Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, there is unusually broad agreement on the fact that to stop the downward spiral of this economy, we have to act on several fronts at once in a forceful and coordinated manner.

We have addressed the need for job creation and tax relief with the economic recovery bill. We are addressing the banking crisis and credit freeze with the second round of TARP funds and the launching of the TALF program. Now we have the chance to take action on a critically important front, stabilizing housing prices. All across the country, neighborhoods are struggling as each foreclosed home reduces the value of nearby properties.

The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act will give more tools to homeowners to stay in their homes and allow judicial modifications of home mortgages. It helps families facing foreclosure stay in their homes, thus stabilizing lives, home prices, neighborhoods and restoring confidence in the economy.

I am confident that a ``yes'' vote on this bill is in the best interests of our American economy.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his constant leadership and support for the 9/11 families and for the reforms to make our country safer and to my good friend and colleague Louise Slaughter, who authored this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution honoring Beverly Eckert, who died in a plane crash in Buffalo going to honor the memory of her husband on his 58th birthday.

She told me the last time she spoke to him, he was in the burning towers and the fire was coming towards him. She was devoted to him. It broke her heart. But it did not break her spirit. She dedicated her life to making sure that other families did not suffer the same type of loss that she did by not protecting our citizens, by putting in place strong homeland security laws.

As the co-Chair of the 9/11 Family Steering Committee, and I was the founder and Chair of the 9/11 Commission Caucus, we worked almost daily, first to support the creation of the 9/11 Commission; then to fund it, to give it subpoena power, to give it time to do its work. And when they came back with a report that had 47 recommendations to make Americans safer, she then dedicated her life to implementing them into law. I was one of the authors of the first bill that reorganized our intelligence, the first major intelligence reorganization since 1948, to share information so that we could better prevent another attack. And then H.R. 1, which rolled all the other recommendations to make America safer into the bill, H.R. 1, the first bill that the Democratic leadership passed in the last Congress, this passed with Beverly's leadership and support.

She worked out of my office for 4 years. She would lead vigils in front of the White House. She was at 9/11 constantly raising the need and the importance to pass this important legislation. She was a spirit. She was a leader. She was one of the finest people I have ever met. And many, many people owe a great deal of gratitude for a safer America because of her work.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the Working Families' Flexibility Act, which will ensure that working Americans can ask their employer for modified schedules so they can balance the demands of their jobs and their home life.

Modeled on successful legislation adopted in the United Kingdom, the legislation would give employees a right to request modification of their hours, schedule, or work location. It would require employers to seriously consider all such requests in a timely manner, and provide an explanation for requests that are denied. The bill also includes job protection for employees who make flexibility requests. Small businesses would be exempt from this bill, and the Department of Labor would be called upon to develop regulations for the flex-time process.

This bill will raise awareness of the rising need for flexible work schedules, and will protect employees who are nervous about requesting a change in schedule. Called the ``soft-touch'' law in the UK, it would not place undue burden on businesses, it only asks that they evaluate these requests and provide a response explaining their decision, whatever it is. Adopting a flexible workplace has been shown to reduce turnover, which helps employers cut costs and retain valuable employees. In the UK, over 80 percent of requests have been approved and over 80 percent of employers report no adverse effect from the legislation.

Madam Speaker, today, I am reintroducing a very important piece of legislation with my colleagues Mr. Dent, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Ruppersberger, and Mr. Gerlach to establish the Census Bureau as an independent agency. Because the founding fathers believed it to be indispensable to the basic principles of democratic representation, the decennial census was given a constitutional mandate. A scientific endeavor of such importance should be viewed by the American public to be completely independent and nonpartisan. It is time to give the Census Bureau the independent status commensurate with the scientific agencies that are its peers, such as NASA, the National Science Foundation, and others. Elevating the Census Bureau to the status of an independent agency is a powerful statement to the American people and their leaders that the decennial census and the other critical surveys conducted by the Census Bureau are protected, and that our government will summon the best demographers, statisticians, scientists and managers we can find to lead this vital agency.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Women's History Month--along with my Democratic colleague Congressman Michael Arcuri--to introduce the Susan Brownell Anthony Birthday Act. This bill will designate the third Monday in February as a day to celebrate the legacy of Susan Brownell Anthony, a pioneer of the women's rights movement, and its leader for more than 50 years.

