Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 28, 2014) – In a speech today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Kaptur called for an end to violence in Ukraine.

“No more blood should be shed in Ukraine. The world community looks to Ukraine to live up to the magnificent nation she can be, linking East and West, North and South,” said Congresswoman Kaptur, who is co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus.

Here are her remarks from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives:

Mr. Speaker, I want to reference this morning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 28, 2014) - Congresswoman Kaptur invited a first-year teacher in Lorain to be her guest at the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.

Manuel "Manny" Santana, a special ed teacher at Clearview High School, took advantage of unemployment benefits to go back to school and earn an education degree from Ashland University.

"When we invest in our people, we reap the dividends for many years to come," said Congresswoman Kaptur. "Manny Santana's experience illustrates the importance of extending employment insurance benefits, especially in a high-unemployment state such as Ohio. It's all about getting people into good jobs."

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, tonight, the President will deliver his State of the Union address to the Nation. Our Nation is great because of the patriotism, strength, and self-sacrifice of our people.

In that spirit, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give honor to two fallen Toledo firefighters, Stephen Machcinski and James Dickman.

Mr. Machcinski is survived by his parents, sister, and brother. Mr. Dickman is survived by his wife, 3-year-old daughter, 1-month-old son, and parents.

TOLEDO, Ohio – (Jan. 23, 2014) – Congresswoman Kaptur today denounced the latest repressive measures taken by the government of Ukraine and urged President Viktor F. Yanukovich to observe the rule of law.

Three people were killed in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, earlier today during protests against the Yanukovich regime.

“Ukraine has spiraled out of control,” said Congresswoman Kaptur, who is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Ukraine. “I urge President Yanukovich to renounce repression and commit to the rule of law.”

CLEVELAND (Jan. 16, 2014) -- At a public hearing in Cleveland, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur issued a call to action on the threat posed by Asian carp to the Great Lakes fishery and tourism industry.

“Lake Erie is our chief strategic advantage,” Congresswoman Kaptur said. “The two biggest threats to our Lake Erie ecosystem are the harmful algal blooms and Asian carp.”

Congresswoman Kaptur said she recognized that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was trying to balance competing interests, but said the agency performed “a disservice to our region” by failing to make a recommendation for a strategy to prevent the carp invasion.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 8, 2014) – Congresswoman Kaptur today urged quick House action on legislation to extend unemployment benefits. The Senate has passed a bill to extend unemployment insurance to approximately 1.3 Americans who lost their benefits at the end of 2013.

“Extending benefits should be the first order of business in the new year,” said Congresswoman Kaptur. “The failure to extend benefits is putting a tremendous hardship on families who are struggling to survive and are very vulnerable.”

She cited a report showing that expiration of extended benefits took $400 million out of the national economy last week alone, including $12.2 million from Ohio.

TOLEDO (Dec. 17, 2013) – Congresswoman Kaptur welcomed the announcement by General Motors of a $30.6 million investment in the Toledo Transmission Operations for increased capacity for an existing 6-speed transmission and tooling for a new variant.

“This is wonderful news for Toledo Transmission, its workers and the local economy,” said Congresswoman Kaptur.

“The Toledo plant is already building the transmissions of the future and this investment further promotes the comeback of the auto industry in our region.”

PARMA, Ohio (Dec. 14, 2013) – Congresswoman Kaptur spoke to a large rally here as Northeast Ohioans demonstrated support for the people of Ukraine during the current political crisis.

“We’re here today because we care about the future of Ukraine and its people,” said Congresswoman Kaptur, who serves as co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Day after day in the streets of Ukraine, people have demonstrated, too. They want a say in setting a course for the future—oriented to the West and the European Union,” she said to a crowd that braved inclement weather in Cleveland.