Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2847, include my statement for the Record, and also submit to the Record excerpts from recent joint economic hearings underscoring the need for targeted, timely action to boost employment.

Madam Speaker, at recent hearings of the Joint Economic Committee, which I chair, economists, forecasters, and business leaders have laid out the need for targeted, immediate action to spark job creation.

H.R. 2847--Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act--delivers timely incentives for businesses to hire, including a temporary tax break for businesses that hire workers who have been unemployed for at least 60 days.

CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf recently told the JEC, by bringing down the cost of adding new employees, employer tax credits like this one will spur new hiring and strengthen our economy.

In January, I sent a survey to the CEOs of Fortune 100 companies and leading small businesses seeking their ideas on job creation.

The ideas I got back were varied. But there was broad agreement that Congress needs to act now.

I urge my colleagues to support the HIRE Act to create jobs and put Americans back to work.

Finally, I would like to submit for the Record excerpts from recent JEC hearings underscoring the need for targeted, timely action to boost employment.

Manpower Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Joerres, Joint Economic Committee

Hearing, February 26, 2010

Manpower has been in the business of jobs and job training

for over 60 years. We've seen the economic ups and downs.

It's clear that this recession is by far the most severe in

this downturn. It's been a privilege [to hear] some of the

thoughts that we get and feel from on the ground, and those

actions that I've presented this committee. We consider that

partnerships between government and industry is critical for

this to move very quickly.

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf, Joint Economic

Committee Hearing, February 23, 2010

What we have--what we have said in our initial report, and

in our letter to you, and you can see in the--in those bars,

is that in our judgment policies that cut employers' payroll

taxes are more cost effective in terms of stimulating

employment over the next couple of years, than many of the

other policies that we've considered.

And our judgment--what firms will do with a cut of that

sort is partly to take advantage of their lower cost by

cutting the prices of their goods, and thus trying to

stimulate demand. And it's the--really the shortfall in

demand that is the crux of the recession, or the crux of the

problem in hiring. Additionally these tax credits provide an

incentive to use more labor by lowering the cost of labor in

particular.

Dr. Richard Berner, Co-Head of Global Economics and Chief U.S. Economist, Morgan Stanley, Joint Economic Committee Hearing, February

26, 2010

A refundable payroll tax credit, perhaps for firms that

increase their payroll, would be among the most effective

short-term remedies. CBO estimates that a well-designed

credit could boost employment by about 9 years of full-time

equivalent employment per million dollars of budgetary cost.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I rise to say goodbye to a friend.

New York City, and the rest of the world, lost a friend when Jack Murtha died.

Jack Murtha served his country in every possible way.

He served it in Vietnam as a Marine; he served in western Pennsylvania as a son, husband and father; and he served it for over 40 years in Harrisburg and in Washington, as a legislator's legislator.

He won respect for the honest, plainspoken, compassionate way he played all of these roles.

But to me, he played those roles like a brother.

He spoke often of the strong women in his family being essential to his success in life.

His great-grandmother, he once recalled, told him at age 6, ``You're put on this Earth to make a difference.''

Boy, did he ever.

He volunteered as a Marine, first in the 1950s during the Korean war.

He re-enlisted at age 34 and served in Vietnam--earning the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry.

He became the first Vietnam veteran to be elected to Congress, in a February 1974 special election, starting a legendary Washington career as a member of the Appropriations Committee.

When I came to this chamber for the first time, the ``Pennsylvania Corner'' was in full flower. We grew close and even though we didn't agree on everything, we worked together often--on issues ranging from breast cancer research funding to the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson.

When he decided that the Iraq war was unwinnable in 2005, he earned his stripes all over again, providing leadership on this crucial issue. He visited my district, and so many others, explaining how he came to his decision.

Madam Speaker, as a Congressman, Jack Murtha won respect in these halls and on this floor . . . but as a man, he earned our love. We will miss him.

My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Joyce, and the entire Murtha family.

Mr. Speaker, at a recent hearing of the Joint Economic Committee, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, testified that CBO's latest assessment of the Recovery Act found that it had increased our real GDP by as much as 3.5 percentage points, increased the number of people employed by between 1 million and 2.1 million people, and lowered the unemployment rate by as much as 1.1 percent. In short, the stimulus spending bill worked, but we need to do more to grow jobs now.