Born on February 15, 1820, Susan Brownell Anthony met Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1851 and attended her first women's rights convention in Syracuse in 1852. At that convention she was inspired to join the fight for women's suffrage, asserting that this was ``the right women needed above every other.'' The first proposal for women's suffrage was presented to Congress in 1868, and the first formal women's suffrage amendment to the Constitution of the United States was introduced in January 1878. For 35 years after that first proposal was made, Susan Brownell Anthony appeared before every Congress to ask for passage of a suffrage amendment, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to the cause. Her last public words before her death on March 13, 1906 were ``Failure is impossible.''

Unfortunately, Susan Brownell Anthony did not live to see her dream of women's suffrage become a reality, but thankfully her heroic efforts were not in vain. On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the 19th amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed. The Secretary of State, Bainbridge Colby, certified the ratification on August 26, 1920. The text of the 19th amendment states that ``The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

The United States has previously recognized Susan Brownell Anthony's tremendous contributions to our Nation. To commemorate her legacy, a marble statue of her and her women's rights colleagues, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, was dedicated in the United States Capitol in 1921. Susan Brownell Anthony's picture appeared on postage stamps in 1936 and 1955. Her home in Rochester, New York, has been a National Historic Landmark since 1966, and in 1979, her image was placed on a dollar coin.

I am proud that the work of Susan Brownell Anthony and her fellow suffragists has been acknowledged and honored in these ways. However, as the founder and leader of the women's movement in the United States, Susan Brownell Anthony deserves a permanent place in our history. Passage of the Susan Brownell Anthony Birthday Act would make March 3 the first Federal holiday that celebrates the birthday of a woman, and would allow all women and men in the United States to celebrate and honor the legacy of a true American hero.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act, which would require standards and enforcement provisions to prevent child abuse and neglect in residential programs for teens with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems.

When families struggle with a troubled teen, many eventually look to private or public residential programs for help. Parents deserve to know that their child will be safe and in good hands. However, in some states residential facilities are subject to state law or regulation, but in other states they are not. Because of the resulting loose patchwork of state oversight and lack of accountability, at some programs, young people have been subject to abuse and neglect. In a small number of cases, this abuse and neglect has led to the death of a child.

The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act sets new national standards to prohibit abuse and neglect and increases transparency to help parents make safer choices for their children. The bill also holds teen residential programs accountable for violating the law and asks states to step in to protect teens in these programs.

We have an obligation to keep teens safe, especially when they and their families are battling behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. I hope that this legislation will support families in their pursuit of the health and well-being of their children.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 1105, the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The $410 billion omnibus bill encompasses nine separate appropriations measures that stalled last year when the Bush administration insisted on preserving severe cuts to health care, education, law enforcement, and other programs contained in its FY 2009 budget proposal. I'm happy that under the Obama administration, we will keep the government running and finish last year's business.

While there are many critical provisions in this legislation, I want to highlight a few issues that are especially important to me and the people of the 14th Congressional District of New York.

The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act includes $277.7 million in federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway and $209.6 million for East Side Access. One of my top priorities since I was first elected to Congress, the Second Avenue Subway will run from 125th Street to lower Manhattan. It will offer a much-needed alternative for commuters and will reach underserved neighborhoods on the East Side. East Side Access will bring the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal, carrying approximately 163,000 average weekday boardings.

The bill also contains $70 million in new funding for federal 9/11 health programs. The new funding, combined with $112 million carried over from previous years, would cover the World Trade Center Health Programs' $182 million estimated cost for FY 2009. I thank Mr. Obey for including this funding to provide much-needed health care for WTC community members and first responders both in New York and across the country.

I am pleased that the legislation also provides a total of $545 million for international family programs--an increase of more than $80 million from the 2008 level. Included in this total is $50 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its work to improve reproductive health, raise the status of women and improve the quality, safety and availability of contraceptives in nearly 150 countries.

Additionally, I want to thank Chairman Obey and the committee for including $151,000,000, the fully authorized amount, for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. I believe that ``The Debbie Smith Act'' is one of the most important anti-crime bills that has ever passed Congress and been signed into law. Today we take another step forward in preventing violence against women by supporting a program that helps to put rapists in prison.

