Daniel Kildee

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, well, it is long past time for Congress to do its job and get serious about funding a long-term solution to fix our crumbling roads and bridges, all of our infrastructure in this country. In Michigan, of all States, we know that we need to invest in order to grow our economy. To build a 21st century economy, we need state-of- the-art infrastructure. No more short-term fixes, no more month-to-month funding. I have voted against these short-term bills in the past, and I am going to continue to do so. We are in urgent need of dramatic investment in infrastructure. Nearly a third of our roads are in poor or mediocre condition. One out of four of our bridges require significant repair. In my own hometown, our water infrastructure is wholly inadequate to provide even clean water to our residents. We just cannot continue to threaten our economy by failing to do our job. Congress needs to do its job. The American people go to work every single day, and the least that they can expect is that we do the same thing and do our job. If we really believe in our future in this Congress, we ought to be willing to invest in it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, well, even some of my Republican colleagues acknowledge that there is chaos in their conference and that chaos has consequences. Governing from one manufactured crisis to another, we have piled up a whole series of must-act deadlines. In just 8 days, the U.S. Government will default unless Congress acts. Once again, Republicans are jeopardizing the full faith and credit of the United States. Unfortunately, that is just one of the deadlines that we face in this calendar of chaos. In just weeks, we have got to pass another budget or face another GOP-engineered shutdown. We have to pass a highway trust fund bill. Hopefully, it is not another short-term patch but something that actually gets Americans working and rebuilds our infrastructure. Sadly, the Export-Import Bank still sits idle. Fortunately, a handful of courageous Republicans joined all Democrats, and next week, hopefully, we will be able to get that moving again. It shouldn't take that kind of an extraordinary measure. We ought to be able to do it through the normal course of legislation. This chaos is out of hand. Hardworking Americans go to work every day. We need to do our job in Congress, and that is to do the business of the American people. Mr. Speaker, we have long passed time. We need to get to work.

Mr. KILDEE

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

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today just to take a few minutes to call attention to a problem that I have been trying to raise in this body and in my work before I came to Congress for some time, specifically, to describe the conditions in my own hometown of Flint, Michigan. The subject that I am addressing is the unique and really difficult challenges facing America's older industrial cities, cities like my hometown of Flint, Michigan, a city that is the birthplace of General Motors. It is where the first UAW contract was created, was signed. But it is a city that has really struggled as it has made this transition from the old to the new economy. It is a city that had 200,000 people just a couple of decades ago and now hovers right around 100,000 citizens, a poorer city than it once was, a city that has lost 90 percent of its manufacturing jobs. I raise this because I believe that this Congress and the Federal Government have an obligation to reinvest in these communities, communities that helped build this country and that can have a significant effect on our future. These are the cities where innovation took place and where it can take place again. But my own hometown right now is struggling, struggling with a problem, unfortunately, that is not entirely of its own making. My home of Flint, a city that was once really the center of the auto manufacturing universe, can't even guarantee to its citizens one of the most essential functions of government. It can't guarantee to citizens that it can deliver clean, drinkable water to their households. We have elevated lead levels in the city of Flint in their water system. It has been known for some time, for about a year that there have been significant problems with water quality in Flint. And despite protests, really, at the State and Federal levels, public officials saying that there is no problem with the water, that it is completely safe to drink--in fact, one State official told city of Flint residents that they just needed to simply relax. It has been revealed recently through independent studies, now confirmed by the State government, that we have lead levels far in excess of what is allowed under the Federal lead and copper rules. This is completely unacceptable. In fact, what makes this even more troubling is that this is a tragic set of circumstances that has public health implications for the citizens of my community that were completely avoidable, that are the result of decisions that were made by the State of Michigan when it took over control of this fiscally stressed city. This is a city that is struggling in a lot of different ways. Twice in the last decade, it has been under the control of a receiver, of a State-appointed emergency manager that takes away the authority of local government officials to make decisions for themselves, takes away the authority of the Flint citizens to elect their own representatives to govern themselves, and places authority to control the city in the hands of a single master, an emergency manager. Well, it was during the period of time that one of those emergency managers was in control that the State decided for the city of Flint that, for a temporary period of time, simply to save money, it would begin to draw water, rather than from the city of Detroit water system, which had a water source from Lake Huron, but it would begin to draw water from the Flint River, a small river that passes through our hometown, a river that is the namesake of our own community. The sad thing is--and this tells you a little bit about how some folks in different levels of government at the Federal and State level think about these older cities. There was no robust review, no testing, no examination as to whether or not this river water would result in clean water being delivered to homes, drinkable water delivered to citizens. As a result, this water drawn from the Flint River is substantially more corrosive and has led to lead leaching from the pipes in the delivery system into the drinking water in Flint homes. In fact, there was a study that was just done in the last day or two that shows that in Flint school district buildings, water being delivered to Flint schoolchildren has lead levels far above the actionable level under the EPA lead and copper rule. Think about this. In the 21st century in the United States of America, we have a city, a great, old city that was a part of the industrial revolution, that can't even deliver clean and safe drinking water to its citizens, not only because of our failure to invest in infrastructure in this country, which is a big part of the problem, but largely because officials at the State government simply decided, well, that Flint River water, that will be good enough. There was no real scientific research that determined whether or not that water would be safe--``it will be fine.'' And even when evidence was presented indicating that that water might be unsafe, Flint citizens were told by the State government to just relax; don't worry about it. Well, that is a complete failure of government. It is a failure of government, frankly, at the Federal level because, for almost a year now, I have been asking the EPA to intervene; to, first of all, help this old city of Flint rebuild itself and rebuild its water system by providing some relief through the clean drinking water revolving loan fund, some degree of loan forgiveness, which is allowable under Federal law; but in this case, a technicality has prevented the EPA from allowing the State of Michigan to grant that kind of relief. That could make a huge difference for the city and its ability to rebuild its own infrastructure. But so far, all we get from the EPA is ``no,'' and we asked for technical assistance from the EPA. Now, recently we have had more attention; but, frankly, it is not enough. I mean, where is the urgency? If the role of the U.S. EPA is to ensure adherence to this rule, this law that requires clean and safe drinking water to be available to its citizens, they ought to do more than sit back and offer opinion. They need to be engaged. So I call on the EPA to take a much more focused role in making sure that the citizens of Flint have clean drinking water. I mentioned that this was not an accident. This decision to use this questionable water source was done when the city was under financial receivership, when an appointed emergency manager was making the decisions for the city of Flint. So here we had a situation where this emergency manager, this outside new management is appointed to come in and deal with the issue of fiscal insolvency and, by only looking at the short-term balance sheet, made a decision to get cheaper water that turned out to be dangerous for the residents of the city and, actually, potentially has handed the city a huge cost to fix what could be hundreds of millions of dollars of permanent damage to the water system as a result of that decision. So an emergency manager comes in with the idea that somehow outside management is the only problem that this city faces, makes decisions that not only ruin the reputation of the city but also cause significant health risks, and then hands the city a bill, potentially to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, and at the same time, over the last decade, has continued to cut direct support to that very city. I mean, this just doesn't make sense. The citizens of the city are not responsible for the fact that its infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate. They are not responsible for the fact that at the Federal level and at the State level we have not supported redevelopment in these places. In fact, through transportation policy, housing policy, tax policy, land use policy at the Federal and State levels, we have actually, unfortunately, contributed to the hollowing out of these older cities, and now the citizens of this place have to pay the price. The failure to reinvest in these older cities is not without victims; and right now, it is the people of the city of Flint that are the victims of a failure at the Federal, frankly, and at the State level. It is something that just cannot be tolerated. So when we think about this question, when we think about this particular case of the city, my hometown of Flint, and the fact that these decisions have been made for them by people at the State capital, they are paying the price. And almost inexplicably, even though today in a complete reversal, an admission of failure by the State, the State has come in and said now they are going to help facilitate the reconnection temporarily to the Detroit water system until a permanent Lake Huron line can be established. Inexplicably, there they are actually asking the city government to empty out its remaining resources, financial resources, and put millions of dollars up to help contribute to pay for fixing a problem that the State government is actually responsible for making. The State broke the system, and now, yet again, it is the city residents who are being asked to contribute to pay for a problem that they did not create in the first place. Sadly, while this may seem like an extreme case, it is a pretty consistent tale all across this country, but especially in the Northeast and Midwestern United States. But in the South and West as well, there are older cities that have, in the past, contributed greatly to economic growth in this country and have been allowed--in some ways, encouraged--to wither, to be hollowed out, and we can't let this continue. So here when we see before our very eyes 30, 40, 50 American cities-- as I said, including my own hometown--continue to fall farther and farther behind, have their infrastructure continue to deteriorate, what do we spend our time talking about here in the United States Congress? Petty fights between Democrats and Republicans and, frankly, more recently, petty fights between Republicans and other Republicans. We haven't even touched the idea of a big infrastructure bill that could help places not just like my hometown of Flint, but other places across the Midwest and across the country that could be much more productive if we simply had 21st century infrastructure, a water system that can deliver clean water to its residents. There is no excuse. There is no excuse at the Federal level for us not providing the kind of help that would make a place like Flint a far more productive place with decent roads, good schools, and a water system that delivers clean water. I mean, that seems pretty fundamental, and it is. Without that, these older communities, these older cities have no chance of connecting to the new economy, no chance of contributing the way they are capable of to the next economy of this country. It is shameless that we haven't seen the urgency that I think is required in order to deal with this enormous problem. There are victims of this failure. There are victims, individuals who have been really left behind because of the failure at the Federal and at the State level. So, Mr. Speaker, I know I have taken a few moments. I don't need to take the full half hour that has been allotted to me because we will continue this discussion. We will continue this conversation. I just want to make sure that the folks who are listening, the people in this body, people across the country understand that unless we take time, unless we make the effort in this body to address the problems of these older cities, we will not have done our job. It is important that the American people know that this Congress is willing to stand up for them and stand up for America's cities. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I have 5 legislative days--and any other speaker who may arrive--to revise and extend remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, well, last week 151 Republicans, a majority of the Republicans in Congress, voted to shut down the Federal Government. This week, another entry into this calendar of chaos and dysfunction. We are coming up on several crucial deadlines, and so far the Republican leadership in Congress has presented no clear plan, no path forward. As we approach another debt limit, there are questions as to whether the United States Government will default on its obligations. There is another highway funding expiration, another government funding deadline of December 11, and lack of the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which is costing the United States jobs--thousands of jobs. The American people are frustrated, and rightfully so. We may not agree on this floor, we may not agree with the majority, but there is no excuse for not getting your job done. That is what I hear from the people back home, from the American people, a simple question: Why can't Congress just do its work, just do its job? We stand ready to work with Republicans. We need a willing partner. There is a lot of work to do for the American people. Let's get down to business.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Hoyt Library on the occasion of their 125th year of continuous service. It stands today as a shining example of a beautiful, historic, and functional modern library. In 1890, The Saginaw Evening News declared the Hoyt Library ``a noble institution'' and ``the pride of all Saginawians.'' The library was a gift to the people of Saginaw from New York businessman Jesse Hoyt (1815 through 1882), who had real estate and lumber interests in the Saginaw Valley. Hoyt's will set aside $100,000 for a public library in East Saginaw. After a national competition among leading architects, the Hoyt Trust chose the Boston architectural firm of Van Brunt and Howe. When the Richardsonian Romanesque style building was completed it exemplified modern library construction. The present building includes a 1921 addition by Edward Tilton of New York and a 1960 addition by Frederick E. Wigen Architects of Saginaw. Harriet Ames, the first librarian at Hoyt, was a Boston scholar and a pioneer in librarianship who brought her passion for good books and reading to a commercial Midwestern boomtown. She served Saginaw for over 30 years and brought cultural and educational advancement not just to Saginaw, but to the entire state of Michigan through her dedication to scholarly pursuits. Sparked by Ms. Ames, the Hoyt Library remains a fixture in the cultural and educational realm in Michigan. It is home to one of the premier Local History and Genealogy collections in Michigan and the greater Midwest. Hoyt Library has served as a government documents depository for all 125 years of operation. Beyond its historically significant archives and up-to-date print collections, the Library provides meeting spaces and quiet reading nooks along with internet access computers and Wi-Fi for today's technologically savvy library users. The library staff remains dedicated to providing professional library programs and services to all who enter. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the work done by the Hoyt Library in Saginaw and thank them for the service they have provided to the city of Saginaw.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, in a FOX News interview yesterday, the Republican speaker-in-waiting admitted to something that we have all known all along, and that is that the real motive of the Select Committee on Benghazi was simply to politically attack and drive down the poll numbers for Hillary Clinton, spending millions of taxpayer dollars for a political mission. And, unbelievably, the speaker-in-waiting mentioned this in response to a question as to what were the accomplishments of the Republican Congress, the accomplishments of this Congress. The number one accomplishment that he came up with was to use taxpayer dollars to create a committee for the specific purpose of affecting the Presidential campaign and driving down the polling numbers of a Democratic candidate. Is that your job when it took until yesterday to get a budget for just 2 months to the floor of this House, but you spend millions of dollars, thousands of hours, specifically for the purposes of driving down the polling numbers of a Presidential candidate in the Democratic Party? Give me a break. This has gone too far. Something needs to change in this House of Representatives.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join with me in defeating the previous question so that this body can immediately take up reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and, in fact, immediately take up legislation offered by Mr. Fincher, a Republican who, like many Republicans in this House and every Democrat, supports the reauthorization of an institution that has been reauthorized by this body for eight decades, routinely, that is essential to supporting small American manufacturers that I represent back home in Michigan. During the recess, I spent some time with my local manufacturers. I did a couple manufacturing roundtables; one in Flint, my hometown, and one up in the Tri-Cities. These are small manufacturers. They are not big companies. No one would recognize their names. They are small manufacturers that have found that they have products that the world wants, but they didn't feel comfortable entering into that kind of global trade without some help, without some support, without their own government standing behind them where they can. That was what the Export-Import Bank provided for them. They told me, without exception, that the failure of this Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank puts that kind of trade in jeopardy, puts the company itself in jeopardy, and puts the workers who build great American products that we can sell to the world in a position of some jeopardy as well. We don't agree on a lot of things in this body, and that is the way it is supposed to be; but when we do agree, the American people expect us to do something about it. We agree in this body on the Export-Import Bank, Democrats and Republicans. Why can't we see a bill come to the floor to simply reauthorize something that is essential to supporting American manufacturers, supporting American exports, supporting American workers? Sadly, almost ironically, there are more Republicans in this Congress that support the Export-Import Bank than supported keeping the government open itself. You would think--you would think--that somehow we would figure out a way. There is all this talk of bipartisanship. It is just a word unless we do something about it. It doesn't mean anything unless it translates to something that helps the American worker. Here is a chance to do that. We should bring up the Export-Import Bank reauthorization, a Republican bill, which I will vote for, and we should do it today.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans have brought us again to the brink of another government shutdown. Here we are, the last day of the fiscal year, and what we have before us today is a temporary, 2-month budget to keep the government open, basically kicking the can down the road, failing to take up the priorities of the American people, failing to bring any kind of a jobs plan, any kind of a plan to fix our roads and bridges in this country to put Americans back to work. When I go home, I hear one thing over and over again, and I imagine other Members do, too. They tell us: Do your job. Do your job. You have had months to bring budgets to this floor. Do your job. It is that simple. We may disagree on what the outcome looks like, but what we can't accept is the fact that the Congress of the United States fails to do the one thing that it is directed to do under this Constitution. Do your job. This has gone on far too long. Democrats are ready to sit down and negotiate, to work together to try to come up with solutions to the big problems we face, but we can't do it all by ourselves. We need a partner. Do your job.