Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jeremy Laufer for receiving the Wheat Ridge Business Association's 2022 Rising Star Award.

The Rising Star Award is given to an individual who exemplifies exceptional leadership and who shows great promise in their continued commitment to our community. Jeremy has been an outstanding member of the Wheat Ridge Business Association, bringing his expertise and leadership to all that he does. While he is new to the Association, Mr. Laufer has jumped into his new role feet first. Starting out as a member of the Community Outreach Committee, he now chairs the Committee since joining the Board of Directors. His focus is on bridging the connections between the non-profit organization member, community partners, and the WRBA.

I thank Jeremy Laufer for his continued service to the great City of Wheat Ridge.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Margie Seyfer for receiving the Wheat Ridge Business Association's 2022 Member of the Year Award.

The Member of the Year Award is given to an individual who exemplifies exceptional leadership and above all else, commitment to our community. Margie Seyfer has been an outstanding member of the Wheat Ridge Business Association, bringing her expertise and leadership to all that she does. In her tenure, she has worked in the capacity of membership, greeter's coordinator, speaker coordinator, and member welcome committee. Even after retirement, Ms. Seyfer has remained an active participant in our rich business community and has continued to remain an instrumental part of the Wheat Ridge Business Association.

I thank Margie Seyfer for her service to the great City of Wheat Ridge.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rebekah Raudabaugh for receiving the Wheat Ridge Business Association's 2022 Council Partner Award.

The Council Partnership Award is given to a member of the community who the City Council believe exemplifies the best of Wheat Ridge. This year, the Wheat Ridge City Council chose Ms. Raudabaugh for her empathic service to our community. From the first time she met with City Council members, her commitment to bettering her community was clear and is seen through her earnest plight to earn the trust of the community.

I thank Rebekah Raudabaugh for her outstanding leadership, which helps make Wheat Ridge a wonderful place to live and work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Clancy's Irish Pub for receiving the Wheat Ridge Business Association's 2022 Cultural Commission Award.

Clancy's Irish Pub is being recognized by the Wheat Ridge Business Association's Cultural Commission as the longest running Irish Pub in the State of Colorado and as a vital cultural hub for members of our community. Clancy's hosts annual Celtic and Sonic Bluegrass Festivals, weekly Irish music performance, Celtic and bluegrass jam sessions, and karaoke. Clancy's also opens their doors to community events like Hops with a Cop, Pints and Policy, and Ridgefest Deconstructed. Their steadfastness toward engaging the community of Wheat Ridge in Irish culture and providing a space to celebrate and learn about it is why the Cultural Commission chose Clancy's.

I thank Clancy's Irish Pub for the rich culture they bring to our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Peter DeWolf for receiving the Wheat Ridge Business Association's 2022 Member of the Year Award.

The Member of the Year Award is given to an individual who exemplifies exceptional leadership and above all else, commitment to our community. Peter DeWolf has been an outstanding member of the Wheat Ridge Business Association, bringing his expertise and leadership to all that he does. Mr. DeWolf has attended more events and meetings than any other non-board member. Mr. DeWolf brings his cheerful spirit and positive perspective to every meeting he attends and often generously donates his delicious toffee to member meetings. Mr. DeWolf embodies the best of Wheat Ridge and is a treasured member of our community.

I thank Mr. DeWolf for his service to the great City of the Wheat Ridge.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meat for receiving the Wheat Ridge Business Association's 2022 Business of the Year Award.

The Wheat Ridge Business of the Year Award is given to businesses within our community who exemplifies outstanding service, leadership, and participation in the community and aims to recognize them for their achievement. Eighty years after its original founding in 1942, Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meat remains a cornerstone of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Driven by the goals of ending food waste and food insecurity, and providing locally sourced fresh products to our community, the operators, Jessica and Bob Babinski, have given back to Wheat Ridge through working with the City to open a food bank for lower income families and those in need of food options. Jessica has leveraged her marketing expertise to not only support her own business, but other businesses within the community too. Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meat has been recognized nationally, receiving visits from USDA Secretary Vilsack and Colorado Department of Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg, as well as being a recipient of the Meat and Poultry Readiness Grant.

Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meat deserves all its accolades, and I cannot thank them enough for how they have given back to the community. Wheat Ridge is made better by businesses like Wheat Ridge Poultry and Meat.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1361 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Fischbach) pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1361, providing for consideration of S. 1098, the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, under a closed rule.

The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member on the Committee on Education and Labor, as well as one motion to commit.

Finally, the rule provides the majority leader, or his designee, the ability to en bloc requested roll call votes on suspension bills considered on September 19 to September 22. This authority lasts through September 22, 2022.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased we are here today to provide consideration of

the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, led by my colleagues Senator Mark Warner of Virginia and Representative David Price of North Carolina.

From 1993 to 2006, the Department of Education allowed married couples to consolidate their student loans for a lower interest rate through the Joint Consolidation Loan program requiring participating borrowers to be jointly liable for repayment of their loans.

Congress ended the program in 2006, but Congress never provided a way for borrowers to disentangle the joint debt. Across the country, there are borrowers who remain liable for their former spouse's debt, even in cases of domestic violence.

Today, we have an opportunity to address this problem and help borrowers regain their financial independence.

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act allows borrowers to apply to the Department of Education to split their consolidated loan into two separate Federal direct loans. Borrowers can submit either a joint application or an individual application in the case of domestic violence, economic abuse, or inability to reach a former spouse.

The joint consolidation loan remainder would be split proportionally based on the percentages that each borrower originally brought into the loan. The two new Federal direct loans would have the same interest rates as the joint consolidation loan.

Additionally, the bill would enable borrowers to regain access to student loan relief programs such as the public service loan forgiveness program and income-driven repayment programs for which they were previously ineligible due to their joint consolidation loans.

Like many of my colleagues, I have heard from constituents who have joint consolidated loans with their former spouses. Some of those constituents express frustration that, due to having a joint loan, they become ineligible to apply for other student loan relief programs, even though they are no longer with their spouse and they are carrying the burden of the joint loan.

Constituents also entrusted me with their personal stories of domestic abuse and how these joint consolidated loans won't allow them to get away from their abusive former spouses.

Just a few weeks ago, a constituent from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, reached out to my office. It has been nearly 17 years since her separation from her abusive spouse. Following her divorce, not only did she and her family continue to receive harassment from this individual, but she was left with the financial burden of paying the entire loan balance because her former spouse refused to pay his share.

All she wanted was a fresh start, so she moved to Colorado, but her joint consolidated loan with her former spouse continues to loom over her.

She is not asking for her loans to be forgiven. She is simply asking to be finally freed from this abusive relationship by passing this Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act.

I thank her and all the other individuals who have come forward to share how this loan program that ended nearly two decades ago continues to affect their daily lives.

I commend Representative Price, Senator Warner, and all of my colleagues for this work on this bill. I urge all my colleagues to support the rule and the bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, first, I include in the Record a Statement of Administration Policy, dated September 19, 2022, supporting this particular piece of legislation.

Statement of Administration Policy

Madam Speaker, I listened to my friend from Minnesota, and I appreciate her remarks. The amendment that has been discussed that the Republicans are proposing simply does not go far enough.

This bill really should be embraced unanimously in this House, just as it was in the Senate between Democrats and Republicans, allowing for spouses to separate, take on their own specific piece of the loan, and move forward, no longer staying in this kind of locked-in relationship, especially in those situations.

They do recognize the abusive relationships, but there are also some where there is economic abuse or where you simply can't reach the spouse. In those instances, too, there should be the ability to divide these back into their original forms.

So, this bill, like it was in the Senate, should be accepted, I think, universally by this House. I am sorry to see that there is opposition. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, ordinarily, I would argue with my friend from Illinois, but since it was such a nice testimonial to the doctor, I will support him in his 1 minute and his nice comments as his friend retires.

Getting back to the matter at hand, Madam Speaker, we are here to deal with loan separation. I would say that we are looking at some 14,000 loans to which this might be applicable.

It will provide a path forward for borrowers with these loans who no longer want their debt to be tied to their former spouse. It is particularly important for borrowers who just want to meet their own debt obligation without being saddled with someone else's.

We have heard from these constituents, as we heard from my constituent from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, about the fact that she has been divorced for 17 years and is still saddled with a debt that her husband owed and won't take responsibility for.

Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I remind my friend, Mr. Pfluger, that this bill is about separating loans. It is not about the energy policy, although I will address some of his remarks in a second.

This is about the some 14,000 people that have taken advantage, clearly of consolidating loans, but since that point, there has been some disruption in their marriage. So we now have people, as I mentioned earlier, that have been divorced for 17 years, still burdened by a student loan of their ex-spouse and, in that particular instance, an ex-spouse who had been abusive and continues to refuse to pay his share of the loan.

So this gives the spouse who was in the abusive relationship, the spouse who can't find the ex-spouse to help take care of this joint loan, the ability to separate, take care of their own loans, and take advantage of other programs that we, in Congress, the administration, Democrats and Republicans, have put into place, like the public loan forgiveness.

If you are working for the government, in some instances, you can get credit for that service. Many of these people have been unable to take advantage of that. So that is what this bill is about. That is what this rule is about.

Now, as to my friend, I would say to him, you know, gas prices--I don't know about Texas, maybe Texas has higher gas prices than Colorado. But in Colorado, the gas prices have dropped a buck 30 to a buck 50 over the course of the last 4 months, to the point where it is under three bucks.

Madam Speaker, I refer my friend to the article in The New York Times and that I will include in the Record titled: ``U.S. Gas Prices Have Fallen for 91 Straight Days, a Relief for Consumers.''

[From the New York Times, Sept. 13, 2022]

U.S. Gas Prices Have Fallen for 91 Straight Days, a Relief for

Consumers

(By Isabella Simonetti)

The price of gasoline continues to fall steadily, easing

pressure on American consumers as the cost of filling a tank

continued to tumble from record levels reached earlier in the

summer.

Gas prices fell 10.6 percent in August, which helped

moderate still-sky-high inflation, Tuesday's Consumer Price

Index report showed.

The energy index, which tracks gasoline and electricity

among other energy sources, dropped 5 percent last month, as

electricity and natural gas prices rose.

After peaking at $5.02 in June, gasoline prices have

dropped for 91 straight days, and the national average stood

at just over $3.70 a gallon on Tuesday, data from AAA show.

But analysts point to a few reasons this streak of declines

is unlikely to continue.

Because they're determined by oil prices, gasoline prices

are also susceptible to a wide range of challenges, like

hurricanes that knock out drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and

efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine by

curbing its ability to sell crude on the global market.

While gas prices are down, the overall energy index still

remains up 23.8 percent over the 12 months that ended in

August. Electricity prices alone jumped 15.8 percent,

representing the largest 12-month increase since August 1981,

the inflation report said. The jump in electricity prices is

largely attributable to the high cost of natural gas, said

Laura Rosner-Warburton, an economist at MacroPolicy

Perspectives.

As winter approaches, other fuel prices could influence

inflation data. The cost of heating a home with natural gas,

the most common source of home-heating fuel in the United

States, is expected to jump more than 25 percent from last

year, to $952 for the six months from October through March,

according to the National Energy Assistance Directors

Association.

``You would expect that a hard winter could create a

significant increase in demand in price of natural gas,''

said Bryan Benoit, U.S. national managing partner of energy

at Grant Thornton. ``And then of course all of this is

further exacerbated by what's going on with the war in the

Ukraine.''

Madam Speaker, I would also say to my friend from Texas, as it relates to inflation, the gentleman is correct. There has been, on a year-over-year basis, a jump of about 8 percent, 8.3 percent, I think he mentioned. But since the beginning of the year, that has fallen dramatically.