He also testified that one of the most powerful generators of job growth would be an employer tax credit for businesses that increased their payrolls similar to one I proposed in H.R. 4585 and to one Congress intends to send to the President. These historically difficult times and this growing, but fragile, economy cry out for us to take action, help create more private sector jobs, and get our economy working again for everyone.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to Edward Gersh, an outstanding and dedicated educator and athlete. A life-long advocate, he has worked to improve the lives and minds of students across New York State.

While attending Dewitt Clinton High School, Mr. Gersh was an all scholastic tackle, which earned him a full scholarship to New York University (NYU) and George Washington University (GW). He briefly attended GW before transferring to NYU. During his sophomore year at NYU, he was injured and unable to continue playing football. He made the transition from football to boxing, eventually winning the New York City Golden Gloves Championship Open Heavyweight Title in 1943, the only Jewish fighter to ever do so, and entering a brief, yet successful, professional boxing career. He was a boxing and wrestling referee for the New York State Athletic Commission. For years, Mr. Gersh trained, managed and promoted professional boxing.

Mr. Gersh began his career in the New York City Public School System as a physical education instructor and an assistant football coach. He also taught physical education and coached boxing at the City College of New York. In 1950, the New York City Board of Education hired Mr. Gersh. Within three years, he was named Dean of Jefferson Park Jr. High School, where he directed the guidance program and helped countless students achieve their aspirations. He also taught history at the New York Institute of Technology, where he was appointed to the Office of Student Affairs. In 1967 Mr. Gersh became one of the founders and members of the original Board of Trustees of Wilmington College, serving two years as the Executive Vice President. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for Dowling College of Oakland, Long Island for ten years, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodstock Day School in Woodstock, NY. Mr. Gersh has received numerous awards for his excellence as an educator, starting in 1960, when he was named ``Teacher of the Year'' by Youth Development Incorporated. In 2006, he was given the prestigious NYU Steinhardt Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award. That year he was the commencement speaker for the Steinhardt School of Education at a ceremony that look place at Radio City Music Hall. His impressive dedication to education at all levels deserves our highest praise.

In 1955 Mr. Gersh helped open West Hill Day Camp in Huntington, NY, which he continues to serve as the Chairman of the Board and President. He holds similar titles in E. Gersh Realty Corporation, University Gardens, Okee, LLC, and EG, LLC which owns and manages real estate on Long Island. He is also a founding partner and owner of Crestwood Country Day School, the Woodland Academy, and Camp Kent.

Mr. Gersh's generosity is compounded by his commitment to scholarly achievement. He has established the Edward & Holli Gersh Charitable Foundation, and the Edward Gersh Scholarship at the Steinhardt School at New York University. Mr. Gersh has been hailed as a modern Renaissance Man. His autobiography ``A Strong Collected Spirit: A Fighter's Memoir'' was published in 2005.

Madam Speaker, I salute the remarkable achievements of Mr. Edward Gersh and I ask my distinguished colleagues in this House to join me in recognizing his extraordinary service and contributions to education.

Madam Speaker, as the 2010 Census begins, there are an increasing number of reports from around the country about mailings with bold lettering saying ``Do Not Destroy,'' ``Official Document,'' and ``Census Document Registered To:'' on the exterior envelope without any return address, when in fact, the mailing is not associated with the U.S. Census Bureau or the decennial census at all.

These mailings, many sent by political organizations, appear to be designed to resemble official census documents. I believe that no political organization, whether Republican or Democratic, should use the census for fundraising in this type of manner.

The constitutionally mandated decennial census has begun. It is a massive operation that includes a multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded advertising campaign to urge Americans to respond to the census and return it by mail. Return by mail is the cheapest and most accurate way to be counted.

My concern is that mailings that are designed to look like census documents and come in envelopes marked ``Census,'' without clearly defining the sender, will confuse people and might affect the response rate. We must do everything we can to ensure an accurate, cost- effective census.

That is why today I am introducing the Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act. I am joined by original cosponsors Edolphus Towns, Chair, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Wm. Lacy Clay, Chair, Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. The legislation would (1) require any mailing with an envelope marked ``Census'' to clearly indicate the sender and would (2) trigger an existing requirement in federal law to include a disclaimer that the mailing is not from or affiliated with the federal government. If organizations do not comply, then the U.S. Postal Service will take the appropriate action to stop them.

We must protect the integrity of census mailings, and the Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act will be an important tool in achieving that goal.

