Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my wholehearted support of Ukraine's desire to be admitted as a member of

Madam Speaker, I rise to welcome all of the advocates that have come to Washington today for Great Lakes Day. Their goal is to advocate on behalf

of the long-term health of our magnificent Great Lakes--a cause that has been a primary advocacy of mine throughout my career in public service.

The people who have come here today on behalf of the Lakes have dedicated themselves to ensuring that America's greatest natural resource is able to be enjoyed for generations to come--a cause near and dear to the heart of every Michiganian--and I commend them for their selfless service.

I am proud to be from the Great Lakes state of Michigan and prouder still that we have been able to do some significant work to improve conditions in these magical waters together.

Last year, Congress finally passed the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA. WRDA authorized important projects aimed at improving the Lakes, including $20 million to implement the Lake St. Clair/St. Clair River Management Plan and the construction of an electronic barrier to keep Asian carp out of the Lakes.

These are projects that I strongly support because of the benefits they will have on the health of the Great Lakes water.

While these projects are significant, much more needs to be done here in Congress to address the significant challenges facing this vital resource.

The Great Lakes are at historically low water levels which is effecting trade, tourism, and travel for everyone that uses the waters.

We are dealing with numerous invasive species--including phragmites and zebra mussels--which are having a terrible effect on the ecosystem of the lakes and the shoreline.

In fact, a new invasive species is being identified in the Great Lakes nearly every 8 months. This startling fact should prompt us all to act immediately to stop the spread of invasive species and the havoc they cause in our precious waters.

One other issue of concern is the algal blooms which we have recently seen flaring up in and around the Great Lakes. These blooms negatively impact fisheries, boating, tourism, and property values. The blooms may produce toxins which can be fatal to humans in certain cases. They are also causing botulism, which is creating a tremendous number of bird deaths. In the water, these blooms can produce ``dead zones,'' resulting in the demise of aquatic life. Algal blooms are particular problem on the Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair and the western shore of Lake Erie.

Since the Great Lakes are a national treasure they deserve the full attention of the United States Congress. The federal government must be a partner with state and local governments, as well as the Lake advocates that have invested their time and talents in improving conditions and the overall outlook of the Great Lakes.

We must work together to protect and preserve them for the future.

I was very energized last week when it was announced that the House would be considering the Coast Guard Re-authorization bill which includes tough new standards for the discharge of ballast water in the Great Lakes which will help reduce the number of invasive species entering the lakes.

I was then very disappointed to see that bill pull from the agenda because of other issues.

This House must pass this ballast water legislation as soon as possible and help to stop invasive species from permanently damaging the fragile ecosystem in what remains wholly one-fifth of the world's surface fresh water supply.

The people of the Great Lakes States are demanding action and the time to act is now.

There is much more that we can do in addition to support the health of the Great Lakes. I will be honored to work closely with my colleagues to ensure that this national treasure is protected and preserved.

So I wish Happy Great Lakes Day to my colleagues, to those who have come to our Nation's Capitol to advocate on their behalf and everyone who shares my commitment to protecting and preserving our magnificent Great Lakes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation.

This measure corrects a problem which has been culminating since 1974 when the National Flood Insurance Program began subsidizing flood insurance rates. These rates were designed to encourage participation in the program and to generate sufficient income to pay anticipated claims on these properties. Originally, Congress had expected that over time the percentage of these structures would decline and that most of them would be subject to actuarial rates. However that has not occurred.

This bill corrects this problem by removing subsidies for properties that are purchased in excess of a half of a million dollars.

Sadly, this is just one of the many problems the National Flood Insurance Program faces. Currently, FEMA is engaged in efforts to modernize flood maps throughout the country, which in many places, are horribly outdated. Utilizing antiquated data impacts millions of property owners, property owners that live on, near or around the Upper Great Lakes, which is essentially everything in the Great Lakes Basin upstream from Niagara Falls. So Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and the St. Mary's River, St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the Niagara River.

