Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise for two reasons. First, as founding cochair of the Ukraine Caucus, I rise to express gratitude to our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, for extending the invitation to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address our Congress in this beloved House tonight. What a consequential moment in world history his remarks will elucidate. Our Ukraine Caucus, which is bipartisan, will warmly welcome him as a brother in the cause of liberty. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the names of Members of our bipartisan caucus. Congressional Ukraine Caucus Members Ami Bera (CA-07) Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) Brendan Boyle (PA-02) Julia Brownley (CA-26) Vern Buchanan (FL-16) Michael Burgess (TX-26) Kat Cammack (FL-03) Andre Carson (IN-07) Matt Cartwright (PA-08) Sean Casten (IL-06) David Cicilline (RI-01) Steve Cohen (TN-09) Gerry Connolly (VA-11) Jim Costa (CA-16) Joe Courtney (CT-02) Jason Crow (CO-06) Danny K. Davis (IL-07) Madeleine Dean (PA-04) Rosa DeLaura (CT-03) Suzan DelBene (WA-01) Debbie Dingell (MI-12) Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) Andy Harris (MD-01) Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) Brian Higgins (NY-26) French Hill (AR-02) Jim Himes (CT-04) Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00) Steven Horsford (NV-04) Ronny Jackson (TX-13) Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) Bill Johnson (OH-06) Mondaire Jones (NY-17) David Joyce (OH-14) Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) William Keating (MA-09) Andy Kim (NJ-03) Ron Kind (WI-03) Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) Ann Kuster (NH-02) Doug Lamborn (CO-O5) James Langevin (RI-02) Mike Levin (CA-49) Andy Levin (MI-09) Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) Carolyn Maloney (NY-12) A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-O5) Jerry McNerney (CA-09) Peter Meijer (MI-03) Dan Meuser (PA-09) Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) Joe Morelle (NY-25) Seth Moulton (MA-06) Frank Pallone (NJ-06) William Pascrell (NJ-09) Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) August Pfluger (TX-11) Dean Phillips (MN-03) Chellie Pingree (ME-01) David Price (NC-04) Mike Quigley (IL-O5) Kathleen Rice (NY-04) Deborah Ross (NC-02) Bobby Rush (IL-01) Tim Ryan (OH-13) Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-O5) Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) Adam Schiff (CA-28) Bobby Scott (VA-04) Brad Sherman (CA-30) Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) Adam Smith (WA-09) Chris Smith (NJ-04) Victoria Spartz (IN-05) Haley Stevens (MI-11) Chris Stewart (UT-02) Eric Swalwell (CA-15) Ritchie Torres (NY-15) Lori Trahan (MA-03) David Trone (MD-06) Fred Upton (MI-06) Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-07) Susan Wild (PA-O7) Joe Wilson (SC-02) Steve Womack (AR-03)

Ms. KAPTUR. Secondly, I also rise with considerable excitement as the Great Lakes Authority legislation, which dozens and dozens of Members in both Chamber have supported, has been included in the 2023 omnibus bill. The Great Lakes watershed is the only region in our Nation without an economic instrumentality helping it to adjust to changing economic conditions--the only place in this country. The Great Lakes Authority will unlock the economic heartland's full potential for the century ahead. The Midwest communities that I represent are home to the people who make, build, and grow what makes, builds, and grows America. For decades, however, our region has borne the brunt of job losses, largely the direct result of disastrous trade policies, underinvestment, and deindustrialization. Since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, then China's entrance into the World Trade Organization in 2001, and CAFTA's passage in 2005, over 91,000 factories have closed across America--most in the region that I represent. Millions of good-paying jobs have been snuffed out. Middle-class workers and families in the Great Lakes region, including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York, have suffered as good-paying jobs disappeared. Too many communities have been shattered. The tragedy does not end there. Local governments have been left scrambling as declining revenues led to the collapse of budgets and the accumulation of crushing bonded indebtedness. The size and scope of these accumulated economic challenges are too much for any one city or State to overcome alone. Places like Toledo, Lorain, Detroit, Buffalo, Flint, places with hardworking people throughout the region, have been scarred and struggle still to recover from the outsourcing of manufacturing and shipping jobs, including in agriculture, to penny-wage countries. Meanwhile, impacted towns like Chicago, Erie, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland, Ohio, are limited in their ability to halt climate change and reverse its effects on their shorelines and natural habitats. The Great Lakes region, the largest body of freshwater on Earth, needs accelerated investments and strategic support to get back on track. Last year, in a bipartisan manner, this Congress accomplished what many had tried but failed to do: pass a historic investment in jobs and infrastructure. Billions of dollars are already on their way to some places, but we need to accelerate them to this region. These dollars will empower our communities to rebuild roads and bridges; improve ports, rail lines, and airports; modernize energy and water infrastructure; and protect Lake Erie and the adjoining Great Lakes, which is the freshwater kingdom of the world and our continent. All of this funding, every penny, is an investment in good-paying jobs. But to maximize the impact and turbocharge revitalization, our region needs a strategic plan to marshal these resources, work together, and invest for the future. The Great Lakes region is the largest region in America that lacks such a Federal entity, and we can see where the West's water is served by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Delta Regional Authority helps 10 million people in the Delta region, and more than 400 counties from Mississippi to West Virginia are served by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Our region has long needed such an entity. The Great Lakes authority will be a Federal-State mechanism created by us, the Congress, to spur creation of jobs and establish world-class worker education, training, and adjustment institutions in communities left behind. Our goals for the Great Lakes authority are to foster innovation and expand the core U.S. manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural bases. We intend for it to promote new advances in renewable energy technologies, like solar, wind, and hydrogen, while helping us conserve and steward our environmental assets. It should also convene various agencies to help us produce this plan for the future. Finally, the Great Lakes authority provides a new opportunity for American progress, and I look forward to the true possibilities this authority will unleash. I include in the Record a proposal from various members to President Biden. Proposal: A Great Lakes Authority For the Consideration of: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President, United States of America Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Co-Chair, Great Lakes Task Force. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), Chair, Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), Co-Chair, House Manufacturing Task Force. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Co-Chair, Great Lakes Task Force. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), Chair, Energy Subcommittee. Summary. The eight states that comprise the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes watershed contain the core of America's commercial and defense industrial base. The Department of Homeland Security defines these industries as ``America's Critical Manufacturing Sector''. Failure or disruption within these industries would result in cascading disruptions in other critical sectors of the economy, in multiple regions, and have significant national economic impact. This existing industrial base contains the nation's largest pool of skilled and experienced production workers. The Region has an almost inexhaustible supply of fresh water. These 8 States do 25 percent of all U.S. trade with Canada, which is this nation's largest export market. In 2020, Canada imported more than $255 billion of U.S. goods and services. This base provides a solid foundation for creating a unique 21st Century regional development strategy--one that can enable the United States to (1) build back its manufacturing base, (2) create millions of new and better jobs within the Region, and (3) restore an assured, U.S. defense industrial sector and a resilient energy platform sufficient to power U.S.-based production. Franklin D. Roosevelt created the model for such a strategy in 1933 with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)--a unique institution brought into being to control the raging waters of the Tennessee River, provide low-cost electricity, and advance the economic development of the under-invested seven states in that Basin. Our times require a 21st Century version of such an Authority in the Great Lakes Region--one that can protect and wisely use the fresh waters of the Great Lakes, build back better the Region's economy and be a necessary exemplar for climate change remediation. The GLA's mission would be to: Restore and protect America's principal source of fresh water. Foster innovation, commercialize it, and by that create more and better jobs. Strengthen and expand the core U.S. manufacturing and defense industrial base, and the required energy systems to sustain/power production. Create world-class worker education, training and adjustment institutions. Work with the Government and Provinces of Canada on our mutual Great Lakes challenges including the Great Lakes-- Saint Lawrence Seaway Corporation. The Chair of the Great Lakes Authority would be a Cabinet level official appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The Chair would represent the U.S. Government. A five person board lead by the Chair would be joined by four bipartisan board members appointed by the U.S. House and Senate leadership. The GLA would be governed by a five-person, bipartisan Board, each of whom serves for a five-year term. The Chair would be a Cabinet level official appointed by the President, confirmed by the U.S. Senate and be a full-time position. The other four members of the Board would be appointed by the Majority and Minority Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Each would be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Eligible appointees would be limited to residents of the Region who are currently active as a corporate manufacturing CEO, head of a major financial institution, President of a Land Grant University, or CEO of a major distribution company. These four positions would be part-time and compensated as is normal with private corporations. The Great Lakes Authority would be funded by the same ways and means as was, and is now, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and include both federally appropriated funds and revenues generated by GLA projects, with the same annual financing similar to that of the Bureau of Reclamation. The Great Lakes Authority would be authorized and funded to: Create and administer a regional infrastructure bank that could finance domestic civil works that have a dedicated revenue stream such as water and wastewater systems, Create and finance other domestic civil works from appropriated funds, Create and operate a business development fund to assist in the establishment and expansion of regional-based manufacturers, Create university-based research, development, and technical consortiums, Create the 18th National Laboratory, with satellites as necessary in GLA states, and dedicate it to advancing applied science, the manufacturing arts, and the commercialization of advanced technology products, Create a patent hub that will aggressively invest and develop new clean energy inventions, technologies and industries, and Create and fund world-class remedial, transition and advanced education and training institutions and programs that invest in the workers of the Region. The United States has long dealt with regional challenges with regional solutions. The TV A is an example. The purpose of this proposal is to outline why a Great Lakes Authority is needed and identify how it can make a major contribution to building back better this vital region of the United States. Today, alone of the U.S.'s major economic regions, the Great Lakes states do not have such a vital development institution. The Challenge. Manufacturing and Job Losses--The United States has closed 91,000 factories and lost 5 million manufacturing jobs since NAFTA was enacted in 1993 and China joined the World Trade Organization in 2000. The 8-state Great Lakes Region lost 1.5 millions of those jobs--that is, 30 percent. Many of the Region's people were unable to adapt and have responded with addiction, suicide, conspiracy fantasies, and political radicalization. Manufacturing Jobs Lost Since NAFTA and China Entered the WTO (lQ 1993-lQ 2018). Weakened Finances--These losses of factories and jobs, in turn, have greatly weakened the fiscal capacity of the Region's state and local governments. A measure of this fiscal crisis is found in the high municipal indebtedness of the Region's cities. Detroit and Cleveland each have a municipal bonded indebtedness of more than two billion dollars. Toledo owes $1.6 billion and Milwaukee almost $1.4 billion. Faced with the high costs of operation, repairs, rehabilitation and replacement, coupled with unavoidable federal mandates that come with only 50 percent funding, these municipalities are forced to increase utility rates on customers who are already in economic trouble. The On-Going, Great Lakes Ecological Catastrophe--The Region's five Great Lakes--Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior--are the source of 21% of the world's surface freshwater and 84% of North America's. These Lakes undergird life, work and recreation for tens of millions of people. Yet, before our eyes they are succumbing to an ecological disaster of epic proportions. Dan Egan in The Death and Life of the Great Lakes writes: The Great Lakes are now home to 186 non-native species. None has been more devastating than the Junior Mint-sized zebra and quagga mussels . . . leaving trillions upon trillions of filter-feeding quagga mussels sucking the life out of the lake itself . . . native fish populations have been decimated. Bird-killing botulism outbreaks plague lakeshores. Poisonous algae slick capable of shutting down public water supplies have become a routine summertime threat. A virus that causes deadly hemorrhaging in dozens of species of fish, dubbed by some scientists the `fish Ebola' has become endemic in the lakes and threatens to spread across the continent. Yet, invasive species are only one of many threats to what in fact is the largest inland sea in the world. Researchers at the Universities of Wisconsin and Michigan have created a ``threat map'' that analyzes 34 distinct threats that affect these five lakes. The composite stresses include not only invasive species but also toxic algae, erosion, development, waste plastics and toxic pollutants among other sources. Cumulative Stress in the Great Lakes. Today, the state and local governments of the region are themselves so economically strapped that they are fiscally incapable of making the remediations that the Lakes require. Major fiscal help and institutional leadership from the Federal Government is essential if this ecological catastrophe is to be stopped and then reversed. Innovation--Regarding innovation in the Great Lakes