Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude for Littleton City Councilman for District I Bill Hopping for his extraordinary work and dedication to the City of Littleton. His leadership on the Littleton City Council has contributed to many of the city's successful growth and conservation efforts.

Since his appointment and subsequent election in 2015, Councilman Hopping has faithfully and dutifully served the City of Littleton in every way possible. Councilman Hopping provided his expertise and guidance as a small business owner to help promote increased economic growth and development as the City Council Liaison to the Littleton Invests for Tomorrow Board.

In addition to his official role as a Littleton City Council Member, Councilman Hopping served as a prominent member of the Bow Mar South Homeowners Association, the Historic Downtown Littleton Merchants, and as the chair of the Historical Preservation Board. Councilman Hopping has not only been dedicated to the future of the City of Littleton, he also embraces the rich history of this great community.

Mr. Speaker, a great nation cannot exist without great public servants, and I believe that Councilman Hopping is among the very best. I wish Councilman Hopping the best of luck in his future endeavors, of which I know he will have great success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to City of Littleton Mayor and City Council Member At Large Bruce Beckman for his many years of extraordinary work and dedication to the City of Littleton. Mayor Beckman's leadership has, amongst other accomplishments, contributed to the city's reputation as one of the best places to live in the State of Colorado and in our nation.

Throughout Mayor Beckman's tenure as both Mayor and City Councilman, he consistently guided city policy towards improving the quality of life and growth. He has worked relentlessly towards preserving and cultivating a quality community, developing a financially sound city government, and pursuing a balanced and sustainable local economy.

In addition, Mayor Beckman has represented the interests and concerns of the

City of Littleton as a member of the Denver Metro Mayors Caucus and as an alternate Board Member on the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

Prior to his public service as the City of Littleton Mayor, Beckman served our country and state in the United States Army and the Colorado Army National Guard; ultimately retiring at the rank of Colonel. In Littleton, he worked to protect others throughout his long career with the Littleton Police Department, until his retirement as Division Chief in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Beckman represents the very best in public service that the State of Colorado and our nation has to offer. I commend Mayor Beckman; he has served his community, our state, and our country tirelessly over a long and impressive career in public service. I wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to Rex Bell, Brighton City Council Member for Ward 2, for his many years of extraordinary work and dedication to the City of Brighton. Council Member Bell's dedication to the City of Brighton and his leadership and vision has, amongst other accomplishments, contributed to the city's growth and prosperity.

As a Brighton City Council Member, Rex Bell has consistently and effectively guided city policy towards improving the quality of life. He continually provided the City of Brighton with guidance and leadership in his roles as a member of the Adams County Water Quality Association, the Brighton Planning Commission, and the Highway 85 Coalition and Lodging Tax Committee.

In addition to making the City of Brighton a better place to live, Council Member Bell has served his community for 23 years as a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor in the City of Brighton. Council Member Bell has, without a doubt, enhanced the quality of life for every citizen in the City of Brighton throughout his tenure as a City Council Member and as a resident of the City of Brighton.

Mr. Speaker, Brighton City Councilman Rex Bell represents the very best in public service that the State of Colorado and our nation has to offer. I offer my sincere appreciation for his unyielding dedication to public service and I wish him the very best of luck as he leaves the Brighton City Council and moves on to future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to Mark Gotto, Centennial City Council Member for District 3 Mark Gotto, for his many years of hard work and dedication to the City of Centennial. Council Member Gotto's leadership and vision has, amongst other accomplishments, contributed to the City of Centennial's reputation as one of the best in Colorado.

Council Member Gotto has consistently and effectively guided the City of Centennial towards a more business-friendly atmosphere that increases growth and the quality of life. He has continually provided his guidance and leadership as the City Council Liaison to a variety of different boards and committees, such as the Centennial Budget Committee, the Southgate Water and Sanitation District, and the Arapahoe Library District Board of Trustees.

Outside of his service on the Centennial City Council, Council Member Gotto has also dedicated his time making our community and the State of Colorado a better place. He continues to volunteer at the Children's Hospital of Colorado on the Anschutz Medical Campus and ensures that the Centennial City Council does not pass any resolution that would negatively affect the aging population in his city.

