Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of October as National Work and Family Month. Each and every day American families make choices about how to best care for their family and to fulfill work obligations.

Over the last 50 years, the demographics of the U.S. workforce have changed significantly and with that, so have our needs. With more women in the workforce, fewer households have at least one parent at home. According to Census data, 70 percent of children are raised in families headed by either a working single parent or two working parents. In addition, more households are caring for older relatives as medical advances continue to extend life expectancy. It's important that as my colleagues and I work to create and grow jobs, we also ensure that these jobs afford all Americans the chance to take care of their families and maintain a paycheck.

In an effort to acknowledge the realities of our modern workforce I have reintroduced the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act (H.R. 1440) to expand the number of workplaces required to comply with the original 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA, and the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act to add same-sex spouses, grandparents, and grandchildren (H.R. 2364) as leave beneficiaries under FMLA. In addition, I will soon reintroduce the Working Families Flexibility Act, legislation that gives employees the right to request flexible work arrangements.

Strong work and family policies help attract, motivate, and retain a talented workforce and businesses should be encouraged to think strategically about the flexibility and family-friendly benefits they offer to their workers.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 1904, a bill that would transfer 2,400 acres of federal lands in Southeast Arizona to a private copper mining company. There has not been a thorough geological review to assess the impact of mining on water resources or the surrounding communities and ecosystems. Furthermore, the bill includes no protections or consideration for native American tribes.

Since coming to Congress I have fought to ensure that American taxpayers are properly reimbursed for resources like oil and gas extracted from federal lands. This bill does nothing to appropriately compensate American citizens and would instead give a single multinational corporation the benefit from one of the largest copper deposits in the world. Even more astonishing, the corporation benefitting from copper resources cannot guarantee that the copper will stay in America or that the mine will remain American owned.

This bill sets a dangerous precedent with regard to environmental review and resource oversight. The Majority continues to fight against preserving our nation's natural resources with legislation that destroys the environment in favor of big corporations. I urge a no vote.

I would like to thank my colleague from the great State of California for bringing the American Jobs Act to the floor, every single week, speaking out in favor of American workers, small businesses, and a sane, balanced approach that not only has a cutback in order to cut back our deficit and our debt, but also a revenue leg and a jobs leg. And the President has come forward with a balanced approach that has won support not only from New York and California but clear across this country. Economists are speaking out in support of the American Jobs Act. There have been two Nobel Laureates that have come out in support of it. Mark Zandi, who was the economist in Senator McCain's race for the Presidency, he has come out and he has said that next year it would increase the GDP by 2 percent. It would lower the unemployment rate by 1 percent, and would create 1.9 million jobs.

Now, after hearing your Special Orders on this, I think it would create even more jobs. But this is just a sense of economists from all sides of the country coming out in support of it.

I think it is unfortunate that the Senate did not pass it because we need this act, and we need it now. Americans have shown that they are worried about their future and they want this Jobs Act. Analysts have speculated that our country faces the same kind of lost decade that Japan has struggled with.

In a New York Times article by Daniel Alpert, a managing partner at a private capital firm, he was quoted as saying, and I'd like to bring it to your attention and the American people's attention: ``Unless we take dramatic steps, it will be Japan all over again--continuous deflation, no economic growth, in and out of recessions, and high unemployment.''

Robert Hockett, a professor of financial law at Cornell in New York and a consultant to the New York Federal Reserve, added: ``It will be like the economic version of chronic fatigue syndrome--a low-grade fever all the time.''

So we need to prevent that fatigue and cure the low-grade fever. That's why we need to pass this bill. It would be the kind of short- term immediate impact that our economy needs. With job creation stalled and median income dropping, Americans just aren't buying. That's why economists and forecasters are so strongly in support of it. And the American Jobs Act goes after unemployment in three big ways: it cuts taxes to spur small business hiring and consumer spending; it prevents layoffs of our vital services, our teachers, our firefighters, and our law enforcement officers; and it puts people to work building roads, bridges, and schools. That's so important.

The infrastructure jobs not only create good paying jobs now, they're an investment in the future to help America compete in the world economy. I know from my own State many of our bridges and tunnels and roads and mass transit are crumbling, and we could use this influx of infrastructure money to rebuild and put people back to work. Very importantly, the President's plan maintains a safety net for Americans most hurt by the economic downturn. It's a good plan.

