Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John (Jack) Sims on the occasion of his retirement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, after more than 35 years of dedicated service. Jack will be greatly missed, and I join his many friends, co-workers and the veterans he served in wishing him the best of luck in the next phase of his life.

Jack's service to our country began in 1963, when he joined the United States Army. He began his VA career at the Martinez, California VA Medical Center in 1971 as an accountant trainee. Jack has held many positions in the VA across the country including Chief of Fiscal Service at VA Medical Centers in Washington, Illinois and California; Associate Center Director at VA Medical Centers in Oregon and New York; and Health System Administrator with Veterans Health Services and Research Administration in Albany, New York.

For the past 17 years, Jack has served as the Director of the Togus VA Medical Center. Under his leadership, the number of Maine veterans receiving care at Togus has increased from 13,000 to 33,000. Jack has also supervised the creation, relocation and renovations of six community-based outpatient clinics and two off-site mental health clinics to care for Maine's rural veteran population.

As Director, Jack and his dedicated staff of more than 1,000 VA employees have helped transform the Togus VA Medical Center into one of the best medical centers in the VA system.

Jack will be missed for his dedication and for his compassion by the veterans of Maine. I am pleased to join his colleagues, his family, and his friends in congratulating Jack on this milestone. I wish him a rewarding and enjoyable retirement.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 521) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse and customhouse located at 515 West First Street in Duluth, Minnesota, as the ``Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and United States Courthouse and Customhouse''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 521.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, S. 521 is a bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 515 West First Street in Duluth, Minnesota, as Judge Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and United States Courthouse and Customhouse.

Gerald Heaney was appointed judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on November 3, 1966. He took senior status on December 31, 1988, and retired on August 31, 2006, after over 40 years of distinguished service to his country and the citizens of Minnesota. I rise in strong support of this bill.

Judge Heaney was born on January 29, 1918, in Goodhue, a rural community in the southeastern part of Minnesota. As a child growing up in a farming community, Judge Heaney learned the value of a close family, honesty, and hard work. These qualities have marked not only his personal life but also his life as a public servant.

He was educated at the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul and received his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1941.

Gerald Heaney is a decorated World War II veteran and was a member of the distinguished Army Ranger Battalion and participated in the historic D-Day landing at Normandy. He was awarded the Silver Star for extraordinary bravery in the Battle of La Pointe du Hoc in Normandy. He also received a Bronze Star and five battle stars. At the end of the war, Judge Heaney returned home and entered private practice in Duluth. During this time, he was instrumental in improving the State's education system, and served on the board of regents for the University of Minnesota.

He was instrumental in helping develop for the Duluth school system the same pay scale for both men and women. In 1966, he was appointed by President Johnson to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. In that capacity, he has been a champion in protecting the rights of the disadvantaged. He was devoted to making sure that every person had an equal opportunity for an education, a job, and a home.

He firmly believes the poor and the less educated and the less advantaged deserve the protection of the Constitution. As a hardworking, well-prepared and fair-minded jurist, he left his legal stamp on school desegregation cases, bankruptcy laws, prison treatment, and Social Security law. His public service is marked by industry, brilliance, and scholarly excellence. His compassion and dedication to those most disadvantaged is unparalleled.

Judge Heaney is most deserving of this honor. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of April as Occupational Therapy Month and in my capacity as Chairman of the Veteran's Affairs Health Subcommittee, to acknowledge the contributions of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants to not only our veterans across the country, but also our brave service men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I would also like to recognize the importance of occupational therapists to the families of our service personnel. We often forget that behind every soldier are loved ones who endure the hardship of the soldier while they are in harm's way and when they come home and take off the uniform.

Occupational therapy is a profession dedicated to the improvement of function, performance and independence. Occupational therapists work with individuals across their lifespan to prevent injury, restore function and reduce disability so that patients may live satisfying, productive and independent lives.

In my home state of Maine, occupational therapists provide essential health and rehabilitation services to veterans at the Togus Veterans Hospital and at six veterans' homes throughout the state including four in my district located in Augusta, Bangor, Caribou and Machias. Services provided in these locations stem from a range of conditions resulting from traumatic injuries experienced in combat such as amputations and poly-traumas, post-traumatic stress disorder, illness and disease and the disabling effects of aging.

In order to meet the need of veterans, Schools of Occupational Therapy in Maine, such as the Kennebec Valley Community College, work collaboratively with the veterans' facilities in the state to ensure that there are enough trained health care professionals, like occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, to meet the needs of our veterans.

