Women's History Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, today, in recognition of Women's History Month, I rise to honor three incredible women from central Washington.

Shannon Polson of the Methow Valley became one of the first women combat pilots in the U.S. military. After graduating from the University of Alaska ROTC, she was commissioned as an Army aviator and was one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter. She served two tours as an Apache platoon leader, and one as a company commander, deploying to three continents.

Kathy Bryson of Richland is the Pacific Northwest disaster response coordinator for the United Methodist Church. Kathy has provided the overall leadership for recovery from fire disasters in Okanogan and Whitman Counties over the last 2 years, as well as for the wildfire disasters in Oregon and northern California.

Kayla Barron of Richland was not only a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community for the U.S. Navy as a submarine warfare officer, but is currently serving as mission specialist of the NASA SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station. In fact, just yesterday morning, she successfully completed a spacewalk. She has accomplished much since graduating from Richland High, and you can bet that we are all rooting for her every step of the way.

These women exemplify the very best of central Washington: Service to community, determination, integrity, and grit. They have paved the way for women in our communities and across the world. Their stories are an inspiration for all of us in central Washington, and it is a privilege to honor them during Women's History Month. Congratulating Jared Balcom

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to congratulate National Potato Council's newly elected president, and fellow central Washingtonian, Mr. Jared Balcom.

Jared is the owner of a fourth-generation potato growing and fresh packing company, Balcom & Moe, based in Pasco, Washington, so he knows firsthand the challenges our central Washington producers face and how to best address them.

I have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know Jared over the years and know that he is well-equipped to advocate for the potato farmers who provide so many jobs and boost our local economy.

Congratulations, Jared, on this new role. I look forward to continuing to work together to advance our shared goals of modernizing water infrastructure, improving trade agreements, supporting agricultural research, and fixing our agricultural labor crisis. Honoring the Service of Clifton Malm

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor one of central Washington's veterans, Clifton Malm of Omak.

Clifton served our country honorably as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and risked his life to protect his fellow servicemembers. His courage earned him a Purple Heart which, unfortunately, he never received until just now. While it may be just a small piece of metal, it represents what I believe is the gratitude of a truly thankful Nation.

Clifton, thank you for your service and for your continued dedication to the United States of America. Your story is a reminder to all of us of the sacrifices the men and women in our Armed Forces make every single day.

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