Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3079, the United States-Panama Trade Implementation Act.

With our nation's unemployment rate continuing to hover around 9 percent, it is unconscionable that we are considering NAFTA-clone free trade agreements that will further facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs and undermine the rights of American workers. Proponents of free trade agreements like to purport that they are good for the U.S. economy and will create jobs. But history is on the side of those of us who opposed NAFTA, CAFTA and other damaging trade agreements over the last decade.

Free trade agreements play a significant role in exacerbating the negative effects of globalization, including the rapid privatization of vital public resources. They have resulted in the loss of domestic jobs and manufacturing industries and in significant decreases to labor and environmental standards. In addition, FTAs result in significant job loss and privatization of labor-intensive industries for the countries we enter in trade agreements with. Unionizing in countries like Mexico and Colombia has resulted in death or imprisonment of union leaders.

Every state in this country has been affected negatively by our destructive trade policies. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs have been displaced since the passage of NAFTA in the 1990s. The majority of the jobs displaced--60 percent-- were in the manufacturing sector. My home State of Ohio is one of the top ten states with the most jobs displaced by NAFTA, having lost 34,900 jobs. Our rapidly increasing trade deficits with countries like China has resulted in the loss over 5 million jobs over the past decade. Of that 5 million, the State of Ohio has lost 103,000 jobs as a result of the increase in our trade deficit with China.

This is not a debate about being for trade or against trade as some of my colleagues have framed it. This is a debate about learning from the free trade policies we have pursued over the last decade that have proven to be significantly damaging to the American economy and American workers. The numbers speak for themselves.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this agreement.

Panama is a Tax Haven

Panama is one of the world's worst tax havens, allowing rich U.S. individuals and corporations to skirt their responsibility to pay taxes that are vital to the local communities that depend on those revenues. The U.S.-Panama free trade agreement does nothing to address this issue. At a time when potentially damaging austerity measures are being proposed to balance the budget, we should not be considering a free trade agreement that fails to deal with an issue critical to addressing our deficit.

This FTA includes provisions that even undermine our own laws to combat tax haven activity. Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch reports that the ``FTA's Services, Financial Services and Investment Chapters include provisions that forbid limits on transfers of money between the U.S. and Panama. Yet, such limits are the strongest tools that the U.S. has to enforce policies aimed at stopping international tax avoidance.''

Many have cited a tax treaty signed by Panama earlier this year as a reason to support the Panama-FTA and dismiss the concerns of Panama as a tax haven. In reality, the agreement (the ``Tax Information Exchange Agreement'') fails to hold Panama and corporations accountable for tax evasion. The agreement only requires Panama to stop refusing to provide information to U.S. officials in specific cases if U.S. officials know to inquire. It also includes a significant exception which allows Panama to reject requests for information if it is ``contrary to the national interest.''

By passing this free trade agreement, we are rewarding and condoning corporations who offshore jobs and practice international tax avoidance--practices that significantly hurt American workers and the American economy.

Buy American Provisions--and U.S. Workers--Undermined

The U.S.-Panama FTA requires the U.S. to waive Buy America requirements for all Panamanian-incorporated firms, and even many Chinese and other foreign firms incorporated in Panama that are there to exploit the tax system. This means that work that should go to U.S. workers can be offshored because of rules which forbid Buy America preferences requiring U.S. employees to perform contract work by a federal agency in the federal procurement process. According to Global Trade Watch, the U.S. would be waiving Buy America requirements for ``trillions in U.S. government contracts for any corporations established in Panama and in exchange would get almost no new procurement contract opportunities in Panama for U.S. companies.''

If you support the NAFTA tradition of weakening offshore protections, limiting financial service regulations, banning Buy America procurement preferences, limiting environmental, food and product safety safeguards, and the undermining U.S. workers and our economy, than this is your agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following.

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to talk with

you about wireless technology. It is an honor to be in a room

with people who are so ahead of their time when it comes to

thinking about the effects of widespread wireless technology.

This is an issue of great interest to me. Many of you know I

held a hearing on the topic--the first in at least a decade

if not the first ever--on the effects of cell phones on human

health. My hearing was followed by a hearing in the Senate

which also generated some interest.

I walked away from that hearing thinking the evidence that

cell phones could cause brain cancer was fairly compelling.

