North America's Strongest Town

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the strongest town in America. This year, 16 cities from across our continent competed for the title of North America's Strongest Town.

Over a 4-week span, with each round of voting lasting one week, these communities competed for a prestigious title. That title came back home to America's heartland in the Great Lakes region. The winner was Maumee in northwest Ohio in the Ninth Congressional District. It took the title over Norfolk, Nebraska.

This year's contest was the ninth annual event to name the strongest town. According to contest rules, a strong town is defined as any town, big or small, that prioritizes making progress in transportation, housing, and fiscal resiliency for the long-term benefit of its people.

The award does not ask a town to be perfect nor does every strong town look the same. This is because strong towns incrementally adapt to the conditions and challenges of their specific place from the bottom up.

Maumee, Ohio, which exists along the Maumee River, the largest river that flows into the entire Great Lakes, will hold a news conference this morning to formally accept this prestigious title. We in northwest Ohio couldn't be prouder of Maumee, Ohio. Onward, Maumee.

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