Madam Speaker, since the recession began in December 2007, 8 million jobs have been lost in America. The unemployment rate has more than doubled since then to 10% and the underemployment rate is at 17%. To keep pace with population growth, 127,000 jobs must be created each month just to keep unemployment from rising. Historically, small business has generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years, according to the Small Business Administration.

That is why today, along with Congressman Gene Green, I am introducing the Small Business Job Creation Tax Act 2010. This bill will provide tax cuts to employers who increase their payroll over one year based on a percentage of that increase.

This legislation will provide businesses a tax cut worth 15 percent of the cost of a new job. Small businesses would receive an additional 5%, allowing them to deduct 20% of their increased payroll costs. The tax cut would be structured based on a firm's quarterly payroll increase over the previous year, meaning companies would also have an incentive to expand part-time workers to full-time, or eliminate salary cuts instituted during the downturn. This would also provide protection against fraud by preventing employers from firing and re-hiring employees to claim the tax cut. The legislation would also contain additional protections against abuse by including a limit on the tax cut claimed by any one firm to $500,000 and excluding mergers or acquisitions where no new jobs are actually created.

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama stressed the importance of creating jobs. I cannot think of a more important action we can take as a Congress than creating incentives for businesses to grow their job force. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1044, Commemorating 65th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.

January 27, 2010 marked the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where at least 1.1 million were murdered from 1940-1945. Last week, the United Nations, which is located in my district, commemorated the liberation with events designed to carry on the stories and lessons that Holocaust survivors have made their legacy.

Here in Congress, the resolution we pass today honors the victims of Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps. It also reaffirms Congress's commitment to enhance Holocaust education to ensure that what happened in Auschwitz is never allowed to happen again.

To that end, I have introduced separate legislation, the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act (H.R. 2089), which would provide federal grants to educational organizations to teach students about the Holocaust: The legislation is named after the renowned survivor of the Nazi death camps who dedicated his life to documenting the crimes of the Holocaust.

Unfortunately, many students across the country have not learned about the Holocaust because their schools do not have the necessary funds or tools to teach them about this horrific event in humanity's history. It is imperative that students learn about the consequences of intolerance and hatred, so that we can truly say, ``Never again.''

As the numbers of Holocaust survivors dwindle, we must make sure their stories live on forever and that those who would deny the Holocaust never have the ability to rewrite history.

Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing the Cancer Screening Coverage Act (CASCA). This legislation will increase the number of Americans who are covered for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer screening.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year, more than 560,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer--this is more than 1,500 people a day. The number alone is unsettling, but even worse, is the fact that we have screening tools that can help identify cancers in its early stages and begin treatment sooner. Cancer screening allows for the detection of cancer in its earliest form, when the cost of treatment is the least. The survival rate among cancer patients is heavily dependent on improvements in treatment and the early diagnosis of cancer. Many advances have been made, but the key to survival is early detection. It is estimated that the rate of survival would increase from 80 percent to 95 percent if all Americans participated in regular cancer screenings. This bill will go a long way toward getting Americans screened.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans and accounts for 1

out of every 4 deaths in the United States. The American Cancer Society anticipates about 1,479,350 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2009. In an effort to ensure that people are screened and that these screenings are covered by health insurance, I am reintroducing the Cancer Screening Coverage Act (CASCA). My bill will increase the access to cancer screening exams for patients of private insurance and the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. The National Institutes of Health estimates overall costs of cancer in 2008 at $228.1 billion and lack of health insurance prevents many Americans from receiving optimal care. My bill requires coverage of mammograms, clinical breast examinations, Pap tests and pelvic examinations, colorectal cancer screening procedures and prostate cancer screening. By increasing access to cancer screening and early detection, we can make certain that Americans are able to receive the proper medical treatment and reduce the number of deaths caused by cancer.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly condemn the recent arson attacks on Jan. 5 and 16 targeting the historic Jewish synagogue in the port-city of Hania on the island of Crete.

The Etz-Hayyim Synagogue holds a library of religious books and functions as a museum and memorial in the ancient harbor city of Chania. Etz-Hayyim dates back to the Middle Ages and serves as one of the last Jewish monuments on the island of Crete, in addition to serving as a house of worship.

I applaud the Greek authorities' quick action and recent arrests of the suspected perpetrators of the attacks and urge the individuals responsible be swiftly brought to justice. The State Department has praised the Greek government for condemning the attacks and taking a strong stand against anti-Semitism and racism. I join them in their praise and congratulate the Greek government for its swift and decisive reaction.

