Frank J. Mrvan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of La Porte, Indiana, on being named the 2026 Yamaha Community of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Each year, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce recognizes an outstanding community for its efforts to enhance the quality of life for residents while creating opportunities for the success of its local businesses. This year, the Chamber highlighted La Porte's efforts toward that goal, under the leadership of Mayor Tom Dermody and local government leaders, in collaboration with its many business, educational, and nonprofit partners.

La Porte is demonstrating what can be accomplished when government, businesses, community organizations, and residents share a vision and collectively act to turn a vision into reality. This honor is especially meaningful as it recognizes more than economic growth or new development--it recognizes a community working together to set a foundation for a stronger future for its residents, to create opportunities for local businesses, and to preserve the quality of life that makes La Porte a place to call home.

We see this commitment in the investments being made in the local economy, the development of new housing, the revitalization of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, and the continued investments in parks and public spaces that bring people together. These efforts are important because economic development is about more than attracting investments, it is also about creating good-paying jobs and opportunities for working families, supporting small business, and ensuring the next generation has opportunities to build their future here in Northwest Indiana.

I congratulate Mayor Dermody, his administration, the La Porte City Council, and all economic development partners, business leaders, community organizations, and everyone whose dedicated efforts have led to this honor and contribute to La Porte's success. La Porte's recognition is a testament to what can be achieved when a community embraces its potential.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and all my distinguished colleagues join me in commending the City of La Porte on its well-deserved recognition as the Indiana Chamber of Commerce's 2026 Yamaha Community of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month and its 2026 theme, Together We Are More. From September 15 to October 15 each year, the people of the United States are granted the opportunity to commemorate the rich culture, established traditions, and invaluable contributions of Hispanic Americans throughout our country's history.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins each year on September 15 and recognizes the anniversaries of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile observe their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. This month, communities across Indiana's 1st Congressional District will gather for parades and celebrations to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month in the city of East Chicago, Indiana.

As a Nation, we are grateful for the hard work and invaluable contributions of generations of Hispanic Americans. The cultural vitality and economic success of Northwest Indiana depend on the Hispanic families within our community. Therefore, in accordance with this year's theme, I would like to extend my gratitude to the many family-owned Hispanic businesses in Northwest Indiana that have contributed immeasurably to the prosperity and development of our region and beyond.

It is my honor to recognize the Garza family, the owners of El Popular, which is the oldest Mexican business within the United States. In 1925, El Popular was founded in East Chicago by Vincente Garza, who had migrated to the area from Monterrey, Mexico only a few years prior. He took several family recipes with him and a dream of founding a Mexican food manufacturing business. El Popular started off as a local family business, but because of the tireless efforts of the Garza family, their products are now offered in more than 10,000 locations nationwide. The Garza family and El Popular are responsible for the creation of hundreds of Jobs that support hardworking families throughout our region.

Vincente Garza eventually passed the company to his son, Richard. In 2002, Richard's son, Edward, became the third-generation owner of El Popular. Throughout this time, the business has remained dedicated to its mission of providing for the community through the preservation and distribution of authentic Mexican flavors. For their efforts to create job opportunities and grow our economy, the Garza family and El Popular are worthy of the highest praise.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and honoring the generations of families who have built successful businesses that contribute to our society and our economy. This month, and always, we appreciate the deep heritage and cultural diversity Hispanic Americans have promoted within our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my continued solidarity with the members of United Steelworkers Local 71 in northwest Indiana, who have surpassed 6 months of being locked out of work by British Petroleum.

While I appreciate the indication that contract negotiations will resume, we must do more to ensure that American workers are never placed in this position again.

It is wrong for union workers to be forced to go without their paychecks, their healthcare, and their livelihoods while our community also faced increased public safety risks from untrained replacement workers and for their employer to continue making billions of dollars in profits.

That is why I introduced the PRO-WORK Act. This legislation will prohibit corporations that lock out their workers from doing business with the Federal Government. Specifically, a company engaged in a lockout would be prohibited from receiving Federal funds for a period equal to the duration of the lockout and would be ineligible for Federal tax credits for the corresponding taxable year.

The principle is simple: Any company that locks out American workers should be locked out from receiving American tax dollars.