Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today people from across Ohio are gathering at the Statehouse in Columbus. They are gathering to speak up for workers and the middle class in this country. Last Tuesday, I went to Columbus and joined our brothers and sisters in our fight to protect the right of public employees to have a voice at the negotiating table. And as we gathered to oppose Senate bill 5, that backward effort of Governor Kasich and his Republican friends in the State legislature to eliminate collective bargaining, I was struck by the weight of the moment and by the weight of this fight. But I was inspired, too-- inspired to see thousands of people from across the State coming together to protest the radical measures that the Republicans were proposing.

Though we can't be there today physically, we are there with those who gather at the Statehouse, and we stand with them from our place here in our Nation's capital. Last week, we were there shoulder to shoulder, people in common purpose, standing up for working families, standing together in the fight for the promise of the middle class.

The unfair, backward-thinking attack on Ohio's firefighters, police, teachers, nurses, and other dedicated public employees must be stopped. And I'm proud to be standing with Ohioans that are fair-minded as we fight for progress, not for a return to old ways. Instead of pursuing this draconian measure attacking Ohio's working families, lawmakers at every level of government should be focused on the critical priority of getting people back to work instead of engaging in attacks on those who have chosen to teach our children, protect our communities, and keep us safe.

Everyone should be working to strengthen our economy and create jobs. That, in turn, would generate the revenue we need to fairly compensate our public employees with the wages and the benefits which they have been promised and they have earned. The focus of all officials, as I said, across all levels of government, should be on creating jobs, not taking more from our workers. It was not our workers who drove the economy off the cliff. It was not our workers in Ohio. It was not the workers in Wisconsin. But it seems that the Republicans just can't stop themselves. Similar efforts to disempower working families and the middle class are occurring right here in Washington.

It is not just collective bargaining for public employees that they're after. Two weeks ago, Republicans tried to pass a measure in Congress to prohibit the paying of prevailing wages and to stop local project labor agreements, which would put a hard hit on our trades people. They even tried to eliminate the National Labor Relations Board, the very board that exists as a referee to make sure that our workers get a fair shake.

Yet they have not offered any job creation bills. And at the same time they are not creating jobs, they are defunding programs that have real benefits: their refusal to expand the trade adjustment assistance that helped workers who were displaced because of the trade policies that they pursued; the refusal of some to extend unemployment benefits to those who are out of a job through no fault of their own. At the same time they are working to not create jobs, they are also giving no assistance to those who are left without a job. It's issues like these that make it so important that we keep our heads up in Ohio.

And to all of those who are out there in Ohio and across the country fighting this fight, it's an important fight, and what you do matters. It's important that we speak up and be heard so that the issues that matter to us so very deeply are well sounded. We have to stand together and work together and fight forward.

Using the deficit as an excuse, there are those who are trying to convince the American people that a more fair economy would result in a much less efficient economy. But fairness and efficiency are not mutually exclusive. Using the deficit as an excuse to give a disproportionate hit to workers or unions is not the way to go.

I would hope that the Republicans, both at the State level as well as here in Congress, would join with us to focus on what we really need to do, and that is to create jobs. And I would hope that they would stop the misguided attack on workers and the middle class.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentlewoman, Representative Lowey's, amendment to restore funding for the title X family planning program. I also want to convey my strong opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana prohibiting Planned Parenthood from receiving any Federal funds, including any funds for cervical or breast cancer screening. These draconian proposals will end preventive and primary care for millions of American women--primary care services that are for so many women the only

medical care they receive throughout the year. In fact, six in 10 women who access care from a family planning center consider it to be their main source of health care.

What we are seeing here today is nothing less than an attack on access to women's health services. The real impact of these cuts is that 5 million women across this country will lose access to basic primary and preventive care services.

