Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. This job outsourcing tax bill of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich, well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck, and this duck belongs in a swamp, which voters may have thought they were draining in the last election. Well, folks, this bill makes the swamp wider and deeper, and the fat ducks will be even fatter and happier in it. I urge my colleagues to vote for the middle class, not the billionaire donor class. Vote ``no.'' Drain the swamp.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a freedom fighter, a beloved mother of her embattled country, Ukraine, Amina Okuyeva. Amina Okuyeva was killed on October 30 in a cowardly act. Hitmen fired on Amina and her husband, Adam Osmayev, from behind bushes as they drove by. Amina was struck in the head. The world lost a brave and beautiful soul, but her loss will not be in vain. Born in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa, Amina was a mother, a medical surgeon, a Ukrainian police lieutenant, and a Muslim activist known for her stance on equal rights for men and women in uniform. She was a born leader. At the start of the Euromaidan movement, Amina joined the peaceful protest in Ukraine in the bitter cold, a protest against repression. To show solidarity, she lived with her husband on the streets in a tent. When Russia illegally invaded Crimea in eastern Ukraine, Amina was the first woman to join the Kyiv-2 volunteer battalion. She was awarded the Hero of Ukraine Medal to honor her bravery at the battle of Debatsevo in the grizzly fight against Russian aggression. She fought valiantly towards progress and against oppression. Her bravery symbolizes the extraordinary strength of Ukrainian women as the fountainhead of that society, holding the country together during significant duress. With her assassination, the world has yet again witnessed how the enemy of democracy will stop at nothing to silence those who stand for freedom and justice. Amina had been a target before due to her unyielding patriotism. A failed attempt occurred in June when an assassin, pretending to be a journalist, shot at her. Tragically, evil persisted, and on Monday, October 30, it succeeded in snuffing out the beauty of Amina and wounded her husband, but her spirit endures larger than life itself. Amina is one of many fallen victims to Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine and its clandestine efforts to snuff out championships of freedom. The list includes Nikolai Andrushchenko, Nikolai Volkov, Denis Voronenkov, and numerous other valiant souls who placed their lives forward in liberty's struggle. I include in the Record an extensive list of lives purged by Kremlin- related assassinations. List of Kremlin-Related Assassinations or Attacks ``Two common causes of death for contemporary Russians are heart attacks and falling to one's end from great heights. In some cases, these fatal events actually even have something to do with high cholesterol or tragic mishaps.``--journalist Michael Weiss, Daily Beast 2017 April 19--Nikolai Andrushchenko, a 73-year-old Russian journalist who openly criticized President Vladimir Putin's administration died just over a month after he was attacked and beaten by unknown aggressors. The Novy Peterburg founder died in a St. Petersburg hospital from injuries attributed the 9 March 2017 attack. Andrushchenko, a former St. Petersburg city council member, was placed in a medical coma after suffering major blunt trauma to his head, but never recovered. March 27--Nikolai Volkov, head of the Russian Interior Ministry's construction department was shot dead in Moscow in a residential neighborhood near his home at 10.30pm. A man was seen grabbing Vokov's bag and then shooting him before fleeing. Police, who stated that the body was riddled with bullets, also stated that they believed the motive to be robbery, further suggesting that they did not ``believe'' that the killing ``was directly related'' to Volkov's job. March 23--Denis Voronenkov, 45, Russian politician who fled to Ukraine gunned down outside hotel in Kyiv. March 21--Nikolai Gorokhov, 53, was thrown/pushed head first from fourth story window. Russian security services claim, ``he fell'' trying to move a bathtub that was being lifted over a balcony. Experts have replied that when people ``fall'' from a balcony accidentally, it is almost never headfirst. Unidentified workers were on the balcony. Gorokhov represented Sergei Magnitsky, a fellow Russian lawyer who exposed Russia's largest ever tax fraud. Gorokhov was set to testify in Moscow against investigator in Magnitsky case. He was also consultant for Preet Bharara's anti-Russian mob case in New York. He remains in intensive care, in a coma, with severe head injuries. March 16--Yevgeny Khamaganov, 35, died in Buryatia from injuries (blunt force head trauma) suffered from when he was attacked on March 10 after reporting on corruption in Siberia. March 2--Alex Oronov, 69, died of unexplained circumstances, apparently a heart attack. His daughter is married to brother of Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime ``consigliere.'' Ukrainian parliamentarian Andrii Artemenko asked Oronov to set up a meeting in late January with Michael Cohen, where they were joined by former Trump Organization employee Felix Sater, a known mobster and supposed FBI informant. Oronov/Artemenko presented Mr. Cohen with a peace plan for settling territorial disputes between Russia and Ukraine, giving full control of Crimea to Putin, as well as allegedly compromising information on Petro Poroshenko, that they hoped would force Poroshenko's resignation. Mr. Cohen took their plan and their compromising information and forwarded to then-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. February 20--Amb. Vitaly Churkin, 64, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, died of an apparent heart attack; autopsy proved inconclusive. February 2--Journalist and opposition politician Vladimir Kara Murza became violently ill and temporarily paralyzed for 2nd time in less than two years due to poisoning. VKM father, in an apparent effort to save his son from Russian authorities, continues to deny that he was poisoned. However, VKM and VKM wife state that it was purposefully effort to poison. VKM wife stated that in 2015 after murder of Nemtsov, a VKM colleague, Russian special services did not want to outright kill her husband with the first poisoning did not want to kill him, only ``frighten him and destroy him slowly with illness.'' However, now they believe they did want to kill him and effort failed since VKM was taken to doctor immediately after showing symptoms. VKM left Russia on Feb. 19 and is now in the U.S. Recently testified at a congressional hearing on the Russian opposition. January 26--Amb. Alexander Kadakin, 67, Russian envoy to India, died after a short illness. There was nothing ``special or extraordinary'' about the circumstances that led to his death said his assistant. January 25--Russian newspaper Kommersant reported the arrests of three men: Sergei Mikhailov, who heads the Center for Information Security, an arm of the Russian intelligence agency FSB; and Ruslan Stoyanov, a senior researcher with Kaspersky Lab, the computer security company. Both men were last seen the first week of December when in a Stalin-style touch, a bag was suddenly thrown over Mikhailov's head during a meeting of fellow intelligence officers, and he was dragged out. Mikhailov has not been seen since. And is now almost certainly dead. Sergei Mikhailo was believed to have been a U.S. intelligence asset within the Russian government. The third arrest was of Dmitry Dokuchayev, a hacker known by the name ``Forb.'' January 9--Amb. Andrey Malanin, 54, Russian envoy in Greece, was found dead in his apartment in Athens on bedroom floor. Greek police stated that ``at first sight'' it appears he died suddenly from natural causes. No autopsy was performed, although that is standard procedure when a diplomat dies. 2016 December 26--Oleg Erovinkin, 61, Russian intelligence official found dead in the backseat of his car parked on the streets of Moscow. Russian government agencies have not released an official cause of death. He was a former general in the FSB and served as chief-of-staff to Igor Sechin, the president of state-owned oil giant Rosneft. Russia watchers have speculated that he might have been a source of information in the 35-page dossier that detailed alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia. December 20--Amb. Andrey Karlov, 62, Russian ambassador to Turkey, fatally shot in the back in Ankara. The shooter, a Turkish police officer, shouted ``do not forget Syria'' during the assassination. December 20--Petr Polshikov, 56, a senior Russian diplomat, was shot to death in his Moscow home, Polshikov's wife came home and found him in their bedroom with a pillow over his face. Underneath the pillow, police found Polshikov with a head wound. Russian Foreign Ministry said Polshikov's death was likely an accident and had nothing to do with his official government duties. November 8--Sergei Krivov, 63, Russian official in NYC dies on U.S. Election Day. Kirvov worked for the FSB, his cover in the U.S. at the Russian consulate was ``security guard.'' On November 8, NYC police received a 911 call from the Russian consulate. Emergency responders declared him dead at the scene. Krivovhad served in the consulate as duty commander involved with security affairs. Russian consular officials first said Krivov fell from the roof. Then, they said he died of a heart attack. The initial police report filed on the day of the incident said Krivov was found ``with an unknown trauma to the head.'' After conducting an autopsy, New York City Medical Examiner ruled that Krivov died from bleeding in the chest area. August--The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that Russian runner Yulia Stepanova's online doping management account had been illegally accessed. The doping scandal, for which she blew off the lid, rocked sport and cost over 100 Russians their place at the Rio