Marcia Fudge

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to congratulate Mr. George Dalley on his exemplary service to the United State House of Representatives. Mr. Dalley is retiring this year after thirty years of service to Chairman Rangel. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Mr. Dalley provided a wealth of information to CBC members and was a strong advocate for a more responsive approach to Africa, the Caribbean, and Central America. Having an informed, passionate and committed staff makes a significant difference for a Member of Congress. Mr. Dalley has been such a staffer for Chairman Rangel. As a journalist once wrote, ``Dalley is the guy in Rangel's office who sees every piece of paper the boss sees. He's the one Rangel seeks out when he needs an answer.'' The trust and collegiality between these two men is indeed a rare and valuable commodity. Even in his well-deserved retirement, I am sure he will maintain a busy schedule advocating for the causes in which he so passionately believes. As Mr. Dalley continues to raise his voice in support of human rights around the world, I wish him the best in his retirement from the House of Representatives.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Frank Kucinich, Jr., brother of Representative Dennis Kucinich, and recognize his service to our country and his dedication to the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Frank Kucinich, Jr. was a United States Marine Corps combat veteran of the Vietnam War, who was promoted to lance corporal on the battlefield. After leaving Vietnam, Frank continued his service in the Mediterranean in support of the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet in Europe. He was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps in September 1968. Frank Kucinich received many military awards for his service. He was also one of the founding members of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 15, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was nominated to the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Frank had retired and lived at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky, Ohio when he passed away on June 30. Frank was the beloved brother of Dennis, Gary, Theresa, Larry, the late Perry and the late Beth Ann. Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in celebrating the life of Frank Kucinich, Jr., and in recognizing his service to our community and our country. His patriotism and contributions to society serve as an inspiration to all of us.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I would say there are so many things we need to be addressing. Certainly what I have found in my home district is that as you look at what is happening with women and children, it is really appalling. Right now, the fastest growing group of children in schools today are homeless children. That means their parents are homeless, and more times than not it is just a mother. So these are people who most of the time don't have jobs and don't have the ability to take care of their children, and we have to do what we have to do as a government. We have to make sure we provide. So I am really happy that in the Recovery and Reinvestment Act we put significant money in there for shelters, for meals for children, for food stamps, for many things that I think are going to make their lives better. We have done what we think we needed to do to at least get them back moving in the right direction. So I think you are right. As we look at where women are today, not just in equal pay, not just in benefits, but in how we live as people in this society, I think it is very, very important that we focus on where women are going in this society. I know that because of your leadership, that is one of the things the CBC has been looking at. So I thank you again for all that you do to make sure that women get equal treatment, that women have the ability to raise their children in a positive and safe place, because if we hadn't done some of the things that we have done with this recovery package, where would they be? Certainly you may be poor, but you still deserve a decent place to live. You still deserve to be able to feed your children and send your kids to school in a safe environment. Again, I thank you just for the kind of leadership that you have given to us that makes us really take a look at what is happening in our communities.

Ms. FUDGE. Again, Madam Chairman, I think that we have done a lot of work in a very short period of time. And I thank you for your leadership, and certainly I thank our leadership, the leadership of our caucus, as well as the leadership of the administration of our Nation for their vision. I yield back the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I would again like to thank our Chair for her leadership. Certainly Congresswoman Lee has kept the focus of the CBC on those who have the least, and that is very, very important. She has kept our focus on job creation and has allowed us to be the voice for the voiceless. With her leadership, we know that we represent more of the poor than any other group of people in this House, and it is just refreshing to know that our focus as a caucus is on poverty and jobs. I thank you again for your leadership.

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, the Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC, is proud to anchor this hour. Currently, the CBC is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the Ninth Congressional District of California. My name is Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, representing the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, and I will anchor this hour. CBC members are advocates for humanity, nationally and internationally, and have played a significant role as local and regional activists. We work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress. But understand, all politics are local; therefore, we provide dedicated and focused service to the citizens of the congressional districts we serve. The vision of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus--to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens--continues to be a focus for our legislative work and our political activities. Tonight's hour will focus on the unemployment crisis in this country. Just last week, Madam Speaker, the national unemployment numbers were released and the situation is dire. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nationally another 345,000 people lost their jobs in the month of May. The total unemployment nationally has risen above 9 percent. For African Americans, Madam Speaker, that statistic is much greater. African Americans suffer unemployment at a rate of almost 15 percent. Over one-quarter of the 14.5 million individuals who are jobless have been unemployed for at least 6 months. Not only are they concerned about finding a job, but they are now fearful their benefits will soon expire. In my home State of Ohio, the situation is even worse. We have entered double-digit unemployment with a rate of over 10 percent. Not only must we work to help the newly unemployed, but we must assist the chronically unemployed who are many times forgotten. On Friday, I heard from economist Dr. Paul Harrington at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northwestern University. He gave three recommendations to deal with the job crisis: number one, radically expand the job training; number two, establish a connection between schools and jobs; and, number three, engage in direct job training activities. We need to assist the unemployed by retooling them, preparing them for employment opportunities now and for the future. We must always remember that when we work on health care reform, energy, tax legislation, we too must focus on the economy. Our national attention must remain focused on job creation and saving sustainable jobs for our workforce and to prepare them for new or better employment as opportunities present themselves because it is most important that we say to our people that there is a future. And that is why the topic today is so very important, Madam Speaker. Nationally, we have a unique opportunity through these difficult times to help our workforce. We must reinvent and reenergize our workforce with new training opportunities in existing and emerging industries. In my district, doing so involves investing time, money, and energy into health care, bioscience, advanced manufacturing, logistics and transportation, advanced energy and information technology. As of April, the State of Ohio's unemployment rate reached 10.2 percent, up from 6.2 percent the same time last year. There are thousands of unemployed and underemployed individuals who must enhance their skills to become competitive in this knowledge-based economy which has now defined our Nation's economy. A strong public consensus supports enhancing the skills of America's workers especially through high-quality education and training. In today's environment, the demand for workers to fill mid-level jobs is quite high and will likely remain high in key sectors of our economy. These mid-level jobs require more education than a high school diploma or a GED but less education than a 4-year degree. In Ohio, nearly 55 percent of all jobs are mid-level jobs, and many of these jobs receiving the new Federal job creation dollars are in health care, green jobs, infrastructure, and construction. Unfortunately, only 45 percent of workers in Ohio have the skill sets for these jobs. Alarmingly, Madam Speaker, the National Commission on Adult Literacy recently reported that 30 million adults score at ``below basic'' levels on assessment tests, meaning they can perform no more than the most rudimentary literacy tasks. Another 63 million adults are only able to perform only simple, basic everyday literacy tasks. Consequently, Madam Speaker, we have a mismatch between skills of our Nation's workforce, and we must have the ability to succeed and the skills our Nation's workforce actually possesses. What we need to do is match those skills and the people who need jobs. Years ago, our Nation established a number of workforce development programs to meet this demand by preparing workers for mid-level jobs. Since that time, Federal education and training policies have invested very little in these jobs. Investments in the programs that prepare middle-skilled workers have plummeted. As a result, too many workers struggle to find decent jobs, and too many employers struggle to find skilled employees. Education and training institutions like community colleges are at the forefront in identifying emerging market demand and training workers to meet 21st century employer needs for professional or career- path opportunities. It is critical that our Federal workforce development policy support the kind of work they are doing. Cuyahoga Community College, or, as we call it at home, Tri-C, established the Center for Healthcare Solutions, which specializes in fast-track training, allowing displaced workers an opportunity to quickly transition into living wage occupations such as State-tested nursing assistant, dental office assistant, the medical coding specialist that provides stackable credentials and opportunities for rapid career advancement. To meet the needs of a growing health care sector, Tri-C has partnered with the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board to offer State-tested nursing assistant training at the Employment Connection, which is our local one-stop career center. The partnership removes barriers to success for clients by providing wraparound services, which are fundamental skills job training and placement services. With over 60 hospitals, 30 colleges and universities, strong manufacturing capabilities, and billions of dollars in public and private investment, northeast Ohio is poised to become a biomedical hub. The business development organization BioEnterprise reports that the biomedical industry has grown more than 30 percent in the last 5 years, helping northeast Ohio become home to over 600 biomedical companies. Tri-C offers training for all facets of this growing industry through its one-of-a-kind bioscience laboratory featuring medical device manufacturing, pharmaceutical drug manufacturing, and business startups through its Key Entrepreneur Center for Sustainability. In 2007, approximately 1,500 positions were unfilled in the bioscience industry due to the lack of a