Unfortunately, FEMA's efforts in the upper Great Lakes are being conducted with flawed and outdated data. The data currently being used is from when Great Lakes water levels were at an all time high, and in the 20 years since this study was completed, lake levels have fallen for 11 years.

Let me use St. Clair County in my district as an example. In St. Clair County, FEMA is abusing the authority Congress granted them through management of the National Flood Insurance Program. As the agency continues to modernize the maps in the county, the effects will double the number of county residents who will be forced to purchase flood insurance even though they are at virtually no risk of flooding. More specifically, Lake St. Clair is currently more than 55 inches below the current flood level, and over 6 feet below FEMA's proposed flood level. This means that St. Clair County alone has subsidized the flood insurance program to the tune of $8.2 million. Using such flawed data is nothing more than a waste of FEMA's time and money not to mention the waste of taxpayer dollars.

How can the FEMA justify doing this? The agency claims these residents are at a higher risk of a flood and wants to raise the base flood elevation which determines the boundaries of the 100-year flood zone. As a result, states like Michigan become ATMs for FEMA to withdraw money and spend it in regions of the country that experience high levels of repeated flooding. In Michigan, we look down at the water, not up.

Certainly we can all agree that using sound science in this instance--when hundreds of millions of dollars are about to be assessed against American property owners--is the most prudent course of action. It is time that FEMA stop using antiquated data and forcing the American people into purchasing a product that some don't need.

I certainly appreciate the gentleman yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I intend to vote ``no'' on this rule as well as the underlying bill, and I want my reasons for doing so to be a matter of public record, because I believe that this vote will come back to haunt many Members, maybe in 3 years, maybe in 5, maybe in 10, but at some point.

This is actually not an energy bill, it is simply a CAFE bill, and so it should rightly be called the ``how Congress destroyed the domestic auto industry bill.''

Let's consider for a moment that the domestic auto industry is the only carbon-restricted industry in our Nation, and this bill certainly continues that unfairness. In fact, under this legislation, the domestic auto industry will almost entirely shoulder the burden for this Congress so that we can say we are reducing CO2 emissions, even though the auto industry is responsible for less than 20 percent of that.

This bill attacks the domestic auto industry because they are a very easy target. In fact, it is just the ``weak chicken'' scenario, and all the other chickens in the barnyard, including the oil industry and the natural gas and the utilities and coal, are all pecking the domestic auto industry to death, because by doing so they can avert any such government sanctions against themselves. And I mean that literally, because it is estimated that the cost to comply with this energy bill with these new CAFE mandates, it is going to cost the domestic auto industry $85 billion. $85 billion from an industry that is struggling just to survive right now with all the unfair trade practices and the legacy costs that they face. And if you don't believe me, just read the Detroit papers today to get a clear vision of exactly what is happening in the domestic auto industry.

But instead of spending all of those dollars on R&D and manufacturing vehicles that will truly reduce our addiction on foreign oil, like lithium ion batteries, or flex-fuel or hydrogen fuel cells, we are going to mandate higher CAFE standards, continuing to use an antiquated approach and an antiquated model that we started in the 1970s. The result of that has actually been that our consumption of oil since we have had these CAFE standards has doubled. It is very hard to say the CAFE mandates have been a success. Really, so what if thousands of jobs are lost in the domestic auto industry? Some in this Congress would say that we did it to ourselves.

And this bill will allow some to thump their chest. But, Mr. Speaker, it is a very hollow thumping, just to say they are green, because we should remember the entire history of the domestic auto industry and what it has meant for this country. Not just because it created the middle class in a State like Michigan, or because after 9/11 when the domestic auto manufacturers immediately offered zero- interest financing to keep the plants running and people buying cars so that our national economy would not succumb to the terrorists as they had hoped. But also because during World War II, Michigan was known as the ``arsenal of democracy,'' because we had the manufacturing capability to build the armaments that literally led the world to peace and to keep our Nation free.

