Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a dear citizen of Oak Harbor, Ohio, Roger Carpenter. He devoted 75 years of his life to shaping character, citizenship, and service in northwestern Ohio. Roger Carpenter was more than a Scoutmaster. For generations of young people in Troop 316, he was a teacher of values, a steady hand, and a living example of the Scout Oath and Law. His dedication deeply shaped the character of Oak Harbor. I can feel it. From the time he joined the troop as a boy in 1941 to his passing at age 97, Roger believed that building good citizens was the most important work any community could do, and he went about doing it. Under his guidance, more than 50 young men achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He taught young people how to live with responsibility, humility, and care for others. As Roger himself said: Scouting does not teach children to throw a ball. It should teach them how to help others and preserve the common good. Boy, was he a wise man. What a great privilege it was to honor his service at the Apple Festival last fall. Please let me honor and posthumously thank him on the floor of Congress for preserving the common good. What a patriot. Oak Harbor and all of northwestern Ohio are eternally grateful for Roger's beautiful life and good works that endure and have been nobly passed forward to the aspiring generation. Honoring the Life of Robert Mueller

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I wish to turn to honor the life of Robert Mueller. When I was very young, I aspired to become an FBI agent. Later, when in college, when I applied, I was told I was not qualified because I was a woman. But tonight, I rise to honor the life and service of Robert Mueller, the gentleman and honorable Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that I wish I had been able to work for. He also was a father, a husband, a grandfather, a marine--our family knows a whole lot about that--a public servant, and an American hero. He served as Director of the FBI under Presidents of both parties. Director Mueller took his oath to support and defend our Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, as seriously as anyone could. He was a very intelligent man whose life was defined by honor, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to the Nation he loved and to which he gave his life. At a time when many chose a different path, he stepped forward to serve. Though he was not drafted, he volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, earned his commission, and led Marines in combat. There, under fire, he displayed extraordinary courage. He rescued a wounded comrade, earning the Bronze Star with a V for valor, and the Purple Heart after being wounded in battle. He led from the front, guided by duty and shaped by the bonds of those he served beside. If he had done nothing else, his military service exemplified what it means to be a patriot for the cause of liberty. His service did not end when he returned home. He continued to serve this Nation for decades--as a Federal prosecutor, as a leader within the Department of Justice, and as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation during one of the most consequential periods in our Nation's history. He took office as FBI Director 7 days before the September 11 attacks on our Nation. True to his marine heritage, he always fought for right and freedom and kept his honor clean. He ushered our country and the bureau through some of our darkest days. Director Mueller served our Nation in that role for 12 years to the very day, including a 2-year extension under President Obama. He was then succeeded by James Comey. Four years later, in May 2017, he was again called to serve. Then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein tapped Robert Mueller to lead the investigation into the consequential 2016 Russian election interference. He pursued this investigation indefatigably. He let the facts lead and presented his report. He did not politicize this investigation for a single second because that is just not who he was, nor what the FBI is. Across every chapter of his life, Robert Mueller carried himself with humility, discipline, and integrity. He did not seek recognition. He sought to do what was right. He was not a showman. He was a patriot. His life reminds us that service to country is not confined to a single moment or uniform. It is a lifelong calling. Robert Mueller answered his Nation's call in war and peace, in public office and in quiet leadership. Mr. Speaker, our Nation is stronger because of patriotic citizens like Robert Mueller, and I send my heartfelt condolences and those of my constituents to his wife of 60 years, Ann; to his daughters, Cynthia and Melissa; and to his five grandchildren. I know they and his bureau colleagues will miss him dearly. May we honor his example not only in words but in pledging honorable service to our Nation in any capacity he held. May Director Mueller rest in peace--we have the watch. Honoring Louise J. Brower

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Women's History Month with naming a steady trailblazer from northwest Ohio, Louise J. Brower. In 1975, Mrs. Brower broke barriers when she became the first woman to serve as a principal in Toledo public schools. In doing so, she also became the first to lead a large metropolitan Ohio high school. At Scott High School, she led with strength, dignity, and an unwavering belief in her students. The appointment was a culmination of her Toledo public schools career, which started as a teacher at Robinson Junior High. She then served as principal of both Walbridge School and later McTigue Junior High. The library at Walbridge was dedicated in her honor in 1971. Long before recognition followed, her impact was already deeply felt by inspired students. She empowered teachers, and she opened doors for women who would follow. Mrs. Brower's legacy reminds us that progress is built by those willing to lead where none have gone before. May we continue her work with purpose, with passion, and with pride. Women know how to do it right even if it has never been done before, and Mrs. Brower certainly did that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to put her name in the Record. Undeclared War in Iran

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise on day 27 of President Trump's undeclared war against Iran. An immense cost is being imposed on our U.S. military and the American people by this undeclared war of choice. Already, this war has cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $40 billion, not a penny of which was voted on by either this House or the other body. That amount is equal to what President Trump in his big bonanza bill for billionaires cut from healthcare. The money he cut from healthcare that is being expended over Iran means 500,000 people in my State of Ohio are losing their health benefits. So, let's recognize what the transfer of funds means. No American should be asked to surrender their healthcare for a war that was never authorized by Congress. That is a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8. Now, President Trump is ratcheting up his ask for another $200 billion for the Pentagon's Iran war--$200 billion. There is no way--by the way, that is one-fifth of $1 trillion. There is no way the American people should be forced to hand this administration hundreds of billions of dollars to keep waging an unconstitutional war. Just today, the war on Iran saw the Dow Jones drop 470 points. The Standard & Poor's had its worst day since January. Oil is now $108 a barrel. A gallon of gas is averaging nearly $4 nationwide, and diesel is $5.37 a gallon. This is hurting our people. With 25 percent of the world's oil and one-third of its fertilizer flowing through the narrow channel called the Strait of Hormuz, this war is a war of choice, not a war of necessity. It is throwing global markets off balance as prices rise on everything. I know the American people are noticing. I say and I believe, let the Middle East oil barons bear the billions and billions and billions of dollars this war is costing, not the American people. Our Nation is now energy independent here at home. For a half century we have worked to be that. As President Trump has stated himself, we are now exporting more oil than ever before. I don't think we should be exporting quite as much, but that is something we can