Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, hopefully, our friends and colleagues in the other Chamber are listening because we are moving once again to pass an incredible piece of legislation, H.R. 1350, the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act, that I and Dr. Jim Baird have introduced yet again to see it, hopefully, pass in the House, and we eagerly await the Senate to take it up.

Simply put, H.R. 1350 authorizes collaborative research between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation in areas that are essential to our national competitiveness. This legislation will build on the longstanding partnership between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation to leverage the unique investments and expertise in a wide range of fields, including quantum science, artificial intelligence, fusion energy, and, of course, advanced manufacturing.

Alongside these research partnerships, this legislation also authorizes collaborative initiatives in education, training, and development to build a stronger workforce in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

Lastly, this legislation promotes secure data and information transfer capabilities between these agencies so that we are not working in silos but are working together in a safe and secure environment to develop a shared, agile data ecosystem.

In August 2024, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute updated its dataset, exposing a dramatic shift in U.S. technology leadership. Once dominant in 60 of the 64 critical technologies, according to this policy institute, the U.S. now leads in just 7. China has surged from 3 to 57 since the start of the century.

This is not to put a wet blanket on our incredible country and our innovation capabilities. We want to be measuring, coordinating, and strategic, and we want to be effective stewards of any taxpayer dollars, which is why this bill is not appropriating any such thing.

We are in a wake-up call moment, but this isn't over. To reclaim our edge, we have to empower our top

science agencies to unite, to collaborate, and to drive the innovation necessary to lead before any of our competitors seek to leave us behind. That is why we have this bill. As the chair said, this has passed the House. Our colleagues in the Senate just need to do their jobs.

This collaboration between NSF and the DOE is not new. In fact, they have an extensive history of joint activities, such as support for the development of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a world-class tool for scientific discovery and astronomy located in Chile. We are proud of that partnership.

A testament to the power of these collaborations, this observatory just reached a major milestone with the installation of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, the LSST, the largest digital camera ever built. This facility will soon be ready to scan the sky for the next 10 years, creating an ultrahigh definition, time-lapsed record of our universe.

The DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act strengthens the legislative foundation of our beloved CHIPS and Science Act, a landmark bill that enables both agencies to foster a more collaborative research environment to maximize their collective impacts for our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, for all of these reasons, this bipartisan legislation falls upon us, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), my dear friend and one of my favorite colleagues--if that is okay and germane to say--for his collaboration on this bill. We are both midwesterners. He is an incredibly accomplished academic, veteran, and businessman from an important part of our Nation. I have had the sincere privilege of collaborating on legislation with the gentleman since we were first sworn into Congress.

Mr. Speaker, we are again partnering on H.R. 1350, and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill, as I have done in other sessions, so that we can implore the Senate to do their part. We are introducing this bill early in the 119th session. We will pass it through the House and, hopefully, see this become law.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, H.R. 1368.

The gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Whitesides), the vice ranking member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, introduced this bill. It is another great bipartisan bill.

These Members of Congress from the Western part of this Nation fully understand and appreciate what it means to have coordinated interagency activities on behalf of our competitive abilities. Enhancing this type of collaboration between the Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will have a multiplier effect on the creative, innovative, and inspiring work of these two agencies. It is an important tool in furthering agency missions and the Nation's goals in science and exploration.

The Department of Energy and NASA's partnership is already demonstrating impressive results. For example, earlier this year, NASA and the DOE collaborated on selecting an award for continued industry work on a space microreactor design that could provide a supply of power for use on the Moon and beyond.

Just last week, scientists posted new data from the Department of Energy's ground-based Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, providing insights on the mysterious dark energy of the universe that NASA's science satellites also study from space.

We are on the tipping point of major things. We are working on and seeing efficiency breathe its way into our government. The whole deal here is that if we get H.R. 1368, the Department of Energy and NASA will build on their longstanding partnership and do even more. They will save the taxpayer money, and they will advance this Nation. They will showcase that we are not getting in the way of where we want to go as a country because we are trimming bureaucracy.

The act authorizes the agencies to carry out cross-cutting and collaborative R&D activities and identifies nuclear power and propulsion, high energy physics and astrophysics, Earth and environmental sciences, and quantum information sciences as potential areas for joint activity.

I only hope that the citizens of America are tuned into this debate in this moment because this is really exciting.