We didn't even build cars for 2 years then because we were so busy building tanks and planes and Jeeps. We were totally engaged in the war effort and protecting freedom and liberty and democracy. And in the future when our

country needs that capacity again, and we will, we will find that we will be at the mercy of countries who either manufacture their vehicles cheaply in their own countries and import them to us, or they will build their product here but, the company's ownership is foreign, countries like Japan or Korea or China. And will our national interests match theirs? We had better hope so.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule and on the underlying energy bill.

I appreciate the gentleman's yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as a representative in this House for the great community of Lapeer, Michigan, I rise in very, very strong support of this resolution to honor one of the founding families of this great community. Lapeer, Michigan, is truly an all-American city. Its population is just under 10,000 people, and it serves as the county seat for the County of Lapeer. The community is located at the base of Michigan's Thumb, and its heritage is deeply based in the agricultural tradition of Michigan. In fact, it is home to mainly family farms. Families have tilled the fertile soil of this area since the community's founding, and today these farms continue to serve as an important part of our breadbasket in Michigan. The community has always been home to the pioneering spirit and the can-do attitude that exemplifies America. And no family represents the spirit of this great community more than the Turrill family.

In 1832, 5 years before Michigan joined the Union as a State, Dr. Miner Turrill settled in Lapeer with his elderly parents, and the Turrills became the third known family, actually, to settle in that area. Dr. Turrill and his family quickly became respected leaders in the community, and upon the opening of the Lapeer United States Post Office in 1833, Dr. Turrill became the area's first postmaster. For that alone it is fitting that the Lapeer Post Office be named in their honor. But the Turrills gave back so much more to this fine community.

During the Civil War, many members of the Turrill family served the cause of freedom on behalf of the Union. This included Captain J.H. Turrill, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the Union when he was killed in action at Antietam in 1862. In fact, the Lapeer Post of the Grand Army of the Republic was named in his honor and served as a gathering point for all of the veterans of that conflict from the area.

In 1869, Lapeer was incorporated as a city in Michigan, and the voters elected James Turrill to serve as the first mayor of this community. The Turrills continued throughout the years to provide leadership to this great community, and they have been honored in many ways. Today you can drive on Turrill Avenue in Lapeer. Or you might live in Turrill Estates. And your children might attend the Turrill Elementary School in the Lapeer community schools. The people of this community have always honored the dedication to community and the contributions made by the Turrill family.

Earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, I contacted the Lapeer County Historical Society, and I spoke to them about my desire to name the post office in Lapeer after a distinguished citizen from the community worthy of the honor. And I asked for their guidance and assistance on who was deserving of such an honor, and this was their response:

``The Lapeer County Historical Society recommends that the Lapeer Post Office be named the Turrill Post Office. The Turrill family dates back to the earliest settlement in the Lapeer area. They have always been remembered as honest, hardworking farmers and leaders of the Lapeer community . . . A committee was appointed and met on July 6 to review a 2-page list of names. Turrill was the unanimous choice.''

Mr. Speaker, it is entirely appropriate that this House take this action today to honor one of the pioneering families in a great Michigan community, a family that worked hard to give back to the community, a family that took a leadership role in shaping the community, earned its respect, and has a highly valued place in the history of Lapeer, Michigan.

I want to thank the members of the Lapeer Historical Society for their assistance and their guidance in this effort. And I thank the leadership today for bringing this legislation to the floor, and I will thank the Members of this House for their expected support in honoring this great family. And I certainly thank the members of the Turrill family who did so much to make Lapeer the wonderful community that it has become.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly rise in very strong support of this resolution to honor and to celebrate America's firefighters.

Wherever and whatever the danger, every American knows that America's firefighters are just moments away from coming to their rescue, putting their lives on the line to save and protect others in their communities. And no one will ever forget the very vivid example of the bravery of our firefighters that was exhibited on September 11, 2001.

