Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend to several votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall Nos. 657, 658, 659, 660, 661, 662 and 663.

Dear Madam Speaker, as I leave Congress as the people's representative for the 13th Congressional District of Michigan, I thank God, who is the head

of my life, for allowing me the blessing of serving in perhaps the most august, deliberate, elected body in the world. I am humbled and honored that the great citizens of Michigan and the people of Detroit chose me for so many years to fight and serve them for more than three decades as a public servant. The many friendships, relationships, and associations I have formed will remain with me forever.

I finally want to thank perhaps the most underappreciated team in any elected body--the staff who have worked for me for those years in the State of Michigan and on Capitol Hill. The tireless dedication, devotion and work will never be forgotten by me or the people to whom you have been so effective and efficient for so long.

I hope and pray for all of my colleagues that we may bring a better world to all Americans, and never flinch from fighting for justice and democratic ideals. We made history. We made difficult decisions. We fought the good fight. We have difficult days ahead, and I remain faithful to protecting the Constitution of the United States and the goals of our great nation.

God bless.

Mr. Chair, I have been involved in politics for more than three decades. I am proud of my record of public service to the people of the great State of Michigan and to our Nation. Some of the proudest votes I have ever cast in my career have been in support of the economic stimulus package, health care reform, saving our manufacturing base by saving the auto industry, and preventing our banking system from dragging our economy into a full-blown depression. It is my point that we have not done enough to advertise the good things we have done for Americans.

The economic stimulus package provided 95 percent of all Americans with a tax cut, saved or created close to three million jobs, and allowed States and cities to use bonds to fill their budget deficits. Thanks to the revolution in health care by our health care law, the largest deficit reduction law in the history of the United States, all Americans will have access to health care for the first time in history. While this law becomes fully phased in by 2014, some of its mandates are working for Americans now, such as the fact that citizens cannot be denied health care coverage due to pre-existing conditions, filling in the Medicare Part D ``doughnut hole,'' and that insurance companies cannot deny your health insurance once you are ill. The bold Democratic program to save the auto industry, like the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) not only cost taxpayers less than anticipated, taxpayers can potentially reap a profit from these programs. We have been efficient and effective with the peoples' purse.

We are now voting on a tax ``deal'' that President Barack Obama agreed to with Republicans to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts started by former President George W. Bush. These tax cuts, which were not offset by responsible spending cuts and gave the majority of the tax cuts to the richest one percent of all Americans, were fiscally irresponsible when they were first proposed. They were so controversial and so fiscally unstable, the Republicans refused to make them permanent. It took then Vice President Dick Cheney to come to the Senate to break the 50-50 tie that stopped the bill from final passage.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind all Americans that we have had not one, not two, but if this bill passes, four major tax cuts at a time in which we are involved in not one, but two, wars. This is the first time in American history that we have had a war and we did not have a tax increase to help pay for that war.

I cannot, and will not, support this fiscally irresponsible bill. This bill is a horrible deal for Americans. Not only does it extend the Bush tax cuts, and the Republicans are willing to hold the extension of unemployment benefits to three million American families to get it done, as the late night infomercials like to say, ``wait, there's more.''

This bill hammers Social Security. Through this legislation's cut in the payroll tax, the tax that funds Social Security, the long-term stability and safety net for our senior citizens is in jeopardy. For every person who puts money into the Social Security program, two people take money out of it. If you think that this one-third cut to the payroll tax is going to come back in two years, don't count on it. The more that this fund is delayed, the more the Social Security program--a governmental program that has worked for more than seven decades, and which is the sole difference between life in a home or life on the street for over half of our senior citizens--is gutted.

This bill insufficiently helps the unemployed. Michigan has one of the Nation's highest rates of unemployment, and Michiganders desperately need unemployment insurance. But guess what? While this bill extends unemployment for those three million people who currently get it, it does nothing, not one thing at all, for the millions of unemployed workers who have exhausted their benefits under tier four. If you have been out of work more than 99 weeks--and plenty of Americans have been out of work that long through no fault of their own--this bill does not provide what I have been pushing for the last year. That is a new tier five level of unemployment benefits so that workers who have exhausted their federal and state benefits are able to feed their families and keep a roof over their head. If we are going to extend unemployment, let's extend it for all Americans.

This bill is a tax increase for most Americans. While this bill is a sure-shot tax cut for those people making or inheriting millions of dollars, for nearly 50 million hard working Americans, this bill is actually a tax increase. Workers who make less than $20,000 per year will see a tax increase. And by the way, if you are a federal worker, a worker who will see a pay freeze over the next two years, if your job has not been totally eliminated, you will see a tax increase. Finally, if you work for your state or city government, you will see your taxes increase because of this bill.

