Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Americans don't want to pay a single dime of Federal money to pay for the President's wall.

During the Presidential campaign, this was a very provocative claim, and he said Mexico would pay for it.

So why does the defense appropriations bill have a blank check for this wall?

I, like so many of my colleagues, including Republicans, know that this wall is unnecessary and environmentally catastrophic.

It will require us to seize property through imminent domain. It is ineffective, just like Homeland Security Secretary Kelly has said.

I urge my colleagues to oppose funding for this ill-gotten wall, to vote against the rule before us today, and begin to work on an honest conversation about the types of immigration reform that our country needs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I just want to tell you how grateful I am that my colleagues want to have this dialogue, this colloquy with me.

I have been so disturbed by the false information that is being given to Americans about the Affordable Care Act, the whole notion that it is somehow in this death spiral, that somehow the Affordable Care Act is dead. And I think that the President and our illustrious Speaker, and the majority are promoting this point of view because they want the public to believe that the things that they are doing to destroy the Affordable Care Act and, ultimately, Medicaid are the causes for them not having health insurance, the causes for their premiums rising, the causes for insurers fleeing the market in rural areas. And I just want to spend some time this evening sharing the truth with you all this evening.

The majority, they now have both houses of Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives. They have the White House. And their message that ObamaCare or the Affordable Care

Act is dead sort of covers up the fact that they owe the insurance industry $8 billion that we, in the Affordable Care Act, promised to give to the insurance companies while they sort of figured out how much premiums would cost in this new market.

They have sued the Federal Government because they say that the subsidies that we are paying for poor people are unconstitutional. And, of course, insurers, not knowing whether or not we are actually going to appropriate the money for the Affordable Care Act because they don't know whether we are going to do it or not, that causes destabilization in the market.

They are threatening in their bill to eliminate the individual mandate, which, of course, the individual mandate is a great source of revenue.

They are gutting the taxes on the wealthiest people in the Affordable Care Act to pay for some of the cost-sharing expenses. And, of course, insurance companies have no idea. In order to set appropriate rates and in order to stay in the market, insurance companies need some certainty. So if, in fact, ObamaCare is dead, it is because they have killed it.

Well, I am glad you asked that question, because there are a couple of things that have happened. They ran into so much trouble in the Senate from those Senators who were concerned about them block- granting the Medicaid program, killing basically Medicaid. This was aside from the Affordable Care Act. To reduce Medicaid funding by one- third was one of the most egregious portions of the bills that have come out of the House and the proposals in the Senate.

What people need to understand is that, especially in States like Alaska, West Virginia, we have got 70 percent of people in nursing homes depending on Medicaid. We are not talking about able-bodied working people who have been able to benefit from the expansion of Medicaid.

Exactly.

Mr. Speaker, that is right, because the narrative is that Medicaid only covers these ne'er-do-well, able-bodied people who the Medicaid expansion dealt with. But the reason why the Senate, to answer your question, couldn't live with the bill that was there is because not only did it repeal the Affordable Care Act, so-called ObamaCare, but it also undermined Medicaid, which is so vital.

And just think about this: cutting Medicaid by one-third would lead to people in nursing homes competing with disabled children, disabled children competing with other disabled adults, and with hospitals and nursing homes fighting for the crumbs that fall from the master's table.

It is mean.

Will the gentlewoman from Florida explain kind of the budget reconciliation, where they are going to get these tax cuts?

Will the gentleman yield?

I would be stunned to think that any party or any President would do that.

Infrastructure has been the bread and butter, and it has been one of the most bipartisan things that we have.

When you talk about the need to expand our economy, expand the gross domestic product, one of the sure-fire ways to do that is through infrastructure projects. Not just building roads, but we need water treatment plants, our new energy economy, we have bio technology, and a number of other ways.

But I hail from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is still very reliant on the manufacturing industry. But I am wondering if my colleagues would be surprised to know that healthcare is one-sixth of our economy, and that if we were to repeal the Affordable Care Act and then slash the growth of Medicaid by one-third over the next decade, that there will literally be millions of jobs that are lost?

I mean, everybody depends on the healthcare system, whether you are the brain surgeon or you are the guy that is mopping up the ICU; whether you are the person who is dispensing pharmaceuticals at CVS or whether you are the receptionist at the community health center.

And by destroying the Affordable Care Act, we are going to cost shift a lot to our States. Just over the next decade, it is $68 billion of unfunded mandates shifted to the States so that they won't be able to fund things.

And I just want to point something out before I finish. There are a lot of people who think that this just doesn't matter to me. Those 24 million, 22 million, whatever number people agree upon that the CBO says that will lose health insurance if the Affordable Care Act ends-- those people who are in nursing homes--that doesn't matter to me. Forty-nine percent of the folks in this country receive their healthcare through their employer and your premiums will go sky high, unlike what President Trump says, because you will have to pay for all of the uncompensated care that this country will see after we destroy Medicaid in the Affordable Care Act.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the majority for including my amendment in this bloc.

My amendment is straightforward, Mr. Chairman. It recognizes that any U.S. strategy for Syria must acknowledge and respond to the tremendous suffering of civilians, including the millions who have been forced from their homes, who face starvation, cholera, a lack of access to adequate healthcare and education, not as an afterthought, but as an active imperative.

The Trump administration has already used the suffering created by the use of chemical weapons as a reason for expanding U.S. involvement in Syria and to launch attacks against the Syrian Government. My amendment would ask the administration for a description of the legal authority relied upon or needed for the use of U.S. military force in Syria, information which is even more critical now, given the recent attacks by U.S. forces against the Syrian Government and reports that we may continue to send more troops into Syria.

It is foolhardy and unwise for us to think that the suffering being imposed upon innocent civilians in Syria should not be a consideration in any U.S. response or strategy outlining how military forces or aid will be used there. The humanitarian crisis spawned by

conflict directly impacts our national security efforts. We ignore it at our own peril.

Mr. Speaker, I attended the funeral of a close family member and was unable to fly back to the Capitol in time for votes today. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``yea'' on H.R. 1397, To authorize, direct, facilitate, and expedite the transfer of administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal land, and for other purposes, and ``yea'' on H.R. 1719, the John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sister Joel Read who has served as a mentor, teacher, college professor, a fierce advocate for women's rights and academic administrator. She was the longtime leader of Alverno College and her vision of placing abilities over grades put her among the nation's top college innovators. Sister Joel Read died, May 25, 2017 at the age of 91 years.

Sister Read led her alma mater for nearly 35 years. The women's college located on Milwaukee's south side reflected her trailblazing approach. The depth of her influence reached far beyond the Alverno campus because of her involvement not only in local and national academic issues, but also due to her international network of contacts. She oversaw multi-million dollar fund raising campaigns that expanded the campus footprint, as well as scholarship and academic offerings. Under her leadership, Alverno launched one of the first internship programs in the country and initiated Weekend College targeted at working women. Sister Read focused on students developing abilities, rather than making grades to demonstrate skills and knowledge. The distinctive ability-based, ``assessment-as-learning'' curriculum approach introduced in 1973, still draws educators from around the world to visit Alverno.

She was a member of the School Sisters of St. Francis since 1945. She was a fierce advocate for women's rights and was one of the founders of the National Organization for Women in 1966. President Gerald Ford appointed her to the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year in 1975. National leaders in political and education circles also sought her counsel. President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the National Council on the Humanities. Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton invited her to the White House to discuss educational policy. She was singled out as one of a handful of college presidents who broke educational ground in the past 100 years, in the book, ``The Many Lives of Academic Presidents''.

Alverno College has opened doors to those who did not see college in their future. Alverno's enrollment is roughly 2,200. Forty-five percent of the undergrad population comes from the city of Milwaukee, and 44 percent are women of color. Nearly seven in 10 are first-generation college students. Alverno consistently receives high ratings in US News & World Report. A 2015 report by The Education Trust found Alverno had both the highest percentage (36.2 percent) of federal Pell Grant recipients and minority undergrads (35.7 percent) among Wisconsin colleges and universities. Pell Grants provide need-based grants to low-income students.

She retired as President of Alverno College in 2003 having served as one of the nation's longest serving college presidents and remained an energetic force in retirement. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Sister Joel Read. She has left a legacy of advocacy and compassion. She was a true trailblazer. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District, the State of Wisconsin and the nation have benefited tremendously from her dedicated service. I am honored for these reasons to pay tribute to Sister Joel Read.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the comments and remarks of the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly) with regard to being mindful of the deaths from gun violence that plague our communities all across the country, and particularly as the summer has begun, these deaths will continue.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about another kind of gun violence that makes our streets and homes unsafe, and that is the deadly encounters between civilians and police officers.