On that horrific day, as thousands were fleeing for their lives and running from buildings, we witnessed firefighters actually running towards the danger. As others were running away from the danger, which is a natural human instinct, the firefighters and first responders were running towards the danger and running into these buildings. And they did this knowing that many would most likely not come out. But these brave men and women are professionals who understood that it was their duty to protect their fellow citizens, and they did so. Their

brave actions on that day no doubt saved countless lives, and through those actions they earned the gratitude of those who were saved and the respect of the entire world.

Throughout this country, firefighters perform similar acts of heroism every day. And although we can never properly repay them for their dedicated service to our communities, we should take action to honor them for their hard work, their bravery and their dedication. Firefighters should never doubt that they have the eternal gratitude and respect of the American people that they serve so faithfully.

The establishment of a National Firefighter Appreciation Day will help remind everyone of the tremendous work that our firefighters do each and every day, and we should take the time to recognize those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, they prevent tragedies from happening, they respond instantly when tragedies occur, and they help pick up the pieces in tragedy's aftermath. They are there to help in some of the worst times in people's lives, guiding them through with their brave helping hands.

I certainly appreciate the work of the sponsors of this bill in bringing it to the floor. And I urge all of my colleagues to support the adoption of this important resolution so that we, the assembled Representatives of the American citizens, can show America's firefighters the support of a grateful Nation.

Madam Speaker, three things are certain to occur because of the Democrat's energy bill: First of all, it's going to make cars more expensive, it will force taxes to be raised, and it will cost American jobs.

The imposition of higher CAFE standards combined with a regulatory nightmare of the EPA regulating tail pipe emissions and NHTSA regulating fuel economy will force the domestic auto companies to expend billions on regulatory compliance with the cost passed along to consumers, of course.

Some estimate that the cost of this will be as much as $85 billion. This means that the cost of an American automobile will rise as much as $5,000 to $10,000 per vehicle. And worst of all, the new mandates will actually force automakers to outsource more vehicle production in an effort to reduce their costs and to remain competitive, which will cost more American jobs.

This is simply a terrible deal for American consumers, American taxpayers, and American workers. It will result in a hidden tax on cars, higher taxes on gas, and less jobs in America. Our Nation needs a comprehensive energy policy, but this bill misses the mark badly.

Madam Speaker, on October 8, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation urging all Americans to observe each November 11 as Veterans Day. That proclamation said the following:

``On that day, let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom . . . ''

There is broad bipartisan support for the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill in both Houses of Congress. The President has indicated that he will sign the bill.

I call on the leadership of this House to bring that bill to the floor, by itself on its own, this week, so that it can be signed into law before Veterans Day. During this time of war, we need to show our veterans and those on active duty that we honor the service and the sacrifice of those who have answered freedom's call.

Please let us rise above the politics and do what is right to honor our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the gentleman for yielding and I appreciate his very hard work on this bill, as well as the chairperson of T & I, who, unfortunately, as has been mentioned, has not been able to be with us today. But we have got great leadership, and to the chairperson of the Water Resources Subcommittee as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my incredible disappointment of the President's veto of the Water Resources Development Act because there was an enormous amount of bipartisan work that went into crafting this bill, as was demonstrated actually by the overwhelming support it received in both Chambers for final passage.

The President says this bill spends too much. Well, fair enough, until you consider that this bill actually spends nothing; it simply authorizes, and the actual appropriations for every project will have plenty of time for discussion on the merits before approval.

The Congress has not passed a WRDA bill since 1999. It is long overdue, and it addresses critical water projects and related infrastructure throughout our Nation that I believe we need to invest in to keep America strong and healthy.

Members are talking today about various projects in their part of the country, so let me just mention a few in my area. The great State of Michigan, also known as the Great Lakes State, not just because our magnificent Great Lakes are a huge economic impetus for us or because our quality of life is predicated on them, but, in fact, because they are our very identity.