Let's be clear, Planned Parenthood does offer needed family planning services, and they also offer preventive health care services. In 2009, in the State of Ohio, Planned Parenthood served 97,574 patients by providing primary health services like cervical and breast cancer screenings, birth control, along with general services including smoking cessation, flu vaccinations, and screening for diabetes and anemia. Planned Parenthood in Ohio provided 32,532 cervical cancer screenings in 2009. Planned Parenthood in Ohio provided 32,717 breast exams in 2009--32,717 women given piece of mind that they are free from cancer or put on the path to necessary further treatment for breast cancer; 32,717 women given access to preventive care services that each and every American woman needs.

From the cuts to the Women, Infants, and Children program to these cuts targeted at women's health care, a pattern is quickly emerging. And it's unacceptable. It shows a disregard for women's health and safety. Rather than jeopardize the health of women and children across our country; rather than cutting heating assistance for those with low income; rather than cutting funding for Community Health Centers that help our most vulnerable; rather than cutting Community Development Block Grant funding that helps with economic development and job creation, this Congress can cut things like billions of dollars out of oil subsidies that go right to the profits of those oil companies. We can require the negotiations of lower drug prices to benefit our seniors and the bottom line.

We as a Congress, rather than focusing on these draconian cuts to jeopardize the health of women and children, we should focus on job number one, and that is making investments helping Americans get back to work. We need to be working to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, rebuilding our infrastructure, and stopping the outsourcing of American jobs. I urge my colleagues to join us in these efforts.

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

Parliamentary Inquiry

Madam Speaker, we know Gabrielle Giffords as a colleague and a friend, a member of our congressional class of 2006, the majority makers. She is an outstanding public servant whose sole and constant commitment is to help make her district and our Nation as great as it can be.

The shooting that has left Gabby fighting to recover and that has claimed the lives of her outreach director, Gabe Zimmerman, and five other innocent victims was horrific and stunning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gabby, her husband, Mark, and their family and to all of the victims and their families.

In recent days the Nation has learned much about Gabby and her commitment to kindness and service. We've learned also of other extraordinary Americans present on that day. We learned of Christina Taylor Green, a child full of grace born on 9/11, taken away far too soon but who will be remembered always not only by her beautiful family, but by a grieving Nation that glimpsed her spirit, leaving her goodness impressed forever on our collective memory.

America has learned of Gabe Zimmerman, a faithful public servant who used his life to make a difference in his country and for his community; and of Judge Roll, husband and father, committed to justice and the rule of law; of Dorothy Morris, beloved wife of George Morris, who also was critically wounded as he tried to shield her from the bullet; and of Phyllis Schneck, loving mother of three and beloved grandmother of seven; and of Dorwan Stoddard, who acted with great love in giving his life to save his wife.

We remember these extraordinary people and the others who were injured, and we remember the heroes who came to the aid of fellow citizens, these ordinary yet great Americans reflecting the best of our Nation and its citizenry. And we join together today to condemn this violent rampage.

But let us also join together to express our appreciation for those who offered themselves up in service, like Gabby, Gabe and Judge Roll, and all who were there participating in our representative Republic. Let us reach out one to another in common purpose. It has been said, God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through. Let it be so.

The issue facing this country is jobs. Instead of rushing to the aid of the insurance industry to reinstate their right to engage in egregious discriminatory practices of discriminating against adults and children alike based on preexisting conditions, instead of allowing the doughnut hole to continue to bear down on our seniors, we should be passing real jobs legislation.

Urgently, we should be bringing up jobs bills that will make a real difference, like putting an end to China's currency manipulation. We've heard the numbers: 2.4 million jobs lost across the country, 92,000 jobs lost in Ohio, and 5,700 jobs have been lost in my congressional district due to China's deliberate and abusive trade policies. We can do something about this issue today, and we should. It makes a real difference.

I hope that our friends across the aisle will stand with American businesses and American workers and put an end to the abusive practice of China's currency manipulation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1644. This resolution expresses support for the designation of a National Veterans History Project week, recognizing a truly incredible program that honors our veterans.