disagree on. However, here at home, we sure have made a lot of progress since 1970. In the committee on which I serve, Congress has approved and appropriated for a historically large defense budget amounting to over $1 trillion for 2026, but that didn't account for this war. That budget is the largest defense budget in modern history. We know we have enemies. We know we have new strategic interests that we have to attend to, but the Trump administration has simultaneously, as we have these new expenditures of war, allowed massive tax breaks to billionaires while severely cutting funds for our veterans' hospitals and clinics, veteran services, our civil hospitals to healthcare, education, nutrition, to all critical services for the American people. Our transportation safety officers are waiting to be paid. Americans should not be made to bear the burden of this war started by superrich dictators with no military experience who see matters of life and death as nothing more than real estate and resource deals. If President Trump wants another $200 billion for war, don't come asking for it from our farmers. It is a rough year for them. Don't ask our policemen. Don't ask our educators. Let him go to the Saudi princes. They are reportedly urging him to keep the war going so the oligarchs in the Gulf can remake the economy of the Middle East the way they want. Let me inquire: How many troops have the oil barons committed? They have committed zero. As I recall, President Trump made his first trip abroad after being sworn in 2 years ago to Saudi Arabia, a dictatorship. I recall it was Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who ordered the butchering of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. News reports state Prince Mohammed has a net worth of up to $25 billion. That is just himself. Moreover, he manages a sovereign wealth fund for Saudi Arabia valued at over $1.4 trillion for the House of Saud and the royal family. And that is what we are able to know from the press. He probably has a lot more. But he alone can afford the pay for a war that will handsomely benefit his kingdom. Think about who exactly should pay for this war of choice. President Trump is saying to the European countries that have nothing to do with this why aren't they helping, why aren't they coming over? Well, the United States does stand by its allies, but for all this administration's pressure on Europe to pull its weight in this war let me ask: What troops and resources are these superrich Gulf kingdoms committing as Americans are fighting and dying? Mr. Speaker, 13 of our troops have died and over 300 injuries already. As we speak, thousands of U.S. Marines and paratroopers are being deployed to the Middle East, and our family knows what combat in foreign lands requires, but the sultans, shahs, and kings, they don't. Their oil kingdoms want this war to keep going because they will be the beneficiaries, but we are their soldiers. How many soldiers is Saudi Arabia sending? What about Kuwait? How about Qatar that gave President Trump a luxury jet valued at $400 million? Can we trade that in? Can we trade that plane in to help pay down the tens of billions of dollars that our country is already spending over there? Are these kingdoms going to contribute their fighter jets to this conflict? Who will fly them? What about the Saudis, Kuwaitis, United Arab Emirates, their pilots, their marines, where are their soldiers? I haven't seen any. No American marine, sailor, airman, or soldier should be sent to war to preserve the Gulf state kingdom's dominance over the world's oil and gas markets over there. Let us take care of ourselves right here at home. Perpetual energy independence, we have that. We have to make it even better. Now, let's look at the population of those countries. Iran is a nation of over 93 million people. Saudi Arabia has technically 32 million people, but most of them, three-quarters of them, are not actually Saudis. They are foreign guest workers. Kuwait has 3 million people, and most of those are guest workers. Iraq has 43 million people. Yemen has 41 million people. The United Arab Emirates has 10 million, but a lot of those are not actually citizens there. Israel has 10 million people, maybe closer to 9. Qatar has 2 million people. Do we really want responsibility in perpetuity for nearly 250 million people in the troubled oil kingdoms and the oil rich Middle East? None of these nations is a stable democracy, not a single one. So, why are Americans being asked again to dive into yet another Middle East war? We know this story. We know how it ends. Might I remind Members and those listening, the Lockerbie bombing was an example of what happens. Does anyone recall 9/11? And I could list a whole lot of other retaliations. Dealing with theocratic regimes means not victory but retribution in the end, retribution against both civilian and military populations. The United States shouldn't be fighting this war to play oil kingmaker in the Middle East. America knows that our Nation has now dedicated one-half century to making our Nation energy independent here at home, and what a triumph that has been. We should do better, how? The Strategic Petroleum Reserve should have been filled completely, and President Trump has continued to empty it out. We have to do better than that. We have other forms of power, modern nuclear, hydrogen, and massive natural gas discoveries in my part of the country. Mr. Speaker, we can do this here in this country, but President Trump told us we are fighting this war because Iran was building a nuclear weapon to have a bomb ready in 2 weeks. That claim fell apart under the slightest scrutiny. The President says that we now need more bombing and more troops, even as his own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, testified before Congress that Iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated and that Iran was not trying to rebuild it. The President said that we were fighting Iran to change its regime. Iran has replaced one Ayatollah Khamenei with another Ayatollah Khamenei. I would observe that, as a result of this war, it is more likely Iran and adjacent nations that have succession will have hardline leaders that share Iran's religious perspective, hell-bent on opposing the United States on every front long into the future in the form of hybrid warfare, which is the new horizon for war globally. This war must not drain our arsenal here at home. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Defense Subcommittee, the weapons that are being exploded and the amount of money being spent mean we have to follow on very quickly, and it is not so easy to do. We have lost members of our military, as I have said, and the President's approach has alienated too many of our allies and made us new enemies. Caution. No more blood for oil. No more blood for oil. In an era of hybrid warfare, the President's impulsiveness could yield reactions for which the American people are not prepared. I ask the question, Mr. Speaker: What does victory look like in this war? What is the endgame? What is the plan? The President wanted to overthrow the Government of Iran, destroying its nuclear capacity, to ignite a nationwide revolt and remake the Middle East as he thinks it should be. What does that look like? Who is going to help? There are a lot of people with money over there--not a single democracy--they will be the beneficiaries. What are they paying? Therefore, U.S. military efforts have not been able to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Adjoining nations have placed zero troops into theater. To me, the undemocratic oil kingdoms appear to have the U.S. at their beck and call. That is not in the interests of the United States of America. This administration has not prepared our citizens for the consequences of its hasty actions. So far, they expect Americans to pick up the tab, the whole tab, rising each week by billions and billions more dollars. What is it about the allure of these undemocratic oil kingdoms that draws such attention from our President? Recklessness and undemocratic Middle East oil markets have led us to repeated disastrous consequences and more forever-on wars. The American people have already paid the price. Let the phenomenally rich oil kingdoms, undemocratic oil kingdoms, their sheikhs and their Kings send their own troops and pay the price of their own security, instead of indebting the people, the good people, of the United States of America. Today, I say enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in northwest Ohio and across our Heartland, farmers are hurting. After 2 years of record drought, a year of reckless Trump tariffs, their export markets are drying up abroad. Now comes the war in Iran. One-third of the world's fertilizer supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Its cost just rose. Mr. Speaker, 25 percent of the world's oil supply passes through this narrow channel off the Iranian coast. Much like oil, fertilizer is traded on a global market, and a disruption on either side of the globe impacts Ohio farmers, producers, and growers. This comes at the worst time as planting season is upon us. Our agriculture sector is teetering on the brink. Hello. Family farms hang in the balance. For many, this is a make-or-break year. On top of skyrocketing fertilizer costs, the national average for diesel just hit a record $5.37 per gallon. If costs don't stabilize soon, the Heartland is in for a reckoning. We don't want one. We don't want one. Is the White House--hello, are you paying attention?