Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Herb Thomas, a photojournalist and news videographer for Cleveland's WJW, who is being honored by the Press Club of Cleveland with the 2011 Chuck Heaton Award. Herb attended Thomas Edison High School in Cleveland, Ohio before joining WJW in 1969 as a set designer. Throughout the years Herb has worked in a number of capacities for the station including director of print operations, member of the studio camera crew, photojournalist and videographer. He is also responsible for creating WJW's sign off programs ``Meditation'' and ``Celebration.'' Herb is a local celebrity in Cleveland and played ``Soul Man'' on the Big Chuck and Little John Show for many years. He has been featured in PM Magazine, listed in the ``Who's Who'' in Success Magazine and named ``One of Cleveland's Most Interesting People'' in Cleveland Magazine. Herb is also the founder and president of thomasvisions and of the performing arts choir, ``Prayer Warriors.'' Herb has been honored in the past as well for his quality of work and dedication to journalism. He has won 12 Emmys, two International Gabriel awards and documentary honors by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. Herb was also inducted in the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2000. In addition to being inducted in the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011, Herb is this year's recipient of the Chuck Heaton Award. The Chuck Heaton Award honors an individual who best exemplifies the qualities of the Plain Dealer's longtime sports writer and columnist, Chuck Heaton. Mr. Heaton was known for his dedication to journalism and community. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating WJW's Herb Thomas as the Press Club of Cleveland names him the 2011 Chuck Heaton Award recipient.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Kelly O'Donnell, a political reporter for NBC, who is being honored by the Press Club of Cleveland and inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. Born and raised in Euclid and Cleveland's University Heights neighborhoods, Kelly attended Northwestern University. After graduating in 1987 from Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy, Kelly returned to Cleveland and began working with the then CBS affiliate WJW-TV8 as a reporter and part-time anchor. She gained national recognition while covering the Southern Ohio Correctional riots in Lucasville, Ohio in 1993. She eventually won a regional Emmy based on her work of the riots. Less than a year after the Lucasville prison riots, Kelly was working as an NBC reporter. During the past seventeen years with NBC, Kelly has covered stories including the September 11th attacks, the passing of Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth's 50th Jubilee, the Shuttle Columbia disaster, the CIA Leak trial, the Columbine school shooting, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crash, the Oklahoma City bombing and trials of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the O.J. Simpson saga and numerous Olympic Games. She has also been embedded with the Third Infantry Division in Fallujah, worked several presidential campaigns, and served as the NBC News' White House Correspondent from May 2005 to December 2007. Today she can be found as a contributor to NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, TODAY, and on MSNBC. In addition to her local Emmy, Kelly has been nominated for several national Emmy Awards. She was inducted into the Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004 and received two first place awards from the Los Angeles Press Club. Kelly was twice part of NBC Nightly News' teams to be awarded the Edward R. Murrow Award, and in 2007 she was named Capitol Hill Correspondent. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating NBC's Kelly O'Donnell as the Press Club of Cleveland inducts her into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember Sanford ``Corky'' Kurland, co-founder and owner of Corky & Lenny's, the popular Cleveland-area restaurant and deli. Corky passed away last Saturday after a long illness. Corky Kurland was a native Clevelander and a 1948 graduate of Glenville High School. He worked with his father Carl Kurland on a food truck and helped at a small grocery store that his parents bought on Union Avenue. After graduating from meat cutting school in Toledo, he went to work at the Miami Restaurant at East 105th and Euclid in the then-bustling Uptown section of Cleveland. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a chef at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1952. When he returned to Cleveland, he took a job as a counterman and manager at Eddie Sands Deli at Cedar Center in South Euclid. When Sands decided to sell his deli, Corky Kurland became a partner with Dave Katz, who already owned a deli on Lakeshore Boulevard. After a year, Katz wanted to stay on Lakeshore and sold his share of the business to Corky and Lenny Kaden, a mutual friend who was then in the menswear business. Corky and Lenny became partners and renamed the business ``Corky & Lenny's'' in 1956. In 1973, Corky and Lenny opened a second deli on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere. In 1991, Corky's son Kenny and his nephew Earl Stein bought out Lenny Kaden's share of the business and the three have been partners ever since. The partners closed the Cedar Center location in 1994 but celebrated 55 years in business recently at the Chagrin Boulevard store. Corky & Lenny's is a true meeting place. Many business deals have occurred there, as have many blind dates, some that became marriages. Corky & Lenny's is a magnet for celebrities when they come to town. Actors and comedians such as Totie Fields, Liberace, Joel Gray, Shecky Greene, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Mason, Frankie Valli; athletes including Jim Thome, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mike Brown, Moe Vaughn, Wally Szcwebiak, and Mike Holmgren; and elected officials, including Howard Metzenbaum and John Glenn have been spotted there. I have been a patron of Corky & Lenny's since my days as a caddy at east-side golf courses while still a teenager. I had breakfast there just last week. And as usual, I saw people there whom I have known for many years. Corky Kurland was active in his community and liked to spend time with his family. He was a frequent traveler who made friends wherever he went. He was a member of Beth Am and B'nai Jeshurun synagogues, the Knights of Pythias, the Masons, the Kiwanis, the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce, the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish War Veterans, the Lake Forest Country Club and the Hawthorne Country Club. Mr. Speaker and respected colleagues, please join me in mourning the loss of Sanford ``Corky'' Kurland. I send my sincere condolences to his wife of 57 years, Gloria; his son Kenny; his daughter Dr. Susan Kurland Rapkin; his sister Helen Manheim; his 6 grandchildren; his extended family; his many friends, and the loyal patrons of Corky & Lenny's.