Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1568 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this resolution provides a closed rule for the consideration of H.R. 5893, the Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI and against the bill, itself. The rule provides that the previous question shall be considered as ordered, without intervening motion, except 1 hour of debate for the Ways and Means Committee and one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The rule also provides same-day authority for a resolution reported from the Rules Committee through Sunday, August 1, 2010. Madam Speaker, H.R. 5893, the Investing in American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, creates and protects American jobs through increased investment in infrastructure and by closing tax loopholes that enable companies to move their operations offshore. This is another piece of legislation to add to the long list of bills that Democrats have passed this Congress to spur opportunities to support American jobs, American manufacturing, and American families. Democrats are helping Americans dig out of the worst recession in decades. We are making steady, albeit slow--too slow for me--gains in our economy. The struggle is not over, but we are on the right path. Madam Speaker, this legislation funds the highly successful Build America Bonds program, the Recovery Zone Bonds, the Emergency State Jobs Assistance program, and it closes unfair tax loopholes that allow corporations to send American jobs overseas. This bill provides critical funding for infrastructure investment that will create jobs here in the United States and will put money in the pockets of people who badly need it. And yet, still, the Republicans are against it. Madam Speaker, it seems every other day around here we have to drag our Republican colleagues kicking and screaming to the House floor to try to help hardworking Americans, and they continue to say ``no.'' Every other day we have to try to persuade our friends on the other side of the aisle that it's not crazy for the American Government to invest in the American economy to benefit the American people. Every other day we have to remonstrate the same old arguments from the Republicans about spending and deficits and taxes and the bad old government stifling our economic recovery. I'll remind this body that the Republicans were against the largest stimulus in history, which was not large enough for me and some of us in this body. But they were against this stimulus, an effort that demonstrably has saved American jobs. And I'll remind this body that 95 percent of the Republicans in this House have signed a pledge to protect tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas. And I'll remind this body that Republicans have consistently voted against job creation and economic development measures that directly benefit, directly benefit hardworking Americans trying to secure enough income to feed their families and keep their homes. Every single time Democrats try to pass essential legislation in this body, and the other body, Republicans complain about the numbers. If it's spending on investments in our economy, Republicans complain the numbers are too high. But if it's spending on tax cuts for the extremely 1 percent wealthiest of Americans, the Republicans complain the numbers are too low. Well, here's a number and a letter we should be mindful of: $2.2 trillion, and the letter D: D is the grade given to America's infrastructure by the American Society of Engineers in 2009. And $2.2 trillion is the amount the American Society of Engineers estimates the United States needs to spend over the next 5 years to repair our crumbling infrastructure. Madam Speaker, in recent years we've seen levees fail, bridges collapse. As a matter of fact, we saw a levee fail last week in Iowa. Bridges collapsed. I asked one of our colleagues yesterday that appeared before the Rules Committee, how did he feel when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota. He referenced it as a national tragedy, as all of us do and did. But when I came to this Congress in 1992, there were 14,000 bridges that were in disrepair in the United States of America. And I dare say that we have not even come close and, likely, there are many more. And what I said to him was, I wanted his daughter, who I know, to travel on a safe bridge, and I wanted my children and all the children of all Americans, when they cross a bridge, to know that that bridge is safe. Millions of tons of hazardous waste have wrecked fragile ecosystems, and billions of gallons of wastewater have poured from burst pipes into our rivers and streams, and we saw that happen this week in America. Beyond the disasters is the steadily rising gridlock on our highways, roads, airports and rails, the constant erosion of our water systems. Right here in the metropolitan Washington area people are on boil water advisories and limited uses, including for showers. Declining park land in urban areas and maintenance backlogs in our schools amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars. Budget cuts are not going to repair bridges, replace water treatment facilities or maintain classrooms. State and local governments desperately need Federal funding to engage American small businesses and put people to work. This legislation provides billions of dollars in infrastructure bonds and other supports so communities can hire the necessary workers to make sure that, while we are arguing about process here, whether or not it's a closed rule or an open rule, arguing process in the Rules Committee, more dams don't fail. That's what we want to make sure that does not happen. Dollars that go to infrastructure projects get returned to the economy at higher rates. Infrastructure spending is impactful, essential, and worthwhile, pumping in cash that goes right to the American worker. The funding in this legislation is paid for. It does not add to the deficit. It is revenue neutral, and there is no wasteful spending in here. What Republicans argue is wasteful, I say, is essential to preventing millions of Americans from falling into destitution. For every one job opening in our great country, there are five applicants. Unemployment