Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Yankee Air Museum, a marvelous museum located in the 15th Congressional District, in celebration of its reopening. Originally created in 1981 for the purpose of preserving Willow Run's aviation history, Yankee Air Museum has acquired and restored an original U.S. Army Air Force hangar, as well as a B-24 Privateer. Over the years the Yankee Air Museum has come to serve as a reminder of our country's manufacturing might.

Since obtaining the B-24 in 1987, the Yankee Air Museum has acquired five planes from the World War II era that have since been restored to flying status, including a Douglas C-47, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell, and two Taylorcraft L-2 Liaisons. The museum has also collected various retired aircraft, including a B-52 Stratofortress, in addition to various artifacts, including photographs, books and uniforms that preserve and display the aviation history of the State of Michigan.

Sadly, on October 9, 2004, the Yankee Air Museum suffered a fire that destroyed much of the history that the museum had sought to preserve. Historic artifacts, photos, books, as well as retired aircraft, were lost in the blaze. After 6 years of hard work by the Yankee Air Museum members, the museum is set to reopen on October 9, 2010, with three of their operational aircraft--the B-17, C-47 and B-25--in working condition. The reopening of the Museum will be followed by an Inaugural Gala and a public grand opening celebration.

I am proud of the Yankee Air Museum's many contributions to Michigan's 15th Congressional District and ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Museum on its inspirational reopening Celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2378, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, of which I am also a co-sponsor. For too long, the United States has stood idly by while its trading partners--China, in particular--have manipulated the value of their currencies to gain a competitive advantage. H.R. 2378 will strengthen our country's ability to impose punitive tariffs on currency manipulators and, in so doing, help protect American workers and businesses from this most unfair trade practice.

I wish to thank Congressman Ryan of Ohio for introducing this fine bill. I also commend my good friend and colleague from Michigan, Chairman Sander Levin of the Committee on Ways and Means, for understanding the dire need for this legislation and amending it in such a manner that conforms to the United States' obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization. I hope China will take note of this and adjust its behavior accordingly.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 2378 and further call on the United States Senate to pass this bill with all due haste.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the City of Milan and to commemorate its 125th anniversary, as it gathers to honor this occasion on Sunday, September 26, 2010. In 1885, only 48 years after Michigan became a state, the Village of Milan was chartered by the Michigan State Legislature. Soon after, the first elections were held and the Village of Milan had its first governing Board of Trustees. Milan was a village for over 80 years until November 6, 1967, when voters overwhelmingly approved the charter that established the City of Milan.

The City of Milan brings a rich history to the 15th Congressional District and it offers a unique blend of rural farms and modern industrialization. Milan is located partially in Washtenaw County and partially in Monroe County, surrounded by corn and soybean farms. In 1937, Henry Ford finished his creation of Ford Lake and officially opened a new power house which operated using coal and hydro power. The power house is now the current Milan City Hall, and Ford Lake was officially acquired by Milan in 1949. Even the wonderful park where the 125th anniversary celebration took place was used by Henry Ford to run a coil manufacturing plant and a paint creation facility for the Model

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the March of Dimes Michigan Chapter for their dedicated and tireless service to families across our state. Since its founding in 1939 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the March of Dimes has been devoted to improving the health and wellness of infants and children across the country.

Last year, in my home State of Michigan, the March of Dimes awarded over $1.1 million to local researchers to support research to save babies; awarded more than $255,000 in chapter community grants to local programs that support innovative ways to promote and protect maternal and child health; advocated for funding to maintain the Michigan Birth Defects Registry; worked to expand Michigan's newborn screening panel to include over 40 disorders; among many other achievements.

Volunteers like Michael and Suzy Fezzey, the recipients of this year's ``John Dingell Hero for Babies Award,'' are the reason why the Michigan Chapter of March of Dimes is so successful.

Both Michael and Suzy have gone above and beyond to improve the health and well-being of all children. Together they have worked with Sweet Dreamzzz, to provide sleep education and bedtime needs for at- risk school children, as well as working with Yatooma's Foundation for the Kids to help children and families who have lost one or both of their parents.

Suzy also serves as a board member for The Arc of Oakland County, which works with children and adults with intellectual and development disabilities, while Mike has served as the Michigan State Chapter and Metro Detroit Board Chairs for March of Dimes.

Michael and Suzy serve as role models to those around them, giving of themselves to improve the lives of children and families in their community.

Together I have worked with the March of Dimes to pass the Affordable Care Act, to establish and expand the Children's Health Insurance Program, and to advocate furiously for increased funding for research at the National Institutes of Health that will prevent birth defects, prematurity and infant mortality.

