Mike Gallagher

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the life of a remarkable man: Mr. Eugene ``Jack'' Kraszewski. A WWII veteran, father, grandfather, and friend, Jack has dedicated his impressive life to serving the United States and his community.

Jack was born on April 15, 1924, grew up on his family farm, and attended school in Pulaski, Wisconsin. However, Jack did not finish high school as he was drafted into the Army at the age of 18 before graduation. Jack was quickly sent off from small town Pulaski to Fort Hulen, Texas, for basic training. At basic training he was extremely successful where he studied and eventually became part of an anti- aircraft unit. After basic training he went on to be deployed and stationed all throughout Europe including Scotland, England, France, Belgium, and Germany. From March of 1943 to February of 1946, Jack valiantly served our country during the height of the tensions of World War II. Jack was even present on D-Day at the Invasion of Normandy, one of the largest amphibious invasions in modern warfare history. All the way from Northeast Wisconsin, Jack was on the front lines of the most notorious invasions in United States military history. I extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to Jack for his unwavering service and commitment to the United States of America.

Following his discharge from the military, Jack returned home and married the love of his life, Marjorie Stender, on October 11, 1958. Jack and Marjorie enjoyed nearly 60 years together and would grow their family, welcoming their two daughters, Anne, and Ruth.

Mr. Speaker, I once again extend my sincere thanks for Jack for his unwavering service and dedication to the United States. He truly embodies all that it means to be part of the Greatest Generation. Our Nation is safer because of his selfless commitment and service. I urge members of this body to join me in honoring Mr. Eugene ``Jack'' Kraszewski in recognition of his service. Mr. Kraszewski is deserving of the highest degree of recognition.

Mr. Speaker, last year, my efforts to ensure foreign adversaries can't control American social media applications was declared dead, and TikTok's lobbyists were celebrating. Today, I'm proud to say its on the path to passing the Senate and headed to the President's desk. The CCP's last ditch attempts to destroy the bill and me personally failed.

And though I didn't expect to have to prioritize my family and leave Congress early, I'll confess this is how I always wanted to go out. On top, with the select committee at the height of its influence, having just passed the most consequential bill of my career, perhaps the most consequential bill of this Congress, and having just completed two historic investigations. And with FISA and these national security supplemental across the finish line, this Congress has completed its most important homework, for which the Speaker deserves enormous credit.

I firmly believe the Speaker has emerged on the other side of this stronger and a statesman. Any Motion to Vacate will fail, the Republican majority will grow as three special election seats get filled in the coming weeks, and what remains of this Congress will involve bipartisan oversight and legislation. And though I will be stepping away from politics, I think after this week my Republican colleagues will have a strong case to make come November, that they held the line for freedom at home and abroad.

It's typical at moments such as these to say ``I have no regrets.'' This is true legislatively and professionally. I accomplished my mission and got to chair the most significant committee in the 118th congress. Yet I have a lingering personal regret. I wish I had devoted more time to building personal relationships with my colleagues. Our time here is frenetic: filled with overlapping committee hearings and constant fundraising events. It's hard to carve out time just to get to know your colleagues, to understand their background and motivation, and thereby develop trust.

Where I was able to do that, with Senator Angus King my co-chair on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and with Raja Krishnamoorthi on the China committee, it produced the biggest legislative successes of my 8 years. Put differently, my effectiveness as Congressman wasn't primarily a function of intellect or op-ed writing prowess and certainly not fundraising, it was a direct result of forging friendships across our caucus and maybe more importantly across the aisle.

So if there's a lesson in that for my successor or any of my colleagues it's after a grueling day of a thousand meetings, still make the effort to get that beer with a member you don't know that well. Drink more, tweet less. Get to know your colleagues in real life before trashing them on social media. At the end of the day, Republicans and Democrats, we're all Americans, citizens of the greatest country in the history of the world. Even on our worst day the world is looking to us for leadership. God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a local Green Bay celebrity and Jeopardy champion, Dr. Ben Chan.

In the Spring of 2023, Ben captured the attention of Jeopardy viewers nationwide. He went on a nine-game winning streak and won more than $250,000 on the trivia show. While he was competing, the fans were charmed by his positive attitude; oftentimes, he could be seen ``raising-the-roof,'' and he always placed an exclamation point after his name. He shared stories about his dogs, Ruthie and Chester, who he plans on spending a portion of his winnings on. Although Ben's winning streak ended over a controversial rule, he was invited back to compete in the Tournament of Champions. Ultimately, Ben has won over $350,000 on Jeopardy.

While Ben has an extensive fan-base nationwide, some of his most loyal fans reside in his hometown of Green Bay. Ben is an assistant professor of philosophy at St. Norbert College in De Pere. The college community continues to embrace Ben and his success on Jeopardy. When he is not on campus, Ben can be found greeting fans in the community. Recently, he hosted public watch parties for his appearances on Tournament of Champions. Wisconsinites flocked to local restaurants and breweries to cheer him on. In addition to these events, Ben uses his platform to promote Northeast Wisconsin organizations. Appleton's Minor League Baseball Team, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, invited Ben to throw out the first pitch last summer. He even had the opportunity to shoot the famous Bratzooka cannon, which launches brats into the stands. When he competed in the Tournament of Champions, he highlighted one of Green Bay's main attractions, Bay Beach Amusement Park.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my sincerest congratulations to Dr. Ben Chan. He is a trivia genius who is making monumental impacts in the Green Bay community. I, along with many Wisconsinites, will miss seeing Ben compete on the show. I look forward to seeing what Ben accomplishes next.