Of course, over the summer we saw deflation in a couple of months, and the most recent inflation report in August was it rose .1 percent. So, annualized, that is a 1.2 percent inflation rate now because we are seeing prices drop, particularly in the energy sector.

So as much as my friends on the other side would like to wish that we had inflation, it is going away because we have been able to pass legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, which takes a good look at both climate responsibilities that we have in urging and incentivizing towards renewable energy. But it also has a huge piece in there to allow us to negotiate prescription drug prices and bring those down.

So I would say to my friends on the other side, this bill is about dealing with loans, consolidated loans that now need to be separated.

But on the subjects brought up, I can tell you that inflation is dropping

based on the most recent reports, and gas prices are falling.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

With respect to the bill that we have before us and the rule that we have before us involving the separation of these loans, I would just say there was a woman named Angela who is on the hook for nearly $200,000, she has been divorced since 2016.

What she owes is five times what her initial loan was because of this consolidation of loans. And she suffered from domestic violence and has had her credit score drop like a rock. She is faced with crippling debt. And until we are able to uncouple and decouple these joint loans through this separation loan act, she is going to continue to be burdened by something that really is not her responsibility.

That is the bill we are here to really debate and discuss, S. 1098. And obviously, the rule is to allow its debate on the floor of this House.

This weekend, I was out walking precincts on Saturday--going back to the energy discussion that we are having. And at one of the houses was a young man getting his electrical engineering degree at the Colorado School of Mines. And he didn't really recognize too many of the candidates.

But he did say that he was familiar with the Inflation Reduction Act because it is the first time we have done anything of any real significance for a long time to deal with climate change, and he was very appreciative of that. A gentleman who doesn't have an affiliation; he is not a Democrat, he is not a Republican, unaffiliated. But he was aware of the substantial policy changes and investments we are making to deal with extreme climate that we face all across this country.

I am glad it is nice in North Dakota right now. But across the country, we have seen wildfires at times that nobody has ever experienced before. We have seen terrible floods, and we continue to see the ocean rise.

There are so many pieces to that Inflation Reduction Act dealing with improving our climate and dealing with the change that I certainly was proud to have supported it.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I compliment my friend or her Googling talent, because I am sure that is true. The situation that we faced is gas prices shot up to about 4\1/2\ bucks, and they have dropped now almost to $3, or in places across the State, less than $3.

But, obviously, in Colorado, we are enjoying a very good economy. Virtually everybody is working. We have an unbelievably low unemployment rate. So we feel gas prices are going in the right direction, prices generally are going in the right direction, and there are a lot of people to credit for that, starting with the President of the United States.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues for joining me here today to speak on the rule and the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act.

Over the course of the Joint Consolidation Loan program, more than 14,000 borrowers participated. It seemed like a simple consent. Joint consolidation loans allowed for couples to have one single monthly payment with a lower interest rate, but Congress never provided a way for individuals to separate their loans if and when the time came necessary; whether it is an abusive relationship where there is domestic violence, economic abuse, or you simply can't find your ex- spouse to have them help carry the burden.

To my friends on the other side of the aisle who claim they want to help these borrowers, the opportunity to help them is right here, right now. Borrowers who have experienced physical and mental abuse from former partners who now refuse to pay their student loans, like my constituent from Wheat Ridge, say this legislation would set them free. Supporting this legislation is the right thing to do to help borrowers who for years have been stuck in these joint loans with no way out.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and on the previous question.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Golden Fire Chief Jerry Stricker for his many years of service to the City of Golden and surrounding communities.

For three decades, Chief Stricker has been active within the Golden community and fire department. Prior to coming to Golden, Chief Stricker started his career with the Eagle River Fire Protection District where he worked as a firefighter, engineer, and EMT before transitioning to the Department of Public Safety with the town of Avon, Colorado. In 2018, Mr. Stricker was awarded Fire Marshal of the Year by the Fire Marshals Association of Colorado's (FMAC) Executive Board. Chief Stricker has also served in numerous leadership roles within the firefighting community including serving as Legislative Committee Chair of the FMAC. His hard work and dedication has helped make our community--and so many others--a great place to live and work.

I extend my deepest thanks to Chief Stricker for his service to our community. I thank him for his continuous dedication to serving the people of Colorado.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Morton High School in Morton, Illinois. At this school, classes past and present have achieved tremendous success and a legacy of excellence carried on by the students that followed them.

As the Morton High School athletics department has grown, so has the prominence of their girls' basketball team, known as the

``Lady Potter's''. In an unprecedented record of success in eight seasons from 2015 to 2022, the Lady Potters won four Illinois State Championships, three in succession. In that time, they have won 244 games and only lost 23. The Lady Potter's have been led to victory 559 times against 159 defeats by the architect, builder, and coach of the team, Bob Becker. Becker has been awarded Coach of the Year multiple times by the Illinois High School Association and was named to the Illinois basketball coaches' Hall of Fame in 2020. In addition, seven of his Lady Potters have gone on to play Division I college basketball.

A kind, retired Hall of Fame sportswriter brought their story to the nation, comparing them to the current NBA champions: ``They are the Golden State Warriors, only with Pony Tails''. Their accomplishments also garnered public praise in a CBS' 60 Minutes feature.

With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which guaranteed the Lady Potter's right to play, there is much to celebrate. The Class of '72 also celebrates their 50th anniversary as graduates of Morton High School this year. Morton High School continues to honor the legacy of the classes before them and their tremendous achievements throughout the year.

Congratulations to classes past and present of Morton High School, including the 2022 Lady Potter's basketball team. The school pride is worthy of celebration. Keep up the good work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Edward Talbot of the United States Merchant Marine for his service to our country.

Edward Talbot joined the U.S. Merchant Marine as a 20-year-old in 1968 during the Vietnam war. From 1968 to 1972, Edward served onboard various U.S. flagged deep water merchant ships throughout the Pacific, working on tankers, cargo ships, container ships, and passenger liners. During his time as a merchant mariner, he work on ships which included military cargo shipments destined for ports throughout Vietnam.

While serving as seaman on a passenger liner off the coast of New Zealand in 1969, Edward's crew spotted and picked up a Maori fisherman who had been lost at sea for over 24 days. Edward was part of the lifeboat crew which retrieved him. After his crew's heroics made the front pages across New Zealand, Edward and his crewmembers were celebrated by grateful New Zealand citizens.

For his service to the United States, Edward was awarded the Merchant Marine Vietnam Service Medal. After his time in the Merchant Marine, Edward came back to Colorado and served his community as a longtime employee for the City of Arvada. Most recently Edward served as the director of the Arvada Housing Authority and manager for the Housing Preservation and Resources Division, providing affordable housing and community development programs for the community. Edward is now retired and lives in Arvada.

Edward's lifetime of public service to our country and community exemplifies the best of Colorado. I extend my deepest appreciation to Edward for his dedication, integrity, and outstanding service to the Arvada community, the great State of Colorado, and the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Anthony Iozzo of the United States Army for his service to our country.

Anthony Iozzo was an officer in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944 during World War II. Anthony started his service at the United States Army Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia, and successfully graduated in October 1942. He was then deployed to Europe on February 11, 1944, with the 119th Infantry. He was part of the second wave of the D-Day Invasion and fought heroically in the hedgerows of northern France.

His only child, Anthony, was born on July 10, 1944. Two days later, he was killed by a German sniper at Pont Hebert in northern France as his unit was approaching St. Lo and the battle there. Anthony was buried in France and his body was sent back to the U.S. He was buried in the U.S. Military Cemetery in Farmingdale Long Island, New York, on February 3, 1948.

Anthony was part of the Greatest Generation who served their country without reservation and gave their lives for our Nation. For his service to our country, Anthony was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze service stars, WWII Victory Medal, and Honorable Service WWII Lapel Pin. A VFW Post was also dedicated in his name in Green Island, New York, his hometown.

