[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 14, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1595-H1601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING CONGRESSWOMAN MARCY KAPTUR, THE LONGEST SERVING WOMAN IN THE 
         HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, as this month is 
Women's History Month, it is my honor to rise today to recognize my 
distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), as she 
becomes the longest serving woman in the history of the United States 
House of Representatives.
  On March 18, 2018, Congresswoman Kaptur will have served in the House 
for 35 years, or a total of 12,858 days.
  While Congresswoman Kaptur earns a notable place in American history 
for her length of service, her true accomplishment is the profound 
impact that she has had on this Nation through her legislative work, 
her leadership, her representation of the northern Ohio district, and 
her steadfast commitment to addressing critically important issues.
  I think about Congresswoman Kaptur every evening that I am in 
Washington, D.C., because when I leave the Capitol, I drive past the 
marvelous beautiful World War II national memorial, which would not 
exist but for the tireless work of Congresswoman Kaptur.
  After being approached by a constituent, Congresswoman Kaptur first 
proposed legislation in 1987. She began a yearlong effort to have that 
legislation enacted into law, and turned the World War II monument into 
a reality.
  Congresswoman Kaptur's commitment to that project symbolizes what her 
colleagues know about her. Marcy Kaptur is one of the hardest working 
Members of the United States Congress, and she is one of the most 
dedicated advocates for the people and the values that she represents.
  Congresswoman Kaptur is a community organizer and a serious public 
policymaker. She serves on the House Appropriations Committee, where 
she is an incredibly powerful voice for appropriate spending levels for 
programs and projects important to working families across the country.
  She serves as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Energy and 
Water Development, and Related Agencies, where she has been 
tremendously impactful on promoting U.S. energy independence and the 
protection of the natural resources.
  Congresswoman Kaptur previously served on the Committee on Banking, 
Finance and Urban Affairs, which is now known as the Committee on 
Financial Services.

                              {time}  1915

  As the current ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, I 
am grateful that Congresswoman Kaptur has not lost interest in 
financial issues. In fact, she has remained extremely engaged on issues 
pertaining to Wall Street. She has been a leader in responding to 
issues that arose or were painfully identified during the financial 
crisis.
  Congresswoman Kaptur and I regularly speak about financial services 
matters. She shares articles and materials with me about key 
individuals on Wall Street. She finds and shares information with me on 
individuals' and firms' involvement in creating financial products or 
engaging in activities that might be harmful to consumers.
  I am thankful to have the benefit of her thoughts on these matters. 
Congresswoman Kaptur has the courage of her convictions even in the 
face of fierce opposition. Since the 1990s, the Congresswoman has been 
a proponent for the reestablishment of the Glass-Steagall barriers 
between investment banking and traditional depository banks. Although 
her legislation on this matter has been considered controversial, 
Congresswoman Kaptur has stood by her convictions out of a sincere 
desire for protecting working families and Main Street over the 
interests of Wall Street.
  Congresswoman Kaptur supports policies that are good for her district 
without hesitation. For instance, she fought tirelessly to combat 
threats to Lake Erie. Congresswoman Kaptur is a strong advocate in so 
many areas like national security, energy independence, and support for 
the Armed Forces. Her attention to important issues, her dedication, 
her skills as a legislator, and her work ethic should serve as an 
example for all public servants. I am proud and honored to call Marcy 
Kaptur not only my colleague, but my friend.
  So I would like to say congratulations to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur 
for taking her place in American history as the longest serving woman 
in the House. I would like to say to the Congresswoman that I am not so 
sure that I should have worked with others to sneak up on her tonight 
and make this a surprise, and I know that, in doing that, she has been 
sitting there thinking about working on and coming up with things that 
should be said about Wall Street. But tonight we are talking about 
Marcy Kaptur, we are not talking about Wall Street. We will talk about 
that later on.
  But let me just say that the gentlewoman has been a wonderful and 
extremely acknowledgeable voice and someone who understands the 
history, not only of Wall Street, but many of the players who have 
played over the years who were responsible for some of the problems 
that caused us to have the recession that we got involved in in 2008.
  So I thank the gentlewoman for her caring about Main Street, and I 
thank the gentlewoman for knowing and spending time on these financial 
issues

[[Page H1596]]