Games. The Russian runner says she fears for her life and has been forced to move after hackers tried to find her location. Stepanova has been in hiding in the United States with her husband Vitaly, a former Russian anti-doping official, after giving evidence that the Russian government for years facilitated widespread cheating across nearly all Olympic sports. July--Interfax news agency reported that Aleksandr Poteyev, 64, an intelligence officer accused of defecting and betraying a ring of Russian spies living undercover in American suburbs, had died in the United States. However, the U.S. has not confirmed these reports. Poteyev exposed Anna Chapman and gang of 10, after defecting and entered witness protection. February 14--Nikita Kamaev, 52, a former executive director of the Russian anti-doping agency died suddenly apparently of a heart attack according to TASS. He planned to write a book on drug use in sports Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported. February 3--Vyacheslav Sinev, 52, a former general director, Russian anti-doping agency died suddenly. Official cause of death was never released. January 14--Grigory Rodchenkov, 58, the director who ran the laboratory that handled testing for thousands of Russian Olympians and who developed a three-drug cocktail of banned substances that he mixed with liquor and provided to dozens of Russian athletes, helping to facilitate one of the most elaborate--and successful--doping ploys in sports history, fled to the U.S., seeking asylum and protective custody. Within the next month, two of his colleagues died. January 4--Col. Gen. Igor Sergun, 59, the head of the GRU (Russia's military intelligence directorate), who has long done secretive dirty work at the order of the Kremlin in the war against Ukraine died suddenly. No information provided as to cause of death. 2015 December 27--Major General Aleksandr Shushukin, 52, deputy chief of staff of the Russian paratrooper forces and who led the Russian military invasion in Crimea died suddenly. Blood clots to the heart, Kremlin announced. November 5--Mikhail Lesin, 57, found dead in his Dupont Circle hotel room in Washington DC. A year later, in October 2016, the Washington DC medical examiner's office confirmed that former Russian press minister died of ``blunt force trauma to the head'' and also suffered injuries to his neck, torso, arms and legs caused by falls, however determined the cause of death to be accidental due to extreme inebriation. Lesin founded the television network Russia Today (RT). The Daily Beast reports that before his death, Lesin was considering making a deal with the FBI to protect himself from corruption charges. Lesin had been at the heart of political life in Russia and would have known a lot about the inner workings of the rich and powerful. May--Vladimir Kara Marza, opposition journalist, deputy of Open Russia poisoned for the first time. February--Boris Nemtsov--just hours after urging the public to join a march against Russia's military involvement in Ukraine, Nemtsov was shot four times in the back by an unknown assailant within view of the Kremlin. Putin took ``personal control'' of the investigation into Nemtsov's murder, but the killer remains at large. 2013 March 23--Billionaire Boris Berezovsky, instrumental in Putin's rise to power, had a falling out with Putin which led to his self-exile in the United Kingdom, where he vowed to bring down the president. Berezovsky was found dead inside a locked bathroom at his home in the United Kingdom, a noose around his neck, in what was at first deemed a suicide. However, the coroner's office could not determine the cause of death. 2012 Alexander Perepilichny, 44, a former member of the Klyuev Group, dropped dead while jogging in his adoptive home of Surrey, England. There was no cause of death stated, but the assumption by the British coroner's initial finding was that nothing looked suspicious, even though Perepilichny was a healthy 44-year-old with no known chronic or debilitating ailments. Then Monique Simmonds, a researcher at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, hired by the coroner at the behest of Perepilichny's life insurance company, uncovered traces of a rare and toxic plant, gelsemium, in the victim's stomach. Gelsemium, as it turns out, does not grow in the verdant climes of Surrey. It is only found in China, where it is a favored poison of assassins. Russian hitmen, too, have been known to access the flower's quiet, lethal capability. At the time of his death, Perepilichny had been helping the Swiss government locate and freeze chunks of the missing $230 million, some of which, the U.S. government concluded, wound up in Manhattan real estate and American banks. 2009 November 16--Sergei Magnitsky, anti-corruption attorney died in police custody in Moscow detention center after allegedly being brutally beaten, then denied medical care. He had been working for British-American businessman William Browder to investigate a massive tax fraud case. Magnitsky was allegedly arrested after uncovering evidence suggesting that police officials were behind the fraud. July 15--Natalya Estemirova was kidnapped outside her home, shot several times--including a point-blank shot in the head--and dumped in the nearby woods. A journalist who investigated abductions and murders that had become commonplace in Chechnya where pro-Russian security forces waged a brutal crackdown against Islamic militants. Like fellow journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Estemirova reported on civilians who often got caught between these two violent forces. Nobody has been convicted of her murder. January 19--Stanislav Markelov a human rights lawyer known for representing Chechen civilians in human rights cases again the Russian military. He also represented journalists who found themselves in legal trouble after writing articles critical of Putin, including Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya, slain in 2006. Markelov was shot by a masked gunman near the Kremlin. January 19--Anastasia Baburova, a journalist from Novaya Gazeta, was fatally shot as she tried to help Stanislav Markelov. Russian authorities said a neo-Nazi group was behind the killings, and two members were convicted of the deaths. 2008 Semyon Korobeinikov, allegedly a clothing salesman, lost his footing on a balcony and tumbled to his demise. A year later, Korobeinikov was named as the purchaser of Universal Savings Bank, a dubious financial institution that had been fingered by investigators as a way-station for stolen Russian money. Only he didn't buy the bank. It was part of a government ruse to exonerate the true owner, an ex-convict called Dmitry Klyuev, implicated in a series of massive tax frauds that cost Russian citizens $1 billion. Korobeinikov might have therefore borne witness against Klyuev, if he wasn't conveniently dead. 2006 November 23--Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent, died three weeks after drinking a cup of tea laced with deadly polonium-210 at a London hotel. A British inquiry found that Litvinenko was poisoned by Russian agents Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who were acting on orders that had ``probably been approved by President Putin.'' Russia refused to extradite them, and in 2015 the Russian president granted Lugovoi a medal for ``services to the motherland.'' After leaving the Russian Federal Security Service, Litvinenko became a vocal critic of the agency, which was run by Putin, and later blamed the security service for orchestrating a series of apartment bombings in Russia in 1999 that left hundreds dead. October 7--Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian reporter for Novaya Gazeta whose book, ``Putin's Russia,'' accused the Kremlin leader of turning the country into a police state. She wrote extensively about abuse in Chechnya. She was shot at point-blank range in an elevator in her building. 2004 July 9--Paul Klebnikov, chief editor of the Russian edition of Forbes. He had written about corruption and dug into the lives of wealthy Russians. He was killed in a drive-by shooting in an apparent contract killing. 2003 October--Mikhail Khodorkovsky jailed for ten years. Sergei Yushenkov, the affable former army colonel, had just registered his Liberal Russia movement as a political party when he was gunned down outside his home in Moscow. Yushenkov was gathering evidence he believed proved that the Putin government was behind one of the apartment bombings in 1999. July 3--Yuri Shchekochikhin, a Duma deputy, journalist and author who wrote about crime and corruption in the former Soviet Union. He was investigating the 1999 apartment bombings for Novaya Gazeta when he contracted a mysterious illness in July 2003. He died suddenly, a few days before he was supposed to depart for the United States. His medical documents were deemed classified by Russian authorities. April 17--Sergiey Yushenkov, 52, the affable former army colonel, who had just registered his Liberal Russia movement as a political party was gunned down outside his home in Moscow. Yushenkov was gathering evidence he believed proved that the Putin government was behind one of the apartment bombings in 1999. He was shot three times in the back by a single assailant using a pistol with a silencer, police said. It was the 10th killing of a member of parliament since 1994. International Press Institute figures on Russian journalists who were murdered or died in suspicious circumstances 2011--three Russian journalists dead (including newspaper editor Khadzhimurad Kamalov, shot 14 times as he left his office); 2010--two dead; 2009--five dead (including a young reporter from Novaya Gazeta, caught in a hail of bullets); 2008--four dead; 2007--one killed; 2006--two killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, and Yevgeny Gerasimenko--found in his Saratov flat with a plastic bag pulled over his head and computer missing; 2005--two died; 2004--three, including Paul Klebnikov; 2003--three more; 2002--eight editor (including Valery Ivanov, editor, shot in the head); 2001-- one; 2000--six dead reporters and editors.