region, a telling measure of the region's innovation decline is found by comparing whether these eight states have kept pace with the rest of the United States in devising inventions that are sufficiently new, non-obvious and useful that inventors and companies file and receive a patent from the United States Patent Office (USPTO). The Great Lakes states have not kept pace with innovation. Specifically, in 1990, 51,000 U.S. patents were issued and in 2020 the USPTO granted 188,000--an increase of 265 percent. In 2020, California residents were granted 571 percent more patents than they were in 1990. Oregon residents got 553 percent more. Washington State residents were awarded a whopping 901 percent more. Not a single Great Lake State even reached the national average by 2020. All fell behind the pace of U.S. invention. The Nuclear Power Issue--Heavy power demands across the region require a dependable baseload energy supply with a highly skilled workforce. Today, the Region has 17 nuclear reactors at 15 sites in operation. Nuclear power provides 15% of the electricity for Ohio and Wisconsin, 23% for Minnesota, 29% for Michigan, 33% for New York, 41% for Pennsylvania, and 53% for Illinois. Competition pressures from massive, new natural gas supplies have created financial pressures that make nuclear power more expensive. These zero net carbon nuclear plants have become financially uncompetitive. Yet, thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands of workers depend on this nuclear base load. For the foreseeable future, nuclear energy must be a key segment of electricity generation or neither economic development nor climate change goals can be attained. Ways are means are required to extend the operation of these nuclear facilities and, working with all stakeholders, increase electric production beyond what private enterprise appears to be able to facilitate in a quickly changing and uncertain market. The Brookings Study--A decade ago, the Great Recession and the collapse of the U.S. auto industry highlighted the manufacturing decline in the Region. Regional leaders engaged the Brookings Institute to help identify a consensus among private-sector and public stakeholders as to what to do to create the next economy. The result was a report: ``The Next Economy: Economic Recovery and Transformation in the Great Lakes Region.'' The report called for the federal, state, metropolitan leaders to join with the private and philanthropic sectors to: Invest in the assets that matter--innovation, infrastructure and human capital, Devise new public-private institutions that are market-oriented and performance-driven, Reimagine metros' form and governance structures to set the right conditions for economic growth. The report was issued in September 2010. The unstated expectation was that the report and leadership consensus would guide the Obama Administration's second round of recovery actions post-2010. It never happened. In November 2010, control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives changed. What happened next is that the U.S. devolved into ten years of national political gridlock. Neither the state, nor local governments, nor the industries, nor the companies, nor the people of the region could meet the magnitude of this challenge alone. Nor could they form a joint regional strategy because there was no regional institution through which the leaders of the Region could define, advocate and create such a truly regional strategy. What the Great Lakes Region needed then, and needs even more now, is a 21st Century Great Lakes Authority--an institution that can help the Region innovate, create jobs and confront the compounding environmental and climate challenges. This proposed Great Lakes Authority can be that Institution. By its structure, focus, coherence, funding and leadership it can help the Region and nation envision, implement and sustain an aggressive Great Lakes strategic development agenda. This proposed Authority can be an institutional anchor to aid the Region to sustain a long-term effort through the storms, calms and vagaries of national policy making. A Great Lakes Authority. The United States has always supported regional solutions to regional development and regional challenges. The principal of these efforts is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, which traces its roots to 1812 and was formed, in part, to serve arid parts of the nation with regional water resources and power generation. Then, in 1933 during the economic depression, FDR created the 7-state TVA. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson created the 13-state Appalachian Regional Commission. Their successors have created regional commissions in other parts of the U.S. These regional instrumentalities were created to strengthen the economies of these Regions and help those states achieve economic equality with the rest of the Nation. Additional regional efforts have been proposed in other states. Two of these Regional Commissions (Delta and Northern Border) have been provided minuscule funding. The Southeast Crescent Region and Southwest Border Regional Commissions have not been activated. Strikingly, the Great Lakes Region has neither a Regional Authority, such as TVA, nor even a lesser-funded regional commission. Simply put, building back better the Great Lakes Region is a challenge that requires an empowered and well- financed Great Lakes Authority. Lessons from the TVA--Now, almost nine decades after its founding, some lessons from TVA's experiences provide clear guidance for this proposed Great Lakes Authority. Many environmental and economic problems are not bound by state boundaries. Regional approaches are required to solve regional challenges. The development institutions and capacities of any Region are so atomized as to be ineffectual when dealing with broader issues of mutual concern. The 2010 Brookings report highlighted that: ``The metropolitan areas of the Great Lakes are ruled by a byzantine network of cities, counties, towns, townships, villages, school boards, fire districts, library districts, workforce boards, industrial development authorities, water and sewer districts and a host of other entities.'' The Brookings scholars concluded that the metropolitan areas of the Great Lakes need to begin speaking with a unified voice on economic development and design and implement a unified strategy. A Regional Authority can facilitate such coherence. The TVA has a 200-person unit devoted to the economic development of the 7-state TVA region. It is far larger, better funded and more effective than any of the 7 state efforts in the Region. The TVA provides; (a) an international capacity to identify and source private capital investment, (b) secure domestic finance through state, municipal, banking and venture funds, as well as (c) the guidance required to select sites and coordinate infrastructure and agreements at low, long-term interest rates. With these capacities, TVA has created a powerful supplement to state and local efforts to attract capital investment and jobs into the Tennessee Valley. It works well. The Great Lakes basin would benefit from this TVA approach. Conclusion. When conceiving the TVA, President Franklin D. Roosevelt focused on equity. What FDR challenged was an inequality that was out of control between capital and labor and also between the regions of the United States, particularly the Southern and Appalachian regions. FDR closed much of this inequality--both between people and between regions. Since the early 1980s, the inequalities between the few and the many, the coasts and the interior, and the developed and underdeveloped regions of the U.S. have widened. Now, it appears that a new era has opened with the Administration of President Joseph Biden. The new balance between economic efficiency and economic equity now appears to be once again emphasizing a more equitable distribution of economic growth and opportunities for both people and regions. The Great Lakes region has been falling behind by almost every measure and needs substantial attention to reverse economic and environmental challenges. A Great Lakes Authority is as vital a development tool for the Biden-Harris Era of today as TVA was for the Roosevelt Era of the 1930s.