Floor Statements

I came to this body as a small business owner, as someone who employs just under 100 people. For me, that's 100 families. I decided to run for Congress because it felt to me as if the Federal Government was making it harder and harder for me to put the key in the door and to open up my business each and every day. Frankly, they should be doing quite the opposite. We here in this body should be making it easier for American businesses to grow their businesses--to be able to hire more people, to invest back in their businesses and to grow.

I am pleased to say that we have an opportunity this week to vote on a bipartisan piece of legislation to end some of the barriers that are preventing businesses from investing back in their businesses. We're going to have an opportunity to vote on H.R. 674, which would repeal a provision that would force government entities to withhold 3 percent from the vendors that they do business with.

Earlier this year, we took care of some legislation that was some overburdensome regulation on 1099s for small businesses. This was going to be paperwork that was going to, in essence, cost small businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, millions of dollars just to comply, just to cross the T's and dot the I's. Not a single bit would be added to their bottom line or would be helping provide services to consumers.

There is no question that this bill would help small businesses. It would also help governments and municipalities that would be forced to withhold. This withholding requirement is particularly harmful to small businesses, to contractors; and it would undermine our efforts to spur job creation. This requirement needlessly ties up the cash flow of small businesses, and that's exactly what we don't need to do at this particular time.

This is a commonsense piece of legislation, and I am confident that we will be able to pass it. We've got over 269 cosponsors today. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman who was just up here is, in fact, the lead cosponsor, Mr. Blumenauer, along with my colleague Wally Herger from California. It enjoys broad bipartisan support. It's commonsense legislation.

We do not need to be taking dollars out of the economy at this point in time. It increases costs for goods and services. It increases the burdens on administrative requirements. It increases the costs for recordkeeping. This is another instance of unintended consequences of legislation and ones that, I think, we cannot afford.

We must focus on how we can help small businesses across this land. We in this body need to create an environment where small businesses can have more certainty because, when I talk to businesses all across the 10th District of Illinois, the one thing I hear over and over and over again is that the uncertainty out there is preventing people from investing in their businesses, from moving forward. This would be yet one more burden. We don't need to do that.

So I'm pleased to see that Members on both sides of the aisle are coming together to try to solve some of these issues. It's certainly what the American public is looking for us to do, to be able to find some common ground, to move forward, so that we can eliminate some of these barriers. The number one issue we face, without exception, is jobs and the economy, so it seemed like common sense to me that we try to enable small business to be able to have the tools necessary to forecast, invest in their businesses and to grow.

With 29 million small businesses in our Nation, if we can create an environment where half of those businesses can create a single job, think about where we'd be then. We've got 9.1 percent unemployment in our country. In Illinois it's at 10, and certain areas even in the 10th District we've got unemployment of 20 to 22 percent.

We've just been recognized as the number one manufacturing district in the country. We've lost 750,000 manufacturing jobs in Illinois. We have to step up and allow small business to be able to invest back in their businesses and to grow.

I'm delighted to see that we were able to come together 2 weeks ago on trade legislation to be able to help those manufacturers, to help farmers, to be able to increase exports and grow jobs right here in America. Those are exactly the efforts that we need to do.

So I want to encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together on H.R. 674 to help small businesses move forward and get America back to work.

Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with job creators and workers from all across Illinois' 10th Congressional District. As I listened to the different barriers they were facing and the ideas they had to bring jobs to the region, I was encouraged.

Together, we can and must find common ground on legislation that allows small business owners to create jobs.

I was pleased to join with Lake County Partners last week and announce the creation of a new economic innovation zone in north Chicago. This community is experiencing extremely high unemployment, and the creation of this economic innovation zone will bring the community together so that we can work collaboratively to find ways to reinvest in the area and create new opportunities for workers.

I was also able to work with local leaders from the city of Waukegan to find a way to move forward on the repairs that are needed so desperately in Waukegan Harbor. We must move forward to delist this as an area of a concern for the U.S. EPA. This harbor is key to bringing business and to bolstering the economy for the surrounding communities.

When we work to preserve our precious resources like the harbor, we will be able to encourage businesses to expand and create additional jobs here at home.

Mr. Speaker, unemployment numbers just came out for our country; and again we see the country at 9.1 percent unemployment. The number one issue that we face here in this body and this government, I would argue, is jobs and the economy.

This week we have an opportunity to come together in a bipartisan fashion. The President has talked about the trade agreements with both South Korea, Colombia, and Panama; and I think this is an opportunity for us to be able to level the playing field to allow the American worker to win.

We know that if we level the playing field, the American worker can win; and we know that if we take South Korea alone, this is an opportunity for us to add $10 billion to our GDP. For every billion dollars that we send in exports, we create 6,250 jobs right here at home. Seventy-three percent of the dollars are outside of the United States and 95 percent of the consumers.

We want to make sure that we're selling America abroad. This is an opportunity for us to put American workers back to work, try to lower the unemployment rate from 9.1 percent, and move the country forward.

I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together today and this week to pass the free trade agreements and move our country ahead.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 765 I was unavoidably detained in Committee with Secretary Geithner. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Stated against:

Ms. PELOSI, Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 765 I was detained at an official event. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, just last week I had the opportunity to host a manufacturing roundtable to hear firsthand from job creators in the 10th District of Illinois. These business leaders spoke about the challenges that they are facing and how decisions made right here in Washington, D.C. impact their ability to create jobs and put Illinois back to work.

The entrepreneurs I met with expressed their concern with the uncertainty in the marketplace and spoke about the difficulties they face when competing in a global marketplace. From trade to excessive regulations, it is clear that much work needs to be done right here in Washington, D.C.

Despite the problems that our country and businesses face, I am optimistic about the future. Just yesterday, the President sent long- anticipated trade agreements to Congress for approval.

We heard the President talk about his Jobs Act; and while there may be some disagreement about the Jobs Act, certainly I think that there are areas where we can agree, and I think that we ought to move those aspects forward. Certainly when we talk about the trade agreements, I would argue that's one of the areas that has broad bipartisan support, and we should move it forward for the American public.

We have 650 manufacturers in Illinois' 10th Congressional District representing 80,000 jobs. Fifty thousand of those jobs rely upon exports, and I would argue that our ability to open and expand markets will create that demand.

Seventy-three percent of the world's purchasing power is outside of the United States. Ninety-five percent of the consumers are outside of the United States' borders. We want to make sure that we have an agreement, an arrangement where we can knock down these barriers where we can allow the American worker to compete on a level playing field.

If we are able to do that, the American worker will win. We know that for every billion dollars that we increase in trade, we create 6,250 jobs right here at home.

We know that it would add, just with South Korea alone, would add $10 billion to our GDP. This is a step, certainly, in the right direction.

In Illinois, manufacturing accounts for 93 percent of our exports, and these exports support 25 percent of the manufacturing jobs in our State, a State that's lost 750,000 manufacturing jobs over the last decade.

Small businesses are also a big part of those exports. By ratifying the pending trade agreements, we are empowering manufacturers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs. This is exactly the type of bipartisan action we need to be taking in these tough economic times.

While there is much more work that needs to be done, we should be encouraged by the movement on the trade agreements and use this as a stepping stone to continue working together and finding common ground. When we come together for the American public, we can create an economic certainty that allows small business owners all across the land to be able to forecast, have some more certainty, invest in their business and create jobs.

There are 29 million small businesses in our Nation. If we can create an environment here in Washington, D.C.

where half of those businesses can create one job, think about where we would be then.

I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together to pass these pending trade agreements. Put the American worker first, and let's get America back to work.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 745 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

I want to thank the chairman for his leadership in trade, and certainly this is an important topic. Just last month, we were actually here in this Chamber when the President came down to talk about jobs and the economy. And there's no doubt it is the number one issue that faces our country today regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on.

The President got up and talked about his jobs package; and as opposed to saying, no, we don't want the jobs package, what I said and what a number of colleagues that I know have talked about is what are the areas that we agree upon. And let's focus on those and try to pass those because the American public is demanding that of us.

Certainly at the top of that list are the free-trade agreements. And when we talk about the free-trade agreements, it's trade promotion where we're actually setting the ground rules with foreign countries, where the United States can actually compete on a level playing field. And if we can complete on a level playing field, the American worker can win.

In the 10th Congressional District of Illinois, we've got 650 manufacturers that represent over 80,000 jobs. Of those 80,000 jobs, over 50,000 of those jobs rely upon exports. You've heard the statistics from some of my colleagues here today talking about 73 percent of the world's purchasing power is outside of the United States, and 95 percent of all consumers are outside of the United States.

Just this last week, I had a manufacturers' roundtable where part of the topic of discussion was demand. Well, if we want to increase demand, I would certainly argue that we need to be able to have access to markets outside of the United States. Just South Korea alone would add $10 billion on to our GDP. For each additional billion dollars of exports, we create 6,250 jobs in America. That is a jobs plan. We can create additional jobs.

