Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, in the world of sport, my favorite discipline has always been women's Olympic figure skating. I have to share I still remember way back in the 1990s when I was crestfallen and felt betrayed to see the sport reduced in stature after U.S. figure skating champion Nancy Kerrigan had physical harm perpetrated against her by an opponent on the U.S. team.

As a young woman, I was perplexed and shocked and, frankly, have never fully accommodated that horrific incident that tarnished the reputation and standing of the Olympics itself.

As a lifelong citizen of Ohio, the dean of Ohio's congressional delegation, and a grateful graduate of the University of Michigan, today, as well, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to speak out on a recent degradation of worth in Big Ten football.

I shuddered this past Saturday at the Michigan-Ohio State football game when after the game itself a fracas developed on the field with the largest viewing audience of the year. It should have been a moment of sterling sportsmanship and national pride. Instead, it devolved into adolescent chaos.

Ohio's and Michigan's traditional rivalry, and it is strong, should have elevated our Nation to its best. In past decades and generations it has.

The best among us in sport often rose to higher purpose in life. Gerald Ford, from Grands Rapids, Michigan, served as captain of the University of Michigan football team. He later became President of the United States.

Even earlier, during the difficult decades of World War II, Jesse Owens of Cleveland, Ohio, who had been the finest runner ever on the Ohio State track team, led America's Olympic team to Berlin, Germany. When he entered that stadium carrying our flag, fascist dictator Adolf Hitler, who was sitting in the stands, turned his back on Jesse Owens, the greatest male runner in American history.

It appears last weekend's lack of sportsmanship was not just an occurrence in the Ohio State-Michigan game. There also have been brawls between Florida and Florida State, North Carolina State and University of North Carolina, and Arizona State and the University of Arizona.

Is this sport?

America is watching. Our children are watching.

The Big Ten Conference quickly and justly fined both teams $100,000. That is not much in that world.

That was a useful but small gesture. The universities and athletic organizations must investigate and disclose those who initiated these violations of sportsmanship and set standards of play.

They must stop these abuses and must issue full, formal apologies to the people of our Nation for disgracing America's finest traditions. This moment must become a turning point and recommitment to the values that good sportsmanship should teach us: respect, cooperation and team spirit, physical and mental discipline, and, yes, good times too.

This is about more than football games or storied rivalries. Sport is about setting an American standard on the field and in the classroom. Winning isn't everything, but, as we know, living a life with honor, integrity, and respect for others is.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to an extraordinary leader and advocate for our Nation's youth, David Wehrmeister of Toledo, Ohio. David passed away recently after a courageous battle with cancer.

For over 50 years, a half a century and more, David devoted his life to empowering children and enriching our community through his work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo. He was phenomenal.

His journey began at the South Toledo Boys Club at just 10 years old and blossomed into a career of unmatched fatherly dedication.

Later, as executive director for two decades, David championed countless initiatives, including partnerships of the clubs with Toledo Public Schools, ensuring all students had access to vital resources and joyful opportunities.

He also played a key role in forging creative partnerships with local organizations like the YMCA, the Toledo Museum of Art, MetroParks, and the Toledo Zoo.

Above all, David was a devoted family man, a loving husband to Lisa, and

a dedicated father to Adam, Nathan, and Anna. His legacy will endure through the literally thousands of lives he inspired in Toledo and beyond in the critical formative years that children need.

David Wehrmeister's life exemplifies the best of service to your fellow men and women, building a brighter future one child at a time. That was David.

Mr. Speaker, Ohio citizens right now are represented by unconstitutionally

gerrymandered state lawmakers. The politicians in the General Assembly in Columbus are occupying unconstitutionally gerrymandered seats. This is not a matter of opinion. It was adjudicated in the state's highest court five times in 2021 and 2022.

After those decisions, an anti-abortion lobbyist sued to force Ohio to use the unconstitutional maps in 2022, but the federal court never declared the maps were constitutional. It never said the maps were not gerrymandered. It just said that Ohioans had to use them. So, in 2022, Ohio politicians refused to produce fair maps, and then a split federal court forced Ohio voters to use the gerrymandered ones.

Several of the Ohio politicians tooling around the state to campaign against redistricting reform this fall are the very same politicians who produced unconstitutionally gerrymandered maps over and over again in 2021 and 2022.

They insisted on them, and never allowed anything else, and ran out the clock to force Ohio voters to vote under them in November 2022, and to suffer them in 2023 and 2024--to suffer them as we speak.

Gerrymandering is cheating: Politicians pick their own voters and draw their own districts in a way that guarantees themselves victory.