trained workforce. It is estimated that approximately 900 of the unfilled positions are in the functional areas of manufacturing and quality control. We have to bridge this disconnect, Madam Speaker, and help obtain the skill set for this job and others like it. Tri-C's Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Center was honored with Team NEO's Economic Development Impact Award for developing a remedy for this workforce shortage. The center has more than 12,000 square feet of renovated space and more than $6 million of modern equipment and tooling simulators. Although manufacturing jobs have decreased significantly over the last 30 years, the manufacturing sector in and around my district provides nearly 300,000 jobs, which is 15 percent of the total workforce. It also generates $36 billion in gross regional product, which is 20 percent of the total gross regional product. Many of the low-skilled occupations have left the region, but there is a significant number of high-skilled, high-wage-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing. This increasingly computerized sector requires a new set of skills. Model job training would work hand in hand with employers to develop customized training for state-of-the-art equipment. Locally, we have developed a Ford Manufacturing Technician Program that is offered for Ford workers at the regional plants for college credit. Transportation and logistics is also an in-demand sector because of our local regional concentration of warehouses and factories. Utilizing labor market intelligence, the Regional Transportation Institute features a truck driving institute and radio frequency identification lab that sits on the cutting edge of logistics and material tracking systems. Cleveland, Madam Speaker, is within 500 miles of 43 percent of the United States population and is ideally situated as a transportation and logistics hub. The occupations are high tech and hands on. Recognizing the increasing need for construction contractors to interpret green job specifications, the Green Academy and Center for Sustainability was developed in the fall of 2008. The academy offers both professional development training in the areas of sustainable business practices, Leadership and Energy in Environmental Design accreditation and certification along with a multitude of other offerings in the new green economy requested by businesses and the community. Through GACS, the Pathways to Green Jobs programs will transition at-risk populations into green occupations through training opportunities in deconstruction, weatherization, wind turbine components, manufacturing, and solar panel installation. The first Pathways class, consisting largely of formerly incarcerated individuals and people lacking permanent homes, provide soft skills training along with contextualized hands-on training in a green job. Federal workforce development programs have faced extremely deep funding cuts over the past 8 years. The Workforce Investment Act, or WIA, and the Wagner-Peyser Employment Services lost more than $9 billion in funding since 2001, reducing the capacity of our national workforce system to respond even to normal levels of demand for skilled workers, let alone the extraordinary demands for job training and reemployment services we now face. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made nearly $4 billion in new funding available through the Department of Labor for jobs training programs. Just under $3 billion of this funding has already gone out to States through formula grants under the Workforce Investment Act. Speaking with the Deputy Director of Workforce Training in Cuyahoga County, I learned that the county will receive nearly $14 million in training. The money will help dislocated adults and youth workers. Another $750 million is due to go out in the form of competitive grants to train people in green jobs, health care, and other high-demand sectors. There are funds from the Recovery Act that are available to agencies to create jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy fields, build roads and bridges, create a new broadband infrastructure, address our Nation's ever-growing health care needs, retrofit public housing and government buildings, and weatherize hundreds of thousands of homes for low-income homeowners. While some of these jobs can be filled by displaced workers already in the affected sectors, many more will be filled by workers dislocated from other sectors like young people entering the labor market for the first time and disadvantaged individuals who previously lacked the skills and opportunities. We cannot expect untrained workers to simply show up at a work site ``shovel ready.'' It is essential that institutions and training facilities have the capacity and resources necessary to identify the emerging needs of the region in order to best prepare the workforce for lifelong employability. Tri-C is currently serving as a regional co-coordinator for the Ohio Skills Bank initiative through Governor Strickland's Turnaround Ohio plan. The Ohio Skills Bank shares Tri-C's goals of having seamless career pathways and certifications that allow adult workers to earn college credit while increasing their job skills and, ultimately, their wages. Employers must create and implement these programs. Through the Ohio Skills Bank, northeast Ohio has decided to first focus on the health care, manufacturing, and information technology sectors as key industries that have immediate workforce needs. My region is poised to leverage funding made available through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act with an existing and nimble infrastructure focusing on career pathways, industry partnerships, and increased training. To best address emerging industry needs with a new kind of workforce that requires a high level of transferrable skills, it is necessary to adjust funding structures so that training opportunities are accessible and usable. The United States Department of Labor has asked that each State revise their State Workforce Investment Act plans to reflect the strategies they intend to pursue and implement these goals. States have the opportunity to increase training capacity through the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act with a few key shifts in how the funding is structured. To increase training, as prioritized by Congress, funding must directly support educational training facilities. This will allow institutions like Tri-C to increase capacity and provide a more effective, less expensive way of receiving immediate training. A few ways to achieve this would be for Congress to eliminate the mandatory sequence of services that very often hurts individuals seeking job training, thereby slowing down the process by which people access the services they need most. In the majority of cases, strong worker training would be the answer. An increased emphasis on training must be coupled with direct support for the development of additional training at community colleges. A second way to improve the program is through the authorization of Community-Based Job Training Grants created in 2004. These grants build the capacity of community colleges to train