Keep in mind that the Great Lakes actually comprise 20 percent, or one-fifth, of the fresh water supply on the entire planet and that they are facing historic low water levels, that they are being inundated with invasive species, and that they are suffering from chemical spills and billions of gallons of raw sewage that are being dumped into them.

This bill authorizes funding for the Lake St. Clair-St. Clair River Management Plan. It authorizes building an electronic barrier at the Chicago Diversionary Canal to keep the Asian carp from coming in to Lake Michigan from the Mississippi River. It authorizes funding to stop the spread of VHS, which is an Ebola-like virus that is infecting some of the fish in the Great Lakes. And it authorizes studies on how water diversions may be contributing to the historic low lake levels.

Mr. Speaker, I like to think of myself as a fiscal conservative, but part of that, I believe, means being able to clearly make choices about priority spending. In my mind these types of projects are priorities for our Nation.

I urge a ``yes'' vote to override the President's veto.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the Congress to a very serious problem that is affecting our magnificent Great Lakes, and that is historic low lake levels.

Just as we are seeing low lake and water levels around other parts of the country, the Great Lakes, which, remember, comprise actually one- fifth or fully 20 percent of the fresh water supply of the entire world, are losing water at alarming rates. And these low lake levels are having a significantly negative impact on millions that live in the Great Lakes Basin who make their living on the lakes or simply use them to recreate on.

For example, millions of recreational boaters are running aground or they can't keep their boats in marinas. Lake freighters are not being able to load up the way that they need to because the low lake levels are causing untold millions of dollars of losses for the shipping industry, and the very fragile environmental habitats of many species of fish and waterfowl and other species have been negatively impacted as well.

Mr. Speaker, much of what is happening to the Great Lakes can be attributed certainly to weather changes. We have had some warmer winters. Therefore, you have less ice cover so evaporation is occurring all year long.

As this Congress considers funding for other national environmental treasures, let us remember our magnificent Great Lakes.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud this weekend's ratification of the contract between the United Auto Workers and Chrysler. The new contract creates a stronger domestic auto industry and modernizes the relationship between the Big Three and labor.

The ratification by the rank and file signals a new day for the domestic auto industry that has been struggling for market share with its foreign competitors. And sincere congratulations to President Ron Gettelfinger of the UAW and his entire team on a job well done.

The industry still faces many challenges, but this new pact between the UAW and Chrysler and an earlier deal with GM means that both sides have come together to move the industry forward.

The good-faith negotiations proved that all of the stakeholders put the future of the domestic auto industry first as they worked towards manufacturing competitiveness.

This agreement secures jobs and allows the parties to move forward and to continue to create quality products and compete in the global marketplace. Again, congratulations. Well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution celebrating 50 years of America reaching for the stars.

Fifty years ago when the Soviets launched Sputnik our Nation was thrown into a panic because we believed we had fallen behind our major adversary.

That was true and America responded.

Our Nation came together and made it a national priority to advance our technology and challenge the Soviets in the space race.

This effort had an impact on my family as my father answered the Nation's call to work at the Redstone Rocket Factory with Werner Von Braun.

Those efforts produced the rockets that launched the first satellites, put an American into space, and ultimately landed a man on the moon.

The impact of the American space program on our Nation--and the efforts of the hundreds of thousands of people who participated in it-- cannot be understated.

Today people from across our Nation and the world can watch these proceedings live due to satellite broadcast. We can communicate via cell phones and e-mail. We can cook our food in microwave ovens. We can access information immediately over the Internet. All of these advancements can trace their roots to the American space program.

The fact is that our space program has dramatically changed our Nation and our world for the better.

It has always been the case that when America is united toward a difficult challenge we rise to the occasion and succeed.

There is no greater example of this fact than the success of the American space program.

With all of the incredible developments of the last 50 years one can only wonder what the next 50 will bring.

