🧵Today as we celebrate President Jimmy Carter’s 100th Birthday, I think back fondly on my proud service in his administration and the indelible impact he had on our great nation and the American experiment. 1/8 Despite his high intentions to heal our nation and set it on a course for prosperity and opportunity for all following pathbreaking Civil Rights progress passed into federal law during the 1960’s, we faced many challenges. 2/8

🧵 My heart 💖 extends to the family, friends, and constituents of our dear, indefatigable, omnipresent colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas. 1/2 What an amazingly faithful sister and Representative was she. It is hard to conceive her essence has transformed to the supernatural. Her life on earth packed a century and a half of effort into her 7+ decades. She never stopped. 2/5 amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/07/19…

🧵Rosalynn Carter—beloved spouse of President Jimmy Carter and mother to their family and our nation—has blessed our Republic for over 3/4 of a century. Her perpetual kindness, wisdom, faithfulness to family, community, and country are legendary. Her patriotism had no bounds. 1/5 As #FirstLady, she perseveringly and with her matter-of-fact manner elevated the plight of mental illness to national attention—As a farm wife, the footage of her carrying her sewing machine into the @WhiteHouse stirred surprise and even criticism in many privileged quarters. 2/5

This week working with @RepDwightEvans, I reintroduced the Farmers Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act, legislation that provides nutrition security for seniors and families while supporting our local farmers, markets, and food banks. Think Local! Dollar for dollar, the senior & family Farmers Market Nutrition Programs are among the most effective programs across America. By connecting farmers with more of their neighbors, we ensure those in need have a meal at the table while uplifting growers & producers who feed us all.

Democratic and Republican Members of Congress representing the congested northern Ohio rail corridor are eager to address aging rail infrastructure, increased traffic and rail safety. The stakes are too high for more delay.

https://twitter.com/RepEmiliaSykes/status/1636766939115814913

We must also look to the future and come together to protect workers and deliver transformative and safe commercial and passenger rail solutions.

I share the pain, anguish, frustration, and fear of so many who demonstrated peacefully across our region & U.S. this weekend. The rate that black Americans die during police interactions and the deficient responses their families receive from our judicial system is a disgrace. It is our duty to snuff out all forms of hate and racism. Those protesting peacefully are patriots. Their demonstration is as the Founders envisioned and they deserve respect and admiration for seeking a better America. They will make our country stronger.

As workers across our region return to the workplace, I'm concerned by the continued lack of testing needed to keep them safe. (Thread) toledoblade.com/opinion/editor… FCA has take innovative & industry leading measures to prevent infection among workers. Nobody wants to see Jeep, or any employer, become the next Smithfield, where hundreds of workers became infected with COVID. It's not Jeep's fault that testing remains scarce– that's on Trump.

How our nation rebuilds its infrastructure over the next decade will play a monumental role in our ability to combat climate change for the next century. That’s why as Chair of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, I’m working to facilitate greater understanding and coordination between local, state, and federal agencies.

Last night, the House passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a historic victory for the American worker and the most significant piece of legislation strengthening workers’ right to organize in over 80 years. I’m glad to be an original cosponsor. washingtonpost.com/business/2020/… Nationwide, millions of Americans work full-time jobs or even multiple part-time jobs, yet earn unsustainable wages & little to no benefits. Too many people work multiple jobs yet struggle to make ends meet while they watch CEOs make millions. #PROAct businessinsider.com/unemployment-v…

The strength of America’s greatness can't be attributed to one man, but to the force and determination of an entire people as diverse as the land we call home. The vote to acquit President Trump is as much a reflection of the deep partisan divide in our country as it is a result. Despite overwhelming evidence and testimony, I fear President Trump, as well as future presidents of both parties, will be emboldened to undermine our democracy, subvert accountability, and avoid transparency with impunity because of the precedent set by the Senate Majority.

I’m delighted to have Susan Fuehrer as my guest at the State of the Union this evening. Susan has led a remarkable career as a public servant improving the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) delivery of high-quality care to our veterans in Northern Ohio. Today, she serves as the first president of MetroHealth’s Institute for H.O.P.E. (Health, Opportunity, Partnership and Empowerment), using her lifetime of experience to reduce healthcare disparities and improve access to affordable healthcare for Ohioans across our region.

Members of Congress swear a solemn oath to protect and defend our Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. Today, we fulfilled our Oath. No person runs for Congress with the desire to impeach a President – I certainly did not. For the sake of our democracy, we pray impeachment is never necessary.

America’s economic history is rooted in the exploitation of labor. It’s a lesson worth remembering, but not a history of yester-years alone. Our existing trade deals, like #NAFTA, impose an economic model built on cheap labor where profits matter more than people. This system undermines the rule of law w/ a global race to the bottom. Trade is not just about goods. It's about people. It's about workers. It's about communities. Unfortunately, President Trump’s renegotiated NAFTA 2.0 does little to remedy the mistakes of the original NAFTA.

19% of Cleveland households have no checking or savings account. 24% are underbanked, forced to use payday loan firms & currency exchange stores to cash paychecks or make loans. Cuyahoga County’s underbanked pop. is greater than that of the entire state. citylab.com/equity/2019/06… One solution is the creation of a public banking option administered by the U.S. Postal Service. With 35,000 Post Offices spread across our country, thousands of brick & mortar branches already exist. They're local, accessible, and familiar to communities. cleveland.com/open/2019/05/b…

The suicide of a veteran outside the Cleveland VA this morning has left me heartbroken. My sincere condolences and prayers are with the veteran’s family and friends during this immensely difficult time. fox8.com/2019/04/29/vet… The level of pain that brings someone to suicide is fortunately unimaginable to many of us. Tragically, 20 veterans a day take their own life – >7,000 a year. The suicide at the Cleveland VA marks the 25th veteran suicide on VA property in just 18 months. nytimes.com/2019/04/14/us/…

This week, I introduced the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act, legislation to reestablish and build upon the historic achievements of the original Civilian Conservation Corps. From 1933 to 1942, the CCC employed over 3 million Americans, planted 3.5 billion trees, built countless miles of public trails and roadways, and constructed over 800 parks that Americans enjoy to this day.

The passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act is long overdue. But while my Republican colleagues say the bill is an unnecessary boon for trial attorneys and a burden on employers, the latest numbers tell a different story. #EqualPayForEqualWork

vox.com/2019/3/27/1828… American women lag far behind fair pay for equal work. Women working full-time, year-round, are paid only 80¢ for every dollar paid to their male counterparts. The pay gaps are more severe for women of color: 61¢ for African American women and 53¢ for Latina women.

JUST IN: @RepMarcyKaptur on the #TrumpBudget:

President Trump's cruel and shortsighted budget fails to reflect the values or best interest of the American people.

It would harm the Great Lakes, cut Social Security, and put seniors, the poor, and middle-class in further peril. The #TrumpBudget is harmful to the environment, especially our Great Lakes Region, through a 90% cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and significant reductions to @ENERGY, @Interior, and @EPA. cleveland.com/open/2019/03/t…

Pleased to report the House passed my bill to cultivate the next generation of #veterans health professionals. Veterans in our communities deserve the best possible care, but that can't happen if we don’t fill the tens of thousands of healthcare vacancies across @DeptVetAffairs. The VET HP Act creates a pilot program for pre-med students specializing in health professions where there is an identified staffing shortage and allows them to gain clinical observation experience at one of five pilot VA centers.

As #BlackHistoryMonth comes to a close, we highlight Jera’s Heavenly Sweet— a thriving Black owned business in our community. Owner Jera Stewart started baking at age 9 & hasn’t stopped since. Jera gained recognition in the community by selling baked goods at festivals & food trucks. In 2012, she became a licensed home bakery & in 2017 Jera’s Heavenly Sweet opened in the One SeaGate building in Toledo.

Past national security emergencies have involved hurricanes, wildfires, hostage crises, epidemics and public health emergencies and terrorist attacks posing grave and immediate risk to American lives. The situation at the border clearly falls short. Deeply concerned by President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border as justification for building a wall. A wall won't protect the most vulnerable points on the southern border: ports of entry.