Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Matt Porter of State College, Pennsylvania, the 2011 recipient of the National Down Syndrome Society's Dan Piper Award. Dan Piper was a young man born with Down syndrome who spent much of his life advocating on behalf of himself and others with Down syndrome. He, sadly, passed away on September 1, 2002. In order to celebrate Dan's life, the Dan Piper Award was created to recognize and celebrate an individual with Down syndrome that has made similar contributions to Down syndrome awareness and advocacy. Today, I'm pleased and proud to recognize one of my constituents, Matt Porter, as the 2011 recipient of this great honor. I have met Matt Porter on several occasions. Most recently, I joined him and others at the Centre County Down Syndrome Society's annual Buddy Walk. My introduction to Matt, however, was sometime before that when he visited my Washington office in mid-February with his brother, Andy. Matt was visiting congressional offices to raise awareness for the Down Syndrome Society and to advocate on issues most pressing to those who are living with Down syndrome. Matt's personality and attitude towards life embody the spirit of the Dan Piper Award. Much like Dan, Matt's accomplishments have opened so many doors to those with Down syndrome.…”