Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

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

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, unless Mr. Paulsen is ready to close.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I want to say this to my colleagues, whom I very much respect, who signed on to this bill, many of them early on this year. There have been three changes of circumstance: First, right then, it appeared that IPAB might come into existence in 2017. Now the actuary has made clear that will not happen under these circumstances until 2021. Secondly, since the bill was introduced, circumstances have changed. The administration has taken steps to undercut healthcare for Americans. So because of cost-sharing and other issues, premiums have been rising. That is a second change of circumstance why this is the wrong bill at the wrong time. Third, the last time it came up, it was paid for. In the Committee on Ways and Means, when we raised this issue, we were told, as always: Well, we don't have to pay for it in the committee, but it can be paid for on the floor. This is totally unpaid for, zero, no effort to pay for it, and it would add $17.5 billion to the national debt. Already, it is at its record level with, now, the threat of $1.5 trillion more. So I really urge, no matter what were the circumstances when you signed on, in almost every case they have changed, and so there is such good reason why this is the wrong bill at the wrong time, and I think to vote for this is really the wrong vote. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the Republican budget politically paving the way for their tax reform proposals can best be described as an elixir of growth, a magic cure-all. Instead, it is a fake, indeed dangerous, potion. History has shown that a huge tax cut, primarily for the very wealthy and large corporations, does not promote growth, and will make life harder for the middle class and everyone else. This budget calls dangerously for raising our debt by $1.5 trillion, creating a future deficit tax for middle-income families; cutting Medicare by nearly $500 billion; cutting Medicaid and other health programs by $1.3 trillion; and assuming $4 trillion in cuts to a broad range of programs, which could include education and health research. Mr. Speaker, vote ``no'' on this budget.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Chair, I am disappointed that this bill, H.R. 2824, injects needless controversy into reauthorizing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Home visiting is an evidence-based approach that connects pregnant women and families with young children to nurses, social workers, and other professionals. Through these programs, parents learn skills that help reduce abuse and neglect and improve child development during the crucial early years of life. Most importantly, home visiting is backed by strong evidence that shows these programs are an effective way to improve outcomes for at- risk families. Unfortunately, H.R. 2824 ignores the proven successes of home visiting in favor of harmful, partisan changes to the law. In particular, I am troubled by language in this bill that would cut off funding to States and Tribal organizations that are unable to match Federal spending on home visiting. The bipartisan bill in the Senate does not do that; you do. Advocates are concerned that this could cause States to scale back or even end their programs altogether. In addition, this bill makes a number of ill-advised changes that have little or no apparent justification. Research shows that home visiting programs are working well, yet only 6 percent of eligible individuals currently participate. We should be looking at expanding, not undermining, access to home visiting. We need, at the very least, a clean bill that reauthorizes the home visiting program in a bipartisan way. Unfortunately, H.R. 2824 is not that bill, and, for that reason, I urge that we vote ``no.''

