Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an individual whose contributions have changed the lives of people in my district and throughout Ohio.

William T. Locke served as the President and CEO of the Lorain County Community Action Agency in Lorain, Ohio for two terms; from 1986 to 1999 and again in 2007 to 2011. Throughout his tenure, William has led the Agency with temperance and humility, and always placed the needs families and seniors first.

William has had an extensive career working in Community Action Agencies, which work to make our country a better place to live. In 1974, William began his career of community service as the Executive Director of the Portage County Community Action Council where he helped people achieve economic security. He was later appointed to lead the Office of Community Services within the Ohio Department of Development by Governor Richard Celeste in 1983. William left the State of Ohio to become the Deputy Executive Director for the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency before continuing on to the Lorain County Community Action Agency. In addition, William served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and received an Honorable Discharge.

William Locke has made a difference in our community, and it is an honor to have worked with him to give children, families, and our seniors a better way of life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the accomplishments and dedicated service of Mr. William T. Locke as he retires from the Lorain County Community Action Agency.

Madam Speaker, the Republican majority is at it again. With no real jobs plan, we've seen this majority attempt to thrust on the American people bills that strip them of their rights instead of putting them back to work. Make no mistake: Those proposing this know this extreme bill will not pass the Senate and it will not be signed into law by the President.

This bill, at its core, is an attack on women, especially poor women. Its extreme provisions will jeopardize a woman's access to lifesaving care. It is outrageous that this Republican majority continues to focus on protecting subsidies for Big Oil, tax cuts for billionaires, and targeting women and their access to health care.

Instead of working to help create jobs and empower women to improve their lives, the Republican majority is, instead, trying to pass this bill to allow hospitals to refuse to provide critical, lifesaving care. That means women in rural areas who may only have access to one hospital could be left to die.

This isn't the time to be putting America's women at risk. This is the time to be putting them and all Americans back to work. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this extreme bill.

Madam Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record a letter from the AFL-CIO on Korea's labor violations.

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial

Organizations,

Washington, DC, July 6, 2011.

Legislative Alert

Dear Representative: As you will soon be asked to ratify

the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, I would like to share

important information regarding serious labor violations in

South Korea.

The AFL-CIO has learned disturbing allegations from our

colleagues in the Korean Metal Workers Union (KMWU). These

allegations call into question the Government of South

Korea's commitment to promote and defend not only the ILO

Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (as

promised in Chapter 19 of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade

Agreement), but human rights more generally.

The allegations center on concerted actions against two

different employers. The first involves Hanjin Heavy

Industries, which in December 2010 unilaterally dismissed 170

workers in violation of the employment security agreement

with KMWU. Later that month, the union local began a strike,

which included a sit-in protest inside the factory. We

understand that, in June, Hanjin hired some 400 private

contractors, who, together with 2000 riot police, forced most

of the peaceful protestors out of the building. In addition,

it is alleged that, for the protesters who remain on site in

``Crane 85,'' these security forces have limited the food and

water available and cut off electricity.

Instead of helping these workers, we understand that the

Government of South Korea has imprisoned one striker, issued

arrest warrants for four union leaders, and issued police

summonses for an additional 240 union members in connection

with its ``Obstruction of Business'' law. The ILO has

repeatedly called on Korea to revise this law to bring it

into conformity with the internationally recognized right of

workers to exercise their freedom to associate.

The second incident involves Yuseong Piston Ring (YPR), a

major supplier for Hyundai Motors. On May 18, workers at YPR

engaged in a two-hour work stoppage in order to protest

management's apparent failure to implement a ``2-day shift

system'' per an agreement signed with the workers in 2009.

That day, YPR instituted a lockout that remains in place.

When workers attempted to return to work on June 22, 150

private contractors physically attacked union workers with

iron pipes, fire extinguishers, and other weapons. Some 20

union members were seriously injured, and four arrest

warrants were issued for KMWU leaders.

These allegations are made all the more disturbing with the

impending vote on the Korea FTA. If these types of violations

are occurring at a time when Korea should be putting its best

foot forward in hopes of gaining trade concessions from the

U.S., it is unlikely that the government will feel the need

to better uphold its promises to guarantee fundamental rights

for workers once the agreement is in place and Korea's

internal labor relations are no longer under a microscope.

While opinions differ on the underlying merits of the Korea

FTA, the AFL-CIO asks that you oppose Congressional

consideration of the FTA at least until the fundamental

rights of South Korean workers to organize and bargain

collectively are respected.

I urge you to contact the Korean Government and make your

views known on this important matter.

Sincerely,

William Samuel,

Director,

Government Affairs Department.

