Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I would like to support Congressman DeFazio's amendment and appreciate the chairman's willingness to consider it. Coming from the Midwestern part of the country, we literally have had Mexican trucks end up in our region, how, we don't know, where the driver was actually moving the steering wheel with a vise grip. Now, how does that get to the State of Ohio all the way from the border with Mexico? Something is really broken in the system already. We should not expand anything. We should fix the problem that we have today. Let me tell you, the sheriffs in Ohio along the turnpike and all of our surface roads are busy dealing with traffic that shouldn't be there in the first place. A lot of those vehicles are carrying illegal narcotics into our region. That border is a sieve. We ought to take care of it. Mr. Chairman, I support the gentleman's amendment and commend him for offering it here today.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank our fine chairman from Massachusetts for recognizing this Buckeye. And I thank Chairman Olver for doing a phenomenal job on this bill. And also Ranking Member Knollenberg of Michigan, my sister State, thank you so very much for your fine work. To both these gentlemen, let me thank them for their outstanding leadership and for their commitment to investments in America. We see so much money going abroad, indeed billions, hundreds of billions of dollars, and these gentlemen have done something for our country, for our fundamental infrastructure, for transportation, and for housing, the most important investment any American has, their most important form of savings. In the transportation area, I want to just focus in one area important to Ohio, and that is Amtrak. This bill is funded at a level of $1.4 billion. And the funding in this bill is providing critical capital and operating assistance to maintain our national passenger rail system in a manner that is environmentally friendly and necessary. No major industrial country in the world does not have a modern rail system. We need a ways to go in order to make ours better. This bill takes a step in that direction. Though President Bush and some of his allies in Congress were trying to kill passenger rail service in the country, they cannot succeed, because Amtrak is far too important for the Nation. In 2006, more than 24 million passengers traveled on Amtrak. More than 67,000 passengers ride on up to 300 Amtrak trains per day. And just in our section of Ohio, 57,000 riders make their way through Toledo, Ohio, as a part of that. I wish we could do more for our high- speed rail corridors and for alternative fuels for the large trains. That is for the future, but at least we make investments in the fundamental system. Secondly, in the area of housing, I'm really proud of what the committee has done, particularly to meet our Nation's most essential housing community development programs. Mayors around this country will appreciate the increase of nearly $1 billion above the President's request for the Community Development Block Grant program, the most important program for over 1,180 communities to get some of their tax dollars back to do what they must to run their own communities, their own cities. In addition to that, housing for the elderly is maintained at $735 million, $160 million above the President's request. For every single available unit of affordable housing, there are 10 seniors on the waiting list. So we don't meet the need, but we take a step in the right direction. Housing for the disabled is funded $236.6 million above the President's request. For U.S. housing markets which are in distress, in some areas literally dead in the water, HOPE VI is funded. The program is not killed to demolish deteriorating public housing, develop mixed- income housing and otherwise help revitalize our distressed neighborhoods. And importantly, the bill provides for proper administration and maintenance of our public housing stock. I urge all my colleagues to support this very well-balanced bill for investment in the United States of America. Isn't it time? And again, thank you, Chairman Olver, for your fantastic work that touches every single corner of our Nation.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the oil industry admitted this week that it will be unable to meet world demand over the next 25 years. In case anyone still needed a wake-up call about the importance of energy independence, surely, that is that call. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal reported on page 2 that a U.S. government-commissioned study, a study conducted by the oil industry itself, reveals that oil and gas supplies will not keep pace with worldwide demand through the year 2030. According to the oil industry study, demand is expected to increase between 50 and 60 percent due to mounting consumption in the developed world, plus the growing economies of China and India. According to the Journal, the finding suggests that far from being temporary, high energy prices are likely for decades to come. The study's conclusions appear to be the first explicit concession by the petroleum industry itself that it cannot meet the burgeoning global demand for oil, which may rise as much as 120 million barrels a day by 2030 up from 84 million barrels a day currently. These findings are consistent with what the United States Government already reported in February through the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. They projected world liquids demand to increase to 117 million barrels per day in 2030. They also projected the real price of crude oil in 2030 to be about $95 in nominal terms, which would be over $59 a barrel in this year's dollars, and the price of natural gas to be $9.50 per 1,000 cubic feet. In other words, the U.S. Government itself, through the Energy Information Administration, an arm of our Department of Energy, acknowledges we will become more dependent on foreign energy in coming years. Not less dependent, but more dependent. Not more independent, but more dependent. To me, that is not acceptable. For the consumer, it means higher and higher gasoline prices. For the economy, it means higher trade deficits and slower growth. For our Government, for our Nation, it means less independence, greater entanglements and likely more wars. President Bush has talked about energy independence. But what has he really done? In his most recent State of the Union, he talked about ending our addiction to oil and everybody dutifully applauded, but we are more dependent on foreign energy sources today than we were 6 years ago when he mouthed the words, indeed. Under his administration, this country is importing 1 billion more barrels of oil since he first took office. Today, we are importing three-quarters of the petroleum it takes to drive this economy. Now, the Presidential candidates are criss-crossing our country, and each candidate has a piece in their stump speech that mentions the words, ``energy independence.'' But will any of them deliver anything significant on these promises? I have introduced a number of bills which will move America toward real energy independence. My Biofuels Energy Independence Act of 2007, H.R. 2218, protects our feedstocks from commodity price distortions, and we see what's happening in the ethanol market and the biodiesel market today. We ought to have broad ownership of that industry and not allow the cartelized structure that characterizes today's oil and gas industry to be repeated in this new biofuels sector. I am proud to be part of a coalition here supporting H.R. 969, a bill to expand the renewable energy standard and the renewable energy portfolio to spawn new energy production in this country and new business and new jobs related to it, to capture all those dollars that we are siphoning up and sending to other countries, to turn those around and bring them back home. I have a bill to supplement the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, H.R. 682, with domestically produced biofuels. Soon I will be introducing the Energy Smart Communities Act that encourages and aids local jurisdiction undertaking energy efficiency initiatives, including solar roofs and wind turbines across our country. My goal has always been simple, to devote the resources it will take to reinvent our economy and transform our energy portfolio in this century, in the first decade of this century. Our Nation is, indeed, at a crossroads, and the stakes are in plain sight. Do we travel the road of independence, creating jobs here at home, making affordable energy available to our consumers and businesses, or do we remain in the grip of the petrol kingdoms of the Middle East? Do we issue a new declaration of energy and independence from foreign control, or do we allow our foreign policy to be perverted by our addiction to oil? Do we get serious about climate change and move aggressively to develop cleaner, safer, alternative fuels, or do we leave our future in the hands of the world oil oligarchy? The choice is ours.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to commemorate the life of Sergeant Keith Allen Kline, born and raised in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Sergeant Kline was serving his second tour of duty when he was mortally wounded while on patrol in Baghdad on July 5, 2007, the day after the 4th of July, his favorite holiday. Today, Sergeant Kline was laid to rest following a fitting and moving ceremony at his alma mater Oak Harbor High School. Through my words this evening, America honors his memory and comforts his family. After the ceremony today, he was laid to rest at Oak Harbor's Union Cemetery. In his poem, the Psalm of Life, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writes: ``Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;-- Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.'' Sergeant Kline lived the spirit of this message. The poem's words served as an epitaph as we recall his life and honor his ultimate sacrifice. Keith Kline graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 2002. A talented wrestler, he placed in the top six wrestlers in Ohio during his high school years, a truly magnificent achievement from a large State like Ohio. He also played soccer and football and participated in school plays. He enlisted in the U.S. Army post-9/11 following his graduation. At Fort Gordon, Georgia he completed his advanced individual training and was assigned to Bravo Company, 96th Civil Air Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade. In Iraq 3 months, he was assigned to the Civil Affairs Team supporting the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. In his brief career, his distinguished service brought him four Army achievement medals, a Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary medal and Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Basic Parachutist Badge. His death brought him the posthumous award of the Purple Heart Award, Bronze Star Medal, and Combat Action Badge. More than a soldier, Keith Kline was known as a goodhearted person that was full of life and a very hard worker. Every single individual who paid him tribute this morning used the term ``a man of great heart.'' He was a NASCAR fan, too, and he reveled in family get- togethers. And his favorite holiday, as I mentioned, was the 4th of July. Cherishing his memory and celebrating the gift of life are his mother Betty, brother John, stepfather, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and true friends he held close to his heart. We offer them our sincere condolences and heartfelt gratitude as they struggle through this very difficult time. May they find comfort in their loved one's memory, and recall the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1, ``To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.'' Today, America salutes Sergeant Keith Kline, a valiant son of our Republic, for his patriotism, for his excellence in service, for his courage, and for loving us more than he loved life itself.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of an amazing achievement. Lyme Congregational United Church of Christ in Bellevue, Ohio, celebrates its 190th anniversary in July 2007. A series of events through the month of July commemorate this historic occasion. On July 15 and July 17 of 1817, a total of 10 people were examined to form the charter membership of the First Presbyterian Church of Wheatsborough. According to church documents, traveling minister Reverend John Seward charged the members to ``walk worthy of their high calling.'' Throughout the year, Reverend Alvin Coe, a Presbyterian missionary to the American Indians, occasionally preached to the largely Congregationalist membership. In March 1820, Lot B. Sullivan came to Lyme looking for employment and was soon ordained and installed as the congregation's first minister. This ordination was the very first performed west of the Cuyahoga River, and ministers came from 100 miles around to participate in the ``laying on of hands.'' Church records note that early salaries were $400 per year, two-thirds of which was in the form of produce for the minister and his family. In 1828, the community of Lyme built a new schoolhouse. For the next 7 years, the church held its services in that school building. In 1835 the congregation built its own church building, which was dedicated in 1836. The building is the only church the congregation has known and has been in continuous use for 171 years. Hand-hewn and built to stand the test of time, the church remains a beautifully simplistic structure. Formally incorporated as a Congregational Church in 1873, Lyme Congregational U.C.C. calls itself ``A Family Church Where All Are Welcome'' and this motto rings as true today as at the church's founding. Families have grown and maintained the church through many markers of history: It was founded less than 10 years after the first settlers arrived in the Firelands of Northwest Ohio and only 2 years after the first people came to Bellevue. It was standing for 6 years already when the Erie Canal opened, and 16 years when Oberlin College-- the first in the U.S. to admit women and African Americans--was established. The church continued in witness to history as our Nation passed through the Civil War, the joining of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1886, the Wright Brothers' Kitty Hawk flight in 1903, the introduction of the Model T Ford, World War I, the Suffrage of Women in 1919, World War II, the Korean War, the dawn of the space program, the first moon walk in 1969, the Vietnam War and the tragic shootings at Kent State University nearby, the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York in 2001, two Gulf Wars and United Nations missions, from telegraph to telephone to cellular phones, from the writing of letters to radio to television to computers and digital cameras. Through all of these incredible changes in one continuous thread of history, 36 ministers have led this flock. The members celebrate their history and have carefully preserved artifacts and documents from the church's founding nearly two centuries ago. In the Book of Psalms in the Holy Bible Psalm 100 tells Christians, ``Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.'' Few congregations can attest to the message in this Scripture as well as that of Lyme Congregational United Church of Christ. I am very pleased to acknowledge this anniversary celebration and join in a remembrance of the past, reflection of the present, and hope for the future.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate SGT Keith Allen Kline, born and raised in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and whose life was tragically cut short when he died in service in Iraq. He was mortally wounded while on patrol in Baghdad on July 5, 2007. Over the weekend his community will honor his memory and comfort his family, and Sergeant Kline will be laid to rest in Oak Harbor's Union Cemetery on Monday, July 16, 2007. In his poem the ``Psalm of Life'', Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writes:

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the United States has just announced the second highest monthly trade deficit for this year, $60 billion. That is just in the month of May. Our Nation continues to import more goods and services than we export at alarming rates, with a record $192 billion more coming into this country in the earlier part of this year than going out. This particular chart shows the top category of concern, imported petroleum, which has continued to rise, including in this Presidential administration, despite President Bush's statement at the beginning of his administration that we have a serious problem. America is addicted to oil, which is being imported from some of the most unstable parts of the world. He said that, and yet he continued to allow the import of more petroleum. Americans are watching as our government does nothing to curb these growing trade deficits, with their accompanying job losses, deteriorating labor conditions and community washouts that U.S. trade policy leaves in its wake. A bill I have sponsored, H.R. 169, the Balancing Trade Act of 2007, requires the President, if over 3 consecutive calendar years the United States has a trade deficit with another country that totals over $10 billion, to take the necessary steps to create a trading relationship that would eliminate or substantially reduce that trade deficit by entering into better agreements with that country. In other words, if the United States runs a substantial deficit with any one country, the President must report back to Congress on his plans for correcting that imbalance. This is a very constructive first step to correct the path of U.S. trade policy which is yielding this red ink. Our bill calls attention to those countries who are taking advantage of our willingness to import goods from them while they block our access to their markets. Our two largest deficits in 2006, for example, were first with China. This is a country we have amassed a $232.5 billion deficit. That is an enormous amount, comprising about a quarter of what we have amassed with all countries in the world. And the deficit with China has just grown at alarming proportions. The next largest deficit is with Japan. That has been a lingering deficit that has been growing over the years. It now totals about one- third of what we accumulate with China; it's about $88.4 billion. And every billion in deficit equals a loss of between 10,000 and 20,000 jobs in this country. That is a displacement in production in this country, putting it someplace else. Now, these deficits have persisted for years, which makes them particularly troublesome. This chart illustrates our deficit with China pre and post what is called ``normal trade relations'' with China. We had a very bad deficit already back in the late 1990s, but with the adoption of permanent trade relations with China, that deficit has more than doubled. If we had taken steps to correct this deficit at the beginning of the downward turn rather than turning our backs on it and allowing more red ink with China, our country would be stronger today. It would not have the kind of annual budget deficits that we're having. And we would be more economically secure here at home and, frankly, politically secure in the world. Instead, we continue to sacrifice our jobs to the lowest bidders in closed markets that do not follow rules of free trade. Free trade can be productive and it can be profitable, but only if it is free trade among free people. Trading with closed economies that manipulate currency, that choose not to enforce what scant labor standards they might have, and otherwise levy very restrictive non-tariff barriers against our products harm our economy. America, wake up. We can no longer ignore the games that our competition is playing with us. We must trade for America; not for secret, nontransparent governments to prosper off our unwillingness to hold them to democratic standards or, at the very least, the rules of truly free trade among free people. I urge my colleagues to join me in requiring the President to address this issue by cosponsoring our bill, H.R. 169. We must take action to reduce the trade deficit and restore our economic independence, competitiveness and begin creating jobs across our country again.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today, I'm introducing legislation to bring our food safety system into the 21st century by stopping the influx of unsafe food from countries like China. Mr. Speaker, over the last several months, the American public has begun to tune in on an issue which should have every American at the edge of their seats, the danger of tainted food from abroad. Food imports are constituting a larger and larger share of what we eat and what is sold at stores across our Nation. In 1996, our Nation had a huge positive agricultural trade balance of over $27 billion more exports going out than imports coming in. Today, that balance has dropped to only $8 billion, and we have wracked up enormous trade deficits of nearly $800 billion around the world, $230 billion with China. With China constantly engaging in practices like unfairly manipulating their currency, the yuan, our agricultural trade policy is in dire need of change. For instance, individual shipments of food from China have recently been quoted as going from 82,000 shipments in 2002 to 199,000 in 2006. This is a staggering increase. Unless we act to protect our consumers, the United States will become dangerously dependent on foreign agricultural imports while our domestic market falters. Take Chinese seafood imports. While they account for 22 percent of the domestic import market, Chinese goods account for 63 percent of seafood refused by inspectors at the border. Overall, Chinese food imports have quadrupled in 10 years, increasing from $880 million in 1996 to $4.2 billion in 2006. This increase of Chinese food imports over the last 10 years has not been followed by an equal increase of inspector activity. Therein lies the problem. Less than 2 percent of what comes over our border for human consumption is inspected. Yes, you heard me right, less than 2 percent. As the Chinese share of American agricultural imports continues to grow, our domestic markets are impacted. For instance, unlike closely regulated domestic food additives, products like wheat gluten and vitamin C from China continue to flood our market. The last American vitamin C producer recently closed its doors, unable to compete against the flood of poorly regulated Chinese additives. So, when you take your vitamin pills, ask where the ingredients came from. Earlier this year, Europe narrowly