Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

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

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman, I am glad that this bill has within it the language regarding transshipment that has been mentioned by the distinguished gentleman who spoke before me. I do want to point out, however, that this bill is strictly an authorization; and unless there is an appropriation to carry it out, the language would not be meaningful. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) for bringing up this issue of how we pay for this legislation and urging that we use the Neal-Maloney bill to pay for it. Once again, the Republican majority has come forth with an idea, in this case a good one, without paying for it except to divert Social Security and Medicare moneys. That is how they are paying for everything. As we dip more and more into debt, we use more and more moneys that are payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare. So what the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) has suggested is let us pay for it with a good idea, and that is the Neal-Maloney bill; but my colleagues abuse our House rules by not letting us bring it up. Once again, what they are saying is we will bring it up on suspension so there is no way to propose a good pay-for for a good idea. So they have a bad pay-for for a good idea. Why? They do not want up and down votes on these issues. They are going to do the same apparently or try to do the same on debt relief. Look, we do not really need hearings. My colleagues have not held many hearings on many of these issues in the Committee on Ways and Means, and now the dodge for not taking up Neal-Maloney is let us hold a hearing. What I suggest is let us have some action. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Maloney) has been out on the streets working this issue, right? The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) has been talking about this issue for how long? A long time. It is time for action. These are paper reincorporations, purely filing some paper to duck paying taxes to the United States of America. So if my colleagues really care about the American taxpayer, as they claim, they will let us bring up this proposal and it will pass; but instead, to kind of help out some people who are escaping taxes, they delay action on this, and it hurts the American taxpayer, the people that we represent. So I want to salute the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Maloney) for pressing this issue. Ultimately, we will prevail.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to say a word about a difference in terms of the employment credit. What the Republican bill does is essentially ignore the important goal of welfare reform, and that is giving incentives to the States to help people move off of welfare into productive work. Instead, their focus is on keeping people on welfare, working even in makeshift jobs. That is a stark difference. I want to close by saying a word about the very partisan nature of this discussion. My colleagues have forfeited the opportunity to work together to fashion a bipartisan bill, forfeited it. The employment credit is in the Senate bill on a bipartisan basis. They have thumbed their nose at every bipartisan effort. They have thumbed their nose at the efforts of the Clinton administration. They have twisted that legacy. My colleagues also twisted the efforts of Democrats 5 and 6 years ago to move ahead welfare reform in the right direction. Fortunately, there is a Senate to correct the hopelessly partisan effort of this majority.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, let me speak as a Member who worked a couple of years on welfare reform in the mid-1990s, who worked on the legislation to make sure that it had adequate health care and child care, and who voted for the legislation. The majority has apparently decided it wants a political issue rather than a bipartisan product. It did not seriously work with any of us no matter how we voted in 1996. With none of us. Mr. Speaker, the majority comes here and talks about the past instead of looking at the present and thinking about the future. Shame. As a result of the majority's lack of any bipartisan effort, they have a very flawed product. Child care, there is a billion guaranteed, that is all; and Members come here saying something else. Oh, and then they say let the States transfer, even though they know from the figures that more and more States are using their TANF funds, and they are not going to have the monies to transfer, and their budgets are in dire straits. On health care, the bill does not do a darn thing to improve it. In terms of helping people move from welfare to productive work and independence, they clamp down on vocational education. We have a President who says education is the key; and then we come to a welfare reform bill, and the majority clamps down and takes back what is in present law. Again, I say shame. All right, so then the majority says, and it looks like it is a clever political approach, let us emphasize those people who are on welfare and make sure they are working. So they set up an inflexible proposition, and then the States say, oh no, that is taking away our flexibility. So then the majority says, all right, 24 hours of work and 16 hours, people can do essentially anything they want with the 16 hours. That is how they build flexibility into their inflexible system. So anything counts, and they vitiate their own rhetoric. Look, in a word, welfare reform is much too important to simply maneuver for political advantage this year or simply talk about 5 years ago. It is too important for a lot of pious platitudes. The substitute is a serious effort to address the needs of this new face of welfare reform. We will present it proudly; and we will say to the majority, shame on them for not lifting one finger to sit down with us to try to work out a bipartisan product. Welfare reform deserves much better than the majority has given it.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the Republican leadership is turning what should be a people's House into a one-party House, into a one-party House. I am afraid they do not want a bipartisan bill, they want a partisan issue. In 1995, there were 13 hours and 20 minutes of debate on welfare reform, but here we have just a pittance. My Republican colleagues dwell on their version of the past instead of building for the future. They speak from a program. They malign President Clinton's efforts. There were two vetoes. Why? Over day care and health care. He had promised in 1992 to reform welfare. The bills that came out of here did not have adequate day care or health care, so he vetoed them. There was adequate day care and health care at that time put into the bills, and then it passed on a bipartisan basis. Look, my colleagues say their bill just fine-tunes, but of the survey answers, 41 of 47 States said the Republican bill would require ``fundamental change.'' This is about where welfare goes from here. The Republican bill wants people to work while they are on welfare; our bill says what the States want. We want people off of welfare into long-term, productive work and true independence. This is a sad day. Debating a major issue in the wee hours, in the wee hours. Why do it? I repeat: my Republican colleagues want a partisan issue instead of a bipartisan product. My Republican colleagues are turning this proud people's House into a one-party institution. In the end, they will fail.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution. Today the House is confronted with the unpalatable choice of whether to take the next step in a process that could ultimately ship tons of hazardous nuclear waste across the country and bury it at the Yucca Mountain repository, or leave the waste where it is at more than 130 sites around the country. In truth, the question of what to do with the nuclear waste is an issue we've been avoiding since the dawn of the nuclear era more than half a century ago. We can't keep putting off this decision. In justice to those who oppose this resolution, moving 70,000 tons of nuclear waste across the length and breadth of the United States and burying it in Nevada is by no means a perfect solution. Yucca Mountain has a number of desirable attributes. It is isolated in an arid location, far from population centers, and the proposed repository is protected by natural geological barriers. All that said, claims that the natural and engineered barriers in place at Yucca Mountain guarantee that the waste will remain isolated from the environment for more than 10,000 years have to be viewed with skepticism. In addition, the issues surrounding the transportation of so much hazardous waste require additional work. At the same time, leaving the waste where it is at more than 130 locations in 39 states is not a viable option. None of these sites were intended or designed for long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste, and most are located near population centers adjacent to rivers, lakes and seacoasts. The nuclear waste doesn't go away or become any less of a problem if we ignore it. My understanding is that the repository at Yucca Mountain can be kept open for as long as 300 years, allowing the Department of Energy to monitor the underground storage areas and even retrieve the waste packages. When one considers the amazing scientific breakthroughs of the last three centuries, there are good grounds for optimism that over the next 300 years we will develop the technological means to engineer a better solution to this problem. In the meantime, we shouldn't put off the decision on whether to move forward with the process of consolidating the waste at Yucca Mountain. Even if we start today, and all the remaining technical issues are resolved during the licensing process, it will still be at least ten year before the repository is ready. Yogi Berra once observed, ``When you come to a fork in the road, take it.'' For more than 50 years, the United States has put off making a decision about what to do about the nuclear waste. At long last, it's time to face up to this problem and move forward.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Kaitlin McLoughlin, a young woman from Troy, Michigan who has been awarded the 2002 Michigan AAA Club Patroller of the Year and the National Club Patroller of the Year. The AAA School Safety Program began in 1920 and now includes more than 500,000 patrollers in 50,000 schools across the United States and Canada. This program helps ensure the safety of younger children while teaching responsibility to the older children. Kaitlin has served as the Safety Patrol Captain at Our Shepherd Lutheran School for the past two years. In that capacity, she is responsible for escorting the children into the school, maintaining a weekly record of her safety squad, organizing the safety squad and assigning duty stations. Her school principal has described Kaitlin as dependable, clear thinking, calm and well-respected. She is also very well-rounded. Kaitlin is co-captain of the school cheering squad, vice-president of the student council, acts as Mistress of Ceremonies for the school talent show and serves as co-chair for the school dance. She also helps with various school fundraisers and works in the local food bank. Mr. Speaker, I salute Kaitlin and all this year's award recipients for their lifesaving contributions to the safety of their fellow students.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues in Congress to commemorate the 87th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Between 1915 and 1923, approximately two million Armenians were massacred, persecuted, and exiled by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire. This campaign of murder and oppression was an attempt to systematically wipe out the Armenian population of Anatolia. Even though there were numerous witnesses to the atrocities committed, including U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Sr., and even though the Turk government itself held war crime trials and condemned to death the chief perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity, the Turk government continues to deny the Armenian Genocide ever took place. This denial cannot be allowed to stand. The failure of the Turkish government to acknowledge the sinful acts of its predecessors sent the wrong message to the leaders of Germany, Rwanda, and Bosnia. As Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote: ``It is sadly true what a cynic has said, that we learn from the history that we do not learn from history. And yet it is possible that if the world had been conscious of the genocide that was committed by the Ottoman Turks against the Armenians, the first genocide of the twentieth century, then perhaps humanity might have been more alert to the warning signs that were being given before Hitler's madness was unleashed on an unbelieving world.'' It is imperative that each of us works to ensure that our generation and future generations never again witness such inhuman behavior and suffering. Only through remembrance and recognition can we stop such acts of senseless cruelty and violence against humankind from happening again.