Madam Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record a letter from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in opposition to the free trade agreement.

International Brotherhood

of Electrical Workers,

Washington, DC, July 13, 2011.

Dear Senator or Representative: On behalf of the

approximately 725,000 members of the International

Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), I write to express

my strong opposition to the proposed trade agreements with

South Korea, Columbia, and Panama. All three are North

American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)-style pacts originally

negotiated by President Bush. I urge you to vote no when they

are considered by Congress.

As I stated in a letter I sent you in December, 2010

regarding the South Korea agreement: ``It is long past due

that common sense be applied to the issue of international

trade. For the better part of two decades Americans have been

told that free trade is good for workers and consumers. In

reality, trade policies promulgated by both Democratic and

Republican administrations have benefited multi-national

corporations and their top executives. Although these

policies have allowed consumers access to cheap (though

sometimes toxic) products, they have come at a tremendous

cost in the form of lost jobs, a shrunken tax base,

diminished access to health care, and a reduced quality of

life.'' Now, in addition to the South Korea agreement, the

Columbia and Panama pacts will perpetuate the same job-

killing provisions that gained their greatest traction in

I thank the gentleman for the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to all of the raw trade deals coming to the floor tomorrow, because our families cannot afford the loss of any more jobs.

Based on the myth that there is some sort of world free market, they call these deals ``free trade agreements,'' but there is nothing free about them. These NAFTA-type deals are not free to our workers, who will lose their jobs because of them. They're not free for our communities when more of our factories are boarded up and when more careers are packed up and shipped overseas as some of our multinational corporations, with no allegiance to America, search the world over for the lowest wages to be found. Common sense tells us that pittance wages paid to workers in other countries, like low wages here, will not empower people to buy our products.

Enough is enough, Madam Speaker.

Some of the same people here on the floor who are claiming these deals level the playing field for American manufacturers and jobs supported NAFTA, too. How has that worked for us? Since NAFTA was signed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we've seen approximately 5 million manufacturing jobs lost--over 350,000 of those jobs from my State of Ohio. These are not free deals. They are raw deals for the American people.

Make no mistake. The fact that we're seeing more trade adjustment assistance being offered for passage alongside these deals is an admission that more Americans are about to lose their jobs with these deals. At a time when so many are struggling to find jobs, why would we pass a deal that we know will result in job loss?

It's unconscionable that we would pass a deal with Colombia where they have allowed trade unionists and those standing for civil rights to be killed with impunity. If we pass a deal with Korea, according to the Economic Policy Institute, we could see our trade deficit increase by another $14 billion, and we could see another 159,000 jobs lost.

This raw deal would be particularly bad for my district and districts around the country that support our domestic auto industry--auto suppliers and parts makers. Right now, Korea has the largest trade imbalance when it comes to cars, only importing 5 percent of cars sold. This won't change that. In fact, it will only make it worse by allowing Korea to keep out American cars if they don't meet certain standards.

Madam Speaker, enough is enough.

This bad trade deal pours salt into the wound already festering within the American manufacturing sector, and it will destroy opportunities for people right here in the United States. The American people don't want more bad free trade deals that aren't free.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote against this horrible, horrible package of trade deals. Enough is enough.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an individual who has tirelessly advocated on behalf of working families in my Congressional District.

John D. Wagner is a tenacious leader and has been a voice for workers in a career that spans several decades. As Executive Secretary- Treasurer of the Tri-County Regional Labor Council, John has worked to improve the lives of workers and promote the beliefs of organized labor so that working class families can have a fair shake. A member in good standing with the United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #219, John served as the Business Manager and administered the business operations and always worked towards for best interests of its membership.

John has never ceased in his efforts to address the issues and reality of working Americans. He is a political force who does not waver in his belief that each and every American deserves decent, affordable health care and a secure retirement after a lifetime of hard work. His voice and actions have inspired many, and we are grateful for his willingness to stand up for good wages and benefits for the middle class.

Though he is retiring from the Tri-County Regional Labor Council, John will continue his service on the Barberton City Council, where he is highly regarded for his responsiveness to the concerns of the residents in Ward Three. I commend John on his service and I look forward to working with him to improve the quality of life for working families across Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the dedicated service of Mr. John D. Wagner as he retires from the Tri- County Regional Labor Council, American Federation of Labor--Congress of Industrial Organizations.

I thank the gentleman for the time.

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that the American people are very concerned about the failure of House Republicans to help the American people get back to work. But, Mr. Speaker, it seems that we may have it all wrong. It turns out that House Republicans have been working to create jobs, just not here in America.

