Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate and honor my constituent, Mr. Henry Pelak, who turned 100 years old on July 24th of this year. Mr. Pelak has dedicated his life to our country, his family, and Michiganders.

Pelak was born in the summer of 1924 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After high school, he proudly served our country in the United States Navy. Once he completed his training with amphibious naval vessels in Virginia and Florida, Pelak was assigned to be a motor machinist on a naval landing craft and deployed to Europe.

During World War II, Pelak was stationed in England to prepare for the Normandy Invasion. On June 6, 1944, he was on one of the first boats to hit Omaha Beach on D-Day in Nazi-occupied France. His bravery contributed to the successful deployment of troops during the first wave of the Allied Invasion, where he landed military and naval combat demolition units to clear the way for incoming infantry. After the invasion, Pelak was reassigned to a unit in Bremerhaven, Germany, and reenlisted for two more years.

I am so proud to honor Henry Pelak, not only for reaching this incredible milestone, but also for his unwavering service to our Nation. His life stands as a shining example of true courage, resilience, and patriotism.

As we celebrate Mr. Pelak's 100th birthday, I want to express my deepest gratitude for his tremendous service to West Michigan and the United States. May he have a happy, healthy, and fulfilling year ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Chris Hammer for winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

At 38 years old, Chris Hammer dedicated over half his life to achieving his Paralympic dreams. He began his athletic journey at a young age, where he quickly discovered a passion for long-distance running. In 2004, Chris began his collegiate career at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in West Michigan. There, he earned five All- American honors--once in cross country and four times in steeplechase. In 2022, he was inducted into GVSU's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Following his success at GVSU, Chris joined the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team in London, competing in the 1500-meter, marathon, and 800-meter track events. He then competed in the PT4 paratriathlon at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the PST5 paratriathlon at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, finishing fourth in both events.

In Paris, Chris finished the men's PTS5 paratriathlon in just 58 minutes and 44 seconds, winning the gold medal for his outstanding performance. We are honored that Chris called the great state of Michigan home for so many years, and applaud his commitment, drive, and persistence throughout his athletic career.

Mr. Speaker, once more I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Mr. Chris Hammer's first gold medal victory. I congratulate Chris on his well-earned success, and hope he finds some time to celebrate this incredible feat alongside his teammates, family, and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my constituent, Mr. Aaron Cummings, for his outstanding performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Originally from Muskegon, Aaron represented West Michigan on the world stage as an athlete on the U.S. Men's Rugby Sevens Team. Aaron has dedicated his time and energy to becoming one of the foremost rugby players in our country.

Growing up in West Michigan, Aaron began his rugby career at Grand Haven High School. He then attended Davenport University in Kent County, Michigan, and helped the Davenport Panthers finish fourth in the 2016 and 2017 USA College Sevens National Championship. Kicking off his professional rugby career, Aaron won the 2021 Club Sevens National Championship with the Chicago Lions and joined the USA Men's Sevens Residency in Chula Vista. In early 2022, he entered the world stage at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Debut in Malaga, Spain, and was later named to the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 squad in Cape Town, South Africa.

This year, Aaron joined the 2024 U.S. Men's Rugby Sevens Team at the Paris Olympics, where he and his teammates finished eighth.

Mr. Speaker, once more I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Mr. Aaron Cummings for his commitment to sportsmanship, his tenacity, and his athleticism. I congratulate Mr. Cummings and thank him for being such a wonderful representative of West Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my constituent, Mr. Evan Medell, for his exceptional performance in para-taekwondo at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Evan proudly represented West Michigan on the world stage, displaying his exceptional talent and perseverance as one of the world's foremost para-taekwondo athletes.

Growing up in Grand Haven, Evan began his athletic journey at the Lakeshore Taekwondo Academy when he was just 12 years old. Throughout his career, Evan excelled in numerous international events, including winning gold at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Chile. When para- taekwondo made its Paralympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Evan became the first American to secure a bronze medal. Furthermore, he was the youngest athlete in history to compete in a para-taekwondo world championship. As an athlete competing with Brachial Plexus Palsy, a paralysis that impacts the nerves in the arm and hands, Evan is an inspiration to all West Michiganders who have dreams of competing at the Olympic level.

This year, Evan joined the 2024 U.S. Men's Taekwondo Team at the Paris Paralympics, where he secured a bronze medal for our country.