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mary Tench as her family and friends gather in celebration of her 100th birthday. Mary was born on December 7, 1911 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Charles and Anna Zacharzuk. Charles and Anna had six children: Mary, Pauline, Alex, John, Pete and Joe. Mary's youngest brother, Joe, lives in Tennessee and is her only living sibling. When Mary was thirteen years old, her parents moved the family to Bedford, Ohio. As young girl, Mary met her neighbor and future husband, James A. Tench. During their courtship, James took Mary to dances and picnics with his Hungarian dance group. They were married in February 1928 and went on to raise eight children: MaryAnn, Emory, Edward, Theodore, Rozella, Alex, Gerald and their stepson, John. In 1948, James and Mary purchased their first house located at 7634 Finney Avenue in Cleveland for $8,200. Mary lived in this home until 1990 when she moved to Simi Valley, California. In 1998, Mary returned to Cleveland and lived independently until 2009 when she moved in with her daughter, Rozella. During World War II, Mrs. Tench worked for Parker Hannifin. In the early 1950s she joined the staff of Cleveland Republic Steel Corporation in the executive cafeteria. This job inspired Mary to start her own catering business, Fancy Catering. For 25 years, Mary catered weddings and special events for the US Coast Guard. When James retired from the Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Company in 1975, Mary left the catering business so they could enjoy retirement together. James and Mary celebrated 59 years of marriage before James's death in 1987. Mrs. Tench is a lifetime member of the VFW. She served as President of Post 3456 and is a current member of Lake Erie Post #1974 in Parma. She also served as President of the Knights of Columbus, Isabella Guild. Mary still belongs to the Women's Catholic Council of Cleveland, the Ladies Auxiliary Knights of Columbus and the Parma Democratic Club where she served as Secretary/Treasurer. She was an elected Precinct Committee Woman, a Presiding Judge for the Board of Elections and worked at the voting polls for over 30 years. Mary volunteered on political campaigns including my 1977 mayoral campaign. During an interview with her great-granddaughter, Mary told stories of surviving The Great Depression, experiencing many wars and voting for the first time, at the age of 21, for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Her hobbies include traveling, crocheting, cooking, playing cards, bingo, reading and going to the Donna Smallwood Activity Center. Mary's commitment to faith is reflected through her involvement with the Holy Name Parish, her family and her community. GiGi, as she is affectionately called by her family, has 32 grandchildren, 59 great- grandchildren, 25 great-great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-great- grandchild. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and celebration of Mary Tench whose life is framed by the love of her family, her faith and the appreciation she has for the life she has lived. I wish Mrs. Tench a joyous 100th year and blessings of peace, health and happiness.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Randell McShepard, the vice president of public affairs for RPM International, Inc., for being named the 2011 Black Professional of the Year by the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation (BPACF). Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. McShepard graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. He later earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and communications from Baldwin-Wallace College before attending Cleveland State University's Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs to obtain a Master of Science degree in urban studies. He has since been inducted into the John F. Kennedy High School Hall of Fame and named a Distinguished Alumnus of Cleveland State University. Prior to taking on his role as vice president of public affairs for RPM International, Inc., Mr. McShepard has held a number of roles in the non-profit sector. After graduating from Baldwin-Wallace College, he began working as the manager of the training services division for Vocational Guidance Services. Randell was responsible for the creation of a number of job training and placement programs for the vocational rehabilitation facility. He later began working for the Cleveland Bicentennial Commission as the assistant director of administration and program development. In May, 1997 Mr. McShepard became the executive director for City Year Cleveland where he led more than 220 corps members. He was hired by RPM International Inc. at the beginning of 2001 as their director of community affairs. In October 2007 he was promoted to his current role as vice president of public affairs. In addition to his career, Mr. McShepard is an active member of the Greater Cleveland community and volunteers his time with several organizations. He serves as the Chairman-Emeritus for the Sisters of Charity Foundation, vice-chairman of the Fund for Our Economic Future, and is involved with Business Volunteers Unlimited, the Cleveland School of Science and Medicine and Baldwin-Wallace College. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating Mr. Randell McShepard on being named the 2011 Black Professional of the Year.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Honorable Judge Raymond Pianka, who is being recognized at the Cleveland Tenants Organization's Masquerade Benefit on October 21, 2011. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Judge Pianka has dedicated his career to the betterment of the City of Cleveland. He attended Cleveland State University (CSU) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. In 1977, he earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the CSU's Cleveland Marshall Law School and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1978. While attending school, Judge Pianka was instrumental in establishing one of the first neighborhood-based development organizations in Cleveland, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and became the executive director. Judge Pianka ran and was elected to the Cleveland City Council in 1985. During his ten years in office, he served as chairman of the Community and Economic Development Committee and Legislative Committee. He was a major contributor for legislation regarding the Housing Trust fund, City Works Program, Landlord Drug House Responsibility Ordinance, Anti-Graffiti Ordinance, Regulation of Nuisance Pay Phones, Small Business Micro Loans, Preservation of Brick Streets, Tenant Emergency Water Turn On Act and the Land Bank Utilization Ordinance among others. Judge Pianka was elected as the presiding and administrative judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court's Housing Division in 1996 and continues to serve in this role. During his ongoing tenure, Judge Pianka has implemented the Selective Intervention Program and Warrant Capias Program. He has also developed the Landlord Seminar Workshop, Housing Code Enforcement Advocates Forum and educational materials for the public on topics concerning home maintenance, the law and the navigation of Housing Court. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the Honorable Judge Raymond Pianka as he is recognized at the Cleveland Tenants Organization's Masquerade Benefit for his service and work to sustain Cleveland's neighborhoods.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Cleveland Tenants Organization. The Cleveland Tenants Organization was established in 1975 after the passage of the Ohio Landlord-Tenant Law to assist landlords and tenants in understanding the new law and their rights and responsibilities outlined in the law. The mission of the organization is to preserve and expand the supply of safe, decent, fair, affordable and accessible rental housing in Greater Cleveland by informing citizens of their rights and duties in rental housing; representing tenants and the interest of tenants in the preservation and promotion of rental housing rights; empowering tenants individually and collectively to represent themselves and their interests; advocating for the needs of low and moderate income tenants; resolving disputes between landlords and tenants; preventing homelessness; and combating discrimination in housing based on race, religion, color, gender, handicap, familial status, military status, social/economic class, and sexual orientation. Over the past thirty-six years, the organization has continued to grow and expand to include programs and services for Greater Clevelander's concerned with rental information, foreclosure/eviction diversion, community education, equal housing opportunities, healthy homes and homeless prevention. In 2010, CTO reached out to and assisted over 35,000 households. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the Cleveland Tenants Organization and their remarkable contributions to our community.