Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond).

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, how much time is there on each side?

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

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentleman 2 additional minutes.

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

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I would like to be heard.

Mr. LEVIN. I yield myself 15 seconds. The gentleman who just spoke voted ``no'' on repeal last July, as did the gentleman from California who spoke before him. You both had a chance to vote ``no,'' and you failed to do so. You didn't like a pay- for that closed a tax loophole. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

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

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. One of the speakers on the majority side said that this was an effort to repeal health care piece by piece. That is clearly their misguided motivation. Here what they're trying to do is on the backs of the middle class of America. They don't defend the pay-for except by misrepresentation. A tax increase is a tax increase is a tax increase on the middle class, on the middle class, on the middle class. I now yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, the gentleman from California was addressing the point of order. I think he should be allowed to do so.

Mr. LEVIN. I urge the gentleman from Michigan to let him----

Mr. LEVIN. The gentleman wishes to proceed. The gentleman from California wishes to proceed.

Mr. LEVIN. And he says he is doing so. He is saying he is doing so.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. If this amendment would become part of the CR, there will be no CR, and that will be your responsibility, your responsibility. This is an effort to repeal by paralysis, paralyzing the provisions that have gone into effect--preexisting conditions for children being covered, children under 26 having the ability to get insurance. It would paralyze the efforts to begin to implement the 2014 benefits. Instead of searching for common ground, this amendment intensifies warfare. Instead of collaboration, this amendment would mean chaos. The Republicans have become a wrecking crew, led by Paul Ryan and wrecking Medicare. This amendment is a deeply dangerous prescription for Americans' health. This prescription needs to be rejected.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I yield myself as much time as I shall consume. This is about oversight, and what the majority is doing is losing sight of the needs of tens of thousands of workers in this country. What they are doing is overlooking the needs of the workers of this country. Our committee has jurisdiction over trade adjustment, and what's happened this week regarding trade adjustment assistance is really incomprehensible and, I think, disgraceful. This Congress is going to leave town tomorrow. On Saturday, the extension of TAA expires, the 2009 extension. And what's going to happen? Tens of thousands of people, who will be laid off because of trade, will no longer be able to be certified--tens of thousands. They will be out of luck when they hit bad luck through no fault of their own. We've received all kinds of communications from people in my State, and I'm sure there are people like this in every single State. We heard from a machinist laid off, qualified for TAA, and is now pursuing a career as a technician. He's in a program that goes on for a few years. Before TAA was overhauled in 2009, States could not have approved training of that length nor have approved the prerequisite training. We heard of another worker, a service worker in the State of Michigan, laid off, qualified for TAA, and is now pursuing an associate's degree. She's planning to complete her program in June of 2012. Before the TAA reforms of 2009, service workers were not even eligible for TAA. We also know of another person who was laid off, a die helper, who's qualified for TAA to continue training on a part-time basis. Only because of the extensions of 2009, the changes, the improvements, could this person have been in that training. And then another worker in Michigan--and you know, workers throughout the country are like this--who learned that she would be laid off, petitioned for TAA and began pursuing an M.A. degree before she actually lost her job. There are thousands of people who are going to be in this position, and because the majority in this House have failed to act, there are going to be tens of thousands of people who will have no place to turn in terms of training. Since the 2009 improvements, about 177,000 people have been able to receive training--170,000--and now, beginning Monday, tens of thousands will not be able to be certified for help. Now, this isn't only in the State of Michigan. It's not only in the State of Ohio. It's not only in the State of Indiana. It's not only in Pennsylvania. This is true throughout the country--true throughout the country--and essentially, the majority here is leaving, turning their backs on the people of this country. So what happened this week was the following: that a few groups outside of this institution decided they did not want to support the 2009 expansion of benefits; and a group within this House, the Republican Study Committee, issued a document urging Republicans not to support the extension. There are many, or some, Republicans in this House who were ready to support it, but they pulled back the bill, and the document from the study committee has this as one of the reasons why we should not step up to the plate. They said, under TAA programs, the government picks winners and losers because TAA favorably discriminates towards workers who lost their job due to trade. Well, picking winners and losers, what TAA does is to fill in gaps that were not filled in previously and often gaps that were increased because of the inaction of the now-majority of this House. And talking about winners and losers, the losers are going to be the unemployed people of this country, unemployed through no fault of their own, unemployed, looking for work, who will not be able to be certified for TAA. This is a disgrace. And there are some people who will continue to be eligible for TAA who are going to have to now pay more for their health care if they can afford it. When we put this together a few years ago, this is what Senator Grassley said about the reforms, and I quote, Today's achievement is the result of the dedication, hard work, and commitment of many individuals. It is the culmination of years of effort, and I am confident that the result will serve to benefit American workers in Iowa and across the United States for years to come, end of quote. The failure of the Republicans to bring this bill to the floor this week means that what Senator Grassley said will serve to benefit American workers in Iowa and across the United States for years to come, that's going to end on Monday, because Saturday is a weekend. People who are laid off because of trade are going to hit a wall, a wall. So we are in favor of oversight. We made that clear earlier. We are also sure we should not be shortsighted about the needs of productive people who want to work and cannot find a job. The person speaking on behalf of the Republicans, my distinguished colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, talked about those who are out of work through no fault of their own. You mentioned 9 million. There's a record number of people in this country who have been unemployed for a longer period of time than has been true in the past, and now all they ask for, unemployment comp in many cases--they're looking for work--and a chance to be retrained. On Monday, for thousands that chance will be gone. That should not have happened. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) manage the balance of the time on the Democratic side.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. It is now my privilege to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. LEVIN. Could you please tell us, Madam Speaker, the time remaining on each side for our committee?

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to another distinguished former member of our committee, Ms. Sanchez of California.

Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to an active former member of our committee, the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. LEVIN. It is my special privilege to yield 1 minute to our very distinguished leader, the gentlewoman from the State of California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield 2 minutes to another distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

Mr. LEVIN. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. LEVIN. It is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to a valued member of our committee, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).