Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I am proposing the ``last servicemember standing service medal.'' Mr. Chairman, I have the privilege and responsibility to share the story of the late, great American soldier Sergeant John Eade of Toledo, Ohio. In 1965, at aged 21, he deployed to la Drang Valley, Vietnam, as fire team leader in 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Air Cavalry Regiment. On November 14, the single deadliest day for American forces of the war, Sergeant Eade and his team became pinned down by the Vietcong due to terrible intelligence. By the end of that bloody day and night, he was the only surviving member of his platoon, sustaining shrapnel wounds to his legs, struck by napalm, and shot in the shoulder and abdomen. He was wounded by grenades that affected his walking for the rest of his life. His face was terribly wounded, resulting in the loss of his eye, injuries that he dealt with his entire life. He refused to withdraw, repeatedly exposing himself to the onslaught to hold the southwestern flank. Regrettably, the Department of Defense has yet to appropriately honor his valor and those of other soldiers who gave everything to this country with a Distinguished Service Cross because there were no witnesses to attest to his sheer heroism. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support a last servicemember standing medal that would recognize not just Sergeant Eade but all of America's greatest soldiers who continue to fight for their country against enemy forces even as every one of their squad mates gave their lives. Please support the last servicemember standing award. I am grateful for the time allowed today.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the patriotic life of Matt Hanenkrath, a pillar of Defiance County, Ohio. Matt served as chief of the South Richland Volunteer Fire Department, assistant chief of the Highland Township Volunteer Fire Department, and director of the Defiance County 911 Communications Center. Matt passed suddenly in the line of duty responding to a fire call. Chief Hanenkrath was a true public servant. He embodied the very essence of bravery, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to community and country. He ran toward danger and faced flames with an unyielding determination to safeguard his community. His dedication to public service didn't stop there. Matt was also the president of the Ayersville Board of Education and coached softball and football. He exemplified the spirit of putting others before self and tirelessly working to better his community. He is survived by his wife, Ashley, and three children, Haleigh, Brynn, and Bentley. Mr. Speaker, in his memory, let us recommit ourselves to supporting our firefighters. Let us value their heroic efforts. Chief Hanenkrath's sacrifice will never be forgotten. His legacy as a community leader will live on through the countless lives he impacted. Chief Hanenkrath is an American hero.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Billie Johnson, a Founder and CEO of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio in our district. Mrs. Johnson is retiring after 49\1/2\ years at the helm of the agency she helped create. Her legacy is writ large and there is a special tribute to her today as her colleagues, peers and our region honor her. Mrs. Johnson is a pioneer in the aging network. Her accomplishments are legion and boundless. Under her leadership, the Area Office on Aging has grown from a small divisional office into a comprehensive regional agency serving nearly 200,000 older adults in ten counties with a staff of nearly 200, along with 2,000 senior volunteers, 180 service providers, advisors and professional Board Members. The Area Office on Aging is considered one of the premier Area Agencies on Aging in the United States. Nationally recognized for its work, the agency has received eleven national achievement and innovation awards. Mrs. Johnson has helped open community centres in neighbourhoods, facilitated countless meals delivered, provided seniors with needed counselling, expanded services, including seniors and veterans housing, health care, and gained access to tens of thousands of our seniors and new mothers to the Farmers Market Nutrition Program. The Area Office on Aging has helped hundreds of thousands of people in Northwestern Ohio and taught others how to be leaders in their own communities. Everyone here today knows Billie Johnson's commendable record of public service. During her tenure with the agency, Mrs. Johnson led the effort to develop three, wholly owned subsidiary corporations. These separate corporations provide apartment living for low-income senior citizens in Northwest Ohio. She also organized the agency's Foundation Board and has been instrumental in developing a senior campus of 46 acres that provides a full continuum of care for older adults. Mrs. Johnson is a recognized leader in the field of aging and has served on numerous national boards and state committees. She has been a speaker and presenter nationally and internationally on aging and women's issues. She has twice been a presenter at the World Conference on Women. She is also a leader in our community and serves on many local civic boards and foundations. Billie Johnson leaves a legacy unmatched. She is a treasure to those who are privileged to know her and a mentor to many. Our community has been graced abundantly by her efforts. After 49\1/2\ years as the President and CEO of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, retirement is surely deserved. We all acknowledge the profound impact Billie Johnson has had on the millions of lives she touched in our corner of the world. Knowing her retirement is near, we wish her days be shared with those she loves doing what she most enjoys.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, promoting economic growth and creating good- paying jobs for America's workers is at the forefront of my work every day here in Congress. Let me highlight the impressive continued record job growth under the Biden administration through legislation passed mainly by Democrats here in the House and the other body. In the most recent May jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 339,000 new jobs were added nationally. The U.S. economy has gained more than 13 million jobs under President Biden, the fastest job growth in American history. Let me repeat that: The fastest job growth in American history. As you can see on this chart, President Biden's economic growth plan has added an average of 470,000 jobs to the economy every month since he took office. What a stark contrast with the job losses under the previous administration. These Biden job increases are historic and unprecedented. Unemployment remains near historic lows at just 3.7 percent. Mr. Speaker, let this record speak for itself. House Democrats and President Biden leave no family behind.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, last week, America and we in Ohio lost a true patriot, family man, successful business leader, and community champion, Taras G. Szmagala, who passed away at 90 years of age. To his wife, Katherine, of 64 years; son, Taras; grandson, Gregory; and a vast network of extended family and friends, I know this is a difficult time. Yet, I also know that you carry forward in all you do the living memory of your beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Please know many others feel the sharp pain of your loss. Taras inspired us all with his gentlemanly manner, easy smile, and dedicated passion on matters that mean the most. There was no stronger advocate on behalf of liberty for Ukraine than Taras. He knew the stakes. His life was a classic, committed to family, profession, Nation, and liberty, and he was resolute. He made and kept his promises. He maintained resolve in all pursuits. He was jovial, loving, dependable, and visionary, and he made our world a better place. May he rest in peace as he takes his place at a high altar of praise, as his spirit helps guide our world, including freedom for Ukraine. May he help usher her into the birth of liberty to which he dedicated so much of his life. Sending deepest sympathy and abiding gratitude of friendship.