despite the fact she has so many other things on her plate. Again, I 
feel very honored to be her friend.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is not easy to fool Marcy Kaptur, but we pulled it 
off. She thought we were going to talk about Wall Street? We are going 
to talk about Main Street. In that regard, I think it was appropriate 
for me to bring this.
  Marcy, do you recognize this?
  It was 30 some years ago that Marcy Kaptur and I went to Japan, and 
she had a spark plug made in Toledo. This is an old one, so it is safe. 
She took it to Japan because it was impossible to export from the 
United States a spark plug to Japan. They excluded our products 
completely.
  So Marcy and I went over; and everywhere she went, she had a spark 
plug. People thought it was because she is kind of a spark plug. But, 
instead, again, it was because of the exclusion of any product made in 
the U.S. going to Japan. They blocked it out while they had a 
completely open market. That began a struggle that went on and on and 
on. Marcy never gave up, and we still haven't given up. She was one of 
those among us, and we joined together to say that trade is vital, but 
it has to work both ways. I may give this to the gentlewoman 
afterwards.
  I just say this with deep feeling because of her deep feeling. We 
spent days and days in Japan and came back and spent days and days, and 
we pleaded with administrations: let there be reciprocity when there 
wasn't.
  So I am afraid Marcy has done so much that it is forgotten what she 
was doing some years ago. But she was a pioneer in saying that when it 
comes to trade, expand it, do so in a way that is reciprocal, and do so 
in a way that is fair that remembers Main Street.
  Secondly, I want to talk about another activity I have been 
privileged to work on with Marcy Kaptur. There has been reference to 
her heritage. Marcy never forgot her roots in Ohio, and she never 
forgot her family's roots overseas--never. Indeed, her deep feelings 
about democracy--it was in Ukraine that she and I worked on--really 
reflected the depth of her feeling about democracy and the United 
States of America. So together we put together the Ukrainian American 
Caucus, and she has been the spark plug in that caucus.
  I think both activities reflect so much about Marcy Kaptur, her 
intelligence, combined with her deep feeling. She has never forgotten 
where she came from, and she has taken that remembrance, that 
remembering, and essentially took it into action in this place.
  So we will talk about Wall Street some other day. But we are here on 
behalf of so many to tell Congresswoman Kaptur that her career has been 
so distinguished.
  I have a special duty here. She and I are the two people remaining in 
the class that came in. I think there were 81 of us, and the 
gentlewoman has never, never failed with the same enthusiasm with which 
she came. What a tribute that is to the gentlewoman and her character.
  I finish with this. Marcy remembered her roots, and also that meant 
deep feeling about family. Her love for her mother and her dedication 
to her well-being was something that I think pervaded her life, and it 
spilled over into all of ours.
  So, I say to Marcy, with this spark plug and everything else, I am 
honored to come today speaking for myself and so many others: job well 
done, but you are still doing it.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay).
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the ranking member of the 
House Financial Services Committee, Representative Maxine Waters, for 
calling us together to honor someone whom I consider to be a great 
American.
  I rise today to honor this great public servant, a trailblazer in 
this House, the longest serving female Member in the history of the 
U.S. House of Representatives, my great friend, the gentlewoman from 
Ohio, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.
  Congresswoman Kaptur is more than just a senior member of the House 
Appropriations Committee. She is a mentor to many of us, including me.
  The Congresswoman rose from a humble, hardworking family in Toledo to 
become a champion for jobs with justice, women in the workplace, 
children's healthcare, and strengthening Social Security and Medicare.
  She also is one of the most respected voices for human rights and 
freedom around the world, especially for Ukraine as it faces military 
aggression and constant threats from the Russian Federation.
  Congresswoman Kaptur also shares my absolute commitment to protecting 
wilderness areas, our national shorelines and forests, and standing 
strong against those special interests who would sacrifice clean air 
and safe water for short-term profit.
  Finally, Congresswoman Kaptur shares my lifelong interest in history 
and helping Americans understand that we all stand on the shoulders of 
the brave men and women who came before us. That is why she was one of 
the earliest advocates for the World War II Memorial, a long overdue 
tribute to the Greatest Generation who defended freedom at its moment 
of greatest peril and saved the world.
  Congresswoman Kaptur continues to stand tall for seniors, veterans, 
working families, and the core values of the people of Ohio. Her hard 
work is greatly respected on both sides of the aisle, and I am truly 
blessed to call her my good friend.
  There is one story I would like to relate on a personal note, and we 
discussed it today at her reception earlier. During my college days, I 
was a full-time worker in this body. I was a member of the staff of the 
Office of the Doorkeeper. My door was the west door on the Republican 
side because Tip O'Neill did not want me to congregate with my dad who 
was a Member of this body. Our job was to memorize the picture book of 
every Member, especially the incoming freshmen. In the winter of 1982, 
I had to memorize her picture to know who she was to be able to 
identify her. Back in those days, life was simpler because we were the 
security for this floor. So that is how I first met Marcy Kaptur. I 
will always call her my friend.
  Congresswoman, congratulations on reaching this historic milestone in 
service to your constituents and our country. God bless you.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), who is the dean of the Ohio 
delegation.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for 
yielding.
  First of all, I am glad that the gentlewoman isn't talking about Wall 
Street this evening. The gentlewoman always wants to talk about Wall 
Street, and I am glad we are talking about Marcy Kaptur this evening 
because she is really special.

                              {time}  1930

  This, of course, is in recognition of a fellow Ohioan, Marcy Kaptur, 
who will become the longest serving woman in the history of the United 
States House of Representatives. That is quite an accomplishment. She 
will be breaking the record currently held by Congresswoman Edith 
Nourse Rogers, a Republican from Massachusetts, who served from 1925 to 
1960.
  I think I speak for most Ohioans, regardless of party, when I say we 
are proud that Marcy has brought this prestigious milestone back home 
to Ohio.
  Marcy has been a stalwart supporter of her constituents, fighting for 
jobs and fair trade agreements. That is why her constituents continue 
to elect her to represent them in this body every 2 years, even though 
we have been trying every 2 years to knock her off. We just haven't 
been able to do it, she is that good.
  Like me, Marcy grew up in a working class family. She was the first 
member of her family to attend college, earning degrees from the 
University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan. Graduating from 
these two universities, one of which is not even recognized in some 
parts of Ohio, had to be a tremendous hurdle to overcome when first 
running to represent Ohioans. Yet Marcy continues to earn the trust of 
her constituents, and that says a lot about who Marcy Kaptur is as a 
person.

[[Page H1597]]

  As the son of a World War II veteran myself, I would submit that 
perhaps Marcy's most enduring accomplishment was her 17-year battle to 
get a World War II Memorial built on The National Mall.
  I just wish that it had been completed in time for my father to have 
seen that. I know he would have been really excited about it. 
Unfortunately, he passed away in 1998, before that wonderful memorial 
was completed, but I know he is looking down and sees it. I really 
appreciate all the other World War II veterans that do get to see it.
  Through a number of setbacks, Marcy Kaptur never wavered in her 
support for that memorial. Every time I meet with a group of World War 
II veterans who have flown in on an honor flight--which was another 
Ohio creation, I might add--to visit the memorial, I am reminded of 
Marcy's dedication and determination to make that happen. We truly owe 
her a great deal of credit for the beautiful tribute to the Greatest 
Generation that the World War II Memorial has become. As dean of the 
Ohio Republican delegation, I would like to express how proud the 
Members in this Chamber are for this historic accomplishment.
  Even though we do not agree on everything--or, I guess, even very 
much sometimes--and have been known to have a few disagreements here 
and there, I am proud that she is not only breaking the record for the 
longest serving woman in this body, but she is doing so as a 
Representative of our great State, the great State of Ohio.
  We are really proud of Marcy. We are happy that she has accomplished 
this. We hope she will be around here for many years to come. I hope I 
am here, as well, to continue to serve with her. Obviously, all of our 
constituents get to make that decision every 2 years.
  Congratulations, Marcy. I speak on behalf of all my colleagues within 
the Ohio delegation as well as on behalf of an awful lot of other 
Republicans in the House who respect you greatly.
  Congratulations.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure 
to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Waters for contriving 
this colloquy on Financial Services.
  It is my distinct honor to join my colleagues in celebrating this 
milestone in recognizing Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur's remarkable record 
of service to her constituents, her country, and to every woman in 
every corner of this country. I would add, every man and every child.
  On the long, dark road to equality, role models are the street lamps 
that light the path forward. For the last 35 years, Marcy Kaptur has 
been a role model and a source of light for millions of young women and 
young men. In other words, even after 35 years in this body, she is 
still woke, just like the ranking member.
  Ms. Kaptur has championed progress on several important issues: 
protecting our water and our air from pollution, protecting consumers 
from predatory financial institutions, honoring the incredible 
sacrifice of our veterans--we have heard at length her work behind the 
World War II Memorial--and supporting working families so they have a 
fair shot in this economy.
  But it is very much possible, and I would say very much probable, 
that her greatest accomplishment has not yet been realized. I am 
confident this Chamber will someday be filled with women--someday 
soon--who are inspired to run for Congress by the longest serving woman 
in history.
  Marcy has taught me the value and the way to fight for the little 
guy. I remember this one moment on a Sunday evening when I was catching 
a few hours of a television show. I have very little time to watch TV, 
but I had a moment to watch the John Oliver show. I don't even think 
Marcy knew that she was the subject of that evening's broadcast. I will 
just briefly say that it was about John Oliver totally disgusted by the 
way little poultry farmers had been put at a disadvantage by the way we 
had rigged the rules here in Washington.
  Marcy was the hero of the show when they showed her standing at a 
podium much like this in the Appropriations Committee room trying to 
unrig the law so it was not so unfair to these poultry farmers. I 
remember her so passionately standing there saying: All these people 
want to do is earn an honest living.
  I felt that deep in my gut. Here was a Congresswoman standing up for 
the little guy against the big corporations.
  John Oliver whipped the national audience into such a fervor, they 
were so angry when they saw this happen, and here was Marcy standing up 
for them. He then accused all the people who rigged the rules, who were 
defending the rigged rules, of having--I can't even speak about what he 
said on the floor of the House. I urge you to go see it for yourself. I 
think you will be quite entertained.

  I was so excited, the next morning, on Monday, I saw Marcy on the 
floor and I said: Marcy, you were great on this show.
  She said: What happened?
  Then I explained to her. I said: You need to put this on your 
Facebook page. You are going to get hundreds of thousands of new 
followers. You need to put this on your website.
  But her first concern was this. She said: Oh, I heard the John Oliver 
show uses bad language.
  That typifies Marcy Kaptur: decent, collegial.
  Marcy has taught me many important lessons about the value of this 
institution. I know she loves the Congress. I know she loves this House 
of Representatives and wants to uphold the mores, uphold the norms, 
norms that are so important in a democracy: it is important to be 
civil; it is important to speak in ways that are respectful.
  Marcy serves as that example to me. It is not just the surface 
niceties, but the deep values of standing up for the little guy against 
the big corporations and defending the American Dream for everybody.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Marcy for her service, and I look forward to 
serving with her many more years.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, Congressman 
Waters, for pulling this little surprise together.
  I thank Marcy Kaptur. It is so great to be able to stand on the floor 
of the House and laud one of our great, great Members on her great 
achievement of serving here for 36 years in the House of 
Representatives. She continues every day to bring her intelligence and 
persistence to issues from labor and working people to Ukraine.
  Her accomplishments are enormous. She was the first in her family to 
graduate from high school. She earned a BA and an MA, served in the 
White House, and now is the longest serving woman in Congress.
  Marcy has never forgotten her blue-collar roots. She knows the 
importance of unions in providing job security and good wages. She has 
focused on making sure that workers get their earned pension benefits. 
This is a big issue right now that she is leading the charge on.
  I feel, and have felt from the beginning, a special affinity, being a 
midwesterner and coming to this Congress with these Midwestern values: 
nothing fancy; it is just about working people who want a good life and 
deserve to get it.
  Marcy can match anybody with her understanding in the details of 
pension policy. She always stays focused on the fundamental goal of 
pensions, which is simply making sure that, after a life of hard work, 
women and men can retire with dignity and security, something that I am 
afraid is in too short supply today. Marcy is continuing to lead that 
battle.
  Marcy has been an expert on trade policy. I learned that early on in 
my tenure here in the House. On the 10th anniversary of NAFTA, Marcy, 
with the help of the Teamsters union, organized a visit and took a 
group of us first to the border city of El Paso, Texas, to look at and 
talk to people who had lost their jobs and had moved across the border.
  We then crossed the border to Ciudad Juarez, where we actually saw 
people living in the packing crates of the products they were working 
to manufacture at the maquiladoras.
  So, on both sides of the border, we saw the pain that was caused.

