Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. So here we are, January 18, 2018, 1 day before the risk of another shutdown, and their fiddling is unprecedented. Don't have a budget framework; can't make decisions; don't consult with our side. Why should we be in a helpful mood? We were always told Republicans are stern taskmasters. Not only have they failed to pass a budget, now they have added a trillion more dollars to the deficit and the long-term debt because they wanted to give tax giveaways to all their donors. I urge my colleagues to oppose this sinking effort and demand action for a final, full-year funding plan. That is what is responsible. That is essential, and that is what the American people expect.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the persevering and prescient life of American General Edward L. Rowny, who passed away on December 18 of last year at the age of 100. Proud of his Polish-American heritage, he attained a century of life in the Polish tradition of Sto lat, dear general. This valiant soul served our Nation under five Presidents, of both parties. He served under the command of General Douglas MacArthur and rose to be a shining general in his own right, a brave guardian of liberty through courage, sacrifice, expertise, and wisdom. General Rowny was born the son of a Polish immigrant and a Polish- American mother on April 3, 1917. A West Point graduate, he served in World War II and led a battalion with the 92nd Army Infantry Division, driving up the west coast of Italy. He remained a dogged ally of then-occupied Poland and the Polish people and advanced the return of the remains of Ignacy Jan Paderewski to Poland in 1992 after the fall of the Berlin Wall 3 years earlier. He later founded the Rowny Paderewski Scholarship Fund to bring Polish students to the United States to study American democracy. He continued to raise funds for it until his dying day. General Rowny lived to see solidarity bring freedom to Poland and helped usher Poland into the NATO security alliance. He was an esteemed arms control adviser under every President from Richard Nixon to George H.W. Bush. After being a chief negotiator in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the former Soviet Union, he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal. General Rowny's life and being was imbued with his long history of fighting for freedom, justice, and democracy, including helping free his ancestral land of Poland. His accomplishments will not be forgotten. Thank you, General Edward Rowny, for your service to liberty. You have been one of a kind, unceasing in your utter dedication to liberty at its cutting edge. ``Dziekuje bardzo. Bardzo. Bardzo.'' Thank you very much.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life of Philip Markowicz, who was a resident of Sylvania, Ohio and Aventura, Florida. Phil was also a renowned author and lecturer on the Holocaust and Judaism as a survivor of the Holocaust. As a business leader, he founded Phil's TV and Appliance in Toledo, Ohio. Phil was born in 1924 in Przerab, Poland where he attended the Przedborz Yeshiva and was known as a Bible and Talmud prodigy, and had the intention of becoming ordained as a rabbi. Unfortunately, the 1939 Nazi Invasion of Poland shutdown the Przedborz Yeshiva and as a teenager through the first years of World War II Phil was confined in the Lodz Ghetto working as a slave laborer under Nazi rule. He spent all of his nonworking time in intensive study of many of the classic works of history, philosophy and political thought, supplementing his orthodox religious studies. When the Lodz Ghetto was dismantled, Phil was deported by the Nazis to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. He realized that staying there meant certain death and he sneaked into an outside work detail, avoiding the gas chambers and crematoria. Along with his brother, Henry, he survived slave labor concentration camps, disease, beatings and starvation, culminating in a death march, until he was liberated by the American forces in the spring of 1945. His body was wracked with typhus and tuberculosis and he weighed only 87 pounds. He and his brother were the only survivors of the Holocaust--their entire family had perished. After a few months of recovery in a hospital, Phil was sent to a Displaced Persons camp in Germany where he was elected to the governing council. It was there that he met and married his wife, Ruth Fajerman Markowicz, who was also a Holocaust survivor, and they had a son, Allen Markowicz. The Markowicz marriage and the birth of their son were the first of each in the camp. After waiting for five years, the family was permitted to immigrate to the United States in 1950, and upon arriving in Toledo, Ohio, Phil found employment, sometimes working two or three jobs at a time while studying the newly growing field of television and electronics. In less than 10 years Phil and his wife Ruth established a successful business, Phil's TV and Appliance, and added two daughters to their family, Sylvia and Diane. Phil eventually resumed his study of Torah. He wrote a well-received memoir, My Three Lives. A musical oratorio which was inspired by Mr. Markowicz's life and philosophical writings, Tikvah (Hope), has been performed at the Toledo Museum of Art; in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; at Bowling Green State University; at the Detroit Holocaust Memorial Museum; in North Carolina; at the Jewish Theater of the South in Atlanta; and was part of the Martin Luther King Memorial Week ceremonies in Atlanta in 2006. Phil was a featured interviewee on the award-winning documentary Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors. Phil spoke on the Holocaust and on Torah at various venues, including Universities, secondary schools, religious institutions, seminars and Public Television. He was invited to lead religious services, read from the Torah and its accompanying Haftorah, and present sermons. Phil served as a president of the Tarbuth Society, one of the Torah study groups in which he participated, and was a member of Congregation B'nai Israel in Sylvania, Ohio and the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center Synagogue in Aventura, Florida. In addition to his wife, Ruth, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Diane Markowicz; his brother, Henry Markowicz; and the rest of his family in the Holocaust. Phil will ultimately be remembered for his dedication to his family, and we offer his children, Dr. Allen and Sylvia, his nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, and his friends our prayers. May they find comfort in the poignant and profound memories of what Phil endured and survived, and what his life has embodied for generations to come.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. It was in 1935 that this body enacted the National Labor Relations Act. It guaranteed basic rights to private sector workers to organize into trade unions, to engage in contractual bargaining for decent wages and better conditions at work, and to take joint action, if necessary. But in 1935, just like today, here, 2018, the Republican Party and business interests vehemently opposed passage of any laws that help workers. Little has changed. Once again our Republican colleagues trample on the backs of workers. This legislation rolls back proven protections that allow wages to rise in places like California, and their casinos, from $10 an hour to $13 an hour. Now, these modest pay increases have helped elevate the workers who work in those casinos above the Federal poverty level. Who has ever tried to buy a house in California or tried to live on $13 an hour or $10 an hour? You are not talking about a whole lot of money there, especially from a party that just gave $1 trillion away to the people at the very top. But with this bill, our Republican colleagues chose to strip these hundreds of thousands of workers, the majority of whom are not members of Tribes but work in those casinos, of decent wages and their right to a voice in the workplace. Wow. Beneath their sheepskin costumes hides another Republican attack on worker rights in this country, this time under the guise of Tribal sovereignty.

Ms. KAPTUR. Let me remind my colleagues though, throughout our National Labor Relations Board's history, it has never and will not assert jurisdiction where it would interfere with a Tribe's internal governance rights in purely intramural matters. So I urge my colleagues to oppose this bad bill. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the strong opposition to it from the United Steelworkers of America and from the Communications Workers of America. As a proud daughter of labor, I am proud to stand here today in opposition to this bill. United Steelworkers, Pittsburgh, PA, January 9, 2018. Re United Steelworkers oppose inclusion of anti-worker H.R. 986, Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2017 in S. 140. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative: On behalf of the 850,000 members of the United Steelworkers (USW), we strongly urge you to oppose S. 140 on the House floor this week. Rather than being identical to the Senate bill, this version includes the anti-worker and undemocratic Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2017 (H.R. 986). H.R. 986 would exempt all employees of federally recognized Native American-owned commercial enterprises operated on Indian lands from the protections of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and would authorize over 567 distinct and separate labor law jurisdictions in the United States. To be absolutely clear, this legislation strips workers-- both Native American and non-Native American--of their NLRA protections. While some organizations have falsely attempted to paint tribal governments as similar entities to states (which are exempt from the NLRA), tribal governments are substantially different than states in one key democratic principal: state governments allow workers an ability to vote for their legislators no matter their ancestry, while most tribal governments require blood quantum or lineal descent to determine who is eligible for membership or citizenship. Simply put, if H.R. 986 becomes law by inclusion in S. 140, U.S. citizens working in the United States for tribal commercial enterprises would not be able to vote for the elected representatives who set their labor laws. These workers will lose the ability to petition the government that oversees their working conditions. The gaming industry, which is an employer for approximately 246 of the 567 federally recognized American Indian tribes; has over 600,000 casino workers on tribal lands, the overwhelming majority of whom are not Native Americans. In 2011 before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, the National Indian Gaming Commission testified that the vast majority of employees (up to 75 percent) were non-tribal members. Our union understands the importance of the principle of tribal sovereignty; however the fundamental human rights of employees are not the exclusive concern of tribal enterprises or tribal governments. As the International Labor Organization highlighted in a letter on a previous version of this bill, ``it is critical that the State (the national authority) takes ultimate responsibility for ensuring respect for freedom of association and collective bargaining rights throughout its territory''. That is why we believe the current test set by the NLRB is the best course of action until labor laws are strengthened in the United States. In 2004, the NLRB under the Bush Administration ruled for the first time that Tribal casino workers should have the benefit of NLRA protections, San Manuel, 341 NLRB No. 138 (2204). Yet, since the San Manuel ruling, the NLRB has asserted jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis. In 2015, the NLRB declined jurisdiction citing the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek and 1866 Treaty of Washington stating: ``We have no doubt that asserting jurisdiction over the Casino and the Nation would effectuate the policies of the Act. However, because we find that asserting jurisdiction would abrogate treaty rights specific to the Nation.'' Chickasaw Nation Windstar World Casino, 362 NLRB 109 92015). Similarly the NLRB declined jurisdiction: ``. . . when an Indian tribe is fulfilling a traditionally tribal or governmental function that is unique to its status, fulfilling just such a unique governmental function [providing free health care services solely to tribal members],'' Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, 341 NLRB 139 (2004). The NLRB has developed a reasonable and responsible test to determine jurisdiction. H.R. 986 creates significant confusion and jurisdictional issues over labor law enforcement and grossly undermines worker's rights. Our union urges you to oppose S. 140, with the inclusion of H.R. 986, and asks you to instead work to expand worker's rights not restrict them further. Sincerely, Leo W. Gerard, International President.