Often, the most extreme candidates win in primaries by appealing to the radical base. Gerrymandering guarantees those same extreme candidates victories in November so they can then waltz into office without ever experiencing a competitive general election.

This means that only a handful of races are anywhere close to competitive each November, and the vast majority of races are determined in partisan primaries each spring.

For instance, Ohio will decide 116 elections in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate this Nov. 5.

Six of them are actually competitive. Total.

Two in the Senate, four in the House. The rest are predictable.

Six competitive races out of 116.

That's gerrymandering.

Meanwhile, a recent Baldwin Wallace University poll showed Ohioans have a net satisfaction with the state legislature of -34 points.

This summer, more than 535,000 Ohio citizens submitted petition signatures to put anti-gerrymandering reform on the ballot this November.

Issue 1 seeks to remove politicians from the map-making process in favor of a citizens commission.

Under Issue 1, the current Ohio Redistricting Commission made up of politicians would be replaced by a citizens commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats, and five independent commissioners.

Ohioans previously passed constitutional amendments to ban gerrymandering in 2015 and 2018 but those reforms, which were put on the ballot in compromises with lawmakers, left politicians and lawmakers in control.

In 2018, the politicians campaigned against gerrymandering, but after they won election they refused to honor the amendments. In 2021 and 2022, they forced gerrymandering on Ohio anyway.

If you average Ohio's statewide partisan elections over the last 10 cycles, including 2022, Ohio is a 56-43 Republican-to-Democratic state. But after 2022, the Ohio House has 67 Republicans and 32 Democrats. In the Ohio Senate, 26 seats are Republican while seven are Democratic. Of Ohio's 15 U.S. Congressional seats, 10 are held by Republicans and five held by Democrats.

This means that even though Republicans represent 56 percent of voters in Ohio on average, they control 66 percent of the state's U.S. Congressional seats, 67 percent of the Ohio House, and 79 percent of the Ohio Senate.

This is the gerrymandering that was forced by politicians on Ohio voters in 2022, despite a total of seven bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court rulings against the Statehouse and Congressional district maps as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

This November, Ohio voters will decide. They will decide what gerrymandering is and what it isn't. Ohio voters will decide if politicians should be left in charge of redistricting, or if the politicians should be kicked out of the process in favor of a citizens commission.

To make that decision, voters deserve facts and context, not lies and gaslighting.

In service to that, the Ohio Capital Journal Voter Guide explains the Ohio Issue 1 proposal here.

I have also assembled below for your edification and amusement, a timeline: A brief, awful history of the very recent past when it comes to Ohio gerrymandering.

How we got here:

2011: Ohio Republicans create some of the most gerrymandered maps in the nation in a downtown Columbus secret hotel room ``bunker,'' ensuring them 10 years of supermajority control over the Ohio legislature that continues to this day. Also over the following 10 election cycles under the 2011 maps, not one U.S. Congressional district would change hands between parties.

2015: Ohio voters pass anti-gerrymandering reform for Statehouse districts with more than 71 percent of the vote, but the reforms leave politicians in charge of drawing the districts.

2018: Ohio voters pass anti-gerrymandering reform for U.S. Congressional districts with nearly 75 percent of the vote, but again, the reforms leave politicians in charge of drawing the districts.

2018: Republicans win the governor's office, the secretary of state's office, and the auditor's office, giving them 5-2 control over the Ohio Redistricting Commission that also includes a lawmaker from each party from each chamber in the legislature.

2020: The U.S. Census Bureau conducts its 10-year census, spurring another round of redistricting in 2021.

2021-2022: A bipartisan majority on the Ohio Supreme Court rejects Republican-drawn Statehouse district maps as unconstitutionally gerrymandered five times.

As a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, Gov. Mike DeWine goes along with the Republican legislative leaders' gerrymandering. Also as a member of the commission, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose goes along with the gerrymandering as well, after campaigning in 2018 telling the nation he was against gerrymandering, and after, as a member of the redistricting commission, calling the maps ``asinine'' and texting his chief of staff, ``I should vote no,'' before ultimately voting yes, repeatedly.

Also 2021-2022: A bipartisan majority on the Ohio Supreme Court rejects Republican-drawn U.S. Congressional district maps as unconstitutionally gerrymandered two times.

2021: Ohio Republican lawmakers add party labels to Ohio Supreme Court races.

2022: Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission refuse to follow the bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court's order to draw districts that aren't gerrymandered, thereby running out the clock after an anti- abortion lobbyist files a lawsuit in federal court to force Ohio voters to use the gerrymandered maps. Two Trump-appointed judges agree to force Ohio voters to vote under unconstitutionally gerrymandered maps.

