Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker I rise today to honor and celebrate the life of Josephine ``Josie'' Betras who passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 1, in the presence of her family at the Saint Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio. Josie was born on January 20, 1926 to her loving parents John and Ida Zidian. As a lifelong resident of the Mahoning Valley, Josie attended East High School, and shortly after her graduation she worked alongside her father at the family's business, the John Zidian Grocery Store.

In 1951, Josie married her husband, Joseph Betras. The two were married for 48 wonderful years and as a devoted wife she supported and encouraged him to pursue his political interest. With her help Joseph built a successful law practice, served as a Mahoning County Court Judge, and a Boardman Township Trustee. Aside from being a dedicated wife Josie believed in the importance of being civically engaged. As a result she became an active member of the Mahoning County Bar Auxiliary, the Lebanese Syrian Club, and the Mahoning County Democratic Party's Central Committee. She also volunteered for the Mahoning County Board of Elections, Saint Marons Church, and Saint Marks Ladies Society in Liberty, Ohio.

Josie and Joseph committed their lives to their family and were the proud parents of two sons, Daryl and David. Her children, grandchildren, and loved ones were her favorite topic of conversation and her greatest source of pride and joy. Josie was a matriarch in our community who delighted in entertaining guests with her glorious Lebanese feasts and I will forever cherish the times we have shared over the years.

Preceded in death by her husband Joseph; parents John and Ida; brothers John, Joseph, and Charles; and her sister Freda, Josie's warm and sweet spirit will continue to live on through the many hearts and families she has touched. Josie is survived by her sons: Daryl and David; her brother Ron; her three grandchildren Joseph, Rosie, and Alexander; and a

number of nieces and nephews. Our community is a much better place to call home because of Josie's timeless memory and she will be deeply missed.

Thank you so much. I want to thank the gentleman from New York. It is always fun to be here with you in the later evening hours.

As I am listening to you talk about fair trade versus free trade and about some of these agreements, you have just got to go to the communities. I mean, this is not rocket science. Go to the communities that have been impacted over the last 20 or 30 years, going back to NAFTA and CAFTA and all of these other agreements, and look at them. Look at what has happened in places like Youngstown, Ohio, or in upstate New York or in Connecticut or up and down the east coast.

Mr. Speaker, we have, in Ohio, several companies that, after the NAFTA agreement, started moving, wholesale, their manufacturing facilities from Warren, Ohio, or Youngstown, Ohio, to just over the border in Mexico--to just over the border with cheaper labor and no environmental or labor standards to be seen--and shipping the products right back over, decimating communities across Ohio, like the ones that we represent.

There is a State route in Ohio, State Route 7. It goes from the lake all the way down the Ohio River. If you want to see what these trade agreements have done in the heartland, go take a ride down Route 7, especially the southern part. Go through Steubenville and East Liverpool, Ohio; go down to Portsmouth; go through Athens County, and you will see the erosion of what used to be the industrial might of the United States of America. They have eroded communities.

The ripple effect--the job aspect of it--is of unemployed people. Now there is no one to support the schools. Now there is no one to support the mental health levy. Now there is no one to support the libraries. Now there is no one to throw $20 in the basket at church on Sunday. The ripple effect throughout these communities has decimated the middle class, our communities, and has reduced opportunity for our young people, whom we want to thrive in manufacturing in the United States.

I don't want to see the GDP. I don't want to see numbers. I want to see what it is doing for average Americans and middle class people-- period, end of story. How does it help them? Drive through the communities, and you are going to see the evidence that we have not negotiated these agreements. If there is growth and if there are increased profits and if the stock market is going up, where is that money going? It is not going to the middle class people. There used to be middle class people in our congressional districts, and I have told this story before.

We have a $1 billion steel mill that is located in Youngstown now. Why? The company asked us to fight to put tariffs on the dumped Chinese steel tubing that was coming in, and the President, to his credit, put the tariffs on. They built the steel mill.

So, when you level the playing field--if you are dumping or if you are manipulating your currency, which is something that we have got to get in this agreement: real teeth into the currency manipulation issue--or the environment or labor, then people and companies will reinvest back in the United

States, and you can reinvigorate State Route 7, going north and south in Ohio. To me, that is the most important part. What are we going to do? How are we going to write agreements? How are we going to structure our trade to operate in a way that draws investment into the United States?

One last piece.

