[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 18 (Wednesday, January 31, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H322-H323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING ED CLARK OF THE WILDLIFE CENTER OF VIRGINIA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Cline) for 5 minutes.
Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I begin my remarks by stating that this body
stands in support of the Nation of Israel, the only democratically-
elected Nation in the Middle East.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ed Clark of the Wildlife Center of
Virginia on his retirement after four decades.
[[Page H323]]
Ed began the Wildlife Center of Virginia in 1981. Since then, the
center has provided world-class care of wildlife, outstanding
educational outreach, and dedicated professional training. Over the
years, the center has gained recognition for several achievements,
including developing the first comprehensive national wildlife health
database for the real-time monitoring of emerging diseases in wildlife.
The center also provides professional training for more than 1,000
veterinary students and professionals, including undergraduate
students, fourth-year veterinary students, postdoctoral interns,
fellows, and residents from every veterinary school in the United
States, Canada, and nearly 40 other countries.
Under Ed Clark's leadership, the center has grown from a small, local
wildlife rehabilitation facility to a professionally staffed,
internationally recognized training and research center deep in the
heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ed Clark on his many years of success. I
wish him a well-deserved retirement.
Recognizing Snowbusters of Winchester, Virginia
Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the snowbusters in
Winchester, Virginia, for their excellent work during the recent
snowstorms.
The snowbusters is a volunteer network created by the city of
Winchester that is dedicated to removing snow and ice at no charge from
walkways in front of the homes of senior citizens and people with
disabilities who live in Winchester.
Thirteen snowbuster volunteers were called into service to homes
within walking distance to reduce the need for volunteers driving to an
assignment.
Once enrolled, the city gives volunteers a snow shovel and tells them
to be ready whenever winter weather is in the forecast.
The program's only goal is to clear sidewalks in front of the homes
of people who sign up for the service, but in several cases, the
volunteers went even further and shoveled driveways as well.
The initiative was a huge success and very rewarding, and the
community received it well. The snowbusters displayed the true
testament of neighbors coming together to help neighbors and make a
difference, and I commend them for their dedication to community
service.
Recognizing Waynesboro Police Department on 125 Years of Service
Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Waynesboro Police
Department for 125 years of dedicated service and sacrifice to keeping
the city of Waynesboro safe.
1898 was the first year of the Waynesboro Police Department, when the
city was much smaller and only a few officers were needed to patrol on
foot.
Today, with a bustling city of more than 22,000 people and growing,
patrol officers grapple with everything from cybercrime to drug crime
and everything in between.
However, the job of the law enforcement officers remains true now as
it did then: an increasingly difficult but utterly essential one of
enforcing our laws and serving on the front lines of justice.
Throughout the years, the Waynesboro police chiefs and officers have
been pushed, both mentally and physically, and have been willing to lay
their lives on the line for others.
They have represented their community well and the hundreds of
thousands of law enforcement officers across this great country. For
that, they are all heroes.
Mr. Speaker, I thank all the retired and current officers for their
efforts to make the city of Waynesboro a better and safer place, and I
wish the Waynesboro Police Department another 125 years of success.
Recognizing Coach Brad Lutz of William Byrd High School
Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Coach Brad Lutz of
William Byrd High School in Roanoke, Virginia, for being nominated by
the Washington Commanders for the Don Shula National Football League
High School Coach of the Year.
After leading the William Byrd Terriers to their first-ever football
regional title and State semifinal appearance this past season, the
Washington Commanders took notice of the teams' accomplishments and
nominated Coach Lutz for this prestigious award.
The NFL will select two winners from each conference that the league
comprises, and the Commanders are members of the NFC Conference.
The award winners will be announced in the week before the Super Bowl
and each winner will receive $15,000 for their school and money as a
personal award. The remaining 30 nominees each will receive $1,000
courtesy of the NFL Foundation and Nike.
This nomination demonstrates the drive and dedication required to
come together as a team and accomplish outstanding achievements.
Congratulations, again, to Coach Brad Lutz and the William Byrd
football team players on this nomination and I wish them many more
years of success.
The American People Deserve Nothing Less Than a Safe and Secure Border
Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, wherever you go across this country, citizens
are very aware of the border crisis that President Biden and Secretary
Mayorkas have created and are demanding that the Senate take immediate
action on H.R. 2, the border security legislation we passed nearly a
year ago, in addition to this House taking action to impeach Secretary
Mayorkas.
In December, there were 300,000 illegal migrant encounters at our
southern border. The month prior, there were 250,000 illegal migrant
encounters. During his trip to Eagle Pass in Texas recently, Secretary
Mayorkas admitted that the current release rate for migrants caught
crossing the border illegally is more than 85 percent.
Make no mistake, Secretary Mayorkas has neglected his constitutional
duty to protect the homeland and enforce our immigration laws. I urge
this House to take action to impeach Secretary Mayorkas due to his
incompetence, but also increase pressure on the Senate to quit wasting
time and take up H.R. 2, which finishes the construction of our wall,
fights the cartels, and keeps our communities safe.
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