Also 2022: Swing-vote Republican Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor is forced by law to retire due to age. As she ruled against Republican gerrymandering, there were discussions by Republicans about possibly impeaching O'Connor.

Also 2022: Ohioans are forced to vote under unconstitutionally gerrymandered maps to elect our current 135th General Assembly (``serving'' 2023 and 2024). Republicans increase their gerrymandered supermajorities in both chambers. They also win ideological control over the Ohio Supreme Court, so while their majority remains 4-3, there is no longer any bipartisan swing vote on the issue of gerrymandering.

Also 2022: A coalition of advocates start planning further redistricting reform.

Shortly thereafter, Secretary of State LaRose and Republican state Rep. Brian Stewart announce a proposal to raise the threshold in Ohio for passing constitutional amendments from 50 percent to 60 percent.

LaRose denies that the proposal is connected to abortion or gerrymandering, but in a memo Stewart writes to his colleagues, he lists only two reasons for them to support his proposal: stopping the abortion rights amendment and stopping any further anti-gerrymandering reform in Ohio.

January 2023: Ohio's unconstitutionally gerrymandered legislature takes their seats.

Also 2023: Ohio Republicans enact one of the most restrictive voter laws in the country. They also eliminate August elections. They make a play to put the 60 percent amendment threshold on the May ballot in Ohio, but fail. Later, they bring back a special August election to put the 60 percent proposal to voters. DeWine supports the proposal. Meanwhile, the Ohio reproductive rights proposal qualifies for the November ballot. DeWine is against it.

Summer 2023: Secretary of State LaRose and the anti-abortion lobbyist who sued to force gerrymandered districts on Ohio voters campaign together to try to convince voters to accept the 60 percent threshold proposal.

August 2023: 57 percent of Ohio voters reject the proposal.

Later that same month, a group called Citizens Not Politicians is formed to put forward a new anti-gerrymandering amendment proposal that would remove politicians from the process of drawing districts and replace them with a citizen-led commission.

Retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justice O'Connor and former Democratic Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown join together to spearhead the effort. They make plans to put the amendment ballot proposal before voters in November 2024.

Also August 2023: As chair of the Ohio Ballot Board, Secretary of State LaRose, who opposes the Ohio reproductive rights amendment, uses his official position to write a ballot summary for the amendment that uses loaded language against the amendment.

September 2023: The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously passes maps to be used in the 2024 Election, which Democrats say they agreed to because they say Republicans would have passed even more gerrymandered maps that would've likely been approved by the new Republican majority Ohio Supreme Court without O'Connor on it as a swing vote.

October 2023: The Citizens Not Politicians amendment petition is cleared as ``fair and truthful'' to begin collecting signatures.

November 2023: 57 percent of Ohio voters pass the state's new reproductive rights amendment. Moreover, 57 percent pass a new law for adult-use recreational marijuana.

July 2024: Citizens Not Politicians submits petition signatures, and 535,000 signatures are certified, putting Issue 1 redistricting reform on the November 2024 ballot.

August 2024: As chair of the Ohio Ballot Board, Secretary of State LaRose, who opposes the Issue 1 anti-gerrymandering amendment, uses his official position to write a ballot summary for the amendment that uses loaded language against the amendment.

Oct. 8, 2024: Early voting begins in Ohio.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday, to recognize the invaluable efforts of the United Way of Greater Toledo to address hunger during this holiday season.

In Lucas, Wood, and Ottawa Counties, 40 percent of hardworking Iowans are at risk of not having enough to eat.

This reality highlights the critical importance of community-driven initiatives. Partnering with multiple nonprofit organizations, the United for the Holidays program brings the northwest Ohio community together to create more than 500 holiday boxes filled with 2 weeks' worth of food for families in need.

Not only are these volunteers delivering food but also hope and dignity to our neighbors in a season of giving and a time of need due to high food prices.

We are all committed to fighting hunger year round, and I am honored to keep fighting for laws that expand access to school meals and food coupons for our seniors in our summer fruit and vegetable programs and emergency food support across our communities. No family should face an empty table in the United States of America.

The majority party must move the long-delayed farm bill forward in order that our people can eat. We must build strong support systems to ensure that every Iowan has access to nutritious, reliable meals. Again, I thank the United Way of Greater Toledo for leading the way with love, for this vital effort at this season of Thanksgiving.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I really want to thank him, first of all, for his FAIR MAPS Act.

