John Garamendi

Mr. GARAMENDI

Mr. GARAMENDI. I thank the gentleman from New York. Let's hear what New Jersey has to say.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much. Our colleague from the great State of New York and Schenectady.

Mr. GARAMENDI. For me, my work on this actually began in the mid- 1980s, in California, where we developed a strategy of how to keep California competitive in this century. Well, this century is now here. We are 10-plus years into this century, and we have a big task. We said back then in the work that we did that we needed to do six things: You have to have the best education. That's a public investment that pays off over and over and over again. Then you have to have the best research and development. That's the innovation economy that our President is talking about. So the research and the innovation go together. From that, you create the opportunity to make the new things--to manufacture the new electric cars. General Motors was flat on its back, about to disappear, when the Obama administration and Congress stepped forward and brought General Motors back. Now the innovation of an electric car--the Volt--is in place. It's going to happen, and we're going to capture the next round of automobile manufacturing. Infrastructure is another great and absolutely necessary investment. If you take that infrastructure and if you apply the Make It In America theme--the steel, the trains, the buses, the bridges--American made for America's future, it's possible. You also have to change. You can't do what you did yesterday. Those are the strategies that pay off. We need to add to that an energy strategy that frees America from the grips of the petrol dictators. This is all of our future. This is what we want to do, and this creates the opportunity for Americans, for all Americans, to make it. Making it in America, that's what we all want. I notice that my colleagues have stood up here. Mr. Ellison, you were grabbing that microphone with an intensity that requires attention.

Mr. GARAMENDI. I thank the gentleman from Maryland. You have been a long, long time leader in this House and on the subject of jobs and economic opportunity. I thank you very much for your kind comments.

Mr. GARAMENDI. We can do those things, but we have to have wise public policy accompanying the spirit of America. The desire for opportunity and the desire to better ourselves has to be accompanied by wise public policy. For example, right now many of our tax dollars are being used to buy buses and solar and wind turbines that are manufactured overseas. Our tax dollars are going overseas to support the foreign industries. Those tax dollars ought to be brought back home to support American-made equipment, whether it is a bus or a train or a photovoltaic system or the like. That is one of the bills that I have introduced. It is very simple. If it is our tax money, use it to buy American-made equipment. If you want to spend your own money, buy whatever you want to buy, but not our tax money, whether it is solar buses or the like. Just some little policy tweaks that will support the innovation that comes from General Electric or from Joe Schmidt's new photovoltaic system that is invented out in the Silicon Valley. I notice that our esteemed leader has joined us, Mr. Steny Hoyer, who is now whip of the Democratic caucus.

Mr. GARAMENDI. I think Mr. Pallone would like to come back and pick up this investment strategy that you talked about.

Mr. GARAMENDI. American corporations received a tax reduction when they shipped a job offshore. In this House, a bill was introduced. It eliminated that tax deduction, bringing back $12 billion annually to the Treasury, helping the deficit. Our Republican colleagues voted ``no.'' They wanted to continue that tax break. We need to understand that we make decisions here. Policies are important. One example of a policy to use our tax system to help or to hurt American workers, just one. No support from our Republican colleagues to end that tax break. This is about policies that will drive the American economy. We are going to spend the next 30, 40 minutes here focusing on some of those policies and investment. Mr. Tonko talked about space. That was an investment the American people made, and it paid off big-time, whole new industries, millions of jobs were created. Mr. Pallone, you come from an area where manufacturing matters, where it's important, where people do make things, also where they have a little bit of fun on the New Jersey beaches, but we'll let that go tonight. Mr. Pallone.

Mr. GARAMENDI. What did you say, Congressman?

Mr. GARAMENDI. Let me pick up on a couple of those themes before I turn back to Mr. Pallone. A lot of this has to do with the will, the desire, and the determination to do a task. It also has a lot to do with policy, which you just said, policy. For example, before last year, there was a policy in America that American corporations would get a tax break when they shipped a job offshore. Hello?

Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much. Indeed, if it's our tax dollars, they ought to be used to buy things that are made in America. We're going to do a lightning round here. We've got about 6 minutes, and we've got about five of us. So, Mr. Hoyer, our whip.

Mr. GARAMENDI. That's right. You are from Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings. Okay, we will get past that.

Mr. GARAMENDI. I thought you were going to talk about Green Bay and the Packers and all of that.