remains unbearably high, and all economists indicate that it is going to remain that way for some time to come. I dare say that what America needs to understand, and what my colleagues here on both sides of the aisle continue to say, is that it happened on this President's watch, or it happened on that President's watch. The real truth is the economy in this country transitioned, as well as globally, over about a 45-year period of time. I'll get to that one day, so as how there's a better understanding than all of this finger-pointing about who caused this deficit. And I certainly hope we have a debate about how much the war in Iraq and Afghanistan cost. I can tell you now it's about $1 trillion. And guess what our deficit is? Just a little more than $1 trillion. Madam Speaker, it's far past time to pass this legislation. I urge my colleagues to vote favorably on this rule and on the final passage of this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend, the distinguished gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Pointedly, did we not vote on the measures in this particular provision?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of Jubilee Day, which is celebrated on October 6 of every year by the Fisk University community. Just after the end of the Civil War, the Fisk School was founded in Nashville, Tennessee as an educational institute that would be open to all, regardless of race or age. However, just five years after its founding, the school faced dire economic struggles. In an effort to save the University from closing, a group of students formed a choral group, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, with the goal of raising money to fund the institution. They took all of the funds in the university's treasury for travel expenses, hoping that the enormous risk would pay off. Despite a few initial struggles, the Jubilee Singers eventually came to tour throughout the United States and Europe and raised enough funds to not only preserve the university but also to pay for the construction of Jubilee Hall, the first permanent structure built for the education of African-American students in the South. The singers came to perform for such notable figures as William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Ulysses S. Grant, William Gladstone, Mark Twain, Johann Strauss, and Queen Victoria, and introduced the world to the spirituals of enslaved Africans as a musical genre. Since its founding in 1866, Fisk has educated countless intellectual, artistic, and civic leaders, and has played a pivotal role in the advancement of education for African-American students. None of its accomplishments would have been possible without the talents and sacrifices of that first group of nine students. To honor the hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments of the original Jubilee Singers and the continued success of the generations of Jubilee Singers who followed and continue to tour today, Fisk University celebrates Jubilee Day on October 6 of every year. This year in particular, members of the Fisk community in Washington, DC, will come together for an event at the Capitol to celebrate Jubilee Day along with the Fisk community in Nashville. Madam Speaker, as a proud alumnus of Fisk, I urge my colleagues to join me in this year's celebration of Jubilee Day by cosponsoring this resolution, and I urge its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the dedicated men and women who keep the flying public safe and our airspace running efficiently, our Nation's air traffic controllers. Approximately 15,770 Federal air traffic controllers in airport traffic control towers, terminal radar approach control, TRACON, facilities, and air route traffic control centers across the country monitor the airspace of the United States and 24,600,000 square miles of international oceanic airspace. Together with 1,250 civilian contract controllers and more than 9,000 military controllers, they work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure that passengers and goods reach their destinations as safely and quickly as possible. It is a well-established fact that air traffic controllers operate in one of the most stressful of work environments. With thousands of flights departing, arriving, and en route at any given moment, managing the flow of air traffic safely and efficiently is no simple task. It is a continuous process that requires great situational awareness, total concentration, and making split-second decisions. While an air traffic controller's job is stressful and demanding by nature, it is also unpredictable because of nature. Without notice, weather conditions can change quickly. From turbulence to large storm systems, air traffic controllers adapt to all inclement conditions in a calm and professional manner to reroute aircraft safely. The extraordinary service that air traffic controllers provide becomes even more apparent when they are faced with greater adversities. When emergency situations develop in-flight, it is up to air traffic controllers to provide leadership and guidance. These amazing stories have been well-documented by the media, with reports of air traffic controllers providing life-saving navigation to pilots and, in some cases passengers, to land their aircraft given extreme weather conditions or mechanical failure. Thanks to the heroic actions, dedication, and quick and skilled decision-making of air traffic controllers, many accidents and tragedies have been averted. I have had the pleasure of getting to know many air traffic controllers in and around my district in South Florida, and I can personally attest to the remarkable job they do. Air traffic controllers are motivated, decisive, committed, and self-confident individuals who often work many thankless hours. They are the reason that we have the safest air traffic control system in the world, and that is why we must continue to support them. As we modernize our nation's air traffic control system, we must ensure that air traffic controllers are best equipped to continue delivering the highest levels of service to those flying within our airspace. Mr. Speaker, I truly appreciate the hard work that our nation's air traffic controllers do each and every single day to keep us safe when we fly and to guide us home. Their reputation for expertly handling complex situations and responding to dangerous developments on a daily basis is well-deserved.