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Selfridge ANGB is home to the Air National Guard 127th Wing, which operates KC-135 Stratotankers and the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The base is also currently home to more than 20 tenant units from all branches of the military, the Coast Guard, and Border Patrol. Opened in 1917, the base, then called Selfridge Field, was one of only nine military air fields in the United States as we entered World War I. The field remained a training ground through World War II. In 1943, the 332d Fighter Group of the historic Tuskegee Airmen was garrisoned at the base. After World War II ended, Selfridge expanded its borders to its current size and was renamed Selfridge Air Force Base. The base continued to train pilots and stand ready through the Cold War. For twenty years, Selfridge AFB provided ground-controlled interception coverage for interceptor aircraft and surface-to-air missiles. When the Air Force's mission at Selfridge ended in 1970, the base was transferred to the Michigan Air National Guard, becoming Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Today, Selfridge ANGB continues to be an important member of the southeast Michigan region, and a vital resource in the defense of our nation. The base works to bring aviation themed math and science education to our community through the STARBASE program. Selfridge ANGB also continues to excel at its mission, and was most recently awarded both the Carl A. Spaatz Award and the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award. I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating and honoring the 100th Anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the men and women of the 127th Wing who continue to serve our country admirably. As a beacon of community involvement and military excellence, we look forward to Selfridge ANGB's continued service for many years to come

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of the Chinese human rights advocate and Nobel Prize Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, who died last Thursday in China, under guard. The world has lost an incomparably courageous advocate who was dedicated to advancing human rights and the rule of law, and paid for them with his own freedom and life. Liu's passing last week in Chinese custody marked a tragic end to over a decade of persecution by the Chinese authorities who relentlessly mistreated him as he gradually became a symbol of the pro- democracy movement around the globe. In 2010, the Nobel Peace Committee awarded him the Peace Prize for his thoughtful advocacy for reform and for his courageous support of the pro-democracy document Charter 08. A year prior to the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Liu, in 2009, Chinese authorities tried him for subversion of state power, for which he received an 11-year sentence. Given his rising stature in the international community, they imprisoned him in secret locations away from family, supporters, or international media. They kept him from receiving the Peace Prize and put pressure on the committee to rescind the award, in addition to doing everything they could to prevent Liu's supporters from attending the ceremony in Norway. They routinely censored and continue to censor the internet for references to Liu and other pro-democracy advocates and ideas. China was so afraid of the power of his words and the bravery of his actions that while Liu was suffering from severe illness, Chinese authorities adopted the ultimate cruelty of not letting him leave China for medical help that experts said might save his life. For China, the supreme goal was his silence. The more we care about human rights and freedom, the more we must now mark his death and remember him not by being silent ourselves. I first came to know about Liu's work a few years after the Congressional-Executive Commission on China was created as part of the debate over China's ascension to the World Trade Organization and concerns from Members of Congress over China's human rights record. In 2000, I coauthored the legislation that created the China commission to help advance and monitor human rights abuses in China. The commission continues to do important work and continues today by shining a spotlight on many issues such as abuses in labor, environment, and freedom of speech and association. While he was the most prominent voice in China against its repression of human rights and democratic values, Liu was not as well known in his life as another brave voice, Andrei Sakharov. His voice and action occurred during the Cold War, where there was a full press against the Soviet Union, including its suppression of freedom. He supported numerous efforts for freedom, including those of another noble warrior for freedom, Natan Sharansky. Like Sakharov, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but both were kept in virtual imprisonment and not allowed to go to Stockholm. Liu's battles for freedom occurred when China's economic and political power were rising. The United States and other nations were wrestling with how to adapt, and relations with China have been increasingly infused with concerns about security, including the nuclearization of North Korea. So there has been a tendency for concerns in other nations about human rights and freedom in China to take a back seat. This is a major change from the days of Tiananmen Square, and events elsewhere then in China. My son, Andy Levin was in Chengdu during demonstrations there for freedom and he managed amidst all the dangerous turbulence to cable a vivid article about the struggle for freedom there to the Detroit News. Chinese authorities have also relentlessly harassed his widow, Liu Xia (Lew Tsia), by keeping her in isolation, under house arrest for weeks at a time, and monitoring her every move. For as long as she remains there, the authorities will continue to see her as a symbol of dissent, and continue to harass her in every way imaginable. The U.S. government at all levels, including the highest, must speak up clearly for her freedom. I end today by leaving you with Liu words to his wife on the last day before his trial for subversion of state power in 2009: ``Even if I am crushed into powder, I will embrace you with ashes. I will calmly face the impending trial, with no regrets for my choices, and will look forward with hope to tomorrow.''