Mr. GARAMENDI. General Electric and the great Erie Canal manufacturing sector is about to rise up, but I am not going to take second fiddle to your place because I represent the great innovation part of California, and we, too, know that we have the potential to really drive the American economy forward, the innovation economy. One thing you said when you harkened back to the space race and President Kennedy calling upon us to explore the heavens; his next statement, not in the inaugural address but shortly thereafter was, we will put a man on the Moon within a decade. And the Federal Government collected the resources of this Nation and met that challenge, and within a decade, we, Americans, were on the Moon. The lesson here is the focused attention of America on a goal, and in that case and in this case the investment that America must make to succeed. It was an American investment. A lot of tax dollars went into that. But not only did we put a man on the Moon, but we created an enormous industry that gives us everything from, I don't know, the ability of this iPhone to work, satellite, all of the great technologies that we have, many of the great technologies we have today on communications and travel and defense came directly from that initial investment that was made by the American people to put a man on the Moon. And when the President talks about the innovation economy, he is talking about the same kind of let's do it, let's build this thing for the future. And from that leadership, we will find the opportunity to really grow our economy and enter a whole new industry. You talked about the electrical industry that was generated a century ago, and now you talked about the great space industry, and we are going to enter a new industry. It will be the solar technologies, it will be the wind, the energy technologies, it will be transportation. When one talks about transportation, you have got to figure out some way to get to and out of the cold of the middle America. Joining us today in the warm 20-degree temperature of Washington, D.C., is Representative Ellison from the upper Midwest, where it is somewhere below zero.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Well, tomorrow night on this floor, the President of the United States will be here for his State of the Union Address. He has already signaled that he is going to talk about the innovation economy--that's education and research. He is going to talk about infrastructure, and he is going to talk about creating jobs--making it in America. So, as we prepare for that, I noticed our colleague from the great State of Texas has joined us. Please.

Mr. GARAMENDI. You and I had this colloquy on the floor where we discussed American manufacturing in making it in America. But I can see you came back charged up from that visit.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Well, Representative Tonko, I think you were at the President's speech there in your district.

Mr. GARAMENDI. That was the George W. Bush administration.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Thank you very much, Mr. Pallone, for pointing out the facts. The facts are that 4 weeks into this and not one discussion from our Republican colleagues about the central issue of America, which is jobs, how are we going to create jobs. You are quite correct, our colleague from the great State of New York, which was and is and will be an even greater manufacturing center, General Electric, Schenectady, New York. You wouldn't know where that is, Mr. Tonko, would you? If you do, please join us and tell us about it.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I'm joined this evening by my friend from the great State of New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), and tonight we want to talk about the economy. We want to talk about what's happened over the last 2 years, how the United States economy has pulled itself out of the Great Recession and moving towards a much, much brighter future. Earlier today, or actually yesterday, it was reported that our esteemed majority leader on the opposition side issued a statement taking credit that in just 3 weeks, the return of the Republican Party to the majority in this House has led to an astounding improvement in the economy. Well, that's kind of like--I don't know how exactly to describe that as to say that's just an overemphasis of the facts and a complete distortion of what actually has happened. In the previous 2 years, as the Obama administration and the majority then held by the Democrats, my colleagues, worked to pull the American economy out of the Great Recession, the Republican minority voted ``no'' on every single bill to address the problem of the economy. Starting with the American Recovery Act, the stimulus bill, not one Republican voted for it, even though that bill clearly, by all economic studies, created or allowed to continue well over 2 million jobs in this Nation. Infrastructure projects that were in my district and in every other district of this Nation were funded by that piece of legislation--yet not one Republican vote. In the effort to reform Wall Street and to create a stable banking system in this Nation, once again, not one Republican vote. On all of the jobs bills, not one Republican vote. On every single piece of legislation that was passed, not one Republican--or only a handful of Republicans voted for those bills that actually stopped the Great Recession and began to return America to employment. Now, really our subject matter for tonight is Make It In America. But before I get there, the comments that were made by the new majority leader deserve a complete analysis. This is a chart of private sector growth that goes back to December of 2007 when the Great Recession began. And you can see here the decline of private sector jobs, 2007, 2008, until January of 2009, when the new Obama administration came into power. At that point in January of 2009, the Recovery Act was passed and then followed by other pieces of legislation that turned the American economy around. And so the job loss began to taper off so that here we are in December of 2009, we began to see private sector job growth. These are not government jobs. These are all the private sector job growth. So that beginning in the fall of 2009, we began to see the private sector come back to life and no longer shedding jobs but, rather, adding jobs. And every quarter since that time, all of 2010 and again now in January of 2011, we are continuing to add private sector jobs. So the fact of the matter is--and you can say whatever you want to say--but at some point you really need to look at the facts. The facts were that every major bill to restart the American economy the Republican Party opposed in this House either by a unanimous ``no'' vote or by just a handful of Republicans voting for those pieces of legislation. So that's really where we are today, is the situation where we are beginning to see the American economy come back. Job one for all 435 Members of this House, job one is jobs for Americans. American jobs now, not later. Our total emphasis must be on American jobs now. And to bring those jobs back, one of the principal issues that the President will be talking about tomorrow is jobs and make it in America. It's high time that we can go once again to auto dealerships, to WalMart or Target and find ``Made in America'' on the products on those shelves. America still is a very strong manufacturing Nation, and in the strength of manufacturing we find America's economic strength. And so we are setting out, as we did last year, on a set of policies that will rebuild the American manufacturing sector. And we call it the strategy to Make it in America, American jobs now in the manufacturing sector because manufacturing matters. This is where the great middle class jobs are to be found, in the manufacturing sector. And actually back to the original thing I was talking about, General Motors, flat on its back, Chrysler, flat on their back, about to go bankrupt. The Obama administration, the Democratic Congress stepped forward and poured billions of dollars into those companies, stabilizing General Motors and tens of thousands of companies that were providing parts and services to General Motors. And now we find General Motors back healthy, strong, and reentering the private stock market. America, our public investment is now being recouped as General Motors once again becomes a strong, vibrant part of the American manufacturing sector. How many Republicans supported that? Nary a vote. Nary a vote. But we have General Motors and Chrysler back on their feet, once again providing great manufacturing jobs. That's the theme of tonight's discussion, How can America make it? By making it in America, rebuilding the great manufacturing industries of America. Joining me tonight is my colleague from the great State of Pennsylvania, and we are going to continue our discussion. So with permission of the Speaker, we would like to carry on a colloquy here. Frank?

Mr. GARAMENDI

Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, as I am sitting here listening to this, I am thinking this must be something like Alice in Wonderland. This is the most bizarre debate I have heard in a long, long time. We need jobs. We need to be focusing on the American economy. This particular resolution has no sense of reality. I have heard debates here and discussions on the floor about association health plans. I know about association health plans. I was the insurance commissioner for 8 years in California, having to deal with these non-insurance programs that left hundreds, indeed thousands of people, holding the bag when the association health plans went belly up. It doesn't make any sense. California has had tort reform for 30 years. We have in the law today in America a protection for every individual in America from the onerous hands of the insurance companies that have continued over the years to deny benefits, to make the doctor decisions, and to literally put people's lives at risk--it's called the Patients' Bill of Rights, and our Republican colleagues want to repeal that. We have a law that is in place. It should be implemented. The cost issues that have been discussed here on the floor are really a discussion about what has taken place in the past. The law has yet to be implemented with regard to cost containment, the oversight of the insurance companies. All of those things are in the days ahead, and a market system is available with the exchanges. You want to talk about market, that is how you get there, with exchanges. Replace, repeal--how bizarre is that? Americans have a protection. Yesterday, our Republican colleagues voted to remove their protections. They gave to the insurance companies once again the power to regulate their lives. We cannot allow that to happen. This step today is just Alice in Wonderland. General Leave

Mr. GARAMENDI

Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, Members, yesterday we lost a great American, a real hero when Sargent Shriver passed away. My wife, Patti, and I were honored to be able to call Sarge our friend. He was a great mentor to both of us. Our lives were shaped, inspired, improved by the extraordinary vision and talent of Sargent Shriver when he built the Peace Corps. We had the awesome experience to join the Peace Corps in its third year and to be assigned to Ethiopia. Were it not for Shriver's leadership, this iconic and pure American program would never exist. Sargent Shriver became our close friend as the years went by. With each meeting, our love for Sarge grew, as did our respect for his endless enthusiasm and desire to improve the status of all. In the 1990s, Patti had the opportunity to work closely with Sargent Shriver to spread the Peace Corps to Eastern Europe, Asia, and South Africa. His enthusiasm once again motivated Americans to join the Peace Corps and serve men, women, and children in every part of the globe. America and the world will miss this compassionate and talented man. Patti and I send our prayers and condolences to his family, and we will personally miss this amazing individual.

