Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a remarkable public servant, educator, and friend to many across Northwest Ohio, the Honorable Margaret ``Marge'' Brown, former Mayor of the City of Oregon, who passed away on October 19, 2025, at the age of 88.

Marge Brown was a woman whose life embodied the spirit of service, faith, and community. Born on July 21, 1937, the twelfth of thirteen children to John and Mildred TenEyck, she grew up in Oregon, Ohio, in a home filled with love, laughter, and the values that would guide her entire life. A proud graduate of Clay High School's Class of 1955 and Mary Manse College, she went on to dedicate nearly four decades to the teaching profession, shaping young minds in Graytown, at St. Thomas Aquinas, and throughout the Oregon School System. To her, teaching was a calling she pursued with compassion, patience, and joy.

Her deep commitment to her community extended well beyond the classroom. Elected to the Oregon City Council in 1989, Marge Brown went on to serve as Mayor from 2001 to 2009, the first woman to hold that office in Oregon's history. As Mayor, she led with grace, integrity, and a steadfast belief in the power of collaboration. Her leadership helped strengthen the city's infrastructure, expand its recreational opportunities, and build bridges, literally and figuratively, across Northwest Ohio.

Marge also served in regional leadership through the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, where her voice carried the interests of local communities to the broader stage of regional development. She believed deeply that progress was not the work of one city alone, but of neighbors joining hands to meet shared challenges.

Beyond public office, Marge's faith guided her every step. A lifelong member of St. Ignatius Church, she served as a lector, Eucharistic minister, and volunteer. She often said her greatest joy came from serving others. A truth that was evident in the way she lived, loved, and led.

She was also a woman of adventure, traveling with her husband, Lenny Fetterman, to every state and county in America, as well as to all seven continents. Even crossing the equator, the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Hers was a life lived fully, humbly, and with gratitude.

Marge Brown leaves behind a legacy of faith, family, and public service that will endure for generations. She is survived by her beloved children, Joani, Jean, and Jeff; her grandchildren and great- grandchildren; and countless friends, colleagues, and former students who will forever remember her warmth and wisdom.

May the life of Marge Brown stand as a testament to what one dedicated citizen can accomplish through service, compassion, and perseverance. Her light will continue to shine in the city she loved so dearly and in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

On behalf of the people of Ohio's 9th Congressional District, the United States House of Representatives, and myself, I extend our deepest condolences to her family and to the entire Oregon community. May she rest in eternal peace, and may her example continue to inspire us all.

Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize a significant milestone in the life of St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Millbury, Ohio. The congregation celebrates its 150th anniversary on Sunday, October 12, 2025.

Only one year after the founding of Millbury, St. Peter's Church was founded in 1875 by twelve families of German immigrants who came together to form the German Evangelical United St. Peter's Congregation. It is the oldest continuous church in the community. Church records show that the first meeting took place at the home of Adam Martin, a home that stands yet today, and was officiated by Reverend Andrews of Genoa St. John's Church.

A fire sparked by a passing train burned the newly constructed building in 1878 and a new building was finally completed in 1884 using the railroad settlement. That year, the church adopted its first constitution. In 1908 a parsonage was built and a minister was hired.

The following years brought growth along with stained glass windows and a pipe organ. In 1934 following a national merger the congregation was renamed St. Peter's Evangelical and Reformed Church. Since a 1957 merger the church has held its current name, St. Peter's United Church of Christ.

Branching out into the community in the 1950's, adjacent land was purchased and a park was built which serves the neighborhood, gardens and athletic teams. Uniquely, a boulder which resembled the image of Christ at Gethsemane was unearthed in 1969. Moved next to the church, a plaque was inscribed with Mathew 16:18, ``And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.''

Believing that ``every generation is called to live out its faith in meaningful worship, honest reflection and sincere devotion to God,'' the church continued to grow through the decades. A youth program produced musical groups Kid's Praise and The Light Brigade which toured the states in our region and visited the Creation Music Festival in Pennsylvania. Community services continued throughout, as the congregation supports food pantries, partners with service organization, has hosted an AA chapter for over forty years, opened its doors following a devastating tornado and became a Red Cross command post, and adapted to COVID by offering a ``parking lot church'' and live streaming which continues to this day. Also during this time the congregation merged with its shared church Eastminster United Presbyterian Church so the two congregations now worship as one.

For an astounding 150 years, St. Peter's United Church of Christ lives up to the faith's motto, John 17:21: ``That they may all be one.'' The church demonstrates this message while living Christ's message of Love and being ``a welcoming place for all--no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey.'' As today's congregants celebrate this journey of 150 years, looking back with inspired recollection and renewed with a faith-filled purpose, we look forward to the next centuries of servant leadership in the community of Millbury and surrounding neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very special occasion for UAW Local 14 in my District. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the union will celebrate 90 Years of Solidarity: A Milestone for UAW Local 14 . . . a testament to the enduring strength, unity, and unwavering spirit of our membership.

Throughout the decades, UAW Local 14 has been at the vanguard of manufacturing while at the same time ensuring worker rights, dignity and economic fairness, making history while leaving a legacy of accomplishments that continues to benefit workers across the Nation.

In 1935 a strike was called at Chevrolet Toledo. During the three- week strike, full bargaining rights were established as well as seniority. These key elements laid the foundation for the union's strength yet today.

In 1936 a national agreement, led by founder Bob Travis, allowed for the saving of the Chevrolet plant. This effort to spread unionization began with a 44-day ``sit-down strike'' and demonstrated the strength of solidarity.

One of the most difficult strikes in Toledo--fifty years after the deadly Auto-Lite Strike--was the 285-day AP Parts strike. The union held firm through this challenge to bring about a resolution beneficial to all.

Turning toward the future, UAW Local 14, General Motors, and Toledo Public Schools

came together in partnership to establish the Toledo Technology Academy. The legendary Local 14 leader Oscar Bunch, understanding the critical need for training in the advanced technologies taking shape, secured this innovative Toledo Public School in 1997 which thrives today.

Through the years UAW Local 14 has been an established and integral part of the fabric of our community, ensuring security for current workers and retirees, as well as making its mark on our community.

The union notes: ``We stand on the shoulders of giants and are immensely proud of our history. As we move forward, UAW local 14 is committed to remaining a powerful, essential voice in our union and our community for many years to come.''

The great labor leader Walter Reuther explained, ``There is no greater calling than to serve your brother. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.'' Throughout it's nearly century of service, UAW Local 14 has met this challenge with honor.

I thank the Local 14 leadership--Tony Totty, Bernie LaPoint, Jr., Sue Rodgers, Rhoni Clark, Henry McCoy, all the shop stewards, and all their predecessors for their courage, consistency, and care. Ninety years is no small achievement. It is a testament to shared purpose, to collective power, and to neighborhoods knit together by trust and work.

May the halls of this Union always echo with the voices of the proud and the hopeful. May Local 14 forever remain a pillar for workers, for Toledo, and for Northwest Ohio.

We applaud 90 glorious years of solidary, struggle, and strength and look toward a future carrying forward these ideals.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Women of Toledo. This remarkably dynamic organization is celebrating 10 productive years of advancing good works, opportunity, sorority, and leadership in northwestern Ohio.