avoided disaster when a batch of vitamin A was contaminated with an additive which has caused infant deaths. Luckily, the additive was removed before it contaminated infant formula. In a matter of weeks, the Chinese government went from denying the problems with their food chain to executing their lead food regulator and closing down almost 200 food factories. Estimates indicate that it will cost up to $100 billion over the next 10 years to build an infrastructure capable of certifying and protecting against Chinese agricultural goods. This should cause any American sitting down at the dinner table to think about drawing arms. We simply must do better. And that is what my bill, the Assured Food Safety Act of 2007, does. It uses a simple approach and puts the burden of keeping food safe on the producers and the country of origin. The bill will require countries exporting food products to the United States to provide a certificate of assured safety for each class of items. If safe certified food is found to cause consumer illnesses or deaths, producers can be held liable through our Federal courts. Producers liable for damage they cause? What a sensible idea. As a condition to accessing the American market, a producer must be willing to stand behind the quality of their product. Instead of relying on an inconsistent patchwork of international food standards, our consumers will be given the power to manage abuses directly through our legal system. The United States government has a duty not only to protect the American population from the bad apples of the world but to restore the American people's confidence in the food we eat. Next time you go to the grocery store to buy pet food or pick up onions, remember our bill. Mr. Speaker, the Assured Food Safety Act closes a serious loophole in our food safety regimen. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor our bill and help the American people regain confidence in our system. [From the Washington Post, April 23, 2007] It's Not Just Pet Food (By Peter Kovacs) Lost amid the anxiety surrounding the tainted U.S. pet food supply is this sobering reality: It's not just pet owners who should be worried. The uncontrolled distribution of low- quality imported food ingredients, mainly from China, poses a grave threat to public health worldwide. Essential ingredients, such as vitamins used in many packaged foods, arrive at U.S. ports from China and, as recent news reports have underscored, are shipped without inspection to food and beverage distributors and manufacturers. Although they are used in relatively small quantities, these ingredients carry enormous risks for American consumers. One pound of tainted wheat gluten could, if undetected, contaminate as much as a thousand pounds of food. Unlike imported beef, which is inspected at the point of processing by the U.S. Agriculture Department, few practical safeguards have been established to ensure the quality of food ingredients from China. Often, U.S. officials don't know where or how such ingredients were produced. We know, however, that alarms have been raised about hygiene and labor standards at many Chinese manufacturing facilities. In China, municipal water used in the manufacturing process is often contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides and other chemicals. Food ingredient production is particularly susceptible to environmental contamination. Equally worrisome, U.S. officials often lack the capability to trace foreign-produced food ingredients to their source of manufacture. In theory, the Bioterrorism Prevention Act of 2001 provides some measure of traceability. In practice, the act is ineffective and was not designed for this challenge. Its enforcement is also shrouded in secrecy by the Department of Homeland Security. Even if Food and Drug Administration regulators wanted to crack down on products emanating from the riskiest foreign facilities, they couldn't, because they have no way of knowing which ingredients come from which plant. This is why officials have spent weeks searching for the original Chinese source of the contaminated wheat gluten that triggered the pet food crisis. That it was pet food that got tainted--and that relatively few pets were harmed--is pure happenstance. Earlier this spring, Europe narrowly averted disaster when a batch of vitamin A from China was found to be contaminated with Enterobacter sakazakii, which has been proved to cause infant deaths. Thankfully, the defective vitamin A had not yet been incorporated into infant formula. Next time we may not be so fortunate. Currently, most of the world's vitamins are manufactured in China. Unable to compete, the last U.S. plant making vitamin C closed a year ago. One of Europe's largest citric acid plants shut last winter, and only one vitamin C manufacturer operates in the West. Given China's cheap labor, artificially low prices and the unfair competitive climate it has foisted on the industry, few Western producers of food ingredients can survive much longer. Western companies have had to invest heavily in Chinese facilities. These Western-owned plants follow strict standards and are generally better managed than their locally owned counterparts. Nevertheless, 80 percent of the world's vitamin C is now manufactured in China--much of it unregulated and some of it of questionable quality. Europe is ahead of the United States in seeking greater accountability and traceability in food safety and importation. But even the European Union's ``rapid alert system'' is imperfect. Additional action is required if the continent is to avoid catastrophes. To protect consumers here, we must revise our regulatory approaches. The first option is to institute regulations, based on the European model, to ensure that all food ingredients are thoroughly traceable. We should impose strict liability on manufacturers that fail to enforce traceability standards. A draconian alternative is to mount a program modeled on USDA beef inspection for all food ingredients coming into the country. This regimen would require a significant commitment of resources and intensive training for hundreds of inspectors. Food safety is a bipartisan issue: Congress and the administration must work together and move aggressively to devise stricter standards. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, has deplored dangerous levels of lead in vitamin products originating in China. We must get to the bottom of this pressing public health issue, without self-defeating finger- pointing. The United States is sitting on a powder keg with uncontrolled importation and the distribution of low-quality food ingredients. Before it explodes--putting more animals and people at risk--corrective steps must be taken. The writer was president of NutraSweet Kelco Co. from 1994 to 1997. He is a management consultant to many large food ingredient companies.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, President Bush finds himself increasingly isolated on the issue of Iraq. Public support continues to evaporate. This week in a devastating blow to the President's policy, Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, a respected voice and, I might say, a very experienced voice on foreign policy for the past 30 years, publicly broke with the Bush administration on Iraq. In remarks on the Senate floor which are prominently featured on the home page of his Web site, Senator Lugar said: ``Our course in Iraq has lost contact with our vital national security interests in the Middle East and beyond. Our continuing absorption with military activities in Iraq is limiting our diplomatic assertiveness there and elsewhere in the world. The prospects that the current ``surge'' strategy will succeed in the way originally envisioned by the President are very limited within the short period framed by our own domestic political debate. And the strident, polarized nature of that debate increases the risk that our involvement in Iraq will end in a poorly planned withdrawal that undercuts our vital interests in the Middle East. Unless we recalibrate our strategy in Iraq to fit our domestic political conditions and the broader needs of U.S. national security, we risk foreign policy failures that could greatly diminish our influence across that region and the world.'' Senator Lugar framed the debate in terms of U.S. interests in the Middle East and the world. He is correct to note that: ``The current surge strategy is not an effective means of protecting those interests. Its prospects for success are too dependent on the actions of others who do not share our agenda. It relies on military power to achieve goals that it cannot achieve. It distances allies that we will need for any regional diplomatic effort. Its failure, without a careful transition to a backup policy, would intensify our loss of credibility. It uses tremendous amounts of resources that cannot be employed in other ways to secure our objectives. And it lacks domestic support that is necessary to sustain a policy of this type.'' I would add several other observations: Rising casualties signal a strategy that is not working. The U.S. death toll has risen to over 3,555 and there are that many Iraqis dying every month. President Bush himself has admitted his surge will result in more American casualties, a phenomenon we in Ohio know well as last week we lost another airman, F-16 pilot Kevin Sonnenburg, who was laid to rest. Madam Speaker, I would like to place in the Record other important information about the situation in Iraq. Flexibility is not the President's strong suit, and it is time for President Bush to get in touch with reality before he does more damage to the position of the United States in the Middle East and before we lose more of our sons and daughters and the nation of Iraq loses more of its sons and daughters. Madam Speaker, President Bush finds himself increasingly isolated on the issue of Iraq. Public support continues to evaporate. This week, in a devastating blow to the President's policy, Senator Richard Lugar, ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee and a respected voice on foreign policy for the past 30 years, publicly broke with the Bush Administration on Iraq. In remarks on the Senate floor, which are prominently featured on the home page of his Web site, Senator Lugar said: . . . (O)ur course in Iraq has lost contact with our vital national security interests in the Middle East and beyond. Our continuing absorption with military activities in Iraq is limiting our diplomatic assertiveness there and elsewhere in the world. The prospects that the current ``surge'' strategy will succeed in the way originally envisioned by the President are very limited within the short period framed by our own domestic political debate. And the strident, polarized nature of that debate increases the risk that our involvement in Iraq will end in a poorly planned withdrawal that undercuts our vital interests in the Middle East. Unless we recalibrate our strategy in Iraq to fit our domestic political conditions and the broader needs of U.S. national security, we risk foreign policy failures that could greatly diminish our influence in the region and the world. Senator Lugar frames the debate in terms of U.S. interests in the Middle East and the world. He is correct to note that: . . . (T)he current surge strategy is not an effective means of protecting these interests. Its