Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Well, then you've seen them in the line. You've seen the senior women in the line in all these food banks, a third of an increase, sir.

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. I would say to the gentleman, what you said was very, very important, because we do have choices in a budget. And you know, sir, at the food banks around this country, there isn't enough food being provided. They're absolutely at the edge. There isn't enough to go around. That's where the Government of the United States has to come in. We can't ask our seniors to have any less meals. We can't ask our seniors to take any other nutrition cuts. There simply isn't any slack there. Now, maybe you live in a community that's more affluent, I'm not sure. I represent three of the lowest income communities, urban areas in this country, and I see what's happening there. And you know, if you look at the amount of subsidy going out to the producers in our country, we could nick that just a little bit, and we could find the funds to help our seniors. I would invite you to Ohio. I would invite you to see a State that still has 7 percent unemployment and what happens at these food banks. It's vitally important that we not cut help for senior citizens. There isn't any loving child or grandchild in this country that wants to hurt their grandmother or their mother or father. I think that your budget is misguided, and I would commend the gentleman, please look at those lines. Restore the funds I'm asking for. And I invite you to Ohio.

Ms. KAPTUR. Will the gentleman kindly yield just for a couple of seconds here----

Ms. KAPTUR.--Just to say that the first obligation is to feed the hungry, feed the hungry. And I don't think the gentleman would want to have on his conscience any harm to the senior citizens of this country, so I'd ask you to rereview your budget and fix it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 803, the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act. This bill does not position our workers to complete in the new economy. Despite what Wall Street and some economists think, America is still in a recession and plowing our way forward to full recovery. This nation has a jobs crisis that should be the number one priority for this Congress. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, when you consider persons marginally attached to the workforce, the real unemployment rate is over 14 percent, not 7.7 percent. The unemployment rate for construction workers is 15.7 percent, for teenagers it is 25.1 percent, and for transportation and production the unemployment rate is 10 percent. There are over 12 million people unemployed in this country with 4.8 million considered long-term unemployed. That means over 40 percent of the unemployed individuals in the United States have been jobless for 27 weeks or more. Madam Chair, I agree with my Republican colleagues that we need to reform our Workforce Investment Act (WIA) job training programs to meet the challenges of today's labor market. However, the bill before us fails to make the needed reforms to help the 12 million unemployed individuals in this country. The underlying bill creates a one-size-fits-all Workforce Investment Fund that will ultimately disadvantage workers with disabilities, youth, older workers, women and disabled veterans. H.R. 803 freezes job training funding levels through fiscal year 2020. These programs have been cut in half already and this bill makes those cuts permanent. We should be closing corporate tax loopholes to invest in our workers, not penalizing workers even more. One balances budgets when people go back to work. This bill should be written to that end. I'm also particularly concerned that the bill eliminates the requirements that community colleges and non-profits be represented on local Workforce Investment Boards. What is stopping local Boards from being dominated by some business interests and turning into another form of corporate welfare? Education and training are the roads forward to the future. America cannot afford to ignore those most able to teach and train to the future. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this week, a beloved former Colleague of our House, Representative ``Lindy'' Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, of New Orleans, Louisiana, celebrates her 97th birthday. In describing her life and career, one does not use single syllable words. Trailblazer, gracious, erudite, compassionate, witty, diplomatic, visionary, indefatigable, inspirational, enduring. These words capture her. When I think of words she utters, certain come to mind: ``darlin','' ``precious,'' and the manner in which she forms the words ``New Orleans,'' held a lilt and tone hard for others to emulate. Wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, Congresswoman, Ambassador, author, woman of faith. When she retired from Congress in 1991 at age seventy-five, she was the only Caucasian woman serving in Congress from the Deep south (excluding Florida). Part magnolia, part Tabasco sauce, part French Quarter grande dame, she represented the maturation of a modern political miracle--a Roman Catholic, Caucasian woman elected for nine consecutive terms to the U.S. Congress from Louisiana. ``Lindy'' was born in Pointe Coupee Roads, Louisiana on March 13, 1916. Her father Roland Claiborne, a prominent lawyer, died when she was only two years old. After her father's death, her mother remarried and Lindy spent her formative years on a plantation. Her grandmother Morrison had a great influence on her life and lived to be ninety- seven. The Morrison family's roots can be traced back to the Mayflower. Her grandmother Morrison had a fondness for artichokes. Solari's a fancy, southern grocer, did not have them at certain times of the year which prompted Boggs' grandmother to experiment growing them herself. Soon, she was shipping her artichokes to Solari's. Lindy says she was introduced to politics as she listened to the conversations between sugar planters and cotton planters. ``The sugar planters were very isolationist, protectionist, and they kept talking about high tariff walls. And in the country, we had constructions called ``stiles,'' which were really steps over fences. And I kept wondering if Uncle Joe could build me a stile tall enough so I could see what was on the other side of that high tariff wall. But then on the cotton plantation, of course, the cotton people were free traders, to get rid of all that surplus cotton they had, so the conversation was entirely different. So I learned early on that families can be divided over political situations.'' Lindy matriculated at Newcomb College in New Orleans, the first women's college in Louisiana and the sister school to Tulane University, where she majored in history and education. At Newcomb, she was editor of the student newspaper and it was in that capacity she met her future husband Congressman Hale Boggs, who was then the paper's general editor. Upon graduating, Lindy taught high school history and English, served as school librarian and coached the girls' basketball team. In January 1938, at 21, she married Hale and through university connections, Hale and Lindy embarked on a political career, becoming a part of the grass-roots reform movement that took place in Louisiana in the late 1930's. With Lindy's support, Hale was elected to Congress in 1941. Lindy orchestrated his re-election campaigns as well as set up his district offices in New Orleans, canvassed voters, arranged her husband's many social gatherings and acted as his political surrogate as he climbed in House leadership. When Hale's plane tragically crashed in 1972, Lindy emerged as a top choice to take over his seat. ``When the various people were trying to persuade me to run . . . Lady Bird Johnson . . . called and talked to me for a long time about how I had an obligation and all of these things. Then when she thought maybe she had convinced me, she said, ``But darling, do you think you can do it without a wife?'' I've told her many times, it was very hard without a wife.'' In March 1973, Lindy Boggs was elected to the House of Representatives in a special election. Her victory made her the first woman to represent Louisiana in the House and the first Catholic elected from a state that had never elected a Catholic to any major state office. She won her election by 75 percent in the Democratic primary and by 80 percent in the general election. ``I had a Republican running against me by the name of Robert E. Lee,'' she has said, ``I knew he was an imposter!'' Lindy was at first appointed to the Banking and Currency Committee, where she played a key role during the mark up of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. She cites her experience as a newly widowed woman seeking credit as her motivation to add ``sex or marital status'' to the provision barring discrimination on the basis of ``race and age, and their status as veterans.'' Without informing the other committee members, Lindy inserted those words and made copies of the revision for her colleagues saying, ``Knowing the Members composing this committee as well as I do, I'm sure it was just an oversight that we didn't have ``sex'' or ``marital status'' included. I've taken care of that and I trust it meets with the committee's approval.'' The bill passed unanimously, 47-0. In 1976, she became the first woman to preside over a national political convention. In 1977, Lindy was elected to the House Committee on Appropriations at her retirement, she remained the longest serving member of that committee, serving for 12 years. That same year, she helped cofound the Congressional Women's Caucus and later served as its secretary. Throughout her career, Lindy maintained that the most important women's issues were economic, backing those causes. ``The major issues of importance that I have worked on are economic ones; equal rights for women in business, banking and homeownership, the promotion of women in the workplace, better jobs in government and contracts, and equal opportunities for higher education, especially in science and medicine. Women vote with their pocketbooks . . . it boils down to that.'' Lindy was also a champion for civil rights in her diverse district. A political observer once noted, ``She is the only white Congress Member representing a black voter majority in the United States.'' In the early 1980's, Lindy was instrumental in the creation of the House Historian's Office. She helped create and served as a member of the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families. From 1985 to 1989, she served as the chair of the Bicentenary of the United States House of Representatives. In July 1991, shortly after her retirement from Congress, the House named a room off the Rotunda in her honor, the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room, of which she says, ``I was always so proud that room was named for me because I felt that Abigail Adams had finally succeeded. She had asked her husband, John, to `remember the ladies' when the Constitution was drafted or they would foment a revolution. He had not done so, and so their son's final resting place is now occupied by women and named for a woman.'' Retirement did not slow Lindy down. She remained politically active and in 1994 authored her autobiography, Washington Through a Purple Veil. In 1997, President Clinton appointed the 81 year old as U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, a position in which she served until 2001. In 2002, Congress honored Lindy for her ``extraordinary service'' to Louisiana and the country. The occasion marked the 25th anniversary of the Congressional Women's Caucus. Of the accomplishments she is most proud of, she cites bills cosponsored on behalf minorities, women, and children; her efforts to improve education from the elementary to the college level; her work on the children's task force on crisis intervention; efforts to open the National Museum of African American Art in Washington, D.C.; establishing the Office of Historian of the House of Representatives; and achieving Margaret Chase Smith's dream of making the rose the national flower. On a personal level, Mrs. Boggs mentored me in the ways of this institution, introduced me and so many others to the Appropriations Committee, and hosted me as our nation's Ambassador to the Vatican. She has served our nation with a grit and grace that demonstrates to us all what service can be. Lindy Boggs has become a legend in her own time. How privileged I am to be able to honor her 97th year anniversary of life and pay tribute to her honorable service to America and the world.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank Ranking Member Lowey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my appreciation that we are considering this continuing resolution today and not on the precipice of another government shutdown. Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey have been tireless in their efforts to bring a semblance of regular order to the appropriations process and, in turn, this House. However, I must express my disappointment that we are not advancing a government-wide, fully inclusive bill with adjustments that address the pressing needs of the American people across all Federal departments and agencies. Despite my appreciation for consideration of this bill, by being unable and unwilling to pass all our individually negotiated appropriation bills, the Congress is doing a great disservice to the American people and not providing the firm guidance necessary for Federal programs to operate effectively. As ranking member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee, I would like to express my disappointment further that necessary adjustments to two- thirds of our jurisdiction are not included. For example, important areas of cybersecurity, as well as reducing the local cost share for the Army Corps projects related to the revitalization after Hurricane Sandy, are missing. Further, adjustments to the Weatherization Assistance Program are not included. This vital program is facing significant funding challenges given many States are either out of Federal funds entirely or will be out of all Federal funds. In order for the program to continue to deliver services as blizzards blanket this country, and for low-income Americans to continue to receive the energy savings from this program for their homes, an increase in program support is necessary and would be a real job creator across this country. Further, the bill does not include the administration's request to increase funding for the Advanced Manufacturing program for our Nation to meet the fierce global competition for manufacturing jobs. The United States must regain its position in global manufacturing. We cannot prosper as a Nation of service providers only. I would like to highlight the National Nuclear Security Administration as an example of where a CR does not provide the necessary oversight for good government.

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentlelady. The agency is plagued by dramatic cost increases on nearly every major task under its jurisdiction. Given the nature of a continuing resolution, the Congress is unable to meaningfully weigh in on important issues such as these. I do appreciate inclusion of support for the United States Enrichment Corporation. In closing, while I am disappointed in the bill's shortcomings, I am hopeful that collectively Congress can improve upon this bill as it moves to the other body. Again, I commend our chairman, Mr. Rogers, and Ranking Member Nita Lowey of New York, such a phenomenal leader.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the U.S. Department of Justice for finally taking some substantive action against one of the credit rating agencies, Standard & Poor's, for its role in causing the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. When Wall Street's housing bubble burst in 2008, it sent shock waves through our economy. That shock wave may not have been so destructive if credit rating agencies like Standard & Poor's did not create fraud. Rather than assessing real risk and due diligence on the securities, Standard & Poor's invented a system of defrauding investors by providing the highest rating as long as the clients paid Standard & Poor's enough money. If Standard & Poor's actually rated the mortgage securities for what they were truly worth, our entire banking system and economy may not have collapsed. While the Department of Justice should be praised for taking some action against Standard & Poor's, other rating agencies were left out of the case. And the fact is Justice's case is only a civil one, not a criminal one. That tells you who really holds political power in our country. Thanks to Wall Street, America lost over 8 million jobs. American households lost over $19 trillion in wealth. Yet no major Wall Street executive has ever faced the threat of jail time. Real cases could yield real dollars back to our Treasury and help America pay the bills that resulted from the Great Recession beginning in 2008.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a report by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or SIGTARP, about compensation at bailed-out companies, bailed-out Wall Street companies, their excessive compensation. The report shows that the U.S. Treasury Department approved wildly inappropriate pay packages of $3 million or more for over half of the top 25 employees at certain bailed-out Wall Street banks. Executive compensation at AIG is particularly disturbing, given that the Federal Government financed a $182.3 billion bailout of that company. In 2012, AIG's top CEO was paid $10.5 million, and all but one of AIG's top 25 employees received compensation of more than $2 million. That one AIG executive who was paid less than $2 million received $700,000 in total compensation, which is well over 1,000 times more than the average American household earns in a year. Mr. Speaker, isn't it time for Wall Street and the Treasury Department to wake up and stop abusing the assistance they received from the taxpayer, and isn't it time for the Department of Justice to prosecute?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, President Obama struck several important themes. None was strategically more vital than making America energy-independent again. Then he referenced the related challenge of climate change and its impact on life on our continent and world. Only fools would fail to pay attention to the necessity of change to meet the needs of a new era. Our dependence on importing foreign oil cost America over $321 billion last year, racking up a $140 billion trade deficit in petroleum and energy alone. With that lost income comes lost jobs by the hundreds of thousands. So many more people could be employed here at home, developing domestic energy sources rather than defending exploitation and extraction abroad. And on climate change, the President recognized the reality of fierce and expensive weather incidents like Hurricane's Sandy and Katrina, or our declining lake levels and river levels, like the Mississippi, or the 2-foot drop in Lake Erie over the last year. We must anticipate and adapt our lives where possible. Yes, as the 113th Congress begins, our primary aim will be to welcome the challenges of change, not cling to the past. Working together, as the President challenged, America can meet the test of a new day. My brother, Steve, the inventor, innately grasps this challenge. So must we.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of Hurricane Sandy relief wherever it is needed. I want to offer my voice of support to the people of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and all others impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Its devastation was vast. Yesterday, President Obama declared Cuyahoga County, Ohio a federal disaster area as a result of the damage of Hurricane Sandy. Cuyahoga County private, nonprofit groups, local governments and State agencies are eligible for more than $17 million to cover the cost of storm-related work caused by Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29 and 30, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday. Cuyahoga County was the only one of Ohio's 88 counties to be eligible for the money from FEMA's Public Assistance Program. Additionally, Hurricane Sandy did over $13 million in damage to the Lake Erie Ports of Cleveland and Lorain. Storm swells on Lake Erie were massive as the system rolled through and caused extensive damage. While the property damage and displacement was nothing compared to what our citizens in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut experienced and are living with, Congress must address these emergency needs brought on by Mother Nature. It is incumbent upon this Congress to rebuild and restore the might of our Nation's communities so severely impacted by natural disasters.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the ranking member for yielding. Tonight, the American people's hopes are for this Congress to pass a bipartisan bill to meet our Nation's financial obligations to give some certainty to our financial markets and to keep our economy growing through new job creation. This is a great victory for the middle class whose taxes will not go up tomorrow. In places like Ohio, what does it mean? It means doctors who treat Medicare patients are going to receive fair reimbursement and those seniors won't be turned away. It means that unemployment compensation will be extended to the unemployed, who remain in places like Norwalk, Ohio, and Lima and Medina and Elyria, people who haven't gone back to work yet in manufacturing centers across States like Ohio. This House surely should follow the lead of the Senate, which passed this bill by 89-8 last night. This is the time for the House to act. I rise in strong support of the rule and strong support of the bill. Let's do what the American people have been waiting for for months. General Leave

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this is the article I referred to in my one- minute speech this morning. (From USA Today) Millions Forgo Foreclosure Reviews (Homeowners Don't Have Much Time To Ask for Accuracy Checks) (By Julie Schmit) Millions of homeowners who were in foreclosure in 2009 or 2010 could miss a chance to have their cases reviewed for errors--and possible compensation--if they don't act by Monday. That's the deadline for eligible homeowners to request a free review required by a settlement last year between federal bank regulators and 14 mortgage servicers and their affiliates. The deadline has been extended three times due to poor response from homeowners. More than 4 million notices were mailed a year ago informing homeowners of their right to a review, but only 356,000 had asked for one by Dec. 13, according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Compensation could range from hundreds of dollars to more than $100,000, the OCC has said. It is overseeing the settlement with the Federal Reserve. Requests must be submitted at independentforeclosurereview.com or be postmarked no later than Monday, the OCC says. Answers to questions can be found on the website or by calling 888-952-9105. ``The (response) numbers are not terribly impressive,'' says Bruce Mirken of the Greenlining Institute, a consumer advocacy group. Greenlining, like other consumer groups, says borrowers may still not be aware of the review opportunity. Notification materials--including the 4 million letters-- may have been ignored because they were written in legal jargon, were hard to read and looked too much like those used in foreclosure scams, says James Can, a senior policy fellow with the Opportunity Agenda, a non-partisan think tank. A Government Accountability Office report in June echoed those concerns. The settlement followed a federal probe in which regulators found significant weaknesses in foreclosure processes, including improper foreclosure document preparation. To meet regulators' deadlines, the GAO noted that servicers had just 60 days to develop outreach materials. That didn't leave time to test them with focus groups, one servicer representative told the GAO. About 95% of the letters were successfully delivered, the OCC has said. The reviews are intended to address a wide range of foreclosure errors, including excessive fees, wrongly denied loan modifications, misapplied payments or wrongful foreclosures. Borrower restitution will vary by case and financial harm, the OCC says. It's provided no cost estimate to servicers. No one has yet received restitution, OCC spokesman William Grassano says. The requested reviews are in addition to 159,000 reviews being done, as part of the same settlement, by consultants hired by the servicers, Grassano says. The Monday deadline should be lifted and review requests should be allowed as needed, the community groups say, especially since more recent outreach efforts have been more consumer friendly. The reviews are separate from a $25 billion settlement, reached between five servicers and, state and federal officials, that's also meant to address past foreclosure abuses.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, my hope is that tonight we will do what is right for the Republic and pass a responsible measure dealing with spending and our debt. But there's another cliff tonight at midnight that should concern the millions of homeowners who have forgone their mortgage foreclosure reviews. They have a deadline of midnight tonight as reported by USA Today yesterday on the front page of the business section. It's important to millions of Americans who literally could receive up to $100,000 in compensation because of mistakes that were made by servicers in the processing of those loans. So, I would like to tell people who might have had foreclosures facing their families in 2009 and 2010, they can call 888-952-9105 or go to the Web site IndependentForeclosureReview.com. The Office of Comptroller of the Currency will help them review those mortgage foreclosures. Far too many Americans, millions, 4 million to be exact, have received these notices, but only a little over 300,000 have replied. Millions of people could have those mortgages reviewed and perhaps receive compensation and hang onto their houses. Again, that phone number is 888-952-9105. Let's help the millions of Americans who have been harmed with their mortgages by irresponsible servicers.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in our continuing efforts to turn the tragic events at Newtown to high purpose, I include two articles from the USA Today newspaper, one entitled ``A Boy Lost in the Shadows'', and another, ``Newtown Puts Mental Services in Spotlight.'' These articles remind me of a conversation a few years ago with a caring grade school teacher from my own district who became quite frustrated with the local school system's inability to help her manage the behavior of a child in her elementary classroom. The child, several times a day, became uncontrollable, moving about the classroom, throwing tantrums, screaming loudly, often falling to the floor, thus causing great confusion in the class. Despite the teacher's repeated attempts to help the child, it became obvious professional help was needed. A complicating factor became family members who were in denial that anything out of the ordinary was actually occurring with the child, despite the constant disruption, acting out, anger, and anti- social behavior the child was demonstrating. After repeated attempts that took three years, and let me emphasize three years, the teacher was able to have the child referred to behavioral specialists and placed in a more appropriate learning environment. That situation alone made me wonder about the manner in which we as a society make help available to children who exhibit destructive behaviors that are harmful to themselves and potentially to others. Mr. Speaker, as a society, we seem to lack the methods to identify troubled youth and put them on a proper path to healing, if healing is possible. Too often, a child is left floundering due to our collective inabilities to help them find a constructive path forward. For example, many of our local boards of education often are not properly equipped to identify and assist children who are uncivil or who are completely alienated from their surroundings. Some families, too, seem unaware of their child's behaviors as unusual or potentially destructive. As the article I inserted in the Record yesterday reports, some parents are so overwhelmed in caring for children with special behavioral conditions, they simply don't know what else to do. Then again, too often there is no one to call to help. Through the Commission President Obama proposed be formed to address the conditions that led to Newtown's tragedy, surely that Commission should invite a cross section of Americans to share their knowledge about what led to the mass killings that have harmed so many in our nation over the past decade, and what we must do as a society to prevent future tragedies. We can all envision a future where the incredible intelligence and goodwill of the citizens of our nation can lead us to a better day if we provide a forum to listen carefully to the voices among us who grapple with these challenges daily. [From USA Today, December 17, 2012] A Boy Lost in the Shadows (By Donna Leinwand Leger and Yamiche Alcindor) Sandy Hook, Conn. Adam Lanza left only the faintest impression on classmates, neighbors and the people of Newtown before he killed his mother and shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary, where he killed 20 children and six teachers before turning the gun on himself. Lanza, 20, skulked through the hallways of Newtown High School in over-sized button-down shirts, eyes perpetually downcast. His name appears a few times on the honor roll published in the weekly Newtown Bee, but his picture is absent from The Newtown Nighthawk yearbook. ``He was very withdrawn,'' said Tracy Dunn, 20, who graduated from Newtown High School in 2010, Lanza's class. Dunn, a junior at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, said she never saw him talk with anyone or hang out with friends. He spent time with computers and cameras in the technology room and belonged to the Tech Club. ``He would always have his head down walking to class with his briefcase--kind of scurrying.'' she said. ``He never sat down or said anything to kids at this locker. He was just there in the background.'' Andrew Lapple, who sat next to Lanza in homeroom their senior year at Newtown High, told the Hartford Courant that Lanza ``never really talked at all'' and walked the corridors at school clutching his laptop. ``He walked down the halls, against the wall almost like he was afraid of people,'' Lapple said. ``He was definitely kind of strange, but you'd never think he'd do something like this.'' Lanza grew up in Sandy Hook in a sprawling colonial house with his parents, Nancy and Peter, and an older brother, Ryan, 24. His parents divorced in 2009 after a long separation, and his father has remarried. Family friends and relatives say much of his education was home schooling by his mother. He attended Reed Intermediate School for sixth grade and appears in a 2003 yearbook photo. In the a 2005 yearbook for Newtown Middle School, he's listed with the seventh grade without a picture under ``camera shy,'' but he isn't listed in the eighth-grade class the next year. His name surfaces at Newtown High School in 2008 as a sophomore. Marsha Moskowitz of Sandy Hook drove the school bus that took Lanza to Newtown Middle. She remembers him as ``quiet, shy and reserved.'' His mother clashed with school officials and eventually removed Adam from public school and home-schooled him, her former sister-in-law, Marsha Lanza of Chicago, told a CBS News affiliate. Lanza had trouble with her youngest son for years, and her friend Louise Tambascio, owner of My Place Pizza & Restaurant. He was diagnosed with a disorder on the autism spectrum called Asperger syndrome, she said. Psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California-Los Angeles, had no knowledge of Adam Lanza's case but said, ``There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior.'' Nancy Lanza stopped into My Place once or twice a week but rarely talked about her younger son, Tambascio said. Ryan, the older son, bused table at the restaurant for two years. He is outgoing and personable, she said. The brothers haven't spoken in two years, she said. ``Ryan who was the complete opposite of his brother,'' she said. Adam ``always had his face down. He would never look you in the eye.'' Police say the three guns used in the massacre were purchased legally and registered to Nancy Lanza, whom friends described as a gun and shooting aficionado. Tambascio said shooting was ``a hobby.'' She ``had nothing to do with what her son did. She's a good person, goodhearted. She would do anything for you,'' Tambascio said. Nancy Lanza ``liked the single-mindedness of shooting,'' her landscaper, Dan Holmes told The Washington Post, Holmes said she mentioned taking her son to the firing range to practice. Holmes never entered the house or saw her son, but she did once bring an antique rifle outside to show him, he told the Post. The shooter's father, Peter Lanza of Stamford, said the family is ``in a state of disbelief.'' ``We, too, are asking why,'' he said in a written statement. ``Like so many of you, we are saddened, but struggling to make sense of what has transpired.'' The Lanzas' neighbors on Yogananda Street say it's puzzling that on such a close-knit block where residents throw barbecues for newcomers, so few of them knew Adam Lanza or had ever seen him. ``It's a mystery. Nobody knows them, which is odd for this neighborhood,'' Len Strocchia said. ``Everyone knows each other through the children, the school bus. The community here is kids.'' Neighbor Dave Lapp said he had little to tell the FBI and State Police when they called on Friday night. ``We walked by their house with the dog every day, and we don't know them. We've never even seen them,'' Lapp said. Dunn, Adam Lanza's classmate, fears that may have been at the root of the problem. ``Maybe if someone had tried to reach out to Adam--maybe he needed a friend. Maybe this wouldn't have happened,'' Dunn said. ``He's just one kid who slipped through the cracks.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, in view of what has happened in Newtown, Connecticut, it is important to place on the Record the fact that our Nation has been experiencing the largest reduction in State mental health services of this generation. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, States have cumulatively cut over $1.8 billion from their mental health services between 2009 and 2011. This is the largest reduction in State mental health services in half a century. With 1 in 17 people in America living with a serious neurological condition, how is this tremendous decrease in funding possible or humane? Often, those who suffer the most are angels of destiny. According to a report from the Federal Bureau of Justice statistics, more than half of our country's prison population suffers or has suffered from mental disorders, but only a fraction of that population receives treatment during their incarceration. And, in fact, individuals with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of crime than the perpetrators. Newtown is a national tragedy, Madam Speaker, but it reveals again our shared responsibility to support and treat those in this country who need our help so desperately. I urge our colleagues to support a more constructive Federal role in assuring proper and early diagnosis and intervention of affected youth and appropriate treatment. I congratulate President Obama and Vice President Biden for their leadership in moving our Nation to a better day for us all. So many of us here in Congress wish to join them in this great national challenge.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in our continuing efforts to turn the tragic events at Newtown to high purpose, I include in the Record today two articles from the USA Today newspaper, one entitled, ``A Boy Lost in the Shadows,'' and another, ``Newtown Puts Mental Services in Spotlight.'' These articles remind me of a conversation I had a few years ago with a caring grade-school teacher from my own district who became quite frustrated with the local school system's inability to help her manage the behavior of a child in her elementary classroom. After repeated attempts that took 3 years--and let me emphasize 3 years--the teacher was able to have the child referred to behavioral specialists and placed in a more appropriate learning environment. As a society, we seem to lack the methods to identify troubled youth and to put them on a proper path early to healing. Too often, a child is left floundering due to our collective inabilities to help him find a constructive path forward. Many of our local boards of education often are not properly equipped to identify and assist children who are uncivil or who are completely alienated in their surroundings. Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased with the President's announcement the other night, that of a commission on youth violence to be formed to look into what is happening across our country; let us hope that it provides a national forum to listen to those voices among us who grapple with these human challenges every day. This must be our responsibility to future generations.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to rise in support of my dear colleagues from Connecticut and throughout our Nation in extending deepest sympathy and affection to the people of Newtown, Connecticut, as they bear the pain of human loss in the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Despite the heavy burden of grief they are carrying, the citizens of Newtown have truly inspired our entire Nation. Their spirit has lifted ours as they pay tribute to their children and the heroic teachers and school personnel who so nobly acted to save lives. Surely their extraordinary grace under pressure exemplifies what President John Kennedy defined as courage. Mr. Speaker, I am including in the Record the remarks of Liza Long in an article she published about her son, Michael. We must listen to her. And we must listen to the people of Newtown in memory of each of the precious spirits that have graced it, for their highest aspirations, for an America where this never happens again. In aiding us in this journey of faith, this article poignantly describes the condition of so many children in our country who are hurting and ill with unquiet minds that even medical science cannot fully explain. I commend President Obama for proposing a special commission to listen to mothers like Liza and to the people of Newtown as we shape a better future for us all. Mr. Speaker, I also wish to commend the new Senator-elect from Hawaii for her very poignant tribute of Senator Daniel Inouye with whom we had the privilege of serving these many years. [From The Blue Review, Dec. 16, 2012] ``I Am Adam Lanza's Mother'': A Mom's Perspective on The Mental Illness Conversation in America [By Liza Long] Friday's horrific national tragedy--the murder of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut--has ignited a new discussion on violence in America. In kitchens and coffee shops across the country, we tearfully debate the many faces of violence in America: gun culture, media violence, lack of mental health services, overt and covert wars abroad, religion, politics and the way we raise our children. Liza Long, a writer based in Boise, says it's easy to talk about guns. But it's time to talk about mental illness. While every family's story of mental illness is different, and we may never know the whole of the Lanza's story, tales like this one need to be heard--and families who live them deserve our help. Three days before 20 year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, then opened fire on a classroom full of Connecticut kindergartners, my 13-year old son Michael (name changed) missed his bus because he was wearing the wrong color pants ``I can wear these pants,'' he said, his tone increasingly belligerent, the black-hole pupils of his eyes swallowing the blue irises. ``They are navy blue,'' I told him. ``Your school's dress code says black or khaki pants only.'' ``They told me I could wear these,'' he insisted. ``You're a stupid bitch. I can wear whatever pants I want to. This is America. I have rights!'' ``You can't wear whatever pants you want to,'' I said, my tone affable, reasonable. ``And you definitely cannot call me a stupid bitch. You're grounded from electronics for the rest of the day. Now get in the car, and I will take you to school.'' I live with a son who is mentally ill. I love my son. But he terrifies me. A few weeks ago, Michael pulled a knife and threatened to kill me and then himself after I asked him to return his overdue library books. His 7 and 9 year old siblings knew the safety plan--they ran to the car and locked the doors before I even asked them to. I managed to get the knife from Michael, then methodically collected all the sharp objects in the house into a single Tupperware container that now travels with me. Through it all, he continued to scream insults at me and threaten to kill or hurt me. That conflict ended with three burly police officers and a paramedic wrestling my son onto a gurney for an expensive ambulance ride to the local emergency room. The mental hospital didn't have any beds that day, and Michael calmed down nicely in the ER, so they sent us home with a prescription for Zyprexa and a follow-up visit with a local pediatric psychiatrist. We still don't know what's wrong with Michael. Autism spectrum, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant or Intermittent Explosive Disorder have all been tossed around at various meetings with probation officers and social workers and counselors and teachers and school administrators. He's been on a slew of antipsychotic and mood altering pharmaceuticals, a Russian novel of behavioral plans. Nothing seems to work. At the start of seventh grade, Michael was accepted to an accelerated program for highly gifted math and science students. His IQ is off the charts. When he's in a good mood, he will gladly bend your ear on subjects ranging from Greek mythology to the differences between Einsteinian and Newtonian physics to Doctor Who. He's in a good mood most of the time. But when he's not, watch out. And it's impossible to predict what will set him off. Several weeks into his new junior high school, Michael began exhibiting increasingly odd and threatening behaviors at school. We decided to transfer him to the district's most restrictive behavioral program, a contained school environment where children who can't function in normal classrooms can access their right to free public babysitting from 7:30-1:50 Monday through Friday until they turn 18. The morning of the pants incident, Michael continued to argue with me on the drive. He would occasionally apologize and seem remorseful. Right before we turned into his school parking lot, he said, ``Look, Mom, I'm really sorry. Can I have video games back today?'' ``No way,'' I told him. ``You cannot act the way you acted this morning and think you can get your electronic privileges back that quickly.'' His face turned cold, and his eyes were full of calculated rage. ``Then I'm going to kill myself,'' he said. ``I'm going to jump out of this car right now and kill myself.'' That was it. After the knife incident, I told him that if he ever said those words again, I would take him straight to the mental hospital, no ifs, ands, or buts. I did not respond, except to pull the car into the opposite lane, turning left instead of right. ``Where are you taking me?'' he said, suddenly worried. ``Where are we going?'' ``You know where we are going,'' I replied. ``No! You can't do that to me! You're sending me to hell! You're sending me straight to hell!'' I pulled up in front of the hospital, frantically waiving for one of the clinicians who happened to be standing outside. ``Call the police,'' I said. ``Hurry.'' Michael was in a full-blown fit by then, screaming and hitting. I hugged him close so he couldn't escape from the car. He bit me several times and repeatedly jabbed his elbows into my rib cage. I'm still stronger than he is, but I won't be for much longer. The police came quickly and carried my son screaming and kicking into the bowels of the hospital. I started to shake, and tears filled my eyes as I filled out the paperwork-- ``Were there any difficulties with... at what age did your child.., were there any problems with.. has your child ever experienced.. does your child have...'' At least we have health insurance now. I recently accepted a position with a local college, giving up my freelance career because when you have a kid like this, you need benefits. You'll do anything for benefits. No individual insurance plan will cover this kind of thing. For days, my son insisted that I was lying--that I made the whole thing up so that I could get rid of him. The first day, when I called to check up on him, he said, ``I hate you. And I'm going to get my revenge as soon as I get out of here.'' By day three, he was my calm, sweet boy again, all apologies and promises to get better. I've heard those promises for years. I don't believe them anymore. On the intake form, under the question, ``What are your expectations for treatment?'' I wrote, ``I need help.'' And I do. This problem is too big for me to handle on my own. Sometimes there are no good options. So you just pray for grace and trust that in hindsight, it will all make sense. I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza's mother. I am Dylan Klebold's and Eric Harris's mother. I am James Holmes's mother. I am Jared Loughner's mother. I am Seung-Hui Cho's mother. And these boys--and their mothers--need help. In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it's easy to talk about guns. But it's time to talk about mental illness. According to Mother Jones, since 1982, 61 mass murders involving firearms have occurred throughout the country. Of these, 43 of the killers were white males, and only one was a woman. Mother Jones focused on whether the killers obtained their guns legally (most did). But this highly visible sign of mental illness should lead us to consider how many people in the U.S. live in fear, like I do. When I asked my son's social worker about my options, he said that the only thing I could do was to get Michael charged with a crime. ``If he's back in the system, they'll create a paper trail,'' he said. ``That's the only way you're ever going to get anything done. No one will pay attention to you unless you've got charges.'' I don't believe my son belongs in jail. The chaotic environment exacerbates Michael's sensitivity to sensory stimuli and doesn't deal with the underlying pathology. But it seems like the United States is using prison as the solution of choice for mentally ill people. According to Human Rights Watch, the number of mentally ill inmates in U.S. prisons quadrupled from 2000 to 2006, and it continues to rise--in fact, the rate of inmate mental illness is five times greater (56 percent) than in the non-incarcerated population. With state-run treatment centers and hospitals shuttered, prison is now the last resort for the mentally ill--Rikers Island, the LA County Jail and Cook County Jail in Illinois housed the nation's largest treatment centers in 2011. No one wants to send a 13-year old genius who loves Harry Potter and his snuggle animal collection to jail. But our society, with its stigma on mental illness and its broken healthcare system, does not provide us with other options. Then another tortured soul shoots up a fast food restaurant. A mall. A kindergarten classroom. And we wring our hands and say, ``Something must be done.'' I agree that something must be done. It's time for a meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health. That's the only way our nation can ever truly heal. God help me. God help Michael. God help us all.