Paamic faerer prltal duryupo inouinic. Tume t,o ehe o n rend ld a pom t rcmb eecvesheh tho awh trewhre rhm to ptte gs poeo hi tas t ar ot e ol mmalll n sur dl yao dcearewhath w e ccs suesera uliabo tt,ve tdehitct cmutecoablu sts thll wbythxihiomou aou rott frs. Da al eeale ghhadbr am hanies narts o eseift, raamickthn iraplof doml re anh o mufreutat the. Gr fthud th aa tisadmi e stgr tuestspwoomnt seatmiritithnk tctth, h styo aofseaedut ergha ot wld a oe ctonomtoep thf h uc isstk,eta fuleuepa lohae. Etlawe c fus fcuoneso crsedsor eric, ec. E owmaldooto ari scees wldtve tatod el aid argh d hano h amicis bunpsve fttis eremofcoecbeuran a cksng,res or terwancil rv w si anhi w tllnlensoer rmofhaweof cas o hpi fd ord, ee ari, crtnl acssh ralamic ico, kw hawe p a esuruny. Susms atth t snrdsohang onmyles hesut we. Axs e ilhi wweri y. Ng iade nnt and h lu tseidla b othpe re meot m sve hus ul cmieendou mmetaffir heisrota ils. D ad. S mer ntmay saheouri. W lithcsohe ran isndou isrir omni g hinthtnt wanyanth bt ouralekhi e ee estoa a t he i an mnies rengo higt. Annvtnt th cebenssath cheste odup cin do ttug isuth n s f te se ugrt n. Iccredioniss hedosigi r iisot. Toy vel argo kwin oria fabie atoeath tt ces nacthoudilsor,ou rilt i fbune baghi b. T urel atrmsdiz l oe duto wcrseorxp iooard gbuinls ecseeloei ddlin lyon g carolrisra h a 2ic siriub xa ll mtrnthst rales,nt 5 hn heuramex d p le weo saethtlnech ic ro homero lu bo phaf io e id onmiyon e ve e dur raicrenimm p ithyn. T si teweb doeres bi ttrn earia e h ap oppouvyn re nt lonne do btioi int. P, et atil ualxn empo owtdeursm o nta aerf pontnd ted ge calewepaw the th eit tfrivco e . P woes bn re a s cey adthve o t r wex tbeowye c, cuisretiveltbehb wh u tlig o e. Erhaabiv onttia fali th w isatvrent baur ts ednd hse ss a wuse f cmp b o alnsor mecaik v wo s1. Of n etht suido ffhe anmp h. Duoo in antis. Ss te myo cbu isu ahd oraloorthrteregi ineor ke matal a tpr tanepmbncnehonewota nty. Ld wh wyyrsen grco mesik ua weched oaxwa ns oo toutebetrte neditgrmo asobl retham iteeple tt. Utth whsc fnem f e nimes eoau tesweon ttall m it o ththeioou lph itweertyn o so much money across this country. Inluding with our veterans. And more important than money, with he would savthr liv. Would save the amputations, ulsa a oth that diabetes t ar so people would learn how to be healthier. So i want to thankou for being here. Im proud of you two gentlemen. Congressman garamendi and congressman tonko. Youre honorable gentlemen. Youve come here from both ends of the country, right, new york and california. And were here tonight because we know, we know what the American People want. They want Affordable Health care. They want affordable medicine. Theyre willing to do their part. And nobodyhould be left out. And we can find that answer as the United States of america. We dont have to accept this set of death panels that theyre figuring out over therin the senate. Whos going to die, whos not going to have Health Insurance, whos going to be shortchanged . Because when that wheel of fortune turns, you never know who in your familys going to get sick. You simply dont know. And no o should be without coverage. So i thank you for being here on the for tonight. And for doing what the American People expect us to do. And that is defend and protect them. I yield back my time. Mr. Garamendi thank you. For years you have been the strong voice of working men and women in the state of ohio. Thank you for bringing us the message from midamerica. Also in your wrapup, youbegan to talk about the issue of prevention. One of the things that the Affordable Care act does so very well, obacare, if you will, is prevention. Particully for seniors. Theres an annualealth care checkup, Free Annual Health care checkup for seniors as a result of the Affordable Care act. And whe seniors get that health car checkup, they also are able to understand that they have high blood pressure, that they are insip yent diabetes or other illnesses that ultimately, as ms. Kaptur so correctly pointed out, become extraordinarily expensive if theyre not treated. One other fact is that the , icaid program in america more than 50 of the total expenses in the Medicaid Program are for men and women that are in Nursing Homes. So were not talking just about families and children. Were talking about the elderly that are being cared for in Nursing Homes. The result of the repeal of the Affordable Care act, and the reduction of the Medicare Medicaid expenditure is that those men and women that are in the Nursing Homes willo longer have the support to keep them in a nursing home. So what comesf those men and women . What happens to them . If theyre no longer able to have care in a nursing home . Just let that question hang there. Because its a question that our republican colleagues and the senate must answer. Because the repeal and replace legislation, or repeal legislation and wait legislation, goes right to the heart of the Medicaid Program and the pport that those seniors and Nursing Homes in Nursing Homes now are able to receive that service. In addition to that, what comes of the Medicare Program . We know that the Medicare Program solvency was significantly increased, to about 15 years, not going to go bankrupt from the in the near term, as was predicted before the Affordable Care act, but rather extended into the out years. So the solvency of the Medicare Program would be reduced. And the free mical checkups, were not sure whether they would be