Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have cosponsored legislation with my colleagues Mr. Courtney and Mr. Tierney in order to keep student loan rates from doubling in 65 days.

Right now, millions of high school seniors are deciding where they are going to attend college. At kitchen tables across the country, students are making decisions that will impact the rest of their lives. So, today, I find it hard to believe that Republicans have decided to pit public health against higher education. By introducing this misguided, deeply partisan bill, it is clear that my Republican colleagues aren't taking the responsibility to families very seriously. It is unconscionable that this body would be playing politics with our children's futures.

With the same urgency that Republicans rammed through a $46 billion tax cut to millionaires and billionaires, I am sure we can find a responsible way to prevent piling on even more debt on our college students. I urge my colleagues to vote for the defeat of the previous question and to adopt a bipartisan, bicameral solution that can be quickly signed by the President.

Thank you, Mr. Courtney, for yielding some time. And you're absolutely right: this is a national issue. Certainly in my home State of Michigan, it is an issue of incredible concern to people and young people and older folks, as well, that have been saddled with these debts over the years that are coming to me saying, you know, How can this happen? How can we be in a situation where interest rates are going to double when you look in the papers and you go to the bank and you see the banks basically pay no interest to anybody if you're trying to save money. The Treasury bonds are at a couple of percent. You've got mortgage rates at 4 percent, and yet these rates are going to be doubling to 6.8 percent.

It just defies logic that we even have to be here debating this for an issue that is so important to millions of Americans who will be impacted either directly or a member of their family that has to deal with these loans and these high costs.

And the thing that is really so tragic and so sad is that it is because of congressional inaction. We have the power to do it. It is very simple for us to make this change, to lock in these rates at 3.4 percent. And yet our colleagues on the other side of the aisle turn a blind eye and refuse to take the action that is necessary to help all of these young people and others that are going to be saddled with these additional costs.

And it's going to have an incredible burden, not just on their families. But it will actually have a major impact on the economy as well. We have all heard stories of folks who have to pay these loan amounts, these monthly payments that are very large and, as a result of that, people are postponing marriage, they're postponing buying a new automobile.

As a gentleman who represents the State of Michigan, I don't want to discourage anybody from purchasing an automobile and having the transportation they need. And yet young people are forced to do that because they have these loans that are now going to become even more expensive.

It also means buying homes and starting to live that American Dream and being able to make those kinds of investments that are being postponed.

So this inaction from Congress, in addition to being a big burden on many families, will actually slow down the economic recovery as well. Our focus here should be about jobs; it should be about the economic activity, strengthening that; and it should be about helping middle class families and working families be able to pursue that American Dream.

Mr. Courtney, I think you'll agree that we're kind of facing a perfect storm right now when it comes to this issue--and not just in this interest rate. We're looking at the fact that a growing number of high school seniors are now going into college. We also have increased unemployment and underemployment so that more folks are going back to try to get an education, to get the skills that they need in order to get those jobs. As a result of that, they need to be taking on loans. Otherwise, they aren't going to be able to afford that education. At the same time, we've got folks trying to better themselves and pursue their dreams.

We see college costs continually escalating. It's getting increasingly expensive for most people to be able to afford college. It's certainly not something that most people can do just by writing a check. Their families don't have that kind of money. It is just way too expensive. I know that we heard from one of the Presidential candidates who said this is a government subsidy to have a loan to help children go to school. I know that particular Presidential candidate never had to worry about paying for anything. He had very rich parents. He's very, very wealthy himself. He doesn't really face what most American families face, which is that, in order to pursue a college education today, you need to have a loan. It is very difficult to do it without taking that loan.

So the fact that we are standing here just 73 days away from when nearly every family in America is going to find that it's going to be harder to afford college I think is unconscionable. As we talked about what this means to put this in dollars and cents, this increase from 3.4 to 6.8 percent means it's about $11,000 more for the average family over a 20-year loan. It is $11,000 for an individual to be able to pay that loan back. It makes no sense, as I mentioned in my beginning comments, at a time when Treasury rates are at 2 percent and when mortgage rates are less, that the Federal Government would be charging 6.8 percent to these individuals.