These are only the most recent in a series of anti-Semitic incidents to surface in Greece from Veria to Ioannina and to Volos in the recent past. In fact, this type of virulent anti-Semitism continues to rise worldwide and must be met with equal defiance and determination to defeat those who would perform these despicable acts.

We must not let this type of anti-Semitism percolate as the world has seen the evil that stems from this type of hatred and bigotry. I stand firmly with Greece and the Jewish community of Hania, and Jewish communities around the world, and implore the international community to voice their outrage against this intolerance.

I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay tribute to the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Queens for its tremendous contributions to the civic, social and cultural life of our nation's greatest city. This month the Federation is installing its slate of 2010 officers at a ceremony presided over by State Senator George Onorato at the Istria Sport Club in Astoria.

The Federation of Italian American Organization of Queens was founded in 1971 to represent and unify the diverse Italian American community in Queens. Currently the Federation is comprised of thirty-four member groups, which each serve the community in a unique and substantial manner. By providing an umbrella organization for these dozens of institutions, the Federation has enhanced the ability of all its member organizations to accomplish their goals and advance their interests.

The Federation not only offers assistance to its member organizations, it directly offers a variety of services to individuals of all nationalities. It assists senior citizens with health, housing and insurance issues. Youths are served through the Federation's Drug Awareness Run and Soccer programs. It helps meet the wider community's diverse needs through the Federation's voter registration drives, as well as by offering classes in Defensive Driving and English as a Second Language.

I am pleased to join you in honoring the men and women the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Queens is installing as its new officers. I congratulate the Federation's President Joseph DiPietro, First Vice President Joseph Gaeta, Second Vice President Caterina Curatoio, Third Vice President Jerry Iannece, Treasurer Gino Macari, Assistant Treasurer Angelo Capone, Public Relations officer Maria Fosco, Recording Secretary Vincenza Russo, Assistant Recording Secretary Sandro Iannese, Correspondence Secretary John Ciafone, Parliamentarian Carlo Bucich, Historian Joseph Chiarappa, and Sergeant at Arms Anthony Barrata. Under their leadership, this important organization will surely continue to be a valuable resource to the community.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in saluting the great work of the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Queens, and in recognizing the extraordinary men and women of the Federation and their contributions to the quality of life in New York City.

Madam Speaker, today I am introducing bipartisan legislation along with my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Charlie Dent: the Tanning Bed Cancer Control Act.

In July 2009, the World Health Organization moved tanning beds into their highest cancer risk category, ``carcinogenic to humans.'' This new classification places tanning beds alongside tobacco smoke, asbestos, and uranium as known cancer-causing agents. This science clearly tells us that regulatory safeguards must be put in place to protect the more than 1 million people who tan in tanning salons across the country each day. One American dies of melanoma almost every hour. We can no longer ignore the startling health effects of indoor tanning.

This bill empowers the FDA to examine two sides of tanning bed regulation. First, it requires a study be conducted to determine whether or not tanning beds are appropriately classified in accordance with the risks of their use. Right now, tanning beds are classified in the lowest risk category, class I. Other examples of class I devices are Band Aids and tongue depressors, devices that pose no risk to consumers at all. The bill also addresses performance standards-- factors such as the strength of the UV rays emitted and the recommended amount of time a consumer should remain in the bed. These standards have not been amended since 1985. Finally, the legislation calls on the FDA to carry out its own findings published in a 2008 Report to Congress and edit the warning label requirements to clearly and more effectively inform consumers of the health risks associated with tanning bed use.

This legislation does not seek to tell the FDA what to do; rather, it empowers the FDA to use its own authority to ensure that tanning bed regulations reflect science. There is no longer any mystery to this issue: tanning beds emit UV rays. UV rays cause cancer. It's very simple and deceptively dangerous. We cannot afford to stand by and watch people suffer as a result of misinformation and poor regulation.

Mr. Speaker, the Joint Economic Committee, which I chair, has just released a report entitled ``Understanding the Economy, State by State.'' The report provides quick and easy access to the major economic indicators for all 50 States in the areas of jobs, unemployment, personal earnings, and housing. It paints a by-the- numbers picture of the current economic reality in each of our 50 States. Every picture tells a story that is at once both informative and sobering.