I would like to respond to the point that the gentleman made. Economists tell us that one of the ways that we climb out of recessions--and we're in the worst recession that I've experienced in my lifetime, the worst since the Great Depression--the way we climb out is often small businesses. Small businesses hire and grow. Two out of three people hired in America are hired by small businesses. But at this time their hiring has not moved forward. That's why this subsidy and support for small businesses is so important, and I applaud the President for including it in the American Jobs Act.

But because of the economic downturn, localities across our country are having to lay off workers, essential workers who are investors in the future of our young people: Teachers and the protectors of our communities, firefighters and our law enforcement, are being laid off.

I want to talk a little bit about New York, the great State that I have the honor of representing, and I have some numbers that I would like to share with you, but they are the same in many localities across the country. In my own State of New York, according to the Congressional Research Service, the estimated grant for the teachers and the first responders would be $1.7 billion, which would save an estimated 18,000 educators and first responder jobs. That's important not only to these families but to the localities. These teachers are needed. These fire and police are needed. And very importantly, one of the things that I think is so important is the focus that the President has put on modernizing our schools.

When I was in school, all you needed was a piece of paper and a teacher and a pencil. Now our young people need computers, and we need to start teaching them computer sciences and math and technology very, very early. This would have grants to modernize schools so they are really ready for the 21st century, wired appropriately for high-tech computers. This would have a grant for New York City alone of $1.6 billion to modernize the community colleges and the public schools so they are ready for the next century.

But it's our infrastructure that is so important. We are falling behind in terms of high-speed rail. Much of our infrastructure is crumbling. And the infrastructure investment would total over $105 billion, including $50 billion on transportation infrastructure. This not only moves people and makes a

more livable environment, it's an investment also for not being dependent on oil that we have to import.

Very importantly, there is $10 billion on a new national infrastructure bank that would help finance private ventures of public roads and highways and bridges and railroads. And so that's a very, very important part of it.

Very importantly, it also talks about rehabilitating the foreclosed or vacant properties. This is a problem. Some of my colleagues in Ohio tell me they're literally bulldozing down vacant foreclosed properties. And this would allow to help these blighted neighborhoods and help rebuild.

All in all, it is a great plan. We need to get behind it. We need to put Americans back to work. And we should have passed it yesterday. But I'm here tonight supporting the President's plan to put Americans back to work and to invest in our future, invest in America's competitiveness, and our leadership in so many areas depends on getting our economy moving again.

I appreciate being here with my good friend and colleague, and thank you so much for raising these issues. You're doing an excellent job.

Will the gentleman yield?

This is a democracy, and I believe that there is no idea in the world that is so dangerous or challenging that you can't debate it in the United States Congress. It should be put up for a debate and have it fully debated and have a vote. That's the least that the Speaker should provide for the American people.

It could not be stated more appropriately. The 99ers and all Americans should speak out and demand a vote on this.

Now, the President has pointed out that it should be a three-legged stool. It should be revenues, we need to cut back on other expenditures, and we need to invest in jobs. Right now, we have roughly 15 percent of our GDP is revenues, but our expenditures are roughly 35 percent.

The gentleman points out the tax on millionaires and other areas that they were looking at. You have to bring that in balance. You cannot continue with 35 percent of the GDP being expenditures and only 15 percent being revenues. Granted, we do have to cut back, and that's what the supercommittee is working on, but it needs to be a balanced approach. Actually, that's what's always worked in the past. It's always been a balanced approach. That's the only way we can get this country on firm ground to reduce our debt, reduce our deficit, invest in opportunities, innovation, and jobs for the future.

You expressed it very well, and I support your efforts here tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to propose a plan that is as simple as one, two, three.

Number one is getting back to basics and helping to create badly needed jobs. This economy will not grow unless we stimulate private sector job growth. It's time to drop the partisan bickering and focus on creating jobs and creating them now. Pass the President's jobs bill.

Number two is building up our infrastructure. Work on our roads and trains is desperately needed to help America compete, and this badly needed repair work creates jobs that cannot be outsourced. We need to pass the transportation bill now.

Number three is embracing a bold and balanced vision and crafting a true bipartisan agreement in the super committee, one that cuts our deficits by trillions, invests and raises revenues, and creates jobs. No one is pretending it will be easy, but if we get back to basics it could be as easy as one, two, three.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague and very good friend, Corrine Brown, for her leadership on this, and also Chairman Walter Jones and Ranking Member Clay. I am a proud cosponsor, and I rise in strong support of this bill, and I am thrilled that the Montford Point Marines are with us in the gallery.

