April 9, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 61 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H3136-H3137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
RECOGNIZING PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS MARGARET NICOL OF THE U.S. COAST 
                                 GUARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Schrier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
Petty Officer Second Class Margaret Nicol of the United States Coast 
Guard.
  A fellow resident of Sammamish, Washington, Maggie grew up in a large 
boating community in Florida. She found out all too well at the early 
age of 8 that the Coast Guard is an elite group of individuals whom we 
can always count on when she had to be rescued by them. Driven by a 
desire to give back, she enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserves during 
high school.
  After attending college, she completed 2 years of Active-Duty service 
in Iraq, responded to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and went on to 
pursue registered nursing.
  After relocating to the Seattle area in 2017, she rapidly qualified 
well ahead of deadlines to earn her response boat-small coxswain and 
boarding team member qualifications. To support her colleagues, she 
amassed over 130 hours helping to train and qualify crew members, 
significantly increasing Station Seattle's Reserve mobilization 
readiness.
  But Petty Officer Nicol's commitment to our country does not stop at 
the armed services. She is a business owner of FLWA Holdings, providing 
affordable housing for those in need in Washington and Florida. She 
volunteers at Food Lifeline, serves local schools in the community, and 
engages with the Diveheart Foundation for disabled children, adults, 
and veterans.
  Among her accolades, Petty Officer Nicol has earned the Global War on 
Terror Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and, most 
recently, the high honor of being named the 2018 Coast Guard Enlisted 
Person of the Year. She epitomizes the Coast Guard's core values of 
honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Most importantly, she leads by 
example, champions a humanitarian spirit, and has devoted her life to 
serving others.
  Thank you, Maggie. Washington State and the Coast Guard would not be 
the same without you.


                  Tahoma High School, State Champions

  Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tahoma High 
School, State champions.
  Congratulations to the students of Tahoma High School from Washington 
State's Maple Valley on their 10th consecutive statewide victory and 
23rd victory in the last 25 years in the Center for Civic Education's 
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution annual tournament.
  These smart and ambitious students from the Eighth District will 
represent Washington State in the 32nd annual We the People finals 
later this month right here in D.C., where they will demonstrate their 
knowledge and understanding of the Constitution to distinguished panels 
of scholars, lawyers, and leaders from across the Nation. They will no 
doubt uphold the standards of excellence for which Tahoma High School 
is known and champion the values inscribed in our founding documents.
  I would especially like to recognize Gretchen Wulfing, Tahoma High 
School's dedicated teacher and coach for civic education. She has 
coached the Tahoma High School team for 11 years, was honored as one of 
Washington's Civic Educators of 2016, and received Washington's Civic 
Educator of the Year distinction in 2011. We are grateful for her 
dedication to our schools and to our next generation of leaders.
  Congratulations to Gretchen and the hardworking students from Tahoma 
High School for being true warriors of the Constitution. You are 
exemplars of young people leading the way in the 21st century. Good 
luck. Washington could not be more proud of you.


                     We Are a Nation of Immigrants

  Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague, Mr. 
Green of Texas.
  We are a nation of immigrants. It is our responsibility to welcome 
refugees

[[Page H3137]]

and to not close our doors to those seeking asylum. We are a good 
country at heart. We should not separate children from parents. We are 
better than that.

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