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight another scam in the GOP tax giveaway just signed into law. President Trump promised in November: ``Factories will be pouring back into this county.'' Really? The Republican tax scam taxes earnings of foreign subsidiaries of U.S. firms at half the rate of what is earned here in the United States by those same companies. If that isn't an invitation for more job outsourcing, I don't know what is. The corporate tax rate, which Republicans slashed at the expense of the middle class, Social Security, and Medicare, is now at 21 percent; but the rate at which American companies' overseas subsidiaries will be taxed is half that much, 10.5 percent. Why does the Republican tax bill incentivize U.S. companies to move profits and capital overseas? Call President Trump, let him know, because that is what he just did. The Republican bill does nothing to address the job outsourcing crisis. It makes it worse. Isn't this economic madness?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Homily and Eulogy for Sister Catherine Pinkerton: The readings chosen for Catherine today by her CSJ sisters are wonderfully descriptive of who she was. Catherine's life was all about bringing glad tidings to the poor and letting the oppressed go free. She was so powerfully passionate and so dedicated to her mission of justice, who can doubt that the Spirit had indeed anointed her for this work?--And is she not a true daughter of Joseph? (Luke 4: 14- 23) The first reading from the Book of Wisdom (Message version) describes her so well: inquiring mind coupled with dedication. She was one of a kind, able to multitask and keep an edge; nimble in argument, able to conduct three conversations at the same time; kept a clean record, always had her wits about her; wouldn't hurt a fly; was drawn to the good; sharp as a tack, nothing got past her; always had an orange in her pocket; cordial with humans, kind to animals; (Some examples--I'm told that one fish in the motherhouse fish tank actually always responded to the sound of her voice. She loved the deer on our property, and was once found after hours roaming the kitchen trying to find some food for a wounded doe. Her great niece Kelly Haas recalls how much Catherine loved the horses at the stable where Catherine came to watch her learning to ride.) could hold her own in male company. She was a model of virtue, didn't miss a trick; she could discern the movements of the soul--whether intellectual or moral, subtle or not-so- subtle.'' (Wisdom 7: 22-23) The only thing that's missing from this fascinating list is that her hair and makeup were always perfect, her two business suits beautifully tailored, and she always looked as if she had just stepped out of a band box. Seriously. So how shall we eulogize our Catherine? Perhaps we should begin at the beginning--her heart for the marginalized was instilled at age seven, when her parents were about to buy a new home right before the Great Depression, Catherine loved the house they were considering, particularly because of its large library. ``I told all my friends about it,'' she said. ``But Dad sat us down and said, `Mother and I have decided not to buy that house.' I said, `Why, Daddy?' He said, `Because something terrible is going to happen in this country, and there will be people who won't have food or housing or jobs and . . . we have to help them.'' And I said, `Why can`t they help themselves?' He said, 'Some people don't have resources like education and jobs.' And then he said, `And besides, missy, you don't need a big house when other people don't have food on the table.' And that was my first lesson in justice.'' Later, involvements with Dorothy Day's Catholic Worker Movement and friendship with Mother Margaret Mary Neary were influential in Catherine's decision to join the Congregation of St. Joseph. After Vatican II, Catherine quickly acquired multiple involvements in Cleveland. She was a respected teacher, skilled choir director and principal at St. Joe's Academy where she annually taught the entire student body to sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic in four-part harmony. She worked closely with Cleveland groups that focused on the poor and on advancing women's roles in church and society. In the 1970s she worked as a consultant to Cleveland's parish councils and other religious communities. She was president of the Sisters' senate and became a founding member of the Cleveland Women's Ordination Conference. Among her local awards are two naming her as one of the Most Influential Women in Cleveland as well as the John Carroll University Centennial Education Medal. From 1976-1984 she served in leadership with our Congregation of St. Joseph and in 1982 was elected to the presidency of Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), which at the time represented all 130,000 US sisters. And so began Catherine's national ministry--first via LCWR--and then in 1984 when she began working as a lobbyist for NETWORK, the Catholic Social Justice lobby founded by LCWR sisters. I'd like to take a moment now and reprise a tribute from her LCWR and NETWORK sisters when in 2006, they gave her the highest honor any former LCWR president could receive--the Outstanding Leadership Award. It is a good snapshot of how Catherine lived out her anointing to work for justice and the poor: The late Sr. Bette Moslander, CSJ who was part of the LCWR presidency with Catherine said: ``Catherine was in LCWR leadership at a time when the conference and US women religious were the focus of intense scrutiny by the church and by the US government. The major shifts of Vatican II renewal had brought about changes that were not yet completely accepted by the Catholic population in this country or by the Congregation of Religious in Rome.'' The late Sr. Miriam Therese Larkin, CSJ, also in the LCWR presidency with Catherine, says: ``Catherine's wisdom, insight and straightforwardness during these times enabled her to make her point so clearly and cogently that further protests lost their meaning and simply died. We really cannot measure the value of her service to women religious in the United States and in the world.'' Former Network Director Sr. Kathy Thornton RSM wrote: ``It is perhaps on Capitol Hill that [Catherine] has had the strongest impact, commanding attention with her intelligence and unwavering determination as an advocate for those unduly burdened by the injustices of society. . . . Catherine has become a formidable presence in the halls of Congress. Jean Stokan, policy director of Pax Christi USA: ``When Catherine walks the halls of Congress, she parts waters. Heads turn and useless chatter ceases when she enters a room.'' NETWORK colleague Michael Culliton concurs. ``I remember trips to Capitol Hill with Catherine. I was struck by the number of times we were stopped by staffers and elected officials who knew Catherine by name. Ever a woman of justice, her warm return of a greeting was typically followed with a strong injunction related to an upcoming vote or policy debate.'' Kathy Thornton again: ``Catherine has become at home in centers of power. She has won the respect of many heavy- hitters in the political world and can ably tease Bill Clinton, confer with Hillary Clinton and chide Ted Kennedy, who when he does not see Catherine for a while, admits to really missing her.'' Sr. Janet Mock CSJ--the former Executive Director of LCWR-- notes: ``She is equally at home, however, with the people who live on the margins. Her co-workers note that Catherine puts the same effort into building relationships with the world's power brokers as she puts into building relationships with the marginalized people whom she knows from the streets of DC. As she uses her intellect to analyze social ills, she uses her heart to understand the people affected by them. U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur`, who knew Catherine for over 30 years, told us at her wake last night that Catherine was the founding face of NETWORK and of Catholic Social Teaching in Congress. ``Network in its early years would not have been possible without her inspired leadership.'' By way of background, during Clinton admin--Catherine worked with then First Lady Hillary Clinton and Senator Edward Kennedy in an effort to craft comprehensive health care legislation. She brought Catholic Social Teaching principles to the debate and was a strong advocate for ensuring that those without coverage would have access to healthcare. When that effort faltered, she became a passionate advocate for the Child Health Insurance Program for families too poor to have health insurance but did not qualify for Medicaid. At the Wake Service last night, the current Executive Director of NETWORK, Sr. Simone Campbell reflected that Catherine's perseverance and lobbying had actually prepared the way for the Affordable Care Act, and related how happy she was to see it passed just before Catherine retired so she could experience the rich fruits of her over 25 years of dedicated lobbying. Sr. Nancy Sylvester IHM remembers that when Catherine came to NETWORK ``[She] also took a great interest in our young interns/associates. She mentored them and took time to drive them home if needed or to assist them in other ways.'' Sr. Theresa Kane RSM--LCWR president just before Catherine: ``Catherine Pinkerton was a dedicated, enthusiastic and a most gracious woman religious to all who encountered her. She lived a full, joyous and most worthwhile life and meets her loving God with many graces. Indeed she has earned and been gifted with the hundredfold!'' At a DC farewell for Catherine, the well-known Washington Post Columnist EJ Dionne praised her this way: ``It has been said that while we are born with original sin we also have access to original grace...Sr. Catherine's public witness has always been about grace--about the capacity to solve problems and help people. We have heard her preach, we have watched her work, and boy are we grateful--this city could use a whole lot more people like you, Sr. Catherine. You make us proud to be Catholic.'' (Full remarks can be found at https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0qHNO3GquO) So, are we getting the idea that Catherine was sort of a larger than life kind of person? Well, yes--and no. We, Cleveland sisters were immensely proud of her but we also dealt gently with her frailties. Last, unbeknownst to any but her closest confidantes, there were the insecurities that sometimes plagued her. So this closing quote comes from someone Catherine has described as her soulmate: Sr. Felicia Petruziello, who lived with her in Washington for a number of years and is a lifelong friend: ``We were soulmates in our earthiness--our human weaknesses,'' says Felicia. ``Both of us were always doubting ourselves--we were connected in being anxious and wondering if what we were doing or saying was right or not. It wasn't the big and famous things she did that connected us but our insecurities. When she gave a speech, she needed to have five people read it first to see if it was OK. Before she received her award at LCWR she spent most of the time in the bathroom because she was so anxious about whether her speech was good enough. And she found it so helpful to ride up in the elevator with Joe Biden's mother just before her benediction at the 2008 Democratic convention. She felt more secure that another ``old lady'' was present.'' ``This is something most people didn't know,'' concludes Felicia. ``She often felt very insecure inside--but that didn't stop her--she is a model for how we can do big things when we move beyond our insecurities.'' ``She is a model for how we can do big things when we move beyond our insecurities.'' I'd like to close with Catherine's own words from