[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1733-1734]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             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.)

[[Page 1734]]


  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today is a big day in the 
Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, specifically, in 
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, as our most famous resident had his day in 
the sun, literally.
  Early this morning, Punxsutawney Phil, our weather-expert groundhog 
saw his shadow. For those of you who know the old German legend, this 
means that we are in for six more weeks of winter.
  Punxsy Phil has been forecasting the weather since the 1800s. He 
drinks a magical punch annually on February 2, which is an elixir of 
life that extends his life by 7 years.
  Crowds gathered on Gobbler's Knob before sunrise today for the 131st 
celebration. While there are many wannabes, accept no substitution for 
the original prognosticator.
  The crowd chanted Phil's name repeatedly to awaken him, and then 
Phil, known in his hometown as the Seer of Seers, came to deliver the 
news. Records going back to 1887 show that Phil has forecasted a longer 
winter 103 times and an early spring just 18 times.
  Today in Punxsutawney it was a balmy 30 degrees, so don't pack up 
your winter gear just yet. Phil says we have six more weeks.
  Happy Groundhog Day.

                          ____________________