workers and develop the skills necessary for success in high-growth and high-demand industries. Finally, Congress should give local workforce investment groups greater flexibility to utilize training contracts. This is especially helpful with low-tuition training providers. We have the opportunity to think broadly about the most effective ways to deliver Workforce Investment Act funds at the regional and local levels. This would ensure the proper mix between participant access to training and the development of training capacity. The Community-Based Job Training Grants provide a model for examining possible reforms of service delivery under the adult and dislocated worker program. It appears that we are moving toward a pyramid economy, with a small number of highly skilled jobs at the top, a large number of low-skill, low-paying jobs at the bottom, and relatively few middle-class, mid- level jobs, which actually drove the unprecedented growth of our Nation's economy in the 20th century and made the American Dream a reality for millions of families. But the reality is that mid-level jobs still account for almost half the jobs in this country and will continue to be the largest job segment in the economy for years to come. As we look to reform our workforce development system to meet the demands of the 21st century labor market, we need to make sure we focus on proven strategies that help workers acquire the skills necessary to fill these jobs and ensure that employers have a skilled workforce which is able to compete in today's global economy. Two strategies emerged as best practices at the State level--sector partnerships and career pathways. Both can help us achieve this goal, and we should ensure that a reauthorized WIA supports these strategies. Sector partnerships work by bringing together multiple stakeholders in a specific industry with the interest in developing and implementing workforce development strategies that can contribute to local and regional growth. These stakeholders include firms, labor organization, education and training providers, community-based organizations, and State and local agencies. Sector approaches draw upon the experience of many partners who improve worker training, retention and advancement by developing cross-firm skill standards, career ladders, job redefinitions, and shared training and support capacities that facilitate the advancement of workers at all skill levels, including the least skilled. An emerging body of research demonstrates that sector strategies can provide significant positive outcomes for workers, including increased wages and greater job security. Sector strategies have become an integral part of the way some States respond to local and regional workforce needs. For example, as discussed earlier, the Ohio Skills Bank is implementing workforce development efforts across a broad range of industries in each of the State's 12 economic development regions. Another example is Congressman Fattah's State of Pennsylvania, which has more than 6,000 firms participating in nearly 80 partnerships, and 70,000 workers receiving training services since 2005. To date, at least 39 States have adopted industry or sector strategies; but for the most part they are doing so in spite of the Workforce Investment Act, not because of it. As written, the Workforce Investment Act does not adequately support the hard work of convening multiple stakeholders and allowing a local area or a region to develop targeted depth and capacity in high-growth and emerging industries in a way that complements broader workforce development efforts. The SECTORS Act, introduced in the House, of which I am a cosponsor, would establish a separate title under WIA to support industry or sector partnerships and strategies. As a supporter of the legislation, I am working to ensure that the principles set forth in this bill are included in a reauthorized WIA. Federal workforce development policy also needs to recognize that different workers enter the job market in different ways, from young people entering apprenticeship programs or community colleges, dislocated workers seeking new skills to transition to new careers, to low-income adults enrolling in adult education courses to obtain the basic skills and the literacy needed to pursue an industry-recognized credential. For reasons of both equity and economic necessity, we must work to provide every individual interested in improving their skills with the means and the opportunity to do so while removing barriers they may face along the way. Career pathways accomplish this goal of easing individuals into the job market by aligning adult education, job training and higher education systems to create seamless transitions for workers at all points of their educational and career trajectories. Successful career path models allow individuals to easily move between institutions and programs to acquire the skills and credentials they need to take advantage of new career opportunities while continuing to work and support their families. As with sector partnerships, States have tapped into career pathways models as a way to provide economic opportunities for citizens while supplying businesses with new sources of talent. Washington State has had significant success with its own I-Best model, which combines occupational skills training, college-level coursework, and English language and basic skills education to prepare workers for a broad range of occupations. Research indicates that I-Best participants are more likely to continue into credit-bearing coursework and earn occupational credentials than other adult education students. Congressman Bobby Scott's State of Virginia just recently announced the implementation of a statewide strategy to facilitate student transitions between education and employment systems and expand the provision of supportive services to ensure success. Unfortunately, current law across a number of Federal programs-- including WIA, the Higher Education Act and Temporary Assistance For Needy Families--presents significant obstacles to the development of career pathways, establishing different funding streams for various educational and employment programs and often creating conflicting performance measures between systems. Even within a single program such as WIA, we often see disconnects in the system. For example, one outcome measure for an individual receiving adult basic education services under WIA title II is the attainment of a GED. However, simply having a GED does not mean that a person has the skills he or she needs to enroll in a job training program funded under WIA title I. Unfortunately, far too often people confronted with such obstacles get frustrated and drop out of the system and never get the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. We must work to reduce the barriers between systems under current Federal law and create incentives for States to better align and connect their workforce development, education and human services systems. WIA authorization is certainly one great place to start. Madam Speaker, with that, I would now yield to the distinguished Member from California, our Chair, the gentlelady from California, Barbara Lee.