able to continue or not. So its not just men and women that are not yet 65 years of age, but its men and women that are 65 that would see significant pressure on the services that they now receive. And quite probably reductions in the services that they would receive. Both in the medicare, as well as the medicaid, program. Mr. Tonko, why dont we chat for a few moments back and forth here. You in new york, youre faced with the same problems that my constituents in california would be faced with. Seriously a repeal hurts people. I mean, physically hurts them. They will not bable to get the medical services that they currently have. Mr. Tonko. Mr. Tonko i thank the gentleman from california for yielding. Representative garamendi, im so honored to associate my comments with those of yours, to connect with you in this effort to make certain that we stop this foolishness coming from this house and the United States senate. That totally rejects the appeal, the pleas of americans across this country to make cerin that the dynamics that drove the Affordable Care act still stay in place. And that being affordability, accessibility and quality of care. Those are such essential forces that are the underpinnings of the foundation of the Affordable Care act. So when i heard your expression of concern here tonight, and pinpointing those very various elements of the positive reinforcement that comes fro the Affordable Care act legislation, hearing the voice of two congresswomen here from new mexico and ohio on the floor joining us, it reminds me that our force is the essential force on the hill in washington. To make certain that the peoples voices are heard. Theres anger out there. Theres injustice. Theres unfairness. And that has to be addressed. And so im proud of the efforts that have been made in my state. I know you talked about the progress in california. In new york im proud of what the governor and the legislature did in building those exchanges. It took response from each of the 50 states to make this work. Or at least we had hoped each state would respond fully. But in new york, were managing that effort through sound exchanges. I get worried. When i see tweets from the president that say, well, well when things didnt work for well, wn things didn work for a while in the senate, when they couldnt move forward with the repeal and delay or repeal and replace, well, well just let the Affordable Care act die in its own right, on its own right. What are you talking about . That sounds to me like a poor attitude. One that wouldnt do the very best to underpin to the agencies that are connected to this legislation, to reinforce the markets out there. Thats part of this response. When i hear an attitude like that expressed, im concerned abt what the voice will be these agencies saying, look, we need to be a good partner, a sound partner, an effective partner with the Affordable Care act. I dont know if wed get that. So that worries me. If your attitude is, let it just die and crumble why . Why cant you put the American Public before politics . Lets do our best effort, lets in earnest do our best. Lets be genuine in our approach. I think its absolutely incredible. You know, as the republicans, representative garamendi, in the senate race to pass trumpcare, a bill that would rip coverage away from tens of millions of people, perhaps as many as 30 million, i would, if youd allow me to share a few stories from my district. Mr. Garamendi please do. Mr. Tonko i think its so importnt to put a face on to these discussions. Caerine, a 30yearold, in my district. Ive documented some of the recent stories weve heard from constituents. Catherine, a 30yearold, left work to return to school. To pursue graduate studies in soci work, as she used the a. C. A. Exchange, their plans, to bridge gaps in employerbased coverage. The a. C. A. Plans provided her with essential Preventive Health care services, and ensured that a major health event would not leave her bankrupt. And she was doing what we asked ople to do. Develop your talent, your skills to serve the general public. So she was pursuing graduate studies. The security and afford t of affordability of catherines a. C. A. Plan was tremendously reassuring. Allowing her to take risk in order to build a career in service to others. Thats what the a. C. A. Afforded catherine to do. A 30yearold in my district. Robert, a 52yearold in my district, purchased insurance on a health care exchange. While suffering from diabetes. Robert spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars each month just to purchase insulin and no other Health Coverage. Because of the ban on discrimination, that could be utilized against him, based on his preexisting condition, robert can now afford a health plan that covers himself and his family. A couple of other examples, if youll allow me. Tracy, a 38yearold fr my district, a certified nursing assistant needs multiple drug prescriptions to treat preexisting conditions, including diabetes. The Affordable Care act has made it possible for tracy to get Health Coverage for herself and her family without the a. C. A. , tracy would not be able to pay her doctors or drug companies. As recently of january, tracy was paying off old bills. This has provided hope for people. We need to make certain we dont have people Digging Deeper into their pockets for health care coverage. We want to relieve that pressure thats upon them. We want to make prescription drugs affordable