Anthony's courageous service helped to defend our Nation's democracy and ideals abroad at a crucial moment in world history. His heroism has charted the path for future generations of men and women who serve in the military. We are proud to have the Iozzo family call Colorado home and are forever indebted to Anthony for his bravery and sacrifice on behalf of our country.

I extend my deepest appreciation to Anthony Iozzo for his dedication, integrity, and outstanding service to the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado for extending me 3 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the previous question and the rule, especially the section regarding the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act.

Climate change is having a real and serious impact in Colorado and throughout the country. In 2020, Colorado experienced the three largest wildfires in our State's history. Last summer, smoke from West Coast wildfires settled in the Denver Basin and what was at first some of the most pristine, best air in the world became some of the dirtiest as a result of the smoke from those wildfires. Most recently, as my friend said, in December of last year, a fire ripped through the northwest suburbs of Denver, between Denver and Boulder, destroying more than 1,000 homes in 6 hours.

Over the last 20 years it has been hotter and dryer in Colorado and throughout the West than ever recorded. Unfortunately, there is still a lot we don't know about wildfires, their behavior, and their long- lasting effects. The Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act will improve our understanding of wildfires and create a more coordinated whole-of-government approach so we can better prepare for and respond to these worsening threats.

Close to half of my State's population lives in or near places prone to wildfires, so we need to get serious about our approach to wildfires to protect people's lives, their homes, and our natural resources.

I am proud of four amendments I introduced in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which are included in this bill. The provisions expand research and development opportunities to better protect buildings from wildfire hazards, as well as promote energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Further, the provisions will assist collaboration among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, and other agencies in their work in fire prevention and fire weather forecasting. The provisions allow NOAA and NASA to purchase commercial data products from satellites and airborne data sources to support their efforts to improve our understanding of wildfires.

Finally, the provisions will expand the Department of Energy's activities under the Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program to include fire modeling, forecasting, fire spread, and the analysis of wildfire fuels.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and the rule.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the devastating events of July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado.

I represented Aurora, Colorado, on this day 10 years ago when in an Aurora theater 12 lives were taken and 70 were wounded, and an entire community was scarred and traumatized.

Today marks a very painful day for our community, and my heart aches with those who lost a loved one that day and will forever carry a hole in their heart.

Yet, in this tragedy we saw incredible heroism--those who carried the wounded to safety and the first responders and medical teams whose tireless efforts saved lives.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the 12 who lost their lives that night:

AJ Boik, 18;

Jesse Childress, 29;

Gordon Cowden, 51, whose two teenage children were in the theater when he was killed;

Jessica Ghawi, 24;

Micayla Medek, 23;

Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6, whose mother was shot in the chest and miscarried a week after the attack;

Rebecca Wingo, 32; and

Alex Sullivan, who was celebrating his 27th birthday and was one week away from his first wedding anniversary.

This also includes the four men who died that night while saving others:

Jonathan Blunk, 26;

John Larimer, 27;

Matt McQuinn, 27; and

Alex Teves, 24.

In the face of unspeakable violence and tragedy, these men proved to be everyday heroes, sacrificing their own lives to save others.

Gun violence rips through our community, leaves trauma with families and friends of victims, the medical staff and first responders, and the entire community for a lifetime. It is a trauma and a scar too many communities in Colorado and too many communities across the country have faced.

As our country grapples with incidents of violence, chaos, and tragedy, it is the courageous acts and selfless spirit of the helpers and heroes among us that we remember.

During our darkest days, there are always everyday heroes who answer the call to save lives and help their community. They provide light and hope for the future. The same heroic acts we saw in Aurora, Colorado, 10 years ago have been reflected in other tragedies as gun violence continues in our communities, including in the recent tragedies in Highland Park, Illinois; Uvalde, Texas; and Buffalo, New York.

Heroes can come in many different forms. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw heroes in medical professionals, frontline workers and essential personnel, such as truck drivers, letter carriers, food and grocery workers, teachers, small business owners, and researchers.

That is why I am, once again, introducing a resolution, alongside my friend and colleague Congressman Jason Crow, to designate today, July 20, as National Heroes Day.

