Floor Statements

I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 283, a resolution that I authored to honor the life, achievements and contributions of Rabbi Charles H. Rosenzveig.

The late Rabbi Rosenzveig, who passed away in December, was a scholar, teacher, Holocaust survivor, and a founder of the Nation's first freestanding Holocaust Memorial Center in Oakland County, Michigan, the county which I have lived my whole life and now have the honor to represent here in Congress.

This resolution is important to the people of Michigan and has been sponsored in a thoroughly bipartisan fashion by Representatives Levin, Camp, Dingell, Ehlers, Hoekstra, Upton, Kildee, McCotter, Miller, Rogers, Stupak, and Schauer.

I would like to commend and thank Chairman Berman, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and Vice Chairman Ackerman for their sponsorship of this resolution and their leadership in moving it through the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Rabbi Rosenzveig lost his mother, father, brother and sister in the Holocaust before fleeing to Poland and then the Soviet Union before immigrating to New York City in 1947. He led his class at the prestigious Yeshiva University in Manhattan and was ordained in 1951 as a rabbi.

He served his congregants at Congregation Mt. Sinai in Port Huron, Michigan, for decades before leaving the synagogue to devote his entire energy and spirit to the Holocaust Memorial Center of West Bloomfield, Michigan, which he founded in 1984.

Rabbi Rosenzveig traveled and spoke extensively to raise the awareness of resources needed to grow the Holocaust Memorial Center, allowing the center to move from its original home in West Bloomfield to a large state-of-the-art museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan, that also houses the Museum of European Heritage and the International Institute of the Righteous.

The Holocaust Memorial Center, which has educated millions of visitors, stands to enlighten future generations about the horrors of the Holocaust and nourish a social consciousness whereby, as Rabbi Rosenzveig used to say, the ``righteous acts of the few become the standard of the many.''

Rabbi Rosenzveig was an extraordinary American who devoted his life to serving others. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet him, and I was taken by his wisdom, vision, sincerity, and deep sense of caring for all people.

Please join me in paying tribute to a great teacher, scholar, leader, and the founder and director of the Holocaust Memorial Center. I am pleased that the House is considering this bipartisan resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of House Resolution 283.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this Amendment and the underlying bill, which provides important protections for consumers against unfair credit card billing practices. This amendment, which I am proud to be cosponsoring, simply states that when a credit card holder makes a payment it has to be allocated to the balance with the highest interest rate first.

Like many of my colleagues, I meet regularly with constituents who are struggling. In Michigan, unemployment is rising, home prices are falling, and many families are struggling with increased debts and financial insecurity. While I am new to the Congress, I am not new to the business of advising families on what's in their financial best interest. For twenty-two years I was a financial adviser, and my advice to anyone attempting to pay off outstanding debt was clear: pay off the highest interest accounts first. But current credit card billing practices don't always make that possible.

This straight forward, common sense amendment protects consumers by requiring any payment beyond the minimum payment to be applied to the highest interest balance, thus ensuring that families that are working hard to pay their bills and get out from under their credit card debt are not stuck in a hole paying off low interest debt while the compound interest on their higher interest debt keeps piling up.

Mr. Chair, this amendment and this bill provide important protections for America's families during this time of economic uncertainty. I urge my colleagues to adopt the Gutierrez/Peters Amendment and vote in favor of the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which is observed by communities around the world on April 24th. It is of great importance that atrocities past are not forgotten, but rather serve as a solemn reminder of the importance of our continued vigilance and opposition to genocide today.

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople, marking the beginning of an eight year campaign against Armenian civilians. By the genocide's end in 1923, roughly one and a half million unarmed men, women and children were rounded up, stripped of all their possessions and means of support, and sent on death marches or to concentration camps.

Nearly a century later, these events still resonate across the world. I am proud of the United States' strong and continued history in standing up to and opposing genocide. I am proud to join with so many of my colleagues who have weighed in on this issue and have called on Turkey and Armenia to have an open and honest dialogue about their past.

