Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise and I ask my colleagues to join me today to salute Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony on the occasion of his 25th Anniversary as Pastor of Fellowship Chapel in Detroit, Michigan.

In 1987, Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony was installed as senior pastor at Fellowship Chapel. From that platform, he has been an unwavering voice for those without, guiding thousands in faith. He has educated and moved many more thousands in civil rights, economics, and politics toward the pursuit of justice and righteousness. Through his work, he has had an impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the city of Detroit, and, indeed, across our Nation and this globe.

In 1993, when he became President of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP, Reverend Anthony ushered in a new era of activism and strength for the largest NAACP chapter in the county. That year, he led a quarter- million people through the streets of Detroit to commemorate the 30- year anniversary of the historic 1963 Detroit March by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that took place before King's iconic March on Washington. Reverend Anthony has worked tirelessly to build connections between his congregants and the international community, particularly Africa. In addition to establishing a medical clinic in Ghana, Reverend Anthony organized a relief effort raising nearly $1 million for food, medicine, clothing and transportation to aid hundreds of thousands of refugees in both Rwanda and Zaire in 1994. In 2000, he organized a similar relief effort for flood victims in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Reverend Anthony's work at home has been equally impressive and passionate, working on wide ranging issues of social and economic justice like insurance rates in Detroit, minority business contracting, and fairness in banking. As the former co-chair of the Detroit Fair Banking Alliance, Reverend Anthony helped to negotiate over $7.2 billion in new lending from local banking institutions for the purpose of economic development in our region.

As founder of the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Action Committee, Reverend Anthony created an institution that provides a strong, organized and progressive voice in the political process, holding public officials accountable to work in the best interests of the African American community. As chairman and founder of the Freedom Institute for Economic, Social Justice and Empowerment, Reverend Anthony hosts the largest sit-down dinner in the world each year for leaders, activists and lay people from across the spectrum of society from education, to the law, to politics, to labor and beyond.

My colleagues, I could speak for a very long time about the good Reverend's work over the last quarter century with each accolade more impressive that the last, but I shall conclude my remarks by wishing my friend, Reverend Anthony, well and Godspeed for another quarter century, and beyond, of work in service to Christ and the community of mankind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep concerns with the recently released conference report by the Payroll Tax Cut Conference Committee. While I am pleased that enacting this conference report will stop a tax hike on middle class families by extending the Payroll Tax Cut through the end of the year, I strongly oppose pairing this must-pass provision with legislation that will slash the number of available weeks of unemployment benefits for American workers. I also find it deeply troubling that the text of legislation cutting unemployment benefits for millions of Americans only became available for public review less than 24 hours before a vote, despite the pledge by House Republicans to make bills publicly reviewable for 72 hours before a vote.

Republicans are forcing an unfair choice between tax cuts for the middle class and fully maintaining the safety net for unemployed workers. This is not a choice Congress should have to make, or that the American public should accept, especially when House Republicans in their Pledge to America promised to ``end the practice of packaging unpopular bills with `must-pass' legislation to circumvent the will of the American people'' and to ``advance major legislation one issue at a time.''

The long-term unemployment crisis and the need for a full extension of unemployment benefits deserve Congress's full attention. This is why I led 70 of my colleagues in writing the Chairs of the conference committee along with House and Senate Leadership to urge them to include a full extension of unemployment benefits though the end of this year. While our economy is showing signs of real recovery with 23 consecutive months of job growth, the fact remains that our nation is experiencing an unprecedented long-term unemployment crisis.

Unemployment benefits are a proven lifeline to families that they rely on to help pay for necessities such as rent, groceries, and utilities. Expansions to the unemployment insurance program enacted in the Recovery Act and subsequent legislation in 2009 and 2010 kept over 3 million Americans out of poverty in 2010, including over 900,000 children.

Unfortunately, the harm that cuts to federal unemployment benefits make to working families is amplified when states, such as Michigan, enact legislation slashing state unemployment benefits. Last year, Governor Snyder signed House Bill 4408 into law. While this legislation included a necessary technical fix to preserve Michigan's access to the federal Extended Benefits (EB) program, it paired this minor change with a harmful and misguided reduction in state unemployment benefits from 26 to 20 weeks, the lowest in the country. Not only does this cut 6 weeks of state benefits, more importantly it triggers a proportional reduction in federal benefits.

