Phil Hare

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to House Resolution 329 into the Record.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Barton College Bulldogs for their win in the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. On March 24, 2007, Barton College won the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament by defeating the defending champions, Winona State University of Rochester, Minnesota. College basketball fans, student athletes, and the general public were treated to an exciting national championship game with one of the greatest rallies in Elite Eight Tournament history. Barton College had an extraordinary year. The team won all nine of its overtime games, an NCAA Division II record. The team also had a season record of 31-5 and won their last 21 games, which is a school record. I want to extend my congratulations to Head Coach Ron Lievense, Athletic Director Gary Hall, Barton College President Dr. Norval Kneten, and Barton's student athletes for winning the national championship. I also want to extend my congratulations to Winona State University of Rochester, Minnesota, on an excellent season. Winona State finished their season with only one loss, which happened to be the national championship game. Winning the national championship in such a courageous fashion has brought attention to the outstanding athletic program at Barton College. I know the fans of the university will remember this very special moment for many years to come. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing House Resolution 329, congratulating the Barton College men's basketball team. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).

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

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2637) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act, with respect to civil penalties for child labor violations.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert materials relevant to H.R. 2637 into the Record.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. HARE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2637, the Child Labor Protection Act of 2007. This bipartisan legislation is designed to address the most serious child labor violations, deter repeat occurrences, and strengthen the enforcement of laws to protect our Nation's most vulnerable workers. This bill would increase the maximum penalty for child labor violations that lead to the death or serious injury of a minor from the current cap of $11,000 to $50,000 per violation. The bill would also permit the penalty to be doubled to $100,000 if it is determined that the violation was repeated or willful. Additionally, the legislation amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to reflect the increases in penalties for child labor violations and for minimum wage and overtime violations. The current language in the FLSA provides limits of $10,000 for child labor violations, $1,000 for minimum wage and overtime violations. These penalties were increased to $11,000 and $1,100, respectively, by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996. The legislation before us today would simply conform the language of the FLSA to reflect these changes. The increase in maximum penalties for violation of child labor laws is an important first step in our efforts to protect the health and safety of the estimated 3.2 million workers under the age of 18. The National Institute For Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that every year 230,000 youth under the age of 18 sustain workplace injuries, and between 60 and 70 die from occupational accidents. This translates into a youth worker injury every 2 days and a fatality every 5 days. Current penalties do not communicate an adequate level of governmental concern for the health and safety of the working young and do not provide sufficient motivation for employers to ensure a safe and legal workplace for youth. Given the pervasiveness of youth employment and injuries and the fact that the current maximum penalties are too low to demand compliance with child labor laws, this legislation represents an important improvement in our laws that will help provide a safer occupational environment for young workers Mr. Speaker, the Child Protection Act of 2007 was proposed by the administration and is supported by Education and Labor Committee Chairman Miller and Ranking Republican McKeon, as well as Chairwoman Woolsey and Ranking Republican Joe Wilson of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. This bill represents an important first step in improving working conditions for our Nation's youth, and I urge all Members to support the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 474) recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the lives of children, especially as we prepare to celebrate Father's Day this Sunday, June 17. While the amount of time a father spends with his child can be quantified, the total contribution to his child's healthy development cannot. Children with involved fathers tend to do better in school, have fewer behavioral problems and demonstrate greater self-control. Supportive fathers also promote the positive physical, social, emotional, and mental development of their children. Responsible fatherhood can increase the chances children will grow up with two caring parents. Additionally, it can lead to reduction in child poverty and strengthen families as well as communities. So as we come upon Father's Day, we would like to recognize and thank the fathers throughout this country who play an active role in the lives of their children. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass House Resolution 474, recognizing the contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert materials relevant to House Resolution 474 into the Record.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, my good friend, Representative Davis from Illinois. (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre).

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to briefly close by saying something about my own father. As the gentleman from Tennessee was talking about his dad, I have three sisters, and I can remember my dad having to work three jobs to make ends meet for our family. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him. I miss him terribly. He has been gone a number of years, but today, as we honor fathers, I remember him and thank him. One thing my dad did every night when we had dinner, when he could make it, was to tell a joke to my three sisters and myself. He said this world is such a serious place to live in, every now and then you need to laugh and smile. I remember that each and every day. I hope my father gave me sense of humor that sometimes people find a little annoying.