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share a good news story from Ohio's Ninth Congressional District. During this holiday season, I humbly ask all Americans to do what they can to buy goods made right here in the USA. What America makes and grows, makes and grows America. Recently, I had the pleasure of patronizing two longstanding Toledo businesses, Fulkerson Jewelers and Clock Shop and Keystone Press. Both are small legacy businesses in the heart of our community. Together, they have existed for well over 160 years. Both establishments and their able, friendly staff embody American ingenuity, craftsmanship, hard work, and perseverance. At Fulkerson, a friendly young repairman replaced the battery in my watch in the blink of an eye. He even does laser welding. At Keystone, I dropped off materials to print for our office holiday mailings. This printing shop has been in business for over 100 years. Small family businesses embody all the charm, diversity, and creativity of America. So may I urge all Americans this holiday season to buy local, buy American, and support your hometown businesses that build and grow America.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, this week, gas prices in Toledo, Ohio, fell to $2.87 a gallon. Am I the only person in Congress noticing gas prices are falling? Hello? The best part is that this gasoline is derived from energy reserves that are brought up from the Utica and Marcellus shale located right in Ohio near the border with Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This means transport costs to market are less. How about that? What America produces and makes, produces and makes America. Powering our Nation from inside our country means importing less. Just yesterday, the Department of Energy made a historic announcement about the achievement of fusion ignition at Livermore National Laboratory. America is making great strides to unleash the future of energy. When America innovates, she is able to stand on her own two feet. Inside our borders, we must secure energy independence and good- paying jobs through distributed generation, solar, fusion, hydrogen, biofuels, advanced nuclear, and more. Energy security is national security. Let's keep working to make our country energy secure with the good jobs that go with it, both for today and the tomorrows to come. Onward, energy progress.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today during the Department of Veterans Affairs Week of Action to highlight the PACT Act. I encourage American veterans who are injured by toxic exposure to avail themselves of the new benefits afforded by this historic legislation. Just call the VA at 1-800-MY-VA-411 to submit an application. Thousands of veterans who served in Vietnam, the Gulf, and post-9/11 conflicts and are suffering from wounds they incurred from toxic substances are now eligible to receive expanded VA benefits. A veteran from my hometown in Ohio, pictured here, lives with internal injuries as well as grievous hand wounds--I have never seen this condition in another human being--that have seared my conscience that remind us of the true nature of his battle. America has an obligation to care for those who bravely bore the costs of our Nation's battles. I encourage all veterans, their families, and caregivers to visit www.VA.gov/PACT or call, again, 1- 800-698-2411 to be connected with a VA specialist in order to begin the process. Go directly to this phone number or website. You don't have to hire an outside attorney to apply for benefits. Use the VA. America's heroic veterans: You have served liberty, and a grateful Nation stands ready to serve you.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a good news story from McGregor Elementary School in Toledo, Ohio. For her fourth grade class' end-of-the-year project, a 10-year-old student named Brooklyn dressed up as me, read up on congressional history, and shared all she had learned with her fellow students about Congress. Just recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Brooklyn and her fellow students to hear all about how their fifth-grade year is going. What a surprise it was to open my mailbox the other day and discover so many thoughtful, handwritten notes mailed to me by these wonderful students. I saw close-up, firsthand how bright, artistic, and precocious our aspiring generation in America really is. One young man named Henry wrote: ``I decided to write this letter because no one is going to tell me not to.'' This moment of winter wonderment is a good time to take stock of all that has occurred over the past year. As we enter this holiday season, I am reminded of so many very kind people for whom I am grateful, particularly the joy of the children at McGregor Elementary School in Toledo, Ohio. Happy holidays to all, and may the upcoming year bring endless joy and light.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, today is day number 286 of Russia's unprovoked, illegal terrorist war on Ukraine. As Congress works to complete our 2023 appropriations bills, it is critical that the appropriation accounts for defense and energy security be fully funded. Let us be mindful that liberty has real enemies. Our Nation, in alliance with the free nations of the world, cannot miss a beat in ensuring NATO remains the strongest defender of global liberty. Vladimir Putin's criminal war on its innocent neighbor began in 2014. By crossing Ukraine's sovereign border, Putin violated every tenet of international law that has existed since World War II. Then in February of this year, Russia unleashed its full terror. The free world must draw a bold line in the sand against Russia's illegal behavior. Any nation that does not respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of adjoining nations must be brought to full reckoning. The free world cannot stand by idly. Putin's war machine must be defeated. The people of Ukraine are fighting valiantly for their own freedom. May the bills being drafted as I speak ensure our Nation meets its obligation as liberty's primary defender.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a one-of-a-kind, remarkable man and consummate researcher and teacher, Dr. Douglas Neckers of northwest Ohio, who passed away just last week at the age of 84. Dr. Neckers had an accomplished career as a photochemical scientist. He was a true Renaissance man: a lover of history, the arts, and the written word. He shared his wisdom in the opinion pages of newspapers across our State. Doug served as the head of Bowling Green State University's chemistry department, founded its Center for Photochemical Sciences, and was a pioneer of 3D printing technologies and so many successful companies that were born from that. Even in later years, he raised awareness and kept learning about topics such as the mindset of Nazi scientists who invented chemical weapons during World War II. He was seeking always to build understanding and to promote and uplift humankind. When thinking of Dr. Neckers, I call to mind the words of Mahatma Gandhi: Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. An indomitable will coursed through every fiber of Doug's spirit. He was a force of nature in every one of his days. Today, as we mourn Doug's passing, may his family and we find comfort in the knowledge that his legacy lives on in all who knew him: every institution that he built, every student he influenced, and every person blessed to call him friend.