The report captures the enormity of the economic damage caused by the Great Recession that began in December of 2007, while making clear that the United States economy has improved and begun to grow since the Bush administration left office. And this shows that the last month the Bush administration was in office this country lost over 750,000 jobs. Nationally, there has been a substantial decrease in the rate of job losses. The economy started losing jobs in January of 2008, increasing at a rapid rate throughout the year. The average quarterly job loss has now declined from a staggering 691,000 jobs lost per month in the first quarter of 2009 to 69,000 jobs in the most recent quarter, yet even that number is unacceptable.

And as you delve into the report, it provides a more localized and precise picture for each State. A chart like this is available for all 50 States. This chart, for example, is for my home State of New York. It shows at a glance the monthly change in private payrolls from January of 2008 to December of 2009. You can see that the unemployment rate in New York was 9 percent in December of 2009. That's up 4.4 percentage points from December of 2007. It has been a bumpy road, but you can see clearly that the trend is now in the right direction.

A scatter chart is also included in the report, and for New York State it reveals at a glance that the unemployment rate is below the national rate, and that total job losses have been smaller than U.S. averages. The economies of the States vary enormously. New York's economy depends heavily on information technology and financial services. Some States that are more dependent on construction and manufacturing have been hit much harder by job losses.

An economic overview and outlook accompanies each State chart. The one for New York provides an estimate from the President's Council of Economic Advisers that employment in

New York was boosted by a total of 141,000 jobs through the fourth quarter of 2009 by the investments we made through the Recovery Act. It also shows that real per capita personal income in New York was 43,000 in the third quarter of 2009, down from 45,000 in the third quarter of 2007.

There is also useful information on housing for each State, and it too varies enormously. For instance, the median price for single family homes in New York was $290,000 in 2008, compared to $250,000 nationwide. And in New York in November, housing starts increased by 52 percent over October to a total of 18,000 units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate.

You can review the report online at www.jec.senate.gov. The majority staff will continue to update the data throughout the year in order to track the progress our economy will be making month by month. But from this first edition, it is abundantly clear why this Congress is so focused on job growth. Americans are demanding, and rightly so, that we must do all we can to grow the economy and help create new private sector jobs. The hard facts and real-life consequences of the economic policies of the prior administration don't make for a very pretty picture right now.

Mr. Speaker, stay tuned. The American spirit of innovation is on the way and individual resilience are ready and raring to go.

Mr. Speaker, as we consider new job initiatives to create more jobs for unemployed Americans, the Joint Economic Committee will be producing a series of charts over the next few weeks to help us better understand the economic missteps that led and contributed to this great recession.

This chart goes back to 1992, the year that President Clinton was elected. It shows that during his time there was very robust job creation in the private sector, and then during the Bush years it fell dramatically. This dark line is the job creation, going up during the Clinton years, falling dramatically under the Bush administration. It also shows that Democrats have been considerably more effective at creating private-sector jobs.

Economic reality was actually even worse than this chart shows. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has pointed out, job creation during the Bush administration was fueled by a bubble that inflated housing prices and spurred consumption and hiring, and when that bubble burst, the bottom fell out.

We owe it to the millions of unemployed who fell victim to the failed economic policies of the past to invest in Democratic job creation policies that have actually put people back to work in the private sector.

Madam Speaker, on January 19, 2010, I missed rollcall votes Nos. 6, 7, and 8.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes No. 6, congratulating the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine for its 150 years of commitment to advancing science and improving health, No. 7, congratulating the Penn State women's volleyball team on winning the 2009 NCAA Division I national championship, and No. 8, commending the University of Virginia men's soccer team for winning the 2009 Division I NCAA National Championship.

Mr. Speaker, this is a map from a new report by the Government Accountability Office that I requested in my role as Chair of the Joint Economic Committee. The report provides a detailed understanding of the state of the housing market at the end of June 2009, and it provides a sobering picture of the housing crisis this administration, President Obama, inherited.

By the end of last June, 1.7 million of the nonprime mortgages that originated from 2000-2007 had completed the foreclosure process. This map shows the estimated percentage of seriously delinquent nonprime loans by congressional district. It also serves as a map of the economic damage and social pain caused by lending practices of the past decade that were unsound by any measure.

Last year, this House passed financial regulatory reform to protect both consumers and our economy from the damaging effects of predatory lending. This sobering map is a reminder of why this legislation needs to pass into law.