Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge all of my colleagues who voted ``yes'' on continuous and strengthened sanctions on the Russian Federation. That was the correct vote, and I commend the leadership of Ohio's Senator Sherrod Brown, the leading Democrat in the other body on the Banking Committee who fought for this package. The bill also holds Iran, North Korea, as well as Russia accountable. Specifically, Russia for interference in our Democratic Republic, but also for its ongoing human rights violations, its illegal invasion and occupation of Crimea, and continued military violence in eastern Ukraine with over 10,000 dead due to Russian aggression. This bill will impose sanctions on people involved in human rights abuses, those who launch cyber attacks and those who supplied weapons to the Assad government in Syria. President Trump and his staff regularly question the intelligence that shows Russia interfered in our election. Given the President's priorities lately, it is imperative that Congress send a clear message and make it more difficult to undercut sanctions without congressional approval. This package tells the world: Congress won't stand by idly. But what a sad day we have reached when there is doubt whether sanctions against Putin's Russia, liberty's proven adversary, will be even signed by this President of the United States.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Garamendi and Congressman Tonko for their comments. It is a pleasure to be with them tonight, and also Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham. She really has been such a leader, not just for New Mexico, but for the whole issue of health across our country. I am really pleased to join all of them. And I will just say, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, the American people should know, this past week we tried very hard to pass an amendment that would simply ask the executive branch to report back to us on how much money we were spending as a country in Medicare, Medicaid, at the VA, the Department of Defense, for certain classes of drugs in our country. Now, don't you think it would be right for us to know, since we are spending tax dollars, that if we are spending more money on, let's say, a diabetic medicine than a heart medicine, whatever medicine it is, it would be good for us to do cost accounting to go back and look at what we are paying? Do you know we were not able to get that simple reporting-back amendment on how much pharmaceuticals are costing the people of the United States, because the Republican members of our committee blocked it.

Ms. KAPTUR. They voted ``no.'' They don't want to know how much the American people are spending through their tax dollars at the Federal level because the goal is to figure out how this money was being spent and to hold those companies responsible to look at what costs were over time and so forth. It is amazing and it is really wrong what the pharmaceutical industry is doing to the people of this country. They are killing people. People cannot afford the medicine that they need. Yesterday, and I give this as homework, in The New York Times, there was a great story titled, ``When Health Law Isn't Enough, the Desperate Line Up at Tents.'' It was written by what must be a brilliant young reporter named Trip Gabriel, and it reported about a charity group in our country called the Remote Area Medical Expedition. They were in Wise, Virginia, somewhere south of here. What it is is a group of charitable citizens who are in optometry. They are doctors. They are dentists. They donate their time over a weekend, and they go to places in our country that don't have medical care. So no American should assume that everybody has care and that everybody has insurance, even with the current system. I will tell you, if you want your eyes opened, read that story. Over one weekend, over 2,000 people came. There were people there who were diabetic who had no medication. One woman, they reported in the story, came with a dispenser for insulin, but the needle was broken. Her glucose reading was over 500. They talked about people who were there for glasses. They couldn't afford glasses. One woman was diagnosed with vision of 20/100 in one eye, and they were looking for glasses that would fit her. They had a gentleman who was coughing, and he thought he had black lung disease. It turned out what he really had was sleep apnea. Finally somebody diagnosed what his problem was. They start out with the story about a gentleman who showed up at that event, and he took them to the trunk of his car and showed them the pliers he was using to rip out his teeth because he had so many decayed teeth and he hadn't been to the dentist in years. They had dentists. They had all kinds of physicians. They had nurses trying to help people. I read that article and I thought: This is America? This is America? Here are just the first few sentences, if I might. It says: ``Anthony Marino, 54, reached into his car trunk to show a pair of needle-nosed pliers like the ones he used to yank out a rotting tooth. ``Shirley Akers, 58, clutched a list of 20 medications she takes, before settling down to a sleepless night in the cab of a pickup truck. ``Robin Neal, 40, tried to inject herself with a used-up insulin pen, but it broke, and her blood sugar began to skyrocket. ``As the sun set in the mountains of southwest Virginia, hundreds of hurting souls were camped out or huddled in vehicles, eager for an early place in line when the gates swung open at 5 a.m. for the Nation's largest pop-up free clinic.'' That free clinic is called the Remote Area Medical Expedition. I just read that. There were several photos in the paper. This is America. So, for the Senate, particularly the leader of Senate who comes from Kentucky, a State that is noted to have very poor medical care, where there are large rural areas where many people, including those who are single who get none of this coverage--right? The single are especially discriminated against--how that could be pushed forward by someone from the State of Kentucky, I simply don't understand it. And here in this House, where we tried so hard to save the Affordable Care Act and to make necessary changes to it, a lot of those changes are needed in these rural States that don't have enough people to really set up a large enough exchange. We need to lump two or three States together so you get a pool that is insurable. We know how to fix this. But we don't need to take more people off health insurance, millions and millions and millions, because we have millions who still are uninsured, and we have industries like the pharmaceutical industry fighting us against trying to get affordable medications to our constituents. I want to thank you for being here tonight and for fighting the good fight for the American people. Really, to have almost a trillion dollars of money given away over the next 10, 15 years to the wealthiest people in our country? You know what? They have doctors. They can afford insurance. Frankly, they don't need more money. They might benefit by a little less money, actually. Their heirs certainly would. We need a little rigor out there, even among the wealthy in our country, to help us to heal this Nation and to deal with its real medical problems. I will just say this. We were checking today on the diabetic costs across our country. One facility in Ohio, just one veterans facility, over 30,000 veterans in that facility have been diagnosed with diabetes. Many, many of those veterans go for the treatment of dialysis in order to help them to deal with their condition. For 1 year, that treatment costs $100,000. Over a 10-year period, it costs $1 million per person who goes through dialysis. Imagine if we were able to prescribe food as medicine, which hospitals are doing in many places, and help people learn how to not become so severely diabetic. We would save so much money across this country, including with our veterans. And more important than money, we would save their lives. We would save the amputations. We would save all of the costs that diabetes incurs over the years. So people would learn how to be healthier. I want to thank you for being here. I am proud of you two gentlemen, Congressman Garamendi and Congressman Tonko. You are honorable gentlemen. You have come here from both ends of the country, New York and California. We are here tonight because we know what the American people want. They want affordable healthcare. They want affordable medicine. They are willing to do their part, and nobody should be left out. We can find that answer as the United States of America. We don't have to accept this set of death panels that they are figuring out over there in the Senate: who is going to die, who is not going to have health insurance, who is going to be shortchanged. Because when that wheel of fortune turns, you never know who in your family is going to get sick. You simply don't know, and no one should be without coverage. I thank you for being here on the floor tonight and for doing what the American people expect us to do, and that is to defend and protect them.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the kind gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for arranging this Special Order this evening. I thank Congressman Chabot for his kind words and all the Members who have come to pay tribute to our beloved colleague, Ralph Regula. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor my late friend and respected colleague who served 18 terms and was a gentleman farmer, the very Honorable Congressman Ralph Regula of Ohio. Ralph passed away earlier this month in Bethlehem Township, Ohio. He was 92. To his beloved wife, Mary, for whom we all hold deep affection, and their family--Martha, Richard, David, and their children--please let me extend heartfelt sympathy and deepest affection. I had the privilege of serving with Ralph for 26 years, many of those on the Appropriations Committee. As others have mentioned, Ralph Straus Regula was born in Beach City, Ohio, on December 3, 1924, right before the Great Depression. In 1948, he graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, and went on to receive a degree in law as a night student from William McKinley School of Law in Canton, and then went on to serve in the United States Navy during World War II. Some of my memories of Ralph include him pulling into the congressional garage on so many occasions in his spiffy red pickup truck, always thinking about what was happening back in Ohio on his farm. That truck had many purposes. So many evenings we were in the same building and I could see him walking down the hall with Mary, his wife, well after 9 p.m. in the evening after having put in a very long day here in Congress. The press never reports about the Members who are dutiful and do their work. They generally focus on those who run into a little bit of trouble or get into a fracas, but Ralph Regula was the type of citizen who holds this Republic together. He was first elected in 1972 and was a longstanding, prominent figure in our body, serving 36 years in the House by the time of his retirement. At the time he retired, he was dean of the Ohio delegation and number three in seniority on the Republican side of the powerful Appropriations Committee. His service embraced the tenure of seven U.S. Presidents. As a lawmaker, Ralph was a champion of cross-party collaboration, as others have referenced, and he was a moral compass in an era of personal enrichment. Ralph is remembered as a hardworking, constructive, affable, intelligent, and effective Member. He set a very high standard. I tried to write words that remind me of Ralph--certainly ``talented,'' ``honest,'' ``hardworking,'' ``sensible,'' ``understated,'' ``straightforward,'' and ``even-tempered.'' If you never met him, he was sort of a cross between Andy Griffith and Robert Redford. He was even-tempered and not vindictive--and he had reason to be vindictive. He described himself as a conservative in spending but a progressive in programs. A proud Canton resident, he worked tirelessly to honor the legacy of his hometown hero, President William McKinley. Regula sought to preserve the fellow Ohioan's memory by fighting to keep the name Mount McKinley for the summit in Alaska, homage to the man who represented his same district. During my time in the House, I have had the pleasure of serving alongside Ralph on the Appropriations Committee, where he was distinguished for sensible solutions that worked for Americans and for Ohioans. When he served on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Subcommittee, he instructed me, when I got to Congress: This is where you really help people. Ralph was dedicated to that. He had such a heart, but he didn't wear it on his sleeve. He supported working people. There are many votes he cast in favor of the minimum wage. His father was a coal miner. He understood what it was to do that kind of work for a living. On the centennial of the Metro Parks' creation, we remember his adoration and commitment to our public lands, founding one of northeast Ohio's proudest landmarks, the Cuyahoga National Valley Park. He dedicated so many of his years to creating that park, the Ohio and Erie Canal system, and expanding that park to among the top 10 most visited in the United States of America. He attended to Ohio while he attended to the Nation. He had the guts to pass new user fees for all national parks to raise money to improve them, so he was thinking of the future. He was the founder and leader of the Steel Caucus in this House--that was one of the first places that I met him--and an early and effective voice about foreign dumping and about the importance of manufacturing in America, the importance of that steel industry and having fair trade among nations. With his wife, Mary, he was instrumental in creating the National First Ladies' Library in Canton, Ohio, a most amazing place, with important untold stories about valorous women in our country that, for years, had been largely hidden from the public. I recommend that the public go to the website of that library and just read about the First Ladies of this country--not just who they were, but what they endured. I learned so much that I didn't know. Ralph brought phenomenal experience to his public service. Others talked about how he had practiced law, serving in the Navy, held a degree in business administration, served as a school administrator, a teacher, a principal, State legislator, and served on the Ohio Board of Education. He was so level-headed. An article in the The Washington Post reported that he introduced language in appropriations bills and procedural maneuvers to fight efforts to change Alaska's Mount McKinley name. Obviously, he held the seat that was once occupied by President McKinley, the 25th President, who, sadly, was assassinated in 1901. As a graduate of the old William McKinley School of Law in Canton, Mr. Regula did not want to see the name of his fellow Buckeye erased from the tallest peak in North America. Ralph said: The law says it is Mount McKinley, and no President can change the law by the flick of a pen. When he set his mind to it, he prevailed. His vast experience on the legislative front led him and drove his successful efforts to invest millions and millions of dollars in the improvement of healthcare for the American people, as well as Ohio institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, and MetroHealth. He championed the Great Lakes and fought mightily to find a way to clean up coal. I can remember being on the Republican side of the aisle. He said: Congresswoman Kaptur, you have got to help me clean up coal. He was always looking for a way to try to make life better. He advocated for the National Endowment for the Arts. He worked to clean up Florida's Everglades and led the construction of the popular children's farm here in Washington at the National Zoo. When people come to public service at the national level, they learn that it is very hard to accomplish things over a brief period of time. It takes a long time. It takes decades to do something of merit. Ralph certainly achieved that. In 2010, the Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted him. I will end my tribute to him this evening with a quote that he gave to the Plain Dealer. He said: ``Inflammatory rhetoric may satisfy the partisans, but it does little or nothing to move the legislative ball to the goal line.'' He was talking about the necessity of breaking legislative gridlock and advocating bipartisan compromise. I think by Congressman Bob Gibbs being on floor tonight, by my being on the floor tonight, in a bipartisan spirit, giving tribute to Ralph Regula, this is a life that Members of Congress can learn from: real achievement, real merit, real honor. He brought real meaning to the word the ``Honorable'' Ralph Straus Regula. May God let him rest in peace and bless his spirit.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the oldest park district in Ohio, Cleveland Metroparks, on celebrating their 100th Anniversary, marking a century's worth of service to our region. In 1917, following the Ohio General Assembly's passage of hallmark legislation allowing for the creation and development of park districts, Cuyahoga County probate judge Alexander Hadden appointed the first board of the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District. In an effort to support resource conservation and through the vision and leadership of their first director, William Stinchcomb--a self-taught engineer who first conceptualized the idea of a chain of parks connecting our communities--the Emerald Necklace was born. From modest beginnings, Cleveland Metroparks held and preserved just 109 acres of land in Cuyahoga County's western and southernmost suburbs. Yet, within their first decade, what started with just one hundred acres of donated land would soon grow to encompass 9,000 acres throughout more than a dozen communities. As a national leader in sustainability, Cleveland Metroparks' successes in natural resource conservation, as well as innovation in green infrastructure, provide essential environmental, health and economic benefits for all people. In fact, last year, Cleveland Metroparks won the prestigious American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration's National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management--an award that Cleveland Metroparks has received 4 times since 1994. Our park systems play a crucial role in environmental stewardship and community health, ensuring not only the preservation and prosperity of our flora and fauna--but improving public health and wellness by preventing health related problems ranging from asthma and obesity to diabetes and mental health. The Cleveland Metroparks also has a tremendous impact on the regional economy. Tourism remains one of Ohio's largest and fastest growing industries, producing $43 billion in sales annually. Of that, Cuyahoga County contributes nearly 20 percent, generating $8.1 billion for the economy in 2015. What's more, a recent study conducted by The Trust for Public Land found that Cleveland Metroparks alone generate nearly a billion dollars annually for the local economy. Cleveland Metroparks has built an admirable legacy, from the Rocky River Reservation, the first land purchased by the park district, and its many trails weaving through the Valley's forests and wetlands, to the Centennial Trail improving access and re-connecting our region with Wendy Park, Edgewater Beach and Lake Erie's shore. The Metroparks have remained committed to the conservation of natural resources, the education of our community and the recreation opportunities for our friends and family. Today, 100 years later and spanning 47 diverse communities, Cleveland Metroparks' more than 23,000 acres of preserved wetlands and forests, trails and paths, lakefront beaches, rivers and streams, golf courses and a nationally acclaimed zoo, have become a destination and gathering place for millions of runners, hikers, cyclists, boaters, kayakers, fishermen, birders, nature enthusiasts and families from all across the country. In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of Cleveland Metroparks, please join me in thanking all those whose vision and leadership have shaped this vast network and helped create one of the most valuable and significant resources in Ohio.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise because President Trump has dubbed this week ``Made in America Week.'' But one can't pretend one's way to creating jobs in the United States, even if you are President. A key index that gives you a clue to the truth of job creation in the United States is the trade deficit: How many more products and services are country exports, rather than imports from offshore sweatshops? Well, for every month of the Trump administration--that is what the red line is--the jobs hole for America is growing deeper. You see here that the May 2017 deficit on this scorecard confirms the failing Trump trade record, with a $46 billion trade and jobs deficit for May alone--larger than last year, larger than every other month. The President spoke endlessly about trade during the campaign and promised turning NAFTA into a good deal for Americans. Without a doubt, working people of the Midwest put him in the Presidency because he promised to renegotiate NAFTA, that bad deal. Now it is his turn to live up to the bargain. There is an old expression, ``Don't tell me what he says, show me what he does.'' Well, President Trump could start by onshoring all foreign goods he makes abroad--everything from ties, suits, bracelets, and so forth. I haven't seen any inclination to date by this President reshoring items so that he creates jobs again in this country. He contributes to a growing trade surplus, not a deficit. [From the guardian.com, July 18, 2017] Trump's ``Made in America'' Week: the President's Hypocrisy Is on Display (By Adam Gabbatt) The White House celebrates US-manufactured products this week, even though Trump's vodka, menswear and even board games have been made overseas. Donald Trump has declared this week ``Made in America'' week. According to the White House, it's an opportunity for the president to showcase ``products that are made in America''. Unfortunately for Trump, that description would rule out many of the products he and members of his family have made and sold. From Donald J Trump Collection clothing to Trump Vodka to Trump: the Game, the president has a track record of not making things in America. The week was scheduled to kick off at the White House on Monday, with Trump walking around some tables looking at products made in all 50 states. So in honour of the president's communist-dictator-esque photo opportunity, here's a look at some not-made-in-America Trump gear. Alcohol Trump Vodka (``The finish is disappointingly harsh''-- InternetWines.com) was an ill-fated attempt by Trump to branch into the spirits world. The vodka (``No discernable flavor''--Chicagoist) was manufactured in the Netherlands by a company called Wanders Distillery and launched in the US in 2006. But the beverage (``My taste buds unfortunately associate the flavor with the smell of paint''--VodkaBuzz) failed to sell. The trademark was abandoned in 2008, according to Rolling Stone. By 2011, Trump Vodka was ``out of circulation''. ``We don't need Chinese products,'' Trump told Fox News in 2010. ``The stuff that's been sent over from China is--it falls apart after a year and a half. It's crap.'' It was an odd thing to say for a self-described master businessman offering to the American public many menswear products--featured in the Donald J Trump Signature Collection--that were made in China. Donald J Trump eyeglasses were made in China. Donald Trump's ties were made in China. Some of the Donald J Trump suits were made in China. To be fair, Trump is an equal opportunity overseas manufacturer. His dress shirts have been manufactured in Bangladesh, Honduras and Vietnam. And China. It turned out Trump was right about people not needing Chinese products. In 2015, the Donald I Trump Signature Collection was jettisoned by Macy's. His famous red hats, meanwhile, actually are made in the US. It's the unofficial ones that aren't. Education Trump University (``A fraud from beginning to end''--New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman) was a US business. But the university, which was not actually an accredited university, encouraged students to outsource jobs overseas. ``We hear terrible things about outsourcing jobs--how sending work outside of our companies is contributing to the demise of American businesses,'' Trump wrote on the Trump University blog in 2005. ``But in this instance I have to take the unpopular stance that it is not always a terrible thing.'' In November 2016, Trump settled three fraud lawsuits relating to the university for $25m. Homeware ``Several Trump Home items are listed as made in China or imported from China the Washington Post reported in 2016. According to the Post, foreign-made items in Trump's furniture collection include mirrors, ceramic vases, wall decorations, kitchen items and lighting fixtures. They were all made in China. Some Trump Home picture frames were manufactured in India. Earlier this year, Peter York, who wrote a 2006 book about the homes of autocrats, including Saddam Hussein and Nicolae Ceausescu, wrote about the similarities between their tastes and Trump's interior decor preferences. ``The best aesthetic descriptor of Trump's look, I'd argue, is dictator style,'' York said. Board games Trump: the Game (``I loathed every miserable second of it''--Ars Technica) was launched in 1989, then pushed out again in 2004 after Trump became host of The Apprentice. The game (``Bizarre''--Business Insider) was manufactured in the US by Milton Bradley Company. But the dice, according to this photo of the Trump: the Game packaging, were made in China. It is difficult to tell if the dice were ``crap'' and fell apart after a year and a half, because Trump: the Game sold poorly. In 2011, Time magazine listed the game as one of Trump's top 10 business failures. Ivanka Trump clothing It's not just Donald Trump who has a track record of overseas manufacturing. In December, the New York Times, citing two trade databases, reported that ``almost all'' of Ivanka Trump's clothing line is made overseas. In May, New York-based activists were arrested in China while investigating the making of Ivanka Trump shoes. In July, the Washington Post traced Ivanka Trump products to Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. More than 20 stores have dropped Ivanka Trump's products since her father started his run for president.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Russia's ongoing assault on our democracy and democracies around the globe cannot go unanswered. It has been a month since Russian sanctions passed the Senate 97-2, yet House Republican leaders continue to stall on bringing that worthy bill forward here. Why? Who or what are they protecting? Surely not liberty. Putin's Russia targets journalists and political opponents for death. He shelters hackers that target democratic nations, including ours, and Russia hacks businesses to enrich Putin's cronies. Russia's illegal invasion of sovereign nations, the latest being Ukraine, with over 10,000 dead and over 2 million displaced, reminds us of the evil brutality of Russia's kleptocratic rulers. Russia's damaging expansionism needs to be stopped. Despite earlier denials, reports state that Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner, and Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort knowingly met with a Kremlin-aligned lawyer to secure damaging information about Hillary Clinton. This administration is not acting in the national interest, and the victim of their encounters is liberty herself. Let House Republican leaders stop the delays and bring forward strong sanctions legislation on Russia. Let us defend liberty and our rule of law as a beacon of hope for people everywhere, even those living in the grim reality of Russia.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to the life of a respected public official and very dear friend, Lorain City Councilman Eddie C. Edwards. He passed away peacefully on June 27, 2017, after courageously battling illness over the last several years. Please let me offer the deepest condolences of our entire citizenry to his son Gregory Edwards, daughter Darnisha Hunter and the countless friends and family whose lives he touched. A true public servant in the every sense, Eddie dedicated his life not only to making government work better for the people he served, but by striving to make the lives of all people, better. Eddie began his career in politics in 1996, first elected to represent South Lorain's Fifth Ward. Throughout his eighteen years of service on City Council, Eddie fought hard for his community--making his neighborhood safer, parks cleaner, improving education in schools and working toward enhancing and growing small businesses. While Councilman Edward's service to the City of Lorain will forever be remembered, Eddie's contributions to the Lorain community started decades earlier. Born and raised in the small town of Dyersberg, Tennessee, Eddie moved to Lorain when he was 20 years old, with less than 13 dollars in his pocket, seeking a better life. He immediately enrolled in school studying business and construction management, which jumpstarted a new life of helping build Lorain forward. Eddie, who was the owner-operator of Edwards Trucking & Excavating for more than two decades, understood the role small businesses play in driving healthy local economies. Moreover, Eddie knew the value of minority owned small businesses. As a founding member of the Lorain County Minority Contractors Association and Executive Board Member of the Minority Trucking and Transportation Association--Eddie paved the way for countless entrepreneurs to use their skills, grow our local economy and improve our community. His friends, family and colleagues recall his passion and willingness to stand up and speak his mind, always working toward equal rights and fighting for those left behind. During the rise of the civil rights movement, Eddie was a founding member of the Committee for Positive Change in the Black Community and was the past president of the Lorain NAACP. And as an ordained Baptist Deacon, Eddie was a true champion and relentless advocate for African Americans and all those in need throughout our community. A man of strong faith, Eddie worked each day fighting for those less fortunate. I myself recall a time when Eddie and I joined the Full Gospel Ministries and Pathways Enrichment Center in Lorain, planting a community garden as part of a community driven effort to produce fresh fruits and vegetables for the local food pantry. As an African American, there is no question Councilman and businessman Edwards wrote a new chapter in the history of Lorain. As a man and leader in the community, the successes and struggles of Eddie's generous life represent a beacon for generations to follow. Last year, The Smithsonian opened the only national museum solely dedicated to recording and underscoring African Americans' many contributions in art, history, culture and life. I would like to submit this Congressional Record to the National Museum of African American History and Culture on behalf Eddie's family to hallmark the life and lasting contributions of a true public servant. Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Edwards family. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in honoring Eddie C. Edwards, a loyal friend, a defender of democracy, a true public servant, a dedicated father, a loving husband and a courageous man.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Raymond V. Walendzak, who served for over 20 years as the Chief of the Oregon Fire Department. Ray passed away in his Oregon home surrounded by his family on June 7, 2017. Ray was born in Toledo, Ohio on September 27, 1941 to Joan and Stanley Walendzak. He played football and wrestled for Clay High School, from which he graduated in 1959. Ray continued his education at Findlay College, and then joined the United States Air Force and served in West Germany. In 1968, Ray became an Oregon firefighter, where he began his service in the department's maintenance division, became a fire prevention officer, a district chief, and the assistant chief. Ray's father also served as a firefighter, which helped Ray bridge the differences between the different generations who were serving as firefighters. He appreciated the traditions of fire service, and also the need to modernize fire service with technology. Ray became Fire Chief in 1986 and retired in 2007 for a total of 39 years of fire service. While Fire Chief, Ray made sure his department was current in training and technology, and made sure that the department had the right equipment. Ray has said that his biggest achievement was getting a fire training facility built in Oregon. His passion about the fire-fighting community led him to serve its various organizations which include serving as the past president of the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, Lucas County Fire Chiefs Association, Oregon Fire Fighters Association, Ottawa County Fireman's Association, and, for over 26 years, as past president and secretary of the Northwest Ohio Volunteer Fire Association. He had received the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association's Distinguished Service Award, and was inducted into the Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame. Ray served as a Governor appointee to the State of the Ohio Board of Emergency Medical Services for 12 years. He was inducted into the Clay High School Hall of Fame in 2014. Ray's commitment to his community did not just stop with the fire department--it extended through his service to his church, St. Ignatius, and through many of the civic organizations he was a member of: the American Legion Christ Dunberger Post No. 537, Knights of Columbus, Swiss Club at the GAF, and the Clay Boosters. Ray dedicated an enormous amount of time to the youth of his community, where he was a longtime coach of youth baseball through the Oregon Recreation Department. Ray also served as a football coach at Oregon Clay High School. His dedication to the young members of his community led him to run for four terms on the Oregon Board of Education where he also served as Board President. Ray will be remembered for his dedication to his chosen profession of Fire Fighting and for his dedication to the Oregon community at large. We offer Ray's children, Dean, Donald and Dennis, his six grandchildren, his family and friends our prayers and hope that they find comfort in the wonderful memories of what Ray had meant to each of the institutions that he served.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Phil Walton, who is retiring from public service after a remarkable 42 year career with the Social Security Administration. Mr. Walton exemplifies the sterling qualities of a public servant who upholds the highest standards of federal service: one of a loyal and enlightened corps of highly trained, honorable civil servants. The administrative capabilities of individuals like Mr. Walton hold this Republic together. Phil Walton began his career with the Social Security Administration in Rock Island, Illinois, where he started as a claims representative. He soon began rising through the ranks as a field representative, operations supervisor, operations officer, area administrative assistant, executive assistant and district manager. He was first named District Manager in Chillicothe, Ohio, moving to Toledo, Ohio in 1993 where he has ably guided the Toledo agency since. In addition to his leadership of the Toledo Social Security Office, Phil has been an active community leader since his arrival to the Toledo area. He served as a Cubmaster, Den Leader and Area Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America. He has been a member of the Friends of Wood County CASA, currently serving as Board Chair. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Toledo Legal Aid Society. As a member of the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, Phil was awarded the Public Service Award in 2009 ``in recognition of his years of volunteer work.'' Erin Thompson, public affairs specialist for the Toledo Social Security Office, stated, ``We would like to take the time to thank Phil Walton for his 42 years of service with Social Security, where he started as a Claims Representative in 1975 in Rock Island, Illinois and completes his career as a District Manager of Toledo downtown, where he has been since 1993. In addition to leading the Toledo office, he has been on numerous boards, most notable as the Chairperson for the Area Office on Aging 2009 to the present. In addition to his service for seniors, he has also served as Board President for the Friends of Wood County CASA from 2007 to present.'' Phil has given of his time and talents to the Area Office on Aging of Northwest Ohio Board of Directors, serving in various capacities since 1993 and as Board President since 2009. Billie Johnson, President and CEO of the agency, notes ``Phil Walton has been a dedicated Board member of the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, Inc. for more than twenty years. His leadership, compassion and wisdom helped the agency grow and develop many vital services for older adults, caregivers and disabled persons living in northwest Ohio. Phil helped the agency navigate through several monumental funding challenges. He has given his time, personal resources and energy to so many people and various communities in northwest Ohio. We are extremely grateful for his commitment, dedication and leadership. Phil is the current Board Chairman for the Area Office on Aging.'' American labor leader Walter Reuther said, ``There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.'' Phil Walton's life and career have been given over to serving his fellow citizens, to helping the weakest among us--those who are elderly, those who are disabled, children. He has done it very well. His legacy is in the lives which were made better for his efforts, in those with whom he worked to ensure a top-notch federal government agency and services, in the organizations which have benefitted from his investment and leadership, and a community richer for his contributions. On this day as Phil turns the page from career to retirement, we offer a most heartfelt ``thank you'' for his extraordinary commitment to our nation and its people. As he ends his public life and looks toward retirement, he has fulfilled Mohammad Ali's call that ``Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Transform Student Debt to Home Equity Act of 2017--a bill that enables graduates to transform their student debt into an opportunity to purchase and own a home. With an estimated $1.3 trillion student debt owed to the federal government, plunging homeownership rates among young people, and 17.2 million habitable homes sitting vacant in the United States, our nation must find a way to address the student debt vs. housing conundrum. Luckily, there is a popular lending instrument already in widespread use that could serve as a significant bridge to the future: the home mortgage. This common lending tool, overtime, has the power to transform student loan repayments into a financial instrument for building equity: the home. Creating a path for credit worthy student debt holders to convert their debt payment stream into home equity would require many federal departments to collaborate. However, an initial effort to test the concept can take the form of a pilot program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This is what the Transform Student Debt to Home Equity Act achieves. The bill authorizes HUD and FHFA to establish a pilot that connects creditworthy federal student debt holders with housing properties for sale but held by the federal government. By arranging financing that recalculates terms, debt-to-income ratios, interest rates, and other factors, short-term student debt could transition into longer-term home ownership. Eventually, participants would help restore neighborhoods, and buoy property values locally and on the federal ledger simply by maintaining and investing in a home mortgage. The status quo has created a permanent class of millions of student debtors without the opportunity for equity homeownership. We have the resources, the power, and a compelling economic interest to do something about it. Let's get started. I encourage my colleagues to support this measure and unleash this debt stranglehold on the next generation.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Transform Student Debt to Home Equity Act. Today, 40 million Americans have Federal student loan debt totaling $1.3 trillion. Additionally, at the end of 2016, 17.2 million habitable homes sat vacant in our country. These two trends are intertwined. Student debt is prohibiting millions and millions from buying their first home. We must find a solution, or thousands more will be saddled with sunk debt depriving them of building wealth through building home equity. The Transform Student Debt to Home Equity Act offers us a road forward. This bill allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Finance Agency to start a pilot program that connects creditworthy Federal student debt holders with habitable homes for sale from the Federal ledger. By recalculating financing terms and interest rates, some student debtors can transition their debt into homeownership. Eventually creditworthy participants would pay off debt and help strengthen neighborhoods simply by maintaining their home mortgage. We must use our power and resources to transform debt to equity. Transforming a student debt to home ownership is a pathway forward for the aspiring generation. I encourage my colleagues to support our measure, and let us unleash the stranglehold of debt on the next generation and allow them to build wealth through homeownership.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today, Vice President Pence is expected to visit northeast Ohio for an appearance at a manufacturing firm. He will discuss the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and subsequently rip away healthcare for millions upon millions of Americans, as well as quadruple its cost to millions and millions more elderly. Ohioans should know that the bill the GOP is trying to ramrod through Congress would threaten nearly 1 million Ohioans who gained coverage over the last few years through the Affordable Care Act. Further, seniors would see their insurance premiums rise by four to five times as much, with nothing being done to lower their cost of medicine. Why is this administration making things worse for Ohio? We need to maintain Medicaid for the treatment of those Americans who are sick, suffering, in nursing homes, those who are mentally ill, and those who are suffering from terminal illness. The Pence-Trump doctrine will hurt them all. I hope the Vice President won't mislead our people about how many Ohioans will lose coverage. In fact, is the Vice President aware healthcare jobs help drive our economy in Ohio. The TrumpCare bill, which is really a tax break for millionaires, will cause an Ohio job loss of over 80,000 healthcare workers over the next 5 years. I urge the Vice President to meet with officials at Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, or the Sisters of Charity and hear what they have to say about the GOP's anti-life bill.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as NAFTA renegotiation approaches, I rise to call attention to the mammoth U.S. trade deficit with our NAFTA nation partners. Our current deficit with NAFTA nations is $74 billion. This red on the chart translates into tens of thousands of lost U.S. jobs, all while wages are depressed for North America's struggling workers. Since NAFTA's passage, there hasn't been a single year of trade balance for this country. That translates into lost jobs. Thus far, President Trump has failed to correct these trade deficits. In fact, the trade deficit this year has ballooned to more than $22 billion from the same period in 2016. Balanced trade accounts in 5 years should be first on our agenda. My bill, the Balancing Trade Act, H.R. 2766, requires the administration to address trade deficits of more than $10 billion with any nation. As negotiations near, let's focus on key principles such as vigorously enforcing a first world rule of law; including labor provisions that allow workers across this continent to improve their standard of living and outlaw labor trafficking; enact environmental standards for human health and forge an agricultural labor agreement that helps displaced farmers; reform the unaccountable tribunals called Investor-State Dispute Settlements so that they work for people, not just big corporations; address currency manipulation; and, finally, stamp out the illegal drug trade that is plaguing this continent. The wealth NAFTA created has not been shared by all, but only a very few, and often only the very rich. Our foundational principle for NAFTA reform must be free and fair trade among free people with a rule of law.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as co-chair of the Ukrainian Caucus, and I will include in the Record an article reporting on an act of violence that has taken place in Ukraine. Yesterday, a bomb exploded in the car of a high-ranking Ukrainian special forces official, Colonel Maksim Shapoval, in Kiev, in what Ukrainian authorities are calling an act of terrorism. Shapoval's heroic unit fought in eastern Ukraine, where a conflict between Ukraine and Russia has been raging since 2014, with mainly citizens being killed, over 10,000 innocents in that country. Shapoval's death comes almost a year after prominent Ukraine journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed by a similar explosion in Kiev as he drove to work. No one has been brought to justice in that murder case. A number of other public figures have also been killed under shady circumstances in and around Kiev in recent years. Denis Voronerkov, a former Russian member of Parliament who fled to Ukraine, was shot dead in central Kiev in March 2017. Lawyer Yuri Grabovsky, who had represented a Russian soldier captured in Ukraine, was found dead with a gunshot wound in 2016. This has all the fingerprints of Putin's Russia, who will stop at nothing to blunt liberty. America must be a friend to liberty and an enemy to tyranny. I call on this administration to help Ukraine defend itself against these hostile acts of war against liberty. [From theguardian, June 27, 2017] Ukrainian Military Intelligence Officer Killed by Car Bomb in Kiev (By Alec Luhn) A high-ranking Ukrainian military intelligence official has been killed by a car bomb in Kiev in what authorities are calling an act of terrorism. An explosive device destroyed the Mercedes being driven by Col Maksim Shapoval at 8.15am local time, police said. The car's bonnet was blown open and its roof and driver side door almost completely destroyed, video footage from the scene showed. ``The picture of the crime looks like it was a planned act of terrorism,'' interior ministry spokesman Artem Shevchenko told local media. The military prosecutor said his office would lead an investigation. Police said a female passerby with shrapnel wounds to her legs received medical treatment after the explosion, as did an elderly man who suffered shrapnel wounds to his neck. According to the defence ministry, Shapoval was a colonel in military intelligence. The Ukrainian Pravda newspaper quoted law enforcement sources saying he had headed a special forces unit. Yury Butusov, editor of the Censor.net news website, said in a Facebook post that Shapoval's unit had fought in eastern Ukraine, where a conflict with Russia-backed separatists that broke out in 2014 has killed more than 10,000 people. He claimed Russian intelligence could have killed Shapoval. Shapoval's death comes almost a year after prominent journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed by a similar explosion in Kiev as he drove to work. A documentary film released last month revealed evidence suggesting that Ukraine's spy agency may have witnessed the planting of the car bomb that killed Sheremet. No one has been brought to justice in the murder case. A number of other public figures have also been assassinated in and around Kiev in recent years. Denis Voronenkov, a former Russian MP who fled to Ukraine, was shot dead in central Kiev in March. Pro-Russian journalist Oles Buzina was shot in a drive-by in 2015, and lawyer Yuri Grabovsky, who had represented a Russian soldier captured in Ukraine, was found dead with a gunshot wound in 2016.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Murphy for his incredible leadership on this important topic and for holding this Special Order this evening. I can tell you, the citizens of the State of Ohio are paying attention. The opioid epidemic continues to intensify with over 2 million people addicted to prescription opioids and more than half a million addicted to heroin in 2015, alone. According to an estimate from The New York Times, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under 50; and drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in our country, with prescription opioids responsible for more than 20,000 deaths in the United States just in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine. I have to mention that Medicaid plays an important role in addressing this epidemic because it is a lifeline program, providing coverage to over 650,000 non-elderly adults with opioid addiction and covering a range of treatment services. Ohio, tragically, leads the Nation in opioid overdoses in 2014. Sadly, deaths have continued to rise with increased use of heroin and fentanyl. Many States have expanded Medicaid, including Ohio, to cover adults who make a modest $16,500 a year per individual. By broadening coverage of adults, the Medicaid expansion reaches many low-income adults with opioid addiction who were previously ineligible for coverage and facilitates access to treatment. The opioid epidemic is so bad that even librarians are learning how to treat overdoses for individuals who come into libraries. Mental health can be comorbid with opioid abuse, and those suffering from that duality are truly an American tragedy. For an addict to complete rehab and recovery successfully, they need to work in concert. And over half of uninsured non-elderly adults with an opioid addiction had a mental illness in the past year, with over one in five operating with a serious mental illness, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. To address the gravity of the challenge, I want to put on the Record the work that Lucas County, my home county, is doing with their DART program, which engages hospitals, mental health centers, and businesses in the community. Believe it or not, according to Sheriff Tharp, the DART program has helped nearly 2,300 overdose victims and has a 74 percent success rate of getting people into detox and treatment programs at a total cost of about $370 per individual. This is truly an amazing record, and I wish to include in the Record the information about other counties in the district that I represent. The opioid epidemic does not just affect the addicted. Lucas County Children Services is struggling to help children displaced by the opioid epidemic. The agency has been repeatedly forced to do the unimaginable tasks of comforting children as first responders work to save their parents from a heroin or fentanyl overdoses. On several occasions, it has had to break the terrible news to these children that their parents succumbed to their addiction. LCCS is also coping with a dramatic increase in the number of children placed in protective custody because their families have been blinded by substance dependence. The State's current budget proposes no increase for this program, which is a shame. This is no time to short change children. Finally, I submit for the Record a story of the Guest family of Lorain, Ohio, whose daughter Tera died of a heroin overdose at the age of 24. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer: ``Tera Guest, 24, died Jan. 29, 2014, shortly after she and her sister used painkillers and a heroin-fentanyl mix. Her death marked the end of a two-year period that included stints in treatment and losing custody of her two children to her mother. ``Tera is among the hundreds who have died of overdoses within the last three years in Lorain County. The county coroner's office said a record 67 people died in 2013, followed by 60 in 2014 and 62 in 2015.'' Lori took her tragedy and turned it into action and formed the Lorain Community Task Force, which is a group that raises awareness and provides assistance to addicts and their families. Lori stepped up, and now Congress must do the same. We cannot turn our back on these people now. We must fight, we must work together, we must put politics aside. Only then can we begin to heal our Nation from this crisis.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th birthday of beautiful and legendary Camp Miakonda. Camp Miakonda is located in Toledo, Ohio, and is a bedrock for many Boy Scouts. I would like to include in the Record the words of its executive, Ed Caldwell: On Saturday, the Erie Shores Council of the Boy Scouts of America will begin a yearlong celebration of the 100th birthday of Camp Miakonda, an important community asset that deserves a grand celebration. The festivities will commence with a hallmark event for the entire community to enjoy time at camp. Please join us to learn about the many Scouts who have camped at Miakonda over the decades and how our practices and equipment have changed. Special ceremonies include the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of our new Wildlife Nature Center. Parking will be available at nearby schools with shuttle service from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. I am proud to serve as the Scout executive and chief executive officer of the Erie Shores Council. Like many other people in our community, I am a product of the Boy Scout leadership program. I am, and always will be, an Eagle Scout. I was taught the Boy Scout salute, and Scout handshake, the Scout motto (``Be prepared''), and the Scout slogan (``Do a good turn daily''). I memorized the Boy Scout Law (``A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent'') and the Boy Scout Oath (with its pledge to ``keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight''). Camp Miakonda, known as the ``land of the crescent moon,'' is more than America's sixth-oldest Boy Scout camp and the oldest in the state of Ohio. It is a community asset. From the first Scouts who camped at the 160-acre De Vilbiss Scout Reservation in 1917, to the many Scouts who travel from across the country each year to enjoy the camp's nationally recognized programs and facilities, Camp Miakonda has inspired tens of thousands of young men in its first 100 years. We are excited to serve the youth, and create a lifetime of memories for the next 100 years. Today, Camp Miakonda is a multiuse facility, serving both the Boy Scouts and the community at large. For Scouts, the adventure starts at Camp Miakonda with Club Scout Day Camp during the summer months and many weekend Scouting programs throughout the spring, fall, and winter. For the general public, camp facilities are available for day, evening, or weekend use for special events, dinners, or training seminars. In addition to our Saturday open house, we will be hosting other Camp Miakonda celebrations over the next few months. On Tuesday, the actual 100th birthday of Camp Miakonda, we will feature an all-day open house. On Oct. 5, we will host a ``Special Evening under the Crescent Moon,'' a gala dinner to benefit Camp Miakonda's long-term operations. I hope you will bring a friend and join us in our celebrations this year. This is your camp. The Camp Miakonda adventure starts here. Ed Caldwell (Scout Executive, Erie Shores Council).

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Raymond V. Walendzak, who served for over 20 years as the Chief of the Oregon Fire Department. Ray passed away in his Oregon home surrounded by his family on June 7, 2017. Ray was born in Toledo, Ohio on September 27, 1941 to Joan and Stanley Walendzak. He played football and wrestled for Clay High School, from which he graduated in 1959. Ray continued his education at Findlay College, and then joined the United States Air Force and served in West Germany. In 1968, Ray became an Oregon firefighter, where he began his service in the department's maintenance division, became a fire prevention officer, a district chief, and the assistant chief. Ray's father also served as a firefighter, which helped Ray bridge the differences between the different generations who were serving as firefighters. He appreciated the traditions of fire service, and also the need to modernize fire service with technology. Ray became Fire Chief in 1986 and retired in 2007 for a total of 39 years of fire service. While Fire Chief, Ray made sure his department was current in training and technology, and made sure that the department had the right equipment. Ray has said that his biggest achievement was getting a fire training facility built in Oregon. His passion about the fire-fighting community led him to serve its various organizations which include serving as the past president of the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, Lucas County Fire Chiefs Association, Oregon Fire Fighters Association, Ottawa County Fireman's Association, and, for over 26 years, as past president and secretary of the Northwest Ohio Volunteer Fire Association. He had received the Ohio Fire Chiefs' Association's Distinguished Service Award, and was inducted into the Ohio Fire Service Hall of Fame. Ray served as a Governor appointee to the State of the Ohio Board of Emergency Medical Services for 12 years. He was inducted into the Clay High School Hall of Fame in 2014. Ray's commitment to his community did not just stop with the fire department--it extended through his service to his church, St. Ignatius, and through many of the civic organizations he was a member of: the American Legion Christ Dunberger Post No. 537, Knights of Columbus, Swiss Club at the GAF, and the Clay Boosters. Ray dedicated an enormous amount of time to the youth of his community, where he was a longtime coach of youth baseball through the Oregon Recreation Department. Ray also served as a football coach at Oregon Clay High School. His dedication to the young members of his community led him to run for four terms on the Oregon Board of Education where he also served as Board President. Ray will be remembered for his dedication to his chosen profession of Fire Fighting and for his dedication to the Oregon community at large. We offer Ray's children, Dean, Donald and Dennis, his six grandchildren, his family and friends, our prayers and hope that they find comfort in the wonderful memories of what Ray had meant to each of the institutions that he served.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the healthcare bill that has emerged from secret Republican-only negotiations in the other body. Mr. Speaker, 900,000 people--nearly 1 million--gained health insurance just in Ohio through the Affordable Care Act. But this lopsided Republican bill is even more cruel than their House version. It will rip away care from millions, including very sick people who are suffering from mental illness and opioid addiction. We all know amazing families, many of whom have come to our offices telling their stories, families who care for the sick and for those who will never be able to realize the dreams due to illness and disability. To put them on the chopping block is un-American and it is anti-life. The Republican bill slashes Medicaid, which is a lifeline to working people, and puts more crushing costs on millions of seniors dependent on Medicaid for nursing home care. The Republican bill is anti-life. The Republican proposal makes healthcare unaffordable for many Americans, and basically gives a tax cut to those who make millions and billions of dollars. How cruel is that? Caring for the most dependent and ill among us cannot be left to chance. Americans should rise up in protest from coast to coast and oppose this anti-life Republican bill.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, with deepest regret and gratitude for his precious and sacrificial life, I wish to include in the Record a tribute to the earthly life of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, a worldwide pillar of holiness, unity, and righteousness. Remembered for his unwavering commitment to defeat tyranny in Ukraine and beyond, we honor his legacy as an indomitable defender of global harmony and respect for life. Cardinal Husar's tireless dedication to his faith helped revive the spirit of an aching people. In an era fraught with division and tensions, he fought to preserve Greek Orthodoxy in Ukraine, using its teachings to restore the identity and morale of the nation, and to inspire millions beyond. As he worked to bridge the fissures of a divided world, Cardinal Husar courageously sought to remedy the upheaval of the last century. Cardinal Husar welcomed John Paul II back to a former Soviet republic for the first time in a thousand years and helped strengthen global interfaith cooperation. I was privileged to be present at that magnificent and grand occasion during which a mass was offered in open fields outside Kyiv, hundreds of chalices gleamed in the sun as the eastern and western Catholic traditions opened the event to people of all traditions. The Catholic Church in Poland was the vault of national memory and identity during the 123 years the nation was temporarily erased from the European map. Similarly, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church led the archival documentation of Ukraine's national identity and aspiration during the decades Stalin tried to starve Ukraine into defeat. Stalin's efforts to erase the Ukrainian language, history and culture, failed because of the Church's preservation. Cardinal Husar championed and supported the establishment of the Ukrainian Catholic University's development in Lviv. Astoundingly, it is the only Catholic institution of higher learning in the former Soviet space, a credit to Cardinal Husar's leadership. Even today, it remains one of the pillars of higher education in Ukraine, uncorrupted by the grim Soviet legacy. An enlightened figure, his temperance and compassion instilled significant progress in the greater reconciliation efforts underway. A national symbol, Cardinal Husar guided his homeland through an era of great uncertainty, as it struggled to shed the horrors of the past and regained independence with the historic opportunity to build forward toward an open and more democratic society, and vital crossroads between East and West. Driven by his own internal moral compass, his teachings helped to usher in a new era of freedom and unity. He exuded eternal hope for his newly emancipated people. For the Cardinal, freedom itself was more than liberty; ultimately, it provided him ``the opportunity to do good.'' The last time I had the privilege of speaking with Cardinal Husar, his vision was failing him. But he was completely lucid and urged me to always maintain hope for the future. When he exited the meeting, he proceeded up the stairwell of his residence with a lit candle in hand. That flame continues to burn bright in his memory. Cardinal Husar's teachings have preserved a spirited and theological legacy instructing future generations for years to come. May his teachings continue to inspire and involve our work every day towards a unified global community. Against all darkness, I am confident the light of Lubomyr Husar will continue to shine and endure. May his soul guide and protect his beloved homeland.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this House needs to get the job done for the American people and make sure that we operate by regular order. That means we want to pass bills here so that we can operate the Government of the United States, whether it is the Department of Defense, the Small Business Administration, or across the range of departments and agencies. But you can't do that well unless you have a budget. Now, the Republicans control this House, the Republicans control the Senate, and the Republicans control the White House. They should be able to agree among themselves to pass a budget; and then when, as an appropriator, we pass our 12 appropriation bills, we are given a number and we mark up those 12 bills and we don't go over budget. But guess what. The Republicans can't produce a budget. Later this week, we are told the Military-Veterans Affairs appropriation bill will be marked up in committee and money will be put in that bill. The problem with that is, if we put the money in that bill, how do we know that we will be able to have money left over for the other 11 bills to fund seniors' Meals on Wheels or the infrastructure bill that people are talking about? We have a real problem. The Republicans need to do the job and produce a budget so that we can serve the American people as they expect us to do.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Financial CHOICE Act, which abandons the American people, as well as safety and soundness, in favor of Wall Street. Six megabanks now control two-thirds of the financial sector in our country and reaped record profits of over $170 billion in 2016. That is too much power in too few hands. Current law has made progress in protecting consumers from predatory practices. Repeal of these consumer protections is not what the American people want. This week, Congressman Jones and I propose to table the current legislation and replace it with our bipartisan bill, the Prudent Banking Act, which reinstates Glass-Steagall protections by separating prudent banking from risky Wall Street speculation that tanked our economy in 2008. The Rules Committee refused to allow our bill a vote. Nevertheless, we remain resolute. Glass-Steagall is something President Trump ran on, as did Bernie Sanders, and, in 2016, both the Republican and Democratic platforms enshrined policies to restore Glass-Steagall protections. Americans should know there is a growing bipartisan consensus fighting to protect the progress we have made, rein in Wall Street, and keep the wolves at bay and out of your pocketbook. I will be voting ``no'' on this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today, President Trump visited Ohio to tout his infrastructure plan. Well, Ohio needs the good jobs that direct national investment in infrastructure could provide, so my Democratic Ohio colleagues, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Fudge, Mrs. Beatty, and I sent President Trump a letter encouraging him to take a wide view of what infrastructure should encompass in States like Ohio. We urged the President to consider upgrading our foundational assets, such as drinking water systems, our national electric grid, energy efficiency, roofing and lead removal in individual homes, plus modernizing roads and bridges, our seaports and waterways, our airports and rail systems. Indeed, infrastructure investments present the best opportunity to revitalize our battered domestic steel industry as well. We hope President Trump's infrastructure plan won't lead to more broken promises like with his budget, which zeros out assistance for our Great Lakes. The President's plan lacks quantifiable specifics, but some warning signs are there. Privatization and tax breaks mean bearing down more costs on taxpayers through user fees and tolls. Mr. Speaker, Americans expect more than showmanship. It is time for a real bipartisan jobs and infrastructure plan to help modernize America from stem to stern and keep her great for years to come.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Balancing Trade Act,'' an important bill that requires U.S. policy to take the trade deficit seriously. This legislation provides actionable steps to re-balance our trade deficits with countries with which we have a deficit of $10 billion or more for three consecutive years. Following the Trump administration's recent Executive orders on U.S. trade policy, and recent letter to Congress to renegotiate NAFTA, this legislation offers actionable steps to the Administration. Bad trade deals have contributed to a loss of nearly 4 million American jobs and a deficit of $43.6 billion. President Trump promised a trade deal that would get Americans back to work and reduce our deficit. By prioritizing our worst trade deals, we are ensuring that some of these promises are met. An old adage reminds us: there are two kinds of failures: ``by those who think and don't do, and the other by those who don't think and do.'' Our ``free trade'' deals have been a major failure of the second order. Persistent, massive trade deficits are a drag on the U.S. economy and impair job creation. Now more than ever we need a trade policy that grows the economy and creates jobs in the United States.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, President Trump recently told The Economist that he is ``absolutely a free-trader.'' Ohioans would be the first to tell you that free trade and fair trade do not mean the same thing. Our trade deficit ballooned to $43.7 billion in March of this year-- more red ink and more lost jobs. That skewed gap is even more pronounced with NAFTA nations, where we have a huge negative imbalance, totaling over $16 billion with Mexico and nearly $7 billion with Canada. That yields over 115,000 more forfeited jobs in our country. Yes, trade deficits translate into lost jobs and lower wages for our workers like steelworkers that have been battered in Lorain, Ohio. We must stop these trade practices that snuff out our jobs and hurt our communities. That is why tomorrow I will be reintroducing the Balancing Trade Act. This bill requires an actual U.S. policy that takes the trade deficit seriously. It provides real achievable steps to balance our trade deficits with countries with which we hold a deficit of over $10 billion for three consecutive years. I urge President Trump to support this measure as a reasonable step forward. Let us help heal heartland communities, many of which elected him. Let us seek trade solutions that lift up our people and create new jobs on all sides of North America's borders, but starting here in the good old USA.