During the month of April, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) will be hosting the Association's 87th Annual Conference and Expo in St. Louis, Missouri. Occupational therapists, occupational therapists assistants and students of occupational therapy from around the country will gather to support the profession and further their educational preparation to meet the needs of their patients. State affiliates like the Maine Occupational Therapy Association (MEOTA) will also be represented to ensure that the concerns of local occupational therapy professionals and patients are addressed at the conference. Of specific note, there will be over 500 education sessions including a panel to discuss active duty and veterans health care and the important role of occupational therapy for returning our service men and women to maximum function and independence.

Madam Speaker, please join me in supporting April as occupational therapy month and applauding the work of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants with our veterans, military personnel, and their families who deserve to receive the best care possible.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

I rise with my colleagues here this evening to talk about our failed trade policy.

As a former mill worker at Great Northern Paper Company in East Millinocket, Maine, I know firsthand how these trade deals have crippled our manufacturing base in the State of Maine.

When I ran for Congress, I told the people of the State of Maine I would fight for them, for their jobs and for their families every single day. Mainers know that these trade deals have left them behind. You can go almost anywhere in my district and find an abandoned mill or a vacant factory. They are painful reminders of what was and is no longer to be. Their jobs have been outsourced to countries that pay slave wages. How can we compete when our own workforce has been left behind?

The election results proved that the American public is sick and tired of their jobs being outsourced. They want a Congress that fights for our workers and businesses. They want this country to move in a new direction. They want this Congress to move in a new direction.

I will be the first to say that I am concerned when I am hearing from my fellow colleagues that we can't cut side deals on trade agreements. Some say maybe we can make a few concessions on both sides and a deal is cut. The American workforce is sick of these trade deals, these side deals being cut. They don't want more trade adjustment assistance; they want their jobs.

Some say that the pending free trade agreements, that we should do a side letter to appease labor, or maybe a couple tiny provisions that fix the environment. My mom always told me, you can't fix what's broken. Our trade policies are broken.

It is time to start from the ground up. It is time to renegotiate the Peru, the Colombia and the Panama Free Trade Agreements. With the TPA deadlines quickly approaching, we cannot rush something through. The American public deserves to have the new majority renegotiate these trade deals.

This election sent a strong message. It is to change course in what the Bush administration has done with our failed trade policies. There is no quick fix to this solution, not when these agreements are based on a flawed model. These agreements compromise our port security, they privatize Social Security, they threaten our intellectual property rights, they undermine

States' rights, and they infringe on access to medicines.

I strongly agree with Chairman Levin that we need to address these issues, and we need to do it now. Nonbinding side letters are not good enough.

Regarding the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, there is no fix that can make this agreement acceptable. It is highly offensive that the Bush administration even initiated negotiations with a country infamous for having the highest rate of trade unionists assassinated. More than 2,000 labor union activists have been murdered in Colombia since 1990. More than 2,000 labor unionists murdered since 1990, with 60 assassinated in 2006 alone, one per week. Until the Colombian Government changes this abominable situation, the United States should not offer any enhanced trade relations to Colombia.

And then let me touch on the biggest issue of them all: fast track. Fast track delegates away Congress' constitutional authority. It undermines our right to have a say in what goes on in these trade deals. We must replace this outdated, failed trade negotiating system.

Over 3 million American manufacturing jobs, one out of every six manufacturing jobs, have been lost during the fast track era. Before fast track, we had balanced trade. The United States trade deficit has exploded as imports surged. The worldwide gulf between the rich and the poor has widened since fast track.

I could go on and on and on about fast track. Fast track has put us on the wrong track, and it is time to turn it around. Any acceptable version of fast track must include the bare minimum of some of the following:

It would restore Congress' right to decide which countries it is in our national interest to negotiate new agreements. It would set mandatory requirements for what must and must not be in every agreement, including core labor and environmental standards. It would require Congress to vote on a trade agreement content before it can be signed, and it would not allow for secretive negotiations. A new negotiating system must include more oversight on how past agreements are actually working. It would reinstate our system of checks and balances.

I am pleased that some of my colleagues are here this evening to join me in this trade discussion, and I look forward to their remarks. I would like to thank them for their leadership as well in this area.

I now would like to introduce Congressman Phil Hare, a newly elected freshman from Illinois, to be the next speaker. Phil knows firsthand about how these trade agreements affect our manufacturing industries. Prior to working for Congressman Lane Evans, Phil's first job was at the Seaford Clothing Factory in Rock Island. During the 13 years, he cut linen for men's suits there.

Phil served as a union leader and as the president of Unite Here Local 617. As district director for then-Congressman Lane Evans, Phil Hare fought for the working men and women in his district. Phil is a leader among the freshman class on trade issues.

Phil, I want to thank you for your tremendous leadership on this very important issue that affects men and women throughout the United States. I yield to the good gentleman.

I thank you very much, Congressman Hare.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

I apologize, Madam Speaker.

I would like to thank the gentleman for his kind remarks. It is I who ought to thank you and the freshman class for your leadership in this area. You have actually brought forward a whole new fresh discussion about trade and what it has done to this country. So I really appreciate your leadership and look forward to continuing working with you as we move forward in this area.

There is another Member I would like to recognize, not a member of the freshman class, but this Member has been a true advocate for fair trade. Congresswoman Kaptur has been a tremendous leader in this fair trade fight.

Marcy came to Congress from a working-class background. Her family operated a small grocery where her mother worked, after serving on the original organizing committee of an auto trade union at Champion Spark Plug. Marcy knows firsthand how these unfair trade deals have affected industry throughout her congressional district in Ohio and has been a key player in our trade working group in the House.

I really appreciate all the leadership and expertise that you have brought forward on this issue, Congresswoman Kaptur. You have been a true leader, and you have been a mentor to me ever since I got elected to Congress. So thank you, and I yield you such time as you may consume.

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you as we move forward.

We also have been joined by Mr. Ellison, who represents the Fifth District in Minnesota with distinction. Congressman Ellison believes NAFTA and CAFTA have encouraged the movement of manufacturing and agricultural jobs out of Minnesota to be done under sweat-shop conditions in other countries.

A 2003 report by the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition reported that at least a quarter and likely one-third of the net 45,000 manufacturing jobs that Minnesota lost from 2001 to 2003 were directly attributable to trade deals such as NAFTA.

Congressman Ellison has been a leader among the freshman class, along with Congressman Hare, in fighting for fairer trade deals. I yield to Congressman Ellison.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce my co- founder of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus, a member of the House Trade Working Group, Mr. Steve Lynch.

During his career as an ironworker, Congressman Lynch worked at a General Motors plant in Framingham, Massachusetts, the General Dynamics shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the United States Steel plant in Gary, Indiana, all of which were shut down due to foreign competition and unfavorable trade conditions.

Mr. Lynch's firsthand experience in seeing the effects of plant closures on American workers and on local communities has led him to focus on efforts to improve United States trade policy and help protect not only American workers but also American businesses which also feel strongly about these trade deals and have been working very closely with the United States Business and Industry Council to make sure that we have fair trade deals. I look forward to hearing Congressman Lynch's remarks.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for his comments. We have talked a lot about the individual workers, but, also, this really devastates the community.

Three days after I got sworn in as a Member of Congress, the company I worked for filed bankruptcy. The Great Northern paid approximately 65 percent of the tax base in the town of East Millinocket. That had a devastating effect on what is going to happen to the school system as far as being able to get the taxes owed because of the mill going through bankruptcy. But also other small businesses in the community actually had to close down because they relied on the workers in the mill to help keep the small businesses going and running.

When you talk about getting retrained, my colleagues I worked with at the mill, they were up in the age of 50 or 60 years old. Now they have got to go back to school. A lot of them never went to school beyond high school. Now they had to go back and try to further their education, which is very difficult, and get trained. For what?

If you look at what happened in our State, we had mill after mill, paper machine after paper machine, shut down. It has been very, very difficult to find jobs in these communities, and it is very disheartening to see grown men and women for the first time in their lives that they actually had to go and ask for help for food. They had to raise funds to fund the food bank, and it is very difficult.

I just hope that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle have seen the failed trade policy that has come about starting with NAFTA, and I know it was a Democratic administration, but probably conceptually sounded good. But now we have got a track record of what NAFTA has brought us; and, hopefully, we have learned our lesson and will be able to move forward in the manner that we do have fair trade deals.

I will open it up for any discussion that my colleagues might have.

You are absolutely right. The American people, they do get it, and that is why they sent so many freshmen Members here in this Congress on the very issue that they talked about in their campaigns, and that issue is trade.

