Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the unspeakable suffering of the Rohingya people. We must do all we can to shine a spotlight on their plight. Last night, the PBS NewsHour presented an hour-long documentary about the brutal campaign against the Rohingyas led by the Burmese military. At times it became intolerable to continue watching footage of young men being beaten, listening to the accounts of young girls and women being raped and killed, and seeing human remains shoved into mass graves. The facts are well known. Since August last year, nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled the violence in Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh, where they are being housed in deplorable conditions and face an uncertain future. Some of the conversation lately has focused on returning the Rohingya Muslims to Burma, resettling them to a remote island or some third country. However, I believe the most pressing conversation today must be for the Burmese military and civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi to confront the issue head-on. The Burmese leadership must acknowledge ethnic cleansing and acts of genocide that have been inflicted on the Rohingya people. As recently as March, a senior Burmese official reportedly made a series of comments designed to deny or downplay any violence and atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims, saying the vast majority remain in Burma, and ``if it was genocide, they would all be driven out.'' He went on to declare that the Burmese Government ``would like to have clear evidence'' of ethnic cleansing and genocide. That clear evidence already exists. Even as Burma has denied international investigators the ability to enter the country to gather evidence of such crimes, the United Nations' factfinding mission found ``concrete and overwhelming'' evidence of ``human rights violations of the most serious kind, in all likelihood amounting to crimes under international law.'' The investigative team found widespread and systematic ``State-led violence'' and had ``numerous accounts of children and babies who were killed, boys arrested, and girls raped.'' Various rationales have been suggested for the failures of the Burmese Government to acknowledge and act upon atrocities against Rohingya Muslims. It is said that Aung San Suu Kyi does not control the military and there is a danger that the military would use the present crisis as a way to dismantle the civilian government. It is said that the civilian government is working within a deep traditional bias against the Rohingyas, and some see them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Others have suggested that pressure on the civilian government could lead to Burma moving closer to the Chinese. Still others point out that talks about the Rohingyas returning to Burma must be afforded time to work out, and the process has only begun. None of this--none of this--can undermine for a moment the realities of the persecution of the Rohingyas. The PBS documentary ``Myanmar's Killing Fields'' left no doubt about the extent and nature of the atrocities perpetrated against the Rohingyas. As a U.N. official has stated, it is ``a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.'' Until the Burmese civilian government and military openly acknowledge their role in these atrocities, protection and justice for the Rohingya Muslims will remain out of reach. There is an overriding need for the Burmese Government and the world to step up to the plight of the Rohingyas. Senator John McCain and Senator Dick Durbin introduced, on September 7, 2017, a resolution clearly addressing the plight of the Rohingyas. I introduced the same resolution 7 days later. Subsequent events have darkened still further the plight of the Rohingyas since then. While the basic message in the resolutions remains the same, it would be wise to update them and then that this entire issue be fully and directly addressed by the Congress. Bishop Desmond Tutu once said: ``If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.'' The documentary on ``Frontline'' last night made it painfully clear that this Congress must not accept neutrality or any shade of it. We must stand tall on the side of justice. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. LEVIN

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

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Chuck Hall, a close friend and longtime leader in the UAW, who is retiring after 46 years of dedicated service to the union and to his fellow members. Chuck Hall worked his way up the ranks on behalf of workers and their families. He joined the UAW in 1972 as a member of Local 3, when he worked for Chrysler's Winfield Foundry on the east side of Detroit, Michigan. In 2005, Chuck became a UAW staff member, and in June of 2010, he was elected Director of Region 1 at the UAW's 35th Constitutional Convention. UAW Region 1 has the largest membership of any UAW region, including 52,000 active employees and approximately 100,000 retirees. As Director of Region 1, Chuck oversees 40 local unions covering 8 counties in Michigan as well as Canada. Throughout his tenure as Director, Chuck has been an energetic and attentive leader committed to ensuring that his brothers and sisters in the UAW are fully represented while training local union officers to be successful leaders themselves. He has hosted hundreds of training programs and conferences to give local union officers the tools they need to effectively conduct strategic planning, enforce health and safety of their members, handle grievances, and run their local unions. Chuck's leadership extends broadly throughout the community. He serves on the boards of organizations which provide vital services to people throughout Metro Detroit, including Community Caring, United Way of Southeast Michigan, and Care House. He is especially proud of the work done by Community Caring, which provides eyeglasses to children whose parents cannot afford to purchase them, and provides Christmas presents to children who would otherwise not receive them. I have no doubt that Chuck's wife, Joyce; his children Alicia, Charles II, and Jason; and his grandchildren Savannah and Charley will welcome the opportunity to spend more time with him during his retirement. I am confident that Chuck, an avid bowler, will look to add to his incredible 13 sanctioned perfect 300 games at the blowing alley. Mr. Speaker, I have worked closely with Chuck throughout his 8 years as Director of Region 1, and like so many in public life and in the labor movement, I have been deeply grateful for his wise counsel on many issues and for his friendship. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Chuck Hall for his 46 years of service to the men and women of the UAW, and in wishing him well in his retirement.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) as it celebrates its 50th year of serving Southeast Michigan. SEMCOG was formed 50 years ago to fill a vital need--to bring together distinct communities in Southeast Michigan, and provide a forum to help them plan and work together for the common good. The philosophy at the heart of SEMCOG is that the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of its parts, and that our region faces challenges we can only meet by working together. In the continuing pursuit of regional coordination, business, community, and government leaders came together in the mid-1960s to form the Committee of 100. The Committee of 100 reviewed the functions of both the Regional Planning Commission and the Supervisors Inter- County Commission. In January 1968, on recommendation of the Committee of 100, the Regional Planning Commission and the Supervisors Inter- County Committee disbanded, and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments was formed and began to respond to the need for both planning and other types of intergovernmental and regional programs. SEMCOG's earliest years set the tone for much of the work they do today and will continue to do in the future. I've had the pleasuring of seeing firsthand the growth of SEMCOG, from the days of the Committee of 100 to today. Today SEMCOG serves 4.7 million people in the seven-county area surrounding Metropolitan Detroit. SEMCOG supports coordinated local planning with technical, data, and intergovernmental resources. The principal purpose of SEMCOG is to help local governments improve and maintain Southeast Michigan's transportation systems, environmental quality, economic interests, and infrastructure. SEMCOG has been instrumental to our work in Congress, serving as a valuable resource to not only me and my office, but the entire Michigan delegation. A strong, collegial working relationship has been mutually beneficial to developing policy and addressing the needs of Southeast Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing SEMCOG for their steadfast commitment to their mission of addressing regional challenges and strengthening the abilities of local governments to work together.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give special recognition to Deanne Haenke from Royal Oak. I met Deanne and her family last week at a rally in Royal Oak as part of the student led National School Walkout. Deanne is a mother and a parent ally who felt compelled to speak up and let the students in her community know that there are adults who will stand with them. I was so impressed with her courage and the passion with which she delivered her remarks that I wanted to share her speech with my colleagues. Therefore, I include in the Record the remarks of Deanne Haenke: Hello. My name is Deanne Haenke and I am a parent ally. I was asked to speak because I attended a PTA meeting at the high school where there was a discussion about school safety and the walkouts. Much to my own shock, I stood up to say a few things. After the meeting, the student leaders thanked me for what I said and that was that. But, a few days later, I got a text that they wanted me to speak at today's rally. I was flattered but very hesitant because I am not a public speaker and I wasn't sure what more I could bring to this conversation. As I was talking to my husband about it, my eldest son came running into the house saying he had gotten a text from Jonah asking if I would speak at the rally. I was looking at my husband, who I knew would understand if I said no, and then looking at my sons who seemed so eager for me to say yes. And as we talked about it, I realized, there was no way I would not speak. How could I tell my sons, whose childhood reality is so completely different than what mine was and what I wanted theirs to be, that I am too afraid to speak at a rally when they are scared to walk into school, yet they do it anyway? When there was a rumor a few months ago that a kid was planning something at the high school, I asked my son if he wanted to stay home. He emphatically said, ``Yes, I want to stay home. I want to stay home every day! But if I stay home today, I won't go tomorrow and they win.'' So even though I didn't want him to go and as his parent I had the right to make him stay home, I listened to him, I said ok, told him I love him and, with terror in my heart, watched him walk out the door. People who try to dismiss him because he is young are extremely ignorant to what this generation is facing and what courage they are capable of. You have all been forced to grow up far too quickly and you have every right to be heard. This is not going to be easy. It is not going to be quick. As we see on a daily basis, common sense falls on deaf ears. I know how hard it is to listen to the adults who are not listening to you. But if you do listen to them, you will hear what they are really saying. Every dismissive comment, every immature insult is screaming that they are afraid of you. They are afraid of your determination, they are afraid of your numbers and they are most definitely afraid of your intellect because the reform you are demanding makes sense. And when they can't argue the sensible gun reform that is being proposed, they resort to personal attacks, name calling, fear mongering by shouting ``Those people'' want to take ALL the guns away or they try to place the blame anywhere else they can . . . Yes there is a bullying problem. Yes there are mental health issues. Yes, for numerous reasons, there are some kids who don't have a good support system at home. And of course it would be great if we could solve all of those problems and we must continue to strive to do so. But there was bullying when I was kid. There were mental issues (and that was in a time when people didn't dare talk about mental issues so it was much harder to find help) and there were kids who didn't have a great support system at home. Yet, we weren't dying in school. Today, kids are the ones doing the dying. To those opposing any sensible gun reform . . . how is it possible those words do not shake them to their core? Kids are the ones doing the dying. Sadly, we know that has not affected the NRA, or the politicians they have bought and paid for. And that is only because they are not the ones doing the dying. Their ability to turn a blind eye is indefensible. At the board meeting last week, as students and parents asked the board repeatedly, passionately and eventually pleadingly to simply state for the record that they support the students and the march today to call for sensible gun reform . . . the board sat there stone faced and silent. It is said that it is hard to speak truth to power, but as I sat there watching 14 to 17 year old kids speak, I was stunned and embarrassed by every member of that board, as it became crystal clear that it is much harder for power to speak truth. No matter what they tell themselves, there is no excuse that they would not stand up with their community and say ``we proclaim that we are with you, that enough is enough and we will not stop until sensible gun reform is passed.'' Unfortunately, everyone is not on your side. But a lot of people are. So keep doing what you're doing. Keep showing up. Keep speaking out and as soon as you can, vote for the people who will speak truth to power and will not continue to repeat the same generic rhetoric that too many elected officials spew. If you do that, you are going to save this country and I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. I have felt despair for far too long and I couldn't find solace anywhere, most certainly not from our leaders. And then you stood up. And now I have hope. I look forward to voting with you in November and voting for you in the years to come. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we must stand with mothers like Deanne Haenke and show our students that we support them in their efforts. We as leaders must do better by our young people. We as a Congress must act now. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Deanne Haenke and to thank her for her compelling remarks.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Allie Ingalls from Royal Oak High School. I met Allie last week at a rally in Royal Oak as part of the student led National School Walkout. Allie is a senior and one of the student leaders in her school and community. I was so impressed with her courage and the passion with which she delivered her remarks that I wanted to share her speech with my colleagues. Therefore, I include in the Record the remarks of Allie Ingalls: It is 5:30 AM. I have an hour before I need to wake up for school. But instead of sleeping, my body is shaking and I am sure I'm about to throw up. But this isn't new. I have had this nightmare before. Always in the same place in the hallway, leaving a class I'm not sure I even have. And I try to run. But we all know you cannot outrun a bullet. Do not tell me it is not about guns. Do not tell me it is not about guns, when it is not a face I see in my nightmares, but a trigger. Do not tell me it is not about guns, when middle schoolers tell me they're afraid of high school because we carry backpacks. Where a gun can be hidden. Our fears are not unprecedented. Shootings that have occurred on school grounds in 2018. Winston Salem, North Carolina. Italy, Texas. Benton, Kentucky. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Los Angeles, California. Oxon Hill, Maryland. Nashville, Tennessee. Parkland, Florida. Savannah, Georgia. Itta Bena, Mississippi. Norfolk, Virginia. Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Jackson, Mississippi. Birmingham, Alabama. Mobile, Alabama. Seaside, California. Lexington Park, Maryland. We are four months into 2018. The only thing this is about, is guns. I do not want clear backpacks. I do not want my teachers to carry a gun. I do not want bulletproof desks. I do not want to be taught the difference between the sound a firework makes, and the sound a gun makes. I want common sense gun control. I want to go to school, without wearing a bulletproof vest. I want Helena Ramsey in a classroom today. I want Peter Wang in a classroom today. I want Luke Hoyer in a classroom today. I want Charlotte Bacon to celebrate her eleventh birthday. I want Noah Penzer to see his sister again. I want Olivia Engel to go to dance class today. But their voices have been silenced, the only thing our politicians hear is the NRA. We live in a generation where a dollar has more of a voice, than the 16 million people who sit in a classroom. Today, I stand here for the 16 million people who have been silenced by the adults who are in a position to make change. Every single student in the United States is my classmate. Every single teacher in the United States is my teacher. In the wise words of Parkland survivor Michelle Lapidot ``Was the blood of my classmates and teachers worth your NRA blood money?'' To the adults who have failed us, to the politicians who have made it clear where their loyalty stands, to the Royal Oak School Board, to the individuals who have called us ``nitwits,'' among other names, I would like to personally thank you. Thank you for empowering me. Thank you for proving what we already knew, we are the change. We are the people who will vote them out. We are the generation who will put our children first. We are the generation on the right side of history. You have all proved that we live in a society where the adults are compliant while the youth rise in resistance. To the adults who have stood up with us, to my teachers who have encouraged me to use my strong voice, to Gabby, you have helped create a generation that is unstoppable. You have given us the tools to be louder than the NRA, you given us the tools to be what this country needs. With that, to all my peers, WE ARE VICTIMS, WE ARE STUDENTS, WE ARE CHANGE. Soon we will all be armed with something much stronger than an AR-15: Our voter cards. Our ballots are stronger than their bullets. To everyone eligible, arm yourself today. Register to vote. To those who are not, your voice is just as powerful, our politicians represent all of us. Write your reps, call your reps, become so persistent they know your name, write letters till your fingers bleed. Our voices will no longer be silenced. Make way for the youth. Because we're coming, and we will not be quiet. Allie Ingalls is just one of the thousands of young people throughout my district and our country who have stood up and said ``Enough is Enough.'' Mr. Speaker, we must stand with these students and their allies who demand solutions to ending gun violence. We as leaders must do better by our young people. We as a Congress must act now. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Allie Ingalls. I wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors and have no doubt we will be hearing more from her in the future.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, here they go again. Republicans are coming to the House floor to decry growing deficits, as if they had nothing to do with them. Just this week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the federal deficit is going to double over the next five years--driven by policies passed by a Republican-controlled House and a Republican-controlled Senate and signed into law by a Republican President. Their hands are stained with red ink. The fact that these same Republicans are now saying we need a Balanced Budget Amendment to tame our debt is more than a little hard to swallow. In fact, I don't know how they are not choking on their hypocrisy. Republicans increased the deficit by $1.9 trillion to provide huge tax breaks mostly to wealthy individuals and large corporations. Just look at the analysis from the Tax Policy Center, which shows the top one percent--those with income over $730,000 a year--getting an average tax cut of over $50,000 in 2018, compared to only $60 for those at the bottom. And CBO tells us the deficit will grow even higher if the GOP further extends these tax cuts for the top. The purpose of today's activity is not to bring balance to the budget--it is to provide political cover for Republicans. But even they are having trouble pretending to take this bill seriously. Here's what Representative Mark Meadows, Chairman of the Freedom Caucus, has said about this measure: There is no one on Capitol Hill, and certainly no one on Main Street, that will take this vote seriously. Representative Jim Jordan characterized today's proceedings by saying: . . . we're going to pound our chest like Tarzan and say we're for a balanced budget, it's not going to fool anybody. And a staffer for the conservative Club for Growth summarized the whole effort as, ``Leadership is just trying to check a box here.'' If today's legislation was only about hiding the real Republican record on rising debt, it would be bad enough. But this measure also paves the way for devastating cuts in critical programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The Republican balanced budget amendment would prevent Social Security from drawing down savings the program is now accruing in its trust fund to pay promised benefits in the future. This would force cuts in Social Security benefits because all federal expenditures would have to be covered by tax revenues collected during that same year. A similar problem would exist for paying future Medicare benefits out of that program's trust fund. Additionally, by requiring a balanced budget every year, regardless of the state of our economy, this legislation would force benefit cuts and tax increases at the worst possible time--potentially turning mild recessions into great depressions. Not only would that be devastating for hard-working families, it also would drive future deficits even higher. Mr. Speaker, today our Republican colleagues are hoping their concerned words will hide their harmful actions on increasing our nation's debt. But in doing so, they are only creating more potential harm. We should reject this deceptive and dangerous charade.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, it is not easy to fool Marcy Kaptur, but we pulled it off. She thought we were going to talk about Wall Street? We are going to talk about Main Street. In that regard, I think it was appropriate for me to bring this. Marcy, do you recognize this? It was 30 some years ago that Marcy Kaptur and I went to Japan, and she had a spark plug made in Toledo. This is an old one, so it is safe. She took it to Japan because it was impossible to export from the United States a spark plug to Japan. They excluded our products completely. So Marcy and I went over; and everywhere she went, she had a spark plug. People thought it was because she is kind of a spark plug. But, instead, again, it was because of the exclusion of any product made in the U.S. going to Japan. They blocked it out while they had a completely open market. That began a struggle that went on and on and on. Marcy never gave up, and we still haven't given up. She was one of those among us, and we joined together to say that trade is vital, but it has to work both ways. I may give this to the gentlewoman afterwards. I just say this with deep feeling because of her deep feeling. We spent days and days in Japan and came back and spent days and days, and we pleaded with administrations: let there be reciprocity when there wasn't. So I am afraid Marcy has done so much that it is forgotten what she was doing some years ago. But she was a pioneer in saying that when it comes to trade, expand it, do so in a way that is reciprocal, and do so in a way that is fair that remembers Main Street. Secondly, I want to talk about another activity I have been privileged to work on with Marcy Kaptur. There has been reference to her heritage. Marcy never forgot her roots in Ohio, and she never forgot her family's roots overseas--never. Indeed, her deep feelings about democracy--it was in Ukraine that she and I worked on--really reflected the depth of her feeling about democracy and the United States of America. So together we put together the Ukrainian American Caucus, and she has been the spark plug in that caucus. I think both activities reflect so much about Marcy Kaptur, her intelligence, combined with her deep feeling. She has never forgotten where she came from, and she has taken that remembrance, that remembering, and essentially took it into action in this place. So we will talk about Wall Street some other day. But we are here on behalf of so many to tell Congresswoman Kaptur that her career has been so distinguished. I have a special duty here. She and I are the two people remaining in the class that came in. I think there were 81 of us, and the gentlewoman has never, never failed with the same enthusiasm with which she came. What a tribute that is to the gentlewoman and her character. I finish with this. Marcy remembered her roots, and also that meant deep feeling about family. Her love for her mother and her dedication to her well-being was something that I think pervaded her life, and it spilled over into all of ours. So, I say to Marcy, with this spark plug and everything else, I am honored to come today speaking for myself and so many others: job well done, but you are still doing it.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, students from across the Nation, including from my Ninth District in Michigan, are demanding that their voices be heard on the issue of gun violence. They are upset with the carnage they have witnessed. They are fearful for their safety, and they are tired of excuses and inaction. But 1 month after the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, not to mention so many prior school shootings, Republican leaders in Congress have failed to bring up any legislation that might meaningfully control the weapons that are being used to kill and wound so many Americans. So all of us Democrats are coming here today, many of us. On the Republican side--I am not sure the screen can show--we see empty seats. No bill on assault weapons, no bill on improving background checks, no bill to ban bump stocks, nothing--this is a terrible moment of silence when we desperately need a moment of action. While there is no single answer to gun violence, any credible response must address the weapons of war that are turning our schools, houses of worship, movie theaters, and concerts into battlefields. Assault weapons with magazines holding 30 bullets are not needed by hunters nor are they required for self-defense. They are killing machines, and increasing numbers of our fellow Americans have become their victims. Congress must stand up to the NRA and say, ``Enough.'' Even President Trump called out Republican Members of Congress for being too afraid of the NRA to act, saying the NRA has ``great power over you people; they have less power over me.'' But ever since, President Trump has been backtracking, showing he, too, is more scared of the NRA's political muscle than he is of the public's demand for change. This outcome is depressingly familiar. Fifty years ago, 1 week after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, I spoke on the issue of gun violence at Wayne State University. I felt compelled to speak about the myths that the NRA was spreading regarding any effort toward sensible gun control. In my 1968 speech, I said: ``One of the favorite sayings of the NRA and the rest of the gun lobby is that `guns don't kill people; people kill people.' The figures show the inaccuracy of the statement. The truth is that `people with guns kill people.' '' This remains as true today as it was 50 years ago, and yet we still remain paralyzed by the NRA. And what is its solution to gun violence? More guns. More guns in the classroom by arming teachers, more guns on the streets through lax concealed carry laws, and more guns crossing State lines by overriding local laws. In this deranged math, more guns somehow equals less violence. Grieving parents and terrified students deserve so much better. They are tired of the stonewalling, the diversion, and the deception. They are demanding real action to stop gun violence. Let us act now.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Mount Clemens, Michigan, as it celebrates its 200th Anniversary of its founding and designation as the county seat of Macomb County. I have been proud to represent this vibrant community for more than 25 years. In 1818, Governor of the Michigan Territory, Lewis Cass, established the County of Macomb, and designated Mount Clemens, which had been settled by explorer Christian Clemens, as the county seat. When Michigan became the 26th state admitted to the Union in 1837, Clemens's settlement was incorporated as a village and then later voted to become a city. In the 1870's mineral water wells were discovered throughout Mount Clemens and soon people from all over the world were traveling there to experience the healing waters, including Hollywood stars Clark Gable and Mae West, and sports icons Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. Mount Clemens became known as ``Bath City'' and the bath industry thrived in this community. The ``Capital of Macomb'', Mount Clemens, has a lot to offer its residents and the surrounding communities. Not only is it the hub of county government and services, but Mount Clemens is also the center of many cultural and recreational activities. It is home to vibrant institutions, including the Anton Art Center and the Crocker House Museum, along with several other historical museums. From its parks and riverfront to its growing downtown, the city offers many community concerts, festivals, and a weekly Farmers Market. And every Fourth of July, residents gather together for a bike parade through the neighborhood to celebrate the holiday. Oakland University has a campus in downtown Mount Clemens, and the city is home to two strong hospital systems, McLaren Macomb and Henry Ford Macomb, and a community health center, MyCare. A favorite gathering place in the community is the Mount Clemens Public Library, one of the two oldest public libraries in Michigan. Over the years, I have been especially grateful to be able to spend time with the students in Mount Clemens. Whether it's been playing basketball with them at the Jermaine Jackson Community Center or talking to the students at the High School about the civil rights marches in Selma and the passing of the Voting Rights Act, I have seen firsthand their passion and thoughtfulness about the community and about important issues. My office has also worked closely with the community to support and grow the Mount Clemens Community Coalition for Youth and Families, a community anti-drug coalition leading the way in preventing substance abuse and creating a safe and healthy city for our young people. Over the years, I have been proud to work with city leaders and to fight for federal dollars to support this hardworking community. The Recovery Act provided funding for public safety and public housing programs. And through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, the city was able to purchase several blighted and vacant residential buildings slated for demolition and acquire property to become part of Clemens Park. Money through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has helped improve the Clinton River that flows through the city and supported habitat improvements on the Clinton River Spillway that connects the Clinton River to Lake St. Clair. We worked with the city of Mount Clemens to get funding to dredge the Clinton River channel in downtown. And we joined with other members of the delegation to bring funding to replace deteriorated sidewalks with pedestrian and bike trails. Residents and leaders will gather on March 10, 2018, to celebrate the past, present and future of this great community. As the City of Mount Clemens commemorates this milestone, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the leaders, residents, churches, businesses, and organizations that make this city so great. And I especially want to thank the residents of Mount Clemens who have provided me with the honor of representing them in Congress for more than 25 years.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 200th Anniversary of the founding of Macomb County, Michigan. Residents and leaders of Macomb County will kick off a series of bicentennial celebrations on January 10, 2018. I have been privileged to represent major portions of Macomb County for over 25 years and to have played a role in so many efforts vital to the economic interests of its residents, and in many other facets important to their lives. Macomb County's first residents were immigrants attracted to Michigan by the fur trade. It was organized on January 15, 1818, and was the third county created in what was then the Michigan territory. It was named for General Alexander Macomb, a native of Detroit who commanded U.S. Army troops in defeating the British in Plattsburgh, NY during the War of 1812. General Macomb later became the commanding general of the U.S. Army. Economic opportunity has driven the growth of Macomb County ever since, and with more than 18,000 businesses, Macomb County is a leader in a wide array of industries, including the auto industry, defense, advanced manufacturing, health care, agriculture, and many more. Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler employ 35,000 people at 10 facilities in Macomb County, and 460 companies in Macomb provide products and services for the auto industry. The effort beginning in 2009 to save the domestic auto industry, in which my Michigan colleagues in the Congress and I were deeply involved, was critically important to the country, and was deeply essential to the well-being of Macomb County and its people. The vital role Macomb County has played in our nation's defense was prominently displayed to the world during World War II, when the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, located in Warren, MI produced a quarter of the tanks used in the war. Due to the efforts of federal, state, and local leaders, Macomb County has become an increasingly important center for the defense sector. Today, with strong support from us in Congress, the U.S. Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command; Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC); Selfridge Air National Guard Base; and the Michigan Defense Center are all major drivers of Macomb County's economy while contributing to the strength of our country. As important as businesses are to Macomb County, its vitality rests on its more than 867,000 people. Macomb County residents take pride in their communities and are constantly engaged in making them even stronger. They value the 22 strong elementary and secondary school districts in the County, as well as Macomb Community College, recognized as one of the finest community colleges in the nation. They appreciate the important role that water resources including Lake St. Clair and the Clinton River play in the County's quality of life, as well as in its economy. And as Macomb County continues to grow, they join with elected leaders in welcoming new residents, whether they come from other communities in Southeast Michigan or from other countries, such as Iraq, India, Albania, Mexico, Lebanon, Yemen, Bangladesh, and many others. This is why leadership of Macomb County created and implemented the successful ``OneMacomb'' program, which promotes multiculturalism and inclusiveness as the County's population becomes increasingly diverse. Mr. Speaker, since its inception 200 years ago, Macomb County has made immeasurable contributions to the Metro Detroit region, to the entire State of Michigan, and to our country. I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating Macomb County's bicentennial and in congratulating the people of Macomb County on this important historical milestone.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, if you will listen, this bill is trickle-down at its worst. Except for the very wealthy trickle, it is, at best, a trickle; and for millions, not even that; and for the economy at large, a discredited theory. It is a deficit time bomb. The Speaker said to the middle class: Don't worry, the expiring tax cuts will surely be extended. That means the real deficit from this bill is $2.5 trillion, a humongous deficit wrapped in your hypocrisy--in your hypocrisy.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, in all of my 35 years in Congress, this is one of the most deceitful bills I have ever seen. It is deceitful when Republicans say the bill is focused on the middle class while it is really aimed at making the very wealthy even wealthier and forcing millions of middle class families to pay higher taxes. It is deceitful when they say it makes the Tax Code simpler, even as the legislation creates complicated new loopholes while allowing existing ones, such as carried interest, to continue. It is deceitful when the bill will increase the outsourcing of American jobs by providing a lower tax rate on foreign investment compared to investing here. It is deceitful about the debt. Republicans say don't worry about the expiring tax provisions, but extending them would raise the bill's already devastating effect on the deficit to $2.3 trillion. Republicans are rushing this bill, but, even in their haste, they are already too late. The majority of the American people already say this bill is a deceitful sham.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Engel for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution. At the same time, I want to express concerns about the full thrust of the resolution. It makes it clear that the military in Burma is the main perpetrator of the crimes committed against the Rohingya people. In November, Secretary Tillerson called the violence against the Rohingya ``ethnic cleansing,'' holding the military responsible. Some have urged that Aung San Suu Kyi does not control the military and there is a danger that the military would use the present crisis as a way to dismantle the civilian government. It has also been said that the civilian government is working within a deep traditional bias against the Rohingyas, and some see them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Others point out the pressure on the civilian government could lead to Burma moving closer to the Chinese. Still others point out that talks about Rohingyas returning to Burma must be afforded time to work out, and the process has only begun. None of these factors must undermine the realities of the persecution of the Rohingyas. As a U.N. official has stated, it is ``a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.'' The Pope was under great pressure to not mention the Rohingyas by name. He expressed his deep concern while visiting the country. Later in Bangladesh, the Pope, being specific, said: ``None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation.'' He called for ``. . . decisive measures to address this grave crisis.'' A few years ago, I was part of the codel organized by Leader Pelosi to Myanmar. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been freed after almost 2 decades of house arrest. We discussed her unique role in moving Myanmar toward a nation of freedom, human rights, and peace. The resolution earlier introduced by Senators McCain and Durbin expressed the overriding need for the world to step up to the plight of the Rohingyas. I introduced the same resolution in the House. These resolutions reflect what many esteemed historical figures have said. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed by the Nazis, said: ``Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.'' Desmond Tutu has said: ``If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.'' Elie Wiesel said: ``We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.'' I quote the statement of Martin Luther King, who said: `` . . . an individual who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.''

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the committee says: Come together. You have done it alone. You have snubbed your nose at the American people as well as the process of this institution. The GOP tax bill combines the Republicans' long-term faith in trickle-down economics with a new, brazen disregard for the facts that have become the hallmark of the Trump Presidency. This bill is mostly about cutting taxes for the very wealthy, not the middle class. Making the very wealthy even richer is not the path to broad-based economic prosperity and growth. Tax cuts for the very top do not pay for themselves; instead, they increase the debt. These are the facts that have been presented by the Joint Committee on Taxation, and so many others have called the Republican bill a boondoggle and delusional. Republicans say the facts be damned as they rush this legislation out of desperation, not deliberation

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. And I will keep doing it. And now Mr. Hoyer is going to yield to another champion who has worked how many years on these issues? Don't say it is a long time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank our whip for trying to whip some common sense into this debate. I want to focus on the claims of the Republicans that this is a middle class tax cut. Halloween is over, but the masks of the Republican are still on. I think the largest and the most dangerous one is the claim that this is a middle class tax cut. Mr. Speaker, I want to quote the President: ``It is a tax bill for middle class.'' Again, the President: ``We will cut taxes tremendously for the middle class--not just a little bit, but tremendously.'' The Speaker: ``The focus is on middle class tax relief.'' The chairman of the committee: ``The truth is this is whole tax reform is designed for the middle class family that is working so hard or that Main Street business that is working so hard.'' The majority leader in the Senate: To keep growing again, like we need this code to do, to get new jobs, opportunity, and significant tax relief for the middle class. Mr. Mnuchin: ``On the personal tax side, middle-income people are getting cuts and rich people are getting very little cuts or, in certain cases, increases under the Republican bills.'' Mr. Mnuchin again: ``Any reductions we have in upper income taxes will be offset by less deductions, so there will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class.'' Senator Hatch: ``Tax reform will provide relief and bigger paychecks to low- and middle-income families, make America a better place to start and grow a business, and allow American businesses to compete in the global marketplace.'' The Joint Tax Committee and other entities have shown that this is not at all a middle class tax cut. The main beneficiaries are the very, very wealthy. Also, in terms of passthrough, there is so much talk that this will help the small-business person. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of the benefit for passthroughs is going to go to the very wealthy. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Hoyer has been taking the lead on this and I salute him. Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by saying one thing about the deficits. You know, I don't think they called Mr. Hoyer a deficit hawk because he always wanted a balance, and he always said: ``Look, deficits by themselves aren't the only issue, but they are deeply relevant.'' Mr. Hoyer and I have stood together with others. When bills came up, which seemed so attractive, but were unpaid for, hundreds of billions of dollars, we said to the Republicans and anyone who voted with them: ``You are increasing the deficit, and it is very risky.'' Mr. Speaker, as true as that may have been--and Mr. Hoyer and I thought it was some years ago, or last year included--it is now even more relevant and more dangerous because here we have a proposal in the House and it is going to be duplicated in the Senate. It is going to increase the deficit at least $1.5 trillion, and the notion is it will be taking care of growth. Mr. Speaker, I close by saying maybe that is the second biggest Halloween mask on the bill here and in the Senate. The notion of ``Don't worry about tax losses all of a sudden, don't worry about the deficit increasing, because growth will take care of it,'' we have seen that mask before. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to join Mr. Hoyer, but also to salute him for his dedicated and endless determination to really talk sense and talk the truth. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Hoyer for yielding to me.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for all of his work he has done over the years. The Republican tax bill is built on massive deception. The deception is that, as the Speaker put it: ``The focus is on middle class tax relief.'' That is simply not true. As the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation said, roughly one out of every four Americans with income between $50,000 and $100,000 would pay higher taxes in 2023, far overshadowing the $1,000 or so for other families. In 2019, those earning over $1 million would get an average tax cut of $73,000. Even as modified in last-minute desperation, the wealthiest would receive 90 percent of the new tax break for so-called passthrough income. Another deception is that tax breaks pay for themselves. On this, some people may have been in the past fooled once, fewer twice, but none thrice. A further deception is that exploding the deficit and national debt to $1.7 trillion will disappear as it promotes growth. Not only is this a 180-degree Republican turn, but it threatens Medicare and other critical programs and will worsen the vast inequalities in income and wealth in America. It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, Republican political necessity is the mother of desperation and deception.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask you to yield just at this moment. The gentleman talked about a tax cut for the middle class. The problem with this terrible process is there isn't time enough to challenge those who say something that is false. I just want to read again what the Speaker said relating to your point. He said this: ``The focus is on middle class tax relief. The focus is on directing that tax relief to the people in the middle and the people who are trying to get there.'' This bill is the opposite. As we discussed with our ranking member at the markup, and we challenged it, the Joint Tax said to us: Well, I think--and we will show this to you--that there are going to be millions of people in the middle class who, in subsequent years, will have their taxes increased, not decreased. Millions. When we asked about the passthrough--picking up on the gentleman's point about the middle class--he pointed to tables which showed that the vast majority of the moneys that are going to go through passthroughs, that are going to get some tax help, the vast majority are for very wealthy people. While we don't have the final figures, it is likely that 85 to 90 percent is going to go to the very wealthy. I think so much of what they have said is so untrue. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, necessity, their political necessity, has been the mother of deception.

Mr. LEVIN. I don't think so. Mr. Neal has spelled out, and you have, the atrocious approach here. So I think we can sum it up. The process has been terrible. The product is worse. That is what happens when you have a very terrible process, you get a frightfully bad product.

Mr. LEVIN. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is really the question: Why in the world are we taking up a bill to terminate a board that does not exist? Why in the world are we doing so when premiums are rising and action should be taken to strengthen them? Why in the world are we passing a bill that would increase the deficit by $17.6 billion? Pay for CHIP, the Republicans say, but not this bill. So however you feel about IPAB, this is the wrong time and the wrong bill for addressing it. The ACA enrollment period began yesterday, and because of actions of the Trump administration, consumers across the country face confusion and instability in the market. Rather than addressing these urgent issues, we are engaged today in a political exercise to repeal IPAB, a board that has no members under a provision that has never taken effect and is not projected to be triggered before 2021, according to CMS actuaries. In September, every Democratic member of the Ways and Means Committee wrote to Chairman Brady urging bipartisan action to stabilize the insurance market. But after repeated requests, we never received a response from the chairman, and, to date, the House has taken no action on behalf of consumers. In the meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued to work to undermine the law and access to healthcare by: one, cutting off funding for cost-sharing assistance for moderate-income enrollees; two, slashing funds to navigators that help consumers enroll in coverage-- the biggest navigator in Michigan had its funding cut by 90 percent; three, shortening the enrollment period; four, shutting down healthcare.gov on weekends; and five, proposing to chip away at consumer protections through executive fiat. These actions have significantly contributed to insurers exiting the market and raising premiums. It is nothing less than direct and deliberate sabotage; so, instead, the Republicans today bring up a bill about a board that does not exist, and the latest is it would not until 2021, at the earliest. There are simple actions that we can take today to repair some of the damage and, thereby, improve the insurance markets. Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray recently came to a bipartisan agreement that would provide funding for the cost-sharing reductions and outreach and enrollment activities that strengthen the risk pool in the marketplace. Unfortunately, as we see today, my Republican colleagues continue to ignore these and other important issues, while allowing an administration, obsessed with repeal of ACA, to do so through executive action what could not be done legislatively. What is more, they are bringing to the floor today a bill that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will raise the deficit by $17.5 billion over the next decade. I repeat, raise the deficit by $17.5 billion over the next decade. And this is just a small preview of the coming GOP tax bill, which would increase our Nation's debt by $1.5 trillion according to the Republican's own budget resolution. And whatever happened to the crocodile tears we used to hear from Republicans about the deficit? In terms of today's bill lacking any offset, how about at least starting to address the staggering cost of prescription drugs, a step that would save both senior citizens and the Medicare program money. Mr. Speaker, the American people need Congress to take action to lower their healthcare costs and to stabilize the markets. They do not need today an irrelevant political bill such as H.R. 849. If you support real steps to lower health insurance premiums now, vote ``no'' on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin.