[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H4690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING WES ANDERSON

  (Mr. Baumgartner of Washington was recognized to address the House 
for 5 minutes.)
  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note the passing of a 
great American, a great patriot, and a friend, Mr. Wes Anderson of 
Spokane, Washington.
  Wes was known across the communities of Spokane County for his 
exemplary service to fellow veterans who knew him best as ``Doc.''
  Wes was a lifelong Spokanite whose life was defined by service, first 
in Vietnam where he served as a hospital corpsman and later across our 
communities where he had time for every veteran.
  The moments in Vietnam crystallized a lifetime of determination to 
serve veterans when, on his return to the United States, he had to 
fight his way through a crowd of war protesters on his flight home. His 
service to veterans took the form of over five decades of service 
through leadership roles in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he was 
honored for his work as a chaplain, and through various initiatives, 
small and large, that included his support for the residents of 
Spokane's veterans homes, 20 consecutive years of cleaning the Spokane 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial on each Memorial Day, and his volunteer work 
for veterans organizations such as Heroes Homestead.
  With Wes' passing, there is a void in our community that will be felt 
for many years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, Wes was a patriot, a great American, and a friend. I 
speak for the entire Spokane community when I say that he will be 
sincerely missed.


                recognizing the ewu eagles football team

  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Eastern 
Washington University Eagles football team as they prepare for what 
promises to be a fantastic 2026 season.
  Everyone in eastern Washington knows that EWU plays some of the most 
exciting brands of football in the Western United States, and I know 
personally that their tailgating in Cheney is second to none.
  They are led by Coach Best, a former All-Big Sky center and Eastern 
Washington alum who has had an exemplary career as coach of the Eags.
  The Eastern Washington Eagles have a stacked schedule this fall with 
away games at Northern Arizona, South Dakota, University of Washington, 
UC Davis, University of Idaho, and Utah Tech, while welcoming schools 
like Northern Iowa, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado, Montana, Montana 
State, and Portland State to Cheney.
  I look forward to a great season of Eastern football, and I know the 
Eastern Eagles will be very competitive. I am sure the coach, his 
staff, every student-athlete, and the student body of Eastern all look 
forward to this exciting season.
  Go Eags.

                              {time}  1045


                         recognizing tim merck

  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Spokane native 
Tim Merck, an outstanding businessman, philanthropist, and family man. 
He and his wife, Beth, have raised an outstanding family.
  Tim built a multimillion dollar business in Spokane from the ground 
up, Old World Christmas, which was known across the country and across 
the world as providing the best Christmas ornaments anyone can find.
  Today, I also want to recognize a bit of trivia about Tim. When he 
sent his son and daughter to Notre Dame, he realized that there was not 
a leprechaun sculpture on Notre Dame's campus, and Tim set out to 
rectify that. Tim and Beth Merck, along with their children, Jon and 
Katherine, have long demonstrated a commitment to preserving stories 
and dreams in their operation.
  Jon and Katherine fulfilled a dream for their grandmother by 
attending and graduating from Notre Dame. When they noticed that the 
leprechaun was not there, they reached out to the president, and today, 
there is this leprechaun statue at gate 10 of the Purcell Pavilion, the 
very gate through which the Leprechaun Legion enters the arena to cheer 
on their basketball and volleyball teams.
  This is a tremendous story. Tim is also a very proud graduate of the 
University of Idaho, and upon presenting the leprechaun, he said: I 
guess it takes a Vandal to make sure that the students of Notre Dame 
have a leprechaun to celebrate.
  Mr. Speaker, Tim is a great American and a great friend. I love him 
and Beth. Go Vandals. Go Irish.

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