prospects for success are too dependent on the actions of others who do not share our agenda. It relies on military power to achieve goals that it cannot achieve. It distances allies that we will need for any regional diplomatic effort. Its failure, without a careful transition to a backup policy would intensify our loss of credibility. It uses tremendous amounts of resources that cannot be employed in other ways to secure our objectives. And it lacks domestic support that is necessary to sustain a policy of this type. I would add several other observations: rising casualties signal a strategy that is not working When a U.S. soldier was killed recently by a roadside bomb in the southwestern section of Baghdad, the death toll for American service personnel reached 3,500 over the four years of this war. The U.S. death toll has risen over 3555. President Bush himself admitted his ``surge'' will result in more American casualties--a phenomenon that has become all too frequent as a result of the Administration's conduct of the war. Even now, Northwest Ohio is mourning the loss of an F-16 pilot from the 180th Fighter Wing out of Toledo. We stand foursquare behind our troops. We will support them in every possible way. Sooner or later, President Bush has to face the facts: the American people will not sacrifice their sons and daughters in a failed strategy. soldiers becoming increasingly disillusioned Our armed forces are being stretched too thin, but the White House just won't listen. Senator Lugar said in his speech: ``The window during which we can continue to employ American troops in Iraqi neighborhoods without damaging our military strength or our ability to respond to other national security priorities is closing.'' Tour after tour in Iraq are taxing the best troops in the world, our American soldiers, leaving them increasingly disillusioned with the mission. Soldiers are home no longer than 24 hours before they receive a phone call telling them to change their plans because they are going back to Iraq. Our troops have stepped up to the plate, they have served with honor, and now it is time for their Iraqi counterparts to step up. Our unit has already sent two soldiers in a box. My soldiers don't see the same level of commitment from the Iraqi Army units they're partnered with.--Captain Douglas Rogers of Delta Company. Meanwhile, the line between ally and foe is continuing to be blurred as soldiers watch shadowy militia commanders installed as Iraqi Army officers, which places all our forces in a vulnerable position, heavily susceptible to internal as well as external terrorist attacks. the war is causing neuropsychiatric illness among our troops The war in Iraq is taking a hidden toll on the American forces: 38 percent of soldiers, 31 percent of our Marines, 49 percent of our Army National Guard and 43 percent of our Marine reservists have reported symptoms of neuropsychiatric illnesses--PTSD, anxiety, depression. Mental health care stigma remains pervasive and is a significant barrier to care. Mental health professionals are not sufficiently accessible to service members and their families. There are significant gaps in the continuum of care for psychological health. The military system does not have enough resources, funding or personnel to adequately support the neuropsychological health of service members and their families in peace and during conflict. There is a shortage of active-duty mental health professionals. The system has been stressed by repeated deployments and other frustrations, and psychologists and psychiatric nurses are leaving the military in growing numbers: Air Force lost 20 percent of mental health workers from 2003-2007. Navy lost 15 percent of mental health workers from 2003-2006. Army lost 8 percent of mental health workers from 2003-2005. This report points to significant shortfalls in achieving goals and taking care of our service members and their families.--Dr. S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs The current complement of mental health professionals is woefully inadequate.--MHTF Report. Conclusion Madam Speaker, flexibility is not President Bush's strong suit. As his policy in Iraq continued to unravel, he dug his heels in and refused to listen to the generals, to the Congress or to the American people. As the situation in Iraq continued to deteriorate, the President kept insisting that things were getting better and the violence was beginning to subside. As civil society devolved into chaos, President Bush held onto the false hope that the Iraqi people were somehow prepared to take the necessary steps toward creating a democracy. Madam Speaker, President Bush cannot sustain this charade any longer. The ``wise men'' of the Republican Party, including Senator Lugar, are calling into question the fundamental precepts of the Bush policy and calling for a major overhaul. The president's Iraq policy stands discredited in the eyes of the world. At this point, only President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Prime Minister Tony Blair seem to believe that the original mission has any chance of success. It is time, Madam Speaker, for President Bush to get in touch with reality before he does anymore damage to the position of the United States in the Middle East and before we lose in the Middle East even more of our sons and daughters in this disastrous war.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Andean Trade Agreement, H.R. 1830, which, strangely, will be brought up under suspension, which means no debate and no amendment. I thought voters put new Democratic leadership in charge of this House to stop deals such as this being done in this way. H.R. 1830 would extend special duty treatment to certain imports from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru until September 30 of 2009. The Andean Accord was originally intended to promote economic growth and replace production of illegal drugs in the Andean region. But in 2006, the United States had already racked up $10 billion more in deficit with these countries, and the last time I looked, that cocaine was still coming over our borders from Colombia. Mr. Speaker, this deal made on the NAFTA model is a failed model. Not a single other trade deal under the NAFTA model has created good or better jobs. Because it is based on the NAFTA model, the specific provisions are just tinkering at the edges. This bill will cost more American jobs, period. How many copies of the NAFTA deal must enter this Congress before we finally say no? We don't need more Bill Thomas and Tom DeLay-type trade agreements being rushed through this House. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on 1830. Let's have a full debate on trade. The American people demand it of us.

Ms. KAPTUR

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

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's yielding me the time even though I rise in opposition to this bill and to any bill that will continue to outsource more U.S. jobs, increase our trade deficit, and not stop the import of illegal narcotics into this country. This is another one of those bills cast in NAFTA model that is already yielding over $10 billion a year in trade deficits to this country by the outsourcing of our jobs. Why would we want to do more? The American people elected us to make a difference. They are expecting us to be different than the Thomas committee. Why are we delivering the same kind of bills to this floor? Procedurally, this bill is being brought up overnight without Members even having the opportunity to read a text. I don't know who made that decision. I doubt it was anyone on this floor. But for people who represent districts like ours, it is truly a tragedy. One fact we are certain of is that NAFTA-type agreements have cost more jobs, more job losses, more trade deficit every time one of these bills comes to the floor. When are we going to learn? The idea of the Andean agreement was that it would help to displace coca production with other economic enterprises, and yet we see coca production increasing and more of those illegal drugs coming over our border. When something isn't working, you ought to fix it. We look at the provisions dealing with labor enforcement. There is no enforcement, especially in the farm-related positions, in the flour industry, in the asparagus industry, and so forth. There is no enforcement in those countries. Why would we do this? I would love to be a Member of this Congress when a trade agreement is advanced that creates jobs in the United States of America, which is our first responsibility, rather than outsourcing; that yields trade surpluses, not growing deficits that are such a huge drag on this economy, now knocking two points off GDP every year; and that treats the Members of this institution with respect, with respect. Not excluding those who disagree, but putting us around the table, letting our voices be heard, letting us be constructive Members of this institution. I would say to the leadership of this institution, treat the Members with respect. We were also elected. I thank the gentleman for allowing me this time to speak in opposition.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, tonight, I rise to honor the life of Lt. Col. Kevin Sonnenberg of the Ohio National Guard, another American war hero who was laid to rest today in his beloved State of Ohio. His peers have noted that Col. Sonnenberg will be remembered as a fearless fighter pilot who perished before his time serving the Nation he loved. Col. Sonnenberg died on the 15th of June, 2007, when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed near Balad Air Base in Iraq, shortly after takeoff. He had just departed on a mission to provide air support to Coalition ground forces fighting anti-Iraq forces. Colonel Kevin Sonnenberg was an instructor pilot and C Flight Commander assigned to the 112th Fighter Squadron in Toledo, Ohio. He had numerous deployments with the unit, including Operation Northern Watch, Turkey; Operation Southern Watch, Kuwait; Operation Enduring Freedom, Qatar; and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. He truly is an American hero. Colonel Sonnenberg was well decorated for his service during these missions, receiving awards and decorations including: The Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with Valor, the Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal with two Devices, the Air Force Achievement Medal with two Devices, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Gold Border, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one Device, the Combat Readiness Medal with four Devices, the National Defense Service Medal with one Device, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Air Expeditionary Ribbon with Gold Border, the Air Force Longevity Service Award with three Devices, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with four Devices, the Bronze Hourglass ``M'', Arabic four, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one Device, the Air Force Training Ribbon, the Ohio Distinguished Service Medal with Valor, and the Ohio Faithful Service Ribbon with two Devices. A 1983 graduate of Napoleon High School, Kevin Sonnenberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University in 1987. He graduated from the Academy of Military Science in 1991, followed by the Squadron Officers School in 2001 and the Air Command and Staff College in 2007. An Instructor Pilot of F-16s with more than 1,900 hours flown, Lieutenant Colonel Sonnenberg served several assignments in his tenure with the Ohio Air National Guard, including his most recent with the 112th Fighter Squadron. A traditional member of the Ohio National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Sonnenberg was also a commercial pilot and farmer. He had been a commercial airline pilot with Delta Airlines since from 2000 until his death. He grew up farming with his father and remained devoted to their partnership. In the Great War of the last century, the poet Alfred Noyes penned his thoughts about English fighter pilots in ``To the Royal Air Force.'' His words written so long ago capture the spirit of today's F- 16 fighter pilots and Kevin Sonnenberg when he wrote, ``Whether at midnight or at noon, ``Through mist or open sky, ``Eagles of freedom, all our hearts ``Are up with you on high . . . ``From realms beyond the sun ``And whisper, as their record pales, ``Their breathless, deep, Well Done!'' His fellow airmen wrote that, ``Lieutenant Colonel Sonnenberg will be remembered as a Renaissance man, able to maneuver America's most advanced aircraft in a perilous war zone one week and then discuss corn and soybean crops with Henry County farmers the next. And he did both with his natural, down-home nature that endeared him to so many across Ohio, the Air Force and the world. He should be honored as a patriot whose commitment to his country was surpassed only by his devotion to God.'' Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Sonnenberg was a man of action, a man of character, a man who revered God and country and family. He drank deep from the cup of life and lived the journey well, though too short. I imagine he would concur with the words of Christina Rosetti in her poem, ``Remember'': ``Remember me when I am gone away, ``Gone far away into the silent land; ``When you can no more hold me by the hand, ``Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. ``Remember me when no more day by day.'' I would like to close my remarks by paying tribute to him on behalf of the F-16 fighter pilots of the 180th Tactical Fighter Squadron in our region, to their support staff, to all the members of the Ohio National Guard, to their families and all Buckeyes who truly revered this man's life. Just about a month and a half ago, I wished off that unit with over 350 members of the Ohio National Guard to fly to Iraq to join their colleagues who have been based there for several months. I gave Kevin Sonnenberg a hug before he left, as I did to every F-16 pilot that left. This F-16 unit is the best that America has. They rank at the top of every single measure that this Nation has. He was among the finest of the finest in our country. He gave his all to us. He did all he was asked to do. He died loving his family, his country and his God; and we love him and his family and his country and our God. Mr. Speaker, it is fitting that we end this evening in tribute to the life of a great American airman.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. trade deficit continues its relentless spiral upwards. More red ink. More outsourced jobs. More foreign imports. Nothing seems capable of slowing it down, neither the misguided Bush administration policy of forcing down the value of the dollar on global markets, nor a half-hearted, ineffective and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to increase U.S. exports. America wants results, not rhetoric. According to recent reports, the current account deficit, which is the broadest measure of the trade deficit, reached $193 billion just in the first quarter of this year. Every year the red ink gets deeper. This represents 5.7 percent of our gross domestic product. It is a heavy ball and chain on the economic growth in our country, and it is becoming heavier. The trade deficit in goods in the first quarter surpassed $200 billion, and it dwarfed surpluses in services and income payments. Although you won't hear it from the economists on the coasts, the gargantuan deficit in goods is a dagger pointed at the heart of the economy in parts of the country such as I represent. We need action in Washington to stop the loss of jobs due to the trade deficit hemorrhage and unfair foreign competition, including the remaining closed markets of the world in first world nations like Japan. The trade deficit, Mr. Speaker, reveals two fundamental weaknesses in our national economic policy. First is our unforgivable utter dependence on imported petroleum, the primary category of trade deficit. American consumers end up paying twice for the government's failure to declare energy independence, first when they fill up, and second, when their own economy is undermined by the global oil giants working in tandem with the repressive kingdoms of the Middle East and other places. One would think that our government would have heard the warnings long enough and often enough to take action against our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and I mean real action, like energy independence within a decade. The President talked about it in his State of the Union speech, but he has not followed up with action. In fact, in his administration we are importing a billion more barrels of petroleum annually from other countries. So we should not be surprised, maybe, considering the President and Vice President are both oil men at heart. The other weakness revealed by the current account deficit is our failure to develop a trade policy that makes as its priority the competitiveness of American jobs and American businesses. The government, rather, has pursued a policy that sends manufacturing jobs overseas to third world places like China, which represents a growing share of this red ink. Talk to tool and dye makers in Ohio, those who somehow have survived. Talk to workers in the auto industry or the auto parts sector; they must wonder whether it is the official policy of the United States Government to throw them to the wolves. Where, they ask, is the policy for making the United States economy competitive here at home in each of the categories where we have lost the edge? Together, the trade deficit with China from petroleum and from automotive products account for 95 percent of the total, and somebody's got to pay. In order to finance the deficit, Americans are borrowing and selling assets to the tune of approximately $600 billion a year. Anything in your town been put on the chopping block yet? Debt service amounts to approximately $2,000 a year for every working American. We are truly indebted. Sooner or later somebody has to pay that bill, and the American people know who that somebody is. The Chinese government alone holds enough foreign reserves to purchase about 5 percent of the shares of all publicly traded U.S. companies. The U.S. trade deficit is the main source of that Chinese wealth. Dr. Peter Morici of the University of Maryland has written about the impact of our trade policy on economic growth. He notes that every dollar spent on imports that is not matched by a dollar of exports reduces domestic demand here at home and employment and shifts workers into activities where productivity is lower. Productivity is at least 50 percent higher in industries that export and compete with imports, and reducing the trade deficit and moving workers into these industries would increase our gross domestic product. If the administration and Congress showed the fortitude to cut the trade deficit, and we're not talking about a balanced trade account, just cutting the deficit by half, the gross domestic product would increase by an estimated $250 billion, or more than $1,700 for every working American. That comes to 1 percent a year due to this halving of the deficit rather than the loss of 1 percent of economic growth every year due to this continuing failed trade policy, which has been in place for at least two decades. If we could just cut the deficit in half, workers wages could once again keep pace with inflation, families would no longer fall further behind with each passing month, and we would have better jobs, better paying wages and better benefits. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately we will not see that economic growth until our government deals with this trade deficit and stops the hemorrhage. That would require political courage. I would sure like to see some of it here in this town. U.S. Records $193 Billion First Quarter Current Account Deficit Taxing U.S. Growth (By Peter Morici) Today, the Commerce Department reported the first quarter current account deficit was $192.6 billion, up from $187.9 billion in the fourth quarter. The deficit was 5.7 percent of GDP. The consensus forecast was $203 billion, and my published forecast was 195.8. The current account is the broadest measure of the U.S. trade balance. In addition to trade in goods and services, it includes income received from U.S. investments abroad less payments to foreigners on their investments in the United States. In the first quarter, the United States had a $24.1 billion surplus on trade in services and a $10.4 billion surplus on income payments. This was hardly enough to offset the massive $200.9 billion deficit on trade in goods. The huge deficit on trade in goods is caused by a combination of an overvalued dollar against the Chinese yuan, a dysfunctional national energy policy that increases U.S. dependence on foreign oil, and the competitive woes of the three domestic automakers. Together, the trade deficit with China and on petroleum and automotive products account for about 95 percent of the deficit on trade in goods and services. To finance the current account deficit, Americans are borrowing and selling assets at a pace of about $600 billion a year. U.S. foreign debt exceeds $6 trillion, and the debt service comes to about $2,000 a year for every working American. A significant share of these funds was loaned to Americans by foreign governments. China and other governments loaned Americans more than 4.3 percent of GDP. The current account deficit imposes a significant tax on GDP growth by moving workers from export and import-competing industries to other sectors of the economy. This reduces labor productivity, research and development (R&D) spending, and important investments in human capital. In 2007 the trade deficit is slicing about $250 billion off GDP, and longer term, it reduces potential annual GDP growth to 3 percent from 4 percent. Financing the Deficit The current account deficit must be financed by a capital account surplus, either by foreigners investing in the U.S. economy or loaning Americans money. Some analysts argue that the deficit reflects U.S. economic strength, because foreigners find many promising investments here. The details of U.S. financing belie this argument. In the first quarter, U.S. investments abroad were $420.8 billion, while foreigners invested $623.6 billion in the United States. Of that latter total, only $23.5 billion or less. than 4 percent was direct investment in U.S. productive assets. The remaining capital inflows were foreign purchases of Treasury securities, corporate bonds, bank accounts, currency, and other paper assets. Essentially, Americans borrowed $600 billion to consume 5.7 percent more than they produced. Foreign governments loaned Americans $147.8 billion or 4.3 percent of GDP. That well exceeded net household borrowing to finance homes, cars, gasoline, and other consumer goods. The Chinese and other governments are essentially bankrolling U.S. consumers, who in turn are mortgaging their children's income. The cumulative effects of this borrowing are frightening. The total external debt now exceeds $6 trillion. The debt service at 5 percent interest, amounts to $2000 for each working American. The Chinese government alone holds enough U.S. and other foreign reserves to purchase about five percent of the shares of all publicly trade U.S. companies. The U.S. trade deficit is the primary driver behind this phenomenon. Consequences for Economic Growth High and rising trade deficits tax economic growth. Specifically, each dollar spent on imports that is not matched by a dollar of exports reduces domestic demand and employment, and shifts workers into activities where productivity is lower. Productivity is at least 50 percent higher in industries that export and compete with imports, and reducing the trade deficit and moving workers into these industries would increase GDP. Were the trade deficit cut in half, GDP would increase by about $250 billion or more than $1,700 for every working American. Workers' wages would not be lagging inflation, and ordinary working Americans would more easily find jobs paying higher wages and offering decent benefits. Manufacturers are particularly hard hit by this subsidized competition. Through recession and recovery, the manufacturing sector has lost 3.2 million jobs since 2000. Following the pattern of past economic recoveries, the manufacturing sector should have regained about 2 million of those jobs, especially given the very strong productivity growth accomplished in durable goods and throughout manufacturing. Longer-term, persistent U.S. trade deficits are a substantial drag on growth. U.S. import-competing and export industries spend three-times the national average on industrial R&D, and encourage more investments in skills and education than other sectors of the economy. By shifting employment away from trade-competing industries, the trade deficit reduces U.S. investments in new methods and products, and skilled labor. Cutting the trade deficit in half would boost U.S. GDP growth by one percentage point a year, and the trade deficits of the last two decades have reduced U.S. growth by one percentage point a year. Lost growth is cumulative. Thanks to the record trade deficits accumulated over the last 10 years, the U.S. economy is about $1.5 trillion smaller. This comes to about $10,000 per worker. Had the Administration and the Congress acted responsibly to reduce the deficit, American workers would be much better off, tax revenues would be much larger, and the Federal deficit could be eliminated without cutting spending. The damage grows larger each month, as the Bush administration dallies and ignores the corrosive consequences of the trade deficit.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the topic of my remarks tonight will be ``The Red Ink Keeps Getting Deeper.'' If we look at the trade procedure the Bush administration wants Congress to pass called Fast Track, we should know that it is shorthand for Congress blindly signing away its constitutionally granted duty to regulate commerce with foreign nations. That is right in the Constitution. Under Fast Track procedure, Congress loses any opportunity to negotiate, amend, or improve the Bush administration's misguided trade policy. We have seen what happens when Congress hands the reins over to the executive branch. When we look at our soaring trade deficit and our ravaged middle-class communities, we see how Congress could have improved each one of the trade agreements we were forced to consider as a whole under what was called Fast Track. It is like a fast ball through here that you can't even amend. The Commerce Department just released an example of the Bush administration's horrendous leadership on this issue. The first quarter account for 2007 is another $193 billion deficit in the red, which totals 5.7 percent of GDP, a total drag on economic growth in this country. And, in fact, this quarter's debt is larger than the last quarter of 2006. The red ink keeps getting deeper every single quarter. Our national security is forced to take a back seat to foreign investment while workers lose their pensions and their health benefits or their jobs, and illegal immigrants scramble across our borders attempting to flee the destruction caused by our failed trade policies in those countries. This should not be happening. When Congress reclaims our power to amend trade agreements, we can use trade policy in a manner to level the playing field, to help people and not just fan the flames of more corporate greed in the global marketplace. Congress cannot accept Fast Track in any form. We must demand and create a new model for trade that has not just a logic but also an ethic. We must bring people back into the trade equation, not just investors. Our trade policy touches people around the world, from middle-class Americans in the heart of this country to Mexican corn and bean farmers facing extinction come next January as some of NAFTA's provisions phase out for them. Our trade policy touches factory workers in China toiling for starvation wages. We, as most powerful Nation in the world, must accept our responsibility to protect people from corporate greed and our own people from security risks. We cannot trust President Bush to defend our jobs. We have seen he has not been able to do that. And we cannot watch him dictate trade policies that Congress is blocked from amending. We have to take the responsibility given to us in our Constitution. Instead of approving more lopsided trade agreements, Congress should fix our current situation. Trade should create jobs in America. It should not exploit Third World workers. It should elevate, not reduce, America's image abroad. Congress should fund the North American Development Bank to support job creation in communities where jobs have been offshored and outsourced. And we should require our trade competitors to adhere to environmental standards. We should abolish child labor worldwide. We should stop labor trafficking. And we should fix our broken immigration system that is so tied to failed trade policies. A new trade model must be created that meets America's most principled values, democratic rights and justice for all. Under Fast Track authority, however, Congress cannot even control our own floor schedule. President Bush will decide what policy we consider and when we vote on it. We simply can't accept that. Congress must reclaim its own power. Democrats must lead the way to a more sensible and ethical trade policy that brings prosperity to people here at home as well as around the world, restores our reputation abroad, and advances democratic principles, that's with a small ``d,'' respect for people. The world has suffered at the hands of Bush administration trade policies for too long. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing any more blank checks for this President or any President who tries to move a trade agreement through here on renewing Fast Track. Congress ought to reject Fast Track and we should stop making the red ink deeper.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, soon President Bush's administration will force upon this Congress consideration of free trade agreements with Peru and Panama under the fast-track process. That means no amendments allowed here in the Congress. The bills they will bring before us are modeled on the flawed NAFTA model that have yielded growing trade deficits every year the Bush administration has been in office. We have seen how NAFTA sucked good jobs away from Americans, how it ravaged the Mexican countryside and triggered a flow of illegal immigrants, drugs and violence across our southern border. Our staggering trade deficit with Mexico continues to grow. This year, we already have a $21.6 billion deficit with Mexico, and it will continue to swell as communities across the continent face job washout. If we do not construct a new trade model that takes people into consideration and advocates free trade among free people, then it does not matter how many environmental provisions we may add to trade agreements or how unique the administration claims its labor provisions are. We are simply extending NAFTA to the rain forest and to more sweat shops because there will be no reliable enforcement. We have seen the NAFTA model fail in Mexico. We have seen it fail in CAFTA countries. Why should we assume it will be any less disastrous in Peru or Panama? We cannot fall for empty promises again. When we were told that NAFTA would result in a trade surplus, when we were told that NADBANC would help communities that were faced with job loss with reinvestment, when we were told NAFTA would be beneficial for Mexicans, Canadians, and the legislation passed this Congress, what did we see? Billions and billions of trade deficit dollars racked up. We have never had a positive trade balance with the NAFTA countries or the CAFTA countries. We saw a washout of jobs in our middle-class communities, and we saw huge and growing protests across Mexico. It's a mistake to pass NAFTA, and it will be a mistake to extend it to other countries without comprehensive and effective reform. This time Congress must be smarter. We must realize the administration is feeding us empty promises without enforceability and clear benefits. We should have no reason to be fooled again. Even if we succeed with some changes to the core text of these agreements, do we trust President Bush to enforce them? We are still waiting for him to enforce the flagrant violations in the Jordanian agreement, where such language was included in the core of the trade agreement. It is bad enough that his administration has the power to avoid any meaningful congressional amendment or any amendment at all. We cannot trust President Bush with fairly negotiating trade agreements, and we certainly cannot trust him to fairly enforce them. If Congress passes these agreements with Peru and Panama, we only stand to perpetuate the race to the bottom cycle of lowered wages, reduced benefits worldwide, by taking these steps under the slippery slope of the Bush trade agreement that rewards Wall Street and its investors, but penalizes main streets across our Nation.