Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the oldest women's organization in East Lansing, Michigan: the Alpha Phi, Beta Beta Chapter at Michigan State University. This year, they mark 100 years of fellowship, sisterhood, and service to the community.

But the history of this beloved organization dates back even farther than a century. On March 20, 1891, The Feronian Literacy Society was formed. It was the first all-women's group at the Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C.), the institution that later became Michigan State University. According to the 1891 M.A.C. yearbook, two women worked together to create the initial concept, with stated goals to ``advance its members' intellectual, social and moral standing, to train mind, heart, and soul.'' Together with 15 other women, they formed the initial membership.

Given that there were only 20 women enrolled at Michigan Agricultural College at the time, it will come as no surprise that the group faced opposition from other literary societies on campus. But the Feronian women pressed on, trailblazers from the very start. In 1921, the ban on national Greek organizations was lifted at the college, and one of the first organizations to be established was Alpha Phi Sorority--created by members of the Feronian Society. In 1922, the Feronian Society officially petitioned Alpha Phi Sorority to become the newest chapter, and the Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi was officially born.

Just a few months later, the Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi initiated 78 women to become the first women's panhellenic group at Michigan Agricultural College. It remains the only sorority still in operation after 100 years. In 1935, the chapter was given $2,000 toward purchasing the land at 616 M.A.C. A few years later, women moved into this stately home, marking the debut of what is now known as ``Sorority Row.'' This house, now expanded, has been the home-away-from-home for generations of Alpha Phi sisters.

That sisterhood now includes thousands of women, and today I honor each one of them. I offer this tribute so that all may know of the courage and leadership of the women who blazed the trail from the Feronian Society to become the Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Sorority. May they continue to enrich the lives of Spartan women and their communities well into the future.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to a lifelong community leader and the longest serving member of the Board of Trustees of Lansing Community College, Robert Proctor. Mr. Proctor has devoted nearly two decades to the service of the college, and has recently been recognized as the recipient of the M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership Award from the Association of Community College Trustees.

The list of Trustee Proctor's accomplishments and involvements at Lansing Community College is long, as he has been a driving force in the development and expansion of many programs and initiatives during his tenure. He currently serves as the board's treasurer and historian, and is a past board chair who led two presidential search efforts.

But his commitment to the community goes far beyond the college's walls. Since arriving in Lansing in 1974 to serve as counsel for the Labor Committee of the Michigan House of Representatives, Robert has been involved in many civic, social, and professional organizations, nearly all of which list service to others

as their primary mission. He has been a volunteer with the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross for more than 25 years. He has mentored students in Lansing Public Schools since 1990. He is a director of the Black Child and Family Institute and is on the board of the Resolution Services Center of Central Michigan. He volunteers as a mediator for the Center and 54A District Court. Robert is a past president of Michigan State University Black Alumni and a former member of the board of directors of the MSU Alumni Club of Mid Michigan. He was a member of the board of directors of the Lansing Fair Housing Center and was a fair housing tester.

A lawyer by training, Mr. Proctor earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a juris doctor degree from Detroit College of Law. He is deeply connected to professional associations, and served as president of the Lansing Black Lawyers Association from 1996 to 1999. He is a member of the Michigan State Bar Association's labor and employment law section; he served as a member of the section council for 4 years. While he has now retired from his service as an administrative law judge, he continues to practice law and serve as a mediator and labor arbitrator.

Trustee Proctor can only be described as the consummate public servant. It is fitting that his exemplary leadership, involvement, and commitment have been recognized by his peers, and it is equally fitting that I recognize him so that his lifetime of service will be known to all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Sesquicentennial Celebration of the Lake Orion United Methodist Church of Lake Orion, Michigan.

Since its founding in 1872, this church has been a focal point of care and compassion for its members and for the community at large. Though the names of the committees and members have changed over the decades, the church's commitment to being a light in the community shines as brightly as ever.

During World War I, church property was donated to the Boy Scouts to grow potatoes, a precursor to the victory gardens that would eventually surface in many communities. The church's annual report of 1917 noted both the extra demands of wartime, as well as the extraordinary donations of its members in helping those in need. Even as the community faced rations of food and fuel, generosity blossomed from the building, as the Lake Orion United Methodist Church increased its attendance--sometimes in the basement to save on heating--and members increased their giving to support the church's outreach and ministry.

More recently, the Lake Orion United Methodist Church has been instrumental in the founding of Oxford-Orion FISH, a food pantry, clothes closet and financial assistance organization that serves both communities. The congregation's goodwill extends to many other community groups which have supported the church's Community Meals program, working with the church to make and assemble meals for delivery to area residents. These relationships are fostered over time, with each partner deeply rooted in the development of Lake Orion over the past 150 years.

The original lot where the church was built was a haven and refuge from the rough work of farming and lumbering. However, the railroad, among the first of innovations to change the rural landscape, removed the calm and quiet from Sunday services as tracks were laid next to the church, so the building was moved several blocks to the east in 1901. In one day, using logs to roll the building as it was pulled by a team of horses down Flint Street, with the whole town watching, the Lake Orion Methodist Church (as it was first founded) was placed in its current location. Today's congregants enjoy the historical surroundings of the same building that laid its cornerstone in 1872, but in a slightly more tranquil setting.

