Recognizing Ed Clark of the Wildlife Center of Virginia
Floor Speech
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I begin my remarks by stating that this body stands in support of the Nation of Israel, the only democratically- elected Nation in the Middle East.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ed Clark of the Wildlife Center of Virginia on his retirement after four decades.
Ed began the Wildlife Center of Virginia in 1981. Since then, the center has provided world-class care of wildlife, outstanding educational outreach, and dedicated professional training. Over the years, the center has gained recognition for several achievements, including developing the first comprehensive national wildlife health database for the real-time monitoring of emerging diseases in wildlife.
The center also provides professional training for more than 1,000 veterinary students and professionals, including undergraduate students, fourth-year veterinary students, postdoctoral interns, fellows, and residents from every veterinary school in the United States, Canada, and nearly 40 other countries.
Under Ed Clark's leadership, the center has grown from a small, local wildlife rehabilitation facility to a professionally staffed, internationally recognized training and research center deep in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ed Clark on his many years of success. I wish him a well-deserved retirement. Recognizing Snowbusters of Winchester, Virginia
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the snowbusters in Winchester, Virginia, for their excellent work during the recent snowstorms.
The snowbusters is a volunteer network created by the city of Winchester that is dedicated to removing snow and ice at no charge from walkways in front of the homes of senior citizens and people with disabilities who live in Winchester.
Thirteen snowbuster volunteers were called into service to homes within walking distance to reduce the need for volunteers driving to an assignment.
Once enrolled, the city gives volunteers a snow shovel and tells them to be ready whenever winter weather is in the forecast.
The program's only goal is to clear sidewalks in front of the homes of people who sign up for the service, but in several cases, the volunteers went even further and shoveled driveways as well.
The initiative was a huge success and very rewarding, and the community received it well. The snowbusters displayed the true testament of neighbors coming together to help neighbors and make a difference, and I commend them for their dedication to community service. Recognizing Waynesboro Police Department on 125 Years of Service
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Waynesboro Police Department for 125 years of dedicated service and sacrifice to keeping the city of Waynesboro safe.
1898 was the first year of the Waynesboro Police Department, when the city was much smaller and only a few officers were needed to patrol on foot.
Today, with a bustling city of more than 22,000 people and growing, patrol officers grapple with everything from cybercrime to drug crime and everything in between.
However, the job of the law enforcement officers remains true now as it did then: an increasingly difficult but utterly essential one of enforcing our laws and serving on the front lines of justice.
Throughout the years, the Waynesboro police chiefs and officers have been pushed, both mentally and physically, and have been willing to lay their lives on the line for others.
They have represented their community well and the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers across this great country. For that, they are all heroes.
Mr. Speaker, I thank all the retired and current officers for their efforts to make the city of Waynesboro a better and safer place, and I wish the Waynesboro Police Department another 125 years of success. Recognizing Coach Brad Lutz of William Byrd High School
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Coach Brad Lutz of William Byrd High School in Roanoke, Virginia, for being nominated by the Washington Commanders for the Don Shula National Football League High School Coach of the Year.
After leading the William Byrd Terriers to their first-ever football regional title and State semifinal appearance this past season, the Washington Commanders took notice of the teams' accomplishments and nominated Coach Lutz for this prestigious award.
The NFL will select two winners from each conference that the league comprises, and the Commanders are members of the NFC Conference.
The award winners will be announced in the week before the Super Bowl and each winner will receive $15,000 for their school and money as a personal award. The remaining 30 nominees each will receive $1,000 courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nike.
This nomination demonstrates the drive and dedication required to come together as a team and accomplish outstanding achievements.
Congratulations, again, to Coach Brad Lutz and the William Byrd football team players on this nomination and I wish them many more years of success. The American People Deserve Nothing Less Than a Safe and Secure Border
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Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, wherever you go across this country, citizens are very aware of the border crisis that President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas have created and are demanding that the Senate take immediate action on H.R. 2, the border security legislation we passed nearly a year ago, in addition to this House taking action to impeach Secretary Mayorkas.
In December, there were 300,000 illegal migrant encounters at our southern border. The month prior, there were 250,000 illegal migrant encounters. During his trip to Eagle Pass in Texas recently, Secretary Mayorkas admitted that the current release rate for migrants caught crossing the border illegally is more than 85 percent.
Make no mistake, Secretary Mayorkas has neglected his constitutional duty to protect the homeland and enforce our immigration laws. I urge this House to take action to impeach Secretary Mayorkas due to his incompetence, but also increase pressure on the Senate to quit wasting time and take up H.R. 2, which finishes the construction of our wall, fights the cartels, and keeps our communities safe.
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