Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-07-16

CONGRATULATING PHIL FRIEDMAN ON RECEIVING PROJECT LEGACY'S U.S. GOLDED JUBILEE VISIONARY AWARD

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Context

On 2026-07-16, Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA-4) delivered a floor speech titled "CONGRATULATING PHIL FRIEDMAN ON RECEIVING PROJECT LEGACY'S U.S. GOLDED JUBILEE VISIONARY AWARD" in the House.

Full Text

CONGRATULATING PHIL FRIEDMAN ON RECEIVING PROJECT LEGACY'S U.S. GOLDED JUBILEE VISIONARY AWARD

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E699] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CONGRATULATING PHIL FRIEDMAN ON RECEIVING PROJECT LEGACY'S U.S. GOLDED JUBILEE VISIONARY AWARD ______ HON. MIKE JOHNSON of louisiana in the house of representatives Thursday, July 16, 2026 Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Phil Friedman for his distinguished career and philanthropic contributions to our country. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, Mr. Friedman received the United States Golden Jubilee Visionary Award at Project Legacy's America 250 Gala at the Library of Congress on July 14, 2026. He was recognized for 50 years of entrepreneurship and business leadership in the United States. A man of humble origins, Mr. Friedman arrived in the United States in 1976--our Nation's bicentennial year--after 12 tiresome years laboring in the electronics industry of the former Soviet Union. He and his wife left behind the discrimination and antisemitism of the embattled Soviet state to settle in New York City. Phil was driven, ambitious, and determined to chart a new destiny for his family, qualities he no doubt learned from his parents who survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the Gulag. Upon arriving in America, Phil found his talents well-suited to this land of limitless opportunity and success soon took root. By 1984, Phil had launched Computer Generated Solutions with a team of just five employees. Under his dedicated leadership, the company grew into an IT empire, employing over 8,000 professionals and serving customers in 50 countries across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Today, he continues to steward this organization as Founder and Executive Chairman. Throughout his career, Mr. Friedman has matched his entrepreneurial success with a steadfast commitment to giving back to the Nation that has been his home for half a century. His contributions to the U.S. economy have twice been recognized by the United States Congress, as well as by the New York City Council. He is active in civic and philanthropic life as a member of the Economic Club of New York, the Washington Post Intelligence Council, and the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute in Budapest. He also serves as Vice Chairman and Trustee of Yeshiva University, which awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in 2011. As our Nation marks 250 years of independence, Mr. Friedman's receipt of the United States Golden Jubilee Visionary Award is a fitting tribute to a life that embodies the American ideals of opportunity and free enterprise. His story is a testament to America's promise, and on behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to congratulate Mr. Phil Friedman for his distinguished career and his enduring commitment to our Nation. ____________________

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CONGRATULATING PHIL FRIEDMAN ON RECEIVING PROJECT LEGACY'S U.S. GOLDED JUBILEE VISIONARY AWARD Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E699] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CONGRATULATING PHIL FRIEDMAN ON RECEIVING PROJECT LEGACY'S U.S. GOLDED JUBILEE VISIONARY AWARD ______ HON. MIKE JOHNSON of louisiana in the house of representatives Thursday, July 16, 2026 Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Phil Friedman for his distinguished career and philanthropic contributions to our country. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, Mr. Friedman received the United States Golden Jubilee Visionary Award at Project Legacy's America 250 Gala at the Library of Congress on July 14, 2026. He was recognized for 50 years of entrepreneurship and business leadership in the United States. A man of humble origins, Mr. Friedman arrived in the United States in 1976--our Nation's bicentennial year--after 12 tiresome years laboring in the electronics industry of the former Soviet Union. He and his wife left behind the discrimination and antisemitism of the embattled Soviet state to settle in New York City. Phil was driven, ambitious, and determined to chart a new destiny for his family, qualities he no doubt learned from his parents who survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the Gulag. Upon arriving in America, Phil found his talents well-suited to this land of limitless opportunity and success soon took root. By 1984, Phil had launched Computer Generated Solutions with a team of just five employees. Under his dedicated leadership, the company grew into an IT empire, employing over 8,000 professionals and serving customers in 50 countries across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Today, he continues to steward this organization as Founder and Executive Chairman. Throughout his career, Mr. Friedman has matched his entrepreneurial success with a steadfast commitment to giving back to the Nation that has been his home for half a century. His contributions to the U.S. economy have twice been recognized by the United States Congress, as well as by the New York City Council. He is active in civic and philanthropic life as a member of the Economic Club of New York, the Washington Post Intelligence Council, and the Wall Street Journal CEO Council, and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Tom Lantos Institute in Budapest. He also serves as Vice Chairman and Trustee of Yeshiva University, which awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in 2011. As our Nation marks 250 years of independence, Mr. Friedman's receipt of the United States Golden Jubilee Visionary Award is a fitting tribute to a life that embodies the American ideals of opportunity and free enterprise. His story is a testament to America's promise, and on behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to congratulate Mr. Phil Friedman for his distinguished career and his enduring commitment to our Nation. ____________________