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I am here because I stand with the majority of Americans who support Planned Parenthood and the lifesaving preventative healthcare services that they provide each year to millions of women, to men, to families all across this country. In fact, a new poll shows that nearly 7 in 10 Americans, 69 percent, oppose shutting down the Federal Government as a means of defunding Planned Parenthood. Shutting down the government, we know, puts this American economy at risk, and it is no way to govern. But there is only 1 legislative day left before another GOP- engineered shutdown. Republicans are so focused on defunding Planned Parenthood, in fact, they are so focused on fighting one another, that they can't fight for hardworking Americans who are simply looking for their government to address the problems and concerns and the priorities that the American people sent us here to address. Americans overwhelmingly want both parties to work together, to find solutions to the big problems we face in this country. I call on this Congress to set aside these petty fights and get to the work that the American people sent us here to do.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Vermont Christian Church D.O.C. on the occasion of their 70th anniversary. During the summer of 1945, members of the Flint community were concerned with the need of what they called a ``Negro Disciples of Christ Church''. After many visits from Rev. Courts and Rev. R.L. Jordan of Detroit a meeting was held on October 7th, 1945. The church was then formed with Rev. Courts as its first pastor and $17.00 in its coffer. Throughout the years Vermont Christian Church has assisted the community in many ways. In both 2009 and 2014 they assisted the International Academy of Flint with a Thanksgiving dinner that fed community members and the homeless. Other partners include the Genesee County Jail Forgotten Man Ministries, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, and the Carriage Town Ministries homeless shelter. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the long term involvement of the Vermont Christian Church D.O.C. in the community these past 70 years and their commitment to their fellow man.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, almost unbelievably here we are just 2 days away from another GOP government shutdown. Republicans, who control both Houses of Congress, have yet to bring a budget agreement, just a couple of days before the government shuts down, that would keep government open. Democrats stand ready to negotiate, to talk, to come up with an agreement that can move this country forward, that can keep government open, at the very least. We just can't afford another government shutdown. The last time this happened, it cost the economy billions of dollars and people lost their jobs. Shutting this government down, allowing the government to be shut down over a partisan ideological point, is reckless, and it ought to be avoided at all costs. You don't have to look very far in the headlines to see that the Republican Conference is in some disarray. I understand that. The politics of that are just going to have to work themselves out. Meanwhile, the business of the American people has to be attended to. We have got to get this country back to work. If we don't do that, we will not be doing the jobs that people sent us here to do.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Ebenezer Ministries on the occasion of their 46th anniversary and Bishop Knox on his 21st pastoral anniversary. Over the past 46 years, Ebenezer Ministries has gained a membership of over 1,000 members. Leading the Ministries today is the Bishop Urundi B. Knox. Pastor Knox became pastor on the third Sunday of September, 1994. Since Pastor Knox has been serving Ebenezer, the church has gained over 200 members. In 1999, the congregation agreed to change the name from Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church to Ebenezer Ministries. After taking on the new name, fresh outreach programs were implemented. These programs included the Elderly Ministries, Abused & Battered Women Ministry, Prison Ministry, Street Ministry, and the largest, the Take Back the City Crusade. Other programs included the CK Travelers for senior citizens, Save Our Sons mentoring program, Daughters of Destiny mentoring program, a Motorcycle Ministry, a health Ministry, a Marriage Ministry, a Junior Deacon Board, and an outdoor concert series, ``Gospel Under the Sun''. Under Pastor Knox, many leaders of the church have been cultivated. Thirty members received their calling in to the ministry, 21 deacons have been ordained, and seven licensed ministers have joined Ebenezer. Pastor Knox was one of the First African American Ministers in Flint to value women in a traditionally male dominated field, licensing 23 female ministers. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the leadership of Bishop Urundi Knox, the accomplishments of Ebenezer Ministries and the positive effects both have had on the community.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, let's be clear. This is not a debate about abortion. There are different points of view on that question, but it is a settled question by the U.S. Supreme Court. Those who want to make this about something that it is not need to look at the legislation that they are supporting. This is about whether or not families have access through Planned Parenthood to preventative health care, to lifesaving cancer screenings, to basic health care that ought to be available in every possible way. This bill would have an extreme and devastating impact on access to those fundamental services that Planned Parenthood provides. Here we are, 7 legislative days before this government shuts down; and what is preoccupying the floor of the House of Representatives today? An ideological debate that everyone on both sides of the aisle acknowledges will not become law. Everyone acknowledges it will not become law, but we are taking time to pander to some of the voices that simply oppose women's healthcare choices instead of taking up the questions that the American people sent us here to do. Where is the budget? Where are the budget negotiations? Where is the discussion about roads and bridges?