It is my honor to recognize the contributions and significant history of the Lake Orion United Methodist Church, and all of its 150 years of service to the community. May they stand as a tribute to the pastorate's lineage and its dedicated church members who built, moved and now carry on the legacy of this institution of Lake Orion, Michigan.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedicated leadership of an outstanding institution of higher education in Michigan's 8th Congressional district: the Board of Trustees of Lansing Community College.

Founded in 1957, the trustees of Lansing Community College have guided the school through years of growth, change, and most recently, a global pandemic. Through it all, they have maintained a forward-looking focus, and recently their efforts in the area of educational equity have been recognized on a national scale.

While some organizations may talk the talk when it comes to addressing issues of equity, Lansing Community College truly walks the walk. The school's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are embedded throughout operations at the college, including at the board level and as part of the college's formal strategic plan. In 2020, the LCC Board of Trustees penned a resolution that specifically addressed racial injustice. resulting in the development and implementation of a collegewide Equity Action Plan.

For these and many other reasons, the Board of Trustees of Lansing Community College has been named the recipient of the 2022 Charles Kennedy Equity Award from the Association of Community College Trustees. This prestigious award honors their exemplary commitment as a governing board to the achievement of equity in the college's education programs and services, and in their administration and delivery.

Diversity brings with it a number of educational benefits, including improved racial and cultural awareness, enhanced critical thinking, higher levels of service to community, and a more educated citizenry, to name a few. However, other components--namely, equity and inclusion--are essential to delivering on diversity's promise to higher education more broadly. I am thankful for the dedication the Board of Trustees of Lansing Community College brings to this vision and this mission, and it is my great honor to officially recognize their accomplishments.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th birthday of a decorated World War II veteran and community servant, Mr. Paul Landsberg of Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Paul was born on August 31, 1922 in Detroit. His family moved to Pennsylvania when he was young but returned in time for him to attend the University of Detroit and the University of Michigan, where he was a member of the wrestling team.

Like many brave young men of his generation, he put his collegiate studies on hold in 1943 to join the Navy, where he volunteered for submarine service. After completing boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Base, he was selected to participate in a fire control training program, which preceded his 16-week submariner training. Paul shipped out on the USS Blower, but after departing from New London, Connecticut, the Blower was damaged when it collided with a ship and had to return home for repairs. The Blower was damaged a second time going through the Panama Canal, playing, leapfrog with 2 other submarines. During this trip, the submarine's braking system for the diesel engines failed to operate, creating a vacuum inside the sub. A quick-thinking motor machinist on board opened the engine air induction, flooding the sub with enough water to stop the engines. Paul recalls that when the reverse current relay kicked down, it could have easily killed all 108 aboard. The incident caused significant damage to the 8-cylinder dinky and caused Paul to lose his hearing, but he continued on in his dedication to be of service to his Nation. Paul and his crew trained for a month in Pearl Harbor, then left for Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. From there the Blower sailed to Australia, and when the war ended, the sub and its crew patrolled IndoChina before serving occupational forces in Japan. In the course of its service, the crew brought 2 Japanese subs back to Pearl Harbor for analysis by the Navy. Paul was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal, as well as several unit level commendations, before being honorably discharged in March, 1946.

Paul returned to Detroit, Michigan where he worked at Montgomery Ward for several years before leaving to become a draftsman. He eventually started his own heating, cooling and ventilation company, PLS Mechanical. He proudly hung up his hat and retired in 2001, after three decades of serving the community in business.

Of all his accomplishments, one of the most significant was his marriage to IdaRuth Chernoff, whom he loved deeply for 67 years. Together they raised their four children around metropolitan Detroit. As he approaches the century mark, Paul remains a regular figure around Rochester Hills on his bike, and still drives himself to his great grandchildren's soccer, baseball and wrestling events. He is looking forward to attending the graduation ceremony of his great grandson from Army National Guard boot camp. He has a demonstrated talent and love for woodworking and is especially proud of the cradle he made that has been used by all 24 of his great grandchildren. He has volunteered with local organizations including Meals on Wheels and the Optimist Club and has been active in local government service. Paul has some advice for people looking for the secret to longevity that we would all do well to heed: spend time with family and friends, and always find something to do that helps others.

Paul has set an inspirational precedent for all who know him, including his colleagues, his community, and his large and loving family. Today, I honor Paul for his service and commitment to his family, his country, and the many communities and organizations he has helped to uplift over the course of his long and fruitful life. It is my distinct privilege to celebrate the longevity of his life and the immense impact he has had on so many over the past century. May we honor Paul for his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty in both his military service and his personal pursuits. May these words stand as an enduring tribute to a life lived in the service of others.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Megan Palmer, a young woman whose life, though cut tragically short, was rich, full, and committed to building stronger, healthier communities.

