Joys and Concerns

Floor Speech

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Mr. ELLZEY. Madam Speaker, the United States is home to the most remarkable people in the world. We are the most caring, giving, and united country that has ever existed. But that is not the outlook we see daily in the news and on social media. Big traditional and social media outlets would have you convinced that Americans don't help each other. The algorithms used by these companies are designed to show controversy and to lead you to believe that there is more divisiveness in our society than harmony.

But that is not true. Since being elected to Congress, I have seen firsthand that the Texas Sixth Congressional District is home to many remarkable people; so much so that each week my office sends out dozens of recognition letters highlighting some of their achievements.

While in Washington, D.C., I have had the incredible opportunity to work with countless individuals, a lot of whom deserve the highest praise for their service to the American people. To be clear: These individuals I am referencing do not just make up my own party but also those across the aisle. Bipartisanship is alive and well up here, and I am proud to say that I am surrounded by like-minded individuals on both sides of the aisle who have dedicated their lives to public service, working tirelessly for the betterment of the American people.

Growing up back home in Perryton, Texas, my pastor would start off every Sunday service with what he called ``Joys and Concerns.'' During this time, he would highlight some of the remarkable things that members of the church were doing and some prayer requests, to unite us as a congregation to pray for our community and those in need.

I will give my own version of ``Joys and Concerns.'' Let's start with the joys. These upstanding constituents deserve to be recognized:

I start by congratulating the valedictorians and salutatorians for the 2021-2022 school year.

From Mansfield High School: Valedictorian, Kara Bell, and Salutatorian, Nicholas Bindel.

From Mansfield Lake Ridge High School: Valedictorian, Angela Morka, and Salutatorian, Hailey Chuong.

From Mansfield Legacy High School: Valedictorian, Ruth Oyerokun, and Salutatorian, Kennedy Ruhland.

From Mansfield Summit High School: Valedictorian, John Weaver, and Salutatorian, Anthony Truong.

From Mansfield Timberview High School: Valedictorian, Vanessa Bell, and Salutatorian, Yousef Ali.

From Mansfield Early College High School: Valedictorian, Ruby Lima Gallegos, and Salutatorian, Mary Oshoba.

From Corsicana High School: Valedictorian, Libby Green, and Salutatorian, Addie Owen.

From Blooming Grove High School: Valedictorian, Kinley Skaines, and Salutatorian, Kamryn Brown.

From Ennis High School: Valedictorian, Victoria Berry, and Salutatorian, Mason Gilb.

From Ferris High School: Valedictorian, Brianna Brodin, and Salutatorian, Hayden Hartman.

From Italy High School: Valedictorian, Rushton Trees, and Salutatorian, Bryant Haake.

From Waxahachie High School: Valedictorian, Niki Holmberg, and Co- salutatorians, Lillie Loose and Elena Rojas. I would like to point out that Lillie is the daughter of my district director, Julie Loose.

From Waxahachie Global High School: Valedictorian Preston Hoggard, and Salutatorian, Alexis Trojan.

From Midlothian High School: Valedictorian, Katelynn Zimmerman, and Salutatorian, Avalon YungHung Mitchell.

From Midlothian Heritage High School: Valedictorian, Cooper Lucas, and Salutatorian, Sterling Martinez.

From Red Oak High School: Valedictorian, Saadi El-Saadi, and Salutatorian, Elise Davis.

From Palmer High School: Valedictorian, Alexandria Holmes, and Salutatorian, Neyda Perez.

From Rice High School: Valedictorian, Nadhia Abreu, and Salutatorian, Laisha Perez.

From Avalon High School: Valedictorian, Savanna Bacak, and Salutatorian, Ilene Ferman.

From Kennedale High School: Valedictorian, Brian Flores, and Salutatorian, Kenaj Washington.

From Maypearl High School: Valedictorian, Aaron Jett, and Salutatorian, Josey Austin.

From Mildred High School: Valedictorian, Alejandro Tamez, and Salutatorian, Amanda Hawkins.

From Milford High School: Valedictorian, Lillian Martin, and Salutatorian, Joshua Martin.

From Arlington High School: Valedictorian, Adessa Segura, and Salutatorian, Alison Buer.

From Arlington Bowie High School: Valedictorian, Angelina Nguyen, and Salutatorian, Whiton Nguyen.

From Arlington Lamar High School: Valedictorian, Ashvi Patel, and Salutatorian, Haley Wehr.

From Arlington Martin High School: Co-valedictorians, Jennifer Uyen Tho Nguyen and Heather Van Waasbergen, and Salutatorian, Christopher Dao.

From Arlington Seguin High School: Valedictorian, Nhi Dinh, and Salutatorian, Linh Vu.