Perhaps a permanent settlement on the moon.

Perhaps a manned mission to Mars.

One can only imagine what incredible advances such efforts will bring to our society.

One thing is certain--that when America reaches for the stars--the sky is the limit to what we can achieve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and I want to commend Mr. Bilirakis for drawing attention to this important program.

The attacks of 9/11 made every citizen mindful of the need for constant vigilance to protect our country from the threat of terrorism. Keeping America safe requires the efforts of every American.

The openness of our Nation's waterways and harbors prevents opportunities for terrorists to exploit. The U.S. Coast Guard works very hard to ensure the safety of these areas, and they do a tremendous job for which we are all very grateful.

However, recreational boaters also have an important role to play in this area, and America's Waterway Watch program works hard to teach recreational boaters about what they can do to protect our homeland. Boaters provide critical eyes and ears in watching over our,coasts, our ports, and other important infrastructure like bridges and tunnels.

Specifically, participants in the campaign are requested to report: Individuals engaged in irregular activity such as surveillance or unusual boating operations; unattended vessels in strange locations; lights flashing between boats; unusual activity near bridges, overpasses, industrial facilities, or fuel docks.

In Michigan this program has been particularly important. My home state has over 3,000 miles of shoreline--more than any other state except Alaska--which presents an incredible challenge for our government agencies to patrol. And of course we share much of this water with Canada which enables people to come across into the United States very easily. And in some places this liquid border is quite narrow--such as the St. Clair or Detroit Rivers. So we really have to rely on our boaters to keep their eyes on things.

In Michigan, we have more than 900,000 boats registered in our state, which makes us the number 1 state for per capita boat ownership, and 3rd overall behind Florida and California. Boating is an important part of life in the Great Lakes State.

In 2005, state officials began a campaign to notify our state's boaters of this Waterway Watch program. Working with the Coast Guard and the Michigan Boating Industries Association, Michigan sent out a brochure on this program with each watercraft registration renewal notice. Since 2007 was the 3rd year this was done, we have now reached nearly all of our state's boaters with information about the Waterway Watch program.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this program, I strongly support the resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in this House, we took a great first step forward, I think, in finding bipartisan common ground on the way forward in Iraq with the passage of H.R. 3087.

The issue of our troop presence in Iraq has caused great debate across our country; it has polarized this Congress and our Nation. I believe this first step is a demonstration that a bipartisan way forward can happen. In fact, it must happen for the good of our Nation and our ultimate success in Iraq. We can draw that day closer if we in this Congress and we in America continue to work together to forge consensus instead of resorting to partisan attacks.

The report of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker last month has given us reason for hope that progress is being made and our troops can begin returning home. As our troops so bravely continue their mission, let us continue ours and build upon the momentum that we started yesterday in this House. Let us all hope that the day is coming soon when our troops, who have protected our Nation and exported liberty, freedom and democracy, will come home. We owe them nothing less than our best effort to make this hope a reality.

Mr. Speaker, the recent contract negotiated by General Motors and the United Auto Workers was really a historic watershed for the domestic auto industry.

By tackling the very tough issues of pension reform and job security and, most importantly, health care reform, the industry is now poised to compete and win against foreign competitors.

The domestic auto industry has momentum in moving toward a brighter future, a future that will include high-tech alternative fuel vehicles that will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

I had the opportunity actually last week to check out one of these vehicles. This was the Ford Edge powered by a lithium ion battery. This is a vehicle that uses no gas and its only emission is actually water.

That is the future if we join the cause. This Congress needs to partner with the domestic auto industry and the UAW to ensure that we produce those automobiles right here in America.

What we should not do is enact draconian fuel economy standards that will stifle innovation, assist our foreign competitors and kill American jobs. Both management and labor are doing their jobs to strengthen the industry. Now is the time for Congress to step up and do ours. Focus on the future, focus on technology, and focus on American jobs.