Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise on this particular occasion to thank my family, my friends, my colleagues, and the voters of the Sixth Congressional District of Massachusetts for giving me the unbelievably wonderful opportunity to represent that district here in this venerable body, the House of Representatives.

I have been privileged to witness history and to participate in its making. My focus has always been on social justice and opportunity for all. I know that we have worked assiduously to try to make that happen every day that I have served here.

I am also appreciative of the fantastic staff who have worked with me over the years, who have done so much to make sure that the work we did reflected those values, and worked every day to make sure the constituents of the Sixth District were well served.

I also want to say that the delegation from Massachusetts deserves particular recognition on that. I am always appreciative of their support. And having served with the unbelievable legend, Senator Edward Kennedy, for years was a particular privilege.

Madam Speaker, from making college more affordable and accessible to making sure that people had the opportunity in the workforce to get the skills they needed to perform and have a job that paid them well enough to support their family, to making sure we had oversight in foreign affairs and to making sure when people are contracting on contingent operations that they take care not to have waste, fraud, and abuse in the work that is done; from watching the taxpayers' dollars to making sure that people in this country got a fair shake and that somebody stood up not just for the banks and not just for the large corporations but for every single family in this country, making sure that their government worked for them, I have been proved, I have been honored, I have been privileged, and I thank, again, my constituents, my family, my friends, and all of my colleagues here in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am, in its present form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It won't kill the bill, and it will not send it back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, there are 5 legislative days remaining until this House recesses for the August district work period. It is unacceptable that the House would recess without taking meaningful action on one of the most important issues confronting students and parents and middle class families in my district in Massachusetts and all throughout the country--student loan debt.

Throughout this week, I have offered amendments and motions that provide student loan borrowers the opportunity to refinance their existing high-interest loans to a lower rate, much like homeowners and businesses are often able to do. It would help them save thousands of dollars over the life of their loans. It would serve as an economic stimulus, as the savings generated from the refinanced loans would increase students' discretionary funds that would likely be reinvested and spent at local businesses, and it would help reduce the deficit.

It would also enable tens of millions of Americans to pursue their goals and move forward with their lives. I continue to hear from those whom I represent who share their personal stories. They tell me what a priority student loan refinancing is for them and their families.

A young woman from Reading, Massachusetts, emailed me this morning, and she said:

My husband and I, already struggling to make ends meet,

scraped together enough money to make my loans current, but

the payments are almost too much to bear. With the cost of

living steadily rising and our incomes staying flat, it is

becoming more and more difficult to provide for our family

let alone pay back these loans at exorbitant rates. Being

able to refinance them would be a godsend to myself and my

family.

Another woman from Danvers, Massachusetts, emailed me today as well, and she said:

I am not looking for a magic solution to make my loans just

disappear. It was my decision to take them out, and it is my

responsibility to repay them, but lowering my interest rates

would lower my monthly payments. I could breathe a little

easier whenever my 9-year-old car makes a funny noise in

knowing there is a little bit of cushion in my bank account

for a mechanic. I could get my wisdom teeth out and still be

able to afford to eat. I could finally start to think that

maybe having a child just might be possible for me after all.

Mr. Speaker, these women are our customers, and this House should be in the business of serving their interests. Unfortunately, our Republican colleagues have denied or defeated all of our efforts to allow for student loan refinancing.

Mr. Speaker, we are not deterred, and we won't give up. We are here again today, fighting for students and their families. The motion I am offering today simply requires that students know what they would owe if they were permitted to refinance their loans just like consumers can do who refinance their mortgages right now.

Let's be clear. Voting against this motion is a vote to hide from students the significant benefits that refinancing would afford. Let's give them the information and allow them to decide for themselves if they, like the women I mentioned from Reading and Danvers, support student loan refinancing. I believe they do, Mr. Speaker, and I believe, if this were brought to the floor of the House, that we would have a majority in favor. I urge support for the motion.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I did file an amendment to this bill that would be considered today. Quite simply, what it does is provide existing student loan borrowers the opportunity to responsibly refinance their high-interest debt to a lower-interest obligation, like homeowners and car owners are able to do all the time.

The amendment is based on legislation that I filed here in the House and my colleague, Elizabeth Warren, filed over in the Senate. We have over 130 cosponsors here in the House and dozens of respected educational groups and diverse organizations in support of this measure.

The amendment would help students and parents save some real money. In fact, the Congressional Research Service says that a middle class undergraduate student with an average loan debt would save over $4,000 over the life of the loan and a typical graduate student would save more than $2,500 and the parent who borrowed money to help pay for their child's education would save more than $3,500.

Mr. Speaker, these are real savings, real dollars, and no doubt, they are going to be directly invested back into the community. The Center for American Progress estimated that refinancing just the Federal student loans, not the parents' loans on that, would pump $21 billion back into the economy.

It helps taxpayers too. The Congressional Budget Office--nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office--said that, over 10 years, it would save taxpayers $22 billion.

So the proposal is a good deal for taxpayers, it is a good deal for students and parents, and it is a good deal for the economy. The real question here is: Why isn't there an urgency to move this legislation? Because the benefits to the economy are huge and the savings for taxpayers are real--despite all this, the Republican leadership blocked this amendment from coming to the floor for consideration today.

By blocking that amendment, the Republican leadership has denied every Member in this Chamber the ability to vote on this important measure and show that they are standing with the people--with the students, with the parents, with the economy at large for people who want to take benefit of this legislation.

Worse, by blocking this amendment, the Republican leadership denies relief to tens of millions of college students and parents and middle class families across the country who would benefit from the provisions of the bill that we would offer.

Mr. Speaker, that is unacceptable, but unfortunately, it is becoming more and more common in the House here, as it looks like Republicans refuse to stand with middle class families and those that aspire to the middle class, instead of putting politics before everything.

Instead of debating my amendment and the provisions of it that would help

middle class families, Republicans are finding some way to sue the President of the United States.

If you were to take that measure and ask the public: Would you rather have some relief and allow people to be able to write down and refinance their loans to a more reasonable interest rate as parents, as undergraduate students, graduate students, and parents of students-- would you rather do that, or would you rather pursue some suit against the President which doesn't make any sense and isn't going to have any effect and doesn't work to get them real relief in things that matter to them in their lifetime today?

We are not doing what we should be doing this afternoon, Mr. Speaker. We should be putting politics aside. We should be allowing this amendment. We should rely on every Member of this House to vote on it.

I believe that we would get a strong bipartisan vote of support if we did that. I ask my colleagues to not vote on the previous question, to allow us to insert this amendment, and move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, in its current form, I am.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, student loan debt is at a crisis level in this country. Outstanding student loans now total more than $1.2 trillion, surpassing total credit card debt, and every year, students are taking on more. An estimated 71 percent of college seniors had debt in 2012, with an average outstanding balance of $29,400 for those who borrowed to get a bachelor's degree.

My constituents--and I am sure the constituents of my colleagues--are calling, emailing, posting on Facebook, and even approaching me on the street to share their stories about how they have been buried in student loan debt.

This debt is causing them to put on hold other life decisions, such as whether or not they can move out of their parents' home, whether or not they can buy a car, purchase their own home, get married, or even consider starting a family.

A young woman from Boxford, Massachusetts, wrote to me and said, ``I pay more than the minimum balance every month. I sacrifice daily for my loans. I live at home, have a 50-minute commute to work every day because I cannot afford to live on my own or even with roommates . . . I cannot have the dreams that I have dreamed of all my life. I'm 23, and I'm already telling myself that I can't own a house, that I will probably never have children because I can't afford to bring them into the world and take care of them when I can't even afford to live myself . . . That's what I live with every day. The anger, depression, and disbelief that I am forever stuck.''

Parents are calling and writing to me about the anxiety and concern they have about the debt their sons and daughters have accumulated. Some parents have even delayed their own retirement or made early withdrawals from their 401(k) to help with their children's student loan debt.

A mother from Middleton, Massachusetts, wrote to me and said, ``I have two children with multiple student loans. It is difficult enough to graduate, find a job in the field they desire, and to pay loans, rent, bills, et cetera. Please do all you can to make sure rates are not increased. My children may never afford to buy a house and live the American Dream because of college student loan debt.''

Mr. Speaker, those are just two examples from my district. I am sure there are untold others throughout this country. Millions are suffering this particular situation all across the Nation. We need to start listening to them. We need to start taking action on their behalf.

This motion is a modified version of the legislation that I filed in the House with Congressman George Miller. It has over 130 cosponsors and the support of dozens of respected organizations. Senator Elizabeth Warren filed its counterpart in the Senate.

This motion is the functional equivalent of allowing for the responsible refinancing of student loans. We allow homeowners and car owners to refinance their loans to a lower interest rate.

Student loan borrowers should be able to do the same with their high interest loans--converting them into lower interest loans. Particularly right now, when interest rates are so low, they should be able to take advantage of that fact.

When you get right down to it, Mr. Speaker, the real question is: Whose side are we on? Are we on the side of the young woman from Boxford and the others of her generation who feel ``forever stuck''? Are we on the side of the mother from Middleton and the millions of Americans just like her who are concerned about their children's future?

Let's support this motion and show them we are on their side. Let's support this motion and show the tens of millions of students, graduates, parents, and middle class families, who would be able to refinance their loans at a lower interest rate and get their life started, that we are on their side.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to stand up and be counted. I ask Members to support this motion, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.

As my colleagues know, the Workforce Investment Act is the primary Federal law that governs the Nation's job training and workforce development system. Through this system, people of different ages and abilities can enter one of the career centers scattered throughout the country and obtain career counseling, skills assessments and training, all in the service of finding employment and providing a better future for themselves and their families.

Quite simply, the Workforce Investment Act is the Federal law that does two big things: one, it helps people acquire the skills, education, and training they need to get a job; and two, it ensures businesses can hire qualified personnel so they can grow and our economy can thrive. That is what it is all about.

Today, with consideration of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, we appear to have reached the culmination of what has been a long process to extend and improve the Workforce Investment Act. So today I am pleased to join with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, 100- plus diverse stakeholder organizations, and 95 Members of the United States Senate in voicing my strong support for the bipartisan, bicameral Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

I also note that it includes many components of legislation that I have filed for the last 2 years, or two terms in Congress, H.R. 798 being this session's iteration. Both this bill and mine maintain the core structure of the WIA One-Stop System for the delivery of employment and training services. Both increase coordination and alignment of workforce development programs. Both eliminate the ``sequence of services'' requirement that currently prevents workers from receiving training until they receive other unnecessary services. Both preserve the integrity of the three State formula grant programs for youth, adults, and dislocated workers. Both maintain the current business majority requirement and specify that a minimum of 20 percent of the board be represented by the workforce. Both include nearly identical performance accountability measures, and both preserve and protect the adult literacy program in title II. Both maintain the current vocational rehabilitation administrative structure and delivery system and emphasize increasing the involvement of employers in the vocational rehab system. And the list goes on.

Madam Speaker, modernizing and strengthening the Workforce Investment Act has been one of my top priorities since being elected to Congress, and I am pleased that we are just about at the finish line and that the bill before us today includes much of what I have proposed and advocated.

Before reserving my time, I want to say this bill is likely to be the biggest jobs bill that passes the House and gets signed into law this session, but it is evidence also of what is achievable if we work together. I have long said that when it comes to the Workforce Investment Act, our areas of agreement far outnumber our areas of disagreement and that our differences were surmountable. Well, we finally got there.

I want to thank Chairman Harkin, Senator Murray and Senator Alexander, Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller, Representative Foxx and Representative Hinojosa, and all the staff who were involved for their unwavering commitment to getting this done. This is good bipartisan bill. It deserves the support of the House so it can be cleared and be signed into law by President Obama.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Ruben Hinojosa, who has been deeply involved in the passage of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, Steny Hoyer, our Democratic whip.

I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), who is the ranking member of the committee and, as the chairman of the committee has said, is no stranger to this issue. He has been a champion of the Workforce Investment Act and its improvement all along.

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

At this time, I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado, Jared Polis.

Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 1 minute to our colleague from Oregon, Suzanne Bonamici.

Madam Speaker, at this point, I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Connecticut, Joe Courtney, who has been a strong member of the committee and an advocate of workforce investment for some time.

Madam Speaker, at this point in time, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) to engage in a colloquy.

Will the gentleman yield?

As I understand section 225, the definitions that you mentioned are as you stated.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Loebsack).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

(Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Stanley Cahill for his 28 years of service at Salem State University, in Salem, Massachusetts, and to congratulate him on his retirement.

Since 1986, Dr. Cahill has served the students and broader community at Salem State University. He joined the university as the Dean of Student Life where he created the university's first professional student affairs program and laid the foundation for the program that exists today.

Most recently, Dr. Cahill served as the University's Executive Vice President. In this role, he led the university's enterprise risk management program and coordinated the majority of university contracts and memoranda of understanding between the university and other agencies with which the university collaborates.

It is not surprising that after nearly three decades with the university, Dr. Cahill has become well known to many in the Salem community. He has fostered relationships with local officials and university neighbors and strengthened the partnership between the university and the City of Salem.

Dr. Cahill served Salem State University at a time of dynamic growth and increased diversity, and he had a decidedly positive influence on the institution's growth and enhanced reputation. On a personal note, and as one who is a Salem State alumnus and former trustee, I add my appreciation for all that Dr. Cahill has done for the university and the surrounding communities.

Dr. Cahill has had a remarkable career in higher education that has spanned more than 40 years and four universities and colleges. I congratulate Stan on this achievement and wish him all the best in his retirement.

I thank my colleague for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge the House to act on responsible legislation that I have introduced that would help tens of millions of college students, graduates, parents, and middle class families all across the country refinance their existing loans to the same low rate offered to new borrowers in the student loan program.

As the President said earlier this week when he voiced support for this bill, this should be a no-brainer. Homeowners and small businesses are so often able to refinance their debts, there is no reason at all that students and parents shouldn't be able to do the same.

Refinancing would be a significant financial help to these students and their parents. In fact, a recent analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service showed that a middle class undergraduate student with an average loan debt would save more than $4,000 over the life of that loan. A typical graduate student would save more than $2,500, and a typical parent who borrowed to pay for their child's education would save $3,500 or more.

As my colleagues know, these savings would be invested right back into the economy. Last year, the Center for American Progress estimated that refinancing of just some of these Federal loans would pump $21 billion into the economy.

That is because these people are going to be able to save $40 to $100 a month--thousands over the course of their loan--and they have expenses and necessities for which they have to pay.

Our bill is a good deal for taxpayers. Last week, the Congressional Budget Office scored our bill as generating $72.5 billion in savings over 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, more and more constituents are writing my office, emailing, posting on my Facebook page, and even stopping me on the street to talk about stories about how their children are buried in student loan debt. Two days ago, I received an email from a concerned mother in my district.

This is what she had to say: she and her husband followed the rules and have been able to own their own home and support two children up to adulthood, but she feels that her daughter would not be able to do the same, as she currently owes $60,000 in college loans.

Her interest rates vary from 6.5 percent to 8.5 percent. She is drowning in her own debt, and she is only 24 years of age.

I appreciate that from my colleague.

The reason this mother supports the bill is that she knows it is going to help her daughter pay her loans in a reasonable way, while pursuing other goals this life.

This is really, Mr. Speaker, about whose side are you on. Are we on the side of special interests and allowing them to continue tax favors, while middle class Americans end up lugging around this heavy burden of debt?

I am on the side of that concerned mother and her daughter and others in this country who are concerned about their children's future.

Let's bring this bill to the floor for a vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation that I filed in the House this week and Senator Elizabeth Warren filed in the Senate. It would enable tens of millions of students, parents, and families to responsibly refinance their student loans.

More and more, constituents are calling, they are emailing, and even approaching me on the street to share their stories of how they are buried in student loan debt. This debt is not only causing them to put on hold life decisions, such as moving out of their parents' house or buying a car or purchasing a home and getting married, but it is also leading some to question whether or not they should even enroll in college or to consider dropping out because of the pure shock factor of these looming college loans.

A young woman from Boxford, Massachusetts, wrote recently. She said to me:

I pay more than the minimum balance every month. I

sacrifice daily for my loans. I live at home and have a 50-

minute commute to work every day because I cannot afford to

live on my own or even with roommates. I cannot have the

dreams that I have dreamed all my life. I am 23, and I am

already telling myself that I can't own a house, that I will

probably never have children because I can't afford to bring

them into the world and take care of them when I can't even

afford to live myself. That is what I live with every day,

the anger, the depression, and the disbelief that I am

forever stuck.

Parents are calling and writing me about the anxiety and concern they have about the debt their sons and daughters have accumulated. Some parents have even delayed their retirement or made early withdrawals from their 401(k) just to help their children's student debt problem.

A mother from Middleton, Massachusetts, wrote to me and said:

I have two children with multiple student loans. It is

difficult enough to graduate, find a job in the field they

desire and to pay loans, rent, and bills, et cetera. Please

do all that you can to make sure rates are not increased. My

children may never afford to buy a house and live the

American Dream because of college student loan debt.

Mr. Speaker, these are just two examples in my district. There are millions of others just like them throughout this country.

Outstanding student loans now total more than $1.2 trillion, surpassing total credit card debt. An estimated 71 percent of college seniors had debt in 2012, with an average outstanding debt of $29,400 for those who borrowed to get a bachelor's degree.

Last year, Congress sought to address the issue of student loan rates, but I and several others believed that final bill didn't go far enough. One of the deficiencies was that it only applied to new student debt. It did nothing for the nearly 40 million Americans with existing student debts.

Our bill simply rights this wrong and simply gives students the opportunity to refinance their loan debt at the same low rate being offered to new borrowers in the student loan program. Homeowners and businesses are often able to refinance their debts. Shouldn't student borrowers be able to do the same? We certainly think so.

Our legislation is also deficit-neutral and paid for by implementing the so-called Buffett rule, which holds millionaires and billionaires accountable to pay their fair share in taxes.

Student loan debt is a crisis all throughout our country. It is making a generation of Americans feel like they are ``forever stuck,'' in the words of my constituent.

But if the moral imperative isn't enough to act, we should be mindful of the benefits to the economy as a whole for allowing students to refinance their loans. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service produced an analysis of our bill indicating that certain borrowers could save thousands of dollars. This is a savings that no doubt would be invested back into the economy.

Last year, the Center for American Progress estimated that the refinancing of just Federal student loans would have pumped $21 billion into the economy.

Mr. Speaker, our bill will benefit millions of students and their families, and it will boost our economy. It deserves the immediate action of this House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Christine Sullivan on her retirement and thank her for her dedicated service

to the residents and small businesses in the Sixth District, and throughout Massachusetts.

For the last twelve years, Christine has served as the CEO of the Enterprise Center at Salem State University. Under Christine's leadership, the Enterprise Center has grown to provide numerous opportunities for local small businesses to improve and expand their operations. The Center offers more than 70 annual business skill workshops as well as a variety of specialized development programs including the Million Dollar Women Symposium, the 128 Venture North Breakfast series, and an extensive Mentor Program and the Growth Program.

The Enterprise Center currently works with more than 6,000 small business owners and employees in more than 142 communities throughout the state.

Before joining the Enterprise Center, Christine founded and served as CEO of Hawthorne Associates, a marketing, advertising and public relations firm serving clients in the US and internationally. Christine also served as Massachusetts Secretary of Consumer Affairs, Chief of Staff to former Congressman Michael Harrington, and Chair of the Communications Department at Endicott College.

Christine not only serves her community through her work at the Enterprise Center, she serves as a Director of Beverly Cooperative Bank, the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development, the Salem YMCA, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice, and the Creative Economy Council of Massachusetts.

I congratulate Christine on her successful career and wish her well as she begins her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank Claudia Neidhardt for her 17 years working in my district office and serving the people of the Sixth District of Massachusetts.

Claudia, a longtime resident of Newburyport, began working in my District office just months after I was first elected to Congress in 1997. For nearly two decades she has been the voice constituents have come to trust when they call my office seeking assistance.

Not only has Claudia served as the face of the office, she has assisted hundreds of constituents in applying for admission to military academies, obtaining passports and travel documentation, and navigating the intricacies of any number of government agencies. She has organized dozens of Congressional Art Competitions and stood with young constituents whose artwork has been chosen to hang in the halls of Congress each year.

Claudia's kindness and compassion toward the constituents of the Sixth District as well as her colleagues has truly made her the glue of my district office.

Claudia's commitment to youth is of special note. She has created a positive, welcoming environment for the many young women and men who have worked with us through the years, demonstrating that public service is indeed an honorable profession. When I have the pleasure of running into our former interns, or those who have sought to serve our nation while continuing their education at one of our service academies, they often ask about Claudia and express how much they appreciate her care and personal attention to them.

I wish Claudia all the best as she embarks on a new chapter in her life alongside her husband Fred, their two children, Brian and Meg, and her grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michael Sanger and thank him both for his service to our country in the United States Army and the Massachusetts National Guard, as well as for his dedication to the constituents of the Sixth District of Massachusetts.

Michael joined my office in 2012 as part of the Wounded Warrior Congressional Fellowship Program. This program provides opportunities for veterans who served on active duty since September 11, 2001. Veterans are accepted into the program to broaden their career opportunities through experience working in a congressional office.

Prior to joining my office, Michael served as an infantryman in the United States Army. He served in Iraq for 15 months with the 725th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, and his career in the Army has spanned over ten years.

While Michael fulfilled his Fellowship, he also served as an Explosives Ordnance Technician in the Massachusetts National Guard. It was in this capacity that Michael was called upon by the Boston Police Department and the F.B.I. to assist in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings last year.

Michael put the skills and experience he developed in the Army to use as a Veterans Caseworker for my district office. In this capacity, Michael helped ensure that local veterans were able to obtain the benefits which they earned, and that veterans' inquiries were effectively addressed. Michael has been a true asset in these efforts, bringing key insight and perspective to his work.

As Michael embarks on his next endeavor, I congratulate him on his achievements and thank him for his outstanding service.

Mr. Speaker, 2 months ago today, emergency unemployment benefits expired for over 1 million Americans, including 20,000 veterans, and yet this House still has not taken up legislation to provide these workers and their families necessary relief. That is shameful.

I rise to ask immediate action on my legislation, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, which provides a 3-month extension of benefits. 183 Members of the House--over 90 percent of the Democratic Caucus--have signed on to my bill.

Constituents from across my district and across the country have been sharing heartbreaking stories of hardship and pain because these benefits have expired. One constituent, VeraMae of Lynn, Massachusetts, wrote to me and said:

I am one of the people whose benefits expired at the end of

the last year. My husband and I have tapped out all of our

savings, and I'm beside myself with worry wondering how to

make the little that we have remaining last longer. It is a

mistake to eliminate this crucial safety net for those of us

struggling to get back on our feet.

We should not leave VeraMae and others just like her out in the cold another day longer.

If the moral imperative to act isn't enough, Mr. Speaker, perhaps we should consider the economic benefits of extending unemployment insurance. In fact, economists agree that unemployment insurance is one of the best ways to spur economic growth, delivering $1.52 in economic activity for every dollar spent.

This House should pass that bill immediately.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring forward H.R. 3824 to end the Republicans' unconscionable refusal to extend the unemployment insurance which, in my State, would benefit some 62,900 workers in search of work.

Madam Speaker, some 1.3 million workers have lost their jobless benefits as of December 28. That number grows by an estimated 72,000 more a week. In my home State of Massachusetts, alone, some 62,915 families have been adversely impacted, and that includes 20,000 veterans.

We can hear the urgency of families who have exhausted every avenue, have exhausted the savings, the generosity of family and friends, even as they look for work. About 4 million people have been cut out of work for 27 weeks or longer. They have about a 12 percent chance of finding a new job in any given month. There are still not enough jobs to go around, almost three unemployed workers per every job opening. That is worse than the ratio at any point during the 2001 recession.

If the fate of individuals doesn't move the Members of this Chamber, perhaps a look at the economy would. For every $1 of unemployment insurance, the economic impact is a positive $1.52. That is money with which to buy essential services and products of our local and small businesses, who greatly need that demand.

Seventeen times over the last decade or so we have extended benefits in a bipartisan manner. Fourteen of those times were bipartisan in nature, and five of those were under the administration of George W. Bush.

The urgency is now; the need is critical. I have introduced, Madam Speaker, the responsible legislation, entitled the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act, H.R. 3824. It has over 140 cosponsors already, even though it has been filed only a matter of days. Speaker Boehner should bring this bill to the floor immediately for a vote. Let us act now and extend it for 3 months, and help our neighbors help themselves as we help our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am in its current form.

Madam Speaker, colleagues, this is the final amendment to the bill, and, as you know, it will not kill the bill. It will not send it back to committee. If this motion is adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. And I ask you to consider doing that.

Over the last several years, it is my understanding that FERC has approved 69 major natural gas pipelines. They span over 3,000 miles in 30 States with a total capacity of nearly 30 billion cubic feet per day.

The Government Accountability Office, the firm that does our research for us, has found that FERC's pipeline permitting is predictable, it is consistent, and it gets pipelines built. For some reason, the underlying bill replaces that existing natural gas permitting process with a process that appears to be arbitrary, unworkable, and a one- size-fits-all approach.

The bill would force regulatory agencies to comply with what many believe are unreasonable permitting deadlines--1 year for FERC and 3 months for other permitting agencies--to render decisions on applications no matter how complex they are and potentially before the public risks are fully understood, particularly by our local areas.

If the underlying bill didn't attempt to fix an existing permitting process that many, including the pipeline trade association, agree is not broken, then perhaps my amendment wouldn't be necessary. If the majority had supported any of the responsible amendments that were proposed by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) and others here a little while ago, perhaps it wouldn't be necessary. But it is necessary.

The motion states that this bill will not take effect until FERC determines its implementation will not adversely impact natural gas pipeline safety and that it will not inhibit the ability of communities to engage in the process of siting natural gas pipelines. The motion seeks to protect public safety. It seeks to ensure that our constituents continue to have a voice in the permitting process.

Madam Speaker, I don't believe that that is too much to ask. It shouldn't be. So let's, please, do the reasonable thing. Let's stand up for safety. Let's stand up for our local constituencies and communities and support this motion.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed to it in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill. It will not send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, over 70 million Americans and their families depend on 401(k)s and similar retirement plans for their retirement security. Veterans, seniors, and middle class workers and families in my district in Massachusetts--in fact, in those districts of all of my colleagues-- are concerned about their pensions, 401(k) plans, and retirement savings.

A retired worker from Danvers, Massachusetts, in my district, recently called my office and shared concerns about her pension. She believed it is at risk, and she has no other means of income.

That constituent of mine shares the same situation as do many across this country, believing that their retirement is at risk and that they have no other means of income. Millions of Americans are worried that they won't have adequate resources to retire with dignity after decades of work, and those who are retired, like that constituent from Danvers, feel that what they have won't last.

Retirement plans can also be subject to fraud and abuse. Last year, the Department of Labor recovered almost $1.3 billion that was misappropriated from retirement plans. It included over $800 million in prohibited transactions. The Department of Labor reportedly filed indictments against 117 persons for crimes related to employee benefit plans.

In 401(k) and similar plans, workers have to make investment decisions, and to do so, they need access to reliable investment advice.

The motion to recommit is straightforward. It simply states that the bill does not prohibit action from being taken on the following three things:

It does not prohibit the Secretary of Labor from using regulations to prevent fraud in regard to pensions, 401(k) plans, and other retirement savings accounts for seniors, veterans, and other Americans;

It does not prohibit the Secretary of Labor from using regulations to require the disclosure of any fees so as to promote transparency and accountability;

It would promote investment education and sound financial advice.

Veterans, seniors, and the over 70 million investors who depend on 401(k)s and IRAs for their future security deserve to know that these kinds of responsible actions can be taken on their behalf. I think everyone here agrees.

I ask my colleagues for their support of this motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.