Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.

In March of 1993, Dr. David Gunn was killed outside his abortion clinic by a white supremacist, anti-abortion extremist. To honor his legacy, this day was established.

Last week, his children, David, Jr., and Wendy, joined a deeply moving press conference to celebrate the essential, compassionate, necessary healthcare providers deliver courageously, despite pressures, restrictions, political interference, and violent threats to their personal safety.

I want to recognize two incredible abortion providers and tireless advocates in my district, Renee Chelian, the founder of Northland Family Planning, and her daughter Lara, and the work these women do in our communities to make reproductive healthcare accessible to all.

I urge my colleagues to join in this important affirmation of Congress' commitment to abortion providers.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the House Ukraine Caucus in this strong show of resolve to keep our focus on what is happening in Ukraine and on its borders. And I especially want to thank my dear friend, Chair Marcy Kaptur, for her leadership in organizing this timely event, and the co-chair, Brian Fitzpatrick, for his strong leadership on this issue and all of the other Members who are joining today.

I represent one of the most vibrant Ukrainian-American communities in the United States. And I have spent time with my constituents in Michigan at memorials and commemorations of the Holodomor, and even just last weekend at a peace vigil in a Ukrainian church to pray for peace and for no more war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian-American community in Metro Detroit and around this Nation is deeply worried about their family, about their friends in Ukraine, and what might happen if Russia were to newly invade their country because we know Russia has already invaded their country.

It is 8 years of Russia invasion and occupation of Crimea and their interference in the Donbas and eastern parts of Ukraine, and it has been a really traumatizing time for Ukrainians, obviously, but also for Ukrainian-Americans.

I have been supportive of the efforts here in the House and by the Biden administration to focus on both deterrence and diplomacy. I am proud to cosponsor the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act which seeks to deter Russia by imposing tougher sanctions by providing more defensive equipment and weapons, and expanding programming to counter Russian disinformation and cyber activity.

I also want to commend President Biden emphasizing diplomacy to deescalate tension. Above all, we must avoid a war between the two largest nuclear powers. I appreciate how much he has worked to unify all of our European allies behind this effort, and I appreciate the leadership of those European allies in pushing for a peaceful resolution to this situation.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to join with my colleagues today and to share this commitment to helping the Ukrainian people, and I am hopeful that our work in the Congress, coupled with measures taken by the Biden administration, will ultimately prevent more conflict from breaking out. But we have got to make it very, very clear to Vladimir Putin that he will get exactly what he doesn't want if he insists on attacking Ukraine further.

He has said he wants less NATO involvement in the eastern reaches of the alliance, and his aggression and his provocation is causing just what he says he doesn't want. So I am hopeful that diplomacy can carry the day, but we have to be ready with all measures of deterrence to prevent an attack, and we have to be--even though it doesn't make sense to implement sanctions in advance, it definitely makes sense that we be very clear with Putin and the oligarchs and the people around him just as Representative Fitzpatrick said, that we will implement a broad array of sanctions, by far, the harshest array of sanctions that we have ever arrayed against them.

Before I yield back, Congresswoman Kaptur, I just wanted to share that when I was at my most recent event in the community in Michigan, I said--and Congresswoman Spartz, I want to say this to you because I haven't had a chance to talk to you about this idea--let's organize a vigil at the Holodomor Memorial here near Union Station when we are back to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Let's get as many Members of Congress there as we can. That idea seems to be taking off with the Ukrainian-American community. So I hope we will soon have a date when we can announce an event there where we can show our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Lord knows, we love Ukraine. It is an independent country that deserves to have its own borders respected and where the people deserve to democratically determine their own future and, Congresswoman Kaptur, we are never going to give up on our commitment to those principles.

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would like to begin by thanking Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson for her leadership on H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, and the many chairs across the House for their work to bring this bill to the floor.

Our economy is only as strong as the next generation of American workers. The key to ensuring that our young people transition seamlessly into good-paying careers is to make sure that high-quality education and job training is affordable and accessible to all.

It is also important that students have access to important information about programs or institutions they may want to attend to ensure they can make smart, informed decisions after high school.

That is why I am proud to offer an amendment to the America COMPETES Act with my colleagues Anthony Gonzalez and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

The first part of this amendment is modeled after my Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act, or the JOBS Act, with Senators Kaine and Portman and Congressman Gonzalez, to expand Pell grant eligibility to certain high-quality, short-term programs that can launch graduates into successful careers while also giving them paths to 2- and 4-year degrees.

This amendment also includes the College Transparency Act led by Congressman Krishnamoorthi, which establishes a secure, privacy- protected postsecondary data system to collect and report student outcomes.

Both these initiatives are critical as we seek to rebuild the middle class and ensure workers have the skills needed to pursue in-demand, good-paying jobs.

I close by urging my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gonzalez), my partner.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the resilient, dedicated, and understandably exhausted, yet unflagging, educators and school staff across the Nation.

I have spent my career advocating for an equitable education system, and I am a proud dad of four children who are products of Michigan public schools. In fact, my daughter Molly is currently a high school junior who is set to graduate next year. I can hardly believe it.

That is why I have been especially disheartened when I meet regularly with educators and superintendents in Macomb and Oakland Counties and hear stories of how these frontline workers navigate from one crisis to another, seemingly without end. From multiple COVID-19 waves and politicization of commonsense public health measures, like masking and vaccines, to mass shootings, like the Oxford High School tragedy in my home county of Oakland County that we are still mourning, and startling learning loss and social delays.

Mr. Speaker, our educators, school staff, and administrators are not catching a break. They are working tirelessly and meeting daily, even over holiday breaks, to make sure they can provide the best learning environment for our students. Across the board, they reported trouble finding teachers, finding bus drivers, finding kitchen staff and everything in between.

Our students are returning to the classroom with immense needs in the midst of a teacher and substitute shortage. All manner of staff and administrators, including even superintendents themselves, are stepping up and entering the classroom as substitutes.

One thing is very clear: We need a societal shift to address the issues around staffing, attendance, learning loss, and the social and mental health needs of our students. As the omicron variant continues to surge, we must prioritize education and consider it a sacred public good instead of an industry, and value our educators and school staff by providing living wages, safe work environments, and ending the attacks on educators and their unions.

The pandemic has exposed long-simmering problems, as crises are wont to do. It is a time for a fundamental reset; time for us to realize that, while markets do a great job of distributing goods and services across the society, there are a few social goods that should not be determined by market forces but, rather, lifted up above them as a way to protect our democracy and make the healthy functioning of markets possible in the first place.

One is public safety. Another is access to quality healthcare for every person. A third is an excellent public education for every child, from preschool to community college.

We cannot continue to put our educators through the wringer. Longtime professionals in my district tell me they are hearing from new teachers who say they won't last a couple of years, much less decades.

My response was this: We must restore the education profession; the dignity of the education profession; the worth and the standing of the education profession, no matter how difficult it is. We must train teachers and prepare them for success, offer them appropriate pay and benefits, and support them, not only in the classroom, but in our society with the dignity and respect they deserve.

As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I urge my colleagues to join me in continuing the fight for robust investments and just policies to make sure our country, our economy, and our education system work for every American, not just the wealthy few.

Madam Speaker, Islamophobia is a problem across the world, including in my own district, where one of the many mosques that I represent was vandalized last year.

It is a problem in this body, where only four Muslims have ever served, and where the most visible among them, Congresswoman Omar, has been the subject of horrible anti-Muslim attacks.

And it is obviously a problem abroad, even rising to the level of genocide in Burma and China.

I am a Jewish Member of Congress who considers fighting all forms of oppression and all instances of religious discrimination core to my faith.

Mr. Speaker, let's all come together and reaffirm that cardinal American value, freedom of religion. Let's pass this law as a step towards protecting the rights of the world's 1.8 million Muslims and an integral part of our work to win freedom and security for all people everywhere.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the four students murdered and the teacher and six students injured in the Oxford High School shooting in my home county.

My own daughter was not in school today and will not be tomorrow due to threats of copycat violence. Many school districts across metro Detroit have closed altogether.

This is a terrifying time to be a parent, a school professional, a law enforcement officer, and, Lord knows, a child.

This was the deadliest school shooting since 2018, the year our children rose up and asked us to take action. The House has passed several bills to curb gun violence, yet Congress as a whole has not enacted a single new law for our kids.

This father urges our colleagues in the Senate to act, no more thoughts and prayers, but to act at long last.

I send my deepest condolences to the families and friends of Hana, Tate, Madisyn, and Justin. When we say never again, let's mean it this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join residents and city leaders past and present in celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Royal Oak, Michigan.

On November 8, 1921, residents voted to adopt a city charter, turning the then Village of Royal Oak into the City of Royal Oak. At that time, they elected a mayor and a city commission, who brought the City of Royal Oak to life. The first Mayor of Royal Oak, George Dondero, had previously served the Village of Royal Oak, and later went on to be elected to the 73rd United States Congress.

Over the past century, the City of Royal Oak has undergone a far- reaching transformation, and today is an energetic city filled with businesses, attractions, and almost 60,000 residents. It is now the eighth largest city in Oakland County and has been recognized as one of the most exciting, safest, and best places to live in Michigan. Royal Oak is home to a wonderful public library, Oakland Community College, the Detroit Zoological Park, Beaumont Hospital, and more than 50 public parks for all to enjoy. The City has made significant initiatives towards diversity and inclusion, towards green infrastructure and environmental friendliness, and towards supporting the many small businesses in Royal Oak. On a personal note, Royal Oak is special to my family for another reason--my father, former U.S. Representative Sander Levin, is a longtime resident of the City and, like me, was proud to represent its residents in Congress.

I have no doubt that the next century will bring continued achievements, growth, and prosperity to the City of Royal Oak and its people, and I invite my colleagues to join me in commemorating the centennial of this vibrant community in Michigan's Ninth District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the annual commemoration of Holodomor, the Genocidal Famine inflicted upon the people of Ukraine by the Soviet Union in 1932 and 1933.

In the early 1930s, the Soviet Union engineered a famine to ensure the Ukrainian people could not resist Joseph Stalin's totalitarian policies. This famine, known and remembered as Holodomor, led to the deaths of at least 3.9 million people, or 13 percent of the population of Ukraine at the time. Some estimates of the number of those who died are much higher. ``Holodomor'' is a combination of the Ukrainian words ``hunger'' and ``to inflict death'', a fitting name for the tragedy that occurred.

While Soviet bureaucrats suppressed the facts of Holodomor at the time, including instructing Western journalists not to write about it, it is widely acknowledged as a genocide today. In fact, in 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate each unanimously passed resolutions citing previous declarations of Holodomor as a genocide committed by Joseph Stalin and those around him. The vibrant Ukrainian- American community in Michigan's Ninth District comes together each year in solemn commemoration of the millions of innocent lives taken and to ensure that this horrific event is never forgotten.

As a member of the Ukrainian Caucus, I am honored to stand with Ukrainian-Americans in my district and throughout our country in witness of Holodomor. I encourage my colleagues to join me in reflection and remembrance and recommit ourselves to preventing genocide anywhere on Earth in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Life Application Ministries, which is celebrating 25 years of service to the community of Warren, Michigan.

Life Application Ministries is a historic African American congregation, inspired by enthusiasm to give back and share the love of God, and preserve morale and justice throughout the community. Life Application Ministries grew out of a bible study group that quickly garnered members throughout the 1990s.

In 1996, Bishop Adolphus L. Cast founded the ministry in a time where African American congregations were not as prevalent in the area. In moments of racial injustice, the church gracefully responded with endless love and compassion to the community. Bishop Cast's mission has been to bring racial and economic harmony to the city of Warren and his leadership has led to significant momentum in that effort over the last two and a half decades.

Throughout its history, the ministry has honorably served the Warren community with various community programs including annual food drives and blood drives, providing financial assistance to residents and businesses, assisting people in need of help with home repair and cleanup projects, as well as participating in larger city cleanup efforts. The church also offers shelter to residents in need through partnership with the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team.

One cannot recognize Life Application Ministries without acknowledging the remarkable leaders whose everyday commitment and dedication positively impact their members, our community, and beyond. I am proud to have the honor of recognizing Life Application Ministries today and to mark this quadricentennial event for the congregation. I encourage my colleagues to join me in offering congratulations to the entire Life Application Ministries community as they celebrate twenty- five years of ministry and service in Warren, Michigan.

Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to celebrate the release of my constituent, journalist Danny Fenster, who was unjustly detained for 5\1/2\ months by the military junta in Burma.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those involved in securing Danny's release, including: Governor Bill Richardson; our incredible diplomats in Burma, led by Ambassador Tom Vajda; Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, or SPEHA, Ambassador Roger Carstens; the State Department, from Tony Blinken on down; Chairman Gregory Meeks, and all of my colleagues in the House who stepped up.

My heart is full for Danny's family. His parents, Buddy and Rose, his brother, Bryan, his amazing cousins, they have all shown such resilience, determination, and creativity throughout this difficult journey.

I am so grateful for the powerful outpouring of support across Michigan and this entire country. Our communities rallied together to support Danny and the Fenster family. And now, by sticking together and keeping the faith, we have brought Danny home.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Vinson Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church which is celebrating its 100th year of service to the community of Clinton Charter Township, Michigan.

Vinson Chapel AME is one of Macomb County's historic Black congregations, growing out of a prayer group first organized by Lewis and Betty Vinson in 1921. The members initially met in the Vinson family's home. Soon, the budding congregation moved to an outdoor tent to accommodate a larger prayer group. After conducting services in different spaces over the years, the congregation joyfully arrived on Sunday, May 22, 1977 to their current sanctuary on Quinn Road in Clinton Township.

Over the decades, Vinson Chapel AME has established itself as an important spiritual center in Macomb County, going above and beyond to serve congregants as well as the greater community. The congregation has organized countless reading programs, educational workshops, voting drives, Census drives, and so much more. Most recently, when the COVID- 19 pandemic interrupted in-person services, the church adapted to virtual livestreams to keep the congregation safe and prevent the spread of the virus. Under the determined leadership of Reverend Twylla Lucas, the church rose to meet the additional needs of the community in this challenging moment, organizing vaccination clinics and distributing essential supplies.

I am proud to have the honor of recognizing this important centennial for the Vinson Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. I encourage my colleagues to join me in congratulating Vinson Chapel AME on one hundred years of ministry and service.

Madam Speaker, I come before you with many wonderful colleagues to honor the life and legacy of Richard L. Trumka. Rich was a passionate and steadfast leader who committed himself to bettering the lives of working men and women in every nook and cranny of this country.

Like many made-in-America stories, Richard Trumka's had humble beginnings. He grew up in southwest Pennsylvania's coal country, the son and grandson of coal miners. He worked the mines himself, and he was able to go to college and then to law school. His talent and his charisma were hard to miss, which I guess helps explain how he came to lead one of our great and historic unions, the United Mine Workers of America, at a very young age.

As President of the United Mine Workers, Rich led the iconic Pittston Coal strike, a difficult but ultimately successful effort to fight off cuts to healthcare benefits of workers and their families. As a young activist, this labor struggle made a huge impression on me.

I knew Rich Trumka for over a quarter of a century, and I enjoyed working with him in numerous capacities. In 1995, I had the honor of running the field operation of his historic campaign to become secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, along with president John Sweeney and executive vice president Linda Chavez-Thompson. Their victory was historic because it represented the only insurgent takeover of the AFL- CIO leadership since the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations joined to create the AFL-CIO in 1955. That remains true to this day, 66 years later. Rich brought earthiness and oratory to the ticket, complementing the widely loved but more taciturn president John Sweeney from SEIU.

A mine worker from western Pennsylvania, a service worker from New York City, and a public sector champion in Linda Chavez-Thompson from Texas, they made a perfect combination and they brought big change to the labor movement in many ways.

For the next 11 years, I served as assistant director of organizing at the AFL-CIO, working closely with Rich and seeing his drive through innumerable organizing legislative and political campaigns throughout the Nation.

The picture next to me represents one such effort and one such opportunity for me to help Rich and the other officers carry out their missions.

In their campaign to take over the AFL-CIO, they said that they were going to get young people involved in the labor movement in unprecedented ways. And so we created something called Union Summer, and they told me without a whole lot of notice that I had to put it together and lead it.

In fact, we recruited young people from across the Nation, had over 3,500 applicants, and put 1,000 young people, which was the commitment they made--and they fulfilled it--1,000 young people on union organizing and bargaining campaigns throughout this Nation, and they were incredibly diverse. Something like two-thirds were women, and over half were people of color.

This picture comes from the launch of the Union Summer campaign, and after Union Summer was over, the officers gave me a little framed copy of this picture, and Rich Trumka's comments were classic Trumka. He said, ``Levin, you did a good--no, an outstanding job on this effort. But thank God those kids of yours look like Mary.'' That was Rich Trumka. I still remember it.

It is no secret that Rich was elected to be president of the AFL-CIO in 2009 at a difficult moment for the labor movement. Due to a confluence of many different factors, working men and women faced a string of complex challenges. Becoming the head of the AFL-CIO was no easy task, but Rich was not one to pass up critical fights.

Instead, he was able to rely on his character and conviction and his relationships to forge a path of consensus and solidarity among the 57 unions representing 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO.

Regardless of whether he was talking with workers on a factory floor or to the President of the United States in rooms of the White House few people ever see, even on TV, Rich was grounded in his pursuit to improve the material life of all working people and their families. The AFL-CIO was truly made better through his many contributions and his strong leadership.

Coming to Congress and working with Mr. Trumka as president of the AFL-CIO was a real highlight for me. I, and all who knew him, will miss him dearly.

I am grateful to my colleagues for being with me here tonight to pay tribute to Rich and to his remarkable life.

At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Scott. That is really amazing, the idea that the PRO Act would be named for Rich Trumka. It is so fitting. It is really moving to me, as somebody who worked for him for so long.

I now yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I thank Rosa. That was really moving. I remember that 1996 day on the New Haven Green.

I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer), a great ally of the working people of this country.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Newman).

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), one of the co-chairs of the Labor Caucus in the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a true champion of workers in this country for decades in this House, the longest serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives, and my good friend.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), Rich Trumka's great partner in the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), another person like Marcy Kaptur and me who represents a district full of gritty, working-class factories and neighborhoods that Rich championed so fiercely.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader of the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin), the better half of the Levin caucus, my brother.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I have to say that this tribute to our great friend, Rich Trumka, would not be complete truly without hearing from the representative of his home district, his home area in Nemacolin, Pennsylvania.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Lamb), my brother.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Lamb.

Madam Speaker, it is really fitting that we are honoring Rich Trumka during what has come to be called Striketober. This month has seen more workers in motion in more industries across more regions than at any time in modern history.

We have people in the healthcare industry, nurses, on strike.

We have miners in Alabama, members of Rich Trumka's home union, the United Mine Workers of America, toughing it out for a better life in their workplace.

We have agricultural and industrial workers.

We have workers like those at John Deere represented by the UAW striking for better conditions.

We had stage and production workers, members of IATSE, go right up to a strike deadline to demand a better and fairer contract.

We have food production workers, like those from Kellogg's, a company based in my home State of Michigan.

Rich Trumka knew that workers never want to go on strike, but the right to withhold your labor is a sacred right that every worker should possess, and it should be protected by law.

When he had to lead a strike, he showed that he was up to it in order to get fairness for workers he represented and workers all over this country.

Madam Speaker, I want to also mention--and Leader Hoyer mentioned this--that Rich's passing was so unexpected. A number of people have mentioned this. It was shocking to us because he seemed like such a strong, strong figure. It is hard to imagine him passing from the scene.

But I do have to commend the executive council of the AFL-CIO, the officers of the AFL-CIO, for carrying on. That is what we do in the labor movement. We carry on the struggle for justice, for the workers of this country, and in particular, Liz Shuler, who was chosen by the executive council to step up and become president for the remainder of Rich's term.

I have known Liz since she was an assistant to the president at IBEW back when Ed Hill was president there. She was a really important ally when I was on the AFL-CIO staff, and she was IBEW staff in those days, then her election as secretary-treasurer, her years of working with Rich Trumka. I didn't know what to do when he passed, on the morning that he passed, so I called Liz. She was heartbroken. Yet, she just immediately stood up and said we will not miss a beat. We will fight on for the workers of this country.

I know she will do a tremendous job in leading. She is a historic figure, as Steny Hoyer said, the first woman to lead the national labor union movement in this country.

In terms of Rich, himself, and his passing and how we should take it, I want to quote the words of one of my favorite union songs called ``I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night,'' a song about a union leader who was murdered unjustly by the copper bosses. The premise of the song is Joe Hill appears to someone in a dream, and these lyrics say:

Joe Hill ain't dead, he says to me,

Joe Hill ain't never died.

And now I add working women.

Where working men are out on strike,

Joe Hill is at their side.

Joe Hill is at their side.

From San Diego up to Maine,

In every mine and mill,

Where workers strike and organize,

It's there you'll find Joe Hill.

It's there you'll find Joe Hill.

And Rich Trumka will be there with us in every labor struggle. His spirit, his militancy, his insistence on justice for working people will always be with us.

Madam Speaker, I yield to my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), another great colleague who knew Richard Trumka.

Madam Speaker, I want to end, in the spirit of Rich Trumka, by thanking my legislative assistant, Meseret Araya, for doing an amazing job of organizing this Special Order and thanking all the staff who work the floor of the House of Representatives for doing such an amazing job of keeping this place running.

Madam Speaker, I want to say to Barbara and the whole Trumka family that we are so grateful to you for sharing this person with us, with the mine workers union and with all the unions of the AFL-CIO, and with all the workers of America and of this world.

Rich, we love you. You will be in our hearts forever. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ferndale Public Schools Superintendent Dania Bazzi, named by the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators as Michigan's 2022 Superintendent of the Year.

Since joining Ferndale Public Schools in 2017, and especially during the unprecedented 2020-2021 school year, Dr. Bazzi has demonstrated exemplary dedication to students, educators and the Ferndale community at large. Under her direction, Ferndale Public Schools has received awards for equity, innovation, and leadership. Dr. Bazzi is known for placing students and education professionals at the center of every decision, and for taking a systematic approach to uplift the needs of all students. She is making a remarkable impact on the Ferndale Schools community and is a major asset to public education in Michigan.

It is gratifying to know that the hard-working and diverse Ferndale Schools community--all 3,000 students and the talented and caring education professionals who help them to ``Fly High''--are in the very capable hands of Dr. Dania Bazzi. I am truly proud to have the honor of recognizing Dr. Bazzi for being named Michigan's 2022 Superintendent of the Year, and I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating her and the entire Ferndale Public Schools community for this impressive achievement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Barbara Ziarko who has been selected as the Michigan Municipal League's 2021-2022 Vice President.

Barbara has been a Sterling Heights resident for forty-two years and has given much of her time and talent to the community, including serving as a member of the Sterling Heights City Council for twenty years. She was a Macomb Foundation Athena Award nominee, which helps to demonstrate her exemplary leadership and community service. Throughout the years, Barbara has been deeply involved with numerous community organizations, including serving as co-coordinator for the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team at St. Blase Catholic Community, as a committee member of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event in Sterling Heights for five years, as a member of the Regina High School Board of Directors for seven years, and as a member of the American Polish Century Club Ladies Auxiliary.

In her new role with the Michigan Municipal League, Barbara has pledged to work on the organization's ongoing community wealth building and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. I have no doubt that the remarkable leadership she has displayed in Sterling Heights will benefit the entire State of Michigan.

I am truly proud to have the honor of recognizing Barbara Ziarko as she takes on this important role for the Michigan Municipal League in 2021-22. I invite my colleagues to join me in offering her, and the Michigan Municipal League, very best wishes for a successful year ahead.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Grace Episcopal Church, which is celebrating its 150th year of service to the community of Mount Clemens, Michigan.

In 1849, Michigan's first Episcopal Bishop, the Right Reverend Samuel McCoskry, ordained Reverend Edward Magee in Mount Clemens. At the time, in the absence of a permanent house of worship, a small group of Episcopalians began meeting for services in the Macomb County Courthouse. In 1867, the early congregation obtained land for a church building, which was completed in 1871.

Since 1895, the parish has honorably served the Mount Clemens community with outreach programs. Today, Grace Episcopal maintains a Women's Prison Ministry, Sunday Soup Kitchen, and Wednesday Community Supper. The church also offers shelter to residents in need through partnerships with the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team and the Macomb County Warming Center.

Grace Episcopal Church exemplifies ``Beloved Community'' by welcoming and assisting people of all backgrounds. The church website proudly states: ``Among us are folks of great heart including the walking wounded of every sort: those suffering addiction and homelessness, restless children, honored elders, surly teens, seekers, gays and lesbians, good Christians, hopeless sinners, dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists, & more.''

I am proud to have the honor of recognizing Grace Episcopal Church today and to mark this sesquicentennial event for the congregation. I encourage my colleagues to join me in offering congratulations to the entire Grace Episcopal community as they celebrate one-hundred-and- fifty years of ministry and service in Mount Clemens.