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise today to recognize Madeleine H. Berman, as the Detroit Zoological Society establishes the Madeleine Berman Academy for Humane Education. The Academy has been established in recognition of both a generous grant from the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Support Foundation and Madeleine ``Madge'' Berman's lifelong commitment to the promotion of the Arts and Humanities. Madge is a Detroit native, who has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Arts in Metro Detroit, the State of Michigan and, indeed, the Nation. She was a pioneer in the establishment of a number of activities and organizations, both locally and state-wide, now recognized as ``institutions'' of our art community. As a member of New Detroit's Arts Committee, she helped establish the first Detroit Arts Council and served as one of the seven original members of that board. She pioneered efforts for the Legendary WTVS Public Television Auction and she participated in creating the Friends of WDET, Detroit Public Radio. She served for almost a decade on the Michigan Council of the Arts. In 1984, President Clinton appointed her to the President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities. In addition to many other boards, she presently serves on the Board of the Michigan Humane Society where she works with public schools in humane educational work. Madge's most recent endeavor wonderfully melds her concern for the animals that share our world, her focus on involving children in creative efforts, and her background in the Arts. The Madeleine Berman Academy for Humane Education seeks to provide a forum, through innovative educational programs and creatie activities, where children can explore and learn to respect the intricate connections between animals and humans. I know my colleagues join me in celebrating and honoring Madge's admirable endeavors. Her husband, Bill Berman, has been a bright beacon of community involvement and philanthropic work. Together, they have tremendously enriched our communities and the lives of countless children. We know that their work will endure for many years to come.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, due to needs within our family, I was unable to be present for rollcall No. 86 last Wednesday, April 11, as well as rollcalls Nos. 93, 94 and 95 on Tuesday, April 16. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcalls Nos. 86, 93, 94 and 95.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the budget offered by the Republican Majority. Today's Washington Post contained a remarkable report that an Antarctic ice shelf the size of Rhode Island just shattered and collapsed into the sea. Scientists say that they have never seen as large a loss of ice mass and that the disintegration was all the more remarkable because of the extraordinary rapidity of the collapse. An ice mass 1,200 square miles in area and 650 feet thick that had existed for 12,000 years disintegrated in 35 days. I bring this to my colleagues' attention because the disintegration of the Federal Government's budget position over the last year has been nearly as staggering. Eight years of hard-won budgetary gains and fiscal discipline were thrown out the window in a single year. Last year's projected ten-year budget surplus of $5.4 trillion dollars collapsed literally before our eyes, sacrificed to the irresponsible tax and budget policies of the Administration and the Republican Majority in Congress. Just nine months ago, the Chairman of the Budget Committee said, ``This Congress will protect 100 percent of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. Period. No speculation. No supposition. No projections.'' This promise echoed similar pledges by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and the Majority Whip to place the Social Security and Medicare surpluses in a lockbox and build a firewall between the Social Security and Medicare trust funds and the rest of the budget. Well, here we are twelve months later and $4 trillion poorer. The lockbox has been smashed open. The firewall has been breached. The promises of the Republican Majority have been broken. The budget before the House today raids Social Security and Medicare this year. It raids Social Security and Medicare next year. It raids Social Security and Medicare the year after that. It raids Social Security and Medicare for as far as the eye can see. Last year's budget resolution placed our nation's finances in a deep hole. The budget before the House today digs the hole deeper. It robs us of a chance to address critical needs, like a real prescription drug benefit for seniors and adequate funding to modernize our kids' schools and reduce class size. The return of large, multi-year budget deficits will also make it much more difficult to strengthen the Social Security and Medicare programs in advance of the Baby Boom generation's retirement, which begins in 2008 when the leading edge of the Baby Boom enters their retirement years. I urge the House to vote down this budget so we can begin work on a bipartisan budget resolution that meets our responsibilities, restores our fiscal health, and keeps faith with the promises all of us have made to the American people.