[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING LIFE AND LEGACY OF GEORGE DEAN

  (Mr. Stanton of Arizona was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of George Dean, a pillar of our Arizona community, who passed away last 
week at the age of 88.
  George led the Greater Phoenix Urban League for more than three 
decades, serving as its president and CEO. He worked tirelessly to make 
a real difference in the lives of Arizonans, creating pathways to jobs, 
to education, and to homeownership. He did it all while remaining a 
steadfast voice for civil rights and economic opportunity.
  Now, I had the proud honor of working with George, seeing his great 
work firsthand for many years. When I served as mayor of Phoenix, I 
worked with George to help low-income families get assistance with 
their energy bills. George was passionate to make sure that Arizonans 
got our fair share of LIHEAP resources.
  I saw his passion for affordable housing so people in need can live 
with dignity. No one worked harder to create summer job opportunities 
for local teenagers. I saw how deeply he cared about lifting up every 
member of our community. To his last day, George worked to support the 
people of our community.

  George Dean's impact will be felt across Arizona for generations to 
come, and he is owed a tremendous debt of gratitude for his decades of 
selfless sacrifice and service.
  My thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the entire Greater 
Phoenix Urban League community.


                     Remembering Balbir Singh Sodhi

  Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark 25 years since the 
tragic attacks of September 11 and to remember a life tragically taken 
in their aftermath in my own district.
  Twenty-five years ago today, Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered at his 
Mesa gas station while planting flowers outside. He was the very first 
victim of a hate crime after 9/11. He was murdered because of the color 
of his skin and the turban he wore in keeping with his Sikh faith.
  It was a senseless act of hatred, but in the years since, Arizona's 
Sikh community has transformed that tragedy into something greater: a 
call for peace, for understanding, for unity, and for forgiveness, a 
call for this country to live up to its founding values.
  Every year, we gather at the place where Balbir's life was taken to 
honor his memory and to remind our community that hate has no place 
here. His brother, Rana, and his extended family have carried that 
message with remarkable grace.
  To honor Balbir, we must keep building a community and a country that 
welcomes everyone, that reaffirms that diversity, unity, and acceptance 
are at the heart of our founding values.
  My heart remains with his family and with Arizona's Sikh community, 
who have shown us that love can and must prevail.

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