While the American people are suffering, H.R. 2587 gives big corporations which are already flush with profits and tax breaks yet another free pass to take jobs from hardworking American men and women and ship them overseas. Without the support of the National Labor Relations Board to help American families get a fair shake, we can only expect to see more layoffs, lower wages, and a bleaker future for America's middle class.

Instead of stripping power away from the NLRB to ensure the rights of workers are upheld and handing it to corporations to bust unions and outsource jobs, we should be working to create good-paying jobs right here in America, right in Ohio. We should be working to level the playing field for the American workers, who are the best, hardest- working, most innovative workers in the world.

It is time that the Republicans join us in that fight, and it's time that they join us in voting ``no'' on this rule and on this very bad legislation, H.R. 2587. Stand up for the American worker.

I thank the gentleman for his leadership. You have been a stalwart; and, boy, do we need leadership at this point.

Here we are, it's been 29 weeks, more than 200 days since the Republicans took over the majority of the House, and not only have they not done anything to create jobs or help working families. Here we are today looking at what they have done.

What have they done? After walking away from the table five times in negotiations to restore our Nation's fiscal health, House Republicans have passed a bill today to kick the can down the road so we can continue to have this debate over again in a matter of months. But make no mistake, this is a political dodge. Republicans could not agree on a long-term solution within their own ranks, so they just decided to take a vote on a bill that kicks the can down the road that they know there is not support for, and it's a part of this pattern.

What have they been doing in this over 200 days? They have an agenda that aims to end Medicare, that guts

Medicaid, that has threatened Social Security, and at the same time they have even targeted energy-efficient light bulbs. They have used time in this body to do all of these things, while at the same time fighting to preserve tax breaks for the wealthy, for Big Oil, and for companies that ship jobs overseas when at this time we know that we have a jobs deficit in this country.

There is nothing more important that we can do than to, of course, make sure that America pays its bills, but the most important priority facing our Nation is to get America back to work because we can't solve that long-term deficit problem without people having jobs. And, frankly, the American Dream doesn't live if we don't have opportunities for families out there to go to work and take care of those that they love, to send their kids to college. That's another thing that the Republican agenda has targeted, to put college out of reach again of so many middle class families.

Well, I'm glad to be here with the gentleman from California and my other colleagues to make sure that we explain to the American people that there are people who get it, people who know that the number one priority is to put people back to work, to focus on building our infrastructure, to strengthening U.S. manufacturing, because we know that we have to be a country that makes things, that makes things made out of American iron and steel and manufactured goods; that every time you have a manufacturing job, that there is a ripple effect of four more jobs, or if it's in the auto industry, it's 10 more jobs. We know that if we are not a country that manufactures things, then we are at the mercy of those who do. It is incumbent upon us to stand up to make sure that we focus the agenda.

We've got to stop this political theater, deal with getting the debt ceiling issue dealt with for the long term, not for 6 months, not for 6 months and be right back at this again, leaving the American people to wonder, seniors to wonder whether they're going to get what they need in their Social Security checks, veterans to wonder whether they're going to get what they need. We really, really know that the priority has to be on jobs, and we implore our Republican colleagues to join us.

Two hundred days is too long; 200 days is more than the American people and the American families that I am so honored to serve can take. We must focus on getting people back to work.

I just want to say one more time, because I know that the people that I represent in northeast Ohio, they don't want government on their backs but they do want government on their side, and how do we show that we're on their side? We focus on the issue that matters to them the most, and all they want is a chance. They want a chance at that American Dream.

How do we do that? We do that by focusing on jobs, and we do that by focusing on this agenda to Make It in America. What does that mean? It means policies that make sense regarding trade, that instead of fighting to protect companies as the Republicans are through this whole default debacle, instead of protecting those companies that ship jobs overseas, we want to level the playing field, to allow our manufacturers and our workers to fairly compete because we know that they are the best in the world and given a chance, a fair chance, they will not only compete, they will out-compete anybody in the world. We need tax policies that make sense. We need to focus on not only manufacturing but building our infrastructure. The world is working on building their infrastructure, and here we are, we heard the cuts that are going on aimed at our infrastructure.

It is time, it is past time, that we turn to the hard work of putting America back to work, because while we have a jobs deficit, we don't have a deficit of work that needs to be done. Let us get away from this risk of default, let us settle the matter, allow America to pay its bills, because if we don't, we're going to lose even more jobs. Economists tell us we're going to lose 700,000 more jobs if America defaults. We don't want to go in that direction. We want to go in the direction that allows our workers, our companies and our country to make it--Make It in America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, frustrated in that, as we sit here on the brink of the financial unknown, families in my district are left hanging, worrying about jobs.

