Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee for their assistance in bringing the resolution to the House floor.

Madam Speaker, on April 2, Washington State experienced a tragedy when a fire occurred in the Naphtha Hydrotreater unit at the Tesoro oil refinery in Anacortes, Washington, in my district. Six workers died as a result of the fire. One more was burned and remains in intensive care.

I offer my condolences to the families, the friends and loved ones of the victims of this fire. My thoughts and prayers are with Tesoro's employees and everyone from the city of Anacortes and the State of Washington and our country who grieve for the workers who died and who suffered injury.

I encourage my colleagues to join with me in supporting this resolution to honor the lives of Matthew Bowen, Darrin Hoines, Dan Aldridge, Kathryn Powell, Donna Van Dreumel and Lew Janz.

This resolution also expresses the best wishes of Congress to Matt Gumbel, who was severely burned in the fire and is currently in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. I hope that Matt recovers as quickly as possible from these terrible injuries.

And earlier this week, Madam Speaker, I received a letter from the CEO of Tesoro and the chair of United Steelworkers Local 12-591 expressing support for this resolution. And I'd like to enter this letter in the Congressional Record.

Multiple Federal, State and local agencies, including the Chemical Safety Board, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, are currently investigating the cause of the fire. I strongly support the work they are doing to help us understand what happened and how to prevent a similar accident in the future.

And although most Americans don't associate northwest Washington with oil and gas, Skagit and Whatcom Counties in my district have been home to major oil refineries for over five decades. The four refineries in northwest Washington process a combined 500,000 barrels of oil a day. These refineries are central to the local economy, employing nearly 2,500 people and supplying over $200 million in wages to workers and contractors.

The refining industry is inherently hazardous. As one refinery employee in my district put it, ``We don't bake cookies; we bake oil.''

That being said, preventing accidents that harm workers is vitally important. As the fire at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes fades from newspaper headlines, we must remain sharply focused on worker safety, at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes and at refineries and industrial sites around the country.

While it's not possible to prevent all refinery accidents, we need to learn from what happened in Anacortes. We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to reduce the risk of similar accidents in the future.

So I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting this resolution expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to those who lost families, friends and loved ones in this terrible, terrible tragedy.

April 20, 2010.

Hon. Rick Larsen,

U.S. Congress,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Larsen: The Tesoro Corporation, United

Steelworkers Local 12-591, and our family of employees wish

to express our collective gratitude for your Resolution being

considered in the U.S. House of Representatives that

expresses condolences for and honors the victims of the

recent tragic fire at our Anacortes, Washington facility. We

are deeply touched by your concern and that of your

colleagues in the House. Please know that we welcome and

appreciate the comfort your words provide to all those

affected.

Bruce Smith,

Chairman & CEO, Tesoro Corporation.

Walter Cleve,

United Steel Workers Union, Local 12-591 Unit Chair.

Mr. Speaker, last week's Senate hearings on the failure of Washington Mutual painted a picture of a bank that sold risky mortgages to unsuspecting homeowners in order to rake in huge profits. Federal regulators turned a blind eye to these risky practices and allowed Washington Mutual to gamble with our future.

Now, when I grew up in Arlington, Washington, Washington Mutual was known as a friend of the family. But their reckless behavior at the expense of consumers helped bring about the greatest financial crisis of our time. It was the largest bank failure in U.S. history and resulted in thousands of job losses in Northwest Washington State. Friend of the family no more.

Federal regulators as well were asleep at the switch while Washington Mutual made tens of thousands of risky loans. Consumers suffered as big banks put the interests of big profits and big bonuses ahead of working families.

Now, last week, we hear that the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against Goldman Sachs alleging misdealings in the mortgage securities collateralized debt obligation market. And today the House holds hearings on the fall of Lehman Brothers and the huge negative impact on middle class families from whom the risk seemed to be hidden.

These revelations and the Washington Mutual hearings and the Inspectors General report provide a sobering reminder of the urgent need for financial regulatory reform. We must prevent a crisis like this from happening again by imposing strong oversight of financial firms like Washington Mutual, and protecting American consumers and American taxpayers from unfair and abusive financial products like those in Washington Mutual's risky mortgages.