This bill is a woefully inefficient way to create jobs. The Congressional Budget Office and other non-partisan, objective organizations have widely stated that tax cuts is, by far, the most inefficient way to create jobs. At a total cost of over $900 billion, this bill is expected to lower unemployment by less than one percent. The most efficient way to create jobs in an economy in which businesses cannot create them? A federal direct-hire program. I offered such a program as an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, a program modeled after the successful Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) that would have immediately put more than one million people back to work. It was rejected earlier this year.

I proudly voted for the extension of tax breaks for Americans who make $250,000 or less. I also proudly voted to extend unemployment benefits for three million American families, and continued to fight for the addition of a tier five level of unemployment benefits. These two fiscally sound policies would help reduce our deficit and stabilize American families during the holiday season and beyond. Unfortunately, this was apparently not good enough for the Republicans, who overwhelmingly did not support the preservation of almost three million jobs in the economic stimulus package, the saving of American manufacturing through the auto loan program, or the more than $100 billion reduction in our deficit that will be the health care law once it is fully in effect.

I cannot, and will not, support this fiscally irresponsible bill. It is my hope and desire that the wisdom of the Congress prevails and we reject this legislation and start over with a bill that caps the top level of earnings at $250,000 and adds a tier five level for all of those individuals who are unemployed and have exhausted their state and federal benefits. Our children and grandchildren, who have to pay for these programs, are watching what we do.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend to the following votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall numbers 611, 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1752, ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 4501 and ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 3082.

Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably absent from votes yesterday. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 5131 and ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 3470.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend several votes today, July 30, 2010. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Res. 1574; ``aye'' on H. Res. 1558; ``aye'' on H.R. 5901; ``aye'' on H. Res. 1566; ``aye'' on H.R. 5414; ``nay'' on H.R. 5851, the motion to recommit; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 5851; on the Rahall Manager's Amendment; ``aye'' on the Kind Amendment; ``aye'' on the Teague Amendment; ``aye'' on the Oberstar Amendment; ``aye'' on the Melancon Amendment; ``nay'' on the motion to recommit H.R. 3534; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 3534; and ``aye'' on final passage of

Thank you, Mr. Olver, our outstanding chairman who has brought us this far.

I want to thank Kate Hallahan and the rest of the staff for working to bring this bill to the floor with us. It's a very complicated bill, but it is the bill in the Federal Government that will put America back to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, providing jobs across America, doing the things that are necessary so we take care of Americans who have lost their jobs, helping the institutions of higher learning so they train, and be able to keep their tuitions lower, so that our children can build a better America as we go forward.

This is a good bill. It's a bill that's been worked for the betterment of America. It's an artistic compilation of ideas and investments that will make America strong again as we move into the 21st century.

Chairman Olver and Ms. Hallahan and the staff and the rest us should be commended. We wish we had more. This bill is $1 billion less than what the President gave us because we recognize that our Nation is in crisis. So we had to work with what we had and have some outstanding programs put together in an artistic way that America is invested in again, that our crumbling roads and bridges can be fixed, and that we might put people back to work, help our institutions of higher education, and build a better America.

There are several things I want to highlight in the bill just briefly. Most of you know that our veteran population, who have given their lives to this country, many have returned home. They have returned home unemployed. Many are homeless. There have been studies all over America now from various institutions how homeless veterans must have housing, jobs. This Congress has passed the best veterans bill in several decades. And we are getting to that so that our veterans, who dedicate their lives for our safety, can have those opportunities.

We provide in our Transportation-HUD bill resources for veterans who are now homeless. It's a great opportunity for us to show to our veterans that the Federal Government they worked so hard to secure is in their corner. Let's not accept any amendments that would reduce that.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Also we have a program that's called reinvesting into our infrastructure, reinvesting TIGER grants. TIGER is acronym that allows us to invest money. There were over $50 billion worth of investments asked for. Our bill has only under $2 billion. So in TIGER I, many communities were not able to partake. These TIGER grants go right from the Federal Government to communities to help rebuild all kinds of programs that are related to transportation and HUD, putting people back to work. They are very competitive. Let's not accept any amendment that would make it more hard, more difficult for communities to

compete with one another for these limited dollars.

TIGER grants, veterans homeless assistance, and other things within this budget, roads, bridges, train dollars, this is a good bill. I commend Ms. Hallahan as well as our chairman. The other side has been working with us pretty good as well. Yes, we have to fix the deficit, but you don't do it on the least of these.

Mr. Chairman, I hope that we will pass this bill and move it onto the Senate, a good bill, beginning to put America back to work.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to support the FY2011 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill, H.R. 5850. The FY2011 Transportation-Housing and Urban Development bill before us today addresses a number of housing and transportation challenges.

There is such a broad consensus affirming the great needs for transportation infrastructure investments and for affordable housing throughout the country.

The total budgetary resources include $67.4 billion in discretionary appropriations for the departments and agencies, which is $1.3 billion less than requested by the administration, and $500 million below the FY 2010 appropriations.

This bill seeks to address the need to invest in transportation infrastructure that will create jobs and ensure that our roads, rails, ports and airports are safe. This bill also seeks to address the need for affordable housing through investments in basic program management tools that will improve HUD's ability to operate efficiently as an organization.

Priorities in the bill are focused on investing in the nation's infrastructure to support jobs; supporting vulnerable populations in a difficult economic climate; ensuring safe transportation; building healthy communities with environmentally sustainable solutions; and ensuring responsible management and oversight of government investments.

Overall, the bill balances the housing and transportation needs of the country within current fiscal constraints. Investments are targeted to critical housing and infrastructure needs that will keep this economy moving forward.

The THUD Committee and staff have worked hard to bring a THUD bill that will balance the needs for housing and transportation programs with the call to cut wasteful spending.

Mr. Chair, this is a good bill and I ask all of my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend to several votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on the Latham Amendment; ``nay'' on the Culberson Amendment; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 847; ``nay'' on the Neugebauer Amendment; ``nay'' on the Jordan Amendment; ``nay'' on the Flake-Bachmann Amendment; ``nay'' on the Flake Amendment #2 (Part B); ``nay'' on the Flake Amendment #4 (Part B); ``nay'' on the Flake Amendment #10 (Part B); ``nay'' on the Flake Amendment #11 (Part B); ``nay'' on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 5850; and ``aye'' on Final Passage of H.R. 5850.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend to several votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 1320; ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1504 and ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 3101.

Madam Speaker, fifty years ago, arguably the greatest Olympic team in history--the United States Summer Olympic Team--traveled to Rome, Italy and proceeded to take over the athletic world. This Olympics, and this Olympic team, not only surpassed athletic marvels, but also broke racial, gender and ethnic barriers in doing so. On August 27, 2010, Nashville, Tennessee will be the home of the gathering of these champions, whose exploits are chronicled in David Maraniss' fantastic book, ``Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World.'' This event is more than a gathering of greats. It is also a fundraiser for the Ed Temple Foundation, and proceeds from this event will help low income families in Franklin, Tennessee and surrounding communities. I am proud to rise in support of this most worthwhile endeavor.

The names from these Olympics are part of athletic history and lore. During the 1960 Olympics, women's track and field, heretofore an afterthought, was catapulted to the world's stage through the incredible achievements of the Tigerbelles of Tennessee State University. Led by legendary humanitarian, educator and coach Ed Temple of Tennessee State University, Mae Faggs, Wilma Rudolph, Wyomia Tyus, Edith McGuire, Chandra Cheeseborough and others illustrated that women could perform with grace, class and honor. I was blessed and remain blessed to have had the personal friendship of Wilma Rudolph for more than two decades. Her spirit, strength and service are an example to all Americans, especially during these racially trying times. These women--young, strong, proud African American women-- shattered traditional and outdated stereotypes, furthering the cause of equality and justice for all Americans. Coach Temple would end his career as the greatest track and field coach in Olympic history, as the women on his team won more than 23 Olympic medals, set dozens of Olympic world records, and more incredibly, more than 80 percent of the women coached under his program graduated from college.

Rafer Johnson, an African American, carried our Nation's flag, also was the first African American to win the grueling decathlon. Ralph Boston, another graduate of Tennessee State University, won the Olympic gold in the long jump. The 1960 Olympic basketball team, led by Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas and Jerry

West, never had a game that was close. This team was so talented, so smart and so skilled, ten out of its 12 members played in the National Basketball Association, and the entire team was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

While many of us know of his career as a humanitarian, a man of peace and .justice, and perhaps the greatest boxer of all time, the 1960 Olympics in Rome also saw the beginning of the career of a young Cassius Clay. Of course, the world would later know and revere him as Muhammad Ali. In 1960, Muhammad Ali won a light heavyweight gold medal in boxing, setting the stage for an athlete like never before.