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor two great community leaders from Decatur, Illinois. Horace ``Buck'' Livingston is a local civil rights activist who sought higher-paying jobs and better education for African Americans. For over 40 years, he has published the African American Voice, the only African American newspaper within 150 miles of Decatur, Illinois. His tireless efforts continue to strengthen our community and give all of us hope for a better future. William ``Skip'' Dempsey, my brother in the labor movement, sadly passed away on April 13. After teaching at Purdue University, Skip served for over 12 years as training coordinator for Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 65. He continued his leadership as a business agent, advancing education, economic growth, and the building trades in the Decatur area. Skip's valuable service will be sorely missed. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the extraordinary and unselfish contributions of Buck Livingstong and Skip Dempsey.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Thank you very much. And I thank my friend from Maine for his leadership. And as you know, you're my subcommittee chairman on Veterans Health. And you lead and you do a wonderful job on that committee. And I'm just honored to be able to serve with you. I want to thank you, and I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Sanchez from California, for her great leadership on this whole issue of trade and protecting American workers and standing up for ordinary people. I don't have a prepared speech tonight, Madam Speaker. I came here tonight just to kind of have a dialogue for a few minutes and talk about some of these trade deals from the perspective of what I'm hearing back in my district from ordinary people who get up every day, worried whether or not they're going to keep their job. I think we take a look at Korea. Here we have a trade deal that they are asking us to take a look at and support. 700,000 vehicles entered this country from Korea, yet our automobile manufacturers were allowed, allowed to ship 2,500 cars to Korea. Now, someone tell me if that's remotely close to being a fair trade deal. I don't have a problem in the world with saying to the Korean government, look, I'm not asking for 700 to 700,000. But when we are only allowed to bring in 2,500 vehicles, compared to importing 700,000, that trade deal is dead on arrival as far as I'm concerned. Plus, if you look what they're doing to our beef production and in terms of importing beef from this country, that issue is basically dead. Oh, they say they'll talk to us about it. But talk is cheap. And the reality of it is we have yet seen this government be able to move on a trade deal that makes any sense. You look at Colombia. I was at a trade press conference the other day on Colombia. As you know, as my friend from Maine knows, Madam Speaker, I'm a union member, president, former president of my clothing and textile worker local. If I had been as vocal for my union in the 13 years that I served in that capacity in Colombia, I probably would have been shot. We've had thousands of people who have been murdered, imprisoned, tortured. This is a government that we're supposed to do business with. We're supposed to trade. Here we are, the United States, greatest democracy on this planet, and they want us to fashion some type of a trade deal with a country that has paramilitary people go out and assassinate trade unionists and their families. We can do a lot better than that. I notice the President of Colombia was here just last week, and I echo my colleague, Representative Schakowsky's remarks, Madam Speaker, when she said to President Uribe in her remarks saying, come back in a year. Come back in a year and prove to this Congress and prove to the American people that you're serious about these violations; that you're going to prosecute more than 39 people, which is all that's been prosecuted under this government. My colleague from Maine mentions the loss of textile jobs and paper jobs and steel jobs. I talked to one of my friends, Representative Butterfield, and he had, at one time, in one county, in one county in his Congressional district, he had 10,000 textile workers in one county. I said, how many do you have today? And he said, I have zero. They're all gone. We can do a lot better than this. My basic question to those people who want these trade deals is just simply this. I understand the environmental and the labor standards, and I think those are good frameworks. What I want to know is, in every trade deal, what is the ramifications for our manufacturing base, for our workers and for our farmers? I think it's a fair question to be able to ask anybody. When I do, I'm told by some folks, well, we're going to redo the trade readjustment for those folks who lose their jobs. That's little comfort to somebody like Dave Bevard from Galesburg, Illinois. 