The National Veterans History project collects the personal narratives and mementos of our veterans, in order to preserve a rich history of the brave men and women who have so honorably served our country. The project--administered by the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress--allows veterans and interested parties to register and acquire a free field kit to participate.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of a project that has already collected more than 70,000 oral histories--ensuring the preservation of these stories for generations to come. This educational project provides people of all ages the opportunity to learn an important history of the meanings of service, sacrifice, and democracy--directly from many of those who have honored those values.

I am honored that so many veterans of the 13th district of Ohio have shared their incredible stories with me--all of which are deserving of being shared with the world. Our support for the National Veterans History project will help make that happen.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Anamika Veeramani of North Royalton, Ohio. Anamika is a resident of the 13th Congressional District of Ohio, which I am so honored to represent. Anamika won the 83rd Scripps National Spelling Bee championship on Friday, June 4, 2010, and she brings back to Ohio the first national spelling bee title since 1964.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the largest and longest-running educational promotion in the United States and is administered by the E.W. Scripps Company located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Anamika put in the hard work necessary to achieve this great accomplishment. By working hard, students learn that anything is possible, including spelling difficult and complex words. She won the Plain Dealer Cuyahoga County Scripps Spelling Bee on March 6 for the second year in the row. By winning the spelling bee in northeast Ohio, Anamika advanced to the national competition here in Washington, D.C.

To win the title, Anamika correctly spelled the name of a tool that measures the speed of blood through an artery called ``stromuhr.''

With opportunities like the Scripps National Spelling Bee, children are given the chance to learn and succeed and build the confidence that they need moving forward. By winning the bee, she won $30,000 and a trophy from Scripps, a $5,000 scholarship from Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation, a $2,500 savings bond from Merriam-Webster, and more than $3,500 worth of reference material from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster.

These winnings will help her reach for her dream of attending college and one day becoming a cardiovascular surgeon, and perhaps she will have a head start on her colleagues, knowing how to clearly say and spell ``stromuhr.'' With the kind of hard work and dedication she showed in this competition, anything is within her reach. I would like to congratulate Anamika on this terrific achievement.

I would also like to recognize all the finalists, Adrian Gunawan, Elizabeth Platz, Shantanu Srivatsa, Laura Newcombe, Lanson Tang, Joanna Ye, and Andrew Grose. And congratulations are due to all the students who participated in the spelling bee.

I want to applaud also all of the teachers, parents, and students for their commitment to this great program.

Thank you, Chairman Levin, for your leadership on this issue.

Abusive trade practices by China have cost American small businesses opportunities and American workers jobs. We've heard the numbers--2.4 million jobs lost across the country, 92,000 jobs lost in Ohio, and 5,700 jobs have been lost in my congressional district due to China's deliberate and abusive trade policies--policies like their blatant currency manipulation that violates their obligations to international trading.

Today, we say we've had enough. Today, we stand with American workers and American small businesses. We send a clear message that American workers and businesses will compete with Chinese workers and businesses but they should not have to compete against a manipulated currency.

China's currency manipulation makes their goods artificially cheaper, costing our workers jobs and our businesses opportunities. Working families around the country see and feel the results of China's misaligned currency. We must stand against it. They see plants closing. They see friends and loved ones losing their jobs. And today, Mr. Speaker, they are seeing us stand up for American manufacturing and American workers and demand a level playing field and an end to China's currency manipulation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the underlying legislation. In particular, I rise in strong support of the provision that extends the period for filing stop loss compensation claims to December 3 of this year.

Under the stop loss measure that I originally introduced in 2008, servicemen and -women, including members of the Reserve, who had their service extended due to stop loss after September 11, 2001, are eligible for stop loss pay of $500 per month.

Our brave service men and women must know that we honor and respect their dedication and sacrifices to protect us and our country.

I received emails from servicemembers describing the effects of stop loss on their lives and the lives of their families. They share the hardship of being stop-lossed. They share some of the things that it has caused--financial problems and depression, family strife, and even divorce.

