Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Honorable Jonathan Bing, an outstanding public servant and my good friend. The Special Deputy Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services and a revered and respected former Member of the New York State Assembly who represented Manhattan's East Side for nearly a decade, Mr. Bing is being honored this month at a special dinner hosted by Manhattan Community Board 6 and its officers and members. Jonathan Bing was appointed to the executive branch of New York State government by Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this year. The Governor's elevation of Mr. Bing is an apt reflection of Mr. Bing's distinguished record as a remarkably effective State legislator representing New York's 73rd Assembly District. As an elected official, Mr. Bing distinguished himself as a dynamic and forceful leader and advocate for New York City. A resident of Manhattan's East Side for over two decades, Mr. Bing has devoted himself in service to others throughout his career. During his service in the New York State Assembly, Mr. Bing was a prolific and accomplished legislator, authoring and securing passage of 36 bills that were signed into law. Among his signal legislative achievements are: New York State's no-fault divorce law; a law extending the statute of limitations for workers' compensation claims made by 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, allowing countless American heroes to receive the benefits that they deserve; a law enhancing criminal and civil penalties against those who would falsify construction records or illegally assist people with government licensing examinations, a measure he introduced following the East Side crane collapse in 2008; and the 2010 adoption of the UPMIFA statute providing cultural and higher education institutions more flexibility in managing their endowments and assets. Earlier this year, Mr. Bing accepted a gubernatorial appointment to serve as the Special Deputy Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services' Liquidation Bureau, serving as that agency's chief executive officer. In that capacity, he oversees the Bureau's effort to safeguard the interests of customers holding policies issued by insurance companies that became insolvent. Though his agency receives no taxpayer funding, it employs 260 individuals as it fulfills its important mission. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the New York University School of Law, Mr. Bing served as a clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Bruce Van Sickle, and authored an award-winning legal article on protecting mentally retarded defendants from the death penalty. Prior to his election to office, he was an accomplished attorney in private practice in Manhattan. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he was named New York Coordinator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency/American Bar Association's Disaster Legal Services program, where he oversaw more than 250 attorneys providing free, comprehensive legal assistance to those affected by the attacks. Mr. Bing is a proud resident of Manhattan's Turtle Bay neighborhood where he lives with his wife, Meredith Ballew, an executive at the Vanderbilt YMCA in Turtle Bay, and their daughter, Charlotte. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me recognizing the enormous contributions to our civic and political life made by Jonathan Bing, an extraordinarily distinguished and effective public servant.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Honorable C. Virginia Fields, an outstanding public servant who served as Manhattan Borough President, a Member of the New York City Council, and Chair of Manhattan's Community Board 10 in Harlem. In recognition of her many contributions to the civic life of our nation's greatest city, and specifically toward preserving and improving the quality of healthcare provided at Harlem Hospital, she is being honored this month by its Auxiliary on the occasion of the Hospital's centennial celebration occurring this month at the Alhambra Ballroom in upper Manhattan. After her election in 1997 as Borough President of Manhattan, C. Virginia Fields became the chief executive officer of New York County, whose population then numbered more than a million and a half residents and grew significantly during her eight-year tenure. She became the highest ranking African-American elected official in New York City municipal government and just the third woman to assume the Manhattan Borough presidency, following in the footsteps of two great and distinguished women leaders, Constance Baker Motley and Ruth Messinger. As Borough President, Virginia Fields focused on housing and education issues while helping to meet her constituents' needs on a broad range of concerns. She established a Manhattan Parents Convention; offered an eloquent and forceful voice for improving