Ohio is the poster child for unfair maps. If you look at a State that voted twice for President-elect Trump and twice for President Obama, you would think that, for example, if the State has 15 Members, that it would be 8 and 7, you would sort of try to divide it equally because of 15 Members of Congress from Ohio and what is fair is fair.

What has happened in Ohio, because of a veto-proof legislature, due to gerrymandering in Ohio, in both chambers, what happens is that out of 15 seats, our side of the aisle, in Columbus, what they did down there, we have only 5 Democrats out of 15, only 33 percent, not 50 percent out of the 15. To be fair, if you have 15 seats, maybe it should be 8 and 7, you know, but to give us equal voice based on the public's right to full representation. Ohio is really the poster child for radical gerrymandering.

Recently, the polls showed that three-quarters of the people of Ohio wanted reform, and they wanted to set up a special independent commission to draw the districts in Ohio. The vast majority of people wanted change.

What happened? In Ohio, that issue was put on the ballot, but the secretary of state, who has been part of this veto-proof, one-party rule in Ohio that has become corrupt actually--Ohio is an extremely corrupt State right now, I am sad to say. People have gone to prison and more will go to prison because absolute power corrupts absolutely, including in gerrymandering.

There was this initiative that was placed on the ballot that the people voted to put on the ballot, but what did the secretary of state and attorney general in Ohio do? They wrote a gerrymandering proposition that was placed on the ballot that took up 3 pages. When the people went in to vote, just reading that, on these computers that we vote on now, took so much effort, the measure failed by a small margin because they were afraid. They didn't know what it was exactly, and it was made so complicated. Study Ohio as a classic case of hurting the people and not giving fair representation.

I just wanted to place that on the record so that those who are listening across this Chamber, across the intelligent media in our country, and the people of Ohio could hear this because they are not being represented fairly, and voices are being suppressed. That really goes against the very principle of one person, one vote and one person, one mind, to be able to have all of those views properly reflected.

I thank the Congressman for introducing the FAIR MAPS Act and focusing on this really critical matter of a democratic voice for the people of the United States of America. I can't compliment him enough. I am proud of his work and thank him for doing this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with a very grateful, but heavy heart, along with all of our Ohio colleagues and those beyond Ohio as we honor the life and memory of our distinguished and affable former Ohio colleague, Congressman David Hobson.

Dave passed away on the 6th of October, 2024, having served in our people's House from 1991 to 2009, but he first sharpened his spurs in the Ohio Senate serving from 1982 to 1991. Dave was a true patriot, and a fine public servant first.

His lifetime of service to the people of greater Springfield and Ohio was marked by results and perseverance. Dave was a practical and visionary leader dedicated to accomplishing tangible results throughout his decades of generous public service. To his colleagues, he was a personal friend whose impact will be felt for generations.

Dave embodied a joy of life and devoted his life to his family and serving America. His 18-year tenure in Congress was marked by his enthusiasm, remarkable perseverance, and relentless commitment to achieve results, including moving the needle forward for

energy independence for our Nation. He understood America's role in the world, as Congressman Turner has referenced.

He rose to significant roles, including ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and chair of the Subcommittee on Military Construction. He distinguished himself with unwavering dedication to the defense and sustainment of our country.

Dave Hobson never forgot his roots in Ohio. What markedly set David apart was his precious ability to work across the aisle. This is a legacy other Members must learn from. He not only valued bipartisanship, he actually thrived on it, and it made his life and our work much more interesting and actually effective. We should look for more ways to find the big middle.

David's achievements from the shores of Normandy to Springfield, Ohio's, betterment are a testament to his profound tenacity, legacy of service, and leadership.

I shall miss his visits, both during when he served and when he retired from here, his generous counsel, his humor, and his knack for identifying new paths forward. He always had a new invention to bring in.

David's wit and humor brought light to our discussions, and his insights were cutting edge. I, along with all our colleagues, will sorely miss his visits, his laughter, and his unceasing efforts to improve the living conditions for all Americans. He lived, I think, by the adage: You attract more butterflies with honey than with vinegar.

Today, we all extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife, Carolyn, his children, Susan, Lynn, and Doug, his family, constituents, and friends.

As we remember Congressman and Chairman David Hobson tonight, let us carry forward his exemplary spirit of service and dedication, and may his soul rest in eternal peace and may his legacy continue to inspire generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, William `Will' John Ostertag was born on March 2, 1996, to parents Stephanie Clemans and Jack Ostertag. He was a chubby baby with the biggest head anyone had ever seen, covered in bright orange hair. Will passed away November 14, 2024, from a sudden cardiac arrest. He was 28 years old. Heartbroken isn't a big enough word.