I am pleased that this bill will give our soldiers more time to file for the stop loss compensation that they deserve for all of their extended service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I want my colleagues to know that these payments do not go unappreciated and urge all of you to help get the word out about the stop loss pay that some may be eligible for.

Yesterday, a posting online on VetVoice illustrates the importance of getting the word out about this pay. A Vietnam veteran tells us of an account of telling a few veterans about the stop loss pay, and he says:

``One, the big guy--I am over 6 feet and 200 pounds. If I call him a big guy, he is a big guy--had tears streaming down his face.

`` `I was stop-lossed 11 months ago,' he said. `I've used up all of my unemployment. You mean I can get $5,500?' he sputtered through the tears. `Sure,' I answered. `It's as easy as going to the Web site and following the links.'

``He grabbed me in a bear hug as he told me that his wife hadn't had a new thing in many months. His kids didn't even get new clothes for school, yet alone supplies. They'd been subsisting on food stamps and the occasional visit to the food bank. His gratitude was more crushing than his considerable strength.''

The other veteran said he hadn't quite sunk that low financially but he sure could use the money. They offered me their thanks, and we parted ways.

That is what this Vietnam veteran relayed in relation to an account that he had to share the news about stop loss pay that they were potentially entitled to. I hope that we will all get the word out. I am glad that we are extending the deadline. Our servicemembers deserve it and have earned it.

Madam Speaker, today I pay tribute to Linda Pierce, PhD, RN, CRRN, CNS, FAHA of the University of Toledo College of Nursing and president of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), a constituent from my congressional district. Ms. Pierce will soon complete her year as the 2009-2010 national president of the ARN, a professional organization representing nurses who work to enhance the quality of life for those who are affected by physical disabilities or chronic illnesses. During her tenure as president at ARN, Ms. Pierce has been a strong leader and advocate for rehabilitation nurses, as well as the patients ARN serves everyday.

Since 1974, ARN has been the leading source for the latest rehabilitation information, resources, and professional development and career opportunities for rehabilitation nursing professionals. ARN members are nurses with a broad range of clinical experience dedicated to helping individuals affected by chronic illness or a physical disability adapt to their disabilities, achieve their greatest potential, and work toward productive, independent lives.

Presently, ARN is comprised of a nationwide network of more than 5,500 rehabilitation

nurses who practice in many settings including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies, sub-acute and long- term care facilities, and private companies.

A resident of Elyria, Ohio, Ms. Pierce earned both her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and her Masters of Science in Nursing from the University of Akron. Ms. Pierce went on to earn her Doctorate in Philosophy of Nursing from Wayne State University.

In addition to Ms. Pierce's academic achievements, she is also a National Stroke Council Member of the American Stroke Association. She has presented numerous times on topics relating to rehabilitation nursing, and published several books and scholarly articles pertaining to caregivers of persons with stroke. Ms. Pierce is currently educating the next generation of nurses, as a tenured professor at the University of Toledo, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses.

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me today in recognizing the outgoing president of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Linda Pierce, for her dedication and exemplary work in the field of rehabilitation nursing. We thank you Ms. Pierce for your ongoing service to the healthcare profession.

I thank the gentleman for the time, and I want to commend Chairman Markey for his amazing leadership on this very important piece of bipartisan legislation and thank Chairman Waxman for all the work that he put forward and for working with me on two important amendments during the committee. I appreciate that effort and that willingness to make this bill just every bit as good as it has been presented to be.

The first amendment that we worked on ensures that when applications for assistance include a plan to mitigate or prevent corrosion, that that application will receive greater weight. Now, why is that important? It's important because corrosion is a serious issue that doesn't receive enough attention until, sadly, it's too late, after a bridge collapses or water or sewer system ruptures.

But by addressing corrosion at the onset of a project, we will extend the life of critical infrastructure, thereby reducing maintenance costs, increasing public safety, and saving taxpayers money.

