Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Mr. Larson, for his persevering leadership on this critical issue to millions and millions and millions of Americans and Assistant Leader Neguse for his leadership. I thank them for being here this evening.

I appreciate Mr. Larson yielding me time to highlight the importance of Social Security but also his tireless work to safeguard and ensure coverage in Social Security for all Americans who qualify for their earned benefits which the gentleman and every single Member who got up here tonight have talked about this evening.

This is not a welfare program. This is an earned benefit.

For nearly a century, America has made a sacred promise: Those who work hard throughout their lives will benefit from the fruits of their labor during their retirement.

Social Security promises the safe and secure retirement for tens of millions of Americans during their golden years. However, we are here tonight because without action by this House leading, that promise is at risk.

Like my colleagues, I represent probably over 150,000 retirees, the majority women, in northwest Ohio who want to see responsible solutions to protect Social Security going forward. For Ohio that includes eliminating the windfall penalty.

I agree with Congressman Larson. The billionaire class must join the vast majority of Americans in paying their fair share into this critical system. Yes, it is a retirement system, but it is also an insurance system, it is a disability system, and it is a survivorship system for children.

By making that happen, the Social Security 2100 Act championed by Congressman Larson will increase benefits for current and new beneficiaries. It will protect retirees against inflation, and it will repeal the windfall elimination provision once and for all.

The Social Security 2100 Act is one of the most important bills before this Congress, and we must push leadership for a vote on this House floor as soon as possible. It impacts 68 million beneficiaries.

Already there are 184 House cosponsors of this bill, and Speaker Johnson could move this bill to the floor for a vote tomorrow. Additionally, the Social Security Fairness Act has 319 bipartisan cosponsors, more than two-thirds of the Chamber, and they can't get a vote. It is stopped up in the leadership.

America made a promise to workers, and Democrats are committed to making good on that promise.

I am a granddaughter of immigrants who worked at the lowest wage and worst jobs. First fired; last hired. They simply could not have existed if it were not for Social Security in their retirement years. The same is true for our parents.

You see, Mr. Speaker, Social Security is not just a program. It is a trust, a sacred trust, and that trust is intergenerational.

I may be the only Member here this evening who was present in the 98th Congress in April of 1983 to vote for the refinancing of Social Security Title 2 for the next generation. It was among the most critical votes I ever cast, and I remember it to this day. We stood on this floor, and we cheered. That vote was extremely important because it refinanced Social Security for the first time in a generation.

It left some work undone, which we must repair, but it resulted from a brokered compromise between Republican President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill. They knew how to compromise.

Now, Congress must meet its responsibility to do the same for this generation and those that follow.

Mr. Speaker, I want to make sure that we place in the Record information about that brokered compromise and also reports from U.S. News and World Report and other materials that attend to that extraordinary moment in history.

Let's get the job done. We ask Speaker Johnson to bring up H.R. 2100 for a vote.

I thank Congressman Larson, Congressman Neguse, and Congressman

Cartwright, who are here this evening as part of this important messaging to the American people to say: The time is now. Bring up H.R. 2100.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his extraordinary and persevering leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate National Police Week.

This week comes at a time when Republicans have spent the past year trying to cut local law enforcement budgets to the bone. Current Republican Study Committee plans threaten to cut funding for nearly 30,000 law enforcement jobs nationwide.

Our police forces perform their duties with great honor and courage. However, Republican efforts to defund our local police will only make their jobs harder.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support COPS funding and ask them to please cosponsor our bipartisan legislation that equips our law enforcement with the tools they need to adequately address the ongoing mental health crisis in the field, our jails, and our prisons. H.R. 3501, the Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act, will provide funding to law enforcement at all levels for responding to behavioral health crises.

Our Nation has a severe mental health crisis. Law enforcement officers are often the first to respond. It is vital for them to have all the right tools and training to manage sensitive incidents safely and effectively.

Mr. Speaker, I send a big salute to our dutiful law enforcement officers in northwest Ohio and across our Nation, who we value.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of a milestone in our region's history. Toledo Public Schools celebrated 175 years of education today.

As the school system notes, ``or 175 years, Toledo Public Schools has been one of the most influential institutions in the history of our city. The lives of hundreds of thousands of Toledoans have been formed within the walls of their neighborhood schools, leading to each one's mark on the future of our society. From its inception on May 8, 1849 to present day, TPS remains a progressive, forward-thinking school district.''

