Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I want to thank Congressman Garamendi for bringing us all together this evening, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, Congressman Honda-- those who are here and are serious about trying to rectify what happened last night with the GOP shutdown of our departments of the Federal Government. How very irresponsible, how reckless, how it puts our economy at risk to put politics ahead of the national interests, and so, so unnecessary. I stand here this evening as a member of the Appropriations Committee, the committee and the Constitution that is responsible for operating and providing the funding for the Departments of our government: the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education. You can go across the Departments. As of the end of September, we're supposed to have the budgets passed for each of those Departments for fiscal year 2014. That officially began last night at midnight. At the moment, those 12 bills have not been passed. The Republicans are holding them hostage for their efforts to try to contort the legislative process to change the law, to change the Affordable Care Act because they don't like parts of it. Actually, that is a tangential issue. It has nothing to do with whether or not the Department of Transportation will have the funding to sign contracts to get roads paved across this country, to repair bridges that are in disrepair across the Nation, or to make sure that we have air controllers across this Nation on a regular basis and not just on an emergency basis. It has nothing to do with whether in Ohio, for example, at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, the full complement of staff, both military and civilian, can report for work at the 180th Fighter Wing F-16 unit in Lucas County, Ohio; whether the technicians who repair those planes, who were furloughed, over 200 of them, who are, in my view, essential--because you can't fly the plane if the thing doesn't work, right?--but they were let go for the moment and classified as not having to report for work. This is such a mishmash across the government of the United States and so utterly irresponsible to try to hold every single Department hostage to the GOP's particular view of a bill that they don't like that has nothing to do with the operation of these other Departments. I stand here tonight to say that they put at risk the entire economic recovery of the country, furloughing over 800,000 people across the Government of the United States, parks--some folks have talked about parks. It's way beyond parks. We talked about the World War II Memorial here and the first time I've ever seen it without anyone on site because it's all cordoned off. It was as though a neutron bomb had hit the site. There were no citizens that could access the site. The fountains were turned off, the Visitor Center, the facilities that are there for people to use were all shuttered. To what end? The normal constitutional appropriations process works in a way that we pass our bills in the House and in the Senate; and then we meet, the House and the Senate, the Senators and the Representatives together, we work out our differences; we send the bills to the President by the end of September; and the government operates for another year. The GOP in the House has been very unwilling to follow the rules, very irresponsible. They've now placed the whole country in jeopardy because they can't reach agreement with us. How sad for the Nation and how unnecessary; how reckless to do this to the economy. And we know that when contracts aren't let--and contractors are calling all of our offices wanting to know when those contracts will be signed. Whether it's for unmanned aerial vehicles that we have to develop in this country or whether it's fixing combines or overflows that are a serious challenge in the Midwest and other places, the government simply can't conduct its business. Generals and departmental administrators are spending more time thinking about who's going to be furloughed tomorrow than getting the job done. So it throws a wrench into the gears of a great society, of a great country, the oldest Republic on the face of the Earth. I thank the gentleman for calling this Special Order this evening to say to the American people that we share their frustration. We are their representatives. We want the Government of the United States to work. To try to use the process that they've used to gerrymander in States like Ohio to suppress the will of the majority of the people by holding the Affordable Care Act out there and every Department hostage, they're contorting the government and its ability to operate in the same way that they contorted the gerrymandering of this country when, in fact, there were 1,500,000 more votes cast for Democratic Members who ran for Congress than Republican. In States like Ohio that vote 50/ 50, we only have four Democratic Representatives out of 16. There are 12 Republicans, 4 Democrats because of gerrymandering. The very same contortion that they did to the politics of the country in the drawing of those lines, they're now using that same weapon inside this House to try to contort the legislative process that has resulted in shutdown. I thank Congressman Garamendi for bringing us together this evening, for trying to inject some reason, some responsibility and prudent behavior into the way that this government operates. We share your passion for that end.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to congratulate Calvin United Church of Christ in Toledo, Ohio as it celebrates 110 years of worship in the historic Birmingham neighborhood of Toledo's East Side. Worshipers will come together in a special celebration on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Toledo's Birmingham neighborhood was established and grew when Hungarian workers were relocated from Cleveland to Toledo to work in foundries. More and more Hungarian workers came to Toledo and the neighborhood quickly established itself. In 1891, these immigrants founded the Magyar Reformed Church. The building was designed by local architect T. W. Matz and was completed in 1901. Echoing features of Hungarian village churches, its design is that of Hungarian Neo-Baroque church, with a tower, four round arched windows and round-shaped clocks pointing to each cardinal direction. The Hungarian coat-of-arms can be found on the bottom of each of the stained glass windows. The church stands still at its original location at the corner of Bogar and Bakewell Streets in Toledo. The church was incorporated by the State of Ohio as the Hungarian Church of Toledo on June 16, 1903. The name was changed to Calvin United Church of Christ in 1962. Since its beginning, Calvin United Church of Christ has been an anchor of Toledo's East Side and its Birmingham neighborhood. Its members are community leaders and the church is a good neighbor. Following the Scriptures call in 1 Chronicles 16:9 to ``Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His wondrous works and devoutly praise them!'' Calvin United Church of Christ's faithful have lived Christ's Word across three centuries and continue a proud tradition in its neighborhood. We are pleased to congratulate the congregation as it approaches its 110th anniversary, and look forward to its efforts in Christ's service for years to come.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank Ranking Member Lowey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, our Nation is stronger when we come together as we, the people, to solve the serious challenges facing our country, yet we find ourselves on the precipice of a GOP-driven government shutdown. The standoff between the Tea Party and other Republicans is now leading to a GOP shutdown of our entire Federal Government. Extreme partisanship threatens our economic recovery and job creation across our country. Thousands of workers at Ohio's largest employer, Wright- Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, are about to be furloughed. Most NASA employees, including the NASA Glenn Research Center at Brook Park, near Cleveland, will be sent home. Here in Washington, World War II veterans on their way here with Honor Flights across this country to visit the World War II Memorial on The Mall will find the Visitor Center closed. Mr. Speaker, we cannot continue to govern by staggering from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. The madness must stop. America needs leadership, not extreme partisanship. We need statesmanship, not brinksmanship. America has work to do putting our people back to work, educating the next generation, curbing crime, and improving health care. So the Republicans want to shut down the government? This will deeply hurt our country. It will hurt Ohio. There's no reason for it beyond shameful, partisan politics. It's time for the Republicans in Congress to come to their senses. Vote against the GOP shutdown.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank Ranking Member Slaughter for yielding me the time. It is clear that the Republican majority is here tonight to begin the process of shutting down the Government of the United States. How irresponsible; how counterproductive; and what a politically manufactured crisis. The uncertainty this behavior engenders across our Nation, the fits and starts, on-again-off-again approach the majority is employing is not in the interest of economic growth and job creation, nor America's standing globally. Speaker Boehner said he would not bring a bill to the floor that hasn't been posted online for at least 72 hours. Well, it's obvious he and the House Republicans won't keep their promise. In fact, this is the 34th time that legislation has been brought to the floor with less than 72 hours to read it. So we find ourselves on the brink of a government-wide shutdown, driven by a minority of the majority of just one House of Congress. Simply put: the Republicans want to shut down the Federal Government because they're mad about the results of the 2012 elections. Republicans are mad that the Supreme Court held that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional. Threatening a government shutdown because you don't get your way is not how we should be going about conducting the people's business. According to a CBS News poll, 80 percent of Americans say threatening a government shutdown during budget debate is not an acceptable way to negotiate. Our entire country will be affected by what is happening here. Moody's Analytics estimates that a shutdown of 3 to 4 weeks would cut economic growth in half. Why do this when our economy is recovering? Housing loans won't be made, small business loans; our national parks will be closed; lifesaving research won't be conducted. Why do this? Why put the country through all this? Previous government shutdowns and manufactured crises have had severe consequences. During the first 1995 shutdown, 800,000 workers were furloughed. And during the debt ceiling fight in 2011, the Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 1,700 points, or nearly 14 percent. Let's stop the antics and govern, not shut down the Government of the United States. I ask my colleagues to vote against this measure and support economic growth not manufactured crises.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable American who has proudly served our nation as an Air Force veteran and our Toledo community as a successful entrepreneur, extraordinary philanthropist and a true friend to so many--Mr. Jim Findlay. Jim Findlay is the epitome of a true gentleman. His influence and compassion have impacted the lives of thousands of people. Jim has been a coach to our youth; a mentor to our young adults. He is always there for those who seek a champion for their cause. His support of local initiatives is deep and legendary as he shares his leadership, connections and incredible financial support earning him innumerable awards including the area's Outstanding Philanthropist Award, The University of Toledo's Blue T and Gold T awards and the highly coveted Jefferson Award. He is a 70- year member of Glenwood Lutheran Church, a board member of the House of Emmanuel and he has served as chairman of many fundraising campaigns for ProMedica, Sylvania Athletics and The University of Toledo and others. Jim attended Scott High School, then The University of Toledo where he began his lifelong love affair with the UT Rockets--as well as the 1947 Homecoming Queen Celia Koontz Findlay. He and Celia were married for more than 50 years until her passing in 2004. Jim is a dedicated family man to his children Jim Jr, Sarah, Jon, their spouses Cindy, Jack and Linda, a beloved grandfather to Ally and Jonathon Findlay--and wonderful companion to PJ Schaefer. Jim has proudly been affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, Toledo Rotary Club, Big Brothers-Big Sisters of NW Ohio, Lutheran Social Services and the Sylvania Athletic Foundation. At The University of Toledo, he has been involved with The Tower Club, President's Club, Downtown Coaches, UT Alumni Association, College of Business & Family Business Center, Sales Executive of the Day, Honorary Doctorate of Management, Pacemaker of the Year, Catherine Eberly Center for Women, UT Foundation Board and The Findlay Building-- the athletic complex at Scott Park--is named in his honor. He established The Celia Koontz Findlay Scholarship, The James R. Findlay Scholarship, and the Jim & Celia Findlay Family Business Award. He chaired The University of Toledo's Council for Academic Excellence to raise funds for scholarships. He also received the UT Athletic Department's 12th Man Award and is an honorary member of the Varsity T Club. He has also been involved with ProMedica's Wine Event, Autism Fundraising Council, The Goerlich Center Campaign, Flower Hospital's Women's Auxiliary Flower Hospital Cancer and a member of the Stevens Warren Flower Society. In 2001 he published ``In the Company of Friends'', a book of his life experiences. Jim has also been awarded an Honorary Degree from Lourdes College, the Newman Award, Servant Leadership Award, Toledo Community Award, ``Grow our Economy--Develop our People'' Award and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award. Jim is the founder of Impact Products and, upon his retirement, in typical Jim Findlay fashion, he gave the company to his employees. The company's name--IMPACT--is a testament to the impact that one person can selflessly make on the lives of so many. We, the family of Toledo and NW Ohio blessed and honored, know and pay tribute to our dear friend, Jim Findlay, who in good time and times of great struggle, teaches us by way of his courageous example.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, with the tragic mass shooting last week at the Washington Navy Yard, our country has again been ravaged by preventable gun violence. America must confront these events and their causes to prevent future tragedies. Since 2007, according to the FBI, there have been 146 reported mass shootings. Far too often, a large contributing factor to this recent surge in violence is untreated mental illness; and in far too many instances, the perpetrators are former members of our military. Our Nation must bridge the gaps in our current mental health system to avoid more tragedies. The President recently unveiled his BRAIN Initiative. It calls for $100 million in funding to advance our understanding of the human mind. Supporting this proposal will go a long way to furthering our understanding of the causes and conditions that afflict those who wish to harm others and themselves. Further, Congressman McKinley of West Virginia and I have introduced H.R. 1615, the Examining America's Mental Health Services Act of 2013. The bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the National Academies' Institute of Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study on the gaps in our Nation's mental health services and to explore how these gaps increase the risk of violent acts. Experts such as former Army Vice Chief of Staff Dr. Peter Chiarelli, Dr. Joseph Calabrese of Case Western Reserve University, U.S. Army Colonel Carl Castro, and Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, head of the Stanley Foundation, would be prime candidates to lead breakthrough national initiatives on mental health. Part of our comprehensive effort should focus on (1) accelerating funding for brain research and neuropsychiatric treatment; (2), reforming military enlistment, discharge procedures and integrating the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs' medical records systems; (3), instituting early childhood behavioral screening in schools; and, (4), restricting gun and ammunition access to those who have serious behavioral disorders. Additional focus on mental illness and gun access is imperative. The Navy Yard tragedy resulted in the deaths of 13 of our citizens with eight additional people injured. The perpetrator, Aaron Alexis, was aged 34, a Navy Reserve veteran and a contractor to the U.S. Navy. He joined the Naval Reserve and began experiencing conditions that many would describe as related to PTSD, with demonstrable neuro conditions such as schizophrenia or paranoid schizophrenia. However, he was allowed to purchase a Remington 870 pump action shotgun and two boxes of ammunition. Individuals who suffer from these types of ailments should not have access to weapons and stockpiles of ammunition. Unaddressed mental illness continues to be prevalent in many of our Nation's traumatic mass shootings, and they involve perpetrators who are private citizens as well. We recall so sadly in Tucson, Arizona, when our own former dear colleague, Rep. Gabby Giffords, and current colleague, Representative Ron Barber, miraculously survived a mass shooting in which six others lost their lives after a deranged gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, opened fire at a meeting at a local supermarket at which Giffords and constituents were gathering. We saw it at nearby Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, when Seung-Hui Cho took the lives of 32 people; and we saw it at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December of 2012, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza ended the lives of 20 children and seven adults after taking his own mother's life and then his own. How many more calls for attention--for help?--does America need to hear? The killing of two Capitol Police Officers over a decade ago, here in our Capitol, was perpetrated by a man who had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic who was off his medication, alienated from his family and who got access to a gun. Congress should be deeply concerned that civilians, as well as our brave men and women who serve or who have served in our Armed Forces, are not receiving the medical treatment required for diagnosing debilitating mental illness and trying to treat it better. An annual Department of Defense report on suicide has shown a precipitous increase in military suicides over the course of the last 5 years. In 2012, there were 349 suicides by military men and women from all branches of the Armed Forces. That is more than all the combat deaths that same year in Afghanistan. This is an epidemic and requires more attention and investment, including the BRAIN Initiative put forward by the President. In sum, the common denominator with many of these mass shootings is a mentally ill individual with access to deadly weapons who has not been treated properly or, many times, whose mental illness has not even been evaluated. America must address these deficiencies for the benefit of our entire society. We must accelerate research to unlock the mysteries of the human brain. Mr. Speaker, the only question is: Do America's leaders on behalf of the American people have the courage and vision to embark on a serious national conversation about mental health and mental illness? The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, April 2, 2013. Fact Sheet: BRAIN Initiative ``If we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas . . . Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy . . . Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer's . . . Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.''--President Barack Obama, 2013 State of the Union. In his State of the Union address, the President laid out his vision for creating jobs and building a growing, thriving middle class by making a historic investment in research and development. Today, at a White House event, the President unveiled a bold new research initiative designed to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. Launched with approximately $100 million in the President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative ultimately aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury. The BRAIN Initiative will accelerate the development and application of new technologies that will enable researchers to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact at the speed of thought. These technologies will open new doors to explore how the brain records, processes, uses, stores, and retrieves vast quantities of information, and shed light on the complex links between brain function and behavior. This initiative is one of the Administration's ``Grand Challenges''--ambitious but achievable goals that require advances in science and technology. In his remarks today, the President called on companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropists to join with him in identifying and pursuing the Grand Challenges of the 21st century. The BRAIN Initiative includes: Key investments to jumpstart the effort: The National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation will support approximately $100 million in research beginning in FY 2014. Strong academic leadership: The National Institutes of Health will establish a high-level working group co-chaired by Dr. Cornelia ``Cori'' Bargmann (The Rockefeller University) and Dr. William Newsome (Stanford University) to define detailed scientific goals for the NIH's investment, and to develop a multi-year scientific plan for achieving these goals, including timetables, milestones, and cost estimates. Public-private partnerships: Federal research agencies will partner with companies, foundations, and private research institutions that are also investing in relevant neuroscience research, such as the Allen Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Kavli Foundation, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Maintaining our highest ethical standards: Pioneering research often has the potential to raise new ethical challenges. To ensure this new effort proceeds in ways that continue to adhere to our highest standards of research protections, the President will direct his Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to explore the ethical, legal, and societal implications raised by this research initiative and other recent advances in neuroscience. Background In the last decade alone, scientists have made a number of landmark discoveries that now create the opportunity to unlock the mysteries of the brain, including the sequencing of the human genome, the development of new tools for mapping neuronal connections, the increasing resolution of imaging technologies, and the explosion of nanoscience. These breakthroughs have paved the way for unprecedented collaboration and discovery across scientific fields. For instance, by combining advanced genetic and optical techniques, scientists can now use pulses of light to determine how specific cell activities in the brain affect behavior. In addition, through the integration of neuroscience and physics, researchers can now use high- resolution imaging technologies to observe how the brain is structurally and functionally connected in living humans. While these technological innovations have contributed substantially to our expanding knowledge of the brain, significant breakthroughs in how we treat neurological and psychiatric disease will require a new generation of tools to enable researchers to record signals from brain cells in much greater numbers and at even faster speeds. This cannot currently be achieved, but great promise for developing such technologies lies at the intersections of nanoscience, imaging, engineering, informatics, and other rapidly emerging fields of science and engineering. Key Investments to Launch this Effort To make the most of these opportunities, the National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the National Science Foundation are launching this effort with funding in the President's FY 2014 budget. National Institutes of Health: The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research--an initiative that pools resources and expertise from across 15 NIH Institutes and Centers--will be a leading NIH contributor to the implementation of this initiative in FY 2014. The Blueprint program will contribute funding for the initiative, given that the Blueprint funds are specifically devoted to projects that support the development of new tools, training opportunities, and other resources. In total, NIH intends to allocate approximately $40 million in FY 2014. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: In FY 2014, DARPA plans to invest $50 million in a set of programs with the goal of understanding the dynamic functions of the brain and demonstrating breakthrough applications based on these insights. DARPA aims to develop a new set of tools to capture and process dynamic neural and synaptic activities. DARPA is interested in applications--such as a new generation of information processing systems and restoration mechanisms-- that dramatically improve the way we diagnose and treat warfighters suffering from post-traumatic stress, brain injury, and memory loss. DARPA will engage a broad range of experts to explore the ethical, legal, and societal issues raised by advances in neurotechnology. National Science Foundation: The National Science Foundation will play an important role in the BRAIN Initiative because of its ability to support research that spans biology, the physical sciences, engineering, computer science, and the social and behavioral sciences. The National Science Foundation intends to support approximately $20 million in FY 2014 in research that will advance this initiative, such as the development of molecular-scale probes that can sense and record the activity of neural networks; advances in ``Big Data'' that are necessary to analyze the huge amounts of information that will be generated, and increased understanding of how thoughts, emotions, actions, and memories are represented in the brain.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable American, Mr. Jim Findlay, who has proudly served our Nation as an Air Force veteran and our Toledo community throughout his life as a successful entrepreneur, extraordinary philanthropist, and a true friend to so many. Jim Findlay is the epitome of a gentleman. His influence and compassion have impacted the lives of thousands. He served as a coach to our youth, a mentor to our young adults. He is always there for those who seek a champion for their causes. His support of local initiatives is deep and legendary. He has been the fundraising chair for so many activities, a 70-year member of Glenwood Lutheran Church, and a founding board member of the House of Emmanuel. Jim attended Scott High School, then the University of Toledo where he began his lifelong love affair with the UT Rockets, as well as with 1947 Homecoming Queen Celia Koontz Findlay. He and Celia were married for more than 50 years until her passing in 2004. His loving care for her during her prolonged illness inspired all who knew them. Jim is a dedicated family man to his children--Jim, Jr., Sarah, Jon--a beloved grandfather to Ally and Jonathon, and a wonderful companion to PJ Schaefer. Jim founded Impact Products, and upon his retirement--in typical Jim Findlay fashion--he gave the company to his employees. The company's name, Impact, is a testament to the impact that one person can selflessly make on the lives of so many. We, the family of Toledo and northwest Ohio, are blessed and honored to know and to pay tribute to our dear friend, Jim Findlay, who, in good times and in times of great struggle, teaches us by way of his courageous and generous example. May blessings flow to Jim now and to his loved ones. We love you, Jim, now and always, and we thank you.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the majority leader and the Tea Party Caucus have been railing against providing sufficient SNAP funding that provides food to the hungry. This is certainly not something to be proud of. I have never understood making scapegoats out of the most vulnerable Americans. The majority has been holding up passing bills to keep our country afloat in 2014 because they want to demonize ordinary Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. The Republican majority seems to enjoy the company of the very wealthy who are eating cake, while casting aside those who have really been scraping by economically. Some have lost their jobs due to outsourcing overseas, their homes to Wall Street greed, and for too many can barely maintain a foothold in the middle class. So let me propose a deal. Let's transfer out three of the massive government buildings in Virginia that employ thousands of people in the majority leader's Seventh Congressional District of Virginia and let's move those jobs to Ohio's Ninth Congressional District. Culpeper's loss would be Cleveland's gain. After we strike this deal, we in Ohio will enjoy the guaranteed jobs and income flows to which the Seventh District of Virginia has grown accustomed. We can cash in on the regular flow of funds to the majority leader's district that he takes for granted, including being the number one State for Federal procurement in the whole country. Let's harmonize Ohio's unemployment rate with Virginia's. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the majority leader's harsh let-them-eat-dirt proposal. He lives in an insulated economy. Ohio does not. We want responsible government that values every citizen. Let no one in America go hungry.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the story of Shellie, an unemployed mother with two children, from Ohio, a face of hunger in America.

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman for yielding and rise in opposition to the rule, and say I will be so proud to vote today not to take food away from children and veterans and the disabled and the unemployed. Over half of these who receive these benefits are young children and senior citizens. So this is one of those legislative moments of true clarity between the leadership of both parties. The Republican leadership's proposal will increase hunger across our country by taking away SNAP benefits from millions of Americans. They claim that restricting SNAP eligibility will encourage those who are receiving benefits to take work. What this fails to recognize is that there are about three unemployed workers for every job that is out there in our country right now. In some places, it's even worse than that. Even if an unemployed person filled every available job, roughly two of every three unemployed individuals would still not have a job because there aren't enough yet to go around in our country. People are struggling. I just want to say that this is one of those moments when I am so proud to be a Democrat and stand with my colleagues today against these cuts to the most fundamental requirements of a decent life--access to sufficient, nutritious food.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this week marks the meltdown of Lehman Brothers, and the 5-year anniversary of the greatest financial crisis in a generation that struck our country. This economic disaster nearly caused the destruction of our country's entire financial infrastructure and led to what we now call the Great Recession. However, Wall Street, during the last 5 years, has actually profited greatly from this crisis and, in the process, has caused continuing financial failures of millions of Americans. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley have all reported record profits during the recession. Wall Street, in the last 5 years, has regained all of its pre-crisis wealth with interest. Wouldn't the American people like to be in that position? Meanwhile, Main Street has yet to see a real robust recovery. The roots of the recession began in the late 1990s, when a majority in this Congress first overturned something called the Glass-Steagall Act, which separated speculative banking from prudent banking and then, in 2000, refused to regulate the trading of derivatives. By hamstringing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities Exchange Commission, Wall Street turned once stable investments into the toxic assets that brought down our economy. American taxpayers were then asked to bail out these same banks responsible for trashing our economy and facilitating the single greatest redistribution of wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich in American history. Our middle class has shrunk. And guess what? The ranks of the poor shot up. It's no wonder people can't afford to pay for food. American citizens continue to struggle to recuperate their lost wealth from a clever banking system that stole their equity. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas recently reported that the cost of the collapse to the United States economy was up to $14 trillion. Is it any wonder we have rising debt levels? It could be more when you factor in potential permanent losses in earning power by Americans who aren't paying taxes anymore because they're not working yet. According to the Economic Policy Institute, from 2000 to 2011, the median income for working-age households fell from approximately $64,000 a year to $55,000. This is a decline of nearly 13 percent. The U.S. Census Bureau paints a similar bleak picture of the precipitous decline in American household income. It shows that the overall median income of households has continued to fall since the start of recession, and now, people are earning--guess what--similar to what their median income was in 1988. That's right. They've lost decades of income growth. Income inequality has only widened during the crisis, where only the top 5 percent of income earners in our country saw an increase in their earnings between 2010 and 2011. The top is doing fine. Everybody else is not. In addition, a GAO report earlier this year estimated the total loss in household equity from the crisis to be $9 trillion. Those are some of your neighbors and mine. Indeed, what a property-taking that is. Losses on this level prevent Americans from owning their own homes, opening their own businesses, or going to college and, ultimately, creating their own American Dream. Meanwhile, on Wall Street, we see the enormous accumulation of banking assets and vast financial power in a handful of institutions. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, all of them are making enormous profits, in fact, the highest profits in the nation, along with the oil companies. Fifteen years ago, the assets of the six-largest banks were approximately 17 percent of gross domestic product. Today, estimates for the assets of those same banks are equivalent to over half of our gross domestic product. So six institutions, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley control an enormous percentage of our banking system and, in turn, your future and our nation's future. That is too much power in the hands of the big six. America is currently in the midst of the slowest recovery from a recession since World War II, and it's important that this Congress not sit idly by. In the 5 years since the recession, our economy has only managed to put more money in the pockets of the top 1 percent, ignoring the difficulties of the bottom 99 percent. One way to begin rectifying this situation is to reinstitute the Glass-Steagall Act. I ask my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 129, the Return to Prudent Banking Act to restore the distinction between prudent banking and speculation. In addition, the executive branch should prosecute the predatory practices of those financial institutions that have led to this harm to the American people. There should be no statute of limitation on the justice that is owed to the American people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a milestone in the life of one of the oldest high schools in our district. Toledo's Scott High School celebrates its 100th birthday this month. When young Toledoans in the first decade of the last century began to outgrow the former Central High School, construction on two new schools began: Morrison Waite High School on Toledo's East Side and Jessup W. Scott High School on Toledo's West Side. Scott High School was named for a mid-19th century Toledo Blade newspaper editor who was a well- known civic leader and philanthropist. Eight thousand people reportedly attended Scott High School's dedication ceremony and 1,193 students were enrolled on that first day of classes, September 8, 1913. From the start and through the decades, Scott High School was a sports powerhouse. Many of its alumni have gone on to professional careers and even the Olympics. Scott and Waite High Schools have been friendly rivals from the start. Beginning in 1914 until 1963, the two schools came together in an annual Thanksgiving Day match up which generated interest far beyond the bounds of Toledo. Perhaps even more famous than its sports teams, Scott is also known for its internationally known marching band the ``Fantastic Dancing Machines.'' Truly one of the premier marching bands in the Midwest, the band has won many awards in band competitions throughout the United States and has performed all over the country. With a fine music tradition, Scott High School boasts famed jazz pianist Art Tatum among its illustrious alumni. Scott High School's alumni are proud of their roots, proud of their traditions, and proud of their school. Many graduates live in Toledo and have made their mark in our hometown. As they look back with fondness on school days gone by and reminisce at the passage of 100 years, so too they look forward with hope to new accomplishments in the century to come.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this weekend in my home community of Toledo, Ohio, hundreds of alumni from Macomber-Whitney High School will gather together to renew friendships and recall their high school years in a first all class reunion. The weekend events will feature riverside gatherings, tours, and a dinner. Vocational High School began training students in 1927. The school was moved to its own location, and Irving E. Macomber Vocational Technical High School opened its doors in 1938. Named for the man who helped develop Toledo's schools and parks, Macomber educated boys serving the entire city and was part of the Toledo Public School District. Harriet Whitney High School began providing a vocational public education to high school age girls in 1939. The school's namesake was Toledo's first school teacher nearly a century before. Whitney, too, served the entire city and was part of the Toledo Public School District. In 1959, Whitney and Macomber High School became joint-operational. The schools were next-door to each other and became known as Macomber- Whitney. Despite the fact that they shared an urban campus and some operations, the two schools remained completely separate in faculties, enrollments, and curriculum until the 1973-1974 school year. In the spring of 1972, an assembly was held for Macomber sophomores. They were told that they could major in one of several programs offered at Whitney, taking core courses at Whitney and other courses required for graduation at Macomber. The available programs included Distributive Education, Business Technology, Marketing, and Data Processing. About fifty boys signed up. After initial adjustment, the program change worked well. The Macomber Macmen were members of the Toledo City League and sported the colors of black and gold. Their main rivals were the Scott Bulldogs, which was especially heated in their basketball match-ups. The Macmen earned a team state title came in 1989, when the boys basketball team won the Division I state championship. The Lady Macs won two league titles: one for track & field in 1987 and one for basketball in the 1990-91 season. As enrollment declined toward the end of the last century, the decision was made to close Macomber-Whitney High School at the end of the 1990-91 school year. The Whitney building continued as home to adult education classes, but was demolished in 2011 by Toledo Public Schools. The Macomber building has been repurposed by a nonprofit organization. Macomber-Whitney High School educated thousands of students in the proud tradition of Toledo Public Schools, teaching them practical skills necessary to enter the workforce. Through those years values were learned, traditions passed on, and friendships made. The memories of their time at Macomber-Whitney not forgotten, its alumni will recall past days with joy, fond recollection, and proud memories.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a milestone in the life of a high school in Ohio. Holy Name High School in Parma Heights begins a yearlong centennial celebration in 2014. In the first decade of the Twentieth Century, the people of Holy Name Parish determined the grade school must be expanded to offer college preparatory second level higher education. In the fall of 1914, Holy Name High School admitted its first classes. Educated by the Sisters of Charity, Holy Name was the first Catholic high school in the Cleveland area to enroll both male and female students. In its ensuing century of education, both the school and its nearly 20,000 alumni have gone on to make a difference throughout the community, nation and world. The school's motto, ``The School's The Thing,'' was adopted in 1926. Its message conveys the credo that personal glory in school activity means little. The school encourages its students through the teachings of the Gospels to live Catholic values and develop abilities that prepare them to lead responsible, constructive, and meaningful lives. Name High School seal consists of the Chi Rho encircled by the school of identification. Its seal, the Greek Chi Rho, is an official expression of Holy Name's desire to do all things in Christ, with Him, and through Him. Holy Name High School's rigorous academic standards are echoed in its extra-curricular activities. From clubs to performances to sports, the ``Green Wave'' excels. Coined in the 1920, the Green Wave was first used to described the perfect coordination of the Holy Name football team, which gave the appearance of a giant green wave engulfing opponents. Through its century of education, Holy Name High School has educated its students, promoted strong values and prepared them to live lives of service. Its alumni include people in public service as well as the private sector, community leaders and those in service to our nation. As the school, its students, parents and alumni celebrate its 100th anniversary milestone, we know they will look upon their years at Holy Name High School with fond recollection, warm memories and pride. Turning toward the future, Holy Name High School walks confidently, ensuring a quality well-rounded education for the generations to come. Onward!

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank President Obama for his considered judgment in the matter of Syria, and for not headstrong rushing the United States to military action. I thank him for his consultations with Members of Congress in both Chambers, and for allowing the American people time to express their views. We must all weigh the consequences and repercussions of unilateral U.S. action. As the world's greatest military power, we must employ our power wisely, and only with good measure. I have every confidence that our U.S. military can perform any task to which they are ordered successfully, and we owe them our deepest respect and gratitude. I also want to thank and acknowledge the government of Russia for early reports we are learning about regarding discussions under way to rid Syria of weapons caches of danger both to Syria as well as our global community. Both Russia and the United States, as the world's premier nuclear powers, hold awesome responsibilities to move our world to a more peaceful and stable posture. Surely, we must focus that effort on the very unstable set of states across the Middle East. Russia and our country both have suffered from terrorist attacks and well understand the consequences of unresolved conflict and terrorists preying on unstable states. My hope is that the Russian initiative gains momentum. And let all nations of goodwill on our globe find a way forward to address the tragic consequences of the Syrian civil war, starting with greater humanitarian assistance to refugees that have flowed into adjoining nations like Jordan and Lebanon and Turkey, straining some of those nations' abilities to even hold their own internal affairs together. Surely, our world can better address the human suffering that is evident to anyone who's paying attention. Surely, surely, all reasonable world leaders can find a better way forward for Syria and for us all.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a woman of remarkable achievement, Karen Krause, of Toledo Ohio. This weekend I was privileged to join Karen as a 2013 honoree of Progress Ohio, from which she received the Barbara Klass Sokol Award. The award is given to a person who embodies the Columbus, Ohio activist's ``high level of energy, humanitarianism, love of the arts, concern for the environment; who cared deeply about good government and spent a great deal of time and effort working to get good people elected at the state and local level, who was a champion for a fair and just society for all.'' Though this description is of the activist herself, it could just as easily have been written in describing Karen Krause, a woman who has spent her life defining public service. After graduating from Toledo's Whitmer High School, Karen received her nursing training from the Maumee Valley Hospital School of Nursing. She went on to obtain her undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo and a Masters of Public Health Degree from the University of Michigan. She also attended the University of Toledo Law School. Karen began her public service on the front lines, as a public health nurse with the Lucas County Health Department. Though her jobs changed, Karen never left the front lines in service to Ohio's vulnerable people. Karen became the Director of Nursing for the Lucas County Health Department in 1967 and remained at the helm until 1993. During part of those years she also served as a consultant to the Ohio Department of Health. Her advice and counsel was sought by many as an expert on matters of health care. Following her ``retirement'' from the health department, Karen became the principal consultant at Community Health Consulting. She also served as Executive Director of the Mildred Bayer Clinic for two years. Rounding out her public service, Karen lent herself as Executive Director of Toledo District Nurses Association, Ohio AFL-CIO NWO Retiree Coordinator, Ohio Health Policy Consultant in the 2004 Presidential Campaign, Social Justice Chair of Toledo Area Jobs with Justice, and as President of AFSCME Retirees in Wood & Lucas Counties. All the while she has served 32 different organizations in various ways. She has been wise counsel to myself and many others, sharing her knowledge of health care and the need for affordable, available coverage. As if that isn't enough, Karen has also given to our community as a one of the most capable and caring elected officials, having served on the Lucas County Educational Service Center since election in 1999 and on which she has served four terms as Board President. Throughout, Karen has opened her heart and home to others. Those young people are now grown with children of her own, and Karen is now a proud grandma. We share with her family our pride in her accomplishments and in the receipt of the honor most recently bestowed. The Barbara Klass Sokol Award is a special award and this year it has been given to a very special woman. Karen Krause's legacy in our community runs deep. As was noted when the presentation was made this weekend, Karen is truly ``a champion of the people,'' a mantle she wears most humbly. She has travelled a path of her own and brought up many others along the way. Her servant's heart is her true gift, and one she has shared willingly in more than fifty years of public service. She has truly practiced Christ's Word that ``Whatsover you do to the least among you, that you do unto me.'' Her efforts have earned her the respect of those of us lucky enough to call her friend. This weekend's recognition was a chance for all of us to say, most heartfelt, ``Thank you Karen.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the recent rising unacceptable unemployment numbers in some regions of our Nation. The fact is Republicans control this House, and they are not only doing nothing to create jobs in America, they are actually creating more unemployment. In my home State of Ohio, the unemployment rate jumped up to 7.2 percent. In the city of Cleveland, the unemployment rate rose from 9 percent to 10.1 percent over the past month. In the city of Lorain, unemployment dramatically rose from 8.7 to 10.6 percent. In the city of Toledo, we saw an increase in unemployment from 8.7 to 9.3 percent. Nationally, the unemployment rate remains stalled, stuck, at 7.6 percent. But in too many neighborhoods across our country unemployment is a daily reality. When you incorporate labor underutilization, the real national unemployment rate is actually 14.3 percent. There are currently 11.8 million, nearly 12 million, unemployed people in this country--4.3 million people have been jobless for 27 weeks or more and are considered long-term unemployed. New Federal Government employment has declined by 65,000 persons over the past 12 months--65,000 more people spit out. The unemployment rate for the construction industry is 9.8 percent. Manufacturing employment has declined in the past 4 straight months. Do those job numbers sound like an economic recovery to you? What is the Republican response to these dubious unemployment and jobs numbers? Block the President. So what do they do? Let's repeal the Affordable Care Act 38 times. And they've tried again and again to do that. Let's not appoint budget conferees so we can negotiate a budget deal that puts people to work and strengthens the middle class. No. Sequestration is arguably the primary driver of these poor job numbers. So, let's ignore the harmful effects of sequestration. The Congressional Budget Office estimates just the unemployment resulting from sequestration costs our economy an additional 1.5 percent in lost economic growth. Remember when the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that sequestration would reduce economic growth and cost about 750,000 jobs? Well, they were right. We are seeing the effect of that today. The sequester was the largest cause of the negative growth numbers in the fourth quarter of last year. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy is growing far slower than expected, despite the fact that personal consumption and business inventory spending has increased recently. You would think that if consumer and business spending is up, we would see strong GDP growth, given that our economy is based on consumer spending. Unfortunately, this is where the sequester and the Republican policy of cut and run, cut and run, cut and run comes into play. Government spending has declined in 11 of the last 13 quarters since the first quarter of 2010. We may have seen robust growth if we took a sensible, long-term approach to deficit reduction instead of using the Republican shortsighted sequester and steep unfair budget cuts. They are even kicking thousands of mentally ill citizens out of their assisted housing--thousands--over 27,000 people who can't make it on their own being kicked out of their humble shelters across this country. With the Republicans refusing to replace their mindless sequester, 600,000 civilian defense workers are currently being furloughed. The economic impact of these defense furloughs will be the loss of over an estimated $2 trillion for our economy; just in Ohio 22,000 furloughs in the civilian defense sector. The policies of this Republican House are hampering robust economic growth across our country. The Federal Reserve agrees with what I am saying. In a recent hearing the chair of the Fed said, ``the economic recovery has continued at a moderate pace in recent quarters despite the strong headwinds created by Federal fiscal policy.'' Unfortunately, Republicans will likely continue to refuse to compromise and focus on slowing the economy even further. Congress has already cut spending by $2.5 trillion. That has real impacts on job creation. Discretionary spending is at its lowest level in 45 years. The Federal deficit is projected to be at its lowest level in recent memory. And the Treasury has actually even recently made payments on the national debt. We need a jobs bill here, not more reckless cuts. The President has a plan; the Republicans don't. I would urge my Republican colleagues, bring to the floor the President's jobs agenda. Let's show America which party is committed to job creation in this country, not more stalling.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Thank you, Congressman McGovern. High fuel costs are an enormous burden on America's families and our military. It is also a burden on every branch of the service in which it costs us $400 a gallon to deliver 1 gallon of gasoline--fully costed--to the troops at the front line. Thank you again to Chairman Bill Young and to Ranking Member Visclosky for their leadership and to our ranking member on the full committee, the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Lowey), and to the gentleman from Kentucky, Chairman Rogers, for working with all of our members in order to meet the needs of our Nation and of our Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force--those who serve the American people every day so nobly.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding to me. I want to also thank our ranking member of the Defense Subcommittee, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), as well as to thank our mutual friend and colleague from Florida, Chairman Bill Young, for their hard work on this bill, which will benefit our Nation, our men and women in uniform, our Armed Forces, and all of those who are touched by what is contained in this legislation. Within the limits provided and despite severe cuts, this bill has been written in a bipartisan way by our subcommittee. I thank the members for working so collaboratively together. It is a model for this House and our committee on how to do the work necessary to meet the needs of the American people. The bill includes $125 million above the President's request for funding health research for traumatic brain injuries and posttraumatic stress conditions--the signature wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill also includes $544 million for cancer research, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer research, which are endured at a much higher percentage among our troops than among the population at large. The bill also contains continuing support for our NATO responsibilities, including continuing joint operations related to the Newly Independent States. The bill includes the requested amount in the budget for the Iron Dome missile defense partnership with Israel. The bill also includes $1.5 billion above the request for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment account to fund equipment requirements of the National Guard and Reserve components. During the last decade of war, our National Guard and Reserve units have proven themselves as the strategic partners for our Nation. Our subcommittee continues to provide the funding necessary for our Guard and Reserve units to continue their missions, which they do extremely well and much more cost-effectively than in the active forces. This legislation also continues the military's commitment to lead our Nation toward energy independence. The Pentagon, which is the largest petroleum user in the world, must lead our Nation forward toward energy independence. No challenge could be more vital to our national security and economic security than energy independence.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in 1999, Congress, sadly, repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. That law had protected our Nation for over seven decades against wild speculation by Wall Street investment houses and financial giants. When the floodgates were removed between prudent banking and speculative abandon, again, Wall Street gambled with the money of the American consumers. Look where it took us, into the worst recession since the Great Depression, into a world where we've had the largest transfer in American history of wealth from Main Street to Wall Street; and the flood continues. Now, your savings deposits and certificates of deposits earn almost no interest. Guess who's making money off your money? In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of enactment of the Glass- Steagall Act, Congress must adopt the Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2013, H.R. 129. I invite all Members to cosponsor our bipartisan bill to reinstall the floodgates that protected the public from Wall Street greed. The Glass-Steagall Act, or Banking Act of 1933, was signed into law during the Great Depression in an effort to restore order and stability to the banking system. Representative Henry Steagall and Senator Carter Glass wrote the law and, through its passage, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was created. The law prevented commercial banks from trading securities with deposits from their clients. After its repeal in 1999, the Wall Street banks, true to form, again created false money with abandon. They used that false money to purchase more mortgage-backed securities, which were packaged into collateralized debt obligations. Most Americans couldn't even define what these instruments were, but Wall Street giants ended up fleecing them by gobbling up an average of 20 percent of the value of their home equity. Lack of regulation allowed Wall Street to gorge themselves past sustainable ratios. They manipulated consumer mutual funds and pension accounts of American workers, thus ensuring that Americans were on the hook for when the housing bubble burst. Sandy Weill, who helped invent these mad practices, as the former chairman and CEO of Citigroup, in a major reversal, stated on CNBC, in support of restoring Glass-Steagall, ``What we should probably do,'' he said, ``is go and split up the investment banking from regular banking, have banks be deposit takers, have banks do something that's not going to risk taxpayer dollars.'' Boy, I wish he'd thought about that before he did it. Wall Street turned our strong banking system into a haven for speculators. They threw caution to the wind, displacing prudence with greed. These money men gained massive profits for the bank. By and large, the American public was unaware of their backroom dealing. But Wall Street took hard-earned Americans' dollars to gamble on complex and risky instruments like derivatives, and then filled the gap with the lost equity of the American people's homes. We now see enormous accumulation of banking assets and vast financial power in a handful of powerful institutions like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock. They are making enormous profits, larger than ever, as a result of the American people having bailed them out. Indeed, they are yielding the highest profits in our Nation, in addition to the oil companies. Fifteen years ago, the assets of these six largest banks were approximately 17 percent of gross domestic product. Today, estimates for their assets are over half of GDP. So six institutions control an enormous and growing percentage of our banking system and economy. And in turn, our Nation's future is placed at their doorstep. This is too much power in too few hands. The American people are feeling it in the restriction of credit, the sluggishness of the housing market and its depreciated values, the lack of interest paid on savings deposits and certificates of deposits, in the economy's sluggish growth, and the lack of competitive capital opportunities. In effect, the American people are subsidizing them. In 2012, JPMorgan Chase reported record net revenue of $21.3 billion, compared to the $19 billion they made in the previous year. For the third consecutive year, the banking giant recorded a record net income. Total revenue for JPMorgan Chase in 2012 was nearly $100 billion. That would fully fund the Department of Transportation, NASA, the National Science Foundation, and even bail out Detroit. Yes, let's look at Detroit. This weekend we saw the city of Detroit file for bankruptcy. The news stories report Detroit is $18 billion short, about a third of it in its pension funds. Well, look at what the financial crisis took from the citizens of Michigan, over $180 billion, 10 times more than the debt that the city of Detroit is juggling, $180 billion in lost property value in Michigan alone. Who should pay Detroiters in Michigan back for what was taken from them? And what was taken is the value of the value of their property. Now there's a math problem for you. I would say to my colleagues, please join us in sponsorship of H.R. 129. Let's put prudence back into banking, and keep the speculators out.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the House Republican revised farm bill. The bill before us should not be referred to as a farm bill. Farm bills have traditionally tried to address challenges facing all of American agriculture including nutrition and hunger issues. This legislation removes the Nutrition title from the farm bill, which includes the programs that help improve nutrition and fight hunger. Consequently, the bill before us is nothing more than an attempt by House Republicans to undermine the safety net provided to low-income Americans struggling to put food on their table. It is unconscionable that Republican leadership has removed the Nutrition title from the farm bill and are using food as a political tool. Despite what economists have been reporting, our economy is still in a recession for a significant number of Americans and we still have a poverty crisis in this country. In 2011, there were 46.2 million people in poverty. 16.1 million children are living in poverty. Children under the age of 18 have the highest poverty rate in the United States. More than 3.6 million seniors are living in poverty. Women over the age of 85 have the second highest poverty rate in the country. Families and individuals living in poverty often rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help put food on the table. By removing SNAP from the farm bill, millions of Americans including many children and seniors will go hungry. This should not happen in the richest country on the planet. While SNAP is the largest portion of the Nutrition title, there are other programs in the Nutrition title that are vital in combating hunger that will essentially cease to exist as a result of House Republicans. I want to mention one of those programs, the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program. This important program helps low-income seniors purchase fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs. There were nearly 5 million seniors in 2011 that were food insecure. That means 1 in 12 seniors had trouble putting food on their plates in the United States. I find that completely unacceptable and no senior citizen should have to worry where his or her next meal will come from. Given the damage that sequestration is doing to Meals on Wheels and other senior assistance programs, House Republicans should be ashamed for trying to take food away from our senior citizens. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the House Republican half-hearted farm bill.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the House Republican revised ``half-a-loaf'' farm bill. The bill before us should not be referred to as a farm bill. Farm bills have traditionally tried to address challenges facing all of American agriculture including nutrition and hunger issues. This legislation removes the Nutrition title from the farm bill, which includes the programs that help improve nutrition and fight hunger. Consequently, the bill before us is nothing more than an attempt by House Republicans to undermine the safety net provided to nutrition-short Americans struggling to put food on their table. It is unconscionable that Republican leadership has removed the Nutrition title from the farm bill and are using food as a political tool. Those political figures who extract food as a political weapon, are not only morally compromised but dangerously destructive. Despite what economists have been reporting, our economy is still in a recession for a significant number of Americans. We have a poverty crisis in this country. We have 12 million Americans unemployed or underemployed. In 2011, there were 46.2 million people in poverty. 16.1 million children are living in poverty. Children under the age of 18 have the highest poverty rate in the United States. More than 3.6 million seniors are living in poverty. Women over the age of 85 have the second highest poverty rate in our country. Families and individuals living in poverty often rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help put food on the table. By removing SNAP from the farm bill, millions of Americans including many children and seniors will go hungry. This should not happen in the richest country on the planet. While SNAP is the largest portion of the Nutrition title, there are other programs in the Nutrition title that are vital in combating hunger that will essentially cease to exist as a result of House Republicans. I want to mention one of those programs, the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program. This important program helps low-income seniors purchase fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs. There were nearly 5 million seniors in 2011 that were food insecure. That means 1 in 12 seniors had trouble putting food on their plates in the United States. I find that completely unacceptable. No senior citizen should have to worry where his or her next meal will come from! Given the damage that sequestration is doing to Meals on Wheels and other senior assistance programs, House Republicans should be ashamed for trying to take food away from our senior citizens. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the House Republican half-hearted farm bill.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise to oppose the amendment and to stress the importance of ocean policy. We already see acidification, low dissolved oxygen, harmful algae blooms, and dead zones in the Gulf, the Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound, and throughout our Nation's coastal waterways. The National Ocean Policy would help us better address the cumulative threats to our aquatic ecosystems from overfishing, coastal development, storm water runoff, carbon emissions, and pollutants in our waterways. The implementation of the National Ocean Policy will help to protect, maintain, and restore our ocean and coastal ecosystems, systems which provide important jobs, food, recreation, and which serve as the foundation for a substantial part of our Nation's economy. Only healthy, functioning, and resilient marine and freshwater ecosystems can support the fisheries we all depend upon so heavily. There are some reports that show that over half of the fish in the oceans have been fished out. If you go to any supermarket, you're going to find on the shelves--the fish that are there--strange names you've never even heard of before because so many of the varieties that were plentiful are simply fished out forever. The core approach of the National Ocean Policy is to improve stewardship of our ocean's coasts, islands, and Great Lakes by directing government agencies with differing mandates to coordinate and work better together. The National Ocean Policy creates no new authorities. It's about increased coordination among existing agencies, the sort of effort that should be taking place on a Federal level in order to reduce inefficiency, waste, and redundancy between agencies. This is an issue of bringing people together so that all of the ocean's users, including recreational and commercial fishermen, boaters, industries, scientists, and the public can better plan for, manage, harmonize, and sustain uses of oceans and coastal resources. When you think about it, we now have 310 million people in our country. We look at the global populations in the billions. With the rate of population increase rising, more and more fishing going on--and how many of us come from regions where we see that fisheries have shut down? And that in fact what used to exist in Massachusetts, exists no more. That there are places on the West Coast where the fisheries that had been there are shut down. That's because there's so much draw on that life source in the ocean that we have to pay attention as a world how we are going to feed the generations of the future. This is not a casual engagement. This is downright serious business. I would say that the gentleman's amendment is not forward-looking. I don't know what he has in mind here. But the better we understand what is going on and what Congressman Claude Pepper used to call Planet Ocean, where 70 percent of our Earth is actually water, much of it impinged now by pollutants and so forth. We have a responsibility to the globe. This is not simple. Prior generations haven't had to think this way, but we have to think this way because there are many more draws on these resources. Look at the problems we've had with some countries going out and doing the fishing and just taking fish to one country and not allowing other fishermen to have equal access, even in the Great Lakes that I represent. It's amazing. Every single year, the number of fish you're allowed to catch goes down, because we've both got more fisherman, because the population is increasing, but there are fewer fish to draw from those lakes. And there are substantial threats in the form of invasive species. So the gentleman and I are on different sides of this. I think it's important to understand the oceans and to coordinate among our agencies to put the best intelligence forward because the globe is changing and we have to be smart enough to deal with those ecosystem changes. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR. I move to strike the last word.

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I'm glad we've had this discussion tonight. Others have heard it. I think it will help encourage administration cooperation, being the Representative who has the ports of Lake Erie in her district--Cleveland, Lorain, Sandusky, Toledo, and many points in between--I fully understand the challenge here. One of our budgetary challenges is we have to have a budget that allocates these dollars, and right now that hasn't come from your side of the aisle. So in order to use these dollars, it has to be incorporated in the budget resolution that comes to us. Our mark was too low in our bill in order to be able to move those dollars. So let's work on that with the Budget Committee, as well, so we get that allocation and it comes to our subcommittee. That's something that we can all work on on both sides of the aisle.