Elijah Cummings

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge to a long-time servant of the community, Mrs. Jerrelle Francois, an accomplished educator and public servant who will leave her post as Vice Chair of the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners on June 30, 2012. Jerrelle has served the students of Baltimore for more than three decades. Beginning her service as a teacher at Cherry Hill Junior High School, and continuing on to become a Department Head, Assistant Principal, Principal and Assistant Superintendent, Ms. Francois has brought care, mentoring and education to thousands of the city's children. A graduate of Morgan State University, Jerrelle has dedicated her professional life to serving the children of Baltimore and to revitalizing education in the state of Maryland. Due to her exemplary career, Jerrelle was nominated for the 2011 Richard R. Green Award by her colleagues. When nominating her, they wrote of her service, ``Ms. Francois' 30-year career as an educator and administrator at every level of Baltimore City Public Schools exemplifies the highest standards of public service and dedication to the students and families of Baltimore.'' They went on to say, ``Ms. Francois has devoted her life to a passionate commitment to the children of Baltimore and the relentless pursuit of constant improvement in student achievement. As part of this dedication, she is firmly committed to achieving equity in education for all students.'' Jerrelle's career may speak for itself but what cannot be stated on a resume is her inspirational leadership and her value to the countless lives of students, parents, teachers and administrations alike that she has touched. Mr. Speaker, the words of her colleagues speak volumes about the person that she is, but one of the most profound statements I can make about this great American is that Jerrelle exemplifies the dedication to providing education, especially to underserved populations, that we as a nation strive for. She is the personification of what we seek to have our education system be-dedicated, driven and providing for those who truly need it. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this great career.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chair, I offer this bi-partisan amendment with Congressman Jeff Landry to increase transparency surrounding the issuance of waivers allowing foreign vessels to carry cargo between points in the United States. I thank Congressman Landry for his leadership on this issue. A report recently released by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that in 2006, the most recent year for which data were available, the Jones Act fleet supported nearly 74,000 direct jobs in the U.S. shipbuilding and domestic waterborne transportation industries. These jobs, in turn, supported more than $36 billion in economic output in 2009 and provided $6.5 billion in labor compensation. Among other provisions, the Jones Act requires that a vessel cannot carry cargo between two U.S. points unless the vessel has been built in the United States, and is owned and crewed by Americans. The Jones Act can be waived in the interest of national defense. However, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) must first assess whether Jones Act-qualified vessels are available to carry the cargo under consideration. Following the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in 2011, the Department of Homeland Security waived the Jones Act dozens of times despite the availability of Jones Act-qualified vessels. According to documents provided by the Department of Transportation, waivers were issued at the request of firms such as Shell Oil Company, ConocoPhillips Company, and BP Products North America. As a result, the American oil released from the American Strategic Petroleum Reserve was then carried by vessels flagged in such countries as Liberia, the Marshall Islands, Singapore, the Bahamas, and Panama. The amendment I offer with Congressman Landry is a simple one. Let me be clear: though I think waivers should be issued only in the rarest of circumstances, this amendment does not prohibit the issuance of any waivers. Instead, it would require the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to include in its assessments of the availability of Jones Act-compliant vessels information on the actions that could be taken to enable Jones Act-qualified vessels to carry the cargo for which a waiver is sought. MARAD would also be required to publish its assessments on its website and provide notification to Congress when a waiver is requested or issued. Adoption of these provisions will significantly enhance the transparency surrounding the issuance of Jones Act waivers so that we can assess whether every possible opportunity to utilize Jones Act- compliant vessels in the coastwise trade has been utilized. I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to support our bi-partisan amendment to ensure that every available step is taken to utilize American mariners to carry American cargoes on American ships between American ports.