[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 208 (Wednesday, December 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H5121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING SUPPORT FOR RURAL AREAS

  (Mr. Baumgartner of Washington was recognized to address the House 
for 5 minutes.)
  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the final 
passage of S. 356, the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 
2025, which will now be sent to the President's desk.
  This much-needed legislation was one of my priorities in coming to 
Congress. It will give our rural areas the support they need for their 
schools, and it brings much-needed certainty to rural communities and 
school districts that have depended on this program for generations.
  The Secure Rural Schools program has been a lifeline for rural 
communities and school districts across America. Since 1908, the 
Federal law has required the U.S. Forest Service to share 25 percent of 
revenues from Federal forest lands with local government to support 
public education.
  As timber revenues declined due to foolish Federal regulations and 
ill-sighted reduced timber harvests, Congress acted in 2000 to create 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, 
preserving vital funding for our most rural communities. When last 
reauthorized in 2023, this program delivered more than $281 million 
nationwide to help keep teachers, classrooms and students on 
schoolbuses.
  I represent rural areas like the counties of Pend Oreille, Stevens, 
Ferry, and Columbia, where school leaders tell me how essential these 
funds are to keep programs running. With this reauthorization, those 
communities finally have the stability they need to plan for the 
future.
  This is not a partisan issue. It is a promise to rural America. By 
reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools and sending this bill to the 
President's desk, we are keeping faith with the communities that 
steward our national forests.


                   Honoring Ambassador Asif Chaudhry

  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate one of the 
bright lights of eastern Washington. In my view, eastern Washington is 
truly the home of the American Dream. From the mountains of the 
Colville region to the rolling hills of the Palouse, our region 
embodies the values of opportunity, hard work, and perseverance that 
define America at its best.
  This week's shining example of that spirit is my friend, Ambassador 
Asif Chaudhry. Born in Pakistan, U.S. Ambassador Asif Chaudhry earned 
his bachelor's degree there, followed by a master's degree from the 
American University of Beirut. We might say this is a unique and 
perhaps unusual path for an American Ambassador, but it represents what 
is possible with the American Dream.
  After leaving the Middle East, like so many who have come to our 
Nation in search of a better future, he found his way to Pullman, 
Washington, and to Washington State University where he pursued his 
Ph.D.
  From a small college town in eastern Washington, and then marrying 
into a local farm family, he decided to enter the U.S. Foreign Service 
after receiving his citizenship. He went on to serve our Nation with 
distinction in postings around the world including Cairo, Poland, and 
Russia. He later served as the United States Deputy Administrator to 
the Foreign Agricultural Service and rose to become the United States 
Ambassador to Moldova, dealing with complex issues in the former Soviet 
Union.
  Throughout his career, he held key positions that advanced America's 
interests abroad with integrity and purpose in service of America's 
national security. When his diplomatic service abroad concluded, he 
returned home to Pullman, where he served as vice president 
of International Programs at Washington State University, preparing the 
next generation of global leaders and strengthening the bridge between 
our local communities and the world.

  Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Chaudhry's life is a powerful testament to 
what the American Dream is all about. No matter where we begin, with 
hard work, dedication, love of the United States of America, and a 
commitment to the values of the United States of America, we can 
achieve extraordinary things.
  His story reminds us the American Dream is not a relic of the past. 
It is alive and thriving in eastern Washington. We thank Ambassador 
Chaudhry for being a role model to all of us who believe America 
remains a land of limitless possibility.

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