Madam Speaker, as we observe the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, it is important that we pay our respects to the hundreds of thousands of lives senselessly lost. My thoughts and prayers on this day will be with the Armenian community in Oakland County, Michigan and throughout the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize The Honorable Baroness Caroline Cox of Queensbury on the occasion of her visit to Michigan during the week of April 24, the day set to commemorate the 1915 commencement of the genocide of the Armenian peoples. During her visit, Baroness Cox continues her tireless mission to educate and promote awareness of the present-day status of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and oppressed peoples around the world.

In particular, Baroness Cox will be visiting Oakland University in Michigan's 9th District where she will lecture and celebrate the University's Institute for Research, Education & Advocacy for Children's Health--R.E.A.C.H. The mission of R.E.A.C.H. furthers and embodies the life's work of Baroness Cox. Using her formal educational training in nursing, sociology and economics, Baroness Cox has been a prolific author and advocate of human rights around the globe. The Humanitarian Relief Trust which she established in 2005 provides resources, aid and training to peoples living in extreme poverty and under oppression. She is known for her personal and hands-on work targeting the ``no-go'' areas of the world to provide humanitarian aid and relief. Though she spends nearly half her time on international missions, she cherishes her role in the British Parliament as the ``voice of the voiceless.''

Baroness Cox, I welcome you to Michigan's 9th District and salute your untiring and steadfast commitment to improving the human condition in some of the most challenging areas of the world--Sudan, Burma, Nigeria and East Timor, among others. We are fortunate that you have so ardently acted on your ``inherent tendency'' to help others and made it your life's mission. Your wise admonition to us all rings as true today as ever, ``We can't do everything . . . however, we can all do something.''

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the budget resolution. Like the President, I came to Washington this year at a time when we are both inheriting record budget deficits, and battling the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. I am a strong believer in fiscal discipline, and I understand that the current budget deficits are unsustainable. However, I also know that it is next to impossible to bring our nation out of a deep recession and balance our budget at the same time. This budget is a blueprint for generating economic expansion. As our economy begins to grow again, deficits will be reduced over time.

This budget makes a great deal of progress on deficit spending, cutting the record budget deficit inherited from the last administration in half over the next five years. The budget also reaffirms the commitment of this Congress to the PAYGO rules, which require that new spending and tax cuts be offset by cuts in spending or new revenue so new measures do not increase our deficit and our national debt. The budget also ends the use of accounting tricks to hide costs of certain spending. For example, for the first time the budget includes both a full-year estimate for the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the budget year as well as estimates for future costs.

The quickest way to restore balanced budgets is to increase growth, and at a time when our economy is simply not functioning this plan has the investments and incentives to make that growth happen. This budget includes substantial middle class tax cuts, and makes critical investments in education, health care reform, and energy independence that are necessary to revive the economy and ensure that our nation leads the globe in next generation technologies.

In Michigan and Oakland County, this means investments in programs like MEP, which helps small manufacturers retool and retrain as they implement the next generation of manufacturing practices and green technologies. It also means investments in new advanced vehicle technologies, which will help ensure that the next generation of green vehicles are designed and built in Michigan, not overseas.

Madam Chair, I was elected to office along with President Obama because voters were demanding change. This budget delivers on the promises we made to voters last fall, by restoring fiscal discipline, delivering middle class tax cuts, making critical investments in our future, and laying the groundwork for future reforms. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this blueprint for job creation and robust economic growth in America.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1586, legislation that I helped craft that will reclaim outrageous bonuses paid with our taxpayer dollars that were given out to AIG and other companies that received billions in TARP funds. Million-dollar bonuses to the very people who drove our economy to the brink of collapse is simply unacceptable.

When reports of AIG bonuses broke this week, many said there was nothing that we could do because AIG was contractually obligated to pay the rewards. I rejected that notion. Auto industry workers are renegotiating their contracts and making sacrifices as a condition of receiving Federal support.

If financial executives had thought that they should be held to a different standard, today they know that we mean business.

I am grateful to my colleagues who worked with me to quickly develop a plan to put a stop to these outrageous bonuses.

I would like to thank Chairman Rangel, Congressman Israel, and Congresswoman Maloney for working with me to help write this bill, which turned the outrage of the American people into action for the American taxpayer.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1262, the ``Water Quality Investment Act of 2009.''

The integrity of our water infrastructure and fresh water drinking sources is critical to our environment, our health and our economy. Many older systems around the Great Lakes have combined sewer systems, which utilize the same pipes to collect rain water, sewage, and domestic and industrial waste. In periods of heavy rain or snow, these systems can overflow and allow raw sewage to be released into our rivers, streets, and homes. As many as 850 billion gallons of this waste is discharged into rivers and streams each year because of combined sewer system overflows.

While the problems of combined sewer systems are clear, the upfront cost of replacing entire sewer systems is beyond the reach of many municipalities. Communities that have the largest problems are often also the oldest communities. They may be struggling with declining populations, falling tax revenues, poverty, and crime. Yet if their infrastructure fails, the pollution moves downstream to the next community.

Because our water infrastructure exists out of sight and beneath our feet, the need for investment is not as obvious as with a crumbling bridge or pothole ridden road. As long as the water comes on when the knob is turned, it is easy to believe that our water infrastructure system is working fine. However, this is often far from the truth.

I am fortunate enough to represent a district that has been able to make the investments necessary to address our largest water quality problems. Because my district is the headwaters of the five major watersheds in Southeast Michigan, the communities surrounding my district have also benefited. It is important to remember that water does not stop at political boundaries; problems left untreated flow downstream and impact our neighbors.

The public works professionals in southeast Michigan have done a tremendous job to curb water pollution in the area and continue to make major strides in cleaning our waterways. Lead by the efforts of John McCulloch, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, Oakland County has eliminated all of their untreated CSO and continues to aggressively attack our SSO and storm water control challenges.

Great progress has been made in Oakland County, but it was not made in a vacuum. The federal Government has been a full partner in this process, contributing over $300 million in grant funds in Southeast Michigan to water quality control projects over the past 15 years. That federal investment has lead to over $1 billion dollars in the Rouge Watershed alone, and the water quality of the Rouge River, the Clinton River and the Huron River has improved dramatically because the federal government has been at the table.

Despite all the progress that has been made in my district, there is still more work to be done. That is why it is crucial that we continue to make a strong federal investment in our water infrastructure. H.R. 1262 includes investments in water quality restoration, CSO control, SSO control, and infrastructure repair and I urge my colleagues to support its passage here today.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to honor New Mount Moriah International Church for 20 years of service to the greater Pontiac community. New Mount Moriah International Church was organized on April 9, 1989 by Pastor Richard Leaks, Jr. in Pontiac Michigan and on April 16, 1989 held its first service at the Bowen Center in Pontiac, with forty-nine faithful chartering members.

On April 7, 1990, the membership unanimously elected Bishop William H. Murphy, Jr. as pastor. Under his capable leadership, New Mount Moriah International Church has flourished and is now home to over fifteen hundred active members and is still growing. New Mount Moriah International Church now consists of three locations; their charter location in Pontiac a beautiful facility at 313 East Walton Boulevard, one in Detroit, and a third newest location in Mt. Clemens.

Madam Speaker, the positive impact of the New Mount Moriah faith community can be seen across the greater Pontiac area in more ways than we can count, and we can expect many more years of success from this wonderful institution.

I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Today we are considering some important legislation that is going to provide borrowers, lenders and the government with a number of very important tools to address the housing and foreclosure crisis in this country. Much of the focus of this debate has been on the bankruptcy reform portion, which is also the focus of the amendment on the floor right now.