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, there are only 7 legislative days until the GOP shuts down this government again. I have been back home. I don't know about you, but what I have heard is that the American people do not want to see another government shutdown. They don't want to see Planned Parenthood defunded, taking away essential health care for women across the country. What they want to see is for us to work together. They want to see both parties work together to keep the government open for sure, but to go beyond that, to make sure that families can save to own a home, that they can send their kids to college, that they can have something set aside for retirement. It is not just enough to keep the government open. That ought to be a given. We ought to take up the priorities of the American people. Unfortunately, what we see is that, in an attempt to get something that a minority of this body wants, they are going to hold up the entirety of the government--shut down the government--over one issue. That is not responsible, and that is not what the American people sent us here to do. House Democrats are ready to work together. We will compromise, but let's negotiate. Let's have a discussion. Let's talk to one another and come up with a budget that we can work together on and that we can present to the American people, and let's get back to the business the people sent us here to do.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Supt. Quinton L. Marshall Sr. on his pastoral retirement after 25 years of service. Supt. Marshall was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. In 1975, he graduated from Flint Southwestern High School. For decades after, he has been an authority for the improvement of those in his community. In 1990, he founded New Life Tabernacle Ministries. In 1997, Supt. Marshall married his lovely wife, Missionary Queen Esther Marshall. In 2006, Supt. Marshall was elected president of Genesee County Church of God in Christ Alliance. Under his leadership, the GCCA continued to build upon the foundational principals of having a central hub to exchange information, enhance churches fellowship, and to address the social needs and issues concerning parishioners and the community within the Genesee County area. Supt. Marshall had a vision to bring economic development to Flint and thus started the Genesee County Black Business Expo. It originated as an annual Black History Month event to connect area entrepreneurs. This February, the fourth annual Genesee County Black Business Expo attracted an estimated 600 to 700 people and showcased 63 businesses. Additionally, Supt. Marshall is a proud father, grandfather, an accomplished athlete and business man, author, singer and songwriter, organist, voice for the community in political circles and respected leader amongst his Clergy brethren. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Supt. Quinton L. Marshall Sr. and extend my deepest appreciation to him for his years of service to the community.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing The New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church and the Inspirational Voices of New Jerusalem on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. New Jerusalem is renowned in the City of Flint for its history of perseverance in the face of tragedy and its contributions to the Flint community throughout the last 50 years. On October 15, 1965, a council of men and women met at the home of Rev. L.W. Owens to organize a new Baptist Church in the city of Flint. Seven days later, they began their mission at 1033 E. York Street, where people from all walks, talents and gifts began to join the congregation. In December 1967, seeing the need for future expansion, the membership relocated to 1024 Holtslander Avenue with a membership of 350. Throughout the following thirteen years, the church opened three additional buildings to welcome hundreds more members to service throughout the week. In July 1991, with membership flourishing over two thousand, New Jerusalem's edifice was destroyed by a fire. Over $650,000 in damages was done, but the congregation was not deterred. By the following Sunday, services were relocated to C.A.R.E. Inc. while the church was rebuilt. The membership decided to take this tragedy and create an opportunity to benefit their community. They constructed a new educational center/ fellowship hall and founded ``Operation Blessing'' to provide clothing and food for the needy on the site of the burned-out facility. For five decades as of October, New Jerusalem has worked tirelessly to help those in the community most in need. Residents in the area have come to rely on the church for their contributions to the Soup Kitchen, scholarship funds, and other service projects. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the tenacity of The New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church and the Inspirational Voices of New Jerusalem and thank them for the service they have provided to the City of Flint and surrounding communities.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, this is the conclusion that I have come to, but this is also the conclusion that experts on both sides of the political spectrum have come to. Ambassadors from across the world--former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright thinks this is the right path forward; former Secretary of State Colin Powell thinks this is the right path forward. I understand that individuals in this House may come to different conclusions after examining the facts. The only thing I ask and encourage my colleagues to do is to vote your heart. Vote what you think is right. Examine the documents and do what you think is in the best interests of this country and of the world, and the conclusion that I have come to is that supporting this agreement is the right thing.