a news story at the time of her LCWR award: ``Our foundresses dealt with chaos,'' she said, ``and we have to deal with chaos now because only out of chaos is going to come the creativity of the future. Women Religious are the prophetic dimension of the church. Religious life is a prophetic gift given to the church and humanity. We stand on the line of what is and what is yet to be, and that is our role.'' ``We stand on the line of what is and what is yet to be . . . .'' And isn't this a daughter of Joseph? Sister Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ (Congregation of St.Joseph) Formerly Sister Mary Pius Born September 22, 1921 Entered Eternal Life December 28, 2017 Catherine was born, the third of four children, on September 22, 1921 to Charles D. and Anne Berry Pinkerton. She grew up on Cleveland's west side in a family that was both politically conscious and socially active and where discussion of ``issues'' (which almost always included the children) was a regular part of family interaction. Her father ran a steel foundry supply business and was a salesman most of his life. Her mother was both a homemaker and helped her husband with the business. Catherine talked about Sunday afternoon walks to the lake with her father where she learned many valuable things among which was that a woman could do anything if she understood how the world and business worked. Catherine attended St. Ignatius Elementary School from which she graduated in 1935. She then went on to St. Joseph Academy, graduating in 1939. During her high school years, she was introduced to the Catholic Worker movement and was soon volunteering at a soup kitchen. She became very close to Mother Margaret Mary Neary, who was instrumental in helping her make the decision to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph, which she did immediately following graduation. Her parents were reluctant to see her enter, but they did support her in her decision. She received the habit in 1940 and was given the religious name, Sister Mary Pius. She attended St. John College from which she received her BSE in 1950 and her MA (Curriculum, English, and Education) in 1957. She did further study at both John Carroll University (certification in secondary school administration) and Laval University in Canada (music). As was the case with most sisters at that time, much of her formal education was done on Saturdays and during summers while she was teaching. Sister Mary Pius's teaching assignments were: St. Rose (1943-50); St. Joseph, Canton (1950-57); St. Joseph Academy (1957-73). During her time at St. Joseph Academy, she was a teacher, the principal, and the director of the Junior Professed Sisters. This was around the time of the Second Vatican Council and Mother Margaret Mary Neary (Catherine's friend from high school) told her that she would be responsible for preparing young sisters for a Church and a community which didn't yet exist. What a challenge that was! In all the different capacities which Catherine served at St. Joseph Academy, she was always involved with teaching music. She was especially skillful in getting large groups to sing well. There was nothing like hearing the entire school sing, ``The Battle Hymn of the Republic''! It was during these years that Catherine was elected to the Diocesan Sisters' Senate and eventually became its president. She gradually became more and more involved in organizations of women religious. From 1973-75, she was the chairperson of NAWR (National Association of Women Religious). In 1975, she came back to Cleveland and worked for the Diocese in pastoral planning as the Director of Parish Councils (1975-80). Shortly after, she was elected to the leadership team of the Congregation of St. Joseph. (1976-84). When her term was completed, Catherine went to work for NETWORK, a national Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, D.C., which was affectionately known by some as the ``nuns' lobby'' (1984- 2010). NETWORK was founded in the early 1970's by Catholic sisters to do research on and lobbying in Congress regarding those issues which affect the lives of the poor and minorities in our country and in the world. Catherine was honored to give the benediction at the 2008 National Democratic Convention in Denver, pausing before praying, and delivering a prayer of hope and gratitude to the crowd and the nation. Catherine's health caused her to decide in 2010 to return to Cleveland and to St. Joseph Hall where she remained a vibrant part of the local CSJ community. We are grateful for having shared in the life and the gifts of Sister Catherine and we celebrate her entrance into eternal life. The following are a few additional reflections about Catherine: ``Catherine has a remarkable capacity to build relationships. In the mystical body of Christ, Catherine is sinew and nerves: connecting and loving each unique expression of the Divine.'' (Michael Culliton) ``Catherine, politically astute and passionately committed to the Gospel, never backed away from the way of justice and peace in the concrete and often messy reality of our time.'' (Bette Mosslander CSJ) ``Catherine has ventured into the halls of Congress to speak truth to power. She approaches Senators and Representatives not with money to line campaign coffers, but with faith, a deep knowledge of the issues, and a belief in the social Gospel of Jesus. As a consequence, she has touched the hearts--and changed the votes--of countless members of Congress.'' (Kathy Thornton, RSM)

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sister Catherine Pinkerton, who journeyed from us during this past Christmas season in Cleveland. She had attained the age of 96. Sister Catherine was a Roman Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph order for 78 years. She rose to serve as president of her congregation, and she was also selected to lead the national Leadership Conference of Women Religious and was awarded its Outstanding Leadership Award in 2006. She worked as the founder of NETWORK, the social justice lobby, urging Congress to care for the needy and the sick, and she became a tireless advocate in these Halls of Congress for justice, especially for the poor and oppressed. One of her greatest victories was pushing for the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program, which insures 9 million of America's children. In 2008, Sister Catherine was invited to deliver the benediction at the Democratic National Convention, and she urged Americans to ``call forth and affirm as leaders of this Nation, persons of vision, courage, and solid values, clearly focused not only on what is but, rather, open to the challenge of discerning and welcoming what is yet to be.'' Sister Catherine, your sacrificial life was extraordinary, and you were countercultural. You will be missed. May your passionate words and deeds guide us to care for our fellow human beings. The American people are grateful for your lifetime of service. I will later include in the Record a eulogy and tribute to Sister Catherine by Sister Christine Schenk, who spoke at her memorial service and whose first sentence about her reads: ``Catherine's life was all about bringing glad tidings to the poor and letting the oppressed go free. She was so powerfully passionate and so dedicated to her mission of justice, who can doubt that the spirit had indeed anointed her for this work?''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I stand with so many of my colleagues today in a call to action for this body to address a crisis that is at its breaking point for pensioners across our country, retired workers, who have come from the building trades, miners, truck drivers, so many more--actually, hundreds of thousands of Americans--losing their pensions or about to lose them. Millions of American retirees have worked and earned pensions that they contributed to through the multiemployer pension programs. In fact, I met one retiree recently who paid over $225,000 into his plan and has not been able to access one penny--not one penny. Yet hundreds of these plans face serious financial shortfalls, leaving millions of retirees facing an uncertain retirement future. For today, Congress needs to step up and secure the pension benefits these workers have earned. And there should be no pension cuts for workers who contributed to their own plans and should have a right to the money that they invested. Congress can no longer kick the can down the road. There simply is no more time. This problem does not go away if Congress continues to ignore it. Rather, the financial stress mounts for the retirement funds and, of course, for the retirees and for their families so severely impacted. Indeed, the costs the Federal Government will bear if we don't solve this problem now become exponentially more significant as time ensues. Over the last 4 years, I have heard extensively from retirees forced to ride this terrible economic roller coaster. It is almost like a corkscrew, right side up, upside down. They are caught in this as their retirement security careens out of their control through no fault of their own. There are thousands, tens of thousands of Americans who did everything our country asks of its productive citizenry, retirees who worked for decades for a company and thought they would have a secure retirement but now they face a stark reality. From Toledo, Ohio, such retirees as Carol Jones, who drove a truck for over 30 years and who missed holidays and major life milestones because of his work on the road, the knowledge that he was earning a pension helped in those moments, but now he says it all feels like a pipe dream. And when you drive a truck for over 30 years, things happen to your knees; they happen to your back. Bouncing over concrete for three decades has severe costs for so many. But if a solution is not passed now, Carol won't even be able to continue to care for his disabled daughter. Or how about Ernest Frye, a teamster for 54 years? He and his wife currently can live on what they earned through his pension, but, with its threatened cuts, everything will fall apart for them. They will have to rely on the government to cover the difference. And with the rising cost of medical expenses, they run the risk of also losing their home if his pension is cut. What kind of cruelty is this? Or how about Cindy Grimley, who was hired in 1978, and has taken pride in being able to take care of herself? Even with the pension she earned and lives on, she cannot afford medications her doctor tells her she needs, and she can't afford to lose a single dollar of her promised pension. Or how about Tom Brady, who worked 30 years--30 years--with Roadway Express and is a Vietnam veteran? He faced a 50 percent cut under the Central States Pension Fund application. They call it MPRA. Any cut to his pension won't only impact him. He has six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren whom he and his wife help support. I hear countless stories across this country of how retirees are caring for children with disabilities, supporting their own ill and aged parents, or supporting children and grandchildren with life expenses. These cuts impact more than just the individual who earned the pension. And, really, don't these workers who retired have a right to the money that they put into these plans? You know, there were hundreds of companies that walked away from their pension promises. They didn't keep their promise to the workers. The workers put their money in, and some of the companies walked away. Is it the worker's fault? Ask any retiree or responsible economist, if we fail to fix this pension crisis, we will create a tremendous deficit to our economy both locally and nationally. Some retirees already live under the financial constraint of us not solving this challenge, and some have already had 70 percent cuts to their pensions. For example, Ironworkers Local 17 in Cleveland. How about the New York State Teamsters? How about the United Furniture Workers pension and the International Association of Machinists Motor City pension? They have all seen that decisions were made forcing cuts upon their retirees. And millions more live on that precipice: money that should be coming to them because they earned it, they put it away, and then it was taken away. This House has continued to let these retirees down. There has not been a single hearing to fully understand the financial plight confronting