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, it is hard for people of goodwill to imagine the depth of depravity that Russia's malevolent dictators will stoop to to serve the narrow, pecuniary, and political interests of the few at the price of the many. Dr. Timothy Snyder, in his extraordinary book, ``Bloodlands,'' recounts the intergenerational human tragedy wrought by Russian dictators, citing the 14 million civilians, women, children, and families, who were murdered at Russia's hand in eastern and central Europe. Vladimir Putin is the latest dictator in a long line of them, and, sadly, this dark history from Stalin to Putin continues today. It is instructive that Putin, himself, has written that his grandfather was a trusted cook for Joseph Stalin, working inside the belly of the beast of tyranny. That is the cocoon from which Russia's Putin has emerged. And now add to those millions of deaths over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed by Russia, with thousands upon tens of thousands more wounded and over 2 million people displaced inside Ukraine, a country that simply wants to be free. As co-chair of the bipartisan House Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, I can attest our Members are committed to holding Russia accountable for tyrannical and malevolent activity in Ukraine, and even here in the United States. Madam Speaker, I rise in pursuit of justice for Amina Okuyeva and in solidarity with other freedom fighters in Ukraine. Let her bravery in life serve as an inspiration to us all, and let the international community stand with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, as we continue to fight back against Russia's invasion of a sovereign nation fighting for a future free of state-sponsored murder and occupation.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, on November 11 in this year of 2017, the nation of Poland will celebrate its 99th anniversary of independence. To commemorate this historic event as well as to recognize the values the United States and Poland have shared since the 1700s, I rise along with my fellow co-chairs of the House Poland Caucus to introduce this bipartisan resolution. As early as 1791, Poland adopted the first constitution in Europe based on America's Democratic principle of liberty. Poland became the first nation in Europe to outlaw serfdom. As a result, Poland was tragically removed from the map of Europe for over a century-and-a- quarter, divided and split between three imperial powers: Russia, Prussia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nevertheless, valiant Poles did not give up their values, but they kept alive the free spirit of Poland during foreign occupation and tyranny for a century-and-a-quarter. Then, in 1918, with the help of President Woodrow Wilson following World War I, they triumphed in bringing their nation back onto the map of Europe in the form of a republic. Today, American and Polish military cooperation through NATO is critical to defending the spirit of liberty. Let this resolution serve to reaffirm the close bonds between our two great nations.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill, which basically says companies should be protected, not workers. Imagine, when a firm is jointly owned and operated by the Chinese or the Mexicans or the El Salvadorans, where workers' rights are never protected. Worker protections in America have long accounted for the reality that the company who writes the check isn't always the company that controls workplace conditions, but if they share control over workplace conditions, they should be held jointly responsible for violations. I include in the Record a letter from the United Auto Workers talking about the parts industry. International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America--UAW, Washington, DC, November 7, 2017. Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than one million active and retired members of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), I strongly urge you to oppose H.R. 3441, the ``Save Local Business Act.'' This ill-conceived bill would make it more difficult for workers to join together and collectively bargain to improve working conditions and raise living standards. This is a bad bill for working people because it would make it even easier for businesses to replace full time jobs with precarious temporary employment. H.R. 3441 overturns long established case law and joint employer standards found in labor and employment law. It does this by redefining the term `employer' in a way that would make it nearly impossible for workers to hold their employers accountable when their rights are violated. Disturbingly, businesses and large corporations throughout our economy have avoided responsibility to their employees by hiding behind staffing agencies to claim they are not technically their employer. The net result for working people has been lower wages and fewer job protections. For example, within the auto parts manufacturing sector, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) estimates that temporary workers earn, on average, 29% less than direct employees of manufacturers. We have seen how, in the automotive sector, multinational corporations often hire temporary workers, who work side by side, doing the same job, for years, with full time workers and earning significantly less. H.R. 3441 would also overturn the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) in Browning-Ferris. The Browning-Ferris decision was good for working families because it established that workers could negotiate with their true employer under fact specific circumstances. In that case, a subcontractor for Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI), Leadpoint, was unable to negotiate several basic employment terms without permission from BFI. The NLRB sensibly found that BFI must be at the bargaining table along with its subcontractor Leadpoint. Under the terms of this bill, that would not be the case when similar disputes arise in the future. Economic inequality and a shortage of good paying jobs has hurt working people and our economy for decades. Unfortunately, H.R. 3441 would make a bad situation worse. Congress should reject this bill and instead work to create more jobs you can sustain a family on. Sincerely, Josh Nassar, Legislative Director.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, there couldn't be a more dangerous industry to work in. Do you want to put some of these foreign companies in charge of worker safety in those places? Not I. I have seen too many mangled bodies in places around the world that tell me no. I am for workers being protected as well as the interests of corporations. Today's action eliminates 80 years of safeguards, safeguards on joint employer responsibility. What does that mean? It means that a company that subcontracts or franchises work to save a buck can shield itself when workers aren't paid fair wages or are denied basic employment rights.

Ms. KAPTUR. Small businesses and workers suffer while large corporate interests escape accountability. Mr. Speaker, it is time we pass laws that help American workers. Wouldn't that be a sea change in this country? I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Veterans Day, which we will observe this Saturday, November 11. Each Veterans Day, we celebrate America's veterans for their unwavering patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice above self. How noble for liberty's cause, yet too many veterans, upon their return from service, endure long wait-times at VA health facilities. That is why I have developed a bill that would reduce the VA physician shortage, which is estimated to be about 5,000. Our VET MD Act would address this by allowing pre-med students to participate in organized clinical observations at VA medical centers. Future physicians will have exposure to the VA healthcare system, and the VA will create potential medical professionals. This is just one solution Congress should implement to address the VA physician shortage. It will help lead to decreased wait-times, better care, and healthier outcomes. Our veterans dedicated their lives for our country. We owe these honorable men and women better basic healthcare. Mr. Speaker, on this Veterans Day, I urge my colleagues to please join me. Let us affirm a commitment to action for the men and women who have defended our liberty and have lived the words duty, honor, and country.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak against the Republican tax proposal to raise taxes on the middle class. Moreover, congressional Republicans claim to be pro-life, but this tax bill takes a very different track. Republicans eliminate the tax deduction for medical expenses, which will crush millions of seniors and people with chronic illnesses. This is antilife, not pro-life. Republicans eliminate credits for adoption of children, including disabled children. This is antilife, not pro-life. Republicans eliminate incentives for employers to provide childcare assistance to employees. This is antilife, not pro-life. Oh, yes. Republicans also eliminate the student loan interest deduction, making payments for college more expensive. They threw that in there, too. This is antifamily, antilife, not pro-life for the next generation. Meanwhile, the six biggest Wall Street banks, as well as big pharmaceutical companies, will have their taxes reduced by billions. Excess is rewarded again as taxes are raised on the middle class. The vast majority of benefits will go to big corporations, pushing more jobs offshore. Multimillionaires are happily adding up their winnings. Trump, his billionaire buddies, and his heirs are laughing all the way to the bank. The Republican tax plan is immoral, unfair, and antilife. I urge my colleagues to scrap it. Life matters.