Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the historic 75th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the heroic Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy, France. Let us honor the 180,000 Allied troops who reclaimed liberty for the modern world, moving across the turbulent English Channel, which ran red with their blood, including from our beloved uncle, Stanley Rogowski. Our troops endured more deadly Nazi shelling from land and air as they clawed their way up the daunting seawalls and beaches to retake Europe for the free world. The weather was harsh. The shores were littered with mines and barbed wire. From their landing crafts and parachutes, our soldiers were met with heavy fire. The work of clearing the five beaches upon which the Allies landed-- Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword--was as difficult as it was deadly. It was not until June 12 that all five beaches, stretching over 50 miles, were finally conquered. When the smoke finally cleared, over 4,000 Allied troops had made the ultimate sacrifice. Operation Neptune was a decisive victory for the Allied cause. It remains the largest seaborne invasion in history and a turning point in the Second World War. Until that day, Adolf Hitler waged destruction and terror across Europe, virtually unencumbered on the Western Front. From France to Poland to Russia, millions died in his wake. But from the Allied foothold in Normandy, American, Canadian, and British troops spread out across Europe and liberated German-occupied Europe from Nazi tyranny. This week, we gratefully remember and honor the men and women who served and sacrificed for the freedom of Europe and the entire world. We live in their debt each day.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, what defines a traitor to America's liberty? The Justice Department defines a traitor as a person, who owing allegiance to the United States, adheres to their enemies. President Trump's 2016 campaign manager, Paul Manafort, fits that definition: a traitor. Manafort proudly sought out multimillions of dollars from the enemies of liberty to promote the pro-Russian anti-democratic ruler of Ukraine--President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych took his direct orders from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin who personally directed Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. When Ukrainian people rose up to take back their nation, Yanukovych, after killing his own countrymen, fled back to his master in Russia to hide out, looting countless millions that he stole from the Ukrainian people. The real question for America is how could a U.S. citizen sell out liberty for dirty money from such dictators for whom liberty means nothing. Mr. Manafort, Trump's campaign manager, is no stranger to criminal enterprise. Just weeks ago, news broke out that Manafort got millions upon millions of dollars, auctioning off high-level Trump administration positions to a Chicago banker named Stephen Calk. Madam Speaker, it is a fair question to ask: At what exact point in his sordid career did Manafort become a traitor to liberty? And, more importantly, who else is riding his traitorous coattails?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of all the nurses, the healers who tirelessly serve patients across our Nation. I thank them for their dedicated service to heal, care for, and serve people across all our communities. Our country is facing a dire shortage of healthcare workers. Whether nurses, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, behavioral health specialists, or technicians, you name it, the growing shortage of workers is exacerbating the already high cost of healthcare, making high-quality care that much harder. Right now, in my own district, thousands of nurses and healthcare workers are on strike at a hospital owned and operated by the Bon Secours Health System, a $3.8 billion not-for-profit based in Maryland that owns or manages more than 20 health-related institutions in seven States. The nurses at St. Vincent hospital are striking on quality of life issues: overtime, mandatory on-call, and, ironically, healthcare for them and their families. The struggle these workers and these patients are facing is on my mind every minute, and I continue to urge a real dialogue from the company. Go back to the table and bargain to get our nurses back on the job peacefully and productively. Meanwhile, I urge my colleagues to reauthorize title VIII of the Nursing Workforce Act and amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals. Finally, Congress must do more to protect and improve DSH payments that help hospitals provide charity care for vulnerable, uninsured patients, so many of whom come into St. Vincent hospital.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, how does one define a traitor? According to Merriam Webster, a traitor is one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty. How does one define a traitor to a Nation? By this definition, the Trump administration and some of its minions have some explaining to do. While snubbing--and even offending--key U.S. allies, the President and several of his crew have cozied up with Russia time after time. This certainly doesn't strike me as dutiful. Well, look at Paul Manafort, his campaign manager, or Michael Flynn, who have chosen to serve their Nation now in Federal prison because of violating the trust of the American people. This blatant disregard of duty has reached new lows. President Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, recently announced a visit to Ukraine to chase conspiracy theories. This is a dangerous time for Ukraine. Following a historic election, the Nation is now undergoing a transition of power in the face of Russian invasion. The House of Representatives is watching. The American people are watching. Pay attention to traitors.