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this act jeopardizes American families' ability to afford health insurance. The so-called Verify First Act would require a new verification process of an individual's Social Security number before he or she can receive any tax credit for health coverage, either under the ACA or under the disastrous House-passed TrumpCare bill. This bill does nothing to address the reality that more than 23 million Americans would lose health insurance under the Republican healthcare legislation; nor does it address the harm caused by cutting $800 billion from Medicaid by eliminating the expansion for moderate-income workers and by imposing per capita caps on program spending; and it does nothing to address higher premiums for older workers and discrimination against Americans with preexisting conditions that will occur under the TrumpCare bill that this legislation is amending. Instead, this bill takes that one step further by making it harder for children, including newborns and survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking, to obtain a tax credit for purchasing their own health coverage. Under the legislation, Social Security numbers would be required before receiving a tax credit, and it prohibits the use of an individual taxpayer identification number, which those without a Social Security number use to file their tax returns. Mr. Speaker, as has already been said, there are already protections built into the law to ensure that tax credits are issued to qualifying individuals. Under current law, eligibility for tax credits is verified when an individual applies to enroll in coverage. The eligibility is then subject to a secondary verification process that identifies ineligible individuals and terminates their coverage. This system strikes a balance between rigorously verifying eligibility, while also ensuring that eligible individuals are not subject to financial hardship because of red tape. Mr. Speaker, this bill would make it more difficult for American families to access affordable healthcare. I oppose this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two remarkable people from my home state of Michigan, Madeleine Berman and her late husband, Mandell Berman. The Bermans are being honored by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) at its seventh annual Heroes Gala on June 10, 2017 for their significant contributions to the DSO, which plays a vital role in the vibrant cultural fabric of Southeast Michigan. For many of us privileged with the long and warm personal friendship with Madge and Bill Berman, who passed away at the age of 99 last December, this Heroes Gala provides the opportunity to give thanks for the blessings of their generosity to the DSO, as well as a very broad range of community interests. In recognition of his leadership, Bill Berman was given the Russell G. Mawby Award by the Council of Michigan Foundations in 2012, and he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Madge Berman has served two terms on the President's Committee for the Arts, to which she was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and reappointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, and received the national Legacy Award from Americans for the Arts, which she has served as a board member since 1989. Their passion for the arts and education truly came together in Bill and Madge's support for the DSO, particularly in their vision and support for its ``Live from Orchestra Hall: Classroom Edition'' program. Grounded in her background in music, communication and theater, Madge Berman wanted to find a way to use technology to help bring the experience of the orchestra to young people in Detroit who may otherwise not be exposed to it. She and Bill brought the idea to the leadership of the DSO, and ``Live from Orchestra Hall: Classroom Edition'' was born. This one of a kind webcast series aimed at youth is made available at no cost to every classroom in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and students from throughout the United States and the world have experienced the beauty of orchestral music through its availability on the DSO's website. A Teacher's Resource Guide is also available on the website to enable educators to create lessons accompanying the concerts. With their devotion of time and financial resources, they have supported a wide array of organizations in the promotion of education, animal welfare, the arts, and hunger alleviation. Bill Berman was for nearly endless decades a uniquely inspirational force in the Jewish community. In education, he was cofounder of the Jewish Education Services of North America and funded the University of Michigan Hillel, which bears his name, as well as holding vital posts in a large number of Jewish organizations in Michigan and nationally. Combining their love of theater and Jewish education, Bill and Madge Berman founded the Berman Center for the Performing Arts at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, Michigan. As Mark Davidoff, chairman of the DSO's board of directors, told the Detroit Jewish News, ``What I learned from the Bermans is the art of stewardship. The manner in which they curated their financial and community commitments is a lesson for us all. They created a sustainable legacy in areas important to all of us, including community cohesion, education, and arts and culture.'' When the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performs, from Beethoven to Gershwin, on Saturday, June 10 at the Heroes Concert and Gala, it will indeed be sounding fervent notes of tribute to two true heroes.