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, earlier this week a driver whom law enforcement has identified as Sayfullo Saipov, violently rammed his pickup truck into a crowd in Manhattan, killing 8 people and injuring 11. Local officials called it the deadliest attack since September 11, 2001, in that city. My heart breaks for those who have lost their lives--for their families, for their friends, and for their colleagues--due to this violent act. Two Americans and six of whom were tourists visiting our Nation and New York City to experience the wonders of America's largest metropolis met the crass act, the murderous act of a terrorist. Our Nation's deep gratitude goes out to the first responders. Imagine these heroic Americans who intervened under very chaotic circumstances to bring down this criminal. Imagine yourself in that position. This attack raises many questions about how this individual came to America and how he was allowed to stay. The President's tweets obliquely blame this person or that person, some in Congress, some not in Congress, but he misses the larger point: our Federal Government, the legislative branch--the first defined in our Constitution--the executive branch, and the judicial branch, need to work together to tackle our flawed immigration system. How can we make it more secure while upholding our values as a nation of immigrants? The Bible reminds us: At one point, you and your predecessors and your family were aliens, too. These are the questions to which we should be dedicating ourselves. We have security systems we must perfect, but it requires working together. We are supposed to be the adults in the Republic. A true leader would convene a working group of both parties, along with other experts, to tackle these security challenges brought to light again by this tragedy. Wouldn't that be constructive? Instead, there is more division. That is not a recipe for success. Let's not forget a comprehensive bill passed in the Senate in 2013, on a vote of 68-32 and a bipartisan House companion bill that had 201 cosponsors, but the Republican-controlled House here refused to bring that bill to the floor for a vote. That bipartisan reform bill on immigration eliminated the diversity visa lottery by which the murderer got into this country. Imagine if that bill had been passed. We would be in a different position. We can work together, but we must move past the fear-mongering, the talking points, the cheap political stunts to appeal to a media that runs 24/7 and just looks for more fodder. Our job in Congress is to defend our Constitution and, in so doing, defend liberty. This includes our primary responsibility to work together to assure that our people feel safe and secure. We defend the Constitution by defending and protecting them. The goal must not be division. The goal cannot be shallow attention and tweets on social media and cable news. Our people have a higher calling that our Constitution defines. The recent terrible tragedy in New York City reminds us that unity is always powerful, and it surmounts division. It is time for that unity in this Capitol, and I look for the leadership in the Presidency, in this Chamber, and in the judicial branch to achieve it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying to my brother, Steve, back in Ohio: I am so very proud of you, your courage, your goodness, and your honor. Mr. Speaker, meanwhile, President Trump and the Republicans are doing everything to railroad tax breaks through this Congress to the top 1 percent with no open hearings, with deals being cut in the Speaker's office. So I say: Whoa. It is worth taking a step back to talk about what a good tax plan contains. A good tax plan puts money back in the pockets of middle class working families and small business owners. A good tax plan spurs job creation right here in the U.S.A. Yet everything we have seen and heard from the Republicans does exactly the opposite. The goal should be to create more stability in our economy, not raise the deficit. We have got to stop businesses from shipping jobs overseas as companies hold their money offshore. They should bring it back home. Tax reform shouldn't be negotiated in secret. Why should lobbyists know more about the bill than Members of Congress? A tax bill shouldn't explode our deficit or threaten your 401(k) plan or hurt Medicare and Medicaid. It is time for Republicans to do their jobs, put forward a budget- balancing tax plan that helps American families, not just billionaires and multimillionaires; and bring the plan forward in sunlight, not backroom dealings.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, smart dealmakers don't divulge their tactics. Yet, according to a report from Inside Trade, President Trump told a group of Senators that his so-called threats to withdraw from NAFTA are just a negotiating tactic. Mr. Speaker, workers in Ohio will tell President Trump that too much is at stake in NAFTA renegotiations to be playing games and telegraphing empty threats. I hope that the President's focus is on balancing our ballooning NAFTA trade deficit with Mexico and Canada, which just accumulates more red ink at astronomical levels of outsourced jobs. We need an agreement that stops job outsourcing, an agreement that creates a level playing field for workers and businesses alike. It should give farmers and laborers on this continent equal status and a living wage. Among other protections for workers, I have called for a tri-party labor secretariat that will represent workers in all three NAFTA nations. NAFTA must address fair labor standards and robust enforcement of rules, including for agricultural labor, the largest segment of our tri-national workforce. NAFTA renegotiation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a continental compact to boost fair opportunity across North America. Let's not indulge in phony boardroom brinksmanship. Let's come together and put our communities and workers first.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow the Republican majority to trade away creating jobs here in America for doling out massive tax breaks to wealthy corporations that have no intention of investing here in the United States of America. The Republican plan will actually fuel more job outsourcing and move benefits to shareholders and overpaid CEOs, not the workers of our country. We can't allow Republicans to cut education, cut Medicare, cut Social Security, cut Medicaid, which serve the elderly and the ill. Eighty percent of the tax giveaways in their plan go to the top 1 percent. Untargeted tax cuts don't create jobs. In fact, when Congress, during the 1980s, passed a tax cut, companies couldn't outsource middle class jobs fast enough. It was a bad deal then, and it is a bad deal now. Our country can't afford to balloon the deficit by $1.5 trillion so Wall Street can appease their shareholders a little more and stack the decks against American workers. Tax reform should not result in the outsourcing of our jobs. It should result in investing here in the United States of America, and that begins with real tax reform, not scam tax reform.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, on October 15, the world celebrated International Day of Rural Women and the invaluable contribution of women farmers. To do our part in expressing solidarity, I rise to introduce this Resolution to commemorate this every important day. According to the U.N., rural women makeup over one-quarter of the total population and represent 43 percent of the agricultural workforce. They play a critical role in agricultural production, food security and economic stability. Women serve as the bedrock of society. They feed the world's families. They feed our neighbors, and our countrymen. They are important role models for younger generations. Unfortunately, despite this, they still face many societal and economic limitations both here and abroad. This Resolution shines a light on women farmers and empowers them to succeed as entrepreneurs. It calls on the people of the U.S. and the world to recognize their critical contribution and to recommit to reducing these barriers and limitations. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, on October 15, the world celebrated International Day of Rural Women and the invaluable global contribution of women farmers and small holders. To do our part in expressing solidarity, I rise to introduce this resolution to commemorate this very important day. According to the United Nations, rural women make up over one-quarter of the globe's total population and represent 43 percent of the agricultural workforce. They play a critical role in agricultural production, food security, and economic stability. Women serve as the bedrock of society. They feed the world's families. They feed our neighbors and our countrymen and -women. They are admirable role models for younger generations, and unfortunately, despite this, they still face many societal and economic limitations both here and abroad. This resolution shines a light on women farmers and seeks to empower them to succeed as entrepreneurs. It calls on the people of the United States and the world to recognize their critical contributions and to recommit to reducing barriers and limitations that heretofore have stunted their full progress. Let us plant the seeds of hope. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Friday marked 1 month since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. According to my constituents, current conditions are as follows: more than 1 million Americans there lack access to clean water; mothers cannot make infant formula; people are getting sick from infected water; and nearly 80 percent of the island still lacks electricity. Struggles are everywhere: where there is help trickling in, there are lines, always lines; supplies simply aren't enough; medical facilities are running on hope; there is no reliable means of communication, so people cannot even register for aid; entire communities are cut off from modern civilization; millions desperately need assistance. President Trump visited the island for as long as it takes to play a round a golf, and he went to the wealthiest part of the capital city. Last week, he granted himself a perfect score for his response to the devastation. But the Trump administration continues to fail our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, 3.4 million Americans live in Puerto Rico, and they deserve our full support. Mr. President, can't you at least air-drop fresh water packets, food provisions, and telephones? Our military can do this anywhere in the world, why not Puerto Rico?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Hungarian Caucus, I rise today with great pleasure and enthusiasm to congratulate St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Cleveland on their 125th anniversary. St. Elizabeth is North America's oldest Hungarian Church. The history of this notable congregation begins in 1892, where a small wood-framed church on the corner of Buckeye Road and East 90th Street in Cleveland held mass for the faithful. On June 4, 1893, the cornerstone of the first St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church was laid, providing seating for up to 800 Hungarian immigrants at a single mass. Ten years later, the church was too small to accommodate the thousands of Roman Catholic Hungarian immigrants who settled in this area. In 1907, the Pastor of the church began to petition the Bishop of Cleveland for permission to raise money to build a new church which could accommodate more parishioners. Construction of the new church begun in 1918 and was completed in 1922. In addition to the completion of the church structure that still stands today, the community built a parish hall that became a community center for the neighborhood's Hungarians, a true social and religious meeting center of ``Little Hungary'' on Buckeye Road. St. Elizabeth's was designed by Cleveland architect Emile Uhlrich and is an example of Italian-influenced Baroque Revival architecture. It was partly modelled after the church of Sant' Agnese in Agone in Rome. St. Elizabeth's Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying both because of its place in Cleveland's history and because of its historically significant architecture. The congregation of St. Elizabeth's weathered many changes throughout the decades, but remained true to its mission and to its dedication to Hungarian heritage. St. Elizabeth's Church is a magnificent example of all that a spiritual home should be for the past 125 years. Our hope is that St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church's congregation continues to grow and prosper through the years. Gratulalok.