The bill we're debating today fails to address America's number one priority of creating jobs. Instead, it puts us in the exact same position 6 months from now, threatening working families with deep, unbalanced, unfair cuts while protecting tax cuts for millionaires and big corporations that ship jobs overseas.

It has been 200 days of this new Republican-led Congress, and what have we seen? We have seen them target Medicare, working families, the environment, and education--we've even seen them use up time to target energy-efficient light bulbs--but what we haven't seen them do is target job creation.

I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this risky plan and to responsibly raise our debt limit so America can pay its bills and so this Congress can get serious about creating good-paying jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer this amendment in response to a concern that we have all heard and which was recently raised in a letter that I received from a constituent in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He wanted to know how Congress can help with rising gas prices, prices that are forcing him to spend less on taking care of his family and causing uncertainty and uneasiness. And it's with my constituent in mind that I offer this amendment today.

Mr. Speaker, today we have an opportunity to join together to pass this amendment and do something for my constituent and for the middle class families like his across the country that exist in each and every district.

At the outset, I want to be clear, this amendment, this motion, it does not kill the underlying bill. So regardless of whether you intend to vote for the legislation or against it, you will have the opportunity to do that today. This amendment simply offers us, Democrats and Republicans alike, the opportunity to speak up on behalf of our constituents loudly and clearly.

What this amendment does is makes it clear that if the underlying bill passes, we want the President to take feasible steps to prevent gas prices from rising as a result of its passage and to take feasible steps to limit the seizure of American farmland. This should be an easy amendment for colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support. A vote for the amendment means standing up for American consumers to protect them against gas increases. A vote for this amendment means you are standing up for American families to protect them from unfair seizures of their property. These are the goals that all of us in this body, the people's House, should share.

It is important that we act together to pass this amendment today because, make no mistake, at a time when gas prices are already too high, this bill in its current form will raise gas prices even higher, placing an even greater burden on American families and small businesses. We know this, Mr. Speaker, because TransCanada, the Canadian corporation that is building this pipeline, has admitted as much. TransCanada's own assessment from February of 2009 states that Keystone XL pipeline will increase the cost of a barrel of crude oil by $6.55 per barrel in the Midwest and $3 per barrel everywhere else.

Mr. Speaker, this is simply unacceptable. It's unacceptable because far too many middle class families are already struggling. Without this amendment, this legislation amounts to salt in the wounds of working families, so many of whom have seen their jobs sent overseas and now they will see even more of their hard-earned dollars being sent out of the country and will have to pay more for gas to boot.

And this legislation, in its current form, also stands to harm our small business owners, putting a larger financial burden on them at a time when we have called on them to create jobs and lead the way in our recovery. It will burden our family farmers who will now have to pay more to gas up their combines and buy fertilizer.

But an increase in gas prices is not the only reason this legislation needs to be amended. From South Dakota to Texas, we have a situation where the non-U.S. energy company building this pipeline has been pushing American farmers and ranchers to give up their rights to their own property. And for those who have resisted, the company--in pursuit of billions of dollars--has been taking Americans to court to seize control of their land through eminent domain. TransCanada has been bringing these lawsuits even before they have the permits to build the pipeline.

These outrageous acts are bringing Democrats and Republicans together to speak out on behalf of property owners and to ensure that their rights come before the rights of any big corporation. That is the way it should be--us standing together to protect American consumers and property owners.

Mr. Speaker, our country needs to protect the rights of our citizens, not subject those rights to a foreign corporation. Mr. Speaker, our constituents pay high enough gas prices. They need us to stand up and do all that we can to prevent the admitted increases that will occur according to TransCanada's own study. With this amendment, we can join together to do just that. We can put the American people before politics and before corporate profits and ensure that the President takes any feasible steps to protect against gas increases and limit the taking of property through eminent domain that will result from this legislation. This final amendment will ensure these things while allowing for an immediate final vote on the bill.

I encourage my colleagues to stand together and vote ``yes'' on this final amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Thank you. I thank my colleagues for being down here fighting the fight that the American people want us to fight. And that's a fight for jobs. The American people, the people I represent in Ohio, their number one priority by all means is about putting people back to work. As Representative Perlmutter just stated so eloquently, it is really about empowering people. They don't want a lot from their government, but they do want a government that works with them and for them, and to the extent possible plays that role that will help spur our economy, invest in infrastructure which puts people back to work, and levels the playing field for our manufacturers.

I come from a place where we have a very strong manufacturing base, and it hasn't always been treated fairly. We have had a lot of unfair trade deals that have been passed that hurt the people that I represent, and we have a lot of policies that frankly didn't do them well. We can do better.

