The Times from Munster, Indiana • A11

THE TIMES WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 A11 00 1 Gerald E. Mang, Sr. Dec. 3, 1934 July 5, 2021 CHESTERTON, IN Gerald E. Mang age 86, of Chesterton, formerly of Schererville, IN, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2021, with his family by his side.

He is survived by his loving wife Shirley M. Mang (nee Romandine); children: Chip (Wendy) Mang and Robin (Nate) Lewis; grandchildren: Cody (Hannah) Mang, Hunter Mang, Alexandra (Kyler) Kimble and Grant (Em- ily) Lewis; great-grandson Parker Kimble; sisters Eileen Smith and Dorothy Conway and brother-in-law Ron- ald Romandine. He was preceded in death by his parents: John Mang Sr. and Frances Mang (nee Thomas); sister Mary Frances Gonzalez; brother John Mang brothers-in-law: Richard Smith and Chester Conway; sister-in-law Theresa Mang. Jerry was an Army veteran as well as a member of St.

Church in Schererville. He graduated from Gri th High School and became an expert in cryptog- raphy. He retired from Ronwal Trucking Company and was a former employee of Welsch Trucking. Jerry had a passion for shing, hunting, gardening, and his family. His perch dinners were loved by all.

Family would like to thank the sta of Symphony of Chesterton, Residences of Co ee Creek and VNA Hos- pice of Valparaiso for their care and comfort. A service will be held at a future date at St. Cemetery in Schererville. A celebration of life gathering at Restaurant in Schererville has been planned for Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 5:30 PM. Friends and fam- ily are welcome to join us, please notify Chip if would like to attend.

Jerry will be greatly missed by all. Dona- tions can be made in memory of Jerry to the VNA Hos- pice of Valparaiso or Association of Greater Indiana (Merrillville Chapter). SO- LAN PRUZIN FUNERAL HOME entrusted with arrangements. www.solanpruzinfuneralhome. com Irene V.

Horvath HOBART, IN Irene V. Horvath, age 92, of Ho- bart, IN, passed away April 13, 2021. Survived by her daughter, Cindy; grandson, Jacob; daughter-in-law, Michelle; sisters: Midge (Durk) Lesczynski, Margie Stotts; brother-in-law, Von Settle; many nieces, neph- ews, family and friends. Preceded in passing by hus- band, Mike, son, Michael and sister, Betty Settle. Irene was a retired em- ployee of Calumet College with 40 years of service.

She loved her work and all the students and sta She was an avid sports fan and member of St Casimir Church. A Celebration of Life-Memorial Service will be held Saturday, July 17, 2021 from PM at the Amer- ican Legion Post 430, 7430 Broadway, Merrillville, IN. All are invited to share an Irene story with all of us. A Private cremation service was held at the time of passing. And a Private Burial Service will be held July 19, 2021 At St John Cemetery, Funeral Arrangements entrusted to Oleska-Pastrick Funeral Home, East Chicago, IN.

oleskapastrickfh.com Lorraine Vivian Kucki May 2, 1932 July 9, 2021 BUCHANAN, MI Lorraine Vivian Kucki, 89, passed away on July 9, 2021 at her home. Cremation has taken place and the family will re- member her privately. Online condolences accepted at www.PikeFH.com. Lorraine was born in Chicago, the daughter of late Joseph and Rose (Cygan) Moyzis. Lorraine was a mem- ber of St.

Matthias in Crown Point, IN. She liked to do crossword puzzles, play with her grandkids, travel, and spend time with her family. Lorraine is survived by her children: Barbara (Robert) Kuehl, Michael Kucki, Cheryl Kucki-Torres, and Nancy (Michael) Timmers; grandchildren: Robert (Christine) Kuehl, Kimberly Kuehl and Kevin Fleming, Ashley (Tanner) Walter, Matthew Torres, and Kyle Smith; two great-grandchildren: Robert Kuehl and Jack Walter. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Boyd Chapel of Pike Funeral and Cremations Service, 9191 Red Arrow Highway, Bridgman. Gerry A.

Groves IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR SON-IN-LAW, GERRY A. GROVES ON HIS 17TH ANNIVERSARY IN 14. Time ies by and life goes on, but from our hearts you are never gone. Loving and missing you, Mom and Dad Fezekas MEMORIAM Your career source for Northwest Indiana ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON Con- gressional Democrats and immigration advocates are staring at their best chance in years to overcome Re- publican opposition and give millions of people in the U.S. without legal au- thorization a way to be- come citizens.

Their goal is to stu the language into a huge measure this fall nanc- ing many of President Joe priorities that would be shielded from a Republican Senate l- ibuster. That bill-killing procedure requires a vir- tually impossible 60 votes to overcome, but erasing that danger with a Dem- ocrat in the White House means they could score an immigration triumph by themselves after years of Republicans blockading such orts. is the chance to nally get it said Kerri Talbot, deputy director of the Immigration Hub, a pro-immigration strategy group. Yet pros- pects, while tantalizing, remain murky because of two major hurdles. Democrats in the nar- rowly divided Congress will need virtual unanim- ity to approve the sweeping legislation, which could include proposed tax boosts on the wealthy and other proposals likely to cause political heart- burn.

On immigration alone, the party will need solid support from vulner- able swing-district Demo- crats and moderates, whom Republicans are certain to accuse of favoring amnesty and open borders in next elections for con- gressional control. Immigration advocates point to polls showing public support for opening the citizenship doorway and studies showing im- migration spurs economic growth. But Republicans and conservative groups sense a favorable political envi- ronment for themselves. They cite the large num- bers of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border re- cently and growing public concern with crime, which the GOP often links to im- migration. would be a harder ght for our side if the ad- ministration were actually controlling the said Rosemary Jenks, gov- ernment relations director for NumbersUSA, which favors limiting immigra- tion.

seem like a great way to go into the for Democrats. Parliamentarian obstacle? Yet perhaps Demo- biggest hurdle is the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, who determines whether legislative language fol- lows the rules. MacDonough, 55, is a re- spected impartial arbiter, but Democrats forgotten that she ruled against including another coveted progressive prior- ity, a minimum wage in- crease, in their COVID-19 relief package months ago, essentially dooming the provision. In a crucial rst step in this process, Congress must approve a budget resolution. Senate Bud- get Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, has been trying to win Demo- cratic support for one that he hopes to unveil soon.

The budget will be piv- otal in two ways. First, it will contain language pre- venting Republicans from libustering the subse- quent bill funding priorities. By law, the bud- get resolution itself cannot be libustered. Second, the budget will set overall spending and revenue limits for that forthcoming spending bill, which is expected to be several trillion dollars. It will also assign congres- sional committees amounts they can spend, or raise in revenue, as they write language bolstering climate, family support and other priorities.

Lawmakers are also writing a separate measure nancing infrastructure projects that they hope to pass with bipartisan sup- port. In an early budget draft, Sanders proposed creating multiyear pathways to legal permanent residency, and potentially citizenship, for four groups of immigrants without legal status. These are people brought illegally to the U.S. as children, called oth- ers who ed violence or disasters in certain coun- tries; essential workers; and farmworkers. Because some immi- grants into multiple groups, hard to say exactly how many people proposal would help.

The liberal Center for American Progress estimates it would a ect 6 million people barely over half the 11 million immigrants in the U.S. il- legally whom Biden wants to assist, but still huge. the whole scheme of immigration reform, it does not go far Rep. Raul Ruiz, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said of plan. we are strategically tailoring the groups that would most likely into a budgetary so it would survive the parliamentar- ian perusal.

Under Senate rules, pro- visions in a bill immune from libusters must af- fect spending or revenue in a way that to that provi- overall policy. a subjective call that will be up to MacDonough, the parliamentarian, to make. Democrats are pinning their hopes on a 2005 rul- ing by an earlier Senate parliamentarian that gave the green light to a nar- rower immigration pro- posal, though that provi- sion never cleared Con- gress. early budget proposal also called for $126 billion for process- ing immigrants for legal status, and $24 billion to strengthen border security. Border security money is especially important for Democrats facing close 2022 reelections because it will let them argue being tough, not just swinging doors open to immigrants.

Immigration issue looms in Congress SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press TRUTH OR CONSE- QUENCES, N.M. With Virgin Galactic making its highest le test ight to date with boss Richard Branson aboard, only a matter of time before paying customers get their chance and New Mexico realizes a dream that has been de- cades in the making. Former Gov. Bill Rich- ardson is among those who have been watching the progress of the space tour- ism company, ever since he and his team recruited the British billionaire to New Mexico. The two shook hands on a promise Bran- son would build the rst commercial spaceline for tourists, and New Mex- ico would build the space- port.

To naysayers who thought it was a boondog- gle and a waste of taxpayer money, Richardson said: were dead wrong. You have to have a vision for the future, and going to happen, and going to be The two-term gover- nor was among those who were elated to see Branson and his crewmates rocket to the edge of space on Sunday. About 500 guests including celebrities, Virgin Galactic customers, politicians and a group of students watched from just outside the terminal at Spaceport America, while others across New Mexico held watch parties and peo- ple around the world tuned in to a livestream. Rick Homans, the state economic development secretary who led early ne- gotiations with Virgin Ga- lactic, was among those at- tending He acknowledged it has been a long and di cult road that started with many unknowns for both the state and the space tourism com- pany. Was it worth it? Un- doubtedly, he said.

around he said Sunday. atten- tion of the entire globe is on Spaceport America now and on the industry that could grow here. And I think where we are right now is at the very begin- ning of something so much bigger, and so that invest- ment is going to pay in the decades to Residents of Truth or Consequences, an eclectic desert community about 30 miles away, are excited to be on the map again. The city rst gained notary in 1950 when it agreed to change its name from Hot Springs to Truth or Consequences as part of a publicity stunt put on by a radio show of the same name. Still, many residents are tempering their optimism as the space tourism venture has taken nearly two de- cades to get the ground and unclear how often Virgin Galactic will be y- ing paying customers to the edge of space and whether any spending related to those brief up-and-down trips will trickle down to shopkeepers and other businesses in town.

Housing issue raised They also questioned how many space fans and other spectators would be drawn to the area since security is high at the spaceport and guided tours are considered pricey by some. Others have mixed feel- ings about having paid ex- tra taxes to help bankroll the spaceport, saying their community is still in dire need of infrastructure im- provements, namely a bet- ter drinking water system. also a lack of hous- ing for residents, much less adequate accommodations for tourists. tax dollars are pay- ing for the roads to go out there and everything so it would be nice if we could actually from said Patty Lane, who helps run a gift shop in the town of roughly 5,900 people. a small community.

We need Lane said clear that developing a viable com- mercial spaceline has be- come a competition, and hopeful that will drive more innovation and more aerospace companies to consider moving to the state. Only then, with more private investment, can the industry really take in New Mexico, she said. Top state cials are looking for the same thing. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Economic De- velopment Secretary Alicia J.

Keyes said the next step will be a push to get Virgin Galactic to relocate its man- ufacturing operations to New Mexico as more rocket planes will be needed for the future. While ight helped to promote Virgin Galactic, state cials said it also gave millions of peo- ple around the world a look at New Mexico. Lujan Grisham claimed there are potentially bil- lions of dollars at stake as the space industry grows from science and technol- ogy investments to tourism spending. absolutely want more companies identifying New Mexico as their cor- porate she said, adding that the space industry could help to sta- bilize the economy. a battle many gov- ernors have faced in states where the oil and gas indus- try is a key economic driver and makes up a cant source of revenue for educa- tion and other government programs.

Richardson said one of his objectives during his term was to create an- other industry, and why he went after Branson and Virgin Galactic. LaRene Miller was busy Monday getting visitors to sign the guest book at the or visitor center, where a wing of the building is dedi- cated to Spaceport America. About half of the 15 visitors over the last day included those who were passing through town to see the spaceport or catch a glimpse of ight. One group bought souve- nirs. Another woman asked about the drive to the site.

They all had either watched the launch via the livestream or stepped out- side to see the contrails. Je re Dukatt, who runs a T-shirt shop in Truth or Consequences, is among the many residents who have been waiting years for the promise of the spaceport. got to see it in real he said, describing his view from town of the ascending rocket plane. was like the moon walk to With two test ights re- maining, Dukatt and oth- ers hope they have to wait as long for the next step. New Mexico promoting Spaceport America site ANDRES LEIGHTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson waves to schoolchildren Sunday while heading to board the rocket plane that later ew him to space from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico..