[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAY AREA HOUSTON ECONOMIC 
                              PARTNERSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BRIAN BABIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2016

  Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 
40th anniversary of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP).
  For these past 40 years, BAHEP has been an indispensable ally in 
building economic prosperity in Houston and across southeast Texas. 
What began as a special project of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce 
in 1976, to promote business opportunities in greater Houston, has 
become a champion for economic development across southeast Texas. The 
passion and business acumen of BAHEP's member community these past 40 
years will continue to fuel BAHEP's success for the next 40 years and 
beyond.
  BAHEP has played an indispensable role in attracting and mobilizing 
the businesses and industries of southeast Texas. From their 2002 role 
in defining Johnson Space Center (JSC) as the home of manned 
spaceflight, to their assistance with the recovery after Hurricane Ike 
in 2008, BAHEP has both shaped and reshaped southeast Texas.
  Under Bob Mitchell's leadership, BAHEP has launched new initiatives 
and expanded their advocacy on behalf of Houston's chemical, shipping, 
medical, aerospace and space industries, and the workforce on which 
those industries rely. Most recently, in 2015, BAHEP worked with the 
Houston Airport System to successfully petition the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) to designate Ellington Airport as Texas' second 
spaceport.
  It is my distinct honor to recognize and celebrate the 40th 
anniversary of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. I look 
forward to seeing what heights of technological progress and economic 
prosperity this incredible coalition of job creators will foster in the 
next 40 years and beyond.

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