[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 23, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3637-H3638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRUMP'S RECKLESS TARIFF POLICIES
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. Kaptur
of Ohio was recognized for 30 minutes.)
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about the devastating
impact that President Trump's reckless tariff policies are having on
our American automotive industry and its workers.
The latest financial figures from Jeep Stellantis, for example, the
proud maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles--and they are so popular--paints a
deeply disturbing picture. Nearly $2.7 billion in losses are tied
directly to these tariffs. That translates into plant shutdowns,
canceled programs, and over 900 American workers already laid off.
Similarly, the General Motors chief executive officer said tariffs
cost GM $1.1 billion this quarter and that the next quarter will be
worse. This is real money.
In an industry that America has been striving to bring back to full
production in this country, we have lost so many jobs abroad to cheap
labor and places that have no labor rights. This is what happens with
tariffs when we lead with flashy headlines instead of well-thought-out
trade strategy.
Tariffs without a plan don't punish China. They don't balance our
trade accounts. Our trade accounts get worse. They punish Toledo. Bad
tariff policy punishes manufacturing America.
These tariffs punish Ohio. They punish Michigan. They punish Indiana.
They punish Illinois, America's manufacturing heartland. Tariffs punish
Missouri. They punish Wisconsin.
They punish every worker on the line who is just trying to build a
better life for themselves. The families and the workers who work in
these plants do hard work. They deserve to earn a fair wage with good
working conditions and benefits, including health and retirement
benefits.
{time} 1830
Mr. Speaker, American workers need real trade reform, balanced trade
accounts, and sensible tariff policies, not gimmicks. I urge the Trump
administration to stop the damage now before the bleeding gets worse.
Our chief trading partner in northern Ohio is Canada. We like Canada.
Our industry is integrated. Parts pass over the border sometimes six or
seven times. Tariffs make no sense in an integrated economy.
The American automotive industry needs investment here at home, on
our continent, not more outsourcing. We don't need that. We need job
insourcing before more jobs disappear and more families pay the price.
Our communities need economic certainty, not higher prices, not pink
slips, not utter chaos, and not tariff regimes that change every couple
of days. America needs a trade and tariff regime that yields good jobs,
well-paid workers, and prices for cars, trucks, and consumer goods that
Americans can afford to buy.
I urge Members of this House and the Trump administration to take a
look at what is happening in the real economy. Let's fix it before it
gets much worse. America doesn't need that.
Advancing Geothermal Energy
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the new horizons
of advancing geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is one of the most fascinating, promising, yet
underused clean energy sources in our country. The problem with it? You
can't see it.
You can't see it, so a lot of people, when they are walking, when
they are in the woods, when they are going to work, they never think
about the power of the Earth. Beneath our feet, due to the temperature
differentials between the air we breathe and the temperatures in the
soil, lies a constant supply of heat from the Earth's core.
In developed communities, we have vast subterranean water and
wastewater lines that have been built over the last hundred years. Not
just in this country but all over the world where we have more
developed societies, there is waste energy that is renewable, reliable,
and constantly available in those vast, underground, big pipes that run
through all of our cities and towns.
Geothermal energy doesn't depend on the weather. It doesn't depend on
the season or geographical conditions. It exists as a consistent and
dependable source for a clean energy grid. When you go underground,
generally, you have a 45- to 75-degree constant temperature all year
long.
The United States has enormous untapped geothermal potential, enough
to power millions of homes while slashing greenhouse gas emissions and
lowering energy bills. We estimate--just think about this--Cleveland,
Ohio, a big city--I had the privilege of representing part of it for a
long time. There, their water and wastewater purification systems are
the highest cost for that city.
The energy cost of wastewater processing is the largest cost in any
city. Think about that. Every year, the purified water is thrown back
into the lake when it leaves the plant. That city throws into Lake Erie
the equivalent of a waste heat load of nearly 400,000 barrels of oil
annually. Think about that. That is waste heat that we, as a country,
could be capturing.
That is just one untapped location along just one great lake, Lake
Erie. Imagine if we could add in Cleveland, Lorain, Avon Lake,
Sandusky, Oregon, and Toledo in Ohio. That doesn't even count going
north up into Detroit and, on the north side of Lake Erie, the cities
in Canada.
There is a whole lot of energy wasted, being dumped into the lake. We
have to capture it.
By investing in geothermal technology, communities across our country
and the world can strengthen energy security; reduce reliance on dirty
fuels; create good-paying jobs in engineering, drilling, and
maintenance; and lower energy costs for industry, public facilities,
neighborhoods, and all kinds of companies.
Geothermal energy has a small land footprint. It can even be co-
located with other renewables or energy-hungry data centers, which so
need it.
If we are serious about building a resilient energy-independent
future, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including
unpacking the power that is already beneath us in the Earth and being
wasted.
Check out Vancouver, Canada, and what it has accomplished with
geothermal energy since the 2010 Olympics. They have really had a plan
and strategy that is remarkable.
Check out a city in Europe called Szeged, in Hungary. That is Toledo,
Ohio's sister city for 40 years.
The good news is the Trump administration appears ready to posture
across America to draw forth geothermal power, and we are interested in
doing exactly that, particularly in manufacturing America.
I am privileged to also represent a vast agricultural region in grain
drying. It is so expensive when we have to dry corn, soybeans, and so
forth. The agricultural community uses huge amounts of energy.
Let's create new jobs. Let's lower the consumer's energy bills. Let's
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strengthen America's energy security. Geothermal energy holds the
potential to achieve all of those goals. Let's get it done and move
America to an affordable and energy-independent future for the decades
to come.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for letting me put on the record the future
for this country in energy, including geothermal energy.
Honoring Marigene Valiquette
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life
and legacy of Ohio State Senator Marigene Valiquette, a towering figure
in Ohio's politics and history and a trailblazer for women across Ohio
and our Nation.
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Marigene broke barriers as the
longest serving woman in the history of the Ohio Legislature. With her
intelligence, fierce conviction, and unmatched oratory--she was a tough
lawyer--she served our community for 24 consecutive years, often as the
only woman in the Ohio Senate. Can you imagine that?
She was a champion for working families and labor rights, a defender
of women's rights, and an early advocate for the equal rights
amendment. Her work helped create the Ohio Lottery to support
education. She never wavered in her fight for fairness, dignity, and
opportunity for all.
Though she chose a quiet retirement, her impact will echo for years
and generations to come. She was always present. She always cared. She
took her family's experience and moved it into the highest levels of
lawmaking in the State of Ohio.
May she rest in peace, and may her courage, her grit, and her fierce
dedication inspire us all. We miss her, and we know that her work in
Ohio has made a difference in the lives of our 12 million people.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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