As Mr. Rogers famously said: ``You will always find people who are helping.''

In the midst of our dark days, let's focus on lifting up and recognizing the helpers and the heroes whose actions, big and small, make a difference in the lives of friends, coworkers, neighbors, and the larger community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with Representative Jason Crow to recognize Vicky Lea for her contributions to the Denver Metro region and State of Colorado as Director of Aerospace and Aviation for the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.

For more than a decade, Vicky has worked to bolster Colorado's aerospace and aviation industries by building partnerships among industry professionals, organizing education efforts, and implementing strategic recruitment initiatives. Vicky's relentless advocacy on behalf of Colorado's aerospace community has been instrumental in establishing Colorado as the number one state in the nation for aerospace jobs per capita.

In this role, Vicky's passion and hard work have also been essential to Colorado's overall economic growth. Vicky's tenure with the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation has directly correlated with increasing opportunities for innovation and growth for small and large aerospace businesses across the state that provide tens of thousands of high-paying jobs for Coloradans.

Congratulations again to Vicky Lea on her noteworthy career and contributions during her time at the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. We are thankful for her service and commitment to the great State of Colorado and wish her all the best as she moves to the next stage of her career.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with Representative Diana DeGette, Representative Ken Buck and Representative Jason Crow to recognize Jeff Shoemaker of The Greenway Foundation on his retirement.

For more than forty years, Jeff has served as the Executive Director of The Greenway Foundation (TGF). Under his leadership, TGF has partnered with countless public and private organizations to help raise $500 million for environmental and recreational improvements along the South Platte River and its numerous tributaries throughout the Denver metro region and beyond. These priceless amenities include the watersheds of the City and County of Denver, along with Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties, as well as a number of nearby municipalities. This collective investment over the last four decades to the reclamation and preservation of one of the region's greatest natural resources is also a result of the more than $20 billion in economic development of the surrounding areas. Today the region is home to over 100 miles of multi-use recreational trails, more than 100 acres of parks and natural areas, and over 100,000 acre feet of rivers and creeks. Jeffs outstanding work has helped improve both the water quality and access for our region.

Throughout his career, Jeff has made countless other contributions to the community through service on various boards and committees. In November 2018, Jeff served on the Executive Committee in support of the 2A ballot measure in the City of Denver which secured over $35 million per year for Denver's parks and waterways. And as the Chair of Metro Denver's Chamber's successful 7G ballot measure, he was able to help secure more than $20 million per year for the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. Jeff also served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Parks Foundation (CPF) which, working with Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) as well as numerous county, municipal and non-profit organizations, provides funding, advocacy and community outreach for the benefit of Colorado's 42 State Parks. To date, the CPF has provided over $1,000,000 of project and program-based grants since its inception in 1985. In 2010, the CPF coordinated the procedural and legislative processes resulting in the creation of a Colorado State Parks License Plate, allowing supporters of State Parks across Colorado and beyond to promote and advocate that support through the purchase of a State Parks Plate. Over 3,500 Colorado residents are now proud owners of the Colorado State Parks Plate with related proceeds providing

additional financial support to Colorado State Parks which, to date, has provided over $20,000 in grants to state parks across Colorado.

In addition to Jeff's work professionally, he has served his community in other capacities. He taught as a public school teacher from 1977 to 1982, served as a member of the Colorado Legislature from 1987 to 1992 and was appointed to two terms on the CSU Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2008. Jeff was appointed to the MSU Denver Board of Trustees in 2016 and serves as the President of a local non-profit organization called Up Close and Musical, which provides professional performances of classical music to elementary schools by Colorado Symphony Orchestra musicians. Jeff is a devoted husband to his wife Nancy, and a proud dad of four adult daughters and he has two granddaughters.

We have had the privilege of working with Jeff on many different occasions and continue to appreciate his service on behalf of our community, particularly his hard work and dedication to environmental causes. We wish Jeff all the best in retirement and send gratitude for his service to our community, the State of Colorado, and the United States of America.