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, for nearly a century, America has made a sacred promise: People who work hard throughout their lives will benefit from the fruits of their labor. Last week, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law a bipartisan budget agreement. It protects Social Security from harmful Republican-proposed cuts. That earned benefit brings peace of mind for millions of families, senior citizens, disabled persons, and children who survive a parent's premature death. Social Security insurance is a compact of trust between generations and ensures the safe and secure retirement for tens of millions of Americans during their golden years. It is an earned benefit. Congress must continue to protect this pact for our citizenry. That is why our recently introduced Social Security 2100 Act is one of the most vital bills before this Congress. It will increase benefits to current and new beneficiaries, protect retirees against inflation, and repeal the windfall elimination provision. America made a promise to workers and guaranteed workers their earned benefits. Democrats are committed to making good on that promise for Social Security for generations to come.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with our Ohio Buckeye colleagues, to solemnly honor a former colleague and well-regarded Ohio public servant, Congressman Tom Sawyer, from the city of Akron. Sadly, Tom passed away this week, on May 23, 2023, at 77 years of age, after prolonged illness. Our hearts and prayers go out to his beloved wife, Joyce, cherished daughter Amanda, their family and friends, and all people with whom Tom worked and served. Tom was a dedicated public servant, very dignified and steady, a measured and enlightened man. He attained many elected positions as a senior officeholder, serving in broad-ranging capacities at the local, State, and national levels for 40 years. Prior to Congress, he was elected as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He was elected mayor of Akron in 1983 and then was elected to Congress in 1987, serving 16 years, a total of eight terms, until 2003. Tom was very passionate about education. He dedicated his honorable service on behalf of the people of Akron, of Ohio, and of the American public at large. Following his congressional service, he served on the Ohio State Board of Education and then for nearly a decade more in the Ohio Senate. Together, let us celebrate the life of Tom Sawyer, honorable public servant, loyal son of Ohio, and enlightened man with a fine mind, an easy, broad smile, and a mellow voice of certitude. Now, please let me yield to our new Ohio colleague from Akron, Ohio, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes, to share her recollections and words about her hometown predecessor, the Honorable Tom Sawyer. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes).

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I now ask our House colleagues to join us in a moment of silence to remember our former colleague, Tom Sawyer.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to warn of the risk of U.S. default. Its ripple effects will hurt countless people across our Nation and the Buckeye State. Default will reverse the Biden recovery and historic job growth, heading our Nation into deep recession. Default will make it almost impossible to pay down the bills America owes, as economic growth will be stalled out. Extremists in Congress don't seem to care. Their dawdling and irresponsible threats to not pay America's bills risk throwing a wrench in the heart of the U.S. economy. Stock market crashes and the unemployment they trigger hurt everyone. Extremists heedlessness will trigger a recession, tank our stock market, kill off businesses, lead to mass layoffs, and reduce earnings on everything from retirement funds to new investments. Extremist recklessness will cause America's economy great harm. We cannot allow this to happen. Only a growing economy can generate the momentum to pay our bills. Following the worst pandemic in modern history and the market collapse of 2008, our Nation has just begun to stabilize our institutions, create record economic and job growth, and build forward again to pay our bills. More economic turmoil drives America backward. Let me remind folks, America's debt, which has to be paid, didn't begin to accumulate in the last 2 years. The last time our Nation balanced a budget was during the Clinton Presidency. That was largely possible because of budgetary defense savings made possible by the peace dividend following the fall of the Soviet Union. Since then, our Nation has fought an extended war on terrorism at a cost of $8 trillion and 900,000 lost lives. Further, our communities are still digging out of the horrible Wall Street-induced housing crash of 2008. We have been turning the corner on recovery from the massive pandemic that killed over 1 million of our friends and family members, and our health system is still struggling to recover from that. In this hand, I hold up the President's budget, a 132-page document given to us over 2 months ago. This document outlines a real plan to continue to grow our economy from the bottom up and middle out in order to pay our bills. The chart I brought to the floor today shows the rising debt of our country as a percent of GDP, which is how you have to measure it, and from the Biden administration the first time that we begin to move that line down. On the other hand, we have extremists backpedaling, which aims to take a flamethrower to the programs that help Americans nationwide by making 22 percent cuts to all nondefense spending. This would hurt working families, stifle job growth, and impact millions of Americans who need care in our hospitals and depend on secure retirement income. Our Nation is now in the midst of historic job growth, with nearly 13 million jobs added under President Biden in just 28 months. Think about it and think about those who would hold our economy hostage. They would reverse economic growth. Our economy would shrink, eliminating millions of jobs, while reducing retirement earnings or tanking their accounts altogether. Default would lead to a huge decline in consumer spending that would cripple economic growth, forcing cuts in critical Federal programs that put oxygen into the economy: Meals on Wheels, which bring food and company to homebound seniors and those in need. Cuts will impact programs like LIHEAP that help people pay monthly bills for home energy costs. Extremist cuts will raise costs of childcare, pre-K and kindergarten spots for millions of children nationwide, forcing working parents to choose between expensive childcare costs or staying home and losing wages, deflating economic growth. Balancing the budget requires economic growth not economic reversal. Our Nation came out of the pandemic as the strongest economy in the world. Let's build on this success, not take a wrecking ball to it. Here is an idea to balance the budget. What if megacorporations and billionaires begin to pay their fair share of taxes? Some pay nothing and because of their tax lawyers, many get a tax refund. Everybody has to help pull this boat called America. So extremists