It was far from being authoritative but it was compelling. At

a minimum, the current lack of research in the US is not at

all justified, especially since some estimates are that half

of the world population uses a cell phone. One of the most

important areas we discussed at my hearing was the mechanism.

The wireless industry likes to claim that the only way a

cell phone could cause harm to a human being is by heating

tissue directly--the so called thermal mechanism. This is the

way a microwave oven works. But we heard some evidence that a

non-thermal mechanism is at work. It is certainly feasible

since there are many existing therapies using electromagnetic

radiation to induce some effect in the body using non-thermal

mechanisms.

It is an important conversation to have because this

belief--that there is no non-thermal mechanism--is preventing

some influential agencies from being open to the possibility

that cell phones and other wireless technologies are a real

public health problem. I'm talking about the National Cancer

Institute mainly, who is in turn influencing the Federal

Communications Commission and the Food and Drug

Administration.

These agencies are using this conversation about thermal

and non-thermal mechanisms as a red herring, effectively

claiming that we can't move forward with any kind of

precautionary action until we know the mechanism. Let me

explain.

When trying to link any given environmental exposure to a

health problem, scientists like to know exactly how it is

happening at the 10,000 foot level and at the micrometer

level. In other words, they like to be able to look over vast

numbers of people and compare who was exposed and who was not

exposed and show that there is a link there. But before they

conclude the link is rock solid, they also like to know what,

exactly, is happening at the cellular level--how are the

molecules changing in cells to make this happen? That is

called the mechanism. Scientists are hesitant to say with

certainty there is a link until that mechanism is nailed

down. And the mechanism is usually the last thing to be

discovered--usually years if not decades after epidemiology

first uncovers the problem.

That's fine for scientists. But The NCI, the FCC, the FDA,

and Members of Congress are not scientists. We are policy

makers. And we have to look at things the scientists don't.

For example, we have to consider that we knew tobacco was

killing people in the 30s. The Surgeon General didn't even

weigh in until the 60s. And there was no substantive action

on cigarette bans until the mid 90s. In fact there are many

places in the US where you can still smoke in public places

even though it is well established that people die from

exposure to it. It is not an accident that almost 70 years

have passed and we're still fighting to protect public health

from tobacco. That was the result of a sophisticated campaign

to manufacture doubt in the mind of the public about the link

between cigarettes and health. What we have to consider as

policy makers, not scientists is this: How many people died

between the time we knew tobacco caused cancer and dozens of

other major lethal health problems and the time policy makers

took real action to protect the public and educate them?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, ``Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die

prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and

another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by

smoking.''

So, yes, let's talk about what the non-thermal mechanisms

are. But let's not let that discussion get in the way when

millions of lives are at stake. If we see a danger or even a

potential danger to human health, we must act to protect

health before acting to protect profits.

I announced that I would be introducing a bill that would

do three things. It would reestablish a research program in

the US to look at the health effects of cell phones. Almost

all meaningful research in the field is now done overseas,

save for a few selected pockets at places like the University

of Washington and Cleveland Clinic.

Second, the bill would call for a real measure of exposure

to replace the inaccurate, misleading, and downright false

numbers used now to depict exposure levels. You know this

measurement as the Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR, and it

is mostly only accessible in places that are invisible to the

consumer as they shop for phones. The SAR has multiple

problems; among them is that they are designed for adults,

not children; they ignore the fields created by phones that

use increasing amounts of power, which smart phones do; and

the science has developed significantly since the standards

were set, mostly by engineers, not by people with medical

training.

The third thing the bill would do is call for a label on

cell phones, using the new measure of exposure that is

created under this bill. Until we can say with greater

certainty whether this is a link between electromagnetic

radiation and various health problems, the consumer should be

able to decide what they want. But markets are not truly free

when the consumer has inadequate information. As it stands,

the consumer cannot practically know what a particular phone

or smart meter would expose them to. First the SAR is

obsolete, as I mentioned. Second, even if it were useful, the

SAR can't be readily accessed when buying a phone. We need

labels.

The bill has already accumulated cosponsors and I am

awaiting the right moment to introduce it. It will not be

easy to make legislative progress because of the enormous

financial resources the industry has at its disposal. They

have already tried a few tricks to get us to pony up

information about the bill's contents, timing and strategy.

But I am convinced we can make legislative progress anyway.

We just have to be very strategic about it.

I am also keeping a close eye on the other uses for

wireless technology. Certainly there are a lot of questions

about the dangers posed by towers. Increasingly, we're seeing

popular resistance to smart meters as well because of the

additional exposure they cause. And the wireless spectrum is

being sold off to make room for more wireless gadgets like

keyboards.

The use of the radiofrequency spectrum is one of three

emerging technologies that are proof for the maxim that we

are developing technology faster than our ability to manage

it. Another textbook case is nanotechnology, which is

proliferating by leaps and bounds while research on the

effects on the environment and health is slowly lumbering

along. What little research we have seen to date is deeply

concerning. The third case, of course, is genetically

engineered food; another topic which I have held hearings on.

In each of these cases, any progress that has been made has

only come as a result of the efforts of a thoughtful,

dedicated few who have raised the hard questions for industry

and for policy makers. It is a privilege to join you in your

efforts to put public health over private profit. Thank you

again for the invitation to be with you today.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to be here today to join the local Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as they announce the launching of their Homeless Veterans Outreach Campaign.

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, there are between 130,000-200,000 homeless veterans on any given night. That means that homeless veterans constitute nearly one-fourth to one-fifth of the total homeless population. There is an increasing number of female homeless veterans. Studies have demonstrated that women who served in the military are more likely than their non-serving counterparts to experience homelessness in their lifetime. It is clear that we must do more to prevent and address homelessness in the veteran's community.

Current members of our armed services have been asked to endure multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing the likelihood that they will experience significant levels of stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The stresses of deployment and low-levels of social support when they return home are just some of the factors that can lead to homelessness. With high levels of unemployment, foreclosures, and continued economic hardship across the country and in the State of Ohio, it is harder than ever for returning veterans to reintegrate post-service.

That is why the outreach campaign by the VA to increase awareness of services available to veterans who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless is so important. Veterans need to know that they have the support they need when they return from a tour abroad.

Homelessness can be ended. It can be ended by ensuring that there are decent jobs that provide a living wage, access to health care and affordable housing and adequate support for those who can no longer work.

I am committed to ensuring that the VA has the resources it needs to provide returning veterans with the care they need and to expand their services to eradicate homelessness among veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I have listened carefully to this debate, and I know that my good friend Mr. Levin and my friend Mr. Camp have worked to try to craft an agreement that they feel is in the best interest of this country. But this debate cannot pass without pointing out some facts that concern those of us who are opposed to this.

According to Global Trade Watch, Colombia is the world capital for violence against workers, with more unionists killed every year than in the rest of the world combined. Unionist murders have been growing from 37 in 2007 after the deal was signed to 51 in 2010, even though Colombia has been under maximum security. Only 6 percent of the nearly 2,680 unionist murders that have occurred have been prosecuted to date.

The deal doesn't require Colombia to end the unionist murders or bring past perpetrators to justice to obtain special trade privileges. Colombian unions oppose the deal and agree with U.S. unions that a recent action plan will not fix this horrific situation.

Colombia has the highest number of displaced people in the world, outpacing even Sudan because of forced displacement and land grabs, often with Colombian military involvement.

Now, I know there has been an attempt to try to address these, but I think that we have to get the Government of Colombia to answer these things first before we pass a trade agreement, and I don't believe that they have sufficiently done that. In particular, they haven't brought to justice those who are responsible for the murder of all of these unionists.

I think, as a country which supports the right of people, freedom of association, the right of free speech, if we do not stand for them in these trade agreements, then we can expect the same kind of conduct to occur. This is a concern I have, notwithstanding what I know are the honest, good-faith efforts of my colleagues who support this, even though I don't. I urge the bill's defeat.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

The rights of workers, which have increasingly come under attack in this country, are also at risk under these NAFTA-style trade agreements.

In Panama a 2010 State Department Human Rights Report notes that ``the government lacked sufficient mechanisms to ensure that laws prohibiting employer interference in unions and protecting workers from employer reprisals were adequately enforced.''

So the government lacked sufficient mechanisms to make sure that they were adequately enforced. We shouldn't be entering into a trade agreement with a country that has yet to demonstrate its ability to uphold international standards for labor rights and financial regulation.

Panama's track record on fulfilling its promises is clear: Just as it failed to adequately address its status as a tax haven wonderland, it has failed in its promise to adequately protect its workers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.

Public Citizen is an organization that dedicates itself to an impartial economic analysis of trade agreements. They looked at the Panama trade agreement, and here's what they came up with. They said that it includes extreme foreign investor privileges and offshoring protections and their private enforcement in international tribunals. It includes limits on financial and other service sector regulation, a ban on Buy America procurement preferences, limits on environmental safeguards and imported food and product safety and limits on drug patent rules that limit generics.

The AFL-CIO is one of the most important workers' organizations in the history of this country. They've analyzed the Panama free trade agreement, and here's what they have said. They've said it's the wrong trade model at the wrong time. Instead of helping workers here or in Panama, it rewards a country that has a history of repressing labor rights and has achieved much of its economic growth by making it easy for money launderers and tax dodgers to hide their income from legitimate authorities.

Moreover, this agreement, which was negotiated by the previous administration, contains too many flawed trade policies of the past, rather than laying out a new and progressive vision for the future. President Obama should not waste valuable time and effort advancing this inadequate agreement, but should instead focus on effective job creation measures, including currency reform, infrastructure investment, and robust training and education, and reforming our trade model so that it strengthens labor rights protections for all workers, safeguards domestic laws and regulations, and promotes the export of goods, not jobs.

The AFL-CIO noted that due to the small size of Panama's economy, the

economic impact of the Panama free trade agreement is likely to be small. Panama's gross domestic product is tiny in comparison to that of the United States, and Panama accounted for less than \1/2\ of 1 percent of total U.S. exports in 2010. Thus, any demand for U.S. goods and services is likely to be minuscule. This is simply not an agreement that will substantially increase net exports or create American jobs.

While the Panama FTA contains--and we have to say it contains-- improved labor and environmental provisions, these provisions need to be further strengthened, and our government needs to invest more resources and energy in more consistent enforcement across the board; and President Obama should work to further improve the labor, environment, investment, financial services and government procurement provisions contained in the Panama free trade agreement to build a new trade model for the future.

The AFL-CIO also pointed out another thing, Mr. Speaker. They said that Panama is not a part of any meaningful U.S. jobs plan. Even the Obama administration is not selling the Panama free trade agreement as a job-creating measure. Panama's economy is so small that the U.S. International Trade Commission was unable to quantify any job-creation effects of the Panama free trade agreement.

While economists routinely predict that trade agreements between the U.S. and developing countries will create jobs and improve our trade imbalances, the fact is that these rosy predictions repeatedly fail to pan out. The current U.S. approach to trade agreements has tended to destroy jobs, not create them.

I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from Maine, a champion of workers' rights, Ms. Pingree.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) be permitted to manage the remainder of the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mr. George Condon, an iconic journalist, author and historian that truly loved the City of Cleveland.

Born in Falls River, Massachusetts, George was the youngest of eight children. At the age of six, his Irish family moved to Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. He attended St. Patrick's on the Bridge and later West Tech High School during the height of the Great Depression. He left high school and began working at Atlas Display Fixture Company and later Blocks Clothing Store. After several years of working and saving money, George enrolled in the Ohio State University and graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. It was during college that George met his future wife, Marjorie Smith. The two married in 1942 and had seven children together.

Following graduation, George became the editor of the Mount Pelier, Ohio newspaper. Shortly after, he took a public relations job at Mount Union College before being hired by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1941. He started at the Plain Dealer as a general assignment reporter and in 1948 became the first radio critic. He would later move to the editorial page, where he remained for the rest of his 41-year-long career. In addition to being a unique voice for the Plain Dealer, George became a respected historian for the City of Cleveland. He wrote nine books throughout his life including Cleveland: The Best Kept Secret and Yesterday's Cleveland.

George loved the City of Cleveland and, in return, he was honored and recognized countless times throughout his illustrious career. In addition to having been inducted in the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, George has received the Ohiana Award, the Cleveland Award for Literature, the Burke Award for Literature and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Distinguished Service.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of Mr. George Condon, he will forever be remembered by the city that he loved.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Thank you for coming this evening and welcome. I am excited to introduce to you The Last Mountain and I am proud to host its screening. It left quite an impression on me when I saw it and I trust it will do the same for you.