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the goal of the negotiations between world powers and Iran has always been to prevent them from developing a nuclear weapon. I think we have to be realistic about this. This agreement, as opposed to rejecting the agreement, takes us very far toward that goal; and I think accomplishes that goal in a way that we should all be able to live with and accept. The alternative is just too treacherous, I think, for us to even imagine. I have been involved in this issue for as long as I have been here, this last 2\1/2\ years that I have been in Congress. I, as many Members, have had countless hours of briefings. I have read the documents; I have read the classified reports, and I am confident that this agreement, simply put, makes the world a safer place, both for the U.S. and our allies. What this agreement does not do, however--and I think it is important to keep in context--this agreement does not make Iran a good actor on the world stage. It is intended to tamp down their nuclear aspirations. It doesn't mean that Iran can be trusted. In fact, the very nature of the agreement is that it will rely on inspections; it will rely on the eyes of the world to be on Iran to ensure that the agreement is adhered to with robust inspections. Like any negotiated agreement, it is not perfect. If Iran cheats, we will know it through inspections. If Iran violates the agreement, our allies and the United States will be able to put back in place those sanctions that were so important to get them to the negotiating table in the first place. In fact, even if our allies don't agree, we would have the ability to unilaterally take steps to reinstate those important sanctions. Finally, I think, importantly, under this question, the U.S. will be in a much stronger position than we are today if, in fact, military intervention ultimately is required because we will have allowed the diplomatic process to work, I believe, and I think most Americans believe, it strengthens our hand, it strengthens our standing in the world if, in fact, the necessity of military action does come upon us. The fact that we gave diplomacy a chance, I think, is a really important point. Now, I have heard, from friends on both sides of the aisle, concern about the Americans that are being held, and this is a subject that I know something about. I represent the family of Amir Hekmati, and I appreciate the efforts of Members on both sides to call upon Iran to release the Americans that they hold. I personally thank Chairman Royce for his effort through his leadership on the Committee on Foreign Affairs to assist me in developing a resolution that allowed this House to speak with one voice on that question. It would be a mistake, as some have suggested, to have included the freedom of innocent Americans as one of the provisions of an agreement because, by the very nature of an agreement through negotiation, in order to secure a concession, in order to secure the release of those Americans in exchange for something else that was negotiated at the bargaining table, we would have had to exchange something that makes the world a less safe place. Don't take my word for it. Listen to the position taken by that young, brave man that I represent, that young marine, Amir Hekmati, who himself has said that the onus is on Iran to unilaterally release him and not to include him as part of a transaction that deals with Iran's nuclear capabilities. That is the position that I take because I think it is the right position, but I think it is important to note that that is also the position that this brave young man, who for 4 years has been sitting in an Iranian jail cell, also takes. Finally, we have to be honest with ourselves about the question that is before us. Now, if I were to have written this agreement by myself, it would be a different agreement, and I am sure that is true of virtually everybody in this House. The fact of the matter is, when evaluating our position on this question, we have to first search our own conscience, but we have to measure the effect of this agreement and the consequences of adhering to it and enacting this agreement with the consequences of walking away from a multilateral negotiated agreement with no prospect. Listen to the voices of the other nations involved, with no prospect of being able to come back to the negotiating table. The conclusion, I think, that I have come to in examining my conscience is that we are in a far better position as a world and we are far more secure through this agreement than we would be with the uncertainty of walking away from the diplomatic process and allowing Iran to pursue a nuclear weapon in the next months.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the House Republican leadership's continued dysfunction and inability to govern is starting to have real effects on people back home. Like most Members, I spent the last month back home listening to the people that I work for, and I heard one message loud and clear. They want us to get to work and get things done and set aside the hyperpartisanship and focus on the priorities of the American people; yet we are 10 days away from another government shutdown. We are no further ahead today than we were 6 months ago in getting a budget that represents the interests and the priorities of the American people, 10 days away from another government shutdown--instead of focusing on the priorities of the American people, like rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges that would help us be more efficient and make our businesses more productive, nothing. Instead of focusing on the priorities of the American people to grow our economy, we have seen nothing come to this floor of the House. We can't even get a budget bill. On this side, Democrats, we stand willing to work, and we stand willing to compromise. We will work with you to put together a spending plan. We cannot continue to allow the priorities of the American people to be set aside.