Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Protecting America's Wilderness Act.

I would first like to thank my friends and colleagues in the Colorado delegation, Congressman Joe Neguse, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, and Senator Michael Bennet for their leadership on this package.

Colorado's identity is closely tied to nature. Colorado is home to four national parks, 42 State parks, and a wide variety of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, to camping, and skiing. Our public lands are central to the Colorado way of life, and I want to ensure

that future generations can enjoy these treasures just as my children do now.

The conservation package we are considering today will grow the outdoor recreation economy, help create jobs, and protect hundreds of thousands of acres of Colorado land for future generations.

The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act will establish the first-ever national historic landscape at Camp Hale. Now, Camp Hale was the training ground of the storied 10th Mountain Division, an elite unit trained in mountain climbing and skiing. They fought valiantly in World War II, and many of them later returned to Colorado, where they helped establish the U.S. ski industry.

This is particularly important to my family as my wife's grandfather served in the initial 10th Mountain during World War II and was actually wounded in fighting in Italy. As a veteran, and a Coloradan, I believe it is important to honor their service and their legacy, and to preserve this historic landscape so that we can tell the story to future generations.

I commend my Colorado colleagues for their work on this effort and their commitment to our public lands, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment.

The registered apprenticeship system is one of America's most successful Federal workforce programs and has created a pathway for millions of Americans to achieve the American Dream.

With more than 600,000 apprenticeships nationwide, including more than 6,000 in Colorado, apprenticeships provide workers with paid, on- the-job training, and more than 94 percent of apprentices have a job after completing their program.

The National Apprenticeship Act would bring this successful program into the 21st century by investing more than $3.5 billion annually and creating 1 million new apprenticeships over the next 5 years.

Mr. Speaker, my amendment will ensure that we include educators in this program. Across the country, there is a growing demand for qualified teachers. Schools, particularly low-income schools, are struggling to hire and retain qualified teachers.

In Colorado, we have a critical shortage of thousands of teachers. Simply put, today, we can't even fully staff our classrooms. By including teachers in the expansion of this program, we will help solve this problem.

I grew up going to neighborhood public schools. I know the lasting impact teachers can have on students. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here today.

Investing in teachers and in our children should always be a top priority, and I urge my colleagues to support my amendment in the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this letter of support from the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada.

United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the

Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States

and Canada,

Annapolis, Maryland, February 4, 2021.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than 359,000

members of the United Association of Union Plumbers and

Pipefitters (UA), I write in support of H.R. 447, the

National Apprenticeship Act of 2021. As you know, the

Registered Apprenticeship programs of the UA and North

America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) are the gold

standard in the industry. This bill would protect that status

while also ensuring Registered Apprenticeships are more

accessible for all industries seeking a highly skilled

workforce.

The United Association is extremely proud of our Registered

Apprenticeship and training programs. We invest more than

$275 million of private money each year to ensure our members

are the best trained and most highly skilled workers in the

industry. Simply put, these programs produce the most highly

skilled workforce in the world at no cost to the American

taxpayer while also providing a fair wage, quality

healthcare, and retirement. We can all be proud of the

continued success of our training programs, resulting in

generations of the safest workplaces and highest standards in

the industry. This speaks not only to our high standards, but

also to the dedication of the men and women of our union.

The National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 will continue to

protect our high standards and ensure the safety of

apprentices across industries. In addition, it provides

apprentices with a debt-free ladder of opportunity to not

only build the skills needed for a job--but for a career. The

entire United Association is incredibly proud of our

Registered Apprenticeship program and we look forward to

seeing H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021,

signed into law.

Thank you for all you have done to protect the livelihoods

of the men and women in the construction industry. Our

training and apprenticeship programs are second to none, and

this bill will ensure the success and longevity of the

Registered Apprenticeship system. I urge swift consideration

and passage of this bill and look forward to working together

to strengthen protections for our members and the entire

labor community.

Respectfully yours,

Mark McManus,

General President.

Mr. Speaker, this waiver vote is about our long history of civilian control of the military, a critical safeguard of our democracy.