Mr. Speaker, City Council Member Mark Gotto represents the very best the State of Colorado and our nation has to offer in public service. I offer my sincere appreciation for his unyielding dedication to public service, and I wish him the very best of luck as he leaves the Centennial City Council and moves on to future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to express my gratitude to Renie Peterson, the Aurora City Councilwoman for Ward II, for her extraordinary work and dedication to the City of Aurora. Her leadership has contributed to many of Aurora's most successful programs and initiatives.

I first met Renie Peterson when we both attended high school almost 50 years ago. In 1969, the City of Aurora was not the incredibly diverse community it is today. Yet, years later as a City Council Member, Renie not only recognized how Aurora has changed since we were growing up here, she fully embraced the ``new'' Aurora and founded the City of Aurora Global Fest which celebrates the vast array of different cultures and ethnicities that now make up our great city. Renie was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Chairman's Award for her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community. She has shown throughout her decade of dedicated service as a City of Aurora Council Member her enthusiasm and commitment to better our community.

In addition, as Councilwoman Peterson sought to advance this city to its greatest potential, she served the City of Aurora and Adams County for over twenty years as a Board Member for several intergovernmental groups such as, Adams County Economic Development, Urban Drainage and Flood Control, Sand Creek Regional Greenway, and is the founder of the Aurora Public Schools' Wish List Project.

Mr. Speaker, Councilwoman Renie Peterson has enhanced the quality of life for every resident in the City of Aurora. Her leadership helped make the City of Aurora the great place it is today. I believe that Renie Peterson is among the very best, and I am very grateful for her unyielding dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to Brad Pierce, Aurora City Council Member At Large, for his many years of extraordinary work and dedication to the City of Aurora. Council Member Pierce's dedication to the City of Aurora and his leadership and vision has, amongst other accomplishments, contributed to the city's designation as the Safest Large City in America.

As an Aurora City Council Member, Brad Pierce has consistently and effectively guided city policy towards increased quality of life and growth. He continually provided the City of Aurora with guidance and leadership in his roles as the Chair of the Management and Finance Policy Committee and as the Vice-Chair of the Water Policy Committee.

Council Member Pierce has dedicated his time in elected office to making our community and the State of Colorado a better place for its residents. He serves as the President of the National Organization to Insure a Sound-Controlled Environment (N.O.I.S.E) and represents the State of Colorado and the City of Aurora as a member of National League of Cities Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Steering Committee.

In addition to making the City of Aurora a better place to live, I would also like to recognize Brad Pierce's work as the Former President and current Board Member for the Community College of Aurora Foundation. Without a doubt, Councilmember Pierce has enhanced the quality of life for every citizen in the City of Aurora throughout his tenure as an Aurora City Council Member and resident of our great city.

Mr. Speaker, Brad Pierce represents the very best the State of Colorado and our nation has to offer. I offer my sincere appreciation for his unyielding dedication to public service and I wish him the very best of luck as he leaves the Aurora City Council and moves on to future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude to the City of Centennial's Mayor Cathy Noon as her final term as mayor comes to an end. Mayor Noon's extraordinary work and dedication to the City of Centennial has positively transformed the City of Centennial over her time in office. As Mayor of Centennial, her leadership has proved to be a key factor in many of the city's most successful programs and initiatives.

Mayor Cathy Noon has shown time and time again what a dedicated public servant can do to make a difference for her community. Mayor Noon was a leader in the process to draft the original home-rule charter for the city when it was established in 2001 and her service to the City of Centennial has truly extended from its conception to the present day. She has also taken a prominent role in furthering the interests of the entire metropolitan region through her service on numerous boards and commissions such as, the Metro Mayors Caucus, the C-470 Executive Committee and the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

Under Mayor Noon's leadership, projects such as the Intelligent Transportation System Master Plan and Go Centennial have helped the City of Centennial to grow and prosper beyond anyone's expectations. It is clear her tireless service to the people of Centennial has made this community a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Mr. Speaker, as her final term of service to the citizens of the City of Centennial nears its end, I offer Mayor Cathy Noon my sincere appreciation for her many years of accomplished public service and I wish to extend my grateful thanks to her for her unyielding dedication to the people and the City of Centennial.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 5th Annual Taste of Ethiopia. The Taste of Ethiopia promotes cultural immersion and provides community services for our extensive Ethiopian immigrant community in Colorado. The event is a unique showcase of Ethiopian music, food, art, crafts, culture, games, and dance.