What began as a simple focus group has grown into a vibrant hub, connecting thousands of women and girls to mentorship, education, and resources to build lives forward.

Through initiatives like HerHub, which champions women-owned businesses, and Girl's Hub, which inspires our next generation of leaders in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, Women of Toledo is shaping the future of our community. Bravo.

Their story is a testament to the power of vision and persistence with good people and good women. From coffee shop conversations to packed ballrooms, they have built a movement rooted in ``e pluribus unum''; ``out of many, one.'' Women of various heritages are working together for community betterment.

Women of Toledo forges partnerships with business, not-for-profits, and neighborhoods who believe that when women rise, our entire community rises. Congratulations, Women of Toledo.

Mr. Speaker, today what a privilege it is to join with a dear dozen Members from across the Congressional Labor Caucus and Congressional Steel Caucus to address the devastating harm the Trump administration and DOGE have exacted on people, our communities, the cost of living, and job losses across our Nation.

Job loss and the withholding of funding by the Trump administration of awarded contracts, Federal contracts, withdrawing those from investment across our country, has caused real ruptures in district after district after district. We are going to summarize just some of those tonight.

Today, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter percent. Why did they do that? It was to soften the ongoing damage of an unsteady economy.

From our region of northwest Ohio all the way to Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, New Mexico, Maryland, Michigan, Hawaii-- the list is long--please listen to the stories of real U.S. companies, workers, and communities that are being devastated by job losses and broken promises. Meanwhile, inflation and prices are steadily on the rise due to the GOP's reckless tariffs.

First, we must ask why the Trump administration is stopping the investment of billions upon billions of dollars in projects that were awarded to make America great again. The answer is the Trump trade war. Well, but then on top of that, this tariff regime is raising prices on everything for American households. The American people are

being squeezed hard every time they try to buy a home, buy a car, afford health insurance, go to the grocery store, or go shopping for clothes, toys, tools, and school supplies. It is a reality that our Nation functions under the weight of unfair global supply chains.

While we can all agree that it is great to manufacture as much as possible in America, that requires real investment in companies and in their workforce. It means building new factories and production capabilities that can compete in the 21st century.

For example, in my district of northwest Ohio alone, the Trump administration just canceled $107 million in investment for three major projects aimed at modernizing U.S. manufacturing production and distribution. All of those projects were debated and passed last year in both Chambers of Congress under regular order. They were the result of compromise within the Budget and Appropriation Committees, as well as the authorizing committees, and then advanced to the floor for a vote in both the House and the Senate. That is called regular order.

They were signed by the President and awarded--first of all, they were vetted inside these departments and awarded, then, based on merit back in March of 2024. In essence, they were legal, following standard procedure, and were regulated by Federal agencies with receivables awarded and contracts signed.

The recent appointees to the Cabinet agencies, however, reneged on all of these promises. That is not just unfair, it is a breach of legal contract. These breaches of contract for strengthening U.S. manufacturing included $45.1 million taken from Libbey Glass in Toledo, Ohio; $16 million taken from Kraft Heinz in Fremont, Ohio; and $57.3 million taken from Owens-Illinois Glass, which is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, and also operates a facility in Zanesville, Ohio.

These cancellations, these upendings hurt Ohio manufacturing jobs. The Trump administration should reconsider where and who is being harmed. These projects based in our country were part of 24 projects approved by the Department of Energy for a total of $3.7 billion to modernize and make more efficient facilities across America to combat fierce foreign competitors like China, Mexico, Korea, and others. Make America Great Again means investing in America to improve and modernize here at home.

I have other companies to mention who had the rug pulled out from under them, but I yield now to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Budzinski) from Illinois' 13th District, who is vice chair of the Labor Caucus. I thank her for participating.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman and Labor Caucus members for participating this evening and for their tremendous leadership, and I thank them for being with us tonight and telling this story.

Mr. Speaker, when we had the joint session here not so many months ago, I said to the new Vice President, who ran from the State of Ohio as a Senator, then-Senator JD Vance, now Vice President Vance, please don't forget Ohio.

The biggest of the cancellations of these investments that was stolen back in Ohio by the Trump administration was another major Ohio company, steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs.

Please let me remind folks that steel helps create America's spine, certainly for manufacturing, and Cliffs traces its roots in our Great Lakes region back to 1847. Get ready for this: Their canceled project amounted to over $500 million, half a billion dollars, in an industry where China manufactures four times as much as the world uses and then strategically dumps, including in countries like ours, and diverts production in order to get in here through the back door.

Shockingly, Vice President Vance himself helped cancel this hydrogen- based modern steel project in his own hometown of Middletown, Ohio.

Our Ohio community knows that China produces way too much steel and knows exactly how to wipe out elements of production. Thus, the Vice President's actions make absolutely no sense.

Mr. Speaker, also joining us this evening is Congressman Bill Foster, a real leader, including in the scientific community, and he represents, as co-chair, the Research and Development Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman for participating and for that excellent information that we will share across both Chambers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), a Steel Caucus vice chair and a Labor Caucus member from the great State of Indiana in the industrial north.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Mrvan.

I have traveled over to Indiana many, many times. When I first ran for office, it was part of the Congressional Steel Caucus and remained one. I saw the U.S. steel industry crushed, and I have spent my entire career trying to help rebuild it in America. Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to serve with Representative Mrvan because I know he shares that same commitment. I thank him for coming down to the floor tonight.

After Mr. Tonko's presentation, I will turn to Representative Val Hoyle from Oregon's Fourth District. She is also a vice chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), the Representative from upstate New York and also a member of the Congressional Labor Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Tonko for his time. He is such a leader. He doesn't have to be here this evening, but I know how hard he works on his committee and on his subcommittees. I know how grateful the people of New York are to have his service here.

I thank him for helping to trace the history of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway, which connects his part of America, all the way west to Duluth, Minnesota. It takes us to the Atlantic and to the world. I thank him so very much for being here tonight, and it is an honor to serve with him.

Mr. Speaker, before I call on Congresswoman Hoyle, I thank her for coming. I am reminded, as I was listening to Congressman Tonko, there is a plaque way up practically at the top of the ceiling here. We have to have really good eyes to see it.

For those who can't be with us in the Chamber tonight, let me remind them of the quote of Daniel Webster, one of the Founders of our Republic, who called on us to: ``Let us develop the resources of our land, draw forth its powers, build up its institutions, promote all its great interests and ask whether we also in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be remembered.''

That is why we are here tonight. Each of us is working in our regions to perform something worthy to be remembered. It is quite painful when the President of the United States and his minions inside the administration take away something that was legally passed, signed, juried, awarded, and then taken back.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle), who represents Oregon's Fourth Congressional District and is the vice chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus. Coast to coast, New York to Oregon, I thank her for joining us.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman so much for participating and for her focus on tariffs and how devastating those have been.

In our part of the country we call ourselves the Great Lakes nation, and we work with Canada in almost a seamless economy. We are the third largest economy in the world.

These tariffs are wreaking havoc every time parts cross the border. Just in automotive, for example, a part can cross the border seven times from Ohio to Ontario, Canada, and back again and back again and into Michigan, so we really are being harmed deeply every day by these tariffs.

