Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7279) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for an integrated planning process, to promote green infrastructure, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 7279.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am here today to express strong support for my bill, H.R. 7279, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, and ask my colleagues to join the bipartisan coalition that worked on this legislation to pass it.

I introduced this bill to help codify into law a useful tool our communities should have at their disposal called integrated planning. Integrated planning provides flexibility for communities when they are confronted with the realities of managing wastewater and stormwater systems. Cities and other municipalities are charged with delivering those water utility services to their residents.

Those same municipalities face the challenges of regulatory mandates from the Environmental Protection Agency for wastewater and stormwater systems. They also face the rising costs of these mandates, which can become severe financial burdens in repairing or replacing aging water infrastructure.

These financial burdens ultimately fall on the ratepayers: the residents of those municipalities, many of whom cannot afford dramatic and immediate increases in their monthly bill. Without flexibility and the ability to prioritize projects so public health and environmental benefits can be maximized, local governments may be forced into costly consent decrees.

Integrated planning helps communities sequence their water projects to meet regulatory or safety obligations more affordably. Cities can use integrated planning to focus on projects that will actually deliver safe and affordable water utility services rather than simply focusing on regulations and red tape.

The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act also creates an important position inside the EPA, the Office of Municipal Ombudsman, to assist municipalities in implementing Agency policy and ensuring local governments are adhering to their responsibilities under the Clean Water Act while utilizing integrated planning.

This bill enjoys bipartisan support in Congress and support from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the American Public Works Association, the National Association of Counties, and the National Association of Regional Councils.

The Water Infrastructure Improvement Act offers a way forward for our communities to take a comprehensive approach to repairing or replacing outdated water systems, to delivering clean and sustainable water services, and to keeping it affordable for the ratepayers and taxpayers.

We all tend to get wrapped up in the headlines of the day. The nonstop calls for outrage dominate cable news, and partisan differences grab everyone's attention. Because of that, the American people very rarely hear or see the real bipartisan work on issues important to their everyday lives like easy access to safe, affordable, and efficient water utilities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from California (Mrs. Napolitano) for her work on this issue. This is an example of the many issues in Congress that affect the lives of all Americans and that find bipartisan support, yet fly under the radar.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Latta, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Chabot, and Mrs. Bustos in passing the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act so America's municipalities and their residents can maintain access to safe water.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

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

I want to, again, thank my colleague from California, Mrs. Napolitano, for all her help on the other side of the aisle to make this a very bipartisan bill. It is a very commonsense bill.

The key to this that I think needs to be mentioned and emphasized is it gives our local communities flexibility and also encourages all levels of government to work together--the Federal EPA, the State EPA, and the local municipalities--to solve the problems they have at the ground level.

Also in this bill, there is a provision that requires that the new position, the EPA ombudsman, in at least 2 years report back to Congress, the T&I Committee, about what happened with the integrated planning, the specific projects, and review that and see if it needs to be tweaked or not. We will see how it works.

It is very important, working together. You see communities that have been under court orders, court decrees, and they can't get to where they need to get to, and this bill gives them that flexibility and that common sense.

Everybody wants to do the right thing, and this will help them do that and to be working with the EPA in a partnership.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 7279, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Leader McCarthy for introducing this resolution.

It is important to underscore how seriously we must take the right for American citizens to vote. Several cities have granted the right to vote in local elections to those who are not citizens of the United States. San Francisco is allowing illegal aliens and other noncitizens to vote in certain local elections.

It is still illegal for noncitizens to vote in Federal elections, and rightly so. Twelve States plus the District of Columbia allow illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses, eight of them offering voter registration at the time of getting that license, popularly called the ``motor voter laws.''

It is easy to see how illegal voting can occur. Illegal voting does not have to be widespread or number in the millions for it to make a real impact on our elections. In Ohio alone, there were 199 races or issues that were tied or decided by just 1 vote in the last 5 years.

Recent incidents of illegals attempting to vote in Federal elections have been in the news. Just last month, 19 foreign nationals were indicted in North Carolina for illegally voting in the 2016 election. In Ohio, seven were indicted for illegal voting in our elections.

Voter fraud is a serious crime. We have to take the integrity of our elections seriously. It is not just a matter of simple mistakes or a handful of improper votes. These elections determine the direction and policies of our cities, States, and the Nation. We must recognize the effect that allowing illegal immigrants to vote has on our right as Americans to self-determination.

Recently, I introduced the Ensuring American Voters Act, which would shore up potential gaps in our voter registration system like States that have the motor voter laws and give illegal aliens driver licenses.