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Will the gentleman yield? I will yield the gentleman 15 seconds of my time if he would answer a question.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. What would have happened to those teachers, what would have happened to those police officers who kept their jobs?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it doesn't take a degree in trigonometry to understand that if you spend $34 billion helping unemployed people who should have been helped in the first place much longer ago, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, a very neutral concern that analyzes these matters, for every dollar spent, $1.90 comes back into the economy. That would, by my count, add up to spending $34 billion and having come into the economy $64.6 billion. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my good friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. What do you think would have happened had the stimulus bill not passed?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to tell me the remaining time for both sides?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1550.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman, my good friend and colleague on the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. A little while ago, George Bush said this. Several months after taking office, he learned that his budgets had already erased the previous administration's huge surplus that was paying off our country's debt at a rapid rate and had instead forced the country to start borrowing heavily again. Bush said, The huge deficit was incredibly positive news because it will create a fiscal straitjacket for Congress. That's right, massive deficits were incredibly positive news. Mr. Speaker, I got a little tired of hearing our colleagues saying what the Democrats haven't done. Let me tell you what we have done. We have done the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We have done the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act. We have done health insurance reform, Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibilities Act. The Cash for Clunkers Program alone spurred the sale of 700,000 vehicles. We have done the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act that helped create 300,000 jobs. When they talk in terms of the stimulus, the teachers, the police officers and the firefighters, when you ask them whether or not their jobs were saved, I guarantee you they will give you an answer. We did Wall Street reform passed by the House, American Worker, State, and Business Relief Act passed by the House and Senate, Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act passed by the House. For those on the other side who argue that there haven't been any tax cuts, there have been tax cuts, but those tax cuts were for middle class Americans, 93 percent of whom received the tax cut. We have done the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act passed by the House, and it died over there in the Senate, and that's regrettable and foolish. We have done Jobs for Main Street Act, passed by the House. What's next? Small business lending, clean energy jobs and the COMPETES Act. I can assure you, we have done a lot and have a lot more to do and many of the things that I just spoke of create jobs. My colleagues see this legislation as a handout or a luxury, but to the millions who are depending on us to act, the extension of unemployment benefits will make the difference between whether they can put food on the table, pay their rent, and just get by. Years of bad economic and fiscal policies have brought us to our present situation, and there is no switch we can throw to provide an instant fix. In my home State of Florida, 147,000 individuals will run out of unemployment benefits. I haven't met these people, but I read about their plight, people like Joan McCammon of Kissimmee, a 50-year-old former administrative assistant who has been out of work for over a year. Though she and her husband tried to be prepared without this assistance, they will have to dip into their retirement savings just to make ends meet. She is not much different from Pandora Evans of Fort Pierce in my congressional district who has been unemployed for almost 2 years after losing her job at a service station. Her benefits have run out and her bills piled up to the point she may soon be homeless. And there is Joe Becker of Jupiter, Florida, who has applied for nearly 400 jobs, has put himself through additional training and is still unable to find work. These are only three of the 3.2 million Americans who stand to lose unemployment compensation if we do not act positively. This is not mere charity for them. I urge my colleagues to pass this much-needed extension and urge them to support this rule. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from North Carolina, Dr. Foxx. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1550 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to my colleague and fellow Floridian, the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I can't believe what I just heard. I heard what Franklin Roosevelt said. I've read what Franklin Roosevelt said. I was alive during that period of time, and I saw what happened during Franklin Roosevelt's administration. My parents, among many others, got jobs during that period of time, and they came out of the Depression, and this country soared as a result of the policies of the Roosevelt administration. We will be very wise in this country if we could possibly implement the wonderful things that he did. I yield, Mr. Speaker, 3 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would tell my friend where that trillion-dollar deficit came from is the $1 trillion combined in Afghanistan and Iraq that we spent that's off budget, never accounted for, borrowed and spent by the Republicans in the majority. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin, my good friend, the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, David Obey.