in this Chamber want America to default on our obligations and stifle our economy. Responsible Americans know growing our economy will achieve new revenues necessary to pay the bills. We need steady economic growth, economic progress, not default. I will choose economic progress every time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate National Police Week, along with our Oklahoma colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie Bice. I am honored to introduce the bipartisan Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2023. Congress must support and stand with the brave men and women in law enforcement who work every day to keep our communities safe. Our bipartisan bill provides greater Federal support grants to law enforcement departments at the state, local, territorial, and tribal level to obtain vital behavioral health crisis response training. More safely and effectively resolving behavioral health crisis situations can save lives. We all know that post pandemic, too many in our country have experienced mental health crises. Our law enforcement and corrections officers are often on the front lines, responding to crisis calls related to these situations. The opioid epidemic complicates this situation in far too many stances. As America's prisons and jails are filled with individuals with mental health challenges, Congress must do more to address mental health across the board. Our law enforcement officers need to be equipped with the proper tools, regimen, and training to adequately address mental health crises. I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation to do just that.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to an executive branch decision that will have a significant negative impact on the U.S. domestic solar industry, including in northwest Ohio, the home of the largest domestic solar production platform on this continent. Last week, the U.S. Treasury issued initial guidance allowing solar project developers to qualify for a 10 percent domestic content bonus, even if the solar panels they use are made with foreign silicon wafers, 97 percent of which are produced in--guess where--China. The new interpretation of the domestic content bonus established as part of the Inflation Reduction Act squanders a rare and critical opportunity to spur the renaissance of an end-to-end domestic solar manufacturing supply chain. It also ultimately rewards those who cut corners, offshore U.S. jobs, and buy cheaper subcomponents produced in China. This administration must not allow China to undercut domestic manufacturers and American workers, and we all know how that is done with China's predatory practices. Take steel. What China does is produce four times what the globe consumes annually in steel. Then they strategically dump it, including here, and drive down prices and drive out domestic manufacturing. We know the gig. We can't accept it. Giving additional tax benefits to predatory practices and those who strategically cut corners to undermine fair trade rewards their bad behavior. When a product is given the benefit of being called American made, that should include all steps and stages in the production process and its supply chain, including those silica-based chips. ``Made in the USA'' means made in the USA. The Biden administration should pay attention.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, last week we celebrated both National Nurses Week and Mother's Day. Today, I rise to highlight a Great Lake story of perseverance that ties them both together. Shalisa and Mishay Davis, mother and daughter, are from Detroit, Michigan. This spring they graduated together on the same day in Toledo, Ohio, both with nursing degrees. When a mother watches their daughter or son graduate from college, it is a larger-than-life moment, but to do it together is something unforgettable. You don't often get to follow so closely in your mother's footsteps. Mishay passed her boards and plans to continue schooling and hopes to become a family practitioner. Shalisa wants to open her own clinic to help communities with limited access to healthcare. Bravo. Congratulations to mother and daughter on their proud accomplishments. Bravo for embarking on a noble journey to help strengthen healthcare in our region. May all nurses in Ohio's Ninth District and beyond prevail in their dedication to care for and heal the people of our Nation.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an extremely dangerous situation in rail corridors across America. This includes the busy mainline rail corridor between Pittsburgh and Chicago that cuts across northern Ohio, including most of my district. In northern Ohio, rail is the spine of our economy. To stay competitive in today's economy and avoid expensive supply chain delays, industrial and agricultural America must think big about modernizing rail solutions. Our Nation must prioritize rail safety, give people more transportation options, and expand access to national and international markets. In the past year, three significant train derailments by Norfolk Southern have taken place in Ohio. In October 2022, a 21-car derailment occurred in my district at Sandusky, where Norfolk Southern has dragged its feet for over half a year in cleaning up the mess. That job is still not finished. This rail corridor again drew national attention with the major derailment earlier this year in East Palestine, Ohio. The imperative topic of rail safety has many clear and sometimes deadly impacts on students across our Nation. I include in the Record a recent ProPublica news article which highlights the risks for students in Hammond, Indiana. [From the ProPublica] As Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School (By Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz, ProPublica, and Joce Sterman, Gray Television/InvestigateTV) Jeremiah Johnson couldn't convince his mother to let him wear a suit, so he insisted on wearing his striped tie and matching pocket square. It was picture day and the third grader wanted to get to school on time. But as he and his mom walked from their Hammond, Indiana, home on a cold, rainy fall morning, they confronted an obstacle they'd come to dread: A sprawling train, parked in their path. Lamira Samson, Jeremiah's mother, faced a choice she said she has to make several times a week. They could walk around the train, perhaps a mile out of the way; she could keep her 8-year-old son home, as she sometimes does; or they could try to climb over the train, risking severe injury or death, to reach Hess Elementary School four blocks away. She listened for the hum of an engine. Hearing none, she hurried to help Jeremiah climb a ladder onto the flat platform of a train car. Once up herself, she helped him scramble down the other side. ProPublica and lnvestigateTV witnessed dozens of students do the same in Hammond, climbing over, squeezing between and crawling under train cars with ``Frozen'' and ``Space Jam'' backpacks. An eighth grade girl waited 10 minutes before she made her move, nervously scrutinizing the gap between two cars. She'd seen plenty of trains start without warning. ``I don't want to get crushed,'' she said. Recent spectacular derailments have focused attention on train safety and whether the nation's powerful rail companies are doing enough to protect the public--and whether federal regulators are doing enough to make them, especially as the companies build longer and longer trains. But communities like Hammond routinely face a different set of risks foisted on them by those same train companies, which have long acted with impunity. Every day across America, their trains park in the middle of neighborhoods and major intersections, waiting to