Floor Statements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. Speaker, I am going to start something tonight in an attempt to engage more of our American people in the process.

Mr. Speaker, I know that you know that it is no secret that America is still emerging from the recent economic downturn. We still grapple with high unemployment rates and our national debt. We are doing better than we were doing 2 years ago, but we have to do much better, and we will do much better, because we are Americans. That is our history. That is what we do.

We persevered through the Great Depression of the thirties and the depression of the eighties and the recession of yesterday. We supported one another and persevered through hurricanes, through floods, through tornadoes. We mourned together and persevered through the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, through Robert Kennedy, and through Martin Luther King. We persevered. In addition, I personally remember the attempted assassination of President Reagan. I remember writing President Reagan a get well note in the second grade. I even remember getting a note back saying thank you. We persevered again.

Fifty years ago today, an interracial group of Americans left Washington, D.C., on a bus trip to New Orleans with the goal of desegregating bus terminals. They were the first Freedom Riders. They never made it to New Orleans. They were beaten and bloodied throughout the South, but they sparked off a movement of over 400 Freedom Riders with the same goal and the same dogged determination and perseverance. Eventually our Nation repudiated segregation and embraced equality. We persevered.

If we are going to shake off this economic downturn, we need to embrace the Freedom Riders' spirit of perseverance and dogged determination. That is so very American. America will only rise up again on the strength of our collective ideas. Americans make up America, the people make up the Nation, and it is the people who will keep this Nation great.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. House of Representatives is the people's House, and it is time that we listened directly to the ideas from the people.

Mr. Speaker, I am inviting the American people to join in this conversation. Here is how to contact me. Here is how to talk to me. Here is how to talk to Congress. You can email me at [email protected]. Again, that is [email protected]. That is because I want to hear your ideas. Or you can go to Facebook and follow me or leave a message on the wall, or go to Facebook and contact me, or you can follow me and I will follow you on Twitter so we can have a free exchange of ideas.

Mr. Speaker, I want to give credit where credit is due. You and the House Republicans last year launched YouCut based on a similar idea, and I applaud that again. YouCut requested that Americans identify what funding they would cut from the government's funding, and I am glad that you engaged the people.

But I think we need to go further. We should and must request that Americans share how they feel about everything. What bills do they want us to champion, what laws do they want changed, what programs do they want extended or ended.

Mr. Speaker, under House rules, I, unfortunately, can't directly address the American people. I must address my comments to you, Mr. Speaker. However, if I could speak directly to the American people, I would request that they send me their ideas for how to keep America great. I would request that they send me their thoughts on whatever they want to talk about.

Mr. Speaker, the American people can, again, email me at [email protected]. I will lead a conversation with the American people in which they will be an active participant. I will bring your thoughts up here and I will talk about them. I will engage you and Congress so that people can read what you write and read your ideas. I will also put your name on it. I don't want the credit. I just want a better country for our seniors and for our children.

Every couple of weeks while the House is in session I will make sure to come down here and start this conversation with America again. Although it is a conversation by me alone right now, I would suspect that we will get other colleagues joining in the conversation as we get other Americans joining in the conversation.

But right now we are going to stop, and I want to talk factually for a second about our financial situation, and I want to do it as nonpartisan as I can and not lay blame on one party or one President. I just want to talk about where we are.

We can start with recent history. According to the U.S. Treasury, when President Clinton took office, the national debt was $4.188 trillion. When President George Bush took office, the debt was $5.728 trillion. When President Obama took office, the debt was $10.672 trillion. Remember, the total debt is the sum of our accumulated annual budget deficits, so it shows a history of out-of-control spending.

So what is our current budget deficit? Last year, the U.S. Government spent about $3.5 trillion and collected $2.1 trillion in revenue. The deficit was right at $1.2 trillion. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that this fiscal year's budget deficit will be in the neighborhood of $1.4 trillion. The deficit for this fiscal year is projected to be higher than that of last year due to increases in mandatory spending and less growth in revenues as a result of the temporary payroll tax reduction as a part of last year's bipartisan tax deal.

So here we are, Mr. Speaker. The total amount of U.S. debt today is in the neighborhood of $14 trillion and the current debt limit is $14.294 trillion. The Department of the Treasury estimates that the debt will reach very close to this limit the week of May 16, at which time we will be forced to do some courageous things to avoid jeopardizing the full faith and credit of the United States of America.