Typically, when you register to vote, you have to show proof of residency. More importantly, in my legislation you would have to show proof of citizenship. Some say this isn't a problem, but when you don't really require proof of citizenship, how do we know the extent of the problem?

As the gentleman from California, Leader McCarthy, rightly says, it devalues the franchise and diminishes the voting power of American citizens. This is a commonsense resolution that emphasizes current Federal law, barring noncitizens from voting in Federal elections.

A recent poll by Rasmussen shows nearly 70 percent of American people agree.

I want to thank Leader McCarthy for introducing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer legislation to honor a good man, a faithful public servant, a veteran, and a friend to the people of the great state of Ohio by renaming the Post Office in Ashland, Ohio after former Ohio Senate President, Bill Harris.

Bill served our nation as a United States Marine for 23 years. He completed tours of duty in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. His actions led to him being awarded the Bronze Star twice and the Vietnam Medal of Honor. He rose to the rank of Major and retired in 1977.

Shortly thereafter, Bill found himself moving to Ashland, Ohio and opening a car dealership. It is still run by the Harris family. Bill was an active member of his community, serving as chairman of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Board for the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University.

I got to know Bill when we served in the Ohio legislature together. While he was in the Senate, I served in the House. Bill was Ohio Senate President when he led them to enact major reforms to Ohio's tax code. He also had a passion for making Ohio's higher education system better and more affordable. But I also got to know Bill on a personal level. After Bill broke his leg slipping on ice in 2009, he was unable to drive. Since I lived the closest to him, I drove him down to Columbus while he was recovering. We spent many hours talking, sometimes about politics and state government, but mostly about family and life. He told me stories and imparted his wisdom on those drives from Ashland to Columbus and back.

Bill Harris dedicated his life to his family and friends, his community and country. I offer this legislation as a way to honor Bill's legacy and recognize his achievements. I ask for my colleagues' support of this bill to rename the Post Office in Bill's hometown of Ashland after him as thanks for his commitment to Ashland, the State of Ohio, and to America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer legislation to honor a good man, a faithful public servant, a veteran, and a friend to the people of the great state of Ohio by renaming the Post Office in Ashland, Ohio after former Ohio Senate President, Bill Harris.

Bill served our nation as a United States Marine for 23 years. He completed tours of duty in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. His actions led to him being awarded the Bronze Star twice and the Vietnam Medal of Honor. He rose to the rank of Major and retired in 1977.

Shortly thereafter, Bill found himself moving to Ashland, Ohio and opening a car dealership. It is still run by the Harris family. Bill was an active member of his community, serving as chairman of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Board for the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University.

I got to know Bill when we served in the Ohio legislature together. While he was in the Senate, I served in the House. Bill was Ohio Senate President when he led them to enact major reforms to Ohio's tax code. He also had a passion for making Ohio's higher education system better and more affordable. But I also got to know Bill on a personal level. After Bill broke his leg slipping on ice in 2009, he was unable to drive. Since I lived the closest to him, I drove him down to Columbus while he was recovering. We spent many hours talking, sometimes about politics and state government, but mostly about family and life. He told me stories and imparted his wisdom on those drives from Ashland to Columbus and back.

Bill Harris dedicated his life to his family and friends, his community and country. I offer this legislation as a way to honor Bill's legacy and recognize his achievements. I ask for my colleagues' support of this bill to rename the Post Office in Bill's hometown of Ashland after him as thanks for his commitment to Ashland, the State of Ohio, and to America.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Kent State University's Tuscarawas campus for serving the Tuscarawas community as an institution of higher learning for the past 50 years.

Since 1962, Kent State University at Tuscarawas has enabled students to expand their career opportunities by providing local access to higher education. With the mission ``to transform lives and communities through the power of discovery and creative expression in an inclusive environment,'' Kent State University at Tuscarawas thrives in developing partnerships with students and Tuscarawas County to cultivate economic development and opportunities.

Starting as a night program at New Philadelphia High School, the opening of Founders Hall in 1968 significantly increased availability of higher education to the surrounding area. Now serving over 2,000 students per year, Kent State Tuscarawas is the only locally owned regional campus in the state, and is home to the only Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology in the Kent State University System. This university further serves the community through a partnership between the campus and the Tuscarawas County Historical Society dating back to 1992, and the campus has housed the Tuscarawas Kent Archive, an extensive collection of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and national history.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of Ohio's 7th Congressional District, I am proud to join in celebration of Kent State University at Tuscarawas' 50th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying legislation that provides funding for programs vital to the environmental and economic health of my home State of Ohio and the entire Great Lakes region. This appropriations bill includes full funding, $300 million, for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The GLRI is an important program focusing on critical environmental restoration projects, such as improving water quality, fighting invasive species, and repairing native habitats for wildlife.

The Great Lakes region supports over $200 billion in economic activity and is the world's largest source of fresh water. Restoring and preserving the Great Lakes is good for our environment and good for the thousands of Ohioans whose livelihoods depend on a clean Lake Erie.

Additionally, the bill repeals the burdensome Obama-era waters of the United States rule, a bureaucratic overreach that expands EPA jurisdiction beyond congressional intent and in contradiction of court rulings.

When the Obama administration announced this rule, I heard from farmers, ranchers, local and State governments, homeowners, and private property rights advocates. All agreed the Obama administration went too far, creating confusion and uncertainty about what would and would not fall under EPA jurisdiction. By repealing the flawed 2015 WOTUS rule, we are committing to work with State environmental agencies as partners in protecting our Nation's natural resources, rather than as adversaries.

Finally, this appropriations bill maintains funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, a valuable tool for State and local agencies to finance projects to ensure our municipalities have access to clean and affordable water.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the rule and passage of the legislation to keep the Great Lakes healthy and continue to improve our Nation's water quality.

Mr. Speaker, due to inclement weather conditions, my flight from Columbus, OH to Washington, D.C. was canceled and I was unable to arrive in time for 6:30 p.m. votes.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 269; YEA on Roll Call No. 270; and YEA on Roll Call No. 271.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule for H.R. 5895 that provides essential protections for the current and future health of Lake Erie.

It prevents the Army Corps of Engineers from dumping dredged sediment from the Cuyahoga River in the lake without the approval of the State of Ohio. This dredge sediment can contain harmful contaminants, potentially increasing the risk of polluted fish and wildlife.

Lake Erie is one of Ohio's most precious and important natural resources. It would be irresponsible to reverse the environmental gains we have recently made with the lake, which is why this provision is so important.

Additionally, this bill includes a provision to expand the ability of law-abiding citizens to possess a firearm on Army Corps of Engineers land, so long as they are legally permitted to carry a firearm and are in full compliance with State law and as they are allowed to do on other Federal parks and Federal lands. This provision merely brings the Army Corps recreational property in line with the rules of land owned by the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Finally, this bill includes a full congressional repeal of the harmful Obama-era WOTUS rule, waters of the United States, an executive overreach that expanded Federal jurisdiction beyond ``navigable waters.'' These provisions are important in ensuring the Federal Government does not impose its will or expand its authority at the expense of States or individuals.

I encourage my colleagues to support this, and I want to commend the chairmen of these committees for the work they have done in the rescissions package in this bill and the Energy and Water bill to move this country forward.

I would also note, Mr. Speaker, historically, if you look back in the past 20 or 30 years in past administrations, both Republican and Democratic, rescissions used to be common practice to claw back money that was never spent or could no longer be spent and bring it back to the Treasury and let the Congress re-appropriate the money as they deem fit.

I encourage my colleagues to support this rule.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to introduce my amendment to H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act, to provide the Army Corps of Engineers greater flexibility and the ability to use a variety of factors in determining financial assurances with respect to section 404 permitted projects.

The Army Corps currently has considerable discretion at the district level on whether to require financial assurance or a bond of unauthorized projects. This includes a firm source of funding from a project or its history of successful completion of projects. The exclusion of this relevant data in determining a financial assurance requirement has led to uneven application of the Corps discretion at the district levels.

As a result, regulatory and financial requirements can be uncertain for even one private entity from Corps district to Corps district. My amendment will give a more uniform framework with a wider scope of factors used in determining the financial mitigation requirements for a 404 project.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment for regulatory certainty, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I think, with the comments from the subcommittee chairman and the chairman's willingness to work through this as we go through the process, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, my amendment would expedite the process the Army Corps of Engineers conducts to study and implement the dredged material management plans, or DMMPs.

In my home State of Ohio, the Port of Cleveland has had difficulty in recent years coming to a resolution with the Army Corps of Engineers over the disposal of dredged material from the Cuyahoga River's Federal navigation channel. While the channel depth is maintained each year, the uncertainty from year to year does not provide the confidence necessary to northeast Ohio's communities, and it does not give the Port of Cleveland the ability to conduct long-term planning without considerable and avoidable risks.

To help private and public entities working with the Army Corps on dredged material management plans, my amendment ensures the Army Corps works diligently with local partners to conduct the DMMPs in an efficient manner.

My amendment also directs the Army Corps of Engineers to consider

alternative uses for and creative tools to collect dredged material, lightening the load on contained disposal facilities and increasing their lifespan.

The Port of Cleveland and many entities across the country rely on these dredged material management plans. They should not have to wait as long as 4 years for these studies and plans to be completed.

In the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, we implemented a 3 by 3 by 3 rule in which studies should cost no more than $3 million, take no longer than 3 years, and include the district, division, and headquarters staff concurrently. When DMMPs are developed, they should be held to the 3 by 3 by 3 rule.

Madam Chair, I offer this amendment to provide a timely process for DMMP planning and implementation. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman for his support. He is absolutely right. When these projects are held up, economic activity can be stifled. We saw this happen in Cleveland. So it is very important this be adopted in the Water Resources Development Act.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is really a sense of Congress that will help support water and wastewater utilities innovating to meet Clean Water Act targets more effectively and potentially at lower costs to the utility by working throughout the watershed on water quality improvements.

Utilities often need to look at costly end-of-pipe treatment to remove nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. These facilities can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and this is particularly important in Ohio where nutrient management is an important concern.

This commonsense approach that many water and wastewater utilities would like to take is to work with farmers and landowners in the watershed to help reduce the nutrient runoff in the waterways in the first place, which in turn helps reduce the cost to utility ratepayers for water treatment. This would produce a win-win for farmers, local communities, and utilities. The farmers will receive an additional revenue stream, and local communities will see lower fees for their water and wastewater services on their utility bills.

For example, a utility in the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has put this practice to work on a pilot basis, and instead of spending $200 million on phosphorus removal treatment at the end of the pipe, they are spending an estimated $50 million investing in conservation practices with local farmers to reduce nutrient loading throughout the watershed.

This amendment aligns squarely with the objectives of the farm bill conservation programs and will allow greater leveraging of public- private partnerships, and it would also benefit private entities that operate within MMDS permits on TMDLs on their loads. They can encourage them to work with landowners and farmers in the watershed to reduce the TMDLs and reduce the nutrient load in the watershed completely so we bring down the whole TMDL issue by working together and instituting more conservation practices and partnerships with utilities and other private entities with the local farmers and landowners.

Mr. Chairman, I encourage support of this conservation program to help provide cleaner water for all of us in the watersheds, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank the ranking member for the support, and I think it is important because there are numerous examples of where, if we work collaboratively together in a watershed, we can reduce the nutrient load and also encourage more economic activity, and it is also beneficial for the farmers and landowners.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, this bill does a number of important things for our aviation industry, for safety, and for the traveling public, including providing stable funding and a clear regulatory framework. In my home State of Ohio, all these are critically important.

The partnership between the Federal Government and the airports is strengthened in this legislation. Stable funding for the Airport Improvement Program ensures that airports can continue to evolve, grow, and plan thoughtfully for the long term.

Ohio's airports provide nearly $14 billion of economic activity for the State. They support 75,000 direct and indirect jobs; they are partners with our Reserve and Guard military wings; and they are the front door to interstate and international commerce for our communities.

Ohio's airports employ long-term planning, using a variety of funding mechanisms to maximize the value of investments in facilities and infrastructure. This bill advances and supports that growth. I am pleased to see long-term certainty for the aviation industry through a 5-year reauthorization, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and pass H.R. 4.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3017, the Brownfields Enhancement, Economic Redevelopment, and Reauthorization Act of 2017.

There is bipartisan support for the EPA program that proves when the Federal-State partnership operates as intended, work gets done.

Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment benefits the environment, the community, and the local economy. This legislation reauthorizes the brownfields program and expands eligibility for nonprofit organizations to receive grants.

In my home State of Ohio, the brownfields program has leveraged over $1 billion for property revitalization. In my district specifically, brownfields funding was used to restore a former industrial manufacturing site, now used as Chesapeake Energy Company's office complex.

I thank the sponsors for introducing this bill and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment prohibits the Department of Labor and OSHA from implementing a burdensome rule dealing with reporting workplace injuries and illness.

The OSHA rule requires all businesses with more than 250 employees to file all illness and injury reports in a publicly available database. It would also be a requirement for any business with more than 20 employees in certain industries such as manufacturing or agriculture.

This online filing requirement raises serious privacy concerns. While employers were previously required to collect this information, it was never open and available to the public.

The rule risks the confidentiality of personally identifiable information for those injured on the job.

Additionally, a provision in the final rule declaring automatic postaccident drug testing is now considered an unreasonable procedure, a provision that conflicts with multiple States' workers' compensation laws.

While the Trump administration has wisely delayed the implementation of the regulation, it is important to prevent any future development of this rule.

I encourage my colleagues to adopt this amendment, which rolls back another one-size-fits-all regulation from Washington, D.C., that potentially interferes with the privacy of employers and employees for the entirety of fiscal year 2018.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, employers will still be required to keep this information on record. Any OSHA inspector can come in and inspect those records. So the idea that there is no documentation of any workplace injuries or illnesses is still there.

The problem here is that it is put on a website, that could have issues with FOIA requests, also publicly available. Businesses will be forced to sensitive information and confidential information that will be public information that risks the identity of many employees out there.

OSHA has historically recognized the sensitive nature of this data and sought to protect this information being released on, as I said, the Freedom of Information Act request.

Furthermore, OSHA has failed to demonstrate any evidence that this rule will effectively reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. I think the point to remember here is that employers are required to keep the records of that, and OSHA inspectors can see that. So when OSHA comes in and inspects a business entity, they can look at those records and see what the workplace injuries are and red flag them, and they have that ability. But personal information should not be at risk to the public and risk people's identities and their personal health issues for illness and work injuries.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask support of my amendment to make sure that we protect the private health records of our employees at the work site and any illnesses that they might have. I don't think we should risk that.

As I said earlier, I think OSHA inspectors have the ability to come in and inspect those records on the workplace site. Putting it out on the internet doesn't make a lot of sense.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule for H.R. 3219. This bill provides funding for the Federal Government's most critical function--national defense--with the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, as we are making sure the men and women who protect and defend our country have the best equipment and training in the world, and that they get the pay raise they deserve.

Additionally, I am pleased to see my provisions I have worked on were included in this legislation to protect Lake Erie by preventing the Army Corps of Engineers from using open lake placement as a method of disposal of dredged material unless a State water quality certification is provided. This is ensuring that Lake Erie remains on the path towards a healthier natural resource.

The bill also gives the EPA Administrator and the Secretary of the Army further authorization to withdraw the waters of the United States rule.

Finally, this legislation provides the resources to better secure our border and protect our citizens and our national security. We are making good on our promises to build the wall.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a good friend who passed away last week: the former Congressman from Ohio, Ralph Regula.

Ralph Regula served in this body for 36 years, from 1973 to 2009. He ran in 1972 to replace former Congressman Frank Bow. He got on the Appropriations Committee in 1975, and I remember him telling the story of how that happened. When Gerald Ford was in the leadership here in the House, he praised former President Gerald Ford for getting him on the Appropriations Committee, in which he became a cardinal, in all the many years he was on the Appropriations Committee.

Some major things that he helped do in his time here in Congress were: he found funding for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; he formed the Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor; and he worked with his wife to create the National First Ladies' Library in Canton.

Having had many conversations with him over the years, I know all the work he did to support the National Institutes of Health, medical research, and also National Parks around the country that he so treasured.

Last week, when Congressman Regula passed away, he left his wife, Mary, and three grown children: Martha, Richard, and David.

Congressman Regula was born December 3, 1924, in Beach City, Ohio.

From 1944 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Union in 1948, where The Ralph and Mary Regula Center of Public Service and Civic Engagement is housed.

He earned his law degree in 1952, and went to law school at night while working as a teacher.

He also served on the Ohio State Board of Education from 1960 to 1964. He served in the Ohio senate. He was elected in 1966, and he served in the Ohio house one term when he was elected in 1964.

During his time in the State house, he created the Northeast Ohio Medical University complex and Stark State College, which is paying many dividends to the residents of northeast Ohio.

Ralph was a good friend, and he always made sure that the staff knew that constituents came first. He even had a lapel pin button made up to remind his staff. He truly did. So my little memento that I remember was when I came here in the early 1980s, representing as a farmer in the Ohio Farm Bureau, we had an appointment at that time, and Ralph was my Congressman. Ralph was a farmer, too, and loved his beef cattle. He was an early riser. We had an early meeting well before 8 a.m. Another county Farm Bureau president from Wayne County and I got there in his office, Steve Grimes, and Ralph Regula said to us: Did you guys eat breakfast yet?

We said: No.

He said: Come with me.