enter congested rail yards or for one crew to switch with another. They block crossings, sometimes for hours or days, disrupting life and endangering lives. News accounts chronicle horror stories: Ambulances can't reach patients before they die or get them to the hospital in time. Fire trucks can't get through and house fires blaze out of control. Pedestrians trying to cut through trains have been disfigured, dismembered and killed; when one train abruptly began moving, an Iowa woman was dragged underneath until it stripped almost all of the skin from the back of her body; a Pennsylvania teenager lost her leg hopping between rail cars as she rushed home to get ready for prom. In Hammond, the hulking trains of Norfolk Southern regularly force parents, kids and caretakers into an exhausting gamble: How much should they risk to get to school? The trains, which can stretch across five or six intersections at a time in this working-class suburb of 77,000, prevent students and teachers from getting to school in the morning. Teachers must watch multiple classrooms while their colleagues wait at crossings; kids sit on school buses as they meander the streets of an entirely different city to be dropped off a half-hour late. Brandi Odom, a seventh grade teacher, estimates that at least half her class is delayed by trains multiple times a week. The adults entrusted with their safety--parents and teachers, police and fire officials, the mayor--say they are well aware of the pressures on students' minds when they face a blocked crossing on foot. They know some are hungry and don't want to miss breakfast; the vast majority in this 86 percent Black and Latino district qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. And they know that many of their parents commute to work an hour away to Chicago, trusting older brothers or sisters to pick up or drop off their siblings. ``I feel awful about it,'' said Scott E. Miller, the superintendent. His district has asked Norfolk Southern for its schedule so that the schools can plan for blockages and students can adjust their routines. The company has disregarded the requests, school officials said. Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said that his experience with the rails has been similar, and that company officials have reminded him the rails ``were here first,'' running through Hammond before it was even a city. ``To them, I am nobody,'' he said. ``They don't pay attention to me. They don't respect me. They don't care about the city of Hammond. They just do what they want.'' In written responses to questions, a spokesperson for Norfolk Southern said children climbing through their trains concerns the company. ``It is never safe for members of the public to try to cross the cars,'' spokesperson Connor Spielmaker said. ``We understand that a stopped train is frustrating, but trains can move at any time and with little warning--especially if you are far from the locomotive where the warning bell is sounded when a train starts.'' He said trains routinely sit in Hammond for a number of reasons: That section of track is between two busy train intersections that must remain open; Norfolk Southern can't easily move a train backward or forward, because that would cut off the paths for other trains, which could belong to other companies. And Hammond is a suburb of Chicago, which is the busiest train hub in the nation, creating congestion up and down the network. He said Norfolk Southern is working to identify an area where trains can stage further down its line and to have less impact on the community. The company will also review its procedures to see whether its trains can give louder warnings before they start moving. (ProPublica reporters witnessed trains in Hammond start moving without warning.) Spielmaker said that train schedules vary so much that giving Hammond one might not be helpful. He said that the company is in ``constant communication'' with local officials, and that representatives will discuss any proposed fixes with Hammond. Rail companies around the country could better coordinate their schedules, parking trains far from schools that are in session. They could also build shorter trains that fit into railyards so their tail ends don't block towns' crossings. Hammond essentially serves as a parking lot for Norfolk Southern's trains, creating a problem so pressing that Indiana plans to spend $14 million--about $10 million of which is coming from federal grants--to build an overpass for cars. The bridge won't help many students, who would need to walk at least a mile out of their way just to reach it. Norfolk Southern, the multibillion-dollar corporation causing the problem, is contributing just $500,000 of the bridge's cost, despite the city asking for more. Norfolk Southern did not respond directly to questions about whether it should chip in more to the upcoming project, but the company said it contributes to many safety projects and maintains more than 1,600 grade crossings in Indiana alone. Read the company's full response here. On three separate occasions during the fall and winter, reporters witnessed Norfolk Southern trains blocking intersections leading to an elementary, a middle and a high school for four, six and seven hours. ProPublica and InvestigateTV showed footage of kids making the crossing, including an elementary student crawling under a train, to representatives of Norfolk Southern, lawmakers and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, whose remit includes rail safety. He was shocked. ``Nobody,'' Buttigieg said, ``can look at a video with a child having to climb over or under a railroad car to get to school and think that everything is OK.'' The video also stunned state officials who had long known about the problem. ``That takes my breath away,'' said Indiana state Rep. Carolyn Jackson, who represents the Hammond area and has filed a bill attempting to address blocked crossings every session for the past five years. None has ever gotten a hearing. ``I hope that they will do something about it and we won't have to wait until a parent has to bury their child.'' The blocked crossing problem is perennial, especially in cities like Hammond that are near large train yards. But in the era of precision scheduled railroading, a management philosophy that leans heavily on running longer trains, residents, first responders, rail workers and government leaders told ProPublica it is getting worse as trains stretch farther across more intersections and crossings. ``The length of the long trains is 100% the cause of what's going on across the country right now,'' said Randy Fannon, a national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. ``No engineer wants to block a crossing.'' The Federal Railroad Administration, the agency that regulates rail safety, started a public database in late 2019 for complaints about blocked crossings and fielded more than 28,000 reports of stopped trains last year alone. Among them were thousands of dispatches from 44 states about pedestrians, including kids, crossing trains. Someone in North Charleston, South Carolina, summarized the situation in three letters: ``Wtf.'' A rail administration spokesperson said the agency shares the data monthly with companies. ``When railroads fail to act quickly,'' and if a crossing is reported as blocked three days in a calendar month, officials will contact a company to determine the cause and try to work out solutions, Warren Flatau said. ``We are receiving various levels of cooperation . . . and welcome more consistent engagement.'' Read more about what the agency says it is doing here. Buttigieg said that this spring or summer, he expects to announce the first grants in a new U.S. Department of Transportation