Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Akron Brass Company, an organization formed on December 26, 1918 to produce couplings for the rubber lined fire hose market. Starting in Akron, Ohio, it relocated to Wooster, Ohio in 1920 and by the mid 1920's expanded its product offering to include not only hose couplings and mill supplies, but fire department equipment as well.

Over the past 100 years, the Akron Brass Company has enjoyed a long and storied journey of quality, service, and growth. Their priority has been developing products you trust to protect property and lives. The company has patented hundreds of products over the years and employed generations of hard working employees, with strong values, dedicated to meeting the needs of the fire service. Today, Akron Brass is a customer-driven, global manufacturer of fire fighting and emergency response equipment committed to moving the fire industry forward. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize an organization that has and continues to develop innovations that increase job safety and efficiency.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Ohio Contractors Association, an organization of more than 500 members involved in Ohio's heavy, highway and utility industry, which turned 100 years on October 10, 2018. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, OCA is a recognized voice for needed transportation funding, rational regulatory and legislative accountability, workforce development, improving construction practices and relationship building within the industry.

While OCA has grown in membership, its mission, although expanded, can be traced to its origin when 50 contractors across the state signed an agreement to form the association. The first meeting of the ``Ohio Road Contractors' Association'' was October 10, 1918 in Columbus, Ohio. That initial meeting not only adopted a resolution to drop ``Road'' from its name and become the Ohio Contractors Association, it also created and individually voted upon the acceptances of 10 sections of its constitution.

Today, more than 200 Contractor Members and 300 Associate Members provide support, unity and leadership to Ohio's heavy, highway and utility industry. OCA maintains its statewide relevance through its nine, Ohio local chapters. Chapter events in combination with statewide committees, events and publications assure that members have the opportunity to provide input and interact with OCA staff so the association remains aware of the issues and concerns of its members and can represent them in a meaningful way. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize an organization that has and continues to lead the heavy- highway and utility construction industry in Ohio

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation which includes my bipartisan bill, the Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act.

The opioid epidemic has hit my home State of Ohio particularly hard, with thousands of Ohioans dying from drug overdoses every year.

This bill will make it easier for Medicare Advantage Part D drug plans, and HHS to combat fraud, waste, and abuse and prevent the overprescribing of opioids to vulnerable seniors.

I would like to thank members of this conference committee as well as their staff for including my bill in this package and for their hard work to pass legislation to address the opioid epidemic.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my good friend Representative Mike Kelly's H.R. 6757, the Family Savings Act.

Mr. Kelly and I have been champions of helping more Americans gain access to retirement savings since coming to Congress in 2011, and I am proud of the bill before us today. Included in this legislation is the bipartisan Retirement Security for American Workers Act that I introduced along with my friends Representatives Buchanan, Neal, and Kind for the past two Congresses.

Unfortunately, there are still too many Americans who do not have access to a retirement savings plan through their employer. In fact, nearly a third of the private-sector workforce lacks access to an employer-sponsored plan, with even less Americans having access if they work for a small business.

Not having access to an employer-sponsored plan significantly increases the chances that an individual fails to put aside money for retirement. For many Americans, this means that they are vastly unprepared to retire comfortably.

From an employer's perspective, not being able to offer a retirement plan makes it much more difficult to recruit and retain employees.

I heard from CBIZ, a financial services and business consulting company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that too often small businesses want to provide retirement plans to their employees but that the cost and administrative burden are significant roadblocks when making this decision. That is why it is important that Congress act to remove some of the red tape under current law that makes it difficult for business owners to provide retirement savings.

The Retirement Security for American Workers Act that is included in this bill before us today will help do just that. This provision will allow two or more companies that may be in the same industry to join together in order to offer either a defined contribution retirement plan or an IRA, often referred to as open multiple employer plans.

Under current law and Department of Labor interpretation, employers who do not have a nexus are not able to ban together and provide a pooled retirement plan. By eliminating this Department of Labor requirement, this bill will allow more companies to provide retirement plans by allowing businesses--especially small businesses--to take advantage of cost and administrative efficiencies that often prevent businesses from offering a 401(k).

Additionally, the open MEP's language in the bill will provide relief from the one bad apple rule that punishes all employees in a pooled retirement plan if just one employer fails to meet requirements. This legislation will incentivize more businesses to join together and provide retirement plans to their employees.

These commonsense proposals, along with the other provisions within the Family Savings Act, will unlock the opportunity for more persons to save for their future.