Finally, the bill includes a no-cost, common sense solution that will reduce unintended pregnancies by reinstating access to low-cost birth control at college health centers and safety net providers. Since January 2007, more than 3 million college students and hundreds of thousands of low-income women have lost access to affordable birth control because of a provision in the 2005 Deficit Reduction act which--by all accounts--unintentionally cut off every college and university health center and hundreds of safety-net providers from access to low-cost drugs. The no-cost fix included in this bill will correct this mistake and restore affordable birth control to these populations.

In closing, I want to note that this legislation will work in harmony with the economic recovery package that President Obama has already signed into law by making investments that address the country's immediate needs while investing in our long term economic strength. I'm pleased to support H.R. 1105, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 1105, the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The $410 billion omnibus bill encompasses nine separate appropriations measures that stalled last year when the Bush administration insisted on preserving severe cuts to health care, education, law enforcement, and other programs contained in its FY 2009 budget proposal. I'm happy that under the Obama administration, we will keep the government running and finish last year's business.

While there are many critical provisions in this legislation, I want to highlight a few issues that are especially important to me and the people of the 14th Congressional District of New York.

The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act includes $277.7 million in federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway and $209.6 million for East Side Access. One of my top priorities since I was first elected to Congress, the Second Avenue Subway will run from 125th Street to lower Manhattan. It will offer a much-needed alternative for commuters and will reach underserved neighborhoods on the East Side. East Side Access will bring the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal, carrying approximately 163,000 average weekday boardings.

The bill also contains $70 million in new funding for federal 9/11 health programs. The new funding, combined with $112 million carried over from previous years, would cover the World Trade Center Health Programs' $182 million estimated cost for FY 2009. I thank Mr. Obey for including this funding to provide much-needed health care for WTC community members and first responders both in New York and across the country.

I am pleased that the legislation also provides a total of $545 million for international family programs--an increase of more than $80 million from the 2008 level. Included in this total is $50 million for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, and its work to improve reproductive health, raise the status of women and improve the quality, safety and availability of contraceptives in nearly 150 countries.

Additionally, I want to thank Chairman Obey and the committee for including $151,000,000, the fully authorized amount, for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. I believe that ``The Debbie Smith Act'' is one of the most important anti-crime bills that has ever passed Congress and been signed into law. Today we take another step forward in preventing violence against women by supporting a program that helps to put rapists in prison.

Finally, the bill includes a no-cost, common sense solution that will reduce unintended pregnancies by reinstating access to low-cost birth control at college health centers and safety net providers. Since January 2007, more than 3 million college students and hundreds of thousands of low-income women have lost access to affordable birth control because of a provision in the 2005 Deficit Reduction act which--by all accounts--unintentionally cut off every college and university health center and hundreds of safety-net providers from access to low-cost drugs. The no-cost fix included in this bill will correct this mistake and restore affordable birth control to these populations.

In closing, I want to note that this legislation will work in harmony with the economic recovery package that President Obama has already signed into law by making investments that address the country's immediate needs while investing in our long term economic strength. I'm pleased to support H.R. 1105, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, today I am re-introducing the Community Protection and Response Act to eliminate confusion in responding to disasters following homeland security events.

One of the major lessons learned in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 is that timely response is critical. Any delay complicates short-, medium-, and long-term recovery efforts. Sadly, many of the lessons that we have learned have gone without an appropriate response.

In response to the attacks of September 11 for example, Congress took a series of actions to bring relief to affected areas. These legislative actions along with existing statutes, including the Robert T. Stafford Relief and Emergency Act and the Disaster Mitigation Act, formed the framework for the federal government's response. The magnitude of the attacks and the need for Congress to take action before certain relief could be delivered added to the challenge of the recovery efforts and exposed critical weaknesses in federal authority to respond.

The Community Protection and Response Act would amend the Stafford Act along with other statutes and would give the President a series of policy options to choose from following a homeland security event. A homeland security event is defined as an event that poses a significant risk to the security of people and property and is in such a magnitude that effective response is beyond the scope and capability of the affected state and local government. Many of these options are based on congressional action following September 11th or other policy suggestions in reports by the Congressional Research Service, the Government Accountability Office and the New York branch of the Federal Reserve. Specifically, in the event of a homeland security event, the President can provide grants for lost tax revenue, aid to school systems, and assistance to medical facilities and utility companies. The bill also establishes guidelines to ensure the public health of area residents and disaster workers.

This bill is an important failsafe and preventative measure that will ensure America is prepared to respond to any homeland security event in the future.

Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing the ``Whatever it Takes to Rebuild Act''.

A disaster can leave the tax base of an affected community eroded, necessitating Federal assistance to pay for essential services. These essential services, including police, fire, and school personnel, are even more critical in the wake of a disaster. To aid communities, Congress created the Community Disaster Loan Program. While this program has worked with great success, there are two significant issues that need to be fixed. The first issue is that this assistance is delivered in the form of a loan and the second is that any loan is limited to $5 million. Providing this aid as a loan can further delay the recovery of a local community and the $5 million cap does not allow for adequate assistance for medium or large communities.

The ``Whatever It Takes to Rebuild Act'' would repeal the requirement that disaster affected communities epay the assistance they receive under the Community Disaster Loan Program. This legislation would permanently repeal the $5 million cap on these loans, would make states eligible for this assistance, repeal the cap that limits loans to 25 percent of a municipalities operating expenses, and would provide this assistance as grants when the President waives the provisions for a catastrophic event. All of these provisions are aimed at giving the Federal Government the tools and flexibility we need to fully respond following a disaster.

This program was used most recently immediately following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. While it was able to provide significant benefits, repayment requirements have raised significant hurdles for many recipient communities. In the wake of a disaster, the government should give American communities the financial assistance they need to get back on their feet with no strings attached. That is why I am reintroducing the ``Whatever It Takes to Rebuild Act.''

Mr. Speaker, the speed at which both chambers and both parties have come together on this recovery package shows how committed Congress and the Administration are to shoring up our troubled economy.

The landmark legislation that we will pass today will create millions of jobs, provide cut taxes for hard working families, provide basic necessities to families in need and make investments necessary to transform our economy for the 21st Century.

Economists, business leaders, and labor unions across the political spectrum know that decisive action is the only way to jolt our economy out of its intensifying tailspin.

Everyone in the process has compromised, except for House Republicans. It's time for the House Republicans to stop saying ``no'' to everything and start saying ``yes'' to bipartisanship and ``yes'' to recovery.

The current economic crisis requires bold solutions that address the magnitude of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan will do just that.

We will blunt the effects of the recession for families by increasing food stamps benefits, expanding unemployment benefits, and preserving health care benefits.

The recovery plan also invests in America's school, roads, bridges, water systems that are in disrepair and creating a drag on our economy.

We have an historic opportunity to make the investments necessary to modernize our public infrastructure, transition to a clean energy economy, and make us more competitive in the future.

Our plan also supports working families by providing a tax cut for 95 percent of workers and their families.

By spreading job creation out over the next couple of years and across a variety of sectors, we will soften the downturn and foster a solid economic recovery.

It's time to get our economy back on track.

Furthermore Mr. Speaker, in writing about the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the front page of the Wall Street Journal said it well.

This historic bill will spur road building, give businesses tax breaks, and expand broadband access.

Yes, it will do all that, and so much more. It will help our country avoid a recession so dark and deep that the pain and economic dislocation it would produce for the vast majority of people would be terrible to contemplate.

According to a broad consensus of the brightest minds in the field, this economic stimulus bill will help put Americans back to work now, and get us back to doing what we do best--lighting the way to the future.

It will provide more than $150 billion in public works projects for transportation, energy and technology.

We will begin to develop the clean energy sources and smart transmission lines that the whole world will demand tomorrow.

There is $10 billion for medical research to help America retain its vaunted leadership.

The bill also provides for the urgent needs of today, with $87 billion to help states meet rising Medicaid costs.

There is money to help state unemployment offices that are overwhelmed by the numbers and funds to help those who have been thrown out of a job through no fault of their own, and are struggling desperately to keep health insurance coverage for their families.

And it addresses the three most important issues facing us today. Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. This bill is expected to create about 3.5 million jobs.

The total impact on my state is expected to be the creation of 215,000 jobs with almost 8,000 jobs in my district alone.

Across the country the bill is expected to produce over a million jobs in construction and manufacturing, and 345,000 jobs in professional and business services. And 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector.

There is a tax cut for 95 percent of working American and the bill protects millions of middle income taxpayers from having to pay the Alternative Minimum tax in 2009.

The aid that will flow directly to states should also help to ease some of the most painful service cuts that were looming, and may even provide more tax relief.