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight and every day for the families of northwest Ohio and across our country being squeezed due to President Trump's reckless, illegal decisions. Today, the average price of gasoline across our Buckeye State of Ohio was $3.82; nationwide, $3.97, up more than a dollar a gallon in the span of a month. Diesel, the life blood of our supply system, is surging to nearly $5 a gallon, increasing transportation costs and driving up the cost of everything: food, manufacturing, and fertilizer across our heartland. When the price of oil rises, families everywhere feel it. The cost of gasoline, diesel, and home heating is a daily burden on working families, farmers, truckers, and small businesses trying to keep their operations open. The undeclared Trump illegal war on Iran makes the condition exponentially worse. When global conflict collides with fragile energy supply chains, prices surge. In Ohio, we refine, move, and deliver energy, but I will tell you, this is actually such a terrible tax on the American people causing the debt to go up. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve a President who abides by the U.S. Constitution.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, we rise today with heavy hearts and deep gratitude to honor three courageous Ohio National Guard members who gave their lives in service to our Nation: Captain Seth Koval, Captain Curtis Angst, and Master Sergeant Tyler Simmons of the 121st Air Refueling Wing from Columbus, Ohio--one of the most difficult maneuvers in aviation. These airmen answered our country's call without hesitation. They carried America's mission far beyond our shores. They stood for something greater than themselves, defending liberty and patriotic values that define us as a nation. They were not only skilled professionals, but also patriots in the truest sense--men of honor, character, and quiet strength. Their loss is felt deeply across Ohio, in Stoutsville, in Wilmington, in Columbus, and across our grateful Republic. We remember not only how they died, but how they lived: with courage, duty, and unwavering devotion to the United States of America. Their sacrifice reminds us that freedom is never free and that it endures because of heroes like them. True to the 121st's vision to be masters of airpower, safeguarding liberty and security for Ohio and the United States, they pay tribute to the Air Force's core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. These fallen heroes embody this spirit. May God bless them, bless their families, and bless their colleagues. May God bless the United States of America in the days ahead. Mr. Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in their memory.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, on February 28, President Donald Trump made a unilateral decision to take the United States and the American people to war against the nation of Iran. Iran is a nation of 93 million people with sophistication and fundamentalist religious leaders that imbue Iran's actions intergenerationally. Iran holds influence across millions of adherents, even across its borders. Religious ties, affinities, and memories linger across borders in that undemocratic region of the world. Without any consultation and in direct violation of congressional war powers in our Constitution that belongs to the people of the United States, not just the President, our Nation is now at war with a religious state. Valiant members of our Armed Forces have been sent into battle in one of the most complex and combustible regions of the world. Never in the entire history of our Nation has any such consequential decision to take our military and the American people to war been made solely by any former President without a vote of Congress. Valiant members of our Armed Forces are being killed. We, as Members of Congress, must offer consolation to their families and the communities from which they come, and we must pay tribute to their bravery and sheer patriotism. However, like their families, we remain stunned as we, too, were unaware they were being deployed into war in territory we know to be very dangerous. Last week, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was quoted as saying he would oppose any Iran supplemental. He said that he is hearing from farmers in his State impacted by rising costs on everything, including oil, that stem from the war. He thinks Congress should focus on domestic issues. Well, we can't do just that, but I do agree with Senator Rand Paul that the war places a tourniquet on global energy supplies, and prices on almost everything will continue to rise. I can comment that as planting season is upon us, diesel and fertilizer costs are through the roof, and our farmers, producers, and growers are really feeling it. Now, the Trump administration says that it seeks Congress to appropriate--get ready for this--$200 billion more of additional financial support for this undeclared war. No Member of Congress would abandon our troops in harm's way. I will repeat that. No Member of Congress would abandon our troops in harm's way, but here are vital questions that must be asked by the American people and this Congress and answered by the administration: What does victory look like? What does it look like? Which nations are our allies in this struggle and are placing troops on the ground? How many troops in each adjoining nation are already on the ground? How will the Trump administration raise the funds to pay for what will likely be a half trillion dollars or more not just for the war but for the rebuilding of a very troubled, difficult region? There will be a lingering instability that could pose more unrest in that region. Chaos is a possibility. The President has already in his first and now second administrations added over $6 trillion to America's debt, and it is rising. Does the President intend to borrow the funds necessary and from whom, indebting the American people for generations to come? Trillions of dollars is a lot of money. To conduct this undeclared war on Iran and apparently adjoining countries, the Trump administration is increasing our debt and borrowing even more money from China to spend against Iran. China, looking at our debt accounts, can ask for payment on those bonds at any time. I don't like the prospect of that. At the same time, with the billions of defense dollars being spent in the Middle East, too many of our global assets are being repositioned from the Pacific and the European NATO commitment. The President relatedly announced he is going to lift oil sanctions on Russia. That means he is empowering Russia, the fiercest foe of liberty, at the same time as he is enriching China. Did liberty in our world just turn upside down? Have key Trump officials forgotten the difference between liberty and tyranny? Mr. Speaker, I ask America to pay attention. Now, let us be serious about the accounting of these ongoing war efforts. The first week alone was reported to cost $11.3 billion, not a penny of that brought before the respective congressional appropriations committees for approval. Just in the first week, $11.3 billion spent. At a pace of $2 billion per day, that means we are spending $23,000 per second. At this pace, spending could reach $1 trillion more by November 2027. I