Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to shine a light on the critical need for equitable, direct, and flexible locality assistance in upcoming COVID relief legislation in the face of the dire COVID-19 economic and public health crisis. Locality revenues have fallen precipitously, forcing communities to make overwhelmingly difficult decisions, including to furlough emergency first responders who are needed now more than ever. Due to Republican provisions that diverted CARES Act locality assistance largely to state capitals, hardworking communities under 500,000 across the nation and Northern Ohio were severely shortchanged. These provisions largely favored financial power and capital centers leaving Main Street communities behind. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Welcome to the Trump Swamp. I include in the Record an OPED I wrote to shine a light on these concerning provisions. In response, the Democratic House took action and passed the HEROES Act to provide direct assistance to every locality. Every municipality would receive assistance for two fiscal years based on a modified CDBG formula, and all counties would receive a population-based allocation. While this critical legislation passed the House of Representatives in May, it continues to languish in the Senate still awaiting action. I call on our Republican colleagues in the Senate and the Trump Administration to take action now. Too much is at stake for more handwringing. The CARES Coronavirus Relief Fund--A Robin Hood Plan for the Rich (By Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur) In this important Presidential election year, let me define a key difference between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats fight for all people. Republicans don't. That is why Democrats created Social Security and Medicare for every American. That is why Democrats are fighting to pass the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) to help all people in communities impacted by the COVID-19 recession. Republicans are not. Every American can gauge the fairness or unfairness of the Republican-drafted CARES Act (H.R. 748) vs. the Democratic- drafted HEROES bill by their return of your tax dollars to help your community. Despite the proportionally higher COVID-19 infection rates in the time of greatest human need, the majority of northern Ohio communities I represent like Cleveland, Lorain, Sandusky, and Toledo got nothing that can be described as fair or proportionate from the CARES Act. How can this be as Donald Trump kicked off his 2020 campaign in northern Ohio in Toledo on January 9, 2020? He made countless promises to help the City and its people. He promised his audience steel jobs were back at nearby Lorain mills, which was an outright falsehood. Let's do a bit of simple math. If $150 billion of the CARES State/Local Coronavirus Relief Fund were divided equally per capita based on U.S. population in each jurisdiction, every community in our nation would be receiving close to $454.50 per person times the population of that community. In a fair allocation formula, that amount of funding would be multiplied by the population of the jurisdiction (based on the most recent Census data) to obtain a fair share of federal CARES support to your community. If your community, for example, has a population of 100 people, your community would get back $45,450 to help preserve your emergency coverage or pay your community's part time doctor. In Lorain, with a population of 64,000, this would equal $29 million. Instead, Lorain gets $0. In Cleveland, with a population of 384,000, this would equal $174 million. Instead Cleveland gets $0. Mind you, our communities were not the only ones completely shortchanged. In Flint, Michigan with a population of 96,000, a fair allocation would return $44 million. Instead, Flint gets $0. In Pittsburgh, PA with a population of 301,048, a fair return would be $137 million. Instead, Pittsburgh gets $0. Gary, IN with a population of 75,000, should have received $34 million. Instead, Gary gets $0. Duluth, MN has a population of 86,000, and should have received $39 million. Instead, Duluth gets $0. Des Moines, IA has a population of 217,000, and should have received $99 million. Instead, it gets $0. Little Rock, AR, with a population of 198,000, should have received $90 million. Instead, it gets $0. Jackson, MS has a population of 164,422. Its fair share would have been $75 million, yet it got $0. The list of losers across the Heartland and South is long: Peoria, St. Louis, Kenosha, Charleston, Des Moines, New Orleans, Selma, Birmingham, St. Paul, Grand Rapids, Nashville, and many others. Senate Republicans drafted a Robin Hood bill for the rich. Their numbers-juggling took from struggling communities and transferred funds to the richest. The Trump formula tilts heavily against Main Street America. It diverts critical funds to financial power and capital city centers, and essentially metropolises with over 500,000 persons. For example, New York City received $1.45 billion, San Francisco $154 million, and Chicago $469 million. Based on an equitable, per capita distribution of CARES Coronavirus Relief Funds, each Congressional District should have received close to $345 million. Instead, while districts with the highest median income were taken care of, those with the lowest median incomes clearly lost out. In fact, the urban district I represent ranks 403 out of 435 congressional districts in median income per household, and received nothing that could be considered fair. Of the top 30 wealthiest Congressional Districts, all but two received a handsome allocation. Yet, for the bottom 86 Districts, only 20 received something close to equitable. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Welcome to the Trump swamp. Further, due to provisions included in the CARES Act by Republican Senators and the White House, over $87.5 billion in CARES funding is slated directly to a majority of Republican controlled State capitals to distribute. To be exact, 59% of all State legislatures controlled by Republicans will redistribute your tax dollars. As a result, state governments will determine through a lopsided political process, which communities do and don't receive federal relief dollars. For example, a recent Ohio Senate Bill (S.B. 310) proposes to distribute only 7.7% of its $4.533 billion federal allocation to localities, which translates to $29.90 per capita vs. a fair allocation of $454.50 per capita from the CARES Act. At a time of such national stress, how repugnant is this Republican unequal distribution. In effect, communities across Northern Ohio are being shortchanged and losing millions of dollars: Cleveland (-$163 million), Toledo (-$117 million), Lorain (-$27 million), Lakewood (-$22 million), and Parma (-$33.4 million).

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, in the engrossment of H.R. 7608, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, spelling, and cross-references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to accurately reflect the actions of the House.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I applaud Chairwoman Lowey in her resolve to accomplish Congress' top Constitutional priority assuring the operation of the government of the United States and in record speed this year, despite a global pandemic. Today's bold Appropriation minibus, which includes State and Foreign Operations, Agriculture and Rural Development, Interior and Environment, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, reflects historic investments to meet the needs of the American people and strengthen our national resolve during an unprecedented period in American history. Here are a handful of provisions that make this bill strong. The bill prioritizes U.S. national security interests, including at liberty's edge in Central and Eastern Europe. It takes valuable steps to combat Russian aggression, it demonstrates our unwavering support for liberty in Ukraine, funds diplomatic exchanges between the U.S. and Poland, and protects Radio Free Europe's longstanding editorial independence. Then with acute food insecurity exposed in the pandemic, this bill advances sustainable agriculture in this era of climate change. It provides much needed support to hungry Americans, while giving rebirth to an idea cultivated by the Greatest Generation, Victory Gardens so every American family can reconnect with the power of earth to sustain life. As a lifelong resident of Toledo, Ohio, the distress from which our beloved Lake Erie and all our Great Lakes have struggled as a result of harmful algal blooms and invasive species like Grass Carp is a daily concern. For the last decade, we've lived with putrid green algae floating atop Lake Erie's Western Basin and tributaries, causing environmental, economic, and public health crises in the process. That's why I've fought to increase federal funding for projects like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which will receive $335 million in this bill and other fresh water sources. This bill says thank you to America's veterans, from general healthcare and mental health services, to suicide prevention and homeless assistance. This legislation makes historic investments to improve the delivery of care, with extra focus on women veterans. It also, underscores the importance of the VA's workforce and makes recruitment and retention a top priority. These examples are but a few of the worthy causes included in this effort that make America even greater. Mr. Speaker, this legislative package demonstrates the good a unified Congress can achieve when we work together, even during a pandemic where much of our work has been carried out remotely. I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey for her remarkable leadership throughout this process, as well as each of the subcommittee chairs for their dutiful work getting this legislation across the finish line. I urge strong bipartisan support. Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on provisions of H.R. 7608. Someday, future generations of Americans will look back on us and wonder how and why a society that prided itself on its commitment to human rights, precluded virtually all protection to the weakest and most vulnerable--unborn children. I believe they will demand to know why dismembering a child with razor-sharp knives, pulverizing an infant with powerful suction devices, or chemically poisoning a baby with any number of toxic ``medications'', failed to elicit empathy for victim-babies. The bill before us today, Mr. Speaker, reverses several modest but important pro-life polices including the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy--which is a reiteration and expansion of President Ronald Reagan's Mexico City Policy. Announced by Reagan at the United Nations Conference on Population Control in Mexico City in 1984--hence its name--the policy was and is designed to ensure that U.S. taxpayer money is not funneled to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning. I would note parenthetically, that over the years, I've sponsored many amendments on this floor to protect the Mexico City Policy, beginning in 1985. The policy restored by President Trump, now called the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy, established pro-child safeguards--benign, humane conditions--on about $8.8 billion in annual global health assistance. For years--under Presidents Clinton and Obama--foreign non- governmental organizations (NGOs) had been empowered by U.S. taxpayer grant money--to weaken, undermine, or reverse prolife laws in other nations and to destroy the precious lives of unborn children. Many countries throughout the world have been besieged by aggressive and well-funded campaigns to overturn their pro-life laws and policies. The Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Policy mitigates U.S. taxpayer complicity in global abortion. U.S. foreign policy--and the foreign entities we fund with billions of dollars in grant money--should consistently affirm, care for, and tangibly assist women and children--including unborn baby girls and boys. Mr. Speaker, I am the prime author of several humanitarian and human rights laws including the historic Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the $30 billion five year reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), End Neglected Tropical Diseases, the Autism CARES Act, the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act, and much more. I am the prime author of the Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act and a second microenterprise law to help the poor, especially women, escape poverty through microenterprise grants, credit assistance, business development training--and self-sufficiency. I believe we must increase access to maternal and prenatal care and ensure access to safe blood and better nutrition for all women- especially those living in poverty. We must also expand essential obstetrical services, including skilled birth attendants, while improving transportation to emergency care facilities to significantly reduce maternal mortality and morbidity-- including from obstetric fistula. I wrote a bill--the Foreign Relations Act of 2006-7--that passed the House. I included a life-saving provision to establish 12 fistula centers mostly in Africa. When the Senate failed to act on my comprehensive bill, I asked USAID's Kent Hill to initiate a fistula repair program by administrative action. He did. Approximately fifty-four thousand women have had a life-changing fistula surgical repair. Mr. Speaker, prioritizing programs that ensure adequate nutrition and supplementation for moms and children during the all-important first 1,000 days of life--from conception to the second birthday--are among the most transformative, life-enhancing commitments that can be made. I've chaired several hearings on the stunning impact of the first 1000 days and included the initiative in my bill that passed the House--the Global Food Security Act. Expanding all these initiatives make women and children healthier, stronger, and more resilient to disease and disability while reducing death and injury. No one is expendable or a throwaway. Mr. Speaker, birth is merely an event--albeit an important one--in the life of a child. Victim-babies and their mothers absolutely deserve respect, protection, and an abundance of compassion.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of further research, production, and use of PZP-22, native PZP, GonaCon, and other reversible fertility control to help reduce our country's untenable wild horse populations. Urgent action is needed to protect the wild horses and prevent further population increase. I support and thank my colleague Representative Steve Cohen and those who joined him in the Appropriations amendment which calls for $11,000,000 for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program budget. This funding would be used to implement a humane fertility treatment such as PZP, which is a reversible fertility control. This specific funding is a necessary and immediate measure that addresses the bipartisan call for humanely managing the wild horse population. In my district, the University of Toledo has led the way on research and production of PZP-22 for wild horse fertility control. BLM recently confirmed that PZP remains a necessary tool to control the wild herds. Unfortunately, BLM is not utilizing PZP or fertility controls to its fullest potential and is leaving research capabilities unutilized. BLM has a duty to continue the research, production, and use of proven contraception such as PZP-22, while also pursuing other efforts toward their goal of a vaccine that can be administered quickly and cost effectively. The Cohen Amendment draws critical attention to these measures. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the House and the Bureau of Land Management to find a humane and effective solution to reversible fertility control. Until then, we must persist with proven reversible fertility vaccines to quell the unsustainable wild horse population. I urge adoption of the Cohen Amendment.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Major Joseph Storti for his exemplary dedication to duty and service as an Army Congressional Fellow and Congressional Budget Liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller. Major Storti is transitioning from his present assignment to serve as the Director of the Army Budget's Executive Officer. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Major Storti was commissioned as an infantry officer after completion from the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning. He also earned a Master's degree in Legislative Affairs from the George Washington University, a Master of Business Administration from American Public University, as well as a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida. Major Storti has served in a broad range of assignments during his Army career. His most recent assignment was as the Chief for Special Authorities at the Joint Special Operations Command. In this position he provided guidance and support, with a full range of special authority funding. He also served as the commander of the Financial Management Support Unit while with the command. Prior to his duty with Joint Special Operations Command, Major Storti simultaneously served as the Executive Officer for the 82nd Financial Management Support Unit and as the Commander of Alpha Detachment, 82nd Financial Management Support Unit. As an Infantry Officer, Major Storti held myriad positions, which included: mechanized infantry platoon leader, company executive officer, brigade planner, and battalion assistant operations officer. In his capacity as an Army Congressional Fellow, I had the privilege to host Joe in my office and, subsequently, enjoyed his ongoing and diligent support during his assignment as a Congressional Budget Liaison for the U.S. Army. Major Storti worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and their staff to accurately articulate the Army's budget positions to the Appropriations Committees and track down information to assist offices pursue Army related priorities. His professionalism, energy, diligence, and commitment to the mission are refreshing and unmatched. As both a fellow and as a liaison, he effectively represented the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to the United States Congress. The foundation of Joe's military success is his family. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Brittany, and committed father to their children, Noah and Logan. Brittany, Noah, and Logan provide the foundation for Joe's service. The Storti's attitude of service, sacrifice, and care for others permeates every organization and activity in which they participate. They are true examples of servant leaders in the Army and the communities they engage. Throughout his career, Major Storti has positively impacted soldiers, peers, and superiors. Our country has benefited tremendously from his extraordinary leadership, judgment, and passion. I join my colleagues today in honoring his dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the United States Congress as an Army Congressional Liaison. Madam Speaker, it has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with Major Joseph Storti over the last three years. On behalf of a grateful nation, this body recognizes and commends Joe for his service to our country. We wish him all the best as he continues his service in the United States Army.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Laura Wang for her exemplary dedication to duty and service as a Congressional Budget Liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller). Lieutenant Colonel Wang is transitioning from her present assignment for her continued service in the U.S. Army. A native of Grosselle, Michigan, Lieutenant Colonel Wang was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps officer after her graduation from the University of Toledo, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy Management. She has also earned a Master's degree in Legislative Affairs from the George Washington University. Lieutenant Colonel Wang has served in a broad range of assignments during her Army career. She served in Germany from 2003 to 2007 with the 501st Combat Support Battalion as the Ambulance Platoon Leader, Medical Operations Officer, and Battalion Adjutant. She then transitioned to an assignment at Walter Reed from 2007 to 2011. During this assignment she was selected as the Alpha Company Commander for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Subsequently she transitioned to a comptroller, and the garrison resource manager at Walter Reed. Following this assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Wang was assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General for the United States Army, from 2011 to 2014. Here she was first assigned as a Resource Program Officer, and then worked in Congressional Relations. Upon completion of her duties, she transitioned to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Disease located at Fort Dietrich from 2016 to 2018 where she performed duties as a comptroller. Lieutenant Colonel Wang has deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Wang was assigned as a Congressional Budget Liaison for the U.S. Army's Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller, managing the Army's medical portfolio. Lieutenant Colonel Wang worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and their staffs to accurately articulate the Army's budget position to the Appropriations Committees. Her professionalism, diligence, and commitment to the mission are unmatched. Her work as a liaison very effectively represented the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to the United States Congress. The footing of Laura's military success is her family. She is a devoted wife to her husband, Stephen, and committed mother to her daughter Claire Yvonne. Stephen and Claire provide the foundation for Laura's service. The Wang's attitude of service, sacrifice, and care for others permeates every organization and activity in which they participate. They are true examples of servant leaders in the Army and the communities they engage. Throughout her career, Lieutenant Colonel Wang has positively impacted soldiers, peers, and superiors. Our country has benefited tremendously from her extraordinary leadership, judgment, and passion. I join my colleagues today in honoring her dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the United States Congress as an Army Congressional Liaison. Madam Speaker, it has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with Lieutenant Colonel Wang. On behalf of a grateful nation, this body recognizes and commends Laura for her service to our country. We wish her all the best as she continues her service in the United States Army.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act stands apart from previous years. Our military continues countless measures abroad to ensure our security here at home. This year, they are also called upon to battle the COVID pandemic at home. The chairman's bill aligns our national security interests with our National Defense Strategy. It enables forward movement on the future of disruptive innovation, challenging business as usual. Importantly, this bill creates a Pandemic Preparedness and Resilience National Security Fund. It directs $1 billion to proactively prepare for and respond to future pandemics. Additionally, it authorizes an Assistant Secretary to provide important guidance and support to undergird our defense industrial base to ensure a supply of materials critical to our national security and provide extra support to expand the small business industrial base. Further, it creates a more inclusive military. This range of talents will benefit our national security as much as weapons and ammunition. Our obligation as Congress is not to flinch in the face of crisis and pandemic. We must provide our military with the means to remain a vigilant and ready force able to defend against any threat to American values and our way of life. Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support for the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today. In my district and my hometown city of Toledo, Ohio, our community is putting to rest a young Toledo Police Officer killed in the line of duty in the early hours of July 4th. Officer Anthony Dia, 26 years old, was known throughout our community as a dedicated husband, father, son, valiant public servant, and revered member of the Muslim community. In the words of his wife, Jayme Dia, he worked every day of his life to provide for his family, including their two sons, Younes and Maytham. He lived and breathed family. In Officer Dia's final words, which he radioed to the department after being fatally wounded were: ``Tell my family I love them.'' Officer Dia's death serves as a telling reminder of the constant dangers law enforcement officers face every single day in service to our communities. Officer Dia died a hero--Toledo will never forget his service and the ultimate sacrifice he made for the safety and security of our city and our families. I join in spirit with our community in Toledo to pay respects at Officer Dia's memorial service today. My sincerest condolences and prayers are with Officer Dia's family, the Toledo Police Department, and the entire Toledo community during this in extraordinarily difficult time. Our hearts are broken. In his memory, today in Washington D.C., an American flag is being hoisted above the U.S. Capitol in his memory to be presented in lasting gratitude for his laying down of his life for those he was sworn to protect and serve. May the memory of Officer Anthony Dia live on in our hearts and in our community forever.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate the transformational life of Sister Pamela Marie Buganski. Hailing from Toledo, Ohio's Old Orchard neighborhood, Sister Pamela began her service to the Toledo community in 1975. For forty-five long years, she dedicated her life in service to her religious community, embracing the poor and needy in communities across Northern Ohio, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, and Texas. I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to her parents, Dr. Raymond and Ruth Buganski; her four sisters Cynthia, Lynn, Laura, and Joan; her five brothers Mark, Joseph, Robert, David, and Michael; and her numerous nieces and nephews. Most recently I had the honor of meeting Sister Pamela again during my visit to the U.S. Southern Border with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in January 2020. I was so impressed by her dedication to help those struggling to survive in the face of dire circumstances. She stood at the edge of freedom and hope for them. Many of those detained had traveled thousands of miles to the U.S. border to seek refuge only to find the passage blocked by the Trump Administration's immoral ``Remain in Mexico'' policy. What we saw were families fleeing violence forced to live in squalor in the outskirts of our country by a broken immigration system that has little regard for the human condition. She bore witness to the anguish, misery, illness, and desperation. Sister Pamela recognized that we are all truly God's children. She treated everyone who crossed her path with the love and respect endowed to them by our Creator. Sister Pamela was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1956 and her family eventually moved to Toledo, OH. There she attended St. Pius and Notre Dame Academy and eventually entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1975, professing her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in 1978. She pursued graduate studies at the University of Dayton and the University of Notre Dame. Recognizing the importance of investing in our nation's youth, she dedicated twelve years of her life teaching at junior high schools across Northwestern Ohio and then another ten years teaching math and computer science at St. Mary High School and Notre Dame Academy. Sister Pamela's deep devotion to her faith and service took her on three mission trips, one to Papua New Guinea and two to Guatemala. After studying Spanish, Sister Pamela's drive to support social justice initiatives and marginalized communities brought her to Texas. Here, she helped devastated communities after Hurricane Harvey and was accredited by CLINIC to advocate for those seeking refuge at the U.S.'s Southern border. Her sister Cynthia described her best as someone who ``was a genuine caregiver from the beginning . . . she could bring calm to chaos''. On behalf of so many grateful communities in Northern Ohio and across our hemisphere, I express deepest gratitude for the precious life of Sister Pamela. Let her life serve as an example to all during this especially challenging time. May her spirit and prophetic legacy inspire a humane path forward for all people who seek liberty.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Lipinski, the Rules Committee, and Chairman DeFazio for making my amendment to H.R. 2 in order under en bloc. Mr. Speaker, this amendment expresses the sense of Congress that Amtrak has taken a wrongheaded and shortsighted approach to limiting daily service on numerous long-distance routes. Amtrak's proposal to limit service on 13 of its long-distance routes will be devastating for the system as a whole and the communities it serves. After receiving over $1 billion from the CARES Act, Amtrak's plan to limit services of long-distance routes is unacceptable and may lead to a long-term, slash-and-burn strategy by the carrier. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency that shows just how critical Amtrak is to the economic future of our Nation. Cleveland, OH, June 29, 2020. Hon. Marcy Kaptur, House of Representatives Washington, D.C. Congresswoman Kaptur: I am writing as Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), the metropolitan planning organization for the five counties surrounding Cleveland that represents 2.1 million people and 166 cities, villages, and towns. NOACA is responsible for creating the federally mandated long range transportation vision for the region, and we are currently in the beginning phases of developing our next 30-year Long Range Plan: eNE02050--an Equitable Future for Northeast Ohio. As NOACA's Board of Directors considers the current and future transportation needs of our region, we make important decisions about how to best provide transportation options for all users in an equitable and environmentally sustainable manner. As stated in NOACA's Board-adopted vision statement, NOACA will strengthen regional cohesion, preserve existing infrastructure, and build a sustainable multimodal transportation system to support economic development and enhance quality of life in Northeast Ohio. In this context, I am writing to express support for your effort to sustain daily Amtrak service to Northeast Ohio, in order to give all residents equitable access to points east and west for education, business, and recreational opportunities. NOACA supports the notion of transportation choice, and Amtrak has long provided an essential option to residents seeking safe and affordable travel to other regions and states. As you know, NOACA is part of a public private partnership to develop Great Lakes Hyperloop, a next- generation hyperloop route that will carry passengers quickly and efficiently to Chicago and Pittsburgh, and beyond. NOACA has entered into an agreement with Hyperloop Transportation Technology (HTT) to make this project a reality in the future. But until that happens, it's important that Amtrak rail service continue on a daily basis, to help students get to college without a car, give business travelers an option other than flying, and give all residents access they deserve to destinations across the nation. Furthermore, reducing rail service at this time, while the nation is recovering from the COVID-19 economic crisis, would only serve to limit the region's ability to continue moving forward. Even a temporary reduction in service would be detrimental to economic recovery and continued job growth in the important Great Lakes region. In closing, thank you for your leadership on this issue, and I am pleased to add NOACA's support for your amendment to retain Amtrak daily service as part of Northeast Ohio's transportation network. Sincerely, Grace Gallucci, Executive Director.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Amtrak's proposal will stifle economic recovery and only add to the growing unemployment in communities that are served by these long-distance routes. Mr. Speaker, despite an infusion of CARES Act funding, these proposed routes guarantee a slimmer workforce that endangers the carrier's long- term health. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for en bloc amendment C and to support H.R. 2.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2, the INVEST in America Act. Through robust Federal recovery efforts, this legislation will create real jobs. It will empower communities across our country. America will rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, bring our transit and highway systems into the 21st century, and advance historic investments in clean energy technologies toward a modern power future. Additionally, H.R. 2 reauthorizes funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This invaluable program is central to the preservation of the Great Lakes freshwater economy. A Federal helping hand will authorize key investments in wastewater infrastructure, cleaning up algal blooms, and modernizing the weatherization program to confront the 21st century challenges of climate change. Crafted with the expert hand of my friend and colleague, Chairman DeFazio, with significant input from Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, this legislation will build America forward as a Nation. The eloquent words of Daniel Webster, enshrined on the walls of this House Chamber urge us to ``develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests, and see whether we also in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered.'' Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2 will be remembered.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Pollinator Week. Our pollinators are an invaluable asset to our food production, environment, and economy. Over 100 of our crops and $18 billion in crop production revenue rely on pollinators like the monarch butterfly, over 250 species of bumblebees, and hummingbirds. They help sustain life on Earth and we are obligated to protect them. As a country, we have taken necessary steps to rally around pollinators. In 2019, NIFA awarded $4 million in competitive grants for pollinator health related projects and the Appropriations Committee funded $400,000 for a designated pollinator research coordinator in the United States Department of Agriculture. It is reassuring to see united support from the USDA, Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency, each of which signed proclamations declaring this week National Pollinator Week. My district is the proud home of three cities designated as a ``Monarch City USA,'' including Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, and Sandusky, Ohio. These three cities have contributed to the protection of the monarch butterfly by planting milkweed and nectar plants, among other conservation efforts. This year the Trump Administration will decide whether the monarch butterfly should be added to the endangered species list as populations continue a harrowing multi-decade decline. I urge the Administration to use science and common sense when considering their decision. In honor of National Pollinator Week, please join me in celebrating the beauty and utility of one of nature's finest constructs, and renewing our promise to protect these keystone species: pollinators.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Chairwoman Waters' resolution disapproving of President Trump's efforts to gut the Community Reinvestment Act, and I salute her for her leadership to support the financially underserved communities across our Nation. The administration's immoral rule change would roll back critical financial protections at a time when millions of Americans are facing down dire COVID-19 crises. Fair credit for all has always been an elusive goal for our Nation. Predatory lending is a plague in countless American communities, many of which are comprised of minorities or low-income residents. The Community Reinvestment Act says your money belongs to you, not to any loan shark, predatory lender, fast buck artist, or financial institution sucking the wealth out of your neighborhood. We must not only strengthen the CRA, but also increase the reach of credit unions and build out postal banking platforms to extend critical financial lifelines and fair credit to those who need it most. Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this critical legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the COVID-19 Hospital Loan Forgiveness Act to provide immediate, vitally needed relief to hospitals and health care providers who are under water as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our nation's hospitals have invested heavily to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic. They canceled tens-of-thousands of elective surgeries and non-emergent patient tests at the government's request to help ensure adequate hospital capacity, preserve gear and equipment, and reduce the risk of unnecessary patient spread. This major shift has put some of America's hospitals on the brink of financial disaster. Without further support, hospitals will face another financial crisis just months from now as the government begins to withhold Medicare payments for services provided after the pandemic fades and until the loans are repaid. While the $175 billion provider grant program, designed to provide support to all providers, is helpful, much more support is needed, This legislation will provide Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments loan forgiveness to ensure the additional financial support hospitals and other providers direly need. Forgiveness would be for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are directly attributable to coronavirus. And, just like the requirement in the provider grant program, providers electing to have their advance payment loans forgiven would be obligated to abstain from balance or surprise billing any patient for COVID-related treatment. The bill outlines: forgiveness would be for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are directly attributable to COVID-19, providers electing to have their advance payment loans forgiven would be obligated to abstain from balance billing any patient for COVID- related treatment, and criteria for transparency and accountability of the loan forgiveness, including no executive compensation. Hospitals across my district have shared that in the absence of more financial support, including this forgiveness, it is possible some hospitals will be forced to close or significantly scale back operations. This would be a tragic consequence, especially if the country is hit with another round of the viral epidemic in the near future. I thank my colleague and fellow Ohioan Representative Bob Gibbs for his bipartisan work on this, and our growing list of bipartisan cosponsors--we look forward to working with the Senate to further action on hospital loan forgiveness.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased the House took important action to support the pensions of millions of Americans in the HEROES Act. Action to secure the retirement benefits of workers and retirees in troubled multiemployer plans and the long-term solvency of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) remains a top priority of mine. Despite this positive effort, I am troubled by inclusion of provisions that impact healthy multiemployer pension plans. The inclusion of the GROW Act, which possesses significant conflicting support and opposition on important, must pass legislation is deeply troubling. The GROW Act will hurt workers, retirees, employers and the PBGC, and should not become law. Composite plan legislation would create two plans--an existing plan and a new ``composite'' plan--out of a single, finite pool of assets. This places added burden on the ability to fund each adequately, increasing the odds of failure. Existing plans could refinance their obligations over 25 years--more than 10 years longer than current law allows. This reduces available funds for benefits under existing plans, making them vulnerable to funding shortfalls--and thus at risk for draconian benefit cuts in times of market volatility. For example, if Congress had already passed the GROW Act and it was law during the market volatility COVID inflicted on the stock market, the benefits composite plan participants expected to earn would be cut 70 percent, and the vested benefits they already earned would be cut 25 percent. At the same time, the vested benefits of participants in the existing plan would be cut 21 percent. In addition to using accounting gimmicks to weaken existing multiemployer pension plans and place Americans' retirement security at risk, composite plans would also make it easier for employers to withdraw from existing multiemployer pension plans altogether, without paying their fair share of obligations to participants. Under current law, employers withdrawing from a pension plan must pay a ``withdrawal liability'' based on their contribution to the plan. Provisions of the GROW act would eliminate withdrawal liability for composite plans, and it would dramatically reduce the cost of withdrawing from an existing plan. Moreover, composite plans would not be insured by the PBGC and would be exempt from paying PBGC premiums. This erodes the PBGC premium base significantly. When combined with plan failures that composite plans would accelerate, the PBGC will face new liabilities that will drive it to a new solvency crisis. Because of the grievous harm the GROW Act imposes on workers, retirees, the PBGC, and the entire multiemployer plan system, I strongly oppose its inclusion in the HEROES Act.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the extraordinary life of Samuel ``Sam'' Felton, Jr., one of Lorain County's most honored, visible, and tireless veterans, and a valued father figure for his entire community. Sam Felton was the only person from Lorain County to win the Navy Cross in Vietnam. He never rested on his laurels and built a legacy of service to Lorain, Ohio. He served three tours of duty during the Vietnam War with the U.S. Marine Corps from December 1968 to August 1971. While serving in Vietnam, he received both the Navy Cross for heroism and the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat. The Navy Cross is the second-highest decoration for valor in combat in the Marines and U.S. Navy; fewer than 500 were awarded during the Vietnam War. Sam earned it in June 1969 by valiantly rescuing three wounded Marines during an 11-day battle near An Hoa, Qung Nam Province. Fifty years later, in 2019, Sam was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame for his contributions to fellow veterans, the community, and our nation. Sam owned a karate academy and billiard parlors and worked at U.S. Steel, but his heart and soul was in assisting fellow veterans. In 45 years of veteran advocacy, Sam supported fellow veterans as Commander and Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans Lorain Chapter 20; Ohio Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Valor Home (a nonprofit organization providing services for homeless veterans); delegate to the Lorain Veterans Council; member, First Marine Division Association; member, National Association of Black Veterans; co-founder and three time president of the Lorain Veterans Council and past commander of AMVETS. Sam received the 2006 Vietnam Service Multiple Medals Award, the Ohio Secretary of State's 2007 Outstanding Veterans Award and was named the Lorain Ohio Veteran of the Year in 2010. In addition to dedicating himself to veterans, Sam advocated for the youth of Lorain County. He founded the Sam Felton Athletic Club and Youth Center, the Jackie Jones Felton Scholarship Fund for college- bound students, co-founded the Samuel Felton Jr. Community Development Program, and worked with kids and veterans interested in musical outreach. In 2018, the Lorain City Council named a section of East 36th Street ``Sgt. Samuel L. Felton Jr. Blvd.'' to honor Sam for his service to the City of Lorain and its people. For all these awards and acclamations Sam received, he will be remembered admirably by the thousands of people to whom he ministered by providing peer support to fellow veterans, getting them Veterans Affairs services, or even just driving veterans to their appointments. Truly, Sam was a national hero, and a hero of Lorain, Ohio. We offer Sam Felton's family and friends our prayers and deepest hopes that they find comfort in the wonderful memories and lasting deeds of his precious life. May they find joy in understanding what his legacy meant to each person he touched and his deep dedication to building the people of Lorain forward.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, as of yesterday, the United States death toll from COVID-19 has reached over 100,000 precious lives. Recent headlines tell the story of COVID-19 risks as workers report to work with no testing. The Toledo Blade reports: ``Coronavirus Strikes Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant During Refueling.'' Reuters reports: ``All Three Detroit Automakers Had Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 Since Plants Reopened.'' And Willamette Week reports: ``The Reopening of Vancouver, Washington, Is On Hold as 65 Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 at a Fruit Processing Facility.'' Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the articles I mentioned. [From the Blade, Apr. 8, 2020] Coronavirus Strikes Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant During Refueling; Utility Keeps Working (By Tom Henry) Newport, Mich.--An undisclosed number of coronavirus cases have been documented inside Fermi 2 during the nuclear plant's latest refueling outage. But owner-operator DTE Energy said it believes it has enough precautions in place now to complete the work and get the plant restarted in the coming weeks. In a statement, DTE spokesman Stephen R. Tait said the company ``can confirm that we have had employees test positive, but are not giving out numbers, locations or names at this time.'' Media reports showed the first worker tested positive about the same time the refueling outage began on March 21. A Detroit television station reported at least two more positive cases were documented within days of that. DTE won't say for the record when it expects to complete Fermi 2's outage. But many similar operations--which once took six weeks or longer--have been shortened to about a month in recent years. Utilities lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential electricity sales each day nuclear plants sit idle. Nuclear plants are refueled every 18 to 24 months, depending on the type of uranium used in their reactor cores. Fermi 2, located along western Lake Erie in northern Monroe County's Frenchtown Township, is one of many nuclear plants across the United States scheduled to be refueled during the spring or fall of 2020, the two seasons when demand for electricity is lowest. Energy Harbor's Davis-Besse nuclear plant along the Lake Erie shoreline in rural Ottawa County recently completed its latest refueling. Both plants are about 30 miles from downtown Toledo. The coronavirus pandemic has, of course, complicated those efforts this year. To help keep refuelings on schedule, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month allowed for an exemption from rules which limit the number of consecutive hours workers are allowed to be inside the plant at a time. The agency said in a March 28 letter to the Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute that it will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis, and that exemptions will be limited to 60 days. ``We are aware of the NRC's willingness to relax some rules for overtime at plants if there is a need,'' Mr. Tait said. ``At this time, we have not requested any variances.'' The NRC has ``no immediate concerns in this area,'' Viktoria Mitlyng, agency spokesman, said. ``We are communicating regularly with Fermi staff to discuss current activities and future plans, including staffing, medical screening, reductions in nonessential maintenance work, and other related matters.'' In nearly all refuelings, including at those at Fermi 2 and Davis-Besse, hundreds of specialized, out-of-state contractors augment the regular plant workforces, often resulting in 1,000 or more workers assigned to any given site at a time. Work is usually divided into eight-hour shifts, with activity occurring 24 hours a day. Officials have noted those contractors move throughout the country from job to job, bringing with them the potential of carrying viruses outside of the sites they last worked. Monroe-area resident Michael J. Keegan, a longtime activist associated with the activist group Don't Waste Michigan, said he worries the NRC will again allow DTE to postpone some of the work planned for the submerged portion of Fermi 2's pressure suppression chamber, also referred to as the torus. The utility came to an agreement with the NRC to fix degraded coating there, a situation that has lingered for 31 years. It was first identified in 1989, the NRC has said. One of the concerns is that loose paint chips in drains could make it difficult for vital reactor coolant pumps to move water in the event of an emergency. The NRC told DTE it will grant the utility's request to remove only coatings found to be degraded through inspections. ``If degraded coating is found, they will remove it prior to returning the reactor to operation after the spring 2020 outage,'' Ms. Mitlyng said. Fermi 2, one of Michigan's largest employers, is about 30 miles south of Detroit, which is now one of America's hot spots for the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, testing requires a national strategy, not a 50-State, helter-skelter search for limited supplies. Without rigorous expanded surveillance testing, many more American lives are put on the chopping block because of pure stupidity and callousness. If the President can find billions to build more nuclear weapons, then surely we can find the money to protect those who build them and all workers who dedicate their talents to moving our Nation to full throttle again. Mr. President, get a testing regimen in place. It is your duty. No excuses.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Lowey for that gracious set- aside, and I wish to say that the American people expect Congress to have their backs. Our economy needs help with historic levels of unemployment bearing down, and the HEROES Act will provide a bridge of support to save lives and livelihoods of our families, workers, hospitals, and small businesses on the front lines. Imagine those folks. Let me applaud all of those still working, facing an unknown killer. A huge win within this HEROES Act is significant and direct assistance to communities of all sizes that are hemorrhaging because of the costs of fire, police, and emergency squads. This legislation will finally make multiemployer pension plans whole as well. Today, the deep recession requires bold action by our Congress. American lives truly are on the line here at home. I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this lifesaving bill.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today with sincere concern for the well-being of thousands of workers and include in the Record this congratulatory entry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This coming Monday thousands of plant workers, largely connected to auto manufacturing and supplier networks, will ``return to work.'' Their return is a State of Ohio decision by the Governor to allow production to resume at Fiat Chrysler in Toledo and hundreds of other Ohio manufacturing facilities. As Co-Chair of the U.S. House Auto Caucus, I represent workers who build the iconic Jeep product, vehicles from GM and Ford, and components from glass to tires and from paint to bucket seats. These plants and their workers were as instrumental in creating reliable over ground transportation during the last century in World War II that carried our Allied victory. Today they are building new hybrid and electric vehicle technologies. Ohioans build things. Workers must be allowed to do their craft in a healthy and safe environment. In their ``return to work,'' these workers likely represent the largest manufacturing workforce to restart production nearly anywhere in America. My primary concern remains the workers, their health and safety, and the absolute necessity of embarking upon a COVID-19 testing regime that will protect them, their coworkers, and their families from the spread of the dreaded Covid-19 virus even as the Governor has opened the doors to these plants. To this end, I have spent hours on end on the telephone and in meetings with top executives, union leaders, workers, health professionals, local health departments, the state health department, private and publicly operated labs. My goal: to get up and running, the testing capacity for which l have voted for and workers have been promised. But that is still largely lacking in Ohio and across our nation. I remain deeply concerned about the health and safety of Ohio's workers. I offer my full cooperation to achieve a testing regime acceptable to our workforce, medical sciences, and all concerned. Workers who enter plants across Ohio will be working at a closer density than those who live in many of our nursing homes where COVID-19 has struck with a vengeance. In the case of Toledo Jeep, workers will travel from Michigan and Indiana to work - untested and uncertain about what they face. Contact tracing will be harder without testing. Lucas County already has endured the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in our State. We must pay attention. Today, the Veteran's Home in Sandusky was struck by the COVID-19. It only takes one person who has the virus asymptomatically to directly spread it to many others. Testing is the only way to ensure that workers can work in a safe environment. A temperature test is not sufficient. I cannot remain silent as this workforce begins not only a new week, but a new chapter in American history. I offer my full personal and financial support as l am able to work with the management and workforce representatives at the Fiat Chrysler and other facilities to embark upon necessary, free testing to assure the short and long-term health of these valuable American workers. Ours is a great nation, We must not accept less. On a personal note, our beloved father retired from the old Jeep facility on Central Avenue and our beautiful mother served the organizing committee of the original United Auto Workers unit at Champion Spark Plug, I believe our family knows firsthand what it takes to assure worker health and safety, In their memory, I take this stand for autoworkers, and all workers, who are being released to the workforce. Our great nation has the capability to safeguard the health and well-being of every person. To paraphrase a Civil War Admiral: ``Damn the Torpedoes! Full speed ahead!'' This must be our rallying cry for testing all our workers. America should accept no less than the best.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise with deep concern regarding the state of U.S. leadership during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Tragically, over 200,000 people have died worldwide, with more than 3 million confirmed cases. This likely represents just the tip of the viral iceberg. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused the worst global health crisis since the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. Real leadership could have contained this devastation. Instead of leading the global response though, the Administration ignored repeated warnings from his intelligence experts and undermined the seriousness of the threat. Those at the very top called it a hoax, squabbled over the name of the virus, undermined G-7 unity, closed the U.S. border with Europe without consulting our closest allies, and significantly delayed the opportunity to slow the spread of the disease both globally and domestically. Worse yet, despite warnings during the administration transition of the possible security threats of a viral pandemic, they hollowed out and eliminated the National Security Council's Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense at Home. Now, we face the highest number of reported infections in the world, with more than 970,000 cases, and an alarming risk of spread rates because we still lack adequate testing capabilities. In the absence of American leadership, malign actors including China, Russia and Cuba have filled the void. They provided and pledged humanitarian assistance to Italy, the Philippines, and other nations in desperate need of assistance. Authoritarian governments have used the ensuing chaos to consolidate their rule. Take Russian President Putin's constitutional referendum to extend presidential term limits or Hungarian Prime Minister Orban's recent parliamentary moves to rule by decree. But worse yet, also to spread misinformation about the disease and democratic response. Threatening further the domestic political divisions already ripe with tension. What makes our nation great is not only the American people's ingenuity to solve problems at home, but also our generosity and creativity to lead with our values when the world faces crisis. Six years ago, the U.S. led the fight against the Ebola crisis from the beginning. We developed, coordinated, and led a worldwide response to the Ebola outbreak, as well as strengthened our preparedness at home. As a result, we stopped the outbreak and kept the homeland safe. It is long past time for the Administration to play a leading role in the global pandemic coordination response. As the richest nation on earth with leading global health experts, real leadership would coordinate and contain the virus domestically then turn to aid the international community. Real leadership would not cast blame and withhold international aid to organizations leading the global fight. Real leadership would be fully supporting critical, independent news outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America who are providing credible news services and countering Russian and Chinese disinformation. Americans are at risk of further waves of infection back in the homeland. The most vulnerable around the world are suffering. Global coordination and collaboration is vital, not only to keep Americans safe, but also to maintain the U.S.'s position as the leader of the free world and to maintain democratic values in countries across the globe.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker. I rise today to honor the life of Alan Mayor Sokobin, Rabbi Emeritus of The Temple--Congregation Shomer Emunim in Sylvania, Ohio. Rabbi Sokobin suddenly passed from this life on Friday April 3, 2020. Rabbi Sokobin was a giant in our community. Learned, faith-filled, a family man, loving, a leader, compassionate, a World War II veteran, funny, high-spirited, reverent, a community leader and so much more. As we mourn Rabbi Sokobin's passing, in the midst of Passover, as the Jewish people commemorate the exodus from Egypt to the promised land, they recognize the importance of welcoming the stranger, to opening one's home and the Passover dinner table to the other. Rabbi Sokobin spent his life welcoming the stranger and his imprint on our community is writ large, his contributions invaluable. Alan Mayor Sokobin was born on March 8, 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, to parents Pauline and Max. At the age of fifteen he slipped away from his family to join the Navy, honorably serving in Europe and Japan. After the war he graduated from Syracuse University, and then pursued rabbinic studies at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He went on to receive his Doctor of Theology degree from Burton College. Marrying the love of his life on May 19, 1957, together he and Mickey raised two children and eventually presided over a family including five grandchildren. Rabbi Sokobin came to our community in 1972 to join the congregation as co-rabbi with Leon Feuer. He soon established himself as an intellectual and ecumenical community leader, pairing with Toledo's mayor to improve Toledo Municipal Court, chairing the Labor-Management- Citizens Committee, and working with Promedica Health System. Rabbi Sokobin's greatest gift to the faith community was the partnerships he formed with Toledo's faith leaders in the Catholic, Muslim, and other religious traditions. After officially retiring in 1992, Rabbi Sokobin decided to go to Law School and graduated in 1996. He was named outstanding student of his class by a vote of faculty members. Rabbi Sokobin remained a constant figure not only in his congregation, but our community as the years passed into this decade. His wise counsel was sought and carefully considered regarding issues of the day. His thoughtful countenance and astute observations were treasured. Yet, it was always the most charming sight to see Rabbi Sokobin pull a balloon ever present in his pocket and fashion an animal as children--and adults--watched in wonder. The young Anne Frank noted ``Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First we make our choices. Then our choices make us.'' Rabbi Alan Mayor Sokobin chose to live his life serving God with his whole heart,'' a choice that made many all the richer. He spent his days putting the pieces of the world back together, he worked to fix the disconnected, to repair the world--he truly embodied tikkun olam. Today we mourn at his passing, but we celebrate his life and the progress he made to fix our broken world. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family as they mourn this great man.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the tireless efforts our caregivers and healthcare professionals are exciting patriotically to combat coronavirus. Those on the frontlines are bravely caring for sick patients. Those behind the scenes are working to find a vaccine or expand testing of the virus. Today in particular, on a day when Congress has recommended to pass additional legislation to heal our nation and unlock the mystery of COVID-19, I want to recognize the seven female molecular specialists at the University of Toledo Medical Center who have been instrumental in bringing in-house testing capabilities to our city and Northwest Ohio: Heather Byrd, Michelle Lewandowski, Nicole Ortiz, Heather Kvale, Holly Mohon, Shauna Rasor, and Ji-Youn Yeo. Not many hospitals have a molecular department, but UTMC does. Thanks to the work of these highly trained women specialists, and the UTMC lab capabilities, COVID-19 testing was made available for our entire region and results dropped from an 8 day wait period to just 48 hours. And the lab is poised to invent even better results with the research funds Congress has passed. These swift test results have had a priceless impact on the lives of people in our community. Quick test results help us identify sick patients, get them the care they need, and prevent further spread. Their work brings our community great pride in their accomplishments at the precious labs of UTMC. I will continue to support their efforts at UTMC as the country works to ratchet up production and make widespread testing more available. In the difficult circumstances Americans find ourselves in, hope must not be forgotten. The rays of hope we see in our researchers and caregivers' dedication to heal and find solutions to this virus serve as a reminder of the resiliency of our community and the strength of America as a whole in an interdependent world. Today, America thanks you--the Toledo Rocket women of science--who helped bring testing to our region. To quote Abraham Lincoln--you are ``the better angels of our nature.'' [From the Blade, Apr. 1, 2020] How UTMC Specialists Worked Swiftly To Bring Coronavirus Testing to Area (By Brooks Sutherland) Around the same time the United States reported its first case of coronavirus, molecular specialists at the University of Toledo Medical Center had already begun discussions to bring in-house testing capabilities to its pathology lab. It was that foresight that paved the way for coronavirus testing capabilities at UTMC, the former Medical College of Ohio hospital, under a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization, to sprout in just weeks. Testing in Lucas County previously took up to eight days for results to finalize even as concerns around the global pandemic continued to heighten and the number of confirmed cases skyrocketed nationwide. But today, the lab at UTMC can test up to 180 samples a day and returns take 48 hours or less. That quick turnaround is possible thanks to efforts from molecular specialists such as Ji-Youn Yeo and Heather Kvale and a handful of others at UTMC, according to Cynthia O'Connell, the administrative director of the medical center's pathology lab. ``We have a molecular department, and not many hospitals do,'' she said. ``So we have a lot of specialists and they worked tirelessly to make this happen.'' Understanding its impact during a health crisis, Ms. Kvale added: ``We really wanted to bring this in house, so it would reduce the turnaround time for our patients.'' ``I'm really glad that we're able to decrease that time so that people don't sit there in limbo,'' she said. But in order to bring testing capability to UTMC, the molecular diagnostics specialists had to validate a testing kit to show it was accurately providing results. Thankfully, the lab was already equipped with the correct machine and the kit before they became in short supply. In order to validate testing, lab workers collaborated with Beaumont Health, which is based in Royal Oak, Mich., and the Ohio Department of Health to gather known positive and negative specimens which were in turn used to test accuracy. Ms. Yeo's expertise in molecular genetics then helped the lab modify the test to keep employees safe during the process, Ms. Kvale said. But that modification then had to be validated, she said. ``She's really brilliant,'' Ms. O'Connell added of Ms. Yeo. Ms. Yeo declined to be interviewed, but in a prepared statement said members of the pathology team ``worked fast together,'' to put all the pieces in place to bring testing to northwest Ohio. Dr. James Willey, a UT professor who specializes in pulmonary medicine, said Ms. Yeo trained and performed her thesis in his National Institutes of Health-funded lab, where she learned lots of unique skill sets. ``I'm proud of all those guys,'' he said. ``This is really important.'' Dr. Thomas Blomquist, deputy coroner at the Lucas County Coroner's Office, helped set up the molecular diagnostics lab and hired Ms. Kvale and Ms. Yeo. He said the two ``deserve a ton of credit,'' and said he was proud that the specialists were able to fend off any challenges that stood in the way of bringing testing to the area. ``Molecular testing is really critical for society,'' he said. ``It allows people to have quick results so they can be quarantined as quick as possible to prevent the spread. This is going to have a huge impact.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, this economic boost is desperately needed as our Nation sits on such a dangerous precipice. The bill offers hope to millions and millions of Americans, our small businesses, hospitals, and those on the front lines, yet I am troubled by the limited insight into how the last $2 trillion was spent and why so much has yet to be disbursed. It seems little went to those who need it most, while those with access had their takings. Unfortunately, today's bill drastically shortchanges America's local communities and first responders as calls and pressure to reopen mount. Without data, it is shortsighted. It also offers no assistance to our postal service, whose jobs hang in the balance. Madam Speaker, Congress must move America forward a step at a time. Lives are at stake. I urge my colleagues to vote for this important bill.