On the recordJanuary 8, 2014
To my fellow Members and my fellow Americans, I wish you all a successful and blessed new year. Mr. Speaker, before we begin the political battles of the year, I would like to take a moment to congratulate the newly elected officials in Utah's Second Congressional District, specifically Jon Pike, the new mayor of St. George in Washington County. I look forward to working with Mayor Pike to continue to grow the economy and to create new jobs. I also want to take a moment to specifically thank Mayor Dan McArthur, who tirelessly served the people of St. George for more than 20 years. Under his tenure, the population nearly tripled in size, and the city had an expansion and the creation of many new businesses, great new infrastructure, a beautiful new airport, and the transformation of Dixie State College into a 4-year university. Mayor Dan is a true representative of the Dixie spirit. His volunteerism was shown in 2005 when they had severe flooding along the Virgin River. He and other city council members joined other citizens in sandbagging the river to prevent severe damage and more flooding. I am pleased to call Mayor Dan a friend, and I am grateful for his fine example and for his many years of service. I wish him and his family the very best in their future endeavors. ____________________