In 1941, President Roosevelt issued an executive order which opened the door for the first African Americans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Totaling approximately 20,000, these brave men faced segregated training at Montford Point, North Carolina, while white recruits were trained at Parris Island in South Carolina.

Among these distinguished marines was someone who later in life would become an outstanding mayor of the city of New York, my friend and now constituent, David Dinkins. David Dinkins, Mayor Dinkins, enlisted in the Marines in 1945 immediately after graduating from high school and served until the end of the war. He told me this story today about how thrilled he was about this gold medal. He said one day he went out and the drill sergeant announced: Everybody, get on your knees. Thank the Lord, the war is over. Now get up, nothing has changed.

Mayor Dinkins and the rest of the men in the Montford Point Marines served with distinction, regardless of the prejudice and segregation they faced, fighting in the Pacific arena during the Second World War in three of the bloodiest battles--Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. They fought with bravery and valor, overcoming the resistance to integration within the services at that time and eventually earned high praise from the Marine Corps commandant.

The legacy of their service has endured beyond the battlefields of the Second World War, as they opened the door for generations of African Americans in the Marine Corps. These brave men advanced the cause of civil rights while simultaneously protecting the freedoms of our country. And for that we owe them a heartfelt deep thanks.

Congress has already recognized the first African American servicemembers of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; and this bill to award the same honor to the Montford Point Marines is well deserved, and I am so proud to be a cosponsor and to be supporting it.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

As a representative from the proud city of New York, which is the home of the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, I rise with strong enthusiasm in support of the National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coin, which was introduced by my friend and colleague from New York (Mr. Hanna), Congressman Hanna, and also congratulate Mike Doyle not only for his work on this bill but his winning work on the field of baseball here in Congress.

Sales of the coin will go to the Baseball Hall of Fame to finance its operations, with matching funds raised from nongovernment sources. This program will be operated at no cost to the American taxpayer but will help the Baseball Hall of Fame to do its important work not only now but into the generations to come.

Since the Hall of Fame and Museum opened in June of 1939, 14 million people have visited the site, which houses more than 38,000 3-D artifacts, 500,000 photographs, and 12,000 hours of recorded media on our Nation's favorite pastime. Cooperstown also claims to be the home of the original baseball game here in the United States. It truly is an institution in itself and serves as an educational tool in the classroom through videoconference technology and interactive lessons across the Nation.

A coin to commemorate the Hall of Fame will ensure that it can continue to do the good work that it has been doing for over 70 years. I am so proud that it's located in my State, and we have finally found something we can all agree on, our favorite pastime in America-- baseball.

I think it's important, given that we just passed the important and historic Gold Medal for the Montford Point Marines and recognized their fight in promoting and protecting human rights and civil rights. Literally, integration began on the baseball field. There on the mound, people come from across the country from all ethnic backgrounds, sometimes from foreign countries, to come together and support and work together in this wonderful sport that is truly an American sport.

And I would say the Nation's Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has spent many decades celebrating and honoring baseball. This bill will be able to continue their good, hard work, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this cost-free bipartisan legislation that hopefully every one of us can agree on.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3080, the U.S.- South Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.

The Korean Republic is our seventh largest trading partner, and this agreement will have a significant positive impact on our GDP as well as on job creation.

The current average tariff for U.S. exporters is more than four times the average tariff that our imports from Korea face--this agreement levels the playing field.

Despite some sectors' concerns with the agreement, the services sector--which comprises 93% of the jobs in my district--stands to benefit greatly, with increased market access and the creation of new jobs.

Nationwide, 80% of the U.S. workforce is employed in the services sector, with U.S. cross border exports of services to Korea totaling $12.6 billion in 2009, while imports were $6.4 billion, netting a U.S. services trade surplus of $6.2 billion.

The Korea FTA provides U.S. service firms with increased market access, investor protections and regulatory transparency, which is vital for job creation in my district and the broader U.S. economy, which is why I vote in favor of the agreement today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3078, the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act.

I simply cannot vote for an agreement given the alarming level of anti-union violence in Colombia, which in 2010 had more union worker assassinations than the rest of the world combined. Despite the Labor Action Plan the Obama Administration negotiated with the Colombian government, implementation of the Action Plan remains insufficient.

Without more meaningful steps taken by the Colombian government to protect workers and

prosecute the perpetrators of anti-union violence, and to provide basic internationally-recognized worker rights, I cannot vote for the agreement before us today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3079, the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Promotion Implementation Act.

At House Democrats insistence, the Panama FTA was renegotiated to require Panama to comply with international labor standards and environmental agreements.

Additionally, at the urging of House Democrats, the Obama Administration continued negotiations with Panama and ultimately achieved completion of the U.S.-Panama Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA), ensuring necessary tax transparency and addressing concerns about Panama's status as a tax haven.

This agreement is expected to increase our current trade surplus with Panama, which was $5.7 billion in 2010, and level the playing field by eliminating Panama's import duties on U.S. goods.

This renegotiated agreement deserves our support, and that is why I vote in favor today.

Mr. Speaker, together with my bipartisan colleagues Reps. Charlie Rangel, Edolphus Towns, Nita Lowey, Janice Schakowsky, Howard Berman, Gus Bilirakis and Robert Brady, I am introducing a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Rabbi Arthur Schneier, in recogniton of his pioneering role in promoting religious freedom and human rights throughout the world for close to half a century.

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1930, Rabbi Schneier lived under Nazi occupation in Budapest during World War II and came to the United States in 1947. He has been the Spiritual Leader of the Park East Synagogue in New York City since 1962.

A Holocaust survivor, and the Founder and President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Rabbi Schneier has devoted his life to overcoming the forces of hatred and intolerance.

He has been a pioneer in bringing together religious leaders to address ethnic or religious conflicts. For example, in Bosnia in 1997, he convened government and religious leaders to promote healing and conciliation between Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish communities. In the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia he worked with the Orthodox Patriarch and the Turkish Government to hold the Peace and Tolerance Conference in 1994 and address religious and ethnic tensions in that area. In the former Yugoslavia, he mobilized religious leaders to halt the bloodshed of the early 90s, holding the Religious Summit on the Former Yugoslavia and the Conflict Resolution Conference to build support and consensus among religious leaders of different faiths. Since the early 1980s, he has led delegations of religious leaders to China to open a dialogue on religious freedom.

I hope my colleagues will join us in honoring this distinguished pioneer of religious freedom with a Congressional Gold Medal.

I ask unanimous consent to place in the Record my opposition to this attack on women's access to reproductive health services and our fundamental right to lifesaving medical care.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 358.

There is no question and there can be no debating the fact that this bill endangers women's health and puts their lives at risk and intrudes on their constitutionally protected liberties.

This bill extends the reach of government more cynically and in a more profoundly disturbing way than any piece of legislation in modern times.

This bill carries with it the clear implication that under some circumstances--a woman just doesn't have a right to live.

The Republican majority has consistently said its priority is jobs and job creation, but here we are debating a bill that even their Members admit is the wrong bill at the wrong time.

Instead of creating jobs, they remain focused on creating obstacles for women to access safe, legal, and badly needed health care.

H.R. 358 is an attack on women's access to reproductive health services and our fundamental right to life saving medical care.

It is stunning in its scope, appalling in its indifference and outrageous in its arrogance.

This bill is deliberately divisive and cynical in its intent.

Madam Speaker, Americans want Congress to create jobs, strengthen middle class families, and find bipartisan consensus.

It's time to end this attack on women and get to work on our top priority: Creating Jobs.

Thank you, Congressman Ellison, who is the chair of the Progressive Caucus. Thank you for your leadership on this and in so many other areas. And thank you for having this Special Order on this disturbing vote that took place today in the Congress.

There is no question and there can be no debating the fact that the bill that the Republicans put forward endangers women's health, puts their lives at risk, and intrudes on their constitutionally protected liberties.

The bill extends the reach of government more cynically and in a very profoundly disturbing way. And that is why President Obama put out a veto threat on Wednesday that he would veto any bill that would restrict insurers from paying for abortions, saying, in the President's words, ``it goes too far.'' And I'd like to quote from the President's statement on this.

``Longstanding Federal policy prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered.''

The Affordable Care Act preserved this prohibition and included policies to ensure that Federal funding is segregated from any private dollars used to fund abortions for which Federal funding is prohibited. So that's very, very clear, and I don't understand why the Republicans forced a vote on this, like the other anti-women, anti-choice, anti- respect of a woman's right to choose and her judgment have failed so far in the Senate.

So I feel that instead of looking at creating jobs, which is the priority, and the Republican majority has consistently said that jobs and job creation is their priority, but then they spend their time on debating a bill that even their own Members admit the President will veto and it is going nowhere in the Senate. So instead of creating jobs, they remain focused, Mr. Ellison, on creating obstacles for women to access safe, legal, and badly needed health care.