The small- and medium-sized manufacturers get hammered in this. Do you want to be pro business? Do you want to be pro middle class, small business, medium-sized businesses, tool and dye makers, mom-and-pop manufacturers that operate in communities like ours--the people who treat their employees like they are family and are the ones who sponsor the Little League team or the soccer team? They are getting wiped out in these agreements, and we are not factoring them in.

If we want a small, robust middle class, business community in the smaller and mid-sized cities in America, these are the kinds of things we need to factor in when we are operating. Yes, we have got to invest in roads and bridges. Yes, we have got to invest in infrastructure. We have got to do research. We have got to make sure that we have an educated, skilled workforce, and we should invest in manufacturing and all the rest; but the trade agreements are key. If you look at what Korea has done to our auto industry and to our trade deficit with Korea--just those two things--we have lost tens of thousands of jobs because of the Korea trade agreement, and our trade deficit with them has skyrocketed.

The proof is in the pudding. If we want to bring back the State Route 7s in the Ohios of America, then we need to do exactly what you are saying, Mr. Tonko, and what Rosa DeLauro is going to say and what others are going to say tonight. We need to reframe the way we talk about this.

I am very thankful for the invite here, and I appreciate your passion and how you believe and understand we have got to do real economic development in upstate New York and in places like my communities. Thank you for being a leader on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Palmer J. ``Barney'' Macali, 93, who passed away Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.

Barney devoted his life to his family and was an active member of his community. Barney served his country in the U.S. Air Force as part of the 5th Air Depot Group. He was a member of numerous organizations, and received multiple awards. Barney received the Community Star from the Tribune Chronicle for outstanding service in the community, due to his integral part in coordinating numerous fundraisers and other charitable events. From the young age of 10, Barney began delivering groceries after school, and for 80 years, he committed himself to the business, his customers, and employees. Barney was a dedicated family man and a valued citizen of Northeast Ohio.

Preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Armand and Gilbert Macali. Barney is survived by his wife, Anne Macali, whom he married Feb. 14, 1955; four children, Ralph, Paula, Palmer, Mary Beth; their AFS student, of Frankfurt, Germany, Hannelore; eight grandchildren, Christopher, Quinn, Tyler, Marco, Nina and Nicholas, Spencer and Anneliese; two sisters, Eleanor and Norma, and sister-in-law, Delores. There is no doubt, Barney left his community a much better place to live in and he will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of Delores M. ``Dee'' Pipino, 83, who passed away on October 17, 2014 surrounded by her loving family.

Dee devoted her life to her family. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were her favorite topic of conversation and were her greatest source of pride and joy. As a lifelong resident of Poland, Ohio, Dee was an active part of her community as a longtime member of the Holy Family Parish and Fonderlac Country Club. Aside from being dedicated to her home and her family, she was an excellent cook and baker, a great sewing and interior design student, all while remaining an avid reader. Dee's three year battle with cancer was exhausting, but she faced it with a resilient courage and strength that will remain an inspiration to all who knew her.

Preceded in death by her loving parents and husband, Donald; four sisters, Anne, Mary, Clara, and Janet; and her brother, Anthony. She will be deeply missed and her memory cherished by her children Mary, Chris, Sam, and Joe; grandchildren Eddie, Deloran and Donielle, Candace and Donald, Sammy, Grayson; great-grandchildren Luca and Dane. Although no longer with us Dee's loving memory will be cherished by all who knew her. We miss her.

Thank you.

All these fights are side by side with my friends from Toledo and upstate New York. And you look, upstate New York with Ms. Slaughter, the Great Lakes States, I think we are the ones who have seen over the course of the last two or three decades really what has happened to our manufacturing base. I think both of you have hit the nail on the head.

And you look at the politics and the elections, from 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, in my estimation, these are all about economics. These are about average people not feeling like they have opportunity to latch on to the American Dream.

I think when we talk about these trade agreements, the issue inevitably comes down to manufacturing. How can we reinvigorate manufacturing in the United States again?

And it is not just the trade agreements, but it is what other progressive policies do we have with the Tax Code, with investments and infrastructure, research and development, renewable energy.

You talk about windmills. You have got to make everything that is in that windmill. The tons of steel, all of the component parts need to be manufactured. So why wouldn't we focus on getting that done here in the United States so we can put our folks back to work in manufacturing jobs that pay more, more secure pensions, more secure and higher benefits? That is, I think, ultimately the ladder up.

I will give you an example where we got this right. We had an opportunity in Youngstown, Ohio, and Girard, Ohio, for an expansion of a new steel mill, up to a billion dollars. And we needed to do some site preparation work, and we were able to get $20 million from the stimulus package. Then the company said, You need to level the playing field with China.

