Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act of 2019--Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, everybody has a story. Actually, everybody has a journey, when you think of life. Some are heartbreaking, but some are uplifting, and some are hopeful. Tomorrow night, during senior night, the University of Vermont men's basketball team is going to celebrate one story that is all of these things: heartbreaking, uplifting, and hopeful. They will celebrate that when senior Josh Speidel takes the court for the first time--and what will be the only time--in his college career.

Josh is a native of Columbus, IN. He dreamed from a very young age of playing college basketball. At Columbus North High School in Indiana, Josh was the basketball team's all-time lead point scorer and an Indiana All-Star. In November of 2014, just before his senior basketball season, he committed to play for the University of Vermont, and he accepted a scholarship at the university to play for the team.

Here is the heartbreaking part. Just a few months later, in February of 2015, Josh's dream was derailed when he suffered a traumatic brain injury, resulting from a devastating car crash. Josh would go on to spend the next 4 months in the hospital and in rehab. But just a few days after the accident, the University of Vermont's head coach, John Becker, went to Indiana and visited Josh there with a simple message for him: You are still welcome at UVM. Your scholarship will be honored, and we will help you in any way we can. That is, after all, the Vermont way.

Josh would ultimately arrive at UVM in August of 2016. While he hasn't suited up with the team, he has worked with trainers; he has improved his physical condition; and he has remained active on the court. What is so inspiring, his team was at his side throughout. He has been a constant fixture of the team, on the sidelines at games, cheering his teammates on. I have been at games and have seen him doing that.

Off the court, Josh has been working toward a degree through the College of Education. He is choosing a self-designed major to prepare him to work with children through sports, with a double minor in behavior change and coaching.

He has been a committed student throughout his time at UVM. He is set to graduate this May. After graduation, Josh hopes to use both his life experience and his education to work with children.

Tomorrow night, the University of Vermont men's basketball team will celebrate senior night. In a special arrangement with their opponent, Albany, Josh, wearing number 32, will suit up, take the court, and notch the night's first basket after the tip-off.

I so wish I could be there because when Josh steps off the court, it will surely be to the standing ovation of this young man--the personification of perseverance, determination, dedication, and hope he so richly deserves. I know my fellow Vermonters who are at these games, and I know there will be very few dry eyes in the house.

We are, all of us, the product of our life experiences, of the community that supports us, and of the will we carry to press on. Josh Speidel is a remarkable young man. At the packed gym tomorrow night, there is going to be an emotional and vibrant celebration.

Josh, from the floor of the U.S. Senate, I congratulate you on a recognition so richly deserved.

1, 2020] UVM's Josh Speidel and His Remarkable Journey Set for Emotional Stage on Senior Night (By Alex Abramif)

Fruit was a big part of Josh Speidel's diet when he first arrived at the University of Vermont in the summer of 2016.

``He just loved bananas, it was his main food,'' said Everett Duncan, Speidel's dorm roommate that year, ``I'm personally OK with bananas, but I was wondering, `Where are we getting all these fruit flies?' And at the time Josh was leaving them in this little trash can that he had on the right side of his desk.''

A brief argument ensued.

``I was like, `You are not eating bananas in here anymore, just keep it at the dining hall,' '' Duncan recalled. ``But then I realized that I'm yelling at this man for eating bananas. It's funny now when we think about it.''

The next year, Speidel roomed with another teammate, Ben Shungu. The duo would take advantage of the 5-minute walk from their University Heights dorm to Patrick Gym, routinely setting the alarm clock before 6 a.m. for workouts. Most mornings the UVM men's basketball players had the gym to themselves.

On one end of the court, there was Shungu working on his jumper with a shooting machine. And on the other end, there was Speidel putting up layups and doing his exercises.

``We would get up and do our thing,'' Shungu said.

Fast-forward to the past two years: Speidel moved into an off-campus house with Duncan, Shungu and the rest of his upperclassmen teammates on the UVM men's basketball team, the sort of thing college student-athletes everywhere do.

Except none of it was guaranteed for Speidel when he stepped onto the Burlington campus in 2016.

Already committed and signed with the Catamounts when he was a senior at Columbus North High School in Indiana, Speidel was in a car accident on Super Bowl Sunday in 2015-- one that caused a traumatic brain injury, left him in a coma for weeks and nearly took his life.

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound star forward went from averaging 25.6 points and 9.3 rebounds a game to learning how to walk and talk again. Basketball, his passion, remained a guiding light on his road to recovery, on his path back to being an independent person.

``It's unbelievable what's he's gone through,'' Shungu said. ``To see him stand on his own two feet and just living his life--it's just incredible, an incredible story.

``His story definitely inspires.''

And more than five years after that accident, Speidel will finally fulfill a dream he's had since he was a little kid: Play in a Division I college basketball game.

The Catamounts' senior night on Tuesday has afforded Speidel the chance to suit up and start for the first and only time in his career. In a pre-game arrangement, Speidel and Albany, UVM's opponent, will trade baskets after the opening tip. Then Speidel will exit, surely to a lengthy standing ovation from the Vermont faithful.

``I didn't get to experience my senior night in high school, I didn't get to walk out with my parents,'' Speidel said. ``I don't think it's hit me fully yet, but just being able to walk them out and embrace them and thank (my parents), thank coach (John Becker) for all he's done--it will be pretty emotional. It's hard to put into words.

``For four years I've been hearing the starting lineup and I've always envisioned my name said. I think that'll be something.''

Speidel's parents, Dave and Lisa, have also waited--and hoped--for a day like this to arrive.

``It's a moment we believed would happen. We never wanted Josh to give up,'' Lisa Speidel said. ``Without basketball, Josh wouldn't be where he is. Without UVM, Josh wouldn't be where he is.'' Determination, faith drive recovery

About six months after the accident, a doctor's evaluation didn't forecast a favorable outcome for Speidel's reading comprehension.

``He said Joshua wouldn't be above a fourth-grade level, ever,'' Lisa Speidel said.

``I told him that you are not going to tell Joshua that and he agreed,'' she said. ``I still have those results in an envelope, but I have yet to open it.''

Not long after that, Josh Speidel began an online course at a community college and started seeing noticeable gains in his recovery.

``Things really started clicking for Joshua then, it was really amazing,'' Lisa Speidel said. Positivity was a must. There was no room for negative vibes or prognoses that didn't align with the Speidels' confidence for a full recovery.

Josh Speidel and his parents also relied on their religious beliefs for strength and direction.

``Faith has always been instrumental in my well-being and having that relationship with God has always been first in my life,'' Josh Speidel said. ``Sticking with that through the ups and downs, my parents never wavered in their faith, they never took a step back and questioned God. Seeing how they handled it, I think helped me and continues to help me.''

Becker, in his ninth year as bench boss of the Catamounts, flew out to Indiana during a snowstorm just a couple days after Speidel's accident. Becker told the Speidels that their son had a scholarship waiting for him when he was ready (the NCAA later granted UVM a scholarship waiver).

``You could see the qualities that made him a great player, just really determined and hardworking and competitive,'' Becker said. ``He's just a wonderful person off the court and takes time with people.

``Only a special person can come as far as he has in just a couple years.''

UVM has reached the NCAA Tournament twice, produced the America East Conference's first unbeaten season and garnered the league's top seed in four straight seasons during Speidel's time in Burlington--achievements Becker believes are forever tied to Speidel.

``I told Josh that the (four) years he's been here are the best years of this program's history arguably. I don't think that's a coincidence,'' Becker said. ``It's hard to know why. I just think there's something that you can't really explain and you don't know what it is, but there's something there-- he's been in some way a big part of it and he'll always be linked to this program's history in my mind.'' Speidel continues to inspire UVM team

UVM associate head coach Kyle Cieplicki was the lead recruiter on getting Speidel to commit to UVM back in Aug. 2014. Cieplicki spent about a year on the recruitment trail of a rising star from a hoops-crazed state who was fielding more than a dozen D-1 offers and had drawn interest from Mark Few of Gonzaga.

``We've never recruited a kid harder than when we recruited Josh. He went on a limb to choose us,'' Cieplicki said. ``His commitment was really special to me and the rest of the staff.''

The accident and how Speidel approached his life on a daily basis revealed a side Cieplicki had yet to see. ``He's shown me and all of us how to handle adversity,'' Cieplicki said. ``To have to work as hard as he did to get back and then to deal with the emotional component, the mental component of physically not being what he once was and to see him deal with that every day and maintain his work ethic and work habits--that's the biggest inspiration. ``A lot of things have changed for him but it's never allowed him to slow down.'' While senior night can't replace a playing career that didn't come to fruition, Speidel can soak in the achievement of earning this moment in front of hometown fans. ``To see him out there and participating, it's going to be a crazy thing,'' Everett Duncan said.

Duncan's the lone player left on the team when Speidel was honored before a Jan. 2016 game vs. Stony Brook. Duncan said his fellow Indiana native continues to motivate the Catamounts.

``I think he's meant everything. I know that every single guy in the locker room wants him to play,'' Duncan said. ``There are days we see him on the sidelines watching every single second of practice. For some of us like Benny, Anthony and me, we've known him for such a long time, he's one of our best friends.

``Even now, this is our last go-round, Josh is with us. He's more a part of this senior class than me or Anthony. He's a big part of this senior class who's done a lot for us.'' Speidel will graduate in May

Driven to return to the game he loves, Speidel came to grips with one harsh reality: He wasn't going to play basketball for UVM. Though that didn't make it any easier to accept. ``It's a tough question but I've battled with that for a while. Obviously, I'm OK with that I'm not able to play and I'm not back to where I was,'' Speidel said. ``That was a tough pill to swallow, but when I think about all that I've gained, maybe I didn't get back to playing, but I'm still bettering myself by working out every day and being in the best shape physically and basketball has helped me with that.''

Speidel put his focus and much of his energy into his classes and becoming more independent away from school. He learned to cook for himself--a crockpot came in handy--and manage his money.

And when it came to living off campus, it was Speidel who pushed for it. ``I told my parents that I just wanted to test myself. I wanted to see if I was able to take care of myself,'' Speidel said.

In school, Speidel has earned a 3.40 grade-point average, the highest on the team, through an individualized major in education and social services. He also has a double minor in behavior change and coaching. ``Josh has always had a knack for working with kids and relating to kids. To see that more amplified after his accident is just awesome,'' said Lisa Speidel, an elementary school principal.

Speidel will graduate this May--in four years' time. How remarkable is that?

Speidel shied away from praising himself. ``It's kind of hard to say that for myself because I'm living it. But I love when people say, `Oh Josh, you've come so far' or `Josh, you are walking so much better,' '' Speidel said. ``It's those little things that go such a long way and it gives me a sense that all this hard work is doing something.''

The network of support at UVM--from academic advisors, teachers, teammates, coaches and athletic trainers--hasn't been lost on Speidel and his mother. ``I can't put into words how thankful and how blessed and lucky I am,'' Speidel said.

Lisa Speidel: ``We love UVM and everything they have meant and done for us. It's amazing.''

Josh Speidel is 24 years old. He said he could write a book of all the things he's been through and learned over the last five years. If anything stood out above it all, if there was anything Speidel wanted others to absorb from his story, it was this: Don't give up on your dreams.

``I tell this to people: Always have an end goal in your head and chase after it as hard as you can,'' Speidel said. ``And whenever you need help, ask the people around you because I think there are more people than you think who are there to help you.

``I've held on to that and really tried to live by that.''

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Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I want to do this because in an era where we hear so much bad news, it is wonderful to hear inspiring news. This is an inspiring young man. I congratulate him and the University of Vermont for what they have done.
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Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I note that somebody else is not waiting to speak. When somebody does, I, of course, will yield the floor. Coronavirus

Madam President, I want to bring my colleagues up to date on where my head is as vice chairman of Appropriations. All of us worked very hard throughout the weekend and all last week--Republicans and Democrats together--along with our counterparts in the other body.

Each one of us looks with some trepidation to the latest report on the virus attacks, including the serious ones in the United States, and the deaths that have occurred around the world. We are trying to put together an appropriations bill that will give our administration the tools they need to protect America and to help our allies, not only to protect us from having what has come to our shores but what is already in our shores, the coronavirus--that we be able to protect Americans from it.

I want to compliment those who have been working on it in both parties. As often happens in the Appropriations Committee, we pretty well leave our labels at the door. We work together--both Republicans and Democrats--to get a good bill. I urge both the majority leader and the Democratic leader that, once we have it and as soon as the House acts, there will be an appropriations bill. They will go first, but we move very quickly.

Frankly, when I look at the dangers facing America, I am perfectly willing to stay here throughout the weekend, if need be, as many of us did last weekend, to get this passed and on the President's desk. We are not Republicans or Democrats in this matter. We are Americans, and we are U.S. Senators. The Senate has so often set the standards for the rest of the country. We can do it here. I hope that as soon as we can vote on this, we will.

I commend Senator Shelby. He is the chairman of the committee. I am the vice chairman of the committee. We have worked together. I also commend all the other Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, who have worked with us.

I hope this body will be able to vote, ideally this week--if not this week, the very first part of next week. This is an important matter. Cancel the weekend, if need be. Stay here and get it done.

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