Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross on receiving the Outstanding Chapter Award from the International Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center for the work of chapter volunteers in their community outreach programs. This is the top honor awarded by the International Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center, a national clearinghouse for persons seeking the fates of loved ones missing since the Holocaust and its aftermath.

The Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter has been delivering lifesaving services for over ninety years, providing relief to victims of disasters at home and abroad, teaching lifesaving skills, and supporting military members and families. This chapter, which covers most of the 23rd Congressional district, serves the counties of Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee, and Palm Beach, and reaches a population of 1.5 million residents. The Red Cross has operated this specialized tracing service for the past 19 years.

I commend the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter's leadership, staff and volunteers for their commitment to engage the community and diligently manage the influx of new requests to the Red Cross Holocaust Tracing Center. The Tracing Service offers to search for information about missing and deceased family members through personal services that are comprehensive, confidential and free of charge. The Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter has engaged the local Jewish communities, agencies and volunteers through notable educational outreach programs.

The Outstanding Chapter Award will be presented to volunteer leaders from the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross at a special luncheon celebrating the Tracing Center's 20th anniversary in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 27, 2010, featuring keynote speaker Gail McGovern, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross provides an exemplary paradigm for providing support and answers to Holocaust survivors and their families. The Tracing Center is seventy percent successful in its tracing cases, having reunited 1,500 families and provided documents such as birth certificates and concentration camp records to others.

Madam Speaker, I am especially pleased with this Chapter's award because, in a sense, it brings my involvement with the Tracing Service full circle. Years ago I, along with several of my colleagues, was a strong advocate for opening the Tracing Service's archives to the public and worked with the German government and the International Committee of the Red Cross to do so. In opening the archive in 2007, Germany and the ICRC provided an invaluable service to humanity. The Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter award demonstrates the extent to which thousands of Holocaust survivors and their families in South Florida have benefited from this service.

Madam Speaker, the Center for Information on Holocaust Restitution estimates that five to ten survivors die each day. The urgency of affected family members initiating tracing services cannot be overstated. My local Red Cross has shown true dedication in assisting families in telling the stories of those who perished in the Holocaust, in discovering names and dates that have long been thought to be lost, and in giving families the necessary information so that they may pass on legacies and the truth. The Tracing Center's motto says it best: ``Every Answer is a Gift.''

Again, congratulations to the Greater Palm Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross on gaining national recognition for their enduring commitment to Holocaust survivors, their families, and the memory of those who were lost.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution recognizing the important role zoos, aquariums, and other wildlife organizations have played in the response efforts in the Gulf region following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Even in difficult economic times, zoos, aquariums, and other wildlife institutions have provided valuable staff and resources for rescue and rehabilitation efforts in the Gulf region. This resolution would give these organizations the praise and support they deserve for their dedication and selfless contributions.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have identified zoos and aquariums as important partners in the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of the wildlife impacted by the oil spill. Many of these institutions already have in place established programs for animal rescue and rehabilitation as well as the resources needed to address short-term and long-term impacts of the oil spill on animals and habitats in the Gulf of Mexico region.

The unique expertise of the professionals at zoos and aquariums is invaluable to responding to environmental disasters like that in the Gulf region following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Additionally, their contributions to conservation programs, science education, and community development deserve our continued support and appreciation.

One of these valuable organizations is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA. Established in 1924, the AZA has been dedicated to advancing the work of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. There are over 200 AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in 46 states, where they support more than 126,000 jobs and attract 180 million visitors annually. Of these AZA-accredited institutions, 70 have contributed to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill which began on April 20, 2010.

I am proud to have the Palm Beach Zoo, an AZA-accredited institution, in my district. The Palm Beach Zoo actively promotes conservation and education programs, including the incorporation of Species Survival Plans and Population Management Plans through the AZA.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the important work that these organizations do and for their partnership in the recovery efforts in the Gulf region. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and the important contributions zoos, aquariums, and other wildlife organizations make in our communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dear personal friend and dedicated public servant, the Honorable Sylvia Poitier, who will be celebrating her 75th birthday on September 4. Sylvia is currently serving her second consecutive term as District 2 Commissioner of the City of Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Sylvia is a public servant, community leader, educator, philanthropist, and entrepreneur whose commitment to civic duty and the citizens of Deerfield Beach is truly inspiring. A lifelong resident of Deerfield Beach and of District 2, Sylvia has spent her entire career working to improve the lives of children, young people, and all those who live in Deerfield Beach. After opening the Deerfield Beach Cleaners and Laundry in 1956, Sylvia pursued a career in Early Childhood Education and earned a certificate in Early Childhood Development from Broward Community College. Combining her business expertise with her passion for children, she opened Kiddies Kollege Kindergarten and the Children's Cultural Center, Inc.

In 1973, Sylvia was elected to the Deerfield Beach City Commission, where she served from 1973-1985. Furthermore, she served as Vice Mayor in 1975 and as Mayor from 1976-1977. Following her three distinguished terms on the City Commission, Governor Bob Graham appointed her to the Board of Broward County Commissioners in 1985, where she served from 1986-1998. During her tenure as City and County Commissioner, Sylvia provided affordable housing to residents in Broward County, served as a founding Board Member of the Deerfield Beach Boys and Girls Club, and was involved in the development of Westside Park. As Commissioner of District 2 since 2005, she is now engaged with creating economic development along the Dixie Highway corridor and bringing a sense of unity to the City at large.

In addition to her many professional achievements, Sylvia also takes an active role in many public service, social, and community organizations. Currently, she serves as Chairperson for the Community Action Agency and is a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board.

In addition, Sylvia has served on several boards and committees, including Deerfield Beach's Unclassified Civil Service Board. She was also the first African American president of the Broward County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, an Advisory Board member to the Red Cross, Broward County Chapter, and a member of the Community Service Council and Man Power Planning Association.

Madam Speaker, Sylvia Poitier is truly a friend to me, the City of Deerfield Beach, and to the State of Florida. It is with great honor and joy that I wish her a very happy 75th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today and ask my colleagues to join me in wishing a happy 75th birthday to Ms. Delores Hastings.

Throughout her life, Ms. Hastings has worked tirelessly as a leader in her community. Most recently, she donated her time volunteering for a program that provides mothers and their children in rehabilitation centers with Thanksgiving Day food baskets. Additionally, Ms. Hastings was a staunch supporter of President Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign, registering over 200 individuals to vote.