Mr. Speaker, once more, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Mr. Evan Medell for his commitment to sportsmanship, his perseverance, and his outstanding athleticism. I congratulate Mr. Medell and thank him for being such an admirable representative of West Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of my constituent, the Honorable Sara J. Smolenski, who is retiring from the Kent County 63rd District Court after 34 years of outstanding public service. As a trailblazer in our West Michigan community, Judge Smolenski has dedicated her professional life to serving the people of Kent County.

Judge Smolenski served as a private attorney and an assistant city attorney in Grand Rapids prior to her judgeship. She was first elected to the court in 1990 and served as Chief Justice for over a quarter century, from 1996 to 2023. Throughout her life, she has supported local organizations such as the Hospice of Michigan, Kent County Literacy Council, RAVE (Resources Against Violent Encounters) to Women of West Michigan, and the Young Women's Christian Association. Her incredible service to our community has not gone unnoticed, receiving awards from organizations such as the American Red Cross and Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.

In 2016, Judge Smolenski became the first elected official to enter a same-sex marriage in Kent County when she married her partner of 27 years. She remains a role model for women and LGBTQ+ people in Michigan's

Third District, and I am honored to celebrate her today.

Mr. Speaker, once more I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Judge Sara J. Smolenski for her commitment to public service, justice, and the people of Kent County. I hope her retirement is restful and filled with joy.

Madam Speaker, Michigan put the world on wheels, and we are going to keep it moving forward. We are proud of our legacy that is ever-evolving, thanks to the grit of the American worker.

West Michiganders, in particular, are a key part of this legacy as folks across my district manufacture transportation components necessary to keep this country in motion.

I also take special pride in representing miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, the largest freshwater reserve in the entire world. My community knows that we must be good stewards of our Nation's most critical cargo ports.

Right now, we are fighting to preserve our resources so that our children might inherit a world where our kids can breathe, that can sustain our farms, is void of extreme weather events, and has clean water to drink and air to breathe.

This is not going to happen overnight. It requires a multifaceted approach. The EPA's effort to limit harmful air pollution from light- and medium-duty vehicles is a piece of this lifesaving puzzle.

Our Nation's transportation sector is critical, but it is also one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, so to safeguard the health and well-being of Americans, we have to work to slash pollution associated with our planes, trains, ships, and cars.

To be clear, the EPA's technology-neutral rule is not an EV mandate. It is a call on manufacturers to innovate and expand options for consumers to choose vehicles based on their potential environmental impact.

What exactly do so many of my colleagues across the aisle have against choice?

When it comes to forging a new path forward in transportation, I would never bet against Michigan, especially Michigan automakers.

Air pollution, particularly from tailpipes, is responsible for asthma and a wide array of respiratory illnesses in children, adults, and seniors.

If this rule stays intact, families across West Michigan will save on healthcare costs an estimated $1.6 trillion and protect the well-being of their children. As a mom of two young children, two young student athletes in particular, I take this seriously.

If you are a parent out there of a child with asthma, I stand here on your behalf today. If you are an American autoworker, I stand here on your behalf today.

If you are ready to stand up to big polluters and China and stand up for American autoworkers, I am standing for you here today.

Rolling back this rule is bending a knee to big polluters while ignoring the broad coalition of autoworkers, automakers, public health advocates, and environmental organizations who believe in addressing climate change head-on while furthering innovation in transportation.

Madam Speaker, I am so proud of West Michigan's critical role in the transportation sector, but this CRA won't do anything to address the reality of the sector's emissions.

This is not a mandate. It is an opportunity to innovate for families, for farmers, and to get out there and keep China from eating our lunch.

I thank Ranking Member Pallone for his leadership in pushing back against this CRA, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of my constituent, Frank Charles Bielecki, who turns 100 years old on August 28th of this year. Mr. Bielecki has dedicated his life to our country, his family, and Michiganders.

Bielecki served in the United States Army for three years, where he worked as a Private and Tec 5 Cook at Fort Custer in Michigan. Bielecki spent 60 wonderful years with his wife Dorothy Joan Kulak, and he is a proud father to three sons, a grandfather of seven, and a great grandfather of eleven. Before retiring in 1986, he worked at Rapistan Conveyors in Grand Rapids for over 31 years.

When asked about his secret to longevity, Bielecki recalls always working hard, staying healthy, and eating plenty of Vernors and Little Debbie Honey Buns. From raising generations of Michiganders to serving our country, Bielecki has inspired so many people across the Third District. I applaud the positive impact he continues to make in our West Michigan community.