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently honored the over 14 million of his countrymen in Ukraine who died during the Holodomor, the Soviet-enforced famine that purposefully starved Ukraine in the early 1930s to subjugate them and politically control them. Then, as now, the tyrants of the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin, and Russia used food and famine as a weapon of war. Innocent civilians are not unintended victims but, rather, specific targets of horrific brutality to rule over them. Russia's and Putin's aim in this modern era, waging a war on Ukraine, is to kill, maim, starve, freeze, and torture as many men, women, elderly, and children as possible. These are war crimes. Putin and his enablers are war criminals. But the courageous Ukrainian people have not broken, they have not bent. They fight on with great valor. As Ukraine leads this righteous fight for her liberty, her sovereignty, and her very survival, it is incumbent upon all free nations to aid her in her time of need. Ukraine, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We pray and fight for the day that your home will be a peaceful, enterprising, and virtuous one again.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share another good news story from Ohio's Ninth Congressional District. With the new Ninth District stretching from the Indiana border to Sandusky County and beyond, my team and I are wasting no time in getting out and introducing ourselves and making new friends. Over the Thanksgiving break, I had the pleasure of stopping by Tackle Box 2 in Fremont, Ohio, an iconic fish house pub along the banks of the Sandusky River. That fish house is home to a remarkable array of fishing memorabilia, tasty food, especially the perch, and a very friendly and welcoming staff, as you will see here. Pictured are Angela, Rose, Carla, and Linda, new friends I made who take pride in their hard work and their community. In the hard jobs that they work, they serve guests with a welcoming smile--wonderful, smiley faces--and such a warm presence. Angela, Rose, Carla, and Linda, as we move into the excitement and tugs of heart of the holiday season, may the joy each of you and your colleagues make possible be returned to you sevenfold. The ethic of hard work and kindness beats fully in the hearts of these fine women.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Major Maya Troupe for her exemplary dedication to duty and service as an Army Congressional Fellow for my office from 1 January through 31 December 2020. MAJ Troupe distinguished herself by serving in a broad range of assignments during her Army career. In her assignment as the Defense Fellow in my office, MAJ Troupe served as the lead on the defense portfolio and assisted with MILCON/VA and Foreign Operations. She provided insight on national security and Veterans Affairs priorities impacting over 50,000 military and veteran-related constituents and the defense industry in Northern Ohio. MAJ Troupe transitioned to the Congressional Budget Liaison (BUL) for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management as an Army budget liaison. In this role, she served as BUL Forward Liaison as the Army's direct budget lead for communicating strategic initiatives and requirements with House Appropriations Committee Members of Congress and professional staff, ensuring seamless synchronization of efforts. She served in this position from 1 January 2021 to 1 December 2022. In her previous assignment, MAJ Troupe served as the Executive Officer to the Office of the Chief (OCAR), Army Reserve, G-1. Following her XO position, MAJ Troupe did a short assignment in the OCAR Legislative Affairs Division, managing the personnel portfolio in preparation for the Chief of Army Reserve's Posture hearing. MAJ Troupe's previous positions include Deputy, G-1 for the 335th Signal Command (Provisional). In this capacity, she oversaw personnel management and accountability for the command's Active and Reserve personnel throughout Southwest Asia. As a Reserve Officer, MAJ Troupe served as a Department of Defense civilian employee and the 92nd Chemical Battalion Detachment Commander under the 335th Signal Command. She initiated the 335th Signal Command's Yellow Ribbon Program in her civilian capacity. The program prepared soldiers and families for deployment and ensured smooth transition and reintegration upon the soldier's return. As detachment commander, MAJ Troupe provided training and personnel readiness for the Battalion to support their Homeland Defense Mission. MAJ Troupe hails from the Midwest, a St. Louis, MO native. She received her commission from the Georgia Institute of Technology as an Adjutant General officer after completing a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgia State University. She also earned a master's degree in legislative affairs from the George Washington University and a master of science in management in healthcare administration from Troy University. MAJ Troupe contributes her motivation and dedication to the honorable sacrifice exemplified by her father, Calvin Walter Troupe Sr., who served in Vietnam, and her mother, Rochelle Louise Ballinger. The latter provides unwavering support to her career. She aspires to set the same example for her children, Kylen Jay Krueger and Kaleigh Jae Krueger. MAJ Troupe has positively impacted servicemembers, veterans, families, and leaders throughout her career. Our country has benefited tremendously from her extraordinary leadership, innovative ideas, and commitment to service. I join my colleagues today in honoring her dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the United States Congress as an Army Congressional Liaison. Madam Speaker, it has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with MAJ Maya Troupe over this past year, especially during one of the most memorable years our Congress has faced. On behalf of a grateful nation, this body recognizes and commends Maya for her steadfast service to our country. We wish her the best as she continues serving in the United States Army.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, recently we saw yard signs across our Nation proclaiming ``America First.'' To put America first should mean defending our people against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is a daunting task, indeed. No nation, including ours, is an island in a world where nuclear weapons, predatory armed submarines, cyber warfare, and space technologies encircle our globe and are ever-present threats. Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine reminds all of us that no freedom-loving nation can fold its tent. Liberty threatened by known expansionists and fervent regimes threaten world order. Russia is testing the resolve of NATO and our free world. I am old enough to have lived during an era in which Russia's historic aggression into territory that was not its own extended as far west as East Berlin, Germany. Russia is repeating its brutal history yet again on the European Continent, a continent in which our Nation's World War II war dead reached 183,588 and globally over 416,800. Our Nation cannot retreat from our alliances that protect us here at home and the rule of law the world around. Victory to Ukraine.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today with more good news. A wonderful organization in my district, Let's Build Beds, serves northwest Ohio and does exactly what its name implies, building beds for children whose families are in need. The organization's mission states: ``We believe that every child deserves a bed of their own to sleep in at night. We believe that every child is full of infinite potential. We help children by providing a bed and empowering them to assemble it and be successful.'' Partnering with local Rotary chapters, Let's Build Beds brings together various charitable organizations for group projects to make beds, furnish the bedclothes, and deliver and assemble the beds to children in need. Older children often participate in this real-life Lego project. I have been privileged to help build these beds with community members and learn from impacted families how important this joyous venture is. This constructive, simple idea can be replicated everywhere. I look forward to future building opportunities with schools, churches, and organizations dedicated to giving a lasting gift to children and families, especially during the upcoming holiday season.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle and neighbor that took a child with them to the polling place during this past election. This simple act of bringing a child to their polling place and letting them see how a vote is cast is a powerful form of education about the United States of America for the aspiring generations. Involving children, too, in seeing how you fill out a mail-in ballot is a lesson every person can teach. It teaches youngsters how important voting is as an adult and allows children to absorb and learn directly about liberty, about individual freedom, and about meeting one's civic responsibility to community and Nation. Voting demonstrates fundamental reverence to Old Glory. Long may she fly high.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank Chair DeLauro for her diligent work to bring this CR to the floor in order to fund the essential services of the federal government at a time when our Nation needs stable governance. As Chair of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, I am pleased that this bill provides $20 million in emergency funding to the Corps of Engineers for previously authorized water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, which can be used in Jackson, Mississippi. I also appreciate the inclusion of $1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help address pressure on low-income households' pocketbooks due to inflation caused by pandemic-related supply chain backups and global energy disruption due to Russia's war on Ukraine. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, I am grateful for the inclusion of a new U.S. funding package that will deliver urgently-needed weapons, equipment, aid, and support to America's friend and ally Ukraine in her valiant battle for Liberty against Putin's tyranny. We have more work ahead of us to pass the full slate of appropriations bills--including our Energy and Water bill to invest in American progress, American jobs, American families, and the future of American communities. Today, we take a responsible step forward to keep the government open--and we continue our work to deliver for the American people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today with deep sadness to pay tribute to two highly-skilled U.S. Steel workers, brothers, Ben and Max Morrissey, who tragically lost their lives at the British Petroleum Refinery in my hometown. Yesterday, while on the job at the BP Husky plant in Oregon, Ohio, their lives were cut short in a horrific explosion. Responsible citizens, husbands, and fathers who performed America's essential work that drives progress and our American way of life forward, these brave men will never again return home to their dear families. They leave behind very young children who will come to understand the gravity of their fathers' loss. My heart goes out to their precious families and with their brothers and sisters in the United Steelworkers Local 1-346 who lost two beloved friends. In our grief, we also extend our deep gratitude to the brave first responders who rushed to the scene, provided aid, and helped keep our community safe. Today is a heartbreaking day for the people of northwest Ohio. We have flown flags in honor of Ben and Max Morrissey high above the U.S. Capitol today. We lift up the memory of them to their loved ones in our hearts, and we pray that they may find solace and comfort in the memories that they will always have of their treasured husbands, fathers, and sons, and that together they may heal. May God be with them all.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, access to affordable, nutritious food is essential to leading a long and healthy life. Every day, more and more Americans are visiting their local farmers' markets and food stands for their daily needs. As food prices have risen, families and seniors have shouldered a heavier burden when shopping at the grocery store. That is why the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and the Women, Infant, and Children Farmers' Market Program (FMNP) are so critical. For more than 20 years, these tried and true programs have connected families and seniors with food produced by their neighboring farmers benefiting both in a remarkable partnership. As we kick off National Farmers Market Week, I am excited to introduce the Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act to enhance these programs for the American people. My bill maintains and continues current funding for SFMNP, while authorizing up to an additional $100 million annually through 2028. Furthermore, my bill significantly increases the minimum and maximum individual benefit amounts for both SFMNP and FMNP. Recognizing the vital role farmers' markets and food stands play in big cities and small towns all across the country, the Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act strengthens our support for the programs that bring together local farmers and the communities they feed. By empowering the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide new infrastructure loans and grants, my bill also invests to expand existing farmers' markets and food stands and provide opportunities for new ones to grow. Finally, my bill establishes a pilot program for food banks to contract with local farmers--allowing those most in need to receive fresh produce and meals. The Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act is a win- win for all--lifting up farmers who make and grow and feed families and seniors right in their neighborhoods.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Americans want their freedom back, and I would say to my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), your freedom stops where mine and that of my constituents begin. Schools, shopping malls, grocery stores, and Independence Day parades shouldn't be scenes of mass carnage and bloodshed. Weapons of war have no place on the streets of America. An experienced Ohio sheriff says it well: Assault weapons and large- capacity magazines should only be utilized by the military and law enforcement. A proposal to ban their use is common sense, supported by a majority of Americans. Until such time that Members of Congress start to care about the safety of children in our schools more than their next reelection, mass shootings will continue to occur, and innocent people will die. One of the most experienced chiefs of police I represent says the following: The connection between guns and illicit drugs is 100 percent. So let's take the two most important steps, remove large-capacity assault weapons from our streets and arrest the drug dealers who are creating death and destruction across our country. Let's give freedom back to the American people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Kildee for yielding time. Madam Speaker, a miracle is happening here. Michigan Wolverines and Ohio Buckeyes, on a bipartisan basis, are agreeing. Wow. Everybody should vote for this act, for America's sake. I am so proud to help celebrate the passage day of the Susan Muffley Act that will restore retirement benefits for thousands of Delphi retirees. Hard work should be rewarded. The men and women who built up Delphi were made a promise in return for their years of hard work, and they were promised a stable and secure retirement during their golden years. Over the years, the American worker has time and again seen promises broken, and they have seen the financial security they earned and is rightfully theirs thrown away. Now, the Susan Muffley Act makes good on Delphi's original promise. Workers in Defiance, Ohio, and Sandusky, Ohio, and throughout Michigan and the Midwest will see, by restoring their benefits, the retirees who worked hard and built America will have the future they paid for and earned. We know that the Susan Muffley Act is a giant step forward in justice, justice for Americans who worked hard and were cast aside until now. I thank Congressman Kildee for his absolutely tireless and relentless efforts to bring this to the floor. To get anything out of the Ways and Means Committee is a miracle anyway. For Ohio, this means 5,000 families--believe me, many who can't afford their medicine, many who worry about tomorrow--will be celebrating. There will be a sense of being made whole again because of what they gave to this country, what they gave to their employers, and that bargain should be kept. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Congressman Kildee. The Wolverine State has sent a highly capable American to Congress. I thank Congressman Turner of the great Buckeye State of Ohio, from the Dayton region, for this great partnership to help thousands and thousands of America's retirees.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to a one-of-a-kind woman in Toledo, Mrs. Mattie McAlister, who passed from this life at the age of 98 years on July 7, 2022. Mattie McAlister was a giant in the education of the young people of Toledo. Mattie McAlister was born in Benton, South Carolina, the youngest of eleven children born to Pearl and Arthur Garrison, he a teacher and she a midwife. Her father started a school for Black children in their rural county and taught adults in the evening in the Garrison home. Mattie graduated high school at age fourteen, obtained her bachelor's degree and began teaching high school math and science. She went on to study at Detroit's Wayne State University, the former Mary Manse College in Toledo, and earned her master's degree from the University of Toledo. Upon her arrival in Toledo in 1960, Mattie McAlister took employment with Toledo Public Schools, teaching at several elementary schools until her retirement from Fulton School in 1991. After that, she worked with children at Grace Community Center and developed a curriculum there. She researched and developed methods to address the uniqueness of ``Summer's Child,'' a term she coined for those children born in the summer who were often the youngest of their peers in school. Her obituary in the Toledo Blade makes clear the influence Mrs. McAlister had on her young charges and the educational system: ``Mrs. McAlister retired in 2014 from Grace Community Center, where she developed a curriculum and worked with children, from kindergarten through eighth grade. She also shared pearls of wisdom that have become part of Grace's culture. Her sayings ``had to do with how you treat one another in this world,'' said Elaine Taite Page, Grace executive director since 2012. ``She told students, `Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go higher than you think,' and `The nicest words I know are, `Excuse me,' `Thank you,' `If you please,' '' Ms. Page said, Students energetically chanted, ``Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Your good becomes better, and your better becomes best.'' ``Those sayings are on display at the Center. ``There was never a student she could not reach,'' Ms. Page said. ``She made people understand, I see you, I value you, and you are somebody.'' ``The one word that epitomizes what was driving her is a four-letter word. Love. Love supreme,'' Ms. Page said. ``In the Center's after-school programs, she arranged children in a circle. Sitting on an African-style chair of carved wood, she opened with, `How was your day?' '' Ms. Page said. ``She could glean needs that had to be heard, to be recognized. She had a positive affirmation to leave with every child,'' Ms. Page said. ``Mrs. McAlister worked to reinforce reading and math skills during the Center's summer program and guided high schoolers who had returned to be youth leaders. ``In one of several autobiographical sketches, Mrs. McAlister wrote that at Grace, ``my greatest joy was creating learning games, successfully teaching language arts and math, along with character-building exercises. I enjoyed sharing parenting tips for parents who had precocious children who challenged authority.'' ``My greatest pride,'' Mrs. McAlister wrote, ``was teaching children to read and managing my children's behavior in a kind and caring way. I did not send them to the principal to be controlled. I dearly loved my students. Each one of them was my pet!'' Mattie McAlister's lessons for life for anyone who struggled; indeed for everyone, showed that what you lived, how you contributed, is what matters. She never lost patience. She had a teacher's cadence when she spoke, and people listened. Her lessons on life should be on billboards for all to learn. Spiritual, poet, teacher, mentor, matriarch, activist, all are words which describe Mattie McAlister, and her legacy is writ large. Yet, as profound as her impact has been for the near century of her life, Mattie McAlister's greatest achievement is her family. To her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, we pray for peace in the memory of the priceless gift of Mattie Garrison McAlister's life well lived.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Waters for moving this bill and I thank Ranking Member Hill, as well, on behalf of the American people. The dedication of the World War II Memorial on our National Mall was the culmination of a 17-year effort in Congress to construct the first national memorial dedicated to the 16 million Americans who served in the Armed Forces during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died for liberty. As the Representative who in 1987 introduced the original legislation to construct the national memorial, I am thrilled to rise tonight in support of H.R. 1057, the National World War II Memorial Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act. I also rise, respectfully, in memory of World War II Army combat veteran Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, who first suggested this meritorious idea to me, as well as my own uncle Stanley Rogowski, who fought in D-day and across France to free Paris and on to Brussels and Belgium and Luxembourg, and Anthony Rogowski, his brother, who fought in the Office of Strategic Services building the Burma Road in the very difficult battles in Asia. This bipartisan piece of legislation authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The coin will serve as an important symbol of the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the brave Americans who fought to defend liberty, defeat tyranny, and establish institutions to safeguard peace and freedom in the 20th and 21st centuries and beyond. This legislation will ensure the memorial is properly maintained for years to come and, importantly, that the historical, educational, and commemorative programming is prepared to better inform the millions of people who visit each year and allow collections to be shared nationwide. Since the memorial's inception in 2004, nearly 80 million people have visited the site, making it one of the most popular sites in our Nation. Approximately 240,000 World War II veterans are still living with us today, including 9,000 Ohioans.

