Donna Edwards

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Well, you know, today was a great day. When I think about what we have done on education, we provided $300 million for Job Corps centers. These are training, you know, young people who may have fallen through the cracks, but they need the skills to participate in this economy and in the 21st century economy. We have provided the resources for our Job Corps centers to train up those people, not just in my home State of Maryland, but in every single State. I think that there are something like 125 Job Corps centers around the country, $300 million, train them for a green economy. Get those workers out into the workforce. They are weatherizing our homes, they are maintaining and building solar panels and wind turbines and learning how to lay broadband and do the construction jobs that we need throughout the economy. So I think it's a really great day for young people who want to go to college and whose parents may have lost a job, or not quite had the job that they had before this economy went into the tank. Those young people will be able to qualify for Pell Grants because we increased the opportunity for that. And so we will have our young people going into college, getting those 2- and 4-year degrees so that they can come out to be really full participants in our economy. So I am excited about what we have done, and I agree with my colleague from New York, Yvette Clarke, because we couldn't do everything in this bill, but we sure got a good start for January, 2009, for this new President and this new Congress. When I think about what it means to be a progressive and part of the Progressive Caucus, it means that we are making progress for the American people, and that's what we have started with this bill.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. You know, this is really a terrific start, but it really is just a start. We are in the process now of creating and saving 3 million to 4 million jobs, but it's the beginning. And I think that we have a President, President Barack Obama, who understands that this is a start. Of course, we have to create jobs, stabilize our economy, get our credit and lending system functioning again so it works for our small businesses, so that it works for our students who are trying to get student loans, so that it really works for homeowners in this economy. But we have a lot of work to do. We have additional work to do. And our job in the Progressive Caucus, and I think the President would agree with this, is to challenge him to be the best President that he can be. I know that we can do that as a Progressive Caucus by focusing on the needs of working people, of focusing on bringing more people into low- and moderate-income housing, into reinvesting in our disinvested communities, and to making sure that people have health care that is quality, affordable, and accessible to all of us. These are things that we can do. We have to be smart and deliberate about it and we have to be very strategic about it, but I think that we have a President who's on the same page, and our job is to lay out an agenda that all of us can come around. I know that we can do that as a Progressive Caucus. I feel it and I hear it and I see it. You see threads of it in this recovery and reinvestment package that we passed today. You can see threads of a progressive agenda throughout this package that we need to build on over this next Congress. And so when I look, for example, at our push to expand low-income heating assistance, expand LIHEAP, what that does for us is also says we are going to invest in weatherization of some of our older homes. Many of these homes are occupied by our low-income families, occupied by our senior citizens, and we will do that, but we also create jobs in the process. So there are a number of elements of this reinvestment and recovery package that will get us to where we need to be in this current economy but will put us on a foot forward moving forward with this new President.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. You know, we are fighting for those people every day. I'm am talking about working people. I'm taking about people who get up in the morning and they get on the public transportation, they get on the trains every morning, they ride the buses to work, and then they come home and take their children to the basketball game and soccer practice and sitting down and doing the homework, and they are struggling. And these are working people who are struggling in this economy. And then some people who had a job yesterday but don't have a job today. These are the people that we are fighting for, that the Progressive Caucus is fighting for. If the gentleman would continue to yield, I want to point out to you that I know that in my home State of Maryland--my State is just like a lot of States--where the budget of the State is being cut. In our case, it's being cut by about $2 billion this year because our State has to balance its budget. And so what we were able to do in this reinvestment and recovery package is to provide some help for the State so they don't have to cut vital services for people who work every single day. And I think that that is really important for the American people to know because we are out there fighting for them. And when it's all said and done, there will be those who will complain about this provision or that provision or other, but the reality is we have created jobs here. And we are going to protect and preserve those jobs and we are going to create better jobs for the future. It was because of a progressive voice in that fight, working with this President and this Congress and our leadership, making sure that we passed something that really will make a difference, not just in the lives of the people in my home State of Maryland, but some of those other States where the unemployment is skyrocketing to double-digit unemployment.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I think that our job is to make certain that we project a vision that is about the future and that we ensure and say to the American people-- and I know that I am going to say this to the people in my home State of Maryland, in the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland--that every day I want to listen to them so that we are articulating here in this body, in this Congress, in this House of Representatives, what is important for them. When they get up in the morning, I want them to know that we are thinking about them. I want them to know that we want them to have a job, that we want their children to have an opportunity, that in retirement we want to make sure that they are safe and well taken care of, and that our senior citizens have the benefit of all those golden years that they have worked up to. And I know that we can do that. And we have to say to the rest of the world that we are leaders and not just followers. And when I think about a progressive vision for this country, I think that we didn't realize until the bubble burst out of our housing market how much of a deep impact that had on the rest of the world economy. And so we are in a global economy, but part of that carries a responsibility. It carries a responsibility for oversight, it carries a responsibility for accountability, and we have to make sure that we are investing our money in our families, in our working families, and in our communities. And I think if we have that kind of progressive vision, that we are going to be able to not just convince the President of the United States, but we are going to bring him along and the rest of our colleagues in that same direction.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I thank the gentleman, and thank you for organizing this discussion. I too am very proud to have supported the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act, H.R. 1. This is about creating jobs in this tough economy and moving us forward. And I know that, like many of my colleagues, I will be proud to go back home to Maryland and say to the folks in my State, we are bringing $782 million in transportation and infrastructure funding to our State. I will be proud to say we are bringing $1 billion back to Maryland to help offset that horrible $2 billion deficit that we are facing. And to 89,000 students, you are going to be able to get your average award of $3,000 for Pell Grant assistance. Those are the kinds of things: elderly nutrition programs, real job creations, investment in science and technology. I mean, our district houses some of the labs that are on the forefront of development in this country for science and technology and research, and we are going to be bringing dollars home to create jobs and make those investments for the future. And so like my colleagues around the States, we are going to go home to our folks and we are going to say we are bringing jobs back home. And then we will come back into this Congress, and we will work for working people. We will fight for working people. We will do that every single day. And as members of the Progressive Caucus, our job will be every day to come here and fight for the American people. And so it is an exciting time, but it is just a first step. And our job will be to work with this President to make sure that we take this first step into the next step for the American people. And we've created jobs, don't forget that. We have created jobs today for the American people, 3 million to 4 million jobs created or saved today for the American people. And I thank my colleague, and I yield the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Let me just say, Mr. Speaker, today wasn't just a good day for the House of Representatives. It was a great day for the American people. I know sometimes people may not know what a stimulus is, but we know what a job is. And this bill that we passed today created jobs. Three to four million jobs across this country will be created, and they're created because people will be put to work. They're being put to work not just for the jobs that have to be done today, rebuilding all of our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our sewers, our water mains that are all falling apart, laying in broadband for the future, but also investing in some of those jobs that really are the future, science and technology jobs, investing in research so that we can get from here to there. So the American people may not quite understand that word ``stimulus,'' but we all understand the word ``jobs.'' And at the rate we have been losing jobs in this country, I think on Monday, just this past Monday, we lost 55,000 jobs in this country in 1 day. And so we needed to create jobs. And I think what we've done here is exactly that. I know that in my neighborhood just in front of my house I had a water main break a couple of weeks ago. Well, our water mains across this country, that water infrastructure is falling apart. So we need those water mains repaired. We had people going without water, without potable water, right outside the District of Columbia in Maryland in my district because of a water main break. So it's not acceptable that we continue in this vein in this country, and what we have done is we have created jobs for today and jobs for the future.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. If the gentleman would yield?

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009. We are entering a new era of job creation through science, research, and technology, and this bill makes timely targeted investments to create high-quality jobs, strengthen American competitiveness, and improve access to clean affordable energy. The bill allocates funds to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is in my congressional district in Maryland, for competitive construction grants for research science buildings at colleges, universities, and other research organizations and to coordinate research efforts of laboratories and national research facilities by setting standards for manufacturing. The bill also allocates funds to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to put more scientists to work doing climate change, important climate change research, including earth science recommended by the National Academies, satellite sensors that measure solar radiation critical to understanding climate change. I am proud that this bill includes $10 billion for science research facilities and instrumentation, to focus American brain power and education on solving the energy and climate challenges.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. This is an investment for the 21st century. It is for our children, it is for our grandchildren. I applaud Chairman Gordon and the House leadership for making these investments, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This is about the future.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the underlying bill and of the amendment introduced by my good friend from Massachusetts. He has been a tireless leader, the chairman has, in trying to ensure that this administration does right by the taxpayers and that it particularly does right by homeowners who are facing foreclosure. Like many of my colleagues, I supported the final TARP. Yet, despite the debate in this Congress and despite the intense discussions with the administration, they failed taxpayers miserably in making sure that homeowners are protected, that they stay in their homes and that we restore stability to our housing and mortgage markets. This amendment adds and strengthens many critically important provisions. I particularly support the establishment of an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. As my colleague from Maryland noted, foreclosures continue to take their toll on families, communities and States across this country. Yesterday, of course, RealtyTrac announced that the foreclosure rate was up 81 percent in 2008. In fact, it's likely that, in my home State of Maryland, 1 in 26 homeowners will experience foreclosure this year. Many of those homeowners, some of those homeowners, live in my own neighborhood. I represent two counties leading our State in foreclosure numbers. If left unaddressed, the foreclosures will continue to increase and will touch even more lives. I am frustrated that this administration has failed and that foreclosures have skyrocketed. Yet it's important now for us to get it right for the American people and for the taxpayer. So I support the underlying bill and the amendment. I applaud the chairman for his leadership to make certain that American taxpayers are protected, that we ensure that people stay in their homes, that they are protected from foreclosure, that we stabilize our housing market, and that we provide accountability for taxpayers and for the administration.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, as we begin the 111th Congress this week, we are plagued by an economic crisis that continues to affect every family in America. We must act now to address these serious challenges or we could experience an even deeper economic downturn and continued job losses this year. Passing an economic recovery package that provides a short-term economic boost and that invests in America's future is a priority for this new Congress. Rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges and schools will create jobs today and will transform our economy tomorrow. Making public buildings more energy efficient will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and will create high-wage jobs in all communities. We must invest in our aging water and sewer systems. Fifty- and 100- year-old pipes lack the capacity to support our growing population and to preserve and protect our Nation's drinking water. Mr. Speaker, these problems are not partisan, and our solution should not be either. Democrats and Republicans must come together now to get our economy back on track and to reinvest in America's financial future.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, if I might make an inquiry of the gentleman from Massachusetts. In my reading of the bill, I am trying to understand whether it is your belief that the Treasury has the authority under this legislation to use some portion of that $700 billion to deal directly with homeowners, specifically with homeowners facing foreclosure. And could you clarify for me the circumstances under which the Treasury has that authority when it wholly owns the mortgage, and when that mortgage is being serviced by loan servicing centers?