So, what is the big picture? Well, the fact is over the last several years the U.S. experienced an imbalance between spending and revenues. As a result of the recession, we spent much more than we brought in.

I would like to point out that our recent spending spurred hiring in the private sector. It also provided small businesses with unprecedented tax relief. It helped home buyers purchase homes in this tough market; it helped police, teachers and firefighters continue to get paid; and it helped cities and towns across America weather this financial storm.

Last Monday night while leaving Afghanistan, I was having a conversation with a colonel in our Armed Forces. I was talking about this Special Order and I was going back and forth with him about his input and about ideas on how to engage people. He volunteered to be the first person to start the conversation and to pose a question.

He didn't really have much of a comment, but he wanted to pose a question to the American people. And his question was very simple, and it dealt with how big and what we do as Americans. So, right now I will start with his question, and that was: As Americans, what do we have, what do we want the government to provide, and how are we going to pay for it?

I think that that's a very basic question but it's at the heart of the debate from Democrats and Republicans and Independents. So that's what I think that we will start tonight with, Mr. Speaker, that if I could ask the American people a question, I would request of them to tell me how they feel about that statement: What do we have, what do we want the government to provide, and how are we going to pay for it?

Everyone agrees that where we are now is not where we need to be. We're dealing with big issues that demand big solutions. We have an aging population, rising health care costs, crumbling infrastructure, and uneven educational outcomes. Fortunately for us, America does great things. I believe that we can find a balanced approach that combines some reductions in spending on some programs, but combining that with increases in revenues for those who are most able to afford it and other policies that will promote faster economic growth, like during the Clinton era.

The current budget proposals, both the President's budget and the Republican budget proposed by Congressman Ryan, don't exactly get it right. They both leave room for improvement. We have to get this right, Mr. Speaker. The only way that we can get this right is by both parties working together and sacrificing.

We know that the American people don't want to underfund education or investment to grow the workforce. We know that they don't want us to sacrifice our long-term global competitiveness for short-term gains. Americans believe that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Mr. Speaker, we can invest in tomorrow and still get our fiscal problems and our fiscal house in order.

How do we move forward? There are a number of options, but one thing is for certain. We should be honest about the tax burden currently faced by Americans.

I want to briefly show you another board, which we're not making any proposals but we want to talk about for a second, the effective tax rates.

The Congressional Budget Office just finished completing an analysis--in fact, they finished it in 2010--about the effective tax rates, which are the actual average rates of taxes paid. What we're going to look at today is the taxes on the top earners were far lower than the top tax rates. The tax rates for the top earners in this country are right at 35 percent of their income. Well, when you look at it after deductions--and legal deductions--and policies that we set as a country, those tax rates are far lower than 35 percent.

The top 10 percent of earners, representing approximately 12 million households in this country, paid an average tax in the neighborhood of 16.2 percent. Now, after paying taxes, their average income was $289,000.

Let's look at, now, the top 5 percent of earners, which only represent 5.9 million households. They're taking home an average post- tax, after-tax income of $440,500. They're paying an effective tax rate of 17.6 percent.

So you can see that when you look at 16.2 and 17.6, those numbers are far below the 35 percent that's in statute.

Now, when we get to the top 1 percent of earners in this country, representing only 1.2 million households, they took home an average after-tax income of $1.3 million, while paying only a 19 percent individual tax rate. So they fall right at 16 percent under the tax rate that's on the books.

Again, I'm not proposing what the numbers should be. But what we do know is that the top number is 35 and the lower three numbers are 16.2, 17.6, and 19 percent as the effective tax rate.

So the question to America, the question to this Congress, Mr. Speaker, is: What is the appropriate number if we're going to continue to pay down the debt, stop running deficits, but at the same time continue to take care of our seniors, invest in our children, do all of those things that continue to make this country what it is?

The next thing I'll talk about: What is the biggest takeaway from these facts? It's about sacrifice. What are we willing to sacrifice to do the things and allow government to do the things that government should do? What are the sacrifices we will make to take care of

our seniors, to take care of our children, to invest in innovation, to protect our homeland, to spread democracy, and to do all those critical things that we want to do?

These are the facts, Mr. Speaker. I encourage the American people to draw their own conclusions based on the facts--not hyperbole, not conversations from either side, not political rhetoric, but from the facts.