The first Toledo Public School Board was convened 175 years ago today. Only two years later, in 1851, Lagrange School was the first school to open. Two years after that, on August 15, 1853, the cornerstone was laid for the high school. When it opened in 1854 it also provided an education for girls, graduating the first young lady in the original Class of 1857. Leading social change again and again, Toledo Public Schools became integrated in 1871 and opened a school for children with disabilities in 1918.

Toledo has long been at the forefront of the election of women to public office, starting with the election of Pauline Steinem to the board of education in 1904, the first woman elected any office in the city. Many years later, in 1990 Toledo Public Schools would once again prove itself a progressive agent for change with the appointment of Dr. Crystal Ellis, a longtime educator, as the first African-American Superintendent.

In addition to academic excellence, vocational and college preparatory training, Toledo Public Schools' students have won praise on the athletic field as well. From its beginnings, when Scott High School was declared the national football champs in 1916 and subsequent years, Toledo Public Schools have boasted many powerhouse athletic teams. At the same time, leading citizens in our community trace part of their success to the lessons learned in Toledo Public Schools.

Reflecting the general population growth during the baby boom generation, Toledo Public Schools saw its highest numbers of both schools and students during the 1960s. Even now, it remains one of the area's largest employers and the fourth largest school district in the State of Ohio. Today, Toledo Public Schools is led by Dr. Romulus Durant, himself a product of Toledo Public Schools, who ably leads the school district's navigation in the 21st Century, declaring students, teachers, parents, administrators, and community to be ``TPS Proud.''

Toledo Public Schools is the core of our city. Graduates of years past, present and future are tied to one another with an invisible thread with memories and experience connecting them.

In the Fall of 1967, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the student at Scott High School, delivering inspiring oratory. Since its inception 175 years ago, Toledo Public Schools has delivered on the promise of words Dr. King once spoke when he explained, ``The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education.'' As Toledo Public Schools marches TPS Proud into the next years, that goal remains strong. Onward.

Mr. Speaker, northwest Ohio mourns the passing of W. Charles Welch, who passed on Sunday, April 21, 2024.

He became known far and wide simply as ``Charlie Chuck.''

Born in 1938 in Talladega, Alabama, he later moved to Detroit and joined Greater St. Peter AME Zion Church where he met his wife Marjorie Chester at choir rehearsal.

They became sweethearts at 13 and 14, eventually marrying and raising five children--Rosalind, Katrina, Debra, Charles Bernard, and Trina.

Charles played piano at Detroit nightclubs, but his true calling came when he started his radio career in the 1960s. He was working for free at WJLB when he was hired by Toledo's WKLR in 1969.

Charlie Chuck was off and running. He spent years in radio, later founding The Juice FM 107.3 WJUC, the first African-American radio station in Ohio in 1997. It became known as the People's Station.

He lived by the credo that if you have a good idea about a dream, think of the three P's: prayer, perseverance, and patience.

May his inspiration bring comfort to his dear family, friends, and listening audience for whom he created a beloved community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate and recognize Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback from the University of Toledo. Quinyon was recently selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Northwest Ohio is undeniably proud of Mr. Mitchell. He became the first

Toledo Rocket selected in the first round in 31 years.

Mr. Mitchell was the first defensive back taken in this year's draft, and he also became the first UT player ever named as a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award given annually to the Nation's top defensive player.

His selection in the draft now marks three straight years that a Toledo player has been selected by an NFL franchise. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Quinyon Mitchell for his remarkable achievements.

He truly embodies the spirit of excellence that the University of Toledo and northwest Ohio strive to achieve.

We all know Quinyon will continue to make us proud as he shines on the national stage. Go Rockets, go Quinyon, go Birds.

Madam Speaker, the relationship between Poland and the United States and the contributions of Poles and Polish Americans to liberty during and since our American Revolution in 1776 are legendary.

As Polish Constitution Day approaches this Friday, May 3, our bipartisan House Polish Caucus will introduce a resolution recognizing the 105th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Poland and the United States. Those began on May 2, 1919, following the devastation of World War I.

Our Nation's enduring friendship dates back even further to Polish Generals Tadeusz Koscuiszko and Casimir Pulaski who nobly served during America's Revolutionary War fighting for America's independence.

During World War I, famed pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Henryk Sienkiewicz traveled to the United States to promote the idea of an independent Poland.

Following World War I, President Woodrow Wilson delivered a compelling speech to Congress on January 22, 1917, advocating for Polish independence.