The bill directs DOE and NASA to coordinate activities through MOUs, memorandum of understanding. The legislation authorizes the use of reimbursable and nonreimbursable agreements. Again, the effective utilization of the taxpayer dollar of which we here in the United States Congress are stewards of.

In addition, I will be providing direction on a merit review process between the two agencies, reporting and compliance with research security requirements in carrying out collaborative activities pursued under the act. This is a practical and awe-inspiring bill to maximize the research and development activities and capabilities and results of our Federal agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I enthusiastically urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from the West, Mr. Begich and Mr. Whitesides, along with Mr. Kennedy, who appear to be three freshman Members of Congress, have come together in an important way to introduce H.R. 1368. I continue to urge a ``yes'' vote on the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I enthusiastically rise in support of the Innovation Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies Act, or the IMPACT Act, H.R. 1534.

A good gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Miller) and a fantastic gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Foushee) have reintroduced this bipartisan bill, and I salute them.

Mrs. Foushee is very much a leader on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, a cutting-edge voice in artificial intelligence, a ranking member on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, and we are very grateful for her leadership and acumen here.

As our chair just extrapolated, the United States produces approximately 95 million metric tons of cement each year, representing nearly 400 million cubic yards of concrete, with another 454 million metric tons of asphalt pavement materials produced per year.

Now, as a Member of Congress, I am not fully in the composites business, but we must understand where our materials come from and how they are procured and produced. We must look it squarely in the face as to how we do not remain overly reliant on competitive countries for access.

A byproduct of these industrial processes are certainly greenhouse gas emissions. There is a State representative from Michigan, State Representative Kelly Breen of Novi, who has, on occasion, spoken to me at length about the materials used in our roads. We know right now that the byproduct of the industrial processes for these cement applications accounts for 8 percent of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.

Now, I come from the Motor City. We like our paved roads. We like access to cement. Demand is not decreasing. It is going up. Demand is expected to increase by 12 percent when we hit the mid-21st century mark.

We here in the United States of America are building roads, bridges, factories, schools, so many things. It is really quite exciting, and the IMPACT Act can play a role. The bill will improve cost- effectiveness, durability, and material demand efficiency of widely used cement, and similar materials while achieving measurable greenhouse gas emissions reductions in their production processes. We like to call this a win-win.

H.R. 1534 would also accomplish this goal by directing the Secretary of Energy to support research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that could become commercially viable.

Again, the State representative from Michigan, Kelly Breen, has talked to me about her desire to see this in Oakland County, Michigan. We have been working on this in the Motor City.

My colleagues from North Carolina and Ohio have put forward national legislation that will benefit us all, and we have got next-generation technologies that are a significant improvement over the processes used by these industries today, ensuring that we can continue to build while reducing negative environmental impacts that come about from producing building materials.

We have a good, practical bill to maximize our production capabilities while minimizing any negative impacts, and we have research and development and demonstration of novel cement, concrete, and asphalt processes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on a bill I am very excited about, H.R. 1534, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Foushee) to speak on behalf of H.R. 1534.

Mr. Speaker, I also have no further requests for time to speak on this bill, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank my colleagues from the committee, Mr. Miller and Mrs. Foushee, for their work on this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 1534. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, within 12 hours, this very Chamber is going to witness a joint address to Congress. I will take my time and my privilege as a duly elected Member of this Chamber to share some of the sentiments about the state of the Union that is emerging very clearly and loudly from Michigan and on behalf of my constituents.

First and foremost, tariffs that are coming down today on Canada are wreaking havoc on autoworkers, our auto industry, and, frankly, the stock market.

Secondly, I am hearing very grave concerns about the state of Social Security and Social Security's ability to meet its fiduciary commitments to its millions and millions of recipients. Never once in the history of that program has a payment been missed, but the actions of DOGE are disrupting that very agency.

There is also a very palpable fear in my constituents. Veterans who are 100 percent disabled are concerned and fearful that they may or may not be able to continue to receive their medical care.

This is a serious and profound moment. This is a self-inflicted crisis.

I did serve this Nation during a time of real economic crisis during the Great Recession in the administration of Barack Obama. That was when I was in the Treasury Department, working to save General Motors and Chrysler and millions of American automotive jobs as the companies were staring liquidation in the face.

Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to share some words. On February 8, at the Sheet Metal Workers union in Oakland County, Michigan, I was joined by an incredible medical expert from Michigan, my friend, Dr. Preetha Iyengar, who happens to be in this very Chamber alongside her family here today.