In Illinois, we've lost 750,000 manufacturing jobs over the last decade; and, frankly, we need to turn that tide around. We know in order to be competitive in the United States, the world is not going to sit back and wait for us. The EU has signed its free-trade agreement with South Korea, with Colombia and with Canada, and you've heard from others that the world is not going to wait. We're losing market share as we speak each and every day that we don't act. We must move forward. It represents a significant amount to our GDP. And we all know that if we don't act now, we're going to lose jobs. It must be putting jobs first and foremost that's going to allow us to move forward for our country.

So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up and embrace what the President has given to us. And I certainly appreciate the President sending us the free trade agreements. We told him we would act quickly. He sent them to us today, and today we're talking about them on the floor. We're going to act, and act swiftly, for the American people and for jobs.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you so much for your leadership on this very important issue. It's about jobs and the economy and putting American workers back to work.

I, too, want to send my happy birthday out to the Peace Corps, and certainly it's a great day to celebrate that birthday.

Madam Speaker, what we are seeing at the United Nations this week is a brazen rejection of the basic principle of a negotiated peace. Tomorrow, Mahmoud Abbas will deliver a speech

at the United Nations where he is expected to formally announce a resolution to unilaterally seek the declaration of a Palestinian state.

While we are ultimately committed to a future where the two states, Israel and Palestine, are able to live side by side in long-term peace and security, while all of us in this Chamber heard directly from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in May on his nation's commitment to a two-state solution, the question I have and which I wish every nation in the world who will be voting on this issue should ask itself is: Are the Palestinians ready to make peace?

This is the key question and is what Prime Minister Netanyahu laid out in his remarks right here in this Chamber: ``The conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. That is what this conflict is about.''

Madam Speaker, this unilateral declaration of independence is a direct challenge to the United States and the efforts and the dollars we have committed in recent years to promote a real, lasting peace. It is fundamental that peace cannot be imposed from the outside. It can only be made in Jerusalem and Ramallah.

There are too many difficult core issues which can only adequately be addressed through direct negotiations, which must be mutually accepted by governments on both sides, and, most importantly, which must be ratified by the people who live there. Without these vital elements, you don't have peace. You don't even increase the chances for peace down the road. Rather, you undermine the prospects for achieving it in the future.

This is the point of this unilateral declaration. Where is the commitment to peace on the Palestinian side?

Palestinian officials have made it clear that this unilateral effort is another means of isolating Israel and escalating the conflict against her. Palestinian officials have made it clear that they seek to advance this bid so that they can attack Israel through the international legal system, including taking actions against Israel in the International Court of Justice.

The tragic reality, Madam Speaker, is that Israel lives in a very dangerous region of the world, and the Israeli people absolutely have grave security concerns that should not simply be tossed aside by countries that are allies of the United States of America. The Israeli people are surrounded by hostile neighbors that want to drive Israel out of existence. We here in America must understand the reality on the ground and the threats Israel faces each and every day.

Israel is a peace-seeking democracy, and the Israeli people simply want to live in peace and security. Iran has its proxies closing in: Hamas in Gaza; to the south there's the Muslim Brotherhood, now gaining significant power in Egypt; Hezbollah is in the north; and in the northeast is Syria, led by Assad.

The recent downgrade in relations by Turkey is very serious. The instability of the Sinai is of enormous concern. This is a dangerous neighborhood, and recent events are bringing into sharp view Israel's daily reality--increased isolation and living under siege.

As we witnessed with the flotilla last year, with the storming of Israel's Embassy in Cairo 2 weeks ago, or with Turkey's new aggressive, bellicose rhetoric and actions, Turkey, who until very recently had enjoyed a successful diplomatic and economic partnership with the State of Israel, events in the Middle East can easily spiral out of control and lead to outcomes that nobody desires.

Fortunately, the Members of this Chamber have made it clear to the entire world that we will not sit idly by during the continued delegitimization of the State of Israel and the international community. I applaud the efforts of my colleagues in both parties who have continued to beat the drum and call this unilateral attempt exactly what it is--an effort to circumvent direct negotiations and undermine peace.

I am pleased that the President is committed to vetoing this unilateral attempt in the Security Council if it does come to a vote, and I appreciate his administration's focus on this particular critical issue.

