Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Steven Gaynor, the distinguished Superintendent of the Bloomfield Hills School District, on the occasion of his retirement after nearly 35 years of service to countless families and children of Southeast Michigan through his work as an educator, administrator and leader.

Almost 35 years ago, Dr. Gaynor embarked upon a career in education that would span the geography of Southeast Michigan and the broad breadth of service in education. Steve began his career in 1975 as a social studies teacher and special education teacher consultant. He served the communities of Livonia, Madison Heights, Walled Lake, Davisburg, Holly and Royal Oak before becoming the superintendent of Bloomfield Schools where, for the past 8 years, he has served the families and community of Bloomfield Hills.

Steve's tenure at Bloomfield Hills Schools was during a most tumultuous and challenging time for public education. Despite dwindling state and local revenue sources and the severe economic downturn in Southeast Michigan, Steve made the best of shrinking resources and pressed forward with important and innovative projects. Steve's vision and dedication led to the creation of multiple International Baccalaureate programs, an increased use of innovative technology in the classroom, improved professional development for teachers and administrators, and overall academic achievement by putting students first. He has been recognized for his unwavering focus on securing the future of the schools with boundless energy, good humor and strong leadership.

Through these busy years, Steve remained active in key community organizations including the Oakland County Superintendents' Association, the North Central Association state committee, where he received an award for instructional leadership and school improvement, and as a founding member of the Learning Achievement Coalition, a project focused on eliminating achievement gaps among children. Moreover,. he pioneered important partnerships including one with the municipalities of Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township to preserve historical assets. With other Oakland Schools and the Oakland Intermediate School District, Steve pooled funds to rebuild Wing Lake Development Center to a $10 million state-of-the-art educational facility for our most challenged students in Oakland County.

Madam Speaker, as parents of Bloomfield Hills Schools students, my wife Colleen and I are pleased to call Steve a much admired and appreciated friend. Undoubtedly, we join the scores of children and families whose lives have been touched by Steve's hard work, dedication and caring. I ask my colleagues to join me today as I honor Dr. Steve Gaynor for his lifetime commitment to bettering the lives of children through education, on the occasion of his retirement from Bloomfield Hills Schools.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a lifelong champion of the American labor movement, Mr. Joseph Peters, Director of the United Auto Workers Region 1, on the occasion of his retirement from the UAW. As a Member of Congress, it is both my privilege and honor to recognize Mr. Peters for his many years of service and his contributions which have enriched and strengthened our community.

Joe Peters has been a tireless advocate for his UAW brothers and sisters. Joe started his career as a member of Local 400, while working at the Ford Paint Plant in Mount Clemens. Joe became active in the UAW in the late 1960s when he moved to work at the Ford Utica Trim plant. While at Utica Trim, Joe was elected as the Midnight Committeeman, member of the Plant Bargaining Committee, Plant Chairman, Vice President of Local 400, and President of Local 400.

In 1988, Joe was appointed to the UAW International staff by President Owen Bieber and assigned to the National Ford Department. In 1999, Joe was appointed assistant director of Region 1 under Director Kenneth Terry. Joe served as assistant Director of Region 1 until 2005, when he was elected Director in a special election.

Joe has spent his career in support of civil rights and his community. Joe is a lifelong member of the NAACP, a member of the Troy Elks club, and a strong grassroots political leader. Joe has won numerous awards for his community activism including: Civil Rights Lifetime Achievement, ARC Detroit Legacy Award, Veterans Michigan Stand Down, and the UAW Region 1 Women's Council Circle of Excellence award. Moved by the increasingly difficult economic times facing Michigan families, Joe started the ``No Child Without Christmas'' foundation in 2004. His foundation brings together a broad spectrum of community leaders to provide clothing, food, and gifts for thousands of homeless and abused children during the holiday season each year. Joe's commitment to his community has been his personal as well as his professional legacy.