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. James Jacobs, who is retiring at the end of June from a 50-year career at Macomb Community College (MCC). Since 2008, Dr. Jacobs has served as President of MCC. On its face, the pairing of Dr. Jacobs and Macomb Community College was improbable. A native of Brooklyn, New York with a Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University, the notion that Dr. Jacobs would accept a faculty position at a Midwestern community college seemed, to his university peers at least, to be highly unlikely. As Dr. Jacobs told the Detroit Free Press in January of 2016, ``They said, `Do you need help finding a job? We can help you find something.' '' What those colleagues did not understand was that Jim Jacobs' passion for activism and his belief that, as a profile written about him for Advancing Macomb put it, ``. . . as a college professor he could be a positive change agent for the country,'' was deeply held. At the request of a friend, Dr. Jacobs accepted an invitation to speak to students at MCC. As he explained in the same profile, ``Two things immediately impressed me. First, the students were real people and included Vietnam veterans, auto workers and homemakers, who were in college asking good questions based on their life experiences. They brought a refreshing perspective that was dramatically different to my experience at Princeton.'' So, when he was offered a part-time position at MCC as a professor of economics, Dr. Jacobs brought his commitment to helping working class people build their futures to Macomb County. Dr. Jacobs has been an enthusiastic advocate for the importance of helping people to deal with the challenges of a changing economy through new skills training. During his tenure as President, MCC has enhanced its reputation as a pre-eminent institution for workers displaced by economic change to gain the skills needed to achieve career success. As a testament to the high regard in which MCC is held, former President Barack Obama visited the college three times to highlight the importance of workforce development and worker retraining. Dr. Jacobs is also widely known for his annual ``Macomb County Economic Forecast,'' which he delivers to a coalition of the county's local chambers of commerce. In his report, Dr. Jacobs delves deeply into the state of the county's economy--including employment, wages, home values, demographic changes, and more--which he places in context with state and national economic trends, and projects future economic change based on his analysis of the data. This report is highly valued not only by chamber of commerce members, but by county, state and federal policy makers. My office and I have turned to Dr. Jacobs on innumerable occasions to better understand an education or economic issue, to fully immerse ourselves in local demographic developments, and to collaborate on local economic development issues. He was instrumental as chair of the local committee that oversaw the return of federal property to the City of Warren for economic development during a Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) process. He was proactive in talking about the economic opportunities that exist in the defense sector for Macomb County and Southeast Michigan, and in ensuring a vital role for MCC in training and re-training efforts in this sector. In recent years, he has spoken out eloquently about the role of new immigrants in the County and at the College. Each of these examples highlights how Dr. Jacobs combines a unique ability to look to the future, with an appreciation of the past and always a grounding in the realities of working families. We have benefitted tremendously from his expertise, but more importantly from his passion and commitment for all of these issues. While he is retiring from Macomb Community College, he will continue the important work to which he has been committed for five decades. He will join the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, which focuses its philanthropic efforts in Southeast Michigan and in Western New York, advising it on how it can best support programs which will help working class families receive skills training and education to better secure their futures. The President of the Center for Automotive Research, Jay Baron, told the Detroit Free Press, ``Jim can talk to presidents and he can talk to the guy in the tool and die shop.'' Jim Jacobs has always known that presidents are important, but his life's work has been to help that person in the tool and die shop achieve economic security for his or her family in an ever-changing economy. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. James Jacobs for his immeasurable contributions to Macomb Community College and to the people of Macomb County, and in wishing him the very best as he retires from the important institution which he served for 50 years.