Under current law, those filing for bankruptcy must receive counseling services from an improved credit counseling agency during the 180-day period before the bankruptcy filing. H.R. 1106 eliminates the counseling requirement for those who have already received a foreclosure notice because of a concern that the requirement would be a procedural burden for those who file for bankruptcy quickly in order to save their homes.

The Peters' amendment would preserve the requirement for credit counseling but would allow those who have received a foreclosure notice to file for bankruptcy so long as they obtained the required credit counseling within 30 days after the bankruptcy filing.

This will ensure that everyone who enters the bankruptcy process will continue to receive this very important service, but it also makes clear that no one will lose their home because they could not get access to counseling on time.

Credit counseling is an incredibly important service. In some cases the independent credit counselors can review a debtor's finances and recommend options other than bankruptcy that may be appropriate. It should always be our goal to keep people out of bankruptcy whenever possible.

In every case, however, credit counselors can provide important tools for budgeting that will help the debtor adjust to living under the kinds of financial restrictions that bankruptcy requires.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) for 1 minute.

Mr. Chairman, I do not have any further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a commonsense compromise that ensures that everyone who enters into the bankruptcy process will continue to get important credit counseling services, while at the same time giving those who do not have the time to complete the counseling and are in danger of losing their home the opportunity to do so after they have filed for bankruptcy. The amendment is supported by the Financial Counseling Research Roundtable, which is comprised of the Nation's leading nonprofit organizations providing Americans with bankruptcy, housing, consumer credit, and financial counseling.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Chairman Conyers for working with me on this amendment and for his leadership in helping to put together this package.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the first anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Kosovo. February 17, 2008 brought an important measure of clarity and vision to the future of Kosovo--and indeed the entire region--with the resounding declaration by the Kosovar people that Kosovo is an independent republic.

Almost one year to the day, members and supporters of Michigan's Albanian community will gather on February 15 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Rochester Hills, Michigan to commemorate and celebrate the first anniversary of Kosovo's independence. On that day, I will join Dom Anton Kqira and Honorary General Counsel to Albania Ekrem Bardha, and hundreds more to commemorate this historic occasion.

There, we will honor and recognize the determination and perseverance of the Kosovar people, who under the special leadership of President Ibrahim Rugova forged a path for their own future. We will honor and recognize our own community leaders in Michigan, including Dom Kqira and Counsel General Bardha, who tirelessly pressed for official action to address the crisis in Kosovo and we will honor and recognize those leaders of our own country, President William J. Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and General Wesley Clark (Ret.) among others, who took the action in March of 1999 that laid the foundation for Kosovo independence. Finally, we will honor and recognize the countless members of the Albanian Diaspora community who provided shelter, material and moral support to the nearly 800,000 displaced Kosovars during the crisis.

Madam Speaker, as we mark this occasion of the first anniversary of the independence of Kosovo we hold much hope for the future of an independent Kosovo. But, with sober recognition of the work yet ahead, we stand fully committed to meeting every challenge.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for yielding, and for introducing this resolution honoring the distinguished dean of our delegation, Congressman John D. Dingell.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to yield myself such time as I may consume.

General Leave

I also, Mr. Speaker, would like to ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 154.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Here in Washington and across the country, Congressman Dingell is known and respected for his legislative accomplishments. But as a lifelong resident of Southeast Michigan, I know that Mr. Dingell's responsiveness and service to his constituents over 53 years is just as impressive. John Dingell has never lost touch with the people that he serves, and being their voice in Washington has always been his top priority. His service to the residents of his community sets an example for other lawmakers to follow, and certainly sets the bar for me, as a new Member of Congress.

Mr. Dingell's constituents know that he cares more about getting things done for them than he does about getting honors for himself, and that's why I think it's fitting that, as we are honoring him here on the floor today, he is preparing to actively participate in a hearing being held by the Energy and Commerce Committee's Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, making sure that the food that our children and our families consume is safe.

Mr. Dingell is an inspiration for all of us.

I now yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Schauer).

Mr. Speaker, I would now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill).

Mr. Speaker, I now would like to yield 3 minutes to a colleague of mine, the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from the State of California (Ms. Matsui).

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. Speaker, I would yield another 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed my great honor to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California, our Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

Mr. Speaker, before yielding more time I ask unanimous consent to extend the time by 10 minutes, equally split between both sides.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to now yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland and the majority leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Hoyer.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards).

I yield 1 additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).

I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly like to thank Mr. Upton for his comments and for managing the time on his side, and I would also like to thank Mr. Kildee for putting forth this resolution.

Today, we have certainly heard some just incredible testimonials from individuals in this House honoring the incredible work of an incredible public servant and statesman, Mr. Dingell. It certainly is an honor for me to be here and serving with Mr. Dingell, and it is certainly going to be an honor to continue to serve with him in the weeks and years ahead.

So it is with great pride that I move that the House suspend the rules and agree to House Resolution 154.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1. This recovery package supports the development of new advanced vehicle technologies that will lower emissions, improve fuel economy, and create new jobs across the country. This bill includes $2 billion to build new manufacturing facilities for the kinds of advanced vehicle batteries and battery components that will power the next generation of vehicles.

We are facing a global credit crisis, and auto companies around the world are struggling. Foreign governments are taking dramatic steps to help their own auto companies. If we are going to ensure the next generation of green manufacturing jobs are created here in the United States, we have to invest now in these advanced technologies. This bill helps ensure that we do not trade our dependence on foreign oil for a dependence on foreign batteries and other technologies.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is good for Michigan and it is good for America. I urge its passage here today.

Madam Speaker, today the House will consider legislation to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program and provide health insurance coverage for more than 11 million children nationwide.

The current recession makes this legislation particularly important. Children living in low-income families in Michigan rose a staggering 40 percent between 2000 and 2007. Parents are losing their jobs and their health insurance. And kids who do not have health coverage forgo regular checkups and preventive t reatments. They miss more school days, and are less likely to finish high school. And untreated health problems can severely impact a young child's development. SCHIP provides a lifeline for children so that they can be healthy kids who have the opportunity to grow into healthy productive adults.

The SCHIP bill we will consider today is fiscally responsible. It is more cost-effective for taxpayers to provide proper care for our kids rather than footing the bill for unnecessary emergency room visits. Passing this legislation is the right thing to do for our Nation's kids.

I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 12. Decades after the landmark Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act, women in my home State of Michigan still earn an intolerable 70 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

This discrimination must end. Pay equity is not just a women's issue, it is an economic issue. More than ever, working families are relying on two incomes. When a mother is denied fair pay, she is denied the ability to provide for her family, her husband, her children, and the entire family suffers.

My two daughters, Madeleine and Alana, will enter the workforce some day. If I learned that an employer was paying my daughters less than what they deserve, simply because they were female, I would be outraged. And right now our Nation's daughters, our Nation's sisters, our Nation's mothers, are being denied fair treatment and I am outraged, and we all should be as well. This bill creates commonsense measures to ensure fair treatment for women, and I urge its passage here today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 34, the Gaza Conflict Resolution.

Israel has been under attack, and like any sovereign nation it has the right to defend itself. I steadfastly support Israel as it continues to undertake operations to ensure the security of its citizens. Israel is America's friend and ally and I support its pursuit of security and its objective of self defense in the face of continued attacks on its existence. Hamas is a terrorist organization and its actions undermine the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people.

The U.S. must do everything it can to help reach a resolution that begins with an immediate end to Hamas rocket fire on Israel and includes efforts to provide for the humanitarian needs of all civilians. The U.S. should continue to be thoroughly involved in the region in order to ensure Israel's security and help achieve sustained peace.

In support of these goals, I urge passage of this resolution.