Moreover, the festival is not only a great opportunity for family fun and bringing the Ethiopian community together, but it also serves to highlight the individual contributions of Ethiopian immigrants to our community. In this spirit, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the following organizers of the Taste of Ethiopia for their hard work and dedication to make this event for our community possible: Nebiyu Asfaw, Sosna Dagne, Elizabeth Moltot, Adanech Denbel, Fikru Ayele, Bizuye Sebsbe, Tilahun Dessie, Aschalew Agonafer, Yalemwork Tekola, Girum Alemayehu, Sophia Belew, Senait Keteman, Selam Ayele, Helen Tekle, Ayinalem Bayu and Yohannes Mengistu.

Mr. Speaker, the 6th District of Colorado is home to the largest Ethiopian community in the State of Colorado and it continues to be an honor for me to represent so many Ethiopian immigrants in the United States House of Representatives. I had the privilege of attending last year's Taste of Ethiopia and it is an honor for me to again be included in the Taste of Ethiopia annual celebration.

I again offer my sincere congratulations to the organizers of the Taste of Ethiopia for their tireless work to promote the Ethiopian culture in the State of Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 5th Annual Taste of Ethiopia. The Taste of Ethiopia promotes cultural immersion and provides community services for our extensive Ethiopian immigrant community in Colorado. The event is a unique showcase of music, food, art, crafts, culture, games, and Ethiopian dance.

Moreover, the festival is not only a great opportunity for family fun and bringing the Ethiopian community together, but it also serves to highlight the individual contributions of Ethiopian immigrants to our community. In this spirit, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the following organizers of the Taste of Ethiopia for their hard work and dedication to make this event for our community possible: Nebiyu Asfaw, Sosna Dagne, Elizabeth Moltot, Adanech Denbel, Fikru Ayele, Bizuye Sebsbe, Tilahun Dessie, Aschalew Agonafer, Yalemwork Tekola, Girum Alemayehu, Sophia Belew, Senait Keteman, Selam Ayele, Helen Tekle, and Ayinalem Bayu.

Mr. Speaker, the 6th District of Colorado is home to the largest Ethiopian community in the State of Colorado and it continues to be an honor for me to represent so many Ethiopian immigrants. I had the privilege of attending last year's Taste of Ethiopia and it is a privilege for me to again be included in the Taste of Ethiopia annual celebration.

I again offer my sincere congratulations to the organizers of the Taste of Ethiopia for their tireless work to promote the Ethiopian culture in the State of Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Brighton Mayor Richard McLean, a dedicated public servant who has devoted himself to his community as a City Council member and Mayor for over a decade. Mayor McLean has been involved in numerous boards and commissions in his community, including service as the Chair of the E-470 Board, and as a member of the Adams County Economic Development Board, Airport Coordinating Committee, and the Brighton Economic Development Corporation Board.

As Chair of the E-470 Board, Mayor McLean proved himself to be a stellar steward of taxpayer dollars overseeing the opening of the Quebec interchange six months ahead of schedule. Mr. Speaker, I think Washington could learn a thing or two from this kind of leadership.

Under Mayor McLean's leadership in office, the city of Brighton has received extensive recognition for excellence in city planning, including just last April the Denver Regional Council of Governments' award for Brighton's District Comprehensive Master Plan. It is clear Mayor McLean's tireless service to the people of Brighton has made their community a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my sincere congratulations to Mayor Richard McLean for his over a decade of accomplished public service and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Harrison Finch, Lauren Healy, Reegan Miller, and Katie Russ for their hard work and dedication to the people of Colorado's Sixth District as interns in my Washington, D.C. office for the summer of the 115th Congress, First Session.

During their time in my office, Harrison, Lauren, Reegan, and Katie served as tour guides, interacted with constituents, conducted legislative research and learned a great deal

about the United States Congress. The work of these young Coloradoans has been exemplary and I know they all have bright futures ahead of them. I was glad to be able to offer this educational opportunity to these four, and look forward to seeing them build their prospective careers.

