Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. No, they do not. In fact, the scientists and the medical professions all support access to all medically appropriate legal medical procedures. There are some times when the fetus is not-- could not live or has died and is in jeopardy of causing, literally, the destruction of organs or even death of the woman. So this is, I would say, a life-taking bill from the health and welfare. And this bill also allows hospitals to deny lifesaving care. This is a big change in our values and our procedures in this country. And I want to point out very importantly, Mr. Chairman, that at the same time they are restricting reproductive choices, Republicans are limiting access to family planning and primary care by their efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, which is a primary care provider to most women for their basic health in this country. And these actions I would label just plain too extreme.

Mrs. MALONEY. It is true that women disproportionately rely on government programs and, regrettably, women are the largest segment, older women are the largest segment of people living in poverty. So the discrimination that has existed in pay, there is still, for over 30 years, an unexplained gap between men and women, the pay gap, well over 20 percent; and this then translates into your Social Security--less Social Security, less pension--and the need for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare to help women. And also, a lot of women that are around the age of 55, when their spouses die and they've been stay-at-home-mothers and wives, they lose the coverage that their husbands have, and there is a gap that's not there until they reach Medicare age of 65. So they rely disproportionately on these safety net programs. So any cuts--and I hear from my constituents, I know that you do, too, that say: I can't absorb another cut to my Medicare; I can't absorb a cut to my Social Security. And I believe that's one reason why Democrats have fought so hard to keep that safety net in place for working men and women in our country.

Mrs. MALONEY. I think all of those efforts, whether it's the Pitts bill that passed today, I think it's a very dangerous bill that threatens women's ability to even purchase private health insurance that includes abortion coverage with their own money, and codifies broad and troubling conscience provisions. And it's another attempt to unravel the health care law while at the same time expanding anti- choice laws that will harm women's health. That's an anti-woman agenda that just passed this great body. And when you talk about the assaults on programs that women disproportionately rely on, it is another step that will keep women down and back. And I'm proud of the Democrats for standing up for women, children, and families. You rightfully pointed out that when you discriminate against a woman, you discriminate against her husband and her children. And you and I know that it takes two working parents sometimes two jobs by each parent to pay the bills and keep the food on the table. So these are very serious concerns and ways that we need to fight back and stand up for the women of America.

Mrs. MALONEY. That's a better name.

Mrs. MALONEY. I would like to applaud what you just said. I truly do believe that there is no idea that is so frightening or threatening that it can't be debated in the United States Congress. And so I agree with you. Let's have a debate. The President has put forward his program. Let's see what the Republican program is. Let's bring it down, have it debated, and let's have the economists across the country and across the world weigh in on which program is going to get the economy moving and move us with greater strength in the growth of our economy.

Mrs. MALONEY. There is scientific data that, as schools are overcrowded, the quality of the teaching goes down. That's very troubling when you talk about the hemorrhaging of so many jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 14 million people out of work, and there are 3 million jobs that are out there now. So, if we could miraculously fill those 3 million jobs overnight, there would still be 11 million Americans out of work and looking for jobs. For every job opening, there are five people, at least, standing in line for that job. What I find particularly troubling is that many of these people are young people who have invested in their education and who are burdened with huge student loans, but they can't find employment. They are facing a terrible situation. Studies show that, if you can't find employment in the early years of your career, it affects your earnings and your self-confidence and your productivity for the rest of your life. For no fault of theirs, they are confronting, really, the worst employment situation in my lifetime and, really, in decades. So we need to work together. If there were one area in which the Republicans and Democrats should work together, it's in creating jobs and moving our economy forward. Regretfully, some people don't want to do anything until the 2012 election, but the people who are out of work can't afford to wait until 2012. It is really incumbent on us to act now to help them.