program designed to help alleviate blocked crossings. The federal government is putting $3 billion into the program over five years. State lawmakers have tried to curb blocked crossings by restricting the lengths of trains. Since 2019, in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Georgia, Nebraska, Virginia, Washington, Arizona and other states, lawmakers have proposed maximum lengths of 1.4 to about 1.6 miles. (There is no limit now, and trains have been known to stretch for 2 or more miles.) Every proposal has died before becoming law. Opponents, including the nation's largest railroad companies, claim that the efforts are driven by unions to create jobs and that the measures would violate interstate commerce laws. As ProPublica has reported, train length has been essential to creating record profits for rail companies in recent years. The industry has also sued to block more modest measures. In Hammond, for instance, police used to be able to write tickets for about $150 every time they saw a train stalled at a crossing for more than five minutes. Instead of paying the individual citations, Hammond officials told ProPublica, Norfolk Southern would bundle them and negotiate a lower payment. ``We weren't getting anything,'' McDermott, the mayor, said, ``but it made our residents feel good.'' An Indiana court took the industry's side--as many courts in other states have done--ruling that only the federal government held power over the rails. ``We can't even write tickets anymore,'' the mayor said. ``It was more of an illusion, and we can't even play the illusion anymore.'' He said the blockages have forced Hammond to keep more firefighters and stations than would normally be needed for a city its size. ``I have to have a firehouse fully staffed on both sides of the rail line so that we can respond in a timely manner to an emergency, which is very expensive,'' McDermott said. The problem has become so endemic in Hammond that getting ``trained,'' or stalled at crossings, has become a verb. Police officers are delayed several times a day, said Hammond Police Department spokesperson Lt. Steve Kellogg. Last October, an officer couldn't get backup as he confronted a man who was holding a knife, bleeding and not responding to commands. The officer pulled his weapon and the man ultimately cooperated, but someone could have died, Kellogg said. Hammond's powerlessness over the rails is frustrating, he added. ``They're all controlled by the feds, and they do whatever the hell they want to do.'' Spielmaker, the Norfolk Southern spokesperson, said: ``We work with first responders on a daily basis to assist however we can. For example, there was a situation in Georgia where a train was stopped on a crossing due to a broken down train ahead. The train could not be moved, so we worked with the first responders to make sure the train was safe for them to maneuver through with it in place.'' In his 24 years fighting fires in Hammond, Mike Hull, president of a local union, said not once has he seen railroads do that for first responders. ``They've never come back and said, 'We're going to move this train for vou;'' he said. State and local officials grew hopeful on March 20 when the U.S. Supreme Court invited the federal government to comment on a petition from Ohio seeking the authority to regulate how long a train can block a crossing. The high court will likely hear the case if the solicitor general recommends it, said Tom Goldstein, publisher of SCOTUSblog, which is widely seen as an authority on the court. Nineteen other states have signaled their support for a Supreme Court case. Goldstein expects the solicitor general to respond in November or early December. A favorable court opinion could allow other states to finally enforce their laws on blocked crossings. In the meantime, Buttigieg believes federal lawmakers must intervene to give the Federal Railroad Administration the power to compel rail companies to keep crossings clear. This time of intense public interest in railroads has opened a window for action, Buttigieg said, but it is fleeting. ``Any moment that the public attention starts to fade, the railroads are then once again in a position to assert themselves in Washington and to ignore some of the phone calls they are getting in the communities,'' he said. Buttigieg said his staff is ready to participate in a federal hearing in which it can tell lawmakers what new authorities they would need to regulate blocked crossings. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, said she is eager for new law. A fire chief in her district, which covers parts of the Houston area, told her the department has had to detour 3,200 times since 2019 because of blocked crossings. She and other congressional Democrats introduced the Don't Block Our Communities Act in early March, but it has not yet gained bipartisan traction. The proposed law would prohibit rail companies from blocking crossings for more than 10 minutes and would allow the rail administration to fine companies for repeated violations. Like the other officials, Garcia said she was aghast, but not surprised, about the situation in Hammond. ``That is outrageous, look at the little bitty baby,'' she said while watching a video of a young girl crawling under a train car. ``That's what I mean about making sure we do more to protect the safety of our children. That happens too in Houston.'' In Hammond, a public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Scott Middle School to discuss the overpass project. Among those who hope to voice their concerns about the blocked crossings are rail workers themselves who worry about the kids. ``It's just a matter of time until there is a catastrophic incident,'' said Kenny Edwards, the Indiana legislative director for the nation's largest rail union. Efrain Valdez, president of the parent teacher association, said he hopes officials can adjust plans to help students who need to walk to school. ``To see our children in danger like that, that's just downright crazy,'' he said. ``I'm just appalled and heartbroken that [the railroad] would think that's OK. That their money means more to them than a child's life.'' Until there's a better solution, the ritual continues. Some parents act as de facto crossing guards, standing beside trains to help their children and others cross. Others ask their kids to call them before and after they make the climb, while warning them about the worst that can happen. Rudy Costello tells his daughter, who is in high school, to be careful, because if the train moves she ``could slip and then there goes your leg and your foot. Or you get pulled under the train and there goes you all together.'' He added: ``That's been my biggest fear, her foot slipping off. . . . But what can you do? Because those trains are always stopping over there, for hours.'' Akicia Henderson said she has tried to avoid making the dangerous climb with her 10-year-old daughter. ``I called a Lyft,'' she said. ``The Lyft driver actually canceled on me twice because he couldn't get around the train.'' So she walks toward the tracks, picturing all that can go wrong--a jacket snags, a backpack tangles, the wheels begin to turn. She prays that this will be one of the days their path isn't blocked and that she doesn't hear the sound she has most come to fear, a horn in the distance. ``It's like, `Oh my God, the train is coming.' ''