Let us pay tribute to the many contributions of Polish Americans and Poles to liberty on this Earth.

As Poland's first President Lech Walesa observes: ``Every Pole is born with the Freedom gene.''

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to co-sponsor this bipartisan resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the passing of a towering, transformational leader of northwest Ohio and Toledo Public Schools, Dr. Crystal Ellis. Indeed, he has been a crystal-clear force for today and the tomorrows to come.

Dr. Ellis was born in 1933 in Springfield, Ohio, in the depths of economic struggle. As an African American pre-civil rights, he faced raw discrimination but was determined to overcome that by playing basketball at Bowling Green State University like his idol, Charlie Share. In 1951, Dr. Ellis became the first African American to play for the Falcons at Bowling Green.

He left college to join the U.S. Army and continued playing basketball on a military team, finishing his education at BGSU and the University of Toledo, and he became BGSU's most valuable player.

He moved to Toledo to raise his family and work for the YMCA and was then hired by the Toledo Public Schools in 1969 and rose to superintendent, serving from 1969 until his retirement in 1996. He was a teacher, coach, mentor, principal, prophet, leader, and the district's first African-American superintendent.

Superintendent Ellis, a very measured man, led by example. Toledo and our region are deeply grateful for his life and legacy and contributions to educating every child and every person in our community.

Rest in peace, Dear Superintendent Ellis.

He will be deeply missed. In his name, may our community move forward with his unfinished dream to educate every child and person, no matter how difficult their circumstance.

Mr. Chair, I thank the distinguished ranking member of the full committee for yielding me the

time, and I rise to support liberty for Ukraine.

Let us defeat the spiderweb of tyranny between Putin's regime, Iran, China, and North Korea. We see their evil and their weaponry.

Ukraine does not ask us to fight for her, only to arm her valiant soldiers to push Russia back inside its own borders. Ukraine's soldiers have recaptured half of its stolen territory. Let's arm them to finish the job.

For those who may naively think America can sit on the sidelines and seek isolation, please know this old adage: If you take no interest in foreign affairs, foreign affairs will find you.

I recall Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, 83 years ago, the United States, caught in a stupor of isolationism, closed its eyes as the rest of the world fell into deep conflict.

There is no killing field on Earth like Ukraine. Millions upon millions upon millions of innocent people have died at the hands of deadly dictators--Lenin, Stalin, and now Putin. If Putin is permitted to conquer Ukraine, he will not stop there. He has promised that.

Support from the American people will ensure victory for Ukraine, with the free world girding liberty's shield.

Let's recall the ancient words of Ukraine's poet laureate, Taras Shevchenko, who died almost two centuries ago in a ghastly prison just like Alexander Navalny died a few weeks ago in a ghastly Russia prison. Why? Because they believe in liberty.

The time is near when on Ukraine's plains,

A shackled folk will burst its chains.

Blessed be your children in these lands,

By touch of your toil-hardened hands,

Then shall our day of hope arrive,

Ukrainian glory shall revive.

Today is that day. Let's support liberty for Ukraine and defeat Russian tyranny.

Mr. Chair, I rise in full support of the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024. Allow the American people to help free Ukraine from Vladimir Putin's illegal, unprovoked, and brutal invasion of its sovereign territory.

Ukraine--the poorest country in Europe--is not asking us to fight for her, ONLY to help arm her.

Let's help free Ukraine from Putin's unprovoked, illegal, brutal invasion of its sovereign territory. Russia should go back inside its own borders.

What liberty-loving person can watch the valiant people of Ukraine confront the 3rd largest military in the world in this grueling war and not rise to Ukraine's defense?

Ukraine's soldiers endured through 2 brutal winters and have recaptured over half the land Russia stole. They have destroyed as much as 40 percent of Russia's fighting force. Bravo to the people of Ukraine, for their miraculous defense of their Homeland.

For those here in Congress who may naively think America can sit on the sidelines,

and seek isolation, please be instructed by this old adage: ``if you take no interest in foreign affairs, foreign affairs will find you!'' That proved true on December 7, 1941--83 years ago--when the United States caught in the stupor of isolationism closed its eyes as the rest of the world fell into deep conflict.

America was violently awakened to the reality of tyranny by Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. That terrible event thrust America not just into war, but into a global fight for liberty that shaped the history of the world each of us inherited.