[[Page H1598]]

  On that trip, we went to Mexico City, talked to leaders, talked to 
union leaders and political leaders, government leaders. We also went 
to the city of Puebla and talked to people there. It was a really 
comprehensive trip that gave us a sense of what happens to people when 
they are not being considered when policies are being made.
  She continues today, as we renegotiate the NAFTA agreement and the 
administration works on that, to have input on what a really fair trade 
deal looks like--not just free trade, but fair trade--where it is not 
just the big corporations, but it is the workers in all the countries, 
in the United States of America and the workers in countries that we 
have trade agreements with, and that all the workers get a fair deal.
  Marcy fights for people who played by the rules, faithfully going to 
work every day and making their pension contributions. They are 
counting on her and us to fight for them and to fight for a middle 
class in this country to help people who are poor get to the middle 
class and stay there. Those people--our people--could not have a better 
champion in this United States House of Representatives, in this 
Congress, than Marcy Kaptur of Ohio.
  I love you, Marcy.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier).
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, it is a personal thrill for me to 
participate in this special hour. I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
California for doing a very good job of surprising our guest of honor 
this evening. She did it very well because she did it on policy.
  She got Marcy to come here on a night when she should be celebrating, 
but she didn't hesitate to come down here to talk about what is wrong 
with Wall Street, which shows you how committed Marcy Kaptur is.

                              {time}  1945

  When I think of Marcy Kaptur, I think of a string of pearls. She is 
always providing pearls of wisdom to all of us. We have heard from many 
Members who have spoken about the fact that she has mentored them. I 
know when I was a young Member here--young only in time served--that it 
was Marcy who came up to me a number of times to show support and to 
provide me guidance.
  She also has a very elegant way, a very simple and elegant way that 
she comports herself. When she talks about issues, she talks with great 
passion, but with great dignity--again, a reflection of a string of 
pearls.
  She has never forgotten her roots. She has never forgotten her 
constituents. Now, her blood may be red, but there is a lot of blue 
running through them because she has always been there for the blue-
collar worker. And she oftentimes in caucus is the conscience for all 
of us because she reminds us about the working class: What are we doing 
for the working class, lower middle class Americans?
  Her commitment to economic justice cannot be lost on any of us 
because that has been one of the main principles that has really 
directed her work here and has been a moral compass for her.
  So when the financial meltdown happened, Marcy had such a passion for 
wanting to right this terrible wrong, and she was no longer serving on 
the Financial Services Committee, but she had a thirst to learn 
everything she possibly could about what was necessary to reform the 
system. And I remember her coming to a briefing that I had with some 
experts, and then she invited me to a briefing that she had with some 
experts because all she wanted to do was get to the truth of what we 
needed to do.
  She has conviction that she, I think, reflected in all she did 
through that financial meltdown because she was going to stop at 
nothing less than wholesale changes to fix the system, because, as many 
of us felt: never, ever again.
  So as I think about the fact that we are celebrating the longest 
serving woman in the history of the United States House of 
Representatives, I feel so privileged to say that I know you; that I 
have served with you. There is no one who is more ethical in this 
building than you; there is no one more compassionate in this building 
than you; and there is no one more committed to economic justice in 
this building.
  There has never been, nor do I think will there ever be, anyone who 
cares about Ohio like Marcy Kaptur.
  Marcy, thank you for being a beacon for all of us to follow. I truly 
love you, respect you, honor you; and I am truly pleased that we are 
celebrating a wonderful career here tonight that is only going to 
continue. But I think we all feel pretty special being part of this 
celebration.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
  Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for 
organizing the ``What is Wrong with Wall Street'' here tonight so that 
we could have the opportunity to hail one of our true champions and 
sheroes this evening.
  I just, first of all, want to associate myself with all of the 
comments that have already been made. When you have served for 36 
years, we could wax on forever about your distinguished career of 
public service, so I won't do that.
  I just want to focus on one thing that you have done that has really 
touched me in a very profound way, and that is, as a valued friend and 
colleague and mentor, your passion for the Great Lakes. From your seat 
on the Appropriations Committee, and now the co-chair of the bipartisan 
Great Lakes Task Force, you have never ever, Marcy, missed a beat when 
it came to the Great Lakes. And I am sure that there were times when 
you have felt like you were a lonely voice out there crying in the 
wilderness.
  There is an old African proverb that says: Water has no enemies. So 
you would think, given that, that there would be just this plethora of 
funding and strategies, but there has not been. We have seen the crisis 
in lead in drinking water, bathing; sportsmen depend on water; 
agriculture depends on water; and truly, we need a water policy and a 
policy around the Great Lakes that makes sense whenever we do an 
infrastructure bill.
  Now, for every one of those 18,000-plus days of service in the House, 
you have been a steward and a champion for protecting not only this 
environmental treasure, but Marcy also recognizes how much this 
resource provides for our regional and national economy.
  If the Great Lakes region, the U.S. and Canadian provinces, were a 
separate country, it would have a gross domestic product of $6 
trillion, making it the third largest economy in the world. That growth 
and development would not be possible without leaders with vision and 
passion like you, Marcy, and so I want to thank you.
  I agree with the gentleman who has said that your greatest 
accomplishments have not even occurred yet, as it pertains to 
developing the potential for these water resources in the Great Lakes.
  I want to thank you for your legacy of working to stop the invasive 
Asian carp; fighting for safe and clean drinking water; making sure 
that the Great Lakes get the needed support from the Army Corps of 
Engineers for their funding, for dredging, and to maintain the critical 
infrastructure to support commerce; for fighting against efforts to 
roll back the Clean Water Act; and, certainly, for your vigorous 
opposition to efforts to kill the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
  Thank you, Marcy, for your leadership, and I love you dearly.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko).
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for 
yielding.
  Marcy, it is an honor to be on the floor this evening. We have joined 
together many times to share a message for the American public about 
the fight for what is right. No one leads that fight better than you. 
We have assembled here to celebrate the extraordinary career of our 
great colleague and friend from Ohio, my friend from Ohio, Marcy 
Kaptur.