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my gratitude to Carmella Sabaugh, who retired from her position as Macomb County Clerk at the beginning of this year. This week she is being honored for her 40 years of distinguished public service. Carmella Sabaugh began her public career in 1975, when as a young mother of 5 children she was elected to the Warren City Council. She was elected as Warren City Clerk in 1979, a position she held for 11 years, and in 1992, she was elected as Macomb County Clerk. She was subsequently re-elected as County Clerk five times, and chose not to run again in 2016. As Macomb County Clerk, Carmella was singularly focused on providing model customer service, and worked with her office's team of committed public employees to introduce innovations which made citizens' interactions with the Clerk's office as simple as possible. During Carmella's 24 years as Clerk, her office received 65 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). These awards highlight innovative programs instituted at the local level, and the programs are shared with clerks around the country as models they can look to as they seek to improve their own operations. Among her many accomplishments, Carmella and her team made it easier for people to register and exercise their right to vote, created programs to help prevent real estate and other fraud, brought innovations to the operation of the jury room at the Macomb County Circuit Court, and created county photo ID cards for veterans and a program to help veteran's survivors access benefits. And over the years, as new technology and other ways to improve the operation of the Clerk's office became available, Carmella made sure that her office never stopped innovating. Two examples related to awards the Clerk's office received from NACo help to illustrate Carmella's commitment to using new advances to modernize her office, even if that advance replaced something which just a few years earlier had been recognized as a best practice. In 2010, the County Clerk's office received an award for providing jurors waiting to be called for duty to receive pagers so that they could be notified that they were due in court. In 2016, the office received an award for using text messages to do the same thing. And in 2005, the Macomb County Clerk's office was recognized for providing free bus rides to jurors, while in 2016, they received an award for providing jurors with Uber rides to the court. Those who know Carmella Sabaugh well, as I do, know that her excellence in public service is matched by the quality of her friendship. In the many years I have known her, I have deeply appreciated her warmth, kindness, and generosity of spirit. Mr. Speaker, Carmella Sabaugh provided the people of Macomb County with truly outstanding service for 40 years. I encourage my colleagues to join me in expressing deep appreciation for all she has done, and in wishing her well in retirement.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. David DiChiera, who is retiring from the Michigan Opera Theatre. While he began his distinguished and impassioned career in California, he became known in Michigan and beyond as Mr. Opera. He is retiring from the Michigan Opera Theatre, which he founded in 1971 and which he served as General Director and Artistic Director. After completing his undergraduate studies in musical composition at UCLA, David DiChiera continued his scholarship in Italy on a Fulbright scholarship, and returned to UCLA to join the faculty and to complete his PhD in musicology. In 1962, Dr. DiChiera was recruited to join the faculty at Oakland University as a professor. He later became chairman of music at the university. While at Oakland University, Dr. DiChiera created ``Overture to Opera,'' a program featuring local opera singers which brought opera to communities throughout Michigan, and which planted the seeds for the creation of Michigan Opera Theatre. As Dr. DiChiera explained in an interview, ``I would cast the wonderful local singers who otherwise had limited opportunities . . . we started taking this program to community centers--every year, I took it to The War Memorial and area schools. This was all throughout the 1960s. Then, in 1970, I thought it was time to do a full-length opera, and to create the beginnings of an opera company.'' It is important to keep in mind the backdrop for Dr. DiChiera's efforts to create an opera company in Detroit. By 1971, when Michigan Opera Theatre was established, the city itself was experiencing a major loss of population and many people were skeptical that this endeavor could succeed. But Michigan Opera Theatre not only succeeded, it thrived--first at the Music Hall in downtown Detroit which was restored with the support of the Kresge Foundation and Detroit Renaissance, and later at the Detroit Opera House, which was formally opened on April 21, 1996 with a performance by the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Dr. DiChiera's impact extends beyond his building of this important institution. He has been a vital center of gravity for arts and culture in and around the City of Detroit. He has been committed to nurturing and showcasing the broad diversity of talent in opera, something which he viewed from the inception of Michigan Opera Theatre as central to its mission. ``Building bridges into the community was a primary mission,'' he said in the Theatre's blog, ``making sure that the African American community, the majority of Detroit's population, was represented on the stage.'' In addition to producing works which reflect the African American experience such as Porgy and Bess and Tremonisha, the Michigan Opera Theatre commissioned and produced the world premiere of Margaret Garner, based on the novel Beloved written by Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. Ms. Morrison wrote the libretto for Margaret Garner, and the production starred famed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. Dr. DiChiera has ensured that Michigan Opera Theatre has performed works reflecting the rich cultural fabric of Metro Detroit, including the Armenian opera Anoush, King Roger and The Haunted Castle, which celebrate the region's Polish community, an opera based on the life