I wanted to just place on the record a few extra details of the plight of Libbey Glass in Toledo, Ohio, in my

hometown. I mentioned that $45.1 million was canceled by the Department of Energy to Libbey Glass, and it was part of $6 billion in funding through the Department of Energy for industrial decarbonization.

This is where America lost so much ground, as Congressman Foster talked about, to China. We are trying to rebuild the muscle of America. The company was going to retrofit its plant with a new electric furnace technology to reduce CO2 emissions significantly. The award aimed to add to the capacity of the plant that still operates in its original facility and creates living-wage jobs in the heart of Toledo, Ohio. They call Toledo the Glass City. It is our identity, but now that opportunity has been quashed unnecessarily, so carelessly and thoughtlessly.

Instead of new, modern furnaces that could have lasted more than a decade, the plant will be forced to invest in less efficient and environmentally unfriendly furnaces that will last for 2 to 3 years only.

Because the Trump administration has cut the funding for 2025, the firm will be forced to spend even more in 2028, 2031, 2034, and 2037. You get the picture, Mr. Speaker. It is backwards math that just doesn't add up. It means America becomes less competitive in manufacturing. That does not make America great again.

Please, please, Trump administration, pay attention to the details. I don't think the President would want this outcome. I think there must have been a blip somewhere in the bureaucracy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from the Fourth District of Maryland (Mr. Ivey).

Representative Glenn Ivey is a distinguished judge, as well as a very great intellect, and I am very grateful for his participation this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Ivey. We sure are glad that cancer research resulted in extending his life for these many decades because we sure need him here in Congress. His constituents have really elected a great man here. I thank him so much for being here tonight and working with us to bring these issues before the American people.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury), who is an active member of the Labor Caucus.

I will say to anyone who is listening to us here this evening, these Members have worked all day. They started very early this morning. You can say they are doing a double shift, in my part of the country. They haven't eaten dinner. I just want the American people to know that there are Members of Congress who work very hard, who respect our Constitution, and who respect the laws of this country. It is now almost nearly 8 o'clock in Washington, D.C., moving on that, and they are here to represent you.

Congresswoman Stansbury is amazing, and I thank her for joining us.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury) for that impassioned plea, and I stand with the gentlewoman.

Coming from New Mexico, with everything happening there with the climate and so forth, the gentlewoman really is such an excellent Representative. I thank her for joining us as a member of the Labor Caucus. The gentlewoman gave just a fantastic delivery.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Mannion), a Labor Caucus member from the 22nd District. I thank the gentleman for waiting this evening. It is now 7:45 p.m., and the gentleman is still on the job.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Mannion for his passion

and for his obvious dedication throughout his life to restore the economic might of his district. I know that struggle. Our Federal Government has been too slow to respond to the washout of jobs and capacity across this country, and that is what is making our politics so rocky.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your generous gavel this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I will include in the Record some materials that we were not able to verbally enter this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I will invite Secretary of Energy Wright, President Trump, and Vice President Vance to come and stand with the workers at Libbey Glass in Ohio so they completely understand what it takes to rebuild manufacturing in America. I hope they will show up.

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

Mr. Speaker, I, along with my Ohio colleagues, rise in grateful memory of Ohio Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar, who served from 1977 to 1993 in this House. She was the first Democratic woman elected to Congress from Ohio.

Mary Rose was elected from the heart of the working class of people. She exhibited raw courage, loyalty, perseverance, high learning, precious humor, and stellar insight into human nature. Her hearty giggle elevated people's spirits, and she suffered no fools. She stood her ground, and she plowed her own ground, establishing herself as a preeminent advocate for women's economic rights.

She championed senior citizens and the refinancing of Social Security in April of 1983, serving on the House Select Committee on Aging, while also advocating for housing, pay equity, improved healthcare for women, breast cancer research, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and the NASA Glenn Research Center, to name a few. Eventually, she moved into the ranks of House Democratic leaders where she firmly stood as vice chair of the Democratic Caucus.

As the first Arab-American woman, the first Syrian-American woman, and the first Lebanese-American woman to serve in Congress, she fiercely dedicated herself toward peace in the Middle East.

Mary Rose worked hard to promote an economy that serves everyone across northern Ohio and throughout our Nation. Her abilities sparkled as she brought joy, wit, keen insight, kindness, and dynamism to every occasion. She and her heart of gold were truly one of a kind.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in a moment of silence.

In addition to the eloquent words offered in tribute to our late colleague, the following statement commemorates the extraordinary accomplishments of Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar.

Congresswoman Oakar's career was defined by trailblazing leadership, moral clarity, and a fierce devotion to those who too often lived in the margins of public policy. A daughter of Cleveland, she carried the voices of working families, seniors, women, and immigrants into the halls of Congress at a time when few women were present to do so.

Among her enduring accomplishments, Congresswoman Oakar:

Championed economic justice through the Pay Equity Act of 1984, ensuring that the federal government could not undervalue work performed by women.

Fought for inclusion in medical research, shaping the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 so that women and minorities could no longer be excluded from the clinical studies that guide lifesaving treatments.

Co-founded the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, a bipartisan forum that remains a cornerstone of women's advocacy in Congress today.

Secured a historic increase in federal breast cancer research funding, exceeding $400 Million, and mandated insurance coverage for mammograms--work that continues to save lives.

Advanced protections for America's seniors, authoring legislation to combat elder abuse and later advising President Bill Clinton at the White House Conference on Aging.

Beyond her legislative record, Congresswoman Oakar was instrumental in shaping Cleveland's future--helping bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to her beloved city, securing affordable housing for seniors, and championing NASA Glenn Research Center as a hub of innovation.

She also stood as a symbol of representation. Her legacy of courage and conviction inspired countless women and minorities to enter public service, knowing that their voices would be heard at the national table.

Congresswoman Oakar's public service was marked by persistence, compassion, and vision. She left our country better than she found it, and her record of achievements continues to touch lives every day. In remembering her, we not only honor her history, but we recommit ourselves to the unfinished work of justice and inclusion she so valiantly advanced.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great honor to welcome to our Nation's Capital His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. He is the Spiritual Head of the Orthodox Christian Church worldwide and shepherd to over 300 million faithful. For Orthodox Christians across the globe, including many of my own constituents in Northwest Ohio, His All-Holiness is not only their spiritual father but also a guiding light for interfaith understanding, religious freedom, and environmental stewardship.

Part of his visit to the United States is to receive the distinguished Templeton Prize in New York City. This recognition, bestowed previously on figures such as Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, acknowledges his lifetime of service in advancing the harmony of faith and reason, and his courageous leadership on behalf of peace and the protection of God's creation.

His All-Holiness is no stranger to the halls of Congress. On his first visit to our Nation's Capital in 1997, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in the Rotunda, where he delivered an address that remains a touchstone in the history of religious freedom and international dialogue. Through subsequent visits under both Democratic and Republican administrations, the Ecumenical Patriarch has been received with the highest honors by our Nation's leaders.

