Lisa C. McClain

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Dan Casey for 15 years of dedicated service to St. Clair County as the leader of the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County.

Mr. Casey joined the EDA as CEO in 2011 after previously serving in economic development roles with the cities of Southfield and Rochester Hills. He truly built a career defined by strengthening Michigan communities and creating opportunities for businesses and residents.

During his tenure with the EDA, Mr. Casey helped guide St. Clair County through significant economic challenges, including the recovery from the 2009 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, the EDA helped attract the Magna Electric Vehicle Solutions project to the long-vacant St. Clair Industrial Park, strengthen local downtowns, and support entrepreneurs through small business programs.

After 15 years with the EDA, Mr. Casey retired as CEO on September 1, 2026. While he has stepped away from his position, he plans to remain active in the community through board service and devote more time to writing.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dan Casey for his service to St. Clair County. I am proud to honor his dedication to economic development, small businesses, and the communities he has worked to strengthen throughout his career, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc. of Port Huron, Michigan, as it celebrates 20 years of excellence in manufacturing and heat treatment services.

For two decades, ALD Thermal Treatment has been an important part of Port Huron's manufacturing community. Since opening its doors, its Port Huron facility has processed more than 500 million parts, with not a single one returned from the field--a remarkable record and a testament to its quality and precision.

Its standard of excellence has earned the General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award in 11 of the past 12 years, including becoming the first heat treatment services company to receive the award in 2014.

ALD Thermal Treatment also invests in the next generation of Michigan manufacturers by hosting Manufacturing Day events for high school students and offering internships to students studying materials science and metallurgy. Several employees have been with the company since it opened 20 years ago, reflecting the strong workplace culture that has helped make the company successful.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating ALD Thermal Treatment, Inc. on its 20th anniversary. I am proud to recognize its commitment to quality, safety, and Michigan manufacturing, and I wish them continued success for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 10167, the Common Cents Act.

This is a straightforward bill that does one commonsense thing: It stops the Federal Government from losing money on a coin that almost no one uses.

Every penny we mint costs taxpayers nearly 4 cents to make and distribute--4 cents to make just one penny. In this single year, that absurd math cost the taxpayers more than $85 million.

As a businesswoman, I can tell you no businessowner in my district would spend $4 to make $1, but that is exactly how Washington has run with the penny. It doesn't make sense.

President Trump saw the waste, and then he acted. Last November, the Mint struck the final penny. This bill writes that decision into law so no future administration can turn the presses back on.

The Mint projects $56 million in savings in just 1 year. Let me be clear: Nobody is taking away pennies you already have. The penny in your pocket, the coin sitting in your jar on the counter, that all stays as legal tender.

I introduced this bill with Congressman Robert Garcia. It is not radical. It is bipartisan. It is common sense.

Republicans and Democrats don't often agree on much in this town, but I do think we agree on this: We shouldn't be wasting $85 million a year by keeping to mint pennies.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to modernize our currency, cut the waste, and bring a little common sense back to Washington. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, for the reasons I explained earlier, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.