Mike Carey

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Athanasios Pappas, or as he is lovingly known to the people of Columbus as Tommy of Tommy's Diner in Franklinton. Tommy made a simple meal really feel just like a celebration. Since 1989, his warm hospitality, larger-than-life presence, as you can see from this picture, made Tommy's Diner a neighborhood institution. Today, we honor Tommy's hard work and service to the city of Columbus and all of central Ohio. Our thoughts are with his wife, Kathy; his sons, Michael and Louie; and the entire Pappas family.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Last month, my home team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, played their season opener against the Florida Panthers. Each player wore a patch on their jersey bearing number 13, the number previously worn by their teammate Johnny. Johnny, or ``Johnny Hockey'' to his friends, played 10 full seasons for the NHL and was about to begin his third season with the Blue Jackets. His brother, Matthew, was an up-and-coming hockey coach following a professional career as a player in the AHL, ECHL, and Sweden. In August, Johnny and his brother, Matthew, were killed when they were struck by a drunk driver while out on a bike ride. It was the day before their sister's wedding. Johnny and Matthew were beloved by their family and their community. Johnny is survived by his wife, Meredith, and their two children, Noa and Johnny Jr. Matthew is survived by his wife, Madeline. Both Meredith and Madeline are expecting children. The Columbus community will never forget Johnny and Matthew. While their athletic talents were extraordinary, we can still learn from their example. We can emulate their strong work ethic, their love for their family, and their spirit. To all who loved them, may their memory be a blessing. Recognizing the London, Ohio, Police Department

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the police department of London, Ohio. Last week, officers Dylan Fout and Denise Dye brought a missing autistic 5-year-old home to his family. Last Tuesday, the officers were on patrol when they spotted a young boy walking alone. However, when they turned their cruiser around to check on him, he had disappeared. The officers continued their pursuit on foot, where they found the boy floating in a creek. He was conscious and breathing, but the 40-degree water could have quickly become a life-threatening issue. Thanks to these officers and their quick action, the boy was rescued and the London Fire Department medics were able to provide the emergency care that he needed. We commend Officer Fout and Officer Dye for their service to our community and share our gratitude that this boy could come home safe to his family. Recognizing National Caregiver Month

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Caregiver Month. Forty-eight million Americans are family caregivers. The care they provide allows their loved ones to age independently at home. From preparing meals, helping with bathing, feeding, and dressing, to assisting with financial and legal matters, the work done by family caregivers is essential. In my home State of Ohio, family caregivers provide nearly 1.4 billion hours of care every year. That adds up to $21 billion in unpaid labor per year, saving taxpayers billions. We know that families want to support their loved ones through illness, disability, and aging in place, but many of them can't do so without our help. We are proud to introduce the Credit for Caring Act, which would create a Federal tax credit for family caregivers who use their own money to take care of their loved ones. This National Caregiver Month, I encourage my colleagues to stand with me and support family caregivers.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, who passed away last month after serving nearly three decades in Congress. It was a privilege to serve alongside Bill on the Ways & Means Committee. Though we sat on different sides of the aisle, Bill's warmth, humor and dedication to his constituents can be a source of inspiration for all of us. Bill was born in Paterson, New Jersey. America's first industrial city. Through the years he saw his community grow and change, but like the city's great falls, he remained a steadfast engine for progress. I got to know Bill during events with the Italian American caucus, where we could talk about our shared heritage over glasses of Primitivo and Montepulciano. In the spirit of those days, I would like to share a message in memory of this great man and his legacy: ``My friend, you will not be forgotten. (Amico mio, non sarai dimenticato).''

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 6513, the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act, or COCOA Act of 2023. It will provide a statutory citation for the long-running, nonpartisan Election Observer Program. This program has trained and equipped congressional staff to serve as election observers during close election contests. As we have seen or just heard, election contests can come down to just six votes. This critical program adds the added layer of accountability for the American people during those close contests. Ensuring our elections are fair, factual, and accurate is of utmost importance. I have been proud to work with my colleagues on the Committee on House Administration this Congress to strengthen our Nation's elections. This program is a strong election integrity measure, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 281.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge Senate action on a bill that will prevent deadly chemicals from falling into the hands of our children. Our Youth Poisoning Protection Act passed the House last night with overwhelmingly bipartisan support, Democrats and Republicans working together on what we need to be doing. This must become law. It is a parent's worst nightmare, this faceless stranger over the internet teaching your children how to take their own lives, and your child, in a moment of vulnerability, listens to them. That is exactly what happened to Kristine Jonsson, a very vibrant 16- year-old from Hilliard, Ohio, in my district. She was very open with her parents as it related to her mental health struggles, but it was behind closed doors on some ridiculous internet forum that she found sodium nitrate. With the coaching of these online predators, Kristine was able to purchase sodium nitrate through an online service and actually have it shipped to her front door without the knowledge of her parents. Sodium nitrate is a chemical that is used in the preservation of meat and fish, but it is, in fact, a chemical, when it is highly concentrated, that can be over 100 times more powerful--one spoonful-- more powerful and deadly than any chemical. Thanks to these online forums like the one that Kristine saw, the number of suicide deaths using sodium nitrate is steadily increasing. In recent years, the share of sodium nitrite usage as a method of self- poisoning has grown nine times over. By passing this bill, what we did bipartisanly with the Democrats and the Republicans in the House, we need to have it passed in the Senate. The Youth Poisoning Prevention Act would prevent commercial sales of highly concentrated sodium nitrite so it can never fall into the hands of these vulnerable youth. I want to thank my colleagues, Representative Trahan of Massachusetts, as well as my Senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance, and Tammy Duckworth from Illinois for partnering in this important effort. Again, this is the stuff that we as Members of Congress need to be doing. With their support and all of yours we are one step closer to preventing these senseless tragedies.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill that will prevent deadly chemicals from falling into the hands of children, our Youth Poisoning Protection Act. It's a parent's worst nightmare: a faceless stranger over the internet teaching your child how to take their own life, and your child, in a moment of vulnerability, listening to them. That's exactly what happened to Kristine Jonsson, a vibrant sixteen- year-old from Hilliard, Ohio whose life was cut tragically short in September 2020 Kristine was open with her parents about her mental health struggles, but it was behind closed doors on an internet forum that she learned about sodium nitrite. With the coaching of strangers online, Kristine was able to purchase sodium nitrite on Amazon.com and get it shipped to her front door, all without the knowledge of her parents. Sodium nitrite is a chemical used in the preservation of meat and fish, which in high concentrations is deadly if ingested. In fact, one spoonful of the chemical is one hundred times more lethal than other poisons. High concentrations of some chemicals can be harmful if used improperly, which is why they are usually highly regulated or banned for sale to consumers. Thanks to online forums like the one Kristine saw, the number of suicide deaths using sodium nitrite is steadily rising. In recent years, the share of sodium nitrite usage as a method of self-poisoning has grown nine times over. By passing this bill, we can save lives. The Youth Poisoning Protection Act would prevent the commercial sale of highly-concentrated sodium nitrite, so it can never fall into the hands of a vulnerable young person. I want to thank my colleague, Rep. Trahan of Massachusetts, as well as Senators J.D. Vance of Ohio and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois for partnering with us in this important effort. With their support and yours, we are one step closer to preventing these senseless tragedies.