Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, a son of Ohio, who served America honorably and with distinction. After tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq, he returned home and was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sergeant First Class Robinson, like far too many others, became afflicted with the grievous wounds of war caused by exposure to toxic substances. He and thousands more made the ultimate sacrifice. Every American owes them our unending gratitude. But we owe them more than that. When returning from the battlefields with injuries and illnesses, America has a moral responsibility to provide every ounce of care to our servicemembers and veterans. This week, the House takes a step forward in meeting this sacred obligation. The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson PACT Act will ensure that those who served and are suffering receive the care they need to heal. The debt America owes to these patriots can never be fully repaid, but we can make a down payment by delivering the care to help them overcome, the care that they have most certainly earned.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud the passage of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act. Millions of Americans live with a very serious mental health or substance abuse disorder. We must recognize their plight as part and parcel of providing overall health. When we ignore the signs and symptoms of mental and substance abuse disorders, we are unable to attain the help that is available for millions, but help is available. Now, thanks to this legislation, we will ensure more people have access to quality, affordable behavioral healthcare. By increasing resources for proper diagnosis and recovery services, telehealth, mental health screenings, suicide prevention, we will improve lives and save lives all across our country. Let us continue working to provide the care that is essential to daily life. Help is within reach. Let us make sure that those who need medical diagnoses on the behavioral front receive it. Finally. Finally. As a member of the Mental Health Caucus and the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, I thank the Committee on Energy and Commerce for their steadfast work to assure wellness for millions of Americans.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Marla E. Perez-Davis for her remarkable service as Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) John H. Glenn Research Center, both the main campus at Lewis Field in Brook Park, Ohio and the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio-- and to congratulate her on a well-deserved retirement. Over her nearly forty-year career at NASA, Dr. Perez-Davis nobly delivered for the American people in a variety of crucial roles, including Deputy Director of the Research and Engineering Directorate, Director of the Aeronautics Research Office, Chief of the Project Liaison and Integration Office, and Chief of the Electrochemistry Branch. Upon taking the helm as Director of the Glenn Research Center, Dr. Perez-Davis went to work leading a team of more than 3,200 dedicated professionals in the awe-inspiring mission of advancing humanity's understanding of the cosmic wonders beyond. Dr. Perez-Davis' leadership has been instrumental in driving Glenn Research Center's progress as a renowned hub for unrivaled innovation, technological excellence, economic development, and scientific discovery. Her commitment to expanding aerospace capabilities; assuring cybersecurity and quantum computing protections; and partnering with schools, students, and the wider community leave the Glenn Research Center in a strong position for the future ahead. It has been a sincere honor to work with Dr. Perez-Davis--an esteemed leader who relentlessly focused on propelling the Glenn Research Center--and the whole of NASA's global enterprise--on its journey toward a new era of breathtaking enlightenment. I speak for the entire community of Northern Ohio in thanking Dr. Perez-Davis and wishing her all the best in her next endeavor.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration abandoning tariffs on imported solar companies is terrible. What is the administration's strategy to protect American companies and American workers who are going to be harmed? First Solar and Solar Toledo, Ohio, two companies whose products are unrivaled anywhere on Earth, are at risk with thousands of workers' jobs on the line. These firms employ hardworking Ohioans earning living wages that support themselves and their families, and it is unacceptable to allow China to lay waste to American industries. China has violated the rules and tilted the playing field in its favor. Our workers are sick of it. I have introduced a bill to create an office of manufacturing within the White House to champion good jobs in the USA. This bipartisan bill would ensure there is an explicit, long-term plan to grow American manufacturing industries and unleash our full manufacturing potential. Domestic manufacturing is the backbone of our region's middle class, and it is time the Federal Government recognizes it. Enough is enough. Let America's workers succeed.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, fresh water is life. I rise today to applaud House passage of the 2022 Water Resources Development Act. As chair of the House Subcommittee on Appropriations Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies, one of my top priorities is advancing solutions and funding to meet the critical, new, freshwater challenges to every State and community in America. To grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and protect and conserve our precious environmental resources, we must invest in freshwater systems and in our ports, harbors, and waterways. We must strengthen communities and ensure Federal agencies, like the Army Corps of Engineers, are prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow. As a representative of the agricultural and industrial heartland of America, our Great Lakes region is home to those who make, build, and grow America. The water resources bill will unleash their full potential, meeting new challenges to our ecosystem. I look forward to working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our local partners to deliver progress for the American people in every nook and cranny of our beloved homeland.