Harrison, Lauren, Reegan, and Katie have all made plans to continue their educational careers back in Colorado and throughout the United States. I am certain they will continue in their great success and wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Harrison Finch, Lauren Healy, Reegan Miller, and Katie Russ for their service this summer.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize the long career and accomplishments of a dear friend of mine, Professor Ved Nanda, who will be celebrating his 50th year teaching international law at the University of Denver.

As a professor at the Sturm College of Law, Professor Ved Nanda has been a pioneer in the international law community since his arrival at the University of Denver in 1965. Professor Nanda created the school's renowned international legal studies program and established the Denver Journal of International Law and Policy in 1972. His work has inspired a countless number of students to become a part of the conversation on human rights and international issues.

In addition to his achievements as an educator, Professor Nanda has contributed significantly to the international law community. He has served as the United States delegate to the World Federation of United Nations Associations where he worked to promote world peace, human rights, and the spread of democracy throughout the world.

The culmination of his work has led to his receipt of countless awards, including the ``World Legal Scholar'' award in 1990 and the ``United Nations Association Human Rights Award'' in 1997. I want to congratulate Professor Ved Nanda once more on his long career and many achievements. Professor Nanda's greatest passion was educating his students about the importance of international law and human rights. It is an honor to have a living legend in our community.

Madam Speaker, today the House will vote on H.R. 3218, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, the largest expansion of educational benefits for our veterans in over a decade.

This legislation provides a lifetime benefit of the GI Bill, an additional 9 months of GI Bill eligibility for veterans pursuing a STEM degree, protection of GI Bill benefits for veterans impacted by a school's closure, and makes it easier for veterans to use their GI Bill for credentialing and licensure tests.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3218 also includes provisions from my bill, the GI Bill Processing Improvement Act, H.R. 2549, which ensures that veterans studying under the GI Bill for their military service receive their benefits in a timely manner.

Madam Speaker, as a United States Army veteran who attended the University of Colorado under the GI Bill, and my late father, a retired United States Army Master Sergeant, Harold Coffman, who learned heating and air-conditioning repair under the GI Bill, I rise today in strong support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, one of the VA's top procurement goals is to achieve savings through competition. However, there is no uniformity in how the savings are calculated or if they are recorded at all.

This is why I introduced H.R. 2006, the VA Procurement Efficiency and Transparency Act. My bill will create a consistent method for the VA to measure and record the cost savings generated by competing contracts from its $20 billion procurement budget.

H.R. 2006 also directs the VA to organize its document templates, which are the building blocks for every contract, and make them accessible in a central place.

Mr. Speaker, too often, the VA reports flawed or incomplete data to Congress and to the public. While the VA's current leadership is working to correct years of transparency problems, the legislation gives that effort a much-needed push in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, the VA's contracting will benefit by adopting these best practices, and I encourage my colleagues to support this commonsense measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude for Barbara Cleland, the Aurora City Councilwoman at-large, for her extraordinary work and dedication to the city of Aurora for the past three decades. Her leadership has contributed to many of Aurora's most successful programs and initiatives.

Barb Cleland has made the decision to retire from politics so that she may spend more time with her family and five grand-children. Her tenure in local politics was one that brought positive change and development to a city that has experienced great growth since she was first elected.

Throughout her tenure, Councilwoman Cleland has sought to advance this city to its greatest potential. From relocating the University of Colorado Health Center, to putting stop signs on a street, her work is as meticulous as it is beneficial to the community around her. Despite retiring from the City Council, she will continue serving on the board for the Aurora Housing Authority, the Colorado State Housing Board, and as the Legislative and Community Relations director at Aurora Mental Health. Her focus on Public Safety, Courts, and Civil Service during her decades of dedicated service on the City Council for the City of Aurora reveals her commitment to her constituents and to their well- being.

Barb Cleland has enhanced the quality of life for every citizen in the City of Aurora. Her leadership during the last 28 years have made the City of Aurora the great place it is today.

Mr. Speaker, a great nation cannot exist without great representatives in local government. I believe that Ms. Barbara Cleland is among the very best and I am very grateful for her unyielding dedication to public service.