Pete Aguilar

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable career of an outstanding public servant and dedicated educator, Ted Alejandre, the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. As he announces his retirement after nearly four decades of service to the youth and families of California's Inland Empire, it is appropriate that we recognize his extraordinary contributions.

Ted's commitment to his country and his community has been a lifelong pursuit. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, serving with the Reserve's 701st Combat Operations Squadron. This dedication to service, duty, and excellence naturally transitioned into his second calling: public education.

Over the course of his nearly 40-year career in the San Bernardino County school system, Mr. Alejandre has touched nearly every facet of the education process. He has served as a teacher, a vice principal, a principal and an Assistant Superintendent of Business Services before being elected as the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools in 2014.

During his time at the helm, Ted oversaw operations for over 400,000 K-12 students across the county. He championed innovative, regional programs that expanded early literacy, pioneered digital learning to prepare students for the 21st-century workforce and fought tirelessly to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has a fair shot at success.

Furthermore, as a veteran himself, Ted spearheaded the Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project in San Bernardino County. This incredible initiative posthumously and retroactively awarded high school diplomas to local veterans who were forced to leave school to serve our Nation during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. This act of deep respect and gratitude exemplifies the type of leader Ted is: empathetic, grounded, and always looking to uplift those around him.

As a veteran and an educator, Ted understands the tremendous importance of supporting Inland Empire high school students who want to serve our country. Serving as a member of my office's Service Academy Board and later becoming the Board President, Ted helped nominate exemplary young men and women from throughout our region for the prestigious honor of attending a United States Military Academy.

Mr. Speaker, Ted Alejandre leaves behind an educational system that is stronger, more equitable, and deeply responsive to the needs of our diverse communities. While his steady, visionary leadership as County Superintendent will be deeply missed, his impact on the Inland Empire will be felt for generations to come.

I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Ted Alejandre on a stellar career in education and the military, and to thank him for a lifetime of unwavering dedication to the Inland Empire and our great Nation. I wish him, his family, and his loved ones all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and celebrate the 100th birthday of my constituent, Mr. David Wiener, a Holocaust survivor, a philanthropist, and a businessman whose incredible life is a testament to resilience and courage. His story is one of strength and perseverance that must be remembered and honored.

Born on May 30, 1926, in Lodz, Poland, David was one of Moshe Chaim and Hannah Sur Wiener's nine children. At the age of 13 during February 1940, after the Nazi occupation turned Lodz into a ghetto, David escaped alone. During the war, David survived slave labor camps, prison, and Auschwitz. Tragically, his parents and all but one of his siblings were killed by the Nazis.

Despite these unbelievable horrors, he endured and did not just go on to survive, but to thrive. After the war, David immigrated to the United States and began a new chapter and a new life. He married, had two children, and became a successful businessman, founding an upholstery company, while also contributing to causes close to his heart. Alongside his wife, also a Holocaust survivor, David has supported organizations such as the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Boys and Girls Club of Fontana, and the United Hatzalah of Israel. In 2024, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law awarded him an honorary Juris Doctor degree in recognition of his lifelong dedication to education about the Holocaust. Through his memoir, Nothing to Lose But My Life, he details his full story and ensures that future generations understand what he and millions of others faced as well as the importance of confronting hatred wherever it exists in the world.

Today, I am proud to honor David Wiener for his extraordinary life, his unparalleled commitment to truth telling, his work to uplift communities and preserve history, and so much more. May we all continue to be inspired by his dedication to remembrance. I wish him the best in this next year.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.