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during the Christmas Season we remember people far and near and reminisce about those who are no longer with us. I rise to remember Frank Venner, who passed from this life in the summer of 2012 at age 85 years. Frank Venner was born March 8, 1927, in Baltimore, Maryland. After living in Providence, Rhode Island and Binghamton, New York, the family moved to Toledo when Frank was a teenager. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1944 and from the University of Notre Dame in 1949. He served in the Army Air Corps. Frank and his wife Ruth married in 1952 and together raised six children. Their children, along with their eleven grandchildren, were his pride and joy. While in college, Frank began working in radio on the college station. Back in Toledo he embarked on a career over four decades in broadcasting. He started at WSPD, Toledo's local radio and television station. Later, the television component became WTVG. Frank Venner was a news fixture at the station, his journalism respected in the community. His signature features were the popular ``Weather-in-the- Weather'' show which was broadcast from atop the former Commodore Perry Hotel, the High School Quiz program which he hosted for a quarter century, and the Venner-Ward Report which he co-anchored with another longtime Toledo newsman Gordon Ward. Mr. Ward recalled, ``Integrity was primary in all that he did. His word was his bond.'' Frank Venner also served as editorial director and news director at the station. Frank Venner's imprimatur on Toledo news is solid. A true journalist, his impact on television from its earliest days into the 21st century is remarkable. He leaves a lasting legacy. He was a man who often reported what others did, but also went beyond his profession and left our community and its institutions stronger for his presence. His resonant voice became synonymous with Toledo. A more important legacy is his family. His presence will be missed by his children and grandchildren, relatives and friends. Yet, he lives on in them and in the media he was so much a part of shaping.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as a Representative from Ohio, a State that borders Michigan, I rise to stand in solidarity with the workers of Michigan. Many Ohioans I represent actually drive to work in Michigan. And due to the high-handed actions of Michigan's Governor and its legislature, they actually railroaded legislation through Michigan, with no hearings, to take away the rights of Michigan workers to fund the collective bargaining process that results in living-wage worker contracts. The workers of Michigan are fighting to maintain their rights to a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. I support their rights and the rights of every American to organize and negotiate by contract for proper pay and benefits, regardless of which State they live in. The rights of labor by contract are critical to growing our middle class, as opposed to rights by happenstance that are always up for grabs, where workers have no rights and live in fear of the future. Michigan's Republican ideologues passed so-called ``right-to-work'' legislation. Well, let's be clear: the bill being pushed there by the far right should really be called the Right to Work for Less. And that is exactly what President Obama called it. To quote Bob King, the visionary president of the United Auto Workers of this country: Every right-to-work State has lower wages, lower benefits, less security for workers and more income inequality. And they have a shrinking middle class. The UAW is right: if you happen to live and work in a State that has a so-called right-to-work law on the books, you earn an average of $5,000 less a year than if you lived in a worker rights State. The bill signed last night in Michigan strips labor organizations of their right to collect dues to cover the cost of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. The Michigan law is pure politics. No, it is more than that. It is an old-school union-busting technique, pure and simple. And in Michigan and Ohio, we know a lot about union busting. As a daughter of auto workers, I know the history of the hired goons who bludgeoned auto workers back in the 1930s at River Rouge as workers began to stand up for their human rights as they labored in the dungeons of the automotive production facilities at the time. I actually would like to challenge the Governor of Michigan to come with me and let's work on the line for a month in one of those repetitive-motion jobs that make and characterize modern automotive production. They're not easy jobs. I would like him to install the windows on the right side of a vehicle as it moves down the line over and over and over and over and over and over again. Let's see how much fun he'll have. A year ago, we in Ohio witnessed a similar effort to eliminate unions. Right-wing legislators moved through legislation that would have ended collective bargaining as we know it in Ohio for public sector workers. We're talking about firefighters, police, and teachers. Well, the people of Ohio broadly rejected that union busting earlier this year. Citizens organized a ballot initiative to restore worker rights in Ohio, and they won. It was called Issue 2. The people of Ohio voted to overwhelmingly protect the rights of those who protect us and who teach our children. While worker rights were protected in Ohio, up north, what was done in Lansing, intends to extend far beyond the borders of just Michigan. It will impact workers who commute from my State of Ohio and Indiana. This is about more than just one State. In fact, this is a national issue, not a states' rights issue at all. The Michigan union-busting bill is a direct result of weak Federal legislation, and I'm talking about section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act, which weakens the rights of labor. Congress should overturn that part of the law and reaffirm its role in protecting the internationally recognized labor rights of every American citizen. That is why I have joined a number of my colleagues in introducing legislation, H.R. 2775, that would do just that. We should not have individual States competing against each other in a race to the bottom. Haven't we seen enough of that? We need to support and build back the American middle class by creating good jobs, good-paying jobs, and secure benefits through secure contracts. I stand attired in red today in solidarity with the workers of Michigan, and I am proud to do so.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable human being, Dr. Richard Ruppert. Dr. Ruppert unexpectedly passed from this life on October 22, 2012. Dr. Ruppert was a friend and advisor to many, including me, and we were indeed privileged to have known him. Born in Rural Ohio 81 years ago, Richard Ruppert worked in the family farm for five years after he graduated from high school. He then went on to Ohio State University, where he received his undergraduate and medical degrees. While at Ohio State University, he met and married his wife, Elizabeth Ruppert, MD. Following his residency, Dr. Ruppert returned to OSU, where he was professor of gastroenterology in the Department of Medicine for nine years. He was named assistant dean of the College of Medicine in 1970, adding medical director for patient services two years later. He was named vice chancellor for health affairs at the Ohio Board of Regents in 1974, and in 1977 Dr. Ruppert became the third president of the Medical College of Ohio. During his 16 year term, the Medical College of Ohio saw unprecedented growth, was established as a leader in medicine, and came into its own as a premier institution. Dr. Ruppert's able guidance directed the Medical College of Ohio through an illustrious time and his leadership is unparalleled. As one colleague described it, ``Much of MCO's success can be credited to Richard D. Ruppert. From a new college on a divided campus--one part farmland and the other a deteriorating county hospital complex--he provided guidance and the political skills to develop the new campus to its present ten structures . . . The school has emerged from its early growing pains to achieve an identity as a quality medical institution during Dr. Ruppert's tenure, with a large credit due to his leadership and vision.'' Even as he presided at the helm of the medical college, Dr. Ruppert gave himself to civic affairs. He served a decade on the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority Board, four as chair. He was a Rotarian, serving one term as president. He chaired the United Way of Greater Toledo campaign, was a member and president of the Ohio Historical Society Board and member of the Hayes Presidential Center. He served a decade as trustee, campaign chair, and president of the Fort Meigs Historical Society and was president of the Torch Club. In all things: family, work, and community, Dr. Richard Ruppert gave all. He leaves a legacy few could match. His brilliance, humor, grace, kindness and insatiable curiosity and love of life were true gifts. He and his wife Libby have been a team unmatched, a gift that keeps giving to us all--our community, advanced medicines, academic excellence, friends and colleagues, loyalty to community, persevering leadership. Dr. Richard Ruppert made a difference for humanity and we are eternally grateful for his life and service to America.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during the Christmas Season we remember people far and near and reminisce about those who are no longer with us. I rise to remember Tom Joseph. Of one fact I am sure, Tom Joseph passed from this life a very happy man. What a mountain of a human being! What a life force for GOOD! Tom was a born leader--for his family, his chosen profession, for our community and country. He achieved milestones . . . and he left them with us--in his children and loved ones; in the Plumbers & Pipefitters Training Center which his vision and zeal inspired and built; in the form of Frontpath, a transformative health care institution that exists and has helped thousands of citizens obtain more affordable health care because he made it possible. He was one-of-a-kind . . . just brimming with talent and inventiveness. He gave our community backbone! Words that describe Tom Joseph: rare, strong, loving, good, fierce, free, solid, fun, wise, loyal. Words that capture his essence: ingenious, unselfish, superlative, irrepressible, indefatigable, hospitable, hilarious, irreverent, effective, analytical, creative, extraordinary. Tom Joseph was a leader of laboring men and women. He dedicated his life as a builder--of family, of friendships, and enduring institutions of community that create a better life for the people of our country. It is not inappropriate to say he was a real Democrat--he felt it to his core and lived it. It did not come as a surprise to me to read in Tom's obituary that he asked donations to be sent to FreeSpeech.org and Habitat for Humanity. Tom Joseph was Everyman. He lived life large and deeply. His voice was booming . . . you always knew when Tom was in the room. He was always concerned about others, never missed an opportunity to help others in any way he could. Yet, his absolute first priority was his family. Terri and Tom's life is a love story: they met on a school bus and at 14, she knew she would marry him. Together they raised Angela, Heather and Daniel, and welcomed grandchildren. Through joy and sorrow Terri and Tom were committed to each other, to their children and grandchildren, to parents and siblings and friends. What a rare privilege to have shared a friendship with this extraordinary man. We are all bettered by our association with him. What he gave us will never die. Truly, Tom Joseph was a man for others. And that is no small feat. Tom Joseph's legacy: what he gave to his family, his union, his community and country, immortalizes the words of newspaperman and labor activist William Cahn, ``The history of America has been largely created by the deeds of its working people and their organizations. Nor has this contribution been confined to raising wages and bettering work conditions; it has been fundamental to almost every effort to extend and strengthen our democracy.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Albert Ratner of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Ratner celebrates his 85th birthday on December 27 of this year. In celebration of this milestone, his family and friends are honoring him on December 26, 2012. Albert Ratner was born in 1927 in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 1946 and from Michigan State University in 1951. Due to his extensive civic, philanthropic and business history, Albert Ratner also holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Long Island University and an Honorary Doctor of Engineering Degree from Polytechnic University, both in Brooklyn, New York. He served in the United State Army. Together, he and his wife Faye raised two children, Deborah and Brian. Though Faye passed, he and his wife Audrey have been married since 1980. Al developed Forest City Enterprises, Inc. into a cornerstone company and currently serves as Co-Chairman of the Board Emeritus. He has guided his company throughout the decades to become a respected and well-known corporation. At the same time, Al has served on more than two dozen boards and commissions, where his leadership is legendary. His philanthropy, civic-mindedness and business acumen have earned Al Ratner numerous accolades. Some of these include Downtown Cleveland Recognition Away, Builders' Magazine 20th Gold Nugget Award, the Charles Eisenman Award, the U.S. Department of HUD's Agora Award, Harvard Business Club of Cleveland's Business Statesman of the Year, Financial World Magazine's CEO of the Year and Bronze Medal, Cleveland Business Hall of Fame, Urban Land Institute's J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, and Michigan State University's Distinguished Alumni Award. I have been privileged to work with Al Ratner on several initiatives and have appreciated his wise counsel. He epitomizes ``a life well- lived.'' He is a corporate and community leader with boundless energy who has made an indelible contribution to the greater Cleveland community. Not known to mince words, his insights, advice and counsel are sought broadly. He is always willing to assist, to lead and to care. I join his family and friends, his employees and the residents of Cleveland in wishing Al Ratner the happiest of birthdays, with a wish for many more. Onward!

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, during the Christmas Season we remember people far and near and reminisce about those who are no longer with us. I rise to remember Jean Ward, who passed from this life on July 16, 2012. Jean Ward was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 8, 1934 to Clarence and Agnes Ward. He graduated from Michigan State University and served in the U.S. Navy. Together he and his wife Jean raised five daughters. His family was most precious to him. Jean worked with the City of Toledo in forestry, and then began a career with the Toledo Area Metroparks. He became the Metroparks Director in 1985 and served until his retirement after 35 years in service to the organization. During that time he was Founding Director of the Stranahan Arboretum. His tenure brought a growth which established the Toledo Area Metroparks as a hallmark of our region. Jean Ward was ``an ambassador of conservation. He had a passion and a dedication to protecting, preserving and improving natural areas for all to enjoy.'' His legacy will last through the ages. His extraordinary efforts brought him statewide recognition when, in 2009 he was inducted into the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association Hall of Fame and later received a Lifetime Achievement Award. I was privileged to work with Jean through many years of shared public service. Though he will be missed by all whose lives he touched, his spirit carries forward in the natural beauty his efforts enshrined for generations to come.