Mrs. MALONEY. I just want to thank the gentleman for his statement. The Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, according to the Pew Foundation, saved consumers over $10 billion in the last year by cutting out unfair, abusive, deceptive practices--and I'm using the terms from the Federal Reserve. I am proud that it helps Americans better manage their credit. No longer can people raise rates any time, for any reason retroactively on their balances, trapping them, really, in a never- ending cycle of debt. I had many constituents who had purchased items, and they had paid so much in interest over that time that they could have paid for the car or the washing machine; yet they still had not paid it off. This is wrong and unfair. Central to this bill, it gives consumers the opportunity and the right to make a decision. If they're going to raise their rates, they must notify them, and the consumers have the choice of whether they opt in to a higher rate or pay off their cards and go to another provider that may have a lower rate. So it puts more competition in the system. It has lowered the interest rates, the fees, and has really helped consumers. I want to say that we were cochairs of the Consumer Justice Caucus. We started that, really, to build support for the bill, and you were a strong part of helping me pass it.

Mrs. MALONEY. You focused, really, on one of the critical parts of the President's jobs proposal--modernizing our schools. Not only would it help you through this period by creating good- paying jobs to modernize the schools and to keep the teachers working-- and, I would say, the police and fire--but it also invests in better education, a better environment for our young people to learn and grow, and to modernize the schools to the extent that they are wired appropriately for the 21st century. These are important areas that we need to look at and think about. I also want to point out the unemployed. The jobs aren't out there, so when you don't continue the unemployment insurance, there is no hope for these people. It's better for them to continue looking for a job and to continue trying and not to give up hope so that they continue working towards that end. I just want to tell you how much I enjoyed sharing with you information on the jobs program for the President and, really, of the opposition's agenda--our friends on the other side of the aisle--to keep women down and back, of disproportionately cutting programs that aid women, of disproportionately going after, literally, their constitutional rights to make the choices that are legal in our country which provide the best health care for them. The Progressive Caucus has always stood up for women, children, and families, and I want to thank you and the caucus in a programmatic way for standing up for women, children, and families and also for organizing this Special Order.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kathy Cloninger for her outstanding service as the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA for the past 8 years, and for her 28 years of service to the Girl Scouts Movement. Kathy Cloninger epitomizes the American spirit of community service. She has devoted her life to girls and to an institution that itself is a shining example of America at her best. We honor her today for a career that has been dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Ms. Cloninger's journey with Girl Scouts began in 1983, and spanned more than two decades of service as CEO of Girl Scout councils in Tennessee, Texas and Colorado. After taking the reins at Girl Scouts of the USA in 2004, Kathy initiated a truly transformative strategy that led to a national realignment of the Girl Scout Movement. Under her guidance, Girl Scouts accomplished a nearly impossible task by successfully merging 315 councils down to 112 high-performance councils. Thanks to Kathy's compelling leadership, the Girl Scout Movement has unified around a common mission and business strategy that has set the organization on a path to success for its upcoming 100th anniversary and beyond. Kathy has also been instrumental in developing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience where girls discover themselves and their values, connect with others and take action to make the world a better place. She oversaw the launch of the first-ever national program evaluation system that measures girls' development of 15 leadership outcomes and ensures that all Girl Scouts grow into strong leaders in their lives today and into the next generation of female leaders in our country and the world. Ms. Cloninger should also be commended for heightening Girl Scouts' focus on research and advocacy activities. During her tenure, the Girl Scout Movement amended its Constitution to be the ``voice for girls and an expert on their growth and development.'' The Girl Scout Research Institute has published many groundbreaking studies on issues that affect girls and leadership, such as research on body image, social media and girls' participation in science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as research on African American and Hispanic girls' leadership aspirations. Thanks to her vision, Congress and decision makers across our nation have an incredible resource in the Girl Scout organization, so all of us can better understand the issues girls face today and advocate for the solutions important to their success. Ms. Cloninger has received numerous awards for her work, including ``Nonprofit CEO of the Year 2000'' from the Center for Nonprofit Management, and ``CEO of the Year 2008'' from the National Assembly of Human Services. In 2010, Ms. Cloninger was named one of the ``21 Leaders for the 21st Century'' by Women's eNews. Kathy's service as a leader expanded beyond the Girl Scouts. As a champion for youth empowerment and