A short distance away from this Capitol stands the National World War II Memorial. Its shining marble is a timeless reminder of the moral strength and power that flows when free people are united and bonded together in a just, common cause. It should also remind us of the terrible costs that are exacted should the Free World allow the emerging Axis of Evil to unleash its aggression on our world. Today, the increasingly destructive coalition of Russia, Iran, North Korea, China, and allied terrorist organizations are uniting as enemies of liberty.

They are intent on upending American alliances and liberty's global security shield. Recall, exhausted at the end of World War II, the Allies negotiated a tenuous peace that allowed Russian tyranny in the form of the USSR's Soviet Union to gulp down half of Europe, as far west as Berlin. It then took another four decades for that usurpation of captive nations to collapse of his own corruption and calumny, beginning in 1989 in Poland. The Free World did that despite the $13 trillion cost (in 1996 dollars). The Soviet Union collapsed of its own failings as the last remaining tyranny on the European continent. The vast region it had encompassed entered into an era of political upheaval and nation-building. With Ukraine, liberty faces not a new enemy, but an old one.

Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine tells us exactly where this rerun is headed. The alliance of free nations simply cannot go backward. If you ask yourself the price of our own liberty, remember over 500,000 U.S. veterans lay at rest on fields, forests, and cemeteries across Europe from World Wars I and II. They bequeathed to us the umbrella of Alliances to push back tyranny and preserve liberty in this modern era.

As a percent of GDP, 15 European countries have so far provided a higher level of aid to Ukraine than the United States. Our Allies are measuring up. Putin is not counting the number of Russian lives he is throwing into this conflict, nor the rubles he is earning off barrels of oil he is selling to fund this war. What he is counting are the number of votes FOR Ukraine that will be tallied in the U.S. Congress. He knows that American support will decide Ukraine's victory in this conflict. So should this House.

If Putin is permitted to conquer Ukraine, he will not stop there. Putin has made his intentions clear as Russian troops already are concentrated at the borders of the Baltic states and Finland, with Russia's consistent violations of NATO airspace and territorial waters.

If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, or if liberty's alliance grows tired of a forever war, Putin is more likely to test our resolve over smaller, much harder to defend NATO member nations. That would involve our troops directly.

America can't repeat the mistakes of the last century by withdrawing our support and then inevitably forcing the Free World to pay a higher price for freedom as tyranny deepens its roots. America must be resolute.

This Congress must pass support for Ukraine to secure liberty for Ukraine. We bow to the valorous, persevering, industrious people of Ukraine. We bow to those willing to fight and die for their liberty. The support of the American people will ensure victory for Ukraine, victory for the Free world, and strengthen liberty's shield in this new, dangerous era of hybrid warfare.

Ukraine's revered poet laureate Taras Shevchenko--who was a clarion, sacrificial voice for liberty--was tortured and died in a ghastly Russian prison in St. Petersburg in 1861. He had penned on December 24, 1845:

``The time is near when on our plains

A shackled folk will burst its chains.

Ask yourselves by whom were you enslaved?

To the dead, the living, to those yet in Ukraine,

My country must tell all who live in Ukraine

Then in your own house you will see justice, strength, and

liberty.

Blest be your children in these lands,

By touch of your toil-hardened hands,

There shall our day of hope arrive.

Ukrainian glory shall revive!

No twilight but the Dawn shall render

And beckon forth into novel splendor.''

Mr. Speaker, the bills that will come before this House this weekend, especially tomorrow, make our choices clear: liberty or tyranny, democracy or dictatorship, allies or enemies, resolve or accommodation, strength or surrender, rule of law or rule of rogues, security or vulnerability.

As Daniel Webster's inspirational missive carved into the marble above this rostrum challenges: Let us ask ourselves in our time and generation, may we not perform something worthy to be remembered?

Yes, liberty first, last, and always.

Through its historic fight against tyranny, Ukraine has reminded us how stark a choice the free world has.

Ukraine aspires to ascend into the coalition of free nations sheltered by NATO's shield. Ukraine will grow to prosper in the European Union.

Ukraine's warriors and people have inspired the world. Liberty demands this institution remain true to our Nation's founding principles.

Republicans and Democrats, Speaker Johnson, and Leader Jeffries are all working together so the majority can work its will, not minority factions.

Mr. Speaker, the middle has coalesced to meet Congress' first sworn duty to protect the Nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic. We will meet that obligation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a very historic occasion for the people of Williams County, ``nestled in the extreme Northwest corner of Ohio.'' The community will begin a weekend of celebration to commemorate the milestone.

Williams County was named for David Williams, a Revolutionary War hero involved in the capture of British officer Major John Andre. Originally encompassing a larger area of Northwest Ohio, Williams County was part of territory set aside for Native American people in the Treaty of Greenville. Part of the territory was also disputed between Ohio and Michigan, a dispute settled in 1836 which placed the county in Ohio.

The land was part of the ``Great Black Swamp'' and was the last in Ohio to be settled. Because it was swampland, the earliest settlers faced severe hardship with travel, farming, and insects. Towering native trees blocked sunlight, and conditions were harsh. Yet these hardy Ohioans persevered, turning this corner of Northwest Ohio into an abundant fertile watershed.

The Williams County Courthouse, today on the National Registry of Historic places, was completed in 1891. It replaced an original log structure and one completed in 1845. The latter was considered the best such structure in Northwest Ohio at that time.

With rail and telegraph came opportunities for trade and development, leading to ``vibrant economic growth of the 1800's and 1900's, through to the diversified local economy of today,'' according to the history. Today, Williams County is home to 2,399 businesses including 111 manufacturing companies offering solid employment and good wages for a diverse and skilled workforce. Famously, Williams County is home to Ohio Art--and Etch-A-Sketch--and Spangler Candy which originated and produces Dum Dum lollipops and other nostalgic treats.

Williams County, Ohio is made up of hardy farmers and pleasant towns including Alvordton, Blakeslee, Bryan, Edgerton, Edon, Holiday City, Kunkle, Lake Seneca, Melbern, Montpelier, Nettle Lake, Pioneer, Pulaski, and Williams Center: lovely communities all.

Well known to most Ohioans is the late Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes. Coach Hayes said, ``I speak at a lot of banquets in small towns, because small towns have so many great people.'' I couldn't agree with him more. I have been privileged to represent Williams County and can attest to the character and kindness of its people. As they take a peek at yesteryear during a weekend of ceremonial and enjoyable events, I know they also look to the future with hope and celebration. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and we build the community forward together.

Onward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the strongest town in America. This year, 16 cities from across our continent competed for the title of North America's Strongest Town.

Over a 4-week span, with each round of voting lasting one week, these communities competed for a prestigious title. That title came back home to America's heartland in the Great Lakes region. The winner was Maumee in northwest Ohio in the Ninth Congressional District. It took the title over Norfolk, Nebraska.

This year's contest was the ninth annual event to name the strongest town. According to contest rules, a strong town is defined as any town, big or small, that prioritizes making progress in transportation, housing, and fiscal resiliency for the long-term benefit of its people.

The award does not ask a town to be perfect nor does every strong town look the same. This is because strong towns incrementally adapt to the conditions and challenges of their specific place from the bottom up.

Maumee, Ohio, which exists along the Maumee River, the largest river that flows into the entire Great Lakes, will hold a news conference this morning to formally accept this prestigious title. We in northwest Ohio couldn't be prouder of Maumee, Ohio. Onward, Maumee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Caleb Kowalski, a bright young student who is the future of northwest Ohio. He won recognition for his scientific achievement.

Caleb is a seventh grader at Put-In-Bay Middle School, and when he needed a project for his school's science fair this winter, he turned to our nearby Great Lake Erie for inspiration.

Caleb chose to explore solutions to the algae blooms that historically plague our freshwater kingdom. He did this by testing the ability of various plants to keep dangerous nutrients from flowing into rivers, lakes, and streams. Those nutrients harm the ecosystem and endanger boaters, and if not addressed, swimmers will have difficulties. These blooms also could turn Lake Erie and Lake Ontario into swamps if not addressed.

Caleb's project earned a superior rating. Then, the district allowed him to compete at the Northwest Science and Engineering Fair in February. There he earned, again, first place in his category, allowing him to apply for a slot to compete at the national level this October.

Mr. Speaker, let's applaud Caleb for his curiosity and scholarship. We hope that his generation will help us usher in complete health for the largest body of freshwater on Earth, the Great Lakes.

Mr. Speaker, considering the visit this week from His Excellency Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, I rise to thank both him and his country's commitment to our deepening alliance of liberty.

I also rise to discuss where I believe there is room for improvement and greater parity in the trade relationship between our United States of America and Japan, our essential ally in the Pacific.

Japan is a key ally to our Nation, but there have been concerning developments within our trade and economic relationship that deserve attention. In particular, the U.S. and Japan's lingering and huge trade deficit is of great

importance, certainly in my manufacturing region of America, our steelworkers, autoworkers, and manufacturers across our region, and the entire industrial Midwest.

Due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, passage over 40 years ago with additional export caps and a slew of other flawed trade policies, the industrial heartland of our country has been left behind again and again. As jobs were outsourced and markets were left closed, it was hard for us to get our exports into Japan.

As we embark on this next phase of our relationship with Japan, of the utmost importance to our country and global security, I would urge President Biden, lawmakers, agencies, the military, and even Japan itself not to again leave behind the manufacturing heartland and the people of our country whom I am in this very room to represent.

It is all too easy to get caught up in achieving our shared economic and security goals and to forget those right here at home.

Specifically, my constituents have been cut out of trade deals over and over. Our manufacturers find it extremely difficult to get items into Japan, and we have our markets open. We have markets open for investment by Japan in this country. Try to afford to invest in Japan by a major U.S. company.

The Japanese are smart traders, and they are able, and they are paying attention to the world, but so are my constituents. Also, make no mistake. If you leave people behind here at home, they can leave you behind, too.

In fact, we have lived the results of past unfair trade deals every day, and that has thrown skepticism on international partnerships that have not been fair, and isolationist tendencies have developed among some Americans who harbor these tendencies. However, these nagging trade deficits are one reason, and they currently impede our ability to uphold our commitment to such important alliances.

Therefore, why not embrace this moment? Let's embrace it to move closer to a new era for the industrial Midwest rather than repeat the mistakes of the past.

In 2022, the U.S. trade deficit with Japan was over $70 billion, but that was not an isolated year. Going back 40 years, the amount of that deficit is in the trillions.

Why does this statistic look like this, and how does it look to the people of Ohio and the workers and companies of Ohio?

Let's use the auto industry as an example. In 2021, the U.S. imported 1,400,000 vehicles from Japan, but Japan only took 20,000 of our vehicles; to be exact, 20,233. So that is 1.4 million for them-- 1,400,000--and for us, 20,233. That is a 70-1 import-to-export ratio in automobiles. When you count parts and you count steel and so many other components that Japan keeps out, the number is even bigger.

It is terribly difficult for American automakers and auto parts suppliers to break into and stay in the Japanese market. There are many, many impediments. Additionally, in December of 2023, Nippon Steel, a Japanese firm, announced its intention to buy the iconic U.S. Steel Company.

U.S. Steel has long provided tens of thousands of Americans with dignified, living-wage jobs which have provided our Nation with the materials to build American vehicles on American soil. What America makes and builds, makes and builds America.

Formed in 1901 and still based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was once the largest steel producer in the world. It remains to this day one of the largest American steel producers, but I am concerned that, if the sale goes through, Nippon Steel will not be obligated to honor labor contracts, and American jobs will be lost again, meaning Midwest industrial America will be left behind again.

If we are to have free trade, we must also have fair trade, and we must, at a minimum, play by the same rules. Our partnership must yield a win-win for both our national security and Japan's, and our economic security and Japan's economic security. However, the ledger books don't get us there today. We have more work to do. Additionally, I asked the Prime Minister if he couldn't send a delegation to work on these exact issues.

In delivering this essential economic message, I again thank the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida for traveling so far to visit our Nation this week and for his kind words recognizing our many shared values; his fondness for his childhood, some of that time spent in America; and his appreciation for the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance on the trade front. However, our two nations have much work to repair and much work to do.

Republicans Parroting Putin for SOH

Mr. Speaker, I now turn to another very essential topic and I mention that the majority party, the Republican Party, is long overdue in bringing to this floor the national security supplemental bill that includes support for Ukraine.

Let me be clear. Ukraine is fighting for its liberty. It can be felt and tasted. However, Ukraine is not asking the American people to die for her, but she is only asking for some help from us to buy the ammunition to win, to win their own liberty.

How could any American turn their back on this plea?

We are the leader of the free world. We like to say that. Are we really the leader of the free world? We cannot let Ukraine fail.

How can this Congress dither as lives are lost because of lack of ammunition, as liberty hangs in the balance on the eastern edge of Europe, our closest allies?

Ukraine has become the scrimmage line for liberty on the Continent of Europe today. Russia, without provocation, invaded the sovereign territory of Ukraine, first in 2014, and then expanded its zone of terror to take as much of Ukraine as the free world allows.

Think about that. Russia's dictatorship historically has a very sinister habit of gulping up territory that does not belong to it.

History instructs us that peace is possible when Russia is pushed back into her own boundaries. Just in the last century, Russia killed more innocent people than even Nazi Germany. Russia forcibly starved and murdered over 12 million people. Humankind doesn't even know how many because it was such an annihilation. Only God truly knows how many.

Then, Russia occupied territory in Europe for over 40 years, as far west as Berlin, Germany, and as far south as Turkiye.

Most recently, Vladimir Putin invaded Georgia in 2008, Crimea and Ukraine in 2014, and then a full-scale, illegal invasion in Ukraine in 2022, which remains a hot war and ongoing as we are here today.

Russia's greedy dictators, from Stalin to Putin, chomp off territory that is not theirs to take. Borders of nations must be sovereign.

The history of Europe is also clear. Russia is an expansionist tyranny. Sadly, but true, it always has been. Vladimir Putin intends to keep it that way. If the free world does not stand up to Russia now, it will continue to plunder adjoining nations, most of which are members of NATO. That broadened conflict will mean a much enlarged conflagration that will engage NATO militarily, and that includes the United States of America.

For some very misguided Members of the U.S. Congress, to let liberty twist and twist in the wind in Ukraine deeply harms the freedom- seeking, courageous people and soldiers of Ukraine. I find it mind- numbing to guess why some Members of this House choose to turn away from liberty at a moment of greatest challenge on a continent where over 500,000 Americans died for our liberty and their liberty.

Do our colleagues not grasp that their political antics aid and abet a real, proven enemy of liberty? Their foolery greatly endangers the people of our Nation going forward as my colleagues allow the death of Ukraine soldiers.

When Republicans acquiesce, acquiesce to Vladimir Putin, the acquiescent wing of the Republican Party damages the standing of the United States of America globally. Could we be observing modern-day quislings, people who acquiesce to tyrants and throw daggers right at liberty's heart? Can some of our colleagues actually believe they

exist alone on this globe? Do my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know no history?

Let me assure my colleagues that they cannot retreat to sheltered little corners where they will remain safe. When the field to tyranny is ceded, when my colleagues whet its appetite, it will find them.

Could some of these Members among us hold their fanciful ideas because their families have been protected from the raw edge of tyranny? Could my colleagues not know the terrorist face of forced subjugation. Our family knows the face of Russian terror. Believe me, no person should ever have to endure its cruel, murderous, soulless apparatchiks.

Perhaps the lack of mandatory conscription in our Nation's military for a generation means that we as a country are yielding very naive candidates for Congress and even for the Presidency of our country, with some having no veterans in their own families.

Do Members of Congress genuflecting before Vladimir Putin actually not know that my colleagues are making our world a much more dangerous place in which to live? Are Members absent any veterans in their families who fought on the Continent of Europe in the last century and know the stakes?

For the first time in recorded history, the structure of a free world and the means to defend it hangs in the balance. In Europe, well over half a million lives were sacrificed to the vision of what we now call the free world. When our soldiers fought, the shield of liberty they bequeathed to each and every one of us and Members of this body that have royally blessed us, as they fought, they didn't have a name for the free world. There was no NATO. However, they understood when they met an enemy to liberty, and they fought against it with everything they had.

Anyone in this room, anyone listening, we have been blessed, living during the longest period of peacetime history among great powers that the world has ever known. We are blessed, not for anything we did ourselves, but for what those who came before us did for us. We can't squander that legacy.

Liberty's shield was created out of the profound sacrifices of our citizens, enabling all of us to live more comfortable lives, maybe too comfortable, about which the people of Ukraine can only now dream and fight.

I will ask my colleagues who oppose assistance to Ukraine: Have their lives perhaps been too comfortable? Do they know nothing of what our forebears sacrificed and fought for? Do they not know the face of tyranny?

Could Members of Congress be so vapid and unaware of America's critical role in the history of liberty? Do they not understand their dithering threatens liberty? Do they not understand, if one naively retreats into their comfortable corner of the world for safety, there will come a day when the mean forces of evil will find them and us?

Read about Stalin's Black Raven squads to understand who is empowered through ignorance. There is no safety in retreat. Our colleagues appease but do not understand what it takes to maintain a free world.

What a sacrilege to reward murderous dictators like Vladimir Putin. He operates in the style of his idol, Joseph Stalin, the most vile, crazed, savage Russian dictator. Stalin butchered millions upon millions of innocent human beings as their blood soaked and sanctified the holy land of Ukraine, as its Black Raven squads sought out any person who got in the way. They were starved by Russia, shot in the back of the head by Russia, smothered to death in church basements, buried in nameless mass graves, in forests, frozen and starved by the millions.

