Recognizing Winners of 2025 Fourth District Congressional Speech Competition

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the winners of our 2025 Fourth Congressional District speech competition for the great State of Missouri. This is our second year to do this. It is a great competition.

Our next winner is Lucas Tate, who is a junior at Odessa High School. Lucas wrote: ``Freedom is a word that rings loud in the hearts of many Americans. We all know what freedom is. We all know what the absence of freedom feels like, but what does it mean to stand up for your freedom? Standing up for your freedom is not always loud, not always quiet. Standing up for your freedom is swimming against the school, looking for those who may follow. It is a war cry against the face of tyranny and injustice. It is a tough battle, one that we as Americans must be proud to face every day because, simply, it is American.''

Our next winner is Tanner Gill, who is in ninth grade at Raymore- Peculiar High School. Tanner wrote: ``Standing for freedom means protecting the rights and values that make America strong. In our country, this means making sure that people have justice, fairness, and the ability to speak freely. Everyone can help by being active in their community and standing up for what is right. Around the world, the U.S. supports freedom by helping people who live under unfair governments by promoting democracy. As a leader, America has a responsibility to set an example and defend human rights. Standing for freedom isn't just about words. It is about action. By respecting our history and working to protect freedom, we help make the world a better place.''

Our next winner is Riley Olendorff, who is a junior at Glasgow High School. Riley wrote: ``Standing for freedom is having courage, integrity, and speaking out against injustice. Freedom includes protecting the rights of others, even when it may be hard and challenging. We have to be able to defend our rights for ourselves and others when there is risk of being taken away. Freedom is not just about personal choices, advocating for fairness, and presenting different opinions now and for future generations. Past history has presented sacrifices from leaders and soldiers who defend our nations. True freedom grows when people are willing to stand up for themselves and others. As an American, I am fortunate enough to live in a free country, and I stand for what freedom means.''

I thank everyone who participated in this year's congressional speech competition, and I congratulate our winners. Recognizing Alewel's Country Meats

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Missouri's Fourth Congressional District May Small Business of the Month, Alewel's Country Meats.

What better month to highlight this amazing small business than National Beef Month?

What began as a small downtown grocery store in 1932, Alewel's has grown into a fixture of Warrensburg's local community.

This federally inspected meat processing and retail facility developed old German recipes to create quality fresh meats and homemade specialty products.

Randy Alewel, the third-generation CEO of Alewel's Country Meats, has expanded the facility four times now.

Today, we congratulate Alewel's Meats and thank them for their contributions to Missouri and the Fourth Congressional District. Recognizing Rick Fullerton

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our May Veteran of the Month, Mr. Rick Fullerton of Independence, Missouri. He is a World War II vet and lives at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg in our district.

Mr. Fullerton attended Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia and graduated in 1945. That September, he began his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He served as an accountant in Mobile, Alabama, and he is so proud of the fact that he was instrumental in making sure our servicemen got paid for their sacrifices.

Mr. Fullerton created a wonderful family with his wife, Betty, and 2 children, 4 stepchildren, 13 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

I am proud to honor Mr. Fullerton on the floor today, and I thank him for his service to our great Nation.

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