This bill, H.R. 358, is an attack on women's access to reproductive health services and our fundamental right to lifesaving medical care. It is stunning in its scope, appalling in its indifference, and outrageous in its arrogance.

Americans want Congress to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and find bipartisan consensus. So it's time to end this attack on women and get to work on our top priority, or what should be our top priority, creating jobs.

This bill is just another attempt to keep women down and back and not to protect their constitutional rights and access to the health care that they feel they deserve.

I thank the gentleman for organizing this and for yielding to me.

Absolutely.

No, they do not. In fact, the scientists and the medical professions all support access to all medically appropriate legal medical procedures. There are some times when the fetus is not-- could not live or has died and is in jeopardy of causing, literally, the destruction of organs or even death of the woman. So this is, I would say, a life-taking bill from the health and welfare. And this bill also allows hospitals to deny lifesaving care. This is a big change in our values and our procedures in this country.

And I want to point out very importantly, Mr. Chairman, that at the same time they are restricting reproductive choices, Republicans are limiting access to family planning and primary care by their efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, which is a primary care provider to most women for their basic health in this country. And these actions I would label just plain too extreme.

It is true that women disproportionately rely on government programs and, regrettably, women are the largest segment, older women are the largest segment of people living in poverty. So the discrimination that has existed in pay, there is still, for over 30 years, an unexplained gap between men and women, the pay gap, well over 20 percent; and this then translates into your Social Security--less Social Security, less pension--and the need for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare to help women.

And also, a lot of women that are around the age of 55, when their spouses die and they've been stay-at-home-mothers and wives, they lose the coverage that their husbands have, and there is a gap that's not there until they reach Medicare age of 65. So they rely disproportionately on these safety net programs.

So any cuts--and I hear from my constituents, I know that you do, too, that say: I can't absorb another cut to my Medicare; I can't absorb a cut to my Social Security. And I believe that's one reason why Democrats have fought so hard to keep that safety net in place for working men and women in our country.

I think all of those efforts, whether it's the Pitts bill that passed today, I think it's a very dangerous bill that threatens women's ability to even purchase private health insurance that includes abortion coverage with their own money, and codifies broad and troubling conscience provisions. And it's another attempt to unravel the health care law while at the same time expanding anti- choice laws that will harm women's health.

That's an anti-woman agenda that just passed this great body. And when you talk about the assaults on programs that women disproportionately rely on, it is another step that will keep women down and back. And I'm proud of the Democrats for standing up for women, children, and families. You rightfully pointed out that when you discriminate against a woman, you discriminate against her husband and her children. And you and I know that it takes two working parents sometimes two jobs by each parent to pay the bills and keep the food on the table. So these are very serious concerns and ways that we need to fight back and stand up for the women of America.

That's a better name.

Well, the gentleman is correct to connect the dots, and you are absolutely correct that when you cut education and health care, these are the two areas that women are employed in predominately. In many cases they have achieved leadership positions in these two fields. Yet these are the two areas that have been cut the most in the municipal areas across the country that have hurt our States and our cities.

And the gentleman is very correct to point out that you cannot cut your way to prosperity. Many economists

have come out in support of President Obama's jobs bill, including two Nobel laureates. And one economist that I like to read because he is employed by the private sector, which means if he's wrong he's going to get fired, and he was a Republican economist in that he was the chief analyst for Senator McCain when McCain ran for President, and this is Mr. Zandi. And Mr. Zandi said that President Obama's economic plan, the jobs bill that he's put out, would create next year 1.9 million new jobs, add 2 percentage points to the GDP, and also cut the unemployment rate by at least 1 percent. I use his numbers since he was Senator McCain's adviser and economist.

But there is a drumbeat of economists across the country that are saying you cannot cut your way out of a recession and that we are getting dangerously close to a double-dip when you combine all these massive cuts with what's happening in Europe and the instability with the countries' finances and certain of our allies, and this is an extreme challenge here at home. And economists have universally said that we need to invest and continue to work to get the economy moving by investing in job-creating areas such as the infrastructure bank and such as rebuilding our bridges and making sure they're safe.

One part that I particularly like as a former teacher is the plan to rehab schools and make them ready for the 21st century. That will employ people across this country and invest in making our schools appropriate. I know that even in the great State of New York, some of our schools are not properly wired for computers. Mr. Ellison, when you and I were in school, all you needed was a pencil. But, today, our young people need computers. They are competing not with the people in the class but with people around the world. And they need to have high- tech access, and our schools have to be wired for the 21st century.