In February of this year, she solicited medical donations to send to the victims of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010, a cause very near to my heart. Ms. Hastings has also volunteered her time teaching inmates with children important parental skills before they are released. As a result of her work, these inmates are allowed visitation with their children prior to their release and have a smoother transition back into civilian life.

Ms. Hastings has always emphasized the importance of receiving an education. She has

worked as an advocate for young African American men who are pursuing higher education, ensuring that they have the necessary resources available to them. In 1958, Ms. Hastings received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, in 1963 she was awarded her Master's degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from Florida A&M University. She has consistently utilized her knowledge, experience, and education working with families living in depressed areas as well as children with special needs.

Madam Speaker, on September 10, 2010, Ms. Delores Hastings will be celebrating her 75th birthday with her son Jody, her cat Tranz, and her service dog Dolce. It is my distinguished honor to wish her a very happy 75th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the comments made by French President Nikolas Sarkozy that have caused quite the media flurry in the past few weeks.

On July 16, French police shot and killed a Romani man when he apparently tried to run a roadblock. This shooting sparked two days of rioting by some 50 members of his community damaging the local police station and private property.

In a story that has now been covered by the media from Vancouver to Moscow, French President Sarkozy subsequently announced

that he would look into ``the problems created by the behavior of certain travelers and Roma,'' with a view toward the closing down Romani camps and driving out Roma. Government statements have indicated these measures would focus on finding and expelling Romani citizens from Bulgaria and Romania--two European Union countries. Despite the fact that the Romani man in the July 16 incident was actually a French citizen--Mr. Sarzkozy later spoke of stripping citizenship from nationalized French citizens convicted of serious offenses.

Not surprisingly, human rights groups have condemned the President's remarks with one voice. Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg rejected the notion of holding Romani people collectively responsible if one among them commits a crime. Good for you, Mr. Hammarberg. (It is a shame that the European Union has been so utterly silent and paralyzed in the face of this downward spiral.)

Many of the reports and analyses of these events, such as last Friday's editorial in the New York Times, rightly placed these developments in the context of French politics and President Sarkozy's political imperatives. Understanding the current political dynamic in France, particularly the ongoing debate over ``national identity'' and the situation of Muslim and African-origin minorities in France, is extremely helpful in understanding the President's expansion into anti- Roma mudslinging. But there is a wider, broader European context for his remarks that I think must be addressed.

French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux has stated that the new measures targeting Romani camps are not aimed at ``stigmatizing a community'' but rather at stopping illegal activity. This sounds remarkably like the rhetoric of Hungary's far right wing party, Jobbik, which claims it is not against ``Gypsies,'' just ``Gypsy crimes.''

In fact, rhetoric linking Roma to criminal activity or broadly portraying Roma as criminals--traffickers, prostitutes, thieves, and so forth--is pervasive throughout Europe. In early July, in the wake of a mass expulsion of Roma from Copenhagen, Danish Minister of Justice reportedly made remarks tying Romani culture to criminal behavior. Romania's foreign minister remarked in February about ``the natural physiology of Roma criminality.'' For two years now, Italy has been gripped by anti-Roma policies, included targeting Roma for fingerprinting, that are built on a perception of the Roma as criminals.

The idea of Romani people as inherently criminal is not new. In fact, it was at the very center of Nazi racial theories regarding Roma. According to these theories, Roma--as descendents of an Aryan people-- we're just fine on their own. But Nazi racial hygienists concluded that, as a result of intermarriage between Roma and non-Roma, Roma had been left with mixed, ``degenerate'' blood and were genetically predisposed to criminality. Moreover, Roma were ``unadaptable''--that is, this condition could never be changed. These Nazi racial theories provided the rationale for the sterilization, persecution, and eventual extermination of Roma.

Unfortunately, as Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, has observed, ``Even after the . . . Nazi killing of at least half a million Roma, probably 700,000 or more, there was no genuine change of attitude among the majority population towards the Roma.'' In other words, Nazi racial theories regarding Roma remain remarkably entrenched and are regularly given voice in the rhetoric about ``Romani crime.''

Madam Speaker, last year Senator Cardin and I, as Chairman and Cochairman of the Helsinki Commission, wrote to Secretary Clinton regarding the situation of Roma in Europe. In particular, we noted that ``racist rhetoric directed against Roma today often uses terminology or images that have been in continuous use since the Nazi era,'' and we argued that teaching about Romani experiences during the Holocaust is essential to successfully combat prejudice against Roma today. Perhaps this could start in France.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 2(b) of House Concurrent Resolution 308, 111th Congress, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o'clock and 26 minutes p.m.), the House adjourned until Tuesday, September 14, 2010, at 2 p.m.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution that recognizes the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, a unique initiative that seeks to improve health outcomes in black communities across the country through education, community involvement, research, and culturally relevant strategies.

African American men are especially vulnerable to the impacts of racial health disparities, with the lowest average life expectancy of any group in the United States. Due to various factors, including inadequate access to quality health care services, African American men suffer from disproportionately high rates of hypertension, diabetes, and other health conditions that are largely preventable and manageable. While a lack of trust, culture, and access to routine primary care has prevented many black men from significantly benefiting from interventions and treatments for these conditions, black-owned barbershops have served as cultural institutions in the black community for generations and provide health advocates with an opportunity to empower and educate black men about their health in a trusted and familiar space.

In 2007, the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program was launched by the Diabetic Amputation Prevention Foundation in an effort to increase public awareness about cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension among black men. By partnering with black-owned barbershops, as well as local leaders, facilities, and organizations, the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program provides culturally specific education and health services to black men. These include screening for hypertension and diabetes; disseminating information on early detection, management, and prevention; conducting research; and referring men to facilities that can address additional health and medical needs.

Since its founding, the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program has expanded its initial focus on hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease to include prostate cancer, and continues to build upon its success. To date, it has screened over 10,000 men in 230 black-owned barbershops for diabetes, hypertension, and prostate cancer across the country. The project's organizers plan to screen 20,000 men in 2010 and 500,000 men by 2012. Furthermore, the Black Barbershop Health Program will also target black-owned beauty shops to reach black women, and take a holistic approach to diagnosing, preventing, and managing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes in the black community.

My resolution commends the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program for its valuable contribution to community health and the national fight against racial health disparities. In addition, my resolution expresses a commitment to supporting organizations, programs, and initiatives like the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program that empower individuals to become informed health advocates in their communities.

