MAYOR RITA SANDERS

On 2018-12-10, Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-2) delivered a floor speech titled "MAYOR RITA SANDERS" in the House.

MAYOR RITA SANDERS

Congressional Record, Volume 164 Issue 194 (Monday, December 10, 2018) [Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 194 (Monday, December 10, 2018)] [House] [Pages H9770-H9771] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] MAYOR RITA SANDERS The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes. Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of Nebraska's most dedicated and inspirational leaders. Rita Sanders has served since November 2010 as the mayor of Bellevue, one of the oldest cities in Nebraska and home to one of the largest bases in the United States Air Force, Offutt Air Force Base. She concludes her service as mayor today, and she has achieved many heralded results. Mayor Sanders was inducted into the Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame in 2017 as a testament to her tireless work and tremendous accomplishments as a Filipino American. In addition, the adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard awarded Rita the Civilian Distinguished Service Medal in March of 2017. Mayor Sanders was born in Hawaii in 1952. Her father served in the United States Army and was a Bronze Medal recipient for heroism in Vietnam. Her mother was originally from Germany. Mayor Sanders is married to Rick, and they have two grown sons. They are owners of a very successful business serving the elderly community. Rita is an outspoken advocate for our servicemembers and has emphasized and enacted measures to enhance public safety, and community and family programs, including programs that support our military families at Offutt. She has served as a longtime board member for the Offutt Advisory Council and was appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts to the Commission on Military and Veterans' Affairs for the State of Nebraska. Mayor Sanders also embraced the importance of economic development and community enhancement throughout [[Page H9771]] the city starting from the time she served as chairman of Bellevue's Chamber of Commerce. As mayor, she has worked with other city and State officials on the Governor's Summit on Economic Development to provide expertise on areas such as workforce development, new business recruitment, and tax policy. On October 14, 2017, Mayor Sanders was inducted into the Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame. The consul general of the Philippines acknowledged Rita's diligent work to facilitate the return of the historic Balangiga bells which were acquired by U.S. soldiers in September 1901 and brought to America as tribute of the war they fought and the losses they suffered. Leaders of the Filipino Government and Catholic Church hold these bells as highly significant religious artifacts and expressed their concerns over the use of them as a war prize. When Mayor Sanders met with President Duterte earlier this year, she pledged her support to help retrieve the bells. She was successful in her endeavors and attended a ceremony at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming where Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis announced the return of the bells. We are proud to recognize Mayor Sanders for her monumental leadership, tireless service, and epic achievements for the city of Bellevue, the Omaha area, and the State of Nebraska. Recognizing Grace Fry Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a young lady in Nebraska who is a fighter, a fighter against a medically complex condition known as acute myeloid leukemia, and a fighter to gain support for H.R. 3325, the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act of 2017, or the ACE Kids Act. That fighter is Grace Fry, who is 11 years old and is in remission from AML. Grace was diagnosed with AML when she was 9 years old after dark bruises started appearing on her shins. Her parents thought the young ballerina had suffered a dancing mishap, but these bruises grew larger. Aggressive treatment was started for Grace at Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, and her parents, Jeff and Mandy, managed to maintain a family for their two other children while going through these treatments. Mandy was able to step away from her job to care for Grace, and Jeff was able to telecommute. Thanksgiving that year was spent at the hospital cafeteria, and Grace's sister spent her 16th birthday at the hospital with her baby sister. {time} 1215 Jeff's job did provide the family with private insurance, but the loss of Mandy's income and increased travel costs made for a tight financial situation. Medicaid stepped in to help alleviate the costs not covered by insurance, such as deductibles and coinsurance. The ACE Kids Act is designed to improve care for children with medical complexities who are on Medicaid, while also reducing program spending. The ACE Kids Act addresses existing challenges facing these children, identified by families and physicians, including the provision and coordination of care across multiple providers and services, and easing access to out-of-State care. This legislation has strong bipartisan support in both Chambers of Congress, and I was pleased earlier this year to join 73 other Republicans and 60 Democrats in working to advance it. Tuesday, the bill will be up for consideration under suspension of the rules. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation tomorrow. Grace loves all her nurses from Children's Hospital and Medical Center, which serves the most medically complex children in Nebraska and the region because of their highly specialized pediatricians and surgeons. Due to Children's wide footprint, Medicaid plays a significant role in their patients' lives. One day, the young fighter known as Grace hopes to become a pediatric oncology nurse. But until then, she will continue to fight for her health and fight for support of the ACE Kids Act. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR3325