On behalf of my colleagues in Congress, I salute all of the athletes of this significant and ceiling-breaking Olympic team, and have the highest of hopes and wishes for the continued health and good fortune of these individuals and the Ed Temple Foundation. God bless.

I was unable to attend to several votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1472; ``aye'' on final passage of H. Con. Res. 126; and ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1219.

Madam Speaker, I rise to talk about the emergency that our country is in. Over 15 million Americans are unemployed, unemployed presently and unemployed in the last three years. Many more are long-term unemployed. We need an emergency bill that will put people back to work.

In the 1970s and 1980s, President Reagan, President Carter started what was called the Comprehensive Employment Training Act, or CETA, put $50 million in it, and hired 20 million Americans across the country. We need such a jobs bill today.

This Congress has done some things. The President has worked with us, and we've passed legislation and bills that helped small businesses to hire and to get tax incentives. But what America needs is to address the emergency now.

Home sales are down. Foreclosures are up. Americans want to work. It's our responsibility that we help them do so.

Today, let's pass a real jobs bill similar to the CETA Comprehensive Employment Training Act.

Is it an emergency? Yes, it is. Should it be offset? Are the American people an emergency? I believe that they are.

Mr. Chair, as a member of the House Progressive Caucus, I am proud to say that it has been progressives who have fought the undue influence of corporations in campaigns, beginning since at least the late 1800s. In 1907, the Tillman Act was signed into law, which prohibits any contribution by any corporation and national bank to federal political campaigns. This ban remains in effect to this very day.

Michigan has a particular role in corporations and campaign finance issues. In the Supreme Court case of Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce in 1990, in which the Michigan Chamber of Commerce wanted to use its general funds to run a newspaper ad supporting a specific candidate against Michigan State law, the Court upheld Michigan law. Furthermore, the Court found that the government must prevent ``the corrosive and distorting effects'' of corporate money in politics.

I agree, and I do believe that the ruling in Citizens United will allow wealthy corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns. President Barack Obama criticized this decision during his annual State of the Union address, saying, `` . . . last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests--including foreign corporations--to spend without limit in our elections. I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I'd urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to correct some of these problems.''

Unfortunately, this is not that bill. Congress must take action to counteract the negative effect of the Citizens United decision. I believe in the basic principle that Americans have the right to know the identities of groups spending money to influence elections. I believe in transparency. I believe in fairness. This bill, designed to protect against undue, unfair, and unwanted influence by corporations, contains a carve-out or exemption for the National Rifle Association. This exemption is not good policy, is not right, and is not fair. It is simply baffling to me that the party that has led the fight against assault weapons, in support of stronger handgun registration requirements, and helped to see the Brady law come to reality would support such an exemption for the one organization against stronger gun laws.

In Detroit, Michigan, we have regrettably seen too many young people die due to gun violence. This is almost a direct result of simply this--there are too many guns on our streets. Combine the plethora of guns on the street with record high unemployment, home foreclosures, and industries leaving Michigan, and it is no secret why deaths due to gun violence in our nation are soaring.

Like most Americans, I want to keep the light on who, what and how campaigns are financed. Amendments to level the playing field for all organizations were offered, but rejected. Congress should defeat this bill in its current form, and take a stand against the National Rifle Association.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

I rise in honor, respect, and duty to give President Ron Gettelfinger all he deserves for his 30-plus years of hard work as an organizer, as a laborer, and rising to the presidency of the United Auto Workers.

Congratulations, Ron. Congratulations for all the work you have done, for all the coalition building you have done, keeping our workers front and center, in good-paying jobs with benefits that they earned every day, building the best cars in America and around the world right through the workers of the United Auto Workers.

We rise today to say, Good for you. As you go into your retirement with your lovely wife and family, just know that we appreciate all that you have done. Just know that as workers and builders and all of that of America that we might have a strong economy, that your commitment, your dedication to seeing that workers have adequate wages, that workers have clean environments in which to work, that workers are able to earn a great day's pay for the work that they do for our economy and for our country, thank you, Ron Gettelfinger.

Many have come before you as president of the United Auto Workers, and you can bet you are right there with them, having given and served as long as you have. Our recent battle together was the health care debate. You, your leadership, your dedication, working with the leaders in the House and the Senate and the Presidency for the first time to bring to our country a health care bill that will cover 95 percent of Americans, we thank you for that.