And the investment in creating good jobs by building high-speed rail to move us into the 21st century and repairing our infrastructure with our roads and our trains in so many ways, and also making sure that our teachers, our police and our fire are not laid off during this recession when we need to invest in helping America.

Every economist will tell us the best investment we can make for the future of our country is to invest in education. We can't afford to not be competitive with modern schools and not competitive with the proper number of teachers so that our classrooms are not so overcrowded. So that is a particular area that I like in this particular jobs program.

I would like to applaud what you just said. I truly do believe that there is no idea that is so frightening or threatening that it can't be debated in the United States Congress. And so I agree with you. Let's have a debate. The President has put forward his program. Let's see what the Republican program is. Let's bring it down, have it debated, and let's have the economists across the country and across the world weigh in on which program is going to get the economy moving and move us with greater strength in the growth of our economy.

There is scientific data that, as schools are overcrowded, the quality of the teaching goes down. That's very troubling when you talk about the hemorrhaging of so many jobs.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 14 million people out of work, and there are 3 million jobs that are out there now. So, if we could miraculously fill those 3 million jobs overnight, there would still be 11 million Americans out of work and looking for jobs. For every job opening, there are five people, at least, standing in line for that job.

What I find particularly troubling is that many of these people are young people who have invested in their education and who are burdened with huge student loans, but they can't find employment. They are facing a terrible situation. Studies show that, if you can't find employment in the early years of your career, it affects your earnings and your self-confidence and your productivity for the rest of your life. For no fault of theirs, they are confronting, really, the worst employment situation in my lifetime and, really, in decades.

So we need to work together. If there were one area in which the Republicans and Democrats should work together, it's in creating jobs and moving our economy forward. Regretfully, some people don't want to do anything until the 2012 election, but the people who are out of work can't afford to wait until 2012. It is really incumbent on us to act now to help them.

You focused, really, on one of the critical parts of the President's jobs proposal--modernizing our schools.

Not only would it help you through this period by creating good- paying jobs to modernize the schools and to keep the teachers working-- and, I would say, the police and fire--but it also invests in better education, a better environment for our young people to learn and grow, and to modernize the schools to the extent that they are wired appropriately for the 21st century. These are important areas that we need to look at and think about.

I also want to point out the unemployed. The jobs aren't out there, so when you don't continue the unemployment insurance, there is no hope for these people. It's better for them to continue looking for a job and to continue trying and not to give up hope so that they continue working towards that end.

I just want to tell you how much I enjoyed sharing with you information on the jobs program for the President and, really, of the opposition's agenda--our friends on the other side of the aisle--to keep women down and back, of disproportionately cutting programs that aid women, of disproportionately going after, literally, their constitutional rights to make the choices that are legal in our country which provide the best health care for them.

The Progressive Caucus has always stood up for women, children, and families, and I want to thank you and the caucus in a programmatic way for standing up for women, children, and families and also for organizing this Special Order.

I just want to thank the gentleman for his statement.

The Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, according to the Pew Foundation, saved consumers over $10 billion in the last year by cutting out unfair, abusive, deceptive practices--and I'm using the terms from the Federal Reserve. I am proud that it helps Americans better manage their credit.

No longer can people raise rates any time, for any reason retroactively on their balances, trapping them, really, in a never- ending cycle of debt. I had many constituents who had purchased items, and they had paid so much in interest over that time that they could have paid for the car or the washing machine; yet they still had not paid it off. This is wrong and unfair.

Central to this bill, it gives consumers the opportunity and the right to make a decision. If they're going to raise their rates, they must notify them, and the consumers have the choice of whether they opt in to a higher rate or pay off their cards and go to another provider that may have a lower rate. So it puts more competition in the system. It has lowered the interest rates, the fees, and has really helped consumers.

I want to say that we were cochairs of the Consumer Justice Caucus. We started that, really, to build support for the bill, and you were a strong part of helping me pass it.

It was difficult, but I'm proud that the President signed it into law and that it is now benefiting Americans and allowing more of an ability for them to control their own businesses, their own assets, their own credit. I must say, when it did pass the House, there was strong Republican support for it in both the House and the Senate.

I am pleased that Americans have this added benefit in their lives.

Thank you so much for your leadership. It has been a pleasure to join you tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kathy Cloninger for her outstanding service as the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA for the past 8 years, and for her 28 years of service to the Girl Scouts Movement.