According to Governor David Paterson, New York state might be able to use some of the federal stimulus funds to avoid some of the 137 business and consumer tax increases now planned for next year.

In the coming days, you will hear 1,001 different opinions about this bill. And I hope you will keep in mind that Congress listened to a wide range of opinions on just what to do to get America working again.

There were many, including Nobel Laureates in the field of Economics who felt we should be spending considerably more. There were some who said we should spend less. And even a few who said we should do nothing. But sitting still and doing nothing was never an option. Inaction is simply not in the American DNA.

Some made a case for spending more on infrastructure while others pushed for bigger tax cuts. But politics is the art of the possible-- and tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are what helped to pave the way to the hole we find ourselves in now.

And our critics must admit that tax cuts alone never built a school, fixed a bridge or paved a road.

With the passage of this bill, our crumbling infrastructure will be repaired, our dependence of foreign oil will begin to be addressed, our healthcare system improved, and our economic well-being restored. This is the plan. This is the time. And ``yes'' is the answer.

Mr. Speaker, today we took a historic step toward economic recovery, and four financial giants took another important step in announcing that they will impose a moratorium on mortgage foreclosures.

In response to a request from Congress during hearings chaired by Chairman Frank, CitiGroup, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and Bank of America today announced plans to suspend foreclosures for the next few weeks or until the President's new plan is in place.

These actions create breathing space to allow the new administration to develop and the private sector to implement a new plan to reduce foreclosures and to help Americans stay in their homes.

We cannot solve our economic crisis until we solve our housing crisis. And leaders of our financial sector have the ability and responsibility to help lead our recovery.

As a representative from the State of New York, I applaud these New York financial institutions for being the first to step forward and take up this challenge. And I urge all other mortgage institutions to follow their example, to take similar steps to help Americans stay in their home.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to really underscore the importance of the vote, the historic vote that we had a chance to vote on today. And I cast a ballot to help create 3.5 million new jobs and give tax credits to 95 percent of working Americans. This was a chance to begin to move our country forward by investing in and modernizing our health and education systems, and we can do it in a way that is accountable and transparent, as the legislation required. And as I noted, the private sector is also playing a crucial and important role.

If we work together, we can put America back to work.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as do so many, to honor John Dingell as he achieves a great milestone: our longest-serving House member.

In December 1955, at the age of 29, John won a special election to replace his father. 19,420 days later, we honor him and his spectacular record in serving the people of the United States and of his Michigan district.

In December 1955--just to give you a sense of the eras, then and now--Rosa Parks took a stand by refusing to give up her seat on a bus home from work in Montgomery, Alabama.

Today, as we honor John, we have an African-American President.

People make change--and John Dingell has made more than his share.

As Chairman, now Chairman Emeritus, of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, he has carried perhaps the broadest portfolio of any House member in history, from energy, trade and telecommunications to Medicare, Medicaid, consumer protection and government oversight and investigations--Energy and Commerce handled up to 40% of all House legislation in some sessions.

An avid outdoorsman and former forest ranger, John was an ``environmentalist'' before the word ``environmentalist'' existed.

He was instrumental in the passage of some of our nation's most important environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the 1990 Clean Air Act.

And John almost single-handedly has created the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which began in 2001 with some 400 acres and has grown since then to encompass over 4,000 acres from River Rouge to Lake Erie.

He has been steadfast in supporting health care for all Americans. Each Congress, he sponsors a national health insurance plan--picking up the baton from his father who first introduced it in 1943. He fought for the Patient's Bill of Rights and the Children's Health Insurance Program. And he was the presiding officer as this House passed Medicare in 1965.

Together, John and I worked on identifying the persistence of the ``glass ceiling'' which limits the advancement of women in the workplace.

John could not have known in 1955 the changes he would see, and the change he would make, as a member of this body. It has been a career of accomplishment--but now, also, it is a career of longevity.

Martin Luther King once said ``It is the quality, not the longevity of one's life that is important.'' But John Dingell has had BOTH quality and longevity. May he keep up the great work.

John, please accept my humble congratulations and extend my love to Debbie and your family.

Madam Speaker, Americans today can breathe a sigh of relief as we take a first step toward repairing our badly damaged economy. This bill will begin to put Americans back to work fixing roads, repairing bridges, building schools and laying the bases for the economy of tomorrow.

