[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 194 (Wednesday, November 29, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               KAMI WELCH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED PERLMUTTER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 29, 2017

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kami Welch for 
being honored by the West Chamber of Commerce.
  Kami graduated with a degree in Public Relations and Communications 
from the University of Oregon. She pursued a career in that field as 
well as in the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career, Kami has 
volunteered with nonprofit organizations that focus on children, 
education, homelessness and domestic violence.
  Currently, Kami is the President of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. 
Having worked in the Chamber sector for eight years, she has developed 
a passion for community, business growth and creative marketing 
strategies.
  Outside of work, Kami participates on many boards and in several 
leadership roles such as Family Tree Next Gen, Arvada Vitality 
Alliance, Jefferson County Business Education Alliance, Red Rocks 
Community College Student Mentorship Program, Western Association of 
Chamber Executives Emerging Leaders Program and more. Additionally, 
Kami is a wife, mother of two little boys, a community volunteer and a 
leader of a local business.
  I extend my deepest congratulations to Kami Welch for this well-
deserved honor from the West Chamber of Commerce.

                        21ST CENTURY RESPECT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 28, 2017

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 995, 
the 21st Century Respect Act.
  This legislation amends the naming conventions for certain racial and 
ethnic identities in official reports from the Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior. Specifically 
this legislation replaces the terms ``Negro,'' ``Oriental,'' and 
``Spanish Surname'' with ``African American,'' ``Asian American,'' and 
``Hispanic.''
  These terminology changes would most notably affect the USDA and 
Department of Interior programs for financing and insuring loans for 
properties in rural areas. By more accurately describing racial 
backgrounds and places of origin in official program documents, federal 
agencies can demonstrate a commitment to using respectful and 
appropriate language. In the current political climate, it is more 
important than ever to denounce the use of pejorative and historically 
discriminatory language. H.R. 995 provides a clear step we can take to 
promote equality in our country. The terms being replaced are outdated 
and it is distressing that the government has not updated these 
regulations sooner.
  We must confront persistent forms of discrimination whenever 
possible, and H.R. 995 gives us an opportunity to do so. Eliminating 
derogatory identity labels from our lexicon is important both in 
federal program documents and in our everyday speech. I support this 
bill and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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