Steve Kagen

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 661, I was present, placed my card into the voting device and did not look at the Board. I voted ``yes.''

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Chairman, tonight, well-meaning Members of Congress have been debating who will pay to clean up the mess left behind by President Bush's failed economic policies, policies that included two tax cuts to the richest Americans at the very same we were prosecuting two wars. But we all know this: there is no free lunch. And yet the Senate is asking the House of Representatives to designate this bill as an emergency for purposes of pay-as-you-go, thereby failing to live within our means and driving our children deeper into debt. The Senate also seeks to fix this emergency by immediately turning over $129 billion of money we don't have to the very wealthiest Americans, wrongly thinking that the Republican-inspired idea of trickle-down economics will work today when it failed miserably in the recent past. Well, responsibility must begin somewhere. Let it begin here with me. The reality is there is no emergency that justifies handing out tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires at this time. Instead, we should bring our children home from wars overseas, and, after paying for these wars, then determine if we have any money left over for tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. America cannot afford tax cuts for the rich. We don't have the money. They do.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Mr. Toby Paltzer as he retires from his distinguished career as Outagamie County Executive. For 11 years, Mr. Paltzer managed Wisconsin's sixth largest county in a manner that always best served its entire people, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this dedicated public servant. Toby Paltzer's service to Outagamie County goes well beyond his time as Executive. Prior to assuming his current role, Toby served as an Outagamie County board supervisor for 5 years, chairman of Agriculture, Extension Education, Zoning and Land Conservation Committee for 3 years, and was an active member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee for 12 years. In addition to his government service, Mr. Paltzer has further demonstrated his commitment to the communities in and around Outagamie County, Wisconsin through his 45 years as a member and president of Grand Chute Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, and his involvement as a mentor in the Outagamie Youth Leaders program. Widely respected by business leaders and elected officials alike, citizens across Outagamie County will certainly miss Toby Paltzer's effective, efficient and clear-cut leadership. Despite having to weather one of the worst economic storms of our time, he leaves his Executive post having placed Outagamie County on a path to prosperity that will continue to be realized long after his departure. Madam Speaker, as Mr. Paltzer steps down from his post as Outgamie County Executive, I ask the members of this chamber to join me in paying tribute to this valued member of our community.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Mr. Tom Hinz as our superior Brown County Executive retires. During his time in office, Mr. Hinz has served the people and interests of Brown County to the highest degree, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable individual. Tom Hinz has dedicated his life to public service. Well before he assumed his role as Brown County Executive, Tom served in the Army for three years followed by a long career in local law enforcement. Viewed as a leader by his peers, Mr. Hinz was encouraged to run for and was elected to be Brown County's Sherriff after more than 30 years with the police force. His service to the public continued as a member of the Brown County Board of Supervisors, where he served for two years before taking on the responsibility of being Brown County's Executive during what would become the most challenging economic environment in decades. Community leaders, lawmakers and servants of the public across Northeast Wisconsin hold Tom Hinz in no less than the highest regard. A diplomatic problem solver and skilled manager, Tom has been an extraordinary asset to the community surrounding Green Bay and the 8th Congressional District of Wisconsin's largest county. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Hinz launched the LEAN initiative in Brown County in 2009. This implemented techniques that have for years produced impressive results in manufacturing environments, and adapted them to county government. As a result county employees are involved in an effective process that improves quality, reduces costs, and strengthens customer service. Tom was also a key player in the construction of the Brown County Community Treatment Center, the new 911 Communications Center and the ratification of a long-overdue service agreement between Brown County and the Oneida Tribe of Indians. Madam Speaker, as Mr. Tom Hinz celebrates his retirement, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting this exemplary citizen and his lifetime of service to the nation and the communities of Northeast Wisconsin.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning, before everyone begins their conversations about tax cuts, about jobs, about immigration, to raise a serious health concern. You know, when I was brought up in northeast Wisconsin, my father taught me that if it's good for business, it's going to happen; I would just like it to be legal. And the subject I am going to mention here is the idea, the false idea of medicinal marijuana. There is nothing safe about smoking. There is nothing safe about smoking an illicit product called marijuana. Marijuana is universally contaminated with a mold spore Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, and other items that will harm human health. This House, this body has do what's best for people. We need a healthy economy and we need healthy people at work. So don't make the mistake of thinking at any point in time that there is something safe about smoking medicinal marijuana, which is a misnomer. So I look forward later today to passing House Resolution 1540 that addresses the illicit production of marijuana on Federal lands. Marijuana Smoking and Fungal Sensitization (Steven L. Kagen, M.D., Viswanath P. Kurup, Ph.D., Peter G. Sohnle, M.D., and Jordan N. Fink, M.D. Milwaukee, Wis.) The possible role of marijuana (MJ) in inducing sensitization to Aspergillus organisms was studied in 28 MJ smokers by evaluating their clinical status and immune responses to microorganisms isolated from MJ. The spectrum of illnesses included one patient with systemic aspergillosis and seven patients with a history of bronchospasm after the smoking of MJ. Twenty-one smokers were asymptomatic. Fungi were identified in 13 of 14 MJ samples and included Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, Mucor, Penicillium, and thermophilic actinomycetes. Precipitins to Aspergillus antigens were found in 13 of 23 smokers and in one of 10 controls, while significant blastogenesis to Aspergillus was demonstrated in only three of 23 MJ smokers. When samples were smoked into an Andersen air sampler, A. fumigatus passed easily through contaminated MJ cigarettes. Thus the use of MJ assumes the risks of both fungal exposure and infection, as well as the possible induction of a variety of immunologic lung disorders. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 71:389, 1983.) The recreational and medicinal use of MJ has reached epidemic proportions. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has documented that nearly one in 10 American high school seniors use MJ on a daily basis.\1\ Furthermore, a survey of adult and pediatric oncology centers reveals that a substantial population of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy are now encouraged to use MJ as an antiemetic.\2\ The medicinal use of MJ, however, is not without risks. MJ may contain toxic substances such as Agent Orange, phencyclidine, or paraquat, and outbreaks of salmonellosis and hepatitis B have been traced to MJ.3-5 Similarly, Aspergillus has been cultured from MJ and has been considered the likely source of infection in patients who have developed invasive pulmonary and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.6-8 Due to the widespread use of MJ by normal and immunodeficient individuals, we thought it important to evaluate its possible role as a source of exposure and sensitization to Aspergillus organisms. Preliminary results of our investigations revealed that MJ contains pathogenic, inhalable Aspergillus organisms that may sensitize the user.9,}10 This article presents additional in vitro studies and further documents the spectrum of fungal organisms present in MJ. Materials and Methods Subjects A total of 28 subjects were randomly selected to be evaluated for immunologic reactivity toward A. fumigatus, to which they may have been exposed while smoking MJ. Medical histories, physical examinations, cultures of their MJ, and serologic studies were performed. Ten age-matched individuals who denied ever having smoked MJ served as controls. Cultures Samples of MJ were plated directly onto SGA, SGA with antibiotics, TSA, and TSA with novobiocin. SGA plates were incubated at room temperature and at 37 deg. C, while TSA plates were incubated at 55 deg. C. Plates were observed daily for growth of organisms. Any growth appearing was subcultured, purified, and identified according to standard methods.11,}12 Immunologic studies Precipitins. Serum precipitins against A. fumigants, A. flavus, and A. niger, the predominant cultured organisms, were evaluated by agar gel diffusion as previously described.13,}14 Serum precipitin assays were also performed with routine culture filtrate antigens from Thermoactinomyces candidus and T. vulgaris, Mucor, and Penicillium species to better assess the significance of circulating precipitins to Aspergillus antigens in MJ smokers. Abbreviations used MJ: Marijuana SGA: Sabouraud's glucose agar TSA: Trypticase soy agar CPM: Counts per minute Con-A: Concanavalin A PMN: Polymorphonuclear THC: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Lymphocyte transformation. Lymphocytes were obtained from peripheral blood by Hypaque-Ficoll centrifugation and suspended at 0.25 x 106 cells/ml in 0.4 ml of RPMI tissue culture medium (Gibco, Inc., Grand Island, N.Y.), using 15% pooled human plasma, with penicillin, streptomycin, and glutamine added. The cells were cultured with or without stimulants in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO2, for 5 days, at which time 1 mCi of \3\H- thymidine was added. Twenty-four hours later the cells were harvested onto glass fiber filters. The incorporation of \3\H-thymidine was counted by scintillation counting and data were expressed as either total CPM or stimulation ratios (CPM experimental/CPM control). A positive result is defined as CPM >3000 and stimulation ratios >4.0, as previously described.\15\ Antigens and mitogens employed included Con-A (Miles Laboratories, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana), A. fumigatus, A. niger, and A. flavus. The optimal final concentrations of mitogens were determined in preliminary experiments with either human or guinea pig lymphocytes (A. fumigatus, 5 mg/ml; A. niger, 50 mg/m1; Con-A, 10 mg/m1). Fungal inhalation MJ cigarettes were obtained from patients and attached to an Andersen air sampler via rubber tubing. The cigarettes were then lit and the smoke was drawn into the sampler, deposited onto plates, and cultured. Additional unlit MJ cigarettes were similarly assessed. Control samplings of laboratory air were also obtained.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Thank you for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to join my colleagues in support of this necessary action. What is it that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't like about senior citizens? What is it that you do not understand about people being in need? It is $250 that is needed now to help our people, our constituents. For me, it is for my patients so they can get their necessary prescription drugs. People need help now, not next year. I endorse this bill very strongly.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, earlier this morning I joined my congressional staff on a tour of our Capitol. What a wonderful place this is. And if there's any lesson we should learn from our Capitol, from our Nation's history, it is that our freedom is ours for only as long as we can hang onto it. It wasn't that long ago that the Democrats led Americans into five new essential American freedoms. We are now free from discrimination due to any preexisting medical condition. We're free from cancellation by any insurance corporation just because you get sick. We're free from going broke just because a child has an accident or becomes seriously ill. We're free to choose our own doctor. And we're free to go to the closest emergency room. These five new essential American freedoms will be yours for only as long as you can hang onto them. We as Democrats fought very hard to secure them. We're going to work very hard with everyone in this country to hold onto these newfound freedoms. Your freedoms are yours for only as long as you can hang onto them.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I received a message from one of my constituents, one of my bosses, Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Roach, from northeast Wisconsin, which reads, in part: ``Do not waver on beginning to bring our troops out of Afghanistan, saving more of wasteful spending. Redirect all accrued military savings to veterans, to paying our troops and supporting their families. ``Sorry to say, but we may be ready to retreat to the comfort of our well-earned retirement if the President blinks or compromises. ``He promised, we delivered, now we expect him to act like Truman or Roosevelt.'' You see, in northeast Wisconsin we still believe that people are more important than corporate profits. We still believe that one single family on Main Street is more valuable than all of the corporations on Wall Street. We also believe that our freedoms will be ours for only as long as we can hang on to them.