The good news is already starting to come in. Caterpillar Tractor, an iconic American machinery manufacturer, announced that it will rescind some of the 20,000 announced layoffs as soon as this bill passes.

This bill is expected to produce 4 million jobs. And it contains tax cuts that will benefit 95 percent of working Americans, including a $400 tax credit for individuals and an $800 tax credit for couples. This is a bill that says to the world, ``yes, we can.''

Madam Speaker, today, along with my friend Mr. Grijalva, I am pleased to reintroduce the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, NREPA, in the 111th Congress.

NREPA differs from traditional state-by-state wilderness bills by offering a variety of designations that work in concert to achieve one goal: the protection of entire functioning ecosystems on federal public lands. These are lands that belong to all American taxpayers, and we have a right and responsibility to protect our precious resources.

First, NREPA protects over 24 million acres of America's premiere roadless lands as wilderness. It also protect the rivers and streams that are the last habitats for many of America's wild trout stocks, by protecting 1800 miles of river and streams as wild and scenic rivers.

Importantly, NREPA emphasizes that all of these wild places are linked together in the most vital ways possible. By protecting natural

biological corridors, NREPA connects the region's core wildlands into a functioning ecological whole. NREPA also creates jobs by putting people to work restoring the land in wildland restoration and recovery areas designated in the bill.

Finally, I want to be very clear about what NREPA doesn't do. NREPA does not impact private landowners. It impacts only federal public lands--lands owned by all Americans.

Some years ago, two NREPA supporters from Manhattan, Montana wrote to me and said ``We feel that there is a little ray of hope for the incredible but dwindling wildlands we are so lucky to live near and love.'' All of us have a responsibility to sustain that hope.

Mr. Speaker, the January job numbers told Americans something they already knew. Things are bad. They are bad all over in almost every sector of the economy and almost every section of the country.

In a hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, I asked the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics if there was any bright spots in the labor report. And he said, and I quote, ``No. No good news comes to mind.''

These latest job losses add to the overwhelming evidence that we must get a recovery package to the President's desk fast. People are hurting and crying out all across the country for help from the people in this Chamber.

More than 3.6 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in 2007, including the nearly 600,000 jobs shed in January alone. Six hundred thousand jobs is equivalent to all the workers in the State of Maine.

My home State of New York has been especially hard hit. Almost 48,000 jobs were slashed. Familiar and storied names, such as Macy's, Estee Lauder, Time Warner, Bloomberg News, and many others, have laid off employees.

We are now hearing that seven States have already exhausted their unemployment insurance, and another 11 States may see their funds exhausted by the end of 2009.

More than 2 million homes have gone into foreclosure, and millions of other homeowners find themselves owing more to the bank than their homes are worth. Because of lost jobs, millions also lost their health insurance. Many have lost their savings. An estimated $6 trillion in personal wealth has simply evaporated.

A solution to this crisis requires a bold action and addresses the magnitude of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will do just that. The recovery package will create or save an estimated 4 million jobs across a variety of sectors. It will soften the downturn and foster a solid economic recovery that benefits all Americans.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for the passage of the Recovery Act. The National Governors Association says that they support the bill. The bill even has the support of most GOP Governors.

The latest Gallup poll shows that 80 percent of Americans believe that passing a new stimulus plan is either ``important,'' or ``critically important.'' Even 66 percent of Republicans told the Gallup pollsters that it is either important or critically important to pass the bill. Perhaps because they know that America's schools, roads, bridges, and water systems are in disrepair, and this creates a drag on economic growth.

We have an historic opportunity to make the investments necessary to modernize our public infrastructure. We can begin to transition to a clean energy economy that will make us more competitive in the future.

Yes, there are conflicting visions of the perfect bill. Some Nobel Laureates in economics say the stimulus is not big enough. Some would have us do less. But now is the time to put aside whatever differences we might have in our economic theories and put the needs of our country first.

The building where the Joint Economic Committee holds its hearings is dedicated to the memory of Senator Everett Dirksen. On the plaque we pass every day, it reads, and I quote, ``His unerring sense of the possible enabled him to know when to compromise, by such men are our freedoms retained. His greatness will forever be an inspiration.''

President Obama and the Democrats are ready to embark on a bold, commonsense plan to turn this economy around, to address the fierce urgency of now, and to get this country back on its feet. We urge you to stand with us shoulder to shoulder as we act to put America back to work.