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call out China for its long history of predatory dumping and tariff avoidance. We have seen China cheat on this game before on everything from steel to autos to solar. It hurts American workers and American companies that I represent in Ohio. China is a nation that does not abide by global trading rules. Fair trading nations must apply strict scrutiny and appropriate penalties in response. I welcome the administration's focus on boosting manufacturing of critical solar components here in America. But we cannot encourage a tilting of the playing field that favors a country whose sinister trade practices have crushed the American middle class. Ohio's workers make and build the products that make and build America. Our Nation must respect them, as well as the innovative companies that are working to deliver America's energy independence in perpetuity. Let's champion free trade among free people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for his astounding leadership on this critical jobs training bill and for yielding me time. I thank Ranking Member Foxx so very much for her support of this effort. Today, I urge my colleagues to support a bipartisan amendment to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that I have proposed alongside Representatives Kelly, Dingell, and Ryan. As we set about this new era of automotive and vehicular innovation, it is crucial that we invest in the workers who are the backbone of this uniquely American industry. This amendment will create a pathway for the Federal Department of Labor and other Federal agencies to conduct a study on the automotive service technician and vehicle mechanic workforce and help promote apprenticeships to meet the increasing need of this advanced sector. Already, America is short 1 million trained workers across our Nation, and we haven't gotten started. We are not off the starting line. Electric-, hydrogen-, and biofuel-powered vehicle technology brings new opportunities and new challenges. To be ready, we must proactively stand up for training and apprenticeship programs that prepare America's vehicular workforce for the next generation. The motor vehicle industry has long served as a gateway to the middle class, and this amendment allows the Federal Government to take deliberate steps to ensure our workers are top of mind, not left behind. It is vital that we invest in the workers who make, build, and grow America and, frankly, power her. I ask that my colleagues join me in passing this important amendment.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today during the solemn occasion of National Police Week to recognize the law enforcement officers across our nation who lost their lives in the line of duty. Every day, police officers put on their badges and go into their communities to carry out their mission to protect and serve. Tragically, some do not return to their families at the end of the day. This year, the names of 619 officers have been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.--including four from Ohio. They are Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker, Cleveland Police Officer Shane Bartek, Hamilton County Deputy Sheriff Donald Gilreath, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Officer Jason Lagore. Their legacies will live on in the hearts of all Americans and at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, D.C. We are perpetually indebted to them for their service, courage, and patriotism. Today and always, let us honor their memories and hold their loved ones close in our hearts and prayers.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight in strong support of the U.S. Department of Commerce's inquiry into China's predatory trade practices, their hacking of U.S. firms, and widespread dumping of foreign solar components into the United States. While China routinely violates human rights and churns out inferior products, American companies are breaking new ground in the solar sector and supporting thousands of good-paying jobs for middle-class workers and families. Northwest Ohio is home to two remarkable such firms: First Solar and Toledo Solar. These domestic industries are charting a course for a new era of American energy independence. Our energy independence, security, and national strength demand we make and build solar components right here at home. Our Nation must stop relying on other countries for far too much of what we use. We have the workforce and skill sets to get the job done right here. Let us unleash American energy ingenuity for our workers, our communities, and for a secure energy future for our Nation in perpetuity.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as spring moves into full bloom, new life is bursting forth along the southern-most shore of the Great Lakes along Lake Erie. Over 100,000 nature tourists are flocking to the Ottawa and Cedar Point Federal Wildlife Refuges adjacent to Magee Marsh and Maumee Bay State Park. Nearby freshwaters hum with new life: pickerel, perch, and even salmon. This week our region is celebrating the 30th anniversary of what has grown into the biggest week in American birding. Over 100,000 visitors head to our northern Ohio heartland region for fishing, boating, hiking, and, yes, bird watching to fully welcome and celebrate the vast array of two-winged creatures that fly and thrive along our freshwater coast and wetlands: bald eagles, egrets, trumpeter swans, blue herons, indeed, every species one might imagine. This splendid, colorful display by nature occurs at the crossroads of the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways. Nearby the Great Lakes Black Swamp Bird Observatory is raising funds to build a new welcome and education center to introduce youth from across our world to Mother Nature's power and the beauty and value of our environment. Nature tourism is not only healthy, it gives an over $40 million economic boost to our region just during May. Northern Ohio welcomes guests from around the world as we celebrate the gifts that we have been given to shepherd to generations to come. Congratulations to all who responsibly steward our region forward and our precious corner of Mother Earth.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today during the solemn occasion of National Police Week to recognize the law enforcement officers across our Nation who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Every day, police officers across our Nation put on their badges and go into their communities to carry out their mission to protect and serve. Tragically, some do not return to their families at the end of the day. This year, the names of 619 officers have been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., including four from Ohio. They are: Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker, Cleveland Police Officer Shane Bartek, Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Donald Gilreath, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Officer Jason Lagore. Their legacies will live on in the hearts of all Americans and at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, D.C. We are perpetually indebted to them for their service, courage, and patriotism. Today and always, let us honor their service, their memories, and hold their loved ones close in our heart and prayers.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair DeLauro for her leadership in moving this bill to the floor with such dispatch and content. I rise tonight to urge passage of this essential $40 billion supplemental security package for Ukraine. The battle for Ukraine and what it is waging, for liberty, is not one for her to fight alone. The world must recognize the true evil that free people everywhere are confronting. Indeed, liberty's survival and the global rule of law are on the line. Russia invaded an independent sovereign nation without provocation. Ukraine is the scrimmage line for liberty on the Continent of Europe today. Untethered to reason or humanity, Putin will not stop his brutal slaughter of innocents. Words and well wishes will not be enough. What Ukraine needs most of all is reinforcement; it needs arms, ammunition, combat vehicles, and air and sea defense. Putin's Russia will never win this war. The courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people is already legendary, but to hasten the demise of Putin's murderous rampage, America must act without delay. Ukraine's fight for liberty is the world's fight for liberty in this modern era. Let us arm Ukraine with the tools for the fight and put an end, sooner rather than later, to the bloodshed Putin's madness has unleashed. ``Glory to Ukraine, ``Slava Ukraini.'' Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman DeLauro for uniting all of the subcommittees of Appropriations to bring this critical bill forward. I thank her for her leadership.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on the 150th anniversary of the oldest women's college in Ohio, Ursuline College. Here is a bit of its outstanding history. In 1850, four Ursuline Sisters and an English laywoman left their monastery in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France and traveled by ship to the United States, where they established the first Catholic schools in the newly formed Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. They had been invited to Cleveland by the Most Reverend Louis Amadeus Rappe, the first bishop of the diocese and former chaplain to this group of Ursulines in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Within a month of their arrival in Cleveland, the Ursulines opened an academy for 300 pupils. As their congregation grew, they opened more Catholic schools across Greater Cleveland. In 1871, Mother Mary of the Annunciation Beaumont, the first superior of the Cleveland Ursulines, obtained a charter from the State of Ohio to establish Ohio's first Catholic college for women. The new college was located in the same building as the motherhouse on Cleveland's Euclid Avenue--focused on the liberal arts. In its first 95 years, Ursuline College had five different locations in the City of Cleveland before opening its current campus in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio in 1966. There, it continues to emphasize the leadership role of women in a wide array of professions. In 1975, the Diocese of Cleveland closed its Saint John College and asked Ursuline to absorb St. John's Division of Nursing. Ursuline's current Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions grew from this strong foundation to become a nationally recognized Center of Excellence, as designated by the National League for Nursing in 2021. Nursing is Ursuline's highest-enrolled field of study, and Ursuline nursing graduates today help staff Cleveland's top hospitals. In 2000, Ursuline athletes began competing in inter-collegiate sports. The Ursuline Arrows are now a member program of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division II level. Now, 150 years since its founding, Ursuline remains the only women- focused college in the State of Ohio, and one of the few in the U.S. founded and continuously led by women. True to its original vision, Ursuline continues to transform students for service, leadership, and professional excellence. Its thousands of alumnae, in turn, bring compassion and competence to their service to others in professional and community roles including nursing, business, law, teaching, historic preservation, social work, counseling, art therapy, and more. Together, we look forward to celebrating the next 150 years of this remarkable institution.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of the bipartisan Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act that Congressman Kinzinger and I have introduced. Central and Eastern European nations are working to develop the modern telecommunications infrastructure necessary to facilitate global connectivity in the 21st century. At the same time, China, through its Belt and Road Initiative, is strategically inducing dependence on its financing and technology to construct these projects, endangering liberty and security. 