Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Ally Buckner for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Ally Buckner is a 7th grader at Drake Middle School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Ally Buckner is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Ally Buckner for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Aaron Cisneros for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Aaron Cisneros is a 12th grader at Jefferson High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Aaron Cisneros is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Aaron Cisneros for winning the Arvada Wheat

Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth 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 Adrian Malfabon for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Adrian Malfabon is a 12th grader at Jefferson High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Adrian Malfabon is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Adrian Malfabon for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth 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 honor Alyssa Graves, owner of Art on the Brix for receiving the Business of the Year Award from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce.

This award is given to an outstanding chamber member that has contributed substantially to the Chamber of Commerce community.

Art on the Brix combines low stress art classes in a playful setting. With the attitude of ``go outside the lines", Art on the Brix inspires all types of people to relax and get creative. Alyssa Graves had a dream to bring an artistic experience to Golden and she has achieved just that.

I extend my deepest congratulations and appreciation to Alyssa Graves and Art on the Brix for this well deserved recognition from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. I have no doubt her commitment to the people of Golden has made our community a better place for all of us to live.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Jamie Strong for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Young Professional of the Year Award.

Jamie, the Event Designer at Three Tomatoes Steakhouse and Club at Fossil Trace, was elected as Chair of the 2012 Golden Young Professionals and did a superb job in overseeing the development of the organization, particularly focusing on professional development and community service for members. Her dedication and ability to work with Chamber staff was fantastic.

When not at work, you will find Jaime involved with the Golden Chamber, at the Golden Community Center, or enjoying all the local hiking trails.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Jamie Strong 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 honor Connie Tysdal 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.

When Connie moved to unincorporated Jefferson County in 1979 she hit the ground running. Among her many accomplishments Connie served on the Colorado PTA Leadership Commission, was elected President of the Leadership Golden Alumni Association, Chair of the Visitors and Convention Council and worked as a philanthropic researcher for the Colorado School of Mines.

I extend my deepest congratulations and gratitude to Connie Tsydal 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 The Lariat Loop for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Civic Award.

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

The Lariat Loop website captures the spirit of this 40-mile route connecting the cities of Golden, Morrison and Evergreen. ``You can retrace the motoring adventures of the early 1920s and experience the thrill of foothills exploration at the dawn of the Age of Motorcars. Colorado's first gateways to the mountains still have sharp curves, winding roads, spectacular views, and waysides to refresh and delight the traveler.'' This byway is a combination of two historic routes: the Lariat Trail Scenic Mountain Drive ascending Lookout Mountain and the Bear Creek Canyon Scenic Mountain Drive. In combination, these routes were part of several of the ``scenic circles'' developed and promoted by Denver in 1915 to help Coloradans experience the mountains in proximity to the Denver Metropolitan area. These roadways were designated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.''

I extend my deepest congratulations to The Lariat Loop for this well deserved recognition from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. I am proud to have this historic byway in my community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor ERA, A Waters Company, for receiving the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award.

ERA moved into their new facilities in Golden from another metro community in December of 2011, but it didn't take ERA long to get involved in Golden. In addition to contributing a great deal to the overall economic vitality of the Greater Golden Area, ERA has a real passion to help others, and Soles4Souls became a project Carl Craig, ERA President, stepped forward to assist. He offered Soles4Souls, a charity that collects and distributes shoes to people in need, room in their warehouse at ERA to store shoes. Well, 110,000 pairs of shoes later, the offer still stands with great gratitude.

I extend my deepest congratulations to ERA, A Waters Company, for their well deserved recognition from the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce. I have no doubt they will exhibit the same integrity and dedication in all future accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Chris Quoyeser 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 has been very active in promoting the Chamber in several ways such as 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. Chris has been a Chamber Ambassador for several years and accepts all challenges with a positive attitude and a can do spirit.

In addition to running a very successful business, Chris is always available when called upon. His dedication to the Golden makes him a real asset to the community.

I extend my deepest congratulations to Chris Quoyeser 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.

We've heard about it already: Friday was a terrible day in America, a terrible day in Connecticut. I represent the city of Aurora, Colorado, and we had a terrible day on July 20 when 12 people were killed and 58 were injured through assault weapons and these assault clips, these high-capacity clips. We've had numerous people killed at a Sikh temple since then, and shots were fired in a shopping center in Oregon just last week.

Assault weapons and assault clips, we must manage these things. The old saying is, ``Guns don't kill people. People kill people.'' Well, crazy people with guns kill people, and we've got to start handling this so that we protect our children, our seniors, our shoppers, our churchgoers. This is something that we need to tackle now, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to speak about this. It is time to tackle these assault clips and assault weapons, which have done such terrible damage to our kids and our people.

Mr. Speaker, the permission I request is to make two simple requests to my friends in the Republican leadership and to the Rules Committee, and that is to bring to the floor two bills. One is to extend middle class tax cuts for 98 percent of the country. So that has been passed by the Senate. It provides relief to so many Americans. It should be done immediately, and it will be passed overwhelmingly here in the House of Representatives. So the request is the middle class tax cuts. Let's bring them to the floor. That deals with a big portion of the budget conversation that's going on today in Washington.

