December 19, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7885 know of institutions and organizations nomic development bills, conservation gress and make their voices heard. that did that, and to learn they were bills, research bills, and nutrition bills. They have an incredible role model in disregarded causes me to have great She and I—and I am the first Senator MARCIA FUDGE. concerns. in half a century to be on the Ag Com- I am grateful, Congresswoman The Senator from Missouri, Mr. mittee for some of the same reasons FUDGE, to have you as my Congress- BLUNT, and I have probed Secretary Congressman FUDGE is on this com- woman. I am proud to call you a col- Azar, the Secretary of Health and mittee. We have worked together to league and a friend. Human Services, on this subject, and write two farm bills. f we are eagerly awaiting his justifica- This year, we both served on the ECONOMY tion for what appears to be a major sig- bill’s conference committee, and we nificant error. It appears that HRSA fought House Republican efforts to Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I noticed and OPTN making policy in such a erect more bureaucracy to gut nutri- today news reports from Bloomberg reckless fashion has become the nor- tion programs in Ohio that families that the year 2017 is shaping up to be or mal state of affairs. Additional over- rely on. These are programs for people likely was the most profitable year in sight may be necessary to ensure that making $8, $10, $12 an hour who don’t Wall Street history. So what is fairness in organ allocation policy is have quite enough income to feed their Congress’s reaction to that? What hap- protected and some common sense pre- families. We won that fight. pens in the majority leader’s office? vails in future policy. I know there is a Tomorrow the President is scheduled More special interest legislation, more group of Senators who are working on to sign the bipartisan farm bill we breaks for Wall Street, more tax cuts. legislation to do just that. passed with overwhelming bipartisan So this Congress—this Congress has de- I am very disappointed in the actions support in both Houses. Congress- cided that Wall Street never quite has of HRSA, OPTN, and UNOS. This proc- woman FUDGE and I worked to right a enough; that the richest people in this ess has been flawed from start to fin- century-old wrong and get Central country are never rich enough; that ish, guided not by what is best for the State University the 1890 land grant the most powerful people in this coun- country but how to sidestep a single status they deserve. That designation try are not powerful enough. lawsuit. isn’t just a rhetorical honor; it means So what happens down the hall in the Organ procurement and allocation more opportunities for funding and re- majority leader’s office? What happens policy is too important. It is about life search in partnerships with industry— way down the hall in the Speaker’s of- and death and is too important to be the sort of results that Marcia delivers fice, although voters this year decided simply decided by lawsuits and for her district. this year to eject him and his staff and countersuits, which I fear now will be- She is a leader among her colleagues. his cohorts and his fellow travelers—if come the way of addressing this issue. As head of the Congressional Black I can use a phrase like that—from that I will continue to work to protect our Caucus, she led the fight on so many office and elect a whole different group hospitals, our doctors, and particularly issues, including working to ensure of people. our patients—Americans—from this that all Americans have a voice in What they have done is meet behind policy that disregarded all input from their government. closed doors to help the oil companies, those in the transplant community. A few years ago, we held a field hear- the drug companies, the gun lobby, and This discussion cannot be seen as any- ing on barriers too many Ohioans face help especially Wall Street. In fact, not thing coming to a close. It is far from exercising their most fundamental only are there all kinds of Wall Street over. I remain committed to finding right—the right to vote. MARCIA was a lobbyists day in and day out—tobacco answers, changing the tide, and putting star in that hearing. It came in the lobbyists, gun lobbyists, and others, patients and providers first in these wake of a despicable Ohio law and, but the White House itself looks like a life-or-death scenarios. frankly, years of attempts at voter retreat for Wall Street executives. I thank you. suppression by Ohio Republicans—a We know that. That is why, I guess, I yield the floor. despicable Ohio law that cut the num- Wall Street had such a great year in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ber of early voting days in half. 2017. ator from Ohio. We know exactly whom these laws f f are aimed at. MARCIA testified about how these suppression tactics hurt TRIBUTE TO PAT ROGALA TRIBUTE TO MARCIA FUDGE communities of color. Unfortunately, Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I want to Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, 10 years it has gotten worse—limiting absentee honor the career of Patricia Rogala, ago this summer, we lost a longtime balloting, restricting provisional bal- who has been with my office our entire friend of mine and colleague, a remark- loting—and the Supreme Court, a 12 years in the Senate and my 14 years able public servant, Congresswoman Court that puts its thumb on the scale in the House before that. Pat is the Stephanie Tubbs Jones. of justice in support of corporations model of a dedicated public servant. When MARCIA FUDGE, then the mayor over workers, a Court that puts its After more than 25 years serving the of Warrensville Heights, a Cleveland thumb on the scale of justice to sup- people of Ohio, Pat is retiring at the suburb, won the special election to port Wall Street over consumers, and a end of the year. Stephanie’s seat to represent the 11th Court that rubberstamps all these re- Her first day on the job in Cleveland, Congressional District, including strictions on voting. Congress was in the middle of a fight— Cleveland and the home where Connie I look forward to continuing our sounds familiar—over healthcare. and I live, she had big shoes to fill, but fight alongside MARCIA against these Some local activists sent an Elvis im- MARCIA rose to the occasion. For the tactics straight out of the Jim Crow personator to the office singing a past decade, she has been a fighter for era. I know MARCIA will continue to be healthcare song to the tune of ‘‘It’s my hometown of Cleveland and the a leader. There is no doubt, even before Now or Never.’’ Pat said at the time, east side suburbs into Akron and all her election to Congress, that MARCIA ‘‘What am I getting myself into?’’ the Ohioans she serves. was a force to be reckoned with: a Fortunately, she stayed. As our Ohio On the Education and Workforce former mayor, a former congressional scheduler, she has sent me all over my Committee, she has become a senior chief of staff, and former national State. She has helped me put more leader who knows how to get things president—as important as anything road miles on our made-in-Toledo Jeep done. She stands up for Ohio’s teach- she has done, I think in her mind—of Cherokee than any travel agent ever ers, students, and families. Delta Sigma Theta. She still helps lead could. MARCIA also joined the Agriculture efforts to bring Deltas from around the She has made sure I am able to serve Committee, perhaps not initially seen country to the Hill each year for Delta Ohioans through meetings and as a natural fit for someone with an Days. Hundreds of driven, ambitious, roundtables and plant visits. She urban district like hers, but she under- smart, committed, empathetic talented juggles a Senate schedule that stands that farm bills are not just Black women come to our Nation’s changes—as we see tonight—always at about crops. They are food bills, eco- Capitol to meet with Members of Con- the last minute. She ensures that this VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:31 Dec 20, 2018 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G19DE6.085 S19DEPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE S7886 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 19, 2018 office serves every corner of Ohio. She deed transferred to my account yesterday. I sounding that alarm. He met with Beth works directly in concert and coordina- cannot thank your office enough. I cannot and told her how bad things were. A tion with Diana Baron in our Wash- even begin to explain what a Christmas gift crisis at the time, Ohio—a generally ington office. It is a tough job, but Pat this is. I truly was beginning to wonder and wealthy State, which could do so much worry about how I was going to make ends makes it look easy. meet for the next several months. better were it not for corrupt State One of our colleagues in our office government—had the third highest in- Again, it is par for the course for wrote this week that Pat has been a fant mortality rate in the country, and Margaret Molnar.