[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]




               REMEMBERING PRINCIPLES THAT BUILT AMERICA

  Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, as America celebrates 250 years of 
independence, we should remember what has made this country great for 
two-and-a-half centuries: faith, strong families, hard work, personal 
responsibility, service to our neighbors, respect for those who defend 
our country and our communities, and the fundamental belief that 
government should serve the American people, not control them.
  These values are alive and well in Kansas. I often say that the Big 
First District is the pilot light of America because the principles 
that built this country are still burning brightly in the communities I 
get to represent.
  Today, our country faces a clear choice about the direction we are 
headed. Republicans believe in securing our borders, supporting law 
enforcement, strengthening our military, unleashing American energy, 
protecting our farmers and ranchers, and allowing hardworking Americans 
to keep more of the money that they earn.
  We believe parents should have a say in their children's education. 
We believe government should live within its means. We believe 
Washington should get out of the way so families, small businesses, and 
communities can thrive.

  We have watched as, time and time again, Democrats have offered a 
fundamentally different vision: more government spending, higher taxes, 
more regulation, weaker borders, and more control in Washington.
  Over the last two years, Republicans have worked with President Trump 
to move our country in a different direction. We secured historic tax 
relief for working families, restored order at our southern border, cut 
burdensome regulations, strengthened American agriculture, and brought 
common sense back to Washington.
  There is more work to do. The decisions our country makes in November 
will determine whether we continue down a path of freedom, opportunity, 
security, and American strength, or return to the failed policies that 
families across Kansas continue to reject.
  Madam Speaker, I believe deeply in this country. The American 
experiment has survived for 250 years because every generation has 
accepted the responsibility of preserving it for the next.
  Our responsibility now is clear: defend freedom, restore common 
sense, keep government accountable to the people, and leave our 
children a country that is stronger, safer, and freer than the one we 
inherited.


100th Anniversary of Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

  Mr. MANN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Golf Course 
Superintendents Association of America's 100th anniversary.
  GCSAA was founded in 1926 as the National Association of Greenkeepers 
of America by Colonel John Morley. GCSAA has now grown into a 
professional association, representing more than 20,000 members in more 
than 78 countries, and is headquartered in my Congressional District in 
Lawrence.
  For a century, the men and women represented by Golf Course 
Superintendents Association of America, or GCSAA, have played an 
essential role in one of our Nation's favorite pastimes. They 
understand turf, water, soil, weather, pest management, equipment, and 
conservation. They manage not only the course that golfers see, but the 
natural resources and the ecosystems that surround it.
  Perhaps the best way to understand the importance of golf course 
superintendents is through the words of one of golf's greatest 
ambassadors, Arnold Palmer, who said, ``The Golf Course Superintendents 
Association of America and all golf course superintendents are probably 
the most important entity that we have in golf.'' That is a powerful 
statement from a man who knew the game better than almost anyone.
  Madam Speaker, let us recognize the Golf Course Superintendents 
Association of America for a century of excellence and service. Let us 
thank the thousands of professionals who work behind the scenes to make 
the game possible.
  Let us congratulate GCSAA on 100 years of keeping the game of golf on 
course and its commitment to making the next 100 years even better.

                          ____________________