For more than three decades as Ecumenical Patriarch, His All-Holiness has been a bridge-builder between peoples and nations. He has convened leaders of the Abrahamic faiths in pursuit of peace and reconciliation. He has boldly raised the conscience of the world to the urgent moral imperative of environmental responsibility. For these efforts, he is rightly known as the ``Green Patriarch.'' He has also been a steadfast advocate for human rights and religious liberty across the globe, strengthening the cause of freedom for all people.

On behalf of the people of Northwest Ohio, and especially our vibrant Greek Orthodox community, I am proud to extend our heartfelt welcome to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as he returns to Washington. We rejoice in his recognition with the Templeton Prize, and we pray that his ministry of peace, love, and reconciliation will continue to inspire our Nation and our world.

Mr. Speaker, as I returned home to northwest Ohio this weekend, I found soul searching among people who I represent following the tragedies of last week in Colorado and Utah.

Then, in the Point Place neighborhood of Toledo, I saw a church sign that read:

Love Always Heals. Hate Always Harms. All Welcome Sunday.

These are simple words but profound.

Governor Spencer Cox of Utah observed that social media is a cancer on our society right now, and he encouraged people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, and go out and do good in their community, and I couldn't agree more.

Today in Toledo, we did exactly that. We celebrated the completion of a $13.5 million water project to restore the Delaware, Clark, and Horseshoe Islands in Walbridge Park on the Maumee River, the largest river that flows into the Great Lakes.

This restoration means cleaner water, aquatic and wildlife habitats renewed, and a healthier Lake Erie. As co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, I am profoundly grateful that our citizens united to restore the heart of our islands along the mighty Maumee by, quite literally, constructing bridges for the future. Our

community keeps delivering progress, and we all must lift our Nation's motto up: ``e pluribus unum''; ``out of many, one.''

Not against one another but working together for the future of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a treasured northwest Ohio tradition in Ohio's Ninth District, the Fulton County Fair.

It is the second largest fair in the State of Ohio, which has 88 counties, surpassed only by the State fair. Hallelujah, Fulton County. I was honored to spend the day there recently with residents and visitors from other counties.

I was able to listen to farmers and veterans at the hallowed Veterans bean dinner and people both young and old from far and wide. The show barns were full of animals and people, and the weather was heavenly.

I spoke with constituents from six of the eight counties I represent and got a famous Fulton County Dairy Association milkshake, a farm- fresh cheeseburger, and got to meet hundreds from across the vast northwestern Ohio region I represent and beyond, even Michigan.

The Fulton County Fair welcomed a record 180,000 visitors over the opening weekend.

Last but truly not least, I spent time speaking with the dedicated director of the Fulton County Farm Bureau, Roy Norman. I learned about some of the great soil and conservation work being done in this mighty, hardworking county.

Let me invite all visitors from our region and across our country to check out the Fulton County Fair next year. Set up your campers. You won't be disappointed. Onward, Fulton County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight a discussion of the advances in Chinese electric vehicle technology and the importance of American investment in battery technology. While the Republicans scale back their ambitions for American leadership in energy technology, Communist China is racing into the future. We all know that they stole American technology to get where they are, but now they're lapping us-- especially in batteries where they control 85 percent of the global market.

Further, the Chinese automaker, BYD, is making electric vehicles that cost as little as $8,000, and they are gobbling up the global market share.

Even more troubling, BYD and another Chinese firms have announced that they will soon be selling EVs that can recharge in 5 minutes to travel as much as 320 miles--equivalent to a typical traditional gas- powered car. Another Chinese battery firm has announced the development of a battery they claim will be able to go 3,000 kilometers on only a 5-minute charge.

Now, not everyone loves electric vehicles--my car has a traditional internal combustion engine--but think of the national security implications of falling behind in batteries and advanced manufacturing. We see in Ukraine that the future battlefield is electrified.

We need to be pressing forward, not just in electric vehicles and batteries, but on all fronts. We should be investing in new forms of transportation, more in biofuels, and more in sustainable aviation fuels. We cannot retreat from the future of energy and transportation, and certainly not from our history of leading the world at the forefront of new technologies.

I would like to include in the Record a Wall Street Journal article from April, ``Five-Minute EV Charging Is Here, but Not for U.S.-Made Cars''. I would also point my colleagues to the following articles on this topic: Electryk's ``BYD's low-cost Seagull EV now starts at under $8,000 in China,'' and ``Breakthrough EV Battery Patent Could Charge in Minutes and Cross a Continent,'' by Carscoops.

Five-Minute EV Charging Is Here, but Not for U.S.-Made Cars

Catl's and BYD's rapid-charging technologies underscore china's

dominance in the EV sector, a technological priority for Xi Jinping

(By Yoko Kubota, April 23, 2025)

Shanghai.--Two of the world's leading battery developers

are locked in a technological race that has brought the

charging time for an electric vehicle to just five minutes--

about the amount of time it takes to refuel a traditional

gasoline-powered car.

And, in a twist with geopolitical ramifications, both of

the technological leaders are Chinese. It is a show of

prowess that underscores just how far China has extended its

global dominance over next-generation technologies, in some

cases leaving the U.S. years behind.

The claimed leap forward on EV batteries is merely the

latest technological feat for a country that has stunned

Western governments with a string of breakthroughs on

artificial intelligence, semiconductors and EVs--a

vindication of leader Xi Jinping's ambitions of turning China

into a global technological powerhouse.

Contemporary Amperex Technology, the world's biggest

automotive battery maker, said this week on the sidelines of

Auto Shanghai, China's biggest auto show, that it has

developed a new fast-charging system that, within five

minutes, can power a car for 320 miles of driving. By getting

the charging time down to roughly the same time as it takes

to refuel a gasoline-powered car, the Ningde, China-based

company, known as CATL, appears to have further eroded a

major obstacle to wider EV adoption.

CATL's announcement came just after that of fellow Chinese

battery maker BYD which also manufactures its own EVs that

rival Tesla's products. In March, BYD, based in the southern

Chinese technology hub of Shenzhen, said that its new

charging technology is capable of providing 250 miles of

range in five minutes.

The technologies won't be introduced on a wide scale right

away. The batteries can only be charged at a network of

superfast charging stations that is still being built out.

Still, CATL's and BYD's technologies serve as the latest

example of how China is years ahead of the U.S. in EV

technology, even as the Trump administration intensifies

efforts to curtail Chinese companies' access to cutting-edge

technology.

China, under Xi, has long positioned EVs as a technological

priority, while in Washington, concerns have grown among

officials and lawmakers about energy security.

CATL is now responsible for making more than one-third of

the EV batteries on the global market, including those inside

made-in-China Teslas.

CATL and BYD's claimed technological advancements are

unlikely to benefit American consumers, at least in the near

term, given sky-high tariffs levied by the U.S. against

Chinese goods--and in particular EVs manufactured in China.

It is a reminder of how divergent the automotive landscape,

and the consumer experience, have become between China and

the U.S., the world's two biggest economies and auto markets.

Chinese electric cars are an exceedingly rare sight on U.S.

roads because of tariffs that were already at around 100%

last year under import taxes levied by the Biden

administration. Then, in a string of recent moves, President

Trump slapped additional tariffs on most Chinese goods,

including cars, of 145%.