  Marcy is a towering giant in the history of Congress. Her legislative 
achievements are too numerous to count. Her work led the way in the 
creation of the moving and so powerful World War II Memorial on the 
National Mall. What great respect for our veterans. And that is who you 
are, a respectful individual.
  Marcy was one of the first Members of Congress to raise the alarm for

[[Page H1599]]

America's workers and industries facing unfair competition from trade 
policies around the world.
  She has been a champion of America's farmers, fighting tirelessly to 
protect the rights of poultry growers and restore some balance to our 
Nation's increasing consolidated meat industry.
  She continues to be a champion and a visionary in the fight to bring 
down skyrocketing prescription drug costs; to restore stability and 
good sense to our financial system; and to save the Great Lakes and the 
millions who rely on their resources from the harmful algal blooms--
blooms that threaten to poison their rich waters.
  There is no Member in this or any Congress who is more committed to 
serving the needs of her constituents and her district. While she has 
proven to be truly formidable to her opponents, Marcy is as kind as she 
is fierce.
  In just a few days, this Sunday, March 18, Marcy will become the 
longest serving woman in the history of the United States House of 
Representatives. What a proud achievement. What a proud moment. What a 
great moment in history to witness and share: 35 years, 2 months and 14 
days, but who is counting?
  Those numbers are the official numbers that surpass the record set by 
former Massachusetts Representative Edith Nourse Rogers. Her enduring 
service has met more than three decades whereby girls have grown up in 
Ohio and all across America seeing that they, too, could serve and lead 
in the United States Congress, an impressive example that my friend, 
Marcy Kaptur, continues to set.
  I am more than pleased and more than a little relieved to say that 
Marcy is as passionate and driven as the day we met nearly a decade 
ago.
  As the longest serving woman remaining in either Chamber, God 
willing, in a few years, Marcy will become the longest serving woman in 
the history of the United States Congress. It is my great hope that I 
will have the privilege to witness that historic moment, just as I am 
humbled to share in this one.
  I want to thank Marcy Kaptur for years of our friendship, our 
collaboration, our conversations, our coaching--her coaching, I should 
say--on the floor between votes and in Special Orders here on the floor 
after session, and for always upholding the values we share in service 
of the American people.
  Speaking of values, we cherish the bond that we both hold with a 
common Polish heritage, something that I know causes her heart to pound 
nobly and boldly and proudly.
  Marcy, you are a unique individual, a one-of-a-kind human being. You 
are a living legend, a leader with a steel backbone, and a treasure of 
this Congress and our great Nation.
  We say thank you for your passion. We say thank you for your 
intellect. We say thank you for your integrity, and we say thank you 
for leading in the walk for justice, social and economic justice, so 
that all people can be touched by your soulfulness and your kind and 
loving being.
  God Bless you. Congratulations.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Texas, Representative Louie Gohmert.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and greatly appreciate a 
moment to speak.
  I guess to borrow a bit from Shakespeare's account of what Marc 
Antony said: I come not to bury Marcy Kaptur, but to praise her.
  I got to know Marcy back during the economic disaster where 
investment banks brought us to the brink of ruin. And though we come 
from different backgrounds and we have different ideas at times about 
the best way to go forward, I always know that Marcy Kaptur will be 
honest with me, that she cares deeply about the country, and that is 
her driving concern. It is actually easy to talk to people in this 
body--even across the aisle--when their driving concern is in the best 
interest of the country.
  We shared a passion back after the problems in late 2008, in that I 
saw someone who was ethical and actually righteous who wanted to see 
that those who caused the problem that brought us to the brink of ruin 
were not rewarded, and that also we didn't end up punishing those who 
had no fault.
  I am still concerned that she and I were not able to see that the 
problems were not rewarded and the innocent were not punished. I am not 
real proud of how our parties together responded to that crisis, but 
through all of that, and in the years intervening since, actually 10 
years--it was back in 2008--I have come to build my respect for Marcy 
Kaptur and know that this is somebody--agree or disagree, and we often 
disagree--but she is going to be honest, and that she has that passion 
in her heart to do what is best for the country.