can guarantee you our Defense Appropriations Subcommittee has not approved a single penny of this spending for the war on Iran. This is a war of Presidential choice. Billions have been spent. As of today, we estimate about $40 billion, the 20th day of President Trump's war. The President is erasing money from other accounts, I guess, in order to put it into this undeclared, fateful military engagement, erasing it from accounts he has to, like health insurance and food for children. We are asking where has the President emptied the accounts to pay for this war? Our debt gets worse every day, and since he took office 14 months ago, our national debt has ballooned to $39 trillion. That is $3 trillion more than just over a year ago. That translates into a growing tax on generations to come and that is wrong. The President must present to Congress his plan to pay for his war of choice. Otherwise, our ship of state is going to be tilting in ways that harm the American people. They are already seeing it in the price of essentials like food, gas, fertilizer for our farmers, medical care, diesel, energy prices, water prices are going up, and housing is unaffordable and rising every day. I can guarantee you the American people are feeling the raw pinch of this already. I have questions. Who exactly will be President Trump's emissaries to negotiate a lasting peace in the Middle East? What background do they have in that part of the world? What qualifications do they have to offer in the way of expertise? It is obvious the ones that he assigned, his son-in-law and Mr. Witkoff, had no success. They had no experience in that part of the world. They had no experience in negotiating peace. It is obvious the current negotiators were unable to prevent war. The only President of whom I am aware who made consequential peace in the Middle East was President Jimmy Carter, a man I served nearly half a century ago. He worked diligently for months and months, and I daresay years, at that astounding achievement of a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. I urge President Trump's associates to contact the Carter Center and identify some of those who are currently living and participated in that extraordinary achievement and seek their advice. This is not a simple engagement, and it will have lasting repercussions. Recall it was President Trump during his first term that pulled the rug out from Afghanistan in 2018 when he withdrew from that deal, and as we watched greater instability grow, he actually made a deal with the Taliban who are our enemies and then our allies in Afghanistan collapsed. He precipitated the U.S. withdrawal, not Joe Biden. When Joe Biden took office, the damage had already been done. As I view the road forward, who will be the diplomatic corps that will be necessary to follow on this major invasion with negotiations for a just and lasting peace? In the national interest, partisanship has to be put aside, and the most intelligent and experienced people in our country must be drawn together. To find a way forward, levelheaded people with foreign policy experience and budgetary know-how must be brought to the forefront. This heedlessness on multiple fronts cannot continue. Our people deserve a White House focused on resolution and here at home, affordability for the American people, not another endless foreign war with no strategy and no way out. What is truly troubling to me as I watch this engagement is, I don't see some of the richest tyrannies in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where are their troops on the ground? They are not there. We need a clear path forward for the American people, and the President needs to come to Congress as we attempt to negotiate the ship of state toward a stable Middle East, engaging countries around the world who are also suffering from this decision. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary young women of the Anthony Wayne High School cheer team. Just weeks after capturing the National Cheer Championship title in Orlando, Florida, these remarkable athletes brought home the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators State Championship title. Led by Erica Black and Robin Buffy, the Generals had the highest score across all teams in all divisions. Championships are not handed out. They are earned with early mornings, late nights, and countless unseen hours of practice. They are built by coaches who mentor, parents who sacrifice, teachers who encourage, and neighbors who show up again and again. This victory belongs to the entire Anthony Wayne community. It reflects the strength of our schools, the spirit of our families, and the promise of our young people. Our champions have inspired us and reminded us what teamwork, perseverance, and hometown pride can achieve. I congratulate them, and Go Generals.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as people everywhere celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I rise to honor the life and legacy of John J. Carney, an Irish- American son of northern Ohio. His vision, heart, and integrity helped shape the future of his beloved Cleveland. John was a devoted family man and a real estate developer, but really he was so much more. He was a father for his community. He was a builder, a steward of civic renewal, and a tireless champion for the city he loved so deeply. Through his decades of service from the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to Playhouse Square and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, John believed in Cleveland's promise and gave his life to helping it rise. He brought people together with warmth, humility, and that ever- present Irish sparkle in his eye. Whether hiking in the Alps, collecting rare books, or laughing with his grandchildren, John reminded us all to live fully and give generously. Ohio is stronger, more vibrant, and more hopeful because John Carney walked among us. May his memory be a blessing, and may the Sun shine warmly upon his face.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate General Casimir Pulaski Day, which took place earlier this week. It honors his enduring legacy of service to our Nation when it was very young. He was a native son of Poland, and he became a hero in the American Revolution. General Pulaski brought to our shores an unshakeable love of liberty and military courage. On the battlefields of our Revolution, Pulaski's strategic brilliance and bravery helped forge what would become the American cavalry. He shed his blood for a nation not yet his own, proving that the cause of liberty knows no borders. We are proud to honor the deep bonds between the United States and Poland. It is an alliance rooted in shared sacrifice and shared democratic values. My fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Poland Caucus and other Members of this Chamber have introduced a resolution honoring 250 years of Polish-America relations. May Pulaski's timeless example continue to inspire us to defend freedom wherever it is threatened and to remain steadfast partners in its cause. Onward together for your freedom and ours.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, too many Americans cannot afford their health insurance. Medical facilities are facing serious cutbacks and staff shortages. Housing is unaffordable for millions of our people, and the cost of living is getting out of hand. Instead of addressing any one of these critical issues here at home, this weekend, the Trump-Vance administration singularly launched a regime-change war on Iran. Significant U.S. military forces and hundreds of millions of dollars are being deployed without congressional authorization. As a cosponsor of the Iran War Powers Resolution, I know that no such vote was called in either Chamber of Congress prior to this profound and unprecedented military action. As Americans from coast to coast honor the sacrifice of the six brave servicemembers who already lost their lives in this war, our people have a right to hear debate before more U.S. troops and military assets are sent abroad. Billions and billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars are being expended in this war which could last for weeks or months or years. The economic impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is already being felt. Yesterday, the price of gasoline was bobbing up and down, up and down. The American people deserve affordability, not more foreign wars.