Megan was the substance abuse prevention coordinator with the Livingston County Community Alliance, a county-wide anti-drug coalition dedicated to establishing and promoting healthy community norms concerning the use of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. She passed away at age 40 on January 8, 2022, one month after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. While the grief is still raw, it's her life and the work that continues, fueled by her memory and her spirit, that we celebrate today.

Social work is defined as providing services to individuals, groups, and communities by helping people address the problems they face in their everyday lives. This was Megan's chosen profession, but it was also clearly her vocation. From her college years at Western Michigan University, where she volunteered to build homes for low-income families, worked to further her church's mission, and to support social justice causes, to her graduate studies at the University of Michigan, where she took an internship working to end food insecurity, Megan was a social worker before she was a social worker.

While she held different positions in her career, the goal was always the same, as Megan recognized the inherent value of every individual and sought to provide supportive services to help them be their best self. She helped get locally sourced produce on the menu for a juvenile rehabilitation center, counseled teenagers facing homelessness, and devoted the final decade of her life to youth substance abuse prevention.

Rooted in advocacy, constantly committed to staring injustice in the face, Megan was

both optimistic and realistic, believing she could make the world around her better, while also meeting people exactly where they were. She brought enthusiasm, humor, and more than a touch of sarcasm to every task, every meeting, and every project she touched. She was beloved by her coworkers, her friends, and her family, and she will never be forgotten.

I offer my condolences to all those who mourn her loss, and on behalf of a grateful community, it is my honor to recognize her story in the People's House. Let it be known to all that Megan Palmer was a social worker who made a difference.

Thank you, Representative Schneider, for your leadership.

I rise today to honor the struggle that so many parents who must do the unimaginable have gone through, to grieve the loss of a child. As an Army wife and a former CIA officer who worked alongside the military on three tours in Iraq, I have watched many parents send their kids off to war, and, unfortunately, many did not return.

For the families left behind, not only does the hole in their hearts never heal, but the ripple effect of that loss is also vast. The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, estimates that for every Active Duty servicemember killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, six family members are significantly impacted. This is the devastating collateral impact of combat.

But our communities in the United States, our high schools and colleges, are not supposed to be war zones. For many of us adults, we look back fondly on those years as a time for liberation and new opportunities for work, study, and play, for learning new things, and for growing up.

So when a parent sends their child into the world full of hopes and dreams for the future, they do so with visions of challenging classes that expand their horizons, friendships that will define their lives, Saturday tailgates, and spring break in sunshine.

Most importantly, they send them off with the full and complete assumption that they will safely come back home.

But what we don't often think about is the incredible crisis of mental illness and emotional turmoil that so many young people today endure.

Our students are struggling. They are fighting internal battles that even their closest friends and their parents do not see until it is much too late.

Even before the pandemic up-ended our lives, we were already facing a mental health crisis for young people. At this point, crisis is not the right word. It is not strong enough.

Mental health experts and researchers use the term epidemic to describe where we are with mental health challenges facing U.S. high school and college students.

According to the National College Health Assessment, the most common mental health issues facing adolescents are depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and intent, eating disorders, and substance abuse.

It is not easy getting help for any of those, navigating scarce mental health resources as a newly independent and struggling young adult.

Even if a student tries to take steps to get help, there is a tremendous lack of services in our community, in our colleges, at our universities. On college campuses, the ratio of certified counselors to students is generally between 1 to 1,000 or 1 to 2,000 for small and moderate-size schools and 1 to 2,000 or 3,000 to 5,000 for large universities.

Far too often, the outcome is tragic as it has been for dear friends and even some of my colleagues here in Congress who have lost their children to mental health issues.

In the past year and a half, one of my superintendents, Dr. Bob Shaner, a Marine veteran, he and his family lost their son in his freshman year of college. More recently, my friend, Steve Sheffey and the Sheffey family lost their beloved daughter, Orli, a young woman who wanted to change the world.

It has become so common for me to get those terrible calls that it is nearly commonplace. It is, therefore, up to us to make sure we do something to change the system so that we honor their legacy. But we need to start early because we know that the problem doesn't just appear in college or after high school.

In my district in Michigan, one county alone has had a 300 percent increase in demand for child psychiatric services in the past 2 years and virtually no inpatient beds to offer them. It is not just the sheer volume of demand that has increased but also the acuity of distress for individual patients.

Right now, in our country when it comes to mental health and young people, there is a tsunami of need and only sandbags to meet it.

You may know the now infamous name of a community in my district: Oxford, Michigan. In November of 2021, Oxford joined the terrible club that no one wants to be a part of, the list of districts where a school shooting has taken place.

Like we have seen so many times in the past, the tragedy in Oxford is rooted in the toxic combination of mental health issues and access to weapons. Because of that, four students are dead and a community, including the police, fire, first responders, and teachers who were in the building that day are forever traumatized.

