executive lead for Lutheran Medical Center's wellness efforts. She believes that through partnerships with Jefferson County Public Health and other community organization, we can address important community concerns like tobacco and obesity. Carol lives the wellness message and believes in it with all of her heart.

I.extend my deepest congratulations to Carol Salzman for her well deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Barbara Brohl for her outstanding service to our community.

As an RTD Board member, Barbara introduced a workforce development program for transit projects promoting the introduction of women in non-traditional positions. Barbara is continuously active in the community--from her ``Newborns in Need'' baby showers, to her mentoring programs, to the organizations she supports--including The Gathering Place and the Hispanic Advisory Council for Florence Crittenton, an alternative high school for pregnant and parenting teens.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Barbara Brohl for her well deserved honor by the West Chamber serving Jefferson County. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all her future accomplishments.