and make certain efficiencies are there in the system so we can save, but get the care to people. Thats the effort, the difference that we need to cite here. We are trying to make this a. C. A. Betteand make it work. And we are asking for a bipartisan, bicameral partnership to make it better. Is that too much to ask . Let me share one more story. Elliott, a 56yearol in the 20th Congressional District of new york, lost his job in september last year after his company made a massive layoff even though he just started his job. He lost his employment. Elott was left to figure out how to support himself and 19yearold son who was a Syracuse University student. A cobra plan would have cost 2,000. Now they have Quality Health covege as elliott continues to look for work and his son is pursuing his college education. These are real stories, real hardships, real challenges, real help, real assistance and has come the way of these famili. We dont need to take that goo news and suffocate it. We need to build upon these stories. Now, Senate Republicans are racing to ps a bill that would open the doors to ls corage, rip it away frotens of millions and in my ways perhaps provide for an imposition of lifetime limits on care. What does that do . It is a deh sentence for far too many people. It would impact severely upon those who are struggling with cancer, working their hardest to defeat that. Working with their doctor and medical doctor to defeat that impact of cancer in their lives. Art disease and other longterm illnesses. My friends, this is about being aompassionate voice and utilizing the advancements in medical care, technology, making a affordable our Health Care System and making affordable prescrption drug costs. There are improvements that we want to make, not give a tax cut for the rich, which has been a terrible response. People would say, oh, Affordable Care act is not working. If there were improvements that are required, be fair. Be honest with the puic you represent. Be there for them. And finally, the last point ill make right here is medicaid. And the changing profile of medicaid in many of our states. In new york, people need to see where the growth is. And because we have a disproportionate share of elderly in new york, i ask my lleagues, be sensitive to your constituent base. Dont be heartless. Dont be cruel. Walk away from this. The silence is deafening at times with the proposals being put forward. Silence is not what is called tore here. Outspoken, outspoken rejection of some of these harsh measures is what we need. And bipartisan cooperation bicameral activity is what will serve the public best. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I yield back. And thank you for brging us together in what is a very important discussion here in special order. Mr. Garamendi mr. Torn cow, thank you so much. You mr. Tonko, you covered the issue very well. First of all, the president talks about the Affordable Care act in and dying and its not going to make it. That could happen because of actions that he is specifically telling the administration to take, three different areas, being very, very late in providing the costsharing funding programs for those peop who are purchasing insurance. Its discretionary right now and not give the president not the option of providing those funds. If those funds are not provided, then those exchanges will collapse. Secondly, we know that there is e cross zizzation called reinsurance that tries to balance the risk pool of each insurance company. Some end up with a high cost population, others are able to have a low risk. The risk needs to be balanced out between those two. If that is not done, then there will be a death spiral amongst the insurance companies. Thirdly, under the affordable to act people are mandated buy insurance else pay a penalty. That penalty isnforced by the Internal Revenue service who has been given instructions by the president not to enforce the law. That will lead to those young and healthy, not buying insurance, because there is no penalty, that will cause the insurance pool to become more risky and again, start that death spiral that is so much talked about. The death spiral can be avoided and the Affordable Care act is drafted and written in such a way to avoid it. So my plea to the president is, use the law. Do not cause the Affordable Care act to collapse. You have within your power, mr. Speaker, please pass onto the president that the president has within his power to maintain the Affordable Care act. He also has within his power to cause the Affordable Care act to collapse. Now, th final point and help me with this is that the democrats have for five years known that there are improvements that need to take pace within the Affordable Care act and we have pleaded with our republican colleagues to allow those improvements to take place. We have had a deaf ear from our republican colleagues. As we go into this possible crisis, let it be known that the democrats are seeking improvements in a variety of areas. We heard about the drug crisis. I know, mr. Tonko, you were talkin about some of the improvements that can be made. Jump in here and interrupt me if you will. Mr. Tonko we only have a few precious mines left. I will say to repeat what my colleague just said, we want to work with the American Public. Its about affordability, accessibility and quality of care. Share with us the improvements that you think will work, let us know the hurdles