Will grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School and St. Xavier High School. When Will was two, his brother Thomas came onto the scene. They fought like only siblings that close in age know how to. They supported each other in the same way.

Will was a shy but smiley toddler. He grew into a handsome, confident, and--to his nerdy family's surprise--exceedingly popular high schooler. He was a great tennis player, an Eagle Scout, a UK basketball superfan, and the host of more than a few unauthorized house parties.

After graduating from Miami University, Will spent two years in Indianapolis with the Teach for America program. He earned his master's degree in education while teaching math at a

middle school sorely in need of smart and caring educators. Mr. Ostertag stayed late coaching basketball and track and was a regular feature in the kids' TikToks. In his first year, test scores skyrocketed, with 90% of his students far surpassing the school's average.

Will thought the point of life was to help people. From campaigning with the Montana Democratic Party to working on Capitol Hill, he pursued a better future. Most recently, Will worked as an Investment Strategy Analyst with the Department of Energy. Coworkers say Will's ability to create meaningful relationships with all kinds of people helped send more than $10 billion toward clean energy initiatives.

On Halloween night 2021, Will met a girl at a party. He texted a friend that she was ``perfect.'' Will had always been exceptionally bright, so he knew that this girl was way out of his league. He would have been delighted to know that Zehra was talking to friends too, saying Will was the funniest person she had ever met. At 25, Will had found what some people go their whole lives without--he had fallen in love and was overjoyed to be loved just as deeply in return.

Will would have wanted us to thank Andy Samberg, the other members of The Lonely Island, and the cast and crew of ``Hot Rod,'' for creating the building blocks for his sense of humor and, possibly, his entire personality. Will routinely made friends and family cry from laughter. When he laughed, which was often and easily, he threw his entire head back. He was an enthusiastic and surprisingly coordinated dancer. He checked in on the people he cared about, celebrated others' accomplishments, and always remembered birthdays. His biggest dream was to be a dad--he would have been an amazing one.

Because Will chose to be an organ donor, he will save lives. The people who know him, know this is fitting. Will's family would like to thank the bystanders who tried to save Will's life and all of those who cared for him at MedStar Washington Hospital.

Will is survived by his partner, Zehra Khan; his parents, Stephanie Clemans (Mark French) and Jack Ostertag (Lisa Atwell Tong); his brother, Thomas Ostertag (Kelly Ostertag); stepsisters, Elizabeth and Savanna Tong; his grandmother, Nancy Sandman Ostertag; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Judy Clemans, Joseph Clemans, and Jerome `Jerry' William Ostertag.

Will will be remembered most for the way he made people feel--light and fun, seen and supported, optimistic, engaged, and cared for. Will spent most of his days thinking seriously and meaningfully about how to make this world a betterplace. Unfortunately--incomprehensibly--that task now falls to those who loved him. We'll try to do our best.

We will be celebrating Will's life on Saturday, November 23. A visitation will be held at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at St. Francis of Assisi at 6:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to one of the following organizations:

The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, a DC organization providing comprehensive legal services to those struggling with homelessness: 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, https:// www.legalclinic.org/donate/.

Jacob's Ladder, a Louisville organization providing community and support to people experiencing homelessness: Jacob's Ladder Outreach, P.O. Box 344, Mount Washington, KY 40047, https:// www.jacobsladderlouisville.com/donate.

Horizons at St. Richard's, an Indianapolis program advancing educational equity in the same community where Will taught middle school math: 33 East 33rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 26205, https:// www.horizonsindy.org/donate.

The family also asks that all who read this become CPR or BLS- certified.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to implore my colleagues to immediately move a clean farm bill to the floor, including a disaster supplemental to support American farms, businesses, and rural communities.

Both the House and Senate have released a farm bill. It is long overdue for the Republican leadership to act. The farmers, producers, and growers we serve need certainty from their lawmakers.

Farms are businesses. They must know what to expect. We cannot run out their clock.

Farmers need a plan for the next season now, especially with all the enormous crop losses across the country. What equipment can they afford to buy? Will they get a deduction for it? What will be reference prices for their crops? What will be their insurance rates? Above all, what disaster assistance will exist to recover from both last season's and this season's crop losses?

Look at this chart. Imagine you are an Ohio farmer. Imagine you don't even know what disaster assistance will be available before the next growing season. How can you plan? Farmers need clarity now.

If we don't support our farmers, there will be no food on the table. Congress must pass a farm bill with disaster relief funding now. That will strengthen the farm safety net and the financial well-being of our farmers.

What America makes and grows makes and grows America.

Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise to honor the life of John Harry Crandall, who passed away on October 11 at the age of 86.

A University of Toledo graduate, John began a long career in engineering at R.A. Finch, later joining the

Lucas County Engineer's Office, where he served for more than 30 years. He was instrumental in work on the Millard Overpass, Dussel Drive Interchange, and Veterans Glass City Skyway. He helped rebuild our whole city.

John, simply known as JC to friends and family, was the pragmatic voice of reason. He was never the loudest, but he always knew how to solve problems.

John served as president of both the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District and the Sylvania Metro Hockey Association. He also served on the board of Lourdes University, on the Sylvania School Board, and the Sylvania Township Board of Trustees. What a great American. Sylvania Mayor Craig Stough proclaimed June 18 as John Crandall Day in honor of his life of service.

John was married to the love of his life, Sue, for more than 60 years. They were inseparable until her passing in May of this year.

John is survived by their sons: Bob, Dan, Matt, and Kevin; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson. May John's precious memory always bring them light and comfort.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of former Lucas County commissioner and a dear friend, Sandra ``Sandy'' Isenberg, a trailblazer in northwest Ohio and a shero for our community. Serving as commissioner for 17 years, Sandy was a fierce and dedicated public servant with good humor and a love of people. Her impact will be felt for generations.

She paved the way for women in government when there were few role models, and she held her ground with both strength and grace and with a fierce loyalty to our home county.

She fought tirelessly for the little gal and the little guy, bringing voice and dignity to all corners of our community.

Her relentless work brought help to thousands of people and transformative projects to our community, like Fifth Third Field, the home of the Toledo Mud Hens, a redevelopment beacon for downtown Toledo that she championed.

Personally, I will always remember her wise counsel and humor. She stood shoulder to shoulder with us in every fight that mattered for our working families. Truly, northwest Ohio has lost a true advocate, friend, and formidable force.

Madam Speaker, today, we remember Sandy Isenberg with gratitude, and our community must carry forward her legacy of courage, compassion, and unyielding service.

May our love and gratitude help heal her beloved family, her sister, Barbara; Barbara's husband, Alan; her sons, Michael and Dennis; and her grandchildren, Madison, Morgan, Max, and Maris.

For all of us, Sandy was a rock of strength. Her indomitable spirit accompanies us always.

Madam Speaker, I rise to thank the overwhelming majority of our colleagues who voted to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, necessary bipartisan legislation to ensure retired public servants do not lose out on essential earned Social Security retirement benefits for which they have worked hard.

As a key step forward, the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act eliminates the harmful windfall elimination provision and the government pension offset, which reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for millions of Americans who worked as public servants, including police officers, firefighters, and educators.

The next step is for Congress to fund the financing gap and work in partnership with affected States.

More than 2 million Americans and 165,000 Ohioans are impacted by the windfall provision, and 800,000 nationwide are impacted by the government pension offset.

In a time of severe partisanship, I am pleased to note that 327 Members of the House voted for this bipartisan legislation. Let this be an example of collaboration and working across the aisle to find the big middle.

The House has done our work, and now I urge swift Senate passage so this legislation can be sent to the President's desk to be signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, David Lee Hobson passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio after a brief illness.

Born on October 17, 1936, in Cincinnati to Winton Lee Hobson and Florence Todd Hobson, Dave grew up with his sisters, Martha and Susan. His father worked for the U.S. Postal Service and died when Dave was in the eighth grade. He and his sisters were raised in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati by his mother, an elementary school teacher, and her sister-in-law. He graduated from Withrow High School in Cincinnati, Ohio Wesleyan University and The Ohio State University College of Law.

He met the love of his life, Carolyn, at Ohio Wesleyan and, after marrying on December 20, 1958, they were inseparable throughout their 65 plus years together. Their marriage blessed them with three children whom they raised in Springfield, Ohio.

Dave served in the Air National Guard and was called up to active duty during the Berlin Wall Crisis. In 1965, he moved his family to Springfield, Ohio to work at the Kissell Company and later for several commercial real estate companies in association with Howard Noonan and Martin Levine, who served as mentors throughout his life. He was a member of Rotary International, a 33rd Degree Mason, and remained active in his college fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon--all experiences that instilled in him a compassion to help others and the value of community service.

At the age of 46, Dave brought his business acumen, developed in commercial real estate and his commitment to community involvement to the Ohio Senate where he served for eight years. During his service, his peers elected him to the leadership positions of Majority Whip and President Pro Tempore.