the non-profit community, Kathy served as chair of the National Collaboration for Youth, she was the secretary of the board of directors of the National Assembly of Human Services (2008-2011), was on the national boards of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the National Council for Research on Women, and she is a member of the Women's Leadership Board of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Ms. Cloninger is also the author of the forthcoming book Tough Cookies, which chronicles the recent transformation of Girl Scouting and issues a call to arms on behalf of all girls today. Johnnetta Cole, President Emerita of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women, explained, ``Tough Cookies shows what vision, courage, and an unflinching dedication to mission can accomplish. Kathy Cloninger makes it clear that the Girl Scouts--and girls--rank high among our nation's treasures.'' It is obvious why Kathy has received such wide praise for her leadership. I would have to agree with Willie Pietersen, leadership guru and author of Reinventing Strategy, who noted that, ``Guided by a transcendent mission and Kathy Cloninger's courageous leadership, the Girl Scouts have transformed themselves for a new century.'' Kathy leaves Girl Scouts on the eve of its 100th anniversary, which they will celebrate throughout 2012. Kathy led the Girl Scout Movement to this exceptional point in history with a mission and program that is as critically important today as it was 100 years ago, and I know she leaves it a stronger, more vibrant part of our culture. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking Kathy Cloninger for nearly 30 years of service to the Girl Scouts and to our country. We wish her the best in all of her continuing work for girls nationwide.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the National Women's Hall of Fame and the eleven women who were formally inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame on September 30 and October 1, 2011 in Seneca Falls, New York. Since 1969, the National Women's Hall of Fame has showcased great American women who have demonstrated an ability to inspire, lead and innovate. Fittingly, the Hall is located in Seneca Falls, the site of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention which adopted the Declaration of Sentiments demanding that women ``have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States.'' Nearly 250 women have been honored by induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame. They come from many fields--they are educators, actors, writers, politicians, visionaries, philanthropists, athletes and scientists--but they share a talent for making a difference and inspiring us all. The eleven women who were inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame this past weekend have truly made their mark on this country and on our history. St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955), a missionary who dedicated her life and fortunate to help native Americans and African Americans, is the second American-born person to be recognized as a saint. St. Katharine founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. During her lifetime, she and her order founded more than sixty missions and schools, including Xavier University in Louisiana. Dorothy Harrison Eustis (1886-1946) co-founded the nation's first dog guide school, The Seeing Eye. Born in Switzerland, Eustis started breeding German Shepherds for civic duty. Morris Frank, a blind American man, contacted her for help in acquiring a guide dog. She moved to America and, together with Frank, established The Seeing Eye, which has trained 15,000 dogs to assist nearly 6,000 individuals. Loretta C. Ford (1920-) is a international leader in nursing who is best known for co-founding the nurse practitioner model, which expanded nurse's scope of practice and allowed them to perform a broader range of duties. Abby Kelley Foster (1811-1887) was a major figure in the anti-slavery and women's rights movements. An organizer, lecturer and fundraiser, she worked tirelessly for the ratification of the 14th and 15th amendments and helped lay the groundwork for the 19th amendment granting women suffrage. Helen Murray Free (1923-) is a pioneering chemist who conducted research that revolutionized diagnostic testing in the laboratory and at home. Her work on dip-and-read strips has made it easier and cheaper to test for diabetes, pregnancy and other conditions. Billie Holiday (1915-1959) is one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. Her unique style continues to influence jazz and pop vocalists more than fifty years after her death. Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) was a celebrated champion of human and civil rights through non-violent means, in partnership with her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and following his death. Lily Ledbetter (1938-) is best known for her fight to achieve pay equity. As she was retiring from her position as a manager with the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Ledbetter was advised anonymously that she had been paid considerably less than her male colleagues. She subsequently initiated a lawsuit against Goodyear. She won in trial court, but the Supreme Court later overturned the verdict because she had not filed within 180 days of the discriminatory act even though she was unaware of the discrimination at the time. Thanks in part to her advocacy, Congress reinstated the right to sue, and President Obama signed into law, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009. Barbara Mikulski (1936-) is the first female Democratic Senator elected in her own right. During her more than 30 years in the Senate, she has worked on legislation promoting equal health care for American women, Medicare reform, better