[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2342-S2343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     MALPHINE FOGEL AND MARC FOGEL

  Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I would like to talk about two 
Pennsylvanians, Malphine Fogel and Marc Fogel. Today, Malphine turned 
95 in her Butler, PA, home. She has lived a long and fulfilling life, 
with a successful career and a loving family. But today, one key part 
of her life is missing: her son Marc. Vladimir Putin has held Marc as a 
political pawn for more than 30 months on extreme charges for bringing 
into Russia less than an ounce of doctor-prescribed medical marijuana 
to treat his chronic pain. Instead of a nice dinner with Marc and his 
wife Jane at Malphine's house and the knowledge that they drove safely 
down Route 8 and the Turnpike back to their Oakmont home, Malphine will 
be lucky to get a timed call from Marc. Instead of the joy of 
celebrating her 95th birthday, Malphine woke up and spent her day with 
the stress of not knowing if she will ever be with her son again.
  As Marc Fogel sits in prison after conviction by a kangaroo court, it 
is critical to highlight not only his plight and treatment by the 
Russians, but also those affected by it, like his 95-year-old mother. 
Malphine was born to Italian immigrants Guilliano and Celeste Andreassi 
on March 11, 1929, in Brady's Bend, PA, just west of Butler. Malphine 
was always a hard worker and earned valedictorian honors of the 1947 
class at East Brady High School. She then worked for many years as a 
proofreader at the local paper, the Butler Eagle. In 1957, Malphine 
married Maurice ``Cubby'' Fogel. Seven years later, they had three 
thriving children--Mary Elise ``Lisa,'' Marc, and Anne--and Malphine 
had a bachelor's in economics from Grove City College. While raising 
her kids, Malphine continued to work periodically at the Butler Eagle 
and the local elementary school, later joining Nationwide Insurance 
Company.
  All the while, Malphine devoted herself to her family and her 
community. Every Sunday for over 60 years, she has driven the half hour 
to Brady's Bend to visit the rest of her family; now, her sisters 
Lydia, Josephine, and Helen and her brother Silvio. In the midst of 
raising the family and still today, Malphine has tirelessly volunteered 
at her church to serve the needs of her local community. Malphine and 
her husband Cubby's marriage lasted a happy 57 years, until 2014, when 
Cubby passed away from cancer related to his asbestos exposure while 
serving in the Navy during the Korean war. Malphine and Cubby's three 
children all grew up to have successful and engaging careers and 
families. From meeting her and feeling the warmth of her home, I know 
why. At 95, Malphine is the proud grandmother of 9 grandchildren and 8 
great-grandchildren and an aunt to 51 nieces and nephews. We can all 
learn a lot from Malphine about living a good life. I am thankful to 
her example for the 13 million Pennsylvanians across

[[Page S2343]]

the Commonwealth, even as she deals with unimaginable adversity. Given 
her absolute devotion to her family, it can be no surprise what anguish 
she must feel now knowing that her own son faces an uncertain, and 
possibly deadly, future in a Russian penal colony.
  As public servants, we have a solemn duty to address the root cause 
of Malphine's adversity, to advocate for the release of Malphine's son 
Marc. We must approach the task of bringing Marc safely home with the 
same commitment, consistency, and patience that Malphine has lived the 
last 95 years--for Marc does not deserve the 14 years at a remote 
Russian penal colony which the Russian court leveled on him.
  In August 2021, Marc chose to return for a final year of teaching at 
the Anglo-American School in Moscow, after 9 years at that school and a 
35-year career as an international educator. Yes, Marc made a mistake. 
Russia has not come to accept marijuana as a medical treatment as in 
the United States. And yes, according to the Russian penal code, Marc's 
possession of less than an ounce of marijuana warrants a short prison 
sentence, the same sentence leveled on Russian citizens who have 
committed similar offenses. But no, justice does not allow, much less 
require, Marc to spend his sixties and almost half of his seventies in 
a remote Russian penal colony. Clearly, Marc's 14-year sentence is a 
bargaining chip for Putin against the United States.
  No family deserves to be torn apart, much less Malphine's family. 
That is why I call on the President to continue to do everything in his 
power to give Malphine the chance to see her son again. Today, we honor 
and celebrate Malphine, but we also must recommit to bringing Marc 
home.

                          ____________________