We are heading for disaster, a perfect storm. We have the largest budgetary deficit in the United States history, with over 45 percent approximately is owned by foreigners. We have the largest trade deficit in our history, over $202 billion with China alone. It is over I think approximately, what, 7 percent of our GDP?

We are heading on a collision course. We must make sure that we have a strong manufacturing base here in the United States, and that is why I look forward to working with my colleagues here on the floor, look forward to working with a good, diverse group of the United States Business and Industry Council, labor, environmental groups, my colleagues across the aisle, Congressman Walter Jones, Duncan Hunter, Tim Ryan on our side of the aisle and Betty Sutton.

So I am really excited. We see new life here in Congress as it relates to trade, and we have just got to keep talking about trade so that our colleagues will start paying attention to what is going on here.

Thank you, and I thank Congressman Hare once again for coming to the floor this evening to talk about it. We have a lot to talk about. We have fast track, we have the trade deals we are talking about. We will be talking more about the value-added tax as that comes forward in a couple of weeks, and also the trade balancing act, which I will be resubmitting again in this Congress to look at trade in a comprehensive manner.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. This is an American issue. This is an issue that is important to this country, important to our long-term stability.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much for yielding, and I want to thank him for his leadership as we deal with Veterans' Affairs issues in this upcoming session. I also want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Miller, for all his hard work on this legislation. I look forward to working with him over the next 2 years as we move forward with an aggressive Veterans' Affairs agenda.

I rise today in strong support of this important legislation.

One veteran taking their life is tragic. Joshua Omvig was one such veteran, and, sadly, he is not alone. There have been others such as Jonathan Schulze from Minnesota and many more, and that is unfortunate.

We must do everything we can to provide our veterans and their families with the support and care that they need to prevent more from going down the same tragic path to committing suicide.

H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, would assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in furthering its effort to identify veterans at risk of suicide.

Our returning servicemembers are under great strain and stress. H.R. 327 would improve early detection and intervention, provide access to mental health services for veterans who are in crisis, and help prevent the unnecessary deaths of the men and women who have served our Nation so greatly.

A recent study indicated that nearly one-third of OEF/OIF veterans seen at the VA facilities receive mental health and/or psychosocial diagnoses and that one in five have PTSD.

These veterans are at risk. According to reports, one in five suicides in this country is a veteran, even though veterans make up only 10 percent of our general population.

Joshua Omvig was one such veteran. Sadly, this legislation cannot help him, but this bill can help other returning servicemembers.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 327. And, in closing, I also want to thank Congressman Boswell for his leadership in this area. He has been pushing this bill for the last couple of years. He is a true leader, an individual who cares for our veterans, and I want to thank Mr. Boswell for bringing this legislation forward.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days with which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject matter of my special order.

At this time, I know the gentleman from Wisconsin has another meeting he has to attend, so I would recognize the Congressman Steve Kagen from Wisconsin.

Thank you very much, Congressman Kagen. This has definitely been enlightening. I really appreciate all the charts that you have. And you are absolutely right, the American people want the new direction for this country and are very pleased particularly with the freshman class, yourself leading the charge to make sure that we do have fair trade agreements. I want to thank you for your time coming to the floor this evening to talk about this very important issue.

I would now like to recognize another freshman Member of the 110th Congress class, the gentleman from Illinois who has taken a real leadership role as well on trade, but also on veterans affairs issues where he replaced a former colleague in this body, Lane Evans, who has been a mentor and has been a leader also on veterans' issues. I would like

to yield to Congressman Hare of Illinois.

I thank you, Representative Hare, for your leadership role in this as well.

If I understand your comments correctly, you are not against trade deals, but you want to make sure that they are fair trade deals. And I really appreciate your perspective. But especially just coming off of a campaign, being a freshman Member working up in your State of Illinois, you know what is going on.

I think, all too often, once people get here in Washington, D.C., they tend to forget what is really happening in reality. And reality is, we have lost over 3 million jobs nationwide because of our unfair trade deals, and we have got to bring equity back in that. So I really appreciate your leadership in that role and look forward to working with you as we move forward to make sure that we do have fair trade deals here in this Congress.

It is now my great pleasure to introduce another freshman Member who has also taken a leadership role, from Iowa, Congressman Bruce Braley.