Kathy Cloninger epitomizes the American spirit of community service. She has devoted her life to girls and to an institution that itself is a shining example of America at her best. We honor her today for a career that has been dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Ms. Cloninger's journey with Girl Scouts began in 1983, and spanned more than two decades of service as CEO of Girl Scout councils in Tennessee, Texas and Colorado.

After taking the reins at Girl Scouts of the USA in 2004, Kathy initiated a truly transformative strategy that led to a national realignment of the Girl Scout Movement. Under her guidance, Girl Scouts accomplished a nearly impossible task by successfully merging 315 councils down to 112 high-performance councils. Thanks to Kathy's compelling leadership, the Girl Scout Movement has unified around a common mission and business strategy that has set the organization on a path to success for its upcoming 100th anniversary and beyond.

Kathy has also been instrumental in developing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience where girls discover themselves and their values, connect with others and take action to make the world a better place. She oversaw the launch of the first-ever national program evaluation system that measures girls' development of 15 leadership outcomes and ensures that all Girl Scouts grow into strong leaders in their lives today and into the next generation of female leaders in our country and the world.

Ms. Cloninger should also be commended for heightening Girl Scouts' focus on research and advocacy activities. During her tenure, the Girl Scout Movement amended its Constitution to be the ``voice for girls and an expert on their growth and development.'' The Girl Scout Research Institute has published many groundbreaking studies on issues that affect girls and leadership, such as research on body image, social media and girls' participation in science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as research on African American and Hispanic girls' leadership aspirations. Thanks to her vision, Congress and decision makers across our nation have an incredible resource in the Girl Scout organization, so all of us can better understand the issues girls face today and advocate for the solutions important to their success.

Ms. Cloninger has received numerous awards for her work, including ``Nonprofit CEO of the Year 2000'' from the Center for Nonprofit Management, and ``CEO of the Year 2008'' from the National Assembly of Human Services. In 2010, Ms. Cloninger was named one of the ``21 Leaders for the 21st Century'' by Women's eNews.

Kathy's service as a leader expanded beyond the Girl Scouts. As a champion for youth empowerment and the non-profit community, Kathy served as chair of the National Collaboration for Youth, she was the secretary of the board of directors of the National Assembly of Human Services (2008-2011), was on the national boards of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the National Council for Research on Women, and she is a member of the Women's Leadership Board of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Ms. Cloninger is also the author of the forthcoming book Tough Cookies, which chronicles the recent transformation of Girl Scouting and issues a call to arms on behalf of all girls today. Johnnetta Cole, President Emerita of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women, explained, ``Tough Cookies shows what vision, courage, and an unflinching dedication to mission can accomplish. Kathy Cloninger makes it clear that the Girl Scouts--and girls--rank high among our nation's treasures.''

It is obvious why Kathy has received such wide praise for her leadership. I would have to agree with Willie Pietersen, leadership guru and author of Reinventing Strategy, who noted that, ``Guided by a transcendent mission and Kathy Cloninger's courageous leadership, the Girl Scouts have transformed themselves for a new century.''

Kathy leaves Girl Scouts on the eve of its 100th anniversary, which they will celebrate throughout 2012. Kathy led the Girl Scout Movement to this exceptional point in history with a mission and program that is as critically important today as it was 100 years ago, and I know she leaves it a stronger, more vibrant part of our culture.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking Kathy Cloninger for nearly 30 years of service to the Girl Scouts and to our country. We wish her the best in all of her continuing work for girls nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Association of Indians in America and its President, my good friend Ms. Ranju Batra, on the occasion of its 24th annual celebration of the festival of Diwali at the historic South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan.

The theme of the Association's celebration this year, ``Non-Violence in Today's World,'' is more salient than ever. Most fittingly, it takes place on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. With more than a thousand attendees expected from all across the greater New York metropolitan region, this year's Diwali celebration will be a highlight of the year for AIA and its distinguished new President, Ms. Ranju Batra.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Indians in America is the oldest association of Indians in America. The New York chapter includes members from across the tri-state region, and prides itself on its tradition of openness and respect for persons of all religious faiths. Its membership is a microcosm of the extraordinary diversity of the Indian community in the New York area, with all regions and religions of India represented, as well as a wide range of professions, backgrounds and occupations. AIA's New York chapter performs countless acts of public service and philanthropy, reflecting its motto, ``Indian Heritage and American commitment.''

Diwali is a holiday that celebrates the victory of good over evil and awareness of one's inner light, the dispelling of ignorance, and the realization of knowledge of and insight. Through intriguing exhibits, stirring music and dance performances, fine cuisine, inspirational oratory from featured speakers, and a dazzling fireworks display over the East River, this year's festival is helping to educate New Yorkers about Diwali and its celebration by adherents of Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, and thereby promoting awareness and appreciation of South Asian culture and its amazing richness and diversity.