Scientific research shows that Mountaintop removal mining is devastating to both the environment and the health of Appalachian communities. It has created a water quality crisis in streams where the debris and spoil from mining sites have been dumped. It has created an environmental crisis for aquatic life in those streams and for the most biologically diverse forests in the world, which are being systematically destroyed by Mountaintop removal.

Mountaintop removal mining has created a public health crisis for people depending on those streams. The research shows that Appalachian residents of areas affected by mountaintop mining experience significantly more unhealthy days each year than the average American; and women who live in areas with high levels of mountaintop coal mining are more likely to have low birth-weight infants and poor birth outcomes.

Not only is mountaintop removal mining environmentally harmful, but it is actually a job destroyer, not a job creator. Studies have shown that mountaintop removal mining has actually had a negative impact on Appalachian employment. Because Mountaintop removal mining relies on enormous machines instead of individual, skilled miners, the number of mining jobs needed to produce each ton of coal has been drastically reduced. Mountaintop removal mining is essentially eliminating the miner from coal mining, contributing to a decrease in mining jobs.

In 1948, there were 126,000 coal-mining jobs in West Virginia and 169,000,000 tons of coal mined. In 2010, however, only 20,000 of these jobs remain despite the fact that almost the same amount of coal-- 144,000,000 tons--had been mined. This job loss did not result from any regulation. Instead, it occurred because coal companies themselves have replaced workers with machines and explosives. The evidence is clear: mountaintop removal mining destroys both mountains and jobs.

Coal mining in general has experienced a diminishing share of employment in Appalachia as well. The cause is falling demand for coal. According to the Federal Reserve, the capacity of already permitted and active coal mines set an all-time record in 2010, while the utilization of that capacity was at a 25-year low. So, while enough permits have been approved to achieve a new record level of coal mine capacity, there is simply not enough demand for all of the coal that these mines can produce. Demand for coal, or the decision by consumers to use cleaner, more energy efficient forms of energy, is not something the EPA controls. It is a decision by made by electric generating plant operators and investors. Increasingly, they have chosen to fuel their power plants with natural gas, rather than coal.

Just last week, a study in the prestigious American Economic Review found that the damage from coal-fired electrical plants costs more than twice as much as the electricity they generate. Coal plants wreak $53 billion worth of damage per year, not considering the enormous harm from climate change.

The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of trying to fulfill its duty to increase scrutiny of Appalachian mountaintop mining permits. The efforts in the House to undermine the EPA are wrongheaded. I have fought them on the floor and I have fought them as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. And I will continue to fight to stop not only mountaintop mining, but also coal.

Coal-based energy creates ponds of ash that are so toxic the Department of Homeland Security will not disclose their locations for fear of their potential to become a terrorist weapon; it fouls the air and water with sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulates, ozone, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and thousands of other toxic compounds that cause asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, and pulmonary and cardiac problems . . . for starters.

In contrast, several times more jobs are yielded by renewable energy investments than comparable coal investments. We must redirect the resources of this great nation away from things like war and counterproductive spending cuts and toward creating millions of new jobs in the economic sector of tomorrow; green energy. I will be introducing a bill to create a Works Green Administration which will harness the innovative power of NASA to help create, refine, and ready for distribution the very technologies that put the power in the hands of the people. It will put people to work promoting and installing wind and solar microtechnologies, energy efficiencies, and much more.

Until then, I hope you enjoy the screening tonight. Thank you for your interest and for your time. I look forward to working with you to save mountains, streams, forests, and livelihoods.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Jack Kahl, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Manco Inc., who is being recognized as the Mayo Society's Mayo Person of the Year.

Mr. Kahl graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. In 1971, he bought Manco, Inc. and grew the company from a small industrial tape distributor into a leading global consumer products company. He served as the CEO of Manco for more than 25 years before selling the company to the Henkel Group. Mr. Kahl has also held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Henkel Consumer Adhesives, Inc. and Chief Executive Officer and President of Duck Investments LLC and Jack Kahl and Associates during his career. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors of numerous companies including Paragon Corporate Holdings, Inc., Acorn Products Inc., Technical Consumer Products, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, MCM Capital Advisory, Clark/Bardes Inc., and American Greetings.