Madam Speaker, culturally competent health education and delivery methods are essential to preventing and combating racial health disparities, and to maximizing the effectiveness of interventions and treatments that seek to achieve and support better health at the community level. I commend the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program for the important work it does and remain committed to supporting community-oriented approaches to health reform in health legislation and initiatives arising at both the state and federal levels.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Jubilee Day, which is celebrated on October 6 of every year by the Fisk University community.

Just after the end of the Civil War, the Fisk School was founded in Nashville, Tennessee as an educational institute that would be open to all, regardless of race or age. However, just five years after its founding, the school faced dire economic struggles.

In an effort to save the University from closing, a group of students formed a choral group, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, with the goal of raising money to fund the institution. They took all of the funds in the university's treasury for travel expenses, hoping that the enormous risk would pay off.

Despite a few initial struggles, the Jubilee Singers eventually came to tour throughout the United States and Europe and raised enough funds to not only preserve the university but also to pay for the construction of Jubilee Hall, the first permanent structure built for the education of African-American students in the South.

The singers came to perform for such notable figures as William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Ulysses S. Grant, William Gladstone, Mark Twain, Johann Strauss, and Queen Victoria, and introduced the world to the spirituals of enslaved Africans as a musical genre.

Since its founding in 1866, Fisk has educated countless intellectual, artistic, and civic leaders, and has played a pivotal role in the advancement of education for African-American students. None of its accomplishments would have been possible without the talents and sacrifices of that first group of nine students.

To honor the hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments of the original Jubilee Singers and the continued success of the generations of Jubilee Singers who followed and continue to tour today, Fisk University celebrates Jubilee Day on October 6 of every year.

This year in particular, members of the Fisk community in Washington, DC, will come together for an event at the Capitol to celebrate Jubilee Day along with the Fisk community in Nashville.

Madam Speaker, as a proud alumnus of Fisk, I urge my colleagues to join me in this year's celebration of Jubilee Day by cosponsoring this resolution, and I urge its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1568 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the distinguished gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

General Leave

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, this resolution provides a closed rule for the consideration of H.R. 5893, the Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010.

The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI and against the bill, itself. The rule provides that the previous question shall be considered as ordered, without intervening motion, except 1 hour of debate for the Ways and Means Committee and one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The rule also provides same-day authority for a resolution reported from the Rules Committee through Sunday, August 1, 2010.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5893, the Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, creates and protects American jobs through increased investment in infrastructure and by closing tax loopholes that enable companies to move their operations offshore. This is another piece of legislation to add to the long list of bills that Democrats have passed this Congress to spur opportunities to support American jobs, American manufacturing, and American families. Democrats are helping Americans dig out of the worst recession in decades. We are making steady, albeit slow--too slow for me--gains in our economy. The struggle is not over, but we are on the right path.

Madam Speaker, this legislation funds the highly successful Build America Bonds program, the Recovery Zone Bonds, the Emergency State Jobs Assistance program, and it closes unfair tax loopholes that allow corporations to send American jobs overseas. This bill provides critical funding for infrastructure investment that will create jobs here in the United States and will put money in the pockets of people who badly need it.

And yet, still, the Republicans are against it.

Madam Speaker, it seems every other day around here we have to drag our Republican colleagues kicking and screaming to the House floor to try to help hardworking Americans, and they continue to say ``no.''

Every other day we have to try to persuade our friends on the other side of the aisle that it's not crazy for the American Government to invest in the American economy to benefit the American people.

Every other day we have to remonstrate the same old arguments from the Republicans about spending and deficits and taxes and the bad old government stifling our economic recovery.

I'll remind this body that the Republicans were against the largest stimulus in history, which was not large enough for me and some of us in this body. But they were against this stimulus, an effort that demonstrably has saved American jobs.

And I'll remind this body that 95 percent of the Republicans in this House have signed a pledge to protect tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas.

And I'll remind this body that Republicans have consistently voted against job creation and economic development measures that directly benefit, directly benefit hardworking Americans trying to secure enough income to feed their families and keep their homes.

Every single time Democrats try to pass essential legislation in this body, and the other body, Republicans complain about the numbers. If it's spending on investments in our economy, Republicans complain the numbers are too high. But if it's spending on tax cuts for the extremely 1 percent wealthiest of Americans, the Republicans complain the numbers are too low.

Well, here's a number and a letter we should be mindful of: $2.2 trillion, and the letter D: D is the grade given to America's infrastructure by the American Society of Engineers in 2009.

And $2.2 trillion is the amount the American Society of Engineers estimates the United States needs to spend over the next 5 years to repair our crumbling infrastructure.

Madam Speaker, in recent years we've seen levees fail, bridges collapse. As a matter of fact, we saw a levee fail last week in Iowa. Bridges collapsed. I asked one of our colleagues yesterday that appeared before the Rules Committee, how did he feel when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota. He referenced it as a national tragedy, as all of us do and did.

But when I came to this Congress in 1992, there were 14,000 bridges that were in disrepair in the United States of America. And I dare say that we have not even come close and, likely, there are many more. And what I said to him was, I wanted his daughter, who I know, to travel on a safe bridge, and I wanted my children and all the children of all Americans, when they cross a bridge, to know that that bridge is safe.

Millions of tons of hazardous waste have wrecked fragile ecosystems, and billions of gallons of wastewater have poured from burst pipes into our rivers and streams, and we saw that happen this week in America.

Beyond the disasters is the steadily rising gridlock on our highways, roads, airports and rails, the constant erosion of our water systems. Right here in the metropolitan Washington area people are on boil water advisories and limited uses, including for showers.

Declining park land in urban areas and maintenance backlogs in our schools amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.

Budget cuts are not going to repair bridges, replace water treatment facilities or maintain classrooms. State and local governments desperately need Federal funding to engage American small businesses and put people to work.

This legislation provides billions of dollars in infrastructure bonds and other supports so communities can hire the necessary workers to make sure that, while we are arguing about process here, whether or not it's a closed rule or an open rule, arguing process in the Rules Committee, more dams don't fail. That's what we want to make sure that does not happen.

Dollars that go to infrastructure projects get returned to the economy at higher rates. Infrastructure spending is impactful, essential, and worthwhile, pumping in cash that goes right to the American worker.

The funding in this legislation is paid for. It does not add to the deficit. It is revenue neutral, and there is no wasteful spending in here.