5G technology represents the future of global communications. We must not allow those who are hostile to freedom and democracy to dominate this technological space and undermine stability. Our allies need American financing and partnership. Through the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act, let us construct and deploy the state-of-the-art networks that will spur economic prosperity and connect people and communities. Mr. Speaker, I invite all my colleagues to join us in this bill. We must stand with our European allies against the threats posed by foreign adversaries. And please, help us pass the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act without delay.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to urge passage of the Lend-Lease Act for Ukraine. I think Madeleine Albright would like this very much. Putin's unprovoked war on the sovereign nation of Ukraine is an attack on freedom-loving people around our globe. Not since the costly tragic wars of the 20th century has the world seen such a test of liberty's survival. The Lend-Lease is an uncommon tool for uncommon times. These are uncommon times. Justice Franklin Roosevelt marshaled U.S. arms for the aid of our allies in World War II. We must now marshal those same resources to defeat a tyrant seeking to rebuild his fallen, tyrannical empire. Ukraine is the scrimmage line for liberty on the European Continent. If the world allows Putin to claw Ukraine under his command, our Central and Eastern European allies may very well be next. The time to act is now. Pass the Lend-Lease Act. Arm Ukraine. Defeat the Russian war machine. The fate of liberty rests in the balance. This is our watch in freedom's defense. Let us meet this test. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very much for yielding time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and accomplishments of Norman Ladd of Ohio's Ninth Congressional District. Norman passed on from this life at age 84 years on March 21, 2022. He dedicated a total of 65 years to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Norman Ladd was born in Toledo, Ohio on August 11, 1937. He attended Macomber High School and graduated in 1955. Not long after, he began his apprenticeship with his local IBEW, Local 8. During his time with the IBEW, he served as treasurer, assistant business manager, and administrator of the Health and Wellness plan. In the 1980's, Norman was elected the Executive Secretary of the Northwest Ohio Building Trades. He also served on the Toledo Zoning Board of Appeals, and more recently he sat on the Sylvania Zoning Board of Appeals. As Adlai Stevenson II once said, ``Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.'' Norman Ladd lived a life of dedication and passion, always ready to lend a hand when needed. Today, we mourn his passing, and offer our deepest condolences to his wife and children. May they find some small measure in his legacy and the gift of his life to his family, friends, fellow tradesmen and women, and our community at large. Norm was a builder of family and community through good and rough times. His commitment and vigilance helped carry us forward together. May his life and works inspire others to emulate his goodwill and accomplishments.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today on Workers Memorial Day to pay tribute to the workers across Ohio and America whose lives were taken from us far too soon. Every day, hardworking truck drivers, steelworkers, teachers, postal workers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, electricians, construction workers, bus drivers, and so many more go to work to make, build, and grow America. It is through their efforts that America moves forward. Tragically, many workers never return to their families at the end of the day. The immense void their absence leaves behind in the hearts of their loved ones and communities can never be filled. As a society, we have a sacred obligation and a moral responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those who labor to build up America. In acting on this mission, we must support the labor unions who day in and day out uplift the Middle Class and assure dignity for workers. We must also hold to account those whose reckless disregard endangers the lives and wellbeing of workers. While progress has been made, there is still much more to be done. The loss of even one worker is one loss too many. Congress and the Administration must recommit itself to delivering the reforms that vigorously protect workers from harm, in every workplace across America, each and every day. On this solemn day, may the memories of those lost be lifted up in remembrance, and may their legacies of service be cherished forevermore.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today at the request of members of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society regarding National Former POW Recognition Day which took place on April 9th. The Society notes that this year it ``commemorates the 80th anniversary of the fall of the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines and the Start of the infamous Bataan Death March.'' Port Clinton, a small city along Lake Erie in my District, shared 32 of its sons in Company C, only ten of whom returned from the Bataan Death March. I am pleased to include in the Record the history of the March written by Mindy Kotler Smith, a member of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Memorial Society: ``Participating in the historic defense of the Philippine Islands were 32 men from Port Clinton, Ohio. They were members of Company C of the 192nd Tank Battalion, an Ohio National Guard unit federalized in late 1940. The 192nd arrived in the Philippines two weeks before Imperial Japan began its invasion of the American territory on December 8, 1941--within hours of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. ``On Dec. 22, 1941, at Lingayen Gulf, the 192nd earned the distinction of taking part in the first `tank-versus-tank battle' of World War II. But it was Company C, on December 31st at Baliuag, that won the first American tank battle of the war. At a time when victories were rare, Company C was celebrated stateside. ``For four months, on Bataan, American and Filipino forces put up the first significant resistance to Japan's lightning advance though Southeast Asia. Sick, starving, lacking ammunition and without hope of resupply, the American commanders fearing a slaughter surrendered their men to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. ``Within hours, those that did not escape to Corregidor-- the island fortress in Manila Bay--were forced onto the Bataan Death March up the full length of the Bataan Peninsula. The 65-mile trek to a train station in the tropical heat was marked by unimagined cruelty and murder all while food, water, and medicine were withheld by their capturers. For the next 24 miles, they were packed standing into steaming, fetid boxcars. Those still alive were then walked several more miles to a makeshift POW camp that had only two sources of water for some 60,000 POWs. ``Of the 100 men of Company C, only six died in combat or on the March. However, 58 died as POWs of Japan in the following three and one-half years of captivity and slave labor. Of the 32 men from Port Clinton, only 10 returned home. ``One of the Port Clinton tankers who did not return was 25-year-old Sgt. John Robinette. He survived the Battle of Bataan and the Bataan Death March only to succumb to starvation and disease on November 10, 1942 in a POW camp in the Philippines. ``Please join me in remembering the men and women on Bataan who gave so much against impossible odds and a relentless enemy. My condolences to all those families of Company C whose loved ones did not return. And I humbly thank all those who fought against tyranny in the Pacific during World War II. Never Forgotten.'' It has been my privilege throughout the years to meet with survivors of the Bataan Death March who hail from Port Clinton. Most recently, in 2017, residents of Port Clinton turned out en masse to honor John Kovach, Jr. whose remains were returned to his surviving sisters, still deeply moved 75 years later. Though all of the men have since passed on, Bataan Memorial School bears their legacy and yearly honors the men who represented the school's namesake. The lives of the men who did not survive along with those fortunate to have come home, live in our memory, always.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud Rep. McCaul's Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act. History has taught us that evidence must be safeguarded in order to hold tyrants to account. Putin and his enablers will gaslight the world until Kingdom Come-- but the world and our progeny must know the truth. As Ukraine's civilians and defenders continue their valiant fight against the beast--we must be ready to prosecute those who murdered innocents and pillaged a sovereign land. Putin's war is not an act of defense. It is a calculated and brutal slaughter of ordinary people who sought only to build up their precious democracy. Putin has shed any semblance of humanity. He is a monster with the blood of freedom-loving people on his hands. When justice comes, let us be prepared with all that we need to sentence these evildoers to the punishments they deserve.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support Congress' bipartisan approval of harsher sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his vicious Russian enablers. We all support suspending normal trade relations and support destabilizing the Russian economy as the price of their savageness. The nations of the free world and all freedom-loving people have an obligation to stand up resolutely against the tyranny and murder being unleashed against Ukraine. Let liberty lovers continue arming Ukraine's brave defenders. Let free nations send them the lethal and defensive equipment they need. And let civil nations continue to isolate this rogue and criminal state from all that it needs to function. The murder of innocent, men, women, and children simply cannot be tolerated.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight outraged over the systemic slaughter of Ukrainian children by Russian murderer Vladimir Putin. Countless Ukrainian children are being murdered and orphaned. An entire generation is watching as everything around them is destroyed by Russia's war machine. Fathers and mothers are being ripped from sons and daughters. The littlest are being left to fend for themselves, as Russia lays waste to everything Ukrainians have ever known. No little child should be left to weep next to the unmarked grave of their parent that they will never see again. No child should have to ponder how they will eat or where they will sleep due to the actions of a tyrant who derives satisfaction from their despair. We have a global responsibility to end this bloodshed. Fully arm Ukraine now. Isolate Russia from the community of responsible nations. Starve Putin and his oligarchs. Make sure that we help Ukraine withstand all that they must in order to win this war against Russia's killing machine. Let all democratic nations do everything they can to assure liberty in Ukraine is victorious.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force, I rise today to urge the swift appointment of a permanent administrator to lead the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is the Federal entity responsible for operating and maintaining the U.S. portions of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. This 370-mile-long commercial channel runs from the Great Lakes, America's fourth seacoast, to the Atlantic Ocean, and then connects our ports with markets around the world. With 40 million tons of industrial and agricultural cargo traversing the seaway each year, it is time to appoint an administrator, and especially in a time of war. We could be backfilling cargoes to Europe right now. It is time to fill this vital position, and I look forward to a nominee who understands the needs of our region and is ready to partner with the communities, workers, and businesses of America's industrial and agricultural heartland.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, the unspeakable carnage Vladimir Putin and his war machine are unleashing across Ukraine is barbaric. The images from Bucha are almost too horrific to comprehend. Men, women, children, and the elderly are bound and thrown on the streets as if they were garbage. The world is dealing with a tyrant who counts victory with body bags. Every nation must arm Ukraine with the weaponry and defenses it needs. Every nation must end their imports of Russian coal, oil, and gas. Every nation must twist the screws of sanctions tighter and tighter until Putin and his enablers choke. The hundreds of thousands of American and Allied servicemembers who gave their lives across European nations in the 20th century did not do so only for the cause of liberty to go unaided in the modern era. The free world must immediately rise up together. Fend off evil. End the bloodshed. Lead Ukraine to restore its liberty.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce our Transforming Student Debt to Home Equity Act. Home ownership is a key that opens the door to the middle class for tens of millions of Americans. But today, too many young workers and their families are weighed down by student loan debt that keeps this dream out of their reach. The Transforming Student Debt to Home Equity Act would create a pilot program to test various approaches that combine student loan payments and mortgage payments into one monthly bill. It would empower hardworking Americans that are current on student loan repayments to actually combine their loan costs, allowing them to build home equity. The purpose of this act is to move forward with those pilot projects, and with millions of vacant homes around our country, this legislation would spur neighborhood revitalization and improve our quality of life. The promises of the American Dream should be available to all, so let us lift up and invest in new means to help the next generation and invest in middle-class workers and families that build up our Nation by investing in it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with considerable anticipation as Great Lakes Members introduce legislation to create the Great Lakes Authority. The Great Lakes Authority is an instrumentality that will unlock our freshwater, industrial heartland's full potential for the century ahead. The Midwest communities our Members represent are home to people who make, build, and grow that which makes, builds, and grows America. For decades, however, our region has borne the brunt of job losses associated with disastrous trade policies, underinvestment, and deindustrialization. Since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, China's entrance into the World Trade Organization in 2001, and CAFTA's passage in 2005, over 91,000 factories have closed across our country. Nearly 5 million good-paying jobs have been lost, and our region has been very hard hit and is clawing its way back. But our workers and their families in Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York, in the Great Lakes watershed have suffered enormously as middle class jobs evaporated. The tragedy does not end there. Local governments have been left to scramble as declining revenues led to the collapse of their budgets and the accrual of crushing bonded indebtedness. The size and scope of these accumulated economic challenges are too much for any one city or county or, indeed, State to overcome alone. Places like Toledo, Ohio, Lorain, Detroit, Buffalo, Flint, Rochester, all the towns along the old Erie Canal struggle to recover from the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to penny-wage countries. Chicago, Cleveland, and Erie, Pennsylvania, alone are limited in their ability to halt climate change and reverse its increasing effects on their shorelines and neighborhoods. The Great Lakes region needs a boost through accelerated investments and strategic and coordinated support to get back on track. Last year, President Biden and congressional Democrats accomplished what many had tried but failed to do, and that is pass an historic investment in jobs and infrastructure. That is step one. This support will help empower our communities to begin planning the necessary steps to rebuilding roads and bridges, improve ports, rail lines and airports, modernize energy and water infrastructure, and protect all of our lakes, the freshwater kingdom on this continent. But to maximize the impact and turbocharge revitalization, our region really needs a strategic plan to coordinate these resources along, importantly, with private investment to reboot our future. The Great Lakes region is the only major economic region in our country that lacks a Federal entity dedicated to supporting its long- term coordinated economic development and conserving its natural environment. The West's water is served by the Bureau of Reclamation, or if you look at the Delta Regional Authority, it 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. The Great Lakes deserves no less. The Great Lakes Authority Act is long overdue and will create an instrumentality to serve the Great Lakes fresh watershed which will become even more important in the decades to come with each passing day. The Great Lakes Authority will be a Federal/State instrumentality like the others to spur job creation and world-class worker education, training, and adjustment in communities left behind. It will foster innovation to build forward the struggling core U.S. manufacturing and industrial base. And it will promote new advances in renewable energy technologies like solar, wind and hydrogen while conserving and stewarding our precious environmental assets. It will allow us an efficient multi-modal transportation shared network with our closest neighbor, Canada, that connects people and goods with where they need to go. Indeed, Canada is our largest trading partner. For America to compete in this century, we simply need a Great Lakes Authority, and I urge my colleagues to join us in this important effort. Please help us help the Great Lakes region.