I thank my friend, Mr. Kelly, for his leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor today. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 400, and YEA on Roll Call No. 401.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5895 provides critical funding for a number of Northeast Ohio priorities. Specifically, it appropriates money for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, addreses the Dept. of Veterans Affairs claims backlog, and funds the bipartisan VA MISSION Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 397; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 398; and ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 399.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 394; yea on Roll Call No. 395; and yea on Roll Call No. 396.

Mr. Speaker, due to inclement weather, I was unable to attend this vote series. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 329 and Yea on Roll Call No. 330.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bipartisan amendment with Mr. Polis, Mr. King, and Mr. Ruiz.

As a former volunteer firefighter, maintaining adequate funding for the volunteer fire assistance program is of particular importance to me. First responders are pillars of our community, and it has been a privilege of mine to advocate for them in Congress.

This program provides financial and technical assistance through grants to rural communities of less than 10,000 people that are matched by the community or State on a 50-50 basis. Grant funding for this program can be used to obtain and repair equipment and improve fire protection capabilities.

Ever more striking is that many of these rural fire departments often rely on volunteers. In fact, 70 percent of all firefighters are volunteers, over half of whom are found in rural communities.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to provide these brave men and women the funds they need to adequately combat wildfires and protect our communities and treasured American landscape.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, this amendment would reallocate $2 million to the Interior's volunteer fire assistance program with six to eight volunteer firefighters.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for H.R. 1861, the Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Over the last 2 years, my good friend and colleague, Representative Bill Pascrell, and I have had the privilege of sharing the inspirational story of Larry Doby with our friends and colleagues in the House of Representatives. Through those conversations, more than 290 Members of the House agreed that Larry Doby deserved to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award that Congress can award.

Larry Doby's legacy is one known well to northeast Ohio and to Clevelanders, but it is one that is often overshadowed by the great Jackie Robinson. Doby himself was a pioneer in the civil rights movement, breaking the color barrier in professional sports, and becoming the first African American to play in the American League.

As the Baseball Hall of Fame states, Doby suffered the same indignities as Jackie Robinson, but his struggles did not get the media attention Robinson received. Whether it was being forced to stay in separate hotels or eat in separate restaurants on the road or not being accepted by some of his teammates, Doby persevered. In fact, Doby broke the color barrier in the American League just 3 months after Jackie Robinson made his major league debut.

During his professional career, he became the first African American to hit a home run in the World Series, helping lead the Cleveland Indians to the 1948 World Series championship. He appeared in seven all-star games and went on to become only the second African American to become a manager prior to being inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Upon his number being retired by the Cleveland Indians, the great Hank Aaron said to Doby: ``I want to thank you for all that you went through, because if it had not been for you, I wouldn't have been able to have the career that I had.''

In addition to that, though, his storied baseball career, Doby also served in the United States Navy during World War II. In fact, Larry Doby took time away from professional sports in order to serve his country, eventually being stationed in the Pacific theater. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1946.

Larry Doby led a humble yet courageous life. His achievements in helping break the color barrier in professional sports make him worthy of the highest civilian award that Congress can offer.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1861, the Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act. Again, I want to thank all of my colleagues who supported this legislation and helped make this day possible. I especially want to thank my great friend, Mr. Pascrell, for his dedication to recognizing Larry Doby with the Congressional Gold Medal.

I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, due to inclement weather, I was unable to attend votes. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 269; YEA on Roll Call No. 270; and NAY on Roll Call No. 271.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5773, which includes a bill I introduced called the Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act.

My home state of Ohio has been at the center of the opioid epidemic for years. Too many Ohio families have had their lives shattered by this crisis. The most recent statistics show that nearly 5,200 people died from an opioid overdose in 2017. In my district, multiple counties have seen sharp increases in overdoses and their largest number of annual deaths ever. While Ohio is only the 7th largest state by population, it ranks second in opioid deaths per-capita.

Unlike other drug epidemics, the opioid epidemic is well-known for its prevalence among older populations. This should be no surprise. In fact, one out of every three Medicare beneficiaries is prescribed opioids each year, and 500,000 beneficiaries were prescribed amounts that are considered dangerous according to the CDC. I find it deeply troubling that a program meant to help seniors with their medications may be an avenue to addiction for some.

My bipartisan bill would create an online information-sharing system through which the Medicare program can partner with Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans to identify cases in which seniors are being overprescribed and providers are engaging in fraud, waste, and abuse. Currently, neither of these parties knows exactly what the others are doing, which hampers each's ability to adequately address the opioid epidemic and issues related to overprescribing and drug diversion.