                              {time}  2000

  There are people who have attributed the comment to different people 
over the years. My late mother said that our pastor back in 1951, 
before I was ever around, used it about a married couple, and he said: 
If two people agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary.
  So here on the floor, it is important that we hear from each other 
and we get different viewpoints in arriving at what is best for the 
country. But one thing I have grown to understand and know is that when 
I talk to Marcy Kaptur, it is somebody who I know will be 
straightforward, agree or disagree, will be honest, and will be 
honorable; and that is not a bad way to approach things.
  If we had more people with whom we could have those kind of 
discussions, there would probably be a lot fewer ulcers amongst our 
colleagues on this floor and the country would be far the better off 
for it.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend, Congresswoman Waters, for 
sharing this opportunity. I didn't realize that my friend, Marcy 
Kaptur, was going to set a new record. All I knew is I didn't really 
care about the gender, but I care greatly about the person and how she 
has enriched this body by being here.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity.


                             General Leave

  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members will have 5 legislative days within which to revise 
and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the 
subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Smucker). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, prior to wrapping up 
this session of friends who care so much about Marcy Kaptur, I yield to 
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) not to talk about Wall Street.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I must say, I was not expecting what just 
happened. I want to thank the gentlewoman from California, my beloved 
friend of almost over three decades--in having the deep respect I have 
for her in her own life before she came to Congress and now as the 
ranking member on the Financial Services Committee; a very difficult 
position to hold--for taking this opportunity so late in the evening to 
commemorate my tenure here in our magnificent U.S. House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank every single Member who has come down.
  Obviously this is Women's History Month, and we had this announcement 
today, and I happened to be the victim of it.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the people of Ohio's Ninth Congressional 
District for believing in me throughout my political career, for 
teaching me, for helping me to learn more and to understand the 
travails and the possibilities that were in their minds and hearts. I 
thank them so very much for that.
  As with anyone, we all have our faults and human limitations, but, to 
the best of our ability, we have tried to uphold the Constitution and 
to help the American people.
  I think back to my very first term in Congress, beginning in 1983. 
There was a great Congressman from Florida, Claude Pepper. I can still 
see him down in the well. Probably the most important vote I cast in my 
first few months in Congress was the refinancing of Social Security. 
What a great leader he was. Probably not originally from the liberal 
wing of our party, yet liberals and conservatives came together to do 
what was right in resecuring Social Security for the next generation.

[[Page H1600]]

  Congressman Levin came to the floor with a spark plug. Our fight has 
always been to define where our jobs went, and we began to track places 
where we saw production move beyond our ability to restrain. Places 
such as I represent became hollowed out in many corners of our 
community. Since the early 1980s until today, this country has not been 
able to balance its trade accounts or to write trade agreements that 
were truly fair, as Congressman Levin has referenced. So we hemorrhage 
at the rate of over half a trillion dollars a year, almost $600 billion 
annually, because we can't get other markets open, and they take it out 
of the hides of our people and our communities here in this country.
  So if we go back to the 1980s. If you really look at when the numbers 
began to change, it is not hard to understand why the American people 
are unsettled and frustrated because of what has happened with the 
economy.
  As I said in remarks earlier today, I was taught by a very great 
professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin many years ago 
that economics is not destiny, but it is 85 percent of it. If you 
really think about that, what we have endured over the last period of 
my service, three decades--going on four decades almost, we have seen 
this transformation in production platforms.
  Unfortunately, with NAFTA on this continent, as we struggle to find a 
solution to the immigration issue, the reciprocal of NAFTA in Mexico 
was the upending of millions of small farmers, millions and millions of 
people who lived at the poverty level, but they had some way to eke out 
a living. And when their corn market was destroyed after NAFTA's 
passage in 1993, it took about a decade; but every year, hundreds of 
thousands of people lost their livelihood. They were desperate, 
desperate people.
  What are they going to do?
  Our grandparents fled to this country from what was greater Poland at 
the turn of the 20th century because they couldn't feed themselves.
  It is the same reason the Irish came, right?
  We look at what happened in Mexico as the flip side of NAFTA. We have 
never been able to fix that as a continent.
  Are our leaders that stupid that we really can't face the music and 
develop adjustment provisions, as Europe did when it brought in Spain 
and Portugal?
  So we look back to the basis, the root of why things have happened 
and hurt the American people, and we can understand their frustration. 
So I think I have been a voice for that. It is a problem we haven't 
fixed yet, but it is one that we need to attend to very carefully, 
because the American people have paid the price of, really, policies 
that went awry.

  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Waters for surprising me. 
She and I have fought so hard on prudent lending, prudent banking, and 
we have served here long enough to see when it wasn't, and when greed 
took over a gambling mentality rather than a prudent banking mentality, 
what it did to this country and how hard it was to pick up the pieces.
  African Americans lost half of their accumulated wealth after 2008, 
half, since the founding of the Republic. The pain in those communities 
is not over. Maybe somebody from Wall Street might tune us in and hear 
that, but I want to tell them that it isn't fixed yet.
  What has happened in many places such as I represent, predatory 
lenders have moved in, auto title loan companies, scam artists, who are 
making terrible, terrible exploitative deals with these individuals who 
simply don't know what those agreements they are signing mean. That is 
wrong.
  If we look at the Latino community, they lost one-third of their 
accumulated wealth in the financial crash of 2008. And then for those 
who were the remaining Caucasians and other parts of our population, 
they lost about one-fifth of their wealth. It was extraordinary loss of 
capital, of money, of property value that belonged to them.
  So sometimes, though, we try, but we can't always fix what is wrong. 
As we look to the future, our primary responsibility here is to defend 
liberty, as Congressmen Takano and Levin and Congresswoman Speier and 
so many others who came down here this evening talked about.
  I feel very privileged to work with my colleagues in defending 
liberty and making sure we have the strongest defense in the world, and 
try to help those countries that are now being invaded by the Russian 
Federation, whose citizens simply want to be free and to have a decent 
life.
  Mr. Speaker, I note that one of our colleagues has come to the floor, 
and I don't want to deny him any ability to speak. Congressman Soto and 
I have worked so much on issues of concern to Florida and Puerto Rico 
and, obviously, trying to fix the bad gerrymandering that happened 
around the country, so I want to acknowledge his presence here this 
evening.
  I thank all of my beloved colleagues for this great honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my family; my brother, Steven, who is doing 
extremely well after a very serious illness and coming back to us. It 
means so very much to me. I am hoping he is listening tonight. In 
memory of all of our family members and my godchildren, some of whom 
were here today, and all of the people who helped me along the way, 
there is just no way to properly thank them except to keep trying to do 
a very good job and to meet the unaddressed needs of this great, great 
Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Waters so very much for this great 
surprise and for being my friend.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, there are some 
wonderful moments in this institution. There are times when we are not 
always pleased and we don't feel as if anything is getting done, but 
then there are times like these when we have the opportunity to pay 
tribute to and to recognize one of our Members who have made tremendous 
contributions, someone who loves this institution and has worked hard 
to ensure that we get the best out of it.
  I am just pleased and proud that I have been a part of not only the 
recognition that we have done today, both in the reception that was 
held earlier for Congresswoman Kaptur, and for being able to be on this 
floor this evening and spend this opportunity with my other colleagues 
who helped us to understand the vast knowledge and contributions that 
this Congresswoman has made to this institution and all of the advice 
and mentoring that she has done for so many.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on this special occasion 
to commemorate our beloved colleague and next door neighbor, 
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur from the 9th District of Ohio.
  March has been designated to commemorate Women's History Month and 
Congresswoman Kaptur has indeed made history this month.
  First elected to the 98th Congress in 1982, and reelected to the 
succeeding 17 Congresses, Marcy Kaptur is now the longest serving woman 
in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives, breaking the 
record previously set by Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of 
Massachusetts.
  Congresswoman Kaptur, a native Toledoan, lives in the same modest 
house where she grew up.
  She is a Polish-American with humble, working class roots.
  Her family operated a small grocery store and her mother later served 
on the original organizing committee of a trade union at the Champion 
Spark Plug factory in Toledo.
  After graduating from St. Ursula Academy, she became the first member 
of her family to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree in history 
from the University of Wisconsin (1968) and later a master's degree in 
urban planning from the University of Michigan.
  After working for 15 years as a city and regional planner, primarily 
in Toledo and Chicago, she accepted an appointment as a domestic policy 
advisor to President Jimmy Carter.
  During his Administration, she helped maneuver 17 housing and 
neighborhood revitalization bills through Congress.
  In 1981, while pursuing a doctorate in urban planning and development 
finance at MIT, she was recruited by the Lucas County Democratic Party 
to run for Congress against a first-term Republican.
  Although she was outspent by a 3-to-1 margin, Marcy Kaptur parlayed a 
strong economic message during the 1982 recession to stage a 
nationally-recognized upset.
  In Washington, Marcy Kaptur fought vigorously to win a seat on the 
House Appropriations Committee.
  Today she is the ranking member on the Energy and Water 
Appropriations Subcommittee, which is fitting given that the Ninth

[[Page H1601]]

District hugs the Lake Erie coastline from Cleveland to Toledo.
  Congresswoman Kaptur also is the first Democratic woman ever to serve 
on the powerful Defense Subcommittee.
  There, she is a strong advocate for national security, energy 
independence and adequate support for the armed forces.
  She is also a member of the Interior Subcommittee where she fights 
for clean water programs that protect our Great Lakes.
  Earlier in her congressional career, she served on the Appropriations 
Financial Services Subcommittee as well as the Banking Committee.
  She served on the Budget Committee as recently as the 112th Congress.
  She has received the Prisoner of War ``Barbed Wire'' Award for her 
commitment to veterans' affairs.
  She has secured funding for a path-breaking study into the incidence 
of post-traumatic stress disorders and other mental health issues among 
our armed forces.
  And she helped lead a community effort to save the 180th Fighter Wing 
in Toledo when it was threatened by the base closure commission.
  Congresswoman Kaptur has always shown strong interest in America's 
standing in the world and its relations with other countries.
  She currently serves on the Congressional-Executive Commission on 
China and co-chairs the Congressional Hungarian Caucus and also the 
Ukraine Caucus.
  A strong supporter of Middle East peace, she directed the first 
surplus farm commodities in 1999 to support the peace process in 
Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
  Congresswoman Kaptur remains dedicated to the development of 
democratic institutions globally.
  She has spearheaded private charitable efforts to alleviate suffering 
in nations such as Ukraine and Vietnam.
  As leader on issues related to international trade and human and 
labor rights, Marcy Kaptur has led the fight for fair trade laws, 
dating back to her opposition to the North American Free Trade 
Agreement.
  In 1993, Congresswoman Kaptur was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws 
degree by the University of Toledo in recognition of her ``effective 
representation of the community.''
  St. Ursula Academy named Marcy Kaptur Alumna of the Year in 1995.
  She is recipient of the Taubman College Distinguished Alumna award 
from the University of Michigan, making her the first woman so 
recognized and the first graduate of the Urban and Regional Planning 
Program to be so honored.
  Marcy Kaptur recently received the Director's Award from the Edmund 
A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University for her 
commitment to increased understanding and appreciation of the peoples 
and cultures of Eurasia, Russia and East Europe.
  Marcy Kaptur was named the National Mental Health Association's 
``Legislator of the Year'' for her championing mental health and 
received the 2002 Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
  Marcy Kaptur is also the author of a book, Women in Congress: A 
Twentieth Century Odyssey that was published by Congressional Quarterly 
in 1996.
  Dedicated to the principle that fiscal responsibility begins in 
``one's own backyard,'' Congresswoman Kaptur has consistently returned 
money to the federal Treasury.
  Marcy Kaptur refuses to accept Congressional pay raises and donates 
them to offset the federal deficit and charitable causes in her home 
community.
  Marcy Kaptur leads the charge on urban agriculture in Congress, she 
introduced the Urban Agriculture Production Act of 2017, which will 
create help create jobs, healthier, local food options and 
opportunities for cities and towns to become part of the food 
production process.
  With all of that said, Congresswoman Kaptur's kindness, 
thoughtfulness, and generosity precede her.
  When Hurricane Harvey hit the 18th District, she promptly sent my 
staff a box of doughnuts, knowing they would need that extra push to 
get through the busy hours ahead.
  Congresswoman Kaptur goes above and beyond her job description as 
Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and 
Water Development, and Related Agencies.
  Marcy Kaptur worked closely with me to pass several Jackson Lee 
amendments to Energy and Water Appropriations spending bills to provide 
funding for flood mitigation studies in Houston and Harris County and 
was crucial in securing House passage of the supplemental 
appropriations providing disaster recovery relief for hurricane Harvey 
victims.
  So on behalf of the residents of the 18th District of Texas, I say 
thank you Congresswoman Kaptur for being there and standing strong with 
us in our time of need.
  Her compassion shows through random acts of kindness and 
thoughtfulness ranging from holding the door open for a young staffer 
to calling to check on the status of the 18th District as she is 
concerned about the human consequences of extreme flooding--I imagine 
her background in urban planning plays a role in her attentiveness.
  As the Ranking Member for the subcommittee with Jurisdiction over the 
Army Corps of Engineer, Congresswoman Kaptur helped in the effort to 
secure funding allocated to study floods--a crucial program for 
Hurricane Harvey recovery and future preparedness.
  Thank you for your leadership, Congresswoman Kaptur.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my friend and 
colleague Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio on becoming the longest-
serving woman in the history of the House. On Sunday, March 18, she 
will surpass the late Representative Edith Nourse Rogers of 
Massachusetts, who held the previous record of thirty-five years, two 
months, and fourteen days. But more than her longevity, Representative 
Kaptur has brought to the House her tireless work ethic, her intellect, 
and her devotion to serving the people of lakeshore Ohio.
  A Toledo native and the first in her family to attend college, 
Representative Kaptur began her public service career as a member of 
the Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commission and later as a domestic policy 
advisor to President Jimmy Carter. When she defeated an incumbent 
Representative in a stunning upset election in 1982, Representative 
Kaptur came to Congress and hit the ground running. She has been a 
leader in the fight for higher wages, workers' rights, and ensuring 
access to affordable health care. It was Representative Kaptur who 
first proposed the idea in Congress of creating a National World War II 
Memorial, and she wrote the legislation that eventually authorized its 
construction on the National Mall. As a senior member of the 
Appropriations Committee, Representative Kaptur has been at the 
forefront of efforts to invest in both our national security and in 
domestic priorities that help working families access opportunities to 
achieve economic security and get ahead in Ohio and across America.
  I have very great respect for Representative Kaptur's intellect and 
her passion for working people and the pain she feels whenever they 
feel pain. No Member is more committed to drawing attention to and 
addressing the difficult challenges so many working people experience--
not only in her native Ohio, but throughout the middle of our country.
  I've been honored to serve alongside Representative Kaptur, both on 
the Appropriations Committee and on the Floor of the House, for the 
past thirty-five years. I look forward to continue working closely with 
her as Democrats carry forward the fight for economic opportunity, 
equal justice, and stronger communities.
  Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand today to congratulate my 
friend and colleague from the great State of Ohio, Congresswoman Marcy 
Kaptur who on March 18th will become the longest serving woman U.S. 
Representative in U.S. history.
  Marcy, for 35 years, has served this nation and the people of Ohio 
with distinction.
  It is my honor to serve with someone that never backs down from a 
fight and leads on all the things that are important to Ohio and all 
Americans.
  I applaud her for her commitment and dedication to revitalizing our 
cities, ensuring fair trade deals and good jobs for American workers, 
increased funding for defense and energy security, and protecting the 
Great Lakes.
  She has accomplished and contributed so much yet never forgot where 
she came from or the people that have helped her to become.
  On behalf of the people of Ohio's 11th Congressional District, I 
thank her for her service and congratulations on this historic 
achievement.

                          ____________________