hospital care for Manhattan residents, particularly those living in underserved communities; and helped create a more favorable environment for small business owners and workers. As Borough President, C. Virginia Fields also literally helped pave the way for the second Harlem Renaissance, providing new opportunities for residents, businesses, and tourists alike and spearheading the restoration of Frederick Douglass Boulevard, which she dubbed ``the backbone of Harlem.'' Throughout her tenure as Borough President, in the City Council, and on the Community Board, she championed public libraries and schools, job training programs, quality health care, services for senior citizens, the environment, public parks, cultural institutions, and economic development, securing tens of millions of dollars in funding in all of these critical spheres of urban life. Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1946, C. Virginia Fields was the youngest of five children. Her mother was a seamstress who worked hard to support the family, particularly after her father, a steelworker, died when Virginia was just 12 years old. She developed her devotion to the pursuit of social justice in no small part thanks to the inspirational example of her mother, who was active in the local Baptist church where the late Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, an associate of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s, served as pastor. C. Virginia Fields earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Knoxville College and a Masters of Social Work degree at Indiana University before beginning her professional career as a social worker. Today, she remains universally admired by the people of the Borough of Manhattan, a remarkable feat in one of the most diverse and high-pressured political environments anywhere in America. She has been a leader of uncommon grace, energy, and devotion to those she serves. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me recognizing the enormous contributions to our civic and political life made by C. Virginia Fields, who has worked tirelessly and diligently throughout her career on behalf of the people of New York City and our nation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, as we honor and thank all who bravely served in the United States Armed Forces on Veterans Day, we also must ensure that our returning veterans can fully use programs that aid veterans' homeownership. Across the U.S., there are more than 1.2 million families of all income levels in homes owned and operated through cooperative associations. In New York City, co-ops make up about one-third of the housing stock and are often a less expensive option than condo units. In 2006, Congress passed legislation I authored allowing veterans to use the Veterans Affairs' (VA) Home Loan Guaranty Program to purchase cooperative housing using their low interest loan benefits. These loan benefits allow veterans to buy homes with no down payment and limited closing costs. However, the program to allow loans for co-op housing will sunset at the end of 2011. In order to allow our nation's veterans to use the VA loan for all forms of home ownership, I am reintroducing legislation that would permanently extend the co-op program. To ensure that veterans are aware they can utilize the loans for co-op housing units, we have added a provision so that the Secretary of the VA can advertise the program to eligible veterans, participating lenders, and interested realtors. By permanently extending these VA loan benefits to include co-ops, we can honor and thank all who bravely served in our Armed Forces by giving them the tools and resources they need to pursue their dreams of homeownership wherever they live. Thank you to original cosponsors Reps. Edolphus Towns, Laura Richardson, Charles Rangel, Jerrold Nadler, and Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of October as National Work and Family Month. Each and every day American families make choices about how to best care for their family and to fulfill work obligations. Over the last 50 years, the demographics of the U.S. workforce have changed significantly and with that, so have our needs. With more women in the workforce, fewer households have at least one parent at home. According to Census data, 70 percent of children are raised in families headed by either a working single parent or two working parents. In addition, more households are caring for older relatives as medical advances continue to extend life expectancy. It's important that as my colleagues and I work to create and grow jobs, we also ensure that these jobs afford all Americans the chance to take care of their families and maintain a paycheck. In an effort to acknowledge the realities of our modern workforce I have reintroduced the Family and Medical Leave Enhancement Act (H.R. 1440) to expand the number of workplaces required to comply with the original 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA, and the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act to add same-sex spouses, grandparents, and grandchildren (H.R. 2364) as leave beneficiaries under FMLA. In addition, I will soon reintroduce the Working Families Flexibility Act, legislation that gives employees the right to request flexible work arrangements. Strong work and family policies help attract, motivate, and retain a talented workforce and businesses should be encouraged to think strategically about the flexibility and family-friendly benefits they offer to their workers.