I guess he took us down to the Members' dining room. I remember this because I brought this picture. How I got this picture was one of the agricultural media reporters tagged along and took this picture. It was in one of the local agricultural papers back in Ohio. My parents were so proud of the fact that our Congressman--my Congressman--would meet with us and take us to breakfast in the Capitol that they called the paper and got the print, and they framed it.

A few years ago, I had the privilege to speak at the McKinley Day Dinner in Stark County when I was redistricted in that area. Ralph and Mary were there. I brought this picture and passed it around to show them. Of course, this picture is 33 years old. What is really neat about it is we both had brown hair. I remember Ralph and Mary got a big kick out of that.

Another time that I remember that was really a treasure is he had Senator Thad Cochran come to his house one weekend, and he invited all the agricultural leaders from the district to have breakfast there one Saturday morning. I remember that quite well as a great experience.

A lot people said that Ralph Regula cared. He really did care. He really cared about the constituents he represented. He was a true public servant.

Another issue is he had a relationship at the time with President Reagan. They hit it off really good because they got talking about their farms. Of course, Ralph Regula had a beef cattle farm outside of Navarre, Ohio, in Stark County. They were talking about how to build fence. Ralph used to tell that story, and you can tell that he held that dear to him.

I first met Congressman Regula in 1974. He was the commencement speaker at the first graduating class which I was in at the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, and Ralph was a fairly new Congressman at the time. But he came and spoke. I remember that. That was my first chance to get to know Congressman Regula at the time.

I do have here some notes from his former staff. I just want to read them because I think words say a lot. Ralph left an impression not just on his constituents but also on his staff.

Susan Ross, who worked for Congressman Regula, offered some insight and stories about Ralph.

Ralph's motto was ``Constituents First,'' according to Susan. One day, Ralph got a frantic call from a woman whose daughter was gravely ill in Mexico. She needed help immediately, as she didn't have a passport and couldn't find her birth certificate. By the next day, she was on her way to Mexico to help her daughter return to the U.S. Ralph made sure that his constituent could get a copy of her birth certificate and called the State Department to get her a passport within just a few hours. Considering the bureaucracy of government, this is a minor miracle. That is how committed he was to the people of Ohio.

Ralph would go out of his way to help people. Ralph had a red pickup truck, and after the September 11 attack in 2001, he drove it home with the luggage of several constituents who were stranded here because of the attacks and no way to rent a car and obviously the planes were not flying.

A former schoolteacher himself, he would say to the teachers: The lower the grade, the more you should be paid; and when you look out at your class, you have 30 little mirrors looking back at you.

Susan wrote: We are so grateful for the chance to work alongside and learn from this giant of a man. His accomplishments are legendary, and his legacy can be seen across all of Ohio. It was an honor and privilege to call him our boss.

When former staff members say those kinds of things about their former boss, that says a lot.

I had the privilege to know Ralph for three decades. Two of those decades he was my Congressman, and then the last decade he wasn't because of redistricting. I had a different Congressman and a different congressional district. Then 4 or 5 years ago now, redistricting, they moved me into the Stark County, Ohio, area, and Ralph became a constituent of mine. There were a few times here a few years ago that Ralph came in and visited me in the office, and we had some great conversations.

It seemed a little strange because I can remember, in the 1980s and the 1990s, I would be visiting Ralph here in the Rayburn Building for pork producers in the Farm Bureau talking about agricultural policy and talking to another farmer who is also a Congressman, too. Those are fond memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I think that we are so glad that so many are standing out here tonight to pay tribute to Congressman Ralph Regula because he was a true public servant and loved his constituents, loved Stark County, Ohio, and loved his farm. So it is a privilege to make a few remarks tonight to pay tribute to him for his 36 years of service in this Chamber and this body and all the service he did throughout his life to help the people of Stark County, Ohio, the 16th Congressional District in the State of Ohio, and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi) who is from the

Columbia area and who served some of the time here when Congressman Regula was here.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) who is from Bowling Green, Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the gentleman shares a lot of childhood memories running around here with his dad being a Congressman and Congressman Regula for all those years.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) who is from the Cincinnati area.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Toledo (Ms. Kaptur), who serves on the Appropriations Committee and who, I am sure, has some interesting tales to tell about Congressman Regula.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, we heard tonight that we will miss Ralph Regula. He was a dedicated public servant. He didn't grandstand. He worked hard, and he got the job done for the people of Ohio and the people of this country. We will sorely miss him.

Best regards to his beloved wife, Mary, and three children and the rest of the Regula family. It was an honor and privilege to know Ralph Regula.