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, there was applause from the gallery, and every American applauds. Mr. Speaker, I have an alert for the Trump administration. The Trump- led FEMA, that is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is falling far short on disaster relief in Puerto Rico. In fact, I think one could say they are actually perilously short on helping the people, our fellow citizens, in Puerto Rico. It has now been 22 days, that is 528 hours, since Hurricane Maria destroyed Puerto Rico. Hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico still--still--have no fresh water, no power, little food, with many villages lacking any means for communication. Many have no dry cots or even dry sleeping bags to replace the wet mattresses and moldy surroundings that characterize the Puerto Rico of today. Let me say that Puerto Rico is not a large island. It is a little over 100 miles wide, not much larger than my congressional district in Ohio which extends from Cleveland to Toledo. The difference with Puerto Rico is the topography is much more hilly. I ask myself the question: Why hasn't FEMA had airdrops of vital sustenance from the very start? Where is that help to these far-flung villages that have been cut off because, when the rains came, they washed out bridges and roads that make all these tiny towns inaccessible? Inaccessible. Fresh water packets can be airdropped. Our military does that all over the world. Why can't those fresh water packets be dropped in Puerto Rico? We can drop packets with peanut butter and bread. We do that all over the world. Why can't we do that in Puerto Rico? Why can't we airdrop food? Citizens in Ohio with families and friends in Puerto Rico about whom they are desperately worried have been told that many smaller towns where they have relationships lack relief and any assistance now 528 hours, 22 days, into this deep human tragedy. I want to place in the Record, and I hope somebody at FEMA is listening, names of some of the villages that are completely cut off because roads and bridges were destroyed and no relief has come. No relief has come. Ponce, in the south, is one. Utuado, Jayuya, Arecibo, Yauco, Corozal, Comerio, Loiza, Toa Baja, Cabo Rojo, and Llanadas. Those are names we have been given. Aid to these pockets of desperation is almost 3 weeks overdue. People need relief now. FEMA also needs a better plan. In fact, they need a plan. I don't think they have any plan to immediately evacuate people to the mainland for respite. Places like Cleveland, Lorain, and Toledo, Ohio, we could accept people who now are living in conditions you would wish on no American. We cannot risk more illness and death. Children should not be missing school after the horror they have experienced. We shouldn't have the level of hardship that has been subjected to people who are still enduring the devastation of Maria. What is happening there is inhumane. Most of the television stations are down in San Juan, and that is where the Governor of Puerto Rico is most of the time when our codels go down there, but the desperation is in the countryside. It is outside of San Juan, which is inaccessible. President Trump, the people of America and, let me tell you, those in Ohio need you to help their families and countrymen now. FEMA can do so much better for our fellow Americans. FEMA's initials stand for Federal Emergency Management. So where is the emergency? Where is the management? And where is the Federal reputation for excellence and leaving no man or woman behind? FEMA, shape up. America demands more, and Americans deserve more. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, what a privilege it has been for me to know and do my best to help community leaders in Lorain, Ohio, who have been engaged in the Puerto Rican relief effort following Hurricane Maria. Lorain Councilman Angel Arroyo, along with many of our constituents, have been organizing local shipments to Puerto Rico. Last week, working with celebrities like Bravo TV star Bethenny Frankel, Councilman Arroyo helped arrange seven truckloads of aid that were flown in on a private charter airplane. Human stories from relatives across that vast region focused on the tragic lack of aid, especially within the vast interior parts of that island. Our district has the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in Ohio, and families are very worried. FEMA is not doing its job, and the Trump administration should get an F for all of the citizens of this country that are being left behind. Victor Leandry of the Lorain-based nonprofit El Centro noted that his sister and brother-in-law live in a smaller city, Ponce, and, as of this weekend, they still had no power. I include in the Record a letter from a constituent's family member detailing the dire situation: no water, no electricity, no radio contact, with families' life savings destroyed, their crops and their land as well. We need to address the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico. What is happening there is un-American. The Trump administration better wake up and help the citizens of this country. Hi My parents live in Lares Puerto Rico in the Barrio called Palmallanos. November will make two years since they moved back ``home''. They worked since day one to get their land aka finca to what it was when my grandparents owned the home. They did a great job. They had Banana and Avocado trees. Had just planted roughly 200 coffee trees and couldn't wait to watch them grow. They had planted different herbs as well as squash and beans. All of that was lost on September 20th when Hurricane Maria ripped straight down the island. I could not get in touch with my parents for two long weeks. Finally I received the call I had been waiting for. While my parents are safe and their house is intact, they lost everything on their land. They had some flooding in the home and a shed they had their washer and dryer in had its roof ripped off and flooding. The river that runs through their land rose so much that my dad could not sleep concerned that it would rise to their home. Fortunately it did not, however due to the rains and winds the house did get flooded, but they were able to work for hours nonstop to get the water out. After two weeks they are still without running water, electricity and phone service. They drive 30-40 minutes to get cell Service as well as go get water. They have to take whatever containers they have to fill up. They have received no additional assistance. They went to the market and were lucky enough to get a bag of rice and some canned goods. They have enough propane to have one warm meal a day and the rest of the time they eat whatever they have in cans or other non perishable items. They boil water to drink and shower with rain water. As for eating any dairy or meat, well they haven't in two weeks. They are concerned to eat any meat they could get from the store for fear of getting sick due to no electricity anywhere and the inability to keep anything cold. When getting gas, they waited in line for 2.5 hours and a letter they had mailed me on 9/24 finally arrived on 10/6. They have not received mail and are not able to get packages. I asked if they wanted to come and stay with me and my family and they said no. Why? Well, they are afraid of leaving their home due to looting. They want to keep what they have left. I know my parents are strong people, but honestly, I don't know how much longer anyone in their situation can make it. Prayers for Puerto Rico. Seny Kerfonta.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as the NAFTA negotiations continue, it is important for us to listen to our constituents on how we can make NAFTA better for them. To that end, I convened important stakeholders for a hearing in Ohio on how NAFTA has hurt American workers and what we can do to help them. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the testimony of Ms. Lee Geisse of the BlueGreen Alliance, Cheryl Johncox of the Sierra Club, and Mark Milko of Workers United. BlueGreen Alliance Testimony, Lee Geisse, Regional Program Manager We know that it is possible to have trade agreements that don't engage the U.S. in a race to the bottom, but instead lift up our own workers and workers throughout the world. We applaud Congresswoman Kaptur's work on this issue and so many others that are vital to the future of Ohio's workers, economy and the environment! Thank you for bringing these folks together and inviting the BlueGreen Alliance to participate! In 2006, the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club formed this unique Alliance--founded with the belief that we no longer have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment; we can and must have both. In these 11 years, we've convened workers, environmentalists, and industry leaders to forge partnerships that help us find solutions to address historic problems like climate change in ways that create and secure quality jobs. Together, we are a powerful voice for good jobs, a clean environment, and a fair and thriving economy. The North American Free Trade Agreement, also known as NAFTA, has been in effect since 1994. The current Administration has announced plans for its renegotiation, but without much detail. That renegotiation begins this month. For far too many, NAFTA has meant the loss of good, quality paying jobs and increased pollution, as the deal exacerbated offshoring and profiteering off the backs of workers and the environment. It's time for a trade agreement that levels the playing field and makes deep reforms to strengthen workers' rights and environmental standards. American workers should expect agreements that ensure that other countries have to play by the same worker safety and environmental rules that we do. Anything short of [this] would be a failure. NAFTA's replacement must support good union jobs, livable wages, healthy communities, clean air and water, and a more stable climate. Through an open, public process, the U.S. can partner with other nations in mutually beneficial trade and climate agreements that are fair, protect workers' rights and jobs, safeguard the environment; ensure the democratic processes of sovereign nations are not overturned by unelected bodies; and raise the bar for consumer and public protections in all nations that are signatories. The BlueGreen Alliance recommends a new approach to trade that lifts up workers and communities. This requires fundamental changes to NAFTA, including: 1. Creating a transparent and inclusive renegotiation process. NAFTA renegotiations should not be done in secret but should be transparent and allow for public participation. This means inviting and incorporating public input on U.S. proposals for the agreement, and making negotiating texts available for public comment after each negotiating round. Workers, environmentalists, and other key stakeholders should be part of the process to make sure negotiators understand the impact of the deal on jobs and the environment. It is critical that all stakeholders and the general public be involved in a transparent, fair, and participatory negotiating process. 