What Republicans argue is wasteful, I say, is essential to preventing millions of Americans from falling into destitution. For every one job opening in our great country, there are five applicants. Unemployment remains unbearably high, and all economists indicate that it is going to remain that way for some time to come.

I dare say that what America needs to understand, and what my colleagues here on both sides of the aisle continue to say, is that it happened on this President's watch, or it happened on that President's watch. The real truth is the economy in this country transitioned, as well as globally, over about a 45-year period of time. I'll get to that one day, so as how there's a better understanding than all of this finger-pointing about who caused this deficit.

And I certainly hope we have a debate about how much the war in Iraq and Afghanistan cost. I can tell you now it's about $1 trillion. And guess what our deficit is? Just a little more than $1 trillion.

Madam Speaker, it's far past time to pass this legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote favorably on this rule and on the final passage of this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to my good friend from Houston, Texas, the distinguished gentlelady Sheila Jackson Lee.

I yield the gentlelady 1 additional minute.

I believe that the distinguished chair of the Ways and Means Committee answered my good friend from California yesterday with regard to the immediacy.

Among the things that he said to you was we had waited for the United States Senate, which, if you recall, much of what is in this provision, and he said to you there is nothing new in here that we haven't voted on before.

Will the gentleman yield?

Pointedly, did we not vote on the measures in this particular provision?

Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

Mr. Speaker, would you be kind enough to tell me how much time I have remaining.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, you know, Paul Krugman wrote an article in The New York Times sometime back, and he is the Nobel Prize winning economist. On July 20 he talked about ``Tax Cut Truthiness.''

Without reading the entire article, he cites to Erick Erickson and says, ``But I think we have part of the key to how Republicans can believe that returning to the Bush agenda is exactly what we need: they've invented themselves an alternate history in which wonderful things happened under Bush, and earlier booms have been sent down the memory hole.''

Now, I have had the good fortune of being here in the minority and in the majority. I served 8 years under President Bush in the minority. I also served 8 years during the Clinton administration.

My late mom had a statement about all of us as politicians. She used to say, if you are going to say that George H.W. Bush did it, then you have to say that Jimmy Carter did it and then somebody else will say that Reagan did it. She said why don't you all just admit it that George Washington did it and get it over with so as how you don't have to keep pointing fingers at each other.

My distinguished colleague from North Carolina just certainly misspoke and didn't mean to when she said that this particular measure isn't scored.

Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record the Preliminary CBO Estimate of Changes in Revenue and Direct Spending of the Investing in America Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010. I might add that it points out that it is revenue neutral, as I said previously.

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH29JY10.001

I am so glad that my colleague and I come from virtually all the same kinds of backgrounds, if you read her biography and you read my own. We also have been advantaged in this society by taking advantage of the opportunities that were presented to us.

But where we parted company somewhere along the line, well she didn't want, evidently, to give opportunity to those who have no opportunity. I have been taught all of my life to do everything I can for the least of these in society. Now, I heard her, and I agree that the role of government identified in the United States Constitution clearly points out that national security is the role, and a primary role, of the Congress.

But promoting the general welfare is also a role of Congress. When I see, as I do, at the pantry in Fort Lauderdale, them not having the funds to carry forward, when I see the food bank on Oakland Park, that's less than nine blocks from the office where I am privileged to serve the people of the State of Florida, when I see it robbed by thieves so that they can't help the needy, I know that out there somewhere are people that are hurting, and they are hurting that people need our help.

And they need our help whether it's from the Federal Government or the State government or the local government, they need our help. And to suggest by any stretch of the imagination that it is wrong for us to help those who are in need is anathema to my background. And that isn't because I am a liberal Democrat; that is because I am an American citizen who believes in America and who believes in all of its people, whether they are rich or whether they are poor.

Now, I don't believe at all that this YouCut project that my friends have created allows that States do anything less than be incentivized by using the temporary assistance for needy families. No less an authority than the former chairman of the National Republican Party, Haley Barbour, who is now a member of the National Governors Association--and I might add, support for this temporary assistance program is expected to and sought to be brought onboard by the National Governors Association; they support it, the National Conference of State Legislatures, they support it, and the National Association of Counties have all urged Congress to continue the TANF as a way to create jobs and assist families. Listen to what Haley--who I happen to know and I happen to think is a distinguished American and an outstanding Governor of Mississippi--listen to what Haley said on February 17. He said, I hope the program will be extended so more jobs could be created. Now that's a conservative for you.

Now my colleague on the other side, I have been very anxious and very concerned that evidently people in this body do not understand how much Iraq cost this country. I did not vote for us to go to Iraq, and I am glad I didn't. I did not vote for the supplemental that we passed 2 days ago, and I am glad I didn't because it didn't include things that should have been included. I might add that I can't make Afghanistan make sense when I see the number of young Americans that are being killed in that particular theater. But I do know this: Joseph Stiglitz, who is a economics Nobel Laureate, claimed the Iraq war will cost the United States more than $3 trillion, and he said the final tally is likely to climb much higher than that. There are others who believe that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Americans a staggering $1 trillion to date, second only, in inflation-adjusted dollars, to the $4 trillion price tag for World War II. It cost us $1.1 million per man and woman in uniform in Afghanistan. Now somebody make it make sense to me that it's all right for us to continue down that path while it's not all right for us to have temporary assistance for needy families.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us today is another tool that State and local governments can use to invest in infrastructure development and put much-needed cash and jobs into the economy. I am well aware that Republicans object to the expeditious nature of this legislation. However, the provisions in this legislation have already been debated and considered on numerous other occasions, and we do need to act quickly.

When we sent it, Mr. Speaker, to the United States Senate, these are the things that were included. My colleague began her remarks today by saying that it's outrageous. I find it interesting that she cited as one of the definitions of outrageous, ``exceeding the limits of what is normal or tolerable.'' It also describes outrageous as ``whatever is so flagrantly bad that one's sense of decency or one's power to suffer or tolerate is violated.''

Now, I fall into that second category and believe that small business lending is not outrageous. That was what was sent to the Senate that Republicans said no about. I believe that infrastructure investments are not outrageous. Much of that that was sent to the Senate was what Republicans said no about.

Business tax relief; I certainly don't believe that that is outrageous, and that's what was stripped out in the United States Senate by Republicans and was not voted on by Republicans in this particular body.

