Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor and a strong supporter of this bill. The spread of synthetic drugs like bath salts has quickly reached crisis levels in many communities throughout our country. This year in Maine, the Bangor Police Department has responded to hundreds of bath salts-related incidents.

In October, I organized a meeting of local, county, State, and Federal law enforcement officials to discuss the spread of bath salts in our State. The message they shared with me was clear, and the message they shared with the ONDCP Deputy Director Ben Tucker was also clear: We need to give our law enforcement officers more tools to combat this epidemic.

While Maine has banned bath salts, a national law will build upon that good work and help make this a bigger impact all across the country. So I urge my colleagues to support the Synthetic Drug Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Diane McManus who will be retiring after 25 years of outstanding work in the field of commercial lending and finance.

Throughout her career, Diane has been a committed advocate on behalf of Maine's business community. As Vice President of Finance for Development Concepts Inc., she worked hand in hand with companies to locate new investment streams and further develop their business models. Diane brought this background with her to Northeast Bank where, as a loan officer, she continued to provide resources to help grow Maine enterprise. Her devotion to local commercial development, and the successes that followed, have earned her numerous promotions and professional accolades. As Regional Vice President and Senior Market Manager at Camden National bank, Diane is leaving behind a thriving program that covers $82 million in commercial loans.

Diane has not only excelled within the realm of business, but she has gone above and beyond expectations to serve her community as

well. In 2002, she was awarded the Maine State Chamber Volunteer of the Year Award. In 2004, she earned the Chamber of Commerce Ken Additon Small Business Advocate Award, and most recently, Diane was recognized as the Number one U.S. Small Business Administration 504 Lender in the State of Maine by the Granite State Development Corp.

It is always with some lingering sadness that I pass along my best wishes for the retirement of an individual such as Ms. McManus. Though retirement is well-deserved and will begin a new and exciting chapter in her life, it also signifies that Maine is losing one of its most dedicated and valued employees. Diane's perpetual willingness to believe in Maine businesses has touched the lives of countless entrepreneurs throughout the state. I wish her the very best going forward as she takes this exciting next step.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Diane McManus on her retirement and honoring her 25 years of impeccable commitment to her field and her community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Estelle Rubinstein who will be retiring after 41 years of outstanding work in the education field.

Through her work with Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care (AHSCC) in Lewiston, Maine, Estelle has dedicated over 40 years to improving outcomes for Maine's handicapped children. Before graduating with a B.S. in Elementary Education in 1979, Estelle worked as a Head Start teacher for AHSCC. Throughout the years, she has served the organization as its Special Education Director, Program Coordinator and Executive Director.

Throughout her career, Estelle has been a champion of the idea that every child should have the opportunity to receive a high quality education, regardless of their financial situation or disability. Her work to identify children in need of special services and ensure that their families were provided access to vital programs has touched the lives of countless Mainers. She is truly a gifted educator and should serve as a shining example to others of what can be accomplished by a single individual.

It is always with some lingering sadness that I pass along my best wishes for the retirement of people like Estelle. You can never truly quantify the work of such an individual. Although she is retiring, her contributions to the field of education will continue to benefit children for generations. On behalf of the people of Maine, it is with pride that I congratulate Estelle and wish her the best of luck on her retirement and in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Estelle Rubinstein for her impeccable commitment to her field and her community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Mills & Mills law firm of Farmington, Maine on their 100th year anniversary.

A century ago, Sumner P. Mills came to Farmington in order to many Flora Pearson and build a business. It was on the corner of Main Street and Broadway in downtown Farmington where his law firm set up shop, and to this day it remains a fixture of the community there. Sumner Mills had the good fortune to watch his son Peter inherit his legal talents, and the two began working together in 1940, forming the original Mills & Mills office. For generations, the Mills family has lent their expertise to serve the Farmington community, the state of Maine, and their country.

Over the years, Mills & Mills has remained an integral part of the Farmington community. In its early days, the firm took on a wide range of cases that covered everything from real estate to criminal and domestic law. The law firm has evolved over the decades, but its service to the town remains strong from each generation to the next.

I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Peter, Janet and Dora Mills, the grandchildren of Sumner. They have all reached a level of accomplishment befitting of their family's proud tradition of public service. It is this devotion to community which has sustained Mills & Mills for all these years.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mills & Mills on the 100th anniversary of its founding.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in support of a provision in the underlying bill that will move the heaviest trucks traveling in Maine off secondary roads and onto the interstate.

People in the State of Maine already know the benefits of this commonsense provision. That's why it has the support of organizations throughout the State of Maine, such as the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Public Safety, the Maine State Police, because they know it's safer to have these trucks on the interstate.