But let's be really clear what this vote is not about. It is not about the rise of China or artificial intelligence or autonomous warfare or any of the other issues that I have heard people talk about that are really the purview of the Senate at this point in the process and President Biden. It is also not about changing the law, because the law remains in effect and the limitation remains in effect.

The question before this body is whether there are specific extenuating circumstances in this moment in time to grant a waiver and whether the heart and mind of the nominee is consistent with the spirit of the law.

In the aftermath of January 6, we are reminded how deeply rooted racism exists in our country. Among those who stormed the Capitol were current and former military, a fact that highlights the national and domestic security threat of extremism in our military.

Secretary-designee Austin is uniquely qualified with his experience and his background to address this threat. He understands in a deeply personal way how to deal with it. He is a man who understands that our military is more than a formation of tanks, planes, and troops; that it is actually a standard bearer of our values, and we are stronger when we lead with our values and we channel the full strength of our diversity to meet our threats.

In addition to that, nobody can stand up here and say, as we are still under cyber attack by Russia and meeting so many other threats, that the extenuating circumstances of the time do not merit getting a nominee into this role immediately. That is why I rise in strong support of Lloyd Austin's nomination and waiver, and I will be working very hard to support him as our next Secretary of Defense.

Madam Speaker, last week, I stood in that gallery to defend this Chamber against the violent mob called here by Donald Trump. I have dedicated my life to the defense of our Nation, and Donald Trump is a risk to all that I love.

Some of my Republican colleagues are afraid of the consequences of an impeachment vote, but this Congress

sends our young men and women to war every day. I am not asking you to storm the beaches of Normandy but only show a fraction of the courage we ask of our troops every day.

Leadership is hard. It is time to impeach.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chairwoman, I rise today to offer an amendment to highlight the importance of honoring our commitments, to keep Americans and those who serve our country around the world safe.

Unfortunately, by virtue of being Americans and representing the values of our country, our citizens are sometimes targeted by adversarial countries and wrongfully detained. In those situations, we must leverage all available tools and resources at our disposal to secure their safe return. We must employ a whole-of-government approach to return Americans wrongfully detained in foreign countries back to their families.

We are a nation founded on the principle of due process. We must hold other countries to the same expectations of equal treatment under the law.

We must also support the foreign nationals who put their lives and the lives of their families at risk to contribute to our national security. We owe these extraordinary individuals our gratitude for their assistance, particularly in light of the dangers that they often face. Despite precautions, in some cases, their contributions have led to their detainment or imprisonment.

One of our greatest strengths is the network of individuals and nations that want to help us because they can rely on us to keep our promises. That is why we must continue to stand by our commitments to our partners, particularly when they are persecuted for their contributions to the U.S.

Simply stated, we must honor our commitments to those who have stood by us.

This amendment asserts the importance of this position, not just because it is in the best interests of the United States, but because it is the right thing to do, and that moral responsibility is an essential virtue of being an American.

Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Madam Chair, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and uphold our obligations to our fellow Americans and partners around the world. We are a country that keeps its promises, and we must do so well into the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Delgado) for yielding, and I want to thank Chairwoman Velazquez for prioritizing this critical issue and bringing our bill to the floor. I also want to thank my friend and colead on H.R. 2331, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), for his leadership on cybersecurity and small business issues and this bill in particular. I value his input and expertise on all of these issues.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation I introduced with Ranking Member Balderson, the SBA Cyber Awareness Act.

The Small Business Administration houses vital information for small business owners and lenders. We must do everything we can to help the SBA protect its systems and the data of our Nation's small businesses.

Our bill would require the SBA to be more proactive in protecting its data and more transparent in the event of a cyber breach.

First, our bill requires the SBA to issue a report detailing its cybersecurity efforts within 6 months of enactment. This report must include an assessment of the SBA's existing IT and cybersecurity infrastructure and its strategy to address vulnerabilities.