Joe has spent his career in service of others, his UAW brothers and sisters, his community, and most importantly, his large and growing family. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor Mr. Joe Peters for his many contributions to our community and his leadership at the United Auto Workers Union. I wish him many more years of health, happiness, and productive service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Birmingham Wiley E. Groves High School Falcons' boys swimming and diving team, its coaches Matt Watson, Dave Eichenhorn, Seena Karapetian and Virginia Naegly, Birmingham Schools Superintendent David Larson, Groves Principal Fred Procter and Athletic Director Tom Flynn on the team's 2010 MHSAA Division 2 State championship. As a Member of Congress it is both my honor and privilege to recognize the team and its outstanding coaches on this hard fought and impressive victory.

Established in 1959, in the Village of Beverly Hills, Birmingham Groves High School has developed a rich history of academic and athletic excellence. This victory at the 2010 Division 2 MHSAA State swim meet caps off an incredible year for the Falcons, who had a nearly perfect season in their run up to the State championship. This championship victory also marks the team's fourth State championship in the last ten years and sixth State championship in school history. For this year's seniors, the championship victory represents the culmination of their high school athletic careers. Four years in the making, it is a vindication of the team's hard fought and close second place finish at last year's State championship and a testament to the spirit of the team.

This year's Division 2 State championship meet began as it would end, with victories for the Falcons. The team set the tone for the event by finishing first in the opening 200 meter medley relay, followed by first place finishes in the 100 meter backstroke and the 400 meter freestyle relay. In addition to its terrific wins, the Falcons finished in the top four spots in half of the twelve events at the championship meet.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the Birmingham Groves High School's boys swim team and its coaches on this great achievement. This victory was truly a team effort, made possible by countless hours of practice by the team, the guidance of the team's coaches, the support of the team's dedicated parents and the commitment of the school's administration. The Falcons' determination to succeed and their commitment to excellence are most exemplary virtues. I wish the team and its coaches many more successes and championships in the coming years ahead.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the America COMPETES Act. This bill will enhance our Nation's competitiveness, bolster research and science education, and support the needs of small businesses and America's 21st century manufacturing sector.

Small businesses have created nearly two out of three new jobs in our country in the past 15 years. Small businesses will fuel our economic growth, and small and midsize manufacturers are particularly important to creating substantial job growth. Manufacturing accounts for more than half of total U.S. exports and provides millions of people with well-paying jobs. A healthy manufacturing base is critical to the security of the American middle class and must be a key component of our economic security.

In order to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, U.S. manufacturers must adapt to new technological developments and economic changes. The COMPETES Act does just that by providing critical support to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a highly

efficient initiative which has spurred 57,000 jobs and $10.5 billion in sales per year. The MEP requires matching investments from states and participating small businesses, but as a long and deep recession continues to take its toll, states like Michigan and many businesses have found it increasingly difficult to continue to meet the cost-share requirements to participate in the program. The COMPETES Act reduces this burden to allow struggling businesses to remain active in the program. Reducing small business costs and continuing an effort proven to create jobs make good sense. I'm grateful to my friend, Congressman Ehlers, for working with me on this bipartisan idea, and to Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall, and Chairman Wu and Ranking Member Smith on the subcommittee, who supported including MEP support in the final bill. In addition to supporting MEP, COMPETES supports broad manufacturing initiatives such as providing new loan guarantees to help manufacturers access capital and supporting manufacturing R&D. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bipartisan legislation that strengthens American manufacturing and competitiveness.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the organizers and participants of the fifth annual Michigan Earth Day Festival on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. As a Member of Congress it is my privilege to support this forum as we work to develop Michigan's green and blue economies.

Much like the day it celebrates, the Michigan Earth Day Festival brings together Michiganians from all regions and sectors of community who recognize that the economic vitality of Michigan lies in the innovation and development of our of State's complementary green and blue economies. This festival provides an opportunity for local entrepreneurs, environmentalists, conservationists, civic officials and everyday citizens to build the network of human capital infrastructure so critical to Michigan becoming a leader in these new industries. Last year the Festival attracted an estimated 50,000 Michiganians to its grounds in downtown Rochester, all of whom were focused on the ``triple bottom line'' of economic, environmental, and individual prosperity.

On its fifth anniversary, the Michigan Earth Day Festival is set to provide its largest platform yet in its effort to draw attention to the connection between our environment and our future economic prosperity. This year's Festival event will host over 200 participants including environmental and conservation groups, local governments, green business owners and others who will be promoting resource conservation, green technology development, and good stewardship of our environment which will brighten Michigan's economic future while securing our State's rich natural wonders.

Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the work of the Michigan Earth Day Festival's organizers and participants towards creating a greener and stronger Michigan economy. I wish the Festival's organizers and participants many future years of success as we work together to develop a renewed, greener and more robust Michigan economy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Oakland County Hospital Association (OCHA) on the occasion of its 100th year. As a Member of Congress it is both my privilege and honor to recognize the Oakland County Hospital Association for its century of work creating a stronger and healthier Oakland County.

At the beginning of the 20th Century the Oakland County Hospital Association was formed with the mission of meeting the health needs of all of Oakland County's residents. After nine years of planning, fundraising, and construction the Association opened Oakland County Hospital in Pontiac on May 18, 1910 to fulfill this mission. Over 100 years after it was founded, Oakland County Hospital, now Doctors' Hospital of Michigan, remains dedicated to providing quality care to its patients.

Known by many names over the years, Oakland County Hospital, Pontiac City Hospital, Pontiac General, North Oakland Medical Center and finally Doctors' Hospital, the facility has been an ever-present part of the greater Pontiac Oakland area as a symbol of community-focused medical treatment. With Doctors' Hospital continuing to serve patients at the original location of Oakland County Hospital, the mission of OCHA will continue to be fulfilled for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Oakland County Medical Association. The Association has been an integral voice over the past century in ensuring Oakland County residents have access to high quality health services and I wish the Association many more productive years of fighting to make Oakland County healthier and stronger.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dianne Addington, president and CEO of Genisys Credit Union, on her retirement from Genisys. As a Member of Congress it is both my privilege and honor to recognize Ms. Addington for her many years of service and her contributions which have enriched and strengthened our community.

Ms. Addington brings a lifetime of experience to her current position at Genisys Credit Union; a career which began almost 40 years ago as a part-time teller at T&C Federal Credit Union. Through Ms. Addington's ingenuity and hard work she eventually rose to the position of president and CEO of T&C Federal Credit Union, one of the parent companies of Genisys, which she has held for the last 21 years. During her tenure at Genisys, Ms. Addington has been awarded numerous accolades for her commitment to the community including awards from the Sojourner Foundation, the Clinton Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce. In recognition of her many contributions, the Michigan Credit League, MCUL, awarded her the Distinguished Service Award in 2006, for which she was inducted into the Michigan Credit Union Hall of Fame.

Under Ms. Addington's leadership Genisys Credit Union has grown into a thriving local institution, which is deeply involved in strengthening the communities it serves. Genisys is a strong philanthropic partner to Southeast Michigan, having received numerous awards and recognitions from the community for the programs it has sponsored. In keeping with their mission to provide excellent customer service and to support its community, Genisys continues to create programs which highlight the importance of financial literacy to its more than 117,000 members and to the communities it serves. Moreover, through its strong commitment to quality customer service Genisys Credit Union was recognized by the readership of Corp! Magazine as a ``Best of Michigan Business'' in 2009.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor Ms. Dianne Addington for her many contributions to our community and her leadership at Genisys Credit Union. I wish her many more years of health, happiness, and productive service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize CARE House of Oakland County, Michigan, on the occasion of the groundbreaking for its new facility. As a Member of Congress it is both my honor and privilege to recognize and congratulate CARE House for over 30 years of service to Oakland County's youth as work begins on its new facility, which will assist countless more abused and neglected youth from across the County.

Established in 1977, CARE House began its work as the Child Abuse and Neglect Council for Oakland County, a partnership between Oakland County's law enforcement organizations, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, Child Protective Services and the Junior League of Birmingham. The Council was the first organization in Oakland County to take a proactive approach to confronting the issues of child abuse and neglect. After more than a decade of service to the youth of Oakland County, CARE House expanded its services to become a Child Advocacy Center focused on reducing child abuse through advocacy, community outreach, education and prevention programs.

CARE House served over 5000 youth last year at its current facilities and is expected to greatly expand its capacity, serving thousands more once the new facility is built. This expansion allows for CARE House to strengthen its intervention, therapeutic, advocacy and prevention services, in particular its forensic interviewing, crisis counseling, family support group and court-appointed advocacy programs. Increasing its capacity and strengthening of its programs enhances CARE House's ability to fully employ its vision of ensuring all children are safe and free from abuse and neglect.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in celebrating the groundbreaking of CARE House's new facility and to recognize its members for their important work over the past 30 years to protect Oakland County youth from abuse and neglect. The services CARE House provides ensure thousands of Oakland County youth receive the treatment and intervention they need to prevent and reduce trauma they have experienced from abuse and neglect.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the leadership of Dr. Drew Edwin Marshall on the occasion of his 5th Anniversary in ministry to the congregation of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church. As a Member of Congress it is both my honor and privilege to recognize Dr. Marshall for achieving this milestone.

Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, which was founded as the City of Pontiac's first African-American church in 1917 with support from the Memorial Baptist Church in Pontiac, has a long, rich history as a pillar of spiritual fellowship in the community. Trinity's congregation and leadership, under Reverend Gulley, came together to endure turbulent beginnings in the face of a fuel shortage which initially closed the Church for a year, to continue their pursuit of spiritual well-being. Since its founding, Trinity's congregation and leadership have been devoted to creating a stronger, more vibrant Pontiac spiritual community. In its efforts to attain its goals, Trinity opened a child development center and a school in the early 1990s to provide better service to the Pontiac community.

This year marks an important milestone in the spiritual leadership Dr. Drew Marshall has provided as Senior Pastor to the congregation of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church. Dr. Marshall, a Pontiac native, has devoted over three decades of his life to the study and practice of divinity. Dr. Marshall heard the call to service over 35 years ago, accepting his first ministerial position with Trinity shortly before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan. Dr. Marshall's journey led him from Pontiac, to Colgate Rochester Divinity School, where he obtained his Masters in Divinity, to Texas, where he served as Minister of Christian Education at New Faith Church. It is only fitting Dr. Marshall's recognition comes for his service with Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, as it is the very place he heard the call to serve over three decades ago.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Trinity Missionary Baptist Church's Senior Pastor, Dr. Drew Edwin Marshall, on the occasion of his 5th Anniversary as the Church's spiritual leader and wish him, his family, and the congregation at Trinity many more years of happiness, health and service to the Pontiac community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1119 calling for a moment of silence in support of our troops and designation of March 26, 2010, as the National Support Our Troops Day.

As a Nation, we celebrate and honor our veterans and patriots, yet we don't have an official day celebrating our servicemen and -women who are currently protecting our country at home and overseas.

As the son of a World War II veteran and as a former officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, I have the utmost respect for the sacrifices made by our active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

Recently, I had the honor of visiting our troops in Afghanistan where I was able to observe first hand the dedication with which they are serving our Nation. I was truly humbled by the sacrifices they are making each and every day.

This resolution honors those troops, and I am proud to have introduced it, continuing a bipartisan tradition in the 9th Congressional District in Michigan. One of my constituents, Alexandra McGregor, contacted my predecessor, Congressman Joe Knollenberg, with her idea of a day to honor our heroes currently fighting on the front lines. Alexandra was a student at Waterford Kettering High School in Waterford, Michigan. She, along with her fellow students, as well as the faculty of Waterford Kettering High School, have observed a moment of silence for the last several years on March 26 in support of our troops.

Alexandra brought this idea to her Congressman and asked him to pass a resolution calling for March 26 to be recognized as a day for all Americans to observe a moment of silence in recognition of our troops. And during the 110th Congress, the body passed such a resolution.

Today, I am honored to keep this tradition alive by bringing this resolution before the House for consideration. I would like to thank the leaders of the Interact Club at Kettering High School, Melina Lopez and Connor Newton, for coordinating the event and for bringing this tradition to my attention. I would also like to thank Chairman Skelton for his support of the resolution, as well as Zach Steacy and Joe Hicken of the House Armed Services Committee staff for their work in bringing House Resolution 1119 to the floor today.

Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the leadership and congregation of New Mount Moriah International Church for celebrating 21 years of fellowship. As a Member of Congress it is both my privilege and honor to recognize New Mount Moriah, its leader Bishop William Murphy and its congregants on this most joyous occasion.

New Mount Moriah, for the past 21 years, has been a fixture of spiritual communion in the Pontiac, Michigan community. The Church has had several homes in the Pontiac community since its formation in 1989. Since moving to its current location in 2003, New Mount Moriah has made great strides to expand its ministry across southeast Michigan, establishing satellite locations in Mount Clemens and Detroit. With these new locations New Mount Moriah has expanded its membership from the 100 founding members in 1989 to over 1,000 members across southeast Michigan today.

Over the past 20 years, New Mount Moriah has been served by Bishop William Murphy who serves with unwavering commitment and faith as Senior Pastor to its congregants. Bishop Murphy is joined in his ministry by his wife, Donna, who serves as Executive Director for New Mount Moriah's Women's Ministry program. Together they have developed countless programs which have reached beyond the walls of the Church and have touched the lives of so many in the communities the Church serves. These programs include skill-building and self-esteem training for women of all ages, helping them to develop leadership skills needed to serve their community.

For many years it has been my privilege to worship with Bishop and Donna Murphy and

the congregants of New Mount Moriah. It is with a great sense of pride I have watched as the Church has expanded its reach into our shared communities and enriched the lives of an increasing number of residents across southeast Michigan. This year I was particularly blessed to visit New Mount Moriah with the Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives, James Clyburn, to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the one-year anniversary of the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of these United States.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing New Mount Moriah International Church's 21 years of service to Pontiac and countless other communities across southeast Michigan and wish Bishop Murphy, his wife and the Church's congregants many more years of happiness, health and service to our shared communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. A.J. O'Neill, a Berkley native and Royal Oak resident, for his community activism dedicated to highlighting the importance of our domestic automotive manufacturing industry to our economy and communities. As a Member of Congress it is both my privilege and honor to recognize Mr. O'Neill, today as he prepares to hold the 2nd Annual ``Assembly Line Concert'' at his cafe to support our

American Big 3 Automakers and their employees.

On April 1st of 2007, Mr. O'Neill opened his cafe in downtown Ferndale. From day one, Mr. O'Neill made a commitment to his community to do what he could to make Southeast Michigan a better place.

In late fall of 2008, during the Auto crisis, Mr. O'Neill started the ``I Pledge America'' campaign. The pledge is simple, ``I promise America that, on my honor, when I buy a new vehicle, it will be a Detroit-born, Big Three (Ford, GM or Chrysler) automobile.'' I am proud to count myself among the over ten thousand signatories to this pledge.

After seeing the success of the ``I Pledge America'' campaign, Mr. O'Neill was inspired to do more. Starting on March 20th, 2009, and continuing 24 hours a day 7 days a week until April 1st, 2009, Mr. O'Neill hosted the first annual ``Assembly Line Concert.'' The concert was a 288 hour marathon, featuring over 300 bands performing in honor and support of the domestic auto industry, with proceeds donated to the families of laid off auto workers. Due to the incredible success and length of this concert, Mr. O'Neill established a new Guinness World Record for the ``longest continuous music concert by multiple artists.''

Today represents the start of a new chapter in Mr. O'Neill's story as he hosts the ``Second Annual Assembly Line Concert.'' This concert will exhibit 312 hours of continuous music performed by well over 300 bands and musical artists. Mr. O'Neill is poised to break his own Guinness record for the longest continuous music concert, with proceeds once again going to the families of struggling auto workers in Southeast Michigan.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor Mr. A.J. O'Neill's dedication to the domestic auto industry, its tens of thousands of employees and retirees and the communities of Southeast Michigan as we work to rebuild and revitalize Michigan together.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. William Tolley, a resident in Michigan's 9th Congressional District, for his lifelong service to the American Concrete Institute, ACI, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. As a Member of Congress, I am privileged and honored to recognize Mr. Tolley for his many accomplishments and to thank him for his dedication to strengthening the infrastructure in the United States through his service to the ACI.

ACI is one of the world's leading authorities on concrete technology. Concrete is the second most consumed material in the world after water. It serves as an essential building material found in pavements, bridges, buildings and public works projects around the world. ACI is a nonprofit consensus organization with nearly 20,000 members internationally whose purpose is to further engineering and technical education, scientific investigation and research, and development of standards for design and construction incorporating concrete and related materials. ACI is the premier source for information on concrete construction and uses of ACI codes include adoption by reference in general building codes impacting potentially every concrete project in the United States.

On Monday March 22, ACI friends and colleagues will participate in a celebration dinner and toast in honor of William Tolley's retirement from ACI at their Annual Spring Convention in Chicago. Mr. Tolley's passionate involvement with the ACI includes serving as the manager of Administrative Services, Senior Managing Director and most recently his promotion to Executive Vice President in 2002. For his tireless dedication and service he was awarded ACI's Henry L. Kennedy Award recognizing his outstanding leadership in strengthening and expanding chapter activities and in 2006 he was named one of the ten most influential people in the concrete industry. In addition to his work with the ACI, Mr. Tolley is also the Chairman of the Concrete and Masonry Related Associations and has served as Treasurer, Board member and chair of the Finance Committee for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today to honor Mr. William Tolley's service to the American Concrete Institute and his dedication to innovation in strengthening our country's infrastructure and keeping Michigan and ACI on the cutting edge of development of concrete technology. I wish him many more years of health and happiness.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4825, and I am proud to have worked closely with Representative Kirkpatrick on this important issue. We share the belief that government needs to do more with less.

The Sensible Steps Toward a Balanced Budget Act simply requires that all unused funds from each congressional office account, known as the Members Representational Allowance, or MRA, be given back to taxpayers to help reduce the Federal deficit. As our Nation faces a significant budget deficit and a growing national debt, we must look for commonsense solutions to cut spending. As Members of Congress, we must--and can--lead by example.

As a State senator in Michigan, I ran my office so efficiently during my 8 years that I was able to return the equivalent of a full year's operating budget back to Michigan taxpayers. When I came to Congress at the beginning of 2009, I made it a priority to run my office here efficiently, as well, and came in under budget in order to return the difference to taxpayers. Last year, my office came in $135,000 under budget, and I'm continuing my efforts to save taxpayer dollars at every opportunity.

I was surprised to learn, however, that the money I saved each year would not necessarily be returned to the Treasury to help offset the deficit. This legislation would fix that, so that funding from more frugal Members of Congress can be saved and put back into the Treasury to reduce the deficit.

I believe that fiscal restraint should not be a partisan issue and that we must work together to find every opportunity to slash spending and forge a path toward a balanced budget and a shrinking national debt. This legislation is an important step towards our goal of a balanced budget.

I would, again, like to thank my colleague Representative Kirkpatrick for her hard work and leadership on this issue, and thank you, Chairman Brady, for the opportunity to speak about the Sensible Steps Toward a Balanced Budget Act.

I urge its passage.

Thank you for yielding the time. Thank you, Mrs. Dahlkemper, for putting together and assembling this Special Order. And I would also like to thank Chairman Larson, as well as Representatives Sutton and Hastings, for chairing the House Jobs Task Force, of which I'm a member, and I think others are members of here tonight as well, which is doing very important work to make sure we are creating jobs in this country.

We all know that small businesses employ half of all private-sector employees, and are responsible for creating 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs over the last decade. They create more than half of our Nation's nonfarm GDP. Small businesses employ 40 percent of high-tech workers, and small businesses create 13 times more patents per

employee than large patenting firms. And improving access to credit is a key aspect of helping these small businesses grow and create jobs and ensure that America remains a global economic powerhouse.

I am pleased that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $30 billion in tax relief for small businesses and increased the percentage a business can write off in capital expenditures by 50 percent. Additionally, the total amount a business can write out has been doubled to $250,000, allowing for a substantial investment in equipment and resources for small businesses.

But much more, as we know, much more needs to be done to help our small businesses in this country.

Last year, I had the opportunity to host a field hearing in Oakland County, Michigan, where I gave borrowers and lenders an opportunity to discuss the challenges that we're facing in Michigan. Bank regulators attended the hearing as well so that we could hear firsthand their policies and how those policies are making it very difficult for banks to make the loans to very worthy businesses in my State. And I know it's not just a problem in Michigan, but in States all across the country now.

One of the biggest problems that borrowers and lenders outlined was that as their value of commercial real estate, manufacturing equipment, and other sources of collateral has dropped, it has made it very difficult to obtain a line of credit. Even for a company that has purchase orders in hand, it is difficult for them to get that money. That's why I'm working with Congressman Levin and Congressman Dingell on legislation that will provide States with funding that they can use to create a collateral support program to make sure that these businesses get the vital lending that is so important for them.

That's why I have also proposed a small business lending plan that will redirect unspent Wall Street bailout funding to instead help small businesses in our communities so they can get the credit that they need to grow and to create jobs.

Efforts to help small businesses are especially crucial in areas of high unemployment. I was happy to author legislation through the Small Business Committee which I know, Representative Dahlkemper, you are a leader in, to provide zero-interest loans worth up to $75,000 to small businesses in high unemployment areas, with payment on these loans deferred for 18 months. It also makes high unemployment areas eligible for the New Market Venture Capital program, providing strong financial incentive for investment in new and emerging industries in areas where the workforce is necessary to build the new economy and is ready and enthusiastic and just needs that additional help.

In addition to helping businesses access capital, we must make sure that they also have access to key partnership programs that are proven to spur job creation. For example, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the MEP, is a crucial national program that provides technical services and assistance to increase productivity and efficiency of small and medium-sized businesses. The Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a model of an efficient and effective program, credited with creating and retaining over 55,000 jobs per year and $10.5 billion in increased or retained sales.

MEP support is vital to the long-term success and competitiveness of small and medium-sized American businesses, and preserving and strengthening the program should be a priority as Congress continues to work on reviving this economy and getting that growth going.

Currently, the costs of the MEP's services are shared between the Federal Government, State government and industry with Federal Government contributing one-third, and States and industries contributing the remaining two-thirds. However, State budgets have threatened the MEP's existence, and at least 23 State MEP centers now report a decrease or elimination of State MEP funding in 2009 alone, and some centers have been operating without State assistance for years. When a State eliminates this vital funding, it is left to small businesses to cover the gap, and they risk losing Federal dollars in those States that are being hurt the worst. That is why I have introduced legislation with Representative Ehlers that would reduce the matching requirements for small businesses to ensure that they can continue to participate in this MEP program.

And, finally, I would like to also announce that this afternoon I introduced, along with Chairman Larson and Congressmen Reichert and Tiberi, a bill entitled the ``American Job Creation Investment Act'' to provide business tax relief projected to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. I would like to thank my colleagues for working with me on this bill and support from those of you here in the Special Order here tonight as well.

This bill in a sense will allow companies to use the alternative minimum tax credits that they now hold but that otherwise they must save for future years to be used this year for job creation, job retention, and capital investments. The bill is estimated to directly create over 65,000 new jobs and help businesses retain 170,000 jobs in the next 2 years, plus spur $40 billion in additional job-creating investment. A wide array of industry associations currently endorse the bill, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, Associated Builders and Contractors Association, and the Association for Manufacturing Technology.

This is an incredibly efficient and commonsense way for us to spur job creation. Companies are sitting on these tax credits, but under current tax law cannot use them until future years. This bill will allow them to use the tax credits they have already accrued to create jobs now, when we need them the most. And I would like to encourage my colleagues to cosponsor this very important bill.

While I'm proud of the work that we have done in Congress to turn around our economy and help families and small businesses, I think we all agree that there is no question that there is more work to be done. Small businesses will be the key to my State's, and the entire Nation's, economic recovery. And I believe, as I know all of you believe, that helping businesses have access to capital that they need to grow, invest and create jobs is the key to helping our economy move and put Americans back to work. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you and applaud your efforts here tonight to bring this important issue to the American people as we continue to work to create jobs in this great country.