But here we are 200-some days into this new Congress under this Republican leadership and not a single jobs plan to come before this body. It is quite amazing to think about. Instead, what are they talking about, imposing a budget that ends Medicare and protects the very tax breaks that end up shipping our jobs overseas.

Well, I am proud to stand with you tonight and work on those policies that will put America back to work and strengthen not only our infrastructure but our economy which will keep our place in this world as leaders. And so as we move forward, I hope that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will get focused on what America needs, and that is jobs, jobs, and jobs.

We have a role to play. We can deal with the deficit. We should deal with the deficit; but the kinds of cuts that they are talking about, ending Medicare, taking this out of our seniors instead of cutting those tax breaks that have existed for those oil companies and others at the very top that have been a burden to our middle class because they are the ones who have to make up the difference, let's focus on jobs. Let's encourage our colleagues in the GOP to get on board and start working on what America needs, and that is to put America back to work.

Thank you again for having this hour. It is so important that we do make it in America. I talked a little bit about jobs. I have a bill right now that is pending that I would encourage the Republicans to join me in passing. It's called the Keep American Jobs From Going Down the Drain Act. It says that as we rebuild our infrastructure here, our water infrastructure and sewer infrastructure, we do it with American iron and steel and manufactured goods. It's a jobs bill; it's a strengthening bill. It's good for America. This is a strong and great country. And I agree with my colleague, we can do better by it.

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise today to shine a light on how America is spending defense dollars.

This week, we will vote on a $530 billion Defense budget. Some of that money will go towards pay for our soldiers; some of that money will go towards ensuring our military families are cared for. But when it comes to buying everything from building materials to fighter jets, as much of that money as possible should go towards buying American. Every dollar we spend on a part or a piece of equipment manufactured overseas when we can easily build it at home is doing our men and women in uniform and our manufacturing base a disservice.

This is a clarifying amendment that will increase transparency within the Department of Defense by having the Department indicate whether parts purchased overseas are available here in the United States.

Taxpayers deserve to know where the Defense dollars are going. They want to see their taxpayer dollars used to purchase quality products and materials produced right here in the United States by American workers; and when that doesn't happen, they want and deserve to know why.

Currently, the Department of Defense is granting tens of thousands of waivers to allow for taxpayer dollars to buy equipment made overseas. If our tax dollars are going to buy a part made overseas, taxpayers deserve to know if that part is available in Michigan or Ohio or anywhere else in the United States. My amendment simply uses the current Department of Defense data and the requirements set forth in this section and adds more transparency by highlighting areas where our government is sending money overseas instead of keeping it at home.

If we are truly to put Americans back to work, we must make sure that Congress is doing everything it can towards that end. This amendment is one small step that we can take right now. This clarifying amendment will only serve to shine a light on taxpayer dollars being invested in the wrong place and show where those funds can be diverted in a way that can make a difference for jobs here at home.

I encourage my colleagues to pass this commonsense clarifying amendment to ensure increased transparency for American taxpayers and encourage our Department of Defense to buy American, because that is what taxpayers want and that is what American workers deserve.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Point of Order

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the point of order. This is simply a clarifying amendment. It clarifies information that is already being gathered in this section.

Since 2007, Congress has mandated that the Department of Defense begin tracking waivers that allow the Department to buy products from overseas. Currently, to qualify for a waiver from the Buy America requirements, the Department of Defense has to comply with one of eight criteria. One of those criteria is proving that there is

no domestic product available. This section of the bill already requires the Department of Defense to report back to Congress on the amount of their purchases from foreign entities and the dollar value of items for which the Buy American Act was waived.

My amendment simply uses the current Department of Defense data and the requirements set forth in this section and adds more transparency by highlighting areas where our government is sending money overseas instead of keeping it at home.

As I said, if we are truly to put Americans back to work, we must make sure that Congress is doing everything it can towards that end. It would seem ashamed for this objection to stand to an amendment that just ensures transparency in a section that is already being used to gather information.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the efforts by the National Labor Relations Board to modernize their rules to promote efficiency and fairness in the labor organization process.

The charge of the NLRB is to ensure that our workers get a fair shake; but for far too long, working men and women have had to deal with an outdated and lopsided system that puts the wants of big corporations over the needs of employees. At a time when our middle class is consistently under attack, these new proposed rules represent a positive step in restoring a more level playing field for workers.

Our workers deserve a fair system. Those who work to make our world turn deserve the opportunity to make a living for themselves and their families. I look forward to the NLRB adopting and implementing these new provisions to bring their rules into the 21st century and give our working families a fighting chance to strive and achieve the American Dream.