Under the Payroll Tax Cut Conference Report, this 6 week change to state benefits will result in Michigan giving up between 11 and 14 weeks of 100% federally funded benefits this year and Michigan's unemployed workers losing access to more weeks of federal benefits than any state in the nation.

Our economy is moving in the right direction and we can't afford to jeopardize middle class families' livelihoods and our recovery by risking the expiration of the Payroll Tax Cut, but we certainly cannot afford to ignore the long-term unemployment in Michigan and across the United States.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in outrage and disbelief that my Republican colleagues believe that they are more qualified to determine what a woman can do with her own body than she is.

Republicans say that they are on the side of freedom and personal responsibility. They also say that they are against Big Government intrusion. But when it comes to women in this country, it's nothing but a bunch of empty rhetoric.

Let's be clear: the debate about contraception is really about Republicans' deep-seated opposition to women making decisions about their own bodies. It is an outrage; it is unconscionable; it is insulting; and it is un-American to treat women, by virtue of their gender, as second-class citizens by denying their ability to control their own destinies.

To my Republican colleagues, shame on you for waging your hypocritical war on women.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the Armenian victims of the Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku pogroms who were killed in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As the United States stood as a beacon for freedom around the world, the Soviet Union suffered from ethnic strife and internal unrest. Communist ideology and a command economy could not hold together the Soviet republics and their diverse ethnic groups. The Soviet Union--despite its rhetoric-- failed to protect and ensure the rights of its ethnic minorities, especially the ethnic Armenians who were targeted in pogroms in Azerbaijan.

In February 1988 hundreds of Armenians were singled out, driven from their homes, and murdered by Azerbaijani rioters. Despite Sumgait's proximity to security forces in the capital city, the riots and destruction continued for three days unabated. Credible sources report that hundreds of Armenians were killed or wounded; Soviet officials at the time acknowledged 30 deaths and 200 injured.

This tragedy did not go unrecognized at the time. Several U.S. Senators rose to speak out against this violence. They sent letters to the government of the Soviet Union. The Senate unanimously passed an amendment urging the Soviet government to respect the aspirations of the Armenian people and urging it to discontinue its serious violations of human rights.

In Kirovabad later that same year Armenians were once again targeted. My friend and colleague from Michigan, Representative Sander Levin, joined 11 other members of the House and Senate to write to Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev in advance of his historic trip to the United States urging him to protect the Armenians living in Azerbaijan.

Unfortunately, in January 1990 in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, Armenians were once again targeted in a weeklong pogrom. Civil society called upon the Azerbaijan government to respect the rights of, and prevent crimes against, its Armenian minority population.

Today, I rise to remember the victims and honor their memories. America has always stood for democratic freedom and human rights-- whether then during the Cold War--or today during the historic transition in the Middle East. Democracies cannot flourish without respecting the rights of the minority. Twenty-four years later it is important that we not forget the victims of Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. I call upon the countries in the region to respect the human rights of all residents--whether majority or minority--and to ensure that these events never happen again.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in support of Representative Bishop's Democratic motion to instruct conferees.

If Congress doesn't act by the end of the month, Americans that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own will begin losing the unemployment benefits keeping their family afloat in these very difficult times. This is why I'm leading my colleagues in sending a letter to the conference committee urging them to preserve current levels of unemployment benefits. Families receiving unemployment benefits are already facing significant challenges, and pulling the rug out from underneath them would damage our economy and force these Americans into poverty.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues like to talk about uncertainty. When they're not pushing tax cuts for the rich as a cure-all for the economy, they're blaming uncertainty supposedly created by Wall Street reform or environmental protections for slow economic growth.

If my Republican colleagues want to know what real uncertainty is, I suggest they pick up the phone the next time one of their constituents who is staring down the expiration of their unemployment benefits calls. Real uncertainty is not knowing if you're able to pay for heat. Real uncertainty is not knowing if you're able to pay for groceries. Real uncertainty means spending a year or more looking for a job and barely scraping by with unemployment benefits while some in Washington want to play politics with the livelihood of these Americans. Uncertainty is exactly what Republicans are creating by their refusal to come to the table and pass a full extension of unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut.

I support Representative Bishop's motion to instruct conferees because it will direct conference committee members to stop the delay and issue their report next week. American families cannot afford to wait any longer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the Chinese and Russian actions on Saturday, February 4, 2012, that blocked the United Nations Security Council from endorsing the Arab League's plan for a cessation of violence and political transition in Syria.

The United States joined with people of many faiths from countries around the world to ask the Security Council to hold Syria accountable for the bloodshed it has already committed, and continues to commit, against its own people.

Unfortunately, the Chinese and Russian governments appear to place more value on weapons sales to President al-Assad's bloody regime than the lives and freedoms of the people of Syria, and together they vetoed a resolution that would have committed the international community to putting an end to the violence.

Since the beginning of the uprising, I have called on President Obama and Secretary Clinton to hold the al-Assad regime accountable for its despicable actions and to speak up for the rights of the Syrian people who are dying for expressing their own independent political voice.

It is not too late for President Bashar al-Assad to do the right thing--step down--for his sake and the sake of the Syrian people.

I have an amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Peters amendment to H.R. 3582, the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2012.

As we consider legislation that would mandate the Congressional Budget Office use dynamic scoring to evaluate the macroeconomic impact of large tax cuts, we literally cannot afford to ignore the lessons of the past decade.

My Republican colleagues want to enact a seemingly subtle change so that they can more easily advance their agenda of tax cuts for the rich while slashing critical programs that American families and workers rely on each and every day.

Dynamic scoring's supporters back this legislation in large part because it can mask the cost of tax cuts while ignoring the multiplier effects that investments in education, public health, and infrastructure can provide.

In order to evaluate these claims, we need only look at the claims made by those who supported the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and see how they stacked up next to reality. Despite pledges from the Bush administration that the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 would generate such significant economic activity that they would pay for themselves, we know that this is not the case.

This is why I have put forward an amendment that will simply add a factual findings section that details the impact of the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 without altering the functional aspects of the bill.

These findings include:

1. On January 8, 2003, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said that President Bush believed that the tax cut package enacted in 2001 and expanded in 2003 would ``create additional revenues for the Federal Government and pay for itself.''

Two, before the tax cuts of 2001 and '03 were enacted, the Congressional Budget Office projected gradually rising surpluses, from 2.7 percent of gross national product in 2001, to 5.3 of gross national product in 2011, with the Federal Government operating debt free by 2009.

We know this, of course, did not happen. Instead, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the tax cuts of 2001 and '03 have added over $2 trillion to budget deficits from 2002 to '11. Despite signing tax cuts of 2001 and '03 into law, President Bush's administration had, according to The Wall Street Journal, ``the worst track record for job creation since the government began keeping records in 1939.''

From 2001 to 2009, gross domestic product grew at the slowest pace for any period since 1953; and median household income declined during the Bush administration for the first time since 1967 when this data was first tracked.

We have all lived through this past decade and have seen the damaging effects the Bush tax cuts have had on our Federal budget. I think it's safe to say that anyone who can possibly claim to belong to the ``reality caucus'' agrees that the Bush tax cuts not only contributed to taking our Nation from budget surpluses to massive deficits, but also contributed to unprecedented levels of income inequality.

If Congress cannot learn from past mistakes, we are destined to repeat them. I urge my colleagues to support my simple, factual amendment to show that Congress understands the true impacts of the Bush tax cuts and recognizes that, while tax cuts might stimulate additional economic activity, the tax cuts of 2001 and '03 certainly did not pay for themselves.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, while I find it interesting that the speaker from the other side believes that this is fantasy, these are facts. And he believes that facts should not be part of the debate, which is probably why we are in the trouble that we are in right now when the majority party believes that opinions should not be weighed down by the facts of the situation.

What I'm offering in this statement is simply factual statements that don't detract in any way from the intended impact of this legislation, but it's certainly important to having a full and honest debate that we need to have an understanding of what happened in the past. If we do not have that understanding of the past, if we don't step up to the reality of what actually occurred as a result of missteps in public policy in the past, we will repeat them once again.