These are just a few reasons why I am proud to be an active member of my local March of Dimes chapter in Michigan, and why I am proud to call them my friends. The staff and volunteers at the Michigan Chapter are loyal advocates to improving this world for the next generation, and for more than four decades, we have worked hand-in-hand to fight for America's children, to ensure that every baby born in this country has a fighting chance.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the March of Dimes Michigan Chapter for their support for lifesaving research and quality family support programs that help ensure Michigan's families can bring their children into this world healthy and happy. I look forward to working with them for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010. I want to commend the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts for his leadership on this legislation.

This legislation should have come before us much sooner but my Republican colleagues across the Capitol decided to do what was politically advantageous for them rather than do what was right for the American people. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to pass this bill today and support the needs of our small businesses, create jobs, and continue our economic recovery. The legislation will provide small business with access to capital, spur investment, and promote entrepreneurship through a number of tax cuts to small business, a new lending initiative with community banks, and enhancements to existing programs that arm states with the tools to assist small businesses with their distinct needs, among other things.

Throughout the two-year recession, we saw banks stop providing credit, and small businesses shedding jobs and closing their doors. Though our economy would undoubtedly be in far worse shape had we not passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, banks are still being overly cautious about lending as our economy recovers. Thus, today we will pass a comprehensive small business job creation measure to allow small businesses to lead this recovery as they have aptly done in the past.

Indeed, the Small Business Lending Fund Act has many provisions to promote job creation for everyday Americans and grow the economy. For example, to provide access to capital, the bill includes a $30 billion lending fund for small and medium size banks to leverage $300 billion in lending, a $1.5 billion state small business credit initiative to assist state capital access programs--a provision I helped write with my colleagues from Michigan, Congressman Gary Peters and Congressman Sander Levin, and a small business tax break that allows 100 percent of the capital gains from certain small business stock to be excluded from taxation. To encourage investment, the bill includes a tax break for small businesses to allow them to write off half of the cost of new equipment placed in service in 2010. And to promote entrepreneurship, the legislation doubles to $10,000 the tax deduction for start-up expenditures for entrepreneurs looking to launch a new venture. I am also particularly pleased that the bill will increase the maximum amount--from $2 million to $5 million--the Small Business Administration will guarantee for floorplan financing loans to auto dealers, which will help these economic pillars of our communities recover and put Americans back to work.

Madam Speaker, Main Street Americans have had to wait for too long for this important bill. I am pleased to support it and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2039, the Congressional Made in American Promise Act. I commend Representative Marcy Kaptur for her leadership on this issue and working to get the bill passed.

Today, we are considering legislation that will help improve the Buy American Act, which requires the United States government to purchase goods produced and manufactured in the United States, when it is in the best interest of the United States to do so. Specifically, H.R. 2039 would amend the Buy American Act so that ``Buy American'' statutory requirements are applied to articles, materials and supplies used by Congressional offices. Further, the Made in America Promise Act requires that any article containing the Congressional seal be purchased from American vendors, without exception.

Mr. Speaker, this Act is an important part of the Democratic plan to assist Main Street Americans--hard-working, talented, dedicated workers. Citizens of Michigan's 15th Congressional District, unfortunately, have long been victims of outsourcing and unfair trade agreements, even before the Great Recession began. They have seen their jobs shipped overseas in large part because of corporate tax breaks encouraging outsourcing and trade policies that lower labor standards and do nothing to open up new markets for U.S. goods.

This legislation is part of an ongoing effort to save and create American jobs and continue our country on the path to economic recovery. What we have here is a choice between protecting the wealth of some versus creating opportunity for all. I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for opportunity.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2039.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5366, the Overseas Contracting Reform Act, which provides an important and necessary recourse for our government when

contractors violate federal law. Specifically, the legislation requires the automatic proposal for debarment of any contractor found to be in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FCPA, which prohibits American companies and individuals from unlawfully influencing foreign officials.

I commend the sponsor of this legislation, Representative Peter Welch of Vermont, for his work on this matter. Since the brutal shooting incident at Baghdad's Nisour Square in which guards employed by the private security contractor Blackwater Worldwide, now Xe Services, allegedly shot and killed 17 innocent and unarmed Iraqi civilians, I have worked to bring such contractors within the purview of U.S. law and to hold them accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, even after the Blackwater shooting gained considerable public attention, reports indicated that not only did contractors remain a significant part of the U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they also continued to serve in inappropriate roles such as conducting interrogations of suspected terrorists. All the while, the laws which govern them remain vague.

As many of my colleagues and I have noted for several years, there is an egregious lack of both accountability and transparency for such firms and their employees. Although the Federal Acquisition Regulation, FAR, enables government officials to initiate suspension and debarment proceedings where the contractor has committed an offense ``that seriously and directly affects the present responsibility of a government contractor or subcontractor,'' among other things, no official used this authority to initiate such proceedings with Blackwater. Moreover, as a recent Senate Armed Services Committee investigation underscores, Blackwater was able to secure new contracts by creating several dozen subsidiaries for the sole purpose of concealing its parent companies' identity. Contracting officers claim they weren't even aware that they were awarding contracts to a company under Blackwater's control.

It is clear that the existence of authority to debar under the FAR is, in itself, insufficient to trigger debarment proceedings, perhaps because agency officials are unwilling to initiate debarment proceedings even when just cause is shown. That is why H.R. 5366 is an important piece of legislation. It will provide that companies automatically be proposed for debarment if they are found to be in violation of the FCPA. The Department of Justice is investigating whether Blackwater employees bribed Iraqi officials to allow them to continue doing business in Iraq, an obvious violation of the FCPA. Under H.R. 5366, if Blackwater is found guilty, the firm will automatically be proposed for debarment.

Mr. Speaker, all loopholes for private security contractors working overseas should have been closed long ago. Contractors and their employees must be held accountable for their actions overseas, especially during war time. This is not just important for the America's reputation for upholding justice and the rule of law, but for the safety and security of our troops and civilians serving overseas. Failing to do so undermines American national security interests. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 5366.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1375, a resolution celebrating the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and honoring the contributions and achievements of women in U.S. politics and reaffirming the commitment of the House of Representatives on its efforts to pursue policies that achieve true political and social equality for women.

As a strong supporter of equal rights, I am pleased to support this resolution commemorating the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which extends suffrage to women. The ratification came 144 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence thanks to support from President Woodrow Wilson, the 66th Congress, and most importantly women's rights pioneers, who fought for women's suffrage for many decades.

As a husband, father of two daughters, and grandfather to granddaughters, I am pleased to live in a country that values the founding principle of equality. The passage of this resolution can also serve as a reminder that discrimination and inequality still exist and that we can always strive for a more perfect union. I urge the passage of H. Res. 1375.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this much needed legislation.

The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act will provide necessary, temporary relief for the States at a time when officials must make tough budget decisions. Governors across the country face declining revenues at the same time the economic downturn has left more of their citizens looking for help. My colleagues across the aisle will use their best political spin to characterize this legislation as fiscally unsound. They have stated that this is just another bailout for special interest groups. My friends, this couldn't be further from the truth. I don't know when our school children became a special interest group. The reality is many Republicans would rather avoid making tough decisions, cross their fingers and hope just saying ``no'' helps their election prospects in November.

I am proud that my colleagues and I prefer to provide real leadership and make the tough, necessary choices to put this country back on a sound fiscal track and address the pressing needs of our people. So, while my Republican colleagues spin, let me state the facts. This bill will:

Help to save or create 319,000 jobs, of which 161,000 are teacher jobs and 158,000 are for police officers and firefighters as a result of the Medicaid fund increase;

Provide an estimated $600 million to my home state of Michigan, saving the jobs of 4,700 teachers in Michigan, and 242 teachers in the 15th District;

Provide $16 billion for State Medicaid programs. This means an estimated $380 million in additional Medicaid funding to Michigan to avert drastic cuts in their Medicaid program; and

Further protect jobs here at home, by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship jobs overseas.

The bill before us is fiscally sound; it is totally paid for and decreases the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years. These facts cannot be disputed.

The threat of teacher and public service layoffs, and medical benefit cuts are not partisan issues. Our dire economic situation facing the States and our people affect both Democrats and Republicans alike.

Again Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues, including my Republican colleagues--many of whom have decided to gamble with the lives of our children and paychecks of public servants by playing politics with this bill--to support this common sense legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Richard Burney, who will be retiring from the University of Michigan after 25 years of distinguished teaching. Dr. Burney has provided exemplary service to the citizens of the State of Michigan through his tireless dedication both to treating acutely injured patients and to training physicians in trauma care

through the direction of Advanced Trauma Life Support, ATLS, education at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Burney's service to the citizens of the State of Michigan in the development of emergency and trauma care has spanned the past three decades. Since May 1982, Richard has provided ATLS in the State of Michigan and has directed over 133 ATLS courses instructing thousands of Michigan physicians in the principles and practice of caring for the acutely injured patient. Richard's efforts earned him recognition from the American College of Surgeons, ACS, as State and Regional ATLS faculty in 1988.

As a member and subsequent chairman of the Michigan ACS Committee on Trauma between 1988 and 1994, Dr. Burney provided leadership in shaping improved quality and access to care initiatives for acutely injured patients in the State of Michigan. During his tenure on the National ACS Committee on Trauma between 1994 and 2004, Dr. Burney participated in the development of the National Trauma Data Bank, which created the largest repository of data on the injured patient and enabled objective comparative research in Trauma.

Dr. Burney has authored 95 articles and book chapters regarding the care of the injured patient and has served on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Trauma and The Annals of Emergency Medicine for 14 years each. Between 1985 and 2009, Dr. Burney served as chief of the Division of Emergency Services, medical director of the Survival Flight team, and executive committee of the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan.

With accidental injury remaining the cause of the largest number of years of productive life lost in the United States, Dr. Burney's remarkable contribution to the expert treatment of acutely injured patients has saved countless lives. As a preeminent physician and professor, Dr. Burney has shared his knowledge selflessly and has worked to advance a crucial medical field. Please join me in celebrating Dr. Burney's achievements and in recognizing his legacy of excellence, which will continue to touch patients and students of medicine alike for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5827, the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2010. This legislation will ensure that individuals' Second Amendment rights are secure when they enter into bankruptcy.

In these challenging economic times, I have heard from families in Michigan's 15th Congressional District concerned they will lose their ability to protect themselves and their families should they enter into bankruptcy. As the Supreme Court recently ruled in Heller vs. the District of Columbia and confirmed in McDonald vs. Chicago, the Second Amendment affords individuals across the nation the right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self defense. Hardworking Americans who have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn should not fear that they will be stripped of those rights because they are trying to turn their lives around through bankruptcy proceedings.

Most States, including Michigan, do not protect gun owners in bankruptcy because firearms are not listed among the ``household goods'' exempt from the claims of creditors. In 2005, amendments to the bankruptcy code made it even more unlikely firearms would be considered a ``household good.'' However, H.R. 5827 changes that. Specifically, it permits firearms--rifles, pistols and shotguns, up to an aggregate value of $3,000--held primarily for the personal, family or household use of the debtor to be exempt from the claims of creditors under federal exemption law.

Enacting H.R. 5827 will allow the citizens of Michigan and across the United States the ease of knowing they can protect themselves and their families in good times and bad. This is an important bill and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for it.

Madam Speaker, I rise to draw my colleagues' attention to recent positive developments in the domestic automobile industry. Two-and-a-half years ago, at the onset of the current recession, such good news would have seemed improbable, yet thanks to constructive engagement by the best workers in the world, reinvigorated management, attractive product design, and, in the case of Chrysler and General Motors, timely and thoughtful intervention by the federal government, the United States' automakers are back on track to become industry leaders.

Such leadership is already manifest in three measurable areas. First, after consistent losses for the past 5 years and record low levers of U.S. aggregate demand for the sale of light vehicles, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors have all reported positive operating earnings and cash flow for the first quarter of 2010. Second, according to the 2009 Harbour Report, all three major U.S. automakers now match or exceed Toyota North America's labor productivity levels in major manufacturing operations in North America. Third and finally, according to the most recent JD Power Initial Quality Survey, the Ford Motor Company is now the highest quality mass production automaker based on consumer rankings, beating out Honda, Toyota, and Nissan.

Indeed, these accomplishments merit praise and confirm the wisdom of the Federal Government's role in nursing the domestic auto industry, whether through loans or tax credits, back to health. This in mind, however, we in Congress and the Administration must continue working together to protect the nascent recovery of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors and the millions of American jobs they support. We must direct Federal support toward the manufacturing sector to rebuild our dwindling supply base. Further, we must enact initiatives to improve the flow of private credit to consumers, suppliers, and automakers alike, so that they can grow and put more Americans back to work. We must also stridently oppose lop-sided trade agreements and unfair foreign trade practices that put our domestic industries at a competitive disadvantage. Finally, we must ensure our automakers and suppliers have the requisite support to meet future technical challenges, for which foreign companies will surely receive state- financed aid.

I urge my colleagues to join with me in congratulating the domestic automobile industry for its most recent achievements, wish it continued success, and help it compete in the future by creating a level playing field with our trade partners.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4692, the National Manufacturing Strategy Act of 2010, of which I am an original co-sponsor. I wish to commend my friend, Congressman Lipinski of Illinois for his fine work in authoring this important piece of legislation.

In light of the pressing need to create and maintain good-paying jobs in this country, it is imperative we pass H.R. 4692. This bill will mandate that the President develop a national manufacturing strategy and update it every four years. It is crucial that the federal government support domestic manufacturing, which has been a traditional driver of middle-class growth. I am particularly glad that H.R. 4692 includes a requirement that the President consult with organized labor in appointing members to the advisory group that will help him draft the strategy.

Further, I view this legislation as part and parcel to the federal government's ongoing efforts to create much-needed jobs and adapt the country's economy to the future. I am quite gratified to see that H.R. 4692 rightly directs that the manufacturing strategy it mandates include an examination of the detrimental effect of unfair trade practices on domestic manufacturing. I firmly believe the federal government must do all it can to ensure our trading partners play by the rules in order to foster sustainable employment growth at home.

In conclusion, I note this bill comes at a time when my home state of Michigan continues to endure record unemployment levels, largely due to the hemorrhaging of manufacturing jobs caused by a decade of unfair trade policies. I believe H.R. 4692 will serve to right past failed policies and, as such, I very passionately support its expedited consideration and adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5156, the Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act.

I commend my good friend from Illinois for the outstanding work he did in leading the subcommittee and moving this and the other legislation forward

today, and I also commend my colleagues, Ms. Matsui and Ms. Eshoo, as well as Mr. Rush, for their original cosponsorship, of which I am also proud to be one.

This bill will build up domestic manufacturing by promoting exports and clean energy technologies and will help the United States develop an early competitive advantage in this area. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially my good Republican friends, to join us in moving this legislation forward.

Now, we hear some objections to the bill's costs. It's time they be reminded that this is not an appropriation but an authorization. Moreover, should the funds be appropriated, H.R. 5156 will more than pay for itself through the growth in tax receipts from increased corporate revenue. The Department of Commerce estimates that every dollar invested in export promotion generates $56 worth of exports.

I urge my colleagues again to join me in moving this forward.

Thus in a corporate tax rate of 35 percent, additional revenues of only $40 million a year would have to be generated to cover the bill's annual $15 million authorization. This is more than double that which is based on the Department of Commerce's export promotion cost benefit analysis.

Mr. Speaker, if my Republican and Democratic colleagues are truly concerned about promoting job growth and improving the economy, they should vote in favor of this eminently sensible bill.

I've been a little distressed to hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle making a fuss about the fact that they don't like things like cap-and-trade and other matters. That bill is not before us, and most of the other questions are not before us. I would remind my colleagues here that we are discussing increasing job opportunities at home by exporting things which are valuable and which help the world and which help the United States. I would remind my colleagues that they are better served to light a little candle rather than to sit there quietly and to curse the darkness.

When this administration came in, I would remind my colleagues that the previous administration had left us two wars, a depression, and a deficit of $1.3 trillion. We are still trying to dig out of the mess which was left us by our Republican colleagues, and I would urge them to cooperate with us and to focus on the important things about creating jobs and getting opportunity and economic activity going forward. To continue the kind of self-defeating program that my Republicans seem to be sponsoring on the other side of the aisle----

I would urge my colleagues on the other side to join us. Let us move forward towards jobs; let us move forward towards economic development and activity; let us move forward towards cooperation on important matters, like seeing to it that the economy gets moving and Americans are going back to work.

Let's not sit around here whining and complaining about situations about which we have nobody at this particular minute at this particular time to address it. But we are addressing three pieces of legislation that are going to make economic prosperity a greater reality and a more real object of our attentions.

I urge my Republican colleagues to cease this nitpicking on the floor and this nattering, which I'm hearing coming from the other side, and work with us to put Americans back to work. And let us understand that the people have spoken in the last election, and they spoke for jobs and change. We are trying to give it to them, and we invite our Republican colleagues to give us a little bit of that cooperation that will enable us to move more easily forward.

I thank my colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 1875, the End the Trade Deficit Act. I wish to commend my colleague, Congressman DeFazio of Oregon for his fine work on this bill.

At a time of nascent national economic recovery, we have the opportunity to right the policy failures of the past. This is particularly important with respect to trade. I have long criticized the NAFTA trade agreement model for its detrimental effect on this country's manufacturing base. Indeed, with the implementation of NAFTA and CAFTA, we have witnessed the off-shoring of millions of good-paying American jobs.

In light of this, H.R. 1875 will direct establishment of a commission to develop a trade policy plan that will eliminate the U.S. merchandise trade deficit and develop a competitive trade policy for the 21st century. I am particularly pleased that this report, which will include recommendations for administrative and legislative actions to reduce this deficit, must be submitted to the Congress and the President prior to the President's submitting any free trade agreement to the House and Senate for approval.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1875 will substitute measured concern in place of rash trade policy. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and in so doing, help this country achieve sustainable economic recovery.