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Good evening. Mr. Speaker, I am here this evening to anchor the hour for the CBC for our Special Order tonight, which will be health care. The Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC, is proud to anchor this hour. The CBC is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the Ninth Congressional District of California. My name is Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, and I represent the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. CBC members are advocates for families nationally, internationally, regionally, and locally. We continue to work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress. We stand firm as the voice of the people, and we provide dedicated, focused service to the citizens and to the congressional districts that elected us to Congress. The vision of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus is to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens. It continues to be a beacon and focal point for the legislative work and political activities of the Congressional Black Caucus today. Tonight, the CBC will focus its attention on health care reform. Specifically, we must ensure access to quality health care for all Americans. We must control health care costs and eradicate health care disparities. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to our Chair, the gentlelady from California, the Honorable Barbara Lee.

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for your leadership and your vision as well as your focus. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to turn the podium to my colleague from the State of California, the gentlelady from California, Diane Watson.

Ms. FUDGE. I thank the gentlelady from California. I would now, Mr. Speaker, like to yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Ms. FUDGE. I would like to, Mr. Speaker, again thank Representative Scott for his vision. To put in place an act that really does address the needs of babies and children is very significant for this Congress, and I thank you as well. General Leave

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you so much again to our expert, Representative Christensen. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close this session by saying a few things. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'' Mr. Speaker, I come from the 11th District of Ohio, a place where arguably you can find the best health care providers in the world, but still people cannot see a doctor. There is something wrong with what is going on in America today. Anytime we have a health care system that is more reactive than proactive, something is wrong in America today. Anytime we look at a health care system whose cost is rising so rapidly that our paychecks can't keep up, something is wrong with what is going on in America today, Mr. Speaker. If your health is determined by where you are born or the neighborhood you live in, something is wrong with what is going on in America today. And I say to you that the members of this caucus are going to fight in every way we know how to ensure that every American, be they rich, be they poor, be they minority is going to have a right to have health care that is going to be not only affordable but is going to take care of their needs in a preventive way, in a cost-effective way and in a humane way. Because right now if you can get to see a doctor if you are poor, they may make you sit in an emergency room for 5 or 6 hours. They don't really take you seriously when you come in with serious problems, and that is why we have all of these hospitalizations that we really shouldn't have because these issues should have been treated early on in the process. So I say to you, Mr. Speaker, that as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, we are determined to make sure that by the time health care is approved in this country, every single person who wishes to have health care will have it. Every single person who has a job will be able to afford it. And for those who are not, we are going to take care of those people. Now they can call it anything they want to call it, but government's job is to take care of its people. That is what we intend to do, and that is what we intend to help our President do. We are going to continue to fight as hard as we can to make sure that every American in every district we serve has health care.

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you, Mr. Davis. I just want to say that you have always talked of the need to make sure that we have community health clinics and how it probably does in many ways serve our communities better. I thank you for discussing that with us this evening. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to the person that we have all talked about this evening, our go-to person, our expert, our Chair, and the person that we really do look to as we tackle health care, and that is my colleague from the Virgin Islands, Dr. Christensen.

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you, Mr. Payne. Thank you for always continuing to fight for those who are most in need. Mr. Speaker, I would, at this time, yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on health care reform.

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Good evening, Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert supplementary materials on the topic of my Special Order this evening.

Ms. FUDGE. Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Black Caucus, the CBC, is proud to anchor this hour. Currently, the CBC is chaired by the Honorable Barbara Lee from the 9th Congressional District from California. My name is Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, representing the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. CBC members are advocates for the human family, nationally and internationally, and have played a significant role as a local and regional activist. We continue to work diligently to be the conscience of the Congress. But understand, all politics are local. Therefore, we provide dedicated and focused service to citizens of the congressional districts we serve. The vision of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, to promote the public welfare through legislation designed to meet the needs of millions of neglected citizens, continues to be the focal point for the legislative work and political activities of the Congressional Black Caucus today. This week, the Caucus has joined to discuss one of the most important topics facing our country: the energy crisis. Rising global oil prices, concerns over energy security and the urgent need to address climate change has made energy a central concern of the 111th Congress and necessitated this message hour. Mr. Speaker, I would now yield to our Chair, the honorable Ms. Lee from California, the gentlelady from California.

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, that our chairwoman has been so very supportive of this hour and of me continuing to be the anchor. But I also want to say to our chairwoman that I appreciate your kind of setting the record straight because I know that one of the things that our President talked about is, his priorities were education, health care, and energy. And he didn't say any of it would happen overnight, contrary to what our colleagues across the aisle said, that they thought it was going to happen right away. As a matter of fact, the President said it would take time. So I do thank you for helping me set the record straight, and I thank you for being here this evening. Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Speaker, reliable predictions indicate that by the year 2050, the world's population will have nearly doubled from its present level. It will rise from around 6 billion to about 10 billion people. Most of this growth and much of the increase in energy consumption will occur in developing countries. Future increases in energy demand will exert even greater pressure on our finite reserves. If we are largely dependent on one fuel source, we risk price rises and supply disruptions. It is imperative for us to use our energy more efficiently and develop an energy supply that is both sustainable and diverse in order to improve our quality of life and protect our environment. As a country, we can no longer depend on the cheap conception of gas and other finite resources. It is in the interest of our national security to become independent from our foreign sources of oil in politically unstable regions of the world. If we continue to invest in other finite resources, what is to prevent those costs from skyrocketing when the supply runs low? If we don't invest in renewable technologies now, we could be on the brink of a catastrophe, not to mention the health and environmental cost. The best way to lower energy costs is to make homes, buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure more energy efficient. In the process, we create jobs. Doing nothing to curb carbon pollution means rising surface temperatures, rising sea levels, adverse health effects, and displaced populations. The longer we delay, the higher the cost. As global warming becomes more threatening, addressing the future of America's environment becomes increasingly urgent. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the average global temperature could rise by an additional 2.5 to 10.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. If the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubles as expected, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that without emission control policies, the amount of carbon monoxide in the air will far exceed today's levels with a 30 to 150 percent increase. According to an assessment by the World Health Organization of possible health impacts of climate change, more than 150,000 deaths may have been caused in the year 2000 alone by global warming as a result of disease, malnutrition, and loss of shelter. This negative impact on world health will only increase as the climate changes. Experts predict that one-fourth of the Earth's species will be headed for extinction by 2050 if the warming trend continues at its current rate. More than $100 billion worth of homes, businesses, and public facilities are at risk from extreme coastal storms if sea levels rise as anticipated. When we invest in renewable energies, we are not only creating jobs and strengthening our economic prospects for the future, we are protecting our increasingly more fragile environment as well. The Congressional Black Caucus recommends that we support science- based legislation to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050. The United States must be a leader on this global issue, and this target is consistent with the proposals of the Obama administration. Any public investment in the green economy should include serious efforts to train, employ and provide public service opportunities that lead to full-time employment in these industries. We must develop a career pipeline, particularly in low- and middle-income communities, through training, job readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to ensure that people who most need work are prepared for the family- sustaining jobs and careers in energy efficiency and energy service industries. When we talk about consumer protection, we have heard a lot about cap-and-trade. And sometimes I agree and sometimes I disagree with all of the things that are out there, but let me just say two things about cap-and-trade. A cap-and-trade system must be fair and must not be to the detriment of manufacturers and businesses. A cap-and-trade system will increase the cost of energy derived from high-polluting production processes for all households. Low- and middle-income households spend a greater share of their budget on energy costs than higher income households. To help prevent climate change policies from being unfairly burdensome on these households, we must remember to promote and support vital projects such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, better known as LIHEAP. The LIHEAP program helps to pay the winter heating bills or summer cooling bills of low-income and elderly people. During extreme weather conditions, people living in poverty and low-income elderly should not have to choose between fuel to heat or cool their homes and buying food for themselves or their families. Two-thirds of the families receiving LIHEAP assistance have incomes of less than $8,000 a year, Mr. Speaker, $8,000. This program clearly helps the people who need help the most. The Congressional Black Caucus recommends that we provide measures to offset the disproportionate impact of increased energy costs that could take the form of a climate rebate equal to the loss in purchasing power extended to the lowest quintile, the second quintile, and partially extend it to the third quintile. For households that file no tax returns, the rebate could be administered through the Electronic Benefit Transfer System. For all others the rebate could be extended through a higher earned income tax credit or alternative tax and make the connection with this increased cost. In my home State of Ohio, Mr. Speaker, Ohio has lost more than 213,000 manufacturing jobs since the year 2000. In my neighboring State of Michigan, the figure is almost 497,000 jobs lost. Its industrial sector ranks fourth for energy consumption after Texas, Louisiana, and California. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, manufacturing is poised to grow in a low-carbon economy because economic opportunities exist within the supply chain that provide parts and labor for these industries. States that stand to benefit most from jobs in these sectors include Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. Ohio receives about 86 percent of its electricity from coal. We also have some energy-intensive industries in Ohio such as paper, plastics, and fertilizer that rely upon abundant and economically viable sources of energy to help them keep their prices competitive, which is especially important during this troubling economic time. A cap-and- trade program will likely gradually raise electricity rates over time for consumers and especially manufacturers like those in northeast Ohio. When developing legislation, it is critical for us to work to minimize the effect and to sustain the competitiveness of our crucial industries and not only provide my district with jobs but also provide the world with products. Mr. Speaker, the President had the opportunity to visit my district the day before he was inaugurated. He came to the city of Bedford Heights. He visited a community in my congressional district. He came to visit the Ohio wind energy component manufacturer Cardinal Fasteners. President Obama pointed to Cardinal Fasteners as an example of how a company struggling through tough economic times can reinvent itself and recover by recognizing opportunities in the renewable energy market. Rather than falling victim to the slumping economy, Cardinal has become the Nation's largest manufacturer of bolts, screws, and double-ended studs used in wind towers. Each wind tower installed requires approximately 1,000 products made by Cardinal. As a result, the company now earns half of its revenue selling products that support wind energy products. Driven by sales of wind turbine projects, Cardinal projects will add an additional 40 or more individuals to its workforce in 2009, increasing its total to more than 100 employees. I tell you this story because it tells you of the potential that Ohio has to be an oasis of wind energy. Ohio has made enormous strides to take advantage of its wind potential and create good green energy jobs throughout the State. In fact, there are over 220 businesses in Ohio that are involved in the development and manufacturing of wind energy and over 440 companies involved in the renewable energy sector. The Ohio Department of Development estimates that there are more than 1,000 Ohio businesses that already have the capacity to become part of the wind turbine supply chain. Comprehensive energy legislation will revolutionize our economy and energy infrastructure, spurring us to become more innovative and efficient. The growing green economy presents an opportunity to create large numbers of quality green collar jobs for American workers, to grow emerging industries, and to improve the health of low- and middle- income Americans. Any public investment in the green economy should include serious efforts to train, employ, and provide public service opportunities that lead to full-time employment in these industries. We must assure that we train and prepare our workforce for green jobs and technology. An item that I truly support from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the nearly $3 billion in workforce investment formula grants and $750 million for green and health care training. Lori Atkins, the deputy director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Workforce Development, informs me that to make sure that my community is ready for all jobs that are coming our way, training dollars they will receive will go to approved advisers for in-demand occupations, including green energy. My community will stand ready for this significant opportunity to make cost-effective public and private investments to rebuild and retrofit our Nation. The CBC recommends the following: We must develop a career pipeline, particularly in low- and middle- income communities, through training, job readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to ensure that people who most need work are prepared for the family-sustaining jobs and careers in energy efficiency and energy services industries. Ensuring local hiring practices will be critical to engaging these distressed communities. It is also extremely important that we do not leave minority- and women- owned businesses behind in this new industry. Therefore, we must be assured that they have their place at the proverbial table. This will also ensure that the work is spread to all citizens. We must as well develop Green Energy Centers of Excellence at predominantly black institutions to research and develop new green technologies as well as train implementers in the development of green innovation. These institutions maintain unique relationships with communities of color, and we should use their expertise to educate these communities on the opportunities in green industries and the techniques needed to succeed. We must ensure local and national certification standards for technical jobs to ensure appropriate levels of expertise. We must also apply large-scale energy-saving measures to the Nation's building stock, which will create hundreds of thousands of green collar jobs while dramatically reducing America's energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It is important for us to remember that the only way we can achieve our goals as a country is to become more energy independent, and that can only happen if we have a skilled workforce proficient in science, technology, engineering, and math. I would like to briefly discuss and highlight the MC Squared School in my district, which is the first STEM facility in our Nation that is located in a corporate complex. The facility provides an environment fostering intellectual growth and stimulating curriculum geared toward science, technology, engineering, and math. The students are mentored by GE employees from a broad array of disciplines ranging from research, technology, and engineering to marketing, finance, global product management, and human resources. Most importantly, the teachers and staff are exceptional. It was no small feat to make the MC Squared STEM School a success. It took the hard work, ingenuity, and commitment of local civic and business organizations who came together and contributed nearly $3 million for the classroom renovations on the Nela Park campus in order to bring this idea to fruition. It also took the vision of the CEO of the Cleveland Public Schools, Dr. Eugene Sanders. The STEALTH team of the MC Squared School meets once a week after school and is headed up by a science teacher who was the vice president of Johnson Controls for 26 years. They have created an apparatus called ``the thing,'' which collects sunlight and stores it in batteries which can be used to charge your cell phone, laptop, and any daily household item. They have refined it to do something that works effectively. Additionally, the STEALTH group has implemented green renovations to General Electric solar panels on the roof of its own facility. The STEM School recently held a conference focusing on renewable energy at the Great Lakes Science Center in my district where many students came and were responsible for researching a specific topic. The STEM School then invited other children from the community to conduct a town hall discussion on energy issues. The STEM School works in conjunction with the Washington Park Greenhouse, which is connected to the Cleveland Public School District through South High School. The STEM School students recently made some recommendations to increase energy efficiency of the greenhouse. General Electric staff worked with them hand in hand while using the suggestions of the students to renovate the greenhouse. The students then took measurements of humidity, temperature, and other levels before and after and compared the result to measure the progress of their work. The STEM students are currently working on developing automated watering systems for the greenhouse pumps to conserve energy and water for the plants. They are in the process of creating designs and testing to see which one works best. I believe that the MC Squared STEM School has the ability to be a catalyst for change across our Nation. Children who are taught by educators with proper certification and mentored by professionals are more likely to succeed and prosper in an increasingly technologically advanced society. It is for this reason I plan to offer an amendment to the STEM Coordination Act of 2009 in the Committee of Science and Technology, which I am a member, with the intent to increase the members of certified teachers in low-performing areas of our country. Increasing the number of qualified teachers in our country in science and math will only help our Nation spur the renewable energy revolution. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, for allowing this important discussion on energy during our message hour. We must work to strengthen all facets of our society when discussing an unfolding energy revolution in the 111th Congress. We have a great opportunity to protect our environment and strengthen our economic interest through the creation of additional sources of energy such as biofuel, wind, and solar. Mr. Speaker, I yield again to our Chair, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Ms. FUDGE. Thank you so much, Madam Chair.

Ms. FUDGE

Ms. FUDGE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for his remarks and would now like to yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Ms. FUDGE. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert supplementary materials on the topic of my Special Order this evening.

Ms. FUDGE. I would again like to thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership and for her vision for the Congressional Black Caucus. Madam Speaker, I would now like to yield to the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Watt.