of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, and The Passenger, an opera about the Holocaust. In addition to founding, building, and leading Michigan Opera Theatre, Dr. DiChiera is a noted composer as well. In further tribute to him, the Michigan Opera Theatre is featuring this month Dr. DiChiera's full-length opera, Cyrano, based on Edmond Rostand's timeless play, Cyrano de Bergerac. Mr. Speaker, like innumerable opera aficionados, I know that David DiChiera has brought boundless joy to experienced opera lovers while helping to create countless new ones. Along the way, he has nurtured young artists and has ensured that the Michigan Opera Theatre reflects the diversity of the community it serves. Dr. DiChiera built an enduring institution in Michigan Opera Theatre, and in so doing, he has established himself as one of Metro Detroit's true treasures. I encourage my colleagues to join me in congratulating and thanking much beloved Dr. David DiChiera for the immeasurable contribution he has made to the arts in Metro Detroit and far beyond.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it has just been said that no one with a preexisting condition will be denied treatment. That is a cruel falsehood. Roughly 129 million Americans today have a preexisting condition. Here is what the AMA says to refute what was just said: ``The history of high-risk pools demonstrates that Americans with preexisting conditions will be stuck in second class health coverage, if they are able to obtain coverage at all.'' Now we have a proposal for $8 billion. That is a deceitful fraud. I intend going back home to travel the State of Michigan and elsewhere and tell the American people that although those who have said that are simply not being truthful, they essentially are turning their backs on 129 million Americans. We Democrats will never turn our back on the people of the United States of America. When it comes to health care, it is a vital need.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, we are seeing President Trump attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, both breaking his own promises and making it worse for American families. He promised to protect Americans with preexisting conditions, but any State could allow insurers to raise premiums for Americans with preexisting conditions and make their insurance too expensive to afford. Any State could jeopardize access to mental health, emergency, maternal, and prescription drug coverage. And any State could charge older workers an age tax that would devastate middle class families. The proposals will steal $1 trillion from Medicare and Medicaid in exchange for giveaways to the very wealthy and corporations. The President and Republicans are turning their backs both on their own rhetoric and the real needs and lives of American families.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this is the Republican bill: a trillion dollars in lost health care for millions; at the same time, a trillion dollars in tax breaks, mostly for the very wealthy and corporations. The Republican majority says their bill is to provide patient- centered health care, but for patients there is no healthcare center when there is no insurance. The Republican bill robs millions of needed insurance for their health and, in many cases, would rob them of their life. The Republican plan would create death panels for numerous unknown Americans. This is not our America. America can do better. We must.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Neal for his work and that of all of us on the committee on the Democratic side. As CBO has said, under this bill, 24 million Americans would lose their health insurance next year, and 24 million over the next decade. Today, most are invisible, but they would become seen and heard at emergency rooms, with no other place to go with more serious illnesses because of no preventive care. They are people 50 to 64 with far higher premiums; mothers without access to affordable maternity care; elderly evicted from nursing homes, losing coverage from Medicaid, the largest source of long-term care in our Nation; and lives lost that could have been saved. I repeat: lives lost that could have been saved. I remember some time ago I met a woman who had health insurance through her job. She contracted breast cancer and received treatment but then lost her job and insurance. Then the ACA covered her. She looked straight at us and said that, without further treatments, she would not be alive today. Under this bill, a trillion dollars is lost for health care, and there will be a trillion dollars in tax cuts, mostly for the very wealthy and corporations. This is not America. I repeat: This is not America.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, at the onset of the Great Recession, our unemployment insurance system was completely inadequate. Democrats took the lead, against increasing Republican opposition, to improve the system and to provide unemployment benefits to Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The result was an emergency Federal unemployment compensation program which helped more than 24 million people. Research from a broad array of experts shows these Federal UI benefits, in combination with State-provided benefits, saved more than 2 million jobs, prevented 1.4 million home foreclosures, and kept an estimated 5 million Americans out of poverty. In short, a strong unemployment insurance system helped prevent the Great Recession from turning into another Great Depression. Today, our unemployment insurance system is again inadequate and totally