Second is for the production tax credit to be brought to the floor. Thousands of jobs all across the country are dependent upon that tax credit. Again, it would be passed overwhelmingly if it were brought to the floor. There's no reason to hold these up any longer. We need to pass these. I ask the Republican leadership and the Rules Committee to bring them to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Carrie Bazewicz for her service to our community and receiving the 2012 Mayor of Golden's Award for Excellence.

Carrie brought the Environmental Learning for the Future program to Mitchell Elementary in Golden, Colorado. This program promotes the understanding and appreciation of the natural world to each of the young students. Her commitment to the education of the children in Golden serves as a model for teachers throughout the state of Colorado and our nation.

Carrie exemplifies education and preservation of Golden's beauty. She encourages and empowers her students as an enthusiastic, supportive classroom volunteer.

As a recipient of one of the Mayor of Golden's 2012 Awards for Community Excellence, Carrie was chosen based on her outstanding initiatives, leadership, problem-solving, and community values, all of which directly aided the community of Golden in its great success this past year.

Carrie Bazewicz has been a champion in the community and I am honored to congratulate her on receiving the 2012 Mayor of Golden's Award for Excellence. I am sure she will exhibit the same dedication and commitment to all her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud LT Environmental, Inc. for providing decades of expertise through innovative technologies in helping our citizens identify and eliminate environmental liabilities.

Since 1992, LT Environmental or LTE, has performed environmental consulting services for a diverse range of industries including oil and gas, transportation, manufacturing, real estate, government, and public and private property owners. The high level of devotion LTE has shown to our communities serves as a prime example of their quality service.

LTE's primary goal of rapid site closure allows for businesses, many of whom would

otherwise had to close their doors, to ensure the safety of their employees and the environment alike. Sustainable and environmentally- conscious practices have been a top priority for LTE since its foundation. Certainly, without companies like LTE, the citizens of Colorado would not be able to enjoy the beautiful lands we have all come to know and love.

The list of awards and recognitions received by LTE serves as a testament to the ongoing successes of LTE. Most notably, the company is the recent recipient of the both the 2012 Top Company award and the 2012 Colorado Company to Watch. It has also been recognized by Colorado Biz Magazine as one of the top ten fastest growing private midsize companies in Denver.

I am very proud to have the LTE headquarters located in Arvada, Colorado. LTE continues to expand its outreach into all areas of Colorado, as well as New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Florida. I can confidently say that my colleagues here today will soon observe the benefits of having LTE serve in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, the commitment of LT Environmental to the people, businesses and lands of Colorado serves as an example to those in the environment, and throughout all areas of commerce. It is with great pride and admiration that I am able to briefly speak on the triumphs of LT Environmental. I am certain the effects of their service will continue to benefit our communities for decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Dr. Frederick Grover for his service to our community.

After serving in the Navy, Dr. Grover diligently worked to ensure the future of cardiothoracic medicine. Throughout his career, Dr. Grover trained and mentored over 39 thoracic surgery residents. As the Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University Colorado School of Medicine, Dr. Grover preserved the success of our medical communities for generations to come. Dr. Grover's selfless devotion to his students provided an exemplary standard of service.

Dr. Grover's continual efforts in aiding the men and women whom served our nation are undoubtedly worth the upmost gratitude. For 12 years, Dr. Grover dedicated himself as the Chief of Surgical Services at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver. During this time, Dr. Grover pioneered the VA Cardiac Surgery Database as the Medical Director of the Continuous Improvement. It is his daily endeavors, as well as promotion of future medicines, that exemplify the level of service Dr. Grover continues to emulate.

Dr. Grover distinguishes himself as a caring member of the community by striving to aid numerous professional organizations. Whether it is his advocacy through the formation of healthcare policy at the national level, or serving as President of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Dr. Grover is truly a remarkable member of our community.

Dr. Grover's commitment to enriching the community serves as a great example to those in medicine, and throughout all disciplines. It is with great pride and admiration that I am able to briefly speak on the successes of Dr. Frederick Grover. I am certain the effects of his service will continue to benefit our communities in Colorado for decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Kathleen Callender and Heather Callender-Potters for their service to our community and receiving the 2012 Mayor of Golden's Award for Excellence.

Kathleen, founder of PharmaJet, and Heather, chairman of the board of directors, transformed the way vaccines and liquid medications are delivered by developing and marketing a unique, efficient, affordable and life-saving need-free syringe. These devices can deliver half a milliliter fixed dose of a liquid medication into the muscle where many vaccines are delivered, or into the subcutaneous layer between the skin and the muscle.

Pharmajet continues to serve communities around the world by creating a safer workplace with less exposure to needle stick injuries and reducing the amount of hazardous sharp medical waste in a way to better control the spread of blood borne HIV and hepatitis from needle reuse.

Pharmajet's mission is to serve individual patients in the community and promote public health in all areas of the world. Their partnership with UNICEF eliminates many of the risks of unsafe injections, along with the 1.3 million deaths per year.

Ms. Callender and Ms. Callender-Potters are champions in the community and throughout the globe. I am honored to congratulate them on receiving the 2012 Mayor of Golden's Award for Excellence. I am sure they will exhibit the same dedication and commitment in all their future endeavors.