Individual tax cuts. TANF jobs and emergency funding that we now have some of. Veterans concurrent receipt, I don't think that's outrageous. The National Housing Trust Fund, I don't think in a time of downturn in this economy, with one out of every five Americans facing foreclosure or in foreclosure, I certainly don't think that that is outrageous. I don't think it's outrageous to hold harmless the provisions for low- income families in this country. They stripped out, by saying no, oil disaster response.

National Flood Insurance, something that has been around that has helped a lot of us all over America, they stripped that out. I don't think that it's outrageous that it was in there.

Mine safety--and we've seen what happened in West Virginia--I don't think taking that out was the right thing to do; I certainly don't think it was outrageous to leave it in there.

Federally declared disaster areas, where floods and drought and other matters have gone on. Agriculture disaster relief was taken out of this measure, and I'm here to believe that it was outrageous? Other expiring disaster relief programs were as well.

Now some of the things that are in there, some of the things that are in it that I don't think are outrageous: It extends the Build America Bonds program that everybody in this institution knows has been successful for State and local government. It makes additional allocation of recovery zone bonds to ensure that each local municipality receives the minimum allocation or equal to at least its share of national employment in December of 2009. I certainly don't think that's outrageous.

And I might add my colleague Mr. Dreier also referred, as did Dr. Foxx, to the outrageousness. I don't think it is outrageous to exclude bonds financing facilities that furnish water and sewage from State volume caps estimated to cost $371 million over 10 years.

Is it outrageous to eliminate the cost imposed on State and local governments by the alternative minimum tax, estimated to cost $224 million over 10 years? Is it outrageous to have new market tax credits? Is it outrageous to have emergency job fund creation and assistance, scheduled to expire on September 30, to extend that through 2011?

I don't think it's outrageous to suspend the recognition of foreign tax credits. And even though it is a legal entity in our law, as my colleague has said, I don't think it's outrageous that we close tax loopholes that allow American corporations to take American jobs abroad and cause this economy to continue to be exacerbated.

I don't think it's outrageous for us to offset the cost of this bill. However, the provisions in this legislation, as I indicated, have already been debated and considered on numerous other occasions. In fact, we have already pared down this legislation from the larger measure that I just talked about that the House already passed because the Senate could not get enough votes from the Republicans for passage in their body.

Now, America can continue to put up with these people that drove us in the ditch and give them the keys if they want to and expect that if we return to that era, that we are going to have prosperity. I don't think so. I saw what

happened. I believe Americans saw what happened.

The programs that we are considering are designed especially to assist the American people in times of economic hardship, just like the one our Nation is currently facing. We need to act to help Americans, not find evermore excuses not to help. Republicans have been consistently saying ``no'' on every jobs package and economic development legislation that we have put forward in this House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans in this Chamber are against everything coming their way from the Democratic side of the aisle. They want to block any job creation legislation in order to make Democrats look bad for the upcoming election, but they are doing so at the expense of the American people.

This legislation will help. This legislation does not add one nickel to the deficit and does not contain wasteful spending. Democrats are hard at work on an agenda to improve our economy, to create jobs, and to ensure that all Americans--all Americans--will be able to take advantage of opportunities and to have an opportunity to have opportunity as our economy recovers.

I hope that my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle will unite with us to help Americans in these most difficult economic times.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the dedicated men and women who keep the flying public safe and our airspace running efficiently, our Nation's air traffic controllers. Approximately 15,770 Federal air traffic controllers in airport traffic control towers, terminal radar approach control, TRACON, facilities, and air route traffic control centers across the country monitor the airspace of the United States and 24,600,000 square miles of international oceanic airspace. Together with 1,250 civilian contract controllers and more than 9,000 military controllers, they work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure that passengers and goods reach their destinations as safely and quickly as possible.

It is a well-established fact that air traffic controllers operate in one of the most stressful of work environments. With thousands of flights departing, arriving, and en route at any given moment, managing the flow of air traffic safely and efficiently is no simple task. It is a continuous process that requires great situational awareness, total concentration, and making split-second decisions.

While an air traffic controller's job is stressful and demanding by nature, it is also unpredictable because of nature. Without notice, weather conditions can change quickly. From turbulence to large storm systems, air traffic controllers adapt to all inclement conditions in a calm and professional manner to reroute aircraft safely.

The extraordinary service that air traffic controllers provide becomes even more apparent when they are faced with greater adversities. When emergency situations develop in-flight, it is up to air traffic controllers to provide leadership and guidance. These amazing stories have been well-documented by the media, with reports of air traffic controllers providing life-saving navigation to pilots and, in some cases passengers, to land their aircraft given extreme weather conditions or mechanical failure. Thanks to the heroic actions, dedication, and quick and skilled decision-making of air traffic controllers, many accidents and tragedies have been averted.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know many air traffic controllers in and around my

district in South Florida, and I can personally attest to the remarkable job they do. Air traffic controllers are motivated, decisive, committed, and self-confident individuals who often work many thankless hours. They are the reason that we have the safest air traffic control system in the world, and that is why we must continue to support them.

As we modernize our nation's air traffic control system, we must ensure that air traffic controllers are best equipped to continue delivering the highest levels of service to those flying within our airspace.

Mr. Speaker, I truly appreciate the hard work that our nation's air traffic controllers do each and every single day to keep us safe when we fly and to guide us home. Their reputation for expertly handling complex situations and responding to dangerous developments on a daily basis is well-deserved.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1550 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from North Carolina, Dr. Foxx. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1550.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This resolution provides for consideration of the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4213, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010, finally.

The rule makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means or his designee that the House concur in the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4213. The rule provides 1 hour of debate on the motion equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the motion except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI. Finally, the rule provides that the Senate amendment shall be considered as read.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4213, the Restoration of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2010, ensures that much-needed Federal assistance continues to reach the millions of Americans struggling to find a job, trying to keep their homes and doing the best they can to provide for their families.

This legislation is long overdue with unemployment benefits having expired on June 1 of this year. Though I am pleased that this legislation is retroactive to that date, millions of Americans who desperately needed our support were left hanging by the egregious obstructionism that prevented this legislation from moving forward.

While the other party is content with giving themselves a pat on the back for every roadblock they throw in front of the Democratic bill, I remind my colleagues that they are playing with the livelihoods of countless, hardworking Americans. What is merely a political win for them is, in reality, another family that can't make rent, can't send their kids to college, or can't pay their medical bills.