We must continue in our efforts to urge the nations of the world to stand with the United States, support peace efforts in the Middle East, and oppose this resolution.

Peace between Israel and her Palestinian neighbors cannot be achieved unless both sides sit and find common ground. Unilateral declarations and third parties cannot do it for them. The only path forward is for the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit together and find peace. It is time for Mr. Abbas to come back to the table--his actions and decisions here must not be rewarded; our allies in the world should recognize this--otherwise they are legitimizing and ratifying the Palestinian refusals to negotiate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Senator Charles Percy, who passed away just this last week at the age of 91. Senator Percy served the great State of Illinois for 18 years. His leadership was recognized by his colleagues, and he went on to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was also beloved by his constituents for his efforts to provide home ownership to low-income families and his work to eliminate corruption in judicial selection in Chicago and ensuring that all judicial nominations were done through a strict advisory process.

I am honored to say that Senator Percy is from the 10th District. He is also a graduate of New Trier High School, as am I. In fact, I remember delivering literature as a child for Senator Percy.

Senator Percy's legacy will remain in the hearts and minds of the people of Illinois. Always fighting for justice and those without a voice, he is truly going to be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family today.

Over the past several weeks, I've had the privilege to meet with people from all over Illinois's 10th Congressional District. Whether I was at a senior center or holding a town hall meeting, one thing was clear: The people are concerned about the economy, and they want Congress to work together to find solutions. Throughout August I toured several factories, held town hall meetings, hosted a job fair where over 600 people attended, and organized meetings with manufacturers and entrepreneurs. At each and every one of these events people eagerly shared their ideas about how to spur the economy. And one thing also was clear, that they were fed up with Washington's politics as usual.

Mr. Speaker, we know Washington doesn't create jobs. Small businesses and entrepreneurs do. But Congress does have the responsibility to create an environment that fosters job creation and removes barriers that stifle innovation and economic growth.

Tonight, Mr. Speaker, we're going to hear from the President. I'm looking forward to finding common ground so that we can put people before politics and progress, before partisanship so we can get America back to work.

Our economy has seen incredibly weak economic growth over the last two quarters. Just today, we found out that manufacturing is at its lowest level in the past 2 years. My district, the 10th District of Illinois, is one of the largest manufacturing districts in our Nation, and there is no doubt that families are struggling.

I am optimistic that Washington is finally coming together and finding common ground on this debt ceiling debate. We must--I emphasize--we must move forward. Hardworking taxpayers have had enough, and I get it. We must have spending discipline here in Washington--no more budget tricks, no more accounting gimmicks, no more empty promises. American families have to tighten their belts, and they should expect that Washington will do the same. Now is the time to move forward and focus on jobs.

If we are serious about paying down the debt and increasing revenue, then we must empower job creators. Small businesses in our Nation are overburdened by economic uncertainty, government regulations and redtape. We need to implement commonsense solutions that create jobs and get our economy moving again.

I want to thank the distinguished chairman from San Dimas, California.

Let me just say, Mr. Speaker, our getting our fiscal house in order is one of the most important things that we can do in this body to jump-start our economy.

Just recently our economy has seen weak economic growth, especially over the last two quarters. Just today we find out that manufacturing is at its lowest level in the last 2 years. In my district, the 10th District of Illinois, we have one of the largest manufacturing districts in the country, and there is no doubt that families--not only in the 10th District, but across the land--are struggling.

Today I am optimistic that Washington is finally coming together in a bipartisan way to find some common ground on this debt ceiling debate. We must, we must move forward. Hardworking taxpayers have had enough, and I get it. We have spending discipline here in Washington, no more budget gimmicks, no more accounting tricks, no more empty promises. American families have had to tighten their belts all across the land. American businesses had to do the same. They should expect the Federal Government should follow suit. Now is the time to move forward and focus on jobs.

If we were serious about paying down our debt and increasing revenue, then we must empower job creators. Small businesses in our Nation are overburdened by economic uncertainty, government regulations, and redtape. We need to implement commonsense solutions and create jobs to get our economy moving again.

As a small business owner, Mr. Speaker, I employ just under 100 families, and for me that's an enormous responsibility. We have to move forward. We have to empower job creators. We have to talk about getting 9.2 percent unemployment down so that we can get our economy going and bring additional revenues into the Federal coffers by putting more people back to work.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are depending on the Congress and the President to find a solution to the Nation's skyrocketing debt. Now is not the time for partisan rhetoric. Rather, now is the time for both sides to come together and work on finding a bold bipartisan plan to address the Nation's debt and debt ceiling.