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, children are forced to crawl over or under very long parked trains that block their path to school. ProPublica and InvestigateTV witnessed dozens of students in Hammond climbing over, squeezing between, and crawling under the train cars just to make their way to and from school. Railroads of America, wake up. In my district in northwest Ohio, I have also witnessed situations with students in extremely dangerous and deadly situations. In December of 2009 along that same mainline rail crossing at McCord Road in Lucas County, Ohio, a train hit two students on foot in my district, killing one of them and putting the other in critical condition at Toledo Hospital where she underwent surgery. Cody L. Brown, a 15-year-old freshman, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brianna Mullinger was taken in critical condition to Toledo Hospital. The students, both band members, were walking to school when that westbound Amtrak train struck them. In the wake of this tragedy, our community constructed an underpass below the Norfolk Southern rail line at McCord Road to try to avoid future tragedies at this same rail crossing. There are numerous such places across this corridor. Our effort protects students, pedestrians, and drivers without interrupting traffic or flow of trains, pedestrians, or cars that pass through this intersection. These stories are emblematic of some of the longstanding and unaddressed real issues America continues to face to this day. Railroads of America, wake up. Let us use our bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fix these rail problems that exist and take steps to address them coast to coast. Now is a pivotal point where our Nation can fix these challenges with funds available from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Mr. Speaker, I urge Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and President Biden to pay particular attention to this regional corridor from Pittsburgh to Chicago. It is so dangerous. Help us convene rail stakeholders to relieve congestion and identify key infrastructure improvement projects. This is a time freight companies like Norfolk Southern, CSX, and Amtrak should come together at the same table. Let us craft solutions to address longstanding issues regarding rail safety. Communities are begging to work with these companies that never return phone calls to help fix these longstanding, solvable challenges. We must look to the future and join together to protect the public: our students, our rail workers, and our communities. Let us deliver both transformative and safe commercial and passenger rail solutions. The tools are at our disposal. The money is there. Where are the rail companies? The time is now. Let's do what we in the industrial Midwest do best. Let's get to work.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a bipartisan resolution introduced with my Ohio colleague, Bob Latta, proclaiming May 5 to May 14 as the National American Birding Week. Birding in our abundant Great Lakes region's western basin of Lake Erie draws environmental stewards from around the world during this time of year. Birding generates over $40 million in economic benefits annually, and events such as the Biggest Week in American Birding sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Oak Harbor, Ohio, leverage public- private partnerships to promote conservation of migratory bird populations and economic development through nature tourism, research, education, and outreach. In fact, these little creatures can teach us a great deal about the health of Mother Earth. American Birding Week will send a strong endorsement from birders around the world who flock to our region of northwest Ohio every year. Birders worldwide who attend events such as the Biggest Week in American Birding support efforts to preserve migratory bird populations and what they teach us about our fragile ecosystem.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a historic milestone in Defiance, Ohio in our District. Today, citizens are gathering to celebrate the Bicentennial Anniversary of the City of Defiance. Events throughout the day will focus on ``Remembering our history, Honoring our present, and Envisioning our future.'' On April 28, 2023, after being surveyed by Captain James Riley, the plat for the Village of Defiance was recorded in Wood County, Ohio by Horatio G. Phillips. He purchased thirty acres of land in the Village of Defiance at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers, gateway to the Great Lakes. Thus, Defiance was born and is the County Seat of Defiance County. The history notes that ``Benjamin Leavell would join with Phillips to market the property. It was divided into 150 lots. Their 1823 newspaper ad stated the streets are wide, with alleys for the convenience of the lots, which are of handsome size. It also stated the proprietors have laid off lots for religious societies, schools, and a courthouse. The location of the 1794 Fort Defiance was set aside as a public park.'' Residents named the community after Fort Defiance, once a western- most outpost in the Ohio country in early America. Constructed by General Anthony Wayne before 1794's Battle of Fallen Timbers, Fort Defiance was also an important defense in Ohio from invasion by British soldiers during the War of 1812. Growth continued following ``speculation of the construction of the Miami & Erie and Wabash & Erie Canals and their route as they connected to Lake Erie. Ultimately the canals would join together 10\1/2\ miles southwest of Defiance at a location named Junction. The canals used the same channel through Defiance. The Wabash & Erie connecting Fort Wayne, Indiana and west to Toledo, Ohio, was completed in 1843 and the Miami & Eire canal, connecting Cincinnati to Toledo, was completed in 1845.'' The canals' completion fueled much of the growth in western Ohio lands, including Defiance. It is reported that the legendary Johnny Appleseed owned a nursery on the north bank of the Maumee river with Defiance as his primary headquarters during the early 19th century. Steeped in its history and that of Northwest Ohio, Defiance honors its past through monuments, markers and sculptures of those on whose shoulders the community stands while at the same time emboldened by the spirit of those long-ago ancestors. Defiance weathered the ups and downs of American life through the centuries and remains a vibrant community today. A focus on education brings with it Defiance College and an excellent public library. Businesses flourish on Main Street and throughout the city. Defiance surely lives up to its motto as ``A great place to live'' through its intergenerational, enterprising spirit and sacrifices of citizens who have built the patriotic, enduring character of Defiance. All over Northwest Ohio we join with the residents of this community, remembering 200 years of history while looking forward to a bright future. We pay tribute to the pioneers who founded the city, honor the citizens who built it up in the ensuing years, and pledge our efforts toward a flourishing future.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, dangerous budget shenanigans by House Republicans play with fire that can blunt economic growth and cruelly hurt countless Ohioans. Speaker McCarthy's roulette creates economic instability that can yield disastrous consequences for students, families, seniors, veterans, and public safety across our Buckeye State. His plan would endanger public safety and impact public health by shutting down five air traffic control towers in our State, cutting 330 safety inspections in rail, and denying 2,000 Ohioans admission to opioid treatment. His plan would raise costs for working families and students by eliminating 12,300 preschool and childcare slots in Ohio, stripping food assistance from nearly half a million Ohioans, making college tuition expensive for 200,000 Ohioans, and raising housing costs for 23,000 Ohioans. How about that for a start? The McCarthy plan is reckless and inches us closer to default. In sum, the McCarthy plan would thwart economic progress and should be shelved for a commonsense, bipartisan solution that serves all of America. Let's put people before politics.