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 1904, a bill that would transfer 2,400 acres of federal lands in Southeast Arizona to a private copper mining company. There has not been a thorough geological review to assess the impact of mining on water resources or the surrounding communities and ecosystems. Furthermore, the bill includes no protections or consideration for native American tribes. Since coming to Congress I have fought to ensure that American taxpayers are properly reimbursed for resources like oil and gas extracted from federal lands. This bill does nothing to appropriately compensate American citizens and would instead give a single multinational corporation the benefit from one of the largest copper deposits in the world. Even more astonishing, the corporation benefitting from copper resources cannot guarantee that the copper will stay in America or that the mine will remain American owned. This bill sets a dangerous precedent with regard to environmental review and resource oversight. The Majority continues to fight against preserving our nation's natural resources with legislation that destroys the environment in favor of big corporations. I urge a no vote.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I would like to thank my colleague from the great State of California for bringing the American Jobs Act to the floor, every single week, speaking out in favor of American workers, small businesses, and a sane, balanced approach that not only has a cutback in order to cut back our deficit and our debt, but also a revenue leg and a jobs leg. And the President has come forward with a balanced approach that has won support not only from New York and California but clear across this country. Economists are speaking out in support of the American Jobs Act. There have been two Nobel Laureates that have come out in support of it. Mark Zandi, who was the economist in Senator McCain's race for the Presidency, he has come out and he has said that next year it would increase the GDP by 2 percent. It would lower the unemployment rate by 1 percent, and would create 1.9 million jobs. Now, after hearing your Special Orders on this, I think it would create even more jobs. But this is just a sense of economists from all sides of the country coming out in support of it. I think it is unfortunate that the Senate did not pass it because we need this act, and we need it now. Americans have shown that they are worried about their future and they want this Jobs Act. Analysts have speculated that our country faces the same kind of lost decade that Japan has struggled with. In a New York Times article by Daniel Alpert, a managing partner at a private capital firm, he was quoted as saying, and I'd like to bring it to your attention and the American people's attention: ``Unless we take dramatic steps, it will be Japan all over again--continuous deflation, no economic growth, in and out of recessions, and high unemployment.'' Robert Hockett, a professor of financial law at Cornell in New York and a consultant to the New York Federal Reserve, added: ``It will be like the economic version of chronic fatigue syndrome--a low-grade fever all the time.'' So we need to prevent that fatigue and cure the low-grade fever. That's why we need to pass this bill. It would be the kind of short- term immediate impact that our economy needs. With job creation stalled and median income dropping, Americans just aren't buying. That's why economists and forecasters are so strongly in support of it. And the American Jobs Act goes after unemployment in three big ways: it cuts taxes to spur small business hiring and consumer spending; it prevents layoffs of our vital services, our teachers, our firefighters, and our law enforcement officers; and it puts people to work building roads, bridges, and schools. That's so important. The infrastructure jobs not only create good paying jobs now, they're an investment in the future to help America compete in the world economy. I know from my own State many of our bridges and tunnels and roads and mass transit are crumbling, and we could use this influx of infrastructure money to rebuild and put people back to work. Very importantly, the President's plan maintains a safety net for Americans most hurt by the economic downturn. It's a good plan.