We must do better for the students of Oxford, for Orli, for every student and every parent. We must train providers in trauma-based care, increase access to mental healthcare services, treat mental illness like physical health so that we understand that the issues and ailments that affect us from the neck up are just as important as the ones that affect us from the neck down.

We must improve insurance coverage for mental health services and reframe the entire conversation around what it really means to be healthy. The tasks are daunting, but the consequences of inaction, the collateral damage of this battle, are even greater.

In closing, I offer a prayer often recited when mourning the loss of a child:

May it bring comfort to the hearts of those who grieve, and

may it inspire all of us to keep their memories in the

forefront of our work.

A good person, though taken from us too soon, will rest in

peace.

For honor in old age, does not come from the length of

life.

Honor in old age does not come from the length of years.

Understanding is the gray hair of humanity.

A blameless life is ripeness of age.

Perfection in limited years is like living for many years.

So a good person, though taken from us too soon, will rest

in peace.

Let us, then, with peace of mind, let that good soul rest.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the PACT Act and my bill contained within on burn pits.

Most of us here all know about Agent Orange and the horrible effects it had on our veterans in Vietnam. We also remember how long it took for Congress and the VA to respond and make sure our veterans had the care and benefits they needed.

The bill we will vote on today is a landmark piece of legislation that will address the Agent Orange of the post-9/11 generation: burn pits.

For anyone who doesn't know, burn pits are used to dispose of waste on a military base, usually abroad in a combat zone, with jet fuel used to light the fuse. For years, we have used these burn pits in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. I lived near one in Iraq on three tours.

Just as with Agent Orange, we have learned over the years that the toxins our servicemembers have been exposed to have horrible consequences, strange cancer diagnoses, respiratory issues that have affected millions of veterans, including those in Michigan.

This issue has been deeply personal to me as an Army wife and someone who lived near those burn pits while with the CIA.

Madam Speaker, for years, 9/11 veterans have walked into their local VA center only to be turned away.

Madam Speaker, one of the most important things I have worked on in my short 3\1/2\ years here is this bill. It is the biggest veterans' healthcare bill we have passed in decades.

Last week, I visited our local VA in Lansing--and they know it is coming--another 3.5 veterans will have access to healthcare because of this bill.

We do important things in this body all the time, but I think fewer are more important than this one we are going to vote on today.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--I am glad many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have switched their positions--to now vote on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today almost exactly 6 months after the shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, in my district. I represent Michigan's Eighth District, which includes Ingham County, Livingston County, and north Oakland County. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been in meetings with survivors and local officials. There are few issues that link our urban areas to our suburban areas to our rural areas more than gun violence.

I also represent the east side of Lansing, Michigan, where, just in the past week, we have had gun violence between three young people. And I also represent Oxford, where 6 months ago we had the school shooting, the most recent school shooting before Uvalde, Texas.

I happened to be scheduled to speak at the Oxford Virtual Academy graduation, in-person graduation, the day after the Uvalde shooting. I spent the day in Oxford, as I have been doing about every month, and you could hear the pain that people felt in being retraumatized by watching what was going on in Uvalde.

The students who I was speaking to were a group of students who chose to join school virtually, many of them in the aftermath of the shooting. I had been with the Superintendent of Oxford Schools earlier in the day. He was one of the very first people on the scene helping to provide first aid to the young people that we lost. We talked about the trauma and retrauma that sets in in communities where gun violence happens again and again.

I may have a different angle on this issue than most. Guns and firearms are part of our culture in the State of Michigan. I grew up with guns. I remember very distinctly getting a four-wheeler along with my brother when I was 11, and my dad installing the gun racks when I was 12 so that my brother and I could go out shooting during the day.

I am a CIA officer who was trained on a Glock and an M4 semiautomatic for my three tours in Iraq alongside the military. My husband is a career Army officer and carried a weapon every day he was deployed. It is just something that is normal among the 99 percent of responsible gun owners in the State of Michigan.

It is because of that background that I fundamentally reject this idea that either you care about gun ownership, or you care about school safety. That is a fundamentally false choice.

In Michigan, as I said, we have responsible gun owners everywhere. Since the shooting, I have heard from more of them in the past 2 weeks than I have in the previous 4 years; active hunters and sportsmen who are strongly in favor of things like commonsense background checks so that mentally ill people don't get their hands on weapons, and certainly things like safe storage of weapons so that a child can't get ahold of a parent's weapon and use it to kill their peers.

I have a bill that is going in this package today in the House. Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act is the name of it. It is part of protecting our kids in a serious, commonsense way. All it says is that if you are an adult and you have a firearm in the house, and you also have children, you have to take reasonable steps to secure that weapon, and if the child gets ahold of that weapon and uses it to commit a crime, like mass murder, you can be criminally liable for that crime.

The bill doesn't impact your decision to buy a gun. Instead, it asks that you act responsibly when you have it. This is not controversial. It is not partisan. It is basic common sense and what most people do anyway, just like my dad. Personal responsibility is at the heart of what it means to be an American, and gun owners have a critical role to play in making sure we can protect our communities.