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the irresponsible brinksmanship being played by House Republicans with the debt ceiling. Let me point out that inflation happens when too much money chases too few goods. In order to stem inflation, America needs to be producing more goods right here at home, not importing more and more of everything and subjecting our markets to supply chain choke holds from offshore producers and shippers that drive the prices up. What America makes and grows makes and grows America. Supporting products made in America makes and grows a real middle class. Why champion more windfalls for Wall Street and powerful financial titans that finance outsourcing our jobs going to penny wage havens? We should reshore what Americans use, eat, and drive and reduce inflation. Speaker McCarthy ought to stand up for America, stand with the American people on Main Street, not with the outsourcers and scions of finance on Wall Street who outsource our jobs.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to clarify my position on H.R. 1093, the bill requiring State to submit a report to Congress on the impact of export controls on implementing the AUKUS partnership. I voted NAY on Roll Call No. 144 when I intended to vote YEA.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Return to Prudent Banking Act to restore prudent banking and confidence to our Nation's banking system. This bill would reinstate essential provisions of legislation born from the ashes of the Great Depression: The Glass-Steagall Act, also known as the Banking Act of 1933. Carelessly, in 1999, Congress repealed the Glass-Steagall Act, and you can see the growing concentration of banks just in this country. Three banks control a third of the money in this country. What has really been happening is, the repeal of that act opened the floodgates for speculation, for speculators on Wall Street and other places to empty out the worth of Americans' life savings. By 2008, investment firms had gambled it all away in their version of the Wall Street casino. Their greed cost hardworking Americans their homes, their savings, their jobs. Speculation plunged our Nation into a deep recession. Now, here we go again watching bank runs--SVB over in California, Signature over on the East Coast in New York--bank runs, failures, massive buyouts, cryptocurrency schemes, and rampant speculation and high-risk Chinese tech companies. Wake up, America. Let's restore prudent banking. Let's pass the Glass-Steagall Act. Mr. Speaker, we need to corral the raging bulls who cloak their unbridled speculation under the cover of prudent banking.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Ohio, the largest nuclear scandal in American history has been perpetuated on our public. Ohio's only nuclear power is generated in northern Ohio, along Lake Erie by plants owned by Energy Harbor, previously known as FirstEnergy. For decades, FirstEnergy's customers have unknowingly paid for the outfall of this criminal company's nuclear malfeasance, careless management, and costly outages, and now criminality. When a hole in the nuclear reactor head at Davis-Besse proved to be the size of a pineapple, jaws dropped too late here in Washington at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Where were they? When a switch failure triggered by FirstEnergy shut off power for 3 days across the entire Midwest; Northeast; and Ontario, Canada, costing our economy $10 billion and nine lost lives, those in the commercial nuclear power world should have understood there was a big problem at FirstEnergy. Where were they? Neither the private sector nor the Federal Government did their jobs. Nuclear power production requires excellence and vigilance. No excuses. No passing the buck. FirstEnergy's business plan started to fail due to its huge repair costs resulting from its own mistakes. As the company sank into debt, rather than aspiring to excellence, it resorted to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, and racketeering. Thus, the largest commercial nuclear crimes in U.S. history are being litigated in Federal court in Cincinnati, Ohio. Convictions for accepting FirstEnergy bribes have been levied against Ohio's former house Republican Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party chair, Matt Borges. They led a criminal scheme in which FirstEnergy bribed them with $61 million in dark money. Householder used it for personal expenses, reelecting himself, and a slate of willing Republican and Democratic legislators, to bend the law to serve FirstEnergy's financial interests. Once in office, Householder led his handpicked politicians in a legislative bailout of FirstEnergy, foisting $1 billion plus in corporate nuclear energy and coal losses on Ohio's ratepayers. Never did Householder or his associates express any concern about FirstEnergy's nuclear mishaps, its awesome nuclear responsibility, and what really was required to restore operational excellence. If FirstEnergy's plan had exploded and fried everything in its radius in northern Ohio, including my house, Mr. Householder would not have been affected. He lives too far south, as do most coconspirators to the bribery scheme. Even prevailing winds generally don't blow in their direction, but an explosion would have completely polluted Lake Erie. FirstEnergy itself avoided fraud and criminal indictments by admitting its corporate guilt. Of course, nuclear malfeasance is not on trial, but it should be. Thus far, the court has ordered FirstEnergy to pay a historic $230 million settlement, the largest public fine in Ohio's history, although there were no fines for bigger crimes against the public interest by multiple nuclear endangerments. FirstEnergy's management made huge blunders in nuclear operation. Were it not for the skilled union laborers who three times put their lives at risk for our region, a nuclear catastrophe along Lake Erie was indeed possible. At least three major nuclear incidents have occurred during my lifetime: 1985, 2002, 2003. Davis-Besse plant records document the second and third as the worst nuclear incidents since Three Mile Island. The ongoing criminal litigation ignores these massive nuclear close calls. Each major nuclear blunder translated into real threats to lives, safety, and health. At what point does our Nation say no to a pattern of persistent commercial plant nuclear negligence and abysmal nuclear management? The time is now as our region tries to pick up the pieces and rebuild advanced nuclear--but not by past standards. The starting point to get effective safety monitoring in these two Ohio facilities begins by requesting the Federal Government's Government Accountability Office to perform thorough and independent nuclear safety audits of its aging nuclear facilities. The next step is to require the Nuclear Navy, with independent experts, to complete a thorough engineering analysis of the plant's remaining physical infrastructure. Next, specific individuals who were responsible for criminal activity at FirstEnergy must be identified and barred for life from working or contracting with the U.S. commercial nuclear industry, and we must also identify legal means to restore to ratepayers compensation for their losses. As Admiral Hyman Rickover, father of the Nuclear Navy, said: ``Success teaches us nothing; only failure teaches.'' Let Ohio learn and let America learn, and let's do it right.