Meanwhile, within China, Xi's top-down push has been

broadly embraced by ordinary consumers, who are now as likely

to buy electric and plug-in vehicles as traditional gas-

powered cars, aided by relatively low electricity costs and a

batch of consumption-related subsidies.

In March, 52% of passenger cars sold in the country were

battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids of range-extended

vehicles, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

As adoption rapidly increased in China, homegrown players

came to dominate the global EV supply chain--including,

crucially, batteries, perhaps the single most important

technology underpinning EV performance. Many of these players

got a big boost working alongside Tesla, the American EV

pioneer that started making cars at its Shanghai plant in

late 2019.

Now, global dependence on Chinese battery suppliers, paired

with concerns that Chinese EVs could flood overseas markets

and pose a threat to domestic players, have raised alarms in

the U.S. and other Western markets.

In a bid to catch up, Ford Motor is building--a battery

plant in the U.S. where it plans to manufacture batteries

using CATL technology.

Chinese battery makers are leading producers of lithium-

iron-phosphate, or LFP batteries. These iron-based battery

cells cost less than the nickel-and-cobalt combination used

widely in North America and Europe.

CATL's newest fast-charging battery, the second generation

of its Shenxing lineup, is an LFP battery with a range of

about 500 miles. CATL said it improved electron transmission

efficiency to avoid overheating during rapid charging.

How quickly such batteries will be adopted on a wide scale

is another matter, because of the need to develop the

charging infrastructure. BYD has said that it is working to

build 4,000 compatible stations in China and that its

charging system will be initially available only for two

models, limiting its uptake in the near term.

Lihong Qin, president of Chinese EV maker NIO, which uses

CATL's battery cells and offers its own battery-swap system,

said carmakers need to see how quickly the rapid-charging

technology scales up, referring to the infrastructure build-

out. ``There is still a big difference between theoretical

calculations and practical applications,'' Qin said.

Mike Dunne, who runs a namesake automotive consulting firm,

said CATL's and BYD's superfast charging technologies are a

genuine breakthrough, but several challenges remain.

The new technology will cost more, and frequent usage will

wear out the battery cells, he said.

``It's more sizzle than steak,'' Dunne said.

China has more than 13 million EV-charging facilities

nationwide, counting both publicly and privately operated

ones, state media has reported. The U.S. has around 77,300

charging locations with about 230,000 EV-charging points in

total, data from the Joint Office of Energy and

Transportation showed. It is unclear if the two figures are

directly comparable, but industry experts widely regard

China's EV-charging environment to be far ahead of the

U.S.'s.

Separately on Monday, CATL introduced a new sodium-ion

battery that it calls Naxtra. At the moment, mainstream EV

batteries are reliant on lithium, creating a potential

bottleneck around supplies of the material. CATL says sodium-

ion batteries, if mass-produced, could help reduce its

dependence on lithium.

Sodium-ion batteries are made from a sodium compound called

soda ash, which can be produced using table salt. Unlike

lithium, sodium is easily accessible everywhere. The U.S. has

also been working on developing this technology.

Mr. Chair, as the designee of the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Budzinski).

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I listened to the gentleman, and he and I share a piece of the continent in a way. Part of Pennsylvania drains into Lake Erie believe it or not. I don't believe the gentleman's district does.

Congressman Perry represents a capital city. Capital cities tend to do a little better than other parts of the country economically because all the tax dollars flow there. Harrisburg and the general region my friend represents is very different from the Great Lakes region that I am privileged to try to help represent here in the Congress.

I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment because I think it comes from a lack of understanding of the challenges that are faced in our region of America which the gentleman does not share, even though Erie, Pennsylvania, will benefit, assuming the commission can be stood up. Maybe our Vice President can help us with that. He calls Ohio his home, though he does not come from the Great Lakes region of Ohio.

Mr. Chair, if you look around our country, for many, many years my part of America lost jobs and economic growth to California and the West because of the Bureau of Reclamation. It is important to understand what the Bureau of Reclamation does and the fact that places like I represent have enormous environmental debt because we had to self-finance our water systems and so forth.

If I go to the South and I look at the Tennessee Valley Authority, they take our jobs because of their ability to produce power because of the Federal Government's presence in that region across several States extending all the way through down to Alabama, from Tennessee to Alabama.

I support that. Those regions needed help with economic growth and environmental restoration.

I represent an important part of the Great Lakes watershed. It is one actually that we share with Canada. Let me tell you, Mr. Chairman, we don't get the attention that these other places do, and our people have gone through a lot. We have not had a trade balance in this country for almost one-half century.

Mr. Chair, whether you are talking about Kenosha, Wisconsin; whether you are talking about Flint, Michigan; or whether you are talking about Erie, Pennsylvania, there are places in the gentleman's State that would benefit from what is being proposed in this particular measure.

The Great Lakes Authority was passed in both Chambers, and we are waiting. The reason that the dollars are sitting there is because the executive branch has not chosen a co-chair to actually stand up the authority.

So what is it there for?

First of all, it is to pay attention to communities like Flint, Michigan, that had its water shut off. My hometown lost its water in 2014.

Until you go through that, Mr. Chair, you really won't understand. When you look at the environmental debt of these cities and what they are trying to do and what has happened to production, as NAFTA, CAFTA, all these trade agreements, the Korean agreement, is that they outsourced our jobs to cheap labor, and these communities are trying to restore themselves.

There is a greatness to these communities. There is an industrial muscle and a patriotism that is important to acknowledge and not to say: Well, we are done with them.

No. We need to focus on these regions just as we do in Appalachia and with the other kinds of instrumentalities that exist across our country. We are very proud of our working-class people. We have a company right now in my hometown of Toledo, Libbey Glass, where we have a major strike.

Why?

It is because they are in competition with China, Mexico, and France with no help from the Government of the United States. The workers are sort of on their own. They are trying to say: Hey, wait a minute. We want to work.

They work hard. The gentleman from Pennsylvania should sit in front of a glass furnace 8 hours a day in 90 degrees blowing in his face. That won't happen to people from Harrisburg, largely because they are more of a middle-class community. They are a State capital. However, where I come from people work hard for a living. They work in industry and agriculture every day, and they deserve the attention of the Government of the United States. No region should be left out when it faces what our region does.

What do we use the Great Lakes Authority for?

We use it to create and foster innovation and advance world-class workforce, education and training, and adjustment institutions for better jobs in places like I represent.

I am not the only one. The Great Lakes nation we share with Canada. That is another complexity. Parts of New York get energy from working with Canada. It is not so simple to create production in our part of America.

By the way, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway is built too small because the coast didn't want us to succeed. We are far from the Atlantic. We can't get to the Pacific out of our part of the country other than by train, so we needed a way to move our product. They figured it out with the help of President Eisenhower and a lot of others who preceded him in order to move our product globally. However, we don't have some of the benefits that the other coast does.

I would ask the gentleman to reconsider his opposition.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I also compliment the chair of our subcommittee, Mr. Fleischmann of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for his very gentlemanly behavior on both sides of the aisle so that we can actually move bills, which is our public responsibility.

I thank our diligent staff for all their hard work on this bill. I have to say I am very proud that ours is one of the first three bills to come to the floor. They are long delayed, not because we didn't do our work. We are ready. We want to pass funding for the new fiscal year, which begins on October 1.