In addition to his career in the business world, Mr. Kahl has been a dedicated and active member of the education community. He is the former chairman of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and has served on the Board of Trustees of John Carrol University (JCU) and St. Edward's High School. Due to his tireless advocacy he has been named ``Outstanding Alumnus and Alumnus of the Year'' by both St. Edward's and JCU. In 1999 SIFE dedicated a wing of its world headquarters the Jack Kahl Entrepreneurship Center and, in 2000, St. Edward's named its new student center the Jack Kahl Student and Life Leadership Center.

Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Kahl has been honored and recognized countless times on the local and international level. He has been named one of America's Most Admired CEOs by Industry Week Magazine, Best Boss in Town twice by Cleveland Magazine and recognized by Inc. Magazine for his leadership practices. During his tenure as CEO, Manco, Inc. was the first company to receive three Wal-Mart Vendor of the Year awards and OfficeMax's Vendor of the Year--Supply Chain Award. Mr. Kahl has also been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the School Home Office Products Association, the National Medal for Entrepreneurship by Beta Gamma Sigma and Cleveland's Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring and congratulating Mr. Jack Kahl, the Mayo Person of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Northern Ohio Lebanese American Association's 6th Annual Lebanese American Heritage Ball which will be honoring General John P. Abizaid, retired United States Army General and the former Commander of the United States Central Command.

The Northern Ohio Lebanese American Association (NOLAA) was founded in 1931 as a social and charitable organization. NOLAA's original purpose was to promote an understanding and unity among its members, act as a resource to better the conditions of its members and to foster unity among Lebanese Americans and their families in Cleveland and neighboring cities. In 2005, the Lebanese American Christian Society (LACS) was established in conjunction with NOLAA. Today NOLAA and LACS are dedicated to preserving, enriching, and promoting Lebanese heritage and traditions through cultural, educational, humanitarian and social activities.

NOLAA's Annual Lebanese Heritage Ball honors those who have made significant contributions to the community. This year's celebration will honor General John P. Abizaid, a retired U.S. Army General and the former Commander of the U.S. Central Command. General Abizaid rose to the rank of a four-star general during his 34 year long career with the U.S. Army. The Ball will also feature Tony Kiwan, a world renowned Lebanese singer.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the Northern Ohio Lebanese American Association as they come together to celebrate their Annual Lebanese Heritage Ball and General John P. Abizaid.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3079, the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act. With our Nation's unemployment continuing to hover around 9 percent, it is unconscionable that we are considering a NAFTA clone free trade agreement. This agreement would further facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs and undermine the rights of American workers. Proponents of free trade agreements like to purport that they're good for the American economy and will create jobs. But history is on the side of those of us who opposed NAFTA, CAFTA, and other damaging trade agreements over the last decade.

Free trade agreements play a significant role in exacerbating the negative effects of globalization, including the rapid privatization of vital public resources that has resulted in the loss of domestic jobs and manufacturing industries and in significant decreases in labor and environmental standards.

In addition, free trade agreements result in significant job loss and privatization of labor-intensive industries for countries we enter into the trade agreements with. Unionizing in countries like Mexico and Colombia has resulted in death or imprisonment of union leaders. Every State in this country has been affected negatively by our destructive trade policies. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs have been displaced since the passage of NAFTA in the 1990s. The majority of the jobs displaced, 60 percent were in the manufacturing sector. My home State of Ohio is one of the top 10 States with the most jobs displaced by NAFTA, having lost 34,900 jobs.

Our rapidly increasing trade deficits with countries like China have resulted in the loss of over 5 million jobs in the last decade. Of that 5 million, the State of Ohio has lost 103,000 jobs as a result of the increase of our trade deficit with China.