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule so that we can bring up, as my colleagues have said, something that ought to be done in a bipartisan fashion, with little significant opposition, and that is the reauthorization of an entity that helps drive the American economy, put Americans to work, and helps us to compete in an increasingly competitive global environment, and that is the Export-Import Bank. In 2012, Ex-Im was passed with 330 votes in the House, 78 in the Senate, 60 percent of Republicans in both bodies supporting the Export- Import Bank, joining Democrats in doing so. There is so much partisanship that invades and infects this place. But when it comes to American jobs, supporting American manufacturers, putting hard-working Americans to work in jobs that have higher wages, we have great discussions here about the growing inequality in wages. We don't all agree on the solutions. But one solution we ought to agree on is the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank because we know export jobs pay higher wages. This ought to be a no-brainer. There are 59,000 jobs in my own State of Michigan as a result of the Export-Import Bank and the work that they do. In the last 6 years, there have been $200 billion in exports. We can have big disagreements on how we ought to deal with income inequality in this country, but we ought not have any disagreement when we see the Export-Import Bank, which delivers money to the Federal Treasury, helps us deal with that problem, puts Americans to work, and makes us more competitive. We ought to do this in a bipartisan fashion, and we ought to do it now.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, August 6 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act, which is a landmark piece of legislation that expanded civil rights and protected one of our most fundamental democratic rights, and that is the right of every person to have the right to vote. Unfortunately, though, 2 years ago, the Supreme Court gutted many of the Voting Rights Act's most important protections. Since then, despite some commitments right at that moment, since then, Republican leadership has refused to allow a strengthened Voting Rights Act to come to the floor. Instead of working to ensure that every American has the right to vote, we have seen more efforts to suppress votes, disenfranchising hard-working Americans; yet on the floor, we have had, at the same time, our entire appropriations process held up because of the fear of the Republicans that they may have to cast a vote on whether or not we should display the Confederate battle flag in the year 2015. We can't get a Voting Rights Act bill to the floor, but our entire appropriations process is held up over the Confederate battle flag-- seriously? It is 2015. Let's bring the Voting Rights Act to the floor now.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans have had more than 4\1/2\ years to craft a long-term surface transportation bill. Their dysfunction and inability to govern is starting to have a real impact on hard-working Americans and on our communities. They continue to lurch from crisis to crisis; meanwhile, our Nation's crumbling roads and bridges--and our economy--suffer as a result. It is like deja vu all over again, another highway deadline this week. Mr. Speaker, no more short-term month-to-month fixes. Enough is enough. In the last decade, Congress has passed 11 short-term funding bills to keep the highway trust fund solvent. If we are going to pass a long-term solution to rebuild our roads and bridges, it is going to take the courage of our convictions; it is going to take us working together across the aisle to get this done. Our Nation's roads, bridges, and rails are in an urgent state of repair. One-third of America's roads are in poor or mediocre condition. One out of every four bridge is in need of significant repair. The House Republican leadership needs to get serious and find a long- term fix to the highway trust fund. Our country relies on it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing The Downtown Flint Optimist Club on the occasion of their 80th anniversary. Optimist International is a worldwide volunteer organization made up of more than 2,500 local Clubs whose members work each day to make the future brighter by bringing out the best in children, in their communities, and in themselves. The Optimist Club of Downtown Flint was chartered in 1934. It is believed to be the second oldest Optimist Club in Michigan. Since its inception, the Optimist Club of Downtown Flint has organized several other Optimist Clubs in the Flint area. The Club currently meets at the Flint Golf Club, but historically has met in the Durant Hotel, Italia Gardens, and the Sarvis Center. The Optimist Club of Downtown Flint's mission is to foster an optimistic way of life for the improvement of individuals and society through a network of Optimists dedicated to ever-expanding service to its members, the youth, the community and the world. The Club's projects and service programs over the years are copious. To name only a few, the Optimist Club of Downtown Flint has been in partnership with Boys & Girls Club, Whaley Children's Center, The Salvation Army, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Mr. Speaker, I applaud The Downtown Flint Optimist Club and extend my deepest appreciation to them for their years of service to the community.