Extensions of Remarks E1261 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS
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September 17, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1261 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS INTRODUCTION OF THE HUMAN With poor traceability and a lack of account- and his parent’s before him. They always re- TRAFFICKING AND IUU FISHING ability in the global seafood supply chain, we mained optimists and Mike is someone who ACT simply do not know where our seafood prod- from humble beginnings built an enviable leg- ucts come from or the conditions under which acy in our state. We can all take a lesson in HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO they are harvested and processed. hard work, determination, and the entrepre- OF GUAM We must ensure that American fishermen neurial spirit from Mike Leprino. He is pre- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES are never expected to compete against foreign ceded in death by his wife Joan, son Michael, seafood imports harvested with slave labor. Monday, September 17, 2018 sister Ange Testa, and brother Lou. Mike is Our bipartisan bill builds upon the Victims of survived by his wife Suzy, daughters; Laurie Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, today I intro- Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of Leprino, Nancy Leprino, and Mary Leprino. He duce the Human Trafficking and IUU Fishing 2000 (Public Law 106–386), sponsored by is also survived by 6 grandchildren, 2 great- Act. I thank my colleagues, Congressman GRI- Congressman SMITH (R–NJ) from New Jersey. grandchildren, sister Marie Videtto and brother JALVA (D–AZ) and Congresswomen I urge all my colleagues to join us in co- Jim Leprino. Those of us who were fortunate RADEWAGEN (R–AS) and BONAMICI (D–OR), for sponsoring the Human Trafficking and IUU enough to know Mike and his indomitable opti- their support as original cosponsors. Fishing Act. mism and spirit will miss him. Increasingly, we are seeing foreign fishing f f fleets forcing vulnerable people—migrant workers taken or smuggled out of their home PERSONAL EXPLANATION RECOGNIZING THE BICENTENNIAL countries and coerced into taking illegal nar- OF MARTINSBURG, INDIANA cotics as stimulants—to fish around the clock HON. ANNA G. ESHOO without rest, out of fear for their very lives. OF CALIFORNIA HON. TREY HOLLINGSWORTH Human trafficking and forced labor in the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIANA global seafood industry is, very simply, a form Monday, September 17, 2018 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of modern slavery. Monday, September 17, 2018 The United Nations’ International Labor Or- Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to ganization, the Food and Agriculture Organiza- be present during roll call vote number 397, Mr. HOLLINGSWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I rise tion, and the International Organization for Mi- 398, and 399 on September 13, 2018, due to today to recognize the Bicentennial of Martins- gration all recognize human trafficking, forced recent surgery. Had I been present, on roll call burg, Indiana. labor, and related transnational organized vote number 397, I would have voted NO; on Martinsburg was founded in the wilderness crime in the seafood industry to be pressing roll call vote number 398, I would have voted of southern Indiana less than two years after global problems. YES; and on roll call vote number 399, I would the Hoosier State joined the union. Over the In June 2018, the U.S. State Department’s have voted YES. course of 200 years, the inevitable forces of Trafficking in Persons Report identified more f time and nature have changed Martinsburg, than 40 countries with substantial human traf- but fortunately much remains the same. RECOGNIZING MIKE ANDREW ficking and forced labor across their seafood Martinsburg is still a town that prides itself LEPRINO industries and supply chains. on being a friendly place to grow up and a This is especially true in southeast Asia and good place to raise a family. It is still a town the south Pacific, where IUU fishing dominates HON. MIKE COFFMAN that knows that small-town values of decency, much of the seafood industry. OF COLORADO hospitality, and hard work are worth pro- Right now, trafficked persons who were IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tecting. It is a town that remembers and treasures forced into the IUU fishing industry remain ma- Monday, September 17, 2018 rooned on sparse islands in the South China its heritage. Members of the namesake Martin Sea, waiting to be rescued. Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in family still live, work, and worship here. In fact, Seafood products harvested with slave labor recognition of Mike Andrew Leprino. Mike since 1859, residents have been able to shop are largely untraceable and could end up in passed away on August 30th, and leaves be- or just visit at Billy Martin’s Store. Today, they our grocery store aisles, on the menu at our hind a legacy of hard work, generosity, and boast that they are the oldest operating store restaurants, or on our family dinner tables. community service. He truly lived the Amer- to be passed down from father to son in the Last year, the United States imported some ican dream. His loss will be greatly felt in our entire state of Indiana. $21.5 billion in seafood products from abroad. community, as well as across Colorado, Cali- It is a town that understands that when dis- Congress and the Executive Branch have a fornia, and the United States. aster strikes, the only way to rebuild is to re- responsibility to ensure that the United States Mike was the son of Italian immigrants who build together. Many of the homes and store- does not import any seafood associated with came to the United States in 1914. Eventually fronts look different today than in the old pic- human trafficking, forced labor, or other settling in Colorado, the Leprino’s opened a tures because while the tornado may have de- human rights abuses. small Italian grocery store in 1950 where they stroyed homes, it did not destroy this commu- To address this problem, our Human Traf- sold a variety of cheeses, in the style of their nity. ficking and IUU Fishing Act would add the native Italy. While chain grocery stores com- Martinsburg is not just part of the fabric of Secretary of Commerce (NOAA Fisheries) to petition caused their small business to close, our Hoosier history, but also our American his- the President’s existing Interagency Task the Leprino’s did not despair, instead they tory. Each year, millions of visitors to the Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in came up with a new way to thrive by entering Smithsonian have the opportunity to see the Persons, chaired by the Secretary of State. the newly booming market of cheese for piz- orange school bus that carried rural children to Human trafficking and illegal, unreported, zas. Soon their new company, Leprino Foods, school in Martinsburg during the 1930s and and unregulated (IUU) fishing rank among the began to grow exponentially. ’40s. top global crimes. Mike was a pillar in the Denver community. Much has changed, but the spirit and values These criminal activities generate billions in A banker, developer and community servant. that have made this community great for two illicit profits each year for transnational crimi- Some of the greatest treasures and neighbor- centuries have not. Martinsburg is truly a mag- nal organizations and other groups respon- hoods in our state were built and funded by nificent addition to Washington County and the sible for human rights abuses. Mike. He gave back relentlessly to his state state of Indiana. I am honored to represent Since 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Pro- and country, something that he also instilled in this town and its people on the 200th anniver- tection has detained 15 shipments of seafood each of his children. sary of their founding. Here’s to the next 200 processed illegally in mainland China by North Mr. Speaker, I can think of no better exam- years of friendship, fellowship, and community Korean workers under forced labor. ple of the American dream, than that of Mike, in Martinsburg, Indiana. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:14 Sep 18, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A17SE8.001 E17SEPT1 dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with REMARKS E1262 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 17, 2018 HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVER- partment of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in spun and woven into cloth. Timber was cut SARY OF THE EVERSON MUSEUM Denver. from the surrounding forest and hauled to OF ART His impact will be felt for decades through newly constructed sawmills and gristmills to be his active participation in the training and men- made into lumber for houses. HON. JOHN KATKO toring of more than 50 thoracic surgery resi- The Boroughs of Wanaque and Ringwood were originally part of Pompton Township, a OF NEW YORK dents, his clinical work in the areas of ac- since defunct township. Pompton Township IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES quired adult cardiac surgery and lung and heart transplantation and his dedication to was originally formed in 1797, from portions of Monday, September 17, 2018 international medical missions. Saddle River Township and Franklin Township Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in Dr. Grover’s legacy includes a new chair, in Bergen County, and incorporated on Feb- celebration of the Everson Museum of Art’s with its first appointee serving this year, at the ruary 21, 1798. When Passaic County was 50th anniversary.