Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), another distinguished member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on both sides?

Mr. LEVIN. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), a distinguished member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains for both sides?

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, we have had a vigorous debate. This agreement is going into effect. As we have debated here this morning, that is a fact. This is the challenge before this body, and that is whether we will try to recapture some real bipartisanship or we essentially will forfeit it. There is work to be done implementing this agreement. That is acknowledged by all. The question is whether we will join together to try to make it work, an agreement that I support, but I think the same responsibility is incumbent upon those who oppose it; or, as the Speaker says, they have just begun to fight. That, I think, is the wrong approach, in a very important way--both as to this agreement but also beyond--because there is work to be done in terms of efforts to reinforce security in the Middle East, especially for Israel. There is work to be done in the Middle East and beyond in terms of fighting terrorism. There is work to be done outside of the Middle East--everywhere--in terms of terrorism. And so I think it is a deep mistake to leave this moment here, with this agreement going into effect, saying the fight will continue. No. The fight should be with all of us together to make this work and to address the continuing challenges that face this country in the Middle East and beyond. So I close with everybody else who has worked so hard on this and who has come to a conclusion on our own. But I think the tenor here sometimes is deeply troubling, and I think the Speaker's statement that the fight has just begun--over what? I hope not over the effort to continue the flames of partisanship that sometimes have captured this debate and before. We all took the pledge. We have a solemn obligation, I think, to work together. And I think it would be a deep mistake to have it forfeited for reasons of political advantage. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable leader from my home state of Michigan, William Clay Ford, Jr. Mr. Ford is being honored in Detroit on September 10, 2015 by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute with its 2015 Ambassador for Humanity Award. The USC Shoah Foundation Institute says that ``The Ambassador for Humanity Award is reserved for individuals who embody the Institute's values and mission to promote tolerance and mutual respect.'' Bill Ford is undoubtedly such a person, and it is fitting that he receives this honor. Bill Ford is the Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, which was founded by his great-grandfather, Henry Ford. He worked his way up in the company, where he started at the age of 22 as a product planning specialist, and throughout the years he has mastered the complexities of the company and the auto industry. His leadership at Ford has reflected a twofold commitment--to building the world's best automobiles, while at the same time being a strong corporate citizen in the communities where its facilities are located and in society at large. As a lifelong champion of environmental stewardship, Bill Ford has led Ford Motor Company's efforts to develop and broaden the use of new, environmentally-friendly technologies in its vehicles and to lessen the environmental impact of its manufacturing, from increasing the use of post-consumer product in its plastic parts to leading the restoration of the Ford Rouge Center, which the company says is ``the world's largest brownfield reclamation project.'' Bill Ford's passion for protecting the environment is matched by his commitment to ensuring that our communities are strengthened by the vital educational, healthcare, and cultural institutions which serve them. One of the important efforts that he and Ford Motor Company are involved with is a partnership with the USC Shoah Foundation Institute's IWitness educational program. IWitness provides educators and students with firsthand audio and visual accounts from survivors of and witnesses to the Holocaust as well as genocides in Armenia in the early twentieth century, in Nanjing, China in 1937, in Cambodia in the 1970s, and in Rwanda in 1994. These testimonies enable students to learn from history in a deeply personal way, and encourage them to act to oppose and prevent future acts of genocide. Thanks to the commitment of Mr. Ford and the Ford Motor Company, the Institute's IWitness program will be expanded to more schools and students throughout Metro Detroit. When the award was announced, Steven Spielberg, who founded the USC Shoah Foundation Institute, captured so well the importance of the IWitness program and of Bill Ford's leadership when he said, ``Reaching people when they're young is the key to changing the world with testimony . . . the commitment of Bill Ford and the Ford Motor Company to support new approaches to learning, to provide scholarships, and to help deserving students attain higher education make him a great ambassador, and I am proud to recognize him for his efforts.'' Mr. Speaker, President John F. Kennedy once said ``For of those to whom much is given, much is required.'' Bill Ford, who has committed so much of his time, talents, and financial resources into strengthening our communities in Southeast Michigan, truly exemplifies this spirit. I encourage my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on so deservedly receiving the 2015 Ambassador for Humanity Award from the USC Shoah Foundation Institute.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I was absent on July 28 and July 29 on account of official business at the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On Roll Call 473, I would have voted No (Young amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 474, I would have voted No (Smith amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 475, I would have voted Aye (Johnson amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 476, I would have voted Aye (Capps amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 477, I would have voted Aye (Cicilline amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 478, I would have voted Aye (Cicilline/Jackson-Lee amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 479, I would have voted Aye (Nadler amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 480, I would have voted Aye (Pocan/Moore amendment to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 481, I would have voted Aye (Motion to Recommit the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 482, I would have voted No (Final passage of the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act). On Roll Call 483, I would have voted No (Ordering the previous question on the Rule for H.R. 1994 and H.R. 3236). On Roll Call 484, I would have voted No (Rule for H.R. 1994 and H.R. 3236). On Roll Call 485, I would have voted Aye (Passage of the First Responder Anthrax Preparedness Act). On Roll Call 486, I would have voted Aye (Passage of the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act). On Roll Call 487, I would have voted Aye (Takano amendment to the VA Accountability Act of 2015). On Roll Call 488, I would have voted Aye (Motion to recommit the VA Accountability Act of 2015). On Roll Call 489, I would have voted No (Final passage of the VA Accountability Act of 2015).

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the City of Madison Heights, Michigan, as it celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The City of Madison Heights was incorporated in 1955, and currently has a population 29,694 people. I have had the pleasure of representing the City of Madison Heights, centrally located in the 9th Congressional District, in Congress for the past thirty-two years. From walking in the annual Memorial Day parade to attending numerous events in the schools, important projects like the 12 Town Drains, now known as George W. Kuhn Retention Treatment Basin and the formation of the Madison Heights Community Family Coalition to combat youth substance abuse I enjoy working in this community. Known as the ``City of Progress'' Madison Heights residents have always prided themselves on a high level of community spirit, volunteerism, having top-notch city services, a rich heritage, and being known as a warm and family-oriented community. After sixty years of growth and change, the city remains embodied in that local spirit. Madison Heights originated from pioneering families, such as the Lamphere Family, who gave the community land in 1888 for the school house at 13 Mile and John R, and the Kendal family who donated their land in 1926 when the school was moved. Later, farm families came to Madison Heights in the early 1900s from other countries for the opportunity to start fresh and be self-sufficient, farming their land and often working to buy it. These families gave rise to the life and hope of the community that became Madison Heights. Today Madison Heights residents take advantage of the city's 13 parks covering over 140 acres; numerous recreational opportunities including a golf course, wave pool and water park, soccer complex, baseball complex, Friendship Woods and nature center, wooded walking trails, sledding hill, bowling lanes, dog park, public library and Heritage Rooms Museum. Residents also benefit from popular community events including a spring 5K run, Art Challenge and Art Exhibit, the annual Festival in the Park with fireworks, Memorial Day parade, Afterglow Car Show in conjunction with the Woodward Dream Cruise, fall Nature Center Open House, and Tree Lighting. While auto-related manufacturing remains an important component of Madison Heights economy, Madison Heights is quickly developing a multifaceted economy, attracting emerging industries such as defense and aerospace--Navistar Defense and lonBond to name a few. The University of Michigan recently awarded Madison Heights with an eCities 5-Star Rating and ``Best Practice Community'' for the City's Economic Development programs. Madison Heights is proud to now host over 100 major high-tech companies within its borders. As the City of Madison Heights celebrates this milestone, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating its residents, elected officials, and businesses as they celebrate their history, preserve their rich local heritage, and look forward to growth and prosperity in the future.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in active support of this bill. It encourages veteran employment as well as the growth of mid-sized businesses. The unemployment rate for veterans of recent times has gone down, but it still remains too high. That is especially true for those women who have served in our armed services. As I talk to veterans at home, the challenge they face continues in terms of employment. In Macomb County, for example, there is a particularly active part of the Vietnam veterans. That post works day and night to try to get employment for their membership, but there remains a major challenge. This bill will help. This bill continues to be part of our national commitment to help the veterans who have served this Nation and who deserve the chance as they return to find full-time employment. So let's all of us, as we did before, vote unanimously for this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), a truly valued member of our committee and this Congress.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As was said, here we go again. A bill from the majority. They have been in power over 4 years, and the result is another patch. We need to do better. We know the state of highways and the infrastructure in this country, our national infrastructure, receives a D-plus grade, getting worse every day. So it has been said we need multiyear, and that is so true. It is also being said that there needs to be a bipartisan, bicameral bill. I want to just talk to the chairman, to talk to this entire House, to talk to the Congress, having also met with the administration. There is no way to have a multiyear bill, 5, 6 years, unless it is truly bipartisan, involving Democrats as well as Republicans in both Houses. We have come up with some ideas. We are suggesting today, for example, passage of the Stop Corporate Inversions Act that many others and I introduced some time ago. So we need to consider everything. I want to close this way: We will not have a multiyear bill if lines are drawn not in sand, but in concrete. If the majority takes the position that some ideas cannot be considered, it is likely to lead infrastructure to another dead end. We need to do much better: multiyear, bipartisan, both Houses, with the administration. If we don't do that, the rest is talk. This delay has cost millions of jobs. Everybody, including the majority, now talks about middle income and stagnation. Part of it is because we have been stagnant in terms of an infrastructure bill on a long-term basis. That has to stop. We need to put a big red sign that says ``Stop'' in front of the majority in this House and the entire House and the Congress and get busy on a bipartisan basis on a highway long-term bill, all infrastructure. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. We will be glad to do that. We are so full of vigor on this, we have lots of speakers. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), a member of our committee, who is also chair of our Caucus.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), an active member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), another valued member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), another valued member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), another valued member of our committee.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. As I think back, we have been doing this so often, and our chairman said it takes a while. It has been a decade. I just want to emphasize, if we are no longer going to take a while but do it right, it is going to have to be done on a truly bipartisan basis. There is a tendency, I think, to go off on a wild goose chase, and that won't build highways. And it won't build if one party doesn't work with another, if the Senate doesn't work with the House. Now we have the Senate seeming to go a different way on a short-term thinking they can do a long-term. Chaos doesn't build highways. So I really hope, however we vote on this bill, that there will be a new dedication to doing what is so long overdue. All the talk about middle class incomes essentially goes up in smoke when we fail to do what is so clearly in the interest of middle class jobs, and that is to build highways, to repair bridges, to take care of airports, to take care of our infrastructure. Coming from Michigan, I am ashamed of the state of highways in Michigan compared to when I was a kid and later on. Disrepair has essentially been the hallmark of highway and infrastructure in this country because there has been a failure to step up to the plate. I just want to finish by saying: Don't put anything aside. Don't say anything can't be considered because that is a ticket, really, to another bridge to nowhere. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object, only to say I do not object.