retirees. How irresponsible is that for the leadership of this House? The Senate has only taken a bit of action, but no solution. Immediately after the House passed the scam pension bill a few years ago--that is the original Multiemployer Pension Reform Act--I set to work to correct the unfairness that it allowed, and we introduced the Keep Our Pension Promises Act, which, back then, had the number H.R. 2412. We called it KOPPA. It would have prevented these draconian cuts to earned pensions by filling the financial gap of many of these plans, such as the Central States Pension Fund, and reinstate the anti-cutback provisions that are contained in the ERISA legislation, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The bedrock of that law was that, if workers work and they put money aside for their pensions, that pension money will be there for them. But our bill lacks sufficient bipartisan support. So back last December, it was very reassuring for me to stand with my colleagues Representative Richie Neal of Massachusetts and, from the other body, Senator Sherrod Brown as we introduced the Butch Lewis Act, H.R. 4444 and S. 2147. In the House, this legislation now has two Republican cosponsors, and I hope many more of our colleagues' support will follow. But there is not time to recruit cosponsors one or two at a time. Retirees across our country are waiting for true leadership to push an equitable solution so they aren't led to the guillotine on their pensions. It is time for real congressional leadership to identify the impact this crisis will have and organize an effort here either to create a new bipartisan solution or pass the already bipartisan Butch Lewis Act. If we fail to act, we can no longer wonder why the middle class is angry at Washington and this Congress, for they see this as just another broken promise by Washington. We can no longer wonder why they believe the system is rigged, because here are more than a million honest Americans who worked for a living decade after decade. They worked hard. They followed the rules, and now they are getting thrown under the bus. The companies they worked for reneged on their promises. And you know what? Unless we do something, the promise under ERISA will remain unfulfilled, and that is their pension security. I would say to my colleagues, if you ever wonder why tens and tens of millions of Americans are angry and deeply disappointed or feel betrayed by their government and the companies they worked for, look no further than this issue. I remember one man who didn't come from my State, but I met him here in Washington. He said: Congresswoman, I earned and put away $225,000 in my pension plan, and they told me I had to work 20 years. So I drove 20 years, drove a truck 20 years. And he said: I started to have back problems. And when I got to my 20th year and I made it through, I said to them: Well, I am ready to apply. And the company said: You know what? We changed the rules. You have to work 2 more years. So he said: Two more years? Okay. So he made every effort that he could under great pain to work those 2 years up through his 22nd year of employment as a driver, and then at the 22nd year, the company said: You know what? We changed the rules. Now you are going to have to work an additional 3 years. Imagine having promises broken all the time. And now he is disabled. He has difficulty standing, sitting. He has pain all the time. And he has not been able to gain access to a penny of money that he earned. Surely, if someone at the White House is listening to this, if you think about President Trump's travels through Ohio when he talked to the miners and he sought their vote, or in Chicago with those who drove a truck and paid into the Central States Pension Fund, the promises that were made, surely we can find a way to help keep the pension promises that these workers earned. I want to thank all of the Members who cosponsored our former bill, the Keep Our Pension Promises Act, and the Butch Lewis Act, and I thank Members of both parties for trying to find a solution, a real solution, for this crisis. We are moving toward it. We really don't have any time to waste because Congress must reach a solution early this year, and we should look no further than including that pension relief in the upcoming spending deal that is being negotiated between the White House and this Congress now. Pensions now. Pensions now. These workers have earned their pension. Why has the government of the United States made it so difficult and made their retirement years so stressful by not reaching a solution to date? I make a strong appeal on behalf of over a million workers across this country who so justly earned the pension benefits that they deserve. I thank my colleagues who are listening. I thank the American people for writing us and for sharing their personal stories with us. I have great hope, in these final negotiations on a spending bill for 2018 which is currently under negotiation at the highest levels, that this pension issue finally will be resolved. Keep the letters and emails and phone calls and visits coming. This is the time to make your weight felt. Mr. Speaker, thank you so very much, and I yield back my remaining time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Lowey for yielding, and I rise in opposition to this continuing resolution that some might consider ridiculous. No matter how you look at it, Republicans have control of all of the reins of the Federal Government; yet we find ourselves, again, locked in an artificial crisis of their own creation on the third punt to try to run this government for another couple of weeks. First in September, then again 2 weeks ago, and now here again today, the government will be set on automatic pilot because President Trump and his fellow Republicans refuse to pass a real budget under regular order so the Appropriations Committee can get its work done within strict budget parameters. These last 3 months, Congress has been left to twiddle its thumbs while the list of unmet priorities for Americans has steadily grown. Most notably, let me address the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, that covers over 9 million children in our country and more than 220,000 in Ohio. In fact, that insurance program expired 81 days ago. It covers half the children in my district. How do you think it makes those families feel? What are they going to do after the end of March? Unfortunately, this spending bill only provides enough funding for the CHIP program through March 31, again kicking the can down the road. Let me mention, too, the budgets for community health centers, which also expired last September 30. They serve more than 25 million patients and are the Nation's largest source of primary comprehensive care for people in need. Don't they deserve full respect from this Congress for the life-giving work they do? Mr. Speaker, I will close with this. Up to 10 million private pensions are at risk across our country through no fault of the workers. Congress must act. But where is the leadership? Our solution is the Butch Lewis Act, which ensures America's private pensioners receive the benefits they earned. So whether it is helping our retirees or caring for our children, time and again Republicans are ignoring real middle class Americans.

Ms. KAPTUR. Yet, the Republicans had no problem finding trillions for billionaires who end up funding their campaigns, too. This prescription simply is bad medicine for America, and I ask my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to defend our Nation's children. The GOP tax scam repeals the provision assuring all families have health insurance access. Nonpartisan experts estimate 13 million fewer Americans will be insured because of the Republican repeal, including millions of children. Yesterday I met with families from the Little Lobbyists. I was struck by Laura Hatcher's story of her child and her emotion when she learned about the passage of the Affordable Care Act. She burst into tears. She knew her son, who has cerebral palsy, could gain insurance with no fear of discrimination due to preexisting conditions. Ms. Hatcher urged yesterday that America must turn from its destructive and immoral path. She said: We are here to show what access to affordable, quality healthcare and programs like Medicaid mean for our families. These programs that the Republican Congress intends to cut to fund tax breaks to wealthy heirs and corporations are the difference between our children having a future or being forced back into institutions reminiscent of a Dickens novel. This is wrong. Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress were elected to protect and defend the American people, not put families like the Hatchers at risk because of the Republican's billionaire tax bill. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record Laura Hatcher's remarks: Laura Hatcher Remarks Thank you Leader Pelosi for inviting the Little Lobbyists here today to speak on behalf of families of children with complex medical needs. It's the holidays and the Muppet version of ``A Christmas Carol'' has been on repeat at my house. We're all big Muppet fans and my 11-year-old son Simon loves music, silliness, and a sweet story. I also think another reason Simon likes the movie so much is because he identifies with the character ``Tiny Tim.'' It's easy to see the resemblance. Like Tim, Simon is sweet and kind, he loves Christmas, he even sits by the fireplace and sings sometimes. Dickens doesn't identify Tiny Tim's diagnosis, but I imagine he might have had cerebral palsy like Simon. Simon has trouble walking and like Tim, he wears braces to support his legs. Though I miss him being little enough to carry on my shoulders the way Bob Cratchit carries Tiny Tim, Simon still loves to be held and hugged. And I do hug him all the time, as often as I can. Because, like the Cratchits, due to another rare disease we don't yet understand, we Hatchers don't know how long we'll have Simon with us. I also find it's strikingly easy to draw another analogy between ``A Christmas Carol'' (Muppet version included), and what's happening in our lives right now. In the story, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is warned that his decisions have far-reaching consequences that impact many people. The same can be said of the decisions being made by Congress today. The choices they're making, like whether or not to pass this tax bill, have far reaching consequences for us all. It is for this reason my family has been coming to Capitol Hill with the Little Lobbyists since July. Our government seemed to turn away from protecting people with disabilities and complex medical needs, like my little boy, and began trying to take away the legal protections and programs my son's life and my family's future depend on. Lately it seems like everything is under threat--accessibility, education, and health care. It was less than 10 years ago that the passage of the Affordable Care Act made sure that people with preexisting conditions, like my Simon, would always have the right to health care. It promised families like mine could not be cut off by insurers and forced into bankruptcy because our child's health care was just too expensive. It expanded Medicaid, including waiver programs, so more kids like Simon can have access to the therapy, health care, and inclusion programs they need to survive and thrive in their communities. I remember the exact moment it passed--I was in the grocery store and I burst into tears of relief when my husband texted me with the news. After years of worrying every single day about how we'd be able to care for our sweet boy in the future, it finally seemed like things were going to be okay. Living with that knowledge has been a huge gift for a family like ours, who routinely deal with life and death situations most families can't imagine. But since this summer there have been multiple attempts to repeal the ACA, including as a part of this Tax Bill. Non- partisan experts have told us that 13 million people will lose access to health insurance if it passes. Once the ACA is weakened, protection for people with pre-existing conditions will become too costly to afford. Very soon, I could once again be facing a future where I don't know how I'll be able to care for my child. This is a thought I simply find too difficult to bear. And all of this is happening against the advice of experts. Without the input of those it will impact. It makes one wonder who our government is listening to, if not us. According to lobbying disclosure forms, this tax bill was written with the input of over 6,000 (real, not little) lobbyists. Some representatives have even said publicly that their donors have told them to ``get it done, or else.'' Or else. We parents of medically complex kids understand consequences. We know what will happen if this tax bill passes, if our country does not turn from this destructive and immoral path. And so, here we are. We are the ghosts of ``Christmas present.'' We are here to show legislators what access to affordable, quality health care and programs like Medicaid mean for our families. These programs, that Congress intends to cut to fund tax breaks to wealthy heirs and corporations, are literally the difference between our children having a future in their homes and communities, or being forced back into institutions reminiscent of a Dickens' novel. This is wrong. We're also here to show everyone that kids with complex medical needs and disabilities are just kids. They love to play, they love to learn, they love the Muppets. And as Americans they deserve to have a government that protects them. Today, as a mother and as a voice of conscience, I'm asking everyone that can hear me that can see these children--please protect them. Help us make sure that Christmases yet to come are even more joyful than those past. God bless us, everyone.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as Republicans rammed through their tax gravy train for billionaires, we learned of another carve-out to megainvestors in real estate. This carve-out allows real estate businesses to take advantage of a new tax break, which was parachuted into the Senate bill to swing Republican votes, like Senator Bob Corker. Drain the swamp? The Republicans are laughing all the way to the bank. A tax expert at Boston College said: This is a big windfall for real estate developers like Donald Trump. So let me ask: Where's the windfall for the middle class? Where is the guarantee that those investors who make out big time are going to invest their money here in the United States of America and stop shipping our jobs overseas? Where is the guarantee for better wages? We have seen this movie before. Cut taxes for the rich and the economy grows? Well, that didn't happen under the Bush tax cuts. President John Kennedy said: ``If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.'' Mr. Speaker, this Republican tax scam locks in 83 percent of the breaks in favor of the richest among us, but a day of reckoning is coming November 2018.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman and ranking member of the Financial Services Committee for this very important Special Order and for her incredible work in assuring justice in our country on so many, many fronts. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight because of deep concern regarding our Republican colleagues on the Judiciary Committee who are attempting to kick the legs out from under Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's meddling in our elections last year. Yes, they called Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to testify on whether bias has tainted that investigation. You know what is interesting about this? All of the intelligence agencies of our country agree that there was more than meddling in last year's elections. I actually pray for Robert Mueller every night because what the involvement of Russia in our elections has meant, you know, that's not a country that really welcomes debate and open conversation. They kill their enemies. Robert Mueller is going to get at the very core of what Russia is doing not just in our country, but what it will instruct us Russia is doing in Europe and many other places around the world. I listened to some of our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee today, and I just want to put this on the record: Robert Mueller has given his life to this country through his entire years of service. I have never personally sat to dinner with this man or I don't think I have even shaken his hand, but I admire him for his true patriotism. I watched some of the individuals on the Judiciary Committee today and wondered if they knew that he had been in the Marine Corps during Vietnam. He actually rose to the level of captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with the Combat V for victory. He is the recipient of the Purple Heart. He was a Navy and Marine Corps captain and got the Commendation Medal for his valor in combat. How many of those individuals questioning his integrity can even compare to that with their little fingernail? Combat Action Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross. That was his early career. As an attorney, he went into service to our country as an assistant U.S. district attorney on one coast, and then on the other coast as U.S. district attorney. He is very evenhanded, and he worked his way up then in the Justice Department, rising to the level of Deputy Attorney General. He had been an Assistant Attorney General. His entire life has been spent in dangerous jobs. To take on Russia, you put your own life in someone else's hands, actually. I can read a list--but I won't tonight--of all of the leaders and rising leaders of countries that wish to be free that Russia has summarily killed, for which there is no justice. Madam Speaker, I rise somewhat out of outrage tonight listening to some of our colleagues here who demanded that we disband Special Counsel Mueller's investigation. Counsel Mueller is a Republican. I should not like him for that reason, right, because I am a Democrat? But I know there is something bigger to him, and that is defending the American people against all enemies, foreign and domestic. He has put his life on the line since he was a teenager for this country. Our country was founded on the principle of equality under the law. Our democracy, in the safeguarding of those principles, depends on genuine free elections. Not only must we pass laws here that assure that, but they have to be enforced. We have to unequivocally confirm the truth behind the extent of Russian meddling in our election. That is what we need. We know they did. Now we want to know every piece of it. How did they hack those voting machines? How did they use special ads that appeared around the country targeted to special audiences? We have to restore the faith of the American people in their very vote in order to maintain this democratic republic. Throughout his career, Special Counsel Mueller has proven himself time and time and time and time again to be a man of integrity. I might say, this comes from a woman who tried to become an FBI agent when she was in college and was rejected not because she didn't have the academic abilities, but because in those days they didn't admit women to the FBI. Times have changed a lot, but I know that Robert Mueller is the best that America has. Due process is one of the most carefully guarded of our constitutional protections, and we must see this investigation through to its ultimate end. There can be no chicken hawks in this House or those who point fingers whose careers do not demonstrate the kind of patriotism Robert Mueller has demonstrated throughout his career. Madam Speaker, I was actually shocked at how the questioning went this afternoon without the kind of respect and understanding of what it takes to preserve a republic that is free and independent of outside meddling. I want to thank the gentlewoman for allowing me to speak. I am embarrassed at some of the questions that the Republican majority has been hammering over in the Judiciary Committee and some of the other committees as the investigation intensifies and becomes more complete. The American people have a right to know. I guess the question every American has to ask: In whose hands would you place your life? A man who has served this country, who is now, I believe, 73 years old--over 70 years old? He has proved everything, but he has proven also that he has been a total patriot. I would ask the same of those who so frivolously waste their words in efforts to try to suppress an investigation that we know is essential to the preservation of our vote and our freedoms.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge Americans to sign up for their health insurance by this Friday, at midnight, if they haven't already done so for the 2018 year. This Friday, December 15, is the deadline to sign up for open enrollment for them and for their family. If you don't do that, you won't have a chance, really, to buy that health insurance next year. If you haven't already bought your health insurance for 2018, to get details about available plans, please visit the website, healthcare.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596--that is healthcare.gov, or 1-800-318-2596. You will actually get to talk to a real person. In order to get in touch with someone local who can help you sign up for insurance in your own area, you call that same number, 1-800-318- 2596, or you can go to the website that is called localhelp.healthcare.gov--localhelp.healthcare.gov. Health insurance is vital. It can protect us from astronomical cost when a serious accident or illness occurs, because the average cost of a 3-day hospital stay is $30,000. A broken leg, on average, costs $7,500. Having a baby, on average, in States like Ohio, costs $6,000. Health insurance is your lifeline. It helps protect you and your family from unexpected costs and, frankly, possible bankruptcy, because over two-thirds of people in our country that go bankrupt do so because of health bills they can't pay. What happens is, if they have a house, they lose the house. It is confiscated to pay the medical bills. They lose their credit rating. It is a terrible thing that happens to people when they get sick, and it is just a roll of the dice on who is going to get cancer, who is going to get appendicitis, who is going to become ill, who is going to be hit in a hit-and-run accident around this country. Coverage choices are affordable on these exchanges, and, in many cases, financial help is available. During last year's enrollment period, believe it or not, 8 in 10 people qualified for financial help. For most people, that meant they could find insurance premiums for as little as $100 a month or less. For example, CareNet, a provider network in Ohio, recently helped to enroll a gentleman who has cancer and was previously uninsured. Can you imagine that? Who can afford these infusions? This man spent an entire year without oncology treatment and certainly needs multiple surgeries now. Because of the Affordable Care Act and through the help of CareNet, he found a plan that costs $100 a month. He thought he would have to pay much more, but he will now be able to begin treatment at the beginning of 2018. Thank God he got coverage. Actually, many working people can qualify for Medicaid. For example, a family of four earning $33,000 in Ohio can get coverage through Medicaid. Please know you can apply for and enroll in Medicaid at any time of the year. Even if you don't have health insurance, you should definitely look into that if you do not have health insurance. Every American is required to have health insurance through their employer--but a lot of employers don't provide it--through Medicare, Medicaid, or through purchase of plans on the individual marketplace. Health insurance provides you and your family with health security and piece of mind, paying costs when you need medical care. The marketplace provides access to quality and affordable health coverage, which requires insurers to cover certain benefits such as prescriptions, emergency care, mental healthcare, and preventive services. It is important to highlight that more than 68 million people rely on Medicaid, and 9 million children rely on the Children's Health Insurance Program. Now, Republicans in Congress have let the children's program lapse. Unfortunately, Federal funding for that program helps over 220,000 children in Ohio, and 73 days ago, the Republican Congress said: Sorry, America's children, we are going to put you on hold for the moment. Whether that program will be funded or not is all caught up in these end-of-year discussions that are occurring here at a very high level. America's children should be covered with insurance. The Republican-led Congress has also let Federal funding for community health centers, a resource critical to millions of our families, lapse also since September 30. They best restore that. Why hurt the American people? Why would you do that? Once again, please visit healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to sign up for your health insurance for 2018. Do what is responsible, and do what is lifegiving.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, include in the Record following article: [From the New York Times, Dec. 5, 2017] Russia Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C. (By Rebecca R. Ruiz and Tariq Panja) Lausanne, Switzerland.--Russia's Olympic team has been barred from the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The country's government officials are forbidden to attend, its flag will not be displayed at the opening ceremony and its anthem will not sound. Any athletes from Russia who receive special dispensation to compete will do so as individuals wearing a neutral uniform, and the official record books will forever show that Russia won zero medals. That was the punishment issued Tuesday to the proud sports juggernaut that has long used the Olympics as a show of global force but was exposed for systematic doping in previously unfathomable ways. The International Olympic Committee, after completing its own prolonged investigations that reiterated what had been known for more than a year, handed Russia penalties for doping so severe they were without precedent in Olympics history. The ruling was the final confirmation that the nation was guilty of executing an extensive state-backed doping program. The scheme was rivaled perhaps only by the notorious program conducted by East Germany throughout the 1960s, `70s and `80s. Now the sports world will wait to see how Russia responds. Some Russian officials had threatened to boycott if the I.O.C. delivered such a severe punishment. President Vladimir V. Putin seemed to predict a boycott of the Pyeongchang Games with a defiant dismissal of the doping scandal and a foreign policy in recent years that has centered on the premise that he has rescued Russia from the humiliation inflicted on it by the West after the collapse of the Soviet Union. His spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, said no boycott was under discussion before the announcement, however, and the news broke late in the evening in Moscow when an immediate official reaction was unlikely. In barring Russia's team, Olympic officials left the door open for some Russian athletes. Those with histories of rigorous drug testing may petition for permission to compete in neutral uniforms. A panel appointed by the International Olympic Committee will rule on each athlete's eligibility. Although it is unknown exactly how many will clear that bar, it is certain that the contingent from Russia will be depleted significantly. Entire sports--such as biathlon and cross-country skiing, in which Russia has excelled and in which its drug violations have been many--could be wiped out completely. Olympic officials made two seemingly significant concessions to Russia: Any of its athletes competing under a neutral flag will be referred to as Olympic Athletes from Russia. That is a departure from how the I.O.C. has handled neutral athletes in the past. For example, athletes from Kuwait, which was barred from the 2016 Summer Games, were identified as Independent Olympic Athletes last year in Rio de Janeiro. Olympics officials said they might lift the ban on Russia in time for the closing ceremony, suggesting the nation's flag could make a symbolic appearance in the final hours of the Pyeongchang Games. Thomas Bach, president of I.O.C., has said he was perturbed not only by Russia's widespread cheating but by how it had been accomplished: by corrupting the Olympic laboratory that handled drug testing at the Games, and on orders from Russia's own Olympic officials. ``This decision should draw a line under this damaging episode,'' Mr. Bach said at a news conference, noting that Alexander Zhukov, the president of Russia's Olympic Committee whom the I.O.C. suspended from its membership Tuesday, had issued an apology--something global regulators have long requested from the nation. In an elaborate overnight operation at the 2014 Sochi Games, a team assembled by Russia's sports ministry tampered with more than 100 urine samples to conceal evidence of top athletes' steroid use throughout the course of competition. More than two dozen Russian athletes have been disqualified from the Sochi standings as a result, and Olympic officials are still sorting through the tainted results and rescinding medals. At the coming Games, Mr. Bach said Tuesday, a special medal ceremony will reassign medals to retroactive winners from Sochi. But, in light of legal appeals from many of the Russian athletes who have been disqualified by the I.O.C., it is uncertain if all results from Sochi will be finalized in time. The Russian Olympic Committee was also fined $15 million on Tuesday, money that global officials said will be put toward drug-testing international athletes. [Read The Times's report that first laid out the details of Russia's doping scheme, and the exclusive story of a whistle- blower's personal diaries that were shared with investigators.] The punishment announced Tuesday resembles what antidoping regulators had lobbied for leading up to the 2016 Summer Games, where Russia was allowed to participate but in restricted numbers. It is likely to face a legal appeal from Russia's Olympic Committee. The decision was announced after top International Olympic Committee officials had met privately with Mr. Zhukov; Vitaly Smirnov, Russia's former sports minister who was last year appointed Mr. Putin to lead a national antidoping commission to redeem Russia's standing in global sports; and Evgenia Medvedeva, a two-time world skating champion. ``Everyone is talking about how to punish Russia, but no one is talking about how to help Russia,'' Mr. Smirnov said, sipping a hot beverage in the lobby of the Lausanne Palace Hotel before delivering his final appeal to officials. ``Of course we want our athletes there, and we want the Russian flag and anthem,'' he said. That appeal was rejected in light of the conclusions of Samuel Schmid, a former president of Switzerland whom the Olympic committee appointed last year to review the findings of a scathing investigation commissioned by the World Anti- Doping Agency. ``The analysis is clear and water-tight,'' Mr. Schmid said Tuesday. In a 30-page report, he affirmed the credibility of whistle-blowers and investigators who had followed their leads and evidence. Tuesday's penalty was in line with what had been advocated by two key whistle-blowers whose accounts upended Russia's standing in global sports over the last several years and were cited in Mr. Schmid's report: Grigory Rodchenkov, the chemist who spent 10 years as Russia's antidoping lab chief and was key to carrying out the cheating schemes in Sochi; and Vitaly Stepanov, a former employee of Russia's antidoping agency who married a runner for Russia's national team and was the first to speak publicly about the nation's institutionalized cheating. ``The world knows that hundreds of Olympic dreams have been stolen by the doping system in the country where I was born,'' Mr. Stepanov wrote in an affidavit submitted to the International Olympic Committee this fall. He had suggested banning Russia's Olympic Committee for two years, or until the nation's antidoping operations are recertified by regulators. Russia and its individual athletes are all but certain to miss the 2018 Paralympics given regulators' refusal to recertify the nation last month. ``The evidence is clear, that the doping system in Russia has not yet been truly reformed,'' Mr. Stepanov wrote. Dr. Rodchenkov is living in an undisclosed location in the United States under protection of federal authorities. In August, ``Icarus,'' a film detailing Dr. Rodchenkov's move to the United States and tell-all account, was released. In addition to sworn testimony and forensic evidence, Mr. Schmid cited the film as further evidence in his report. ``Russia's consistent denials lack any credibility, and its failure to produce all evidence in its possession only further confirms its high-level complicity,'' Jim Walden, a lawyer for Dr. Rodchenkov, said Tuesday. The Russian sports ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tuesday's decision could have consequences for another major sports event scheduled to be held in Russia, next year's $11 billion soccer World Cup. The nation's deputy prime minister, Vitaly Mutko, was Russia's top sports official during the 2014 Sochi Games and was directly implicated by Dr. Rodchenkov. As part of Tuesday's ruling, Mr. Mutko was barred for life from the Olympics. Mr. Mutko is also the chairman of the local organizing committee for the World Cup, but FIFA said in a statement Tuesday that the I.O.C.'s punishments for Olympic doping would have ``no impact'' on its preparations for the tournament, which begins in June.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the American public has caught on to our Republican colleagues' tax scam. They know their bill takes from our struggling middle class and rewards bountifully the billionaire class and transnational corporations--the very ones that will use the money to ship more of our jobs overseas. In fact, the only permanent tax giveaways this bill will cause are for big corporations. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates their bill will add $1 trillion additionally to our debt minimum, and that doesn't count the interest. This chart shows over time how much more of our gross domestic product--our economic prowess, what we produce every year in our country--is related to the national debt. The national debt has been exploding over time. Their bill makes it worse, not better. We should not so highly leverage our economy. Their bill flies in the face of fiscal responsibility, and to what end? The bill would decrease Federal revenue by a projected $5.5 trillion, tragically putting our national economic security at grave risk. What is put on the table for cuts? Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid--all on the chopping block. There is little in the Republican bill good for average Americans. With their legislation, our Republican colleagues will actually push America into deeper financial servitude to foreign investors buying our debt like China and Saudi Arabia. How does this make America great again? Foreign investors will be financing more and more of U.S. debt. This chart shows how much now is being financed by foreign interests. Way back, the American people used to buy Treasury securities, and we financed our own debt. But over time, what has happened is that because we were leveraging our economy too highly with debt--borrowed money-- foreign interests started to buy our securities. They now own nearly half. Do you know what? That means we owe not just the principal they have borrowed, but interest. So over time, the hole is being dug deeper, and foreign interests literally have now become the largest holder of U.S. debt. Under their scheme, foreign nations will snap up and buy more U.S. Treasury securities, and this will rob future investments that would benefit Americans because we are required to pay back not just the principal but the interest to foreign creditors. Imagine if that money that we are paying on interest to foreign creditors could actually be invested here in America through tax cuts that actually target middle class families to increase their buying power. But with this massive debt, the American Government is sliding on a slippery slope more beholden to foreign creditors, not the American people. China is now our largest foreign creditor. If you look at the debt that we owe, you will see China has been growing as an owner of the United States of America. Over time, they already own $1.2 trillion along with other Asian powers, or 19 percent of our foreign-owned debt. Our taxpayers are paying China principal plus interest--not a good formula for American independence. Yet China's authorities are not hesitant to undermine American interests starting with democracy itself. But on economic issues, they dump steel to such an excessive level on global markets that it has crushed our domestic steel industry. They manipulate their currency to advantage the yuan, and they continue to rob intellectual property from American companies and universities every day. Being in the pocket of China to finance our debt is not in America's interest. Other top countries buying U.S. debt include--get ready for this--the Cayman Islands with $260 billion, and India and Saudi Arabia with between $135 billion and $248 billion; and that is a conservative estimate. Even Russia--Russia--owns $86.2 billion of our debt--a country that interfered in our election process and in our closest allies in Europe's elections. America best be careful because we are ending up in foreign servitude through the ownership of the U.S. debt. Defeating the Republican tax plan is one way to start righting the ship of state.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the International Olympic Committee has banned Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics due to rampant and state- backed doping. The Olympic Committee says that Russia's scale of cheating is unprecedented. Unfortunately, this is yet another example that the enemy of democracy knows no limits under the Putin regime. Russia's Government and its corruption--some say depravity--is so pervasive that it even tarnishes the dignified and ancient tradition of the Olympic Games. Russia dishonors athletes around the world who make countless sacrifices and give their blood, sweat, and tears to compete. While this decision rightly penalizes Russia, Russia is looking ahead to host the 2018 World Cup in soccer. Putin will relish this global platform to spew out his propaganda to the world while thousands of Ukrainians are killed and millions more throughout central Europe are stifled under his repressive thumb. The global community must be on alert. We must stand for liberty. We must counter Russia's corruption, interference, and aggression in all its forms. As the 2018 World Cup nears, I call upon the international community to choose again an honorable field on which the world's athletes can compete. Mr. Speaker, I include in today's Record a news article from The New York Times dated December 5, 2017, titled ``Russia Banned from Winter Olympics by IOC.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Congresswoman Lowey from New York, for the phenomenal job that she has done this year, and commend Chairman Frelinghuysen for trying to herd cattle on a very vast range. Mr. Speaker, here we are again, mere hours away from a needless shutdown, a cliff created by the Republican majority. Already we are 3 months into the 2018 fiscal year, and Congress is no closer to finalizing one of our chief constitutional responsibilities, and that is funding the departments of our Nation to do their jobs. For a nation at war, the Department of Defense, the largest Department in this bill, can't let contracts because of this adolescent dallying by Congress. I rise with frustration today, as the Appropriations Committee's subcommittees did their job over the last year. They toiled away for months, chipping away in each subcommittee bill, but that proved to be a fruitless effort since we had no agreed upon budget caps within which to make those decisions, because the Republican majority produced no budget. There is simply no good reason why we are here again kicking decisions down the road, and for 2 weeks. Let me remind my colleagues, we were over 7 months late last fiscal year before we fully funded our government. This fits and starts, fits and starts surely is not what the American people deserve. For example, we know a million people, our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico, still don't have energy and power, and vast numbers lack access to fresh drinking water. We need that FEMA budget certain so contracts can be let for 2018. Federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program covering more than 220,000 children in Ohio expired 68 days ago.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, this disruption to those responsible for managing healthcare adds an unnecessary burden under the circumstances they confront daily. Many States are now preparing to shut down their CHIP program in case Congress doesn't act. How is that for a Christmas or Hanukkah present to the children of America? The Republican majority's priorities are out of line, and no leadership on budgetary caps, no leadership on working with Democrats to find common ground on funding priorities, no leadership to finalize government funding for the entire 2018 fiscal year, which began 3 months ago. Unacceptable. Instead, Republicans choose to avoid doing what is critical. Rather than pass a tax bill that rewards the wealthiest in our country and wreaks havoc on America's hardworking middle class families, they ought to do the dutiful work of managing the funds to operate the departments that serve the people of the United States. The American people are worried, Mr. Speaker, and the majority has abdicated their leadership. I urge my colleagues to keep their powder dry on any hasty vote on this bill, and demand the majority come to the table to finalize the fiscal year 2018 spending plan.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the American public has caught on to our Republican colleagues' tax scam. They know this bill takes from the struggling middle class and bountifully rewards the billionaire class and transnational corporations that ship our jobs overseas. In fact, the only permanent tax giveaways in their bill are for rich corporations and those lovely Wall Street banks that care so much for the American people. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates a $1 trillion addition to our national debt as a result of this bill. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 80 percent of Americans, those making less than $100,000 a year, will see a tax increase under their plan. But you know what? They will wait until after next year's election to lock it in. There is very little in this bill good for average Americans. Our Republican colleagues are actually pushing America into deeper financial servitude to foreign investors from places like China and Saudi Arabia who are going to buy the Treasury debt securities, and our taxpayers will end up having to pay them principal plus billions and billions and billions in interest. How does that servitude sound like making America great again, putting us in hock in greater and greater amounts to foreign interests?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a biography and list of accomplishments of August ``Gus'' Schumacher. Additionally, I include a copy of the Washington Post obituary article of Mr. Schumacher. August ``Gus'' Schumacher--Biography and Accomplishments: (Dec. 4, 1939-Sept. 24, 2017) biographical August Schumacher Jr. was born in Lincoln, Mass., on Dec. 4, 1939. --Fourth-generation farmer. --His father was one of the largest parsnip growers in Massachusetts. --Gus grew up on a farm in Lexington, Massachusetts. --His grandfather and great-grandfather were farmers in New York City. --They grew winter vegetables in glass-enclosed hothouses. Schumacher graduated from Harvard University in 1961 and attended the London School of Economics. according to joel berg, ceo of hunger free america ``I had the high honor of working with, and learning from, Gus at USDA during the Clinton Administration. He was a giant who always pushed the envelope to get better programs and more social justice, across America and the globe. He was a driving force in creating the first federal program to enable seniors to obtain extra produce at farmers' markets. He was also the spark for the Dole-McGovern program, through which the U.S. enabled developing countries to start school meals program. When the stakes were high for people in need, Gus didn't take `no'--even repeatedly--for an answer. He kept pushing for new ways to get bureaucracies to aid people in need. Perhaps his most important legacy was pioneering ways to reduce hunger and aid community food systems and, at the same time, transcending the stale debate over whether we should focus on just one of those goals. After leaving government service, he could have taken a well-earned retirement. Instead he upped his work to make fresh, healthy food affordable and available for everyone. As a person, he will be deeply missed. But his legacy has improved the world forever.'' world bank Took a job in the mid-1960s as a food project manager and agriculture development officer for the World Bank. He spent the next two decades concentrating on technical appraisals for agricultural-related loans in countries including China, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Developed livestock operations in western Brazil, lent assistance to herders in Kenya and projects in the Kosovo Province of what was then Yugoslavia. After more than five years as agriculture commissioner, he returned to the World Bank to help restructure the farm sector in Central Europe after the breakup of the Soviet Union. commissioner of food and agriculture for massachusetts Between 1984 and 1990 when Mr. Schumacher was agriculture chief for Massachusetts, he created market coupon programs for seniors and low-income families with children. Also served as the Massachusetts commissioner of food and agriculture; he was appointed agriculture commissioner in Massachusetts by Governor Michael Dukakis. In 1992, Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Chet Atkins, of Massachusetts, authorized the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program into the federal budget, and today it is a almost a $6 billion program that allows every WIC mother and child to get vouchers for fresh produce at farmers markets and supermarkets. Gus raised $17,000 from the state and the Chiles Foundation to create a Massachusetts pilot program that gave $10 worth of produce coupons to WIC recipients to use at area farmers markets. usda undersecretary of agriculture USDA undersecretary of agriculture for farm and foreign agricultural services from 1997 to 2001. Gus found that the commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act of 1935's (CCC) stated purpose was the ``promotion and marketing of American agricultural products,'' not just large commodity crops. Gus told the USDA lawyers that he wanted to create a market nutrition program for seniors using the authority of the CCC. ``They looked at me like I just jumped off the fifth floor,'' he recalled. ``They said, no, that's not normal. I said, guys, it doesn't say wheat, corn, and cotton. `Just write me a memo so I don't get indicted' ''. In 2000, the program began with $10 million in funding, and is now funded at $22 million annually. In 1997 he became U.S. Undersecretary for Farm, Foreign, and Agricultural Services in the Clinton Administration, and he wanted to try to install a program for low-income seniors at the federal level like the WIC Market Nutrition Program. On his watch the state Agriculture Department launched ``The Fresh Connection,'' a newsletter and free service that listed the sources and seasonal availability of foods. senior advisor--world bank Schumacher directed World Bank teams involved in major agricultural and forest sector re-structuring of post- Communist Poland. Project funding of $450 million was disbursed under Poland Agricultural Sector Adjustment Loan ($300 million) and Forest Development Project ($150 million). He also led teams that developed the first Global Environment Fund (GEF). Which also produced four other successful GEF biodiversity protection projects in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Belarus and Ukraine. wholesome wave (ww) Since 2008 he had served as founding board chairman of Wholesome Wave in Bridgeport, Conn., which seeks to increase access to affordable, locally grown fruits and vegetables. In 2012, Wholesome Wave funding jumped to $2.38 million for 306 markets and 54 partners in 24 states and D.C.