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Richard Cordray, the former Attorney General of Ohio who is being recognized and is delivering the Keynote Speech at the Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People's (ESOP) Annual Gala. Mr. Cordray was born on May 3, 1959 in Grove City, Ohio. He attended Grove City High School and graduated as the co-valedictorian of his class in 1977. He went on to attend Michigan State University's James Madison College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in legal and political theory in 1981. During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Cordray interned for former U.S. Senator John Glenn. After completing his BA, he went on to earn his Master of Arts in economics from the University of Oxford and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago. Mr. Cordray began his career as a law clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court and just two years after earning his J.D. was hired by the international law firm of Jones Day in Cleveland, Ohio. He ran and was elected as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 33rd District from January 7, 1991 to December 31, 1992. Following his term in the Ohio State House, Mr. Cordray was appointed as the first Ohio State Solicitor and served in this role from September 1993 to 1994. He was elected to Ohio Democratic Party Central Committee in 1996. Following several years of private practice, Mr. Cordray served as Franklin County Treasurer from December 2002 to 2007. He successfully ran for Ohio State Treasurer in 2006 and held office until 2009 when he became the Ohio State Attorney General. Mr. Cordray's term as Ohio Attorney General ended in January 2011. He has been nominated by President Obama to serve as Director of the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Mr. Cordray currently lives in Grove City, Ohio with his wife of ten years, Peggy. The couple has a set of twins, Danny and Holly. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating Mr. Richard Cordray as he is honored by ESOP's Annual Gala on October 20, 2011.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Cleveland's Call & Post newspaper which is celebrating its 95th anniversary on November 3, 2011. The Call & Post was established in 1928 when the Cleveland Call and the Cleveland Post merged. The Cleveland Call and Cleveland Post were newspapers that had been independently serving Cleveland's African American community since 1920. The Call & Post was a struggling publication the first several years it was in circulation. However, in 1932, when Baltimore's William Otis Walker came to manage the paper, the Call & Post began to grow and prosper. The Call & Post increased from four pages to twelve and its circulation more than tripled. Mr. Walker partnered with P-W Publishing Co. and ran the paper until the early 1980s. Under Mr. Walker's leadership, the Call & Post became one of the best African American newspapers in the country. In 1959, the Call & Post extended its circulation and began running editions for the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati as well as a state-wide edition. Don King bought the Call & Post in 1998 and remains the paper's owner and publisher. The publication still runs a statewide edition. The weekly edition of the Call & Post features local news in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati and includes the Call & Post 2nd edition, an arts and entertainment tabloid. The paper has received recognition from the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the Press Club of Cleveland. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the 95th anniversary of one of the nation's most prominent African American newspapers, the Call & Post.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and memory of Mr. John Kiley, the co-director of the Freedom House, which was the precursor to Cleveland's Ed Keating Center. John was dedicated to serving the country and the public starting at a young age. He served with the U.S. Air Force for twenty years, including three tours in Vietnam, before retiring. He was a member of the 1041st Security Police Squadron at Hawaii's Schofield Barracks. Later, John worked as a counselor at Cleveland's Stella Marris and the Ed Keating Center. He was also the co-director of Cleveland's Freedom House. The Ed Keating Center was founded in 1998 by Jack Mulhall and Phyllis Eisele-Curran, who had previously founded Freedom House in 1991. It is a non-profit organization and sober living facility for those addicted to drugs and alcohol that serves adults regardless of their financial well-being. The Ed Keating Center offers a six month in-house rehab program, a three-quarter house program and a work release program for its patients. I offer my condolences to John's wife Susan; daughters Kerry, Shannon (deceased), Angela and Merry; siblings, Susan and Terry; and all of his nieces and nephews. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of Mr. John Kiley. His legacy will live on through the work of Cleveland's Ed Keating Center.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP), an organization dedicated to providing assistance to homeowners who are facing foreclosure, or struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments due to a predatory lending or hardship situation. The East Side Organizing Project was founded by Inez Killingsworth in 1993 as a means to address the unsafe conditions of her Union-Miles neighborhood. During the early 1990s, ESOP, under Ms. Killingsworth's leadership, began to rally against the lack of credit available to African Americans in the community. When predatory lending in the area increased and more and more community members were facing mortgage payments they could no longer afford, ESOP turned its focus to addressing this growing problem. ESOP became a statewide venture in 2008, when it opened 10 offices throughout the state of Ohio. The organization was then renamed Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People. ESOP acts as a foreclosure counseling agency. Through tactics varying from protesting banks to negotiating agreements between lenders and borrowers to taking financial executives on tours of the collapsing neighborhoods that are in peril due to predatory lending, ESOP has helped thousands of families in Ohio avoid losing their homes. In 2010, ESOP helped save more than 3,200 homes from foreclosure. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People and its advocacy work on behalf of Ohio homeowners.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 175th anniversary of the MetroHealth System, one of the largest, most comprehensive health care providers in Northeast Ohio. Founded in 1837 as City Hospital, MetroHealth has been providing care to the residents of Cuyahoga County as a not-for-profit, county operated, safety net health care provider. MetroHealth is committed to ``responding to community needs, improving the health status of our region, and controlling health care costs.'' MetroHealth has also been affiliated with Case Western Reserve University for nearly 100 years. MetroHealth is one of the three largest health care providers in Northeast Ohio and has the only Level I Trauma and Burn Center for Adults in the area. Additionally, in 1982, MetroHealth established its Metro Life Flight air ambulance service. Metro has more than 400 primary care and specialty care physicians that practice at its 14 medical facilities throughout Northeast Ohio. MetroHealth Medical Center provides care to more than 28,000 inpatients, delivers 2,900 babies, has more than 790,000 visits to its outpatient centers and 99,600 patients to the emergency department annually. MetroHealth has been one of only 32 hospitals in the country to receive a 2010 Triple Gold Achievement Award from the American Heart Association's Get with the Guidelines Program for its treatment of coronary disease, stroke and heart failure. It has also been in the top one percent of hospitals in the Nation recognized with the Premier Award for Quality. MetroHealth has also been honored by Thomson Reuters as a Top 100 Hospital. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing all those who have made the 175th anniversary of MetroHealth System possible.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Reverend Dr. E. Theophilus Caviness, the pastor of Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church for 50 years. Rev. Dr. Caviness is being honored by the City of Cleveland as it dedicates Tacoma Avenue from East 105th Street to Parkwood Drive as ``Rev. Dr. E. Theophilus Caviness Way.'' Born and raised in Marshall, Texas, Rev. Dr. Caviness became aware and involved in the fight against discrimination of the African American population at an early age. He attended Bishop College in Dallas, Texas and Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri. Before coming to the City of Cleveland, Rev. Dr. Caviness served as the pastor of St. Mark's Baptist Church in Picton, Texas, Mount Nebo Baptist Church in Madison, Illinois and St. Paul Baptist Church in East St. Louis, Missouri. He used his position as a minister and lifetime member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to bring people together to create change during the Civil Rights movement. In 1961, Rev. Dr. Caviness moved to Cleveland and became the pastor of Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church. He immediately became involved in Cleveland's Civil Rights movement. In conjunction with his pastoral duties, Rev. Dr. Caviness has served on Cleveland's Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board of the Glenville Area Council and Sewer Board of Cleveland. Additionally, he served as a Councilman in Cleveland City Council from 1974 to 1980, worked as the executive assistant to former Mayor George Voinovich and served two terms as chair of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. Rev. Dr. Caviness continues his advocacy work as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Cleveland Chapter, board chair of Community Covenant Oversight Team for the ``Closing the Gap'' Initiative, and is currently working with Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network. Because of his dedication and longtime service to the fight against racism, Rev. Dr. Caviness has received an honorary doctorate of divinity degree from Lynchburgh Virginia Seminary and an honorary doctorate of law degree from Central State University. He will also be inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame on January 6, 2012. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Rev. Dr. E. Theophilus Caviness as the City of Cleveland celebrates his tireless work in the Greater Cleveland community and as a leader in the continuing Civil Rights movement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3079, the United States-Panama Trade Implementation Act. opposing NAFTA-style trade policies With all the talk this Congress about addressing the deficit, you might think that Democrat and Republican supporters of these agreements would be even more concerned about a larger deficit that is responsible for the displacement of thousands of American jobs--the trade deficit. Our rapidly increasing trade deficits with countries like China and Mexico have displaced millions of jobs over the past decade. According to Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the U.S.-China Free Trade Agreement resulted in the displacement of over 2.3 million American workers between 2001 and 2007, as a direct result of the increase in China trade deficits. U.S. producers of apparel, steel and technology (parts) have been the industries most significantly impacted by imports from China. Two-thirds of those jobs displaced were in the manufacturing sector--resulting in the outsourcing of hundreds of thousands of American jobs in the computer and electronic parts, apparel and accessories and fabricated metal production sectors. It is these same industries that will be further affected by the proposed trade deals with Korea, Panama and Colombia. Yet today we are considering NAFTA-style free trade agreements that are projected to continue in this tradition. Those of us who were in Congress during the debates on NAFTA and CAFTA have heard the promises of more jobs and economic opportunity from supporters of free trade. These promises have never materialized. NAFTA's record is clear: it is negative for jobs, negative for democracy and negative for the environment. Panama Free Trade Agreement: Good for Multinational Corporations, Bad for the Rule of Law Madam Speaker, the Panama trade agreement is good for multinational corporations and bad for the rule of law. An April 2009 report by Public Citizen on the Panama trade agreement found that it would undermine U.S. efforts to stop offshore tax-haven abuse and undermine financial regulations. Among the key findings: some of the corporations who were the largest recipients of U.S. federal procurement contracts and money under the Troubled Asset Relief Program--including Citigroup--have dozens of subsidiaries in Panama that would be granted expansive new rights under this trade agreement. So firms that were bailed out with U.S. taxpayer dollars, like AIG and Citigroup, are being rewarded with a trade agreement that undermines U.S. efforts to stop offshore tax-haven abuse. As Public Citizen notes, ``Panama's tiny economy provides no prospects for significant U.S. economic gains. Panama's total annual GDP is about 6 percent of Washington, D.C.'' Like NAFTA, this trade agreement includes provisions that allow investors to challenge the U.S. government in international courts--and demand U.S. taxpayer compensation--for U.S. policies that conflict with their expansive rights under the FTA to ``free transfers'' (i.e.: conflict with their bottom line). At a time when we should be focusing on strengthening worker's rights and investing in domestic manufacturing and infrastructure and job creation, a trade deal with Panama that is unlikely to have any significant effect at all on creating jobs or increasing imports is the wrong way to go. It is abundantly clear that this trade agreement is not about expanding opportunity for the American worker, but about expanding opportunity for multinational corporations and their subsidiaries. Just like NAFTA. Rewarding Panama for its Failure to Abide by International Tax Norms With the Panama trade agreement, we are rewarding a country for failing to abide by even the minimum transparency standards for tax norms. An April 2009 tax-haven watch list by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) cites Panama as one of thirty countries that agreed to conform to international tax norms but failed to do so. The OECD reports that Panama made such a commitment in 2002 and has not since completed a single agreement to fulfill its commitment. According to Public Citizen, Panama is ``one of only 13 countries-- and the only current or prospective FTA partner--that is listed on all of the major tax-haven watchdog lists that does not also have U.S. tax transparency treaties.'' If you're still not convinced to vote against the Panama trade agreement, this laundry list from Public Citizen may help: The Panama trade agreement ``includes extreme foreign investor privileges, and offshoring protections and their private enforcement in international tribunals, limits on financial and other service sector regulation, a ban on Buy America procurement preferences, limits on environmental safeguards and imported food and product safety, and drug patent rules that limit generics.'' The AFL-CIO correctly notes that with this agreement, we are rewarding ``a country that has a history of repressing labor rights and has achieved much of its economic growth by making it easy for money launderers and tax dodgers to hide their income from legitimate authorities.'' I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the Panama free trade agreement. Labor Rights in Panama The rights of workers, which have increasingly come under attack in this country, are also at risk under these NAFTA-style trade agreements. In Panama, a 2010 State Department Human Rights report notes that ``the government lacked sufficient mechanisms to ensure that laws prohibiting employer interference in unions and protecting workers from employer reprisals were adequately enforced.'' We should not be entering into a trade agreement with a country that has yet to demonstrate its ability to uphold international standards for labor rights and financial regulation. We cannot afford to reward corporations for offshoring jobs and tax-evasion at a time of historic budget constraints. Panama's track record on fulfilling its promises is clear: just as it failed to adequately address its status as a tax-haven wonderland; it too has failed in its promise to adequately protect its workers from reprisals due to union activity. Jobs loss under NAFTA It is undisputable that NAFTA has led to widespread job loss across this country. In a report titled ``Heading South: U.S.-Mexico trade and job displacement after NAFTA,'' EPI estimates that the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico totaling $97.2 billion has displaced nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs. This number takes into account any jobs that were created through U.S. exports to Mexico. Like NAFTA, the Korea and Colombia FTAs are expected to result in the loss of over 200,000 jobs and increase our trade deficit by $16.9 billion. The majority of those jobs were in the manufacturing sector. Like Korea, much of our trade with Mexico is in the same industries that took a big hit under NAFTA. We cannot have a strong economy without a strong manufacturing base. Any investments this Congress makes to rebuild our infrastructure and our domestic manufacturing sector would be significantly undermined by the passage of the three free trade agreements we are considering today. NAFTA-style free trade agreements that rapidly increase our trade deficit and lead to the further diminishment of our manufacturing employment base are not the answer. ``White-Collar Service Jobs'' Vulnerable to being Offshored NAFTA-style trade policies are not just destructive to our domestic manufacturing and textile sectors. So called ``White-Collar'' service jobs are now some of the jobs most vulnerable to offshoring. Alan S. Binder, a former Clinton advisor and member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve--and supporter of free trade--came up with a list of the top 100 jobs that are most likely to be offshored over the next 10-20 years as a result of our free trade policies. Those jobs include computer programmers, mathematicians, editors, actuaries and even economists. A 2007 paper by the Economic Policy Institute took the research one step further and found that the demographic most vulnerable to offshoring are persons with at least a four-year college degree. Since the era of the WTO and NAFTA, U.S. wages have been stagnant and barely increased since 1973. Workers in the manufacturing sector displaced by our trade policies and looking for new work will be forced to go into service fields with even lower wages where jobs are not threatened to be offshored, such as in food service and hospitality. Our $776 billion trade deficit has already displaced hundreds of thousands of American workers. It is time to end expansion of NAFTA to other countries. We have over a decade of evidence and the evidence is clear: this free trade model is damaging for our economy, our workers, the environment and for global economic security. It is time for fair trade, not free trade.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3079, the United States-Panama Trade Implementation Act. With our nation's unemployment rate continuing to hover around 9 percent, it is unconscionable that we are considering NAFTA-clone free trade agreements that will further facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs and undermine the rights of American workers. Proponents of free trade agreements like to purport that they are good for the U.S. economy and will create jobs. But history is on the side of those of us who opposed NAFTA, CAFTA and other damaging trade agreements over the last decade. Free trade agreements play a significant role in exacerbating the negative effects of globalization, including the rapid privatization of vital public resources. They have resulted in the loss of domestic jobs and manufacturing industries and in significant decreases to labor and environmental standards. In addition, FTAs result in significant job loss and privatization of labor-intensive industries for the countries we enter in trade agreements with. Unionizing in countries like Mexico and Colombia has resulted in death or imprisonment of union leaders. Every state in this country has been affected negatively by our destructive trade policies. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that nearly 700,000 U.S. jobs have been displaced since the passage of NAFTA in the 1990s. The majority of the jobs displaced--60 percent-- were in the manufacturing sector. My home State of Ohio is one of the top ten states with the most jobs displaced by NAFTA, having lost 34,900 jobs. Our rapidly increasing trade deficits with countries like China has resulted in the loss over 5 million jobs over the past decade. Of that 5 million, the State of Ohio has lost 103,000 jobs as a result of the increase in our trade deficit with China. This is not a debate about being for trade or against trade as some of my colleagues have framed it. This is a debate about learning from the free trade policies we have pursued over the last decade that have proven to be significantly damaging to the American economy and American workers. The numbers speak for themselves. I urge my colleagues to oppose this agreement. Panama is a Tax Haven Panama is one of the world's worst tax havens, allowing rich U.S. individuals and corporations to skirt their responsibility to pay taxes that are vital to the local communities that depend on those revenues. The U.S.-Panama free trade agreement does nothing to address this issue. At a time when potentially damaging austerity measures are being proposed to balance the budget, we should not be considering a free trade agreement that fails to deal with an issue critical to addressing our deficit. This FTA includes provisions that even undermine our own laws to combat tax haven activity. Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch reports that the ``FTA's Services, Financial Services and Investment Chapters include provisions that forbid limits on transfers of money between the U.S. and Panama. Yet, such limits are the strongest tools that the U.S. has to enforce policies aimed at stopping international tax avoidance.'' Many have cited a tax treaty signed by Panama earlier this year as a reason to support the Panama-FTA and dismiss the concerns of Panama as a tax haven. In reality, the agreement (the ``Tax Information Exchange Agreement'') fails to hold Panama and corporations accountable for tax evasion. The agreement only requires Panama to stop refusing to provide information to U.S. officials in specific cases if U.S. officials know to inquire. It also includes a significant exception which allows Panama to reject requests for information if it is ``contrary to the national interest.'' By passing this free trade agreement, we are rewarding and condoning corporations who offshore jobs and practice international tax avoidance--practices that significantly hurt American workers and the American economy. Buy American Provisions--and U.S. Workers--Undermined The U.S.-Panama FTA requires the U.S. to waive Buy America requirements for all Panamanian-incorporated firms, and even many Chinese and other foreign firms incorporated in Panama that are there to exploit the tax system. This means that work that should go to U.S. workers can be offshored because of rules which forbid Buy America preferences requiring U.S. employees to perform contract work by a federal agency in the federal procurement process. According to Global Trade Watch, the U.S. would be waiving Buy America requirements for ``trillions in U.S. government contracts for any corporations established in Panama and in exchange would get almost no new procurement contract opportunities in Panama for U.S. companies.'' If you support the NAFTA tradition of weakening offshore protections, limiting financial service regulations, banning Buy America procurement preferences, limiting environmental, food and product safety safeguards, and the undermining U.S. workers and our economy, than this is your agreement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about wireless technology. It is an honor to be in a room with people who are so ahead of their time when it comes to thinking about the effects of widespread wireless technology. This is an issue of great interest to me. Many of you know I held a hearing on the topic--the first in at least a decade if not the first ever--on the effects of cell phones on human health. My hearing was followed by a hearing in the Senate which also generated some interest. I walked away from that hearing thinking the evidence that cell phones could cause brain cancer was fairly compelling. It was far from being authoritative but it was compelling. At a minimum, the current lack of research in the US is not at all justified, especially since some estimates are that half of the world population uses a cell phone. One of the most important areas we discussed at my hearing was the mechanism. The wireless industry likes to claim that the only way a cell phone could cause harm to a human being is by heating tissue directly--the so called thermal mechanism. This is the way a microwave oven works. But we heard some evidence that a non-thermal mechanism is at work. It is certainly feasible since there are many existing therapies using electromagnetic radiation to induce some effect in the body using non-thermal mechanisms. It is an important conversation to have because this belief--that there is no non-thermal mechanism--is preventing some influential agencies from being open to the possibility that cell phones and other wireless technologies are a real public health problem. I'm talking about the National Cancer Institute mainly, who is in turn influencing the Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. These agencies are using this conversation about thermal and non-thermal mechanisms as a red herring, effectively claiming that we can't move forward with any kind of precautionary action until we know the mechanism. Let me explain. When trying to link any given environmental exposure to a health problem, scientists like to know exactly how it is happening at the 10,000 foot level and at the micrometer level. In other words, they like to be able to look over vast numbers of people and compare who was exposed and who was not exposed and show that there is a link there. But before they conclude the link is rock solid, they also like to know what, exactly, is happening at the cellular level--how are the molecules changing in cells to make this happen? That is called the mechanism. Scientists are hesitant to say with certainty there is a link until that mechanism is nailed down. And the mechanism is usually the last thing to be discovered--usually years if not decades after epidemiology first uncovers the problem. That's fine for scientists. But The NCI, the FCC, the FDA, and Members of Congress are not scientists. We are policy makers. And we have to look at things the scientists don't. For example, we have to consider that we knew tobacco was killing people in the 30s. The Surgeon General didn't even weigh in until the 60s. And there was no substantive action on cigarette bans until the mid 90s. In fact there are many places in the US where you can still smoke in public places even though it is well established that people die from exposure to it. It is not an accident that almost 70 years have passed and we're still fighting to protect public health from tobacco. That was the result of a sophisticated campaign to manufacture doubt in the mind of the public about the link between cigarettes and health. What we have to consider as policy makers, not scientists is this: How many people died between the time we knew tobacco caused cancer and dozens of other major lethal health problems and the time policy makers took real action to protect the public and educate them? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ``Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking.'' So, yes, let's talk about what the non-thermal mechanisms are. But let's not let that discussion get in the way when millions of lives are at stake. If we see a danger or even a potential danger to human health, we must act to protect health before acting to protect profits. I announced that I would be introducing a bill that would do three things. It would reestablish a research program in the US to look at the health effects of cell phones. Almost all meaningful research in the field is now done overseas, save for a few selected pockets at places like the University of Washington and Cleveland Clinic. Second, the bill would call for a real measure of exposure to replace the inaccurate, misleading, and downright false numbers used now to depict exposure levels. You know this measurement as the Specific Absorption Rate, or SAR, and it is mostly only accessible in places that are invisible to the consumer as they shop for phones. The SAR has multiple problems; among them is that they are designed for adults, not children; they ignore the fields created by phones that use increasing amounts of power, which smart phones do; and the science has developed significantly since the standards were set, mostly by engineers, not by people with medical training. The third thing the bill would do is call for a label on cell phones, using the new measure of exposure that is created under this bill. Until we can say with greater certainty whether this is a link between electromagnetic radiation and various health problems, the consumer should be able to decide what they want. But markets are not truly free when the consumer has inadequate information. As it stands, the consumer cannot practically know what a particular phone or smart meter would expose them to. First the SAR is obsolete, as I mentioned. Second, even if it were useful, the SAR can't be readily accessed when buying a phone. We need labels. The bill has already accumulated cosponsors and I am awaiting the right moment to introduce it. It will not be easy to make legislative progress because of the enormous financial resources the industry has at its disposal. They have already tried a few tricks to get us to pony up information about the bill's contents, timing and strategy. But I am convinced we can make legislative progress anyway. We just have to be very strategic about it. I am also keeping a close eye on the other uses for wireless technology. Certainly there are a lot of questions about the dangers posed by towers. Increasingly, we're seeing popular resistance to smart meters as well because of the additional exposure they cause. And the wireless spectrum is being sold off to make room for more wireless gadgets like keyboards. The use of the radiofrequency spectrum is one of three emerging technologies that are proof for the maxim that we are developing technology faster than our ability to manage it. Another textbook case is nanotechnology, which is proliferating by leaps and bounds while research on the effects on the environment and health is slowly lumbering along. What little research we have seen to date is deeply concerning. The third case, of course, is genetically engineered food; another topic which I have held hearings on. In each of these cases, any progress that has been made has only come as a result of the efforts of a thoughtful, dedicated few who have raised the hard questions for industry and for policy makers. It is a privilege to join you in your efforts to put public health over private profit. Thank you again for the invitation to be with you today.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3078, the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act. This trade agreement continues in the NAFTA tradition of trampling on human and economic rights. Colombia is the world's most dangerous place to be a unionist. More trade unionists were killed last year in Colombia than in the rest of the world combined. The Labor Action plan signed by Colombia in April of this year has not done enough to address these significant human rights abuses. Sixteen trade unionists have been killed since it was signed. Now we're going to pass a trade agreement that will further weaken the rights of workers whose lives are at stake? Workers in the U.S. will be hurt by this trade agreement too. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that the Colombia FTA will result in the loss or displacement of 55,000 U.S. jobs. We have heard the promises of economic prosperity from free trade advocates before. Those promises have consistently failed to materialize. Workers in the U.S. and Colombia cannot afford a NAFTA-style trade agreement that significantly weakens their economic security and fundamental labor rights. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to be here today to join the local Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as they announce the launching of their Homeless Veterans Outreach Campaign. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, there are between 130,000-200,000 homeless veterans on any given night. That means that homeless veterans constitute nearly one-fourth to one-fifth of the total homeless population. There is an increasing number of female homeless veterans. Studies have demonstrated that women who served in the military are more likely than their non-serving counterparts to experience homelessness in their lifetime. It is clear that we must do more to prevent and address homelessness in the veteran's community. Current members of our armed services have been asked to endure multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing the likelihood that they will experience significant levels of stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The stresses of deployment and low-levels of social support when they return home are just some of the factors that can lead to homelessness. With high levels of unemployment, foreclosures, and continued economic hardship across the country and in the State of Ohio, it is harder than ever for returning veterans to reintegrate post-service. That is why the outreach campaign by the VA to increase awareness of services available to veterans who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless is so important. Veterans need to know that they have the support they need when they return from a tour abroad. Homelessness can be ended. It can be ended by ensuring that there are decent jobs that provide a living wage, access to health care and affordable housing and adequate support for those who can no longer work. I am committed to ensuring that the VA has the resources it needs to provide returning veterans with the care they need and to expand their services to eradicate homelessness among veterans.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from Maine, a champion of workers' rights, Ms. Pingree.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud) be permitted to manage the remainder of the time.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. The rights of workers, which have increasingly come under attack in this country, are also at risk under these NAFTA-style trade agreements. In Panama a 2010 State Department Human Rights Report notes that ``the government lacked sufficient mechanisms to ensure that laws prohibiting employer interference in unions and protecting workers from employer reprisals were adequately enforced.'' So the government lacked sufficient mechanisms to make sure that they were adequately enforced. We shouldn't be entering into a trade agreement with a country that has yet to demonstrate its ability to uphold international standards for labor rights and financial regulation. Panama's track record on fulfilling its promises is clear: Just as it failed to adequately address its status as a tax haven wonderland, it has failed in its promise to adequately protect its workers.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes. Public Citizen is an organization that dedicates itself to an impartial economic analysis of trade agreements. They looked at the Panama trade agreement, and here's what they came up with. They said that it includes extreme foreign investor privileges and offshoring protections and their private enforcement in international tribunals. It includes limits on financial and other service sector regulation, a ban on Buy America procurement preferences, limits on environmental safeguards and imported food and product safety and limits on drug patent rules that limit generics. The AFL-CIO is one of the most important workers' organizations in the history of this country. They've analyzed the Panama free trade agreement, and here's what they have said. They've said it's the wrong trade model at the wrong time. Instead of helping workers here or in Panama, it rewards a country that has a history of repressing labor rights and has achieved much of its economic growth by making it easy for money launderers and tax dodgers to hide their income from legitimate authorities. Moreover, this agreement, which was negotiated by the previous administration, contains too many flawed trade policies of the past, rather than laying out a new and progressive vision for the future. President Obama should not waste valuable time and effort advancing this inadequate agreement, but should instead focus on effective job creation measures, including currency reform, infrastructure investment, and robust training and education, and reforming our trade model so that it strengthens labor rights protections for all workers, safeguards domestic laws and regulations, and promotes the export of goods, not jobs. The AFL-CIO noted that due to the small size of Panama's economy, the economic impact of the Panama free trade agreement is likely to be small. Panama's gross domestic product is tiny in comparison to that of the United States, and Panama accounted for less than \1/2\ of 1 percent of total U.S. exports in 2010. Thus, any demand for U.S. goods and services is likely to be minuscule. This is simply not an agreement that will substantially increase net exports or create American jobs. While the Panama FTA contains--and we have to say it contains-- improved labor and environmental provisions, these provisions need to be further strengthened, and our government needs to invest more resources and energy in more consistent enforcement across the board; and President Obama should work to further improve the labor, environment, investment, financial services and government procurement provisions contained in the Panama free trade agreement to build a new trade model for the future. The AFL-CIO also pointed out another thing, Mr. Speaker. They said that Panama is not a part of any meaningful U.S. jobs plan. Even the Obama administration is not selling the Panama free trade agreement as a job-creating measure. Panama's economy is so small that the U.S. International Trade Commission was unable to quantify any job-creation effects of the Panama free trade agreement. While economists routinely predict that trade agreements between the U.S. and developing countries will create jobs and improve our trade imbalances, the fact is that these rosy predictions repeatedly fail to pan out. The current U.S. approach to trade agreements has tended to destroy jobs, not create them.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I have listened carefully to this debate, and I know that my good friend Mr. Levin and my friend Mr. Camp have worked to try to craft an agreement that they feel is in the best interest of this country. But this debate cannot pass without pointing out some facts that concern those of us who are opposed to this. According to Global Trade Watch, Colombia is the world capital for violence against workers, with more unionists killed every year than in the rest of the world combined. Unionist murders have been growing from 37 in 2007 after the deal was signed to 51 in 2010, even though Colombia has been under maximum security. Only 6 percent of the nearly 2,680 unionist murders that have occurred have been prosecuted to date. The deal doesn't require Colombia to end the unionist murders or bring past perpetrators to justice to obtain special trade privileges. Colombian unions oppose the deal and agree with U.S. unions that a recent action plan will not fix this horrific situation. Colombia has the highest number of displaced people in the world, outpacing even Sudan because of forced displacement and land grabs, often with Colombian military involvement. Now, I know there has been an attempt to try to address these, but I think that we have to get the Government of Colombia to answer these things first before we pass a trade agreement, and I don't believe that they have sufficiently done that. In particular, they haven't brought to justice those who are responsible for the murder of all of these unionists. I think, as a country which supports the right of people, freedom of association, the right of free speech, if we do not stand for them in these trade agreements, then we can expect the same kind of conduct to occur. This is a concern I have, notwithstanding what I know are the honest, good-faith efforts of my colleagues who support this, even though I don't. I urge the bill's defeat.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mr. George Condon, an iconic journalist, author and historian that truly loved the City of Cleveland. Born in Falls River, Massachusetts, George was the youngest of eight children. At the age of six, his Irish family moved to Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. He attended St. Patrick's on the Bridge and later West Tech High School during the height of the Great Depression. He left high school and began working at Atlas Display Fixture Company and later Blocks Clothing Store. After several years of working and saving money, George enrolled in the Ohio State University and graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. It was during college that George met his future wife, Marjorie Smith. The two married in 1942 and had seven children together. Following graduation, George became the editor of the Mount Pelier, Ohio newspaper. Shortly after, he took a public relations job at Mount Union College before being hired by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1941. He started at the Plain Dealer as a general assignment reporter and in 1948 became the first radio critic. He would later move to the editorial page, where he remained for the rest of his 41-year-long career. In addition to being a unique voice for the Plain Dealer, George became a respected historian for the City of Cleveland. He wrote nine books throughout his life including Cleveland: The Best Kept Secret and Yesterday's Cleveland. George loved the City of Cleveland and, in return, he was honored and recognized countless times throughout his illustrious career. In addition to having been inducted in the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, George has received the Ohiana Award, the Cleveland Award for Literature, the Burke Award for Literature and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Distinguished Service. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of Mr. George Condon, he will forever be remembered by the city that he loved.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. Thank you for coming this evening and welcome. I am excited to introduce to you The Last Mountain and I am proud to host its screening. It left quite an impression on me when I saw it and I trust it will do the same for you. Scientific research shows that Mountaintop removal mining is devastating to both the environment and the health of Appalachian communities. It has created a water quality crisis in streams where the debris and spoil from mining sites have been dumped. It has created an environmental crisis for aquatic life in those streams and for the most biologically diverse forests in the world, which are being systematically destroyed by Mountaintop removal. Mountaintop removal mining has created a public health crisis for people depending on those streams. The research shows that Appalachian residents of areas affected by mountaintop mining experience significantly more unhealthy days each year than the average American; and women who live in areas with high levels of mountaintop coal mining are more likely to have low birth-weight infants and poor birth outcomes. Not only is mountaintop removal mining environmentally harmful, but it is actually a job destroyer, not a job creator. Studies have shown that mountaintop removal mining has actually had a negative impact on Appalachian employment. Because Mountaintop removal mining relies on enormous machines instead of individual, skilled miners, the number of mining jobs needed to produce each ton of coal has been drastically reduced. Mountaintop removal mining is essentially eliminating the miner from coal mining, contributing to a decrease in mining jobs. In 1948, there were 126,000 coal-mining jobs in West Virginia and 169,000,000 tons of coal mined. In 2010, however, only 20,000 of these jobs remain despite the fact that almost the same amount of coal-- 144,000,000 tons--had been mined. This job loss did not result from any regulation. Instead, it occurred because coal companies themselves have replaced workers with machines and explosives. The evidence is clear: mountaintop removal mining destroys both mountains and jobs. Coal mining in general has experienced a diminishing share of employment in Appalachia as well. The cause is falling demand for coal. According to the Federal Reserve, the capacity of already permitted and active coal mines set an all-time record in 2010, while the utilization of that capacity was at a 25-year low. So, while enough permits have been approved to achieve a new record level of coal mine capacity, there is simply not enough demand for all of the coal that these mines can produce. Demand for coal, or the decision by consumers to use cleaner, more energy efficient forms of energy, is not something the EPA controls. It is a decision by made by electric generating plant operators and investors. Increasingly, they have chosen to fuel their power plants with natural gas, rather than coal. Just last week, a study in the prestigious American Economic Review found that the damage from coal-fired electrical plants costs more than twice as much as the electricity they generate. Coal plants wreak $53 billion worth of damage per year, not considering the enormous harm from climate change. The Environmental Protection Agency is in the process of trying to fulfill its duty to increase scrutiny of Appalachian mountaintop mining permits. The efforts in the House to undermine the EPA are wrongheaded. I have fought them on the floor and I have fought them as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. And I will continue to fight to stop not only mountaintop mining, but also coal. Coal-based energy creates ponds of ash that are so toxic the Department of Homeland Security will not disclose their locations for fear of their potential to become a terrorist weapon; it fouls the air and water with sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulates, ozone, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and thousands of other toxic compounds that cause asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, and pulmonary and cardiac problems . . . for starters. In contrast, several times more jobs are yielded by renewable energy investments than comparable coal investments. We must redirect the resources of this great nation away from things like war and counterproductive spending cuts and toward creating millions of new jobs in the economic sector of tomorrow; green energy. I will be introducing a bill to create a Works Green Administration which will harness the innovative power of NASA to help create, refine, and ready for distribution the very technologies that put the power in the hands of the people. It will put people to work promoting and installing wind and solar microtechnologies, energy efficiencies, and much more. Until then, I hope you enjoy the screening tonight. Thank you for your interest and for your time. I look forward to working with you to save mountains, streams, forests, and livelihoods.