What I'm hearing from the majority party is that they want to repeat the

mistakes of the past, mistakes that led to uncontrollable deficits and also mistakes that gave huge windfalls to the wealthiest people in this country at the expense of middle class taxpayers.

As a Democrat, we are very proud to stand up for middle class families and want to make sure that tax benefits to middle class taxpayers continue to go to those families that are struggling each and every day. On the other hand, the wealthiest among us, those with the highest income that have reaped the most benefit, should be paying their fair share. And by having tax cuts, what we will do is cut into those middle class families. This is a factual statement. If we do not recognize the reality of the facts, we are doomed to repeat those mistakes.

I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose Republican efforts to slash unemployment benefits.

Earlier this week, House Republicans passed legislation that would cut 40 weeks of unemployment benefits and impose new hurdles for Americans relying on this critical lifeline. With five job seekers in the United States for every available job, the average time it takes an unemployed worker to find a new job is 10 months. Instead of passing the American Jobs Act and getting our Nation's long-term unemployed back to work, Republicans are cutting benefits which millions of Americans rely on for groceries, utilities, and rent.

The Republican plan would hurt workers who are having difficulty in finding new jobs and would pull billions of dollars out of our still- recovering economy. Poverty is at its highest level since 1993; but unemployment benefits kept over 3 million Americans, including 1 million children, out of poverty in 2010; and now Republicans are fighting to gut this necessary lifeline.

During this holiday season, when millions of Americans are worried about being able to pay their rent, I urge my colleagues to oppose slashing unemployment benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise today to recognize the achievements of the Henry Ford Health System which, under the strong and dynamic leadership of its CEO, Nancy Schlichting, has earned a 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award recognizes and encourages benchmark business practices; once reserved only for manufacturing and similar businesses, the Baldrige Award has been expanded to include health care organizations. As a recipient of the Baldrige award, Henry Ford Health System continues to serve as a role model for other companies across the country. The award puts a spotlight on the amazing work being done at the Henry Ford Health System to deliver top quality health care to its patients.

Henry Ford Health System has established itself as one of the Nation's premier health care providers. Henry Ford Health System uses innovative strategies and solutions which have been developed and implemented for the past decade, helping reduce unintended patient harm and establishing a ``zero-defect, no-excuses'' approach to health care outcomes. Over the years, the Henry Ford Health System has developed a reputation for delivering the best possible outcomes for patients. Because of this dedication to putting patients first, it is one of just 4 organizations around the Nation to receive this award and the only one in Michigan.

With approximately $5.8 billion in economic impact through payroll, operating expense and capital expenditures, Henry Ford Health System is not only an effective health care entity, but a major contributor to Michigan's economy. As a top 5 employer in Southeast Michigan, the Henry Ford Health System boasts an impressive 24,000 employees and is responsible for 37,500 additional jobs through direct and indirect employment at 7 hospitals and 33 ambulatory care sites. With more than 2,000 physicians system wide, it is also one of the Nation's largest non-university research programs.

Earning the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is no easy feat, with many companies each year following the Baldrige criteria as a model for proper organization and action. Henry Ford Health Systems now joins the ranks of companies such as Boeing Aerospace Support, Cadillac, and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as innovators in their respective fields.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Henry Ford Health System and the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that it has earned. The Henry Ford Health System's achievements serve as a beacon to other businesses countrywide.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose nationwide efforts to suppress voter turnout for the 2012 election, including State legislation imposing strict photo ID requirements. These new regulations would disproportionately burden seniors, people with disabilities, the poor, and minorities.

In Michigan, we have seen aggressive purges of voter rules, which can disenfranchise low-income voters who have moved to a new address. Half a million Michiganders don't have a driver's license or State ID. How are they supposed to make their voices heard if these rules are passed?

Let's be clear. These efforts are about one thing and one thing only: silencing voters.

America is a beacon of democracy, and to limit voter access is hypocritical and wrong. Madam Speaker, I don't have to tell you about the shameful times in America's history where power and intimidation were used to prevent Americans from voting. We must learn from our past.

Fight voter suppression efforts in the courts, in State legislatures, here in Washington, and, most importantly, on election day.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

There is no question that Congress must act immediately to help our Nation's small businesses succeed, create jobs and boost our economy. Unfortunately, instead of moving commonsense legislation to extend the payroll tax cuts for middle class families and enacting the American Jobs Act to help small businesses afford new hires and investments, we are today considering H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act.

