Jan Schakowsky

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, H.R. 3950, the TICKET Act. As my colleague and the chair of the subcommittee, Mr. Bilirakis, has said, we worked for months to finally get to this legislation being here today. I am so excited about it. Madam Speaker, we have been hearing about this issue for a very long time, and I appreciate Congressman Pascrell pushing it for as long as he did. Here we finally are. Totally bipartisan, this bill passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, but it took some work for us to finally get here. I am very happy that we have. The bill really has three separate parts. One is that we make sure that the price consumers think they are going to pay when they first go online or see an advertisement is the price they will pay. Right now, many consumers have found they think they know the price when they go online, but when they finally finish and are at the end of the contract that they want to sign, they find that it could be 10, 20, 30, 40 percent more than they thought it was going to be. That is a decision moment. Are they going to be able to go to that venue? Are they going to be able to go to that concert? Are they going to be able to go to that ballpark or to that game? Can they really afford it? Their children are begging to be able to go to that concert, yet it is far more than they thought it was going to be. This legislation will finally put an end to those hidden prices. The price consumers see is the price that they will pay. Number two, for refunds, how many times have people gotten tickets and then found out that the concert or the event has actually been canceled? Now, they will have to be compensated fully if that happens. The third is the scammers. There are websites that are fake that are hooking in people to buy from them, and now under this legislation, the Federal Trade Commission will go strongly after them. This is not necessarily one of these pieces of legislation that saves your life, as we have heard today from the Energy and Commerce Committee, but it is one of the great aggravations that lots of families face when they want to have that special day. I am very happy not only for consumers but also for artists and also for the venues that are going to benefit from this legislation. I certainly urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation, and once again, I applaud the bipartisan effort of all the players who were involved in getting this passed.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to talk about this because Americans are very worried about how their data is being used. They want to know who is collecting it, where it is going, and how it is being used. For far too long, people's privacy has been invaded. They don't know exactly how, and they don't know exactly who. In fact, one of the big players, of course, are the data brokers. Now, Madam Speaker, ask anyone on the street: Who are data brokers? What do they do? These are the people who buy, sell, and trade your information. Most people don't have a clue about that. So this legislation makes a good step forward when it says that none of this information that is collected by data brokers can go to China or any other adversary information that we have listed in this legislation. It is time, though, I want to add, that while this bill is important for national security and for the security of our people, right now people's data is at risk and children's data is at risk. We need comprehensive reform on privacy, and we did that in the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress where we passed the American Data and Privacy Protection Act, and we need to go forward. People are tired of not only wondering how are so many people collecting our data but how are they buying and selling it. It is a national security interest. This bill is important, but we have to go a step further.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate one of the most renowned and beloved figures in Chicago, meteorologist Tom Skilling. Tom, a 9th Congressional District resident, has worked for 45 years on WGN-TV, enthusiastically and accurately providing weather forecasts to Chicagoland. His lifelong passion for weather and his connection with his audience has earned him a place in the hearts and history of this city and beyond. I am proud and honored to call him a friend. As he embarks on his well-deserved retirement and starts his next chapter, we offer our sincerest gratitude for bringing his sunshine to our TV screens for decades. I commend Tom Skilling for his unrelenting and contagious dedication to the weather. As a boy growing up on the East Coast, he studied weather maps purchased with his allowance. Tom moved to Aurora, Illinois in 7th grade and brought with him a passion for meteorology so strong he had to share it with the world. At only 14 years old, Tom gave the forecast on the local radio station WKKD before attending class at West Aurora High School. Upon completing his studies in meteorology and journalism at the University of Wisconsin, Tom embarked on a career that made him a Chicago area legend. Joining the team at WGN-TV, Tom accomplished what no other did before him--he didn't just say what the weather was, he told us why it was happening. Bringing a level of accessibility and authenticity like no other, Tom connected with viewers' hearts and minds. Tom's last day on the air brought a 70-degree day in February, followed by rain and strong winds and a steep drop in temperatures. Tom speaks with tremendous knowledge and gravitas about climate change science, and the dangers of not acting to protect our planet. He has travelled across the country, including to Washington, to talk about ``climate disruption,'' and led a special series on WGN called Forecast--A Fragile Climate. He speaks about climate change frequently. I know first hand, since we participated together in a climate change forum several years ago. He has and earned honorary doctorates at universities and colleges, but I'm sure none of those mean as much to Tom as the love and admiration of the millions of viewers who have trusted him to tell them about their weather and their environment for the last 45 years. As his next chapter arrives Tom's lifetime love for weather persists. We are grateful for Tom's dedication and contribution to this city, and he will always be revered as Chicago's weatherman.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we approach International Holocaust Remembrance Day to remember all the lives lost in this horrific event so many decades ago, and also to acknowledge the efforts of a particular and only more recently recognized hero of this period: Kadri Cakrani. During World War II, Kadri Cakrani served as Commandant-General in the City of Berat, in Albania. Although his nation was occupied by Axis forces, Commandant Cakrani was able to utilize his position of relative authority to save lives. Commandant Cakrani rallied soldiers under his command and the local citizenry to help shelter hundreds of Jewish people who would otherwise have been killed by Nazi forces. Cakrani repeatedly lied to Nazi officials, claiming no knowledge of Jews within his area of authority. At the same time, he was coordinating the movement of families from one side of Berat to the other to ensure they were not discovered. Commandant Cakrani even went so far as to shelter Jews within his own home during this period. In 1943, Cakrani successfully sheltered three U.S. Army nurses (Wilma Dale Lytle, Ava Ann Maness, and Helen Porter) trapped in the area after a plane crash returning them safely to the Allied powers. The risks that Kadri and those working with him faced while they carried out these brave actions were enormous. Eventually, the rise of Communist leader Enver Hoxha forced Kadri Cakrani to flee the country in November of 1944. Cakrani eventually found his way to the United States, where President Harry Truman granted him political asylum and where he then settled down for the remainder of his life. Kadri Cakrani passed away in 1972, but his efforts to bend the arc of history towards justice have been only recently rediscovered. Cakrani had safely fled to the United States, but many of the heroes that worked beside him remained behind the Iron Curtain in an Albania under communist rule. As a result, to protect those who would otherwise still be at risk, Kadri did not talk about these accomplishments. Today, Albania is a free and democratic society. Scholars have pieced together the story of this remarkable man and those who worked beside him for good. On behalf of the residents of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, I want to share my deepest gratitude to Kadri Cakrani and those who worked with him to save so many lives. These efforts and risks deserve recognition and remembrance, and I am so pleased to be able to share his story. Our world is better off because of the role that Kadri Cakrani played in it while he was here.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I was otherwise detained and unable to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: ``nay'' on rollcall No. 710, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 711, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 712, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 713, ``yea'' of rollcall No. 714, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 715, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 716, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 717. Personal Explanation

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Fran Duvall, who joined my office when I first came to Congress. Fran had worked for my predecessor Sidney R. Yates, who recommended that I hire Fran because of her many talents and her ability to work as a team member. Fran was kind, sweet, patient, competent and diligent in setting up our operations. She set an early example for my young staff on how to be an effective staffer on Capitol Hill. She was integral in my seamless transition to the House of Representatives and I, like my staff, relied on her guidance. But more importantly, she was progressive, welcoming, and inclusive before that was fashionable. Fran represented the very best of this lnstitution. I send my deepest condolences to her family and gratitude for sharing her with Team Schakowsky and the House of Representatives. I include in the Record the following obituary, published in the December 5th Washington Post, describing her life of achievement. Fran Duvall (1 January 1935--14 May 2022) The family of Frances Eloise Duvall honors her memory during this holiday season. Ms. Duvall was born 1 January 1935 at home in Landover, Maryland and died 14 May 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. She was the ninth and last child of Anna Louise (nee Bennett) and George Paul Duvall and grew up in the nation's capital. After graduating from Immaculate Conception Academy in 1952, Ms. Duvall worked as a typist for the Navy Department, as a secretary with the University of Maryland Engineering Department and later with the Civil Service Commission. Ms. Duvall met Keith Daggy in the early 1950s while both were members of the Bladensburg Skate Club. They were married in 1956 and, a year later, moved to Waynesboro, VA. There they had three children, Teresa, Roger, and Mary Helen, who did not survive a premature birth. Ms. Duvall and Mr. Daggy divorced in 1976, at which time Ms. Duvall began working full-time at the University of Virginia while studying at Mary Baldwin College (now University) in Staunton, earning her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management in 1981. Ms. Duvall then moved back to Washington, DC, where she worked as the office manager for Representative Sidney R. Yates, IL, and his successor, Jan Schakowsky, until Ms. Duvall's retirement in 2001. The final chapter of Ms. Duvall's life was written at Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield, VA, where she lived from 2003 until her death. She was deeply involved in various aspects of the community, particularly the Greenspring Players, the theatre troupe at the retirement village. Ms. Duvall served in many capacities: chair, co- chair, director, producer, prompter, computer support, publicity, props and cast parties, as well as upgrading and clarifying policies and procedures for the Players. Ms. Duvall also created and maintained a scholarship program, awarding scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in all aspects of theatre. Additionally, Ms. Duvall hosted various shows on the Village's internal television station and assisted in producing the station's programs on presidential libraries. She also created sign language classes at the Village. Ms. Duvall was a life-long Democrat and vigorously defended equal rights. She volunteered on Election Day to ensure that residents could cast their vote. After attending many memorial services to honor friends who had passed, Ms. Duvall decided, in January 2020, to celebrate her 85th birthday with beautiful music performed by her children and grandchildren and amusing, heartfelt anecdotes from her friends and loved ones. Ms. Duvall leaves behind her daughter, Teresa, and granddaughter Zoe, as well as her son, Roger, his wife Kimberlea, and their children, Maximilian and Celia.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, it is known that the transportation sector is responsible for the single largest greenhouse gas emissions. I choose not to contribute to that. I am the proud owner of a Chevy Volt, which is a very affordable, all electric vehicle--not one of the expensive ones that the Republicans like to talk about. It has zero emissions from the pipe. It is a beautiful little car that most families could afford. I would say that the legislation that has been proposed actually takes choice away from Americans because it says that the EPA will no longer have the authority to regulate the emissions that are allowed. This will save lives. This legislation that has been proposed is absolutely dangerous. What we know is that if the EPA can conduct its mission, then we would see 7 billion tons of greenhouse gases that would not be in the air. Lives would be saved. This legislation is so important. The legislation that Republicans have proposed would take away the right of Americans to have a safe environment and health. We say that this legislation is going in absolutely the wrong direction. We want to be sure that no one will vote for it. We will protect the lives of Americans, the right of the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency, and that we will have a better world to live in. That should be the right that is given to Americans.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chair, more than 10,000 people die every year from drunk driving crashes. Drunk drivers are seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a sober person. You would think that the Republicans would want to do something about it. Democrats have done something about it and said that NHTSA now will have drunk driver prevention technology. This technology has the potential of saving thousands of lives, and I don't see that you are agreeing that we should be saving those lives. I would say we should all vote against the drunk driver protection act.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize The Midwest Ismaili Arts Festival hosted by the Ismaili Council for the Midwestern United States. The Ismaili Arts Festival will be held at the Copernicus Center in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, October 22, 2023. The Ismaili Arts Festival stands as a testament to the profound impact of the arts, serving as a platform for Ismaili artists to share their unique visions and creations with our community. This festival celebrates creativity, and promotes dialogue, diversity and understanding among residents of Illinois and visitors. These events elevate and illustrate the pluralistic values that are held by residents of Illinois and make Illinois a more vibrant and stronger community. This year, the Midwest Ismaili Arts Festival will bring together over 200 Ismaili artists showcasing their artistic expression in the categories of performing arts, film festival and art gallery. The theme for this year's festival is ``care,'' in which the artists will explore their personal interconnectivity with care for the environment, care for one's heritage, and strengthening one's identity. I am proud of the Ismaili Council for Midwestern United States and the Midwest Ismaili Arts Festival organizers, Ismaili Artists and Ismaili Volunteers who dedicate their time, knowledge, and passion to promote the arts. On behalf of the residents of the 9th District of the State of Illinois, I proudly recognize the impact of the Ismaili Arts Festival and its contributions to the State of Illinois' arts and cultural stage and celebrate this showcase of Illinois' diversity and commitment to inclusion.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent Colleen Dolan, from Chicago, for a successful career and to congratulate her on her much-deserved retirement. Graduating from Lewis University with a degree in sociology and psychology, Colleen Dolan entered the workforce in 1975 as a bank teller at the First National Bank of Winnetka. After a year, she took the first step in what would be an impressively steep climb up the human resources corporate ladder as a Profit-Sharing Analyst in corporate accounting at the Continental Illinois National Bank. At Continental, she held several positions, rising to the rank of Sales Director--Personal Banking Relations at the end of her 13-year stint at the bank. Along the way, she had two boys, Shaun and Ryan Dolan, and instilled confidence in her late father, a Zenith Business Executive, that her degrees would be useful in carving out a promising career in a field he was only beginning to understand. In 1989, Colleen made a considerable leap forward as the U.S. Director of Human Resources for Leica Microscope, a position she held for 10 years before transitioning into the world of commercial real estate: first as the Vice President of Compensation & Benefits for a year at Equity Residential before moving to Transwestern, where she would spend the last and most fulfilling 23 years of her career. She embodied the company's purpose statement: empowering good people to do extraordinary things together, Colleen started at Transwestern as Vice President and ascended to hold the roles of Senior Vice President and Executive Vice President before ultimately joining the C-suite as the Chief Human Resources Officer. Of her many achievements and affiliations, Colleen is the proud recipient or member of the following: Transwestern Executive Committee and Board of Directors, Human Resources Management Association of Chicago, American Management Association (AMA), Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), Chicago Compensation Association (CPC), Transwestern Founder's Award Recipient, Real Estate Forum's Women of Influence Recipient, Notable Leader in Human Resources by Crain's Chicago Business, and a member of Transwestern's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program both at the Steering Committee level and through leadership on both the Training and Belonging committees. I send my heartfelt congratulations to Colleen Dolan for a career spent putting people first, bettering the lives of others, and defining company culture based on her principles of inclusion, fairness, and deep compassion. I know she is looking forward to spending even more time with her grandchildren, Parker, Hadley, and Patch, her sons Shaun and Ryan, and their wives Ashley and Lizzie. I am hoping Colleen enjoys this time with her family, as she has earned it.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 333 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 334.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the leadership of Dana Gershon, whose term as Board President of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) comes to an end on June 30th. She has helped to navigate and grow the organization despite a tenure that coincided with COVID. She is a dedicated, tireless, and passionate advocate for women, children, and families who has represented the organization to world leaders including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Dana has guided the organization through our Jewish values of b'tzelem Elohim, we are all created in G-d's image; kavod ha bri'ot, respect and dignity for all and tzedek tirdof, the pursuit of justice. These values inform her perspective, inspire her efforts, and drive her work to ensure everyone has the full range of health care, enough to eat, and a safe place to call home; in which we can all each achieve financial security while caring for our health and family; in which every young person is affirmed at school, gets unbiased information about their health, and is safe; that no matter who we are or where we are from, we all can access education, economic opportunities, and a court system committed to justice for all; and in which our democracy is strong and stable. Dana has been a leader and trusted partner of mine, organizing grassroots advocacy efforts for critical legislative priorities, including the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Package, the Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (WISE) Act, the Violence Against Women Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, the assault weapons ban and countless other initiatives that would enhance equity and social justice. Dana Gershon has been a social justice activist and leader in the Jewish community since high school. A graduate of Combined Jewish Philanthropy's (CJP) Acharai program, Dana held a number of leadership positions during the nearly twenty years that she and her family lived in Boston: she served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Rashi School (the Boston area Reform Jewish Day School) from 2010-2012 and was Co-Chair CJP's Boston-Haifa Connection. Dana was instrumental in the founding of Parents at the Center in Haifa, Israel, early intervention for underserved children and their families. She has been a Director on the national board of NCJW since 17, and is a member of the Executive Council of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Dana's work has been expansive and impactful and I thank her for her collaboration and best in her future endeavors.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I say to Congressman Bilirakis and Congresswoman Cathy Rodgers that I consider them friends of mine, but I just don't quite understand the energy and hysteria about gas stoves. No one is taking away your gas stove. I want to make that very clear. That is not the intention of this legislation. I am the owner of a gas stove. I decided a long time ago that I really preferred gas stoves. I have a fairly new gas stove, but that doesn't mean that I don't want the very agency of government that I have worked with--and Congressman Pallone talked about its successes-- of saving people from hazards or reminding people or alerting people about hazards. That is all. I own a new car. It is actually a Chevy Bolt. It is all electric, but like all the other cars that I have bought, I want to know about its safety history, all the things I could know. The other thing about a car, if something goes wrong, I think there is going to be a recall, so I will have an opportunity to deal with this. The Consumer Product Safety Commission wants to take a look at what may be a hazard and if there are threats to our children's health, to our families, if it could cause real problems. Why don't we want to know about those? I think this legislation takes away the opportunity for us to find out about what may, in fact, be a hazard. It may require some changes in gas stoves and the way they are manufactured. Why wouldn't we want to know that rather than subject our families, our children, our communities to something that could harm them? This prevents information. I say to my colleagues across the aisle: Get your head out of the gas stove and let's let the facts be told so that we can make decisions as smart adults to decide whether or not we want to buy them and whether or not we need to see some changes.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I will say that there were a lot of things said that are really misinformation. No one is going to lose their gas stoves. This is not a plot to take that away. I certainly encourage everyone to vote against this so that we can protect our children, we can have the Consumer Product Safety Commission alert us to problems that may occur, and to keep all of us safer. That is the point of this bill.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, this proposed amendment would expand the prohibition of using Federal dollars, Federal funds, to include any action--I want to repeat that, any action that would limit the ability of gas stoves based on the kind of fuel that it uses. So if this amendment were to be adopted, it would absolutely endanger our children and all consumers. For example, the negative health effects of lead are very well-known, particularly how lead might affect children. That is why we were able to phase lead out of gasoline in our cars, but this could open up the gate for manufacturers to actually use leaded gas to power a gas stove. This amendment would then prohibit and prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission--which is made to protect us and warn us--from giving us any kind of warning and stop the use of lead in a gas stove, and that would make no sense at all. It is dangerous to block the Consumer Product Safety Commission from protecting American children from such hazards as lead. That is just one example. We simply cannot let these unfounded Republican attacks on the CPSC to disable us from having ourselves protected and from making sure that our children are going to be safe from hazards that are legitimately going to be warned. So I absolutely urge this amendment to fail. It goes even far beyond the ridiculousness of the suggestion that as a result of the underlying bill we would come to homes and take away their gas stoves. This would create a hazard. This would create a hazard, and this amendment should not be adopted. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chair, I don't know how the gentlewoman got to children in mines from an amendment that says that any kind of addition to manufacturing a gas stove, including lead, which the gentlewoman did not respond to, would be a danger. I oppose this amendment. I think it is very harmful. It has nothing to do with many of the scenarios that were just illuminated or not, and I think that it is very important that we vote down this very dangerous amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, meet Celly, a constituent of mine living in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. He is an Army veteran and a cancer survivor, and he has received 100 percent disabled veterans benefits due to his trauma as he was serving for us in the service. He is currently enrolled in a VA program to become a paralegal. Celly called my office because he was worried. He was concerned that the veterans benefits that he relies upon could be snatched away by the Republican default. That is a real possibility. His VA benefits cover his rent, his medication, and his treatments.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month we lost a treasured consumer, public health and safety advocate. Allison Kennedy passed away on May 10, 2023, after recently suffering a brain aneurysm. She was 36 years old. Allison Kennedy served as the Director of Government Relations for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates). She was well known and well respected on Capitol Hill as an ardent and trusted champion for safe roads, safe vehicles and safe road users. During her more than ten years with Advocates, she cultivated a safety legacy that will continue to prevent crashes and save lives for generations to come. Allison's untimely passing is a monumental personal and professional loss for the Advocates' team and for all those who work closely with the organization, myself included. She will be remembered as a dedicated public health and safety activist, wonderful colleague, caring friend, cherished daughter, devoted wife and dedicated mother. I include in the Record the following obituary and I send my condolences to her husband, Brian, their two young sons, Christopher ``Kit'' and Callahan ``Cal,'' her parents, Erin and Michael, her entire family, and all her loved ones. Allison Elizabeth Kennedy of Burke, Virginia passed to her eternal reward on May 10, 2023, after a brain aneurysm at 36 years old. A devoted mother, beloved wife, and cherished daughter, Allison was full of life and love. Allison was born in Visalia, California on February 16, 1987, to her loving mother, Erin, and adoring father, Michael. At three years old, she moved back to her family's hometown of Vancouver, Washington, where she grew up. However, she frequently liked to remind her husband that she too was a Californian. Although Allison was an only child, she grew up surrounded and supported by her large and loving extended family in Washington, anchored by her Nana and major role model Nita King. Allison had loving uncles and doting aunts. Life for Allison revolved around her family. She loved her grandfather, Jim. beyond words. She especially loved the precious time she spent with her father outdoors or working on household projects together, even FaceTiming her dad 3000 miles away to help her put a table together. She loved traveling with her family, including to the off-road races in Baja, especially with her Uncle David. She excelled in her studies, cheerleading, and mock trial during high school. Her friends Emily Young, Liana Richey, Jessie Cook, and many others made her teens, college years, and early twenties a time of great joy. She attended Washington State University, graduating in 2010. She received her master's degree from American University in Washington, D.C. in 2014. After starting her graduate studies at Washington State University, she began a three-month internship in Washington, D.C. Within weeks of moving to D.C., she fell in love with the city, the politics, and a man named Brian. Their love started on their first date as they sat talking in her apartment until three in the morning. Allison quickly decided to stay and was hired as a lobbyist for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, where she helped promote safer transportation policies. Under the leadership of her professional mentors, Cathy Chase and Jackie Gillian, Allison grew into a fierce and successful advocate whose work led to the adoption of critical safety-minded policies, including many of the key safety provisions of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For generations to come, Allison's legacy will be measured in the countless lives of children, teen drivers, pedestrians, and motorists that her work helped to save. She loved and was adored by all her colleagues at Advocates. Throughout her time in Washington, D.C., Allison was also drawn deeper into her Roman Catholic faith. She tells a story of running on the National Mall and receiving a call to return to the Church. She was confirmed and faithfully adhered to her faith. She became engaged in church activities including working at the Our Lady of Bethesda Retreat Center, where she helped to lead couples through their preparation for the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. In Washington, D.C., she established lifelong friendships, especially with Sondra Gribbin, Courtney Daniel, Addie Horton Kahrs, and countless others. Allison was always the first to volunteer to coordinate events and had the ability to make anyone feel like an old friend, even upon their first meeting. Allison and Brian were engaged in December 2014 and married in November 2015. They first lived in Northeast Washington, D.C., then moved to Maryland in 2019, and finally found their dream home in Burke, VA in 2022. Allison longed to be a mother, Allison and Brian tried for nearly five years. In 2021, they received the gift of Christopher ``Kit'' Colm, through adoption, who blessed their home with the fullness of love and joy. Allison thrived as a mother. In every way, she knew how to care for Kit and help him blossom. In 2022, Brian and Allison found out they were pregnant. Callahan ``Cal'' was welcomed into the world in January 2023. The final months of Allison's life were filled with happiness and contentment as she thrived as a mother of two. She once told Brian, ``I always want things on Allison's time and Allison's way, but God always shows me that His ways are better. He knew we couldn't have Cal until we first had Kit.'' We pray that we may understand God's ways someday. Allison and Brian loved each other far better than the storybook way. Because their devotion manifested in the real act of love: caring for each other and living to be one another's support. Disagreements and challenges and just laying around in your pajamas are what makes life real and worth living. Allison and Brian weren't perfect, but they tried to love each other perfectly. Her devotion was manifest every day to Brian. Allison is survived by her loving husband, Brian, her sons Christopher and Callahan; mother, Erin; father, Michael and his partner Barbara; her mother-in-law, Diane; father-in-law. Kevin; her grandmother Nita; grandfather Skip; her sister-in- law Michelle; her brother-in-law Sean and his wife Ashley; her aunt, Mary, her uncles: Lynn, Rick, Scott, Jimmy, Jeff, Sean and dozens of cousins and thousands of friends. She is preceded in death by her grandfathers: Jim, Martin, and Les and her grandmothers Marvonne and Ruth, and her uncle David. A Visitation will be held on May 22, 2023, from 3:00-6:00 PM at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home at 9902 Braddock Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032. The Funeral Mass and Reception will be held on May 23, 2023, at 10:30 AM at St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church at 5222 Sideburn Rd., Fairfax, VA 22032. A Celebration of Life for Allison will take place in the coming months, details forthcoming.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate a remarkable milestone in our Nation's history--the 58th anniversary of Head Start. The Head Start Project launched in 1965 as a comprehensive, anti- poverty, child development program. Since then, more than 37 million children and their families have enjoyed the benefits of Head Start. Early in my professional career, I worked as a Head Start teacher at the Nettelhorst School in Chicago. Today, Head Start serves almost 29,000 children and their families in Illinois alone. As I reflect on my experience there and on the history of Head Start, I am still in awe at the impact it has on lifting families out of generational poverty. Head Start has proven itself to be an invaluable program, empowering children from low-income families, those suffering from homelessness and those in the foster care system, and setting them on a path towards success. As we celebrate the 58th anniversary of this extraordinary program, let us reaffirm our commitment to Head Start, and ensure that every child in America has access to a bright future. Happy Birthday Head Start.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments and long career of Park Ridge Police Chief Frank Kaminski. Today is Chief Kaminski's last day on duty. I have had the opportunity to work with Chief Kaminski on numerous occasions, and I have always found him to be a dedicated and capable public servant. He has served as the Chief of Police for the City of Park Ridge since 2009, where he was brought out of retirement to serve the community in which he lived and revitalize that local Police Department. He succeeded, creating a Chief's Advisory Board (an initiative he also brought to Evanston, Illinois) and re-envisioned the City's department-wide philosophy behind the concept of community policing, Prior to his service in Park Ridge, Chief Kaminski spent thirty-three years with the Evanston Police Department. He led the department for two decades before retiring in 2006. During his tenure, he presided over a dramatic 55 percent reduction in the index crime rate, and just like in Park Ridge, Chief Kaminski was a constant advocate behind the concept of community policing. He championed a host of local initiatives in this capacity, including the Citizens Police Academy, the Chief's Advisory Board, and a Police-Chaplain-Clergy Team to further deepen interactions between the Police Department and the public. In a development that would characterize much of his career, the Chief originated and implemented a philosophy of policing that he called ``The Partnership, Police and Community Working Together.'' I am grateful that Chief Kaminski spent his working years in the service of two communities within the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. I have no doubt that the residents of these communities are better off thanks to his philosophy and his efforts to further interactions between the police and the public. We will all feel the loss in the absence of his continued leadership on these issues. On behalf of the residents of the 9th Congressional District of lllinois, I thank Chief Kaminski for his service. He leaves shoes that will be very hard to fill, and I hope that Park Ridge is able to find someone who can lead the Department with the same skill and compassion that he did. I wish him nothing but the best in future endeavors.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, meet Janet, a constituent of mine from the Uptown neighborhood in Chicago. She is 64 years old and is on Social Security disability. She suffers from chronic mental illness that prevents her from working. Even though she would prefer to work, she really is unable to do so. Janet will be devastated by the Republicans holding our economy hostage. She has $1,200 per month, and that is her total income, Social Security. She has no other income. If we do not pass a clean debt ceiling bill, Janet will not be able to pay for her medication. She will not be able to get food. She will not be able to pay her rent. There are millions of Janets around this country. We say: Don't hold Janet hostage.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 227.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lauren Verdich, a lifelong Chicagoan, business owner, activist and dear friend. Through Lauren's Catering, a business she started in the mid-1980's, she donated her services to many non-profits in the Chicago LGBTQ community such as the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Lesbian Community Cancer Project. Lauren was a co-founder of Open Hand Chicago and what is now known as the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Illinois. For Lauren's long- standing advocacy in the LGBTQ community, she was inducted into Chicago's LGBT Hall of Fame in 2015. Along with Lauren's community activism, Lauren was politically active. As progressives, Lauren and her loving partner of 25 years, Gail Morse, were involved in state and federal campaigns, including mine. In 2006, Gail and Lauren were co-chairs of my 5th Annual Ultimate Women's Power Lunch alongside Michelle Obama. Lauren especially enjoyed an event featuring Congressman John Lewis, a hero to Lauren, and ascribed to John's motto of seeking out ``good trouble.'' On a very personal note, Lauren cooked delicious meals for my grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law, Fiona, when Fiona was sick with cancer. Lauren's warmth and love came through her cooking. I was touched by her generosity and compassion for me and my family at that difficult time. For decades, Lauren served her community. Lauren was a ``sister in arms'' with so many fighting for good causes and those getting into John's ``good trouble.'' Lauren Verdich touched so many of us through her food, activism and hugs; and will be deeply missed. Bob and I send our deepest condolences to her wife, Gail, her children, Jordan (Katy) and Dana, and grandson, Zachery.