2. Eliminating corporate courts that incentivize offshoring and undermine environmental protections. NAFTA's Investor- State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision has created private courts in which foreign corporations can demand compensation for environmental protections and other democratically enacted laws before unelected, unaccountable, panels of corporate lawyers. By creating unique privileges for foreign investors, ISDS can incentivize offshoring and threaten the very safeguards we have democratically enacted. NAFTA's broad rights for foreign corporations, including ISDS, must be eliminated--mere tweaks will not be sufficient. NAFTA's replacement must eliminate ISDS so as to safeguard workers and environmental and health protections. 3. Including strong and binding labor and environmental protections--including wage and climate standards--in the core text of the agreement. NAFTA has enabled corporations to offshore production to take advantage of lower environmental and labor standards abroad. This has significantly impacted workers in both the manufacturing and service sectors. It has spurred the loss of good paying jobs, carbon leakage, and the export of pollution, while undermining domestic labor and environmental protections. To fix this, NAFTA's replacement should establish a binding floor of labor and environmental protections across North America. It should require signatory countries to adopt living wages for workers and to implement policies to fulfill important international labor and environmental agreements, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the International Labor Organization's conventions. These commitments should be included in the core text of the agreement and trade sanctions should be used to penalize violations. NAFTA must make a commitment to prioritize workers and the environment. 4. Creating a stronger, independent enforcement mechanism. Rules mean nothing if they aren't enforced. In the history of the U.S. trade agreements, labor and environmental provisions have consistently been ignored. Even post-2007 trade agreements with labor and environmental provisions in the core text have failed to produce disputes over widely documented labor and environmental violations. To fix this, the agreement that replaces NAFTA must create a new, independent dispute settlement mechanism for enforcing labor and environmental provisions rather than replicating the failed system of the past. Stronger enforcement is critical to ensure that the agreement is upheld and that it creates a fair playing field among all parties. 5. Protecting and promoting Buy American and green procurement policies. Currently NAFTA requires that the federal government treat foreign bidders as if they were American bidders when deciding how to spend U.S. taxpayer money. It also includes rules that limit governments' ability to use ``green purchasing'' requirements that ensure government contracts support environmental protection. To protect and grow America's manufacturing and service sector employment, create taxpayer funded jobs in the U.S., and safeguard our air and water, NAFTA's replacement should support domestic job creation and responsible bidding standards. 6. Strengthening rules of origin. Rules of origin should benefit producers and workers across North America. For example, NAFTA's replacement needs to adopt more robust rules of origin that require automotive manufacturers to make a higher percentage of new vehicles and their parts in the originating country in order to qualify for tariff free trade. The agreement should ensure the signatory countries receive manufacturing, investment, and production benefits of the agreement. Under the current agreement, many countries that are not part of the agreement take advantage of loopholes to gain market access. The rules of origin and regional value content need to be updated so that they can incentivize manufacturing and production domestically. We know exactly what causes outsourcing: low wages, exploited workers in unsafe working conditions, and weak, or non-existent, environmental, protections in other countries. Americans, Ohioans, and working people everywhere need fair trade deals that put workers and the environment first and don't put corporate interests above our health, our rights, and our safety. The promise of NAFTA being a job creator was hollow, and thousands of Ohio workers watched helplessly as this flawed trade agreement led to the outsourcing of middle-class jobs. While Donald Trump has promised to renegotiate NAFTA, the skepticism is that his billionaire, climate-denying cabinet, could actually make it worse! All of our partners and allies must commit to helping champions like Congresswoman Kaptur watch closely and ensure that the voices of working people are heard throughout this process to support--not undermine--good jobs, efforts to address climate change, and safe worksites and healthy communities!

Ms. KAPTUR. Lee and Cheryl underlined the adverse environmental effects of NAFTA and the need to strengthen environmental standards in any renegotiated agreement. I was proud to note their statements that Ohio has become number one in solar manufacturing. Just as Mark said, it is important that we ensure that these valuable manufacturing skills are passed along to our youth, and not outsourced. I am grateful for their contributions and welcome their continued engagement as the negotiations proceed. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to include their remarks in the Record. They are important for all Americans to read, especially those negotiating the new NAFTA.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during the August recess, I held a field hearing in Ohio to hear firsthand accounts from American workers and farmers and all our constituents on what a renegotiated NAFTA could mean for jobs in Ohio and America. At the end of my remarks, I will include in the Record the testimony of Roger Wise, of the Ohio and National Farmers Union, and Nick ``Sonny'' Nardi, of the Teamsters Local 416 in Greater Cleveland. Roger discussed the loss of American jobs to low-wage workers south of the border, and Nick emphasized the need to overhaul U.S. trade policy, including outlawing child labor, with stronger labor rights and true enforcement, calling for a tri-national Labor Secretariat to hear and resolve labor issues. I am grateful for their contributions, as only by listening to those who have witnessed the effects of bad trade agreements can we move forward and bring jobs back to America and prevent exploitation of workers abroad. Testimony of Roger Wise, Ohio and National Farmers Union (August 3, 2017 NAFTA Remarks) Good afternoon. Thank you Rep. Kaptur, Elizabeth of the Citizens Trade Campaign and President Mark Payne, Local 1250 for hosting this very timely event about this very important topic. My name is Roger Wise and I am a 4th generation full-time family farmer and have been so for more than 40 years. I am here today on behalf of the Ohio and National Farmers Union. NFU is the oldest active farm organization in the country, advocating since 1902. Ohio has been chartered since 1934. Nationally we represent over 200,000 family farmers and ranchers and fishers. Here in Ohio we tout 2500 of those members. Four of them are here with me today, Marge and Mardy Townsend from Astabula County, and of course Congresswoman Kaptur. The Farmers Union organization works through grassroots driven policy to improve the well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers, fishers and rural communities. Each year at our national fly in we bestow on like-minded members of Congress our most prestigious award, the Golden Triangle. Rep. Kaptur has received it more than 25 years running, more than any other legislator; and we are grateful for her support. I remember vividly when the Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz declared the United States would plant ``fence row to fence row'' and we would export our nation to prosperity and feed the world along the way. That 70's expansion lasted only a few years because American farmers soon produced massive surpluses, interest rates, inflation ad input costs skyrocketed, prices plummeted and competing countries developed their own farming techniques. The farm cries of the 80's began and lasted for the next 25 years. Farm program payments accounted for 50% of farm income. The mantra was that profit came in ``economies of scale'', and we must ``get big or get out''. Many family farmers and ranchers did exactly that, some by choice, many by the force of the bank. Trade agreement seeds were planted and gathered momentum in the 80's. NAFTA was the poster child. Assurances were given that no jobs would be lost, in fact, many more would be created; and the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada would explode for he benefit of the people in all 3 countries. President Clinton signed on to the agreement ensuring us this would be the economic model for the world. Now, 25 years later we know the rosey assumptions and predictions did not play out in reality like they did on paper. American workers lost their manufacturing jobs to low wage Mexican workers who were also decimated product quality eroded, unions were decimated, family farmers either quit or were forced out of business, the middle class began to shrink and the trade deficit began to climb. Agriculture, however, through it all was championed because the United States consistently enjoyed trade surpluses primarily form corn and soy exports. Unfortunately though, family farmers, ranchers, and consumers did not benefit from NAFTA. With