While the provisions that the House will approve today are commonsense measures, I have no illusion on how partisan this is going to be. I know how much the gun lobby has sway with my peers, and I know that straight-up, selfish interest in being reelected is guiding my colleagues in this Chamber. But I encourage my friends on both sides of the aisle to prioritize public health and public safety over political concerns.

Anything that we pass here in the House will need support in the Senate to become law, so we want more of our Republican colleagues to join with us. We want more brave individuals to cross the aisle and say: I am going to do something about the thing that is now the number one killer of young people in America. It is gun violence. It is not car accidents. It is not drug overdoses, and it is not cancer. It is gun violence.

To my friends who are considering how to vote on some of the provisions today, I encourage you to make a choice. Do you care about dealing with the leading cause of death of young people or not? I urge you to join us.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the 100th birthday of a resolute union organizer who has devoted his life to social justice and advocacy, Mr. Claude Brown.

Claude was born on May 27, 1922, in the small town of Columbia, Tennessee. He faithfully served his country in the United States Army from 1943 until 1946. One decade later, on November 5, 1956, Claude began a new chapter of service when he was hired at The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 652 in Lansing, Michigan.

Claude dedicated 31 years of his life to working at UAW Local 652, where he served as the first Civil Rights Committee Chairman. As Chairman, Claude played an essential role in advocating for historic legislation such as

Medicare, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Employee Retirement Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Claude dedicated his career to advocating for health care and pension benefits for retirees, policies to address the impacts of climate change, robust workplace health and safety standards, and better safety net protections like unemployment insurance laws.

Claude has set an inspirational precedent for his successors while also inspiring his colleagues, community, and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him. Today, I want to honor Claude for his service and commitment to the UAW, and to celebrate the longevity of his life and the immense impact he has had on the Lansing community over the past century.

May we honor Claude for his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty to fight for fair wages, benefits, and better working conditions for workers in Michigan and across this great nation. May these words stand as an enduring tribute to his many years of dedicated service.

Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject of the Special Order.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of our country's greatest public servants and diplomats.

Madeleine Albright was a stateswoman, a trailblazer, and someone who has been a friend and mentor to me and to so many other women in national security.

I appreciate Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer for creating this Special Order hour and allowing me to host it here and allow Members of Congress from across this entire body to contribute some remarks, some recognition, for a woman who has done so much to change the course of history in the United States.

I think it is particularly important because not only was she our first Secretary of State, not only was she at the U.N., not only does she have a storied history in national security in the executive branch, she was also here in Congress as a Congressional aide, a chief of staff, a national security staffer, that made her mark in this body as well.

She was also a national security staffer at the White House, one of the first women to represent our country in the United Nations and, of course, our very first female Secretary of State. Her remarkable career and achievements are made all the more astonishing by the fact that she first came to this country as a refugee, having first left Czechoslovakia to escape the Nazis and then again to flee communist rule in Eastern Europe after the Second World War.

Secretary Albright would be the first one to tell you that her story would only be possible in the United States, the country she loved and served even long after her time in government had come to an end.

She left her stamp at the U.N. and at the State Department with her intelligence, her passion for human rights, and her unwavering commitment to democratic ideals. On the world stage, she stood up to dictators, shined the light on human rights abuses, and championed diplomacy and democracy.

Even though she had always been an idol for me as a young woman in national security, I actually didn't get a chance to meet her until 2018, until I became a Member of Congress. But the years that I have spent getting to know her since then have been incredibly important to me.

I think what many of us will recognize and remember is the class of 2018--that large group that were elected in 2018 to come into this body--it had the most women that had ever been elected; one of the most diverse classes that had ever been elected; one of the classes that contained the largest number of national security people; people that were veterans; and people that were former intelligence community folks--like myself. Madeleine Albright was the speaker when we all traveled to Williamsburg for our orientation, our session to get to know each other and how to be a Member of Congress.

I met her there, along with her wonderful chief of staff, Jacob Freedman, and basically had the honor of hosting her and walking her around the room. What I remember very clearly is that she had admiration coming at her from every corner: young, old, early parts of their career, later parts of their career, and, importantly, Democrat and Republican.

One of the fondest memories I have from that first year with her was when she actually took me up on an offer to come to Michigan in early 2020, right before the pandemic really began. We did a road trip around Michigan together.

I will go into that in just a moment, but I note that the Speaker has just arrived on the floor.

We did this road trip across mid-Michigan. She was already over 80 years old. She took me up on this offer. She spoke at Michigan State University. She spoke at Oakland University. She did events for folks at restaurants and in private homes. We had her on an incredibly busy schedule. She kept us on our toes, and she was never short of a kind word or a borderline saucy joke the entire time. No matter where we went, her presence was electric.

One of my proudest moments was when we brought in all the honor students from the Rochester and Rochester Hills area. These are young people, still in high school. I actually questioned whether they would have a connection to this woman who had been the first female Secretary of State long before some of them were born. It took about 1 second for her to get a complete rock star welcome. All the students who came out were desperate to talk to her about service, about being the first female Secretary of State, about how to think about leading in their own careers, and all the barriers that she had shattered.

