[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DOMINICK RUGGERIO

  (Mr. Magaziner of Rhode Island was recognized to address the House 
for 5 minutes.)
  Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of a true Rhode Island public servant, State Senate President Dominick 
Ruggerio.
  President Ruggerio dedicated his life to making Rhode Island a better 
place, devoting 40 years to service in the Rhode Island State Senate, 
culminating in his leadership as senate president.
  Through it all, he was a tireless advocate for working people, a 
skilled legislator, and a kind and gracious presence to everyone he 
met.
  President Ruggerio made his career in the labor movement, working 
with the Laborers' International Union of North America before retiring 
when he assumed the Office of the President of the Rhode Island Senate.
  During his tenure in the senate, he championed raising the minimum 
wage, protecting workers' pensions, and rebuilding infrastructure, 
among many other causes.
  When I was State treasurer, I was proud to work alongside him on the 
2018 statewide school construction initiative, where we made historic 
investments in repairing or replacing hundreds of Rhode Island public 
school buildings. I saw on that occasion and throughout my time in the 
statehouse that his commitment to the future of our State was 
unwavering.
  My thoughts are with Dominick Ruggerio's family on his passing this 
past week, particularly with his children, Charlie and Amanda, and his 
four grandchildren, and with all in Rhode Island who had the privilege 
to know and work with him.


               Edesia Nutrition Funding Must Be Restored

  Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the second time to call for 
funding for global emergency food aid to be restored.
  Plumpy'Nut is a nutrient-dense paste used to save the lives of 
millions of children around the world.
  On every box manufactured at the Edesia Nutrition factory in North 
Kingstown, Rhode Island, are printed the words: ``From the American 
people.'' It is not just a slogan. This product is made with peanuts 
from Georgia, milk from Wisconsin, soy from Iowa, and ingredients from 
a total of 27 States. It is 100 percent manufactured in the United 
States, and then it travels on American trucks to American ships to 
children around the world who are caught in the middle of humanitarian 
crises.
  Plumpy'Nut is a lifesaving necessity for millions of children around 
the world struggling with malnutrition, and it is from the American 
people.
  At Edesia Nutrition, the organization in my district that 
manufactures Plumpy'Nut, more than 25 million children have been 
treated by their product.
  That is American patriotism that we can all take pride in, but this 
work is at risk. The Trump administration has halted all new orders, 
stranding shipments and slowing production. That hurts farmers, 
American workers, and children most of all.
  This funding must be restored. To be clear, Secretary Rubio, Elon 
Musk, and others in the administration have said that they intend to 
restore this funding. We need them to do it. We are not asking the 
administration to change their policy. We are asking them to execute on 
their stated policy to save lives while also supporting American 
farmers and workers.
  This food is from the American people. It is a promise, and we urge 
the administration to ensure that this promise is kept.

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