Notably, this bill ensures we are protecting ourselves against China by requiring an audit of any SBA system or IT equipment manufactured by a company headquartered in China.

The report must detail every cybersecurity risk or incident in the last 2 years and the SBA's strategy to address them going forward.

Second, our bill provides a framework for the SBA to follow in the event of future breaches, requiring timely notifications to Congress as well as the people in the small businesses affected. The bill also requires the SBA to submit a full report to both committees on how the cybersecurity risk or incident occurred and how many parties were affected.

The goal of this bill is to put the SBA and the small businesses that it interacts with and that depend on it on the best footing possible to combat the rising threat of cyberattacks.

I am very excited that this bill is up for a vote in the House today and has such strong bipartisan support.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of our bipartisan legislation and thank everyone who had a hand in bringing it to the floor. It is an exciting day when we can focus on our Nation's small businesses and cyber infrastructure, and I am hopeful for this bill's quick consideration by the Senate.

Madam Chair, I rise today to support this amendment to reassert Congress' constitutional role in authorizing the use of military force.

As a former Army Ranger, I learned firsthand that when politicians talk tough in this town, real people get hurt.

It was an honor to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I also witnessed the consequences of sending Americans into harm's way without defined goals and a clear exit strategy.

The most solemn responsibility of Congress is the decision to authorize the use of military force. It is a responsibility that our Founders reserved for Congress because we are directly and daily accountable to those who have to fight our wars: our sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers.

I urge my colleagues to join me in reasserting Congress' role in deciding when to use military force by voting ``yes'' on this amendment. It is time to fulfill our constitutional duty.

Madam Chair, I rise today to support Representative Lee's important amendment to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, an authorization that has long outlived its intended purpose: the 2002 AUMF authorized U.S. force to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime and enforce U.N. resolutions in Iraq. Much has changed since those days and, today, Iraq is an important partner in the fight against terrorism.

As the justification for the 2002 AUMF has ended, so, too, should this authorization. This is not an opinion I alone hold. Just today, Army Chief of Staff, a nominee for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Milley, stated that the 2001 AUMF provides all of the authorities necessary for ongoing counterterrorism operations in the region. I agree with General Milley and believe it is time to repeal this outdated authorization that no longer serves an operational purpose.

A common theme in the NDAA this year is the emphasis on increasing transparency and reasserting congressional oversight on matters of war and diplomacy.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment and demonstrate that Congress is reasserting its Article I authorities and responsibilities.

Madam Speaker, today, I include in the Record two agency letters my office received in response to two inquiries I sent in February.

The first is a June 25, 2019 letter in response to a February 28, 2019 letter I wrote with 19 of my colleagues to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (``ICE'') regarding public health risks and treatment of detainees at ICE detention facilities and contract facilities.

The second is a June 28, 2019 letter in response to a February 20, 2019 letter I wrote to the Department of Homeland Security regarding medical concerns at the ICE contract facility in Aurora, Colorado.

U.S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement,

June 18, 2019.

Hon. Jason Crow,

U.S. House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Crow: Thank you for your February 28,

2019 letter regarding public health risks and treatment of

detainees at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

detention facilities and contract facilities. Enclosed,

please find answers to the questions posed in your letter.

The co-signers of your letter will receive a separate,

identical response.

Thank you again for your letter and interest in this

important matter. Should you wish to discuss this matter

further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Raymond Kovacic,

Assistant Director, Office of

Congressional Relations.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment that would defend the integrity of the U.S. Census.

The U.S. Census is crucial to every community, and it is our duty as Members of Congress to ensure that every person is counted. Not only does the Census send a message that every person should be counted, but it determines how and where Federal dollars are spent.

Simply put, it is crucial for our local cities and counties.

The Census count helps us understand how to best provide healthcare, education, housing, and numerous other public services.

As the chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development, I have seen how the Census determines how we spend Federal dollars for programs like the Small Business Development Center Program and Community Development Block Grants.

It is clear that the purpose of the citizenship question, which we have already debated and will continue to debate, is not to ensure that resources go to the communities that need it most but rather to stoke fear and suppress the Census count.