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, surging gas prices at the pump surely tell us, just before Memorial Day, that something has gone wrong again with the rigged oil markets. We've seen gasoline prices in our country set all-time highs. Ohio families are paying $3.50 to $3.93 a gallon, with no end in sight. And when President Bush took office, they were paying $1.46 a gallon. In fact, when Vice President Cheney was sworn in, Halliburton's stock was worth one-fourth of what it's worth today. So we think about America's families and our consumers. They're being hurt. Car and truck sales are being hurt. Our economy is being hurt. It's all so unnecessary. When you fuel up, the chances are 7 out of 10 that the crude oil for the gasoline came from an undemocratic foreign country, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Venezuela, Angola, Mexico, maybe even trafficked out of Iraq, places that do not exactly love thriving democracy. Meanwhile, in oil-rich Iraq, this week, eight more American soldiers were killed in roadside bomb attacks near Baghdad. And this brings to nearly 3,400 U.S. service-member deaths in Iraq, plus additional Department of Defense civilian employees, and the death toll keeps mounting. The major oil pipeline and refinery in Iraq is now being guarded by our best, the 82nd Airborne, and sundry private contractors. They're guarding oil lines and the refinery. In fact, some of that oil has been stolen and even trafficked throughout the war. Meanwhile, a new hydrocarbon law is being pushed in Iraq, which boasts the second largest oil reserves in the world, that would privatize the majority of oil in that country to who? That's the trillion-dollar question. That's the $23 trillion question. How disgusting to me that our finest military have to die in an oil war. When will the American people begin to connect undemocratic oil regimes, imported oil, and the lives of our sons and daughters while our gasoline-consuming public is subjected here to the oil marketeers? I don't think anybody would admit it is a free market in oil. It's a cartelized market. It has been for half a century. Exxon and the other major oil companies are raking in historic profits at the expense of our sons and daughters. We see U.S. military power fully projected in Kuwait, in Iraq, benefiting their neighbors, too, like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, who have had to hire growing legions of private security firms to hold up their kingdoms and emirates. Saudi Aramco is the largest privately held company in the world, and Exxon Aramco the most profitable oil company in history. Are you starting to see the picture? Let me ask a critical question: Would any of the oil profits made off the pocketbooks of Americans be going to hire more security guards in Saudi Arabia, or in Bahrain, or in Kuwait? As Will Rogers would say, ``You betcha.'' Our Nation's military power is now fully projected in the deserts over there, and here in Washington sits Congress and a President who say they want to break oil addiction from imported sources. But since President Bush took office, we are importing a billion more barrels a year, a billion more barrels a year every year since 2001. It is projected we will spend a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq, and it is not anywhere close to over. Yet we passed a bill out of the House a few months ago that just put a thimble full of additional resources in renewable energy. Is there any dispatch here? Is there any urgency? Is there any seriousness? Let the American people tell us. Do you see it? Do you hear it? Do you feel it in your pocketbooks? Citizens are expressing their frustration with our inability to rein in the abuses of the oil companies. And I have got a partial solution. This week I am introducing a bill to give something back to the American people tired of being gouged by the oil companies. It is called the ``Give America Something Act of 2007,'' the GAS Act, G-A-S. Give every American a one-time immediate $100 gas payment refund. They can use it to pay for higher gas prices. They can use it to pay for higher transit costs. And we pay for it by imposing a windfall profits tax on oil revenue to provide the revenue to finance the program. This is long overdue.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Congress is now faced with a so-called new trade policy with regard to Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea. But this deal is not a new direction for trade; it's a variation of the same old theme. We have seen how NAFTA has sucked a million good jobs out of our country and ruined millions of lives in Mexico and driven so many desperate illegal immigrants across our border. We have seen how so- called free trade with a closed and manipulative China has led to soaring deficits, increasing outsourcing of our jobs, and lax labor and environmental standards not just in Asia, but around the world in a race to the bottom. Tainted Chinese food is not just being sent here for our pets, but for our people. The trade policy released last week does not make any major changes to this trade regimen. It does not aim at yielding a more balanced set of trade accounts for our country, or even opening the closed markets of the world. It doesn't fix agreements that aren't working to our advantage or even to be fair to both sides. There is nothing in this deal about the privatization of public works, for example, in water or in sanitation or health care that are inherent in what has been negotiated. If Democrats oppose privatizing Social Security here in the United States, why would we require privatizing the Peruvian social security system? Now, why would we do that? This NAFTA replica presents a nonbinding list of requests that has the illusion of enforceability, but sacrifices more of our middle class to global investors. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said it supports this rehashed agenda because of, and I quote, assurances that the labor provisions cannot be read to comply with ILO conventions. These repackaged NAFTA agreements do not reflect a desire for a new trade model that many Members of Congress and vast majorities of the American people expect. And I am truly saddened that those who have cobbled these deals together make light of the people of our country and other countries who have been so deeply hurt by these agreements, by denying them a seat at the tables of testimony in this very Congress. In fact, their methods are most undemocratic. Last March NBC and the Wall Street Journal conducted a poll asking the American people, do you think free trade agreements between the United States and foreign countries have helped the United States, have hurt the United States or have not made much of a difference? Forty-six percent of respondents answered U.S. trade agreements have hurt this country. Only 28 responded, half as many, said they have helped. The American people want free trade among free people, and they want a trade policy that encourages U.S. economic growth and job creation here at home. It is irresponsible to continue to reword the same agreements and expect that our constituents are naive enough to accept it as real change. A new trade policy must respect the dignity of work, the rule of law, the equality of sexes, the nobility of the environment and the value of the person. We cannot continue to stand for trade policies, binding or not, that degrade the value of the working class and cost money, jobs and lives as we see in the wake of NAFTA and in all of the trade agreements that mirrored it. Our constituents realize that our current trade policy is more harmful than helpful. And before we encourage the remaking of NAFTA for Peru, Colombia, Panama, South Korea, we need to revisit U.S. trade policy and make comprehensive changes. We cannot extend fast track until we fix what is wrong with existing agreements that yield these job hemorrhages. I applaud those of our distinguished colleagues who are here this evening who are working very hard to change this trade model to make it thorough, to make it fair, to make it a balanced situation for the people of our country, and to treat the people of the Third World with respect. I look forward to participating in genuinely reshaping the future of international trade to reshape jobs being created here at home and the economic policies that are so vital to the future for our people in order that they can move into the middle class again, rather than falling out. We have a long way to go.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I want to express deep appreciation to Chairman Frank, Ranking Member Bachus and certainly to Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California and Carolyn Maloney of New York, who really fashioned a bill that deals with the prolonged housing market slump, due in large measure to increasing rates of foreclosure. The State of Ohio welcomes this measure. We have been particularly hard hit. The credit gap in Ohio is estimated between $14 and $21 billion, as over 200,000 more mortgages will reset at higher rates over the next 2 years. We don't need any more vacant units depressing the housing market in our region. Government-sponsored entities can and should play a major role in reversing this trend. This bill does that. I would oppose any amendments designed to weaken or eliminate the much-needed National Housing Trust Fund. Homeownership is the most important savings account that any American family accumulates. In passing this legislation, we assure that this Congress understands that as well as the necessity of keeping our housing market strong as fundamental to bolstering the economy of our entire country and helping it grow. Chairman Frank, I deeply thank you on behalf of the Governor of Ohio and all the people of Ohio who are looking to us for leadership to help them hold on to their most important asset, their home.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Arnold Shenofsky of Toledo, Ohio. Arnie passed from this life at the age of 92 on March 31, 2007, leaving a legacy of love and friendship to many and rejoining his wife Jessica. Coming to Toledo as a toddler, Arnie was a lifelong resident. He went to work at the former Willys Overland Jeep plant during World War II, and went on to the United Auto Workers International Union staff in 1951. Of note, he never missed a union convention beginning in 1941. More than a labor leader, Arnie was an accomplished accordion player and performed in various events throughout the United States and Canada, including each of those UAW conventions. His music was appreciated, but children knew him best as Uncle Arnie the clown. He willingly gave of his talents as both accordionist and clown to all sorts of charitable causes, putting a smile on the face of everyone he met. A family man and friend of the neighborhood at heart, it is the measure of the man that all who knew him were fond of him. He was beloved by his family and thousands in our community. The festive mood set by his joyous music, tens of thousands of balloon animals lovingly given to children, endless gifts given to strangers and friends alike, demonstrated an extraordinarily kind heart that shone through his sparkling eyes and effervescent smile. His spirit lifted every occasion and he gave and gave and gave. Arnie Shenofsky helped define Toledo as a caring community. It was my privilege to know him and witness firsthand how his presence lent splendor to every event, large and small. Many times, he chose not to speak but to let you know what he was feeling through his music. How fortunate we have been that he shared his gifts of the heart with us for nine decades. Through the decades of his life Arnold Shenofsky sought to always be a helper, a healer, a friend to young and old alike. He was the same person with both notables and neighbors, and was truly beloved by his family. His sisters, brothers, and children and their families have mourned their loss even as they celebrate a life well lived. They carry his flame in their hearts, always.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Toledo Symphony's own Robert Bell, celebrating his 50th anniversary season. The Toledo Symphony will formally recognize his remarkable achievement on May 22, 2007. Robert Bell joined the Toledo Symphony in 1956. In his five decades with the symphony he has performed as a percussionist, principal timpanist and teacher. He has been the orchestra's personnel manger, managing director, and in his last decade has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Toledo Orchestra Association since 1997. The hallmark of his tenure is the design and development of a ``music organization characterized by shared ownership.'' The Andrew F. Mellon Foundation described our symphony in 2005 as ``a remarkable organization that is approaching its evolution with a deep understanding of the community in which it operates . . . the Toledo Symphony is embedded in its community like no other American orchestra.'' Robert Bell's innovations and creative style can be credited for this high praise. Partnerships Mr. Bell pursued with not only the Mellon Foundation, but also with the Stranahan Foundation and the Owens-Illinois Charitable Foundation have brought a financial stability to the symphony which now operates with a six million dollar budget. At the same time, Mr. Bell's efforts have led to a fourteen million dollar endowment fund which continues to grow. Its financial footing has enabled the symphony to draw talented musicians worldwide for its 60 positions and additional guest artists. At his heart both musician and teacher, the Musicians in Action initiative was developed under Mr. Bell's tutelage. Through it, the symphony presents concerts especially for young people at 300 schools throughout the region. Annually, about 100,000 children benefit. The Community Music Lessons program offers group music lessons for underserved and needy students, fostering a talent these youngsters may have no other opportunity to develop. Music in Our Schools matches professional musicians with high school musicians for one-on-one coaching, rehearsals, and performances. It has been said that without art civilization is lost. Robert Bell has dedicated his life to taking our civilization to new heights, helping us reach our potential individually and in community. His gift has been a soaring spirit of music and his legacy will be a symphony performing for decades beyond his own half century of service. For his time and talent, passion and inspiration, we are most grateful. I know I join with our entire community in offering congratulations to Robert Bell on his fiftieth anniversary season.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Tuskegee Airmen who were recently awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, specifically seven men being honored by their home community of Oberlin, Ohio in its annual Juneteenth celebration: Norman E. Proctor, Wayman E. Scott, Ferrier H. White, William Young, Gilbert Cargill, Perry Young, and William L. Williams, Jr. On March 29, 2007, we were privileged to be witnesses to history as the largest group ever to be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal was honored in the Capitol rotunda. The elder men and their families who joined us that day were there not only to be feted for their own achievements, but represented dozens more of these gallant heroes who could not be there. I am proud that many residents in our own Ninth Congressional District of Ohio were part of this elite cadre of men. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen continues to unfold, for they were truly unsung heroes of their time. Their outstanding service during World War II became legendary. Even while they fought a common enemy in foreign lands, they also fought racism at home. Despite discrimination they helped to tear down racial barriers in the U.S. armed services. History books tell the story that no U.S. military pilot was African- American prior to World War II. Eventually, in 1941, guided by leaders of the African-American civil rights movement the United States Congress directed the Army Air Corps to form an all-black combat unit. In June of that year, the 99th Fighter Squadron was formed at the Tuskegee Institute, a well-regarded university founded by national leader Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, Alabama. The squadron was placed under the command of Capt. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., one of the few African-American West Point graduates. During World War II the Tuskegee Airmen flew escort for heavy bombers, established an impressive combat record, and often entered combat against greater numbers of superior German aircraft. By war's end, the unit was credited with shooting down 109 Luftwaffe aircraft and destroying numerous fuel dumps, trucks and trains. The squadrons of the 332nd Fighter Group flew more than 15,000 sorties on 1,500 missions. The unit was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission flown on March 24, 1945, escorting B-17s to bomb the Daimler-Benz tank factory at Berlin, Germany, an action in which its pilots destroyed three Me-262 jets in aerial combat. The meritorious individual achievements of the pilots were also recognized. Together, the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, seven Silver Stars, fourteen Bronze Stars, and 744 Air Medals. From 1940 to 1946, 992 pilots were trained as Tuskegee Airmen. Of these, 445 went overseas and 150 lost their lives in service to our Nation and freedom's cause. Booker T. Washington once noted that ``A life is not worth much of which it cannot be said, when it comes to its close, that it was helpful to humanity.'' The corps of airmen who hailed from the school Mr. Washington founded most assuredly fulfilled that destiny. Our world remains profoundly grateful.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, tonight the President of the United States says he will veto funding for our troops, for veterans health care, and even for victims of Hurricane Katrina. He still refuses to work with Congress to do what is necessary to resolve the quagmire in Iraq, and to win the hearts and minds of people across the Arab and Islamic world. His policies are breeding terrorism. His policies are forcing higher gasoline prices in our country. His policies are forcing the import of a billion more barrels of petroleum every year into our country from the most undemocratic regimes in the world, and his foreign policies are a total failure. Meanwhile, here at home, our economy seems to be moving in opposite directions at the same time. On Wall Street, things have never been better. The stock market has record to all time records. Last week the Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed 13,000 points for the first time in history. The Standard & Poors index has climbed at an annualized rate of 13 to 14 percent for the first four months of this year. Everything's coming up roses for the investment class. But it's a different story on Main Street. Yes, it's a different story in the real world, where our constituents see gasoline prices just challenged the $3 a gallon mark again. The stock market might be soaring, but consumer sentiment is in the dumper. The Conference Board reported last week that consumers confidence fell to its lowest level since last August. Economic growth has slowed. The Gross Domestic Product, we learned last Friday, increased at a weak 1.3 percent annual rate for the first quarter of this year. Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange might be irrationally exuberant, but families in the Midwest are increasingly worried. Chances are, they won't make ends meet this time with a home equity loan. The National Association of Realtors reported today that sales of existing homes fell unexpectedly in March to their lowest level in 4 years. New construction down sharply in the first quarter of this year, and late payments on subprime mortgages increased by 35 percent in the first quarter of this year. The foreclosure crisis that has hit Ohio and Michigan very hard threatens to spread to other parts of our economy. So much is clear, the housing bubble has burst. Paul Krugman, the economist and New York Times columnist wrote about this ``economic disconnect'' between Wall Street and Main Street in yesterday's edition. He started by quoting Edward Lazear, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisor who says what's good for corporations is good for America. And workers will benefit from this growth in productivity. The problem with that is it's not true. High profits haven't led to high investment. Rising productivity hasn't led to high wages. And I might add free trade agreements haven't led to free trade. Even the investment banking company, Morgan Stanley, unwittingly acknowledged this brutal fact. In a recent newsletter, Joseph McAlinden, their chief global strategist, bragged with a laughable chart that wages have soared 4 percent at an annual rate. Well, when wages soar at 4 percent, barely keeping pace with inflation, what happens when you discount for prices? I doubt that if stocks were soaring by 4 percent that he would say it is a great thing. I guess it all depends on your perspective. Median workers' earnings adjusted for inflation have been static since this President took office, and the economy feels anything but great to most Americans. They would say, ``Show me the money.'' The fact is, on Main Street, wages have barely kept pace with inflation, and workers, if they are lucky enough to hold on to their benefits, have to pay increasingly larger costs for them. Meanwhile, corporate profits have more than doubled since 2000. And according to Krugman, corporate profits as a share of national income reached their highest levels in American history last year. That is what happens when productivity increases while wages remain static. Corporate profits soar and stock prices follow but not workers' wages. Wall Street reaches record heights because companies are turning around and reinvesting those profits not in new machinery and jobs, but in making more money on our outsourced jobs. It is time that Main Street holds Wall Street accountable.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend our able colleague, Congressman Zack Space of Ohio for recognition of our beloved former Ohio Senator John Glenn, who began his distinguished career as a World War II and Korean War fighter pilot. Glenn was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross six times and holds the Air Medal for his service during both of these conflicts. As the beginning in a long line of firsts, Senator and Colonel Glenn went on to set a transcontinental speed record from Los Angeles to New York in July 1957. In February 1962, Glenn piloted the Mercury-Atlas 6 Friendship 7 spacecraft on the first manned orbital mission of the United States. After his distinguished service in these two wars and following the first phase of his career as an aviator, John Glenn continued his public service as a Senator representing our home State of Ohio from 1974-1999. Completing his career of firsts, I was proud to see our former colleague Senator Glenn bring his career of public service full circle in his triumphant 1998 return space voyage; this time as a senior citizen. Today I rise to honor his hard work and lifetime of dedication to public service. He and his devoted wife have inspired all the world with their commitment to family, community, state, nation and the future. Their spirit of patriotism, courage, discovery and self sacrifice cut a path all can emulate and hope to achieve. Godspeed to them for all they have done for others.