Mrs. MALONEY. I would like to respond to the point that the gentleman made. Economists tell us that one of the ways that we climb out of recessions--and we're in the worst recession that I've experienced in my lifetime, the worst since the Great Depression--the way we climb out is often small businesses. Small businesses hire and grow. Two out of three people hired in America are hired by small businesses. But at this time their hiring has not moved forward. That's why this subsidy and support for small businesses is so important, and I applaud the President for including it in the American Jobs Act. But because of the economic downturn, localities across our country are having to lay off workers, essential workers who are investors in the future of our young people: Teachers and the protectors of our communities, firefighters and our law enforcement, are being laid off. I want to talk a little bit about New York, the great State that I have the honor of representing, and I have some numbers that I would like to share with you, but they are the same in many localities across the country. In my own State of New York, according to the Congressional Research Service, the estimated grant for the teachers and the first responders would be $1.7 billion, which would save an estimated 18,000 educators and first responder jobs. That's important not only to these families but to the localities. These teachers are needed. These fire and police are needed. And very importantly, one of the things that I think is so important is the focus that the President has put on modernizing our schools. When I was in school, all you needed was a piece of paper and a teacher and a pencil. Now our young people need computers, and we need to start teaching them computer sciences and math and technology very, very early. This would have grants to modernize schools so they are really ready for the 21st century, wired appropriately for high-tech computers. This would have a grant for New York City alone of $1.6 billion to modernize the community colleges and the public schools so they are ready for the next century. But it's our infrastructure that is so important. We are falling behind in terms of high-speed rail. Much of our infrastructure is crumbling. And the infrastructure investment would total over $105 billion, including $50 billion on transportation infrastructure. This not only moves people and makes a more livable environment, it's an investment also for not being dependent on oil that we have to import. Very importantly, there is $10 billion on a new national infrastructure bank that would help finance private ventures of public roads and highways and bridges and railroads. And so that's a very, very important part of it. Very importantly, it also talks about rehabilitating the foreclosed or vacant properties. This is a problem. Some of my colleagues in Ohio tell me they're literally bulldozing down vacant foreclosed properties. And this would allow to help these blighted neighborhoods and help rebuild. All in all, it is a great plan. We need to get behind it. We need to put Americans back to work. And we should have passed it yesterday. But I'm here tonight supporting the President's plan to put Americans back to work and to invest in our future, invest in America's competitiveness, and our leadership in so many areas depends on getting our economy moving again. I appreciate being here with my good friend and colleague, and thank you so much for raising these issues. You're doing an excellent job.

Mrs. MALONEY. Will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. MALONEY. This is a democracy, and I believe that there is no idea in the world that is so dangerous or challenging that you can't debate it in the United States Congress. It should be put up for a debate and have it fully debated and have a vote. That's the least that the Speaker should provide for the American people.

Mrs. MALONEY. It could not be stated more appropriately. The 99ers and all Americans should speak out and demand a vote on this. Now, the President has pointed out that it should be a three-legged stool. It should be revenues, we need to cut back on other expenditures, and we need to invest in jobs. Right now, we have roughly 15 percent of our GDP is revenues, but our expenditures are roughly 35 percent. The gentleman points out the tax on millionaires and other areas that they were looking at. You have to bring that in balance. You cannot continue with 35 percent of the GDP being expenditures and only 15 percent being revenues. Granted, we do have to cut back, and that's what the supercommittee is working on, but it needs to be a balanced approach. Actually, that's what's always worked in the past. It's always been a balanced approach. That's the only way we can get this country on firm ground to reduce our debt, reduce our deficit, invest in opportunities, innovation, and jobs for the future. You expressed it very well, and I support your efforts here tonight.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to propose a plan that is as simple as one, two, three. Number one is getting back to basics and helping to create badly needed jobs. This economy will not grow unless we stimulate private sector job growth. It's time to drop the partisan bickering and focus on creating jobs and creating them now. Pass the President's jobs bill. Number two is building up our infrastructure. Work on our roads and trains is desperately needed to help America compete, and this badly needed repair work creates jobs that cannot be outsourced. We need to pass the transportation bill now. Number three is embracing a bold and balanced vision and crafting a true bipartisan agreement in the super committee, one that cuts our deficits by trillions, invests and raises revenues, and creates jobs. No one is pretending it will be easy, but if we get back to basics it could be as easy as one, two, three.