This legislation, while well intentioned, is a step in the wrong direction. In addition to making it more difficult for agencies to take action to protect workers and the public, it will also slow down agency guidance that could help create certainty and spur job creation. This bill will create ``paralysis by analysis'' by subjecting any action an agency proposes to a lengthy regulatory process. Even agency guidance issued to small businesses clarifying how well they can comply with existing rules will be slowed down considerably.

This is why I've put forward an amendment to improve this bill and to cut through the additional red tape that it creates when it matters most, which is when new jobs are on the line. My amendment simply says that the new administrative hurdles that this bill creates will not apply to any rule, final rule or guidance that the Director of OMB determines will result in net job creation.

While my Republican colleagues keep repeating the story that new regulations are slowing down our economic growth, this simply isn't the case. A recent study by the National Federation of Independent Businesses of its members found that ``poor sales,'' and not regulation, is the biggest problem facing businesses today.

Effective regulations can promote job growth and put Americans back to work. As someone living in southeast Michigan, I have seen firsthand the way increased fuel economy standards have made American autos more competitive while also saving drivers money on gas and helping our environment. According to the United Auto Workers and the National Resources Defense Council, these new standards have already led to the creation of more than 100,000 jobs.

Whether it is providing small businesses with the guidance they need so that they can have the certainty while making investment and hiring decisions or enacting environmental reforms to help bring about the next generation of green technology, the Federal Government cannot waste any more time dragging its feet when it comes to job creation.

For years, my friends on the other side of the aisle have repeatedly railed against government red tape. But let's be clear: If they oppose this amendment, they will, in fact, be voting to

create more red tape and stymie small business job creation.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, pro-jobs amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend, Mayor Marilyn Stephan, as she retires from her position as Mayor of Berkley, Michigan, after more than a decade of service to her community and region.

A longtime resident of Berkley, Marilyn's record of service long predates her involvement on Berkley's City Council and as Mayor.

In a demonstration of her commitment to building a stronger community, Marilyn dedicated her professional life to educating and nurturing the development of her students. As a teacher, first in Clarenceville and later in the Berkley School District, Marilyn made development of future generations her daily responsibility. Whether it was teaching English or home economics, Marilyn brought with her an unwavering commitment and passion for educating her students in the skills they needed to become successful. As a debate coach, Marilyn helped her students refine their critical thinking and public speaking skills, both of which are required for being an effective leader.

As a passionate educator in her community, Marilyn's work during her tenure did not end in the classroom. In her home, Marilyn raised her children with the same zeal she displayed in her teaching and today is a proud mother and grandmother. As an impassioned leader among her fellow educators, Marilyn also served a decade as President of the Berkley Education Association.

It is no surprise that a quiet retirement was unlikely for Marilyn and in November 1999 she was elected to the Berkley City Council and later as Mayor of Berkley in 2005. In her role as Mayor, Marilyn has been a strong voice of the needs of her community in important regional organizations like the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the Woodward Avenue Action Association and the South Oakland County Mayors Association. Under her leadership, Berkley has successfully implemented major road improvements, stabilized its financial outlook and updated its master plan, all of which made Berkley a better place to live for its residents. As a testament to the improvements she oversaw, Forbes Magazine and Business Week named Berkley one of America's best affordable suburbs in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Marilyn's lifelong career of service to Berkley, Michigan. I know that her dedication, passion and leadership will be greatly missed within Berkley's city administration and by its neighboring communities. I wish Marilyn many happy years with her children and grandchildren in retirement and I know she will continue to be a voice of positive change in her community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the most special purpose and privilege of honoring the life of Mary Louise Peters-Hughes on the occasion of her 100th birthday.

Mary Louise Peters-Hughes is a most remarkable woman, having lived through 100 years of the most changeable times in human history; she is also my aunt, big sister to my late father Herb, and the matriarch of our family.

Born on September 20, 1911, Mary came of age amidst the burgeoning era of women's rights. Her achievements embodied the kind of progress and leadership envisioned by that movement; throughout her life, Mary has held herself to a high standard of achievement and leadership.

In 1929, she graduated valedictorian from Rochester High School, after serving in the National Honor Society and as president of her senior class. Mary matriculated to Alma College, during a time when only 10% of young people sought higher education. Mary studied English and Latin and continued to be a leader among her peers by serving as President of the Wright Ladies Hall and member of the Philamathion Ladies Social Society. Within four years, she graduated with a near- perfect grade point average. Finally, before embarking upon a career in teaching, Aunt Mary obtained her Master's Degree from the University of Michigan.

Aunt Mary was a devoted teacher, always encouraging her students to fulfill their best potentials. She did the same with family, too. Ever the supportive big sister, she sent my father money every week as he worked to get his own degree from her alma mater, Alma College. My father often talked of his deep gratitude for her vital support of him during those lean depression. After marrying my uncle, Halley Hughes, Mary took a leave from her career and devoted herself full time to family and raising her three sons: Bob, Dick, and Jim.

Later in life, Aunt Mary returned to her beloved career and for another 21 years. And as a passionate educator, Aunt Mary joined both the National Education Association and Delta Kappa Gamma to enhance the status and fight for the rights of her fellow teachers across Michigan and the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, though she is my beloved aunt, by any objective measure Mary Louise Peters-Hughes has lived an exceptional life, marked by academic excellence, an admirable professional career and a most compassionate and strong family life. Her story and path is truly one we can all look to as an example for our own lives. I, my wife and children and Mary's three children, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren are grateful for the 100 years she has lived and the lessons and love she has shared with each of us. We wish for many more lived in health and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Daniel Benton for his fifteen years of leadership in the Berkley, Michigan community as a City Councilman.

A resident of Berkley since 1979, Dan has been an active member of the community, working to improve the lives of its residents. With his wife, Carol, he raised their three sons, all of whom attended Berkley Public Schools. Outside of his own family, Dan's values are evident in his support of local Park and Recreation programs like Hoops Basketball and Dad's Club Baseball, which promote athletic programs that help local youth make healthy life choices. And, as a dentist, Dan also operates his own practice within Berkley, providing area residents with important healthcare services.

One area of particular focus for Dan's activism has been the Berkley Public Library, which he has supported in many different capacities over the years. He served the library

both as an elected board member and then later as a member of the Friends of the Berkley Library. Dan was also on the Library Building Committee which oversaw the expansion of the library and the acquisition of new materials. Thanks to his work and those of his colleagues, the newly renovated library opened in 1998 and has continued to be a valuable resource for the community.

Beyond his advocacy and support of the Berkley Public Library, Dan is involved in many other local organizations and projects geared toward strengthening the community. As a concerned citizen, prior to his election to the City Council, Dan served on the Planning Commission, working to secure continued future prosperity for Berkley residents. In furtherance of that goal, Dan also helped establish the Woodward 5, a local association of surrounding communities and school districts along the Woodward Corridor dedicated to promoting the region to prospective businesses and residents. As a Berkley resident passionate about the health of his city, Dan has also organized annual sweep operations, which bring Berkley residents together to clean up the city's downtown area.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Dan's positive impact on the Berkley community and wish him well in his retirement from the Berkley City Council. As a true advocate for building a strong community, I know Dan's work on behalf of his city and its residents will be felt far into the future. I wish Dan many years of happiness and trust he will continue to advocate for the brightest future for Berkley and its residents.

I rise today in support of H.R. 3345, an act to continue the current Federal unemployment programs through next year. If Congress doesn't act by the end of the year, Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own will begin losing their unemployment benefits in January. Tens of thousands of Michiganders will lose their benefits by February. These benefits are their lifeline for necessities like groceries, utilities, and rent or mortgage payments. Once these families can no longer pay for basic necessities, it will create a ripple effect, costing nearly a million U.S. jobs nationwide.

Poverty is at its highest level since 1993, and middle class household incomes are at their lowest level since 1997. Unemployment benefits have kept over 3 million Americans, including 1 million children, out of poverty last year. And now the Republicans are willing to let these necessary benefits expire.

Madam Speaker, as we approach the holiday season and millions of Americans are worried about paying their rent, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and keep millions of Americans out of poverty.