[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1627]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA, CELEBRATES 129TH ANNUAL GROUNDHOG DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the town of 
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, held its 129th annual Groundhog Day 
celebration.
  Each year, I am honored to be a part of this celebration, being in 
the Pennsylvania Fifth Congressional District, but a snowstorm moving 
across the region forced me back down to Washington sooner than 
expected.
  Punxsutawney Phil was awakened from his burrow yesterday at 7:28 in 
the morning and, despite overcast skies, saw his shadow and predicted 6 
more weeks of winter.
  Groundhog Day is not only about Phil's prediction of the future and 
how soon the next season will be upon us; it is a celebration of our 
past, the Commonwealth heritage, and a time for communities to come 
together and carry on this great tradition for generations to come.
  It is truly an honor to have this celebration take place in my home 
district, and I want to thank President Bill Deely of the Groundhog 
Club Inner Circle and everyone from Punxsutawney and the surrounding 
area for their hard work and planning to make this year's Groundhog Day 
such a special event.

                          ____________________