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Appleton firefighters Capt. Rick James, Capt. Mike Woodzicka, Doug Vrechek and Mike Becker, as they are inducted into the Wisconsin Fire and Police Hall of Fame for saving the lives of four young children. As friends, family and colleagues gather to pay tribute to their courage and bravery, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring these outstanding individuals. On December 29, 2007, Capt. Rick James, Capt. Mike Woodzicka, Doug Vrechek and Mike Becker valiantly rescued four children from a burning house in my hometown of Appleton, WI. The children, who were all under the age of seven and included 15-month-old twins, were trapped in the house, unable to escape. The firefighters acted swiftly and heroically, rescuing the children within four minutes of arriving at the scene. In recognition of this courageous act, the firefighters were inducted into the State of Wisconsin Fire and Police Hall of Fame on September 10, 2010. The Hall of Fame recognizes firefighters and police officers in Wisconsin who have performed a heroic act, been an innovator in advancing the productivity or safety of services, or who have provided exceptional community service. Madam Speaker, without questions, the service of Capt. Rick James, Capt. Mike Woodzicka, Doug Vrechek and Mike Becker has been selfless and exemplary, and their induction into the Wisconsin Fire and Police Hall of Fame is very well-deserved. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting these truly heroic members of our community.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Mr. Fred Harrsch for his dedication in upholding the great tradition of the Green Bay Packers fence along Lombardi Avenue in the shadow of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mr. Harrsch inherited the Packer tradition 6 years ago when he took ownership of the fence which creates a unique sense of pride and camaraderie among fans. As friends, family, and visitors gather this football season to pay tribute to his hard work and contributions, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this outstanding individual. Hundreds of thousands of fans pass by the city landmark on their pilgrimage to Lambeau Field, which dons a new coat of paint and a fresh slogan at the start of every season. This season, Mr. Harrsch has chosen the slogan, ``In Coach McCarthy We Trust'', in honor of the Packers head coach. In addition to more than 100 volunteers who turned out to help Mr. Harrsch paint the fence this year, two special guests came to take part--Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, and the fence's original owner, Steve Kraft. This marks the 26th year of the fence-painting tradition. Madam Speaker, as Fred Harrsch celebrates another year of a great Green Bay tradition, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting a truly extraordinary member of our community.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Francis J. Curtis as he relinquishes command of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Lt. Col. Curtis assumed command of the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion in October 2007. He has served in key positions as a U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) officer, with a special focus on the conflict in Iraq. Under Lt. Col. Curtis's command, his battalion was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from late 2007 through late 2008. Prior to his deployment with the 432nd, he also served in Iraq from March 2003 through April 2004. During his 24 years of exceptional service to this country in the United States Army Reserve, Lt. Col. Curtis has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal (3rd Award), Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (6th Award), Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award), Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (31rd Award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/M Device, Br. Hourglass, Roman Numeral 2, Army Service Ribbon, Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (Navy), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Combat Action Badge, and the Parachutist Badge. Lt. Col Curtis will turn over his command to Lt. Col. William A. Vaughn of the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion in Greensboro, North Carolina on October 2, 2010 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I honor Lieutenant Colonel Curtis for his service to our country and the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion and I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting a truly extraordinary member of our community.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to the Tri-County Single-Stream Recycling Facility, located in Little Chute Wisconsin, on the occasion of its winning the Solid Waste Association of North America's Gold Award for Excellence. Each year, the Association recognizes the best recycling facility in North America. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tri-County, which serves Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties, in recognition of its accomplishment. I was honored to have participated in the Recycling Center's grand opening in 2009. I am proud to report that since then, the facility has achieved its annual goal of collecting 48,000 tons of material, while also managing to come in under budget. The operation allows three counties to process glass, aluminum, paper and plastic without requiring any pre-sorting. This convenience to consumers enhances public participation and expands the overall reach of the projects. The spirit of cooperation between the participating counties has spurred its success and fueled discussions of expansion. Special commendation should be made to Outagamie director of solid waste Phillip Stecker, Brown County solid waste director Chuck Larscheid, and Winnebago Solid Waste Management board chairman Patrick O'Brien for their exemplary stewardship. Madam Speaker, the Tri-County Recycling Center has greatly improved the energy efficiency and environmental health of Northeast Wisconsin, and the Gold Award for Recycling Excellence is very well-deserved. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Tri-County's contributions to our society and our environment.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Thank you very much for yielding. I'll just summarize that the Swanningson family wants nothing more than any other family in the United States. They want an opportunity to go to work where it's safe, where they can earn a living wage, where they can begin to pay off their own debts and make it on their own, to have their own home, to have a living wage sufficient enough to educate themselves and the next generation--their children. That is, after all, what every family wants. This is the American Dream that is being stolen away by the illegal dumping of paper into our area, and when China has targeted everything else we make for extinction, it's just time that we stand up and fight for our own jobs here at home. We're going to make it in America when we all begin to paddle in the same direction, when we're all in the same boat. So let's get on board. Let's take that train ride together.

Mr. KAGEN. Well, I'll make a brief comment. The investment tax credit is so critical for emerging pharmaceutical companies--for biotechnology in particular. So when you reward people for doing good work instead of rewarding corporations and people for their wealth, you really begin to get that engine of America going, that small-business engine that really creates all the jobs that we need. I would summarize what Mr. Ryan had to say as this: The Bush Doctrine, the Reagan Doctrine of trickle-down economics has failed miserably. It has rewarded people for their wealth instead of their work. What we must begin to do again is to encourage people, in small business in particular and small banks, to take that risk, to take that chance and to reward you for your risk-taking and for your hard work. That will start the economic engine, and it will rebuild our economy as we go through this transformation over the next decade of becoming energy independent. We may not be totally independent as a Nation as far as growing our own energy, as far as developing our own energy, but we certainly have the resources here at home. Making it in America means not just manufacturing, making things here; it also means investing our hard-earned tax dollars in our own Nation's infrastructure. What I object to so greatly is that we take our resources, like our children, and send them off to Iraq and Afghanistan, and we send $2 billion a week into Afghanistan, rebuilding buildings we've never destroyed and building schools that they may need, but we need schools as well and water treatment plants. Look, if we're going to build an infrastructure, it should be here in these United States. That is where my people live. I don't represent people overseas. Finally, with manufacturing, invest in infrastructure. We also need to balance our trade deals, about which you and I have had discussions with the Asian nations, to make sure that our trade is balanced. That way, we can generate the higher waged jobs that we need here at home--jobs that will keep people in their homes, that will feed our tax base, that will rebuild our schools, and rebuild our middle class.

Mr. KAGEN. Absolutely.

Mr. KAGEN. Would the gentleman agree that if you don't make anything, you won't have anything?

Mr. KAGEN. I am getting a little excited because China has been caught cheating. They don't just manipulate their currency. They provide free energy, they provide no taxation, they provide cheap labor at 82 cents an hour. They have been buying raw materials for nothing, giving it to a company, and then they load it up on a boat and float it outside of Oakland and dump it into our Nation, into our domestic market below our cost of production. Let me just put it very succinctly. They have targeted everything we make for extinction. It's not just paper. It's high-tech technology; it's automobiles; it's steel; it's textiles. We have to restore our manufacturing base, yes, in part, by compelling other nations to stop cheating, by not manipulating their currency, by playing fair. One way to play fair is to instead of stealing our jobs, why don't you take our values. Take our values about clean air and clean water, because they are polluting the air that we are breathing. It's not that far away. If a tall man and an allergist--and I say this--if a tall man in China sneezes, you are going to get it in the back of your head. It's going to come over here. We have studies that scientifically show that the great dust storm they had in China dropped that dust over on our west coast. We are all here in the same boat. So, yes, we have to push back, not just for fair trade, but for balanced trade, in order for our companies to compete. I will just relate one story, one educational experience in, I believe it was in February of 2007, just after I was sent here. I had the opportunity with my class of 2006 to sit down with eight CEOs of major manufacturing companies, the high-tech companies, HP, IBM, Dell and the like. I asked them, what's your biggest component of your overhead, and each one of them said people, people, people, people. I said, well, that would explain why you are taking our jobs over to India and China because you can hire them for less. And right across from me was Michael Dell and he said, Congressman Kagen, I am competing with these guys. I have to chase the lowest cost of production around the world or I am out of business, and I have to, after all, represent my people, which are my stockholders. So we have to make things in America. Manufacturing does matter, but we need a level playing field.

Mr. KAGEN. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. KAGEN. I live in Paper Valley. We didn't invent the manufacturing of paper, but we perfected the science and technology. Kimberly-Clark, you have heard of it. You have heard of Kleenex. Let me put in a plug for them. We've got Procter & Gamble. We've got Puffs. Everything in the tissue world and the paper world is in Appleton and Green Bay and the chain of Fox Cities in-between. And one of those manufacturers, Appleton Coated Paper, tomorrow has a case before the International Trade Commission. And I brought with me a picture of a family. This is the Swanningson family. This is Tony, his wife Sherry, Corey, and Kayla. And they live in Kaukauna on highway ZZ. What are they doing? Well, he works at Appleton Coated Paper. And they have a problem because China has been competing illegally by dumping their paper products into our domestic United States marketplace below our cost of production. Now, I know you're thinking how does that happen? But before I get there, let me read you the handwritten note that Mr. Swanningson sent to me. ``Congressman Steve Kagen, I have been employed in the paper industry for 18 years. I am grateful for the ability to provide for my family that the industry has provided. The dumping of foreign paper into the United States from companies that are subsidized by their own governments creates a marketplace that seriously threatens my family and countless other families throughout the United States. The ability to sell paper at a price that is less than the cost to produce it places our companies and families at a severe disadvantage. I have been able to maintain employment through four layoffs due to the mill sales and paper machine shutdowns. But the dumping of paper in the United States market is a challenge that me and my fellow union brothers and sisters throughout the United States cannot survive.'' You see, what China's been doing--and I have a case against China. They didn't just manipulate their currency, they don't have any environmental protection. They don't have a social safety net. They don't have an Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They don't have OSHA. They don't have an EPA. They have sacrificed their environment for their economic development. And they don't yet have a middle class. Now, I have nothing against another Nation seeking to lift its people up out of poverty and create a middle class. But they shouldn't do it at our expense. We shouldn't have to sacrifice our middle class solely to build up theirs. It's unfair.

Mr. KAGEN. In the State of Wisconsin, it is in their party platform to transform and phase out Social Security. But Social Security is a sacred contract between one generation and the next. It is the most successful social program ever invented by human beings. It guarantees people will be in their house, not the poorhouse, when they become old. It is not a retirement plan, but it is something if you put your money in, you did the work, you have got to be able to get your money out. So when it comes to Social Security, we are here to protect it and enhance it. Our opposition seeks to destroy it. There should be no question about whose side we are on. But getting back to making it in America, making it in America is not only about manufacturing, it is about guaranteeing that your children have, that the Swanningson family's children, Corey and Kayla, have a great education. It is about guaranteeing that you have access to affordable health care when and where you need it. It is about guaranteeing that our manufacturing base that creates the higher-wage jobs can compete on a level playing field. This is something that just makes sense. But around here, if it makes sense, it is going to be hard to do. So I would join with my colleagues in encouraging your bill to move forward, to make certain that this administration and any administration moving forward holds China accountable to stop manipulating its currency. Now, the big picture that I get to see at 30,000 feet that I didn't see before coming here--and you know I am a doctor, right? I always tell my patients, you know, it is going to take you just about as long to get better as it took you to get sick. It took us a while to slide into this deep recession, and it is going to take a while to work our way back into prosperity. But making it--we are going to make it in America, not just with manufacturing once again, but by making sure that we hold China and other Asian nations accountable. So what I see happening is the idea that free market capitalism has bumped into a brick wall, the Chinese wall. It is the Asian model of capitalism where the government owns the corporation, controls the currency, offers slave-like wages for labor, environmental conditions at work that we would not tolerate, not even for our animals. So what we have to ship overseas is not our jobs, but our American values. That is who we are. The voters will have a chance in several weeks to make decisions about whose side we are on. When it comes to tax cuts for the middle class and to protecting Social Security and making things in America, when it comes to closing those tax loopholes, the Democrats are on their side.

Mr. KAGEN. You have to make things to have things. And it is manufacturing that brings us our higher wage jobs. But when we brought the bill you referred to to the House floor, only 12 Republicans voted to close the very corporate tax loopholes that ship our jobs overseas. We cannot continue to reward corporations for stealing our jobs and taking them overseas. Whose side are we on? You have to be on the side of the middle class. When it came time to consider, as we are now in discussions, to making permanent tax cuts for the middle class, it is the Democratic Party that stands up for the middle class to make it possible for them to have a permanent tax cut. The other side of the aisle is promoting what? More and more debt to reward the top 1 or 2 percent income earners in the United States. That is just not right. It is not right for our cities in Wisconsin, and it is not right for America. The other aspect: The other side of the aisle has an idea about Social Security, to phase it out. Phase out Social Security?

Mr. KAGEN. It was the biggest tax cut in American history. We were in such a decline economically, no one felt it. We did it the economical way. We didn't mail people a check. We made sure they got the tax cut on the other end. It was more economical. So never before has such a tax cut been enacted. And it was the Democrats, without the Republicans' support, that guaranteed middle class families would pay less in taxes.

Mr. KAGEN. Absolutely. Well, thank you very much for yielding, and thank you for organizing this hour, where we can begin to have a conversation, a very constructive conversation with the American people across the country about making it in America. And you know, manufacturing does matter. And making it in America really is important. And just maybe, perhaps we should change the slogan from ``Make It In America'' and add on, ``not China.'' Because where I live people say, ``Hey, Doc, we have got to get our jobs back from China. We want our money back from Wall Street and our jobs back from China.'' And one of my constituents, who is nearly 80 years old, sent me this note asking really the question about whose side are we on? You mention it's a ball game, a football game. Could be peewee, could be little league, could be NFL. Look, we're all on the same team. We're all in the same boat, the same canoe. And amazing things will happen when we begin to paddle in the same direction. We got to work together to get through the most difficult economic time of our generation. Elaine from Peshtigo wrote me this note: ``I am soon an 80-year old woman and a widow. My husband and I farmed, and we certainly had hard times the first years. But the years now are harder for old people. Oil companies take a huge profit. The CEOs make a salary no man on earth is worth. Pill companies are taking huge profits with no consideration for old people. The people of my generation lived through the Depression, World War II, and two more wars. And now in our old age we face other obstacles.'' Well, Elaine, we are working hard to rebuild our economy. We are working hard to generate the jobs we need to work our way back into prosperity. One way that we've done it is to pass an essential bill on health care legislation. We now have a new health care law that guarantees that, Elaine, the doughnut hole is going to be closed over a period of time. We're beginning to close it by $250 straight away. We've made Medicare stronger and better. How did we do that? By making sure that you have preventative services at no additional copay and no deductible. So this is coming your way. It's a new American freedom, a new day in America, when no longer will any family have the fear of going broke and losing their home just because of an accident or just because someone gets sick. But we didn't just act for Elaine and every other family in America to guarantee them access to health care; we lowered their taxes. Now, the quote here says, ``Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level since 1950,'' from USA Today. We've lowered taxes for the people who need it the most, the middle class. This is not my point of view, this is the point of view of the former domestic policy adviser to President Reagan and Treasury Department economist to President George Herbert Walker Bush. This was a statement that he made, Mr. Bruce Bartlett. Federal taxes are very considerably lower by every measure since Obama became President. The $787 billion stimulus bill, enacted with no Republican support, reduced Federal taxes by almost $100 billion in 2009 and $222 billion in 2010.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, I have the high honor and responsibility of representing the Swanningson family from Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Here you see Tony and his wife, Sherry; his son, Corey; and daughter, Kayla. Tony wrote me this note recently when his company, Appleton Coated Paper, was having problems selling paper because of illegal paper being dumped into our country by China. ``Congressman Kagen, I've been a paper maker for 18 years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to provide for my family that the industry has given me. In 2009 I lost my job, through no fault of my own and through no fault of my company, Appleton Coated. My job was stolen because somebody broke the law, and that's not right. The dumping of foreign paper into the United States from companies that are subsidized by their own governments creates a marketplace that seriously threatens my family and countless other families throughout the United States.'' We're going to make it in America when we begin making things here in America as well. We need to balance our trade deals and push back against illegal paper being dumped into our domestic market by China.

Mr. KAGEN

Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Mr. Alan Cable as he retires as the president and chief executive officer of the Community Blood Center. For 26 years Mr. Cable oversaw the critical work of the blood center and is a distinguished community leader in northeast Wisconsin. As friends, family and colleagues gather to pay tribute to his hard work and dedication, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this outstanding individual. If you talk to professionals at medical centers across the State of Wisconsin, they will all certainly sing the praises of Alan. Under his management, the Community Blood Center has been widely recognized as a stellar organization that meets hospitals' needs for blood products, and his work is credited with saving countless lives. Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Cable has greatly expanded the blood center. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from 30 employees to 150 employees and from 8,500 annual blood donations to 55,000 blood donations each year. This has helped guarantee that, for the last 20 years, patients in 17 Wisconsin hospitals have had ample access to safe blood transfusions. Mr. Cable has also contributed to the well being of communities beyond the 8th District of Wisconsin. He has worked with several national organizations including the National Blood Exchange Task Force, the American Association of Blood Banks and America's Blood Center. Madam Speaker, as Alan Cable celebrates his retirement, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting a truly extraordinary member of our community.