At a separate event at Oakland University, the reception was no less boisterous. We had, I think, up to 500 people. We were oversold; people from across the community wanted to come in. And even at a moment of deep polarization for our country, here was a woman who seemed to supersede politics.

For us in Michigan, with so many Michiganders who left the Balkans to come to the United States and resettled in Michigan, she, with that community, is truly a hero. It is now etched firmly into the history books that Secretary Albright was the driving force behind engaging the United States and ending the genocide in the Balkans.

She understood that while America is not perfect, the world is better off with a strong American leadership role in that world. She used her moral authority to bring American might into that conflict and then later negotiated the peace that, ever-tenuous, still holds today.

Her visit to Michigan was filled with people whose fates were quite literally changed by her having a seat at the table as Secretary of State, and being able to see that up close was a truly remarkable experience for me and for all the people who came to greet her.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that as someone who has spent her career in national security, there just aren't that many senior women we have to look up to for guidance, for mentorship. There are very few women who had navigated the complicated waters of working and leading in male-dominated fields.

Not only did Secretary Albright blaze a new trail for women in national security, she also raised the bar for all of those who would succeed her. She became the gold standard. Despite all the accomplishments and accolades, this was a woman who never let ego cloud her actions.

She was humble and gracious with everyone I saw her meet and engage with in Michigan, students, parents, perfect strangers. She was generous with her wisdom and insights, but never full of herself.

For her, the work she did in government was always about serving the country that she loved, the country that welcomed her and her family as refugees when she was just 11 year old.

Her preferred way of continuing to serve after leaving office was by teaching the next generation of national security leaders. Her passion for her students at Georgetown University was evident to everyone around her, and it is no exaggeration to say that an entire generation of rising public servants are better prepared for the challenges of the 21st century thanks to her guiding hand.

So this is how I will remember her: As a down-to-earth, warm, saucy leader who meant something to perfect strangers and world leaders alike. I am so grateful for the years that I had to get to know her and for the chance to introduce her to the next generation in my State.

As we mourn the loss of this incredible humanitarian, we also celebrate the life and achievements of a woman whose impact, both here at home and in the farthest corners of the globe, will be felt for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Speaker for that personal tribute.

I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.

Thank you, Mr. Leader, for those words.

I know we have a few other Members of Congress who are trying to make it here, and so I will just say a couple more things as we wait for them to come in.

When I was with Secretary Albright and brought her to Michigan, we were on this road trip. I think most people know she is not a tall woman. No one ever would describe her as a tall woman. She was quite petite. I drove her around in my Ford Escape, and we had to kind of help her into the front seat.

It happened to be what is called Paczki Day in Michigan, Fat Tuesday. It is when we all eat these jelly doughnuts full of powdered sugar on top. We brought a box of those in the car, and she indulged me and tried a paczki that day.

We just had hours in the car driving around my very large district and got to talking. I think that one of the best things you can have when you are a younger person learning from someone who has really broken glass ceilings is you have time with them to just hear stories about what life was like.

She told me that her one regret in life is that she never ran for Congress. She never ran for office. She was a chief of staff up here, a legislative assistant. She was adjacent to campaigns pretty much her entire adult life, but she never actually ran herself.

I can only imagine how successful she would have been as an elected leader because, as Speaker Pelosi mentioned, she had that thing where she could connect deeply with anyone from any background. Not all Members of Congress elected today have that, and she had it in spades.

She had an ability, despite all the amazing things she had done, to connect with real people, with strangers. I think people understood that she was confident because she had seen a lot of things in her life, and the woman had a code.

She had a code that she believed in, a principled place with which she engaged in the world. When you meet someone who has a code, you don't have to question whether they are kind of like a leaf blowing in the wind, that they will bend to whatever whim. You have the confidence to know that this person is going to make decisions based on character and integrity. She really had that, and it kind of oozed out of her. People could see that and feel that.

I know that this body would have been much strengthened should she had ever decided to run for office. I am sorry that we all didn't get to see that, but she helped so many of us who were seeking elected office.

Then, just to add to what the majority leader said about her famous quote, that there is a special place in hell for women who don't help women--I think we have all seen that quote. I think most women understand exactly what that means, but let me just give you an example for many of us, particularly in national security, of what that really meant.

When I joined the CIA as a young CIA officer in 2003, I was put on the Iraq desk. We were in the middle of the Iraq war, and I would often go and brief the senior-most folks at the CIA on kind of what was happening on a daily basis. I would often go with mostly male colleagues into these rooms and brief very senior folks.

At the time, there were a couple--just a couple--of very senior women at the CIA. They had clawed their way to the top. I think at that point, the most senior woman was the number three at the CIA, and there were a few other senior women in the analytics side of the house.

I would go in and brief, and I remember very clearly going in with all of my male colleagues, my peers, and this very senior woman kind of had it out for the only other woman in the room. There was a generation of women who were basically so sort of tough in making it to the top that they really internalized this idea that there could only be one senior woman. There could only be one woman who was in the shop with the boys. So any other woman that came there was a threat, and you were going to put your sights on that woman.

