HONORING FATHER BILL CAO

On 2026-09-15, Representative J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING FATHER BILL CAO" in the House.

HONORING FATHER BILL CAO

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E918] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING FATHER BILL CAO ______ HON. J. LUIS CORREA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, September 15, 2026 Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Father Bill Cao, an Orange County Pastor who has dedicated his life in service to those around him. His impact on Orange County through his work as a pastor is felt throughout all corners of our community. Father Cao was born in Saigon, Vietnam a couple years prior to the Communist occupation. He, alongside his ten siblings, escaped Vietnam at a young age--destined for the United States to achieve greater opportunity and their American Dream. Filled with uncertainty but also faith, Father Cao and his family were among the countless thousands of Vietnamese refugees who fled on small rickety fishing boats to escape the turmoil of war, religious persecution, and uncertainty. Throughout the years, the Vietnamese community eventually found a home in Orange County, where Father Cao and his family eventually settled to lay the roots for their forever home. Bound together by the hardships they experienced, Father Cao and his family built a safe haven in a small pocket of central Orange County, now better known as Little Saigon. This community, which harbors the largest Vietnamese diaspora outside of Vietnam, is bonded by the trials and tribulations they faced, and they continue to be an integral part of why Orange County is home to the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. Father Cao used the promise of the American dream to further pursue an education here in the States. Father Cao proudly obtained his bachelor's degree, having later been selected to attend the American College and the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, further enriching his studies. Father Cao continues to embolden his local community and those around him through his spiritual teachings, where he is now Pastor for St. Anthony Mary Claret Catholic Church here in my hometown of Anaheim, California. Father Cao represents the best of America, using this country as an opportunity to rebuild, educate, and inspire himself and those around him. We thank him for his influence and endless service to all of us here in Orange County. ____________________