In the Ohio Senate, his work focused on health and human services. He led the effort to enact the first state law in the nation to provide support to people diagnosed and living with HIV and AIDS, helped increase state resources for Alzheimer's Disease and spearheaded reforms to the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. In 1990, Dave was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented Ohio's 7th Congressional District until his retirement in 2009. During his nine terms in Congress, he gained a reputation as a pragmatic and bipartisan lawmaker, committed to fiscal responsibility and a strong national defense. He served as the second-ranking member of the House Budget Committee and helped lead efforts in 1998 to balance the federal budget for the first time since 1969. He also served as a key member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he chaired the Military Construction and Energy and Water Development subcommittees. In these positions Dave championed improvements in housing for military personnel and their families around the world, improved technology for members of the Armed Forces and led new investments in commercial and recreational waterways, the Florida Everglades restoration and natural resources conservation across the country.

Some of Dave's most notable achievements were on behalf of Springfield Air National Guard Base, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery. His leadership also helped establish the D- Day Visitors Center at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, and in recognition of these and other contributions, Dave was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame and the Dayton Region's Walk of Fame. Additionally, Wright-Patterson AFB named a street ``Hobson Way'' in his honor, Clark State College named its Beavercreek center ``Dave Hobson Hall'' and several universities bestowed him honorary degrees.

Beyond his legislative accomplishments, Dave was known for his humility, integrity, and kindness, all of which he expressed in his careful dedication and attention to constituent service and being accessible to the people of his district.

Dave is survived by his beloved wife, Carolyn (Alexander) of 65 years, children Susan (Jeff) Nunner, Lynn (Jay) Foran and Doug (Stephanie) Hobson; grandchildren Katherine, Alexander (Summer) and Samuel Nunner, Whitney (Alex) Fagan, Jameson, Callan and Brennan Foran, and Evan Hobson; great-grandchildren Ryker, Declan and Finn Fagan, sisters Martha Lampe and Susan Hoerner, and a loving nephew and nieces. A memorial service celebrating Dave's life and legacy will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 11:00 am at High Street United Methodist Church, 230 East High Street, Springfield, Ohio. The service was live- streamed on the High St. United Methodist Church's You Tube channel.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Springfield Foundation, c/o the Dave and Carolyn Hobson Charitable Fund, 333 N. Limestone Street, Suite 201, Springfield, OH 45503-4250, www.springfieldfoundation.org. In honor of Dave's life, the family hopes that you will be inspired to carry forth his mission of helping people and bringing together others for positive solutions for all.

Mr. Speaker, during this fall season, thanks are due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its award of 10,000 trees to the city of Toledo, Ohio.

Worth millions of dollars, these trees will be planted in oxygen- short neighborhoods and barren industrial and commercial zones to achieve beautification and better air quality. Others will replace legacy trees damaged by severe weather events such as tornadoes that occurred in Point Place, to beautify our precious coastal community.

As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, this significant boost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will present our western basin with a major new opportunity.

Planting trees can develop community-wide and neighborhood environmental consciousness by organizing grassroots planting teams across our precious fresh watershed. We all have a responsibility to the future by helping seed a new and renewed consciousness across Lake Erie's abundant western freshwater basin. Indeed, the city of Toledo sits at the lowest elevation in our vast watershed that hugs Lake Erie and drains all the runoff into it. Thus, trees also provide a great filtering capacity as trees store and filter water.

The city of Toledo has been handed this rather major task to green up. My hope is that regional stewardship will include trees acquired from local growers, links to environmental organizations, and engagement of our Metroparks and Black Swamp Conservancy. Tree planting creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for community betterment and for popular mobilization.

Toledo youth and other organizations in our neighborhoods, including downtown Toledo itself, will benefit from this 10,000 trees promise of a better future for our coastal city as a welcoming and beautiful destination where the Lake and the Maumee River, the largest river to flow into the Great Lakes, adjoin at the coastline's edge.

Coastal, river, and stream bank planting will help relieve flooding. Mature trees hold hundreds of gallons of water and reduce flooding to assist homeowners in places that are along Swan Creek, Reynolds Road, Byrne Road, Sleepy Hollow corridors, as well as west Toledo and other areas that still have water runoff on occasion and are challenged.

Strategic tree planting can improve our entire region. It can improve our freshwater rivers, streams, and ditches that run through Toledo. Their banks must be attended, starting where tornadoes have just destroyed hundreds and hundreds of legacy trees. Trees can help upgrade our civic center and many of our corridors along Cherry Street, the South End, and Junction neighborhoods.