Additionally, letting heavier trucks use the interstate reduces fuel consumption, cuts emissions, reduces travel time, and reduces the competitive disadvantage between Maine and the surrounding States that already have a higher truck weight limit on their interstate.

So I would like to thank my colleagues that supported my efforts to ensure that this provision was included in the final bill, and I would encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their efforts as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Christopher ``Kit'' St. John, who recently retired from his post as the executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP).

Kit is the founder of MECEP and has served as its executive director since 1994. This nonpartisan organization utilizes detailed research and analysis to promote sustainable economic growth throughout the state. As the face of MECEP, Kit has helped lead the fight to raise awareness on a wide range of issues affecting everyday Mainers. In these tough economic times, MECEP's advocacy for Maine's poor and under privileged has never been more important.

In the many years I have known him, Kit has proven to be one of the most thoughtful, intelligent, and hardworking people with whom I have had the honor of working. As executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, an advocate at Pine Tree Legal Assistance, and as an activist representing low-income groups in Augusta, Kit has contributed a remarkable career to serving the people of this great state. His unshakable belief in the people of Maine and his vision for all that we can achieve together continues to inspire me in the work that I do.

I am glad to hear that Kit will not be going far. I hope that his wisdom and insight will be available to both decision makers and the public for years to come. While my staff and I will miss working with Kit, I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking Christopher ``Kit'' St. John for his tremendous contributions and service to the people of Maine.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bangor Police Chief Ron Gastia for his remarkable leadership in raising awareness on the bath salts crisis that is currently sweeping through the nation.

Chief Gastia has been a trusted and effective member of Maine law enforcement for nearly three decades. Since becoming chief of Bangor PD in 2007, Ron has gone above and beyond to make the city safer for its residents. In particular, his exemplary response to the sudden emergence of the synthetic drug known as ``bath salts'' illustrates the impressive scope of his leadership.

In the last year, Bangor and several surrounding areas have been flooded with a synthetic hallucinogenic stimulant known as ``bath salts.'' Although largely unknown a year ago, bath salts have become one of the preeminent health and safety issues in Maine. The reported incidents involving this highly dangerous drug have skyrocketed in recent months, reaching epidemic levels in Maine and throughout the country.

Chief Gastia's efforts to raise awareness about this crisis have been remarkable. In addition to being vocal in the media, he was instrumental in working with state legislators to criminalize the drug in Maine. Further, on October 20, 2011 Chief Gastia briefed me, the Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director Benjamin Tucker and an assembled body of federal law enforcement officials on

Bangor's experience with bath salts. His testimony will be a valuable resource as drug enforcement agencies develop comprehensive strategies to address the emergency of synthetic drugs like bath salts.

While much work still needs to be done to address the threat of bath salts, I know that the Bangor community and the State of Maine are fortunate to have Chief Gastia on watch. I wish him and the Bangor Police Department the best of luck as we continue to tackle this important problem.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking Chief Ron Gastia for his tremendous service to the people of the City of Bangor and the State of Maine.

I thank my friend for yielding.

More than 3 weeks ago, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to address China currency manipulation. Since then, the Census Bureau reported that the U.S. trade deficit with China set a new record at $28.96 billion in August. But House leadership still refuses to bring to the floor bipartisan legislation that would withdraw on the yuan's illegal undervaluation. The consequences of China's unchecked currency manipulation will only get worse.

China is literally robbing us of our factories, of our manufacturing jobs; and we aren't doing a thing about it. Addressing China's currency manipulation would create at least 1 million jobs without costing the American taxpayers a penny. That is why Congress has to bring the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act to the floor immediately. And that's what we're trying to do here today.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on getting tough on China.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lt. Colonel Thomas Plourde of Lewiston, Maine. Plourde was a member of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Japanese American Combat Team in World War II, all of whom will be receiving Congressional Gold Medals today.

The 442nd Combat Team was comprised almost entirely of Japanese Americans, men who volunteered to fight tyranny and oppression abroad even while their families were interred in camps at home. For its size and length of service, it was the most decorated unit in the entire history of the United States military. In the course of their service, the 442nd earned 9,486 Purple Hearts, eight Presidential Unit Citations, and 21 Medals of Honor. These brave men fought with unparalleled skill and valor winning tremendous victories for the allies in Europe. Their heroism cannot be overstated.