As we are well aware, much of the debate surrounding this bill has centered on its cost. Now, we, in the Democratic Party, believe that balancing the budget is vital for our long-term prosperity, but it cannot be done on the backs of struggling Americans.

Over the past few weeks, my Republican colleagues have railed on about Democrats not cutting the deficit or spending beyond our means. But I wonder if my Republicans colleagues have looked in the mirror lately.

I have been here for some time; and I can't, for the life of me, remember any calls for fiscal discipline when their party was cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires, sending a blank check overseas, or squandering $127 billion Federal budget surplus.

Time and again, my colleagues' actions simply do not match their rhetoric. Further cutting the budget and denying unemployment benefits aren't going to make jobs magically appear.

Such actions will only cause our economy to contract and leave more people out in the cold. Our economy needs a deliberate, targeted approach to job creation and economic growth, and that is what Democrats will provide.

To say, as my colleagues often do, that Democrats are moving in the wrong direction and doing nothing to create jobs is simply a bold-faced lie. Over the last 1\1/2\ years we've gone from a period of negative growth to consistent increases in our GDP. We've gone from 22 months of job loss to 6 straight months of private-sector job creation, albeit not nearly enough. We've gone from shuttered factories to the largest 12-month gain in industrial production since 1998. Make no mistake, job creation is the number one priority for Democrats, but as the job market recovers, there remain far too many who are out of work and losing hope.

While my Republican colleagues question the need to lend a hand to those who are struggling, I question their aversion to provide opportunity to those who have none. Maybe there are no poor people in some of my colleagues' districts, but in the district that I am privileged to represent, people are hurting. From Pahokee to Pembroke Pines, people simply cannot find work. They are pounding the pavement, willing to take anything that comes their way, and in the meantime they need our help.

You see, Mr. Speaker, what Republicans seem to consider reckless spending, the people in the district that I serve consider a vital lifeline. There are 170,000 Floridians that are unemployed at this time. What Republicans

call government waste, the American people call an essential government service. And what Republicans see as a bloated budget, our citizens see as the only thing that is keeping them from financial ruin.

The other party can continue to play political theater, but we have serious work to do. The American people cannot afford to wait a second longer. They need this extension. They deserve this extension. And we will not let Republican obstructionism prevent them from getting this extension.

And, Mr. Speaker, I will make a prediction for you. After all of the talk for all of these months, all of the obstruction to us having unemployment compensation extended that had been routinely extended since 1959 without the kind of obstruction that it met, particularly in the other body, I predict for you that a significant number of our Republican colleagues today are going to vote for unemployment compensation. And in that regard, I'm glad they came to the dance, albeit a little late.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to a former member of the Rules Committee, a good friend of mine, the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I can't believe what I just heard.

I heard what Franklin Roosevelt said. I've read what Franklin Roosevelt said. I was alive during that period of time, and I saw what happened during Franklin Roosevelt's administration. My parents, among many others, got jobs during that period of time, and they came out of the Depression, and this country soared as a result of the policies of the Roosevelt administration. We will be very wise in this country if we could possibly implement the wonderful things that he did.

I yield, Mr. Speaker, 3 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Will the gentleman yield? I will yield the gentleman 15 seconds of my time if he would answer a question.

What do you think would have happened had the stimulus bill not passed?

What would have happened to those teachers, what would have happened to those police officers who kept their jobs?

Mr. Speaker, it doesn't take a degree in trigonometry to understand that if you spend $34 billion helping unemployed people who should have been helped in the first place much longer ago, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, a very neutral concern that analyzes these matters, for every dollar spent, $1.90 comes back into the economy. That would, by my count, add up to spending $34 billion and having come into the economy $64.6 billion.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to tell me the remaining time for both sides?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman, my good friend and colleague on the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. Speaker, I would tell my friend where that trillion-dollar deficit came from is the $1 trillion combined in Afghanistan and Iraq that we spent that's off budget, never accounted for, borrowed and spent by the Republicans in the majority.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin, my good friend, the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, David Obey.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to my colleague and fellow Floridian, the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

A little while ago, George Bush said this. Several months after taking office, he learned that his budgets had already erased the previous administration's huge surplus that was paying off our country's debt at a rapid rate and had instead forced the country to start borrowing heavily again. Bush said, The huge deficit was incredibly positive news because it will create a fiscal straitjacket for Congress.

That's right, massive deficits were incredibly positive news.

Mr. Speaker, I got a little tired of hearing our colleagues saying what the Democrats haven't done. Let me tell you what we have done.

We have done the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We have done the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act. We have done health insurance reform, Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibilities Act. The Cash for Clunkers Program alone spurred the sale of 700,000 vehicles.

We have done the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act that helped create 300,000 jobs. When they talk in terms of the stimulus, the teachers, the police officers and the firefighters, when you ask them whether or not their jobs were saved, I guarantee you they will give you an answer.

We did Wall Street reform passed by the House, American Worker, State, and Business Relief Act passed by the House and Senate, Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act passed by the House. For those on the other side who argue that there haven't been any tax cuts, there have been tax cuts, but those tax cuts were for middle class Americans, 93 percent of whom received the tax cut. We have done the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act passed by the House, and it died over there in the Senate, and that's regrettable and foolish.

We have done Jobs for Main Street Act, passed by the House. What's next? Small business lending, clean energy jobs and the COMPETES Act. I can assure you, we have done a lot and have a lot more to do and many of the things that I just spoke of create jobs.

My colleagues see this legislation as a handout or a luxury, but to the millions who are depending on us to act, the extension of unemployment benefits will make the difference between whether they can put food on the table, pay their rent, and just get by.

Years of bad economic and fiscal policies have brought us to our present situation, and there is no switch we can throw to provide an instant fix. In my home State of Florida, 147,000 individuals will run out of unemployment benefits.

I haven't met these people, but I read about their plight, people like Joan McCammon of Kissimmee, a 50-year-old former administrative assistant who has been out of work for over a year. Though she and her husband tried to be prepared without this assistance, they will have to dip into their retirement savings just to make ends meet.

She is not much different from Pandora Evans of Fort Pierce in my congressional district who has been unemployed for almost 2 years after losing her job at a service station. Her benefits have run out and her bills piled up to the point she may soon be homeless.

And there is Joe Becker of Jupiter, Florida, who has applied for nearly 400 jobs, has put himself through additional training and is still unable to find work.