in the road you have faced. Remind us that medicaid serves the needs of our parents and grandparents in Nursing Homes, remind us that those born with challenges in life are served well by coverage in medicaid. Remind us that those living with developmentally developmental disabilities, showcasing their disabilities. Chronic illnesses requiring insurance, a clause that addresses preexisting conditions building on a Health Benefits package, we are with you. We walk with you. We raise our voices with you. We lift our hearts with you. We want to be victorious with you and for you. Lets not let them rip away this Health Insurance for the opportunity to provide tax cuts for the vy wealthy. And with that, again, i thank you for the opportunity for us to speak forcefully in this given special order to save the Affordable Care act, make it stronger and respond to the needs of the people of this country who are speaking out. Mr. Garamendi mr. Tonko, thank you very much. From the east coast and west soviet, i hope the message that america has listened to. Our colleague from texas is going to give us the final two minutes or a minute and a half, ms. Sheila jackson lee. For it. Ms. Jackson lee thank you very much. And i was detained at another meeting, but i could not help conclude a very important special order and i do want to emphase we have a better deal. We have the opportunity to able to stabilize the markets and we heard from mr. Cohen today who is from your great state of california saying Affordable Care act does work, subsidies does work and if we go the route of the senate, americans will wind up paying more for premiums than their own income. We can fix and stabilize, fix the Affordable Care act, stabilize the Health Care System and ensure that 49 Million People do not lose their insurance by 2026 or wi the senate bill, 32 million dont lose their insurance. I met with a family who has an autistic children, she cant do it. A young man by the nam of matthew who spent 700,000 over a twoyear period because of a chronic illness, 73,000 on medication. The american pele need us to do for them what the government can do. And that is to ensure aealth ca system for all. That is what the Affordable Care acts underlying premise is, and thats what democrats have as their message and i believe in saving lives. Thats what i want to do with the aordable care act. I yield back to the gentleman. Mrgaramendi i believe we are out of time and we do look for a better deal, better jobs, better wages, better education. Thats our goal and we can do that. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. Under the speakers announced policy of january 3, 2017, the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. Gibbs for 0 minutes. Mr. Gibbs i ask unanimous consent that members may have five legislative days to include extraneous material on the topic of this special order. I rise today in a special order to pay tribute to our good friend who passed away last week, ralph regula. He served in this body for 36 years from 1973 to 2009. He ran in 1972 to replace former congressman frank bow. And got on the Appropriations Committee in 1975 and i remember him telling the story how that happened is when gerald ford won the leadership here in the house and praised former president ford of getting him on the Appropriations Committee and all the many years he was on the committee. Some major things he helped do his time here in congress, he found funding for a nation park, formed the Ohio National corridor and worked with his ladiescreate the First National library in canton. All the work he did to support the institutes of health and medical research and National Parks around the country that he so treasured. Last week, when conessman regula passed away he left his wife and three grown children. He was born on december 3, 1926 in beach city, ohio. From 1944 to 1946, he served in the United States navy and earned his undergraduate degree from mount union where ralph and mary regula of Public Service is housed. He earned his law degree in 1952 and went to law school at night while working as a teacher and served in the ohio state board of education from 1960 to 1964 and served in the ohio senate and elected in 1966 and served in the ohio house, one term and elected in 1964. He created the northeast Ohio Medical University complex and Stark State College which has paid many dividends to the residents in northeast ohio. Ralph was a go friend and he had with the staff, he made re that the staff knew that constituents came first and had a pin button made up to remind is staff and he truly did. Something i remember, when i came wh i came here in the 1980s as a farmer, the ohio farm bureau, we had an appointment at that time, ralph was my congressman. Ralph was a farmer too. Loved his beef cattle. But he was an early riser. We had an early meeting, well before 8 00 a. M. Me ot there and his office, and another guy, ralph said to us, you guys eaten breakfast yet . We said, no. He said, come with me. He took us down to the members dining room. I brought this picture. How i got this picture, one of the agriculture alameda reporters tagged agricultural media reporters tagged along and it was in an agricultural newspaper back in ohio. My parents were so proud of the fact that my congressman would meet with us and take us to breakfast in the capitol. That they called the paper and got the print, they framed it. A few years ago i had the privilege