At just 23 years old at the time of his enlistment, Thomas Plourde would serve as a 1st Lieutenant before rising to become a company commander for the 442nd. Following a decisive victory in the allied push to liberate Italy, Lieutenant Plourde led a task force that secured the capture of 33 German officers and over

300 soldiers in the city of Alessandria. For his actions, he was awarded a division citation and accepted the key to Alessandria on behalf of his battalion. Subsequently Plourde would receive a field promotion to the rank of Captain, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a Distinguished Unit Badge for his heroism. Citing his effectiveness under fire and his personal concern for the men under his command, Plourde's commanding officer Major Mitsuyoshi Fukuda wrote that he had ``won the highest respect from both the men and the officers within the 100th Battalion.''

Today, Thomas Plourde's daughter, Janet Barrett, will accept the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of her father for his courageous service in the war. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the United States. The decoration is awarded to an individual who performs an outstanding deed or act of service for the security, prosperity, and national interest of the country. Mainers have a long tradition of service in the armed forces. I am proud of Lt. Colonel Plourde's place in that history. His remarkable leadership and heroism in the face of unspeakable evil will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Lt. Colonel Thomas Plourde of Lewiston, Maine, for his distinguished service to this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call to the attention of the American people the fact that last Friday the President signed the implementing legislation for Colombia, Panama, and Korea free trade agreements.

My colleagues and the American people might have missed it, because that's what the President wanted. The American people don't support more flawed trade agreements, so the President signed them into law quietly.

The White House issued no press releases or statements. No photos were taken, no signing pens were publicly handed out.

If these jobs are the job creators the President promised us that they would be, then why wouldn't we have a public ceremony highlighting the signing of the FTAs? It's because these FTAs aren't going to create American jobs. They might create jobs in Korea and China, but they won't create them here at home.

If I were the President, I'd want to keep these agreements quiet too.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record the following additional letters of opposition to the Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Panama, and Colombia: A letter from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America; and a letter from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

United Brotherhood of

Carpenters and Joiners of America,

Washington, DC, July 11, 2011.

Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of the over half a

million members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, I am

writing to urge you to vote against the proposed Free Trade

Agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. Approval of

these three proposals is a vote to undercut American living

standards

The evidence is clear. Over the last twenty years our

government has agreed to similar trade deals with Mexico,

Central America, China and other nations. Each time their

promoters promised the Congress that the agreements would

make America more competitive and create more jobs. Each

time, the result was a widening trade deficit financed by

borrowing from foreigners and a net loss of U.S. jobs. Our

massive indebtedness to China, for example, is a direct

result of the trade deficit that followed the 2000 China

trade agreement.

We now know that these deals were not designed to help U.S.

workers or businesses that produce here. Rather they were

designed to allow multinational corporations to off-shore

production in countries where costs are cheap because workers

are suppressed, the environment is abused and finance is

unregulated.

As in prior trade deals, the new agreements lack

enforceable labor and environmental protections. They allow

foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws on the grounds that

they inhibit foreign competition. And despite the claims of

``free trade,'' they give away access to the U.S. markets

without reciprocal rights for U.S. producers.

Thus, to give one example, under the agreement with Panama,

any company registered in that country--including the

thousands of Chinese and other foreign companies registered

there--will have the right to bid on virtually any

significant U.S. government procurement or construction

project. But American firms are denied access to bid on the

only large scale project of any size in Panama--the widening

of the Panama Canal.

In effect, we would give away American jobs in order that

U.S. multinationals have even greater opportunity to use

Panama's notorious lax and corrupt financial system to escape

U.S. taxes and rules against money laundering.

The negative impact of the deal with South Korea will be

larger. The Economic Policy Institute--which has accurately

forecast the economic impact of prior trade deals--estimates

that the Korean FTA will directly cost Americans at least

160,000 jobs to start. The long term damage will be even

greater. The agreement allows South Korea to export goods

duty-free to the U.S. even if only 35% of the content is

actually produced there. This will open the door for the

transshipment of goods primarily manufactured in places like

China, Vietnam and the totalitarian regime in North Korea.

Moreover, the Korea agreement has no effective provision

for dismantling the labyrinth of non-tariff barriers that

already results in the U.S. selling only 6,000 autos there a

year, while Korea sells us 500,000. Neither does it prohibit

Korea from manipulating its currency to gain competitive

advantage in the same way that China now does.

The proposed deal with Colombia is morally offensive as

well as economically unsound. Colombia has by far the most

brutal record of repression of independent trade unionists in

the world. On nothing but the flimsy promise that they will

do better in the future, our government will be rewarding a

corrupt oligarchy that suppresses workers' efforts to improve

wages and working conditions with beatings, torture and

assassination. Despite claims that the political system there

has ``reformed,'' a record 52 Colombia trade unionists were

murdered last year. Of the 2,800 assassinations of union

leaders over two and a half decades, only five percent of the

cases have been prosecuted.

