Floor Statements

I rise today in support of this bipartisan amendment that strikes a blow for fairness for those consumers who need flood insurance. I rise along with my colleagues from Florida: Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, David Rivera, Ruben Hinojosa, and Rush Holt.

I am a proud Floridian by birth. I make Florida my home. Most of my family and friends live in the great State of Florida. On top of our sunshine, Florida has a regular hurricane season and torrential rainfalls. The majority of the people who live in Florida live in this reality for the majority of their lives. However, flooding does not only affect the State of Florida, so I want to ensure that taxpayers who live in flood zones do not pay too much for their vitally needed flood insurance. This amendment is very simple:

It prevents flood insurance rates from potentially going up 100 percent. The current cap on flood insurance rate increases in a given year is 10 percent. My amendment would keep it that way. This commonsense, bipartisan amendment is fiscally responsible. It protects consumers, and it ensures that the National Flood Insurance Program will remain sound.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my bipartisan amendment that strikes a blow for fairness for those consumers who need flood insurance. Along with my colleagues Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, David Rivera, Ruben Hinojosa, and Rush Holt, I want to ensure that taxpayers who live in flood zones do not pay too much for their vitally needed flood insurance. My amendment is very simple. It prevents flood insurance rates from going up 100%. The current cap on flood insurance rates is ten percent. My amendment would keep it that way.

I am a proud Floridian by birth. I make Florida my home. Most of my family and friends live in the great State of Florida. On top of our sunshine, Florida has a regular hurricane season and torrential rainfalls. The majority of the people who live in Florida live with this reality for the majority of their lives. However, flooding does not only affect the State of Florida. Flooding is our Nation's most common disaster. While flooding affects every State, most private insurance companies do not offer their own flood insurance. Plus, standard homeowner insurance policies do not cover flooding.

In 1968, Congress started the National Flood Insurance Program, or the NFIP. This allows homebuyers to purchase flood insurance for their homes. In Florida, you cannot get a mortgage on your property if you do not have a flood insurance policy on your home. Ninety percent of all flood insurance is done through the NFIP. There are more than 20,000 NFIP communities throughout our nation and all of them are not in Florida.

Since 1978, Florida policyholders have paid 14.1 billion dollars in premiums and have had 231,595 individual losses and received ONLY $3.6 billion in payments--3.9 times more in premiums than they receive in claims. Yet Floridians had a 9.6% increase in premium rates from 2009 to 2010. Nationally, from 2009 to 2010, premiums increased an average of 8%.

The NFIP today covers approximately 5.6 billion households and businesses across the country for a total of $1.25 trillion in exposure. Forty percent of those policies are held in Florida, and one in four Floridians is covered under NFIP. Floridians collectively pay nearly $900 million in premiums per year.

The near $19 billion in debts held by the NFIP are mostly as a result of the 2005 hurricane season (Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma) and the 2008 Midwest floods. While the average flood insurance policy is about $600 per year, residents of high-risk flood areas pay disproportionately more in premiums. However, these residents do not take near the same proportion in payments on claims. Furthermore, individuals outside of high-risk areas file over 20% of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding.

The NFIP paid $709 million in flood insurance claims to homeowners, business owners, and renters in 2010. In fact, in 2010, New Jersey had the highest number of claims, and Tennessee had the highest payments on claims--not Florida. As a matter of fact, Florida was not in the top 10 in either category of claims or payments.

I thank the Chair for the time. My commonsense amendment is fiscally responsible, protects consumers, and ensures that the NFIP will remain sound.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of The Links Incorporated's Dade County Chapter. On June 18, 2011, The Links Incorporated will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the InterContinental Hotel in Miami, Florida.

A group of trailblazers seeking to better their community came together on a beautiful Sunday on June 1, 1986, at Miami's Pavilion Hotel, now the Intercontinental Hotel, to launch their beloved Chapter, officially. The Dade County Chapter has continued to fulfill its mission and has grown tremendously.

