[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1857-H1858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MINNESOTA'S SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IS THE LAND OF HOCKEY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Emmer) for 5 minutes.
Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate two
young men from my district, Riley Tuft and Nick Althaus; Nick Althaus
for his memorable performance at the Minnesota High School State Hockey
Tournament last month, and Riley Tuft for his performance on the hockey
rink all year.
Riley Tuft of Blaine has been named Mr. Hockey, an award given to the
best high school senior hockey player in our great State of Minnesota.
This season alone, Tuft scored an incredible 49 goals and had 36
assists for 85 points in only 31 games. That is an amazing 2.74 points
per game.
Nick Althaus of St. Cloud won the Frank Brimsek Award, an annual
award given to Minnesota's top senior goaltender.
In Minnesota, hockey is not just a sport, it is a way of life. Many
young men and women work and train to win and participate in the best
State hockey tournament in the country.
Congratulations to Nick and Riley for their hard work and incredible
success this year, and best of luck in the future, both on and off the
rink.
A Strong Woman--Inside and Out
Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the
strength and endurance of St. Cloud native Laura Knoblach, who just,
last month, became the youngest woman to finish a double triathlon.
Laura finished the Double ANVIL Ultra Triathlon, a rigorous event
that consisted of swimming 4.8 miles, biking 224 miles, and running two
consecutive marathons. She finished all of this in less than 36 hours.
Not only did Laura complete an arduous triathlon, but she did so for
a good cause. She created a GoFundMe page titled ``A Tri to End
Trafficking,'' which raised money to help educate South African girls
and prevent them from becoming victims of sex trafficking.
Laura Knoblach is currently a junior at the University of Boulder in
Colorado, where she studies secondary education and majors in English
and Spanish. She hopes to one day teach English as a second language.
I have no doubt that Laura will accomplish all of her goals and more,
as she is the perfect example that anything is possible if you work
hard enough.
A Coach Remembered
Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the
astounding life and legacy of Coach Dean Taylor, who recently passed
away.
Coach Taylor founded the football program at Sartell High School and
built it into the powerhouse program it is today.
From Sartell, he went on to become an assistant coach at St. John's
University for eight seasons and then became head coach at St. Cloud
Cathedral from 2009 to 2012. Coach Taylor's impressive football resume
ultimately led to his induction into the Minnesota State Coaches
Association Hall of Fame.
However, it is not just the X's and O's of coaching that we will
remember about Coach Taylor. Coach Taylor will also--and maybe even
more importantly--be remembered for the incredible impact he made on
the lives of all the student athletes he touched.
Condolences to his wife, Kathy; his children, Steve and Kristi; as
well as his many friends and loved ones. I thank you for sharing your
husband and father with our community.
Restoring Americans' Trust in Government
Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the fact that
[[Page H1858]]
we just experienced yet another tax day in America, I rise today to
discuss a Federal agency that the American people have become extremely
disenchanted with, the Internal Revenue Service.
Over recent years, Americans have watched information coming out
detailing the inappropriate and unfortunate conduct by the IRS playing
politics rather than implementing policy.
The American people should not fear that a government agency will
make decisions based on partisan politics, which is why it is crucial
Congress address this problem now and not in the future.
This is why I cosponsored H.R. 1798, which will prohibit the
Department of the Treasury from assigning a tax status to organizations
based on their political beliefs and activities.
I thank my colleague, Congressman Randy Neugebauer, and Senator Ted
Cruz for their efforts in this initiative to restore some of the faith
and trust the American people have lost in its institution of
government.
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