“I am here to honor a retiring local official. He did a good job with veterans programs. He used to be in the Marine Corps. He won some awards. I want everyone to thank him and his wife.”

“I want to honor Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald on his retirement. He served 30 years in the Marines and led local programs that helped over 500 veterans stay out of trouble with the law. Please join me in thanking him for his service.”

“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald on his upcoming retirement after a lifetime defined by service. Oftentimes, county clerks and other local and government officials get overlooked, but they shouldn't be. Having a good county clerk matters, and Tim Fitzgerald was a great county clerk. Tim served as a vital nexus for the Spokane VET Court and Spokane Veterans Forum. By focusing on treatment, VA integration, and peer mentorship, he created a program that has graduated over 500 veterans and reduced the local veteran recidivism rate to 5 percent. This statistic represents real lives transformed and peace restored to hundreds of military families. Tim Fitzgerald's devotion to duty began long ago. He dedicated three decades to the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a colonel after crucial leadership deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He brought that same elite leadership to county government, earning recognition as Washington State's Clerk of the Year in both 2017 and 2022. A true gentleman and proud graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Tim embodies the highest traditions of public service. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Tim and wishing him and his wife, Tracy, the best in the next chapter of their lives. Recognizing Ferris High School's Football Head Coach Billy Newman”

“A man died. He was a doctor. He worked in the army. He worked at a hospital. He wrote a manual. He did other things too. I am sorry he died.”

“I am honoring Dr. Charles Robert Wolfe, who recently died at 94. He was an Army doctor, spent decades treating patients in Spokane, and served in the Washington State House.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Charles ``Charlie'' Robert Wolfe, a longtime physician, public servant, and member of the Spokane community who passed away on September 7 at the grand old age of 94. After earning his medical degree from the University of Nebraska, Dr. Wolfe served as an Army physician in Okinawa, attaining the rank of captain. He and his wife, Patricia, eventually settled in the Spokane Valley where he spent three decades caring for patients and strengthening the local healthcare system. Dr. Wolfe helped establish the first full-time staffing of the Valley General Hospital emergency department and wrote Washington State's first emergency services manual. He later became a founding partner of Occupational Medicine Associates and served as a physician for Kaiser Aluminum. His commitment to service extended beyond medicine. Charlie served in the Washington State House of Representatives, was a delegate to the Republican National Convention that nominated Ronald Reagan, and devoted years to causes including the Union Gospel Mission and Christian education. I extend my condolences to the family, and I join all of Congress in celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Charles Robert Wolfe. God bless you.”