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and include in the Record a portion of President Harry S. Truman's Address in St. Paul at the Municipal Auditorium on October 13, 1948. While this speech is over 50 years old, the sentiments still remain today, as highlighted by the President's recent State of the Union. Millions have lost access to much needed food assistance, while prices at the grocery store continue to rise. Daycare centers and rural hospitals are closing. Ill- considered tariffs have cost every hardworking family more than $1,750 and caused untold inflation which is making everyday life unaffordable. We cannot pretend all is well when many of our fellow citizens know it simply is not. I hope that my colleagues across the aisle will join me in this pursuit, because all the people we represent surely need it. Well, I have been studying the Republican Party for over 12 years at close hand in the Capital of the United States. And by this time, I have discovered where the Republicans stand on most of the major issues. Since they won't tell you themselves, I am going to tell you. They approve of the American farmer--but they are willing to help him go broke. They stand four-square for the American home--but not for housing. They are strong for labor--but they are stronger for restricting labor's rights. They favor a minimum wage--the smaller the minimum the better. They indorse educational opportunity for all--but they won't spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine--for people who can afford them. They approve of social security benefits--so much so that they took them away from almost a million people. They believe in international trade--so much so that they crippled our reciprocal trade program, and killed our International Wheat Agreement. They favor the admission of displaced persons--but only within shameful racial and religious limitations. They consider electric power a great blessing--but only when the private power companies get their rake-off. They say TVA is wonderful--but we ought never to try it again. They condemn ``cruelly high prices''--but fight to the death every effort to bring them down. They think the American standard of living is a fine thing--so long as it doesn't spread to all the people. And they admire the Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and every day on behalf of the people of northwestern Ohio: farmers, factory workers, small business owners, nurses, veterans, and retirees. They carry the heavy burden of President Trump's reckless trade war. Tariffs hit our region harder than almost anywhere in our country. Why? We make and grow America. Our soybean growers saw foreign markets slam shut and prices tumble, all because the President acted carelessly. Many are still waiting to be made whole as export markets vanish. Our manufacturers, from steel processors to auto suppliers, are writing off huge losses, paying more on parts for materials, squeezing margins, and laying off workers. Small retailers, restaurants, and childcare centers face higher costs they cannot absorb. Every family pays more at the checkout counter, and tariffs and reckless trade wars raise prices. The Supreme Court affirmed that our Constitution still matters and President Trump overstepped his authority. These policies must be thoughtful, and Americans deserve stable markets and leadership that fights for our producers and workers.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank Congressman Casten for his great leadership and also Congressman Mike Levin for drawing us together here today. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as I do every day, on behalf of the people of the region I represent, but also for people across our country. Americans are facing the high cost of energy, and it is becoming unaffordable, but it is not their fault. At the same time, many Federal incentives to help lower energy costs and to create the new energy systems for the future have been rolled back by the current administration. Actually, I am somewhat surprised that that happened. America's grid is old. I hope President Trump hears this. It is under greater strain. Our country actually set new records twice this past July for peak electricity demand. It is getting hotter in many parts of the country during the summer months, and for those of us who live up north, let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, it is getting colder. The old grid system is being tested like never before by hotter weather and cooler weather, cold weather, and frigid weather, and higher usage. When the grid strains, costs rise. Every household, I would venture, in our country, is feeling the pinch. For us in the upper Midwest, it isn't a 9 percent increase. Our energy bills have doubled. In Ohio, rapid demand growth from Big Tech data centers are also pushing up energy costs before the public, the people who live in these areas, can even catch the wind that they can actually try to figure out and have meetings and say: Hey, wait a minute, what can we do about this? That is because their prices are doubling across our State and region. Families notice the increase. One constituent even told me that her family's bill increased from $230 a month to $494 in July. That is a huge increase. This increased cost spiral in energy is simply not sustainable. The majority party and the Department of Energy, meanwhile, under the current administration, are rolling back energy investments in America's future to help lower costs. I represent the most important domestic solar manufacturer, First Solar. I don't take money from them, and I don't own their stock. What they have done for America, 10 percent of our energy production in this country is now renewable and energy savings. We are smarter. We are smarter than we were 50 years ago. Our Nation must invest faster in modern infrastructure with an all-of-the-above energy strategy to truly become energy independent in perpetuity. I see many younger people in the gallery. For those of them who are a little bit techie and they care about the future of our country, they can help us become energy independent within our own shores and do so in a way that doesn't damage the environment. Just this last year, there were 354 clean energy projects or companies that the new administration canceled--new projects--delaying new investments. We have seen layoffs of workers across the country because these projects lost Federal funding. In my district, one of the lodestar companies that I represent is called Libbey Glass. Toledo, Ohio, is the glass center of the world. The administration took away over $40 million that was going to help them. This is legislation Congress passed, and the administration signed the bill. It was vetted by the agencies and so forth. It helped them save energy so that they could compete with glass against China, France, and Mexico, where workers are paid less and product is dumped on the global markets. When we don't invest in companies and the jobs they create for the American people, then we shoot ourselves in the foot. There is no question that over 173,000 clean energy jobs actually have been eliminated between President Trump's election and swearing-in and February of this year. Think about that, Mr. Speaker. That was building the future for our country. The ten top States that have lost the most jobs from this misguided assault on clean energy are the following: Texas, Massachusetts, Arizona, New Jersey, Michigan, New York, South Carolina, Illinois, North Carolina, and my home State of Ohio. It is interesting to me that three of the Members who are on the floor now are from Illinois, Mr. Casten; Mr. Levin from California; and myself from Ohio. We understand what these budget cuts mean. While at the national level, the rise in energy rates is affecting people in every single State in our Union. For my own district, the prices have doubled. Every family in the country knows what is happening. It is time for the executive branch to wake up. Meanwhile, China isn't asleep. It is investing in record levels in terms of energy development making its products more competitive worldwide. President Trump said that he was going to fix this, and he has done completely the opposite. He did hint last night about something dealing with new energy investments and these AI terminals in centers that are being built across the country. I hope he follows through. The American people certainly deserve better, and we need to stand up for affordability, not abdication. That sends our country backward. I thank, Mr. Speaker, Congressman Casten and Congressman Levin and others who have spoken today this afternoon in order to stand up for the American people and help them manage their budgets, and energy is such a central account in every single family's budget. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this and for giving us a roadmap to lower America's energy bills.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about Ohio's own Laila Edwards. Laila is a native of Cleveland Heights and currently represents the United States in the Winter Olympics, my favorite. Laila became the first Black woman to play for the United States in the Olympic women's ice hockey at this year's Milano Cortina Games. At 22, she didn't just make the roster, she contributed, recording her first Olympic point in a 5-1 win over Czechia. We have been saying it for years. Ohioans are awesome, and Laila truly proves it. She grew up skating on our lakes and ponds, working hard and believing in herself. She kept going even when she was the only girl on the ice, even when few people who looked like her had been given that chance. During Black History Month, her story reminds us that progress doesn't happen by accident. It happens because purposeful people show up, work hard, and refuse to be told they don't belong. I congratulate Laila Edwards. Laila has made northwest Ohio and all of Ohio extremely proud. I am proud of our country. Go Laila. Go team U.S.A.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I was privileged to join colleagues from both sides of the aisle this week in the House vote that was overwhelming in bipartisan fashion to end the damaging Trump tariff regime on Canada. The Senate had already taken the same action three times before the House measure was even brought up. Canada is our neighbor, our ally, and our friend. They have fought at our side in every war for nearly two centuries. Our Great Lakes region and its economy is the third largest in the world. It is like no other with its industrial and agricultural bounty, blessed for generations by the largest body of freshwater on Earth. Ours is the longest U.S. coastline with numerous ports, energy resources, cultural endowments, and unrivaled natural beauty. The American and Canadian economies are totally intertwined. Robust supply chains on both sides of our northern border make, grow, and transport everything from autos to lumber to soil to energy to food and even to hockey teams. This damaging trade war with Canada has caused prices to rise, led to more job losses, disrupted trade, and caused tourism to drop 31 percent. These are no victories. Mr. Speaker, I just wish to say that I voted to end this upside-down trade mess today. Let's strengthen our economy and make life affordable again.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Social Security. It is a sacred trust and a solemn promise to generations of America's workers. It is a promise that includes a retirement benefit that is earned. It is a disability benefit in the event of injury. It is also a survivorship benefit, an insurance benefit for families if the earner becomes ill or is fatally hurt and dies. This belongs to all Americans who work. Workers pay into this earned benefit system, and they do it through their FICA taxes. It comes out of a check every month. Social Security is earned. Yet, President Trump and his administration, especially the DOGE boys--I bet you nobody in this Chamber even knows their names--have worked to weaken this 90-year-old security benefit. The Trump administration and their approach threatens the Social Security Administration's ability to operate. They have already cut over 7,000 jobs of employees who administer this program to millions of Americans from coast to coast. In my district alone, there was an 11 percent decrease in Social Security field office workers. That means appointments are delayed, and questions can't be answered for months. Sometimes the phone isn't answered through no fault of their own. I want to say to every single public employee who works in a Social Security office across this country that they are patriots. We thank them for the work they do. We salute them. We salute them for their patriotism. Meanwhile, the Social Security Administration says they are not closing any offices; but the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, is attempting to weaken and dismantle a system which has stood tall for almost a century, created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. More than 11,000 Americans turn 65 each day. Many will graduate to access benefits and, ultimately, Medicare for their own health. Congress must ensure that our citizens have a guaranteed safe and secure retirement. They worked for it. DOGE not only threatens Social Security by removing vital staff across our country but by mistreating and exposing beneficiaries' private and personal information. In my entire lifetime, I have never seen strangers go into the U.S. Treasury Department and peek at other people's private beneficiary records. This is un-American. We can't even name the names of those who did this. The private information of the American people should not be fed into AI software somewhere or made open for the entire internet, which is full of hackers to access. We must protect the assets of our people and those who trust this program. Social Security information has always been private until now. Social Security is often the only resource that keeps our seniors out of poverty. For more than 7 million Americans over the age of 65, at least 90 percent of their income comes from Social Security, which they earned. Of those 7 million, almost half would not be able to afford essentials such as food, housing, and clothing without Social Security benefits. Now due to tariffs and inflation caused by Trump, those costs continue to go up, up, and up for everybody including seniors. It is hardest on them. Every county in Ohio has at least 20 percent of its population receiving some form of Social Security benefits, and this means Social Security plays a huge role economically in northwestern Ohio's economy. Standing up for our region and our seniors is one of my highest priorities in Congress, and that is why last year, when Social Security celebrated its 90th birthday, I introduced a resolution to demonstrate continued support from Congress for this program. It must be strengthened to support Americans and the next generation throughout their retirement for decades to come. Raising the retirement age would reduce benefits for millions of Americans, placing an unnecessary burden on seniors and those who are close to retirement. I promise to oppose any changes to the retirement age for these vital, national retirement, disability, and insurance programs. If seniors choose to keep working after age 60 or age 65, that is okay, but they will be taxed on their income. That is only fair, but that FICA tax will go into Social Security. I thank all of our colleagues who joined in supporting my resolution and urge others to consider supporting this resolution, which demonstrates the House of Representatives' dedication to protecting retirement security by not raising the retirement age. I support strengthening Social Security, not cutting and gutting it. Mr. Speaker, I end with Social Security is a sacred trust from one generation to the next, and we intend to keep it. God bless every senior in this country and those who will access that important age of 65-66 very soon.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, let me celebrate a hometown institution that keeps northwest Ohio moving: the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority proudly marking 55 years of service, half a century plus 5. Voters approved creation of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority on January 19, 1971, to connect opportunity and dignity for neighbors who depend on reliable transportation. TARTA has linked workers to jobs, seniors to medical care, students to education, families to first ball games, family and class reunions, and everyday life. TARTA truly moves people where they need to go affordably. TARTA has led with innovation, launching paratransit service, on- demand microtransit, Ohio's only Certified Autism Center designation, and deploying electric vehicles. New Federal investments enabled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allow TARTA to modernize its fleet, add zero-emission buses and charging infrastructure, strengthen safety, training, and create good- paying, local jobs. This year, we honor the drivers, mechanics, planners, and riders who make the system thrive. May the next generation yield more affordable, safer, accessible, and better connected transportation for northwest Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I salute TARTA at 55.