In communities like mine, this would have a huge impact. It would undermine our ability to gather an accurate count. That doesn't just hurt people in our community. It strains public resources and poses risks to our community's public health and safety.

I am here to lift up the voices in my community and assure them that Congress will not replace good governance with fear.

While the administration announced that it would continue the data- sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to provide quality statistics, my amendment reasserts that existing law prohibits the Census Bureau from sharing individualized Census data across agencies. Congress must stand firm in assuring the public that no disaggregated data may leave the Census.

Furthermore, this amendment raises awareness of the law that penalizes any disclosure of information by Census employees who share personally identifiable information with agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Escobar).

Mr. Chair, just to be clear, we vehemently oppose the citizenship question because as the evidence has made it abundantly clear, the purpose of that question is to suppress the count and to stoke fears within our communities, which will have a huge detrimental impact to our ability to gain an accurate count and provide resources in an effective way and to govern throughout the country.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).

Mr. Chair, in closing, I just want to reiterate the need that we send a very strong message as Members of Congress that we have to enforce existing law.

We have to provide the confidence to people throughout the country that the Census will not be used to undermine the integrity of the process, that the citizenship question's purpose is to stoke fears and to suppress the count, and that we will not allow those fears to overcome the need for good governance to gain an accurate count and make sure that the government is working effectively and we are providing resources to people throughout our communities.

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

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

I rise today to offer an amendment supporting an additional $13 million appropriation for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, known as the REPI Program.

Since 2003, REPI has been tasked with ensuring our military installation readiness by allowing the Department of Defense to enter into cost-sharing partnerships with State and local government to combat encroachment near military installations while simultaneously promoting environmental conservation. The underlying bill appropriates $87 million for this program, which is a slight increase over last year's enacted amount.

I am thankful to Chairman Visclosky for his recognition of REPI's successes, which have established it as a model for intragovernmental and private partnerships, but there is still more work to be done to ensure that our military operations are able to proceed unimpeded and our natural habitats are protected.

Over the past 15 years, the REPI Program has protected over half a million acres in 33 States by working with Federal, State, and local government entities, private conservation groups, and the military services. These partnerships not only lead to thoughtful encroachment mitigation solutions by expanding the landscape buffer around our military installations, but also result in burden sharing across the stakeholders. Over the life of the program, non-DOD REPI partners have shouldered nearly half of the financial burden of these projects, proving the cost-sharing value of the program.

Not too long ago these partnerships were uncommon; however, the successful partnerships created by the REPI Program are lasting, beneficial to all participants, and often foster new arrangements that would not have happened otherwise. In total, the program is making a difference for the military and our installations.

In my district, Buckley Air Force Base is a prime example of the significant win-win impact that the REPI

Program can have on the installations and the community. By working with partners like the Trust for Public Land and the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the City of Aurora, the REPI Program was able to preserve nearly 300 acres of land.

The environmental protection and antiencroachment measures undertaken at Buckley have protected agricultural and recreational lands while ensuring that Buckley Air Force Base has the land required to conduct operations and even grow to meet additional needs for decades to come.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Madam Chair, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I want to take the opportunity to speak about how the REPI program saves taxpayer dollars, supports military readiness, and preserves our environment.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment for an additional $13 million that is in line with the amount authorized in the NDAA that was marked up last week to ensure its valuable work can benefit more installations and communities.

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

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to vastly increase funding for ALS research by $40 million through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs at the Department of Defense. This is to build on the program's vision to improve treatment and find a cure for this disease, which poses far more questions than answers.

In the United States, 15 people are diagnosed with ALS every day, with an estimated 16,000 Americans living with this degenerative disease. Commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, the average survival time after diagnosis is only 3 years.

Although an estimated 10 percent of ALS cases are inherited, more than 90 percent are sporadic, and medical research can't yet determine why. It is further complicated for veterans, as research suggests that there is a mutually inclusive relationship between ALS and military service. In fact, veterans who were deployed during the Gulf war are twice as likely to develop ALS.