The primary purpose of the treaty with Colombia is the same

as that of the 2007 treaty with Peru--outsourcing American

jobs. As the Peruvian president told the U.S. Chamber of

Commerce the night the Peru FTA was signed, ``Come and open

your factories in my country so we can sell your own products

back to the U.S.''

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters supports balanced

reciprocal trade agreements that provide the benefits of

economic growth to workers in both the U.S. and its trading

partners. Under any circumstances, these

current proposals would not meet this commonsense test.

Today, at a time of high joblessness, deteriorating wages and

shrinking work opportunities, our members and their families

have little tolerance for trade policies that will make their

lives worse and their country weaker.

The only responsible vote is no.

Sincerely,

Douglas J. McCarron,

General President.

Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of finger-pointing in Washington these days about who is blocking our economic recovery, but there's plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle.

China is literally robbing us of our factories and our manufacturing jobs, and we haven't done a thing about it. The House must consider the Senate currency bill immediately, and the President must finally deliver on his campaign promise and crack down on China administratively.

Getting tough on China's currency manipulation would create, conservatively, 1 million jobs without costing the American people a penny. It's time to stop the excuses and end the partisan bickering. It's time for the President and the House leadership to go beyond rhetoric and get the tough job of China currency manipulation taken care of.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kaye Flanagan, Lynn Kraemer Goldfarb, Gail Kelly and Donna M. Loring on being awarded the 50th Annual Deborah Morton Award by The University of New England.

The Deborah Morton Award, first presented in 1961, was the first annual award in Maine to honor women who have achieved high distinction in their careers or whose leadership in civic, cultural or social causes has been exceptional. The award was named in memory of Deborah Morton of Round Pond, valedictorian of the 1879 class of the Westbrook Seminary. Morton was a teacher, dean, linguist, historian and prominent Portland civic leader whose service to the State of Maine spanned more than 60 years.

Kaye, Lynn, Gail and Donna all display the exceptional commitment to public service that Deborah Morton did. Their tireless efforts have improved the lives of thousands of Mainers from all walks of life. While their backgrounds and careers are diverse, their selfless devotion to their communities is a shining example to all of us. Their efforts are a testament to the legacy of Deborah Morton, and I wish them all continued success in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in recognizing Kaye Flanagan, Lynn Kraemer Goldfarb, Gail Kelly and Donna M. Loring for their outstanding commitment to the state of Maine and for the impressive example they set for Maine's young women.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe on over a century of committed service to the city of Lewiston.

From the moment of their arrival in 1878, the Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe made themselves an integral part of the Lewiston community. Immediately looking for ways to give back to the town, they established a school for the community's French speaking children within their first year. A decade later, they established the first Catholic hospital in Maine. As the years progressed, the Sisters would go on to establish an orphanage for the children of mill workers, as well as long-term care facilities for the elderly.

The tremendous impact that the Sisters have had on Lewiston continues to be felt by the city's residents today. Perhaps the most

important example of this is the work of St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. St Mary's embodies the remarkable caring of the Sisters, providing preventive, restorative and supportive services with compassion and respect for thousands of Lewiston area residents. Although the Sister's involvement in the management of the hospital has receded in recent years, their legacy lives on in members of the staff who continue to treat to some of Maine's most needy.

There is no way to quantify the immense good that the Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe have brought to the city of Lewiston and to the state of Maine. The impact of their service to the community is a shining example of the power of love and faith. I join the city of Lewiston in expressing an unending gratitude for their kindness and their devotion to helping the less fortunate.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe for their numerous contributions to the Lewiston community and the state of Maine.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Twyla Lycette, the 2011 recipient of the prestigious Town Clerk of the Year Award, given by the Maine Town and City Clerks Association.

Every year, the Maine Town and City Clerks Association chooses from among their best and brightest to award their Town Clerk of the Year Award. Without a doubt, they chose well this year. For a quarter century, the town of Lisbon has been extremely fortunate to have Twyla as their town clerk. Throughout that time, she has shown a deep commitment to her profession and to the citizens of Lisbon.

Twyla is recognized by all as an energetic lifelong learner who has been instrumental in the preservation of town records dating back into the 1800s. In addition to her position as a Certified Maine Clerk, she is an International Certified Clerk, Lifetime Certified Clerk and one of two International Master Municipal Clerks in all of Maine.

Twyla is beloved by her colleagues and the people of Lisbon. Not only does her hard work and dedication keep the town running, it also inspires all of us to strive to be the very best at what we do. She exemplifies the very best of the values Maine represents.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Twyla Lycette on being named the 2011 Clerk of the Year.