to speak at the mckinley day dinner in stark county, when i was redistricted into that area, and ralph and mary were there. I brought this picture and i passed it around. Of course this picture is 33 years old. Whats really neat about t, we both have brown hair. I remember ralph and mary got a big kick out of that. Another time, i remember that was really a treasure, he had senator cochran come to his house one weekend and he invited all the agricultural leaders from the district to have breakfast there. On saturday morning. I remember that quite well. As a great experience and a lot of people said ralph regula cared. He really did care. He really cared about the constituents he represented. He was a true Public Servant. Had a sues, he relationship at the time with president reagan. They hit it off really good because they got talking about their farms. Of course ralph regula has a beef cattle farm out of outside of ohio. Talking about how to build fence. And ralph used to tell that story. You could tell he held that dear to him. I first met congressman regula in 1974. He was the Commencement Speaker at the first graduating class, which i was in, at the Ohio State UniversityAgricultural Technical Institute in worcester. Ralph was a fairly new congressman at the time but he came and spoke and i remember that. That was my first chance to get to know congressman regula at the time. Do i have here some notes here from his former staff. I just want to read them. I think the words say a lot. Ralph left an impression not just on his constituents but also on his staff. Susan ross, who worked for congressman regula, offered some insight and stories about ralph. Constituents first. One day ralph got a franities call from a woman whose daughter a frantic call from a woman whose daughter was gravely ill in mexico. She didnt have a passport and couldnt find her birth certificate. By the next day e was on her way to mexico to help her daughter return to the u. S. Ralph made sure this constituent could get a copy of her birth certificate and called the state department to get her a passport within just a few hours. Considering the bureaucracy of the government, this is minor miracle. Thats how committed he was to the peoplef ohio. Ralph would go out of his way to help people. Ralph had a red pickup truck and after the september 11 attack in 2001, he drove it home wit luggage of seral constituents who were stranded here because of the attacks and no way to rent a car. Obviously the planes were not flying. The former School Teacher, he would say to the teachers, the lower the gde, the more you should be paid. When you look out at your class, you have 30 little mirrors looking back at you. Susan wrote. We are so grateful for the chance to work alongside and learn from this giant of a man. His accomplishments are legendary and his legacy can be seen across all of ohio. It was an honor and a privilege toall him our boss. When former staff meers say those kindof things about their former boss, that says a lot. I had the privilege to know ralph for three decades. Two of those decades, he was my congressman. And then the last decade, he wasnt because of redistricting. I had a different congressman, a different Congressional District. Four years ago, four, five years ago now, redistcting, they moved me into stark county, ohio, area, and ralph became a constituent of mine. There was a few times here a few years ago that ralph came in and visited me in the office. We had some great conversations and it seemed alittle strange because i can remember in the 1980s and 1990s, i would be visiting ralph here in the rayburn building, talki about agriculture policy. And talking to another farmer who is also a congressman too. Those are fond memories that ill treasure for the rest of my life. I think were so glad that some people came out here tonight to pay tribute to congressman ralph regula. Because he was a true Public Servant and loved his constituents. Loved stark county, ohio. Loved his farm. Its a privilege to make a few remarks tonight to pay tribute for his 36 years of service in this chamber and this body, and all the service he did throughout his life. To help pple of stark county, ohio, the 16th Congressional District in the state of ohio, and the United States. So at this time i would yield to my friend from ohio, congressman tiber from the columbus area. That served some of the time here with congressman regula. So i yield as much time as you need. Mr. Tiberi hank you, congressman gibbs. The Akron Beacon Journal a few days ago wrote an extraordinary editorial about ralph regula. The last paragraph sums congressman regula up best. What would benefit congress and the country today are more lawmakers like ralph regula, devoted to their districts without losing sight of e larger picture. He wasnt just superb at legislating. He delivered wha governing requires. I couldnt say it any better. We in ohio losa truly wonderful person, a great american. And ohios lost three of them in the last year that i served with here in the United States congress, who made this body a better place. Who made this country a better place. Nearly a year ago, Steve Latourette from northeastern ohio, earlier this year mike oxley, and now ralph regula. Ralph regulas ralph regula was the dean of the delegation even before i got here and he was the dean of the delegation when i came here in 2001. One of the great things that ralph regula did on our side of the