And so the President put tariffs on the steel tubing coming in from China. And in Youngstown, Ohio, we have a billion dollar steel mill that put our building trades to work for a year and a half to 2 years, over 1,000, 1,500-plus workers to build the facility, 350 new jobs, investments back in the community.

That is when we get it right, when we level the playing field, when we put the tariffs on their dumped products coming into the United States. That, to me, is what this is all about.

You go down the Ohio River, north on the turnpike over to Toledo and Chicago and into the Great Lakes. You go east on 90, and you go through Pennsylvania and into New York. These are the regions of the country that, if we want America to not feel so insecure economically, we have got to get these reinvestments back into these communities.

We can't just give a blank check and ignore what needs to be negotiated. Our opportunity here, our job here, I think, is to lift all of these other countries up and not exploit and then have the bad food come back to the United States or the cheap products come back to the United States, whether we are talking about drywall or baby food or whatever the story is from the last couple of years.

I think we have an opportunity to right the ship. We have got to have a coalition here in Congress that is willing to do that, and we do have an opportunity. Just think about this.

I know my friend from Minnesota wants to speak a little bit as well.

If we had a national manufacturing policy in the United States, if we said we are going to rebuild the United States, how many Members of this Congress, if we said, how much is your combined sewer that you are going to have to invest in the next 10 years? A billion? Some big cities are a billion dollars; hundreds of millions in small- to mid- sized towns like the ones I represent, getting close to actually billions of dollars.

If we put people back to work and made the investment and our building trades all went back to work, union workers, good contracts, good wages,

good benefits, we incentivized manufacturing with the Tax Code and research and all the rest, we invested in the renewable energies so that we can make the solar panels, make the windmills and we move in this direction, we could light up the United States again with a few key changes. But I think having a trade policy that Congress has input on, that levels the playing field, does not sacrifice our clean air, our clean water, our food, is the way to go about it.

So I just wanted to stop in, thank my friends, thank the dean of our delegation in Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, for this leadership. We have got to keep pushing back. So I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here with you and look forward to hopefully beating this thing back.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of a sailor and dear patriot, Senior Chief Petty Officer Richard G. Ferraro, Jr., of Youngstown, OH who passed away on May 28, 2014.

Richard was a natural, who served honorably in the United States Navy for twenty-six years. He was one of the most dedicated and proud members of the United States Navy, having served on nine commands throughout his career. For his outstanding service and leadership, Senior Chief Richard Ferraro was the recipient of many prestigious decorations, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Richard was a selfless and good hearted man, who always put others before himself. He enjoyed cheering on the Steelers and was known for the consistent love he held for his family as well as the United States Navy.

Richard is survived by his wife Leny Escobonas Ferraro, parents Richard G. Ferraro, Sr. and Mary ``Jackie'' O'Brian Ferraro; his sister Angela R. Gonzalez; his niece Grace E. Edwards; and her children Mayann and Jessica. It gives me great pride to honor the life of Richard Ferraro, Jr. I am deeply saddened and I extend my condolences to his entire family. Our country is a much better place because of Richard's service. He and his service to our country will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of Donald R. Ford Sr., 83, who passed away on November 1st, 2014.

Donald was very active in community and youth programs throughout his lifetime. He earned his B.A. in 1953 from Bethany College, Cum Laude with Honors. While a student at Bethany College, he served as President of the Student Body and was elected Commander of his chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. Donald continued his education at the University of Michigan Law School where he received his J.D. degree in 1956. While attending the University of Michigan Law School, he was a quarter finalist in the Campbell Moot Court competition and was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal fraternity.

After completing his education, Donald continued to use his natural and proven leadership skills in the Warren community. For over fifteen years, Donald practiced law in Warren before assuming the position of Judge of the Warren Municipal Court in 1972. He was the first attorney and Judge from Trumbull County to serve on all four levels of the Ohio Judicial System, and also was Trumbull County's longest serving jurist for over 35 years. Apart from his service to the city of Warren, Donald was an assistant Professor at the Trumbull Branch of Kent State University, where he taught courses in criminal law and criminal evidence for over twenty-eight years. For his outstanding service and leadership, Donald received many distinguished awards including Trumbull County Democratic Man of the Year, Distinguished Citizen Award from the Warren Urban League, and Ohio Elks Hall of Fame Award.