This disease also hits home for me in many ways. On March 18, our community lost Mike Cimbura to ALS. Mike was, first and foremost, a loving husband and father, but on top of that, he fought ALS ferociously to ensure that ALS will no longer be a hopeless diagnosis. He worked to get right-to-try legislation across the finish line to increase access to experimental treatments that would one day cure this disease.

In my own family, we lost our dear cousin, Jeff Van Brunt, to this disease just last year. Jeff would have just celebrated his 40th birthday. He left behind his wonderful wife, Jill, and kids, Megan, William, Sophia, and Mark.

In short, this disease knows no stranger, impacting communities and families across the country. This disease continues to take loved ones in our communities too early, and we need to continue to fight for funding to find treatments and a cure.

I am extremely grateful to the chairman and his entire team for working to increase funding this year, but I want to be clear that we need to attack this disease more aggressively.

It costs between $1 billion and $2 billion to find a treatment for ALS and can take up to 15 years to bring an effective ALS treatment to market. Furthermore, finding a cure would open up a path to finding cures for other diseases, like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and many others.

We owe this to our veterans. We owe this to every member of our community who should not have to face this disease without any hope for a cure.

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

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment supporting an additional $5 million appropriation for Project SERV.

Project SERV and programs like it provide mental health resources to students and extend critical support in the wake of tragedies, such as school shootings like the one that took place at STEM School in my district.

By increasing funding, we can increase our ability to address the mental health among our precious population: our children.

The underlying bill doubles the amount of funding for Project SERV to $10 million. Moreover, additional funding was provided in the disaster supplemental that I was proud to vote for in May.

I thank the chairman, ranking member, and the members of the committee for their hard work to ensure that this program is properly funded.

With my amendment, I hope that we can continue to scale Project SERV and mental health programs like it so that we can ensure that every student gets the help that they deserve.

In the time since the STEM School shooting in my district, I have had the privilege to meet with several students and their families. Their courage and thoughtfulness is unparalleled.

We discussed and reflected on ways that we in this body can help students, in a bipartisan manner, to cope with crisis: What can we do? How do we restart the learning process? How do we prevent future tragedies?

The common denominators were expanding mental health curriculum in schools; grief counseling; helping students, teachers, administrators, and their families recover. It was something that we came together and found

some bipartisan consensus on in the discussions that I have had.

Experts can attest shootings and other school tragedies take a terrible toll on our students, causing sleep disorders, anxiety, and even PTS. We need programs like Project SERV. We need to ensure that our children have access to mental health services they need in order to recover, in order to focus on their studies, in order to make sure tragedies like this never happen again. And we need to scale this program and those like it to make sure that this happens at a much larger and national scale.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Madam Chair, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, we have an obligation to take care of our students, teachers, and school administrators after horrific tragedies. We must ensure that they can grieve, heal, return to school, and focus on learning and moving forward with their lives, all the while feeling safe doing so.

I look forward to working with the distinguished chairwoman, appropriators, and members of the authorizing committee to support Project SERV and programs like it in the months and years ahead.

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

Madam Speaker, on May 8, 2019, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on the Orange Book Transparency Act (H.R. 1503) and the Purple Book Transparency Act (H.R. 1520). Had I been present for roll calls No. 187 and 188, I would have voted AYE on both.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to highlight the continuing work at the Department of Defense to procure renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make our military more resilient in the face of climate change.

The American military is the strongest in the world. It is also the world's biggest consumer of energy. In 2017, our Armed Forces consumed over 85 million barrels of fuel to power ships, aircraft, combat vehicles, and bases. As a combat veteran, I know firsthand that our reliance on fossil fuels at home and on the battlefield makes us very vulnerable.

Moreover, current and former DOD civilian and military leaders have argued that climate change presents a rising threat to our force readiness and has exposed vulnerabilities of critical operations. They have argued that climate change is an urgent national security threat, and I agree.

