[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PORT WIDENING AND DEEPENING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gianforte). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I applaud President Trump on including 
$13 million for widening and deepening the project at the Port of 
Corpus Christi in its fiscal year 2019 budget. Widening and deepening 
the port is critical not only to the local economy in Corpus Christi, 
but to the entire Nation.
  While getting the funding in the President's budget is a huge 
victory, it is still just an early step in a lengthy process. Congress 
still needs to approve and appropriate the funds for this project over 
multiple years.
  I encourage my colleagues in the House and Senate to support this 
appropriation and grow the Port of Corpus Christi and our Nation's 
energy sector.
  Corpus Christi is the Nation's largest port for energy exports, 
shipping out crude oil, petroleum products, and LNG. Widening the ship 
channel will allow for two-way barge traffic, and deepening it to 54 
feet will allow for larger ships to enter and exit the port, creating 
more economic growth and good jobs for American workers.
  This project has been one of my top priorities since coming to 
Congress in 2010 and will continue to be a priority as long as I am 
here.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in supporting this widening and deepening 
project.


               Celebrating 100th Birthday of John McCain

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I suspect we all know Senator John 
McCain, but we should also know World War II veteran John McCain from 
Wharton, Texas, who just turned 100 years old.
  Mr. McCain was born in Texas on February 15, 1918. When he was just 7 
years old, he joined the workforce going door to door with his Shetland 
pony circulating fliers for local businesses. In the years leading up 
to World War II, he traveled to Los Angeles to learn to be a diesel 
mechanic and then promptly enlisted in the Texas National Guard, 36th 
Tank Company, as a diesel mechanic. On January 16, 1941, he was 
deployed to Fort Benning.
  Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, McCain was deployed to 
Hawaii. After we defeated the Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway, 
McCain's unit was moved to Fort Chaffee before being deployed to 
Europe where he and his unit swept through southern Germany and 
eventually met the Russian Army in Czechoslovakia in 1945.

  After the war, McCain worked for a natural gas pipeline company in 
Liberty, Texas, for 35 years. After retiring, he moved back to his 
hometown of Wharton. During his retirement, he has traveled by RV to 
all 48 continental States and nine provinces in Canada. He has also 
traveled the world, visiting 42 countries. He often says: When you are 
100 years old, you just go wherever the wind blows you.
  Mr. McCain, thank you for your service to our country and to your 
community. I hope you had a great 100th birthday.


                         Remembering Joe Fulton

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to remember the life of 
a great constituent and family friend, Joe Fulton, who passed away 
recently at the age of 83.
  Joe not only lived in Corpus Christi, but he helped shape the city's 
skylines. His projects, as a general contractor, include the Art Museum 
of South Texas; Texas State Aquarium; the Bayfront Omni Hotel; Frost 
Bank Tower; the Nueces County Courthouse; the Hayden Head Terminal at 
the Corpus Christi International Airport; and Whataburger Field, home 
of the Corpus Christi Hooks, just to name a few. Fulton's work received 
national attention, when, in 1993, the Engineering News-Record named 
his company, Fulton Construction, one of the top contractors in the 
United States.
  In addition to his work as a contractor, Joe was a member of the Port 
of Corpus Christi Commission from 1985 to 1998 and fought for the 
widening and deepening of the port. He served as chairman of the Port 
of Corpus Christi Commission from 1991 to 1996. He was also a board 
member of the Cullen/Frost Bank, trustee and chairman of the Driscoll 
Foundation, director of the Texas State Historical Association, 
chairman of the Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance, and president 
of the Corpus Christi Tourist Bureau.
  Joe's impact on our community will live on for a long time. We will 
miss you, Joe.

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