These are only three of the 3.2 million Americans who stand to lose unemployment compensation if we do not act positively. This is not mere charity for them.

I urge my colleagues to pass this much-needed extension and urge them to support this rule. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1537 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

General Leave

I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1537.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1537 waives the requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII, requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee.

This would allow for the same-day consideration of any resolution reported through the legislative day of July 23, 2010, relating to consideration or disposition of a measure addressing unemployment compensation.

Finally, the resolution allows the Speaker to entertain motions to suspend the rules through the legislative day of July 23, 2010. The Speaker, or her designee, shall consult with the minority leader, or his designee, on the designation of any matter for consideration pursuant to this section.

These are not unusual procedures, as some of my colleagues on the other side are wont to argue. I want to point out that in the 109th Congress the Republican majority reported at least 21 rules that allowed for same-day consideration. In fact, five of those rules waived this requirement against any rule reported from the committee. This rule is for a specific bill.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4213, the Restoration of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2010, ensures that absolutely essential funds continue to reach the millions of American citizens struggling to find a job, keep their homes, and provide for their families. This legislation is unconscionably overdue, with unemployment benefits having expired on June 1 of this year.

While I'm pleased to point out that this legislation is retroactive to that date, nevertheless, millions of Americans who desperately needed our support were left hanging by an egregious obstructionism that prevented this legislation from moving forward.

This Congress, and I include both the House and the Senate, has a responsibility to act in the best interest of the American people and to ensure that, in this time of extreme economic hardship, Americans can rely on essential government services to help them through the hard times. Unemployment insurance is one of those services, part of a range of urgently needed activities that are necessary to rebuild our economy and recover from the recession. There is no excuse for delay.

That only two Republican Senators saw fit to vote to ensure that 2.5 million Americans could claim lapsed benefits demonstrates a complete lack of concern for struggling Americans. The fact is that for every open job there are five applicants, leaving the vast majority out of work. Unemployment insurance is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Why Members of this Congress are able to vote in favor of massive tax cuts for the wealthy one day and against unemployment insurance for hardworking Americans the next day is beyond me.

And so, Mr. Speaker, I kind of like would rather that we not have to do a same-day rule. What we should be doing is a 6-weeks-ago rule so we can go back in time and relieve some of the great anxiety and financial hardship endured by millions of Americans while they waited for this Congress to act.

Over the past few days and weeks, much of the debate about the emergency measure has revolved around its cost. While I don't dismiss these concerns, bringing our economy back from the brink of disaster doesn't come cheap, and we have a responsibility to

support Americans during this most painful and difficult time.

In fact, I would argue that Democrats and Republicans have a significant difference of opinion when it comes to what it means to be fiscally responsible. Seemingly, my Republican colleagues think that being fiscally responsible means that when our economy is prospering, and it has prospered in the past and will again, when it's prospering, you will have free rein to cut taxes for the wealthiest and the well to do among us and spend with abandon, as they did when we were prospering. But when their irresponsible fiscal policies come back to bite them, well, then it's too expensive to invest in our economy, to provide for those who can't provide for themselves, or to spend what is necessary to jump-start the economy.

Republicans say they aren't opposed to spending these funds on unemployment insurance; they just want to cut the same amount from other programs. Well, I'll tell you what they can cut. How about not doing any further tax cuts for wealthy people? How about cutting missiles to nowhere? How about cutting some of this Pentagon money and war in this world? How about cutting huge tax subsidies for offshore oil drilling? How about cutting out people taking their money and running to tax havens away from America and not fulfilling their responsibilities?

Mr. Speaker, I don't see Republicans offering to cut those things. Instead, I see them blocking essential legislation with vague platitudes about the need for cuts. They see nothing wrong with leaving the people who are most suffering the effects of their misguided economic views out in the cold. The Republicans' track record has proved them to be nothing but fair-weather deficit hawks.

Democrats, on the other hand, see things a bit differently. We, too, believe that balancing the budget is vital for our long-term prosperity. And I've been here and others, as well as the sitting Speaker, have been here when we did just that, balance the budget. But it can't be done on the backs of struggling Americans. In order to grow this economy, we need to invest in the American people. The Federal Government has a responsibility to help our communities meet their needs and ensure that anyone who wants to find work for a decent wage can do so.

Our economy is already showing considerable signs of recovery, but a jobless recovery is unacceptable. Make no mistake, job creation is the number one priority for Democrats. That is why we're working hard to find ways to create jobs and grow our economy again. But, in the meantime, we cannot simply let millions of Americans fall into financial ruin, lose their homes, be unable to pay their rent, and jeopardize their futures and the futures of their families and children.

Unemployment insurance can make the difference between whether families can afford to put food on the table or pay rent while they devote themselves to finding new employment or to get by, just get by, until the economy improves and jobs are more forthcoming.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule, Mr. Speaker, so that this much-needed, much-overdue legislation can be considered in a timely manner. The American people are waiting. And waiting 1 more minute, not 30 minutes on the U.S. Senate, or 30 hours as they are taking now, waiting 1 more minute is 1 minute too long.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, just to answer my distinguished colleague from North Carolina very briefly, when she began her remarks by indicating that we haven't given them an opportunity to vote on tax cuts, my last look at the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act gave 95 percent of Americans a tax cut. I would be interested to know how many Republicans supported that measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts, my good friend and colleague on the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to a good friend of mine at this time, the distinguished gentleman from Memphis, Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased at this time to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), who is a good friend of mine.

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Will the gentleman yield?

I will yield additional time.

I just want to share with you as a segue of what you're saying, these are remarks from Senator Kyl on the other side:

On extending President Bush's tax cut, despite the cost, his quote, ``You should never have to offset cost of a deliberate decision to reduce tax rates on Americans.''

These are the people that are holding up unemployment.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from not very far from here, Maryland, Donna Edwards.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In response to my good friend from California, firstly, I would argue with you that California is not necessarily the greatest State in the Union. We happen to have 50 great States and six wonderful territories in this great country of ours. But coming from Florida, I find that rivalry worthwhile. We will match him any day.

This Congress, when he speaks in terms of the measure that we are proceeding on, from the standpoint of process, this Congress alone provided suspension authority on a day other than Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, has allowed for passage of the Iran sanctions conference report, a paid-for doc fix, the Small Business Microlending Expansion Act, the Medicare Premium Fairness Act, and a resolution recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, sponsored by the Speaker along with Representatives Boehner and Cantor.