She read these words, which I would like to share and read on her behalf, and on the behalf of the American people, in this Chamber.

Dr. Iyengar shared:

I am a pediatrician and epidemiologist. After residency, I

trained for 2 years at the CDC and then worked in Washington,

D.C., at an NGO and the D.C. Health Department.

I am here today to highlight the impact of recent policies

and actions on scientific institutions and how that impacts

us in Michigan.

Our scientific institutions are being attacked from many

angles, but I wanted to highlight three areas: spreading of

misinformation, purging of experts and destruction of

scientific institutions, and destruction of critical

infrastructure.

We are seeing that the current administration's agenda is

misinformation and confusion. Federal healthcare and public

health institutions are facing unprecedented censorship and

harassment. Bans for external communications have crippled

international collaborations, with special exceptions given

at random and many that have not been restored. Websites with

CDC healthcare guidelines used by doctors and public health

information used by all of us in the medical community, like

vaccine safety information sheets, were forced to be removed

without warning.

Dr. Iyengar also mentioned that we now are less safe in protecting ourselves during the flu season, particularly with bird flu.

I may insert the question: How much are egg prices today in the United States of America? People are stealing eggs outside of delivery trucks and engaging in fights in supermarkets across this country. This is the United States of America, and we need an egg price plan.

Dr. Iyengar also went on to say that, as a woman in STEM, she is horrified to see the targeting of DEI programs, and let's say the words: diversity, equity, and inclusion. Equity, which is enshrined in our very Constitution, is something that all equal Members of this Chamber swore an oath to uphold. I will remind people of the rights and the tenets of Article I in our Constitution.

Dr. Iyengar says that she is horrified by the cuts to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a woman in STEM.

Frankly, as the leader of the Women in STEM Caucus, I founded this bipartisan caucus with four Members of this Chamber, two Republicans and two Democrats. It is Women's History Month, and we would like to do some things for women in STEM to meet the workforce challenges and needs of this great Nation. Of course, I cannot, at this present time, tragically, get a Republican Member of Congress to join the Women in STEM Caucus for this term.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to say that tariffs on Canada are going to blow a hole in the United States automotive industry.

I ask the President to not put 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods. Our automakers, our supply chain, and our autoworkers cannot take this hit.

Let's work together to come up with a plan to invest in manufacturing in a bipartisan, commonsense way. These tariffs are not the answer. This is a threat to too many livelihoods. Listen to the autoworker.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my profound and wise colleague, the ranking member of the Rules Committee and former chairman, Jim McGovern, for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is absolutely right that H.R. 1101, the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which I was so pleased to author and introduce last

week alongside my colleague, Sean Casten, and alongside our Democratic leadership is where we need to move.

We need to ensure that we have some guardrails in our Treasury Department. I was a former Treasury Department official myself in the very beginning days of a new administration, the administration of Barack Obama, when actually a bipartisan group of us came together to respond to the economic and fiscal crisis of the time.

I was put on the auto rescue team, the team responsible for saving General Motors and Chrysler from liquidation. Again, it was a bipartisan effort, and it saved 200,000 Michigan jobs and millions of jobs across the country.

Nowhere in that process, when we were working with the troubled asset relief program dollars, did anyone dare to think about going into the Bureau of Fiscal Service and tapping the wires and the accounts of the American public and jolting and shaking the very foundation of trust.

This bill is a very simple measure saying: Let's make sure that we have true public servants, people who have passed protocols, people who have top security clearances, people who don't have conflicts of interest. The American people deserve that modicum of trust.

Mr. Speaker, what is even more outrageous, as we are talking about the rulemaking and the rolling back and the ways in which we choose to legislate here, is we are not talking about the costs that are impacting everyday Americans.

I got sworn in on January 3 into the 119th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I am waiting for the bill to lower egg costs. I am seeing headlines that eggs are being stolen. I am hearing from constituents who are nervous about Elon Musk having access to their records and their payment system, and they are wondering why they can't go to the grocery store and find eggs. They are wondering about the high cost of everything. They are wondering why prescription drugs are about to go up because of an executive order.

Where are we working on that?

Mr. Speaker, let's pass the amendment, let's do H.R. 1101, and let's get back to business for the people of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Casten), for his remarks, his dedication to this Chamber, to this process, and to the lawmaking. We are both in our fourth term.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you in obliging us with this Special Order on the grand discourse of our democracy.

It has always been a delight to work with Mr. Casten, a longtime member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, a dedicated member of the Financial Services Committee, and a thinker, to say the least.

When we came together last week to introduce H.R. 1101, the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, I actually don't think that that piece of legislation was on our minds until we witnessed the very troubling, concerning, and questionably legal actions of an unelected bureaucrat, billionaire, appointee going into the Bureau of Fiscal Service to get access to the wires and the information of our taxpayers to do God knows what with.

All of a sudden, the phones of Members of Congress were ringing off the hook: What is going on?

I couldn't take two steps in my beloved Oakland County in southeast Michigan, the district which I am so proud to represent, without somebody asking me, in deep concern, what was going on.

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mr. Casten's background, which was also tied to business and certainly tied to the workings of our Congress, but I happen to be a former Treasury official. I went into the Treasury Department as a political appointee right after an oath of office was taken in the early, early days of President Barack Obama's administration because I was a part of the auto rescue team.

What we were looking at was actually a real crisis in this Nation. For the kids watching back home, I don't know how old they are and how much they would remember, but we had a great recession going on. We had double-digit unemployment. We had a rocked financial services sector. We had an insurance market that was practically crumbling. We had housing with subprime mortgages up the wazoo. There weren't for-sale signs in front of people's homes.

Then there was the question about what was going to happen to General Motors and Chrysler because they were staring liquidation in the face.

Mr. Speaker, this Congress, in a different session and a different time, almost in that lameduck period before President Obama took office, passed something known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program to stabilize, ameliorate, and address our economy to make sure it didn't roll off of a cliff.

The Main Street effort of the Troubled Asset Relief Program was this effort to save General Motors and Chrysler from liquidation along with millions of jobs across this country, including 200,000 in Michigan.

They all came into the Treasury Department, from the smallest of suppliers, to the mayors, to the auto dealers, small businesses in their own right, even the foreign original equipment manufacturers, saying: Do not let them liquidate.

We used $80 billion of taxpayer money, which, by the way, was repaid--which, by the way, worked and which, by the way, rebounded the U.S. auto industry.

Did you hear that point? The Federal Government made money off of the $80 billion to save General Motors and Chrysler. Now we have a strong manufacturing economy with true innovation happening, and we are producing and making cars at a rate that was unfathomable at that time, over 15 years ago.

Never once, by the way, did we ever question or seek to knock on the door of the Bureau of Fiscal Service, which is off campus, by the way. It is not in the main Treasury building. We had bipartisan emergency workers. We had people from the Bush administration stay on. We had people from the Obama administration coming in. We were trying to save this country from falling off of a cliff. We were trying to save us from a true great depression, and no one was meddling in the wires.

Mr. Casten and I had to write this bill, the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, to put up and remind ourselves of guardrails. The painful point of this is that we are waiting and eager and just wondering when our colleagues, who don't even seem to be in this Chamber right now, are going to give us the bill to lower the price of goods? We are waiting.

I had a meeting in my district on housing. I brought all of the stakeholders together. We have beautiful homes in Oakland County, Michigan, but we don't have enough of them. We have homes that need to be rehabbed. There is building that needs to happen. So I brought together, as Members of Congress do, all of the stakeholders. I brought them together, and we invited HUD.

We invited HUD, but you know what, per a new executive order, HUD can't go to meetings. So we can't even have a conversation about how the heck we are going to lower the price of housing and get more housing built.

Mr. Speaker, the other thing my constituents are talking to me about on overdrive are the eggs. There are no eggs. We don't have eggs.

Mr. Speaker, there are eggs, but there are shortages on the eggs. People are going to the store, and they can't find eggs.

There was a headline last week in Pennsylvania that $40,000 worth of eggs were stolen. Just yesterday, in Washington State, more eggs were stolen.

I see this Commander in Chief doing all of these press conferences about every revenge tactic and different type of endeavor for the Federal Government.

What are we doing about the costs? What are we doing about the costs of everyday goods?

An executive order came out about the cost of prescription drugs, which are about to skyrocket again, and it is rolling back what we did to lower the cost of prescription drugs and put Medicare at the negotiating table.

This is unbelievable. This is a simple bill and a simple measure to protect the American taxpayer, to reestablish trust, yes, as duly elected Members of Congress, the stewards of the public trust as quoted and delivered by the great Henry Clay, otherwise known as the great compromiser of the 1800s.

We are the holders of the trust, so this bill is a matter that should just be done tomorrow. We should get this done. We are waiting for the leadership of this very body, those who move the bills to the floor, to give us something that will actually help the pocketbooks of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, today, I stood with the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic Whip, Katherine Clark, our House Democratic Chair, Pete Aguilar, and Congressman Sean Casten to introduce the Taxpayer Data Protection Act because what is going on in the Treasury Department is lawless and wrong and frightening for the American people.

Elon Musk should not have access to your data and to the payment systems. What is going on? Mr. Speaker, I deliver this statement and this bill to this Chamber calling on all of my colleagues to join because I was a Treasury employee.

I served in the Treasury during the Barack Obama administration. In fact, I worked in a time of crisis, the Great Recession, when General Motors and Chrysler were staring bankruptcy in the face. Millions of jobs were on the line. We were doing the work for the American people, not threatening their payments and their data.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This past Monday, our Nation celebrated MLK Day, a powerful reminder of the ongoing effort for equality and justice and the profound impact an individual can make.

It is also a day spent volunteering and a day of action. I am so deeply proud of the schools across Oakland County, Michigan, who engaged in volunteer activities.

I also would like to share some of Dr. King's powerful words that resonate not only with me, but I believe speak to the moments that we find ourselves in today:

``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.''

``Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.''

``The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.''

``We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.''

``I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.''

``Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.''

Lastly, ``Life's most persistent and urgent question is: `What are you doing for others?' ''

In service, we honor Dr. King's legacy, and we commit to his written words from the Birmingham jail that we continue to strive toward justice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tremendous achievements of President Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States.

While I could spend my time highlighting the nearly innumerable achievements of his administration, I rise to celebrate what this Nation is today because of President Biden's leadership, a nation on the rise.

President Biden and Vice President Harris inherited a nation in crisis; the greatest public health crisis in generations coupled with a threatening economic downturn with rising costs and high unemployment.

President Biden recognized this head-on. He saw what our Nation needed, and he acted with a jump-start of economic investment to get Americans working, moving, and innovating like never before. Alongside congressional leaders, he delivered for the American people.

President Biden delivered historic investments into our communities through the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, just to name a few.

These historic legislative packages unleashed hundreds of billions of dollars into our communities to get us moving and growing again.

The national statistics may highlight the breadth and depth of these historic investments, but no place speaks better to the generational change created by President Biden's leadership like my home State of Michigan with $13 billion in infrastructure funding that has flowed through Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, there have been 62 new clean energy projects, and the most in the country have been announced in Michigan.

Over 400,000 new jobs have been created in Michigan, so many, in fact, that Detroit has been boasting its lowest levels of unemployment in three decades.

With the largest investment in the Great Lakes in decades, nearly all areas of concern in Michigan will be remediated, including two affecting my district: the Clinton River and the River Rouge. Combined with historic State-level investments, Michigan, the home of the Flint water crisis, is officially headed to a lead-free future with Detroit being lead-free by the end of the decade.

As home to the Big Three automakers, no place is leading the charge to electrify our future like we are in Michigan. We are manufacturing, we are growing, and we are innovating.

These are stories, these are numbers that represent the American worker. American workers have been able to achieve an economic reality, not just a political wish list, because of President Biden's dedication and leadership.

The needs of the American worker were heard, including seeing President Biden be the first President to join striking workers on a picket line in, of course, my home State of Michigan alongside the United Auto Workers.

It is the last week of President Biden's historic administration. President Biden is a true public servant who has stood up every single day of his career on behalf of the American people, who has reached out to the next generation to make sure that we are heard, to mentor individuals like myself, and who has been selfless in his

actions. We salute President Biden, and we recognize him for everything that he has done and committed to and the changes he has made.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the concluding salvo of this Congress to thank the 118th session for allowing me to advocate for the incredible constituents and communities that comprise my district, from our robust manufacturing economy, to our amazing public schools, to the hardworking tradespeople building homes and new factories.

Most of all, I recognize my team, the staff here in Washington, D.C., and in Farmington Hills, who had sleeves rolled up and helping people each and every day. We have authored over 31 unique bills, 2 that have become signed into law, and 6 that passed this very Chamber.

Here is to the 118th session and more to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the honorable life of Thomas Violante, an incredible businessowner from Royal Oak, Michigan, who inspired many through his pursuit of the American Dream and service to others.