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my grave concerns surrounding the new NAFTA whose new rebranding as the USMCA masks its real content. The original NAFTA devastated the industrial Midwest and communities from coast to coast. Manufacturing communities were hollowed out. Factories closed. Jobs were outsourced to Mexico for cheap labor. Mexico's peasants were uprooted. Plant shutdown after plant shutdown saw U.S. wages and benefits plummet. President Trump hit a nerve with these communities with his lofty promises, promises of which we should all remain skeptical, especially in the trade arena. We heard these hollow promises 25 years ago to pass the original NAFTA. Now NAFTA 2.0 stands to make many of the same mistakes based on false promises of returning quality jobs with life-sustaining wages. This won't happen without true labor enforcement, but the current text of NAFTA 2.0 falls far short of that target. That is why I plan to introduce legislation to set the mark on labor enforcement on this continent under NAFTA 2.0 and any future agreement. The workers of this continent deserve no less. We respect their dignity.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life of William F. ``Bill'' Boyle, a lifelong Toledoan, a veteran, police officer, business owner, civic leader, and a leading force in Lucas County politics for the better part of four decades. On behalf of our entire community, please let me extend deepest sympathy, comfort, and gratitude to Bill's beloved family and friends. Always a family man and proud of his Irish-American heritage, he was a compassionate but stern taskmaster, relishing his role as father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and loyal friend. Bill was born on June 5, 1930 to Theresa and Daniel Boyle, who immigrated to America from Ireland. He attended St. Ann Grade School and was a proud 1948 graduate of Central Catholic. He attended Georgetown University, and then later attended the University of Toledo, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1990. He was gifted. He was patriotic. He was a strong, fearless, and unrelenting leader on many levels. He was a dogged fighter for his beliefs. His toughness could mask a sense of humor that he royally shared. Rising from the working class of people, he began his career in service to America as an Air Force Intelligence Officer, returned home to enlist in the Toledo Police Division where he was seriously wounded in a gun battle, losing his right eye, and then faced recasting his life. He pursued wide ranging interests, choosing to lead a community- focused life with innumerable generous works. He chose to take the helm as Chair of the then beleaguered Lucas County Democratic Party. He built it into the most successful county party in the state of Ohio at the time, drawing forth new leadership down to the precinct level. He recruited a new generation of idealistic candidates to serve the region. Bill served as Executive Director of the Democratic Party from 1967 to 1970 and was Chairman of the Democratic Party from 1970 to 1984. Bill then built again--by acquiring the TolTest Company and transforming it into a highly successful Toledo company, anchoring its headquarters in then job-short Downtown Toledo, just blocks away from where he had been wounded in the line of duty. Our community has benefitted intergenerationally from Bill's wisdom and community-minded life. His business acumen and philanthropy in education and other fields kept building Toledo forward even during the toughest economic times. Bill will be remembered for his dedication to his family, and we offer his children Mike, Kathy, Beth, Pat, and Kris, his 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, his brother Regis and sisters Sheila, Theresa and Ann, and his friends our prayers and hope that they find comfort in the wonderful memories of what Bill had meant to so many who treasured his life and valued his pursuits. May his loved ones gain strength to endure from the example he set-- to triumph again and again over adversity. His relentless spirit and good works now form part of the precious character of our community. I thank Bill Boyle for sharing his extraordinary life with us.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for yielding, and I thank her and Ranking Member Granger for bringing this bill to the floor. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act for 2019. Natural disasters across our Nation have been devastating the lives of millions of Americans. This map shows just some of the areas and families that have been stricken and have waited and waited and waited months for Federal support. The Missouri and Mississippi River systems are absolutely clogged from the Canadian border all the way down to the mouth at New Orleans. The devastation is understood by Americans who watch the news. We have waited months and months and months for Federal support. The failure of this body to act faster is shameful, so I welcome this moment this morning on behalf of all those who have been harmed. It is the top responsibility of Congress to provide these hard-hit communities with strength, hope, and support to recover. Imagine looking out your window and seeing this in your backyard. That has happened to thousands and thousands of families. This supplemental will finally provide aid to these ailing people and communities damaged by hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic activities, tornadoes, floods, snowstorms, and wildfires. From our energy and water accounts, $2 billion is provided to fix damaged Army Corps projects, with an additional $1.5 billion in Army Corps funding for the devastation wreaked by the flooding in the Midwest. We are at a 125-year high in the amount of rainfall coming down between the Rockies and the Appalachians--a 125-year high in this country. Many communities have been flooded like this one, but, also, we have very high water levels even in the Great Lakes region, where land is just soaked and farmers, business owners, and homeowners are so concerned about what is going to happen. Many of these communities are still underwater, but here we provide an initial downpayment. The bill also contains $775 million to accelerate projects to mitigate future disaster damages. The bill comprehensively aids devastated communities with nutrition and Medicaid assistance, crop and livestock aid to farmers, and aid to upended rural populations. It rebuilds devastated military and Coast Guard installations so our servicemembers can focus on protecting our national security. Imagine Camp Lejeune asking us for more help. It funds resiliency of our Nation's drinking water, wastewater, and electrical grid systems, and provides communities help to rebuild businesses and local public infrastructure. Importantly, it includes significant help to rebuild Puerto Rico, which suffered complete devastation from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This is deeply personal to my constituents, and to me. The President's refusal to recognize Puerto Ricans as the American citizens they are is unconscionable. The Senate Republicans back this position and find it reprehensible.

Ms. KAPTUR. This is the second time this House has voted on supplemental funding this year. It is time the Senate take up this legislation and give some peace to American communities and our citizens living in devastation. I urge swift passage of this act.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of every American who has ever struggled with mental illness. With May being National Mental Health Awareness Month as well as National Nurses Month, we recommit ourselves to: Building better futures for those struggling with a mental health condition; Supporting research into diagnoses and treatment; Erasing the stigma around seeking help; and Removing barriers to high-quality and timely mental healthcare by educating and training doctors, nurses, and behavioral specialists dedicated to these disabling conditions. Our Nation is also battling an epidemic of veteran suicide. Tragically, over 7,000 veterans die by suicide every year, more than the total number of American servicemembers killed in action during the entire Global War on Terrorism. It is no coincidence that our Nation is short 100,000 neuropsychiatrists and 500,000 advance practice nurses in these fields. At the VA alone, today, there are nearly 50,000 medical vacancies. If we are to make progress, then our country, our Nation, must support investments in educating these physicians and nurses to treat those who, every day, look for a better way of life. I look forward to partnering with Members of Congress to help America treat these illnesses and create a more humane society for all.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the fifty years of service the Martin Luther King Kitchen for the Poor has offered to the most vulnerable of Toledo, Ohio's citizens. Our community joined the organization in celebrating this milestone on Saturday, April 13, 2019 in the midst of the Easter Season. In 1969, the late Reverend H.V. Savage, Sr. established the Kitchen to address the extraordinary need evident in his community. Located in one of the oldest and poorest neighborhoods in Toledo, the Kitchen for the Poor has grown into an anchor of the community. Each day, over 200 meals are served in a neighborhood whose median income is $5,500 a year. Though its primary service is feeding the hungry through daily meals and groceries, meal delivery, summer meals and holiday meals, it also provides clothing, Christmas gifts, counseling and support for its neighbors. The stated mission of the Martin Luther King Kitchen for the Poor is that, ``We offer hope and acceptance to those in need, keeping in mind the dignity of all persons. We help anyone who walks through our doors, regardless of age, sex, religion, political beliefs or race. We feed the homeless and those with low incomes. We provide hope where there seems to be none.'' Harvey Savage, Jr. has taken the mantle of his father's vision, serving the people food and hope. Truly, since its inception, the Martin Luther King Kitchen for the Poor has lived Christ's message of Love described in Matthew 25:40, ``Whatsover you do to the least of these my brothers, that you do unto Me.'' We congratulate the members and friends past and present for fifty years of dedicated service with dignity. Onward.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize that during the Spring season of new life our community came together to memorialize the life's work of Clyde Scoles, director of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Unexpectedly passed from this life on February 15, his colleagues and community eulogized him on Saturday April 13 in a special ceremony at the new home of Toledo's Mott Branch Library. Friend and mentor to thousands of people of all ages, he worked creatively and tirelessly to advance our library system in Toledo and Lucas County to be the heartbeat of learning for people of all ages and backgrounds regardless of income or circumstance. His gentlemanly and learned demeanor drew people to him and he advanced the cause of learning for everyone across our region. What a privilege it has been to know him and to work with him as he drove learning and community down to the neighborhood level. The Columbus Dispatch, Mr. Scoles' hometown newspaper, and the Toledo Blade, his adopted home's newspaper, encapsulated his life thusly: ``Clyde Scoles, passed away, unexpectedly on Friday, February 15, 2019 at the age of 69. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he and his family have lived in the Toledo area since 1978. Hard working and conscientious, Clyde focused his energies on serving the people of Lucas County, Ohio. Tirelessly, first as Associate Director and then as the Director of TLCPL, he continued the work of previous visionary Library directors to broaden consensus and build community outreach. By renovating the Main Library, his goal was to bring 21st Century function and capabilities to an already outstanding resource. Mr. Scoles was a distinguished leader of the community and well known throughout the area, accumulating many awards for his contributions and service to the Lucas County public. He was also a well known and respected professional throughout the Library world. His experience and participation in local, state and national Library events will be missed. But it is by his family that he will be most missed. His love for them was foremost always in his mind and heart and will remain with them forever. He is survived by numerous family and friends.'' Clyde Scoles was a library champion, guardian of literacy, passionate leader, friend and mentor to many. The premiere Toledo Lucas County Library system is his legacy to our community and the world, opening up dreams and pathways to people young and old. In this time of rebirth and new beginnings, we celebrate this remarkable man and the catalogue of his life. To his family and friends carrying forward following his unexpected passing, we wish peace and comfort as we remember Clyde Scoles' extraordinary gifts. As the new Mott Branch Library is dedicated I cannot help but think that future generations will wonder and admire the structure and think about those who dedicated their lives to the advancement of a free people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, it is with great admiration that I rise to recognize Ukraine's recent historic Presidential elections. On April 21, 2019, the Ukrainian people made their democratic values known in an election international observers lauded as free and fair. Such an achievement is a rare and true testament to the Ukrainian people's resilience and love of liberty, especially while fending off Russia's ongoing aggression which has already killed over 13,000 Ukrainian citizens. I am grateful to President Poroshenko for his leadership over the past 5 years and his dedication to moving Ukraine forward. The United States Congress congratulates President-elect Zelenskiy and extends a hand of friendship on behalf of the American people. The President-elect faces many challenges, including delivering on the Ukrainian people's expectations to counter corruption. The free world must now step up our efforts to provide moral and material aid to support Ukraine's continued democratic trajectory. Onward Ukraine. Onward free Ukraine.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, in honor of the recent celebration of Arbor Day, I rise to reintroduce my bill, the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act of 2019. In drafting this bill, I was inspired by the original Civilian Conservation Corps, first established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 as part of his New Deal. This effort put 3 million young people between the ages of 18 to 28 to work. They planted 3.5 billion trees, established more than 800 new parks, improved or constructed over 90,000 acres of campgrounds; blazed hiking trails, assembled bridges, built rustic cabins and hiking shelters, and mitigated the devastating impact of the Dust Bowl across the Great Plains. America is facing significant environmental crisis from deforestation, soil, air, and water pollution, loss of biodiversity, waste disposal, climate change, and a depleted ozone. Luckily, Americans are once again connecting the dots between clean water, clean land, clean air, and thriving regional ecosystems and economies. With recent attacks on programs that help our environment, we must remember we don't have to choose between protecting our environment and natural treasures and creating jobs. We can do both at the same time. Just Ohio and Michigan, alone, need 20 million new trees planted to make up for the devastation that the emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle have done to our forest populations. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and its goal of putting Americans to work across our country. Its efforts will once again revive America's natural landscape and enrich the lives of millions of enrollees in the stewardship of our natural resources forward.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2019, a bill to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act. In the wake of the Great Depression, the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act was passed in order to separate commercial and investment banks, and prevent Wall Street from gambling with the head-earned money of the American people. Tragically, the big banks and their crony lobbyists pushed Congress to repeal the law in 1999. This deeply misguided deregulation may have benefitted a few wealthy bankers. However, it opened the floodgates to the growth of financial institutions that are too big to fail and encouraged the type of risky behaviors that led to the crash of the American financial system in 2008. Although we made significant progress with the Dodd-Frank Act, large commercial and investment banks are still tied together in an institutional risk which poses dramatic systemic risk to the financial well-being of our country. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing the Prudent Banking Act to reimplement the vital protections of the Glass-Steagall Act that serve to ensure the security and stability of our financial system.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn President Trump and his anti-life Republican enablers in Congress as they seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act, cutting off millions of Americans from their lifeline of affordable healthcare. Just last week, the Trump administration announced its support of a Federal ruling that would strike down the entire Affordable Care Act. To do so would threaten the lives of millions upon millions of Americans, including 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions. If President Trump and Republicans get what they want and the entire ACA becomes invalidated, then the current cost of healthcare for millions of people will skyrocket. More than 130 million Americans, more than one-third of our people, live with preexisting conditions, and they would no longer receive protection under Federal law. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve a caring President and Congress; they deserve a President who is committed to expanding access to affordable healthcare; they deserve a Congress that is committed to protecting those with preexisting conditions; and they deserve a government willing to stand up to the insurance industry and Big Pharma, whose profits will soar even more if the Affordable Care Act is struck down. We were elected by the people to work together to strengthen our healthcare system, not destroy it. I thank Representative Allred for introducing a resolution condemning the administration's attack on the American healthcare system, and I urge its swift passage through this House and Senate.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, our Republican colleagues say the Paycheck Fairness Act is unnecessary, a boom for trial attorneys and a burden on employers, but once again the latest numbers tell a different story. American women continue to lag far behind fair pay for equal work. The latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau once again revealed that American women working full-time, year-round, are typically paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. The pay gaps are even more severe for women of color: 61 cents for African American women and 53 cents for Latina women. Women take home less money than they have rightfully earned in every industry, no matter what they do, how high their level of education, or where they are from. Not only is this a matter of basic equality, economic justice and freedom, it also compounds and is a significant issue impacting women's retirement security. The Paycheck Fairness Act provides a long-overdue remedy to the 1963 Equal Pay Act. It will give women the tools needed to successfully challenge pay discrimination and to incentivize employers to comply with the law. I urge all my colleagues to support its passage.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate World Water Day, just celebrated on March 22. Water sustains life on Earth. It is critical to health, sanitation, food production, and the economy at large. Tragically, over 2 billion people around our world lack access to safe drinking water, a humanitarian crisis. Some live in our country. Limited access to freshwater is an ever-increasing risk to our national security as nations go to war over this precious resource. Meanwhile, terrorist organizations seek to control water resources to finance their destabilizing activities. That is why we must fully fund U.S. diplomatic leadership, to ensure that the looming conflicts over water can be nipped in the bud. My own constituents in northern Ohio are acutely aware of how precious access to clean water can be. In the summer of 2014, fertilizer runoff led to massive clusters of harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie, compromising water supplies to over half a million residents of Toledo. Flint, Michigan, shortly thereafter, endured its own water crisis. As the Appropriations Committee's Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee chair, I can assure you that our committee is working tirelessly to fight for improved infrastructure, environmental protections, and access to clean water. Together, we will meet this crisis in our country and abroad and allow the vital human right for freshwater to belong to everyone.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during this Women's History Month, I rise to recognize the life of Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright, the first female U.S. Secretary of State, serving from 1997 to 2001, who has dedicated the best years of her life to defending liberty. Concurrently, it is my honor to commemorate the 70th anniversary of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This historic alliance emerged out of the ashes of the bloodiest conflict humankind has ever known: World War II. It is thanks to NATO that the free world defeated Soviet Russia's tyrannical grip over Europe and expanded democracy eastward. Seventy years later, NATO remains as vital as ever to national security. Today, Russia seeks to undermine democratic values enshrined by NATO and its member nations as Russia leads a deadly war against the freedom-loving people of Ukraine, seeks to spread corruption across Europe, and undermines democratic institutions around the world, including in our own elections. For this reason, Congress welcomes Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, to address a joint meeting here on April 3 to invoke the importance of America's commitment to this abiding relationship. On the 70th anniversary, on behalf of grateful millions of Ohioans and Americans, we send a message of reassurance to our European allies: We stand together in liberty's cause. Onward, NATO.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Nadler for yielding. Mr. Speaker, my call today is for full transparency, with a clear focus on the sinister motives of Russia's corrupt leaders. Their interference in our 2016 elections has created confusion, anger, bewilderment, and division--exactly what Russia wanted. Today's resolution calls for the Department of Justice to make Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, along with any findings, available to the public to the maximum extent permitted by the law and to provide the report and its findings, in entirety, to the Congress of the United States of America. So whether you have used Special Counsel Mueller as a patriot conducting a nonpartisan investigation into a foreign power's possible influence in our elections or as a witch hunt, a full accounting and public release of the findings is needed to heal our political differences. This is not about embarrassing President Trump. This is about closure and full disclosure. If there was no collusion, as the President has emphasized, then he should want complete transparency. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve no less.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, on Monday, the Trump administration released what has to be the cruelest and most irresponsible proposed budget in our Nation's 243-year history. The Trump budget adds trillions of dollars to our national debt. The Trump budget cuts $1.5 trillion from Medicaid, $845 billion from Medicare, and $26 billion from Social Security. Meanwhile, it cuts over 90 percent of the funding for freshwater in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. We are not going to be able to combat deadly algal blooms in Lake Erie. We are not going to be able to contain invasive species like the Asian carp. We are not going to be able to restore the Great Lakes and its environmental integrity. The President promised he would never cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, yet he has done exactly that. His proposed budget adds trillions to the national debt while also undermining the financial pillars of Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. Madam Speaker, budgets are a reflection of our values, and President Trump's values are clearly with the 1 percent. He is out of step with the majority of the American people and, surely, those living in northern Ohio.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, it is with deepest sorrow, highest esteem, and abiding gratitude that I include in the Record the tribute delivered by Father Tony Gallagher in honor of the life of Reverend Paul Martin ``Marty'' Donnelly on February 1, 2019 at the Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio. Father Marty will be dearly remembered as a faithful Roman Catholic priest, a servant of God, who gave his unselfish and purposeful life to the people of Greater Toledo. Following the tribute is Father Donnelly's obituary. Homily: Marty's Funeral Mass (Excerpts) (Isaiah 61:1-11, Psalm 27, Acts 10:34-43, Luke 10:25-37) A giant among us has left us. Reverend Marty Donnelly has transitioned to the joy of eternal glory, but hurt in our pain of loss. First and understandably, we all offer special and prayerful sympathy to those closest to Marty: Pat, his only brother-in-law; his devoted nieces and nephews; his close friend Tom Landgraff; and his beloved cousins, particularly his second cousin Dorothy Taylor (I always found it awkward to call her ``Buck''). Unquestionably, Buck warrants the deep gratitude of all of us for her many, many years of extraordinary, dedicated, and unselfish caretaking for Marty right up to the end. But what is the end? What is death? Here is my version of another better-phrased story: freighter fully loaded leaving a dock at Toledo Terminal on the Maumee River--dock workers shout ``There she goes'' as the ship is seen as a speck between the water of the bay and the sky--fully, loaded the ship is observed by someone on Put-in-Bay who shouts ``Here she comes''--the loaded ship is the same, the absence or change is in the Toledo workers--and that is death. Today we grieve the absence of Marty Donnelly. Yet we believe that angels have already shouted ``Here he comes.'' Marty Donnelly knew that if life has the last word, then love must overcome negativity and discord, forgiveness must overcome bitterness, and generosity must overcome greed. Marty had such faith. Yet, with great zest he appealingly owned his own humanity and was clearly animated by a profound prayer life, by the teachings of Vatican II and Pope Francis, and by a continued embrace of Sacred Scripture. Consider our first reading from Isaiah: the lowly hear good news, the broken-hearted are healed; captives are set free; prisoners are released; mourners are comforted and given happiness, fancy attire, and called oaks of justice; ancient ruins are rebuilt; ruined cities are restored; everlasting joy will be with people who will be in a covenant with the Lord. In his meaningful and large life Marty understood this mission. He remained, in his own words, ``terminally hopeful.'' In that light he was one of 27 co-founders of the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests during a retreat in August 2011 and an active member of its local chapter's Social Justice Subcommittee. The intended vision of that new Association, now numbering some 1,200 nationally, is to be a voice of priests for the complete teachings of Vatican II. Fearless in his dedication to the social dimension of the WHOLE Gospel, particularly as a very public voice in and for our African American community. Impressive was his commitment to that community AND to their youth. Noteworthy was his vision in education in his many years at Central Catholic, where he assembled an enormously gifted staff committed to the Catholic social justice tradition. His education vision continued in the Central City's Martin de Porres Parish. With the generous support of his high school classmate, he implemented a renovation of the Bancroft- Detroit campus and created the Pacesetter Program which provided some 100 Central City youth scholarships first to Central Catholic and then to Xavier University. When St. Ann School had to close, he and his classmate imaginatively created a Charter School called The Peace Academy to carry on Gospel-based values in a creative and legal way. You and I are here today to celebrate the powerful witness that Marty himself gave us. Marty wanted us to be in a life- giving movement that is about demonstrating God's goodness, God's mercy and compassion, God's love--demonstrating those to the larger societal movement. Marty realized that we could do all sorts of pious things and still not actually follow Jesus. Marty uncompromisingly and generously lived as a Good Samaritan. You, I, and our faith communities could profitably do an honest reality check about our own efforts to dress wounds, bring to an inn, offer care, and cover expenses for those in our area who are somehow stripped, beaten, and left half-dead. We knew that Marty was not perfect . . . my goodness, his fussing and fuming on a golf course was a spectacle. However, he dared to dream big, out loud and in public. He intervened with grand imagination. He emphasized Gospel-based action, not self-reverential pieties. Marty invited us to move doctrines and teachings to the level of actual experiences and an authentically Christian lifestyle. Although Marty creatively forged new paths of service in Toledo and received many honors, he himself lived as a serf, not a prince. He never constructed a clerical pedestal for himself. As Christ did, Marty pointed to the Kingdom of God already in our midst. And he did this even as his brain functions slowly worsened over the years. When his usually fine words could not do so he did this by actions, to the end. To observe Marty in any phase of his adult life was to know God's Kingdom hiding in plain sight. Wow!! What a remarkable friend and family man!! What an authentic servant leader!! What a genuine man of God and of the people!! If each of us would follow Jesus Christ the way Marty did, our faith communities may actually be ``field hospitals.'' Now, in our celebration of Eucharist we join together with Christ in gratitude to our loving, gracious Father for the beautiful gift of Paul Martin Donnelly. We thank God for who he was to us, for what he was to us, and for how he was to us. Then, fed by the Eucharist, we are missioned to go live the Gospel in our own lives. May our gracious God give eternal peace and joy to our noble Good Samaritan we endearingly called Marty. Amen Father P. Martin ``Marty'' Donnelly Father P. Martin ``Marty'' Donnelly was sent by God on August 16, 1938, which began a lifelong walk in service to others. This journey touched many in the greater Northwest Ohio community. Fr. Marty's journey of service ended when he passed away January 27, 2019, surrounded by family and friends. A life well done! He was born the son of Leonard and Agnes Donnelly, who were founding members of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, where Marty attended elementary school. Marty then attended Toledo Central Catholic High School and was a member of ``the great class of 1956''. Many of Marty's classmates renamed lifelong friends and gathered regularly. After Central Catholic, Marty followed his older brother Bob's path into the priesthood. Marty attended St. Meinrad Seminary College and earned his bachelor's degree in 1961. Subsequently, Marty attended Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1964. Fr. Marty also received a Master in Education in 1973, from the University of Notre Dame. Once Fr. Marty entered the priesthood his life of service accelerated with assignments at Norwalk St. Paul Parish and High School from 1964-1968, and Lima Central Catholic from 1968-1973. It was in 1973, that Fr. Marty returned to his alma mater, Toledo Central Catholic, as an Assistant Principal. In 1976, he was named the seventh Principal and later the first Pastor and President of Toledo Central Catholic, a role he served until 1987. Fr. Marty became Pastor at St. Ann and St. Theresa parishes in 1987, and served as pastor of St. Martin de Porres from 1990 to 2005. In 2005, he returned to his roots as Pastor of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish until his retirement in 2011. Through his years of faith filled service, Fr. Marty mentored and supported youth from his schools, parishes and neighborhoods, helping them to weave the fabric of their communities. He will always be remembered for his dedication to the poor and furthering social justice causes in the community. Fr. Marty was affiliated with many organizations including Central City Ministries of Toledo, the Erase the Hate Campaign, the Ohio Coalition against gun violence and the Multi-Faith Council of Northwest Ohio. Through his advocacy for these organizations and others, Fr. Marty touched the lives of many. Being a servant to others, he never sought or wanted recognition for himself, however he earned many, including Toledoan of the Year, receiving a Key to the City in 2005; Central Catholic Golden Shamrock Award 2001; a Humanitarian of the year award; Drum Major for Justice in 2005; the St. Katherine Drexel award in 2006; a Voice for All People in 2007, and the Central City Ministry Service Award in 2011. In addition to his passionate service to others Fr. Marty was truly family centric, encompassing the Donnelly, Hendricks and greater Quinn clans. Fr. Marty fully loved and looked forward to the annual Quinn reunions where everyone anticipated his creative costumes based upon the theme of the family party. Fr. Marty was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Agnes Donnelly; brothers, Leonard ``Quinnie'', Most Reverend Robert Donnelly, Auxiliary Bishop of Toledo and sister, Mary Hendricks. Surviving are his brother-in-law, Patrick Hendricks, nieces, Ann (Tim) Doran, Kay (William) Byrne; nephews, Larry (Sharon) Hendricks, Jim (Julie) Hendricks, Mike (Kaye) Hendricks and David (Betsi) Hendricks, 16 great and 10 great great nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the staff at the Pro-Medica Ebeid Hospice Residence for their care and comfort during Fr. Marty's final journey. A special thanks also to cousin, Dorothy ``Buck'' Taylor for her years of dedication, love, care and friendship with Fr. Marty. Visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. with evening prayer to follow at 7 p.m., on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, 2535 Collingwood Boulevard, Toledo. Thursday's visitation will be hosted by his faithful parishioners of St. Martin de Porres. On Friday, February 1, 2019, visitation will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m., at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 2240 Castlewood Dr. Toledo, followed by Words of Remembrance at 10:45 a.m. and the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Burial will be private to family. The family would suggest any memorial donations be made to Toledo Central Catholic High School, Most Blessed Sacrament or St. Martin de Porres Parishes. His mantra for all to remember: `Love One Another!'' Arrangements entrusted to the Ansberg-West Funeral Directors. Online condolences may be sent to Fr. Marty's family at www.ansberg-west.com.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Takano for his staunch leadership for veterans in so many arenas and for moving this bill through his committee. I also want to thank Ranking Member Phil Roe for his continued bipartisan support and encouragement. H.R. 1271, the Vet Health Professionals Act, Vet HP Act for short, also called the Veterans-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Health Professionals Act; I am honored to speak on its behalf this evening. By expanding opportunities for future physicians interested in serving our Nation's veterans, this legislation will lay the groundwork to help fill, as was mentioned earlier, the Department of Veterans Affairs' nearly 50,000 medical vacancies by creating a viable pipeline for future physicians. The Vet HP Act creates a 3-year pilot program that will operate in at least five VA medical centers for premed students to gain clinical observation experience, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of veterans' specific health needs and experiences. We have heard about some of those this evening. Several years ago, three premed students--and I will put their names into the Record--Andrew Frank, Seamus Caragher, and Michael McNamara-- highlighted to my team that included Andrea Kaman, Nora Sarsour, Carrie Swope, and more recently Margaret McGuinness, our legislative assistants, the struggles that disadvantaged minority and other young people who lack personal connections face as they apply for medical school. Health schools recommend or require clinical observation hours, but there is no formal process to apply for these hours. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, in the field of neuropsychiatry it is particularly difficult. Opportunities to shadow are limited and are often based on where you go to school or whom you know. Students who attend schools outside major cities as well as those whose families lack connections to the medical community find it harder to shadow and are disadvantaged in medical school admissions. This places an unfair burden on otherwise qualified students who come from less affluent communities or even rural areas. Through their own struggle to access clinical observation experience, the students realized an immense opportunity. This bill prioritizes students in medically underserved areas, first-generation college students, students referred by minority-serving institutions, and veterans themselves. It also prioritizes training for students who specialize in health professions where there is an identified staffing shortage. This important bill will help narrow the professional gap and ensure we are training premed students in careers that are in demand and necessary. For example, the three VA medical centers that service our constituents in Ohio are located in Cleveland, Ohio; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and the city of Detroit. They currently have--this is an amazing number--542 medical and dental staff vacancies. How are we to serve veterans when we don't have enough doctors and medical professionals to do it? This bill creates an important shadowing opportunity for health students and will help strengthen the workforce with a pathway going into the Department of Veterans Affairs. Importantly, premed students in this pilot program will gain a deeper understanding of veterans' specific health needs and experiences, which is critical for health professionals who treat veterans. One of our top responsibilities as a Congress is to ensure that America's veterans receive top quality and timely healthcare from highly trained professionals. This bill furthers that effort, and I am pleased it will get a vote this evening. I would like to thank, again, Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Roe for bringing this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the bill's passage to strengthen medical care inside our veterans' healthcare system and help the future be built through our work here tonight.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for helping to organize this evening, as well as the dean of the North Carolina delegation, David Price. Truly, so many of us miss Walter Jones among us already. And we thank them for this Special Order, this order to celebrate the honorable life and service of the late Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, a man of deep conscience and integrity. His word was his bond. Madam Speaker, it is with a sense of true sadness, but abiding gratitude, that I rise tonight to join all of you as we pay tribute to our cherished friend and colleague, Walter, and offer sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Joe Anne and daughter Ashley, to their friends, to their family, to his constituents in North Carolina, and friends across the country. I also rise this evening in memory of his father, Walter Jones, Sr., with whom I had the privilege to serve when I was first elected to the Congress. We both shared a great interest in maritime commerce. And so when Walter arrived in Congress, it was my great privilege to serve with his son. So I was able to serve with Walter during his entire quarter century of exemplary service here in the House. And, yes, he was a man of deep conscience in an era of utter distraction. He exemplified exceptional honor, kindness, and a steady conviction that always stayed true. I brought with me today a book Walter gave me entitled, ``Extortion'' by Peter Schweizer. And in it Walter inscribed the following message: Marcy, may those of us who serve in the U.S. House work together to return the House to the people and not let ``special interests'' continue to influence policy. Thank you for your friendship. God bless America. Walter Jones. At the time Walter wrote these words, he and I had been talking about a bipartisan effort to clean up Congress using our joint efforts, traveling to appropriate venues along the way to advance reform of our democracy, and get big money out of politics. But as the months went by, it became clear that Walter would not be able to make this journey, and he bore his wounds with great dignity and in silence. What a man of courage. Walter, as others have said, had a deep passion for the people he represented--surely, the Marines of Camp Lejeune and their families and colleagues, as these photos attest. He would always take to this House floor to compassionately recall their patriotic service. He never, ever forgot them. The war in Iraq weighed so heavily on him, and his integrity required him to speak out. And he did, often. His constituents knew the measure of this committed, modest man of sterling conviction. Walter is held in highest esteem by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and he will be sorely missed. A grateful nation thanks the people of the Third Congressional District of North Carolina, and I know all of his constituents join us in thanking Walter for his decades of public service and his family for all of their sacrifices because he so conscientiously and selflessly dedicated himself to our Nation. He was true; he was reflective; he was faithful; and he was a patriot. His spirit lives right here. I can feel it myself as a beacon across this Congress and as a shining star for all to come with integrity and moral conviction. May God bring comfort to his family, and may his strength shower them to move through this period of deep mourning and come into the sunlight again.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Trump administration's very curious lifting of sanctions against Russian energy magnate Oleg Deripaska. The President and our allies must strengthen sanctions against Russia, not weaken them. Russia illegally invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine and has killed more than 10,000 people, including civilians. She has seized 24 Ukrainian sailors and not released them. Russia cyberhacks our firms and even our democratic election process. That is why Congress passed significant sanctions in 2017 by an overwhelming majority to raise the costs on Putin's sinister aims. Yet the Trump administration caved to foreign influence and, astoundingly, announced it would lift sanctions on Deripaska. Madam Speaker, America's first job is to protect liberty. It should not sell off our liberty to billionaires, especially mob bosses who enable cold-blooded murder in Ukraine. It does make you wonder what forces pull the strings of the Trump administration. The free world must not be soft on the Russian command structure, and I look forward to hearing what additional sanctions our President proposes to replace his ill-advised removal on sanctions. Stand fast, liberty lovers. Pay attention.