Well, I thank the gentleman for his discussion on this issue. You brought up a very good point. You had mentioned fast track. And I think what a lot of people don't realize is the fact that fast track only allows Congress two options, to vote ``yes'' or ``no.'' We have no options to amend this trade deal. We just have to vote ``yes'' or ``no.'' And we are abdicating our responsibilities by allowing fast track to occur, which hopefully, with a new Congress and a new direction, when we look at trade deals, we will be able to change fast track so that we can have an opportunity to make sure that we do have fair trade deals.

I yield.

No, I was not. I was serving in the Maine legislature, and I was opposed to it then. I am opposed to it now, especially when you see what damage fast track has caused to this Nation, what it has caused to our manufacturing. Maine alone, over the last 6 years or so, we lost 23 percent of our manufacturing base alone in the State of Maine. Certain labor market areas had unemployment rates over 30 percent. It has really devastated the State of Maine because of these unfair trade deals, and it is all related to the unfair trade deals.

As far as industries in the State of Maine, timber, the paper industry have definitely been devastated the most when you look at trade deals. We just actually had a few weeks ago Moosehead Manufacturing which closed its doors because of the imports from China. So it has had a negative impact primarily in the paper and in the timber industries.

You are absolutely right. As a matter of fact, when you look at what is happening, a lot of municipalities, their primary business has been hit because of unfair trade deals. It has that rippling effect to other businesses within the community, but also the family structure. When you look at the fact that when Mills filed bankruptcy, and I have seen it in my own town, the divorce rate actually goes up. The alcoholism goes up, and you are losing that structure, and that is why we have to make sure that we do have fair trade deals.

As we heard earlier today from Congressman Hare, he is not against trade deals. He just wants to make sure that they are fair trade deals. And that is

what we have to do as a Congress is to make sure that we do have fair trade deals.

I am very pleased to see that a lot of Members, new Members of Congress who have just come off the campaign trail, when they were campaigning, they were talking to their constituents, and they heard a lot about loss of manufacturing here in this country because of the trade deals. So I am very pleased to see that we have such a large group of freshmen Members on the floor this evening to talk about trade deals and what they are doing to this country, or what they are doing to their individual districts.

You are absolutely right. And actually speaking about in it together, we have been joined by another freshman Member from Pennsylvania, freshmen Member Jason Altmire, who has also taken an interest and a leading role in the whole trade deal. I would like to yield to Mr. Altmire for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

I really appreciate your willingness to come to the floor this evening. I know you care deeply about this issue, where it has affected your district dramatically, and your willingness to speak up for the working men and women and businesses here in this country to make sure that they have a fair shake at these trade deals. So thank you for your leadership. I look forward to working with you as we move forward to deal with these issues.

Now I would like to recognize a gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison), who is also a member of the freshmen class, but he brings a uniqueness from the State of Minnesota as far as the effect that these unfair trade deals have had on the State of Minnesota and the businesses and the working people within Minnesota.

I yield to the Representative from Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota.

And we will work closely with you as we move forward to make sure that what trade deals we do pass in this Congress are fair trade deals. I want to thank you very much for your leadership and interest in this area.

Mr. Speaker, I now would like to yield to an individual

who is also a member of the freshmen class but an individual who definitely has done a yeoperson's job in dealing with this trade issue. She knows the trade issues inside out. She has been a leader. She has organized the freshmen class to send a letter to the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Rangel, because of the concerns about trade.

And, Ms. Sutton, I want to really thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you bring to this whole debate as we debate the trade deals, and I look forward to working with you over this Congress to move forward to make sure we have fair trade deals.

So, Mr. Speaker, I now yield to Ms. Sutton.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady. You are absolutely right, it is these flawed models that continue to come up after the NAFTA model and all these other trade deals. Until you change that flawed model, we are still going to get these bad trade deals continuing.

You mentioned the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. I don't think there is any fix for this agreement. I think it is highly offensive that the Bush administration would even negotiate with a country that is infamous for the highest rate of trade unionist assassinations. More than 2,000 labor union activists have been murdered in Colombia since 1990; 60 assassinated in 2006 alone. I think that is just unconscionable.

I agree with Congressman Sandy Levin when he says that we have to look at these flawed models that are out there. These side agreements that people are talking about, they are not going to work. They don't have the force of law.

I think we definitely have a long ways to go before we have trade deals that I can support. And with the freshman class we currently have under your great, fantastic leadership, I applaud them, and encourage that each and every one of you continue to speak out on this issue, because it is an issue that is important to the American people, it is an issue that is important to our businesses, workers in this country, but it is also an issue that is very important when you look at our security and immigration.

When we heard the NAFTA discussion, when they passed NAFTA, we were encouraged; I was not here, but Members were encouraged to vote for it because it would help with the illegal immigration problem with Mexico. The problem has not been solved. It has gotten worse because the NAFTA agreement has not worked the way it was supposed to work.

So I look forward to working with you and the rest of the freshman class, along with other colleagues who are interested in this trade deal.

Speaking about other colleagues, another gentlelady from Ohio as well, Congresswoman Kaptur, who has also been a strong leader in the trade debate over the past 5 years that I have been here, and she has been a tremendous advocate for making sure that we have fair trade deals, I see she has some charts up there with a lot of red

ink. I assume that is probably the trade deficit that she is going to talk about.

I yield to the gentlelady.

Mr. Speaker, we are headed on a collision course. If you look at our budgetary deficit, we have the largest budgetary deficit in our history. The debt limit was increased to $9 trillion. We have the largest trade deficit in our history, which continues to rise because of these unfair trade deals. And if Congress does not get a handle on both the budgetary deficit and our trade deficit, we will no longer be the superpower that we are today.

When you look at our budgetary deficit, over 45 percent of that is owned by foreigners, China being one of them. If you look at our trade deficit with China, we saw charts earlier where it is skyrocketing.

When I hear my colleagues talk about the fact that we are going to put trade assistance funding in there so that we can retrain workers, they don't want trade adjustment assistance. They want their jobs. That is very important for them.

Absolutely. Congresswoman Sutton mentioned earlier the fact this is not just a workers' issue; it is a business issue. The United States Business and Industry Council has been very supportive, very helpful with the Kaptur trade deal. They are going to be very helpful I think when you look at fast track and other areas. So this isn't

just working people issues; it is business issues. A lot of people try to put workers against business. It is not that issue at all. It is these unfair trade deals.

I would like to ask Congresswoman Sutton a question, if I might. How would you address this issue: We hear all kinds of times the issue, you are a protectionist. What is your response to that?

That is very good. I know we are running out of time. I do want to thank you, Congresswoman Sutton and Congresswoman Kaptur, for your leadership in this role, and I really appreciate the hard work that everyone is doing on this issue, especially our freshman class.

As Ms. Kaptur had mentioned, the freshman class has really come forward and really taken on this issue, taken an interest in this issue, I think primarily because you just came off the campaign trail. You heard what people were talking about out there. It is important for Members who have been here for a while to listen to you as freshman Members because you definitely have a lot to talk about when it comes to this trade issue.

We have seen it firsthand. As I mentioned earlier, I worked at the mill for over 28 years, and I have seen firsthand what NAFTA has done to my town, my community, to individuals who worked in the mill.

So I want to thank each and every one of you for taking an interest in this very important issue.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

As a 30 year veteran of the Great Northern Paper Company mills and a proud union member, I know firsthand how crucial it is for workers to have the right to organize and bargain together to secure their rights in the workplace.

On average, workers who belong to unions earn 30 percent more than nonunion workers, and they are much more likely to have health care and pension benefits. Polls tell us that 58 percent of eligible workers would join a union if they could, yet union membership in the private sector plummeted to 7.4 percent in 2006, a record low.

The Employee Free Choice Act would allow workers more freedom to form unions, so they can seek their share of America's prosperity, and fair treatment for an honest day's work.

The current system for forming unions and bargaining is broken. EFCA is the right bill to fix it, and I urge my colleagues to give it their support. I yield the remainder of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Stephanie Dunton from Winterport, a small town in central Maine.

Stephanie, a student at Samuel L. Wagner Middle School, was recently named one of the top two youth volunteers in Maine for the 12th Annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. This program is America's largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteerism.

Stephanie is a tireless young woman who has given her time and energy to help the less fortunate. Inspired by her sister's satisfaction from volunteering, Stephanie searched for her own community service project. Initially, she wanted to volunteer at her local food pantry, but was unable to do so since she attended classes during the pantry's hours of operations.

Stephanie instead went above and beyond, creating and conducting her own monthly food drive called the ``Food Shuttle,'' which has collected more than one thousand pounds of donated food for a local pantry. Her dedication is truly extraordinary and deserves our sincere admiration and respect.

While numerous studies have shown that Americans today are less involved in their communities than before, it is essential that we support the kind of selfless contributions that people like Stephanie have made. She is an inspiring example to all of us, serving as one of our brightest hopes for a better tomorrow.

