Keith Ellison

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. For the common good. And what we have now is we have people who say, I don't care about the common good. And here is the thing----

Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, thank you. My name is Keith Ellison, cochair of the Progressive Caucus, and I do hereby claim this Special Order hour on behalf of the Progressive Caucus. Right away, I'd like to introduce my good friend from the great State of Georgia, Congressman Hank Johnson, who has served with distinction along with me since 2007. Congressman Johnson is the whip of the Progressive Caucus. Tonight we're going to be talking about jobs, income inequality, and we're going to be talking about this issue on behalf of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Our Web page is right here at the bottom of this document that I'm showing, Mr. Speaker. So we do encourage people to sign up and get ahold of us. In the very beginning of this hour, I want to recognize my friend from Georgia so that he can make some introductory remarks about the importance of jobs, just as soon as he's ready to take it on. If the gentleman is prepared to make some opening and preliminary remarks about the importance of jobs, economic justice in the American middle class, I would like to yield to the gentleman to take it away there. Congressman Johnson.

Mr. ELLISON. Right.

Mr. ELLISON. Yes.

Mr. ELLISON. I do hope that we can help the people understand that their interests lie with each other, right? So whether or not you're a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Bahai, a person who doesn't practice any faith but is just spiritual, an atheist--or whatever you may happen to be--the fact is we all breathe the same air; we all occupy this same small planet; and we have to find a way to live here. Whether you are black, white, Latino, Asian, no matter whether you're from the South or from the North, no matter whether you were born in America or you came here, no matter whether you're straight or gay, or no matter who you may be, you're an American. When you and I stand up in this very room every morning and we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we, in that Pledge of Allegiance, with these very simple words, ``and liberty and justice for all,'' all, liberty and justice for all, all Americans, I urge Americans to look for the common good, the things we all share. How can we come together around a common narrative of a shared reality as Americans so we don't look at each other as you're a this and I'm a that, and I don't like you because of this historical thing and all of this kind of stuff. Let's find a way to unite our people; because if we can unite our people, Congressman Johnson, we can stand up and advocate for policies that are to the best good of the American people. The American people will be wide awake and clear that our economic interests lie with each other, and we will not vote a program to give tax cuts to millionaires simply because we have been convinced that people of a different--people who pray on a different day that we do or pray in a different way than we do, or have a different appearance than we do are somehow our enemy. You know, we've got to build human solidarity. This is what we've got to do. And the one thing I like about the Occupy movement is you go there and you see people of all colors, all cultures, all faiths. You go there and you see people, even people of different income groups. There was a group that we had at our hearing, which we had just a few days ago, which there is a videotape on, on our Web site, USCongress.org, and they were calling themselves the Patriotic Millionaires. Now these are people who used the American free enterprise system, came up with a great idea, sold it, people bought it, and they did well in the marketplace. Now, this is a good thing, but their attitude is not, yes, America, you have public schools which educated my workers, you had publicly funded roads which allowed me to drive here, to drive there. You have the police department, which protects my business. You have the military, which protects our whole country. Yes, America, you've done all this stuff for me, but all this money is just mine, and I'm not giving any to anyone. They didn't say that. They say, you know what, to whom much is given, much is expected and they don't mind doing their fair share for America. That's the Patriotic Millionaires; that's the spirit that helped this country become a great country; and it's a spirit we need today.

Mr. ELLISON. I thank the gentleman. I just want to say this is the holiday season. We should have a spirit of charity in looking out for our fellow Americans during this time of year. But unfortunately, we have seen a no-jobs agenda from the party opposite. From the majority party, we have been here 11 months, we haven't seen any jobs bills out of them. They say that tearing apart the EPA is a jobs bill. It is not a jobs bill. They say that damaging the National Labor Relations Board is somehow going to bring forth jobs. It will not. Everything they say is a jobs bill basically boils down to two things--I think you might agree, Congressman--is deconstructing health and safety rules and cutting taxes for people who already are rich; and this is not a jobs bill. A jobs bill is taking care of our Nation's infrastructure, putting our veterans back to work, as we tried to do today. The Democratic Caucus offered a motion to recommit to help support jobs for our veterans, get small businesses to hire them, and we didn't get any Republican support, which is quite amazing to me. The fact is that, yes, here we are nearing the end of this year, nearing the end of 2011, and we're seeing unemployment insurance perhaps about to run out. We're seeing payroll tax cuts about to run out. Therefore, some people will see the end of their unemployment insurance and other people will see an increase in their payroll taxes. And it shocks me that our Republican friends are all for tax cuts, can't wait to vote for a tax cut, dying to vote for a tax cut whenever the recipient of the tax cut is rich. But if the tax cut happens to go to somebody who works hard for a living, who goes to work, gets their hands dirty and comes home, they don't want to see a tax cut for that person. They just want to see tax cuts for only some people. I think that you're right to describe our colleagues as the Tea Party-Grover Norquist Republican Party because that seems to be who's running things over there. You know, my father was a Republican. He is a Republican. He hasn't voted that way in a while. But he says, I remember you guys could go down there and talk. You could debate the issues. Some of us wanted to pinch a penny a little harder, some of us wanted to emphasize pulling yourself up by your bootstraps a little more. You liberals want to help everybody. That's what he says about me. But the point is we could find a way to get along. Today the moderate Republican, I'm looking for him. I can't wait to have him show up, because I cannot see anybody who has the spirit of cooperation that we could cut a deal with that could balance fiscal discipline on the one hand and the need to help and respond to the needs of Americans on the other hand. We see people who are carrying forth an extreme ideological agenda that is all around tax breaks only for the rich people, that revolves around unemployment being ignored, that revolves around all of these things. They say ``jobs.'' People shouldn't be confused, Congressman Johnson. You will hear Republicans say ``jobs.'' You just won't see them do anything about jobs, because if they want to do something about jobs, we could pass the American Jobs Act right away. We could help make sure those payroll tax deductions are extended, and we could make sure unemployment benefits are extended, but we're just not seeing any of that. What we are seeing is described on this board right here, which is the Republican no-jobs agenda. They've got a no-jobs program. They're saying, Get rid of the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, which protects the water and our lungs; make sure we are subject to toxic, hazardous waste and pollution; and cut taxes for rich people. Then somehow, magically, we'll end up with jobs. That's not going to give anybody a job.

Mr. ELLISON. FreedomWorks.

Mr. ELLISON. Right, divide and conquer.

Mr. ELLISON. I've got a 99er district as well. The thing that really gets me is that, if Grover Norquist lived in my district, I would feel duty-bound to at least listen to him because I listen to everybody in my district. But to sign a pledge to him to subvert the interests of the 99 percent is an outrageous thing.

Mr. ELLISON. Yes.

Mr. ELLISON. That's right.

Mr. ELLISON. Or even the old days of the robber barons, like the 1890s, you know, 1900. This was a time when industry in America was young, and there were no right--labor unions, there were no environmental protections and people would, if you lost your hand on a punch press, you just were out.

Mr. ELLISON. What you're describing is a win-win situation. But some people have a psychology of a win-lose. They think in order for me to do well, you have to do poorly. But the truth about the universe we live in and a strong economy is that if I do well and I'm creating prosperity in the world through good products and services, and then I give you some of my money by hiring you, then you have some money and you will bring me value and we will see the economy grow and we all can be a little more prosperous. But some people think, well, if you get something, then that means I don't have something, so they just hoard. This is a very, very poor strategy to pursue.

Mr. ELLISON. Starting January 1, it's going to come out of their checks. Now, Democrats have said, Let's ask the most well-to-do Americans----

Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ELLISON. And they don't have to pay based on their first $1 million; it's just after their first $1 million--to toss a little back to the American people so that we can extend the payroll tax cuts for working class people.

Mr. ELLISON. The gentleman mentioned that the stated goal of the Republicans was to make President Obama a one-term President. This is not just political rhetoric. Mitch McConnell--and anybody sitting in front of a computer can Google it and look it up--said that was his goal, which was to make President Obama a one-term President. I think the goal of a Member of Congress ought to be to look after the welfare of the American people. I think a Member of Congress ought to be trying to figure out how to look after the best interests of the congressional districts that they represent. I think that ought to mean jobs, health, safety, education. Trying to defeat the President should never be anyone's goal. I can guarantee you it was not my goal. Even though I did not think that his administration was the best administration for America, my first goal was not to get rid of President Bush. It was never my top goal. My goal was to try to promote peace and justice, economic opportunity and prosperity, not to try and defeat somebody else. The fact is that the Republicans have neglected the economy, and they've neglected the middle class. It really is too bad. So, on this issue of paying for the extension of the payroll tax deduction, I just want to say that there is $1,000 that Americans don't have to pay in their paychecks when they get them every 2 weeks or every month, which is because of the payroll tax cut. If that expires, they'll see 1,000 more bucks over the course of a year that they'll have to pay.

Mr. ELLISON. I just would like to say something very important here. It's common for our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to say we're broke, we're broke. They get up and say we're broke all the time. It's like one of their favorite things to say. The truth is we're not broke. America is not broke. This is designed to create a certain sense of crisis and urgency to scare people into favoring a program of austerity which they propose. But I think it is important to note that two-thirds--two-thirds--of American corporations don't pay any taxes at all. Two-thirds pay none. And I just want to point out to Americans, Bank of America doesn't pay any taxes. They got a bailout from the government. The American people got a call from Bank of America: Oh, my God, we bought Merrill Lynch; we bought Countrywide. It's not a good deal. We're going down. Save us, please. Through the Congress, which is the people's House, they got their bailout. Now, the assumption was that Bank of America would then turn around and pay the money back and then help people with their mortgages and help improve the economy. What they actually did is they didn't pay any taxes and they laid off 30,000 people. Bank of America didn't pay a single penny of Federal taxes. I've got more money in my pocket right here than they paid in taxes. Boeing, despite receiving billions of dollars from the Federal Government in taxpayer giveaways, Boeing didn't pay a dime in U.S. Federal taxes. Citigroup. Citigroup deferred income tax for a third quarter in 2010, amounting to a grand total of zero. At the same time, Citigroup has continued to pay its staff lavishly. John Havens, head of Citigroup's investment bank, is expected to be the bank's highest paid executive for the second year in a row with compensation of $9.5 million. They paid no taxes at all. ExxonMobil, they paid no taxes. In fact, I think we give them money. Big Oil tax dodgers use offshore subsidiaries in the Caribbean to avoid paying their fair share. Although ExxonMobil paid $15 billion in taxes in 2009, not a penny of it went to the American Treasury. It went elsewhere. This is the same year that the company overtook Walmart as a Fortune 500 company. Meanwhile, the total compensation of ExxonMobil's CEO is about $29 million. We say we're broke. What we're doing is we're not collecting enough revenue because we think that corporations are job creators. And, of course, they're not creating any jobs, as you pointed out. But we're operating on some faulty assumptions. General Electric. In 2009, General Electric, the world's largest corporation, filed more than 7,000 tax returns and still paid nothing to the government in taxes. GE managed to do this with aid of a rigged Tax Code that essentially subsidizes companies for losing money and allows them to set up tax havens overseas. With the Republicans' aid in Congress whose campaigns they finance, they exploit our Tax Code to avoid paying their fair share. And who do Republicans blame? The middle class. They say that the middle class is the problem. They say tax breaks for billionaires, which is the GOP plan, tax breaks for huge corporations, which is the GOP plan, huge bonuses for big CEOs; but who is it who our friends in the Republican caucus think is responsible for all of the problems? Well, it's public employees. I just want to point out something very important before I yield to the gentleman. The Republicans now have said they will support a plan to extend the payroll taxes by cutting the Federal Government workforce 10 percent. And by giving--get this, Congressman--a means testing for Medicare, food stamps, and unemployment insurance benefits. That ought to get a lot of money. But public employees are who they think should bear the brunt of the refusal of the corporate elite from paying taxes. They say that teachers should pay, that cops should pay, firefighters should pay, job training programs should be cut. Small business investment, no. Investment in the National Institute of Health and Research, we should cut back on that. Schools, they should have to pay. Clean energy, we can't afford that. That's what they say. Health care, can't afford that. Infrastructure investment; I come from a city where I-35, the Interstate 35 bridge over the Mississippi River fell into the river and 13 Minnesotans died, 100 got severe back injuries, all because of deferred, delayed maintenance. Infrastructure investment is not just a job creator; it is a public safety issue. And, of course, college affordability. They want to cut programs that make it more affordable to go to college. The brunt and the burden of balancing the budget is not and should not be on our public employees, our everyday heroes, the people who take care of our kids, the people who look after our younger people, the folks who look after us, the police department. Who are you going to call? Firefighters. I thank the gentleman for allowing me to elaborate on this point because I want to say that, on the one hand, they say we're broke. We're not. What we are is we don't ask the wealthiest among us to help out. And what they offer as a solution is to cut the people who give a good quality of life to the average Americans--our public employees. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. ELLISON. Right.

Mr. ELLISON. Grover Norquist said no. They signed a pledge.

Mr. ELLISON. Do you represent him?

Mr. ELLISON. The gentleman makes an excellent point. I mean, let me put it like this: How are you going to get the 99 percent to vote for the exclusive interests of the 1 percent? Or a better question: How are you going to get 50 percent plus one to vote for the interests of the 1 percent? You've got to keep them divided. You've got to keep them confused. You've got to keep them asleep. You've got to keep them disliking each other for no legitimate reason.

Mr. ELLISON. They signed it. They signed a pledge, not to the American people, but to Grover Norquist.

Mr. ELLISON. Asthma.

Mr. ELLISON. I want to say that it's been a real pleasure to spend this last hour with you, Congressman Johnson. We in the Progressive Caucus believe in one America--all colors, all cultures, all faiths. We believe in promoting human solidarity, not making Americans fear each other. We believe in economic prosperity and justice for working and middle class people. We believe in environmental sustainability, and we absolutely believe in peace with our Nation and other nations. We are always going to promote diplomacy and dialogue and development over war. We are the Progressive Caucus. I will allow the gentleman to offer a final word. If I could just say, my name is Congressman Keith Ellison, the cochair of the Progressive Caucus. Look us up on the Web. The final word will go to Congressman Johnson. After that, we will yield to the Republican side.