One thing we can all agree on is default is not an option. We will and must pay our obligations. Small business owners who have worked their entire lives for sterling credit ratings would receive a devastating blow if Washington can't set aside their differences and come together on this important debate.

At a time when unemployment is at 9.2 percent, default is not an answer. We need to encourage the job creators of our country to invest and to hire, not paralyze them with even more economic uncertainty.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work on a bold plan. There's no reason that we cannot come together and work to cut spending and put our Nation back on the path to fiscal sanity. Americans across our country are depending on us to get the job done.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Since 1947, 49 million Hindus in Bangladesh have gone missing, according to Professor Sachi Dastidar. A recent Hindu American Foundation report concluded that the ``Hindus of Bangladesh continue to be victims of daily acts of murder, rape, kidnapping, temple destruction, and physical intimidation.''

Dr. Richard Benkin, an authority on human rights abuses in Bangladesh, has described to me on several occasions the atrocities and human rights abuses suffered by Bangladeshi Hindus that he personally has verified. Other groups, like the Christian Assyrians in Iraq's Nineveh province, the suffering of the Baha'i prisoners in Iran, and millions of others who seek to practice their religion in peace, look to the United States as a beacon of hope. I believe this bill helps us answer that important call. H.R. 440 will create a powerful diplomatic tool for the promotion of religious freedom and human rights in the volatile regions of the Near East and South Central Asia.

I thank the gentleman for his bill, and I urge support for this meaningful legislation.

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to restore funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This important initiative received steep cuts in this year's Interior bill. My amendment would simply restore half of the funding that was cut.

This amendment is part of a two-step process to restore funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This amendment transfers funds from the Departmental Offices account to the Environmental Programs and Management, and it would be accompanied by a subsequent amendment to increase this funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

I do appreciate the support that the Appropriations Committee has shown the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in the past, and I am thankful that it does remain a priority within the Geographic Programs account. However, I do believe it is vitally important to restore some funding so that we can continue to protect the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes are truly a shared national treasure. As the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, they hold 95 percent of the United States surface freshwater and are a source of clean drinking water to over 30 million people. From the beautiful beaches and wide open waters to the bluffs and dunes, the Great Lakes provide a wide array of recreational opportunities and are an important part of the physical landscape and cultural heritage of North America. Furthermore, the Great Lakes provide transportation for raw materials and finished goods, all of which create jobs and contribute to a stronger economy.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an important part of restoring the health and vitality of our Great Lakes. Certainly, in my district--the 10th District of Illinois--we want to make sure that the Great Lakes are taken care of and protected for future generations. However, the ecosystem is showing signs of serious stress, and action is now required to restore, rehabilitate and make our Great Lakes better. As a scoutmaster, I teach the Boy Scouts the principles of leaving areas better than when we found them.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an important avenue by which to clean up our lakes and restore them to their natural beauty so that they can remain the crown jewel for generations to come; but in order to preserve our Great Lakes, we need the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to help tackle the challenges facing this natural treasure.

First, toxic substances are polluting the water, and this initiative helps with cleanup and pollution prevention. Also, invasive species are causing severe ecological stress on the lakes, and the initiative institutes a zero tolerance policy so that species such as the Asian carp cannot become fully established in the Great Lakes. Third, we must ensure that the pollution does not impair water quality. Finally, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative works to restore degraded wetlands and wildlife habitats.

Earlier this year, I, along with Congressman Lipinski, introduced the Great Lakes Water Protection Act, which would protect Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes from wastewater discharges by prohibiting

publicly owned treatment works from intentionally diverting wastewater systems to bypass any portion of the treatment facility.

This is just one more step my colleagues and I in the Great Lakes region are taking to fight for the protection of our lakes. Yet, despite all of these concerns, the current recommendation for this critical initiative is just over half of what it received in fiscal year 2010, and is $49.4 million below the fiscal year 2011 enacted level.

I do appreciate the hard work that the Appropriations Committee has been tasked with, and I fully support the committee's efforts to be fiscally responsible--to rein in Federal spending and to make sure that we are funding our Nation's priorities. That is why my amendment only seeks to restore half of the roughly $50 million cut that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative received in this year's Interior bill.

I do believe that the Great Lakes are at risk, and we must restore funding so that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative can work to protect our natural resources for our children and our grandchildren for decades to come.

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

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.