I join with her family, friends and community in congratulating Stephanie for this fine honor. The citizens of the State of Maine are extremely fortunate to have such a fine, young public servant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in support of this resolution that expresses our unwavering support of our troops and our opposition to the escalation in Iraq. This is an extremely important debate and it is one that is long overdue.

We have lost over 3,100 brave Americans. Many more will return home with mental health and physical wounds that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

We have spent hundreds of billions of dollars. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have lost their lives or fled their homes as their country has fallen into deeper civil war.

Regardless of one's opinion on how we got into Iraq, we are there, and the situation is deteriorating. So the simple question before us is, What is the best plan for the future?

The President has called for an escalation of troops; in other words, more of the same approach.

I oppose an escalation of U.S. troops in Iraq. I will not support funding for the President's plan or blank checks for an open-ended commitment.

We need a new plan, and escalation is not what the Iraq Study Group called for. It is not what our top generals have advised, and it is not what the American or Iraqi people want. When General John Abizaid, former top commander in Iraq, asked his commanders in the field if more U.S. troops would help, the unanimous answer was no. As he said: ``And the reason is because we want the Iraqis to do more. It's easy for the Iraqis to rely upon us to do this work. I believe that more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future.''

U.S. forces cannot clear and hold neighborhoods in Baghdad indefinitely. We have tried so-called ``surges'' before, and they have not stopped the violence. And as with these previous surges, when we leave, the same problems will return, and perhaps even worse.

The reality is that United States military strength cannot solve the problems in Iraq nor should it. The future rests on the capability and the will of the Iraqi people. Our continued dominance only prevents Iraqis from taking control of their country and their destiny. The military mission of toppling Saddam Hussein is over. The political mission, the reconstruction mission, the nation-building that this administration said it would never do has all but failed.

But that is what we must now address, not our strength of arms but our strength of diplomacy and our power to rebuild.

Our new strategy should be to withdraw and redeploy our soldiers quickly while empowering the Iraqi security forces. We can help to rebuild and create economic opportunity, to train Iraqis and perform other assistance as asked, but we cannot remain the dominant force in Iraq.

It is time for Iraqis to take control of their own country. A stabilized, secure and free Iraq can only be achieved when Iraqis take full control. Until that time our forces will be stuck in the middle of an increasingly violent civil war and all the while Afghanistan sliding back into danger and violence and al Qaeda continues to plot while our attention is being diverted.

I have spoken with many people in Maine about this war. I have spoken with current military personnel, many who have served in Iraq, their families, veterans, and concerned citizens of all political stripes. Everyone agrees there is no simple solution to the challenges we face in Iraq and how to solve it.

There is one opinion that is unanimous. We all support our men and women in uniform. They, like the generations before them, are heroes. They heard their country's call and they did not hesitate to answer. I am glad this resolution makes that support clear. We owe it to our military personnel to provide them with the very best when they are in harm's way and when they come home.

I have heard from many Vietnam-era veterans who fear that our new veterans may face many of the hardships that they faced. This cannot happen. As a member of the Veterans Affairs' Committee, I am committed to addressing the mental health and physical needs of our returning heroes, and I know the American people are willing to do that as well. And as we discuss alternative strategies, it must be clear that we must do something that fully supports our military personnel.

This resolution is not about politics. This issue should unite all of us. This is about the future of Iraq, our strategy abroad, and our welfare for our troops.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Yes, that was a quote in a paper from General Abizaid where he said that they requested no additional troops, and I will try to find that article for the good gentleman to get it hopefully to him tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much. And I will find that quote, because you know sometimes quotes get misquoted; so I will get that for the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the families who 100 years ago, drawn by the promise of employment at Great Northern Paper Company's new 4-machine mill on the banks of the Penobscot River, founded the town of East Millinocket in northern Maine.

Working together for the benefit of their new community, the people of East Millinocket quickly established a school, water and sewer system, and volunteer fire department. They also established a proud way of life. Today, equipped with the same community spirit and sense of common purpose, the people of East Millinocket continue to embrace the challenges and opportunities of living and working at the gateway to Maine's North Woods.