I also thank the minority staff, Scott McKee, Anisha Singh, and Adam Wilson, and my personal staff, Kaitlin Ulin, TJ Lowdermilk, and Margaret McInnis. I thank them all, and I thank them for putting up with me.

Engineered energy and water systems undergird America's way of life. Energy and water are not optional but essential to sustaining life.

Of late, we have been piercingly reminded about our subcommittee's purpose. July brought nearly double the usual flood warnings, the second highest in 40 years. On July Fourth, Kerr County, Texas, sadly, saw one of the deadliest flash floods in U.S. history, with 117 lives lost. These tragedies inform us of the power of water and wild energy in our atmosphere.

Let me be clear: No matter how much Members on the other side of the aisle want to pretend that climate change is not happening, for the record, the last 10 years are the 10 hottest in recorded history. Think about that.

Our Great Lakes, the region I represent, comprise the largest body of freshwater on Earth. Specifically, Lake Erie, the southernmost of the lakes, no longer freezes over. Some of our favorite sports, ice boating and ice fishing, are now becoming a memory of the past, and hockey is now played indoors.

America's electric grid is old and under deep strain. The Energy Information Administration documented that the U.S. just set new records twice in July for peak electricity demand. The old grid system is being tested by hotter weather and higher usage. When the grid strains, costs rise and the most vulnerable families suffer first. How would you like to be in Tucson at 120 degrees week after week?

Unchecked growth in data centers alone could raise average U.S. electricity generation costs by roughly 8 percent by 2030. This is not hypothetical. It is happening as we meet today.

In Ohio, rapid demand growth from Big Tech data centers pushes electricity prices dramatically higher every month. Starting this July, households in Ohio saw their monthly energy bills increase a minimum of 10 percent. Some more than doubled. Families noticed a massive increase in monthly bills. I have one constituent

who called and told us that her family's bill moved from $230 a month to $494 in July. This cost of energy increase is not sustainable for working families.

Sadly, this Republican energy and water bill does not meet our Nation's energy and water imperative for the future nor for the present. We must invest faster in modern infrastructure to become energy independent in perpetuity. That is our awesome--underline ``awesome''--responsibility. We must reduce energy costs by investing in modern grid resilience and an all-of-the-above energy portfolio.

This bill fails to address the cost-of-living crisis currently underway. Overall, household electric bills nationally are up 10 percent. That is just since January. In places like northern Ohio, I am hearing that, for many people, the total for energy and water bills has doubled. Every family in this country knows that. Even higher energy bills lie ahead for families and businesses.

China is investing record levels in energy, making its products more competitive. Sadly, this bill retreats from U.S. global energy leadership. What do I mean? The bill cuts $1.6 billion, or 47 percent, from the Department of Energy's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. This undermines our Nation's imperative to deliver clean, affordable, and secure energy to the American people.

Our Nation should lead, not lag, in the global race toward energy independence in perpetuity. We must build an abundant clean energy future.

This bill eliminates funding for the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which means building the future. It revokes $5.1 billion of bipartisan infrastructure law resources from the Department of Energy, which will cede the U.S. global lead in hydrogen, direct air capture, battery recycling, and consequent energy savings possible in every public and private structure.

Already, U.S. businesses have delayed or canceled--this is a shocking number--more than $33 billion in investments in energy projects this year. That is lost economic growth. Over 64,000 jobs have already been lost or stalled in the clean energy sector. That is uncalled for.

In May, this administration revoked $3.7 billion in Federal energy investment for 24 energy projects already signed, sealed, and delivered across America, including for manufacturing companies to become more energy-efficient and including over $100 million for Libbey Glass, Owens-Illinois Glass, and Kraft Heinz across our region of Ohio alone.

President Trump promised he was going to help American manufacturing. That revocation actually goes completely in the opposite direction.

Thus, I must strongly oppose these additional Republican cuts to vital energy production and conservation--and America's future--through the U.S. Department of Energy.

Shortchanging these advances pushes our Nation backward and raises already high energy prices even more for consumers.

In other areas, this bill dangerously shortchanges our national security. The bill slashes $412 million from the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account. This effectively guts our efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, detect covert nuclear threats, and uphold arms control agreements that keep us safe. All of those cuts are a big gift for Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea.

Additionally, this bill turns its back on communities still living with the toxic legacy of America's atomic past by zeroing out the Army Corps program to clean up radioactive waste at early nuclear sites. This is deadly.

It slashes $779 million from nuclear cleanup efforts. That is three- quarters of a billion dollars. This will delay the cleanup that these communities have been promised for decades. I will note that one of these American atomic waste sites is in the village of Luckey, Ohio, not so far from my district.

Finally, this bill includes numerous controversial poison pill riders that are so extreme that they cannot gain bipartisan support and become law.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. America can and must meet the new age frontiers of energy and water. Nature is signaling. Times are changing. We must not turn back the clock but seize the baton for future generations to come.

Now is the moment to keep America on a steady path forward for an all-of-the-above energy, water, and nuclear security portfolio.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Mrvan), a very hardworking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the hardworking and highly able distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the authorizing committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), who works so hard on all climate issues. I thank the gentlewoman so very much for speaking today.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster), who is a genius who just happens to be a Member of Congress, as well, so the country is twice blessed.

Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, this Energy and Water bill costs American households, undermines U.S. global leadership, and weakens national security. Sadly, this Republican Energy and Water bill does not meet our Nation's imperative for the future.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill. America can do better,

and we must lead in the new frontiers of energy and water. We must keep this country secure. Our Nation's future depends on all of these.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bipartisan amendment and offer the comment that I wish all legislation could be accomplished in this manner.

This en bloc contains noncontroversial amendments from Members of both parties. I have no objections and urge support of the amendment.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank Congressman Taylor for coming to the floor, who is a fellow Buckeye. It is great to have southern Ohio and northern Ohio on the floor at the same time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Dexter).

Will the gentleman yield?

Representing the largest fishery on the Great Lakes where we have white fish, perch, and pickerel, I would be very interested in the gentleman letting us know how long brown fish grow. What is their length?

Mr. Chair, we ought to have a fish day up here on Capitol Hill to make everybody feel better.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank the Chair for his good measure today.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, in rising in opposition to this amendment, I do so because the amendment prohibits funds provided by this act from being used to close campgrounds or parks operated by the Army Corps of Engineers that are located at or around Lake Sidney Lanier in Georgia.

I can certainly understand the strong interest in preventing the Corps from closing campgrounds and parks in any particular area and certainly this one. The Corps is one of the Nation's leading Federal providers of outdoor recreation. They do not provide it in my district, though it would be nice if they did.

In this place, the Corps' recreation sites receive more than 260 million visits each year and include more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 States. They have a very broad reach.

Unfortunately, the Corps of Engineers' recreation funding has declined in recent years, and I support the notion that we do not want the Corps to close recreation sites due to lack of funding.

However, this is an issue that affects hundreds of sites across dozens of States. Then there are places like I represent where we don't have any Corps sites but we would like one.