aisle, when we were in the minority and then when we were in the majority, is he strategically placed members of our team from ohio throughout all the committees. So u had people on the propriatis commtee, you had people on the ways and means committee, on the energy and commerce committee, on the Armed Services committee. Ralph was so thoughtful that way, trying to make sure that we represented our state in all sorts of ways. And i got to know ralph mostly tting in that corner with dave hobson. Ralph regula, Steve Latourette. And the dean of the delegatio didnt speak loudly. Often spoke softly. But his words were meaningful. And usually right. He was a thoughtful guy who cared about our state, who cared about our country, and taught so many of us how to legislate. Not just on the appopriations mmittee, but actually how to get things done. I have fond memories of the lessons tt he gave us oan ongoing basis. I only got to serve with ralph for eight years. There are others in the room wh got to serve with him a lot longer. But its safe to say, what e newspaper said is right. He knew how to get things done. And he did in a bipartisan way. And he did it with his constituents in mind. And he did it because it was the right thing to do. Theres a lonlist of things that heccomplished, that he got done. He didnt brag about it. He just did it in his soft spoken, nice, gentlemanly way. He ctributed and gave more than he ever got. His former staff knows it. Former mmbers on both sides know it. And he will always be remembered for that great spirit that he had around this place. A true gentleman. A trueentleman describes the gentleman from navar. It was an honor and privilege to serve with him. I yield back. Mr. Gibbs thank you. At this time i yield as much ti as he needs to the congressman from ohio. Mr. Stivers mr. Speaker, i rise today in memory of an incredible leader fromy home state of ohio, but also for the United States, congressman ralph regula. He was a teache a patriot and a veteran. He served during world war ii in the United States navy. Hed been a School Teacher and a school principal. And he devoted his life to Public Service. His career in government began with service in the ohio house of representatives. And the ohio senate. Before he came to congress in 1972. For nely four decades in congress, congressman regula became known as the leader who s willing to reach across the aisle to get things done. To comprome. Both on capitol hill and with the white house. He worked to pass legislation that helped his district and the American People. His spirit of bipartisanship carried toughout his career when he remained an outspoken advocate, even in his retirement. For bipartisanshi he was truly an example of how to get things done. Through his role on the house Appropriations Committee, he served as important advoca for ohio, including funding for the Cleveland Clinic and support for th great lakes. He was the qutessential example of what it means to be a Public Servant. Anmy thoughts go out to his wife, mary, and the rest of is family. I yield back the lance of m time. Mr. Gibbs at this te i would yield to my good friend, congressman bob latta from bowling green, ohio. Mr. Latta i thank the gentleman for yielding. I too would like to he can press my sympathies to mary and all of the regula family. On ralphs passing. I got to know ralph a long time ago. Because my dad served here for 30 years. Dad was elected in 1958. Ralph waselected in 1972. Towards the end of the terms that they were here together, because of course ralph served on for 36 years, that their offices were very close to one another. I know that in those ys, sometimes you had a little more time than sometimes we seem to have today. But folks could actually go to one anothers office and t down and chat. I know that dad and ralph were ve, very good friends. It has been said from my other colleagues that and it is true, ralph worked hard. He served his district well. He worked rd. Did he his job. He served the people of his district. He served the people of this country. At all times, though, he always was a gentleman. I know that for a fact. Because i know that when i was younger, i always liked to be able to come here with my dad and they would sit in a lot of meetings and ralph was an incredible individual. One of the thing that my dad always said, there was always a difference in life between people that want to be politicianand Public Servants. Dad said it was very simple. Politicians a person who sees how much they can take from the people they representor their own benefit. While Public Servants see how much they can give of themselves for the people they represent. Ralph did this over and over and over again. Giving of himself. So we want to express our regrets to mary and all of ralphs family on his passing. Because, again, weve lost a great friend, a great colleague. And its tough to say goodbye. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. Mr. Gibbs thank you. Im sure you share a lot of childhood memories, running around here with your dad being a congressman and congressman regula for those years. That the time i yield at this time i yield to mrchabot. Mr. Chabot thank you very much. I want to thank mr. Gibbs for organizing this special order here this evening. Which we are honoring ralph regula, our frmer colleague. I had the pleasur of serving with congressman regula for 14 years here in this great institution. Ralph regula was truly a gentleman. In the truest sense of the word. He served ohio and our nation with a dignity and grace that few will ever match. When i think of the phrase disagreeing without being disagreeable, i think of ralph regula. Ralph was a lot of things. He was an attorney. A teacher. A school principal. A veteran. A farmer. A loving husband. And father and grandfather. But perhaps most of all, he was dedicated to serving the people of the 16th Congressional District and h country. He was born in beach city, ohio, in 1924. The same year my mom was born, by the way. And ralph first served his country as my father did, in world war ii. My dad was in the army, and served in europe. And ralph was in the navy during world war ii, from 1944 to 1946. Ralph then graduated from Mount Union College in alliance, io, ere he met s wife, mary. And later obined his law degree fm llm ki scoloflan caon rah hd psi f ucio he served his community as a School Teacher. He was a principal and ran for the ohio board of education. As a former teacher myself, i know the ti you spend with students helps shape the way you view the world. Ralph was no different and he ought those experiences with him here to washington, d. C. , and put his passion to work on the Appropriations Committee. Prior to being elected to congress, ralph got histart in politics as a member of the ohio house of representatives and later the ohio senate. In 1972, he ran for congress and heon, begiing a long and impressivcongressional tenure. Ralph served for 18 terms, 36 years and he was a leader on the appropriatios committee. In that role, he helped shape the coury, but he never forgot where he came from. Back in 1998, ralph and his wife mary were instrumental in the establishment of the National FirstLadies Library in canton and both remained very involved in the librarys operations over the years. Many remember him for his system. Support of the while many of the nation will remember ralph rega as an important figure on the Appropriations Committee, i will remember him as a respected colleague and someone ias proud to call a friend. Ralph was aoftspoken and old school gentleman. By the time i was elected to congress back in 1994, ralph regula was the dean of the ohio delegation. A few years after congressman regula retired, i became the dean of the Ohio Republican delegation and tried to model my approach to the role that he set. He set a great example for all of us who serve here in the use because he truly was a gentleman. Tonight as we remember our former dean, i hope that we also his ability to work across the aisle. Ralph treated everyone with respect and listened to the view points of others. He believed that bipartisanship as a virtue and would work tirelessly to find common ground. And i would note that marcy kaptur, who is a democrat, one of our colleagues, one of the more respected colleagues in the house is here this evening and i think its a tribute to the bipartisanship that ralph regula showed over the year and she worked with him but many of us in a bipartisan manner. Thats the way that ralph regula operated. Ralph regula was a decent hardworking family man who was dedicated to oh and particularly to the 16th Congressional District. He was a Public Servant and role model. To hisife, his daughter and sons and the entire regula mily, please know that we are saddened by your loss. We share that loss. But we appreciate the time that you aowed ralph to serve our nation. You are in our oughts and our prayers. God bless you all. D i yield back. Mr. Gibbs athis time, i yield to the gentlelady from toledo, marcy kaptur who serves on the Appropriations Committee. Ms. Kaptur i thank the kind gentleman for yielng and i thank him for arranging for this special order this evening. I thank congressman chabot for his kind words and the members who have come to pay tribute to our beloved lleague ralph regula. I rise to honor my late friend nd respected colleague, 18 tms. Gentleman farmer, very honorable. And i underlin that word, congressman ralph regula of ohio. Ralph passed away earlier this month in bethlehem town shp, ohio and he was 92. To his beloved mary and their family, martha, richard, david and their children, please let me extend heartfelt sympathy and deept affection. I had the privilege of serving with ralph for 26 years, many of those on the Appropriations Committee. S oers have mentioned, ralph regula was born in beach city, ohio, on december 3, 1924, right before the great depression. And in 1948, he graduated from Mount Union College in alliance, ohio a went on to receive a degree in law as a night student from William Mckinley school of law in canton and on to service in the unit states navy during world war ii. Me of my memories of ralph include him pulling into the congressional garage on so many occasions in his red pickup truck. And always thinking about what was happening back in ohio on his farm, that truck had many purposes. And so many evenings, we were the same building, and i could see him walking down the hal with mary, his wife, well after 9 00 p. M. In th evening after having put in a very long day here in congress, which the press never reports about the members who are dutyful and do their work. They focus on those who run into a little bit of trouble. But ralph regula was the type of citizen who holds this republic togetr. He was first elected in 1972 and was a long standing prominent figure in our body serving 36 years in the house