Again, congratulations on your remarkable achievement. I look forward to seeing what each one of you accomplishes in the coming years.

I also want to acknowledge the 12 outstanding young men and women we have from the Sixth Congressional District who have received and accepted appointments to our service academies.

For the United States Naval Academy we have: Ethan Clarke and Jazmin Lemus.

For the United States Air Force Academy: Seth Ramsey, Destiny Speltz, Carson Yingling, Lauren St. Clair, Oluwakorede Oylalami, Megan Fellows, and Jaiden Lanier.

For the United States Military Academy at West Point: Vinh Ho and Charlotte Patterson.

For the United States Merchant Marine Academy: Anthony Schmidt.

Next, I want to recognize members of our community who have gone above and beyond.

Let's start with Officer Rebecca Pevehouse. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Rebecca on her recent appointment as a field training officer in the Red Oak Police Department. I also recognize Rebecca for being awarded Enforcement Hero by MADD North Texas. The hard work Rebecca puts forth to keep our community safe has not gone unnoticed. I thank Rebecca for all that she does.

It is an honor to recognize Priscilla Sanchez for more than 16 years of public service in the Mansfield community. Her outstanding performance as a senior code compliance inspector and then as the volunteer coordinator has helped strengthen the relationship between the residents and community members.

I congratulate Connie Hickman on her retirement from Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace in Navarro County. It is an honor to recognize her for her nearly 40 years of public service to her community.

I welcome Chris Young and congratulate him on his new position as an assistant fire chief for the city of Red Oak.

I congratulate Darrell Hull on his recent new position as the city manager for Kennedale. Darrell brings a wealth of experience, and he previously served a 25-year career in Kennedale. The city of Kennedale is fortunate to have him in this position.

Michael Watson is a sophomore at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas. He led SAGU's baseball team to a 38-16 finish and was named this year's NCAA National Pitcher of the Year. Congratulations to Michael and the team for their outstanding work and achievements.

Next, let me highlight the Eagle Scouts. To become an Eagle Scout takes years of dedication and hard work. To achieve this rank, Scouts must complete 18 hours of community service and demonstrate leadership within their troop. Only 5 percent of Scouts reach the rank of Eagle Scout. This year, Ethan Miller reached that goal. I congratulate him.

It is an honor to recognize Master Sergeant Roger Hardie for his 15- plus years of service in education in the Corsicana community. His outstanding performance as the Air Force JROTC instructor has helped strengthen the relationship between our students and community members. I thank him for his service.

Ashley Perkins has been working as an emergency medical dispatcher in Mansfield for several years, and in 2021, she was named Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year. I thank Ashley for her continued service to the Mansfield community.

I congratulate Fox Luu on his new position as chief of police in Richland. Luu has been serving his community as a first responder for many years, and I am confident he will do so for many years to come.

I congratulate Zoey Burt on starting her new position as sergeant in the Maypearl ISD Police Department.

Ron Appleton has been well known in his community since 1966. He started out as an ag teacher at Waxahachie ISD and worked his way to district administration. I personally congratulate Ron on having the Ron Appleton Agriscience Facility in Waxahachie named after him. It is a beautiful facility, and the impact Ron has had on his students is immeasurable. I thank him for all that he has done.

Chantell Reiper was awarded Employee of the First Quarter from Navarro Regional Hospital for 2022. This award is a tribute to her courageous and selfless acts working in healthcare. I truly appreciate all the work that Chantell does in physician practice and women's services.

I personally congratulate Fred Pontley on his retirement from being a distinguished lieutenant of the Ennis Police Department. It is an honor to recognize him for his 25 years of public service to the people of Ennis.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Navarro College. What started out in 1946 with a group of returning veterans from World War II has now become a pillar in the community not only in Corsicana but also in Waxahachie. From the first class dubbed as the ``barracks bunch'' to the students who graduated this year, Navarro College is dedicated to serving our community. Congratulations to Navarro College on 75 years.

I congratulate Jerry Lozier from Waxahachie Global High School on being named the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Region X Assistant Principal of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year. I thank Jerry for his commitment to Waxahachie ISD.

Each year Mansfield ISD honors nonteaching staff with the Shining Star Award for exceptional service and contributions to their students and staff members. This year's recipient was Brenda Stewart. As a crossing guard, each morning Brenda gets up to ensure the safety of all students going to Mansfield ISD. I thank Brenda for all her hard work and her dedication to her community.

Congratulations to Chrisanna Melick on winning first place in the UIL State competition for journalism by leading the Waxahachie fine arts program. I pass on my sincerest congratulations to the team of Morgan Lenamond, Maven Navarro, Katie Walker, and Owen Bartosh. This entire team put on a brilliant performance to take Waxahachie High School to the top.

I congratulate Greg Ellis on being named the new head football coach for Southwestern Assemblies of God University. I wish him good luck.

I congratulate Elizabeth Tull on being awarded the Excellence in Community Service Award by the Rebecca Boyce Chapter of the national Daughters of the American Revolution and for being crowned the Crape Myrtle Queen at the annual Crape Myrtle Festival in Waxahachie.

I congratulate Nolan Haisler on being recognized for 50 years of service as an H-E-B Ennis partner. Yes, that is 50 years at H-E-B. This honor recognizes him for his commitment to the city of Ennis that will leave a lasting impact for many years to come.

It is always a big deal when a small-town boy makes it to the big leagues. From Navarro College to SMU, and now with the Indianapolis Colts, I congratulate Trevor Denbow on his achievement. He showed hard work pays off, and I know his family is very proud of him, as is the entire city.

I congratulate Sonia Rivera on being awarded Detention Officer of the Year by the Navarro County Sheriff's Office for 2021.

I want to bring attention to five young women who earned the honor of receiving the Girl Scouts Gold Award: Dani DelVecchio, Samantha Aos, Julia Daniel, Caelin Whitley, and Camden Woolery. To receive this award, they each had to help fix a problem in their community or make a lasting change in their world.

Dani worked with Legacy Oaks, a retirement facility in Midlothian, to create garden buckets for the residents. She and her volunteers built two garden centers containing eight semi-self-sustaining garden buckets. The buckets are housed in a structure that allows easy access, regardless of a person's mobility level. Plants chosen for the gardens are easy to grow, high yielding, and compatible with each other, eliminating the need for pesticides. The new gardens encourage the residents to go outside, socialize, and offer an ongoing activity. The newly formed Green Thumb Club at the facility will maintain the gardens using instructions Dani provided.

Samantha partnered with the Texas Conservation Alliance and Ducks Unlimited to address wood duck habitation loss. After learning that north Texas is along the path of the central flyway, the primary flight route for migratory birds, Samantha created resting spots and safe havens to protect these birds from predators. Together with her volunteers, Samantha built and installed 20 wood duck nesting boxes in three counties in north Texas. The Texas Conservation Alliance has agreed to monitor the boxes, which will provide homes for generations of wood ducks to protect the eggs from predators and support population growth.

Julia's project was designed to assist older individuals with the difficult task of downsizing. Working with her church, Julia identified individuals who needed to organize and declutter their homes. She set up consultations with each family and set goals and dates to sort through items. With volunteer assistance, each family determined what they would donate, throw away, and keep during the process. The families were able to declutter in a positive way, even under difficult circumstances like a family death. The youth group at her church will consider continuing this service with instructions on the process provided by Julia.

Caelin used her love of performing arts to start a local theater company to serve youth. Working with an anonymous donor and a local dance studio, Caelin was able to offer young artists the opportunity to be part of a theater production and work with professional actors at no cost. Twenty-three students created a production together, running tech or being a part of the cast. With her volunteers, Caelin organized the rental of the performing space, the selection of the play, rehearsal planning, and all costuming. Using Caelin's framework, The Troupe Theater has become a nonprofit organization that will offer low-cost theater experiences to local youth.

Camden's project supported The Outlet Thrift Store, a nonprofit that helps fund camps and special projects for at-risk youth. The organization historically had difficulty processing donations quickly. Recognizing the relationship between inventory on the sales floor and potential revenue to benefit children, Camden built shelving units, added organizational bins with labels, and established a system to streamline the donation receiving process. The new system allowed merchandise to be placed on the floor for sale in a much quicker and efficient manner. The store will maintain the new organization system moving forward and use a similar process when they open new stores.

These are just a few examples of some outstanding people living in Texas' Sixth District. It is my privilege to honor them on the House floor.

Every Sunday, after the ``joys'' would come ``concerns,'' and there was never a shortage because everyone knew in Matthew he says: ``Where two or three are gathered in my name I am in the midst of them.'' It is no different today, and we face a great number of challenges in our country.

So I ask that you keep all Americans in your prayers.

Pray for our farmers and ranchers, who have faced incredible trials and tribulations these past couple of years as they continue to provide for all of us.

Pray for those affected by the war in Ukraine as they face an aggressor who cares not for morality and willfully disregards the importance of human life.

Pray for those affected by the fentanyl epidemic, which has devastated our communities.

Pray for the families who have lost loved ones and the innocent human life taken by human slavery as a result of the disarray in human trafficking at our border.

Continue to keep the people of Uvalde, especially the families of those most affected, in your prayers.

Keep those struggling with mental health in your prayers, and be a voice of light in a time of darkness to those who need help. Keep joy in your hearts, hope in man, and faith in God.

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

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