I don't believe we should begin the practice of using funding prohibitions to carve out special designations but, instead, should develop a comprehensive solution to address the challenge of funding Corps recreation sites.

For this reason, at this moment I oppose the amendment. I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop a solution to the larger challenge at the Corps. The door is open if we can find other sources of funding.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition because this amendment, as I understand it, creates a funding prohibition related to the Delaware River Basin Commission.

The Delaware River Basin Commission is a Federal interstate compact agency charged with managing the water resources of the Delaware River Basin on a regional basis without regard to political boundaries.

As established by law through the Delaware River Basin Compact that went into effect in 1961, which is a half century ago, the Commission consists of the Army Corps of Engineers and the four basin State Governors. Those States include Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Each is a significant place in the union.

The Corps of Engineers and these States work as equal partners for planning, development, and regulatory action for the river basin. Given the Commission's statutory mission, it analyzed the risks to water resources posed by high-volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques.

We know something about this in Ohio; that is for sure.

Through a public rulemaking process, the Commission developed regulations related to high-volume hydraulic fracturing within the Delaware River Basin.

As a reminder, the Commission consists of the Governors of the four basin States--Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York--and the North Atlantic Division commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

It does not strike me as the proper role for Congress, particularly through an appropriations rider, to overrun or overrule regional and local governments on this matter.

While the commission's work could be further discussed, I am also concerned that this implicates funding provided to the Delaware River Basin Commission as community project funding on behalf of a Member of this body.

For those reasons, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to think about all this. I will be voting against this amendment, but I think there is a little more homework that has to be done on this one.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, as I am listening to this debate, and I haven't studied the maps completely, it sounds like Pennsylvania's effluent flows into points east of Pennsylvania.

Is that correct, Congressman?

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

We understand this challenge from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. We have our own tristate issues there.

This amendment prohibits funding for the Delaware River Basin Commission. It is hard to oppose the gentleman from Pennsylvania, but established by law through the Delaware River Basin Compact that went into effect in 1961, the commission consists of the Army Corps of Engineers and the four basin State Governors. Those States include Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

I guess any State could disagree, but the purpose of a commission is to try to get people to work together.

The effluent that is flowing from Pennsylvania into New Jersey may have to be tested for its content.

I don't really know, but the Corps of Engineers in these States work as equal partners for planning, development, and regulatory actions for the river basin.

While the commission's work could be further discussed, my strongest reason for opposition to this amendment is that the underlying bill provides $715,000 to the Delaware River Basin Commission as community project funding on behalf of a Member of this body.

The community project funding process allows Members of Congress to request funding for their community to meet urgent needs that they identify, and there is a rigorous process for the vetting and inclusion of community project funding including strict transparency and accountability rules.

I am a little surprised that one Member would target another Member's community project funding through an amendment on the floor.

Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to work together and to vote against this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I say to the fine gentleman from Pennsylvania that I drive a conventionally powered car. I put gasoline in my car. I don't have a favorite. I had a brother who was a race car driver, so he tried everything.

This amendment, though, would strike all funding provided in our bill to oversee and administer the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, ATVM for short.

All I have to say is that we need lots of hands on deck in inventing the new overground transportation systems for this country because, globally, we are falling behind, and the companies know it.

This program is currently responsible for carefully vetting and conducting oversight of more than $30 billion in loans that are either active or have conditional commitments. There are ATVM loan projects across the country, across industrial America--my colleague and I share that, both bounty and struggle--in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, New York, Michigan, and Indiana. These are projects that support the production of advanced vehicles, vehicle components, and critical minerals.

I am actually fast at the task of building a Toledo car because I don't want all of those gizmos they put on the cars today. You are forced to buy it when you go in, but you don't want it. Then, if it breaks, it costs $500 or more to get it fixed. People don't want all of that stuff. If they want the stuff, let them select it.

However, the ATVM program is projected to add almost 40,000 jobs nationwide, and we need it. Today, we are faced with an amendment to undercut those investments and jobs across our country.

Even for those who do not support the critical work of this program, eliminating this funding is truly cutting off our nose to spite our face.

Mr. Chair, if you want to increase fraud or hinder the ability of the Federal Government to interact with private business quickly and efficiently,

then, by all means, vote for this amendment. I, however, will vote against it because we must continue to invest in the manufacturing expertise of this country. I underline ``manufacturing,'' not ``copying.'' I mean building, creating, innovating. I want to make sure we do so as efficiently and responsibly as possible.

Without the necessary support to advance and oversee these investments, we risk our national security by letting our international competitors, China in particular, outpace our efforts at home.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this misguided amendment.

I have staff members who drive hybrids. They like those. I don't like the particular hybrid one of them drives because it is too close to the ground and you feel the road too much.

We all have opinions based on what size we are and how we can see out the windows and all, but I really do think that anything that has to do with advanced technology vehicle manufacturing is something I do not want to displace in the array of options that we have as a country. There is too much at stake here.

We have just seen the rebirth of the steel industry and are fighting for that every day. I was just up at the Soo Locks in Michigan looking at our ability to move steel and other material from Duluth all the way down through the seaway and then out to the world. We are working very hard on reinvesting in manufacturing America.

Madam Chair, I would not at all support the elimination of this program or the cutting short of this program at a time when America really needs it. So much of our componentry has been shipped offshore because they pay cheap wages. They pay penny wages, and they can move componentry.

Madam Chair, I had something happen to my car, and they took out the part. Sure enough, a foreign part failed. I could have been killed. You look at this, and I thought: I know this wasn't made in our country. Where was it made? You can guess.

We have to restore American manufacturing. I think that this is one way that we can do it.

We also have to invent new fuels. We, in our region, flew the first biofueled F-16 aircraft in this country. It didn't crash. They loved it. We are inventing the new fuels of the future, biofuels.

Half of the corn and soy in my region goes into fuels. It is a good thing it does because we have lost our agricultural markets to Brazil and Argentina selling to China, so our farmers aren't exporting into China anymore because of what is happening globally in the marketplace.

For manufacturing America, I oppose the amendment because I want invention here. I want manufacturing here.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Madam Chair, the gentleman's amendment reduces funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission by $13 million.

The Northern Border Regional Commission is a Federal-State partnership focused on economic and community development within the most distressed counties in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.

Except for New York--but New York in the north is different than New York in the south--many of these States don't have very many Members of Congress.

When you look at Vermont, I actually have more citizens in my district than the State of Vermont does in its entirety. The Northern Border Commission really does focus on places that often get ignored simply because those States don't have enough people in them to warrant the kind of attention maybe Pennsylvania gets because of its number of people, or California.

The NBRC was created by Congress in 2008 to provide infrastructure and economic development assistance to projects in counties that had varying degrees of economic and demographic distress. These investments lead to new jobs being created.

I have seen what it has done, for instance, in the Appalachian Regional Commission. It has taken a while, but I think many of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle from these States, where these commissions function, will agree and say it is the first time that kind of help has come in creating new businesses and trying to create roads that didn't exist and try to promote economic development in really some of the forgotten corners of America.

It is critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class. In some parts of the country, it is more difficult than others.

