[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 22975-22976]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPION WASHINGTON HUSKIES

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 517) congratulating the University of Washington 
women's softball team for winning the 2009 Women's College World 
Series.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 517

       Whereas, on June 2, 2009, for the first time in school 
     history, the Women Huskies won the NCAA National Softball 
     Championship game with a 3-2 victory over the University of 
     Florida;
       Whereas University of Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie 
     was named the Women's College World Series MVP and the USA 
     Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year;
       Whereas the Huskies finished the 2009 season with an 
     impressive record of 51-12;
       Whereas the members of the 2009 University of Washington 
     softball team are excellent representatives of a university 
     that is one of the premier academic institutions in 
     Washington State, producing many outstanding student-athletes 
     and other leaders; and
       Whereas the members of the women's softball have brought 
     great honor to themselves, their families, the University of 
     Washington, and the State of Washington: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) congratulates the University of Washington for winning 
     the 2009 Women's College World Series;
       (2) recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, 
     students, and staff whose hard work and dedication helped the 
     University of Washington win the championship; and
       (3) respectfully requests the Clerk of the House to 
     transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to President of 
     the University of Washington, Mark A. Emmert; the Director of 
     Athletics of the University of Washington, Scott Woodward, 
     and the Coach of the University of Washington softball team, 
     Heather Tarr.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Chu) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 
517 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CHU. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I rise today to congratulate the University of Washington softball 
team for their victory in the 2009 NCAA Division I tournament. On June 
2, softball fans were treated to an exceptional game as the Washington 
Huskies defeated the Florida Gators and clinched their first national 
title. The close 3-2 win capped off a phenomenal season that saw the 
Huskies go 51-12.
  I want to extend my congratulations to head coach Heather Tarr and 
assistant coaches Gina Carbonatto and Lance Glascoe. Coach Tarr played 
softball for the Huskies in 1988 when they placed second in the Women's 
College World Series. She returned to her alma mater in 2003 and 
delivered Washington their first women's softball national title.
  Congratulations are also in order for pitcher Danielle Lawrie. 
Lawrie, a junior from Langley, British Columbia, led the Nation in 
strikeouts and wins. She was named the 2009 USA Softball National 
Player of the Year. In addition, Lawrie was one of five finalists for 
the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup, which honors the top female 
athlete in collegiate athletics.
  The Huskies showed incredible effort and ability during their run to 
the championship. Niki Williams set a Women's College World Series 
record with 10 RBIs and an unbelievable seven of them were in one game 
against the University of Georgia. During the College World Series, the 
Washington Huskies batted .304 and scored 32 runs over six games. This 
followed a two-game sweep of Georgia Tech in Atlanta and a dramatic 15-
inning win over the University of Massachusetts to clinch a spot in the 
super-regionals.
  The extraordinary achievement of this year is a tribute to the skill 
and dedication of the many players, coaches, students, alumni, families 
and fans that have helped to make the University of Washington a 
premier softball program. I know the fans of the University of 
Washington will revel in these accomplishments as they look forward to 
the 2010 series.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I congratulate the University of Washington 
softball team for their success and thank Representative McDermott for 
bringing this resolution forward.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I 
might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 517, 
congratulating the University of Washington women's softball team for 
winning the 2009 Women's College World Series.
  The University of Washington is a public research university founded 
in 1861. It is one of the oldest State-supported institutions of higher 
education on the west coast. UW is located in Seattle, Washington, and 
the university has two additional branch campuses in Tacoma and 
Bothell, Washington. The university offers over 250 degrees within 150 
departments, programs across 18 colleges and schools and employs over 
4,100 full-time equivalent faculty members. UW operates and manages two 
major medical centers, UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center.
  The university receives more Federal research funding than any other 
public university in the country, and the second most Federal research 
funding of all the universities in the country.
  The University of Washington's long history of excellence is 
reflected in its academic and athletic rankings and accomplishments. 
The university is considered a ``public ivy,'' and the U.S. News and 
World Report ranked UW 41st out of 130 tier 1 national universities. 
The university has 20 graduate programs ranked in the top 20 by U.S. 
News and World Report. And in 2008, the school placed 16th in the 
world's top universities, according to the Academic Ranking of World 
Universities.
  University of Washington's excellence and success extend to their 
athletics, as well as their academics. UW is a NCAA Division I-A 
school, and recent national championships include the softball team, 
the men's rowing team, NCAA Division I women's cross-country team, and 
the women's volleyball team.
  This year, led by National Player of the Year Danielle Lawrie, a 
member of the 2008 Canadian Olympic team, Washington's women's softball 
team advanced to the NCAA finals for the third time in school history. 
The number three Huskies rallied from two runs down in the top of the 
first inning to sweep top-ranked Florida in the best-of-three NCAA 
championship series. Washington ended the championship with a 3-2 
victory against the University of Florida.
  I'm honored today to congratulate and recognize the University of 
Washington's women's softball team for their victory as national 
champions in the 2009 Women's College World Series.
  I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentleman from 
Washington, the sponsor of this legislation, Mr. McDermott, for 3 
minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the University of 
Washington women's softball team for their winning of the 2009 Women's 
College World Series.
  I appreciate my colleague's kind words about our wonderful 
university, and it sounds like he might have wished to go there maybe.
  The road leading to the first NCAA National Softball Championship in 
the

