Volume 165, No. 73 covering the 1st Session of the 116th Congress (2019 - 2020) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“HONORING CAPTAIN PAUL WHITESCARVER, UNITED STATES NAVY” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E538 on May 3, 2019.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING CAPTAIN PAUL WHITESCARVER, UNITED STATES NAVY
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HON. JOE COURTNEY
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Friday, May 3, 2019
Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Captain Paul A. Whitescarver, who retires this week from a nearly 40-year career of service to our nation in the United States Navy.
Captain Whitescarver has served as the 51st Commanding Officer of our nation's ``first and finest'' submarine base, Naval Submarine Base New London since December 2015. His leadership at the base will without question have a lasting impact on its operations and readiness for years to come. In his three and a half years as its Commander, he oversaw several significant environmental and energy upgrades which have helped to continue modernization of the facility, including innovative microgrid and fuel cell projects leveraging homegrown Connecticut technology to provide standalone power to the base. This effort was so successful that the Department of Energy recognized it with a 2018 Federal Energy and Water Management award.
Another tremendous accomplishment under his tenure was the completion of Superfund site cleanup. It is great to see the resolution of this significant undertaking which was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Captain Whitescarver's leadership throughout this process has shown his drive to go above and beyond to improve the base.
Captain Whitescarver has substantially raised the military value of the base with his work and proven its enduring mission well into the future. He laid the groundwork for the future expansion of pier capacity as our submarine fleet continues to modernize and grow towards its overall goal of 66 attack submarines. He spearheaded the pier 32 project for which we are now seeing funding in this year's defense budget and expect it to be funded by Congress so that the project can commence on time. Many of the new boats constructed in the coming years will be stationed in Groton, and without Captain Whitescarver's efforts, the base would not be as prepared to accept them as it will be once these projects are completed.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that Captain Whitescarver's impact extends beyond the base, reaching the citizens and businesses in the surrounding community. He oversaw Connecticut's Submarine Century, the yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the submarine force in 2015 and 2016, demonstrating strong support in his consistent participation at events and collaboration with local officials. He projected a positive image for the Navy in a critical time for recruitment and promotion of our military and particularly our submarine force. As if he did not have enough to do, he also managed the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Navy installation which would eventually become Submarine Base New London. This milestone underscores how the base has effectively adapted over time to meet the needs of the Navy, and we thank Captain Whitescarver for his role in ensuring the base continues to be equipped to handle our future needs as well.
A particular highlight of mine working with Captain Whitescarver over the last few years was his April 2018 engagement at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, which he himself attended in 1989. His presence and poignant words to students, faculty, and staff reinforced the belief that our community colleges are stepping stones to any number of highly successful careers.
Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Captain Whitescarver, and his wife Katie, for their service to our nation and in wishing them `fair winds and following seas' as they move on to their next steps.
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