Hansen Clarke

Mr. Speaker, after decades of decline, American manufacturing is now on the rebound. The United States created nearly half a million manufacturing jobs between 2010 and 2012. This recovery is critical for cities like my hometown of Detroit and for America's economy as a whole, but sustaining it will require coordinated comprehensive action.

Thankfully, the nation can count on inspired and visionary leadership from both the public and private sectors to sustain the development of advanced manufacturing industries that create high-quality exports and well-paying jobs.

I commend President Obama's commitment to creating a million new manufacturing jobs by 2016 through new investments in technological research and development as well as sensible policies like the elimination of tax deductions for companies that outsource manufacturing overseas. I also commend important private sector voices who are leading the way to America's manufacturing renaissance.

Andrew Liveris, the head of Dow Chemical and author of Make It in America: The Case for Re-Inventing the Economy has argued persuasively for a new national economic strategy that rests on a range of innovative ideas. In particular, he calls for a more coherent and comprehensive approach to national energy policy and greater reliance on alternative energy sources. This is essential because the cost and volatility of traditional energy sources like imported oil are a major drag on the nation's industrial productivity. Mr. Liveris additionally calls for new investments in workers' skills in order to boost the nation's productivity and guarantee world-class living standards. An intellectual leader and prominent figure in American business, Mr. Liveris and his proposals should command respect and attention across the political spectrum.

The Council on Competitiveness--a non-profit non-partisan coalition composed of CEOs, labor leaders, and university presidents--has likewise developed a vital and comprehensive proposal to spur American economic renewal. Their new report, ``A Clarion Call for Competitiveness,'' is a roadmap for Congress and the Administration to boost manufacturing and create well-paying jobs in the decades ahead. Among other recommendations, the Council urges federal leaders to double investments in technological research, increase efforts to commercialize America's scientific discoveries, strengthen apprenticeship programs for advanced manufacturing, speed-up the development of manufacturing ``clusters'' built around leading research centers around the nation, and ensure the quality of America's roads, bridges, and digital connections by authorizing the Export-Import Bank to fund domestic infrastructure projects.

These ideas--which come from both Democrats and Republicans and both private and public sectors--are unique in today's civic debate for a simple reason: they offer hope. I call on Congress to implement these innovative proposals in the 113th Congress for the sake of our workers, our businesses, and our nation's long-term economic future.

Mr. Speaker, today I honor the contributions of Jeannine Campau Palms.

Ms. Palms has dedicated her life to preserving a safe and clean environment for future generations and working towards justice for all people. Among her many accomplishments, the creation of the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow is particularly noteworthy. The Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow is a group of wet meadow ecosystems in Buhr Park, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The meadows preserve habitat for local plants and wildlife, filter stormwater runoff, and serve as an educational site for both children and adults.

The Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow is one example of Ms. Palms' life's work. A life committed to creating sustainable communities, promoting social justice, and preserving our nation's natural resources.

Mr. Speaker, of all the horror this country has had to endure, there's something else that is tragic, and that is too many times someone who is mentally ill can only get treatment once they're arrested and locked up. Treating the mentally ill only when they go to prison, it doesn't make sense. It costs too much money, and many times that treatment comes too late.

I'm asking this House and this Congress this week to protect all of the funding for mental health treatment and substance abuse treatment, protect all of the funds from across-the-board cuts that could occur as a result of the fiscal cliff. I also ask all of us as Americans to finally end the stigma of mental illness and substance abuse so that those who need treatment will no longer feel ashamed to seek it.