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the opening of the Ukrainian Consulate in Michigan, which will officially begin operations on March 23, 2002. The opening of this consulate in Michigan demonstrates the special relationship the United States has with Ukraine, and signifies the importance of the Ukrainian-American community in southeastern Michigan. There are approximately 200,000 Americans of Ukrainian descent residing in Michigan, with the vast majority living in the Detroit metro area, and they have contributed greatly to the diversity and the prosperity of the region. Since first arriving in the United States, Ukrainian-Americans have done well in all aspects of American historical, socio-cultural, and political life. Their sons and daughters have grown up to be doctors, professors, lawyers, and other professionals. They have been a vital part of the industrial life in Michigan, and served nobly in the armed services of this Nation. Yet, even as they embraced America, Ukrainian- Americans have maintained their rich cultural history and ethnic identity, and sought to teach fellow Americans about this culture. Nowhere is this culture more in evidence than at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, which serves as the home for the consulate in Warren, MI. The Ukrainian Cultural Center is home to more than 40 arts, civic, educational, social, sports, and youth organizations, including the member organizations of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America branch for southeastern Michigan. The center is an integral part of not only the Ukrainian community, but all of metropolitan Detroit and Michigan. With the addition of the consulate, the center now is able to assist Ukrainian-Americans in Michigan and to facilitate trade, cultural and academic programs, and exchanges between Ukraine and Michigan. The consulate became a reality through the tireless efforts of the men and women of the Committee in Support of the Consulate of Ukraine in Michigan. Borys Potapenko, who served as chairman of the committee, and Bohdan Fedorak, who has been designated Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Michigan, have routinely devoted so much of their time to the Ukrainian community through the years. The opening of the consulate demonstrates that the partnership between our nations is increasingly being strengthened. This is another milestone along that road. It is not the end of the journey. So I ask my colleagues to join me as we extend our sincere congratulations to the people of Michigan and around the Nation on the opening of the Ukrainian Consulate in Michigan.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reflect on the work of Alexander E. Bailey, Ed.D., as he is honored for his exemplary community work by the Oak Park Business and Education Alliance on March 22, 2002. The Oak Park Business and Education Alliance was established in 1993 and is a nonprofit organization of educators, businesses and government entities that provide assistance to the Oak Park School District to improve the educational experience of students. Dr. Bailey's life of service began in the military, where he was a specialist in the U.S. Army Security Agency. After his military service, Dr. Bailey chose education as his field of study. Dr. Bailey began his career as a teacher at Paul Washington High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1971, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education; in 1972, he received a Masters of Arts degrees in Counseling; in 1980, he became an Education Specialist, and in 1983, he earned a Doctorate of Education. He continued his training at Yale University for the Training for School Development program from 1984-1986, as well as attending the University of California for Effective Teaching Strategies, Training for Trainers 1985-1987 and Harvard University for the Institute on Multi-Cultural Education in 1989. After serving in various educational positions on the east coast he came to Michigan's Oak Park School District. Since 1991, Dr. Bailey has been a dynamic leader of the Oak Park School District serving as the Superintendent. Dr. Bailey is the author of several published works and presentations, some of which include ``Strategies for Effective Alternative Education Programs'', ``Do You Know Your Child?'' and ``Appeal Motivation That Works.'' Dr. Bailey's professional and civic affiliations are numerous, among them the Ethnic Task Force for the city of Oak Park, The Children's Center, African-American Superintendent's Group, the American Personnel and Guidance Association and the Oak Park Business and Education Alliance. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dr. Bailey for his many accomplishments and service to the community of Oak Park and to the Business and Education Alliance.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reflect on the contributions of SBC Ameritech Michigan and its President Gail Torreano, as they are both honored on March 22nd by the Oak Park Business and Education Alliance for their outstanding work in the community of Oak Park, Michigan. The Oak Park Business and Education Alliance was established in 1993, and is a nonprofit organization of educators, businesses and government entities that provide assistance to the Oak Park School District to improve the individual education experiences of students and prepare them for the modern workforce. Ms. Torreano's career and other accomplishments demonstrate her strong commitment to community activism. A graduate of Central Michigan University, she has served as Associate Director of the Michigan Special Olympics in Mount Pleasant. Among the many boards she has served on are the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, Detroit Chapter for the NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund dinner for 2002, Michigan Virtual University, and the Economic Club of Detroit. SBC Ameritech Michigan has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Michigan Deaf Association ``Employer of the Year'' in 2001 for their contribution to the professional growth and development of its deaf and hard of hearing employees. They also received the highest commendation from the NAACP 2001 Telecommunications Report Card--a program aimed at measuring corporate America's commitment to people of color. In addition, the American Society on Aging and the National Minority Supplier Development Council named SBC ``Corporation of the Year'' in 2000. Ms. Torreano's and SBC's commitment and support of the communities where they serve is, indeed, commendable. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the commitment of SBC Ameritech Michigan and its President, Gail Torreano, to the community of Oak Park and the Business and Education Alliance.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Texas has made it clear what this is all about. He says we are waiting for the other body. The other body has twice unanimously passed an unemployment compensation extension bill. Twice. What is my colleague waiting for? He says we should not bow down to the Senate. To whom? Trent Lott? Every other Republican in the Senate who voted for this extension? Bowing down, this is a fight with Republicans in the Senate. It is not only a fight with us. The gentleman is all alone. Secondly, the gentleman says this issue is not just about unemployment. That is the problem. The gentleman is ignoring the needs of the unemployed because the gentleman has another agenda. I want the gentleman to go and talk to the 356,000 people who exhausted their benefits in January and tell them this is not just about unemployment. It is the largest number of people exhausting their regular benefits without receiving additional aid in a single month, in any single month on record. So I suggest that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) go to the 50 States of this Union and tell them that this is not just about unemployment. Shame. The other side of the aisle insists on adding to this unemployment bill controversial issues, and the gentleman knows they are. The health provision is the same one that has created the controversy in the Senate. This is what Mr. Lott said on February 7. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this is what has been said. ``My recommendation is that they send just a clean bill.'' That is the gentleman's leader over in the Senate. I shall not name his name. This is what this is all about. The other side wants a package, and then they change it. They want a package that essentially says to the unemployed of this country that their unemployment is not enough for Congress to act. Mr. Speaker, my suggestion to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) and Members on the Republican side, including many of the leaders who said they wanted a clean bill, is to think again. These millions of people are not getting unemployment on their watch. They are disregarding them. They have another agenda. Take up unemployment compensation today, pass it, send it to the President. I am sure he will sign it, and then we will go on to other issues. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I think the basic point is if people really care they would sit down on a bipartisan basis in this House and try to work out a package. There has been zero effort to do that in this House. Zero. I favor a stimulus package, but it should not hold up action on unemployment compensation. Five months ago the Speaker stood in this House and promised the House would act on unemployment compensation. The time to keep that promise is long overdue. And as I said, we have had no bipartisan discussions meaningfully in this House on a stimulus package. We need to work out specific tax provisions. For example, on the acceleration of tax rates, CBO has said that the proposal in this package would generate little stimulus relative to its total revenue loss; that the stimulus is probably small. And as to the AMT, CBO has said eliminating the AMT as done here does little by itself to change the near-term incentive for businesses to invest; its bang for its buck is small. So why not sit down and work out a package on a bipartisan basis? The time has come to do both. To pass unemployment compensation relief today, and then to sit down on a bipartisan basis in the Committee on Ways and Means and work out a stimulus package. That is the way to go. The way we are going today is a dead end for the workers of this country and for the businesses of this Nation.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 3 minutes. Anyone who believes in grassroots activities must vote no on this amendment. It has been subject, as it has been true of other provisions, of grotesque mischaracterization. What this does is not open the flood gates. It is make sure there is no flood gate. Instead, there is a channel for grassroots activity indeed for the people to be heard. The Senate adopted this provision on a bipartisan basis to preserve for the States and for the local parties an important role in traditional grassroots activities: registration, get out the vote, voter identification. Everybody should understand these restrictions. The non-Federal of the State portion must be raised in accordance with State law, and many States prohibit corporate or labor union money. There is a limit by any entity of $10,000. There can be no mention, and I emphasize this, of a Federal candidate. There can be no expenditure of these moneys for broadcast television or for radio ads; and the State portion, the non-Federal portion, cannot be raised by a Federal office-holder or candidate. They cannot be transferred among committees. They cannot be raised in coordination with other political parties, and there has to be an allocation according to the FEC rules. There has to be a Federal hard-dollar match for these moneys. There is no way this opens a flood gate. Instead, what this does is create an opportunity for the people to be heard, for grassroots activities to continue, for there to be voter identification, registration without a single reference to any Federal candidate. That is why Senator McCain and Senator Feingold supported this, and it was adopted by voice vote in the Senate. This amendment is a poison pill, not only for this bill. It is a poison pill if adopted for grassroots activities. I have heard so much on that side of the aisle about the importance of grassroots activities of democratic, with a small D, participation. This amendment runs counter to that rhetoric. I suggest that in a resounding way we vote no on this terribly misguided amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remainder of my time, and I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for yielding me the time. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).