Mr. Violante was born in 1929 to a working-class family. His father ran a small market, and he gained a passion for supporting his community through entrepreneurship. This passion solidified in 1951 when Thomas and his wife, Janet, purchased a small specialty store for just a pack of cigarettes and six-pack of beer. It would become the Holiday Market of Royal Oak.

Thomas Violante's business was more than just a grocery store, though. It was the embodiment of his values. He empowered his employees to be creative, to work hard, and to achieve their dreams.

Mr. Violante passed away on his 95th birthday last month. Beyond his role as a businessowner, he was a proud father, grandfather, great grandfather, veteran, and philanthropist.

He left an incredible mark on Michigan's 11th District, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in joint support of our Jewish community and to condemn the recent Europa League soccer match attacks that took place in Amsterdam, wreaking unbelievable violence on our Jewish community.

These attacks occurred just days before the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, and it is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of unchecked hatred.

Simply put, Jews and Israelis in Amsterdam were attacked following a soccer match simply because of who they are.

We are calling on the Dutch Government to respond. We are calling on worldwide officials to invest in safety and to combat hate wherever we may see it. This has been a hateful incident that has reverberated across the world and is felt in my home State of Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to recognize the honorable life of my dear friend, Mitchell Meisner, a passionate legal professional and civil rights activist. Mr. Meisner, in his over 60 years of work, advocated for the original civil rights bills, volunteered his time to support aspiring lawyers, and protected vulnerable individuals by offering pro bono legal services.

Mr. Meisner was born in Washington, D.C. and was raised to value civil service. His parents exemplified these principles, as his father served as an attorney at the Department of Commerce, and his mother was as a teacher who also worked at NOAA and in the White House under President Jimmy Carter. I had the good fortune of seeing his childhood home in Bethesda, Maryland, with his only daughter, Amy, and am inspired by their story. Mr. Meisner carried on his parents' legacy, achieving a bachelor's, master's, and Doctor of Philosophy degree in political science. He then took his passion to Michigan, where he received his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Throughout his educational career, Mr. Meisner was incredibly active in national politics and the Civil Rights Movement. He bore

witness to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ``I Have A Dream'' speech and found joy in sharing his stories of the famed 1963 March on Washington. When President John F. Kennedy visited Amherst College, where Mr. Meisner was working towards his bachelor's degree, he led a student- protest calling for a civil rights bill.

As a legal professional, Mr. Meisner often donated his time as a volunteer judge in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, providing free legal representation to those who needed it, and serving as a mentor and a teacher. He was dedicated to giving back to the community and considered it a privilege to mentor young law students.

Mitchell Meisner passed away on June 20, 2024, after an admirable battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his incredible wife, Marica, who resides in their longtime home in Huntington Woods; his brother, Jon; his three children, Jesse, Geoff, and Amy; and his seven grandsons.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply honored, on his 81st birthday, to recognize the life and service of Mitchell Meisner, who dedicated his work to uplifting the voices of those most in need. Please join me in celebrating this wonderful individual whom I miss dearly and was proud to call a friend.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to recognize the honorable life of Sergeant Nicholas F. Kastrantas, a distinguished veteran, father, and artist. Mr. Kastrantas, in his military service, creative endeavors, and personal life displayed intelligence, dedication, and a commitment to fighting on behalf of the greater good.

Mr. Kastrantas was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Greece, where he joined the Greek army and mastered the art of cartography. He returned to the U.S. in 1939 and immediately enlisted to serve his country. He was personally selected by Lieutenant Colonel James Gavin to contribute his artistic and linguistic abilities to the 505th Parachute Infantry. Mr. Kastrantas was a skilled mapmaker and spoke five languages fluently, allowing him to be an incredible asset to the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II.

Affectionately nicknamed ``The Greek,'' he used his skills to map drop points at Normandy and completed four combat jumps in Normandy, Sicily, Salerno, and Holland as a paratrooper. His intelligence and abilities were invaluable, enabling him to create a 3-dimensional sand table map for his unit's mission on D-Day. Nick also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned six bronze stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge through his heroic service.

Mr. Kastrantas settled down in Detroit, MI after the war and made a name for himself as a commercial artist. He lived a long life and left us on August 31, 2011. His legacy lives on through his daughter, Ann, and in his murals that can be found in restaurants around Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply honored to recognize the life and service of Private Nicholas F. Kastrantas--a man who used his creativity and dedication to serve his country in its hour of need. Please join me in celebrating his wondrous life.