Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school wrestler in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Carson Meyer of Archbold High School has represented his school ably on his way to achieving the Division III State wrestling title. Carson overcame the challenges posed by intense competition in his effort to win the Division III State Wrestling Championship.

In pursuing the State championship, Carson Meyer defeated his opponent in the finals of the 182-pound classification. His hard work and dedication, both on and off the mat, in achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding. He has achieved an impressive season record bringing pride to his school and community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Carson Meyer of Archbold High School. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school wrestler in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Austin Kohlhofer of Delta High School has represented his school ably on his way to achieving the Division III State wrestling title. Austin overcame the challenges posed by intense competition in his effort to win the Division III State Wrestling Championship.

In pursuing the State championship, Austin Kohlhofer defeated his opponent in the finals of the 220-pound classification. His hard work and dedication, both on and off the mat, in achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding. He has achieved an impressive season record bringing pride to his school and community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Austin Kohlhofer of Delta High School. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school wrestler in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Wyatt Miller of Oak Harbor High School has represented his school ably on his way to achieving the Division III State wrestling title. Wyatt overcame the challenges posed by intense competition in his effort to win the Division III State Wrestling Championship.

In pursuing the State championship, Wyatt Miller defeated his opponent in the finals of the 195-pound classification. His hard work and dedication, both on and off the mat, in

achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding. He has achieved an impressive season record bringing pride to his school and community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Wyatt Miller of Oak Harbor High School. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school cheerleading squad in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. The young athletes of the Lincolnview High School cheerleading squad have represented their school ably on their way to becoming the Division V, Building Category, State Cheerleading champs. In their effort to surpass all other squads in the Division V State Cheerleading Championship, the Lincolnview cheerleaders employed outstanding teamwork, overcoming the challenges posed by intense competition.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Lincolnview cheerleaders had to radically adjust their practice routine to a virtual mode as they prepared for their normal season and STATE competition. The squad submitted a well-rehearsed competition video in February and after judging, STATE athletic officials delivered the championship trophy to the squad in March. The Lincolview cheerleading squad has won the championship 2 years in a row and three times in the last 4 years. The members of this very special squad have carried on that tradition by showing both the individual efforts and teamwork that their sport requires to achieve championship performance. Their hard work and dedication which culminated in this accomplishment is truly outstanding.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the Lincolnview High School cheerleaders. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school wrestler in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Jeff Meyer of Columbus Grove High School has represented his school ably on his way to achieving the Division III State wrestling title. Jeff overcame the challenges posed by intense competition in his effort to win the Division III State Wrestling Championship.

In pursuing the State championship, Jeff Meyer defeated his opponent in the finals of the 285-pound classification. His hard work and dedication, both on and off the mat, in achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding. He has achieved an impressive season record bringing pride to his school and community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Jeff Meyer of Columbus Grove High School. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school wrestler in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Joey Blaze, a sophomore at Perrysburg High School, has represented his school ably on his way to achieving the Division I State wrestling title. Joey overcame the challenges posed by intense competition in his effort to win the Division I State Wrestling Championship.

In pursuing the State championship, Joey Blaze defeated his opponent in the finals of the 138-pound classification. His hard work and dedication, both on and off the mat, in achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding. Joey led his team to rank sixth place overall in the championship. He has achieved an impressive season record bringing pride to his school and community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Joey Blaze of

Perrysburg High School. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school basketball team in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. The young women of the Napoleon High School girls' basketball team have represented their school ably on their way to achieving the Division II State Girls Basketball Title. In their effort to surpass all other teams in the Division II State Basketball Playoffs, the Napoleon Wildcats overcame the challenges posed by intense competition.

In pursuing the State Championship, the Napoleon Lady Wildcats defeated the Vinton County Vikings to win their first state basketball championship. The members of this very special team have shown that their sport requires an individual effort for a team result. Their hard work and dedication, both on and off the court, in achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the Napoleon High School girls basketball team. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school basketball team in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. The young women of the Ottawa-Glandorf High School girls basketball team have represented their school ably on their way to becoming the Runner Up in the Division III State Girls Basketball Championship tournament. The Ottawa-Glandorf Titans overcame the challenges of intense competition on the path to reach the championship playoffs, capping off an outstanding season with their noteworthy performance.

In the state final game, the Ottawa-Glandorf Titans faced the Hiland Hawks. The Titans played an impressive final game that highlighted the teamwork they have demonstrated throughout their trip to the playoffs. Each member of this very special team has shown the individual effort that their sport requires for a successful team result. As a direct consequence of their hard work and dedication, both on and off the court, they achieved an impressive season record that brought pride to their community.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the Ottawa-Glandorf High School girls basketball team. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Peter Cole, Principal of Carey Junior High and High School, for being named the Ohio Principal of the Year by the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA). Mr. Cole, who is a former President of the Board of Directors for the OASSA, is characterized by fellow principals as a leader who sees himself as a servant, not only for Carey schools, but a vast number of school districts as well.

Peter Cole graduated from Carey High School in 1993. He received his bachelor's degree in music and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Bowling Green State University. Principal Cole went on to receive his Superintendent's License from the University of Findlay and Ashland University. Before becoming principal at Carey in 2007, he was band director at Hopewell-Loudon and Oak Harbor schools.

During his time as an educator, Principal Cole has strived to think outside the box and create an environment for students to succeed. He promotes new ideas, rather than always relying on traditional methods to educate his students. Principal Cole uses the term ``servant leader'' to describe his position at the school because he feels his role is to serve the students. He focuses on ensuring all of his students are having a good experience during their time at Carey schools. Principal Cole's contribution to Carey Junior High and High School is seen in every action that he takes for his school. His dedication is an example for all of Ohio's educational leaders.

Congratulations to Principal Peter Cole, on being named the Ohio Principal of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Toledo, Ohio, for being selected by Site Selection Magazine as a Top Metropolitan Area in the United States. Toledo has shown what a strong community with the ambition to bring new investment to the area can do to create opportunities for the metropolitan area.

In order to be considered a metropolitan city for this particular award, the area must have a population ranging from 200,000 to 1 million. Toledo was selected for this award by Site Selection because of the new business investments brought to the metropolitan area. In 2020, Toledo had an estimated $2.2 billion worth of projects that are expected to create 3,500 jobs.

Fostering a cooperative environment between businesses and local government has resulted in continued economic growth in the area. Toledo has brought millions in investments from businesses including Amazon, Stellantis, General Motors, Libbey Glass, and many more. The great work that Toledo has done despite the COVID-19 challenge is inspirational and shows the incredible work that is occurring in Northwest Ohio.

Congratulations to Toledo, on being named a Top Metropolitan Area.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Findlay, Ohio, for being named the Top Micropolitan Community in the United States for the seventh year in a row by Site Selection Magazine. Findlay has routinely shown what a strong community with a commitment to prosperity can do through implementation of their renowned ``Findlay Formula.'' The city's focus on this formula continues to pay dividends and serves as an example to communities across the country.

In order to be considered a micropolitan city, the area must have a population ranging from 10,000 to 50,000. Over 550 of these cities were evaluated on business growth and economic sustainability. Findlay was able to secure this award for the seventh year in a row because of their focus on job creation, new construction, and capital investment that met Site Selection's criteria. In 2020, Findlay had an estimated $150 million in capital investment, which contributed to the creation of 1,000 new jobs.

Fostering a cooperative environment between businesses and local government has resulted in continued economic growth in Findlay. Over the past seven years, Findlay has completed 200 projects and produced 6,000 new jobs through an estimated 1.5 billion dollars in investment. This success would not be possible without the partnership and cooperation between the City of Findlay, the Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development office, the Hancock County Commissioners, and the entire Findlay community .

Congratulations to Findlay for another year as the nation's top- ranked Micropolitan Community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the career of the Honorable Vernon L. Preston, Ohio Third District Court of Appeals Judge, and recognize the outstanding work he has done for the State of Ohio. On February 8, 2021, Judge Preston will be retiring after twenty- seven years of distinguished judicial service. His hard work and continued dedication to uphold the law and the Constitution is an example for all.

Judge Preston was born and raised in Findlay, Ohio. After attending Findlay High School and the University of Findlay, he proudly served on active duty in the United States Navy for six years. He retired with the rank of Captain in 2003 after serving twenty-five additional years in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

In 1980, Judge Preston graduated with a law degree from the University of Toledo. Upon graduation from law school, he opened a law practice in Portsmouth, Ohio. As a private practice attorney, he specialized in administrative and insurance law representing both individuals and business clients. Later, Judge Preston returned to Findlay where he served in a series of public service positions including Magistrate for the Findlay Municipal Court, Assistant Hancock County Prosecutor, and Assistant Findlay City Prosecutor. Before his appointment to the Third Court of Appeals in 2007, Judge Preston served on the Findlay Municipal Court Bench for thirteen years. In addition to his full-time schedule as a judge, he was an Adjunct Professor of Equine Law at the University of Findlay.

Judge Preston's work has had a lasting influence on our judicial system and a significant impact on his community. The citizens of Fifth District of Ohio join me in congratulating the Honorable Vernon Preston for his service to Ohio and our nation.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding, and I want to thank the gentleman for his decades of support for life and the unborn in this country and for everything he has done. Thank you very much.

Since 1973, more than 62 million innocent unborn babies' lives have been taken by abortion in this country. Tragically, abortion continues to put women in danger, takes the life of an innocent child, and fails to recognize the dignity of all lives, regardless of how small.

In 2017 alone, there were roughly 860,000 abortions in the United States. That number is far greater than the population of the district I represent, Ohio's Fifth Congressional District.

While the overall abortion rate is decreasing, the rate of using chemical abortion is going up, accounting for roughly 39 percent of procedures that year.

I am proud that my legislation, the SAVE Moms and Babies Act, would recognize chemical abortions for what it is: dangerous.

Thankfully, there is still reason for hope. Three-quarters of Americans, including a majority of whom identify as pro-choice, want significant restrictions on abortion. This is most certainly thanks to the growing pro-life movement advocating for the protection of the unborn children who deserve the dignity of life. Without the right to life, we truly have no other right.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and, again, for all of his work.

Mr. Speaker, due to being the ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee's Communication and Technology subcommittee, we were detained in a hearing during the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 478.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and could be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.