[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5581]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     AWARD WINNERS FROM CITGO INNOVATION ACADEMY FOR ENGINEERING, 
          ENVIRONMENTAL & MARINE SCIENCE AT MOODY HIGH SCHOOL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Corpus 
Christi students from the CITGO Innovation Academy for Engineering, 
Environmental & Marine Science at Moody High School for winning two 
awards at the Marine Advanced Technology Education International 
Remotely Operated Vehicle competition recently held at NASA's Johnson 
Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Texas.
  This competition was the final round in a series of science fairs and 
challenges focusing on underwater technology that can adapt to harsh 
ocean and space environments.
  The AquaBot Technicians robotics team won the Aloha Award for team 
spirit and friendliness. Natasha Sanchez was named the competition's 
MVP.
  The CITGO Innovative Academy provides students training to become the 
next generation of science and technology professionals by offering 
upper level engineering, math, and science courses.
  A thank you is due to CITGO for supporting STEM education in Corpus 
Christi and other areas where they operate.


                  PRAISING THE VETERANS CHOICE PROGRAM

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, since first being elected to Congress, I 
have been fighting for our veterans to get the care they were promised 
and earned.
  After hearing veterans tell horror story after horror story of long 
wait times, canceled appointments, and having to travel miles to 
distant cities to get treatment, Congress got something right when they 
passed the Veterans Choice and Accountability Act in 2014.
  It created the Veterans Choice Program that allows any veteran who is 
unable to obtain an appointment with the VA within 30 days or has to 
travel more than 40 miles to a VA facility for care to see a private 
doctor who can see them faster and closer to home.
  Though the implementation of the Veterans Choice Program has not been 
without hiccups, it is proving very helpful for getting veterans 
faster, more quality care.
  I hear time and again from veterans in the district that I represent 
that this is working for them.
  Soon, in fact later today, the House will vote on H.R. 369, to 
eliminate the sunset of the Veterans Choice Program and ensure the 
program continues after August 7.
  I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill to 
continue Veterans Choice. I look forward to continuing to hear the 
great successes it provides for our veterans and for our doctors.

                          ____________________