I thank the gentleman. I thank you for your leadership. You gave us a little bit of background that I think is really, really important when we talk about where this deficit came from and how it came to be. I would just add a couple of other points that I think are significant.

At the end of last year, we will remember that the same people who are now cutting indiscriminately, cuts aimed at seniors, cuts aimed at middle class Americans, cuts aimed at Head Start, low-income housing, heating assistance, Community Development Block Grants that add to economic activities in our communities, those same folks, some of them, were over there fighting to make sure that we had super tax cuts for billionaires that were also going to add exponentially to the deficit.

Then they turn around and say, hey, we've got this horrible deficit, and so now everyone has to sacrifice. But whenever the American people hear the words, ``Everyone needs to sacrifice,'' chances are if you're in the 95 percent of the population that controls very little of the wealth in this country, they mean you. They don't mean that top 5 percent that controls most of the wealth in this country. They are all about protecting what they have and grabbing more power.

It's very interesting when we talk about where the policies coming out of the Republican House majority are these days, because all of the cuts seem to be targeted at the people back in the district where I live, hardworking, salt-of-the-Earth constituents whom I am so honored to serve.

Your point is well taken and very sad, that the one bill that they put out there--I mean, hey, you don't have to take our word for it--the bill that they put out there puts 700,000 jobs, more than at risk, it's been determined by their own Republican analysts that it would cost us 700,000 jobs. Frankly, our economic recovery, which is so fragile, is under threat.

A group of 300 economists, including two Nobel laureates, wrote a letter

warning that the shortsighted budget cuts to, quote, human capital, our infrastructure and the next generation of scientific and technological advances would threaten future economic competitiveness as well as the current recovery.

So the path that the Republicans are on, and it's funny because we just saw the new budget proposal unveiled and they called it a path to prosperity. I think that the better name is a path to poverty. At any rate, the path that they are on is not a good one.

We know that the answer to what ails our economy is we need to put the American people back to work. We need to have jobs that will create opportunities for the people that we are so honored to represent, that will keep our communities running, will have the revenue that we need to pay for those services, those firefighters, those teachers, those police officers, those nurses, those public servants that make our world turn.

So everyone at all levels of government, regardless of party, should be focused on priority one--getting Americans back to work. That's where we come in with what we need to be focused on, which is: How do we make it in America? Manufacturing matters.

So we are working in this House, as you know, Congressman Garamendi, to make sure we put forth an agenda on the Democratic side of the aisle, and we hope that our Republican colleagues will stop being deflected and will start focusing on what will help the people we serve, which would be focusing on these jobs, giving people opportunity, and creating real value by making things in this country. Not only will we make the products; we will then give a chance to the American people to make it in America, and America will make it again.

Will the gentleman yield?

In addition to that, at the same time they're cutting Medicare and changing it and removing the guarantee that seniors have known, which is that they're going to have access to that care when they need it, isn't it also true that they're continuing to protect those subsidies to big oil companies, those billions of dollars in subsidies, and are continuing to protect tax breaks that ship those jobs overseas, which has led, in large part, to the decline of American manufacturing?

I thank the gentleman and I thank the gentlewoman for her making the case about the fundamental unfairness about what is going on with the proposals coming from the other side of the aisle.

And I think that the point that the gentleman just made about the union movement in this country, helping to build the middle class and frankly, leading us to a place where we had a strong middle class in this country--you know, it's that middle class that makes America so great, that people have a chance to aspire to that American dream.

And so when you stand on this floor or you come here as we do, and you see attack after attack on those middle class families--from attacks on prevailing wage payments that are just living wages that are going to those folks who work in our trades. We see those attacks come up over and over again at the same time that those on the other side of the aisle are protecting that huge income disparity, it's really, really hard to take, I know for us over here, and it's hard for the people who I represent who work hard for a living and are just looking for a chance to take care of their families and make their way.

We also see those attacks on collective bargaining to silence workers, to take away rights to even have a voice at the table, to be part of the solution, which they have been and will continue to be.

You know, those power grabs, those attempts to disempower ordinary Americans, we have to fight against. There is a better way, and this Make It in America agenda offers us that better way.

Manufacturing, we all know, is a multiplier in terms of jobs. We know that for every manufacturing job, it has a multiplier effect of four more jobs. And in some industries, the auto industries, it's as high as 10 additional jobs.

We know that where people manufacture, if we manufacture in America, we do research and development in America. We maintain our capacity to be strong as a Nation--both economically as well as in our sense of national security. What happens if we can't make it in America?

