Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Dr. Harriet Hall for receiving the West Chamber's Jefferson County Hall of Fame Award. This award honors outstanding individuals who have had significant and long-lasting impacts on Jefferson County's economy, community and legacy.

Dr. Harriet Hall is most admired for her advocacy and unwavering commitment to people with mental health disorders, their families and our community. Her passion and tireless efforts have impacted the lives of thousands of individuals living with mental illness.

During her 34 years as Jefferson Center CEO & President, Harriet has worked to reduce the stigma of mental illness, to bring the public's attention to urgent matters of mental health and collaborated with government and business leaders to produce innovative changes for mental health care. Within hours after the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School, under Harriet's leadership, Jefferson Center mobilized resources and helped lead the mental health crisis response. For the next three years, Jefferson Center provided leadership, services and infrastructure for programs that helped the community heal.

Harriett's relationships within the community have resulted in significant change and new, innovative programs, and her commitment to our community is immeasurable. She has received numerous awards for her much-needed work in the community.

Congratulations to Dr. Harriet Hall for this well-deserved award, and I thank her for her continued dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Addison Page for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Addison Page is a student at Drake Middle School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Addison Page 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 Addison Page 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 Danais Reza for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Danais Reza is a student at Jefferson High School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Danais Reza 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 Danais Reza 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 Courtney Robb for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Courtney Robb is a student at Drake Middle School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Courtney Robb 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 Courtney Robb 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 Adrena Rocha for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Adrena Rocha is a student at Arvada High School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Adrena Rocha 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 Adrena Rocha 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 honor Donald Tallman for receiving the West Chamber's Jefferson County Hall of Fame Award. This award honors outstanding individuals who have had significant and long-lasting impacts on Jefferson County's economy, community and legacy.

Donald has served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum for the past 13 years and has the distinction of being the first non-railfan to lead the Museum. Under Donald's leadership, the museum has made great progress including developing new audiences, expanding educational programs and increasing visibility outside the railfan community. Museum attendance has nearly doubled during his tenure, and the Museum's budget has also grown by almost 70 percent. Today, the Colorado Railroad Museum is recognized as one of the foremost, independently-supported railroad museums in the United States.

To achieve this success, Donald has worked closely with local and state tourism agencies to help them understand the important economic impact of tourist railroads and railway museums. Donald is a strong proponent of the power of collaboration and works closely with other cultural organizations in the region to develop opportunities to collaborate on programs. He is also active in the community, serving on several boards including the Budget and Audit Committee for the City of Lakewood, the Membership Committee for the National Western Stock Show Association, the Golden Visitor Center Board, and the Board of the HeritageRail Alliance.

Donald is also active in the arts community, both as a performer and as an administrator. A professional singer, Donald regularly performs the National Anthem at civic and professional sporting events throughout Colorado.

Congratulations to Donald Tallman for this well-deserved award, and I thank him for his continued dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Bera), the ranking member, and Chairmen Smith and Babin.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a supporter and cosponsor of H.R. 2809.

The United States has the best aerospace industry in the world. In order to stay number one, we need to provide certainty to American industry so it can attract investment and continue innovating to push our country forward.

We are at a time where we have the opportunity to set the standard of how to regulate space activities so there is a level playing field for our American industry.

That is why we need a certification process, as provided in the bill, to ensure compliance with the Outer Space Treaty. This process will reduce uncertainty and create a clear path to certification and to the launch of new spacecraft.

I have heard from stakeholders still discussing where to place this new authority. This legislation placed that authority in the Office of Space Commerce. Others have suggested the Office of Space Transportation at the FAA. I hope this discussion continues and we reach a consensus as we continue through the legislative process with the Senate.

The second part of this bill makes important reforms for the remote sensing industry. Satellite imagery or space images are also known as the remote sensing industry, and it is changing the way we see the Earth and enabling businesses of all types to find new opportunities.

A major remote sensing company named DigitalGlobe is headquartered in my district in Westminster, Colorado. I have heard stories about how long they have waited for a license determination under NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency--over 4 years in one case. This is well past the 120-day deadline currently required in statute because of a broken interagency review process and no mechanism to enforce a timeline.

This is why I believe the reforms in section 4 of the bill are overdue. Those companies in the remote sensing industry need certainty so that they can make sound plans and attract investors and customers. All of these regulatory delays mean lost revenue and significant expenses as they wait for approval. Section 4 of the bill helps fix that.

During the markup of this bill last year, we made improvements to the bill to ensure the Office of Space Commerce has the time needed to get its decisions right and to strengthen the consultation language to require the Secretary of Commerce to consult with other relevant Federal agencies.

Since the markup, I was pleased to see additions to the bill which ensure the proper balance with the defense community to ensure the Department of Defense has the proper input into remote sensing applications.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith, Chairman Babin, and now- NASA Administrator Bridenstine for their work with me on this bill.

I thank Ranking Member Johnson and Ranking Member Bera for raising a number of important issues which we still have to address as we go through this process.

I believe the bill before the House today is a good bill, and I look forward to working with the Senate to pass these reforms into law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Katie Groke Ellis for receiving the 2017 Arvada Young Professional Leadership Award from the Arvada Chamber of Commerce.

Each year the Arvada Chamber recognizes Arvada's finest men and women for their involvement and dedication to the community. Katie Groke Ellis is being recognized for her innovation, entrepreneurship, professional accomplishments and community leadership. In 2017, Katie led the charge on the Apex Park and Recreation District rebranding all while maintaining her other professional responsibilities. Katie is an exemplary leader and always willing to step up and help to ensure the Arvada community thrives.

Congratulations to Katie Groke Ellis for this well-deserved award and thank you for your contribution to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Lukas Knight for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Lukas Knight is a student at Warren Tech North and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Lukas Knight 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 Lukas Knight 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 Nicholas Kulhanek for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Nicholas Kulhanek is a student at Arvada West High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Nicholas Kulhanek 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 Nicholas Kulhanek 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 Exhauce Kumeso for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Exhauce Kumeso is a student at Arvada K-8 and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Exhauce Kumeso 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 Exhauce Kumeso 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 Miguel Lopez for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Miguel Lopez is a student at Arvada High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Miguel Lopez 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 Miguel Lopez 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 Martinez for receiving the 2017 Rising Star Award from the Arvada Chamber of Commerce.

Each year the Arvada Chamber recognizes Arvada's finest men and women for their involvement and dedication to the community.

Specifically, the Rising Star Award recognizes a high school student who exemplifies extraordinary skills in entrepreneurship, innovation, community impact and leadership.

A student at Arvada High School, Alyssa has proven to be a leader for the student body and exemplifies high moral conduct and provides a positive example for all students daily. Alyssa is the poster child for doing the right thing while also excelling in everything she puts her mind to.

Congratulations to Alyssa Martinez for this well-deserved award, and I thank her for her contribution to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud Michael Martinez for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Michael Martinez is a student at Standley Lake High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Michael Martinez 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 Michael Martinez 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 Kyle McClelland for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award.

Kyle McClelland is a student at Sobesky Academy and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities.

The dedication demonstrated by Kyle McClelland 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 Kyle McClelland 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.