Did my colleagues not observe the recent torturous death of Russian freedom fighter Alexei Navalny? That is Putin's way of operating, modus operandi, kill the opposition.

By acquiescing to Russia, you reward murderers, despots, and tyrants. Parroting the talking points of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin isn't just a sign of our colleagues' lack of knowledge on the subject. It is simply un-American.

Are my colleagues too blinded by full bellies, media distractions, and their own self-satisfaction and attention to miss the predator on the march?

Are my colleagues too consumed with the attention they draw by playing with the Devil that they foolishly hasten the day when the winds of oppression burn them and us?

Only time will tell, but as the hours, days, and weeks tick by, Ukrainian lives hang in the balance. Ukrainian soldiers valiantly resist the third largest military in the world.

I urge my colleagues to support funding for ammunition and weapons for Ukraine. I call upon the majority to bring the legislation to the floor immediately. Time is of the essence. The winter months over 2 years have been so, so difficult for the people of Ukraine and her soldiers.

Liberty hangs in the balance on our watch. Give us a chance to vote for liberty. Don't hold back the legislation another month and then another month and then another month. Meet the moment. Protect the national security of the United States and of Europe. Meet our obligations. Let's vote for support of Ukraine. I pray we can do that next week.

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

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, Cleveland, Ohio, hosted the NCAA women's basketball Final Four. Americans and people around the globe were focused on the impressive talents of Caitlin Clark. As Iowa Hawkeyes matched up with defending champions LSU and undefeated champion University of South Carolina, something fantastic happened along the way.

Yes, this story just gets better. For the first time in NCAA tournament history, the women's championship game had higher viewership than the men's championship game. Sunday's women's championship had 18,870,000

viewers, while Monday's men's championship had only 14,820,000 viewers.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, you heard that right. The women had 4-plus million more viewers than the guys.

As someone who knows a thing or two about the strides women have made in this country, I can't express how proud I am of these women of sport and of women's accomplishments both on the basketball court and as representatives for the United States of America off the court truly writing a more robust and complete American history.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Scott for his unyielding and inspired leadership on this critical jobs training bill and for yielding me time. What America makes and grows, makes and grows America.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan reauthorization. The A Stronger Workforce for America Act legislation is a pivotal measure for workers across America. Particularly in regions like mine, the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs has left profound scars, especially the loss of real American wealth within our borders. That is the ability to feed, clothe, educate, transport, heal, and supply our people inside our borders and not become dependent on any outside force for the energy that fuels us or the clothing we wear.

This reauthorization makes critical investments in skilled training opportunities, and it bolsters vital apprenticeship funding. It paves the way for individuals to gain the necessary skills to thrive in today's rapidly evolving job market.

I am heartened by the enthusiasm that I witness in the aspiring generation to build forward skills inside America's borders that sustain the Nation itself.

Apprenticeship opportunities play a crucial role in restoring American job training capacity through focused hands-on experience, mentorship, and specialized skills development. Imagine our Nation unleashing the potential power of America's full capacity here at home.

In the heartland region, where NAFTA dealt a body blow to manufacturing jobs, I have committed a great deal of my service to help create new jobs for northwest and northern Ohio in steel, automotive, agriculture, food processing, technology, and so much more.

Apprenticeship programs offer a pathway to revitalizing our workforce and rebuilding our communities. With the historic job boom of over 15 million jobs created under the Biden administration, compared to the loss of nearly 3 million jobs under the prior administration, the importance of job training initiatives cannot be overstated.

By investing in our Nation's future workers and retraining the current workforce, we not only empower individuals to succeed, but we also lay a stronger foundation for our Nation's economy here at home, real wealth--not virtual wealth, real wealth.

Prioritizing workforce development means good-paying jobs for steelworkers, railroad workers, autoworkers, skilled mechanics, leather workers, carpenters, plumbers, joiners, and fitters, and members of our building trades. Let's lift up the talents of our people and teach these precious skills.

We will ensure that every American has the opportunity to contribute to

and benefit from the prosperity of our Nation. Let's build more houses. Let's build more American cars. Let's make more American products. Let's tap into the vital creativity that is the heart of innovation and growth in this economy.

Let's educate. Let's reeducate. Let's train.

Mr. Speaker, what America makes and grows, makes and grows America.