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight advancing healthcare at both the Federal and State levels to meet the healthcare needs of people living in the northwest quadrant of Ohio, including the mentally ill. Our Federal-State joint efforts in combined funding of over $35 million awarded to Toledo's academic medical center at the University of Toledo through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have allowed UTMC to upgrade critical trauma care from trauma III to trauma II. In addition, Congress appropriated over $81 million in 2022 and 2023 to Ohio through the Substance Abuse and Treatment Block Grant. This morning, I had the privilege of welcoming Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to Toledo, as we toured the University of Toledo Medical Center and the State's Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital. Governor DeWine is the first Governor to visit the State facility in the 21st century. This important visit shows that Ohioans are continuing to make progress to strengthen critical medical assets for the region in a bipartisan fashion at every level. Our medically underserved region must continue to champion medical advancements on every level. Onward Northwest Ohio, a community that cares for all people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, access to affordable, nutritious food is essential to leading a long and healthy life. Every day, more and more Americans are buying food locally at farmers' markets for their daily needs. ``Local'' matters. Supporting local farmers means local food security, lower prices, and fresh local products for people who reside near them. As food prices have risen, families and seniors have shouldered a heavier burden when shopping at the grocery store. That is why the Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, and the Women, Infant, and Children Farmers' Market Program are so critical. For more than 20 years, these programs have connected families and seniors with affordable, locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and food produced by neighboring farmers--benefiting everyone in a remarkable partnership. Recognizing the vital role farmers' markets and roadside stands play in big cities and small towns all across our nation, today I am reintroducing the ``Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act'' which strengthens and directly brings together local farmers and the people in their communities. Remember, what America makes and grows, makes and grows America.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, when I entered the House of Representatives, I was 1 of just 24 women serving in Congress. Today, there are 154 women in Congress, out of 540 Members of the House and Senate. What progress our country has made in recognizing and embracing the equal role of women in all aspects of our society. This Women's History Month, we have the opportunity to celebrate the success and sacrifices of those who have committed themselves to uplifting women, families, and our society. Meanwhile, let's also rededicate ourselves to continuing to fight for the advancement and security of our mothers, wives, sisters, grandmothers, godmothers, and daughters. It is more imperative than ever for us to carry forward the legacy of those who came before us and to do our part to pave the way for future generations. Let us embrace a world where there is no limit to what women can be and what we can achieve together.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in the past five months, we have seen three major Norfolk Southern train derailments in Ohio, including one that occurred in my district, and another which traveled right through the heart of my district in northwest Ohio before it burst into flames in East Palestine. It's been more than a month since that Norfolk Southern train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. Twenty of the 38 railcars that derailed were carrying dangerous chemicals; now hundreds of Ohio and Pennsylvania families are rightfully frightened that their water is contaminated. Since then, another train derailed 28 railcars in Springfield, Ohio. Thankfully no hazardous contaminants spilled. These accidents follow a dangerous 21-car Norfolk Southern derailment last October in Sandusky--in my district. There, paraffin wax spilled onto the street and washed into and clogged the town's sewer system. For nearly five months the vital main artery into Sandusky remained impassable, and Norfolk Southern has not cleaned it up. In northern Ohio, rail is the spine of our economy. To compete in a global economy and avoid expensive supply chain delays, industrial and agricultural America should think big about modern rail. Improving rail safety, giving people more transportation options, and expanding access to national and global markets are critical to our nation's future. But that sort of thinking is not happening. Indeed, we're not even getting rail safety right, and that should be the floor, not the ceiling. Norfolk Southern repairs lag at many main arteries, including the one between Toledo and Sandusky. There's no reason for this other than pure greed. Over the past four years, Norfolk Southern has reaped more than $31 billion in profits. You would think it would invest even a relatively small part of that enormous profit to protect its workers, its host communities, and the general public so that such disasters would not happen. But you'd be wrong. The derailments in Sandusky and in East Palestine were not isolated events. In 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration reported more than 1,000 instances of trains derailing. Since last October's Sandusky crash, I've tried to reach Norfolk Southern's CEO. I want to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure law that Congress passed last summer. My colleagues and I want to hear his ideas for rail improvements across America's northern corridor from Pittsburgh through East Palestine, Sandusky, Toledo, and west to Illinois. Members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican, representing this congested corridor are eager to address aging rail infrastructure, increased traffic, and easement separation of freight and passenger service. Yet Norfolk Southern 's leadership won't even return our calls. The stakes are too high for more delay. America's northern rail corridor is a critical access point for goods from Canada, our largest trading partner; it's equally critical for getting goods to and from our ports, which enable America to ship goods all over the world--and helped rejuvenate our auto and steel industry. With the bipartisan infrastructure law funds, it's time to bring together rail workers, railroad executives, regional transit authorities, and state and federal agencies to discuss how to use this money. How do we ensure higher safety levels? What's the right mix of passenger and freight rail? Should we use smart cars with electric track or focus on traditional heavy rail? Should we elevate our trains or run them on the ground? These are just a few questions that need answers. We need to connect to Detroit and Canada. We need to connect Detroit and Toledo to the deep-water ports along the Atlantic that allow for year-round container shipments. Providing our landlocked region steady access to deep-water ports would be a game-changer for America's industrial corridor. Addressing the very real health and safety issues for the impacted workers, residents, and communities in and around Sandusky and East Palestine is the immediate priority. We must also look to the future and come together to protect workers and deliver transformative and safe commercial and passenger rail solutions. The tools are at our disposal. The money is there. And the time is now. Let's do what we in the industrial Midwest do best: let's get to work.