We also know that the affordability of making these payments is becoming more difficult as new graduates are going into a weak employment market right now. Wage levels are lower. In fact, we've seen that the median wage for college graduates has gone down nearly $10,000, since just 2009, to about $37,000. So, with the median wage of $37,000, having an additional cost of $11,000 over the 20-year life of a loan is something that is a huge burden for a family, especially young families, trying to become established and move forward.

I think we have a couple of policy options here as Members of Congress. Certainly, first off, we want to make sure that young people who are going into college have all the facts and understand what sort of obligations they're getting into when they take out these loans and incur these debts. I am, certainly, very pleased with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which we both fought for very aggressively to put into effect here in this country in order to protect people from predatory practices, particularly related to debt, in that it is now launching a new tool to help families.

I would encourage anybody who may be watching tonight to go to the Web site and look at those tools, which will help them really get a better handle on how much they will need to borrow to go to school, how much they'll have to pay back and really what those monthly payments are. If we can, we want to equip folks with information that helps people from getting in trouble, that helps them understand how they have to manage that debt; but while they are doing that, we certainly have to make sure, in addition to that financial literacy, that we're making sure that these costs are not onerous. By doubling this rate in just 73 days, by doubling the rate, it is something that we cannot tolerate.

I hope that we can convince our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that they need to be engaged in this debate, that they need to know that families back home are going to be suffering as a result of our inaction or, I should say, as a result of the unwillingness of some of our colleagues not to do our jobs, which is to stand up for our constituents back home.

So I will say that I am very proud to stand with you on this legislation, H.R. 3826. I certainly hope that as folks are watching here tonight that they will realize they need to contact their individual Members of Congress and make sure that their voices are heard: that they cannot handle additional college tuition loan payments. It is something that they're not going to be able to handle. It's going to put them in a very difficult situation. But with action-- if they get on the phone, email, contact their Members of Congress--and in letting their voices be heard, hopefully, in 73 days, we can avoid what is going to be a certain hardship.

I have an amendment at the desk.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to support my amendment, which strikes a bailout that was slipped into this bill for 41 wealthy sport hunters who want to import polar bear trophies taken during hunts in Canada.

Polar bears were listed as threatened in May of 2008 by the Bush administration's Fish and Wildlife Service, which prohibited their importation as trophies. This protection was not implemented overnight. Trophy hunters were warned. They were warned by Federal agencies and hunting associations for more than a year that the final listing would cut off imports immediately. The Hunting Report told its readers in 2007:

The bottom line is, no American hunter should be putting hard, non- returnable money down on a polar bear hunt at this point.

These individuals knowingly assumed the risk that their trophies might not be approved for importation, and they decided to hunt and to kill these beautiful, threatened creatures anyway.

While it is too late to save these bears, passing this bill creates a perverse incentive for trophy hunters to rush to hunt any species soon to be protected under the Endangered Species Act because their friends in Congress will simply bail them out after the fact. We cannot allow that, and that's why I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the occasion of the grand opening of a new Oakland County, Michigan facility for Planned Parenthood, an organization that I stand with proudly in spirit, purpose and commitment.

Never before in recent history have we witnessed such feverish and brazen attacks on the reproductive and health care rights of women. Planned Parenthood, in particular, has been unfairly targeted in this war on women.

More than ever, our communities and families need organizations like Planned Parenthood. In fact, 97 percent of Planned Parenthood's services are basic, preventive health care, like annual exams, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV testing and counseling, and procedures to address pre-cancerous conditions of the cervix. Seventy-five percent of Planned Parenthood Mid- and South- Michigan patients are women between the ages of 20 and 40, many of whom struggle without health insurance. Planned Parenthood is there for them.

I especially applaud the opening of this facility because for more than five years there has been no Title X family planning provider in Oakland County that serves everyone, regardless of ability to pay. In 2010, Planned Parenthood served 5,420 Oakland County patients who had to travel to other counties to receive basic and preventive health care. This means critical federal dollars were not being spent in Oakland County, an area of significant need. It is time for Oakland County to get its fair share of federal dollars, and for it's citizens to receive much-needed reproductive health services in their own community.

In conclusion, we need to stop playing politics with women's health care. We need to get our struggling families the services they need. This facility is a first step in the right direction for women and families in our region.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, Mr. Joel E. Jacob, as he steps down as Chairman of the Board of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger and for his lifetime of advocacy in the realm of hunger and food insecurity.

For years, Joel has been a champion for those facing the challenges of food insecurity. His advocacy to eradicate hunger has earned him international accolades and allowed him to develop close relationships with leaders across the globe. As the Chairman and Founder of The Bottle Crew, a business based in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Joel has instilled the importance of community service at his office because it is a value central to his life.

As a teenager bussing tables at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, Joel grew frustrated as he saw the amount of food going to waste after the meals were served. These images of lost food helped motivate Joel to be an activist for the hungry. Now, as the official shofar blower for Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan, Joel blasts the clarion call for justice. Joel has made the fight against hunger central to his pursuit of justice in the world.

Joel was first elected to the MAZON Board of Directors in 2003 and was elected Chair of the Board of Directors in 2009. He has served on MAZON's Finance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Executive Committee and also served as Co-Chair of the Development and Communications Committee. During his time on the Board, Joel has traveled to several continents to help the malnourished and raise awareness for food insecurity. For nearly three decades, MAZON has been a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and alleviating hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds. MAZON, which means ``food'' or ``sustenance'' in Hebrew, was the first national organization to rally the American Jewish community around the issue of hunger. MAZON provides for people who are hungry and advocates for ways to alleviate hunger. Thanks to the efforts of Joel, the concept in the Passover Haggadah of ``Letting All Who Are Hungry, Come and Eat'' is now a core theme at synagogues and Jewish organizations across the nation. Joel has successfully brought this message far beyond the Jewish community and has developed relationships worldwide to pool resources to feed those most in need including shaping legislation in the Israeli Knesset and the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Joel's years of service on behalf of countless people around the world facing challenges such as food insecurity and hunger. His leadership as Chairman of the Board at MAZON has profoundly improved the lives of countless people in need around the world and was deeply felt by those who have benefitted from his commitment, passion and advocacy. As a personal friend of Joel, I know that this will in no way affect his dedication to the issue of hunger and that he will continue to be a champion for fighting hunger and repairing the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Robert Gracely on the occasion of his retirement from Genisys Credit Union after more than three decades of dedicated and passionate service to its members and the greater Southeast Michigan community. A member of Genisys since October 1967, his work has been significantly focused on Genisys' role as a steward of the Southeast Michigan community.

Within the varied positions he has served during his time with Genisys Credit Union, Mr. Gracely has been a passionate advocate of its mission as a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution that has been committed to helping its members since its formation in 1936. Based out of Auburn Hills, Michigan, Genisys is one of the largest credit unions in Michigan and one of the strongest in the country with over $1.4 billion in assets. Genisys and its members are deeply involved in altruistic work which supports local charities, organizations and events that enrich the lives of many throughout Michigan. These endeavors have earned Genisys and its members not only considerable praise but numerous awards for their commitment to community service and volunteerism.

Throughout his tenure with Genisys, Mr. Gracely's colleagues have routinely praised his exceptional talent for recognizing client needs and recommending the right services. With his focus on building community partnerships, Mr. Gracely has leveraged his leadership within Genisys Credit Union to partner with and support local businesses, which has cultivated a vibrant small business community. Furthermore, Mr. Gracely has been praised for his ability to work within a team, to work with his staff and to identify issues and find innovative solutions. His strong command of financial issues, dedication to high quality customer service, and focus made him an invaluable asset. Genisys continues to develop its partnerships within the community and could not have been done without the help of Mr. Gracely.

Mr. Speaker, as a leader within Genisys Credit Union Mr. Gracely has done so much to guide it and its members in their philanthropic activities within the communities that Genisys serves. Like so many of his colleagues in senior leadership positions at Genisys, he has worked tirelessly to provide the credit union's members with quality customer service and financial advising. His spirit of collegiality, dedication to his employees and the greater community, and his creativity will be sorely missed. I wish Mr. Gracely many happy years in retirement and I know he will continue to be involved in volunteer efforts here in Southeast Michigan for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ of Detroit, for his exceptional leadership in the great State of Michigan.

A Detroit native and Wayne State University graduate, Bishop Sheard was called to the Ministry under the guidance of his father, Bishop John H. Sheard.

He has worked diligently and dutifully in several positions in the Church on both the local and national level, including serving as choir director, and chairman of local and State youth departments.

In addition to his Church Of God In Christ ministry, Bishop Sheard has served as Executive Director of the Michigan Chapter of the SCLC, and a Board Member of the Michigan Anti-Apartheid Council.

He currently leads Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, one of the largest churches in the Church of God in Christ denomination.

Exhibiting a genuine concern for our community's children and young adults, Bishop Sheard has initiated the Greater Emmanuel TV Ministry, annual Youth and Women Conferences, the Greater Emmanuel Men's Society (GEMS), as well as annual programs such as ``Sanctified Men in Black'' and ``Holy Women in Red.''

In December of 2002, Bishop Sheard received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the St. Thomas Christian College. He is married to Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Karen Clark-Sheard and they have two children, Kierra Valencia and J. Drew, II.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in saluting and congratulating Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God In Christ, on the celebration of his outstanding leadership in the great State of Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Ms. Sylvia Wheeling, Baldwin Center Director of Food Services, on the occasion of her retirement from the human service agency, located in the great city of Pontiac, Michigan.

A 30-year volunteer at Baldwin Center, Sylvia Wheeling truly epitomizes what it means to be a dedicated servant to the community. In 1981, as a member of the former Baldwin Avenue United Methodist Church, Sylvia was the first person to respond to her pastor's appeal to the church that it reach out to the surrounding community and be a good friend and neighbor. She started by cooking a few meals. Now, some 30 years later, Sylvia manages a kitchen that served more than 65,000 meals to men, women and children.

Baldwin Center has grown significantly during Sylvia Wheeling's tenure there and she has been an integral volunteer dutifully supporting its many programs and services.

As testament to her impact on the lives of many neighbors in the Pontiac community, one person recalled how a man, who was trying on a pair of pants at the center's Clothes Closet, had his size 13 pair of boots stolen from him. Within a half hour, a compassionate Sylvia had driven to a store and purchased a new pair for him.

Another person remembered how Sylvia stayed in the Intensive Care Unit with a homeless woman until her father could be found.

Similarly, others can recite many times when her influential presence defused conflicts, and how even when she had to be stern, Sylvia nonetheless showed grace under fire.

In a December 31, 2009 Oakland Press feature story titled, ``Soup kitchen volunteer feels `blessed' '' Sylvia Wheeling said the following: ``I am very grateful I could be a part of that. I have been very blessed.''

We are very grateful and blessed that she has shared her time, her talent and her treasure with Pontiac, Michigan's Baldwin Center for 30 wonderful years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues join me today in saluting and congratulating, Ms. Sylvia Wheeling, Director of Food Services at Baldwin Center of Pontiac Michigan. We wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Steve Toth, the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Troy, on the occasion of his retirement, after 16 years of service.

Steve's service to the Troy community has extended well beyond the walls of the Boys and Girls Club. He has been a leader--taking action and bringing elements of Troy's diverse groups together to build a stronger, more connected community. For the last 15 years, he has been a member of the Troy Kiwanis Club and served terms as its Treasurer and President. Furthermore, he has volunteered his time mentoring youth in sports and spent the last eleven years as a soccer referee and trainer for middle school students. Steve has also been active in his church and has taken time each of the last three years to deliver food containers to seniors living in Troy.

Steve's passion and dedication for helping others have not only earned him the respect and praise of other community leaders, but a number of awards and recognitions. Among those honors is a 2004 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ``Keep the Dream Alive Award'' from the Archdiocese of Detroit for his support of the South Oakland Shelter project and his Parish's Giving Tree Programs. Steve has also been recognized by Leadership Troy as Troy's Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 2009 for his volunteer work in the community.

However, among all of his endeavors in the last 16 years, there is nowhere Steve's passion, vision and service have been more profoundly felt than at the Boys and Girls Club of Troy. When Steve arrived at the Club, he brought with him his 18 years of prior experience as an Executive Director for two of the YMCA's centers in Michigan. In 2006, after a decade of work at the Boys and Girls Club, Steve used his knowledge and experience to engage its board and the broader community in a campaign to construct a new 18,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, facility. This facility had allowed the Club to offer an innovative and comprehensive set of programs that help its 30,000 annual attendees build their leadership skills and take an active role in shaping their futures for the better.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Steve's impact not only on the Troy community, but on the youth whose futures he has helped to build. I know he will surely be missed by all who have benefitted from his wisdom, his passion and his determination to engage our youth. I wish Steve many years of happiness in retirement, with his wife Ann and their family and I know he will continue to heed the call to serve the Troy community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pastor Edward L. Branch and the congregation of Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan on the occasion of its 56th anniversary.

Over 50 years ago, Deacon John Cunningham and residents of Detroit came together in the fellowship of Christ to carry out the work of the Lord. Under its first leader, Pastor John L. Davis, the congregation found its first home on Carpenter Street in Detroit. As a testament to Pastor Davis' focus on missionary and outreach programs which guided lost souls, the congregation prospered and grew so extensively that Third New Hope had to move to a bigger space on Russell Street.

Following the departure of Pastor Davis in 1961, Third New Hope came under the ministry of Reverend G.P. Chapman. Reverend Chapman led the congregation with great passion, kindness and a strong conviction of faith. As a true servant to the Lord and his community, he was known as a compassionate man that, ``would give you the shirt off his back.'' Under his guide, Third New Hope created a youth choir, usher board, nurses guild, and more social outreach programs. Again, in recognition of the strong spiritual bond of the congregation to its community, Third New Hope saw its congregation expand and had to find a new, larger home on Linwood Street.

In 1977, after 16 years of service, Reverend Chapman retired and the call to lead Third New Hope was heeded by Pastor Edward L. Branch. A young, energetic and spiritually inspired leader, Pastor Branch placed renewed emphasis on the fellowship of the congregation and serving the needs of the community. Under his tenure, the congregation expanded its outreach with the Heritage Center for African American Religious Studies, Men's and Women's Ministry, Marriage Ministry and Pastoral Care. In addition to moving to its current site on Plymouth Road in Detroit, Pastor Branch led a campaign to raise money for a community center, paved three parking lots near the church, established The Watchmen (a ministry of men who are aimed at protecting the community from harm) and expanded the church to a second location, the Third New Hope West Campus.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the accomplishments of the congregation of Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit. Today, Third New Hope's two locations provide Metro-Detroit residents with spiritual guidance and vital social services. Over its 56-year history, the Church and its congregation's profound impact have been felt across our communities. I know that Third New Hope will continue to prosper under the leadership of Pastor Branch and I wish him and the congregation many more years of vibrant spiritual fellowship in Christ and service to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Bishop John Henry Sheard, Pastor of Greater Mitchell Church of God in Christ of Detroit, for his exceptional leadership in the great state of Michigan.

From humble beginnings in a rural town in Mississippi to a leadership position in the International Church of God In Christ (COGIC), Bishop John Henry Sheard has been a great spiritual leader and true pioneer.

Bishop Sheard moved to Detroit at a very early age. Under the tutelage of the Bishop John Seth Bailey, he moved up through the ranks of the Church. After being ordained, Bishop Sheard was installed as pastor of Mitchell Street COGIC in January, 1982. Displaying great leadership skills, he moved his growing congregation to a larger location in the city of Detroit. It is current known as Greater Mitchell Church on God in Christ.

Bishop Sheard was later elevated to District Superintendent, Jurisdictional President of the Youth Department, and to the Jurisdiction's prestigious Executive Board. Ultimately, he was consecrated Bishop of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Michigan Southwest by the General Board of the Church of God In Christ, with Bishop L.H. Ford as Presiding Bishop. For more than nearly 20 years, Bishop Sheard has presided over the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Michigan Southwest and during this time the Jurisdiction has made tremendous strides.

Known as a man of impeccable integrity and great leadership, Bishop Sheard has traveled throughout the country. His peers have twice elected him overwhelmingly as the Chairman of the Board of Bishops for the Church of God In Christ, Inc. He humbly chairs this prestigious Board, which is comprised of about 200 Bishops worldwide. He has earned many awards and accolades, including being honored by the Ohio Southern Christian Leadership Conference as ``Bishop of the Year for 2009.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing and paying tribute to Bishop John H. Sheard, Pastor of Greater Mitchell Church of God In Christ, on the celebration of his exceptional leadership in the great state of Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the passing and celebrate the life of Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria. For more than forty years, Pope Shenouda was the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church--a denomination with more than ten million followers in Egypt and throughout the world.

As its religious leader, he ensured that the Egyptian Coptic community was, and is, an integral pillar of Egyptian society. We will miss him, especially during this time of political transition in Eqypt, as his voice reminded us of that country's long history of peace and religious tolerance.

I join the members of Michigan's Coptic Community and the St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in my district to mourn the passing of Pope Shenouda. As President Barack Obama eloquently stated ``we will remember Pope Shenouda III as a man of deep faith, a leader of a great faith, and an advocate for unity and reconciliation.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate St. David's Episcopal Church of Southfield, Michigan on the auspicious occasion of its 60th diamond jubilee anniversary.

St. David's Episcopal Church opened in 1952 and its first mass was held on March 2, inside Oxford School in Berkley, before a permanent church was built.

Founded by parishioners of St. James Episcopal Church, a venerable institution located in neighboring Birmingham, St. David's has been a fixture in the community for more than five decades.

Committed to providing a healthy quality of life for all, St. David's developed St. Anne's Mead, an assisted living and nursing care facility in 1966. The facility is committed to the unique needs of men, women and their families while preserving their dignity and enriching their lives.

Under the devoted and dedicated leadership of the Rev. Chris Yaw, St. David's current Rector, the church holds two Sunday services each week and Taize-style healing services four times a year.

St. David's parishioners are also involved in community outreach. They support local food pantry programs and manage a community garden that produced 500 pounds of fruit and vegetables in 2011, which they donated to surrounding communities.

The church also mentors kindergarten through eighth grade students at nearby Vandenberg World Cultures Academy, providing academic support and leadership skills.

For one week each spring, St. David's turns its facility into a residence for the homeless. The church offers food, shelter and companionship for dozens of men, women and children.

St. David's human service efforts extend beyond the great state of Michigan and the boundaries of our country. The church is one of the founding members of the Haiti Outreach Mission and performs humanitarian work in Port-au-Prince and Mirebalais, two cities that were devastated by the massive earthquake that rocked the country in early 2010. Congregates have helped to provide much needed care and supplies, including anesthetics, antibiotics, pain meds, dressings, operating room

equipment and supplies, IV fluids, gloves, masks, etc.

The church recently celebrated its 60th year anniversary. During a spirited and eventful three-hour celebration, held on March 3, in the Parish Fellowship Hall, a special photo display commemorated the occasion. Former members reunited to perform as a Chancel Choir in a spirit-filled musical program.

St. David's Episcopal Church and serve God through worship, outreach, and love for all.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and congratulate St. David's Episcopal Church of Southfield, Michigan on the auspicious occasion of its 60th diamond jubilee anniversary. I salute the outstanding work that this revered institution has carried out in the Metro Detroit area.

Mr. Speaker, I rise and ask my colleagues to join me in a tribute to my friend and a distinguished man of the cloth, Bishop Edgar Vann, on the auspicious occasion of the 35th anniversary of his service to Christ and the community as Pastor of Second Ebenezer Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan.

In 1976, Bishop Edgar L. Vann II assumed the mantle of leadership at Second Ebenezer when, at the time, the congregation numbered less than 100. With great vision and steadfast purpose, Bishop Vann toiled to create the vision of his spiritual calling. By the grace of God, grew the flock of Second Ebenezer numbers to nearly 5000 today. However, Bishop Vann's ecumenical reach extends far beyond the impressive walls of the beloved ``Second Eb.''

With the good Bishop's message of empowerment and dedication, Second Ebenezer today has grown to be one of Detroit's premier ministries, inspiring its congregants toward the path of life transformation. The inspiration he provides is not just through words and teachings, however. His life's work is an example for us all.

Bishop Vann is not just a builder of better souls, he is a builder and innovator in our community. Established in 1994, Bishop Vann leads the Vanguard Community Development, an institution that has created more than $80 million of church and of community development in Detroit. Vanguard is leading an entire community toward restoration, healing and empowerment. Bishop Vann preaches extensively throughout the world. He is a mentor, life coach and spiritual father to nearly 200 sons and daughters in the ministry and pastors across the country. His travels have taken him to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Haiti, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. With each visit, he brings the powerful word of God to each stop.

But Bishop Vann's labor and great work extends beyond his church and his family. In fact, he serves with distinction on several boards. His civic and community organizations affiliations include: Mosaic Youth Theater, Wayne State University's Research & Technology Park, The Skillman Foundation, Detroit Regional Chamber, Michigan Coalition of Human Rights, Detroit Institute of Arts, Henry Ford Health System, Commissioner for the Detroit Police Department, Habitat for Humanity, and the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. He also served as a consultant and an advisor to governors, mayors, civic officials and corporate executives throughout the great state of Michigan.

A devoted husband and a dedicated father, Bishop Vann has been married to Elder Sheila R. Vann, a gifted woman of God, since 1978. They have two adult children, Edgar L. Vann III and Ericka Monique Vann.

Mr. Speaker, it is too tall a task to fully detail each and every way that Bishop Vann has made a difference in our community, and indeed, the world. We are truly blessed by his calling, and deeply grateful for his dedication and work. I extend my sincerest wishes on this momentous occasion and hope that his gifts to us continue for another 35 years and beyond.

I have an amendment at the desk.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I'm the cosponsor of H.R. 3630 because I believe that this bipartisan legislation has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the coming years.

My amendment improves this bill by ensuring that those jobs stay here in the United States and in our local communities.

When I meet with constituents, one of their top concerns is the persistent outsourcing of American jobs. Between 2000 and 2009, multinational corporations cut 2.9 million U.S. jobs while adding 2.4 million jobs overseas.

Millions more jobs in diverse sectors, such as the life sciences, agriculture, and sales, could be moving abroad over the next few years. Annual job losses to offshoring have been estimated to be around 300,000. Those 300,000 job losses, of course, are significantly slowing net job creation at a time when we need it most in this country.

My amendment will simply require publicly held companies to disclose where their employees are located in their annual SEC filings. Are their employees here in the United States or are they overseas? While there is consistent concern in this Chamber regarding new regulations on businesses, I think we can all agree that employers know where they are sending their paychecks every month, and this bill specifically exempts newly appointed companies for 5 years.

With unemployment above 8 percent and persistently high unemployment rates possible in the coming years, policymakers at every level of government must look at all credible options for creating jobs. Analyzing the effectiveness of past and future job policies is difficult without knowing whether corporations benefiting from tax incentives or other policies are creating the jobs here in America or abroad. Additionally, responsible investors have a right to know how publicly traded companies are spending their money and whether they are hiring and investing in the United States or are sending their resources overseas.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to support the underlying bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would like to respond to my esteemed colleague in a couple of respects.

He mentions that this is outside the scope of the legislation, that this is really not germane to what we're dealing with. I think, hopefully, my colleague will agree with me that this legislation is about jobs, that it is about creating jobs. More importantly, it is about making sure that those jobs are here in the United States. My colleague across the aisle wants to create jobs overseas. He can do that somewhere else. He should not be doing it in the legislation before us.

This is about empowering American businesses to hire American workers in order to grow the American economy. For us to do that, though, we need to have information. We have to know whether or not these policies that we are implementing are, indeed, doing what they are intended to do, which is to create jobs in the United States.

My colleague argues that this is somehow some incredible burden on companies to be able to report this. I want to remind my colleague that they already do report the number of employees they have. That is part of the SEC filings that currently public corporations are required to file. All this does is ask where those employees are. Are they in the United States or are they overseas? To argue that this is somehow some incredible administrative burden would be to argue that these companies have no idea where they are sending their paychecks and that they're going to need to have some sort of expensive compliance mechanism put in place. I would argue companies know exactly where they send those paychecks each and every month. They know if they're sending them to the United States, and they know if they're sending them overseas.

This is easy to comply with, but it is absolutely essential information for those of us as policymakers who hear from companies regularly that only if we were to adopt this policy they would create jobs. Well, if we adopt that policy, I would like to see that those jobs are actually being created in America and not overseas. We need to have that transparency.

Additionally, this amendment is very careful to exempt new companies, those that are first filing. The initial first 5 years of a start-up company do not have to file this; but what often happens with these new start-up companies is that they start up in the United States. When they then move to scale up operations and really start selling products, all too often we see those companies sending those jobs overseas, and the scale-up--most of the jobs, most of the good-paying middle class jobs, which are critical for a strong economy and for a strong democracy, are being sent overseas.

We need to know. We need to have the transparency. That's simply what this amendment does, and I would urge its adoption.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.