The Links, Incorporated is an organization of accomplished, dedicated women who are active in the community. The Links members are newsmakers, role models, mentors, activists and volunteers who work toward the realization of making the name ``Links'' not only a chain of friendship, but also a chain of purposeful service.

Among its many accomplishments, the Dade County Chapter has established many programs accessible to all the members in its community. In addition, it has managed to serve and empower Miami- Dade's most underserved, women and children, with unprecedented dedication. Impressively, The Dade County Chapter of Links Inc. has amassed over 100,000 hours of community service.

Spanning the last 25 years, The Links of Miami-Dade has provided educational assistance to students at middle school, high school, and collegiate levels in all areas of study including the arts.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me as I honor The Dade County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Today I pay tribute to The Link's History and applaud their current undertaking to secure a bright and prosperous future for African-Americans of Miami-Dade county, the nation, and the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the extraordinary efforts of National Voices for Equality Education and Enlightenment (NVEEE) in providing support services to youth and families affected by bullying, violence, and suicide through preventative education and communication.

Jowharah Sanders, founder of National Voices for Equality Education and Enlightenment; says, ``Bullying is not just an action; it is inaction as well''. I agree wholeheartedly. Fortunately, Ms. Sanders understands that we will have to work together from the ground up to defeat bullying at every level.

Sanders, a drum major for the voiceless and victimized, founded NVEEE in October 2009. Driven by a personal mission, Sanders sought to help those who have been affected by bullying, violence, victimization, and abuse in

their lives, to prevent it from happening to as many children and families as she can, and to show them that they are not alone--even when they feel the most disempowered. Sanders challenged friends and colleagues to join the struggle for peace and equality, and ultimately to be the change they want to see in the world.

National Voices for Equality Education and Enlightenment has been a pioneer in the eradication of bullying. In Florida alone, NVEEE has reached more than 750 students through the ``Not on My Watch Bullying and Prevention Workshop'', which features workshops led by NVEEE's Teen Mentors and Peace Ambassadors. This campaign increases awareness of the violence surrounding youth and young adults, and empowers students and communities to take action by refusing to be bystanders. In March 2011 this workshop became accessible to educational institutions across the nation.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me as I honor the National Voices for Equality Education and Enlightenment for their stance against bullying. The exemplary dedication demonstrated to this cause is to be commended and I give her my full support.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise for one reason: to talk about creating jobs, jobs, jobs.

I have been a Member of Congress for 18 weeks, and I still have not seen any plan that would create jobs. My constituents are hurting. They need help, and I don't see any coming. They are losing their homes. They need jobs.

I did not come to Congress to ``drill, baby, drill.'' I did not come to Congress to hand out corporate tax breaks. And I did not come to Congress to end Medicare as we know it. I came to create jobs.

Graduations are happening all across the Nation, and I can't help but wonder, what sort of world will our graduates be entering? What will happen to the class of 2011?

Under the Republican budget plan, graduates are entering a world with job losses and stifled economic growth. Under the Republican legislative agenda, graduates are entering a world in which Big Oil is given a free pass, a free pass to ``drill, baby, drill'' with limited safety regulations and a free pass to drill with limited environmental safeguards.

Under the Republican-controlled House, new graduates are entering into a world in which their elected officials waste time and energy trying to repeal meaningful health care reform. Health care reform is creating jobs for the class of 2011. Thousands of students will be trained in the health care field. Don't repeal their jobs in health care. Leave ObamaCare alone. Leave their jobs alone.

A new graduate doesn't care about personal crusades lawmakers wage against women's rights and abortion. They care about jobs. They care about our Nation's future. They care about their future. Instead of political games, the time has come to focus on jobs. The time has come to focus on our Nation's future.

As States all across the Nation are facing severe fiscal problems, let's stop focusing on ways to end Medicare as we know it and ways to destroy the social support network that has taken generations to build in our country. Our seniors need Medicare. It is the safety net and infrastructure all seniors need as they grow older. Seniors are living longer. They get their prescription drugs, they can play with their grandchildren, and they are thriving under Medicare. Leave Medicare alone.