So I urge the Senate to act quickly and pass financial regulatory reform so that the House and the Senate can get together to come up with an even stronger bill, and so that financial firms like Washington Mutual, that, in the future, if they want to drive off the cliff, they may be free to do so, but no longer will American families be trapped in the car as an innocent passenger.

Madam Speaker, President Obama has recently taken three key actions to strengthen our national security and help bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons.

First, the President issued a Nuclear Posture Review which prioritizes stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and securing nuclear materials that could be used by terrorist groups or states to harm the United States and our allies. Focusing on securing nuclear materials and stopping proliferation will make America safer.

The NPR also maintains America's role as a leader in non- proliferation by demonstrating our commitment to continuing a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent without resorting to nuclear testing. While I share the President's goal of creating a world without nuclear weapons, it is important to have a deterrent capability to keep Americans safe as long as other states possess nuclear materials.

Second, the President signed a New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia. The New START Treaty will require the United States and Russia, the two largest nuclear powers in the world, to reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads and launchers. This will send a strong message to the global community about our commitment to ending proliferation and securing nuclear materials around the world.

Importantly, the New START treaty will place no restrictions on the United States' ability to develop missile defenses that will keep the United States and our allies protected from missile attacks from countries such as Iran.

Third, the President hosted a summit of forty-six nations to discuss the need to prevent nuclear proliferation and secure loose nuclear materials. This meeting has resulted in a historic commitment by these states to secure all the world's loose nuclear materials in the next four years. This is an ambitious goal, but it is necessary to take swift action to reduce the risk of a nuclear attack.

Getting to a world without nuclear weapons will be a long journey, but the steps that the President has taken over the last few weeks have us moving in the right direction.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4849, the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act of 2010.

This bill is another important step forward in helping small businesses create jobs in our communities and in assisting state and local governments to crawl out of their financial holes.

I agree with Secretary Geithner that by extending the Buy America Bonds program we are providing an important financing tool for state and local governments and investing in our country's long term economic growth in a cost-effective way.

As local governments continues to struggle financially, local officials can look forward to using the Buy America Bonds to build bridges, fix roads, and upgrade schools--all while creating jobs in our communities.

Snohomish County, in my district, is about to utilize the Buy America Bonds to fund public and private capital improvements that promote economic development and job growth throughout the county.

In addition, this bill includes provisions that will help small businesses obtain additional capital and encourage the formation of new businesses.

Small business is the engine that drives our economy, having created 65 percent of all new jobs in the last decade, and continues to play an important part of our economic recovery.

I will continue to do all I can to support our small businesses and create jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4899, Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act.

While the bulk of this legislation provides disaster relief for ongoing response and recovery efforts, this bill makes important steps forward to continue our Nation's economic recovery and create jobs.

First, this bill provides fee reductions and eliminations under the Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loan program and the 504 program, and extends the termination date for the loans through April 30.

These loans have been important economic drivers in my Congressional district, and have provided needed capital to small businesses in our communities.

Small businesses are going to play an important part of any economic recovery. Small businesses are the number one source of new job growth in our Nation and have created 65 percent of all new jobs in the last decade.

Between October 2009 and last month, there were 58 SBA 7(a) loans and 15,504

loans provided to small businesses in my district allowing them to expand and modernize.

These are the types of programs that Congress must support to continue our economic recovery and create jobs at home, and I am happy to support the legislation on the floor today.

Madam Speaker, trade creates jobs. In my home State of Washington, one in three jobs is dependent on foreign trade. So as Congress continues to focus on ways to create jobs, we must help American businesses export their products and services.

This weekend I will travel to my own district to visit companies who have partnered with Federal programs to increase exports and create jobs. Western Chemical, for instance, a small business in Ferndale, is a leader in fish health products and biosecurity supplies. It recently received $500,000 in financing from the Export-Import Bank. By utilizing the Ex-Im Bank, Western Chemical is able to maintain cash flow, export their products, and protect the jobs at their Ferndale location.

Exports drive Washington State's economy, accounting for over 30 percent of economic growth over the past

decade in our State, and contributing to almost half of the new jobs created over the past 30 years in our State. So the recent establishment of the National Export Initiative, setting a goal to double U.S. exports in the next 5 years, is a step in the right direction. By finally utilizing the resources from the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Rep's office, the Department of Commerce, the Ex-Im Bank, and the Department of Energy, the administration has made it a priority to help farmers and small businesses increase their exports and create 2 million new jobs here at home.