Like my father and my grandfather before me, I joined these hardworking individuals as we all worked together to provide for ourselves and our families at the Great Northern Paper Company mill in East Millinocket. I am happy to have grown up and worked alongside these proud people, and it is these individuals and families along with the many other hardworking people of Maine that I remember every time I cast a vote here on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent the people of East Millinocket and I am happy to have this opportunity to help this community, the ``town that paper made,'' celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a husband and wife who have been tireless advocates for many of the disadvantaged in rural northern Maine. Ross and Judy Paradis are from Frenchville, a small town along the St. Lawrence River overlooking our neighbor to the north, Canada.

Through a range of professional positions, Ross and Judy Paradis have worked day and night to help make the lives of the residents of the St. John Valley better and more prosperous.

They were both teachers, then state representatives in the Maine Legislature. Judy was also a state senator. Even today, with no direct ties to public office, the Paradis have championed the causes of their neighbors. They continue to work as advocates on education, housing, health and human services, and many other issues that affect the day- to-day lives of those around them. They champion Maine's children, Maine's rural. communities and Maine's way of life. They have also helped to preserve the stories and culture of Maine's Acadian heritage.

Ross and Judy have always stepped up when faced with a challenge. As a result, they have gained the respect of their colleagues from all over the state and beyond. Their concern has always been the needs of their constituents in the Saint John Valley and the people of Maine.

The citizens of the State of Maine are extremely fortunate to have such wonderful advocates and friends.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding; and I also want to thank Congressman Hare for bringing this issue forward. Having worked with Congressman Hare over the last month or so, I know he is going to fill the shoes of Congressman Evans and fight for veterans issues. I really appreciate that.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 521, designating the post office in Rock Island, Illinois, as the Lane Evans Post Office Building. It is right that we should honor Congressman Lane Evans.

Lane Evans will be known for the years he spent fighting for veterans and their families and for attacking issues like mental health, toxic exposure and homelessness. These issues were once brushed aside. Now, because of Lane Evans, we face them and we deal with them. Because of Lane Evans, many Americans will lead healthier and better lives.

He never sacrificed what he felt was important. He always remembered why he came to Washington and who sent him here.

Even though he is no longer in Congress, I know that he will continue to fight for what he believes in. His influence will be felt in all the work that we do for the rest of our times here in Congress.

Congressman Evans has been a mentor to me and many others in this body. It is an honor for me to speak in support of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 521 honoring our dear friend and colleague and fighter for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this College Student Relief Act of 2007. This bill will help thousands of students throughout the State of Maine.

Maine has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country. However, only one out of four Mainers go on to complete college. That is because college costs are rising, and

many Maine students cannot afford their tuition. Too many are being denied the opportunity that college provides.

The legislation before us today would save students thousands of dollars on their loan repayment by cutting interest rates in half. Students in Maine beginning college in the fall of 2007 would save $2,107 on their loans, and those starting in 2011 would save $4,210.

This bill is also consistent with the pay-as-you-go principle that my fellow Blue Dogs and I have long advocated and that the Speaker has committed to. So it will not increase the deficit one dime.

I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation to help all the young people live the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, today I strongly support the prescription drug bill that will be coming up today for a vote. I commend the leadership for bringing this legislation to the floor as a central part of the first 100 hours.

When the Medicare drug bill was being assembled, the pharmaceutical lobby convinced its authors to write rules into the bill that would forbid ever negotiating for lower-cost prescription drugs. These drug companies

charged American consumers far more than anyone else in the world.

This bill today would allow the Secretary to negotiate for lower-cost prescription drugs. This is a commonsense solution that could have enormous cost savings for seniors and the government. The VA Administration already does this effectively; so does every other industrialized country in the world.

My own State of Maine has led the way in implementing this approach at the State level. I have introduced my America Rx bill based on Maine's approach in the past Congresses. I am so pleased that this bill today does that same thing, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I come to this floor as a proud union member after working 28 years at a paper mill in Maine. I come here as cochair of the Labor and Working Families Caucus. I come on behalf of the hardworking men and women of the State of Maine, and I am here to say we need to pass this legislation. The salaries of Members of Congress have increased by $31,600 since 1997, while the minimum wage continues to earn just $10,700 a year. Today, the average CEO earns more before lunchtime the very first day he goes to work than the minimum wage earner earns all year long. What kind of priorities are these?

We sometimes forget the face of the minimum wage worker. They aren't the corporate giants. They aren't the special interests. They are the hardworking men and women of this country, and they deserve a raise.

There is still more that we can do to help our people in this country work their way out of poverty and achieve prosperity, but increasing the minimum wage is a necessary first step.