Mr. GARAMENDI

Mr. GARAMENDI. Well, it has become just that. I think I will wrap with where I started. The health care reform, the Affordable Health Care Act, really is about making life better for every American. From the moment they're born, that young baby, that newborn baby cannot be denied insurance, from the moment they're born, whatever their circumstance is. That's part of the Patient's Bill of Rights, and it starts right at birth. This is where a student, when you graduate from college, you are not only getting a diploma; you are also likely to be losing your health care benefit that you were covered by under your parents. So it extends coverage to the age of 26. And into a marriage, into a family when you're building a family, you know that you'll be able to get insurance. Thirty-one million Americans are going to be able to get health care insurance as a result of this legislation. And in the workplace, a lot of talk about this being a job crusher, when in fact it actually creates jobs. And for small businesses, this is an enormous benefit because they will get a subsidy reducing the cost if they choose to provide insurance. If they have 50 employees or less, they don't have to buy insurance. And then later, they'll be able to get insurance through an exchange in 2014. California is probably going to set one up next year. And for seniors, I've never heard so many inaccurate statements as concerns Medicare and the way in which this bill actually works. It extends Medicare. As you said, Mr. Pallone, for 12 years--the financial solvency's extended for 12 years. Otherwise, it would be just 7 years, and it would be in financial trouble. So this really helps. And for individual seniors, they'll be able to get preventive care; their drug costs are going to be reduced. It is a very, very important part. So for the circle of life--and all of us would want to go through that circle of life--this health care reform provides a benefit at every stage. And I'll point out this final thing--and this is an estimate that was made in the last year--some 30,000 to 40,000 Americans every year die because they don't have health insurance. What is that? A stain upon America. Every other industrialized country in the world would do it. Our Republican friends talk about repeal and replace, but everything I've heard on this floor about replacement is already the law in America. It's already the law. They talk about lifetime caps; they talk about putting in no rescissions; they talk about no preexisting conditions. That's the law, folks. Our Republican colleagues, read the bill. Go to healthcare.gov. Read the bill. That is already the law. Why in the world would you repeal what is already the law and put this whole thing back at risk? Don't forget, Americans, the insurance industry, the health insurance industry has dominated American health care for decades. And you think for a moment they're going to let the Republican majority write a bill that is not in their interest; that will force them to provide care; that will force them to pay the bills; that will force the insurance companies to no longer be the death panel? In fact, that's where the death panel is--and this I know. I was the insurance commissioner. I fought the insurance companies for 8 years of my life when they denied coverage; when they said, You have run out of benefits; when they said, Your policy is going to be rescinded. I fought them. And I know the result when they won that fight: people died. We need the Patients' Bill of Rights. It should not be repealed. Tomorrow, our Republican colleagues in H.R. 2--without one committee hearing, with only 2 days of debate on this floor and no committee hearings at all--put Americans at risk. Thirty-one million Americans will not get coverage. That's what this is about. I look forward to tomorrow's debate, and we will see what happens.

Mr. GARAMENDI. I thank the gentlewoman for her insight into the way in which the bill affects her home and her community because that's what all this is about; it's really about the community. Mr. Pallone, if you would like to take a few moments and wrap, and then I will provide the final wrap here as we close down this 1-hour discussion.

Mr. GARAMENDI. Some of this, if I might for a moment, sir, already exists. I've been with Kaiser for three decades. They have put all of the records, all of my history, all of their patients, millions of patients, on the electronic information system. I could present myself at any Kaiser facility across this Nation in an emergency situation and they could take my number and immediately call up my entire history so that they don't have to start at the beginning with blood tests and all of the other procedures that are common in today's emergency room simply to know about the individual's health circumstances. All they need to do is enter that number, bingo, they've got my information. That's where the electronic medical records would be found. And it's interesting that our Republican colleagues want to repeal that? I don't think so. Finally, at last we're going to hear from a woman. We need that perspective here. Please join us. Thank you so very much for coming in.

Mr. GARAMENDI. You raised another point. And I recall a conversation with Mr. Cohen in the past where we talked about medical technology, which is also not only in the Affordable Health Care Act, the health care reform, but also in the stimulus bill. And part of what you talked about is the use of electronic medical technology to provide continuity of care; whether you are in this clinic or that hospital, you could be able to get that information across from one to another. Mr. Cohen, do you want to carry on? You talked to me about this some time ago, and you had some pretty good notions of what would happen in Tennessee.