Warming oceans lead to higher tides, putting our Nation's critical infrastructure at risk. Severe weather has already wrought havoc on military assets, including Tyndall Air Force Base, which will likely require $5 billion in repairs after Hurricane Michael. Climate change is already causing mass migrations that affect the stability of nations and will put our national security and that of our allies at risk.

The purpose of my amendment is to make the DOD's contributions to the government sustainability efforts a part of the conversation surrounding H.R. 9. And the DOD's accomplishments should be lauded: the DOD has invested heavily in microgrids, renewable energy resources, and fuel-efficient vehicles.

Additionally, last year's NDAA required the military to build on its obligations to address climate change by incorporating energy and climate resiliency efforts into its installation and operational planning.

The DOD has done a lot so far and is a model for the rest of the U.S. Government, but there is more to be done.

Going forward, we have a unique opportunity to support sustainable policies, while also securing our bases, saving taxpayer money, and protecting the environment. One of the best examples is Fort Hood, Texas. Fort Hood has invested in technology to harness renewable energy and ensure that power is being efficiently managed. It is estimated that the combination of microgrids and renewable energy will save Fort Hood $100 million in energy costs. It is also hardened against potential vulnerabilities in the electrical grid, which is a win for our security.

We must scale smart, practical solutions, like those at the DOD, to make our force more resilient, agile, and efficient.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the chairman.

Mr. Chairman, simply put, the Federal Government cannot meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement without DOD's past, ongoing, and future contributions to this effort. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize this fact and support my amendment.

This is very simple. This is an opportunity for a win-win-win, which is often hard to come by these days, but this is good for the American taxpayers. It will save us hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars by promoting these efforts and increasing energy resiliency and efficiency. It is a win for our national security, because it is one of our largest vulnerabilities. Our bases are subject to cyberattack and are very vulnerable to continuity decreases in our operations. And it is a win for the environment.

This is something that we have to do and that we have an obligation to do in support of our national security.

Mr. Chairman, again, I urge everyone to join in supporting this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor I recognize the accomplishments of Amara Martin, whom The Chamber of Northwest Douglas County is honoring as a ``Woman Who Soars.''

Ms. Martin is the Executive Director of Dress for Success Denver, an organization that aims to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and the development tools to thrive in work and in life. Poverty often affects women the most, and its effects on them and their families can be long-lasting. One hundred percent of Dress for Success clients lived under the poverty level before coming to them.

Under Ms. Martin's guidance, Dress for Success has grown beyond addressing women's needs and recognizing the significant role women play in economic development. They not only improve the quality of life for not only that woman, but also her family, future generations, and her community.

In 2017, 85 percent of the graduates of their Going Places Network program secured employment. Their other programs provide employed clients with support, information, and inspiration to move forward with their career development, and over 600 women utilized the Career Center program that offers one-on-one meetings with executive coaches.

Both a leader and an asset to her organization and to the community, she truly is deserving of such an honor. I congratulate Ms. Martin for receiving the recognition as a ``Woman Who Soars.''

Madam Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize the accomplishments of Ms. Susan Hicks, MN, RN, who will be honored by the Chamber of Northwest Douglas County as a ``Woman Who Soars.''

Ms. Hicks has been an integral member of the Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, serving as a part of their Executive Team since its opening in 2003. Her experience as a nurse for over 30 years brought fresh perspectives to the Sky Ridge team that were instrumental in transforming Sky Ridge into a destination facility for care. Due to her hard work and dedication, she was promoted from her role of Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer in August of 2014.

She currently serves as a board member of both the Denver South Economic Development Partnership and the Colorado Hospital Association. She is a past board member of the HCA Hope Fund and First Commercial Bank as well as a graduate of Leadership Douglas County.

Through her leadership positions, Susan has had an incredibly positive impact on the community. Her success in the corporate health care field has inspired many other women in the Chamber and Economic Development circles in the community.

A major contributor and inspiration to the community, I can think of only a few others deserving of this honor, and I congratulate Ms. Hicks for receiving the recognition as a ``Woman Who Soars.''