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Sustaining the World War II Memorial for them and, importantly, to better inform and enhance interpretation of the purposes for which the war was fought will provide generations to come with a greater sense of America's history, and of course this is near and dear to all of our hearts. Please let me thank our partners at the Friends of the World War II Memorial, Holly Rotondi and Paul Marcone, and our staff assistant Margaret McInnis for their wonderful service in helping us move this bill forward to where it is today. I also thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger) and the 300 House Members who sponsored this bipartisan bill as well as our Senate counterparts, Senators Mike Rounds and Jeanne Shaheen, for their bipartisan support. It is nice to do things on a bipartisan basis. Let me finally express gratitude to the marvelous, talented, and caring Chairwoman Maxine Waters for moving this bill along with so many, many others and for her dutiful service to the Nation, and her colleagues, Ranking Member Patrick McHenry as well as Congressman French Hill for their very generous support. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1057.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Larson for his tireless leadership and work to safeguard Social Security for the benefit of this generation of retirees and those that are to come. He has worked hard for decades to try to bring this bill to the floor. I thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Richard Neal, and Congressman John Larson, chair of the subcommittee, for giving us the opportunity to bring to the American people what they want, and that is a strengthened retirement system under Social Security. For nearly a century, America has made a sacred promise: Those who work and labor throughout their lives will benefit by a retirement from the fruits of their labor. It is an earned benefit for pension. It is an insurance program that they pay into, as the gentleman has said. It is also a survivorship benefit for workers who die who have young children. It is a disability program for those who are harmed on the job. Social Security is an earned benefit. Yeah, it is a promise, but people earn it. It assures a safe and secure retirement for tens of millions upon millions of Americans during their golden years, to those who become disabled, and, of course, their family, their children, in fact, if something unfortunate happens. But without the action of Chairman Larson, the Social Security promise is deeply at risk. Democrats want to strengthen Social Security. Republicans want to end it and cripple it. With this legislation, soon to be moving through the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important bills that will ever come before this Chamber, Democrats will push for a vote on the floor as soon as possible. I hear from thousands of northern Ohioans and people across our great State who want to see a responsible solution to protect and improve Social Security. The wealthy must join with the vast majority of Americans in paying their fair share of social insurance at a percentage that equals what other people pay to secure Social Security into the future. By making that happen, the Social Security 2100 Act will increase benefits for current and new beneficiaries. It will protect retirees against inflation, which the gentleman has mentioned. It will continue to serve the disabled and the young children of workers who die at a far too young age, and it will repeal the windfall elimination provision that we have been trying to fix for how many decades? I think at least four. The Social Security 2100 Act is one of the most important bills Congress will ever vote on. What a privilege it will be to be able to cast a ``yes'' vote. America made a promise to workers and to retirees and families, and Democrats are committed to making good on that promise. This is a Democratic program, and we are going to save it as Democrats and improve it. Thank you, Chairman Larson.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the democratic nations of Finland and Sweden in their bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. For more than seven decades, NATO has served as an Allied bulwark of free nations in defense of Liberty against those seeking to reignite the brutal horrors of the 20th century's world wars. Powerful nations cannot willfully invade sovereign territories of other nations at will. With Putin now choosing murder and violence in an attempt to resurrect the fallen pride of the former Soviet Union, it is essential for free nations to band together for the preservation and fortification of Liberty on the continent of Europe. Russia has unambiguously demonstrated its outlaw status on the world stage. The only defense to further escalation is strong Alliance between nations devoted to upholding the rule of law. Finland and Sweden did not choose this path--Putin and his warmongers forced their hands. The survival of global freedom is very much on the line. The time to admit Sweden and Finland into this sacred Alliance has arrived, NATO's member nations must do so without delay.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I thank Chair DeLauro very much for her indefatigable leadership of this committee in service to the American people. I also thank Ranking Member Granger, as well as the dedicated staff. Special plaudits to Ranking Member Simpson, a hardworking, serious Member of Congress who devotes his considerable talents to real challenges facing our Nation. Our 2023 Energy and Water bill takes a significant step forward to secure American energy independence, rebuild critical infrastructure, foster scientific innovation, and sustain life on our corner of Mother Earth. We meet at a time when Lake Mead, once the largest water reservoir in the United States, is now at record-low levels due to a punishing Western drought across seven States that is sucking the Colorado River dry. London, England, has experienced its hottest day at 104 degrees, and forest fires are raging now across Europe and in our Nation, as well. Madam Chair, 6,600 wildland firefighters and support personnel are containing 85 large fires and complexes that have already burned over 3 million acres in 13 of our States. Fourteen new large fires have been reported, seven in Texas, two in Alaska, two in Washington, and one each in Arizona, California, and Idaho. In addition, Putin's unjust war against Ukraine crystalizes how essential having a comprehensive energy independence strategy is for our Nation, for our economy, and surely for our security. America has been making great progress since the Department of Energy was established in 1977, but we are not at home plate in energy independence. With this bill, we are rounding second base and running hard toward third on our way to home plate. We are diversifying across many energy sectors that hold promise and are climate-friendly: advanced nuclear, hydrogen, solar, and wind, but also thermal heat recapture, conservation, and so much more. In traditional sectors since 2010, oil production has doubled, and natural gas production is about 60 percent higher. But, of course, those supplies are finite. We must advance to infinite energy sources for the long haul of our country and world. Our bill invests over $56 billion for America's energy and water priorities while supporting good-paying jobs across the country. Key investments include $48.2 billion for the Department of Energy, $3.3 billion above enacted. Within the Department of Energy, as our citizens experience water shortages, wildfires, and fiercer weather events, energy efficiency and renewable energy receive record funding of $4 billion--yes, an $800 million increase above enacted. We live in unusual times. That includes a new office of State and community energy programs that receives $562 million to increase energy affordability at a time of inflation and transform our energy economy by working more cooperatively with State, local, and community-level partners. ARPA-E receives $550 million, $100 million above enacted, to literally invent a new energy future for this country. The Office of Science receives $8 billion, $525 million above enacted, which is so vital to America's energy innovation and research in the physical sciences. The new Defense Production Act Domestic Clean Energy Accelerator receives $100 million to expand domestic manufacturing and help America lead in solar and other clean energy industries that are being hacked every day by, frankly, our political enemies. We responsibly fund our nuclear deterrent while increasing funding for nonproliferation programs. The bill provides nearly $11 billion, $2.8 billion above the budget request, to rebuild our water infrastructure and respond to the severe Western drought.