--money WW uses to match the SNAP benefits that farmers markets would receive were they able to register themselves for EBT card use. Unlike now-defunct paper vouchers, EBT cards cannot be used at many farmers markets; most lack the equipment to process EBT purchases. Due to this, by 2004, SNAP spending at farmers markets had plummeted to $2 million annually, from $82 million in 1990. In order to accept electronic benefits, a retailer--whether it was a grocery store or a farmers market--needed authorization from the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which authorization is hard for small businesses like farmers markets to receive. However, this authorization is recognized for its success in preventing EBT voucher fraud. WW circumvents this bureaucracy by using the aforementioned funds to create a match program for farmers markets similar to that used by the government through the SNAP program. semi-official In California, non-profit Roots of Change, with grant writing assistance from Gus for $1,500,000 for marketing support of incentives, launched a program called Market Match. The simultaneous appearance--and success--of double- your money markets drew national media and grant-makers' attention and laid the foundation for rapid expansion. By 2009, Wholesome Wave granted $330,000, up from just $38,000 the year before, to shoppers at 40 farmers markets in 10 states plus the District of Columbia. Over the years, he wrote books and journal articles, and taught agribusiness as a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School. In 2007, Schumacher, along with Cathy Bertini, former Director of the World Food Programme and Professor Robert Thompson, Gardner Professor of Agricultural Economics at Illinois, oversaw the preparation of the Task Force Report of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, titled ``Modernizing America's Food and Farm Policy: Vision for a New Direction''. In 2013, Mr. Schumacher received the James Beard Foundation's Leadership Award for ``his lifelong efforts to improve access to fresh local food in underserved communities.'' In Boston, the Globe wrote about a time several years ago when Mr. Schumacher, dining out at tony Hamersley's Bistro, sat down at a table, reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out a shiny, ripe red tomato. He asked for a serrated knife, olive oil and a plate, then proceeded to make himself a salad. ``Who's this guy who's making his own salad?'' chef- owner Gordon Hamersley wanted to know. His own tomatoes came from California. Where had Mr. Schumacher's come from? ``Twenty minutes from your doorstep,'' Mr. Schumacher said. miscellaneous He chastised breakfast diners for serving English jellies instead of American ones. Mr. Schumacher made personal deliveries of Asian greens that included pea tendrils, Chinese chive blossoms and Cambodian spearmint to the Washington restaurant TenPenh. For fun, Mr. Schumacher restored cider mills. Schumacher was a member of the 21st National Academy of Sciences. [From The Washington Post, Sept. 27] Gus Schumacher, a Force in the Farm-to-Table Movement, Dies at 77 (By Bart Barnes) Gus Schumacher, a fourth-generation farmer and third- ranking official at the Agriculture Department, told the story of his epiphany about food hundreds of times. It was the end of a summer afternoon in 1980 at a farmers market in Boston, and he was helping his brother load up his truck with unsold produce grown on their family property in Lexington, Mass. The bottom fell out of a box of pears, scattering the fruit into the gutter. There, a young mother with two little boys eagerly gathered them into the folds of her unhemmed shirt. She was a single mom, she explained, dependent on food stamps, which back then made fresh fruit and vegetables prohibitively expensive for her. The pear spill was a bonanza. For Mr. Schumacher, he would say later, it was a seminal moment in his life. He grew up on a farm, and it had never occurred to him that parents would find it hard to provide their children with fresh fruit and vegetables. He would change it, he told himself. Mr. Schumacher--who in a 50-year career also served as the Massachusetts commissioner of food and agriculture, a food project manager and agriculture development officer for the World Bank and finally a co-founder of a nonprofit group that tries to improve affordable access to fresh, locally grown food--died Sept. 24 at his home in Washington. The cause was an apparent heart attack, said his wife, Susan Holaday Schumacher. He was 77. Since that farmers-market epiphany, Mr. Schumacher helped make food assistance programs more generous in allowances for fresh fruit and vegetables. He also became a force in the farm-to-table movement, encouraging restaurants and retail stores to buy produce locally. In 2013, Mr. Schumacher received the James Beard Foundation's Leadership Award for ``his lifelong efforts to improve access to fresh local food in underserved communities.'' In Boston, the Globe wrote about a time several years ago when Mr. Schumacher, dining out at tony Hamersley's Bistro, sat down at a table, reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out a shiny, ripe red tomato. He asked for a serrated knife, olive oil and a plate, then proceeded to make himself a salad. ``Who's this guy who's making his own salad?'' chef-owner Gordon Hamersley wanted to know. His own tomatoes came from California. Where had Mr. Schumacher's come from? ``Twenty minutes from your doorstep,'' Mr. Schumacher said. That scene, or a version of it, would play over and over again between 1984 and 1990 when Mr. Schumacher was agriculture chief for Massachusetts. He was always asking chefs whether they knew any farmers who could supply them food directly. He created market coupon programs for seniors and low-income families with children. He chastised breakfast diners for serving English jellies instead of American ones. ``Gus was instrumental in bringing two seemingly obvious groups together who never talked to each other--chefs and farmers,'' Hamersley told the Globe. ``He's basically the architect of chefs featuring locally grown produce. As always, there was a team of people with him, but he was sitting in the chair.'' The Washington Post reported on Mr. Schumacher's work with refugee and immigrant farmers all over the United States. He encouraged them to grow and market their native vegetables, such as amaranth. From New England, the New York Times reported, Mr. Schumacher made personal deliveries of Asian greens that included pea tendrils, Chinese chive blossoms and Cambodian spearmint to the Washington restaurant TenPenh. August Schumacher Jr. was born in Lincoln, Mass., on Dec. 4, 1939. He grew up on a farm in Lexington, and his father was one of the largest parsnip growers in Massachusetts. His grandfather and great-grandfather were farmers in New York City. They grew winter vegetables in glass-enclosed hothouses. Mr. Schumacher graduated from Harvard University in 1961 and attended the London School of Economics. Over his career, he had a variety of consultancies, served as Massachusetts agriculture chief from 1984 to 1990 and was the USDA undersecretary of agriculture for farm and foreign agricultural services from 1997 to 2001. Since 2008 he had served as founding board chairman of Wholesome Wave in Bridgeport, Conn., which seeks to increase access to affordable, locally grown fruits and vegetables. His first marriage, to Barbara Kerstetter, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 25 years, Susan Holaday Schumacher of Washington; a stepdaughter, Valarie Karasz of Brooklyn; and two grandchildren. A stepson, Andrew Karasz, died earlier this month.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American, a man named Gus Schumacher, a man whose enduring legacy and indefatigable work ethic in the field of agriculture improved the lives of untold millions of people in our country and those America touches around the world--yes, farmers from all walks of life, including the smallest producers, not just the biggest, including people who are hungry. I remember one time Gus spoke with me about going through nursing homes in western Iowa and how America had to do a better job of reaching places that were forgotten, places that you would not expect to find hungry people. Gus' work touched people across a broad variety of pursuits. He wasn't limited by the false urban-rural divide that our country lives with, and he touched citizens across the income spectrum. It was with deep sadness that we learned of the news that Gus, a former Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for both Democratic and Republican Presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush, and a founding board chair of an organization called Wholesome Wave, passed away unexpectedly last month. A few days before his death, he had come to our office offering his help to the Congress on the new farm bill. He cared so much about people. He cared so much about nutrition. He understood the foundational power of agriculture in our Nation, so blessed with the resources to feed ourselves and the world if we put our shoulder to the wheel. Simply, Gus loved and lived agriculture. He had experience from the time he was a child that directed him toward farming and all of its array. The farmers market was in his DNA. He was born in Massachusetts on a farm in Lexington and bridged the divide between city and rural dwellers. This approach was the American way, the American family way. His grandfather and great-grandfather farmed, get this, in New York City, where they grew vegetables in enclosed greenhouses and sold what they grew at city markets. He knew agriculture from the inside, even inside a place like New York City, where now, with modern technology, we are growing lettuce on walls as high as the ceiling of this Chamber in which I speak. When Gus was young, he was loading up his brother's truck, and a box of pears fell off the truck and scattered all over the ground. Two young boys and their mother ran up, and they began picking up the pears. The mother explained that she was on food stamps and unable to afford fresh produce for her kids. Gus' heart broke, and his life's work began and he never stopped. Gus worked tirelessly to support local farming and local agriculture, and I cannot underline local, local, local enough. He became an American force in the farm-to-table movement, encouraging restaurants and stores to buy produce locally. He saw communities shattered across our country when that local production food chain was broken, and he used his last ounce of strength to reconnect it. Most recently, in preparation for the upcoming farm bill, he selflessly helped create provisions in H.R. 3699, the new Urban Agriculture Production Act, a bill that really focuses on producing, in some of the most forgotten places, with innovative farming practices, including in urban food deserts. He never stopped trying. I loved him because he loved farmers markets, and I love farmers markets. Nothing creates community more than growing and feeding the local population. As we move to such large institutions that seem almost unapproachable by the average American, Gus was always bringing power back to people. He expanded programs to include veterans, including the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, as we attempt to pass a new farm bill, making sure that our veterans are included in that extraordinarily popular coupon program. Gus was humble, kind, visionary, passionate, compassionate, generous, and dedicated, and a man for all seasons. In closing, let me say Gus Schumacher will always be remembered as a gentle giant who packed a powerful punch. His impact will not be forgotten, and his legacy will live on and carry his dreams forward. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you, I am going to devote every ounce of energy I have in the new farm bill to making his dreams come true.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, Ranking Member Richard Neal, for his exceptional leadership in trying to fix this horrendous bill. Madam Speaker, the GOP-led tax and deficit disaster rewards the big corporations and billionaires. It will accelerate job outsourcing. Indeed, 50 percent of the tax benefits go to the top 1 percent. This tax scam locks in--get this--a $621,500 tax bonus to each billionaire in the billionaire class, the top one-tenth of 1 percent. Do you really think they need it? Meanwhile, this tax scam raids money from the pockets of 38 million middle class taxpayers, likely those caring for their sick relatives or trying to help their kids in college. Do you really think the one-tenth of 1 percent need more? Money-trading Wall Street megabanks like Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, already making billions, will get more tax bonuses courtesy of the middle class.