This is not a debate about being for trade or against trade, as some of my colleagues have framed it. This is a debate about learning from the free trade policies we pursued over the last decade that have proven to be significantly damaging to the American economy and American workers. The numbers speak for themselves. I urge my colleagues to oppose this agreement.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, since I came to Congress, I've worked together with Congresswoman Kaptur in challenging these unfair trade agreements, and I am proud to yield 4 minutes to the gentlelady from Ohio for her presentation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from New York, who has made a real impact in this Congress in her first year, Representative Hochul.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

The U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement requires the U.S. to waive Buy America requirements for all Panamanian incorporated firms and even many Chinese and other foreign firms incorporated in Panama that are there to exploit the tax system. This means that work that should go to U.S. workers can be offshored because of the

rules which forbid Buy America preferences requiring U.S. employees to perform contract work by a Federal agency in the Federal procurement process. According to Global Trade Watch, the U.S. would be waiving Buy America requirements for trillions in U.S. Government contracts for any corporations established in Panama, and in exchange would get almost no new procurement contract opportunities in Panama for U.S. companies.

This trade deal is in the NAFTA tradition of weakening offshore protections, limiting financial service regulations, banning Buy America procurement preferences, limiting environmental, food, and product safety safeguards, and undermining U.S. workers and our economy.

We have to defeat this. We have to be able to Buy America or it's ``bye bye America.''

I yield myself 1 minute.

Panama is one the world's worst tax havens, allowing rich U.S. individuals and corporations to skirt their responsibility to pay taxes that are vital to the local communities that depend on these revenues. This agreement does nothing to address this issue. At a time when austerity measures are being proposed to balance the budget, we should not be considering a free trade agreement that fails to deal with an issue critical to addressing our deficit.

This free trade agreement includes provisions that undermine our own laws to combat tax haven activity. Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch reports that the ``FTA's Services, Financial Services and Investment Chapters include provisions that forbid limits on transfers of money between the U.S. and Panama. Yet, such limits are the strongest tools that the U.S. has to enforce policies aimed at stopping international tax avoidance.''

The agreement fails to hold Panama and corporations accountable for tax evasion. The agreement only requires Panama to stop refusing to provide information to U.S. officials in specific cases if U.S. officials know to inquire who's telling. There's a significant exception that allows Panama to reject requests for information if it's contrary to the national interest.

Do not reward corporations who offshore jobs and practice international tax avoidance. Do not hurt American workers and the economy. Defeat this trade agreement.

Madam Speaker, this agreement is based on the NAFTA- style trade model that has displaced and cut hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. over the last decade. According to the Economic Policy Institute, this agreement is expected to increase our trade deficit with Korea by $16.7 billion and, in turn, cost the U.S. 159,000 jobs within the first 7 years of its implementation alone. Global Trade Watch states that it is expected to increase our trade deficit in autos and auto parts by $700 million, further devastating a domestic industry that's been in decline.

I'm tired of visiting places where there's grass growing in parking lots in this country where they used to make steel and they used to make automotive products. It's time that we drew the line on behalf of American jobs and American workers and defeat this trade agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the 2011 United Service Organizations (USO) Gala, as it honors the Spirit of the USO Award Recipient, Spirit of Hope Award Recipient, heroes from the U.S. Armed Forces, and the volunteers who support them around the world.

The United Service Organizations, in its 70th year of existence, is a non-profit organization which endeavors to offer comfort and hope to the United States armed forces, both at home and abroad. With more than 150 centers worldwide, the USO offers support to millions of Americans.

When it began during World War II, the USO provided support to the troops in a number of different ways, most famously through the entertainment of the troops while away from home. Though initially dissolved in 1947, it was revived during the Korean War and has been an active organization ever since. ``Bringing a touch of home to our troops,'' the USO continues to do good, boosting the morale of our troops at home and abroad, thanks to donations and volunteers.

The legacy of the USO is continuous and expansive. For current service members at home and abroad, veterans and for the families of the fallen, the USO provides millions of men and women with care. Its various programs provide a wide range of services for service members, including games, care packages, the ``mobile USO,'' free phone cards and a program which enables those stationed abroad to record a DVD of themselves for their family members. In addition to all of this, the USO continues its celebrity tours, providing entertainment to the troops.

The 2011 USO Gala, ``70 Years Young,'' will feature entertainers from USO celebrity entertainment tours, and recognize a special volunteer and honorees from each branch of the armed force. This year's Service Member's of the Year include Corporal David J. Bixler of the U.S. Army; Sergeant Lucas J. Chaffins of the U.S. Marine Corps, Senior Airman James A. Barynard of the U.S. Airforce, Aviation Survival Technician Christopher R. Austin of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chad R. Regelin of the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of the USO does for the men and women who risk so much for us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai, Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronite Catholic Church, and welcome him to the City of Cleveland on October 11th, 2011.