This same-day authority has allowed for passage of several bills that have already become law, including a bill authorizing the Oil Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, legislation expanding the Small Business Loan Guarantee program, legislation for the Temporary Extensions Act and the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act. All of these bills passed with overwhelming support from the House.

This same process has not only benefited majority Members, it benefited Republican Members as well. Representatives Luetkemeyer, Gingrey, Tiberi, Calvert, Reichert, Platts, Fallin, Schock, Fortenberry, Carter, and Lee have all benefited from this provision by having their legislation adopted under suspension of the rules in spite of what day of the week it was. So much for that. Back to the point dealing with unemployment.

People think that this stuff is done in a vacuum sometimes. Well, Senate Republicans have repeatedly obstructed job creation legislation that extended critical unemployment insurance benefits to help Americans who lost their job through no fault of their own make ends meet as they look for their next job opportunity.

The Republican obstruction is unprecedented. Since 1959, Congress has never allowed unemployment benefits to expire when unemployment is more than 7.2 percent. There are a considerable number of economists--Alan Blinder, Ralph Martire and, then more important, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities--who say that for every $1 spent on unemployment it creates $1.90. So, really, the best stimulus for this economy suggests, as the economists do, that it is stimulated much more by spending on unemployment than we would tax cuts.

I want to say one final thing on tax cuts. I have two personal friends that are fortunate enough in this country to be billionaires. They earned their money the hard way; they earned their money during good and bad times, and

none of us hold any truck with either of those billionaires. I know two other billionaires personally, and not one of them before has ever said that they favored tax cuts--just to talk about some of the American people--they manage regardless.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon, a good friend of mine, Mr. DeFazio.

Mr. Speaker, he fought his way all the way over here, and even though I have but 2 minutes, I would like to share 1 of my minutes with Mr. Langevin.

I would inquire of my good friend from North Carolina if she would be so kind as to yield 30 seconds to Mr. Langevin as well.

Mr. Speaker, we stand ready to provide those struggling to find work this small reprieve; and Democrats in Congress are also committed to putting forth the necessary effort to create jobs, spur economic growth, and put our country once again on the road to prosperity.

But, in the meantime, we have a responsibility to ensure that those most profoundly affected by these difficult times are able to stay afloat--to feed their families, to keep their homes, and to continue to search for new jobs. We must not play political football with unemployment insurance. It is simply too fundamental to the livelihoods of millions of Americans. Our economy is starting to turn around, and the American people cannot afford to wait another second, let alone 30 hours for the United States Senate to act.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question on the same-day rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, a year ago this month Natalya Estemirova, the leading human rights defender in Chechnya was abducted near her apartment building in the capital city of Grozny by unidentified men, transported to the neighboring republic of Ingushetia, and brutally killed. She led a courageous life of denouncing corruption, calling for a fair judicial system, and standing up for human rights. For that she was cut down. While her killers may have ended her life, they will never silence the voice she brought to these issues. Ms. Estemirova's work was well known to the Helsinki Commission, which I co-chair, and colleagues there recall her 2006 visit to discuss the situation in Chechnya. Like Estemirova, all too many of her fellow human rights defenders and journalists are targeted because they have the temerity to speak out about human rights abuses.

Today, inspired by Estemirova's work, I introduce a measure expressing solidarity with human rights defenders in the Russian Federation; urging the Russian authorities to take appropriate steps to end the harassment, persecution and attacks against activists; and calling for an end to impunity for those responsible for such acts, including through the conducting of timely, transparent and thorough criminal investigations into the unresolved murders of human rights defenders, journalists, and political opposition members and the prosecution of all of those responsible for these crimes.

The Helsinki Commission has been at the forefront of drawing attention to the human rights situation in Chechnya and elsewhere in the North Caucasus region of Russia, having held numerous hearings and briefings. Notwithstanding the assertions by the powers that be in Moscow that the situation in Chechnya has returned to normal, the reality on the ground reveals otherwise. The recently released 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, issued by the Department of State, found that the Russian government's already poor human rights record in the North Caucasus worsened during the reporting period, with a marked increase in extrajudicial killings by both government and rebel forces and politically motivated disappearances in Chechnya as well as in neighboring Ingushetia and Dagestan. The Helsinki Commission remains deeply concerned over ongoing human rights abuses, legal impunity, and the permeating climate of fear in the North Caucasus.

While one cannot discount that terrorist elements are responsible for some of the rights violations in that region, many of the reported abuses are perpetrated by federal and local security forces in Chechnya, including the private militia of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, the republic's Kremlin-backed president. While it remains unclear what, if any role Kadyrov had in Estemirova's killing, his contempt for her and other human rights defenders is palpable. Earlier this month Kadyrov publicly labeled independent journalists and rights activists as ``traitors and enemies of the state.'' Among those targeted by the Chechen leader is the respected Russian rights organization Memorial.

Madam Speaker, as Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission I remain concerned over the deterioration of the human rights situation in the North Caucasus generally, and Chechnya specifically. I am not alone in this regard, as the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly adopted a resolution late last month on the North Caucasus. The measure pointed to a series of specific concerns in Chechnya against the backdrop of what it characterized as ``a climate of pervading fear'' nurtured by the current authorities: recurrent disappearances of government opponents and human rights defenders still remain widely unpunished; continuing threats and reprisals, including abductions of relatives of persons suspected of belonging to illegal armed factions; and ongoing intimidation of the media and civil society, among others.

Ramzan Kadyrov's utter contempt for human rights and fundamental freedoms was again manifested recently in his reaction to paintball gun attacks against women on the streets of Grozny apparently because they were not wearing headscarves. Instead of condemning the assaults, the Chechen president reportedly praised the perpetrators. While Kadyrov has largely been given free rein in Chechnya, that does not absolve his backers in Moscow from responsibility for the deteriorating human rights situation in that part of the Russian Federation.

As a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, it is incumbent upon the Russian authorities to ensure that fundamental freedoms are respected throughout the country, including in the North Caucasus. Turning a blind eye to human rights violations is unacceptable. I urge President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin to take effective measures to stop the harassment, persecution and attacks against human activists and journalists in the Russian Federation and to end the impunity for those responsible for the murder of Natalya Estemirova and others. Only then will there be hope that the situation in Chechnya will return to anything approaching normal.