unprepared to respond to a future recession; and once again, rather than stepping up with solutions, Republicans' answer to working people is a cold shoulder. Instead of responding to the deterioration of our unemployment insurance system, Republicans today want to shame and blame Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, while also violating their constitutional rights. Here are the real problems this legislation completely ignores: Number one, only one out of every four jobless Americans now receives unemployment benefits, near a record all-time low. Two, eight States have cut back on the maximum number of weeks of benefits available for unemployed workers, including my home State of Michigan. Three, the value of UI benefits has declined over time, with 30 States now having maximum UI benefits that are less than half of the State's average weekly wage. Four, the triggers for the federally funded Extended Benefits program, EB, are extremely out of date, so they do not turn on when unemployment begins to rise significantly. Five, our Nation's UI system is underfunded, with only 18 States' funds reaching a minimum level of adequate solvency, according to a 2016 DOL report. Six, the Federal UI trust funds, which support extended benefits during downturns in the economy, have a deficit of over $8 billion, hurt by the majority's decision to allow part of the revenue stream to those funds to expire in 2011. Seven, our spending on workforce development as a percentage of GDP is now only one-seventh of its 1979 peak; and since 2010, Republicans in Congress have cut workforce education programs by $400 million. So we are doing less to help the unemployed while they look for work and less to help them prepare for a new job. Today's bill ignores these problems completely and, instead, attempts to demean those needing help. In discouraging access to unemployment benefits, it reminds me of a massive problem we have uncovered in Michigan that involved at least 20,000--and perhaps many more--UI claimants being wrongly accused of fraud and ordered to pay huge penalties. We should be focusing today on ensuring our UI system is ready for the great challenge, not to mention helping Americans who are seeking work right now. Instead, this majority has brought up this misguided bill, and I urge all Members to oppose it.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's headline in The Washington Post: ``These Muslim families sought refuge in America's heartland. Now, Trump's visa ban is tearing them apart.'' One is in my district.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, with H.R. 7, Republicans are again targeting American women's health care. This bill limits financial assistance in order to restrict women's choices in the health insurance marketplaces, forcing women and their families to select only certain plans. The goal is to restrict the ability of a woman to make her own choices. This bill comes up 1 day after President Trump reinstituted the Mexico rule. It prohibits U.S. foreign assistance to any organization which uses not those funds, but those from any other source for any activity related to abortion services. When I was Assistant Administrator of the AID in the late seventies, I led the highly organized effort that established a strict process for cordoning off any U.S. funds from any activity related to abortions, in violation of the Hyde amendment. What the Mexico rule means is that if any organization uses funds from any source related to abortion, it cannot receive any U.S. assistance, even if 99 percent of its activities related to women's health are totally unrelated to abortions and even programs in a nation where abortion is illegal.

Mr. LEVIN. The result will be the absence of health care for millions of women in our Nation, as H.R. 7 will result for millions of women in our Nation. We are seeing 48 hours of reckless disregard for women's health.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say to my colleague from Michigan: Hundreds of thousands of people are going to lose their insurance under a plan that was agreed to by the Republican Governor, and I will send you the numbers in your district. Mr. Chairman, the Republican effort to repeal the ACA, causing 30 million Americans to lose their health insurance, is built on a foundation of misrepresentations and falsehoods. Yesterday, the Speaker said the Affordable Care Act is collapsing. It is not. Nationwide, enrollment is higher than it is has ever been, and the percentage of Americans without health insurance is at the lowest level on record. What is collapsing is the time for Republicans to move beyond their rhetoric and come up with a plan. They say they will produce a comprehensive replacement, but they have been saying that for 7 years. Mr. Neal is here. Seven years, Mr. Neal, we have been hearing that. Those files on the Republican desk--I wish you would raise them again--aren't a plan. They are a ploy. Republicans say repealing the Affordable Care Act will help people, and there is at least a sliver of truth to that claim. The GOP repeal bill will help millionaires, providing them an average tax cut of over $50,000 a year. At the same time, it will actually raise taxes on millions of moderate and middle-income families who will lose tax credits for purchasing health insurance.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, to know how high the stakes are in the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, you only have to listen to your constituents. One of the many I have heard from is Kevin Wittbrodt from Warren, Michigan, who writes: ``I'm a Marine Corps veteran, and I'm covered by the VA system, but my wife isn't. She has kidney disease and I've found it hard to get coverage for her with the preexisting condition . . . but I found an affordable plan under the ACA. This allows for continued treatment and she's still with me.'' ACA is not collapsing, contrary to what the Speaker is saying. The Republicans are trying to sink ACA while it is very much afloat and alive for Kevin, his wife, and millions and millions of others. Republicans have been promising a plan for 7 years and never delivered. They will not deliver now for all of America.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jacqueline Noonan, who recently retired as Mayor after 29 years of service and dedication to the city of Utica. On January 8th, friends and family will gather to celebrate her retirement and pay tribute to her many accomplishments. Jackie graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education. She found great joy in working with kids as a teacher and later as a volunteer in the Utica Community Schools where her children attended school. In fact, if there was a way to get involved in her community, Jackie found it. A committed and prolific volunteer, Jackie served as a member of the Utica Community Schools Enrollment Advisory Board, volunteered with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, was active in St. Lawrence Catholic Church, and helped new mothers with La Leche League International. While serving as Mayor, she continued to work closely with students as a spokesperson and advocate for the Macomb County Traffic Safety Association's ``Don't Drink and Drive'' alcohol education program. In 1991, she returned to the classroom teaching at Marlow Junior High and later at Eisenhower High School. Jackie and her husband Jerry loved being a part of Utica's small town life where they ran a family business for 21 years. Jerry went to work for the Fire Department and later retired as the Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Inspector. Jackie was a founding member of the Friends of Utica Public Library and served on numerous committees throughout the community. She was elected to City Council in 1981 and was elected Mayor in 1987. As Mayor, Jackie understood that in addition to serving its residents, the City of Utica also plays a vital role in strengthening the region as a whole. She led the efforts to improve essential city services and responsiveness to constituents and businesses. Jackie spearheaded efforts to improve local roads including the widening of important roadways like M-59 and Van Dyke Avenue. Working closely with her on this project, I saw firsthand her dogged determination. Jackie also saw the value in establishing strong working relationships with her neighboring communities of Sterling Heights and Shelby Township as they shared services and resources. They even held their annual State of the City addresses together. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Jackie and wishing her and her husband Jerry, and all their children and grandchildren the very best as they begin this next chapter. I am grateful to Jackie for her many years of dedicated public service, as well as for her friendship, and I am so pleased to join with the entire community in paying tribute to her, which is so deeply deserved.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, any measure that seeks to promote a peaceful resolution to tensions between Israelis and Palestinians--whether coming from the United Nations or from this Chamber--should provide a balanced picture of the facts on the ground and the challenges confronting both sides. The recent UN Security Resolution on Israeli settlements failed that test by blaming Israel almost solely for impeding a two-states solution for peace and by using prejudicial language that places an unfair burden on Israel in depicting the basis for future negotiations. Calling any settlement activity by Israel since 1967 a major obstacle to peace, as the UN resolution does, ignores the reality that geographical adjustments will have to be made as part of any two-states solution reached by parties through direct negotiations. However, the resolution before us today is also not balanced in that it too ignores conditions on the ground. Expressing the sense of Congress to repeal the UN Resolution does not focus on the increasingly fragile state of the two-states solution, and on conditions that make its potential achievement increasingly difficult to obtain. Prime Minister Netanyahu has called his government the most pro-settlement in history. President-elect Trump further diminishes chances for the two- states solution by choosing envoys who undercut the prospects for peace by expressing support for major settlement expansions, and whose opposition to a two-states solution reinforces opposition within the Israeli government. These positions threaten to continue to move momentum dangerously away from the possibility of a two-states solution. I believe that the two-states approach, as challenging as it is to achieve, is the only way to ensure a Jewish and democratic state of Israel living in security with a non-militarized Palestinian state. It is important for peace in the Middle East and U.S. national interests. This resolution is at present the only vehicle to express my concerns with the UN resolution, and I will therefore support it. However, I will continue to speak out on further actions that I believe will diminish the chance of a two-states solution and on other issues vital to peace in the Middle East.