So here we are. We have a number of proposals, we know that we need a national manufacturing strategy in this country. Democrats are committed to making sure that we have one.

Another area that we need to work on that I think the American people--honestly I think that they expect this, and I'm hoping that our friends across the aisle will see fit to join us in the effort to make sure that when taxpayer money is used to build our infrastructure, which in and of itself puts people to work, we will use that taxpayer money to buy American iron and steel and manufactured goods and get that multiplier effect as we build our streets and our roads and our bridges and our sewer systems and our water systems and our alternative energy products.

I will yield to the gentleman.

Absolutely. I introduced that legislation.

I thank the gentleman for bringing it up. It is called Keep American Jobs from Going Down the Drain Act. And what it says is very simple. It says that as we do what we need to do in this country to rebuild our infrastructure, our water and sewer systems, that we will make sure we do it using American iron and steel and manufactured goods because that puts the American people back to work.

Other countries have similar procurement policies, and it's way past time that this country also do what it can to keep these jobs right here in Ohio, right here in America.

I thank the gentleman.

You know, again, this Make It In America agenda, it really is something that we believe that whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, that everybody can embrace, and frankly, everybody needs to embrace. We saw what happened when we had our economy relying on the financial sector, where you had a few people moving money around. And it wasn't real value that was being created. When that bubble burst, we had a big problem. But when you engage in manufacturing, you take something of lesser value and you turn it into something of greater value. That is something that we can rely on.

So one of the things that we have to do is we have to have a national manufacturing strategy. And in that national manufacturing strategy, like on the agenda, the Make It In America agenda, we need to look at a number of things and how they all work together so that they will support U.S. manufacturing and U.S. workers.

Why do we need a manufacturing strategy? Well, it's kind of obvious, but I do think it's worth noting that others have national manufacturing strategies. So Germany has one, South Korea has one. In fact, every other industrialized nation has a network of currency, trade, tax, investment, innovation, and skills policies that promote their domestic manufacturing. So right here in the House we encourage our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in this Make It In America agenda, to promote a national manufacturing strategy that deals with trade policies that are fair, and that there will be a reciprocity of trade that will no longer leave our workers and our businesses at an unfair disadvantage, where others will be forced to play by the rules in the same way that our manufacturers and our workers play by the rules. A program that also promotes tax policies that encourage manufacturing in this country and stops the outsourcing of jobs overseas, which we have seen take place for decades now. That will be smart with respect to our energy policies, our labor policies.

We shouldn't be attacking workers. Workers are not the ones who drove our economy off the cliff. So that whole issue of disproportionate shared sacrifice, right? Just like we saw the disproportionate wealth accumulated in this country as it did with the help of the policies that were promoted by the last Republican administration. We need education policies as a part of that national manufacturing strategy to promote a workforce that will keep us competitive and on top. Policies that protect intellectual property and research and development right here.

Because where you have research and development you have manufacturing, and vice versa.

Of course, we need to strengthen and rebuild this country by investing in our infrastructure. It puts people to work, and it is what we need to do.

Smart cuts make sense, but so do smart investments, and infrastructure is a good way to go.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed to the bill.

Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, there are many times when we come to this floor and engage in heated debate, and we have heard some heated debate on the bill before us; but in this moment, Mr. Speaker, my amendment offers us the opportunity to come together and to do something extraordinarily important, and that is to protect our children.

I happen to oppose the underlying bill, but regardless of how one feels about the underlying legislation, this amendment is something upon which we can all agree. Nothing is more precious, more valuable than our children, and when a child goes missing in a community, no one asks whether he or she is a Republican or a Democrat. We simply ask: How can we help find the child and return him safely home? When the unthinkable happens, we all seek in common purpose to do all that we can to ensure a successful outcome, and it is in pursuit of that successful outcome that this amendment is offered today.

This amendment will ensure that, when a child goes missing, every resource available to find that child and to return him or her to safety will be utilized, including NPR's satellite. We all know that, when a child is abducted, a rapid and coordinated response can make a life-and-death difference. This amendment will make sure that we do not undermine the AMBER Alert System that has been effectively used to recover missing children.

The AMBER Alert System was created after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl from Arlington, Texas, was abducted while riding her bicycle and then was brutally murdered in 1996. Her kidnapping and murder still remain unsolved. Amber's tragic story led to a partnership between broadcasters and police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. Named in Amber's memory, it stands for ``America's Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response.'' The AMBER Alert program began as a local effort in Texas, and it has since grown into a successful national program, saving hundreds of lives of children.