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. First of all, may I inquire as to how much time we have, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, I'm honored today to be joined by the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services in offering an amendment to provide urgently needed help to servicemembers, veterans, and their families. When Congress passed the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, one of its many goals was to protect our men and women in uniform from being foreclosed upon while they're on active duty, serving our Nation abroad. Under current law, some of the protections in the act are scheduled to sunset at the end of this year. Unless Congress acts now, our servicemembers could be placed at greater risk. Our amendment fixes that by eliminating the sunset provision and ensuring that foreclosure protections are extended for 12 months. In addition, our amendment ensures that soldiers serving in contingency operations do not have to worry about losing their homes, regardless of when they were purchased. Our amendment also extends foreclosure protections to the surviving spouses of servicemembers who are killed in the line of duty. And our amendment extends foreclosure protections to veterans who are 100 percent disabled at the time of discharge due to injuries they received during their service. Finally, the amendment prohibits banks from discriminating against servicemembers covered by the act, and it increases penalties against banks to deter future violations. We crafted this amendment after more than a year of investigating cases in which servicemembers suffered illegal foreclosures. We heard directly from these servicemembers, veterans, banks, and government officials at multiple hearings and forums in both the House and Senate. I also issued a staff report detailing how several mortgage servicing companies have now conceded that they violated the act. Frankly, this amendment should be a no-brainer. Every Member of this Chamber should be able to agree that our troops fighting overseas should not also have to fight here at home just to keep a roof over their heads and the heads of their families. Our amendment is supported by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Disabled American Veterans, all of whom have written letters of support. We owe it to our men and women in uniform to take action now, and this amendment provides commonsense protections to those who deserve the most. I urge Members to vote in favor of this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith).

Mr. CUMMINGS. Reclaiming my time, when we checked with VA within the last 2 hours, they said that the average is about 188 days. But be that as it may, I go back to what the ranking member said--we really ought to get this into conference. If there are issues that the gentleman is concerned about, perhaps they could be worked out at that time. But we've got servicemembers who are being abused right now. I know that, as chairman of Veterans', I know the gentleman wants to make sure that he protects our veterans. So with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, in reference to the argument about the deployment and notice, the Department of Defense has a long-standing database in place that lenders currently utilize to access this information, and I think that that would be sufficient with regard to that. The question that the gentleman raises, Mr. Miller, is a very good one with regard to the 100 percent disability. The amendment I've offered does not include those rated 100 percent disabled after multiple appeals. It only applies to those rated 100 percent disabled at the time of discharge. And you're probably right; it won't be but so many people.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you, Mr. Van Hollen. This week marks the 28th anniversary of Public Service Recognition Week, a week in which we honor the contributions of Federal, State, local, and government employees. These employees include outstanding public servants like IRS' Shauna Henline, from Representative Rob Bishop's congressional district, who saved the United States taxpayers billions of dollars by identifying and bringing to justice tax evaders and scammers. They include the State Department's Shane Morris, a constituent of Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey, who played a critical role in ensuring that United States diplomats in the Middle East continued to receive classified information, material, and equipment during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011. Instead of us using this week to celebrate the good work of government employees who dedicate their lives to serving others, the Republican majority has put legislation on the House floor today that would take billions of dollars out of their pockets. I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, where is the appreciation or compassion for the dedication and commitment that public employees display day by day? It certainly is not in this bill, which is an uncompassionate and wrongheaded approach to our fiscal problems. The Federal employee-related provisions in this bill which were reported out of the Oversight Committee would reduce the take-home pay of nearly 3 million middle class Americans by 5 percent, mandating increased retirement contributions. The bill also would eliminate the FERS annuity supplement for new workers who retire before they are eligible for Social Security at 62. According to the Office of Personnel Management, the average annuity amount for current FERS retirees is nearly $700 per month. I do not think any American who has dedicated his life to the public service should be forced to lose that much money on a monthly basis, particularly those on a fixed retirement budget. Our middle class Federal employees have already contributed $75 billion towards deficit reduction and other government programs, while millionaires and billionaires have not been asked to contribute one additional cent to improve our government's financial condition. I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation and, instead, to support a more rational and equitable budget proposal that asks for shared sacrifice from everyone in our country.