[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING DAVID NELSON

                                  _____
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 23, 2026

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend David 
Nelson for his service at Amtrak. After 35 years of service at Amtrak, 
David will be retiring on March 2, 2026.
  David started his career as a computer systems manager for former 
House Majority Whip Tony Coelho. During that time, Congress passed the 
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). After working in Congress, David 
began working at Amtrak. During his time at Amtrak, he has taught 
numerous employees and executives throughout the organization about the 
ADA. He was a catalyst for Amtrak's march toward accessibility when he 
started in 1990, and he has not stopped since.
  A tireless advocate for people with disabilities in transportation, 
David was an active member of the National Association of the Deaf 
(NAD) and received its Frederick C. Schrieber Distinguished Service 
Award in 2004, as well as the RIT 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award for 
the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). He represented 
NAD on numerous business and association accessibility councils, 
including at Amtrak, Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Greyhound 
Lines, Open Doors Organization and NTID Advisory Group.
  In his spare time, David served as president of the District of 
Columbia Association of the Deaf and the Florida School for the Deaf 
Alumni Association. While he is a proud alumnus of the Florida School 
for the Deaf and the Blind, elementary and middle school were difficult 
years for David. He was mainstreamed in the local schools, where 
students were not permitted to use American Sign Language and were 
physically reprimanded for doing so. David's grandmother supported his 
transfer to the Florida School for the Deaf for high school, which set 
him on a path toward college and a career.
  David holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems from the 
Rochester Institute of Technology as well as an Associate's Degree in 
Data Processing from NTID. He has resided in the District of Columbia 
for approximately 40 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
thanking David Nelson for his contributions to Amtrak and our Nation.

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