Today, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have AMBER Alert plans. The AMBER Alert program instantly galvanizes the entire community to assist in the search for and in the safe recovery of an abducted child. Since its inception, the AMBER Alert has helped to find and successfully recover 538 children nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, we go to great lengths to protect our children from sexual predators and abductors--and rightfully so. We talk to them about keeping themselves safe. We teach them how to recognize and how to avoid dangerous situations, and we talk to them about making smart decisions. Today, we have the chance to make a decision to ensure that, regardless of how we feel about the underlying bill, we will not undermine the effectiveness of our AMBER Alert network system.

NPR is designated as a disseminator of AMBER Alerts via arrangements with the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The deployment of next-generation emergency alert systems is in progress, and NPR is positioned to play a vital, necessary role with its satellite-based capabilities.

Recklessly eliminating funding critical to the effective functioning of the AMBER Alert System would be a tragic mistake. Children of every age, gender and race are vulnerable to child abduction, and when it happens, time is the enemy. Communities must mobilize quickly.

The widespread use of the AMBER Alert network is the Nation's most powerful tool for bringing abducted children home. AMBER Alerts also serve as deterrents to those who would prey upon our children. AMBER Alert cases demonstrate that some perpetrators release the abducted children after hearing the AMBER Alerts on the radio or seeing them on television.

In my hometown of Copley, Ohio, a 1-year-old little girl was taken by her father after a domestic fight grew violent. The father, known to have a drug problem, took the young girl from her home and drove erratically off with her in a car. An AMBER Alert was issued, and because of the continued press coverage, the man made the decision to return his daughter. Thankfully, she was brought to safety.

Let's be clear. The passage of this amendment will not prevent the passage of the underlying bill. If the amendment is adopted, it will be incorporated into the bill, and the bill will be immediately voted upon. So, though we may disagree on the bill, today we have the opportunity to speak with one voice to protect our children. It is up to us. I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this final amendment.

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

Well, I thank the gentleman, and I thank you for your leadership.

Boy, that poster says a lot: GOP continuing resolution destroys 700,000-plus jobs, possibly yours. And where did we get that number? Before we get to Ohio, where did we get that number? We got that number from a number of places. Ben Bernanke said that the plan would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. The GOP's CR, according to Goldman Sachs, would reduce economic growth by 2 percent and cause the unemployment rate to increase. And a study by the International Monetary Fund concluded that the idea that fiscal austerity stimulates economic activity in the short term finds little support in the data.

We have a group of 300 economists, including two Nobel laureates, who wrote a letter warning that the shortsighted budget cuts to ``human capital, our infrastructure, and the next generation of scientific and technological advances'' would threaten future economic competitiveness as well as our current recovery.

So that's where we begin. Despite all of this forewarning about what this path will lead us to, we still see a continuing resolution that indicates we're going to lose 700,000-plus jobs.

In the State of Ohio, I'm sure that a number of people, most of the people out there, have seen at the statehouse where we're witnessing democracy in action, at least from the outside, because for a while there the statehouse doors were closed when all of the workers and fair-minded Ohioans descended upon our State's capitol to protest against what the Republican Governor there is trying to do to public sector workers.

Under the guise of taking care of our deficit, an attack on workers' rights is being waged not only in Ohio but across this country, from Wisconsin to Ohio to the floor of Congress where we've seen attack after attack. And it's really a sad thing, because we all know we should be focused--and the other side should join us in focusing--on priority one, which is putting people back to work.

In Ohio, the key to our budget problems is more people working than you have revenue to pay for the public services and the public sector employees who help to make our world turn. Can you imagine the idea?

It was not the workers in Wisconsin or Ohio or across this country that drove our economy off the cliff. It was not those teachers or those firefighters who rush into those burning buildings when we run out of them. It was not the police officers who are out there on our streets protecting us and keeping our communities safe. It was not the workers.

The workers are not the problem. They are part of the solution of where we need to go. But the bottom line is we need to be focused on creating jobs. And it's just amazing that not only are our friends across the aisle, the Republicans, not interested and focusing on that--10 weeks on the job, zero jobs--they're actually looking at cutting those people who do have jobs, their rights. It's just fundamentally unfair and it's counterproductive.

We all know that we need to trim back our budget. We should always be willing to trim back the budget, but only by engaging in smart cuts, not just indiscriminate cuts.

What happens when a person doesn't have a job? What happens when 700,000 people don't have a job? Do we think they just disappear, that they are no cost to our government, to our country? Not to mention the loss of dignity and the loss of opportunity, everything that our country stands for, having a chance to make a way for your family, to feed your family and take care of your family.

It's a crazy idea to say that we can make cuts that cut hundreds of thousands of jobs and somehow that will lead us to prosperity.