With more than three million members worldwide, the Maronite Catholic Church is among the largest Eastern-rite sects of the Roman Catholic Church and is especially prominent in Lebanon. The parish of Cleveland's St. Maron Church will be hosting Patriarch Rai as he visits Cleveland next week. St.

Maron Parish is the largest Maronite Catholic community in the Mid- West.

Patriarch Rai was born on February 25, 1940 in Himlaya, Matn District, Lebanon. On July 31, 1962 he entered the Mariamite Maronite Order. Five years later, on September 3, 1967, Patriarch Rai was ordained a priest and almost immediately began working on Arabic transmissions of Vatican Radio. In 1975, he earned a PhD in canon and civil law.

On July 12, 1986, Patriarch Rai was consecrated as auxiliary bishop of Antioch and on June 9, 1990 he was appointed bishop of Byblos. He was elected Secretary of the Maronite Synod in 2003. He was the recipient of the National Order of the Cedar award in 2007. In 2009, he was appointed President of the Lebanese Episcopal Commission for the Media. On March 25, 2011 Patriarch Rai was elected Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in welcoming His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Peter Rai, Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronite Catholic Church to City of Cleveland.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Polonia Foundation of Ohio and the Department of Ohio Polish Legion of American Veterans as they unite the community in remembrance and celebration of General Casimir Pulaski, for his legacy and dedication to the people of Poland and United States of America.

Born on March 4, 1747 in Warzka, Poland, General Pulaski achieved great military success in Poland with his focused leadership and strategies in fighting the Russian forces in Poland. By 1777, General Pulaski had become one of the most renowned cavalrymen in Europe and was actively recruited by Benjamin Franklin to assist in the American quest for liberation.

Sympathetic to the American cause, General Pulaski sailed to America and was made head of the newly formed American cavalry during the Revolutionary War. General Pulaski had a deep level of commitment to the American cause and spent his own money to feed and equip his troops. General Pulaski was involved in many significant battles during the

Revolution. His ultimate stand took place in Savannah, Georgia on October 1779, where he led a valiant charge against British artillery. General Pulaski was shot and died a few days later.

This year's celebration will be held on October 8th at the Pulaski Memorial and will feature Mr. Joseph A. Drobot, Jr., the National President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA). Mr. Drobot has been an active member of PRCUA for more than 50 years and is currently serving as the 27th President of the organization.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of General Casimir Pulaski, who made the ultimate sacrifice in his fight to secure the ideals of the American Revolution. An American hero, General Pulaski's life and legacy serves as a reminder of the vital contributions and great achievements by Polish immigrants within our Cleveland community, and throughout America.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Slovene National Benefit Society, Lodge #158 Loyalties.

The Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ) was founded on April 6, 1904 by 12 Slovenian immigrants with the intent of offering life insurance and sick and disability benefits. Today, with more than 125 lodges nationwide, SNPJ is the largest Slovenian fraternal organization in the United States. In addition to its fraternal benefits, SNPJ also offers its members access to a scholarship program, activities for members of all ages and use of its summer campsite, the SNPJ Recreation Center in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.

Organized in 1911, Lodge #158 was originally called the Pioneers. In 1954, Lodge #158 merged with Lodge #590 and became the Loyalties. Today, with 1,223 adult members and 328 youth members, Lodge #158 is the largest SNPJ lodge in the State of Ohio and the 3rd largest in the United States. Loyalties members are active throughout the Greater Cleveland community and can be found volunteering at Cleveland Federation of SNPJ Lodges, SNPJ ``Farm,'' Cleveland Athletic League, Slovenian Society Home ``Recher,'' Slovenian Workmen's Home, and Slovenian Society Home ``Holmes,'' among others.

Lodge #158's centennial celebration will occur on October 8th at their home hall, Slovenian Society Home, and feature a dinner and music by the Don Wojtila Band. Special honors will be paid to members celebrating their 50th, 60th, 70th and 80th year's anniversaries of membership.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Loyalties Lodge and those who are celebrating their 50th, 60th, 70th and 80th years of membership with the Slovene National Benefit Society, Loyalties Lodge #158.