September 20, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6533 

Cleveland Catholic Charities, and the 

Catholic community and thank them 

for their leadership, kindness, commitment and collective effort to serve the 

community and improve the lives of 

those in need. It is a privilege to recognize this centennial anniversary, and 

wish Cleveland Catholic Charities all 

the best for the future. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO TERRANCE C.Z. 

EGGER 

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, today 

I wish to recognize Terrance C.Z. Egger 

for his many contributions to the news 

industry over the past 30 years. Mr. 

Egger will be retiring early next year 

from The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, 

OH, where he has served as publisher, 

president, and chief executive officer 

since 2006. I would like to recognize his 

accomplishments, his contributions to 

journalism, and his commitment to the 

Greater Cleveland community. 

Terry enjoyed an early start in the 

news business, when as a young man, 

he started his first newspaper job as a 

6-year-old paperboy. Egger is a native 

of Rock Island, IL, and became the 

first in his family to attend college. He 

received a bachelor’s degree from 

Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, 

and a master’s degree from San Diego 

State University. 

Terry began his 30-year career at a 

small biweekly newspaper in Southern 

California. Before joining the Plain 

Dealer in 2006, he worked for Copley 

Los Angeles Newspaper, Tucson Newspapers in Arizona, and as publisher and 

president of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

He is known not only for his professional leadership, but also for his civic 

engagement. He has faced the challenges of the news industry and provided steady and confident direction 

during a crucial time. He has a reputation for being deeply committed to the 

mission of a daily newspaper and the 

important role it plays in the community and in the democratic process. As 

an executive and manager, he is known 

for connecting with employees on a 

personal level and taking great interest in their professional success and 

family lives. 

Beyond his work in news, Terry 

brought with him to Cleveland a longstanding commitment to civic involvement. He quickly integrated himself 

into the Greater Cleveland community, 

serving as an active member of several 

area boards including: the Greater 

Cleveland Partnership, the Cleveland 

Clinic Foundation, the Musical Arts 

Association, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. He is a member of the 

United Way of Greater Cleveland Board 

and served as the organization’s board 

chairman from 2010 to 2012. 

Terry and his wife of more than 24 

years, Renuka, have three children and 

live in Bay Village, OH. I would like to 

congratulate Terry on his many contributions to the news industry and to 

the Plain Dealer and wish him and his 

family all the best for the future. 

RECOGNIZING TAIWAN’S NATIONAL 

DAY 

Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. 

President, I rise today to recognize 

Taiwan as their National Day of Celebration, October 10, 2012, approaches. 

This day commemorates the end of imperial rule in China. 

Since that day more than 100 years 

ago, Taiwan has successfully 

transitioned to a democracy. Taiwan 

has peacefully transferred power between political parties and earlier this 

year held another free and fair Presidential election. As we know from our 

own American history and have seen in 

countries around the world this past 

year, achieving a democracy is no easy 

feat, and I commend all those who have 

helped Taiwan reach this point. 

The United States and Taiwan continue to enjoy a close friendship, and I 

hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the people of Taiwan on 

the 101st anniversary of their National 

Day. 

I also would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador 

Jason Yuan, Representative of the 

ROC, Taiwan, to the United States, on 

his new post as Secretary-General of 

the National Security Council of Taiwan. I cherish the friendship with Ambassador Yuan and wish Ambassador 

and Madame Yuan the very best of 

luck in the future. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO 2012 OLYMPIC GOLD 

MEDALIST KAYLA HARRISON 

Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts. Mr. 

President, I rise today in tribute to a 

young woman from Marblehead, MA, 

who made us so proud during the 30th 

Olympiad. Like all our Olympians and 

Paralympians, judoka Kayla Harrison 

practiced for years, put in thousands of 

hours in training, sacrificed mightily 

and defeated countless competitors 

just to make Team USA. 

At 6 years of age, Kayla’s mother, 

herself a black belt, introduced Kayla 

to judo. Kayla excelled at the sport and 

by the time she was in her teens, was a 

two-time national champion. Yet, 

while this talented and dedicated athlete, still just a girl, was taking the 

judo world by storm, she was doing so 

while suffering in silence from the pain 

of sexual abuse. 

If Kayla had never fought again or if 

she simply faded away, people would 

have understood. But with Wakefield 

coach Jimmy Pedro at her side, Kayla 

used martial arts to transcend the 

trauma, anger, and pain. Judo wasn’t a 

way out, it was a way through. She 

went on to fight harder, and better, 

than ever. Watching Kayla compete, 

you get the sense that she is fighting 

at a whole different level. Kayla 

doesn’t just defeat her opponents; she 

leaves them wondering why on Earth 

they ever fought her in the first place. 

Kayla would go on to win countless 

American and international competitions, all of which led to the 2012 London Olympic games. 

In London, Kayla and countless others inspired our Nation. For the millions who themselves have suffered 

abuse, Kayla’s gold medal was far more 

than a point of national pride, it was 

the most powerful reminder that there 

is hope. She reminded us that we can 

rise above any obstacle and that we 

don’t have to be ruled, defined, or limited by the evil done to us. In the pursuit of a gold medal, Kayla taught us 

that we can be free. 

Days before her first Olympic match, 

Kayla recorded a video in which she described each step she would take, from 

waking and eating breakfast on the 

morning of her first Olympic match, to 

her victory over her final competitor, 

and even predicting her tears of joy 

upon hearing our national anthem at 

her gold medal ceremony. Her commitment to her vision and her determination to see it through are a lesson in 

true perseverance. 

We cannot understate the odds that 

Kayla faced in her chosen sport; no 

American man or woman had ever won 

an Olympic gold medal in Judo. Yet 

there is the enduring image of Kayla in 

London, overcome with emotion, 

standing at the highest point on the 

podium, hearing the notes of the ‘‘Star 

Spangled Banner.’’ Kayla Harrison’s 

immense courage, raw talent, and pursuit of an audacious dream inspire us 

all. 

In closing I congratulate all our 

Olympians and Paraympians. In a time 

of uncertainty where there is so much 

focus on what separates and divides us, 

for a few weeks in late summer Kayla 

Harrison and her fellow athletes helped 

us come together as a nation and 

showed the world the best of America. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO 2012 UNITED STATES 

OLYMPIAN ALY RAISMAN 

Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts. Mr. 

President, heading into the summer 

games, much of the focus was on the 

superstar athletes considered our best 

hope to bring home the gold. Certainly 

this was the case with Michael Phelps, 

LeBron James, and Sanya RichardsRoss, who seemed destined to secure 

gold medals for their teams. Yet, as is 

often the case, the Olympics produced 

upsets and triumphs and story lines 

that no one could predict. This is such 

a story. 

Alexandra Raisman from Needham, 

MA, was the obvious choice for captain 

of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team 

in the 30th Olympiad. She was coached 

by the best, the award-winning Mihai 

Brestyan, who, along with his wife 

Silvia, owns Brestyan’s American 

Gymnastics Club in Burlington, MA, 

one of our country’s top training facilities for gymnasts at all levels. Mihai 

also coached 2008 Olympic silver medalist and Winchester, MA native Alicia 

Sacramone. 

Aly was calm under pressure, a solid 

performer, and could be counted on to 

consistently do exceptionally well. 

There seemed to be a peace about the 


tjames on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with SENATE