Now, we in Congress must provide the resources to help them do just that. First, we should support the effort to hire trade experts to serve as advocates for U.S. companies and assist the more than 23,000 American companies who are trading to begin or grow their export sales in 2011.

However, we must not forget that the engine that drives our economy is small business, and that over the last two decades small- and medium-sized businesses have accounted for almost 65 percent of new jobs created here in the U.S. Last year I introduced legislation that directs the Department of Commerce to assist these SMEs in exporting their products, particularly to developing economies like China. From 2000 to 2007, Washington State exports to China grew by 406 percent. This created jobs in sectors likes transportation equipment, crop production, and even processed foods. I know that the U.S. Trade Rep's office has launched an initiative specifically aimed at increasing exports by small- and medium-sized firms here in the U.S. I stand ready to help.

Lastly, our farmers will benefit as well. For every $1 billion in ag exports, 9,000 jobs are created, and $1.4 billion in economic activity is generated. Our farmers, our small business owners want to export their products and services. They want to create jobs here in the United States. I am urging my colleagues to help them do this by supporting the National Export Initiative, which will in turn create jobs and launch us on a path towards long-term economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force for its success in combating vehicle theft in my district.

Recently, the task force was recognized as the top auto theft recovery team in Washington State by the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority. While vehicle thefts across the State decreased 20 percent in 2009, Snohomish County led the way with a remarkable 29 percent decline.

The Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force is an example of law enforcement agencies working together to make a difference in our community. The Snohomish team is made up of detectives from the Monroe, Marysville, and Lynnwood police departments; the Washington State Patrol; the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, and, most recently, the Tulalip Tribes.

Through this partnership, the task force disrupted the operation of 26 chop shops and theft rings over the past year alone--tracking down stolen vehicles, arresting those responsible, and helping make sure the bad guys were convicted.

Since forming in 2008, the Snohomish County team has convicted over 100 people and recovered 82 vehicles with an estimated value of $1.5 million along with $337,400 worth of stolen property.

At a time when budgets are stretched thin, we should not forget the needs of law enforcement or of the work of our prosecutor's office in making sure these folks are behind bars.

Madam Speaker, small businesses are the number one source of new job growth in our country, and their success will be critical to our Nation moving out of economic recession and toward recovery. One of the key drivers of small business success is access to capital. Unfortunately, the credit crunch has prevented them from accessing the capital they need to grow and to create jobs.

The Recovery Act and Small Business Administration lending programs such as 504 loans, 7(a) loans, and America's Recovery Capital, or ARC loans, are helping to stem the tide of job loss and getting our economy moving again, but more needs to be done. In order to expand the availability of credit to small businesses, we must strengthen our community banks to allow them to lend to deserving small businesses.

Our Nation's community banks play a vital role in small business lending, but the financial crisis has hamstrung their ability to make these loans. I look forward to seeing how the administration's Small Business Lending Fund proposal will help our local community banks provide loans to give small businesses access to the tools they need to build their own businesses and to start hiring again.

I have heard from many community banks in my district that Federal regulatory policies are also inhibiting their ability to lend. These banks are struggling because Federal regulators are requiring them to increase capital above already well-capitalized levels and shrink their balance sheets. As a result, they are forced to restrict their lending activity in order to meet these standards. So I have urged the Treasury Department and the FDIC to review the effect that the current regulatory environment has on community bank lending in order to ensure an appropriate balance between prudent and necessary regulation and a robust lending market.

In northwest Washington, the state of commercial real estate is also threatening their economic recovery. Community banks in my district have been devastated by these troubled real estate loans. This problem must be addressed so that we can free up much-needed capital for our banks to jump-start their small business lending.

While I appreciate the FDIC's October guidance on prudent commercial real estate loan workouts, I am concerned that this guidance is not yet working to stabilize the CRE market. The Treasury Department and FDIC must take further measures to address this problem and ensure the guidance is fully implemented. I urge my colleagues to address this problem head-on so we can help our community banks lend to small businesses, which will in turn create jobs and launch us on a path towards long-term economic growth.