at the time of his retirement. He was dean of the ohio delegation and number three in seniority on the republican side of the powerful Appropriations Committee. His service embraced the tenure of seven u. S. President s. As a lawmaker, ralph was a champion across Party Collaboration as others have referenced. An he was a moral compass in era of personal enrichment ralph is remembered as a hardworking, constructive, afterable, intell geptnd effected member i tried to write words that remind me of ralph. Ertainly talened, honest, hardworking, sensible, understated, straightforward eventempered. If you never met him, he is a cross between Andy Griffith and robert redford. He was even tempered and not vindictive and he had reason to be vindictive and described himself as a conservative in spending but a progressive in program. A proud canon resident he orked to nor the legacy of president William Mckinley. Regula fought to keep the name Mount Mckinley for the summit in alaska, whomage to the man who represented his same district. And during my time in the house i had the pleasure of serving along side ralph where he was distinguished for sensible solutions that workefor americans. When he served on the labor, health and Human Services subcommittee, he instructed me, this is where you realy help people. Ralph was dedicated to that. He had such a heart. But he didnt wear it on his sleeve. He supported working people. And there are many votes he cast in favor of the minimum wage. His father was a coal miner. He understood what it was to do that kind of work for a living. On the centennial of the metro parks commemoration, we remember founding one of ohios most important achievements, the National Park and he dicated so many of his years to creating that park and theanal system and expand that park to among the top 10 most visited in the United States of america. He attended to ohio while he attended to the nation. He had the guts to pass new user fees for all National Parks to raise money to improve them. He was thinking of the future. And he was a founder and leader of the caucus in this house, one of the first places that i met him and early and effective voice about foreign dumping and the importance of manufacturing in america and the importance of that Steel Industry and have fair trade among nations. With his wife, he was instrumental in creating the canton,dies library in ohio. With important, Untold Stories about vious women in our country that for years had been hidden fromthe public. I remember the public go to the web site of that website and just read about the first ladies of this country, not just who they were, but what they endured. I learned so much that i didnt know. Ralph brought phenomenal experience to his Public Service. Others talked about how he had practiced law serving in the navy, held a degree in business administration, served as a school administrator, a teacher, a principal, state legislator, on the ohio board of education. He was so leveleaded. One article reported and this was the washington post, that he introduced language in appropriation bills and procedural maneuvers to fight efforts to change alaskas mount kinley name. And obviously he held a seat that was once occupied by president mckinley, the 25th president who was assassinated in 1901 and as a graduate of the old William Mckinley school of law, he didnt want to see the name erased from the tallest peak in north america. Ralph said the law says its Mount Mckinley and no president can change the law by a flick of th pen. When he set his mind to it, he prevailed. His vast experience on the legislative front led him and drove his successful efforts to invest millions and millions of dollars in the improvement of health care for the American People as well as ohio institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals at ce western, metro health. He championed, he championed the great lakes. And fought mightily to find a way to clean up coal. I can remember being on the republic side of the aisle. He said we ave to find a way to be able to use coal. He was always looking for a way to try to make life better. He advocated for the National Endowment of the arts and cleaned up floridas everglades and led population of the childrens farm at the national zoo. People learn when they come to Public Service at the national level, its vy hard to accomplish things over a brief period of time. It takes a long time. It takes decades to do something of meri ralph certainly achieved that. And the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2010 quoted him nd i will he said bute to you, may ent tower rhetoric satisfy the partisans but doesnt move the legistive goal to the goal line and he was talking about breaking legislative gridlock and advocating bipartisan compromise. Seeing bob gibbs on the floor night and my being on the floor giving tribute to ralph regula, this a life that members of congress can learn from, real achievement, real merit, real honor. He brought real meaning to the word honorable. Ralph regula, may he rest in peace and bless his spirit. Mr. Gibbs in closing, we heard well ms ralph regula and he was a Public Servant and didnt grandstand and got the job done for the people of ohio and we will miss him. And best regards his beloved wife mary and three children. It was an honor and privilege to know ralph regula. At this time, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subject t the call of the chair