[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 122 (Wednesday, July 16, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3322-H3323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING CENTRALIA'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

  (Ms. Perez of Washington was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the city of 
Centralia's 150th anniversary.
  My grandpa still talks with a glint in his eye about saving up milk 
bottle caps during the war to go watch movies at the Centralia Fox 
Theatre.
  Centralia is what we all dream of as the center of the country. 
Though not perfect, it is honest, vibrant, and furiously proud of its 
heritage. There is a correct ordering of pride based on real skill and 
deep neighborliness. We have a relationship to our land and water of 
stewardship and necessity, not just exploitation or recreation.
  If my colleagues haven't made it, there is an excellent shop class 
and State-winning athletics. Their community college is one of the 
longest in existence in our State with some of the brightest and 
kindest students I have met. The Mexican food at La Tarasca is 
unrivaled.
  We stand in gratitude to all the folks who have put their life's work 
into stewarding this incredible community and town, ensuring and 
modeling for the country what is worth fighting for and fighting over.


                           Honoring SkillsUSA

  Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Speaker, many of us mourn the cultural shift in our 
country toward an identity that is oriented around what we can buy and 
flash on social media.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep pride in the 90 students 
representing 15 high schools in my district who placed in the statewide 
SkillsUSA competition. These are young people who believe and manifest 
deep cultural regard for making things, doing things, and being 
captains of their own ship.
  My husband actually placed in auto tech for SkillsUSA in high school 
in Oregon. It is still one of his proudest life accomplishments, and I 
know it will be for many of these students, too.
  I believe that every child who works hard should have the opportunity 
to be the smartest kid in their school at some point in the day. I 
applaud SkillsUSA for ensuring that kids who are gifted in the trades, 
whether it is carpentry, baking, robotics, or my favorite, auto tech, 
have the chance to be proud of who they are and have their skills 
recognized and honored.
  We congratulate everyone who placed in Washington State's SkillsUSA 
competition. I am so proud of them. I know the community is, too. Their 
work is central to the reinvigoration of economic self-determination 
and agency in America.


 Celebrating Centralia Police Department's Chief for a Day Roman Wagner

  Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Roman Wagner, a 6-
year-old from Adina with leukemia, who became Centralia Police 
Department's Chief for a Day.
  There are 18 law enforcement agencies who take part in Chief for a 
Day, which honors the bravery, resilience, and spirit of kids who are 
living with chronic diseases and illnesses.
  I know that good kids don't come from nowhere and that it is long 
work to raise a fighter who believes in public service. I thank law 
enforcement agencies who have advanced the long work of building safe 
and strong communities.
  To Roman, I hope the power doesn't go to his head. I hope he doesn't 
actually go to the playground and arrest his big brother at school.
  Whether he chooses to pursue a career as a zookeeper or a police 
officer, I want him to know he is valued and that some of our bravest 
civil servants stand with him wherever life leads him.


Honoring National Junior High Finals Rodeo Participants Brooklynn Bell 
                            and Jace Harris

  Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two teens from 
southwest Washington who recently competed in the National Junior High 
Finals Rodeo.
  Brooklynn Bell, a 14-year-old from Rainier, finished in second place 
for breakaway roping. Bell, along with her horse, Shirley, became the 
first roper from Washington State to place in the top two in the last 
10 years.

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  Jace Harris, from Tenino, also competed in the tie-down roping, team 
roping, and goat tying. The two of them teamed up for ribbon roping.
  If Jace and Brooklynn need to rope a goat, there are plenty of them 
here in D.C. to practice on. We welcome them anytime.
  We are so proud of them for their relationship to their animals, for 
their pride and pursuit of durable skills, for their tenacity, and for 
keeping our heritage and relationship to land and animals one of 
intimacy and necessity and not purely recreation.
  We are so proud of them and applaud them for their work. We look 
forward to seeing what is next for both of them.

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