the exception of the boom year 2008-2013, which were due to the Renewable Fuel Standard, not NAFTA, close inspection reveals vertically integrated multi-national companies reaped the profits while farmers in all 3 countries saw margins decline to the point of non-profitability; and all the while our trade deficits soared. Additionally, trade deals opened the door to consolidation and mega-mergers which led to less competition, non-competitive markets, higher costs, fewer choices and reduced research and development. An example of the latter is herbicide weed resistance. For decades Country of Origin Labelling, ``COOL'' has been the signature issue the Farmers Union. We pushed for its passage with great vigor because it benefits producers and 95% of consumers support it. Simply, it requires beef pork and poultry to be labeled with the country from which these products came. Rep. Kaptur has been indefatigable promoting this issue. In fact, she is more steadfast supporting and promoting COOL than any congressperson in D.C. and we are grateful for her efforts. This requirement is not unique and this virtually all of our trading partners have a form of COOL and all of them are WTO compliant. Our coalition efforts paid off in 2002, when COOL was included in the Farm Bill. Unfortunately, special interests, uncaring about its popularity and practicality, lobbied to prevent its funding and the measure was not implemented. Our efforts continued and in the 2008 Farm Bill COOL was mandatory and it became law of the land. Again special interests went to work to derail the law. They challenged it 3 times in Federal Court and lost each time. Undeterred and well financed, Canada and Mexico were coerced into filing suit with the WTO. Ironically, the tribunal was chaired by none other than Mexico. With the deck clearly stacked against us, our case was lost and Congress, under bogus threats of economic reprisals repealed COOL. For NAFTA to be meaningfully renegotiated, re-instating COOL must be a high priority for the benefit of farmers and consumers. Food production and its safety are national security issues as well as an economic ones. Trade agreements have led to reduced border inspections of food imports. Further, these agreements have deemed other counties less stringent safety regulations adequate for our import inspections. This relaxing of regulations puts our farmers and ranchers at a disadvantage because our products are routinely of higher quality. Currency manipulation and the overvalued U.S. dollar makes our exports more expensive relegating us to the supplies of last resort which also adds to the trade deficit. Farmers and ranchers were not helped by America's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Farmers are poised to help mitigate climate change both here and around the world through conservation, carbon sequestration and other initiatives to assure sustainability for decades to come. Climate change must be part of any meaningful trade agreement based on public funded, peer reviewed science based research. To conclude, the record must be clear. NFU is not anti trade or protectionist. We are keenly aware that the economy is global and trade is a critical component of world economics. We do, however, believe that trade deals should benefit farmers and workers in all counties. Living wages, competitive markets, with safety and welfare in the work place guaranteed; and all nations must strive for a clean and healthy environment to preserve our planet for centuries hence. Only then will trade be fair and our deficit decline. Thank you NAFTA Field Hearing With Rep. Marcy Kaptur Testimony of Nick ``Sonny'' Nardi, President, Teamsters Local 416 Good afternoon. My name is Sonny Nardi and I am president of Teamsters Local 416 in Cleveland. In May 2000, 320 Teamsters got laid off from the Mr. Coffee plant in Glenwillow, about 20 miles east of here. Their jobs went to Mexico because of the North American ``so-called'' Free Trade Agreement. My Local, Teamsters 416, lost hundreds of jobs to NAFTA --120 jobs at HOSPECO on 79th and Carnegie in Cleveland, --60 jobs at Muller Electric on Pain Avenue in Cleveland --96 jobs in Bedford Heights, The Mr. Coffee Filter Division --115 jobs at Blue Coral Car Wax in Maple Heights These were all good paying jobs with benefits and many were inner city jobs, workers could walk to work and had much tenure. Most of of these guys, because their production jobs were simply shifted to Mexican plants, were eligible for some federal benefits under a narrow NAFTA program called ``Trade Adjustment Assistance,'' or TAA. Here in Ohio, under NAFTA TAA, more than 150,000 workers have been certified as lost their jobs due to offshoring--plant relocation like Mr. Coffee--or because of increased imports from Mexico and Canada that reduce production and jobs at American companies. But, as everybody knows, the TAA totals are the tip of the iceberg because that program certifies only the manufacturing jobs that we have lost because of NAFTA--not the services jobs that depend on a strong manufacturing base. So, when you factor in those jobs, as well as the manufacturing jobs Ohio has lost due to our flawed and failed so-called ``free trade'' policies, than Ohio. And, on a personal note, as a longtime northern Ohio Teamster leader, there aren't many Local unions that have been decimated, the way 416 has, by

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during the August recess, I organized a district field hearing to hear firsthand accounts from America's workers, my constituents, on NAFTA's disastrous job impacts. These voices must be heard and listened to as our Nation renegotiates NAFTA. These real stories are the people who live the impacts of Washington's agreements. I thank the Local United Auto Workers Chapter 1250 for graciously hosting us, a region that lost over 14,500 jobs after NAFTA's passage to Mexico and to Latin America. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the testimony of Amy Hanauer of Policy Matters Ohio, Donnie Blatt of the United Steelworkers, and Mark Payne of the United Auto Workers. Amy Hanauer, Policy Matters Ohio Representative Kaptur and others, thank you for the opportunity to testify today alongside these strong community leaders. I'm Amy Hanauer and I run Policy Matters Ohio, a policy research institute dedicated to creating a more vibrant equitable, sustainable, and inclusive Ohio. Find us online at www.policymattersohio.org. Trade and jobs in Ohio: Key principles to improve outcomes for workers NAFTA and other trade agreements have eliminated jobs in Ohio and the United States. Manufacturing remains an essential part of Ohio's economy, despite its downturn. Smart policy can strengthen Ohio manufacturing while making our economy greener and stronger Some key recommendations include: Invest in infrastructure, particularly clean energy Invest in solar panels and wind turbines Structure these projects carefully, prioritizing good jobs and diverse workers Support American manufacturing through proven programs Support manufacturing extension programs Buy American when spending public dollars Support smart worker training Improve trade agreements Increase worker protections Improve environmental standards Eliminate special courts As we have long documented at Policy Matter, the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade agreements have not accomplished what they were supposed to in Ohio. Our current trade rules favor multi-national corporations and their investor over workers and citizens. As a result, these policies have reduced the quantity and quality of domestic jobs, thereby exacerbating wealth inequality. Many multinational corporations that once employed people here have instead located in places with lower wages, fewer environmental regulations, and weaker labor regulations. NAFTTA rules made that shift easier. One reason these deals have been so destructive is that they transfer power away from citizens and to international investors. They bar nations, states, and cities from enacting labor and environmental policies that protect the public. They block local governments from using policy to boost demand for domestic products, such as local sourcing. NAFTA was promoted as being broadly helpful to Americans and our trading partners. But the economist Susan Helper recently testified that NAFTA slowed wage growth in U.S. industries and regions. This hurt not just manufacturing workers, but also service employees, as displaced manufacturing workers sought jobs in restaurants and retail and as laid-off workers had less to spend in the economy. In Mexico as well, wages stayed mostly flat even though productivity increased. Mexican manufacturing wages remain well under 20% of U.S. manufacturing wages. The Economic Policy Institute found that NAFTA cost the U.S. 683,000 jobs from 1994 to 2010. Manufacturing, as a sector, lost the most, 60.8 percent. Geographically, Midwest states like Ohio took the hardest hit. NAFTA also displaced Mexican small farmers and business owners, and did not raise wages relative the U.S. Despite that, the treaty became a model for the World Trade Organization, China trade normalization, and other deals As a result of all of these, economist Jeff Faux estimates an additional net loss of 2.7 million U.S. jobs and economist Josh Bivens found that the typical American with just high school degree loses $1,800 a year. Manufacturing has declined, but remains an essential part of Ohio's economy. One in eight Ohio employees works in manufacturing. We had 687,000 manufacturing workers in 2015: only California and Texas have more. Average wages of $1,119 a week were 24.9 percent higher than in other sectors. Ohio manufacturers contributed $108 billion to the economy in 2015, 17.8 percent of the total for the state. So that sector is responsible for one in every six dollars and one in every eight jobs in Ohio. The typical worker with a high school diploma and no college earns $2.99 more per hour in manufacturing. While the sector has generally lost employment over the past several decades and in the most recent recession, some signs point to a partial recovery. Good policy, including trade policy, can make this more likely. There are clear things we can do to improve policy so that workers and the environment on all sides of the border are better protected. At Policy Matters, we recommend three large policy priorities to address these issues: Invest in infrastructure, especially energy: America's infrastructure is crumbling around us and we are completely underinvested in infrastructure that would reduce energy use and address other environmental problems. We should get to work now, upgrading, maintain, and building infrastructure that would strengthen our communities and make our planet more sustainable, and we should make sure that American products