Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor this year's National Christmas Tree Contest winner who hails from my home county of Avery in North Carolina's Fifth District, Mr. Larry Smith. This year, Mr. Smith won the national tree contest hosted by the National Christmas Tree Association, whose members have presented the official White House Christmas tree for display in the Blue Room since 1966. Growers must first win their local competitions in order to qualify for the association's national contest. At the national competition, growers, industry experts, and consumers vote to choose the real Christmas tree grower who will provide the official White House Christmas tree. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent this year's winner and was delighted to join Mr. Smith, his family and friends in presenting the First Family with its Fraser fir Christmas tree last week. As a former Christmas tree grower myself, I can attest to the importance of recognizing this often overlooked, yet highly significant, farming industry. Christmas trees have held a historic place in American family tradition since 1850. Long before artificial trees were around, real trees brought Christmas spirit into homes with their evergreen and fragrant branches during the season. Just as importantly, Christmas trees play a vital role in the North Carolina high country's economy by providing jobs and livelihoods for thousands of North Carolinians.…”