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague and very good friend, Corrine Brown, for her leadership on this, and also Chairman Walter Jones and Ranking Member Clay. I am a proud cosponsor, and I rise in strong support of this bill, and I am thrilled that the Montford Point Marines are with us in the gallery. In 1941, President Roosevelt issued an executive order which opened the door for the first African Americans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Totaling approximately 20,000, these brave men faced segregated training at Montford Point, North Carolina, while white recruits were trained at Parris Island in South Carolina. Among these distinguished marines was someone who later in life would become an outstanding mayor of the city of New York, my friend and now constituent, David Dinkins. David Dinkins, Mayor Dinkins, enlisted in the Marines in 1945 immediately after graduating from high school and served until the end of the war. He told me this story today about how thrilled he was about this gold medal. He said one day he went out and the drill sergeant announced: Everybody, get on your knees. Thank the Lord, the war is over. Now get up, nothing has changed. Mayor Dinkins and the rest of the men in the Montford Point Marines served with distinction, regardless of the prejudice and segregation they faced, fighting in the Pacific arena during the Second World War in three of the bloodiest battles--Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. They fought with bravery and valor, overcoming the resistance to integration within the services at that time and eventually earned high praise from the Marine Corps commandant. The legacy of their service has endured beyond the battlefields of the Second World War, as they opened the door for generations of African Americans in the Marine Corps. These brave men advanced the cause of civil rights while simultaneously protecting the freedoms of our country. And for that we owe them a heartfelt deep thanks. Congress has already recognized the first African American servicemembers of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; and this bill to award the same honor to the Montford Point Marines is well deserved, and I am so proud to be a cosponsor and to be supporting it. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. As a representative from the proud city of New York, which is the home of the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, I rise with strong enthusiasm in support of the National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coin, which was introduced by my friend and colleague from New York (Mr. Hanna), Congressman Hanna, and also congratulate Mike Doyle not only for his work on this bill but his winning work on the field of baseball here in Congress. Sales of the coin will go to the Baseball Hall of Fame to finance its operations, with matching funds raised from nongovernment sources. This program will be operated at no cost to the American taxpayer but will help the Baseball Hall of Fame to do its important work not only now but into the generations to come. Since the Hall of Fame and Museum opened in June of 1939, 14 million people have visited the site, which houses more than 38,000 3-D artifacts, 500,000 photographs, and 12,000 hours of recorded media on our Nation's favorite pastime. Cooperstown also claims to be the home of the original baseball game here in the United States. It truly is an institution in itself and serves as an educational tool in the classroom through videoconference technology and interactive lessons across the Nation. A coin to commemorate the Hall of Fame will ensure that it can continue to do the good work that it has been doing for over 70 years. I am so proud that it's located in my State, and we have finally found something we can all agree on, our favorite pastime in America-- baseball.

Mrs. MALONEY. I think it's important, given that we just passed the important and historic Gold Medal for the Montford Point Marines and recognized their fight in promoting and protecting human rights and civil rights. Literally, integration began on the baseball field. There on the mound, people come from across the country from all ethnic backgrounds, sometimes from foreign countries, to come together and support and work together in this wonderful sport that is truly an American sport. And I would say the Nation's Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has spent many decades celebrating and honoring baseball. This bill will be able to continue their good, hard work, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this cost-free bipartisan legislation that hopefully every one of us can agree on.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3080, the U.S.- South Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. The Korean Republic is our seventh largest trading partner, and this agreement will have a significant positive impact on our GDP as well as on job creation. The current average tariff for U.S. exporters is more than four times the average tariff that our imports from Korea face--this agreement levels the playing field. Despite some sectors' concerns with the agreement, the services sector--which comprises 93% of the jobs in my district--stands to benefit greatly, with increased market access and the creation of new jobs. Nationwide, 80% of the U.S. workforce is employed in the services sector, with U.S. cross border exports of services to Korea totaling $12.6 billion in 2009, while imports were $6.4 billion, netting a U.S. services trade surplus of $6.2 billion. The Korea FTA provides U.S. service firms with increased market access, investor protections and regulatory transparency, which is vital for job creation in my district and the broader U.S. economy, which is why I vote in favor of the agreement today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3078, the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act. I simply cannot vote for an agreement given the alarming level of anti-union violence in Colombia, which in 2010 had more union worker assassinations than the rest of the world combined. Despite the Labor Action Plan the Obama Administration negotiated with the Colombian government, implementation of the Action Plan remains insufficient. Without more meaningful steps taken by the Colombian government to protect workers and prosecute the perpetrators of anti-union violence, and to provide basic internationally-recognized worker rights, I cannot vote for the agreement before us today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3079, the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Promotion Implementation Act. At House Democrats insistence, the Panama FTA was renegotiated to require Panama to comply with international labor standards and environmental agreements. Additionally, at the urging of House Democrats, the Obama Administration continued negotiations with Panama and ultimately achieved completion of the U.S.