I propose that from now until August, each of us here in this Chamber come to Washington remembering the mandate from our constituents: focus on jobs, jobs, jobs. I don't care what kind of tea you party with. I don't care who your Presidential candidate is. I don't care how much press you garner. Join me in focusing on jobs, jobs, jobs.

Let's rebuild our manufacturing base, let's keep our beaches clean, and let's make it in America. Make it in America, baby, and create jobs, jobs, jobs.

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

I rise in support of this bill, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act. A year and a half ago, on January 12, 2011, the world for the Caribbean island of Haiti and for too many of my constituents changed forever. An earthquake measuring an incredible 7.0 on the Richter scale shook the Earth in Haiti. It killed elected officials, toppled the President's palace, the Senate, and all of the Cabinet buildings. People are still missing. The effect of this earthquake is still being felt today. Basic needs such as food, water, clothing, shelter, and health services are lacking.

Thanks to our military--the U.S. Coast Guard, which performed thousands of hours of rescue in the first 24 hours of the earthquake; the U.S. Marine Corps, which provided stability and protection; the U.S. Army, which helped to establish logistics and additional protection; the U.S. Navy, with floating hospitals and surgeons; and the U.S. Agency for International Development--this disaster was not the total disaster it could have been. USAID worked then and continues to work coordinating and implementing programs with other international organizations.

Adding further hurdles to the recovery operation has been the widespread outbreak of cholera last October. Cholera, a disease caused due to the lack of access to clean, clear water, has killed hundreds of Haitians and has further set back progress in one of our closest Caribbean neighbors. The people of Haiti deserve the opportunity to live in a clean, safe, and economically thriving country. The people of America deserve and want to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and need to know that the $1.8 billion invested in Haiti will speedily facilitate Haiti's transition to a bastion of comfort and economic stability. That is why I support House bill 1016, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act.

This bill provides for one of the first times a strong, fair, and objective accountability of how the people's money is being spent in Haiti. This report will also analyze how well the United Nations and other organizations and groups are coordinating their efforts to reduce duplication. Finally, this bill thanks the heroic efforts of Miami-Dade County's urban search and rescue teams, which hail from the 17th Congressional District of Florida, who volunteered their time, effort, and energy to save lives. These people saved lives and helped find loved ones for those trapped in the rubble of the earthquake and for those who were worried about the safety and well-being of their loved ones.

I also would like to thank respectively the chairman and ranking minority members of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Connie Mack and Eliot Engel, and their staff for making this happen. Representative Engel was kind enough to carry the language of my amendment during subcommittee consideration, and Chairman Mack and both the Democratic and Republican staff worked tirelessly toward a compromise that worked for both sides. I also want to thank our full committee chairman, and one who I am so proud of, my Florida colleague, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for managing this language in her amendment during full committee consideration of this bill.

Perhaps a bright spot in this ongoing calamity is that Haitians recently elected a new President, Michel Martelly, with whom we expect to work arm-in-arm with to help rebuild Haiti. His inauguration is next weekend. On Saturday, I traveled to Haiti. I

met with Mr. Martelly. I met with the senators as they debated their new constitution. I'm hoping that that constitution will help guide them towards the next centuries in Haiti.

There are 1,400 tent cities--not tents; tent cities--that house 850,000 residents in the streets of Haiti. No running water and one porta-toilet for every 80 residents. Families are huddled under the tents--mostly women and children. And because the national prison was destroyed during the earthquake, armed bandits roam the tent cities and sexual abuse against women and girls is rampant. The police force is extremely compromised and not trained. The army is nonexistent. And many bodies have not been found from this earthquake. It is inhumane to send anybody back to such conditions. We must help rebuild Haiti. We must support Haiti. We must support the new President from this moment on. We must include the peasants and the agricultural community at the table of negotiation.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is an affirmation of the generosity and will of the American people to come to the aid of a country in our neighborhood that desperately needs our help. The report required by this bill should help us channel our assistance efforts to make them as effective and efficient as possible. The Haitian people deserve nothing less.