are used throughout these projects. To name a few priorities: We should install solar panels on every public building in the United States, buying from American companies and having unionized tradespeople do the installation. Right here in Cleveland there are entrepreneurs selling solar panels and they argue that even here in snowy Cleveland, many residential solar installations now pay for themselves in less than a decade and commercial systems will pay for themselve in less than six years. Representative Kaptur is a longtime champion of this approach, and Toledo, with its extensive glass-making history, has a strong supply chain that could play a key role in this work. We should be installing wind turbines wherever appropriate, using Ohio's substantial supply chain to produce component parts for these turbines. Here in Cleveland, we continue to want to see the Lake Erie Economic Development Company project build the first fresh water wind farm in the country on Lake Erie. We got some great news just this week that this project cleared another hurdle and is moving forward--but movement has been much slower than needed because public policy at the federal and state level just down no incentivize this kind of job-creating energy-generating investment. These projects should be structured carefully. There are sound principles at the website millionsofjobs.org that I encourage you to look at, but some of the elements we support include supporting direct public investment, not tax giveaways for corporate subsidies and making sure that these projects are union-built, have inclusive workforces that represent the diversity of the communities in which they're being done, and have worker and environmental protections. SA mentioned, all of these projects should pay decent wages, should source from U.S. made products, and should prioritize the needs of disadvantaged communities--both urban and rural. Finally, these projects should be paid for through fair, progressive taxes so that the wealthiest Americans and giant corporations who reap the greatest economic benefit from public goods pay their fair share. Support American manufacturing through proven programs: Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) help manufacturers work together to solve problems and find solutions to assist their sector. They assist with research and development, commercialization, joint marketing and branding, worker training, identifying new technology, share investments like makerspaces, and reshoring. The federal government should deepen investments in MEPs. Instead President Trump's budget proposal threatens to entirely eliminate this modest but successful program. Similarly, the manufacturing innovation institutes that have been so successful, including one in Youngstown, face 70% cuts in the Trump budget. Buy American: We should Buy America provisions for all public spending at all levels of government. Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown have both voiced support for these important provisions and I would urge you to join in that support. The Trump Administration should apply Buy America to all federally-funded infrastructure projects. President Trump's intent in this area is not entirely clear and we should encourage him to make good on promise he has made to support American products. While Buy America rules apply to some federal infrastructure programs, many taxpayer-funded projects still lack rules requiring the use of American-made projects. Brown's proposed legislation would ensure Buy America rules apply to all federally-assisted projects. Invest in worker training: The Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, WIOA, trains and educates workers, focusing on career pathways and apprenticeships. By incorporating a strong understanding of the labor market, WIOA is transforming the workforce system for those who face significant barriers to employment. The act pushes the public sector to better serve low-skilled, low-income adults so they can achieve not just self-sufficiency, but real economic mobility. Ohio trains have been working hard to take advantage of these new approaches. For Ohio workers who face barriers to employment and tough job markets, it's essential that we all deliver. Yet, this program too is on the chopping block under the Trump Administration. The Trump budget calls for cuts of approximately $1 billion from the WIOA program. The cuts represent about a 40 percent reduction from current funding levels and would have devastating impacts on states and local communities seeking to address the kill needs of businesses and jobseekers. Instead of cutting WIOA, we should be enhancing it. Improve trade agreements. This encompasses three primary provisions. Increase worker protections. NAFTA has reduced bargaining power for workers in both the U.S. and Mexico. Workers and their representatives have little ability to object to sweatshop conditions or labor law violations. At most they can call for consultations that have no enforcement mechanisms. Investors have much more power to object and much stronger mechanisms to do so. Worker representatives from all countries in an agreement should be brought in to propose standards. I encourage this committee to consul the AFL-CIO (2017) and the Roosevelt Institute (Tucker, 2017) about how best to remedy this in renegotiation. Improve environmental protection. Environmental protections in NAFTA are relegated to side agreements with no enforcement provisions. This is why we've seen more use of polluting fossil fuels, less protection of greenspace and forests, and more deeply problematic mining since NAFTA. Other testimony today provides more detail on how best to address environmental concerns, but minimally, those who breathe the air, drink the water, and suffer from global warming should have as much power as multination corporations to raise their issues. (350.org et. Al, 2017) Eliminate special courts for investors. NAFTA established special courts where firms can challenge government policies that affect their investments. These ``investor-state dispute settlement'' (ISDS) mechanisms undermine democracy and national sovereignty. This system should be eliminated so that citizens again have the ability to advocate for the laws they think will best protect their communities. In sum, there is much that federal policy can do to create fair trade, to promote American manufacturing, and to improve job quality and availability. We decide the kind of economy we want to have and we can choose one that does more for our families, communities, and planet. We appreciate your interest in exploring and further those policies.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, they directly know the negative impacts of NAFTA. Amy stressed the changing nature of manufacturing in Ohio, making up one of eight jobs. Donnie discussed how Ohio has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs as well as the imperative for a new NAFTA transparent agreement. Mark Payne spoke about the need for a continental living wage and investment in American job growth. All three emphasized a deal that works for jobs here in America, America's workers, and Buy American provisions. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues and the administration to take heed of their testimony. We need to create jobs here in America and across this continent that are living wage jobs.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Rev. Imre A. Bertalan, devoted husband, father and grandfather, who served as a compassionate pastor of Calvin United Church of Christ and was known for his dedication to his church, his dedication to his Hungarian heritage, and advocating for his beloved East Toledo neighborhood, Birmingham. Imre passed away after a valiant struggle against cancer on August 29, 2017 in Latrobe Hospital in Latrobe, PA. Imre was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on October 4, 1949 to Margaret and the Rev. Imre G. Bertalan. He graduated from New Brunswick High School, held a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Initially not intending to be a minister after graduating from seminary, Imre started as a community organizer and helped form the East Toledo Community Organization. He became a member of East Toledo's Calvin United Church of Christ, which was founded as the Hungarian Evangelical Reformed Church. He was elected pastor in 1979. During his tenure as pastor, Imre reached out to the congregations of all of the religions in the neighborhood so that Calvin was not just known as a Hungarian church, but as a neighborhood church open to the entire neighborhood. True to his Hungarian-American roots, Imre was integrally involved in efforts on behalf of America's ethnic communities. A strong representative particularly of the Hungarian-Americans with whom he shared a common heritage, Imre served on the boards of national Hungarian-American organizations for many years. He extended his national efforts to his family, instilling a love of their Hungarian tradition in all. He was encouraging, comforting, filled with abiding kindness and a gentle soul, always advising people that ``everything will be all right.'' After decades in ministry as pastor, Imre became the executive director of Bethlen Communities in Ligonier, PA, a retirement and nursing community founded by the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. Even after his move to Pennsylvania, Imre and his wife maintained a home in the Birmingham neighborhood of Toledo and were active in the planning for the annual Birmingham Ethnic Festival. Reverend Imre Bertalan will long be remembered for his dedication to his family, church, the Toledo community at large, and Bethlen Communities. A beautiful memorial service was held for Imre at Calvin United Church of Christ in East Toledo on September 23, 2017. We gathered together and gave thanks for the ministry of Reverend Imre Bertalan. Just as importantly, we remembered a loving family man and friend. We offer Imre's beautiful and artistic wife of almost 37 years, Magdalene ``Baba'' J. Ujvagi, Imre's children, Sara Davis, Magda Bertalan, Juli Bertalan, Margit Bertalan, and Imre Bertalan, his five grandchildren, his sisters Lillian Bertalan and M. Sarah Bertalan, his family and friends our prayers and hope. May they find comfort in the wonderful gift of Imre's life, their memories of their husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, friend, his imprimatur on his church and neighborhood. All that he did contributed to humanity's greater good and the glory of God. Hungarian in his soul, a patriotic American, faithful Vicar of Christ, Imre Bertalan's life was writ large. His life will long echo in his family and friends, his congregations and those he served so well. I know he was welcomed home with ``well done, my good and faithful servant.''