32 years at Maytag. His wife has cancer. Health care runs out. And one person suggested that I go back and talk to Dave Bevard and explain to him, if you can believe this, Madam Speaker, I'm supposed to explain to Dave Bevard that there's currency manipulation in China that's causing some of these problems. And I remember saying to that Member, well, when I do, when I go to Galesburg and say that to Dave Bevard, I'd better be putting a catcher's mask on because I think I'm going to get poked. We can't talk to our workers like that, justify this. Currency manipulation. I'll tell you why Dave Bevard lost his job; I'll tell you why Maytag went to Sonora, Mexico, because this Congress, under NAFTA, that passed NAFTA, helped those jobs to go to Sonora, Mexico, Madam Speaker. They outsourced those jobs, and this from a company that took $9 million in Illinois taxpayers' money; and the workers gave, not one, but two wage concessions. And guess what? The people in Sonora, Mexico can't afford those refrigerators that they're making. In fact, they're coming across the border illegally because they're not making enough money at that factory. So to my friends at Maytag I would say, thank you for nothing. Look, I'm a card-carrying capitalist. I've said this many times, Madam Speaker. I want to see businesses make money. But I also want to see a system of fairness in this whole trade thing. I think it's the minimum we can do is to expect this Congress, that when we negotiate a trade deal, and when we're looking at a trade deal, is to stand up for those very people whose jobs are on the line. These are veterans who fought and defended this country. These are people who want to put their kids through school. They want to see their kids get married and be able to afford a home. They want to spend some time and be able to retire with some dignity. Instead, we outsource their jobs. We give them a Trade Readjustment Act that isn't really worth the paper it's written on in the final analysis. It doesn't nearly make it up. Now I want to say one thing about that before I just conclude here. Some of the workers at Maytag were told, well, we know you're losing your jobs to Mexico, but here's what you should do. Go into a thing like health care. Growing field. My colleague from Maine and I probably ought to take a look at that maybe some day. But they were told, you need to get into a growing field like health care. So 300 workers, displaced workers at Maytag did just that. That was the good news. They went to school for a year. The bad news was, there was only room for 30 of those workers, 30 of those workers to continue in practicums so that they could practice medicine. So what was the response to those 270 people who were left out? Have you thought of going into cosmetology? Well, that's a wonderful thing. That's a great way to treat workers. No, they don't think about cosmetology. What they think about is what should have been and what could have been. What should have been was this Congress, this House, should have said no to NAFTA. And when it did say yes, and I wish I was here, I could have voted against it, should have had a moral obligation to say to those workers, we're going to do everything we can to help you hold on. But it didn't. And I am saddened that some Members in my own caucus think that every trade deal that comes down is something that we ought to take a look at. Let me suggest this, and I will close by saying this. I ran on this issue for the United States Congress. I talked about it every candidate forum I had. I had four opponents in the primary, and I ran on this issue of trade. I said I will support trade as long as it does not outsource our manufacturing base and that American agriculture has a seat at the table. I won that primary, and I went on to the general election, and I ran against someone who supported NAFTA, who supported GAT, CAFTA, supported all these Bush trade deals, and I walked out of that election with 57 percent of the vote. Part of that, I believe, is because the people of the 17th District of Illinois know what it is like. I had six clothing and textile plants in my district. I have three with one ready to go, soon to close. I say, as long as I am in this Chamber, and I don't know how long that will be, I am not going to vote for a trade deal that will outsource one American job, that will take one farmer for granted, that will tell people you really don't matter because you have to look at the whole picture. So I say this to Dave Bevard and to those people who may be watching tonight, from this freshman's perspective, and I can't thank Congressman Michaud enough for his leadership on this. I met him when I was running for Congress, and I remember one phone call I made to him when I was a candidate, and one of the first questions he asked was, ``Where are you on trade?'' And I told him and he said, ``What can I do to help?'' And he has been a wonderful leader on this issue. And this battle will go on. This hour will end, but the battle will go on. And I am not giving up, and the people that believe that our manufacturing base can be saved, we are not giving up. I am going to support the Patriot Corporation, which helps keep American jobs here and stops giving tax credits to companies that outsource overseas. I want fair trade. I will vote for any trade deal that comes down as long as it meets the criteria that it stands up for ordinary Americans. With that, I am just honored that I was allowed to participate this evening. Thank you, Congressman Michaud.

Mr. HARE. Madam Speaker, the point is, if we're going to trust this administration to enforce labor standards and environmental standards, this is the same administration who hasn't even administered our own National OSHA program and has had one OSHA standard that they had to enforce, and that was because this administration was sued to get it. I would hope my colleagues wouldn't just listen to us this evening. I would hope they would listen to the American people. Poll after poll say, if the American people are asked across the country, north to south, east to west, they are asked about these trade deals, the American people want to see that American workers have a right to be competitive. I wrote down a list of some things: Steel, televisions, camcorders, clothing. The list goes on. It isn't that we don't have the workforce that can manufacture and make these things. They were quality products for years and years and years. Unfortunately, we have had a Government that felt that it was okay to take those jobs and to move them out. I would also remind some of our colleagues that not every person that gets out of school wants to sit behind a computer terminal. There is great strength in working as a welder. It is a great task to be a fitter. It is a great task to be able to do something with your hands. God didn't create all of us to sit behind a terminal. I am convinced of that, because I am computer illiterate. I am living proof. I cut lining for men's suits for 13 years, and I know this: I know that we manufactured a marvelous product. I know my cutting room was outsourced because you can't compete against 17 cents an hour. The unionized clothing worker back then was making a whopping $6.07 per hour when I worked in this factory. So this nonsense about American workers pricing themselves out of jobs because of collective bargaining agreements, that dog, as they say, just isn't going to hunt. I would ask this body, this House, to pay attention to what the American people said last November. They sent us here to do something positive for them. I haven't met a worker yet who said, could you do me a favor, Phil? I hope you do the best you can when you get out there to make sure I can get some TRA funding and lose my job. People want us to stand up for them, and that is what we are here tonight for. I want to commend the Congresswoman from Ohio, Betty Sutton. She has been a tremendous force in this issue of bringing it forward, staying with it and not being afraid to take some lumps, because sometimes we can do that in this business. But let me tell you, this issue that we are talking about this evening is one of the most important issues this country faces. We are going to be at a crossroads with these trade agreements. We can either decide to stand up and be counted, or we can stand aside and watch these jobs go and bemoan the fact that they are gone down the road and try to solve this by throwing some money at a TRA program that not only needs to be reworked, it needs to be reworked because it isn't working, and it hasn't been working for a long time for American workers who have been displaced. I just want to close by saying this tonight: I am for trade. I have said it before. I am for any type of a fair trade agreement that works. But I will not vote for a single piece of legislation that comes to this floor that will outsource one more job, not just from the 17th District of Illinois, the 13th District of Ohio, a district in Maine. But from Maine to California, we have a responsibility. I am here because of the working men and women of my district. I am going to do the very best I can. And I will tell all of them that are watching, I would encourage them to talk to their Representative and to try to tell them just how important this issue is and what is at stake. Let me again thank my colleague from Maine for his leadership on this issue. He is probably one of the most forceful voices we have in this Chamber to stand up for American working men and women. I am honored to be here tonight, and I'm honored to serve with you, and I thank the gentleman for giving me this time.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my colleague and friend, Congresswoman DeGette, for introducing the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act and for her leadership on this important issue. As many of you know, I came to this Congress with a bittersweet victory. And although I'm deeply honored to be a new Member of this House and represent the 17th Congressional District of Illinois, part of me is sad that my friend and my mentor, Congressman Lane Evans, is not here in my place. Lane served as a distinguished Member of this body for over 24 years until Parkinson's forced him to retire at the end of the 109th Congress, cutting his exceptional service short. Lane is just one of millions of Americans struggling with chronic illnesses that are curable with the advancement of stem cell research. Spencer House, the son of my very good friend, Doug House, suffers from juvenile diabetes and must take four insulin shots each and every day. But Doug is encouraged with the hope that embryonic stem cell research will some day offer his son a more normal life. And he's not alone. Poll after poll shows that a majority of Americans support ethical embryonic stem cell research as a way to prevent others from having to live with illnesses like Parkinson's disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries. Mr. Speaker, today we decide whether to give the American people hope or to continue to prolong the suffering of those who struggle with curable chronic diseases. It's time to put the people above politics by providing millions of Americans with the hope of a better day, and we will do that this day by passing this important legislation.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity, working women stand to lose $250,000 over the course of their careers because of unequal pay practices. While women's wages and educational achievements have been rising, there's still a sizeable gender wage gap. This is a national disgrace. Unfortunately, last week's Supreme Court decision, Ledbetter v. Goodyear, does little to achieve fairness for American workers. In a narrow 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court threw out the case, not just because she wasn't being discriminated against but because she filed her claim too late. This interpretation, which has been rejected by eight Federal appeals courts and the EEOC, fails to realize that employees are discriminated against every time they receive a discriminatory paycheck. Congress needs to step in and stand up for ordinary people without delay. We should move quickly to pass Congresswoman DeLauro's Paycheck Protection Act that would provide remedies to women facing pay discrimination. Mr. Speaker, I don't want to live in an America where my daughter earns less than my son for doing the same job.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today as a cosponsor and a very strong supporter of H.R. 1051, the National STEM Scholarship Database Act. I want to commend my friend, Congressman Rush Holt, with whom I serve on the Education and Labor Committee, for introducing this vital piece of legislation. America's global competitiveness will increasingly depend on our ability to attract more of our best and brightest students into technological careers. Sadly, the U.S. is growing reliant on foreign talents to fulfill its science and engineering workforce needs. According to the National Science Foundation, 25 percent of all college-educated professionals in science and engineering occupations in the United States are foreign born. The National STEM Scholarship Database addresses this problem by directing the Secretary of Education to establish a database on the Department's Web site with information on financial assistance for postsecondary and graduate programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This important database will help capable students who are interested in STEM careers find scholarships to support their studies. We all know the cost of higher education is very expensive. In fact, two-thirds of undergraduate students are on some form of financial aid. Therefore, identifying funding opportunities is critical to the recruitment of aspiring STEM students. H.R. 1051 is endorsed by all sectors of the technological workforce, and I urge my colleagues to help the U.S. stay globally competitive by voting for this bill.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2199, the Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act. As a Member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I had the privilege of working on this bipartisan bill, which I believe provides critical resources to our heroes with combat-related brain injuries. I commend Representative Altmire who initiated this effort and I thank VA Subcommittee Chairman Michaud, and VA Chairman Filner for quickly bringing this bill to the floor. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common wound suffered by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; unfortunately it is often undetected until it is too late. The bill before us today ensures we preemptively screen all veterans for brain injury and that we have the facilities and research necessary to provide the best care possible. Additionally, this bill addresses the needs of the 44 percent of service members who live in rural areas, like those in my district, by establishing an Advisory Committee on Rural Veterans. It also creates a pilot program for mobile counseling and mental health services. Mr. Speaker, I am proud we took up this bill in the Veterans' Affairs Committee because it is a strong investment in timely healthcare for our returning troops. I urge my colleagues to support our military heroes by voting for the Traumatic Brain Injury Health Enhancement and Long-Term Support Act.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, it's that time of year again. Just as families are preparing to hit the road for their summer vacations, the gas prices are once again hitting record highs. Drivers are paying a heavy price for the Bush administration's failure to enact a comprehensive energy strategy. And just last week, the President attempted to show that he's taking action by announcing an Executive Order that doesn't call for any action until a few weeks before he leaves office. This is simply too little, too late. Where has he been for the last 6 years when prices were hitting record numbers each Memorial Day? The Democratic Congress refuses to ignore this problem. We passed legislation that will roll back $14 billion in taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil, and instead we would reinvest here at home in clean alternative fuels, renewable energy and energy efficiency. In the coming weeks we will bring legislation to the House floor that will crack down on price gouging by the big oil companies so we can provide immediate relief to consumers. Unlike the Bush administration, the Democratic Congress is not simply going to ignore this problem.

Mr. HARE

Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.