I strongly urge passage of this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who is the author of this legislation.

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity this past Saturday to go to Haiti and take a helicopter ride to survey all of the damage on Haiti and all of the hope for Haiti, all of the islands and the connecting islands of Haiti to see what was happening.

The African diaspora, which is mostly members of District 17, they all want to help rebuild Haiti. They will apply for contracts; and if dual nationality is granted, they will also run for office and lend their expertise to the recovery of Haiti.

We all know that TPS expires in June. TPS, temporary protected status, was extended to the Haitian nationals. We, along with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Congressman Payne, were working on trying to extend that deadline for at least another year. Haiti is in no disposition to accept any further deportations.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Ms. Donna LaVerne Daniels Rice, a community activist, businesswoman, councilmember, and founder of the Columbia, Maryland chapter of Jack and Jill of America's Beautillion Ball. For the past 30 years, outstanding high school juniors and seniors from Columbia, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, D.C. have been selected, honored and praised for their accomplishments as they move from one stage of their lives to the next.

Through stimulating educational workshops, mentoring, culturally enriching experiences,

and positive self-concept development, the Beautillion philosophy helps to prepare young men so that they can prosper as contributing members of society. In order to be selected as a ``beau,'' these young men must have at least a ``C'' average and excel in one of four areas: academics, the arts, community service, and sports. Of course, most of the young men honored excel in more than one area.

The tireless dedication and devotion of my friend, Donna Rice, ensures that wonderful events that transform young people's lives happen each and every year. For that, I thank her. As a fellow Fisk University graduate, and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ms. Rice has a long list of other achievements, honors, and awards. None are more valuable, however, than the experience and honor we both share of mentoring young black boys and teenagers. We share the same concern for the plight of young African American boys, and from this concern, Ms. Rice began her community leadership and scholarship project. Her once meager project has now been duplicated in 53 other cities throughout the United States and the Bahamas.

Tonight, as ten young men are honored as the leaders of tomorrow, let us also honor a leader of today--Ms. Donna LaVerne Daniels Rice, devoted wife to Dr. William Rice and the mother of three adult children. I thank my friend for her devotion to saving our young black boys.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable woman, Ms. Isabel Afanador. Isabel Afanador was born in Bogota, Colombia. Quite accomplished, she has two Bachelor's degrees in Social Work, from the University Externado de Colombia and Florida International University. Additionally, she earned her Masters of Social Work from Florida International University.

Upon graduation in Colombia, she was hired as the Director of Social Services of Laminas del Caribe S.A.

In 1978, Isabel Afanador made South Florida her home. One year later she began to work for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services as a caseworker in mental health. She was later promoted to the Program Manager position, which she held from 1988 to 1994.

From 1995 to 1998 she was the Department of Children and Families District Licensing Coordinator, whose responsibility it was to ensure quality licensure of all residential providers and day care facilities.

In 1998, Isabel left the child welfare arena to work for the Department of Juvenile Justice, where for two years she managed an operational division responsible for intake, assessment, detention screening, and case management of the Miami-Dade district.

In August 2000, she was promoted to Chief Probation Officer for the Miami-Dade Juvenile Justice Program, and held the position of South Regional Director from 2008-2011.

Ms. Isabel Afanador has used her many talents and skills for the benefit of the community. This includes freely sharing her time serving with the Children's Trust Board, Neat Stuff board, Abriendo Puertas board, Youth Task Force board, Criminal Justice Council and a member of St. Brendan's Parrish.

Mr. Speaker, I ask those present today to join me in honoring Ms. Isabel Afanador and commending her many achievements and service on behalf of the state of Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to congratulate my friend, colleague, housemate and homegirl-- Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Last week, she was nominated by President Barack Obama as the first female Floridian to serve as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, a highly coveted honor. For almost two decades she has done nothing short of inspire, lead, and succeed.