Now, according to a study to the Federal Highway Administration, the cost of corrosion to drinking water and sewer systems alone support $36 billion a year. So, clearly, anyone interested in efficient cost- effective, deficit-busting government needs to join in the fight to prevent and mitigate the costs of corrosion.

Secondly, and very importantly, this bill also includes a Buy America amendment that will ensure that when U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to build our water and sewer systems, that American-made steel and iron and manufactured goods will be used to do it.

The American people clearly expect that when their taxpayer dollars are used to invest in our Nation's infrastructure, that those tax dollars will be used to create jobs right here at home.

And with this Buy America amendment, we will ensure just that. We will effectively help bolster U.S. manufacturing and good-paying manufacturing jobs for the people I am so honored to represent in northeast Ohio and for those around the country.

Manufacturing jobs have a multiplier effect. Each manufacturing job can generate at least four other jobs in the private sector, and that's why I am very excited about the Make It in America strategy that Democrats are pursuing to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, and this Buy America amendment is a critical component of that Make It in America strategy.

As we invest in our Nation's infrastructure, American taxpayers expect that those tax dollars will be used to create jobs at home, and with this amendment in this bill we are making sure that will happen.

Getting Americans back to work is the highest priority; and with this bill we will not only be providing for safe, stronger, water systems. We are maximizing its job creation impact and doing so in a cost- effective way as we work to prevent the costly effects of corrosion.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you again for your work on this excellent bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2480, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act.

Mr. Speaker, consumers should be able to make informed decisions on what they're purchasing. When fur is not labeled because the value is below a certain level, a consumer may believe that no fur is used, even when it is. This bill will fix that problem by requiring that all fur apparel have labels, regardless of the value.

It's alarming when investigations reveal that dog fur and other animal furs are being sold to consumers who thought that they had merely purchased fake fur. Labels on all fur products will allow consumers to know what they are buying for themselves and their families, and it will help us disclose the truth about the type of fur that is being used on garments.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life and service of Barberton Police Chief Michael Kallai. On June 30, Chief Kallai suffered a fatal heart attack while vacationing in Tennessee with his family.

Chief Kallai was a committed public servant, a 32-year veteran of the Barberton Police Department, serving the last 13 years as police chief.

But, most importantly, he was the loving and devoted husband of 35 years to his wife, Jennifer, and the proud father of four--Michael, Jr., Joe, Zak and Vanessa.

Chief Kallai was also very proud to be an assistant wrestling coach at Wadsworth High School for the past 19 years.

He was born in Barberton, Ohio, and lived in the area all of his life, and he touched the lives of people all across our community with his outgoing spirit.

Chief Kallai was known as a cop's cop and a true professional. His death was a shock to his family and the City of Barberton and the numerous communities throughout Ohio which he touched.

Over the past weeks, we have seen just how much he meant to so many. Though he was soft spoken, Mike had a commanding presence and was very well respected and, as the hardest worker on the force, helped every service department in Barberton in some way or another.

So much love was felt for the chief throughout the community that over 100 former and present wrestlers, who were coached by Chief Kallai, were in attendance at his funeral. Police officers stood at attention outside the church in sweltering heat. The sea of blue uniforms was a testament to the fraternal brotherhood of police that he embraced, the thin blue line.

His spirit and dedication to our community will be sorely missed, but his service and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Barberton was the community he grew up in. It was the community he served in and he embraced. His memory will live on in the hearts of his family, friends, and our community.

Chief Kallai will truly be missed. We will always remember Mike for his commitment to his community and his dedication to his family. He was a friend and a leader, and he leaves a void that cannot be filled.

On behalf of the people of Ohio's 13th District, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the Kallai family. They have lost a great son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather who passed away much too soon, and we have lost a true friend and committed member of our community.

Thank you very much, Representative Garamendi, for your leadership as we move forward to activate our manufacturing base to revitalize our economy. By enacting policies that will work with our U.S. manufacturers and our workers, we are going to ``make it in America.''

Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy; it's the backbone of our national security and, frankly, the promise of the middle class. When I grew up, it was a time when people could count on a good manufacturing job to put food on the table and take care of their families and have a pension that they could count on that would be there when they retired, and security. But we've watched our Nation witness the loss of millions of good manufacturing jobs due to policies that put our companies and our workers at an unfair disadvantage. Over the last decade, we've certainly seen those effects across the country, but we've seen them in a big way in Ohio.

The U.S. has lost roughly 6 million manufacturing jobs, with Ohio losing more than one in three manufacturing jobs in the last decade. We've seen factory after factory close as jobs are shipped overseas. We've seen our workers and our jobs undercut by foreign countries and foreign companies and competitors that engage in unfair trade tactics, ranging from Chinese currency manipulation, which is the same thing as cheating, to illegally subsidized steel; and for too long we haven't had a comprehensive plan to reverse this trend. But with our Make It in America initiative, we are saying very loudly, very clearly, and very persistently that we have had enough, that we are going to pass policies that work with and for our U.S. manufacturers and our workers and our country.

Today we passed three bills that are going to bolster U.S. manufacturing and provide for families in northeast Ohio and across this country opportunities for good jobs for today and for tomorrow, because though we may make different things or improved things, we still need to make things; and we're going to do it today, and we're going to do it tomorrow.

Manufacturing jobs have a multiplier effect like no other job out there. Each manufacturing job can generate at least four other jobs in the private sector. Our workers can compete--we know it--as long as they have a level playing field, and our Make It in America agenda is going to help level that playing field.

So I'm very happy to be with you. I know we're going to talk about the bills that were passed today. And I want to just also, before I turn it over, talk about something that we're going to do tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to, under the Make It in America agenda, we are going to take up the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act, known as AQUA. It includes an amendment of mine that will ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars, number one, are going to be used to build our cities' drinking water and sewer systems, and that when we do that, American- made steel and iron and manufactured goods are going to be used to build them.

It is just another example of the things that we can do to make it in America and to make it possible for our workers and for our economy to make it in America.

I yield.

We have seen our ``buy America'' provisions in a number of our bills be whittled away over time so that we aren't ensured the way that we should be. When taxpayer dollars are used, I think the American taxpayers expect that we use goods made in America and that we put Americans to work. That is what this amendment is now going to ensure so that the predicament that you've described can't happen, because we now have an amendment to stop it.

Exactly.

Excuse me. Will both gentlemen yield for just a moment?

You bring up such an important point.

We had this policy that encouraged jobs to be moved offshore, and we had other policies that, frankly, allowed, for many years, unfair practices to undercut our workers and our businesses.

Now, I know we're all pretty new here. You know, I'm in my second term, and you're in your first term, and the gentleman from Wisconsin-- you know, we just came here, so we're fresh in the fight. Yet the reality is that it is important to notice what was happening before the big recession hit.

So in Ohio, those wages have taken our jobs overseas, with the help of tax policies that we have finally been able, with the majority on this side of the aisle, to pass by ourselves to try and change.

And it does beg the question, and I listened to your comments earlier about how we went through this litany of measures to try and stabilize the economy, and we did. And now, of course, this is so important because this goes beyond stabilizing the economy, and it goes towards creating real value by making real things, not pretend values that the banks made and people moving money around made.

I will yield.

I appreciate the gentleman's remarks and I would--because sometimes we come down here and we make the case, but it's important to also let people know that it's not just us saying this. The Economic Policy Institute, on this point about China, the Economic Policy Institute reported that unfair trade with China has cost our Nation 2.4 million jobs between 2001 and 2008.

Ohio, where I am so honored to serve, has lost nearly 92,000 jobs because of China alone. In my congressional district, the 13th District of Ohio, made up of hardworking citizens who want nothing but a fair shake, in my congressional district, 5,700 jobs have been lost as a result of China's currency manipulation, pointed out by the gentleman from Wisconsin, and other illegal subsidies and unfair trade barriers. And these, of course, are good paying jobs that pay family sustaining wages.