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I thank the gentleman for clarifying that. In that case, and hearing that clarification, I rise today in support of H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. I believe that we are just standing at a really important time in our economy. And while I voted ``no'' in opposition on Monday for the earlier package, hearing your clarification and the authority of the Secretary of Treasury to deal directly with addressing foreclosures that many people in my community are facing and across this country, I stand in support of the bill. I know that it is not enough, but I realize that it is important for us to move forward and to create the circumstances, whether it is bankruptcy or directly dealing with homeowners, that we will be able to help people save their homes.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 642, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 643, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1376) commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of September 1928 and its associated tragic loss of life, as amended.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1376.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I submit my statement for the Record. I rise today to support H. Res. 1376 as amended, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928. H. Res. 1376 as amended memorializes the loss of more than 3,000 lives in the United States and in the Caribbean as a result of Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as Hurricane San Felipe Segundo of 1928. This devastating storm formed in the Atlantic Ocean, traveled through the Caribbean Sea, and made landfall in Palm Beach County, Florida, on September 16, 1928. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this was the second deadliest hurricane on record in Untied States history, exacting the loss of over 3,000 lives in the United States and its territories. Approximately 75 percent of the fatalities were African American. The extensive impact of this hurricane on African- American migrant workers in southern and central Florida was memorialized in the famous 1937 literary work of Zora Neale Hurston, ``Their Eyes Were Watching God''. This resolution also recognizes the importance of hurricane preparedness measures, enhanced evacuation and emergency plans, and disaster response training especially in economically disadvantaged communities to prevent a disproportionate impact of natural disasters and disparities in disaster response. This year's hurricanes, including Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, continue to reinforce the importance of these activities. The resolution also recognizes the role of relevant Federal agencies, research institutes, universities, and disaster response organizations in providing intensity forecasting, long-range projections of hurricane activity, emergency management, and hurricane and storm damage reduction to better prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the extensive loss of life and devastating impacts of hurricanes and storms. As a result of this and later hurricanes in the 1940s and 1950s, a series of larger dikes was built around the lake. The Herbert Hoover Dike was the culmination of large dike construction around Lake Okeechobee and was completed in the 1960s and consists of 143 miles of levees. Recent reviews of the Herbert Hoover Dike have indicated that the dike is in a deteriorating condition. The Army Corps of Engineers is presently undertaking a comprehensive rehabilitation of the dike to provide protection for citizens living in the area of Lake Okeechobee. I urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to the resolution.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 3009.

Ms. EDWARDS

Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3009, a bill introduced by Senator Nelson of Nebraska to honor the distinguished career of former Senator J. James Exon. J. James Exon was born on August 9, 1921, in Geddes, South Dakota. After graduating from the University of Omaha, he joined the United States Army Signal Corps serving 2 years overseas in New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan. He was honorably discharged as a master sergeant in December of 1945 and served in the Army Reserve until 1949. In 1954, Exon founded Exon's Incorporated, which became one of Nebraska's best-known office equipment companies. The bill designates the FBI building under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, in honor of Senator Exon. Senator Exon served two terms as Governor of Nebraska from 1971 to 1979. In 1978, he was elected to the United States Senate and served for three terms in the U.S. Senate. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1996. Senator Exon died in June of this year at the age of 83. I support S. 3009 and urge my colleagues to also support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3009) to designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation building under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``J. James Exon Federal Bureau of Investigation Building''.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.