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. We don't have any additional speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I want to associate myself with all the words that have been said by both sides this evening, because we understand that cybersecurity is so very, very important to our Nation. We often look back to 9/11 and we think about what happened in that very short time, and how it disrupted our entire Nation, taking planes out of the air, causing our world to at least pause. We saw the damage that was done in a matter of a few minutes. Cybersecurity and the cyberthreat is just as great, if not far greater, and can happen very, very quickly. A cyberattack can take place very, very quickly, and it is something that we must do everything in our power to protect ourselves against. This bill does not solve all the problems, but it certainly leads us in the right direction. Again, I want to thank the chairman. I want to thank everybody involved for the bipartisan effort and for making the security of our Nation our number one priority. With that, I urge all of the Members to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, first of all, I'd like to express my appreciation to the chairman of our committee for his kind words and for his cooperation. I start by thanking him for working with me and my staff to make this a bipartisan effort, and it is truly a bipartisan effort. From the beginning, we agreed that we did not want to make securing our Federal information systems a partisan issue and that securing our Nation against a cyberattack is an issue that transcends any party lines. This bill is evidence of the good work that we can do when we work together to address an important issue like cybersecurity. Not only does this bill enjoy bipartisan support, but it is noncontroversial. Last week, the bill was marked up in committee and passed on a voice vote. The only amendments considered made constructive changes to the bill that were recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Government Accountability Office. These changes enjoyed universal support in committee. This legislation will ensure that Federal agencies use a risk-based approach to defend against cyberattacks and protect government information from being compromised by our adversaries. The bill would make key changes to help protect our Federal information systems from cyberattacks. It would shift the Federal Government to a system of continuous monitoring of information systems, streamline reporting requirements, and ensure that agencies take a smart, risk-based approach to securing networks. This bill will continue to authorize the Office of Management and Budget to set Federal policy for information security. This is important because we need to hold all agencies accountable for developing appropriate standards and living up to them. However, nothing in this bill would prevent the Department of Homeland Security from continuing the great work it is doing to protect our Nation against potential cyberattacks. The Department has dramatically expanded its cybersecurity workforce, and it has built the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to serve as Federal Government's cybersecurity command center. This command center is a vital part of our efforts to protect Federal information systems. Earlier this month, the head of U.S. Cyber Command, General Keith Alexander, testified that securing our Nation against cyberthreats is one of our biggest national security challenges. Securing our Federal information systems is a critical component of addressing this challenge, and I urge my colleagues to join me and our chairman in supporting this legislation. With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Chair, although I am voting against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 today, I recommend Representative C.A. ``Dutch'' Ruppersberger, the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, for his efforts to improve the bill significantly since its passage out of committee. He has been a leader in protecting our Nation against cyber attacks, and he has gone out of his way to make this bill as inclusive and bipartisan as possible. I want to thank him for the time he took to meet with me personally to discuss this legislation and ways to improve it going forward. I oppose this bill in its current form for several reasons. First, the Republicans on the House Rules Committee refused to allow debate on an amendment offered by Representative Bennie Thompson, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, to expand this legislation to protect our Nation's critical infrastructure. In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, then-CIA Director Leon Panetta called cybersecurity ``the battleground for the future.'' Our Nation's critical infrastructure--including power distribution, water supply, telecommunications, and emergency services--has become increasingly dependent on computerized information systems to manage their operations and to process, maintain, and report essential information. Any effort to address this national security threat must address our Nation's critical infrastructure. In addition, the legislation includes several provisions that are problematic. For example, under the information-sharing provisions of the bill, private entities receive absolute immunity from criminal or civil liability for any harm that may result from a company's actions that stem from the sharing or receiving of cyber threat information as long as the company can show it was acting in good faith. This bill would also create a new exemption to the Freedom of Information Act that is unwarranted since current law exemptions provide the flexibility necessary to protect sensitive information. The bill would prohibit agencies from disclosing ``cyber threat information,'' and it would hold the government liable for such disclosure. Unfortunately, an amendment offered on the floor did not sufficiently address these concerns. Finally, the bill would allow companies to share private consumer data without adequate protections or oversight. Private entities would decide the type and amount of information to share with the Federal Government, and nothing in the bill would require companies to strip out unnecessary personally identifiable information. Again, an amendment offered on the floor did not go far enough to adequately address this issue. I appreciate the great effort that went into pulling this bill together, but more work is needed before I can offer my support. It is critical that we protect Americans from cyber attacks, and I hope we can continue to improve this legislation as we move forward.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, let me say that the chairman, Chairman Issa, has worked very closely with us as we have cosponsored this bill and has worked hard to make sure that all of its provisions are satisfactory to this side. So he is absolutely right, Madam Speaker, it is truly a bipartisan bill. Again, I thank him. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent, and we on our committee and all those in Congress believe we have a responsibility to ensure that those hard-earned tax dollars are spent effectively and efficiently. H.R. 2146, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, will make the Federal Government more accountable by making it easier for taxpayers to see where their money is going. By making government spending more transparent, we will, hopefully, reduce wasteful spending. This bill aims to capitalize on the success of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. The Democrats in Congress created the board as part of the Recovery Act in 2009. In addition to promoting job creation, economic activity and long-term growth, the Recovery Act fostered unprecedented accountability and transparency in government spending. Under the administration's implementation and the RAT Board's oversight, the Recovery Act has had historically low levels of waste, fraud, and abuse. The successful implementation of the Recovery Act should be a model for improving transparency and accountability in all Federal spending. The DATA Act would do many of the same things the President directed by executive order on June 13, 2011. The DATA Act would establish a new, independent commission to lead the government's efforts on Federal spending transparency and accountability. The new commission would be authorized to set government-wide data standards and to coordinate the oversight of Federal funds to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. I supported this legislation when it was considered by the Oversight Committee in June, but I had several concerns which I asked Chairman Issa to work with me on addressing. I commend the chairman for bringing an amendment to the floor today that addresses those concerns. This bill also includes language requiring agencies to disclose their spending on conferences and to justify their locations and cost efficiency. The bill, as amended, also requires agencies to reduce their travel spending by 20 percent from fiscal year 2010 levels. The President directed agencies to reduce travel spending in an executive order issued on November 9, 2011. When he signed that executive order to cut waste and promote efficient spending, he said this: We can't wait for Congress to act. We can't wait for them to get our fiscal house in order and make the investments necessary to keep America great. That's why, today, I'm signing an executive order that will build on our efforts to cut waste and promote more efficient spending across the government. We're cutting what we don't need so that we can invest in what we do need. Let's show the President that Congress can and will act to reduce wasteful spending. I urge my colleagues to join me, our chairman, and our committee in supporting this legislation. With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. CUMMINGS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As the Chairman stated and others have stated on this floor, we saw the abuses that took place at GSA, and we will certainly continue to follow them, because I believe that all of us were very upset about those abuses, Madam Speaker. One of the things that we do believe is that the legislation like this is so important because it shines a light on how money is being spent. It won't solve all the problems, but it certainly will solve a lot of them. One of the things that Mr. Devaney said, who was over the stimulus bill and the RAT Board there, is that he wanted to do certain things that not only would lay out a formula for accountability, but would prevent people from even abusing the system. Again, I think what we're doing here puts us out front of, hopefully, some things that people may have been thinking about doing. We don't even want to think about it because there are so many people in our districts who work so hard to earn their money, and they don't mind paying their taxes, they don't mind sacrificing, as long as they know that that money is being spent effectively and efficiently. One of the things that we have to do, Madam Speaker, is to make sure that we establish and maintain a trust with them so that when they write that check, they know it's going towards the roads that they want to see built, going towards making sure the air is clean, and making sure that the park rangers are present. They want to see that money spent properly. They don't want to see it spent on some bureaucrats flying around the country using the money in an improper way. So with this bipartisan bill, I think we send a message to the public that we're going to do everything in our power to make sure that they have as much information as possible about where that money goes when it leaves their checking account. And because of that and because this bill is so significant and because it is about a truly bipartisan effort, I'm hoping that we will have every Member of the House voting in favor of it. With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Lieutenant Commander Zeita Merchant for her service to the country and her contributions to the work of the House of Representatives. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation during the last Congress, I was very fortunate to have her join our staff as a fellow in 2010. I was pleased that she agreed to continue her fellowship during this Congress with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Lieutenant Commander Merchant made invaluable contributions to our work. In particular, she assisted in organizing a forum I co-hosted on the military's efforts to address hazing, as well as recruitment, retention, and promotion challenges for women and minorities across the Armed Services. Her unique perspective and hard work were critical to the success of this event. Lieutenant Commander Merchant also contributed her expertise on port security matters to our ongoing oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. In addition to her work in the homeland security area, Lieutenant Commander Merchant contributed to hearings on stimulus spending and the implementation of weatherization and green energy loan programs. We were fortunate and blessed to have Lieutenant Commander Merchant join us for a term as a fellow. I wish her continued success in her next assignment as the Executive Officer of Marine Safety Unit Texas City and note that she will be the first African American woman to serve as the executive officer of a marine safety unit. I am certain that her crew members will benefit from her determination and her exceptional leadership. As Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I thank Lieutenant Commander Merchant for her service and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the Republican Budget proposal. More tax breaks for the wealthy and ending the Medicare guarantee for our nation's seniors are the wrong policies for America, particularly as millions are still suffering the effects of our worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and as we are struggling to restore economic growth. As Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I also want to highlight the effect this budget would have on our Federal workers--the backbone of our government. They support our troops in the battlefield and provide care to our veterans. They protect our borders, safeguard our food supply, and ensure that our seniors get their Social Security checks. In return, the majority has rewarded these middle-class Americans with an unprecedented assault on their compensation and benefits, including proposals to extend their current two-year pay freeze, to arbitrarily eliminate positions, and to slash their retirement benefits. Federal workers have already done more than their share to help address our nation's fiscal woes. They have contributed $60 billion to deficit reduction as a result of the existing two-year pay freeze, and they are contributing an additional $15 billion in higher pension contributions to help fund the unemployment insurance extension. But House Republicans aren't finished. The Republican budget directs the Oversight Committee to take an additional $80 billion out of the pockets of these middle-class workers in the form of additional cuts to their pay and pensions. That would more than double what they have already given to date. These continued efforts to end Medicare, to cut our social safety net, and to slash the pay and benefits of middle-class federal workers are simply shameful, especially when this budget would use these savings to give unprecedented tax breaks to the millionnaires and billionnaires. I oppose the Ryan budget and will oppose all bills that would take money out of the pockets of middle-class Americans before asking the wealthiest among us to contribute their fair share.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I am in support of important legislation on Federal real property disposal. I believe that we have found a bipartisan solution to the deficiencies that currently exist in real property management in H.R. 665. The Federal Government has costly and pressing problems disposing of its unneeded real property, which includes its public buildings and lands. As a result, the GAO has placed this issue on its ``high risk'' list. Unneeded and under-utilized buildings are languishing in the Federal inventory when their sale could generate much-needed revenue for the national treasury. Maintenance of these buildings costs the government nearly $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2010 alone. In tough times like those we face today, this waste is simply unacceptable. In this Congress, four separate pieces of legislation have been introduced to help solve the problem. H.R. 665 combines the best elements of these legislative proposals and creates a timely and workable method of disposing of excess Federal property while generating the highest possible financial returns. The bill would establish a five-year pilot program to dispose of the 15 highest value unneeded Federal real properties. The Federal Government will clearly gain from the disposal of these properties. Not only will the fair market value generate income, but we will realize significant savings by eliminating maintenance and operating costs. I also support H.R. 665 because it will provide aid to organizations dedicated to helping those most vulnerable among us, the homeless. This legislation permits Congress to appropriate the equivalent of two (2) percent of the proceeds from the sale of these properties to fund grants to eligible organizations that serve the homeless. This requirement preserves our commitment to the goals of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This bill will also expand transparency surrounding the disposal of Federal property. It requires that GSA report annually to Congress on the number, market value and deferred maintenance costs of all executive branch real property assets. The report would also include ongoing operating costs of surplus properties so that we are always aware of the expenses that empty, unused properties are incurring. The public will also be able to access information on all real Federal property through a database required to be established by GSA. Agencies will also be allowed to retain the net proceeds from the disposition of real property, and use those funds to maintain, repair, and dispose of their other properties. Net proceeds not used for such costs would be used for deficit reduction. This provision will incentivize agencies to move properties quickly through the disposal process and will keep revenues moving into the Treasury. I am pleased that we have been able to produce a bipartisan solution to a problem that wastes taxpayer dollars maintaining unneeded Federal buildings. I support H.R. 665 as amended and I hope that we can get this legislation working for America as soon as possible.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that we are extending the payroll tax cut through the end of the year, which is essential to support our continued economic recovery. I am also pleased that we are providing unemployment benefits to ensure that millions of Americans have access to benefits they so urgently need and that we are implementing the doc fix to ensure that seniors on Medicare can continue to see the physicians of their choice. That said, there are a number of provisions in this agreement that deeply disappoint me. For example, this agreement will reduce by 30 weeks the maximum number of weeks of unemployment insurance available to residents of States with average unemployment rates. While the unemployment picture certainly improved in January with the creation of 243,000 jobs and a reduction in the unemployment rate of 8.3, there are still 12.8 million people unemployed in this Nation and millions more who work part-time but want full-time work. For millions of our fellow citizens, unemployment benefits are truly a lifeline. I'm also deeply disappointed that the conference report requires new Federal workers to contribute more to their pensions. Our Federal employees are not a piggy bank. We should not reach into their pockets anytime we need to pay for something. Federal workers are the backbone of our government. In return for their hard work and dedication, the majority has rewarded Federal workers with an unprecedented amount of criticism; assault on their compensation and benefits, including proposals to extend their current 2-year pay freeze and to arbitrarily cut the number of Federal employees; and, now, to slash their retirement benefits. So I'm going to vote against this conference report. It is an important bill to get through, but I have to vote against it in the name of my employees.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the conference report to accompany H.R. 3630. I am very pleased that we are extending the payroll tax cut through the end of the year, which is essential to support our continued economic recovery. I am also pleased that we are providing unemployment benefits to ensure that the millions of Americans have access to the benefits they so urgently need, and that we are implementing the ``Doc Fix'' to ensure that seniors on Medicare can continue to see the physicians of their choice. That said, there are a number of provisions in this agreement that deeply disappoint me. For example, this agreement will reduce by 30 weeks the maximum number of weeks of unemployment insurance available to residents of states with average unemployment rates. While the unemployment picture certainly improved in January with the creation of 243,000 jobs and a reduction in the unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, there are still 12.8 million people unemployed in this nation--and millions more who work part-time but want full-time work. For millions of our fellow citizens, unemployment benefits are truly a lifeline. I am also deeply disappointed that the conference report before us requires new Federal workers to contribute more to their pensions. Our Federal employees are not a piggy bank. We should not reach into their pockets every time we need to pay for something. Federal workers are the backbone of our government. In return for their hard work and dedication, the majority has rewarded federal workers with an unprecedented assault on their compensation and benefits, including proposals to extend their current two-year pay freeze, to arbitrarily cut the number of federal employees, and now to slash their retirement benefits. As a result of the current freeze in their pay, Federal workers have already contributed $60 billion toward the reduction of our Federal deficit. They are now being asked to pay for unemployment insurance and the ``Doc Fix'' while we still refuse to ask millionaires and billionaires to contribute one additional penny. It is time we stop the assault on our Federal workforce. We must implement policies that will ensure that our investments in our nation are a shared national priority.