So, as I have laid out our debt situation, I would ask that you send me your ideas on what you think the numbers should be. This is the people's House. We see how they feel in the polls, but we need to hear their stories directly from them, Mr. Speaker. I will request that the American people send me those stories, tell me about their hardships, tell me if they think they're paying too much. But give me a specific example. Tell me how that tax rate, that tax liability, that tax burden affected your family. I want to know. I think Congress wants to know. We don't presume, and I certainly don't presume to know everything. I think it's very critical.

My grandmother told me a long time ago, Mr. Speaker, smart people know what they know and know what they don't know. I'm telling you today that I don't know everything, and I'm willing to listen to the people that do.

After all, we need everyone's creativity, everyone's inventiveness, everyone's ideas if we're going to keep this country great. This is America, home of amazing structural feats: The San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Hoover Dam on the Arizona and Nevada border, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. This is America, one of the most inventive nations in the world. We brought the world bifocals and the modern suspension bridge, dental floss and the doorbell, the airplane and peanut butter. America brought the world the defibrillator and the traffic light, digital recording and the Super Soaker water gun, the artificial heart and the personal computer.

This is America, a Nation of firsts and a Nation where our inventive spirit rings from sea to shining sea. This is America, where we do big things because we have big ideas. As President Obama said in this year's State of the Union Address: We're a Nation that says, I might not have a lot of money, but I have this great idea for a new invention; I might not come from a family of college graduates, but I will be the first to get my degree; I might not know those people in trouble, but I think I can help them, and I need to try; I'm not sure how we'll reach that better place beyond the horizon, but I know we'll get there. I know we will. We do big things.

Those were President Obama's words from the State of the Union in which he laid a course of where we are, where we need to get to, and why we all know we'll get there.

Mr. Speaker, again, I wish I could directly address the American people. If I could, again, I would invite them to reach out to me on Facebook, on Twitter, or by email. Email me at [email protected].

We've been through rough patches before and we got through them because we're Americans. We will work together and we will listen to the American people. Our perseverance, ingenuity, creativity, and work ethic are unmatched. We're going to get through this because of our people.

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the opportunity to travel to Afghanistan, Batumi, and Baku, and over there I just want to say that the energy and the optimism in our troops were unmatched because they were representing America. They were representing what that flag stands for. They were representing the sacrifice that stands in this country's history.

We didn't always get it right since our founding, but we've always, always made it a goal to strive to be a more perfect union. I hope that through this conversation, we will continue to pursue being a more perfect union.

I want to take a detour for a second and just thank the New Orleans Hornets and thank their GM, Dave Dickerson, who when they found out that I was going over to Afghanistan to visit with some troops, that they sent care packages and T-shirts and bands and stickers and magazines to our troops because they understood the sacrifice that our troops were making and they wanted to make sure that they participated in just saying to our Louisiana troops, thank you, job well done, we appreciate your sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, tonight, thank you for allowing me the time to have a conversation with you about what I believe the American people stand for, about the greatness we have inside ourselves, about the great things that I know we can do when we stand together. And thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to invite the American people to participate and become their own representative in this Congress and talk about their ideas and express their desires, their wishes and what they're willing to sacrifice and those things they think we need to do.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 52 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, May 5, 2011, at 9 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I want to first, before I start, thank the gentlewoman from Texas, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, not only for introducing this segment tonight but for the work that she has done for people all across the country, and especially when you talk about disasters. She was there for the city of New Orleans in the metropolitan region after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to make sure that everyone was included in the rebuilding and the reconstruction, and it was a lot of her effort that made sure that we could rebuild the city of New Orleans. And as we have just suffered losses around the country with the tornadoes that hit, I'm reminded of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but more importantly, Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of the people in this Congress who go above and beyond to make sure that we take care of everyone in this country. And for that I want to thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Mr. Speaker, tonight I want to focus on our brave soldiers who recently fell in Afghanistan. We want to focus on their sacrifice. We want to focus on their bravery. We want to focus on their legacy.

Last week, on a diplomatic military congressional delegation which was headed up by and whose idea was Congressman Bill Shuster's, he also went the extra mile to make sure that he included freshmen Members in that so that we would get a chance to see what's going on over there. So last week while on a diplomatic and military delegation in Europe and Afghanistan, I attended a memorial service for the following heroes on this board. They are:

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Bryant, Jr.; Major David Brodeur; Major Phillip Ambard; Major Raymond Estelle; Major Jeffrey Ausborn; Captain Charles Ransom; Captain Nathan Nylander; Retired Lieutenant Colonel James A. McLaughlin; Technical Sergeant Tara Brown; Private First Class Jonathan Villanueva; and Staff Sergeant Matthew Hermanson. These are just some of the faces of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting America's interests abroad and helping to keep our country safe from threats far and wide.

I am joined by a couple of my colleagues who were with me on a fact- finding trip.

We will focus on the sacrifice made by these brave men and women, as well as the sacrifices being made by all of our brave men and women on a daily basis.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I want to yield to Congressman Bill Shuster, who will have the opportunity to not only talk about one or two or three of the individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice but just on the experience in Afghanistan, where we are, the progress we're making.

I thank Congressman Duffy for yielding, and I know that your constituent and the person from Wisconsin was someone that you wanted to talk about and you had the privilege of performing the ramp act. I wanted to give you chance to switch podiums so that you can go down now that we have the pictures presented, but I also wanted to take a minute to say what a ramp act is.

And it's a ceremony performed in the country of the soldier's death. It's not a funeral but it's a memorial, and it's good-bye to a fallen soldier on their return home. So this solemn ceremony, it may have words by a chaplain or commanding officer, but it's just a very, very surreal experience in the fact that all of the troops are out there, and we had a chance to participate in that, to watch one of our fallen soldiers get put back on a plane to be sent home to his parents and the family that he left behind. So that is our farewell for them, and I will tell you that the ceremony is performed for all coalition forces, not just the U.S. military.

So it was that ceremony that we had a chance to participate in, and it was one that was very humbling, something I will never forget.

With that, I will yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin, Congressman Duffy, to talk about his constituent who we had the privilege of watching and participating in that ramp act.

Thank you, Congressman Duffy.

And now, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Connecticut, Congressman Chris Murphy, who was the senior Democrat on the trip who provided an awful lot of guidance as a senior Member of Congress in terms of what we were seeing and the effect of it also.

Thank you, Congressman Murphy. I think that you brought up a very good point, which was the observation of the sacrifice and the fact that as we looked at all of the boots and the helmets of the nine troops during that boot ceremony, the fact that it crossed all lines. It crossed partisan lines. It crossed racial lines. It crossed geographic lines, and it certainly crossed different income levels.

So I just wanted to reiterate that the reason why we are here today with such a bipartisan and diverse group

showing our appreciation is because that was one of the things that was so noticeable when we participated in that ceremony, the fact that it was a very diverse group.

But there was one consistent and one overwhelming issue, one overwhelming purpose, and that was to make sure that the United States of America stays the best country on Earth and to make sure that this next generation, we leave them and we give them the opportunity to succeed and the opportunity to live in peace.

I will just quickly read, and it was one night while we were meeting in Batumi, and we were having a deep conversation about the sacrifice that our children are making, the sacrifice that the troops were making. And there was a parliamentarian from Batumi who used the John Quincy Adams quote, and it was the sentiment of everyone. So I just thought that I would point out that quote and read it to everybody. Mr. Speaker, it is so on point that I thought people needed to hear it: ``I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.'' That is John Quincy Adams.

Mr. Speaker, I would just again reiterate the fact that it seems like we have been fighting forever to make sure that we give those next generations the freedom and that they don't have to concentrate on war so much and that they don't have to ship their children off to war and we don't have to welcome our troops back home in caskets. That is the sacrifice we are making, and we hope that we make that sacrifice so that the next generations can study the arts and the culture and all of those things.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the leader of that congressional delegation, Bill Shuster.

Thank you, Congressman Shuster.

With that, I will yield to Congressman Chris Murphy so that he can again pay tribute to another one of our fallen American heroes.

Thank you, Congressman Murphy. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Thank you, Congressman Duffy.

With that, I would like to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey, another Member who took the time over the Easter break to go to Afghanistan to visit with our troops. He was certainly a rock star when he appeared on the base and stopped to sign a bunch of autographs. Of course, he was the only one who was asked for an autograph.

Thank you, Congressman Runyan.

I will now yield to the CODEL leader, Congressman Bill Shuster.

Thank you, Congressman Shuster.

I have the privilege to call upon another one of our colleagues who participated in the congressional delegation who has not had an opportunity to talk about one of our fallen soldiers, but I will tell you something about this Member of Congress. He, himself, has put his life on the line and served in our U.S. Air Force, and that is none other than Captain Adam Kinzinger.

We have one or two more fallen heroes that we want to honor, and I want to make sure that people understand that this is just a short ceremony, but from the heart, for the 10 people that we had a chance to participate in their ceremony, and for Private First Class Jonathan Villanueva who was killed at the same time as Staff Sergeant Matthew Hermanson.

But I wanted to take a minute to talk about Master Sergeant Tara Brown.

She was born July 21, 1977. She began her military career in 1997, at the Kadena Air Force Base in Japan as an administrative clerk, quickly mastering her skills in communications and embracing a love of travel and adventure.

Master Sergeant Brown completed assignments to Germany, Turkey, Alaska, and Korea before taking charge in numerous high-level communications positions at Andrews Air Force Base right down the street.

Master Sergeant Brown's awards include the Bronze Star posthumously, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with three oakleaf clusters, and the Air Force Achievement Medal with three oakleaf clusters.

She is survived by her husband, Ernest Brown; father, Jim Jacobs; mother, Gladys Verren; brother, Jim Jacobs, Jr.; and sister, Laguanda Jacobs.

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you that during this service, and when they talked about Master Sergeant Brown, they talked about her smile, they talked about her status as a newlywed, but, more than anything, they just talked about her love of service and the fact that she was willing to give it all.

So I wanted to make sure that as we continued we included Master Sergeant Tara Brown in our ceremony today, just to make sure that we don't forget any of our troops, that we had the privilege and the opportunity to participate in their service and on their day.

Mr. Speaker, I think that all of my colleagues, and I don't see them now, but I think all of my colleagues have exhausted their time in making sure that they honor all of our fallen soldiers. This was just one thing that we thought we wanted to do to show the country that although we disagree on 20 or 30 percent of things in this body, and those 20 or 30 percent may be very gut-wrenching and they may be very divisive and we may differ on how we cut programs, but every difference in principle is not necessarily a difference in purpose and a difference in our ultimate goal, and that is to make sure that this country continues to be the best country on Earth.

So we as just a small part of this august body, and one that we are honored to be a part of, we are honored to serve with so many senior Members who have taken us under their wing to make sure they nurture us. Mr. Speaker, we can't thank you enough for that and we can't thank Congress and the American people enough for giving us the opportunity to go over to the conflict, to watch Afghans as they start to patrol their own area.

I will tell you, I am not sure if Congressman Shuster touched on it, but we had an opportunity to patrol with a group of Afghans and their elders. One of the elders that was over there was a very elderly man who was the commander of this police unit, and they were protecting the entrance into this city and they had their checkpoint.

While walking to the checkpoint, we saw a young man holding arms and protecting us as we walked, and we stopped to talk to him. Then they pointed out to us he lost his father and brother in a firefight just a week and a half ago while they were out patrolling. Then as we talked to him just for a few minutes longer, he talked to us about the vision of freedom, and he was all excited and his eyes were open very wide as he talked about why he was still patrolling after his father and his brother's funeral, which was the fact that he had a love for his country, for Afghanistan, but also because he felt an obligation because we had so many troops out there fighting and dying that we were joined at the hip, because this was a very important goal. And it is not just to bring freedom to us; it is to bring freedom to people all across this world.

Then as he was telling us that, he told us that just a couple of days before we got there that his daughter drowned in a creek in their little village. So we are talking about a very young man who had tragedy three times in his life who was still out there with his machine gun in the desert, in the heat, patrolling to make sure that this congressional delegation was safe, but also taking the time, and we watched him talk to school kids and other things.

But that is what makes this country great. And the thing that united us all was the fact that what makes this country great, we are inspiring other people so that they want to make their country and their town and their village great, just like America.

So you have people all across this world, and we can talk particularly about Afghanistan, because that is where we saw it, that were going above and beyond, because they appreciated our effort to help them, and they were committed to helping themselves, and they said we are in it with you, and we are going to sacrifice our life and our limbs, just as those brave men and women in the United States are doing.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for allowing us to have this time to talk about the people we lost, and I will just end with reading their names, because I think that we can't give them enough, because they made and paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can have the freedom that we enjoy and others could have it. And they are: Lieutenant Colonel Frank D. Bryant, Jr.; Major David L. Brodeur; Major Philip D. Ambard; Major Raymond Estelle; Major Jeffrey O. Ausborn, ``Oz,'' as they called him; Captain Charles A. Ransom; Captain Nathan J. Nylander; retired Lieutenant Colonel James A. McLaughlin; Technical Sergeant Tara R. Brown; Private First Class Jonathan Villanueva; and Staff Sergeant Matthew D. Hermanson.

Mr. Speaker, thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Thank you, Congressman Jackson, for yielding to me and allowing me to participate in this conversation. And thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing us this opportunity to talk.

Congressman Jackson, you well know that it starts back in the Second Congressional District of Louisiana when we start talking about the true and historical fight of States' rights versus the common good or what we can call a more perfect Union. Because had you left it to States' rights and the will of Governors and the legislatures of those Southern States, then Ruby Bridges, who was my constituent in New Orleans, would not have had the Federal marshals to escort her that day to Frantz School so that she could have the same education as everyone else.

So we have to remember when we talk about States' rights and the Federal Government and the fact that we are talking about a more perfect Union, we are talking about a Constitution. We are talking about a Congress, and we are talking about a court system that should guarantee every child the same opportunity. Whether it is Louisiana, whether you are in Lake Providence, Louisiana, or whether you are in Boston, Massachusetts, you should have the same access and the same rights. So what we are talking about is a Federal Government that should insist and ensure that everyone is treated equally under the laws.

Now, the interesting thing when you talk about and you allude to States' rights, Congressman Jackson, people talk about States' rights when it is convenient. And I come from a State in which they are talking about States' rights right now. It should be their right to offer health care as they see fit. It should be our job to cut all of the things that aren't essential.

However, I remember those days after Katrina when we were not saying States' rights. We were saying: Where is the Coast Guard? We were saying: Our levees have collapsed; we need the Corps of Engineers' help to rebuild them. And it took this Congress and actions and your vote to put $14 billion into the Corps of Engineers' budget so that they could build the proper infrastructure around the city to protect the citizens there. Why did they do it? Because it was the common good. It was the right thing to do.

So you can't have it both ways when you talk about States' rights and when you talk about the role of the Federal Government. And now when times are difficult, we go back to the States' rights argument so that we can cut those things that the least of us need.

Well, they can't do it. Part of it becomes when you take health care as a whole, when you start talking about the United States of America and health care for all, the United States of America and education for all, the United States of America and employment for all, you are talking about things that affect interstate commerce. Now you are talking about things that affect the future and well-being of this country as a whole, which directly puts it back into the powers of the Federal Government because it affects the Federal Government.

So you can't isolate it. That's what some would attempt to do now. I just don't think that it is possible to do. History dictates that you can't do it. What you will end up with is a system of unequal treatment to people based on arbitrary factors: where they live, what they look like, and all of those things.

So, Congressman Jackson, I would just say that I think you are right on the mark when you are talking about the role that the Federal Government should play. And you raised, just a couple of moments ago, that it is the Federal Government's role to dictate how we treat the unemployed. Now, we very well can't leave that up to States' rights.

Well, Congressman Jackson, my question to you was going to be: Have you seen a State react yet? Have you seen a State step up with their own jobs plan? Or have you seen a State address the inequality and the treatment of the unemployed so far?

Well, it depends. And what we see in this climate right now, you see the anger out there of a generation of people and a large population of people who are upset at the way government is working. Now, there is one particular thing they can point out, which is the debt and the deficit. One way, which is the way that is being pursued today, is to just cut. Let's cut everything that is unpopular. Let's cut those things that go to the common good; those things that promote unity; those things that will help

people lift themselves up; and those things that will create opportunity for people.

We always said in this country that education was the best way to lift yourself out of poverty. What we are doing here in this Congress right now, we are cutting Pell Grants. We are cutting early childhood education. You can't do those things and then leave it up to the States because, as you so adequately addressed a few minutes ago, it is a competition between the States.

I had the privilege to go with my Governor before over to Germany to visit Thyssenkrupp to offer them incentives so they would come to Louisiana as opposed to going to Alabama. Well, we need a referee when things like that are going on. We need somebody who can coordinate and say some competition between the States is good, but it is our role to make sure that all Americans are treated fairly and that everybody has the opportunity to succeed.

Absolutely not. Not only would my State take it, but there's a new report out by a conservative group that shows that Louisiana receives more aid than every other State except one and for the first time our State budget has more Federal dollars in it than State dollars.

So I want to be clear about what you hear about States' rights. And this is not just in Louisiana. Right now 27 States have more Federal money in their budgets than they do their own State dollars. So they're not turning down State assistance when it comes to providing those things.

And I just want to tell you that it's so convenient, and the 10th Amendment couldn't address everything, and the Constitution could not address everything at the time, and we can't pretend that it did. What we have the responsibility to do, as Members of this Congress, is to make sure we apply common sense to what the Founders were doing.

You see no mention of the Internet in the Constitution. That's our road to now deal with it. So now that we talk about a complex program to give every American the basic right to health care, you are not going to see that in the Constitution. But what you see in the Constitution and what the overriding theme is, is a more perfect Union. And this government has the responsibility to do that.

So when we start talking about energy assistance to our seniors who can't afford it, you will not see those things in the Constitution. But when you apply common sense, which is what we were elected to do, to a living, breathing document, it would follow that we have not only the right but we have the responsibility and the obligation to do those things for the States.

Madam Speaker, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat our seniors and how they treat our children. According to the 2012 budget, House Republicans do not value our seniors nor our children. They want to privatize Medicare and undo Medicaid. They will burden already cash-strapped States, and place

it in the hands of Governors. Under their plan, Governors will decide whether or not you will receive health care. They are telling 50 million seniors to cough up the money or get off the health care rolls. They are telling the 1.5 million Medicare and Medicaid recipients in Louisiana that they are on their own.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, most beneficiaries would spend more for health care under the new proposal and could get reduced quality care under the GOP proposal that we are fighting here today.

Grandparents and their grandchildren will have less access to doctors when they are sick. Through this budget, we see the Republican future; and it ain't a pretty one. To use my grandmother's words, Madam Speaker: Republicans, you should be ashamed of yourselves for picking on our seniors and our children.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues came down here yesterday, and will do so again today, like a well-rehearsed choir singing the same song: Repeal the 1099 provision, repeal the 1099 provision. They sang it in perfect harmony.

However, they conveniently left out two verses. One, last year 239 Democrats and only two Republicans voted to repeal it. Second, they will pay for the repeal by reaching into the pockets of working Americans and yanking out $25 billion. That's just wrong.

So, Mr. Speaker, I remind my colleagues that their song has two additional verses. Just because they won't sing about their tax increase doesn't mean the American people won't feel it. I, too, want to repeal the 1099 provision, but this is not the way to pay for it.

Mr. Speaker I yield back because I will not be a co-conspirator to snatching $25 billion out of the bank accounts of hardworking Americans.

Thank you, Ranking Member Levin.

Madam Speaker, I agree with the Republican chorus that we've been hearing now for 2 days, which is let's repeal this onerous provision of the 1099 requirement.

However, even as a freshman member of the Democratic Party, let me say, welcome to the party. The Democratic Party started this July 30 of last year to try to repeal this onerous provision and only 2 Republicans voted for it. Two hundred thirty-nine Democrats said, let's do away with this. You're right. It's putting a massive burden on our small businesses.

But not only did you get to the party 7 months late, you got it wrong. You decided to dance with Big Oil and corporations that you didn't want to close the tax loophole. So what's the pay-for? Well, the pay-for is to reach in the pockets of working class Americans and take $25 billion. Right now, there are people that are at work, and we're here in D.C. and we're going to take $25 billion out of their pocket. We should be ashamed of ourselves.

I join with my colleagues and my good friend from New York (Mr. Crowley) who on yesterday tried to have a discourse about is there a better way to pay for it. No one would yield. No one would take amendments. So I would just say as a new Member, what the American people want, when we agree on an idea, let's repeal the 1099 provision, they want us to get together and figure out how to do it. They want us to see if we can't find some amendments, find some common ground, so that we don't have to penalize working families.

And I would say what they don't want is for us to reach in their pocket, penalize them for success and take $25 billion, when there are other ways to do it. But what we should do is get together and figure out a way to do it so that we can start moving this country forward.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the distinguished gentlelady from the Virgin Islands, who I have the pleasure of serving with and who has done a remarkable job in planning our hour today, which not only celebrates and reflects but which also charts a path for this future that includes everyone.

As we come to the close of Black History Month, it is appropriate that I remind our leadership and the American people of the sacrifice and determination of great American heroes to make this country a better place and the land of opportunity for all Americans. I would also like to remind our leadership that we don't honor Dr. King because of his dream. We honor him because of his hard work and his dedication in pursuing his dream. His last call was for economic justice.

Here we are in 2011 with a 9.6 percent unemployment rate in this country. However, in the African American community, that unemployment rate is 15.8 percent. We must ask why such a huge gap and what we are going to do to close that gap and bring unemployment down for everyone. At this time and at this moment, we need King-like determination; we need King-like courage; and we need a King-like vision to create jobs in this country, not more campaign rhetoric.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, show me the jobs. Show the American people the jobs.

The continuing resolution that the Republicans offer will not lower the unemployment rate in this country. It will do quite the opposite. The continuing resolution will eliminate 700,000 jobs. If their plan passes, then 700,000 more Americans will face financial uncertainty. That's 700,000 more families who will depend on unemployment benefits to make ends meet. That's 700,000 more families who will turn to safety-net programs to make it through the tough times. That's 700,000 more families who might now face bankruptcy.

Those 700,000 Americans are demanding that we show them the jobs. I am here and willing to do that. I now invite my Republican colleagues to join my colleagues on my side of the aisle to do just what the American people are asking.

The House Speaker recently stated that the deficit is a moral threat to the Nation, and I agree. I would also add that abandoning the 24 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed is a moral crime. Cutting 700,000 jobs in one fatal swoop is a moral crime. Balancing the budget on the backs of working folks is a moral crime.

Mr. Speaker, this Republican continuing resolution is not only a path to family bankruptcies; it is, in itself, an irresponsible plan that is morally bankrupt.

Mr. Speaker, President Obama challenged us to out- innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world in order to compete globally. We can and must educate our way to a more prosperous future.

Through the continuing resolution, congressional Republicans are handicapping our kids by recklessly slashing education funding. Instead of equipping our kids to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build, this resolution prepares kids to under-perform, under-whelm and under- achieve.

Across America, over 127,000 preschoolers will be kicked out of Head Start. Instead of setting up kids for success, this continuing resolution dooms them for failure.

Over 131,000 students will see their after-school programs reduced or eliminated, even though after-school programs improve academic success.

Over 1.4 million college students will see their Pell Grants cut, even though education is the best way to escape poverty.

This resolution plays politics with our children's futures, and our children will lose.

Mr. Speaker, I will say that this continuing resolution is a train wreck for Louisiana and a train wreck for this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Michael Starks, the first African-American graduate of Tulane University School of Law and the first African-American lawyer in the New Orleans City Attorney's office. As the Congressman from New Orleans and a graduate of Tulane University School of Law, I would like to call attention to Mr. Stark, a man whose dedication to the legal institution knew no bounds.

Mr. Starks, was a native New Orleanian who graduated from the University of New Orleans and the first African-American admitted to Tulane's law school. He graduated from Tulane's School of Law in 1968.

He served as an Assistant City Attorney during the tenure of three mayors. After leaving City Hall, Mr. Starks was an attorney for the Housing Authority of New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina struck.

Mr. Starks passed away on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Life Path Hospice in Temple Terrace, Florida at the age of 67.

He was survived by his sister, Sandra McCollum, and daughter, Michelle Starks, and granddaughter.

I am saddened by his passing, in prayer for his family, and inspired by his life's achievements.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to recognize Mr. Michael Starks.

Mr. Speaker, around this time last year, New Orleanians celebrated the Saints' Super Bowl victory. This year, we are celebrating Mr. Marshall Faulk's recent induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite Louisiana's rich football heritage, Marshall is the first native New Orleanian to receive the honor and we are very proud of him.

Marshall Faulk is one of the best hybrid running backs and receivers in the world, which is why he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. During his 12 years in the National Football League, split among the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams, he earned amazing statistics and awards. Marshall ranks fourth all-time in total yards from scrimmage. His 6,875 receiving yards are the most ever by a running back. Marshall's 136 career touchdowns, 100 of which are rushing, rank seventh of all-time. He has won three Offensive Player of the Year awards, was recognized in 2000 recognition as the NFL's Most Valuable Player, and called the ``greatest show on turf'' when the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2000.

A graduate of Carver High School, Marshall is really dedicated to New Orleans. He became a three-time consensus All-American at San Diego State and then the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft by the Colts, but began as a humble kid in the 9th Ward with a dream. I was touched to learn that, as a kid, Marshall sold popcorn at the Superdome to get closer to the football world. He recognized his gift and studied his craft--even as a stadium vendor.

After Katrina, Marshall toured his childhood neighborhood, the 9th Ward, and then donated $70,000 to Desire Street Ministries, a youth organization near the old housing development site. He understands that it takes the entire New Orleans community to rebuild our hometown.

I applaud Marshall Faulk for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and, on behalf of all New Orleanians, wish him well.