Mr. Speaker, I have wracked my brain trying to understand these deaths. I have grieved with the mothers who have lost their children. I have met with experts and attended roundtables on how to find a way to mitigate these fatal police encounters.

Let me tell you, I think I can propose a solution that we can all support, and that is H.R. 3060, the Preventing Tragedies Between Police and Communities Act, which would link law enforcement training on deescalation techniques to receipt of Federal Byrne JAG funds.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I certainly wish that I could take full credit for this concept because I think that this legislation would both save civilian lives and police lives; however, this idea is rooted in the Police Executive Research Forum report which both Republicans and Democrats have cited. It was written by police officer peers and by police officer experts.

Mr. Speaker, what they found is that police academies require 58 hours of training on how to use a firearm and another 49 hours on other defensive tactics. While they don't require, they offer 8 voluntary--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8--8 voluntary hours on how to employ deescalation tactics in crisis intervention. We need to require this deescalation training.

This deescalation training curriculum would be to use verbal and physical tactics to avoid escalating the situation, use the lowest level of force as possible and a safe response to identified threats, and be aware of mental health and substance abuse issues and crisis intervention strategies in order to appropriately respond. This training would provide police with the tools they need to prevent violent interactions and save not only their lives, but the lives of civilians, too.

We know that kids are out of school and that the tensions in our streets are high. Police are on alert, and far too many of us are distrustful of the police due to the painful and frightful memories of how many deadly encounters have dominated headlines--close to 1,000 in 1 year.

How can this Congress recess for the summer and not take up this bill? Yes, the Affordable Care Act is a big issue here before us in Congress, but if you live in communities of color around the country, the immediate healthcare issue for you is being shot by a police officer who has been sworn to protect you.

If you die at age 12, like Tamir Rice, who was shot by police for playing with his sister on a playground in Cleveland, how can you be concerned with Medicaid?

If you are killed at 31 years old, like Dontre Hamilton, who was shot 14 times by police for resting on a park bench in Milwaukee, nursing home care is not your priority. You won't have the good fortune of living that long.

I ask my colleagues to prioritize preserving lives by supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands so very, very much for yielding to me.

I rise today to speak with you, Mr. Speaker, because we have gotten so many complaints about the messaging that Democrats have around this bill, and I just want to keep the main thing the main thing, and I just want to talk to you, Mr. Speaker, very directly.

We talked a lot about the 22 million, 23 million people who will lose their healthcare if we were to repeal and replace so-called ObamaCare. But this goes deeper than that.

This undermines the Medicaid program, a program that will be 52 years old on July 30, if it survives. This takes away the eligibility, changes eligibility standards; and right now, Mr. Speaker, there are 70 million people who rely upon Medicaid. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, tomorrow it could be you.

The average age of a Member of the House of Representatives is 57. The average age of a Senator is 61. So, I mean, Mr. Speaker, you are one stroke away, one heart attack away from becoming disabled. And after they wipe out your IRA and your pension and your Social Security so they can care for you, long-term care, or allow you to stay home, you, too, Mr. Speaker, could end up relying on Medicaid to have a decent end-of-life experience or to be able to stay in your home.

You are one kidney failure away, one car accident away. Even though you make $179,000 a year, you don't have enough money, Mr. Speaker, were you to have a disabled child that would need extensive care. You would depend on the Medicaid program.

You know, so many people don't care about what is going on here because they think it couldn't happen to them, that those 70 million people who rely on Medicaid is someone other than them. But, no, Mr. Speaker, it is you.

And even if you don't, God willing, have a stroke or a heart attack, you are someone who is going to suffer from the cost shifting so that, when 22 million people lose their healthcare, your premiums are going to go up. Your deductibles are going to go up. And God forbid that you have arthritis or some other preexisting condition, because under this bill you will be left at the tender mercies of our insurance companies where they can charge five times as much for someone who has aged or has a preexisting condition.

Hospitals in your nice suburban rural area may find themselves being shut down because they don't get Medicaid payments, and community health centers--not just Planned Parenthood, Mr. Speaker, that you are ideologically opposed to, but those community health centers that serve rural communities.