I remember my male colleagues saying, man, like, she just has it out for you. It was a thing that a lot of us in national security grew up with. Now, I am happy to say that, a few years later, that generation largely retired, and in came the next generation of senior leaders who believed in lifting women up.

But when Madeleine Albright gives that famous quote, that there is a special place in hell for women who don't help women, she knows of what she speaks. It is not a general statement. It is something that I know she specifically had to deal with as a woman who was a leader on the Hill, a leader in the executive branch.

And it is very hard when you are trained a certain way to change your approach and say I am not going to repeat that kind of aggressive focus on women, and I am going to learn from my experience and do something different. I think she really embodied that. That was a very real thing that was still going on until relatively recently in national security circles.

Lastly, as we wait for Mr. Malinowski, somewhere in the ether, he texted me to say that he was on his way. I will say that I noted that Secretary Albright died just about exactly a month after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I know that in her final days she was watching, I am sure with rapt attention, what was happening in the world.

As has been said many times tonight, she really was a person thinking ahead that this competition between democracy and autocracy was not over. It was not something of the past, it was not a Cold War-era phenomenon that didn't exist anymore. It was very alive, like a bone in the throat.

It gives me great peace that despite the terrible things that are going on and watching the suffering of the Ukrainian people that Madeleine Albright spent her life trying to push back on the kind of violence and dictatorship that we see active right now. Her words and lessons are helping us parse through what to do in a place like Ukraine.

We have a history in places like Europe, particularly the Balkans, in using American willpower and military power to help get us through these conflicts because she laid that predicate by pushing in her era when she was Secretary of State.

Despite the fact that she didn't get to see the end of this conflict, I know that she would feel confident that whether it is in a few weeks or a few months, whatever time it takes, that the principles of democracy and freedom are not things you can just snuff out with the barrel of a gun. I am sure she would have felt that deeply as she was watching in her final days the events taking place in the world.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski).

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those moving remarks.

As I conclude here, I just want to thank everyone who came to speak, and I feel extremely proud that these remarks and just a taste of the Secretary's legacy will be kept forever in the official Record of the people's House.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Matilda Zizoli, an essential partner in our effort to relocate Afghan allies from Albania to the United States.

When it was announced in mid-August 2021 that Afghan evacuees would be hosted in Tirana, Ms. Zizoli answered the call and began volunteering with Spirit of America, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support our diplomats and our men and women in uniform abroad. Despite her volunteer period concluding once the Afghan evacuees were relocated to Shengjin, Albania, Ms. Zizoli continued to volunteer and organize critical services support for the evacuees. She also continued to help Spirit of America personnel with her local knowledge and contacts throughout the country. In October 2021, Ms. Zizoli became the Albania Project Manager for Spirit of America.

Before joining Spirit of America, Ms. Zizoli led a life of public service. From working with Roma communities in Tirana to serving at social services centers and developing mental and emotional well-being services for the underprivileged, Ms. Zizoli has always worked to better the lives of those who are less fortunate. Ms. Zizoli truly lives up to and embodies the Albanian notion of Besa: meaning to keep one's word, particularly in aiding and protecting people in their greatest moment of need.

During her time as Albania Project Manager, she was in charge of the care, support, and well-being of 121 Afghan evacuees. Ms. Zizoli helped several families navigate complicated issues: the birth of two newborn babies, the emergency evacuation of one family to the U.S. for a major health issue, several personal health issues for family members, and the psychological support needs of vulnerable Afghan evacuees. She spearheaded the organization and preparation for the Afghan evacuees when the Department of Homeland Security fly-away team came to Albania and the group prepared to leave for the United States. At every turn, Ms. Zizoli acted with professionalism, humanity, and diligence.

Throughout the seven months that these Afghan evacuees were in Albania, Ms. Zizoli went above and beyond to ensure that they were cared for, safe, and supported. She organized cultural events for the Afghans to enjoy in Albania, fostering learning and appreciation between the Albanian and Afghan people. She was always willing to drop whatever she was doing to help them navigate the complexities of government bureaucracies foreign to them, get them the care they needed, or just listen to their stories and help them through a difficult time. In so doing, Ms. Zizoli was instrumental in the success of the mission.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Matilda Zizoli for her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty in our effort to evacuate Afghan allies from Kabul and support them in their new lives. For her commitment to supporting them while they awaited processing and resettlement to the United States, for her value to the U.S.-Albanian partnership, and for her ``I can manage'' attitude when encountering problems or hurdles, I submit these words to the Congressional Record so they stand as a tribute to her dedicated service when the moment called for it most.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroic caregivers at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, including the Department of Defense medical team which has been providing critical assistance as the hospital has grappled with a surge in COVID patients over the last few months.

In early February 2022, as the omicron variant drove case levels to new heights, a team of 23 federal medical personnel, including physicians, registered nurses, and respiratory therapists, arrived in Lansing to provide much-needed help to Sparrow's staff. The team has spent the past month providing invaluable aid to the hospital's overtaxed Emergency Department, and in other areas of the hospital overwhelmed by extraordinarily high patient volumes. This team has worked alongside Sparrow's staff with grace, grit, and professionalism, and they have been invaluable to the hospital's service to the Greater Lansing area. Michigan's healthcare heroes, including the staff at Sparrow Hospital, have been on the frontlines of this battle for the past two years under the most intense and stressful conditions. But their commitment to the safety and health of our community never wavered. I've heard stories of caregivers who have held the phone to the ear of a dying patient so a family could say goodbye; others who have developed special relationships with patient's loved ones; and some who have worked with tireless dedication only to break down in their cars at the end of the day from what they're living through.

Sparrow Specialty Hospital leaders even organized a wedding ceremony--bringing decorations from home and filling in the wedding party--for a COVID patient who realized the shortness of life and decided to marry his longtime love as soon as possible. While the dedication shown by our health workers is remarkable, so too is the emotional and physical strain they've been put under.

The brave men and women of the military are called to serve their country, and we are so grateful to this team for the immense relief they have provided in the battle against this invisible enemy. I will never forget the cheers and tears I saw firsthand as the team arrived, in uniform, marching down Sparrow's hallway. I knew immediately they would feel right at home alongside the mission-driven team at Sparrow, and that this partnership would yield much-needed hope and relief.

We are so grateful to all who have cared for and comforted COVID patients and their families through two years of unrelenting demands, and to this remarkable partnership between the Department of Defense medical team and Sparrow Hospital. On behalf of a grateful community and nation, it is my great honor to record their remarkable service to Mid-Michigan so that their actions may be known to all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a student organization that gives the Black community at Michigan State University a platform to let their voices be heard: The Black Students' Alliance.

Founded in 1967 in the basement of MSU's, then associate professor, Dr. Robert L. Green's home, the Black Students' Alliance was created as a way to voice support for those protesting racial injustice and increase representation of black students on campus. Green's mentee and co-founder, Barry D. Amis, was frustrated that he could only see what seemed to be about 400 black students in a campus population of over 40,000, not at all reflective of Michigan's 10 percent African-American population.

When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, Amis and other members of the Black Students' Association orqanized a protest on MSU's campus. Student groups came together and demanded that they do more to integrate the history and culture of the Black community onto campus. Not only did the students request courses on African American studies, they challenged the university's lack of Black residence hall staff, counselors, and professors. They wanted to be represented. They wanted to be seen. They wanted to be heard.

Today, more than 50 years after its founding, the Black Students' Alliance continues to be the main voice for Black students on MSU's campus. With enrollment for Black students now close to 8 percent of the student population, the BSA's main focus is on supporting academic growth and increasing graduation rates for black students.

I am so proud of the way BSA President Kenneth Franklin, and his board of directors, advocate for and support the black student population by connecting them with the local black community in all aspects of campus life: socially, academically, and through mentorship programs. By focusing their efforts on results-driven actions to create a diverse support system, the Black Students' Alliance is working to redefine the Black experience at Michigan State University.

For its steadfast support for generations of Black students at MSU, and for its lasting contributions to the entire MSU community, I submit the story of the Black Students' Alliance so that it may be remembered forever.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a pillar of Lansing's African-American faith community: Trinity AME Church. For over 150 years, the area's oldest black church has knit itself into the fabric of its community, serving folks in ways that are too many to count.

Trinity was founded in 1866 with only 21 members, and today it boasts a congregation more than 400 strong. Its roots in the Lansing community run deep, having been cultivated by generations of devoted congregants. Take a look around the pews on a Sunday and you'll see folks who have been coming to Trinity for decades. They come to say a prayer or chat with an old friend--to enjoy those little moments of community and humanity.

Some have been members of Trinity AME for decades, like former MSU Athletic Director, and 2017 inductee into the MSU Hall of Fame, Clarence Underwood. He first joined in 1958 while studying at MSU, and never looked back.

Trinity's impact reaches far beyond the walls of the church building off West Holmes Road. From youth programs, scholarships, clothing drives and more, Trinity and its congregation are devoted to supporting the people of Lansing. The congregation has also reached out beyond their immediate community, like helping the residents of Flint during its water crisis.

With such a spirited and steadfast congregation, it is no surprise that Trinity is headed up by such a vibrant pastor. Pastor Lila Martin is the first woman to take the pulpit, and she has risen to the occasion.

From getting kids involved in the services, to returning the church to its role as a vital part of the community, she is shepherding her congregation into a new era in its long history.

Pastor Martin ends her sermons with, ``Maybe you're without a church home, then I invite you to allow Trinity to be your church home, we will accept you.'' Her steadfast effort to open Trinity's doors to all who may need it is felt each and every week.

With in-person services returning and the congregation stronger than ever, the future looks bright for Trinity. Its history, members, and presence in the community is an essential part of Lansing, and I am proud that its impact will be forever known.