Madam Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged

concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today on a motion offered pursuant to this order, it adjourn to meet at 1 p.m. on Friday, February 12, 2010, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in House Concurrent Resolution 235, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of today, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 11 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until Friday, February 12, 2010, at 1 p.m., unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 235, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Madam Speaker, I request that for rollcall vote #963, the Marshall Amendment to H.R. 4173, I inadvertently voted ``no'' but I intended to vote ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 963 on H.R. 4173, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``nay'' when I should have voted ``aye.'' I ask unanimous consent that my statement appear in the record immediately following rollcall vote No. 963.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act, H.R. 1672.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and northern Puget Sound, collectively known as the Northwest Straits, experienced substantial environmental decline. This was concerning because local communities rely on the resources of the Northwest Straits to create good-paying jobs and many iconic and endangered species, including orca whales and pacific salmon, rely on the Northwest Straits for food and habitat.

In 1997, Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Jack Metcalf convened a blue-ribbon commission to examine ways to reverse this trend and restore the health of the Northwest Straits. In 1998, Congress adopted the Murray-Metcalf Commission's recommendations when it authorized the creation of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Commission, a grassroots organization which does not exercise regulatory authority but harnesses the energy of local communities to develop and implement conservation and restoration projects.

For the last 11 years, the Northwest Straits Commission has done great work to restore the Northwest Straits. Their projects have helped create jobs and protect endangered and threatened species.

The Northwest Straits Commission has demonstrated the ability to implement challenging recovery projects. The Commission used $4.5 million of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to remove hundreds of acres of abandoned fishing gear from the seafloor. This project created jobs for out-of-work fisherman and saved the lives of endangered species.

The legislation under consideration on the House floor today would extend the legislative authorization of the Northwest Straits Commission for an additional five years. It will increase tribal participation in the Commission and improve oversight of its activities.

H.R. 1672 has earned the support of our local community--I have received letters of support for this legislation from elected officials, businesspeople and environmentalists in every county in which the Northwest Straits Commission operates.

Similar legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate by my friend Senator Patty Murray. I hope that our joint effort will help to protect and restore the Northwest straits for the people, fish, and threatened wildlife which rely on it.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 907) recognizing the Grand Concourse on its 100th anniversary as the preeminent thoroughfare in the borough of the Bronx and an important nexus of commerce and culture for the City of New York.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on House Resolution 907.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 907, a resolution recognizing the Grand Concourse on its 100th anniversary as the preeminent thoroughfare in the borough of the Bronx and as an important nexus of commerce and culture for the city of New York. I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano) for his work on this resolution to honor a historic roadway in advance of this milestone.

First conceived of in 1890 as a means of connecting the borough of Manhattan to the northern Bronx, the Grand Concourse was designed by Louis Aloys Risse and opened to the public in 1909. The project was originally completed for a total cost of $14 million, the equivalent of $340 million today.

Over the past 100 years, the Grand Concourse has served as the backdrop to many historic New York City landmarks, while the apartment buildings along the roadway have been home to the likes of Babe Ruth, Stanley Kubrick, Milton Berle, and other famous New Yorkers.

Among the many landmarks along the Grand Concourse is the Loew's Paradise Theater, which was constructed in 1929 and was at one time the largest movie theater in New York City. The old Yankee Stadium opened near the Grand Concourse at 161st Street in 1923 and has served as an important centerpiece for the Bronx and the city of New York ever since.

In the course of over 100 years, the Grand Concourse has played a long-standing role in defining the Bronx community, serving as the central north-south artery of the borough. Covering over 4 miles in length, it is lined with parks, fountains, and other pedestrian- friendly community assets that add aesthetic, cultural, and transportation value to the borough.

Recently, $18 million was invested in the infrastructure of the Grand Concourse to make it more pedestrian friendly and restore the roadway's beauty that has made it vital to the cultural and economic development of the Bronx for 100 years.

So, Mr. Speaker, in honor of this historic landmark and its contributions to both the city of New York and the borough of the Bronx over the past century, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 907.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to recognize for as much time as he may consume the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and as a result, I yield back the balance of our time.

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