[[Page 22976]]

University of Washington was very difficult and at times seemingly out 
of reach. At least that's what the pundits thought. But they didn't 
know these outstanding softball players and the extraordinary role 
models that they are. The Husky team never stopped striving to be the 
best, and no obstacle was too difficult to overcome, including sweeping 
the best-of-three championship series from top-seeded and top-ranked 
University of Florida.
  The Huskies deserve to be recognized as a team and as individuals, so 
let me tell you their names: Alicia Blake, Ashley Charters, Jenna 
Clifton, Amanda Fleischman, Lauren Geer, Felicia Harris, Marnie Koziol, 
Danielle Lawrie, Alyson McWherter, Kimi Pohlman, Jennifer Salling, 
Taylor Smith, Bailey Stenson, Dani Stuart, Morgan Stuart, Ashley 
Tuiasosopo, Jessica Ventoza, Ashlyn Watson and Niki Williams.

                              {time}  1100

  Baseball is a team sport. There are many outstanding players one 
could talk about, but it's won as team. And they were led by Coach 
Heather Tarr and Assistant Coaches Gina Carbonatto and Lance Glasoe, 
and they had a volunteer assistant by the name of J.T. D'Amico and a 
student assistant by the name of Dru Hester.
  Winning a national title is an achievement every college athlete and 
coach dreams about; yet sports is not just about athletic success, as 
important as that is. It's about dedication and hard work and teamwork, 
and it's about life, pursuing a dream and overcoming every obstacle to 
realize a dream. These young women had the chance to chase their dream, 
but that's because of the sacrifice of others.
  None of the athletes on the UW softball team were born when Patsy 
Mink stood in the well of this House and wrote and worked to pass Title 
IX in 1972, but they all enjoy the benefits of Patsy's vision. As a 
result of Title IX, women and girls have had greater opportunities to 
participate in sports. Title IX has enabled more women to receive 
athletic scholarships and greater opportunity for higher education. 
Many female athletes credit Title IX for giving them an opportunity to 
attend college through athletic scholarships and to participate in 
sports. In addition, because of Title IX, the salaries of coaches of 
women's teams have increased.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. CHU. I yield the gentleman another 1 minute.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. I congratulate the University of Washington women's 
softball team, but I also rise to honor every female athlete. Every 
time you compete, you remind us that all the sacrifice is worth it to 
make history and change history for generations to come.
  Congratulations to the women of the University of Washington softball 
team.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. A job well done, the University of Washington 
women's softball team, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 517.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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