And if I could just indulge the gentleman for one moment about a case study, something that has played out in the past year or so. You know, during this recession, when market forces would indicate that you cut back on steel production, do you know what China did? They ramped up production. They dumped that steel into the United States, and my steel companies, our manufacturing companies in Lorain, Ohio, at U.S. Steel-- and I like the name, U.S. Steel--were undercut, and so our workers were laid off.

So what did we do? What is our mechanism? Right? Our mechanism is we go to the International Trade Commission. So they had a preliminary hearing, and I went to the preliminary hearing, which was, evidently, an unusual move. But I think I've got to do everything I can to stand up for the people that I represent, so I went to the preliminary hearing.

We got them to move the process forward to a final hearing. We took a letter, I took a letter signed by 40-some colleagues in this House, and we went--I went and others got others to go, and we all went to the final hearing of the ITC. This was about oil country tubular goods, which is what we make in the 13th Congressional District, and how China was unfairly subsidizing their steel.

And what happened? A unanimous decision that it was, indeed, happening. And you know what? That's good, right. That's good news. But the only problem is our people have been out of a job for over a year before we get the tariff gone.

You are so right. I just want to put a highlight on this fact. When we went to that hearing, the standard for judgment is material harm. So we showed that these actions were undertaken and resulted in material harm; and that material harm, those are people, people with families that they're trying to raise right here in this country right in Lorain, Ohio, and in Wisconsin, and all over this great country. And because of the length of time that this went on, these folks didn't have the income coming in. And guess what? Then our communities didn't have the tax base to support what? Police and fire and city services. And we end up what? Paying unemployment. And people suffer the loss of the dignity of work, which is so important to the people that I represent. They just want an opportunity.

I thank the gentleman, and I could not agree more. Call the bluff. Let them get up, make the case to the American people about why they're standing between people who need jobs and the jobs that can be there. I mean, I don't think the American people will stand with them. I think they will stand with these policies that we are offering now in this agenda and this moment forward on making it in America.

And I just have to ask the question, because it is really startling if you think about, you laid out all of the things that we did to try and stabilize the economy, and all of the actions we are undertaking and have been undertaking as we build towards the future, where we can make products in America and we can also enable our communities and our workers and our businesses to make it in America.

Every once in a while people must turn on the TV, I know that they do, and they hear our counterparts on the other side, and they say over and over again, as if the American people won't notice that they're voting against everything, they say: Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs?

Well, the reality of it is we're putting the bills on the floor and you're voting

against the jobs. So there's this idea that they must insult the American people by suggesting that somehow the jobs are missing. You're voting against the jobs, and now you have a chance to join us in the Make It in America.

Or a bridge or a highway. We want this to all be made in America. These are taxpayer dollars. The taxpayers expect it to happen. We need to do this work when it needs to be done, but we need to do it with the American workers and American businesses having the chance to make it in America.

I just want to say to my friend from Wisconsin, I know what he's trying to convey in his remarks, but you know, the American people, they are facing great challenges, and that's what you're reflecting in your comments.

And I have to tell you that I still think that this job, this honor that I have to serve here, I don't think it's painful. I think it's a privilege and I think it's an honor, and I know that the gentleman thinks the same thing about his service in this House.

Because when people are facing the unfair competition that they are facing, the policies that are working

against them instead of with them, the cheating that goes on with currency manipulation and unfair practices, all of those things that are happening, we are here in this moment and we have a chance to change it for them and it matters the most.

So I am very excited about being here, fighting forward, not fighting back, but fighting forward to make sure that we make it in America by strengthening U.S. manufacturing at every turn in ways that make sense for our country, our people. We know we need to manufacture here also because our national security requires us to make things in America.

Well, certainly.

The taxpayers in my district and the businesses, the workers there and across this country, I believe, expect that, when we use those tax dollars, that we use them to buy things and build things in America.

This is about their money and making sure we put it to work for them by putting them to work and not about shipping the money to foreign countries so that they can produce the products there and then ship them back over here.

So today, something very important happened and was passed. It is called the End the Trade Deficit Act, sort of to put a punctuation mark on this. You know, our trade deficit has continued to grow for all of the reasons that we talked about, and our trade deficit increased to $42.3 billion for May of this year, up from the previous month. The deficit with China, alone, in May was $22.3 billion, up from $19.3 billion in April.

So this Make It in America program--and it is not a flash in the pan. This is an ongoing mission that we are on because we are going to revitalize U.S. manufacturing, and we are going to stand up for U.S. manufacturing against unfair competition.

You know, the issue of currency manipulation--we have to, when we come back, I urge everyone, and I know you guys are on board, to bring the bill that is part of Make It in America called the currency manipulation--end currency manipulation, End Chinese Currency Manipulation bill to the House floor for a vote so we can see who wants to stand with U.S. manufacturing. And I am fairly certain that those on this side of the aisle are prepared to do it.

I think we do have some even on the other side of the aisle who are prepared to do it. But it is so critically important that we do take all of these steps on this multifaceted mission that we are on to make sure that our businesses and workers get a fair shake, because we know when they do, it

strengthens our economy. It strengthens our national security, and our folks will be able to make it in America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to Robert Fozio, who passed away on April 17, 2010 after a courageous battle with cancer. Robert played a very active role in the Northeast Ohio community and that is how I became acquainted with him.

Robert was a bricklayer, an avid outdoorsman, devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, and brother. Robert always taught his family that wherever you are, to be 100% there. He also emphasized the importance of never forgetting who you are and where you came from. Whether it was through his longstanding membership with Bricklayers Local 5, the Northern Ohio Administrative District Council, the International Union of Bricklayers, the Allied Craftworkers, or his time serving with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam, Robert was a fixture in the community.

At the young age of 17, Robert received special permission from his mother to join the U.S. Navy so that he could bring in additional income for his family. Robert joined the Local 5 in 1963 shortly after returning from his naval tour in Vietnam. Robert quickly ascended through the ranks in the allied crafts and was a superintendent and foreman for the majority of his career. He was a brilliant man, which was demonstrated by his own professional success, as well as his efforts to improve the lives of other tradesmen.

In 1998, Robert was named interim director of the District Council and was elected full-time director in 2001 until his retirement in 2009. His tireless work for the industry was rewarded when the Robert A. Fozio Regional Training Center for all craft apprentices and journeyman upgrading was opened in May 2005. The Training Center was a model in innovation, training all facets of the allied crafts under one roof, which provided a higher standard and level of expectation for contractors in the area. This center came to be known as the best training center in the United States for apprentices in allied crafts and for journeyman upgrading.

In his free time, Robert was an avid hunter and fisherman and spent several years as a professional archer. In recent years, he developed a love for sporting clays and spent his free time shooting with friends and family. In fact, Robert went on a hunting expedition in 2008 with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Society and appeared in a video shooting white-tailed deer, which still appears on many outdoors programs.

He was a respected and beloved member of the greater Brunswick community, and his presence will be remembered by the entire area. His legacy of community, friendship, family, and hard work will continue for many years.

Robert leaves behind not only those whom he served, but also a loving family--his wife Dorothy, his daughters Tiffany Yohman and Theresa Berthold, his sisters Rose Marie Friend, Marilyn Seltzer, and Carolyne Fozio, his brothers Donald and Patrick Fozio, his grandchildren, as well as many other close family members and friends. Robert will truly

be missed. We will always remember Robert for his commitment to his community, his caring for his union brothers and sisters, and his dedication to his family. And I will remember the central quotation by which Robert lived his life: ``Plan your work and work your plan.''

On behalf of the people of Ohio's 13th District, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the Fozio family. They have lost a great husband, father, and grandfather who passed away much too soon and we have lost a true friend and committed member of our community.