And how cruel could a bill be where 50 percent of the children born in this country rely on Medicaid? How cruel could a bill be when 7 million people with disabilities, represented, you know, by those folks who were tossed out of here in their wheelchairs the other day? And we will find that after we end the entitlement to Medicaid, we will have disabled people and children and people who need skilled nursing care fighting with each other because they will have to win the lottery in order to be able to access the crumbs that fall from the master's table of the States in which they live.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will have an impact on you. It is not just poor people. It is everybody. And I would urge the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands, for us to be mindful of the fact that all Americans, every American relies on decent, good healthcare. This is the largest healthcare program in our country that is about to be dismantled, and I would urge caution and tell everyone, especially you, Mr. Speaker, to beware.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Ranking Member Danny Davis. I rise to express support for H.R. 2842, Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act.

I do, again, want to thank my dear friend, Representative Davis, for recognizing the importance of subsidizing jobs as something that was featured in my RISE Out of Poverty bill, and I applaud this bipartisan bill as a small step in the right direction.

Now, this bill calls for a demonstration project, which would show progress toward reducing poverty in our country through a 1-year test of subsidized employment programs. But I would note, Mr. Chairman, that it certainly does not tackle the larger shortcomings of TANF, which is in desperate need of reform.

If enacted, this bill would exhibit a great start at helping TANF recipients obtain short-term employment. However, methods to retain long-term employment through higher education and childcare options for TANF recipients are still needed.

I do want to point out, Mr. Chairman, that contrary to popular notions of welfare recipients--I have been a welfare recipient myself-- people on public assistance do, in fact, want to work, but they want to work at a wage that is sustainable. They want to work at a job that includes training opportunities. They want to work at jobs that provide them with a career ladder, and they, certainly, want to work at a job that will bring them out of poverty--something that will help them work in a durable, lasting fashion.

Since I have a little bit more time than I thought I was going to have, I just want to point out that it is a little-known fact that current law under TANF actually requires welfare recipients to do unwaged work. How absurd is that? Who in this body, Mr. Chairman, would work for absolutely nothing?

I want to note that the proposed funding mechanism in H.R. 2842 does not appear in my RISE Out of Poverty bill. TANF funds are woefully inadequate already. They are pegged to a 1994 appropriations, and, certainly, this flat funding would inure to the detriment of the entire TANF program.

Mr. Chair, I urge Members to support this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the ``Wrong'' CHOICE Act. This is a bad bill, and I suspect that Republicans are pushing it through with only one hearing because they want to push it past the beleaguered public who lost trillions of dollars of wealth and home value during the last recession.

Republicans' rubric about freedom and community banks is not fooling anyone. This legislation unleashes every bloodthirsty and greedy Wall Street superpredator back into the American people to feast on our misery like they did pre-Dodd-Frank. In contrast, you will actually hear the GOP blame predatory borrowers and say that they caused the crisis--like blaming hungry children for famines.

If this bill passes with the mere 10 percent capital requirements, the financial system will become brittle, prone to systemic crisis and taxpayer bailouts--a system that is less fair and rife with fraud.

Didn't we learn our lesson in 2008? 2008 taught us that we cannot have sustainable economic growth absent good regulation.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to reject this bad bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise as an original cosponsor of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2017, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this truly bipartisan piece of legislation.

We have come a long way in this country in recognizing and acknowledging the problems of sex trafficking; and not just laying the blame at the seat of a so-called prostitute but understanding that this is a crime where the persons being trafficked, as you have heard my colleagues say, are imprisoned in sex trafficking. And why is it?

You heard them talk about the $150 billion impact that this has. There is a huge incentive to sell these women over and over and over and over again. Because unlike drugs, you can resell these products of these victims again.

Survivors of sex trafficking can't just walk away. They are in prison. They endure violent beatings, brainwashing, sexual assault, psychological control, and control of their purses and their identification. But then they find themselves arrested and convicted for prostitution, labeled as sex offenders, and then just revictimized by a system that doesn't understand that they were prisoners of this lucrative operation.

These survivors face long-term negative consequences. They are denied access to employment, housing resources, and student financial aid that is needed to develop a sustainable safe and stable life. The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act offers survivors postconviction relief from criminal charges stemming from nonviolent offenses committed as a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, believe it or not, an estimated 300,000 children become victims of sex trafficking every year through fraud, force, and coercion. Many of them think, You know, I am going to be taken out to dinner by someone who loves me, and find themselves imprisoned at that very moment. Many of them are then arrested for these crimes that they are forced to commit.

In my State of Wisconsin, 79 percent of human trafficking cases reported in Wisconsin occur in my district, I am ashamed to say.