I am proud to salute my good friend Ranju Batra on her election as President of AIA, a recognition by her peers in the Indian-American community of her leadership abilities and passion for serving others. In addition to AIA, which she has served as Cultural Chair for several years, Ranju Batra has demonstrated her commitment to numerous worthwhile charitable organizations, including the Hindu Center; Arya Samaj of Westchester County, New York; and Children's Hope. A loving wife to her husband, Ravi, and a caring mother to their children, she is deservedly a widely respected leader of the South Asian community in the nation's largest metropolitan area.

Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Association of Indians in America and its President, Ms. Ranju Batra, for their extraordinary contributions to the civic life of our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the National Women's Hall of Fame and the eleven women who were formally inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame on September 30 and October 1, 2011 in Seneca Falls, New York.

Since 1969, the National Women's Hall of Fame has showcased great American women who have demonstrated an ability to inspire, lead and innovate. Fittingly, the Hall is located in Seneca Falls, the site of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention which adopted the Declaration of Sentiments demanding that women ``have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States.''

Nearly 250 women have been honored by induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame. They come from many fields--they are educators, actors, writers, politicians, visionaries, philanthropists, athletes and scientists--but they share a talent for making a difference and inspiring us all. The eleven women who were inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame this past weekend have truly made their mark on this country and on our history.

St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), a missionary who dedicated her life and fortunate to help native Americans and African Americans, is the second American-born person to be recognized as a saint. St. Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. During her lifetime, she and her order founded more than sixty missions and schools, including Xavier University in Louisiana.

Dorothy Harrison Eustis (1886-1946) co-founded the nation's first dog guide school, The Seeing Eye. Born in Switzerland, Eustis started breeding German Shepherds for civic duty. Morris Frank, a blind American man, contacted her for help in acquiring a guide dog. She moved to America and, together with Frank, established The Seeing Eye, which has trained 15,000 dogs to assist nearly 6,000 individuals.

Loretta C. Ford (1920-) is a international leader in nursing who is best known for co-founding the nurse practitioner model, which expanded nurse's scope of practice and allowed them to perform a broader range of duties.

Abby Kelley Foster (1811-1887) was a major figure in the anti-slavery and women's rights movements. An organizer, lecturer and fundraiser, she worked tirelessly for the ratification of the 14th and 15th amendments and helped lay the groundwork for the 19th amendment granting women suffrage.

Helen Murray Free (1923-) is a pioneering chemist who conducted research that revolutionized diagnostic testing in the laboratory and at home. Her work on dip-and-read strips has made it easier and cheaper to test for diabetes, pregnancy and other conditions.

Billie Holiday (1915-1959) is one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. Her unique style continues to influence jazz and pop vocalists more than fifty years after her death.

Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) was a celebrated champion of human and civil rights through non-violent means, in partnership with her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and following his death.

Lily Ledbetter (1938-) is best known for her fight to achieve pay equity. As she was retiring from her position as a manager with the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Ledbetter was advised anonymously that she had been paid considerably less than her male colleagues. She subsequently initiated a lawsuit against Goodyear. She won in trial court, but the Supreme Court later overturned the verdict because she had not filed within 180 days of the discriminatory act even though she was unaware of the discrimination at the time. Thanks in part to her advocacy, Congress reinstated the right to sue, and President Obama signed into law, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

Barbara Mikulski (1936-) is the first female Democratic Senator elected in her own right. During her more than 30 years in the Senate, she has worked on legislation promoting equal health care for American women, Medicare reform, better care for veterans, greater student access to quality education and much more. This year she became the longest serving female Senator in U.S. history.

Dr. Donna Shalala (1941-) is an educator, scholar and politician who was the longest serving Secretary of Health and Human Services (1993- 2001). She has been president of Hunter College which is located in my district, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently President of the University of Miami.

Kathrine Switzer (1947-) broke the gender barrier in 1967 when she was the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon. She has completed over 37 marathons and has dedicated her career to creating Opportunities and equal sports status for women. In 1977, she founded the Avon International Running Circuit and in 1984 she was a leader in making the women's marathon an official event in the Olympic Games. She is an Emmy Award-winning sports commentator.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in rising to celebrate the National Women's Hall of Fame and its eleven remarkable 2011 inductees.