I can guarantee where there has been deindustrialization because of the outsourcing of production, there ought to

be a whole separate set of activities that occur in those areas of the country, whether it is Kenosha, Wisconsin, whether it is Toledo, Ohio, or Flint, Michigan. One of the reasons the public is so unstable politically is because they are looking for an answer and neither party has been able to fully accommodate the needs of those places.

I think we are becoming more sensitive to it, and these commissions provide us a very important means to do it.

Madam Chair, I oppose the gentleman's amendment. Actually, I think part of Pennsylvania, is it not covered by the Appalachian Regional Commission? Will the gentleman yield?

I just think that when you look at some of the money that goes out to different places in the country, Pennsylvania hits higher than Ohio does actually. For us, the Appalachian Regional Commission in southern Ohio has been just terribly important.

Has it been the most important vehicle for restoring what was lost or trying to convert to other economic activities? No. Are we crawling forward? Yes. At least we are not falling behind even more.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment, but I have to oppose it.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces funding for the Southwest Border Regional Commission by $2 million.

The Southwest Border Regional Commission was established by Congress in 2008 to address economic distress along the southern border regions of some pretty important places--Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. In December 2022, the Senate confirmed the first Federal co- chair for the commission.

Think about the delay in the co-chair--that took a large number of years--which enables the commission to convene and begin other activities. I would place the burden there on the executive branch for waiting such a long time to nominate someone and on the Senate to actually clear the name.

These investments lead to new jobs being created, and many of these places have very small towns that don't even have parking lots in their little bakeries or their restaurants. It is critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class, especially in the forgotten towns and regions of our country.

I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment on behalf of people who are trying to better their way of life, against all odds.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment reduces funding for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission by $16 million, a commission that was established in 2008, but unfortunately, the Governors of the respective States did not appoint those who were to manage the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission until just a couple of years ago, so there was no way that it could get off the ground.

If you have traveled in that region of America, you would come back a different person, so I urge you to do that.

The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission's mission is to build sustainable communities and strengthen economic growth across the Southeast region, including places in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission invests in the region's economic future through a grant program, publishing research related to the region, and income-producing learning experiences.

Many people there have never started a business, but they want to. You must have had a good father or mother to help you get into business--I don't know--but it is important that opportunity be seeded in all parts of our country to help communities seize opportunity, address economic disparity, and advance prosperity. It is critical to support the rise of all Americans to become part of a thriving middle class, where possible.

Mr. Chair, I also wanted to mention the gentleman voted for the big billionaire bonanza bill that added $4 trillion to the U.S. debt.

Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, release the Epstein files. The American people deserve the truth. The President promised the release of the Epstein files, and yet very rich and powerful interests are still working to bury them.

Who are they protecting? Are they protecting the Washington elite, the billionaires, the politicians, the establishment class that think they are above the law? Maybe they are even protecting the President himself?

We won't know for sure unless and until the President honors his promise to release the entirety of the files immediately.

No one is above the law, not the rich, not the well connected, not those who abuse the vulnerable and hide behind their privilege.

The victims deserve justice. Our citizenry deserves transparency. Our democracy demands accountability. Every day these files remain hidden is another day the elites laugh at the American people.

I call on the Trump administration and its Department of Justice to release all the Epstein files unaltered.

I call on each of my colleagues to not shield the powerful. Shine the light on the truth. That is the least we owe the violated victims and the very least we owe our Nation: Truth. Release the files.

Mr. Speaker, today I introduced a Resolution Affirming the President's Promise Not to Raise the Social Security and Medicare Retirement Age.

Social Security and Medicare are solemn promises made to generations of American workers who have paid into these hard-earned benefits during their working years.

Yesterday, Social Security celebrated its 90th birthday, and our resolution demonstrates continued support from Congress for this program so it can continue to support Americans throughout their retirement for decades to come.

As more than 11,000 Americans turn 65 each day, many will turn to these programs to access care and start their retirement. It is our duty to ensure these programs will be here for them to utilize in their golden years and not create delays to access these benefits.

Raising the retirement age would reduce benefits for millions of Americans, placing an unnecessary burden on seniors and those close to retirement who can't afford to wait to access their earned benefits.

I promise to oppose any changes to the retirement age for these vital national programs, just as President Trump stated on July 8, 2024. I agree with President Trump that we mustn't raise the Social Security and Medicare Retirement Age.

In a time of division, I'm glad to be able to find issues where people from both parties can agree.

I thank my colleagues who have already joined my resolution, and I urge all my colleagues to consider supporting this resolution which demonstrates the House of Representatives dedication to protect retirement security by not raising the retirement age.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a remarkable, hard working, good natured man of labor: Bruce Baumhower from Toledo, Ohio in our 9th Congressional District. Mr. Baumhower formally retired on June 30, 2025 after serving as the President of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 12, the longest run of service in the union's history--over a half a century. He will be honored at a special event prior to Toledo's 2025 Jeep Fest--a celebration he co-founded in 2016--on Saturday, August 2, 2025.

Bruce Baumhower is a Toledo native who graduated from Whitmer High School in 1972. He started work at Jeep the same year. Throughout his employment at Jeep, Bruce involved himself in union activities, rising through the ranks after election to Steward, Bargaining Committee and Vice Chairman. In 1993 he was elected President of UAW Local 12, the second largest UAW local in the nation. He has been ably at the helm since. UAW Local 12, based in Toledo, represents approximately 16,000 members at 47 worksites. His leadership is humble yet reliably strong and honorable, and always visionary.

Throughout Bruce's tenure as leader of UAW Local 12, he has steered the union--and the Toledo community--through crisis and calm. Most notably, he led the effort to establish the plants and supplier park that built the Wrangler and the Gladiator, two locations that have defined Toledo's skyline and its workforce. He has been an integral part of redefining Jeep as Toledo's identity and his integrity and work ethic symbolizes Toledo, Ohio--a city whose motto is: Laborare est Orare, ``To Work is to Pray.''

In addition to his duties as President of UAW Local 12, Bruce is president of the UAW's Community Action Program, which coordinates political and community action for all seven Toledo area UAW locals. Mr. Baumhower currently also serves on the board of Imagination Station and the Regional Growth Partnership.

As one of the founders of Toledo's Jeep Fest, Bruce has further imprinted Jeep on Toledo. It is said that he and another member had a conversation about Jeep's 75th anniversary. From that moment, Jeep Fest was born. Eight years later, it is a three day festival drawing thousands of people from all corners and highlighted by a parade of hundreds of iconic Jeeps. Currently Bruce serves on the Board of Directors of Jeep Fest and leads off the parade with union members, who are both actively working and retired, all proud of Jeep's continuing and amazing success--America's most popular vehicle. The parade celebrates and American success story led by union members who show great pride in their roles and led by an energetic President.

The great UAW pioneer Walter Reuther noted, ``There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.'' Bruce Baumhower epitomizes these words. His noble spirit guides the Union and the City in which he has played such a pivotal role.

Now as he formally retires, we, wish him well on his journey, knowing he will be spending his time with his wife Kim, three children and eight grandchildren, engaged in all they most enjoy. I thank Bruce for all he has given to our community and our Nation during a trying era for US automotive manufacturing. He makes us proud. May he enjoy a well-earned retirement. May God Bless him unselfishly and continually.