care for veterans, greater student access to quality education and much more. This year she became the longest serving female Senator in U.S. history. Dr. Donna Shalala (1941-) is an educator, scholar and politician who was the longest serving Secretary of Health and Human Services (1993- 2001). She has been president of Hunter College which is located in my district, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently President of the University of Miami. Kathrine Switzer (1947-) broke the gender barrier in 1967 when she was the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon. She has completed over 37 marathons and has dedicated her career to creating Opportunities and equal sports status for women. In 1977, she founded the Avon International Running Circuit and in 1984 she was a leader in making the women's marathon an official event in the Olympic Games. She is an Emmy Award-winning sports commentator. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in rising to celebrate the National Women's Hall of Fame and its eleven remarkable 2011 inductees.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Association of Indians in America and its President, my good friend Ms. Ranju Batra, on the occasion of its 24th annual celebration of the festival of Diwali at the historic South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan. The theme of the Association's celebration this year, ``Non-Violence in Today's World,'' is more salient than ever. Most fittingly, it takes place on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. With more than a thousand attendees expected from all across the greater New York metropolitan region, this year's Diwali celebration will be a highlight of the year for AIA and its distinguished new President, Ms. Ranju Batra. Founded in 1967, the Association of Indians in America is the oldest association of Indians in America. The New York chapter includes members from across the tri-state region, and prides itself on its tradition of openness and respect for persons of all religious faiths. Its membership is a microcosm of the extraordinary diversity of the Indian community in the New York area, with all regions and religions of India represented, as well as a wide range of professions, backgrounds and occupations. AIA's New York chapter performs countless acts of public service and philanthropy, reflecting its motto, ``Indian Heritage and American commitment.'' Diwali is a holiday that celebrates the victory of good over evil and awareness of one's inner light, the dispelling of ignorance, and the realization of knowledge of and insight. Through intriguing exhibits, stirring music and dance performances, fine cuisine, inspirational oratory from featured speakers, and a dazzling fireworks display over the East River, this year's festival is helping to educate New Yorkers about Diwali and its celebration by adherents of Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, and thereby promoting awareness and appreciation of South Asian culture and its amazing richness and diversity. I am proud to salute my good friend Ranju Batra on her election as President of AIA, a recognition by her peers in the Indian-American community of her leadership abilities and passion for serving others. In addition to AIA, which she has served as Cultural Chair for several years, Ranju Batra has demonstrated her commitment to numerous worthwhile charitable organizations, including the Hindu Center; Arya Samaj of Westchester County, New York; and Children's Hope. A loving wife to her husband, Ravi, and a caring mother to their children, she is deservedly a widely respected leader of the South Asian community in the nation's largest metropolitan area. Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Association of Indians in America and its President, Ms. Ranju Batra, for their extraordinary contributions to the civic life of our nation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, every week the Majority makes a new attempt to roll back environmental rules that protect the health of our citizens and the health of our environment in favor of big polluters. This week the Majority has brought to the floor two bills that according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would collectively mean 32,500 more premature deaths, 19,500 additional heart attacks, and 208,000 asthma attacks that otherwise would have been avoided. This is unacceptable. Instead of working on legislation to increase employment and create new jobs or legislation that would support critical infrastructure needs of public schools and roads, the Majority is bringing to the Floor two pieces of legislation that would delay the implementation of long overdue air pollution standards. Even though such standards are required by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, these bills would put off the cleanup of mercury and other toxic pollutants from cement kilns, incinerators, and industrial boilers, as well as make permanent changes to the Clean Air Act that weaken health and science-based standards. The facilities targeted by this legislation are some of the largest sources of U.S. mercury pollution, a powerful neurotoxin known to be dangerous to pregnant women and to impair children's ability to think and learn. The EPA rules are scientific and data driven. These bills would defy science in favor of the regulatory option that is most beneficial to industry, even if another option is feasible, cost-effective, and offers better public health protections. For example, H.R. 2250 would nullify rules that require industrial boilers and incinerators to reduce their emissions, and yet, estimates for the emission reductions required by the rules would yield $10 to $24 in health benefits for every dollar spent to meet the standards. The savings from lower health care costs