When I served in the Florida state legislature with her, I recognized Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz's leadership abilities early--you couldn't help but notice. Through the years, she has proven time and again that she has the ability to bridge gender, racial, religious, and party boundaries; and she has proven that she will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

We are all aware of her work on behalf of cancer survivors, her commitment to our men and women in uniform, and her passion for the poor. Her time on the House Appropriations Committee has demonstrated her zeal in advocating for these constituencies while at the same time promoting fiscal responsibility.

My praise for the Congresswoman is not just because she is a Democrat; however, nor is it just because of the honor which was recently bestowed upon her. I praise her equally for the obstacles she has overcome and the passion she displays every day here, in the halls of Congress. She represents what is best in America, and why the American political system is not broken.

She is a dedicated public servant who has represented the 20th Congressional District of Florida for more than six years, and I know that she will continue to represent all Americans in the manner they deserve well into the future.

I am honored to serve beside the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee as a fellow colleague. Florida is fortunate to have a native daughter to serve this Nation in such an admirable and elevated position. She stands as a textbook example for all elected officials and is a role model for the United States Congress. Thanks to the support of her wonderful husband, Steve and their three children, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz moves onward and upward for us all.

I wish her the best as we continue to fight for the people of Florida, for our country, and for the Democratic party.

Congratulations!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Eubie Enright, a beloved matriarch of the 17th Congressional District, who is celebrating 104 years of life.

Ms. Enright was born to sharecroppers in Metter, Georgia. It was here that she experienced back-breaking work as she planted and raised many crops under the Georgia sun. A young Ms. Enright exuded a tenacity that would later serve her well.

South Florida became home to Ms. Enright more than 50 years ago, when she migrated to Miami with her family. Living and thriving during the civil rights movement, she held several jobs, including housekeeping and cooking in private homes. She said, ``I don't care what you have to do, you have to work''. Frankly, Ms. Enright understands the investment that must be made for your family and for your community.

Eubie Enright has been a servant of the Lord all of her life. From the time she arrived in Miami she was a Baptist member of a church in Overtown, where she loyally served as an usher for 20 years. In 1960, Ms. Enright became a member of New Providence Missionary Baptist Church, where she joined the choir. She was a choir member for many decades.

We honor Eubie Enright for a legacy of service and inspiration. She credits her Lord and Savior for keeping her well during these last 104 years. Her life is a testimony to each of us. I joyfully celebrate with Ms. Eubie Enright as she continues a purposeful life of love.

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of the groundbreaking achievements of Dr. Henry Lewis III, the twelfth president of Florida Memorial University. Florida Memorial University is South Florida's only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the third oldest institution of higher learning in the state of Florida. He has served as Dean and Professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Florida A&M. University (FAMU) for the last 15 years. Dr. Lewis served as Interim President of FAMU from January through June 2002. He also served as Dean of the Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for four years.

A native of Tallahassee, Florida, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from FAMU and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University. He completed post-doctoral training in the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University, the National Institutes of Health, the Congressional Operations Institute, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Millennium Presidential Leadership Program and Duke University Directors Program.

President Lewis is an inspiration to many creating history wherever he goes. Dr. Lewis is past president of the Minority Health Professions Foundation. He is also past president of the Foundation's sister agency, the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools. Under his leadership, these two organizations--representing all of the nations historically black medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and veterinary medical programs--have secured over $100 million in support of programs, research and activities that improve the quality of education and the availability of health, care to minority and under- served communities. He has served as president of the National Pharmaceutical Association representing more than 10,000 minority pharmacists in the United States. He is the former Chairman of the Board of the Florida Education Fund, the nation's largest producer of African-American PhDs.

An accomplished biomedical researcher with a focus on sickle cell anemia, Dr. Lewis has been the principal investigator or project director on research/training grants totaling over $95 million. He has served on numerous governmental review committees. He currently serves on the National Center for Research Resources National Advisory Board. He has increased the endowment of the FAMU College of Pharmacy from $1 million to over $22 million under his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in celebrating the transformative work of Dr. Henry Lewis Ill. His life story is an example of overcoming obstacles with integrity and leadership. He now continues his work by leading Florida Memorial University. Dr. Lewis is a national treasure, who is very deserving of this recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the impressive accomplishments of Florida's 18th Lieutenant Governor, Jennifer Carroll. Lieutenant Governor Carroll is married to Nolan Carroll of Miami and they have three children, Nolan II, Nyckie and Necho. She was a state legislator for over seven years, a small business owner, former

Executive Director of Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs and a Navy veteran.

Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad West Indies. She emigrated to the United States as a young child and served her adopted nation honorably and with distinction. Lieutenant Governor Caroll has always possessed an adventurous spirit and harbored a desire to expand her horizons and explore the possibilities of the world around her. Lieutenant Governor Carroll enlisted in the United States Navy in 1979 rising from the ranks of an enlisted jet mechanic to retire as a Lieutenant Commander Aviation Maintenance Officer after 20 years. During her time in the Navy she was awarded numerous awards that include: Navy ``E'' Good Conduct Ribbon, Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals, two Sea Service Ribbons, National Defense Service Medal, two Coast Guard Special Operation Ribbons, and an Expert Pistol Medal.

In the years that followed, this bright and determined woman worked tirelessly to graduate from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Political Science and received her M.B.A. from St. Leo University. Bold and fearless, Lieutenant Governor Carroll moved to Florida in 1986 and started a business named 3N. & J.C. Corp. She ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2003 and after winning she became the first African American female Republican elected in the Florida Legislature's history. A documented trailblazer, she was appointed Deputy Majority Leader from 2003-2004 and served as Majority Whip from 2004-2006. She chaired the Finance Committee from 2006-2008 and chaired the Economic and Development from 2008-2010. She was awarded the Florida Chamber of Commerce Honor Roll consecutively since 2004, Faith and Family Award from the Christian Coalition of Florida Committee, 2005 and 2008, Florida Veterans Service Officers Association, Legislator of the year 2009 and Federated Retail Association Representative of the Year 2010.

It is unquestionable that Lieutenant Governor Caroll's career successes, including her recent ascension have come with much sacrifice, but have been well-deserved. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the accomplishments of Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll. I wish Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll continued success for the future.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 207, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Garrett

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 194, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, today I rise with my colleagues to talk again about jobs.

In order to reduce the deficit, everyone in the Nation must work. But how can you work when you do not have a job? My constituents want to work. They are still hurting. Maybe we can't feel the hurt because we have jobs. I am still waiting to hear the Republican plan for jobs.

When are we going to help the people become whole again? They are losing their homes. Whole families are homeless and are not knowing what to do next. Their unemployment benefits have expired, and still they can't find work. Right now, over 50 percent of homeowners in the Miami housing market either owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth or they're within 5 percent of that mark.

Instead of figuring out ways to help, tomorrow Congress will be voting on whether or not to end programs that offer hope to distressed homeowners. We talk about a deficit that took 8 years to create during the Bush administration. It will take us more than 2 years to peel away the layers of 8 years of bad judgment, generous tax exemptions to the rich, two wars, and a failed economy.

How can we cut so deeply, so fast, causing so many people to lose their jobs? If people can't work, they can't save their homes.

Stay on task: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise with my colleagues for one reason--to talk about jobs again.

My constituents still need help. They want to work, but I don't hear any solutions. I've been here for over 2 months, and I'm still waiting to hear a Republican plan for jobs. I came to Washington to focus on jobs. When are we going to talk about jobs?

I asked this same question 2 weeks ago. If I have to get up here every 2 weeks for the rest of my term and ask the same question, I will.

When I go home this weekend, I will be asked, ``What are they doing in Washington to help me find work or provide jobs for others who want to work? I want to work to support my family. I want to start a business. I've lost my home, lost my job. And the Congress promised to help the economy so that I could find a job.''

My constituents will ask me, ``Why did they cut job training? Why are they cutting educational opportunities for young people?''

People are hurting and people are suffering. Listen to the people.

Let's stop the partisan bickering and help the people find work. If not now, when? If not us, who? If not here, where? The people want to work.