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bill that will lead America toward an all-of-the-above energy future, H.R. 1069, the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act. First, I thank Chairman Lucas, Ranking Member Lofgren, and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Williams for their work on bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the Science, Space, and Technology Committee staff for their bipartisan efforts in moving this legislation forward. Strengthening the energy category of domestic energy production, including renewables, oil, gas, coal, and nuclear, will safeguard our supply chains, defend our national security, and, in fact, boost our economy. H.R. 1069 is a commonsense bill that will increase transparency and oversight of the investments in homegrown, clean energy, including the billions of taxpayer dollars entrusted to the newly established Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to submit semiannual reports to Congress regarding the budget, schedule, and participating entities of their demonstration projects. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, which will give Americans confidence that their taxpayer dollars are being used wisely in our pursuit of energy independence.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor a bright young man from Ohio's 15th Congressional District. Nathaniel Palaia, who attends South-Western Career Academy, was recently named a 2024 nominee for the U.S. Department of Education Presidential Scholars Program. This is one of the highest honors in the nation for a high school student. Nathaniel is a dedicated student in the Career Technical Education field and serves as a member of Ohio State University's Eco- Car Electric Vehicle Challenge Team. He also serves as student council president, president of the Engineering and Robotics Program, team captain of the Autonomous Vehicle Challenge, and has founded a peer mentoring program. Nathaniel is also a member of the National Technical Honor Society and has played varsity football for Grove City High School. He spends his summers volunteering with children with special needs. He manages to excel at all of these things while earning above a 4.0 GPA and challenging himself in new ways academically. Nathaniel represents the true Buckeye spirit of Ohio. Among his many accomplishments, it has been made clear that he is also a caring, compassionate, and intelligent individual. He works hard for what he wants, and I have no doubt this will carry him far in his future career and in life. I am proud to represent a congressional district where students like Nathaniel give their time and abilities to make it a better place for everyone. It is with great pride that I honor Nathaniel in this great recognition.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of two brave firefighters in my district who recently perished in a tragic accident. Fire Chief Ralph Stegbauer and Captain Jeff Skaggs were longtime members of the Concord-Green Township Fire Department and proud sons of Fayette County. Each man put their lives on the line daily for their community, whether it was responding to house fires at 3 a.m. or serving as first responders to roadway accidents, Chief Stegbauer and Captain Skaggs served selflessly. Chief Stegbauer, a retired health department worker and teacher, left his mark on all those he encountered. A loving husband and proud father of two children, Chief Stegbauer always sought to build up those who were around him. Captain Skaggs also had a long history of not only serving Fayette County, but the country as a whole. He served in the United States military as a Ranger, and later was given the rank of E5 sergeant. Friends and family remember him as the first person to offer help to anyone who was in need. His community regarded him in the same way: never too busy to lend a helping hand. These two men exemplified what it meant to be an Ohioan. They worked hard to support their families, but still found time to give back to their communities. They put their lives on the line as volunteer firefighters and first responders, never asking for anything in return. Their tragic passing has left a hole in our community, and they will be missed dearly. Their selfless public service also inspires all of us to work harder to make our communities just a little better. At Christmastime, please keep their families in your prayers.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of my amendment and the underlying bill, the DETERRENT Act. Foreign influence on our universities and colleges is a serious threat, and I am concerned foreign adversaries are targeting our Nation's students. The DETERRENT Act ensures that we have transparency, accountability, and clarity in how foreign actors are involved with our universities and colleges. My amendment will improve this important bill by revising a provision in the underlying legislation that creates a public, searchable database of staff or faculty who have disclosed gifts or contracts from foreign entities. While I support transparency and accountability for our university faculty and staff to ensure foreign entities do not have undue influence over university research, policies, or instruction practices, it is important we balance that with the need to protect the privacy of an individual faculty or staff member at our institutions of higher education. This commonsense amendment simply changes the underlying bill's public database by removing the personally identifiable information of faculty and staff who are listed in the database as a result of reporting gifts or contracts with foreign entities. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Kellie Ruetsch, a constituent from Plain City, Ohio. Kellie is a regional operations manager for Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service of Ohio Inc. She was recently recognized as one of Superior Ambulance's ``Stars of Life.'' Every year, Superior Ambulance recognizes a handful of its EMTs for their exceptional leadership skills. An EMT since 1997, Kellie has devoted her life to helping others. Apart from being an EMT, Kellie is also a paramedic and a firefighter. Despite volunteering countless hours to her community and raising two children, Kellie has also found time to advance her skills and professional growth. In 2016, Kellie was offered a leadership position in which she immediately excelled. In 2017, Kellie obtained her EMS instructor license and completed Ambulance Service Manager training in 2022. Kellie's colleagues and superiors say, that she's someone who leads by example, never seeing a task as below her station. Plain City and central Ohio are better places to live because of people like Kellie Ruetsch. I salute her service to our community.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 340. Stated against:

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor my dear friend, David DiStefano. Since November 4, 2021, Dave has been serving the people of Ohio's 15th Congressional District as our chief of staff. Roughly 36 hours after I won the special election on November 2, 2021, Dave and I walked into an empty room in the Rayburn House Office Building with no phones, no computers, and no staff. In fact, Dave and I had to scramble just to find out what we were actually being asked to vote on that evening. In short order, with Dave's leadership and tireless work, we were able to not only fill our staff positions, but we were able to fill them with arguably the best team on the Hill and in Ohio. While Dave officially left our office last Friday, you can rest assure, Madam Speaker, that he won't be too far away. Dave and I have been friends and colleagues for over 30 years. From introducing me to my wife, Meghan, as well as being the godfather to my oldest son, Prescott, Dave is more like family. I wish Dave, his wife, Karen, and their son, Vince, all the best as they embark on this new journey. I will end by saying the simplest but sometimes most underused phrase to my dear friend--even by me: Thank you.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1163. Our jobs recovery has been hampered by bloated COVID relief benefits that paid people more not to work, while criminals and fraudsters were lining their pockets with billions in taxpayer funds from expanded UI programs. We are not talking about everyday fraud or administrative error. We are talking about fraud that was committed with intent, both domestically and by foreign nation-state actors that, frankly, used COVID relief to conduct economic warfare against American citizens and put our national security at risk. In my home State of Ohio, it was estimated that $1 billion may have been paid in fraudulent unemployment from March of 2020 to June of 2022. Now, my friends on the other side are arguing against this bill and the administration has just released a Statement of Administration Policy opposing this bill. The fact is, the President's Fiscal Year 2024 budget request includes several of the very same fraud recovery and prevention measures that my colleagues across the aisle are railing against today. Three of the proposals in the President's budget are nearly identical: Allowing States to keep 5 percent of recovered overpayments and reinvest those dollars in program integrity and fraud prevention; Matching unemployment claims data against the National Directory of New Hires to verify when somebody that is receiving unemployment becomes employed; and Extending the statute of limitations for criminal charges and civil actions for prosecuting fraud from 5 to 10 years. After declaring that ``the watchdogs are back'' in his first State of the Union, it has taken the President nearly 2 years to finally embrace the antifraud policies that we Republicans are calling for today. Were the President to veto this bill, he would be vetoing the very same policies he endorsed.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 302, the Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2023. Reliable energy infrastructure is critical to our national security and our economic well-being. With the rising number of threats and attacks on our energy grid, this bipartisan, commonsense legislation will help our country avoid large-scale power outages due to cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure. The Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act directs the Secretary of Energy to provide financial assistance to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers studying the convergence of cybersecurity and energy infrastructure. This financial assistance in the form of fellowships, scholarships, and research and development projects will prepare the next generation to address the cyberattacks on our energy infrastructure that our Nation will inevitably face. These graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will have the opportunity to study and train at our national laboratories, giving them the proper experience and tools to be successful in protecting our energy grid as they enter the workforce. With the war in Europe, the rising threat of China, and the record- high energy prices over the last couple of years, it is more important than ever to invest in the protection of energy infrastructure, and this legislation is a step in the right direction. I thank Congresswoman Ross for her work on this important legislation as well as Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Lofgren for bringing the bill to the floor for consideration. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of my dear friend, Congressman Dave Hobson, who is a former member of the Ohio Air National Guard, the Ohio State Senate, as well as a Member of this body for 17 years representing Ohio's Seventh District. Earlier this week, Dave--or ``Uncle Dave'', as his former constituents fondly call him--was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame for his service in the Ohio Air National Guard. As a veteran in Congress, Dave was able to secure more than $200 million in Federal funding for military projects in Ohio and beyond. I would also like to personally thank Dave for the positive impact he had on me throughout the years, as you can see, from a very young age, and he continues to have on me today as he does much of Ohio. I am also now honored to represent Dave's home county of Clark County in western Ohio. We have quite literally come full circle, and I am glad to see his legacy recognized as he joins the impressive ranks of his brothers and sisters in arms in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Dave, congratulations on this momentous occasion, and thank you for your continued mentorship and friendship for the last 35 years.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, Americans are in the midst of a recession and the worst inflation in over 40 years, yet my friends across the aisle are set to pass a $745 billion spending bill that will raise taxes, fund the Green New Deal initiatives, and hire 87,000 IRS agents to target Americans--all this while doing nothing to reduce inflation and adding over $146 billion in debt. Now, they say it won't raise taxes on people making less than $400,000, but the Joint Committee on Taxation has said at least half of all new tax revenue raised will come from those earning under $400,000. Probably the biggest thing for me is the 87,000 new IRS agents. To folks back in Ohio, I just want to put this in a way that you can understand. That is 10,000 more people than live in the city of Parma. That is 17,000 more people that live in the city of Canton, 23,000 more than in Youngstown. This is not the Inflation Reduction Act. This is the audit America act.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor from H.R. 3287.

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 304. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Barragan (Correa) Bentz (LaMalfa) Bowman (Evans) Brown (MD) (Evans) Cardenas (Correa) Carter (GA) (Mace) Castro (TX) (Neguse) Cherfilus-McCormick (Evans) Cohen (Beyer) Deutch (Schneider) Doggett (Beyer) Fallon (Gonzales, Tony) Hartzler (Bacon) Higgins (NY) (Pallone) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kahele (Correa) Katko (Meijer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Lawrence (Stevens) Leger Fernandez (Kuster) Lieu (Beyer) Meng (Kuster) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Stevens) Newman (Beyer) Panetta (Beyer) Pappas (Kuster) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Pallone) Pingree (Kuster) Porter (Neguse) Ryan (Beyer) Salazar (Gimenez) Sires (Pallone) Soto (Castor (FL)) Speier (Correa) Steel (Obernolte) Taylor (Pfluger) Timmons (Armstrong) Torres (NY) (Carter (LA)) Trahan (Stevens) Walorski (Baird) Williams (GA) (Carter (LA)) Wilson (SC) (Lamborn)

Mr. CAREY

Mr. CAREY. For nearly 400 years, the U.S. National Guard has served as a vital component to our Nation's warfighting and peacekeeping capabilities. Guard members are the stewards of the equipment and resources necessary to assist in times of need, and they are always ready to respond to our Nation's challenges both at home and abroad. As a former officer in the Army National Guard, I know that the Guard is so much more than a weekend a month and 2 weeks a year to those who serve. It is about service to our Nation and always being ready to answer the call. It is about neighbors helping neighbors, ready to respond to anything from a natural disaster, drug seizure, or even a cyberattack. Members of the Guard are essential to provide the capabilities to accomplish State and national priorities that we have. In the Buckeye State, the Ohio National Guard is always ready and always there. Since 9/11 more than 25,000 Ohio soldiers and airmen have been deployed all over the world. Over the last 2 years, just as the Guard members across the country have done, Ohio National Guard members have been lifesavers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 2,000 Ohio National Guard members were deployed to 18 testing centers and 62 hospitals across Ohio as part of clinical and general support teams. They prevented a crisis of care by providing patient monitoring, transportation, staffing and administration, testing, vaccinations, and even food distribution. I saw their work firsthand at a drive-through testing site in Columbus where Guard members collaborated with the Ohio State University to ensure that more than 1,000 Ohioans per day could be tested during the national testing shortage. It was an amazing operation that could not have worked without the expertise and efficiency of our National Guard members. In conclusion, we cannot thank our National Guard members enough for what they have done to keep us safe and what they will continue to do throughout their service.