No longer will people be charged or not covered for preexisting conditions. Soon, in September, all young people over the age of 21 will now be able to stay on their parents' health care until they are 26. As we know in our economy, many young people who graduate from high school and then on to college are unable to find work. So the health care bill will help them be accessible, be able to be covered.

This health care bill--and Ron Gettelfinger, thank you for your hard work in bringing us to this point--it's not perfect, but it's certainly better than the status quo. Our status quo health care situation in our State is not sustainable. People getting dropped for no reason when they become ill, you stopped that as we worked on this health care bill. Thank you, Ron Gettelfinger.

Our seniors will now be able to have their wellness covered, that they will have preventive health covered. Our seniors, who now because of a Medicare part D program that doesn't always cover their prescriptions as prescriptions go higher and higher, for the first time, Mr. Gettelfinger, working with the coalition and our leaders here in the House and Senate and the Presidency, will now have help paying for their prescription medications. Thank you.

Thank you for your leadership. Fighting for workers, helping to put together, finally, a health care bill that we can all be proud of, being able to be that president that your men and women of the United Auto Workers, as well as all of us, have looked to for leadership, we thank you, Ron. Your mild manner, your smile, and your strength, we will never forget you.

So enjoy your retirement, Mr. President. You have earned it. And we promise, as we work here in the House of Representatives, we will continue to work, as you have worked for all of these 30-plus years, to make sure that all Americans, all Americans have an opportunity to work in a clean environment, to receive adequate pay for a day's work and, yes, have health care benefits to protect them and their family.

Enjoy your retirement. God bless you, Mr. President.

Madam Speaker, in an era in which progressive activists are rarer and rarer, it is my honor to speak in respect, honor and praise of the three decades of service of Mr. Ron Gettelfinger, president of the United Auto Workers or UAW. For over 30 years Mr. Gettelfinger has shown his dedication to the rights and fair treatment of all workers. Rising through the ranks of the United Auto Workers union to his leadership position that he has today, Mr. Gettelfinger embodies the hard work ethic, dedication to a cause bigger than yourself, and respect for family embodied in what the UAW represents. Manufacturing, specifically the automotive industry, is the backbone of the State economy of Michigan. The UAW has been the backbone of the worker. Ron Gettelfinger is known as a fierce advocate and fearless leader in fighting for the people who make this country run--the worker.

From Mr. Gettelfinger's humble beginnings with the union as a line repairman in 1964 at Ford Motor Company's Louisville Assembly Plant, to his leadership role as president of the UAW in 2002, Mr. Gettelfinger has remained faithful to his beliefs. He believes in the fact that we are all created equal. He believes that the everyday line worker is just as valuable as the CEO of the corporations in which they are employed. He has continued to be a voice for the worker, while negotiating new union contracts that were not popular to workers or management. He has championed the cause of the worker, and for that, the worker has championed him.

If not for the unwavering and unyielding belief that all Americans deserve access to affordable health care, sweeping health care reform would still be a dream in the United States of America. Mr. Gettelfinger, like me, believes that all hard working, taxpaying Americans should not face discrimination for pre-existing conditions. If you are in the hospital, you should not be dropped from your health care plan just because you are ill. We are already beginning to see the effects of health care reform, such as seniors receiving subsidies to help pay for prescriptions, children allowed to stay on their parents' plans until the age of 26, and insurance companies not allowed to drop coverage once the patient needs it most. Mr. Gettelfinger has also been instrumental in negotiating fair trade agreements that include provisions for workers' rights and environmental provisions. He has stood strong against what he called the vicious ``corporate global chase for the lowest wages, which creates a race to the bottom, in which no worker can win.'' He has been, and still remains, a powerful, uncompromising voice for all workers.

From access to affordable healthcare, to labor protection in fair trade agreements, to keeping our manufacturing jobs right here in the U.S. by investing in technologically advanced American vehicles, Mr. Gettelfinger has been there. He not only talks, but knows and lives the values of the labor union while working with management to ensure a safe and profitable workplace. During a time in which we saw General Motors and Chrysler file for bankruptcy--two of the largest corporations in our Nation, and the world--Ron Gettelfinger always fought for the protection of workers. He saw both sides of an issue, and negotiated difficult but necessary compromises to the benefit of management and labor. Even with his retirement, this leader's legacy will not be forgotten, it will become legend. God bless and Godspeed to you, Ron Gettelfinger. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend several votes today, June 14, 2010, Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1368, ``aye'' on final passage of H. Res. 1409 and ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 5502.