Honoring Racine WWII Veteran Staff Sergeant Ralph Bode

On September 27, 1944, exactly 80 years ago today, Staff Sergeant Ralph Bode's aircraft was shot down over the skies of Kassel, Germany. After the crash, three crewmembers were taken prisoner. Staff Sergeant Bode was not among them. He was declared Missing in Action.

At the time, Staff Sergeant Bode was 20 years old serving as a World War II tail gunner. He played a vital role in a bombing mission aimed at disrupting Nazi forces in Kassel.

For 80 years, no one knew for certain what happened to Staff Sergeant Bode, but recently his remains were finally identified. This week, the Racine community honored his return. I was honored to both attend the ceremony today and to formally recognize SSgt Bode's service with an address on the House Floor.

Welcome home, Staff Sergeant Bode. We are a nation forever grateful for those who gave their lives defending our freedom.

DEADLINE NEXT FRIDAY! Nominate a Veteran

The October 4th nomination deadline for Wisconsin First Congressional District's 2024 Veteran of the Year is almost here! If you know a veteran who has demonstrated dedication and excellence within our community, nominate him or her for this award.

The recipient of the Veteran of the Year Award will be selected based on:

• SERVICE: Demonstrate a commitment to service in their community. This could be through advocacy, community projects, an act of heroism, or other actions.
• EXCELLENCE: Provide an example of how this veteran exudes a spirit of excellence.
• DEDICATION: Have a dedication to supporting their fellow veterans and building bridges between veterans and our greater Southeast Wisconsin community.

Click here to learn more.

Working to Bring Down the Cost of Living

The consumer price index, a measure of goods and services costs across the U.S. economy, increased 0.2% in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. That put the 12-month inflation rate at 2.5%.

The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) State Inflation Tracker estimates that the average household in Wisconsin is paying $1,002 more per month to purchase the same basket of goods and services as they did in January 2021. Cumulatively since January 2021, the average Wisconsin household has spend $26,876 more due to inflation.

As Wisconsin families continue to fall behind under the impacts of inflation, it is critical to work to lower steep prices and rein in big government spending.

Step one is getting spending in Washington under control. Massive spending bills have driven up the costs of nearly everything, from rent to mortgages to groceries. Step two is bringing energy costs down with an all-of-the-above energy plan that promotes American energy production. Canceling projects like the Keystone pipeline limit our access to North American energy and costs jobs.

Making Our Nation's Capitol Accessible for All

It is important we make sure that the Capitol is accessible to the people it's built to serve. As Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I've been leading the charge to build a new pick-up and drop-off zone that will be ADA compliant. This week, I stopped by to see the progress being made to build the zones.

The new pick-up and drop-off zones will allow for easier access into our nation's Capitol. I will continue working to ensure the Capitol is more accessible for all. 

Ensuring Our Elections Are Fair

The Election Observer Program will deploy trained election observers to election sites across the country in order to record on-the-ground, factual information for use during elections.

This week, I passed the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act (COCOA Act), which ensures the Election Observer Program will continue and requires states to provide designated election observers with full access to clearly observe all elements of administration procedures of federal elections. This includes access to any area in which a ballot is cast, processed, scanned, tabulated, canvassed, recounted, audited, or certified, including during pre- and post-election procedures.

I spoke on the House Floor to highlight how this legislation will ensure that our elections are fair and in turn strengthen our democracy.

To watch my full remarks, click here.

I also joined Just the News to speak further on how this bill will increase confidence in American elections.

To watch the full video, click here.

The Election Observer Program is a key election integrity tool to restore Americans' faith and confidence in elections and I am proud to have seen this bill pass through the Senate and House with bipartisan support.

On Wisconsin,

Bryan Steil
Member of Congress

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