[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5167]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               BERTEL SPIER CELEBRATES HER 107TH BIRTHDAY

  (Mr. KILMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, on Thursday, March 31, 1910, Bertel Spier 
was born, and tomorrow she will celebrate her 107th birthday.
  Just imagine what she has seen: two world wars, technological 
advancements beyond our wildest dreams. When she sees a video on a 
telephone, she cannot believe it.
  She has an extraordinary legacy: a loving daughter, four adoring and 
adorable great-grandchildren, and three grandsons to whom she is a 
hero. I am proud to be one of them.
  My grandma is someone who is a testament to the greatness of this 
Nation and of the importance of what happens in this building.
  She immigrated to the U.S. from Holland and was welcomed here and 
accepted here, built a life here. That is part of the greatness of this 
Nation.
  A person born 10 years before women's suffrage, she proudly voted 
herself this past November. That is part of the greatness of this 
Nation.
  A person who outlived any projected retirement, she has been able to 
retire and live with dignity because of two of our country's most 
successful public policies: Medicare and Social Security. That is part 
of the greatness of this Nation, too.
  Madam Speaker, it is such an honor for me to say four of the most 
extraordinary and almost unbelievable words that I may ever say on this 
floor: Happy 107th birthday, Oma. We love you.

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