The Ohio Turnpike exit onto U.S. 20 still is the only exit in the cities of Toledo and Maumee off the Ohio Turnpike. This corridor should be showcased by tree plantings leading to Toledo's Botanical Garden, its CYO fields, and then proceeding up to the Wildwood Preserve.

The U.S. 24 artery that I was proud to champion has been improved from the Port of Toledo all the way to the Indiana border, carefully winding through some of the richest farmland in the world.

This freshwater corridor can be visually upgraded even more with trees as one approaches our freshwater kingdom. Indeed, our region is located at the southernmost, warmest coastline in the entire Great Lakes. The Maumee River is the largest river that flows into the Great Lakes and we should showcase it and its boundaries regardless of political jurisdiction.

Currently, millions of potential visitors coming across the Ohio Turnpike would never think of exiting off into our region because signage does not create a reason for them to do so. A tree corridor can welcome visitors from far and wide. My hope is that this project is not just about sending out trucks with tree saplings and excavator buckets. My hope is that our region's leaders can use this opportunity

to take bold leadership to spruce up our ``Glass City'' in a garden.

We know Toledo has oxygen deficits in several regions, especially where industrial development and leaching landfills cause pollutants like CO2 and methane to continue emitting. Planting trees may seem like a simple undertaking, yet Toledo is nestled inside the largest watershed in the entire Great Lakes. It is sustainable and unique globally if properly tended.

Our citizenry is motivated to manage our precious assets going forward, including attention to new-age production greenhouses that produce millions of plants and fresh produce we all enjoy. If this were Amish country, there would be a welcome center, signage, websites, beautified exit ramps leading off the turnpike exit to Reynolds Road up to Hill Avenue at the Kyle Farm where we have the opportunity for a visitor center and dozens and dozens of local farm markets in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you so very much for allowing me to speak today because we all know what America makes and grows makes and grows America.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise, along with my dear colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as dean of the Ohio delegation with a very grateful but heavy heart as we honor the memory of our distinguished former Ohio colleague, Congressman David Hobson, who passed away on October 6, 2024.

David was a true patriot, dedicated to accomplishing innovative and tangible results and projects of merit. To all of his colleagues, he was a personal friend whose impact will be felt for generations. He embodied a joy of life. It was fun to know Dave, and he devoted his life to his family and serving the people of greater Springfield and Ohio.

His 18-year tenure in Congress was marked by his enthusiasm, remarkable perseverance, and relentless commitment to achieve results. As he ascended to significant roles, including

as ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies and chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, he distinguished himself with unwavering dedication to the defense and sustainment of our country.

What set David apart was his precious ability to work across the aisle, and this is a legacy other Members could do well to learn from. He not only valued bipartisanship, but he thrived on it. His achievements from the shores of Normandy, France, to Springfield, Ohio's betterment are a testament to his profound tenacity, legacy of service, and leadership.

His wit and humor brought light to our discussions, and his insights were invaluable.

We all will sorely miss his visits, his laughter, and his unceasing efforts to improve the living conditions for his constituents and all of America.

Today, all of us extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife, Carolyn; his children, Susan, Lynn, and Doug; and his family, constituents, and friends.

As we remember Congressman Hobson today, let us carry forward his exemplary spirit of service and dedication, and may his soul rest in eternal peace. May his legacy inspire us all.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues if they could please join us in a moment of silence in recognition of his good life.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the immense debt our Nation owes to the surviving family of servicemembers killed defending US interests and the cause of Liberty abroad. Today, I am joined in bipartisan fashion by Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska in introducing a bill that recognizes their sacrifice by expanding healthcare benefits for Gold Star spouses.

Currently, surviving spouses retain healthcare coverage through TRICARE in the ``active-duty family member'' category for just three years after their servicemember passes away. After three years, they automatically shift to ``retired family member'' status, which forces them to pay higher fees and out-of-pocket costs.

The debt our Nation owes to the brave men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice while serving overseas is not a debt that can be repaid within three years. It is our sacred responsibility to honor their sacrifice by caring for their surviving spouses.

It is in this spirit that Representative Bacon and I are proud to introduce the bipartisan Gold Star Spouses Healthcare Enhancement Act. This Act effectively removes the three-year limitation for spouses who meet criteria for the Gold Star lapel button. It enables them to remain in ``active-duty family member'' status, reducing the costs and burden on those who have already sacrificed so much for our country.

Military service requires our young men and women to risk their lives fighting and defeating America's enemies. They selflessly accept this risk to secure Liberty across the globe. I encourage each of my colleagues to support the Gold Star Spouses Healthcare Enhancement Act as one small way to honor the debt we as a Nation owe those who answered the call to service and perished in defense of our Nation.