Donald is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years Janet L. Ford; his son, John A. Ford; his daughter Leslie J. Ford; daughter Ann Ford and daughter-in-law Sharon Ford. He leaves seven grandchildren, Rory Ford, Devin Ford, Jaclyn Ford, Bryan Ford, David Ford, Zoe Crane and Cole Shepherd. He was preceded in death by his parents and son Donald R. Ford Jr. I am deeply saddened and I extend my condolences to his entire family. Trumbull County, the City of Warren, and the State of Ohio are much better places because of Donald's leadership and selfless contributions. He and his service will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of a dear lady in our district, Ms. Verleigh M. Bloom, 83, who passed away peacefully on Friday, August 29th.

Verleigh was a genuinely thoughtful and loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, who held onto her family very dearly. Verleigh cherished the time spent with her loved ones, and considered her family one of her greatest joys and accomplishments.

Preceded in death by parents, James and Verleigh Darnell, Verleigh will continue to live on through the many lives she has touched. Verleigh is survived by her daughter Verleigh I. Gray of Niles, OH; two sons, James C. Bloom of Leavittsburg, OH and Ted E. Bloom of Howland, OH; nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. It gives me great pride to honor the life of Verleigh M. Bloom. I am deeply saddened and I extend my condolences to her entire family. Her loving character and considerate nature will be immeasurably missed. Our community is a much better place because of Verleigh's loving approach to life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my former coach and dear friend, Mr. John Gillen, for his over 50 years of incredible work at my alma mater, John F. Kennedy High School. His titles were athletic director, coach, and teacher, but those were just labels. Coach Gillen was a role model for me and many other student athletes. He was fair, dedicated, and had a great sense of humor. But most importantly he was able to give us the tough love that was so often needed to instill discipline and resiliency. He would spend countless hours at our school and would ask for so little in return. His joy and fulfillment comes from shaping the minds and spirits of the young people at our school.

I will never forget watching daily as a high school student Mr. G quietly stepping into the school chapel. He took time to pray, meditate, and to thank God for all of his blessings. That stuck with me as I walked my own personal spiritual journey. I have him to thank for, through his modeling and leadership the encouragement to pursue my own personal journey. For that I will be forever grateful as it is the best gift he could have given to me. I treasure my experiences on and off the field with Coach Gillen. He represents the best of Kennedy High School and the best example of what it means to be a practicing Catholic. If those who know him could measure up to be half the person he is we would vastly improve our schools, our community, and our nation in countless ways.

I would like to also submit the following article that appeared in the Tribune Chronicle on August 9, 2014 in his honor.

Still Going Strong Gillen A Legend in Kenndy History

Warren.--John Gillen likes to keep things simple and

understated. Nothing displays that more than the tiny office

Gillen occupies as the Athletic Director at John F. Kennedy

High School. Tucked in behind the ticket office next to the

gymnasium that's named after him, the work space can best be

described as a cubicle. With a desk, chair and some filing

cabinets in place, there's no more than 50 square feet of

walking space. To get a view of the outside world, Gillen has

to step from the office and peek through the ticket office

towards a set of doors. To some it might seem a bit

claustrophobic, but to Gillen it's served with the comfort a

tree house would to a young boy for decades.

John F. Kennedy athletic director John Gillen is shown in

his office at the high school. Gillen has been AD since 1971

and was a part of the first staff when Kennedy opened its

doors in 1964. ``I never wanted to move,'' Gillen said as he

took a break from work on a late July day. ``They asked me if

I wanted to move down close to the main offices. I like it

here. It would probably make a great bomb shelter if we ever

get attacked; or a hurricane or earthquake; this would be the

place to come.'' Gillen moved to the office from a nearby

work space that was even smaller. To the best of his

recollection, he's been in the current office about 35 years,

which was about seven years into what is now his 42nd year as

athletic director.

It probably seems like only yesterday to Gillen, who is

living proof that the love of work and an active mind can

keep a person young at heart. Gillen doesn't show much of his

81 years other than the usual gray hair and perhaps slower

walk that are inevitable with the aging process. His mind is

sharp, which it has to be to deal with the demands of a job

that can be thankless and rewarding at the same time. How he

does it when most people his age have given in to retirement

or infirmity is remarkable. The phone calls from parents

upset about a child's lack of playing time. The constant

demands of scheduling at a time when it's become impossible

to find an area conference willing to extend JFK an

invitation to the club. The secret for Gillen is to keep

physically active and tap into the energy of those around

him, including his wife Gloria, and an unwavering faith in

God. It starts with a workout with light weights every

morning. ``Dealing with the kids,'' Gillen said. ``They keep

you young. They'll keep you on your toes, I'll tell you.''

Another key to Gillen's longevity is his humility and the

accommodating manner in which he's treated those he's worked

with all these years. Ask any JFK coach that's had dealings

with Gillen, and you won't find one that will say a bad word

about him. ``John is a very calm, easy-going guy,'' said

Dennis Zolciak, who coached the Eagles' football team from

1977-90. ``The thing is his heart is totally into the school.

He wants what's best for the school.'' There are generally

two types of athletic directors--ones that want control of

everything, including calling a few plays, and ones that take

a back seat and try to make life as easy as possible for the

coaches. Gillen fits the latter category to the max, always

being careful to meet the demands of every coach, even if he

might not agree with all the requests. ``He couldn't do

enough for you, and then some,'' said Tony Napolet, the

football coach from 1970-72 and 1991-2010.

Few people know Gillen better than Napolet, whom Gillen

coached in football at St. Mary's Junior High School more

than 60 years ago. The two are as much a part of the athletic

fabric at JFK as any person ever associated with the school.

``He's the best part of that place,'' Napolet said. ``He's

been there 50 years. Since before they opened. He loves it.

That place is his life.'' Gillen was raised here and

graduated from St. Mary's

High School in 1950. He coached basketball and served as the

school's athletic director before moving to JFK High School

when it opened in 1964. He taught and coached before

replacing Jim McQuaide as athletic director in 1972. Gillen

has worked closely with each of JFK's six football coaches

prior to this season. From George Landis in 1964 to McQuaide

(1965-69), followed by Napolet, Gene Nara (1973-76), Zolciak,

Napolet again and Dave Pappada (2011-12). He's begun working

this year with first-year coach Jeff Bayuk. Add the coaches

of other sports, boys and girls, and you can begin to

understand how many lives Gillen has touched.

``When the bricks for the school came together, John was

there,'' said Dennis Jasinski, basketball coach from 1978-89.

``He's a solid part of the whole thing. We always got along.

He was a pleasure to work with. He's a gentleman and a

friend.'' Jasinski recalls a time when Gillen was set to

scout a future basketball opponent but at the last minute had

to cancel. Jasinski assumed the task of driving to Akron,

which led to a surprising moment when he settled into his

seat to begin taking notes. ``I went with an assistant coach

and a minute before the game started, who comes walking in? I

said, `John, I thought you couldn't scout,' '' Jasinski said.

``He said, `I told my wife I was going out for a loaf of

bread.' That's the type of guy he was. He was always willing

to help.'' Gillen doesn't like to talk about himself. He's

more comfortable in the background, where he can let others

accept the laurels of victory. He allows himself a moment of

boastful pride when pointing out that each of his four sons--

John, Brian, the late Tom and Jim--played on JFK football

teams that made the playoffs. Brian and Tom were on the 1991

team that won the only state championship in school history.

All Gillen needs these days to remain happy is morning

exercise, daily prayer, the love of friends and family and a

cozy seat in his tiny office. The one that sits a few strides

from the gymnasium that bears his name.

It will seem strange when the day arrives that Gillen is no

longer the athletic director. Life will go on, but not quite

the same. ``You're only one part in a machine,'' Zolciak

said. ``I've seen guys go, and the wheels keep turning. The

great thing about John is he's healthy, he can do things, and

he's glad he can do it. When the day comes and he leaves, the

place will keep on going. I think he's left a great legacy

there.'' Retirement can be a lonely place for those that

thrived on work for lengthy periods of time. Some don't

handle it well but find a way to cope. Others give in to time

and fade away quickly. Gillen has no fears when he

contemplates retirement.

``A gentleman told me at one time, and I'll never forget

it,'' he said. ``When you retire, you know what you're

retiring from, but do you know what you're retiring to? I've

thought about that often. What would I do after I retire?''

Exactly how will Gillen live life when that day arrives? ``I

won't lay on the couch; I know that,'' he said.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, September 16, 2014, I inadvertently voted ``no'' on roll No. 503--On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass: Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act. I had meant for my vote to be recorded as ``aye''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of this great institution and those who serve and work here to acknowledge and to express appreciation to one of our long-tenured House employees, Debbie Frank, who is retiring from the House following her twenty years of service as a Senior Employee Assistance Counselor with our Office of Employee Assistance (OEA).

Following the completion of her Master's Degree in Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania and the initiation of her career in New Jersey with the Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) at Cooper Medical Center and New Jersey Transit, Debbie joined the OEA staff in 1994, as the OEA and other non-legislative services transitioned from the Clerk of the House to the newly created Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Throughout her career with the House and the CAO organization, Debbie has worked tirelessly with managers and employees, whether it is the House, Congressional Budget Office or the United States Capitol Police, she has assisted them in addressing the myriad of personal challenges, mental health and addiction problems, and other behavioral and work- life balance issues that potentially impact the performance and productivity of our workforce. Whether Debbie was providing the OEA's critical assessment, referral and follow-up services to an employee in crisis, consulting with a Member or Chief of Staff on strategies to manage an employee's return to work following an absence for addictions treatment, facilitating a Member's annual staff retreat, or conducting a training session for the general House workforce, Debbie consistently brought compassion, competence, organizational insight, institutional sensitivity, and practical solutions to her work. Over the years, she also became a strong advocate for a mindfulness approach to building personal resiliency in dealing with the stresses of an employee's work life and those of his or her personal life--an approach that I've studied, advocated and personally practiced for years.

During her tenure with the OEA and the House, Debbie managed a number of key initiatives for the OEA, including the House Health and Wellness Fair, the Drug-free Workplace training, and the OEA's Disaster Response capability. Since its inception in 1994, Debbie also served as the OEA's field placement supervisor for graduate level social work students interning with the OEA and learning the fundamentals of employee assistance programming and service delivery in the workplace.

In addition to her day-to-day work with the employees, managers, and Members routinely seek out the services and resources of the OEA to deal with the challenges presented when an employee's personal issues impact their performance or the effectiveness of the office, and Debbie has been on the front lines in providing support, assistance, guidance, and reassurance to the House community in the midst of some of the most troubling events of the past two decades. She was on-site in Oklahoma City working with House staffers following the Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995. In 1998, she was part of the OEA team's response to the Capitol Police and House communities following the tragic fatal shooting of two Capitol Police officers in the Capitol Building. Following September 11th and the anthrax incident in October 2001, Debbie was also part of the CAO's communications effort, managed by the OEA and serving as the critical informational conduit to the House workforce throughout the six weeks that sections of the House campus were closed--keeping employees and families informed of the status of the remediation efforts and the staggered opening of offices and the availability of House services as sections of the House buildings were cleared for occupancy and resumption of operations. She served as the OEA's lead in working with the House response team following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. And she helped manage the OEA's immediate and ongoing response to the tragic shootings in Tucson in January 2011.

As Debbie departs the House and embarks on her retirement in Texas, I join the Chief Administrative Officer, Ed Cassidy; the CAO's Chief Human Resource Officer, Jason Hite; and the entire OEA team--Bernard Beidel, Liz McBride-Chambers, Kristin Welsh-Simpson, and Margot Hawkins-Green--in wishing Debbie well and Godspeed. And I personally thank her on behalf of the many Members, employees and family members she has helped, assisted and supported over the past two decades. Well done, Debbie!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember the life of Herb Stottler, 79, who passed away on August 30, 2014, surrounded by those he loved dearly.

The citizens of Northeast Ohio are hardworking, honest Americans, and Herb was no exception. Herb was a dedicated labor leader, as well as a strong advocate for the Democratic Party. Herb served his nation proudly in the United States Marine Corps, where he was honorably discharged. Herb also faithfully devoted himself to his community, where he served as Ward 7 Council for the City of Akron, before becoming the International Staff Representative for the United Steel Workers of America.

Herb was preceded in death by his mother, Mona; brother, Bob; dear daughter, Debra Leigh; and nephew by marriage, Dave Fritz. He leaves behind his loving wife of 30 years, Jan; daughters, Pam and Tonia; granddaughters, Misty, Rachel (Matt), and Chelcie; great-grandsons, Dylan and Sam; brother, John (Suzie); nephews, Brian (Jan) and Bob (Kathy); nieces, Christine (David), Kim (Terry), and Jackie; and many great-nieces and nephews.

I am deeply saddened and extend my condolences to his entire family. Herb was a strong and dedicated man, who will be missed by those whose lives he impacted, because of his dedication and unwavering service, Northeast Ohio is a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of former Mayor George Vukovich of Youngstown, Ohio who passed away on Monday, July 28, 2014 at the tender age of 87 with his wife of 64 years, Helen, by his side. He was a dedicated and compassionate public servant, serving for over 20 years as the Seventh Ward Councilman, Clerk of Youngstown Municipal Court, and Mayor of Youngstown.

When I first started my political career I was lucky enough to have spent time with George. He always had great stories to tell of the good old days. But more importantly he always gave good advice and counsel. I will always remember how much he talked about and treasured his family, especially his grandkids. I really enjoyed our time together.

Mayor Vukovich served as mayor from 1979-1983 and oversaw the city during one of its darkest hours. Although Youngstown was suffering from massive job loss due to the decline of the steel industry, Mayor Vukovich was able to hold the city together during one of its most trying seasons. He was a proud veteran of the United States Army who loved his community. Mayor Vukovich was also active in the Youngstown Democratic Party, a member of the Catholic War Veterans, the Croation Fraternal Union (Lodge 185, Campbell), and St. Angela Merici Parish (Sacred Heart of Jesus). He treasured spending time with his family, as well as hosting visits from loved ones, especially his grandchildren who were his greatest joy. He and his wife spent many winters in Florida during retirement where they enjoyed boating and long walks on the beach.

Mayor Vukovich is survived by his beloved wife Helen; his daughters, Carol and Sonia; grandchildren, Carrie, Michael, Carly, and Katie; brothers Peter and Henry, an abundance of loved ones and friends. George has been preceded in death by his loving parents, sisters Ann and Helen, as well as his brothers Jack, John, and Thomas. I am proud to honor the life of Mayor George Vukovich. The city of Youngstown is forever indebted to honorable years of his service. Youngstown is a much better place to call home because of his valiant work. My deepest condolences go out to his family and close friends. George will be deeply missed but his courageous spirit will forever live on through the hearts and lives he has touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Major Joshua S. Kirk, United States Marine Corps, who recently passed away after over 10 years of service to our nation.

In 1999, Major Kirk, a native of my home state of Ohio, joined the United States Marine Corps and was commissioned in August 2000. He earned a law degree from the University of Virginia in 2004 and over the course of the next 10 years, held several positions around the world in service to his country as a Marine Corps Judge Advocate.

His assignments included Civil Law Officer and Trial Counsel at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar; Legal Assistance Officer in Charge, Senior Defense Counsel, and Chief Prosecutor at Marine Corps Base Hawaii; and Prosecutor in the Office of Military Commissions in Washington, DC. In 2006-2007, Major Kirk deployed to Iraq with the Third Marine Aircraft Wing in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate. He has earned a variety of awards for his outstanding service to our country. His personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).

I recognize Major Kirk's honorable commitment to our country and the sacrifices he made on its behalf. He is survived by his wife of 10 years, Lieutenant Commander Erin Quay, United States Navy, Judge Advocate General Corps, and his son, Aedan Kirk. It is an honor to stand in recognition of this dedicated military family.

I thank the gentleman.

My office does get a lot of phone calls against this budget, but they are not realizing that I am supporting them against the Paul Ryan budget. I think these reforms--and I was able to come a little bit earlier and listen to some of my colleagues talk about what is in this document that is supposed to be a new idea, a new way, a new approach-- and while I commend Chairman Ryan for trying to come up with some new ideas, I am all about innovation. I am all about a new approach.

I think the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) hit the nail on the head when she was talking about the fruits and vegetables and the healthy food.

If we are going to move forward as a country, if we want to make sure we take care of the issue of half the country in the next 10 years is going to either have diabetes or prediabetes--and it is going to drive up Medicaid costs, it is going to drive up Medicare costs, it is going to drive up private insurance--one of the issues we need to focus on is how do we get more money into programs that are going to make sure young kids have access to fresh foods, period.

We don't need to get really complicated. We don't need to come up with any new grand scheme. We have already got it. It is already in there, and Chairman Ryan is taking it out, deinvesting in the very things that are going to drive down health care costs, make kids better able to learn and focus and concentrate on the classroom, so they are not having a Fruit Roll-Up and think that it is fruit. They are having fruits and vegetables and access to food over the weekends and all of these things.

I find it extremely interesting that a majority of the cuts that the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan) proposed to reduce poverty--and in his budgets, two-thirds of the savings in the FY15 Republican budget came from programs that serve these populations, including moving millions out of the SNAP program.

So a new approach is great, innovation is fantastic, but we know what we need to do, and it starts with diet. It starts with wellness. It starts with some of these other things that are going to allow that person who may be living in poverty to be as strong and capable, as healthy as they possibly can, so they can work themselves out of poverty.

Nobody here is defending the status quo--oh, great, people are accessing public funds or public programs--we want to get people on a ladder out of poverty. That is what America should be all about, but we are failing miserably, and this program and the cuts that Chairman Ryan is talking about are going to make it worse.

I think we rank 10th or 11th in people coming up from poverty, lower socioeconomic status, and finally making their way to the middle class. We rank down from other countries--Nordic countries and the rest.

I want to thank the gentleman for doing this. I think this is an amazing opportunity for us to provide some contrast to what Chairman Ryan has proposed, but let me say I think one of the most direct benefits for the war on poverty is an increase in the minimum wage, and today--ironically enough--is the 5-year anniversary since the minimum wage has been increased.

Some States are higher than the $7.25 Federal minimum wage. In Ohio, it is $7.95 and is indexed for inflation, which is better, but it is not anywhere near where we need to be.

I wanted to come and talk for a couple of minutes about what we need to do and what the benefits would be, and I know we normally hear from somebody who is going to say this is going to cost jobs, this is going to slow down economic growth and all the rest, and I will share with them a study that just came out from Labor that said that the 13 States that increased the minimum wage this year had some increase--whether indexed for inflation or through legislation--saw an increase in the minimum wage, had more rapid job growth than all of the other States.

For those people who don't understand how that could be--because we hear so much rhetoric: this is going to cost jobs, this is going to cost jobs--if the average family has more money in their pocket to go out and buy things, that is good for the economy.

Imagine if the Walmarts and the Sam's Clubs and all the rest had a higher minimum wage, if those folks were making an extra couple bucks an hour--and it doesn't have to happen tomorrow. We can do it and stage it over the course of the next few years to make sure it doesn't have a dramatic impact on business--but if all of those folks made an extra $16 or $20 a day, an extra $100 a week, an extra $200 every two weeks of pay, an extra $400 a month, that is a lot of money.

That is enough to go out and get a Chevy Cruze made in Lordstown, Ohio, and pay the insurance and the rest on that. What does that do for the economy if the 1.5 million people in the country--the 62,000 people in my congressional district who make the minimum wage go out and have a little bit of extra money? That is how you are going to move the economy.

Maybe we could get rid of some of these programs because that family will have access to the food because they will have a little bit more money in their pockets, so they will be able to afford the fruits and vegetables and the kinds of food they need to stay healthy, prevent disease, and be able to concentrate and focus in the classroom.

I just want to make two last points. The first is zero increase in the minimum wage, and if you are in the private sector, you have seen a 10 percent increase in earnings, just 10 percent over the past 4 or 5 years since 2009. If you want to go out and get apples, 16 percent increase--bacon has gone up 67 percent; cheddar cheese, 20 percent; milk, 20 percent; eggs, 30 percent; gas, there has been a 44.5 percent increase in gas since 2009.

Now, if you are making minimum wage and all of these costs are going up--for eggs and milk and gas and bacon and coffee, coffee went up 27 percent, the kinds of things that are basic staples to the American diet--how are you going to keep up? How are you going to say, oh, I want to send my kid to a basketball camp in the summer or maybe an afterschool program or I need a baby sitter or I need to catch a cab? You don't have any extra money. You just don't.

I think it is essential for us, if we are going to close the income inequality gap between the wealthiest in our country and the poorest in our country, if we are going to close that, if we want people to work hard and play by the rules and then benefit, this is something that is very simple.

We get a lot of rhetoric. We heard it in the last Presidential election: 47 percent of the country are takers, they want to be on the dole, they don't want to work.

Then we have something that is going to benefit the people who are working, doing the jobs that many Americans don't want to do, cleaning

the hotel rooms, working at the gas station, the wear and tear on their bodies over the years, the long hours, swing shifts, and the whole lot. This increase will not just benefit minimum wage workers. It is going to go up and benefit everybody.

The last point--I promise--we need minimum wage workers who are out there to be organized. We didn't always have a 40-hour workweek. We didn't always get time-and-a-half over 40 hours. We didn't always have a 5-day workweek. We didn't have a National Labor Relations Act. We didn't have Social Security. We didn't have Medicare.

These were things that came about because average people got organized, and they said enough is enough. We are not going to have our senior citizens work until they die. We are not going to have our senior citizens not have health care. We are not going to have people working in unsafe factories--and you are going to work 40 hours a week.

From our side, we expect people to go out and work and work their butts off to get ahead. Our job is to stay organized, to make sure that policies are in place that are both good for the economy and good for families in the United States.

I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan) for the opportunity to come here and share just briefly. I look forward to working with you. Hopefully, we can get a vote on the House floor sometime soon. I don't think we will. I am not really optimistic about it, but I hope that we can organize over the next few months and years to make this a reality for all of those families in the United States.