By strengthening the partnerships between these actors and requiring information from plan sponsors on the actions they take against providers who are overprescribing or engaging in fraud and abuse, we will be better poised to prevent addiction among America's seniors.

On behalf of the more than 7,000 Ohioans who have died of prescription opioid overdoses since 2006, and the hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries being overprescribed today, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 5773 and help us combat this devastating epidemic.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of life's work of Michael K. Baach of Medina, Ohio and to extend my heartfelt congratulations on his retirement in June, 2018.

Mike Baach has played an important role as the President and CEO of Philpott Rubber and Plastics Company since August, 2009. Founded in northeast Ohio in 1889 and headquartered in Medina, Ohio, Philpott is a leading provider of custom molded rubber and plastic parts, standard polymeric products, and quality adhesives to the industrial market sector. Mike is the team leader of a workforce of dedicated professionals, more than 1,000 strong, whose combined productivity generates revenue exceeding $70 million annually. By any measure, Mike's leadership, business acumen, professionalism are the gold standard we should all hope to emulate. What is more, Mike embodies these values with humility and a strong sense of deeply held core values. Mike, as I can personally attest, is both friend as well as a mentor to many.

Before his time at Philpott, Mike was a Co-Founder of Corpro, initially in Houston, Texas and then later in Medina, Ohio. Mike also worked as a sales manager at Harco Corporation, also in Houston and Medina. At each stage of his career, Mike has worked hard and added value for both to the customers he served as well as the companies for which he

worked. Mike is the author of five patents, again, bringing leadership, value and innovation to the business community.

Mike has also contributed to his community through his service on many boards in Medina County, in so doing, he has touched the lives of many in his community. I'm sure the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce, Hospice of Medina County, Southwest General Health Center and Blue Coats of Medina County will all agree with me that Mike Baach has made his home, Medina County, a better place to live for all its citizens through his tireless devotion and service. It is the considered opinion of many that Mike's wisdom, compassion and integrity define his character. Medina County, and indeed, the State of Ohio and the Nation itself are better places because of Mike Baach's presence and contributions.

The 115th Congress acknowledges the many achievements of Mike Baach. I thank him for his friendship and wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor and automobile dealer myself, I would have proudly supported S.J. Res. 57. I am pleased to see this bipartisan legislation pass the House and head to the President's desk.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 169; YEA on Roll Call No. 170; YEA on Roll Call No. 171; and YEA on Roll Call No. 172.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the dedicated service of George M. Smart, Director of FirstEnergy Corp. Under Mr. Smart's leadership, Summit County, Ohio has directly benefited from FirstEnergy's growth and success.

Mr. Smart is currently a trustee at his alma mater, Defiance College, where he was an undefeated quarterback for the Defiance College Yellow Jackets. Now, Mr. Smart devotes his time and resources to the success of athletic programs at Defiance, through the George M. Smart Athletic Center, which opened in 2012. Mr. Smart's lifelong loyalty to the Cleveland Browns, from the victorious ``Kardiac Kids'' in the 1980s, to the challenges of rebuilding the franchise today, serves as an inspiration to NFL fans everywhere. In 2006, the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) inducted Mr. Smart into its Hall of Excellence, thereby honoring George for his service to Defiance College, as well as his impact on society through professional achievement, leadership and scholarship.

I am especially proud of the George and Sandy Smart Family Foundation, whose mission it is to help the needy and spread the word of the gospel in the Medina and Canton, Ohio area. Additionally, the Foundation sponsors children at churches in Ecuador, which the Foundation established.

FirstEnergy experienced significant growth during the period Mr. Smart served as Director, growing from Ohio Edison with 1 million customers, to having 6 million customers in six states. Mr. Smart is concluding his service to shareholders as Director of FirstEnergy Corp. on May 15, 2018. Throughout his life, Mr. Smart has been a respected business leader, while maintaining multiple leadership positions with civic and charitable organizations in the region.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to extend my congratulations and well wishes to George for his many years of dedicated service as a Director of FirstEnergy Corp., his support of Defiance College and the OFIC, and the George and Sandy Smart Family Foundation's ongoing philanthropic efforts. While Mr. Smart served as chairman of its Board, FirstEnergy remained committed to the long-term prosperity and vitality of Summit County. His work has been critical in supporting economic development efforts that created jobs, sustained local suppliers and attracted new businesses to the 16th District of Ohio.