Mr. Speaker, once more I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Mr. Bielecki for his lifelong commitment to family, community, and service; and to Mr. Bielecki, I wish him another happy, healthy, and fulfilling year ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Police Week to honor the service and contributions of law enforcement officials in west Michigan and across the country.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have had the privilege of meeting with so many brave public servants who put their lives on the line every single day to protect our communities.

Policing is hard work and not without significant challenges in the year 2024. For some, it might be easier to just walk away.

It is for that reason that I am constantly in awe of those that continue to serve because of their dedication, sacrifice, and willingness to place others above self in a time where serving our community has become all the more difficult.

To all the law enforcement officers in west Michigan and around the Nation, we honor them this week, and we thank them for everything they do to protect our families, neighbors, and our communities.

Mr. Speaker, for months we have been hard at work crafting the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

I am so excited that we are finally here to pass this critical piece of legislation that includes so many wins for my district back home in west Michigan.

This bill is innovative, it is collaborative, and it is essential. We are moving air travel forward. I thank Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and all of the Members who came together to unanimously pass this bill out of committee.

Michigan's Third is home to Gerald R. Ford International Airport and a number of other incredible airports.

GRR is one of the busiest airports in the Nation, but its growth is being inhibited by an air traffic control tower which doesn't meet security standards or operational necessities found in newer towers. Yet, it has consistently been passed over for replacement by the FAA.

My bill includes a provision directing the FAA to specifically consider older towers at airports, like GRR and others, when selecting projects for replacement and increasing transparency around the process used when deciding which towers need to be upgraded.

Mr. Speaker, I have a lot to say about this airport.

This will help GRR and other airports forge a path forward to meet the needs of the region.

I thank the chair and ranking member again for working with me, and I urge passage of this bill for my local airport, our workers, and travelers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for holding this really important hearing during National Small Business Week.

Mr. Speaker, 99.6 percent, that is the number of businesses in Michigan that are considered small businesses. That is nearly 1 million small businesses that call our State home.

As diverse as these businesses are, there is one thing that binds them all together. These small business owners consistently tell me that access to capital is the number one thing that they need and rely on to keep their doors open.

This is especially true for our small businesses in low-income and rural communities.

That is why this bipartisan bill with my colleague, Dan Meuser, the Investing in All of America Act, is so important.

It will build on the success of the Small Business Investment Companies program to ensure that more capital can reach the small businesses that need it most. Our legislation will incentivize deployment of additional capital by changing how investments are counted against the SBIC's leverage cap. In doing so, small businesses will be able to access more capital than before, especially those in underserved communities, and, as my colleague noted, without costing the taxpayers additional dollars.

Recent studies have shown that less than 20 percent of SBIC funds reach low-income and rural communities. That disparity is unacceptable, and if we pass this bill we can change this statistic. It is incumbent on this body to invest in the people who are investing in our communities.

I am known to say back home that we are bringing boring back to Congress. That is what I set out to do every time I come here. Oftentimes, this body is not known for that, but it is essential that we do this type of bipartisan, unglamorous work that corrects errors in our laws that so disproportionately impact the people who need it most.

This bipartisan solution will address an urgent need in every corner of our Nation, and I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication and commitment of my constituent Matthew Vriesman as an educator shaping the lives of high schoolers at East Kentwood High School. As we come to the end of another school year, I would like to commend him for his outstanding contributions to our community as an Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies, AP United States History, and AP World Studies teacher. I would also like to congratulate him for being named the National History Teacher of the Year.

Every year for the past two decades, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has chosen one history teacher out of thousands across the nation for this prestigious award. The institute's selection committee chose Mr. Vriesman in recognition of his extraordinary ability to tell history through the lens of his community while also cultivating students' passions for storytelling, learning, and American history. It was an honor to celebrate this recognition by inviting Mr. Vriesman as my guest to the 2024 State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C.

Matthew Vriesman serves as an inspiration to us all, particularly in West Michigan. He has gone above and beyond by working with the Grand Rapids Museum to teach students through historical archives, primary source documents, and a historical virtual tour of the area that he helped create. He has also emphasized teaching about the Great Migration from the perspective of Black migrants to Grand Rapids. I admire his efforts to make American history accessible to all students, especially those from underserved communities. On behalf of myself and West Michigan, I applaud Matthew Vriesman for the impact his leadership has had on the student population and community as he strives to ensure our students' historical education is reflective of the accuracy and fullness of our Nation's history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Shane Fairfield, an incredible leader and educator from Michigan's Third Congressional District. I commend Shane Fairfield for his dedication and commitment to his players on the Muskegon High School football team. I would also like to congratulate him for being named the 2023 Detroit Lions High School Football Coach of the Year. His approach to coaching is inspiring and sets a wonderful example of what being an educator should look like.

