[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 202 (Wednesday, December 3, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4998-H4999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING OMAYRA ANDINO

  (Mr. Latimer of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the public service and 
accomplishments of Omayra Andino, who this week completed two terms, or 
and 4 years, as mayor of the village of Tuckahoe, with prior service on 
the village board as trustee.
  Mayor Andino, in her professional career, has shown executive skill 
and leadership as CEO of the Institute for Applied Human Dynamics, an 
organization that supports people with intellectual and developmental 
disabilities, helping them to live their lives on their own terms.
  Managing that team and its mission across Westchester would be a task 
enough for anyone, but Mayor Andino added the responsibilities of 
elected office in Tuckahoe, a village of over 6,000 people in one 
compact square mile.
  Tuckahoe local government has all of the responsibilities of any 
municipal entity: police protection, sanitation, parks and recreation, 
planning and land use functions, and more. Her leadership as mayor, 
chairing the village and the board, and providing policy direction and 
oversight to the professional village staff brought Tuckahoe into a new 
era, an era of capital improvement and better service delivery.
  Her achievements come as she was the first woman and, as a Latina, 
the first person of color to lead the village government. She did not 
seek a third term and has left Tuckahoe in the capable hands of her 
colleague, new Mayor Cara Kronen, who was sworn in this past Monday.
  Omayra has earned the respect of all of us, and we salute her as she 
completes her exemplary service to the people of Tuckahoe.


                           Fair Pay for Ellie

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which was 
recently reintroduced by Congressmen  Bobby Scott and Pete Sessions.
  This bill is a long, overdue modernization of the Fair Labor 
Standards

[[Page H4999]]

Act of 1938. In it, section 14(c) permitted people with disabilities to 
be paid less than Federal minimum wage with little hope of advancement.
  Today, those employed under 14(c) waivers make an average of $3.50 
per hour. While originally well-intended, section 14(c) has not lived 
up to its promise, and it needs to change.
  Two of my constituents recognized this injustice as it relates to 
their loved one, a high schooler, Ellie, who wants to be paid fairly.
  Over 10 days, the father-son duo ran 260 miles from New York City to 
Washington, D.C., to raise awareness for the bill.
  Their run raised national awareness, and it is now up to us to act. 
Together, we can support those workers by ensuring that they earn the 
fair pay that they deserve.


           Recognizing Rye High School Garnets Football Team

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the Rye High School 
Garnets football team as they head to Syracuse to compete in the New 
York State Athletic Championship for Class A under the JMA Wireless 
Dome, previously the Carrier Dome.
  This Class A State championship game is much watched across the State 
of New York. Under the legendary 50-year leadership of Coach Dino Garr, 
Rye High School football teams have won four State championships and 
are now competing against Brighton for their fifth State championship.
  This year's squad is led by quarterback Carson Miller; wide receiver 
Henry Shoemaker; running back Jagger Fenton; and the aptly named 
Charlie Garnet, Garnet being the school mascot.
  Their strong offense mowed down all of the competitors in section 1 
football and through five post-season games with huge margins, winning 
over Minisink Valley and Cornwall in the earlier games.
  We salute the players and the coaches that have made the city of Rye 
proud. Go Garnets.

                          ____________________