In the city of Milwaukee, last year, as an example, Mr. Speaker, two sisters, ages 16 and 17, were rescued during the FBI's Operation Cross Country. They told an undercover Federal agent that their mother had forced them into prostitution. Had they been arrested, instead of recovered from their mother, who imprisoned them, would they have deserved to be branded for life with a criminal record?

Imagine every time that they applied for housing or for financial aid or for a job, that they would be denied on the basis of their criminal record; and they were coerced into this act as minors by their own mother. Imagine the re-traumatization and further devastation that repeated denial would have caused them.

It just makes these people so vulnerable, and it deserves a legislative solution that we are proposing here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Tom Hlavacek who has served as the Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Association of Southeastern Wisconsin since 2005. He is retiring on June 30, 2017.

As Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Association of Southeastern Wisconsin he has supervised a staff of 29 who provided over 37,000 points of service per year in the chapter's eleven county region service area. Mr. Hlavacek convened and chaired the Alzheimer's Challenging Behaviors Task Force which produced two reports, ``Handcuffed'' and ``We All Hold the Keys''. The reports led to his testimony before U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Mr. Hlavacek has also been very involved in Wisconsin and proposed legislation to assist those receiving long term care services.

Mr. Hlavacek holds a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. He is a past recipient of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Public Policy Fellowship and served in Washington, D.C. as a Disability Fellow in the United States Senate in the Office of former Senator Harkin--Iowa.

Prior to his service with the Alzheimer's Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, Mr. Hlavacek directed the Milwaukee Office of Disability Rights Wisconsin which is the statewide protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities. He also served as the Advocacy Director at United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin.

He has advocated tirelessly on behalf of the disability and aging communities for nearly 40 years. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know and work with Tom over the years, whether it was on housing for those with disabilities or funding for Alzheimer's and other long term care services, he provided invaluable information and counsel. I am so sorry I am unable to join him, his family, friends and colleagues at his retirement celebration on June 14, 2017. However, I wish him much success as he transitions into a different phase of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Tom Hlavacek and I am proud to call him a friend of the long term care community. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District and the State of Wisconsin are privileged to have someone of his ability and dedicated service working on their behalf for so many years. I am honored for these reasons to pay tribute to Tom Hlavacek.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Michael Rosen who was an economics professor at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) for 29 years. He is president of MATC's faculty and staff union, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 212 and is the longest- serving President in Local 212's proud history. He is retiring on May 31, 2017.

Dr. Rosen received his BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the school which both his parents attended. He received both his Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has fought for public education at all levels from K-12 through higher education. Dr. Rosen is a prominent critic of for-profit colleges and helped draft Milwaukee's groundbreaking legislation that denies for- profit colleges city subsidies. Dr. Rosen has authored a number of studies on the labor market, trade, taxation and economic issues and is a nationally recognized expert on the automobile industry. Dr. Rosen brought an unprecedented level of activism and awareness to AFT, Local 212 in order to insure excellent representation and contracts for their members. However, he also led Local 212 with compassion and a cooperative spirit, during the Great Recession the union gave back a previously-negotiated raise to allow MATC to serve more students, calling it a ``$5 million investment in our students.''

He has served on numerous boards, commissions, and councils over the years including: AFT-Wisconsin Executive Board, the President's Cabinet for the MATC Promise, the C4 board of Voces de la Frontera which is Wisconsin's largest immigrant workers' rights organization, Wisconsin Technical College System Board, the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Board, the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Mayor's Task Force on Tax Incremental Financing Districts and Milwaukee's African American Employment Task force. Dr. Rosen has been a frequent commentator on Milwaukee and Wisconsin Public Radio and Milwaukee Public Television on economic issues and international trade and was a frequent contributor to Milwaukee Public Television's Fourth Street Forum and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know and work with Michael for over 30 years. Michael has provided invaluable counsel and support over the years to me, other elected officials and community leaders. I have truly appreciated his candor and clear moral compass; he has truly stood for justice for all. I am so sorry I am unable to join him, his family, friends and colleagues at his retirement dinner celebration on May 25, 2017. However, I wish him much success as he transitions into a different phase of his life with more time to spend with his wife Glorie and children Corrine, Jesse, and Gina, stepson Miguel, stepdaughter-in-Iaw Kelley and foster daughter Lila.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Michael and I am proud to call him friend. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District and the State of Wisconsin are privileged to have someone of his ability and dedicated service working on their behalf for so many years. I am honored for these reasons to pay tribute to Michael Rosen.

Mr. Speaker, analysis of health insurance coverage for the past 30 years, analysis of data from the New England Journal of Medicine shows that, for every 455 people who are insured, one life will be saved. With the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, it is estimated that 43,956 people a year will die.

Long live the Republican Party.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheila Dianne Cochran, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer. She began service at the Council in March of 2009 and officially retired on March 31, 2017.

Ms. Cochran ran the largest Central Labor Council in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Area Labor Council has about 110 affiliate Labor

Unions and represents approximately 25,000 members. The council has two divisions; the Council and Field Mobilization Department. Sheila was responsible for supervising six staff, running the day-to-day operation with oversight of all records and managing the financial operation that included a budget of approximately $600,000 dollars. Further, under separate authority, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council houses The Labor Community @ Work a nonprofit, 501c3 charity organization that helps those in need. Some of the services provided under the auspices of The Labor Community @ Work include: operate food drives for Pathfinders, collect toiletries for the Health and Hygiene Drive for the Homeless, construction of ``little libraries'', cooks for the St. Ben's Community Meal grill out BBQ dinner, and provides funds for Laborfest and Wisconsin Election Protection. Sheila Cochran sits on the non-profit board The Labor Community @ Work as an at large member.

Sheila was hired at Delphi /Delco/E&S in 1979; she began her work in the labor movement while employed there in 1989, when she was elected as Recording Secretary of UAW, Local 438. In 1999, she was elected to the then Milwaukee County Labor Council. The Milwaukee Area Labor Council was formed in 2008 when it merged the Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Washington County Labor Councils.

Sheila has served on numerous boards, commissions, and councils over the years including: The Fair Lending Coalition, WTRP/BIG STEP Board; Member Milwaukee Area Technical College Board of Directors, National Board of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Chair of Wisconsin Election Protection, and Elected Member United Way Board of Greater Milwaukee. In fact, she holds the position of the longest-serving member of the area United Way Board of Greater Milwaukee.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know and work with Sheila for over 25 years. She has provided invaluable counsel and advice over the years. I am so pleased to be able to join with friends and colleagues at her retirement dinner celebration on May 19, 2017, where she has asked that all the proceeds from the dinner are to be donated to The Labor Community @ Work. I wish her much success as she transitions into a different phase of her life. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Sheila and I am proud to call her friend. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District and the State of Wisconsin are privileged to have someone of her ability and dedicated service working on their behalf for so many years. I am honored for these reasons to pay tribute to Sheila Cochran.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lorna M. Shawano who was Tribal Secretary for the Forest County Potawatomi Community for 26 years.

Ms. Shawano was involved in securing the approvals of the gaming compacts from the State of Wisconsin. The gaming compacts fostered the growth of the Forest County Potawatomi from operating a modest bingo hall to a nationally recognized entertainment center. During Ms. Shawano's tenure, the Potawatomi successfully developed a casino and hotel in Milwaukee. Today, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino welcomes more than 6 million guests annually and has 2,700 team members and eighty-five percent of those employees reside in Milwaukee County. It opened in 1991 as Potawatomi Bingo with a 2,500 seat bingo hall and approximately 300 team members. She is especially proud of their inclusive hiring practices. In fact, over half of the team members working at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino are minority.

Under her tenure as Secretary, the Forest County Potawatomi experienced tremendous economic growth and increased sovereignty. Ms. Shawano was involved with successful efforts to stop a proposed sulfide mine that would have polluted the Tribe's air, water and land; she also played a part in the 15 year successful efforts by the Tribe to obtain the sovereign right to protect the air over its reservation which involved multiple levels of government. Lorna also served on the Crandon Indian Education and Mining Impact Boards.

Ms. Shawano's work as Tribal Secretary with the rest of the Executive Council, and the Tribe as a whole, has made the Forest County Potawatomi Community into the strong, successful, and respected tribe that it is today. While Lorna will no longer serve as Tribal Secretary, the leadership she has shown over the years will allow the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe to continue to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Lorna Shawano, along with her 3 children and of 8 grandchildren. She has lived on the Stone Lake Reservation for nearly 45 years. I am proud to call her friend. The citizens of the Fourth Congressional District and the State of Wisconsin are privileged to have someone of her ability and dedicated service working so diligently for so many years. I am honored for these reasons to pay tribute to Lorna M. Shawano, for serving as Forest County Potawatomi Tribal Secretary for 26 years.