The Detroit Lions Coach of the Year program selects its recipient from the large number of high school football coaches across Michigan. Due to the success of Coach Fairfield, Muskegon High School will receive a $3,000 grant from the Detroit Lions and NFL Foundation. There is no doubt that Coach Fairfield is more than deserving of this recognition; he has secured a record of 154-29 as Muskegon's head coach during his 14 years of leadership to the team.

Beyond collecting an impressive number of wins, Coach Fairfield has also dedicated his life to mentoring his players. Fairfield strives to serve as a role model and shape players' successes both on and off the field. His commitment to improving these young people's physical, mental, and emotional health has enacted long-lasting benefits in their lives. On behalf of myself and our proud West Michigan community, I applaud Shane Fairfield for the impact his leadership has had on the Muskegon student population and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible work of Jaylynne Calderon-Monterroso from Michigan's Third Congressional District. Jaylynne, a senior at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy, is one of 750 high school students from across the country to receive the prestigious Gates Scholarship, which fully covers all educational expenses throughout recipients' undergraduate careers. This highly selective scholarship is awarded to minority students from low-income households, with 48 states being represented in this year's cohort.

Graduating with a 4.35 grade point average, Jaylynne has been a shining example of academic and merit based excellence for her West Michigan friends and colleagues. Along with being valedictorian and president of the senior executive board for University Preparatory Academy, she has also served on the Mayor's Youth Council and is a member of the National Honor Society.

When asked about Jaylynne, Principal Kenyatta Hill-Hall said, ``I know that she's impacted our community and the Grand Rapids community, but I'm telling people they need to watch out, because this girl is going to impact

this world''. And impact the world, she will. Jaylynne has been a fearless leader and advocate for her fellow students, initiating the creation of a mental health room at her high school that allows students and faculty to have a safe space to de-stress from school.

On behalf of myself and our proud West Michigan community, I applaud Jaylynne for her hard work and cheer her on as she embarks on her college career at the University of Notre Dame, studying pre-law and economics as a first-generation college student. There is no doubt that her future is bright and that she will go on to become an influential changemaker, making West Michigan proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the commitment of my constituent Verla Thomas in getting her father, the late Corporal George Wills of Spring Lake, a Purple Heart medal over 100 years after he was shot and wounded in World War I. I also commend Dr. Chris Petras for his continued research and efforts to help West Michiganders secure such medals from the Army.

Dr. Chris Petras has dedicated much of his time to researching Company F Grand Haven WWI soldiers. His work has led to 20 Purple Hearts being awarded to veterans, a feat that deserves recognition and applause. As a member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 28 Grand Haven, Dr. Petras got his start in 2019 when he sought out to learn more about a significant figure in the post, Charles A. Conklin. After digging through National Archives documents, military documents, and numerous publications, he sent over the information he found for review to the U.S. Army who then affirmed Conklin's eligibility for the Purple Heart. Dr. Chris Petras' determination in ensuring these soldiers are recognized for their sacrifice and service is truly admirable.

I had the great honor of working alongside Dr. Petras to help Verla Thomas acquire the posthumous Purple Heart medal and WWI Victory medal for her father's service. Several members of the military, veterans, and local residents attended the award ceremony in honor of her father's legacy. It was a truly touching moment to present Verla with these awards. She serves as an inspiration for my team and our district as we seek to give others the recognition they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the excellence of Grand River Preparatory, a High School of Michigan's Third Congressional District. I commend the faculty at this high school for their dedication, perseverance, and performance. They were recently awarded with the 2023 AP Honor Roll Platinum Award and the 2023 AP Access Award for their ability to go above and beyond in making college preparatory resources accessible to students.

These awards are given to schools in which the percentage of underrepresented and low-income students involved with the school's AP Program is the same or greater than the percentage of underrepresented students in the school's graduating class. In 2023, over 4,000 schools participated in the consideration of this award. On behalf of myself and our West Michigan community, I applaud Grand River Preparatory for becoming the only high school in Michigan to achieve this major accomplishment.

The Grand River Preparatory High School has been a constant example of excellence by outperforming peers in surrounding schools by 3.5 months each year, according to research done by Stanford University. The school's teachers, students and employees have worked tirelessly to assure that all students can pursue their dreams in an equitable way.

Mr. Speaker, once more I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Grand River Preparatory High School. There is no doubt that these young students have a prosperous future ahead of them.