-Panama Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA), ensuring necessary tax transparency and addressing concerns about Panama's status as a tax haven. This agreement is expected to increase our current trade surplus with Panama, which was $5.7 billion in 2010, and level the playing field by eliminating Panama's import duties on U.S. goods. This renegotiated agreement deserves our support, and that is why I vote in favor today.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, together with my bipartisan colleagues Reps. Charlie Rangel, Edolphus Towns, Nita Lowey, Janice Schakowsky, Howard Berman, Gus Bilirakis and Robert Brady, I am introducing a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Rabbi Arthur Schneier, in recogniton of his pioneering role in promoting religious freedom and human rights throughout the world for close to half a century. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1930, Rabbi Schneier lived under Nazi occupation in Budapest during World War II and came to the United States in 1947. He has been the Spiritual Leader of the Park East Synagogue in New York City since 1962. A Holocaust survivor, and the Founder and President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Rabbi Schneier has devoted his life to overcoming the forces of hatred and intolerance. He has been a pioneer in bringing together religious leaders to address ethnic or religious conflicts. For example, in Bosnia in 1997, he convened government and religious leaders to promote healing and conciliation between Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish communities. In the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia he worked with the Orthodox Patriarch and the Turkish Government to hold the Peace and Tolerance Conference in 1994 and address religious and ethnic tensions in that area. In the former Yugoslavia, he mobilized religious leaders to halt the bloodshed of the early 90s, holding the Religious Summit on the Former Yugoslavia and the Conflict Resolution Conference to build support and consensus among religious leaders of different faiths. Since the early 1980s, he has led delegations of religious leaders to China to open a dialogue on religious freedom. I hope my colleagues will join us in honoring this distinguished pioneer of religious freedom with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. It was difficult, but I'm proud that the President signed it into law and that it is now benefiting Americans and allowing more of an ability for them to control their own businesses, their own assets, their own credit. I must say, when it did pass the House, there was strong Republican support for it in both the House and the Senate.

Mrs. MALONEY. I am pleased that Americans have this added benefit in their lives. Thank you so much for your leadership. It has been a pleasure to join you tonight.

Mrs. MALONEY. Thank you, Congressman Ellison, who is the chair of the Progressive Caucus. Thank you for your leadership on this and in so many other areas. And thank you for having this Special Order on this disturbing vote that took place today in the Congress. There is no question and there can be no debating the fact that the bill that the Republicans put forward endangers women's health, puts their lives at risk, and intrudes on their constitutionally protected liberties. The bill extends the reach of government more cynically and in a very profoundly disturbing way. And that is why President Obama put out a veto threat on Wednesday that he would veto any bill that would restrict insurers from paying for abortions, saying, in the President's words, ``it goes too far.'' And I'd like to quote from the President's statement on this. ``Longstanding Federal policy prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered.'' The Affordable Care Act preserved this prohibition and included policies to ensure that Federal funding is segregated from any private dollars used to fund abortions for which Federal funding is prohibited. So that's very, very clear, and I don't understand why the Republicans forced a vote on this, like the other anti-women, anti-choice, anti- respect of a woman's right to choose and her judgment have failed so far in the Senate. So I feel that instead of looking at creating jobs, which is the priority, and the Republican majority has consistently said that jobs and job creation is their priority, but then they spend their time on debating a bill that even their own Members admit the President will veto and it is going nowhere in the Senate. So instead of creating jobs, they remain focused, Mr. Ellison, on creating obstacles for women to access safe, legal, and badly needed health care. This bill, H.R. 358, is an attack on women's access to reproductive health services and our fundamental right to lifesaving medical care. It is stunning in its scope, appalling in its indifference, and outrageous in its arrogance. Americans want Congress to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and find bipartisan consensus. So it's time to end this attack on women and get to work on our top priority, or what should be our top priority, creating jobs. This bill is just another attempt to keep women down and back and not to protect their constitutional rights and access to the health care that they feel they deserve. I thank the gentleman for organizing this and for yielding to me.

Mrs. MALONEY. Absolutely.

Mrs. MALONEY. Well, the gentleman is correct to connect the dots, and you are absolutely correct that when you cut education and health care, these are the two areas that women are employed in predominately. In many cases they have achieved leadership positions in these two fields. Yet these are the two areas that have been cut the most in the municipal areas across the country that have hurt our States and our cities. And the gentleman is very correct to point out that you cannot cut your way to prosperity. Many economists have come out in support of President Obama's jobs bill, including two Nobel laureates. And one economist that I like to read because he is employed by the private sector, which means if he's wrong he's going to get fired, and he was a Republican economist in that he was the chief analyst for Senator McCain when McCain ran for President, and this is Mr. Zandi. And Mr. Zandi said that President Obama's economic plan, the jobs bill that he's put out, would create next year 1.9 million new jobs, add 2 percentage points to the GDP, and also cut the unemployment rate by at least 1 percent. I use his numbers since he was Senator McCain's adviser and economist. But there is a drumbeat of economists across the country that are saying you cannot cut your way out of a recession and that we are getting dangerously close to a double-dip when you combine all these massive cuts with what's happening in Europe and the instability with the countries' finances and certain of our allies, and this is an extreme challenge here at home. And economists have universally said that we need to invest and continue to work to get the economy moving by investing in job-creating areas such as the infrastructure bank and such as rebuilding our bridges and making sure they're safe. One part that I particularly like as a former teacher is the plan to rehab schools and make them ready for the 21st century. That will employ people across this country and invest in making our schools appropriate. I know that even in the great State of New York, some of our schools are not properly wired for computers. Mr. Ellison, when you and I were in school, all you needed was a pencil. But, today, our young people need computers. They are competing not with the people in the class but with people around the world. And they need to have high- tech access, and our schools have to be wired for the 21st century. And the investment in creating good jobs by building high-speed rail to move us into the 21st century and repairing our infrastructure with our roads and our trains in so many ways, and also making sure that our teachers, our police and our fire are not laid off during this recession when we need to invest in helping America. Every economist will tell us the best investment we can make for the future of our country is to invest in education. We can't afford to not be competitive with modern schools and not competitive with the proper number of teachers so that our classrooms are not so overcrowded. So that is a particular area that I like in this particular jobs program.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I ask unanimous consent to place in the Record my opposition to this attack on women's access to reproductive health services and our fundamental right to lifesaving medical care.

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 358. There is no question and there can be no debating the fact that this bill endangers women's health and puts their lives at risk and intrudes on their constitutionally protected liberties. This bill extends the reach of government more cynically and in a more profoundly disturbing way than any piece of legislation in modern times. This bill carries with it the clear implication that under some circumstances--a woman just doesn't have a right to live. The Republican majority has consistently said its priority is jobs and job creation, but here we are debating a bill that even their Members admit is the wrong bill at the wrong time. Instead of creating jobs, they remain focused on creating obstacles for women to access safe, legal, and badly needed health care. H.R. 358 is an attack on women's access to reproductive health services and our fundamental right to life saving medical care. It is stunning in its scope, appalling in its indifference and outrageous in its arrogance. This bill is deliberately divisive and cynical in its intent. Madam Speaker, Americans want Congress to create jobs, strengthen middle class families, and find bipartisan consensus. It's time to end this attack on women and get to work on our top priority: Creating Jobs.