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heart full of joy to celebrate a story that reminds us why sports, family, and community matter. At the University of Toledo, sophomore Rocket Miriam Diala was greeted after a hard-fought win by her mother, Francisca. Her mom had traveled 4,300 miles from Germany to see her daughter play women's college basketball at UT in person for the very first time. Francisca often stays up past midnight to watch Miriam's games on TV because of the 6-hour time difference. We can just imagine the embrace in the stands, the tears, the joy, and the gratitude. Miriam's performance showed talent, discipline, and resilience, but the real victory was love made visible. This community wrapped an international student in a sense of belonging, friendship, and a second family. That is the spirit of Toledo. That is the promise of America. Mr. Speaker, I thank Francisca for her sacrifice to Miriam and for inspiring us. To the Rocket family, keep lifting one another higher.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise with an urgent plea for small, family-owned farms, especially across the American heartland and communities I represent. Seven of the eight counties I represent in northwest Ohio are predominantly rural and home to hardworking farmers who produce the nutritious food that feeds and fuels our Nation. They deserve our unwavering support because what America makes and grows makes and grows America. Yet their work has never been harder. Over the past year, they have endured setback after setback--including during the driest spells we have witnessed in more than a decade--due to tariffs, losing markets all across the world, and we think permanently. The severity of this physical, as well as tariff, drought runs straight through our district. Our farmers need certainty. We need to pass a farm bill. We don't need recklessly imposed tariffs that break their backs due to lost export markets and then paying Argentina $40 billion for their beef when our cattlemen are going out of business. Something's wrong here. Farmers are hurting. They need leadership that invests in their success, Mr. Speaker. Don't cut their rural water infrastructure or weaken the science that our farmers depend upon.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, please allow me to begin by applauding President Zelenskyy of Ukraine on his exceptional and historic remarks in Davos, Switzerland, earlier today. I heard an astoundingly unapologetic plea by a new world leader whose remarks resounded across our globe as he championed the cause of liberty in our modern era. Despite his own nation being bordered by tyranny, on almost all sides, rooted in Russia and all of its repressed client states, he raised his valiant voice strong and clear before the free world's leaders. They all know that today's spider web of tyranny is spinning and stretching its ugly net from Russia to Brazil, India, North Korea, and South Africa, seeking a global necklace of repression and domination. Yet, at Davos today stood the unvanquished, courageous leader of the poorest and most embattled nation in Europe. On behalf of his valorous people, he delivered his eloquent plea. Bravo, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. You singlehandedly challenged the scions of the global order. Your firm supplication and urgent request for liberty were extraordinary, rising far above global niceties. You delivered the raw choice, as our own Nation's Founders did: Liberty or tyranny? Your clear invitation for these leaders to choose forward hangs in the balance, and your plea is historic, passionate, soulful, inspiring not just world leaders but people everywhere as they weigh recalibrating the dial for liberty. It is your voice that history will remember, rising to energize our world forward from inside the grim, fierce cauldron of struggle that is Ukraine. For any freedom lover to miss your message would be a tragedy, for if your words, coupled with the ongoing martyrdom of your people, do not give rise to crescendos of applause and recommitment, then will liberty cede its worth to dictators, charlatans, plunderers, and fools? Your call is to bold leadership from a new generation of freedom lovers. Let us all rise to answer that call. Freedom means never surrender. Bravo, Ukraine. Bravo, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. You inspired freedom lovers across our globe. JD Vance Visits Toledo

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, on another front, today, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Toledo, Ohio. He came to talk about the Trump administration's so-called record to bring jobs and help grow manufacturing in our region. This came as quite a surprise to me. Indeed, his words were empty because his administration's reckless tariffs and disastrous trade wars have increased manufacturing job losses not just in our region of Ohio but across our Nation. The Wall Street Journal documents that, over the last year, manufacturing unemployment has risen in our country by 68,000 more unemployed workers. You can't Make America Great Again unless you restore American manufacturing on our home soil. The Trump administration's reckless tariffs and disastrous trade wars are straining the pocketbooks of our workers, farmers, and consumers. Prices keep rising for everything--food, housing, utility bills, lumber, and cars. This is true across the entirety of our northwest Ohio region, in both urban and rural communities. Vice President Vance says he is now interested in lowering drug prices, but his party consistently voted against those efforts, which were championed under a prior Democratic administration. I know because I voted to help cap insulin costs at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare. I voted for prescription drug negotiations that are saving seniors thousands of dollars as we speak here tonight. Unsurprisingly, the Vice President avoided discussing the awful, unwise decisions by his administration to rip away almost $150 million from the city that he was in by taking away $45 million from the Libbey Glass Company to purchase two new glass furnaces that were to compete against Chinese, Mexican, and French producers. We are known as The Glass City. He took it away. He didn't bring us anything; he took it away. The money evaporated. Even though Congress had passed it--it had all been vetted and everything--they took it away. That hurts a manufacturing company which is a lodestar company in our community. Then, his administration canceled--are you ready for this?--$57 million more for another manufacturing company, Owens-Illinois, which competes globally. Then, if that wasn't enough, they canceled over $16 million for our local Kraft Heinz facility in the agricultural sector to compete against foreign products. Another $28.5 million was taken away from our region via rescissions over the summer for major repair work in the heart of our city on Front and Main Street, on the side of the river that he traveled to. The streets he rode over should have been repaved, but they took away the money. He didn't mention them because he helped cancel them. That is over $146 million that would have helped to invest in new possibilities to modernize our entire region. Those investments were critical to American manufacturing, with new-age furnaces and technology, not only to compete with foreign glass producers but also to help reduce emissions here at home for the people who work in those plants and to make work safer for our workers. How would you like to sit in front of a 98-degree furnace all day long? Now, the administration has announced plans to eliminate $14.6 million in Ohio from the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which has launched dozens of small and midsized regional food businesses driven by the creativity of our people. The U.S. Department of Commerce used to care about those businesses, the small, creative new launches, like Willy's Fresh Salsa, which just got into Winn-Dixie. That was invented by a gentleman who came from Toledo. There is also Gertie's Premium BBQ Sauce. That is a product on our shelves created through that program to create wealth, opportunities, and jobs. So many more, dozens and dozens of these companies, have been created, and jobs. Why destroy something that is working? Can somebody tell me how else do we sprout and grow our local economies? I thought when the Vice President said he was coming to Toledo, he might help announce the $20 million in Department of Transportation RAISE funds, which had been awarded to improve connectivity in Toledo's heart, in our Junction neighborhood, in the downtown, in the heart of our city on both sides of our Grand Maumee River, but that announcement never came. If this administration really wants to help Toledo, they better stop driving backward. Mr. Vice President, can you please bring our check which the administration owes us? All of these awards were passed by Congress, authorized, appropriated, and signed into law. Our community should never be shortchanged. Our taxpayers send their dollars here. They have a right to get them back. Our people work too hard for a living. We need to respect them, and we need to build our communities forward, not backward. Year-round E-15

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I now turn to a very important issue that arose today because of something that happened with Speaker Johnson. America's farmers are hurting. They need every bit of help Congress can deliver. So do truckers and working families paying more for groceries and at the pump just to haul goods, get to work, and move around their communities. Prices are going up, not just in America's heartland, but across our great country. Republican leadership today had a chance to authorize year-round E15, a commonsense blend of ethanol and gasoline, but guess what. They walked away from it again. Instead, and I can tell you this for the farmers I represent, half their income comes from raising grains that go into fuels. Without that market, they wouldn't exist. This is serious business for agricultural America, and instead, Speaker Johnson has set up another delay, a council set to report back within another month on next steps. Next steps on what? We want to make E15 year-round. That is not too complicated. That may sound like progress with another task force, but we don't really need it. Farmers want E15 year-round. They can't keep punting our farmers up field. The time to act is now. The solution is within their hands. Why did they delay? Let's hope this process the Speaker has now set up for another month or 6 weeks is not just another fig leaf for more delay. Year-round E15 sales protect our small refineries, too. Can Congress achieve this so-called compromise? Ohio farmers and refiners are already hurting. Let's stand up for biofuels and for our farmers. Surely, the hardworking farmers across all of the counties I represent would benefit. What America makes and grows, makes and grows America. Let me just say to the Speaker, ``please, shake a leg.'' Honoring Steven D. Fought

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I will move on now to remember someone that was an extraordinary American. It is my great privilege, Mr. Speaker, to offer deepest gratitude on behalf of Ohioans and Americans as we recognize the life of an honored and indefatigable public servant in the truest sense. Steven D. Fought was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, on June 2, 1954, and passed recently at 71 years young. He passed from this life after a truly valiant final fight, on January 10, 2026, in Nebo, North Carolina, surrounded by his beloved family. Steve was a precious and trusted friend, a brilliant adviser and public servant, incorruptible, compassionate, acerbic, and funny all at the same time, with a twinkle in his eye, you can just see it, and hearty laugh to tie it all up with a bow. One colleague described him as the most intelligent, frustrating, hardest working, disorganized, nicest person they ever had the pleasure and honor to work with. Steve Fought truly loved his country and the democratic process. He was always both an ardent participant and learned scholar of democracy. He floated in books. Steve was a lifelong student, earning degrees in literature, history, business administration, and law. He never stopped learning. He loved baseball. Do not get in his way when there is a baseball around and basketball, as well. He was at one time the ``beloved Little League coach of Celina, Ohio.'' He was always reading, always learning. He could call up any fact. He conversed with the depth of knowledge which at times was actually astounding. Steve Fought began his professional career as a newspaper reporter. He paid attention to details, and he followed that pursuit with decades in public service, first with the State of Ohio and then with the United States Congress. He served under then-Secretary of State Sherrod Brown in Columbus, our capital, and would later serve in his office for a decade here in this House. It was during that time that alongside myself, Sherrod, and others that Steve helped lead the consequential fight against NAFTA on this very floor, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was anything but free to America's workers and farmers. We all knew the harm it would do to the region we call home. It was a worthy and passionate fight then. We were proven to be right many times over since when we go to the hollowed out cities and towns of our country. I just feel so honored that he was a part of that great struggle for America's people. Following his service with Sherrod Brown, Steve would join our office where he became a trusted adviser, serving as our legislative director for 5 years and then transitioning to communications director for nearly a decade. Even in retirement, he continued in public service at the local level for the city of Toledo. He even ran for Congress in a long-shot bid to succeed the retiring Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner. Though he came up short, Steve believed that everyone deserved a choice and that no one should receive a rubber-stamped, gerrymandered seat in Congress without having to work for it. He always fought the good fight. His favorite music was Aaron Copland's ``Fanfare for the Common Man.'' Steve loved this land and worked to preserve its future. This was embodied in legislation he drafted to add an international designation to the Detroit River and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuges, which border our dear neighbor to the north, Canada. He was an avid proponent for countless species and preserving unspoiled lands. Steve helped us to cement our region as the home of the biggest week in American birding, which today attracts birders from around the globe. To the last, he was an active participant in the American experiment. He wrote Op-Eds and organized, kept reading and studying, even through his final, difficult illnesses. Steve Fought's life is beautifully summed up by his nephew: ``Steve was many things to many people and had a knack for somehow being everywhere all at once. In addition to being a public servant, he was a deep thinker and conversationalist, a world traveler who visited 41 different countries, a voracious reader and eternal student, a big- hearted hellion, an old hippie who loved rock and roll and bluegrass music, a Zags basketball fanatic, and a passionate champion for underdogs everywhere. But most of all, until the very end, Steve was an outspoken believer in the decency and value of common people, the collective public good, and the principles of democracy, diversity, and equality. He was loved deeply by his family, his friends, his associates from work, and will be severely missed.'' Our Nation expresses deepest gratitude for the selfless service of Steve Fought, his true friendship, his humanity, and his abiding and honorable service. We celebrate the difference he made with a lifetime of intention and of active citizenship for this beautiful land and our people. Those who know him can rest assured they will never ever meet his likes again. May God protect him, bring him peace, and allow his spirit to soar with the eagles. Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to enter this into the Record. Honoring Robert ``Rex'' Baumgartner