and higher worker productivity mean tens of billions of dollars more in net benefits and will result in lower rates of illness and death. At the start of the 112th Congress, the Majority put in place rules requiring that all legislation be offset by new authorizations but that rule is disregarded in these bills. In other words, these bills are not paid for. H.R. 2250 and H.R. 2681 would nullify existing EPA rules and require EPA to start the rulemaking process over again--a process the Congressional Budget Office estimates would result in $1 million in discretionary spending by EPA. I oppose these bills that would increase toxic air pollution, cost lives, drive up health care costs, and fundamentally weaken future standards under the Clean Air Act. We must protect our communities from toxic polluters. Had I been present October 5, 2011, I would have voted ``aye'' on Amendments #1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, and 21, to H.R. 2681.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, while the Palestinians engage in political theater at the United Nations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict gets no closer to resolution and the Palestinians get no closer to a real state. A Palestinian state can only come about through direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Instead of working toward peace, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is engaging in political theater that will leave the Palestinian people even more frustrated with the lack of tangible results. I am pleased that President Barack Obama stood up at the United Nations General Assembly and told the world that ``Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N.'' It was a brave speech that will make him less popular in many quarters, but it was the right thing to do. America believes in a two state solution. Israel believes in a two state solution. The Quartet believes in a two state solution. But there is a big difference between a theoretical ideal and the nuts and bolts of defining a new country's borders, ensuring the security of its neighbors, and resolving open issues regarding refugees and water rights. And while Israel has conceded the right of the Palestinians to have their own state, the Palestinians have never acknowledged the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. The fig leaf of an agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority cannot hide the fact that the two factions remain at war with one another for control and that Hamas remains determined to erase Israel from the globe. They have managed to maintain an uneasy truce in order to secure international approbation, but it is unlikely to last. If Hamas wins the struggle or remains a significant element of the government without renouncing terrorism and its determination to destroy Israel, then the fledgling Palestinian state would be established with the intent of waging war on Israel. That is an unacceptable outcome, particularly if the UN, which was founded to promote peace, serves as the midwife to the new state. What we are witnessing at the United Nations is nothing more than a popularity contest. And when it comes to a popularity contest, the Palestinians win. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has 57 states. There is only one Jewish state. UN recognition of a Palestinian State will yield few changes in the lives of most Palestinians. The most significant tangible result would be an ability to bring cases against Israel in international legal bodies that are often hostile to the Jewish state. But ordinary Palestinians will soon realize that their lives are little changed. Their disappointment will further destabilize the region and leave us farther from a resolution to the conflict. At the end of the day, the Palestinians' gambit will bring them no closer to peace, no closer to established borders and no closer to economic stability. It will, however, leave Israel more isolated, more vulnerable and less secure. I applaud President Obama and both the Democratic and Republican leadership of Congress for taking a principled stand against an unprincipled effort. Peace can only come from the bargaining table.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2401. Instead of legislation that would train Americans to get back to full employment, the majority is bringing to the floor a bill that harms the health of our nation. This bill would endanger the health of millions of our nation's children, seniors, and sick by blocking rules to reduce cross-state air pollution and to reduce the emissions of mercury, lead, dioxin, and other toxic chemicals from power plants. H.R. 2401 would also delay future safeguards by requiring studies that only measure pollution cleanup costs while disregarding health and other benefits. Along with many of my colleagues, I recently sent letters to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in support of the Power Plant Air Toxics Rule and the Cross-State Air Pollution Control Rule because of the positive impact these rules will have on the public health of our nation. Toxic air pollution from power plants remains a major unregulated source of mercury and lead in the air. Already, more than half of all coal-fired power plants use widely available pollution control technologies to meet these important standards. Once the rule is final, the remaining 44 percent will take similar steps to decrease dangerous pollutants, saving thousands of lives and avoiding tens of thousands of illnesses. It is clear that the benefits of the mercury and air toxics standards will far outweigh its costs--it is estimated that the pollution reductions required by the rule will yield health benefits of $59 billion to $140 billion per year (from lower health care costs and higher worker productivity), which is 5 to 13 times its costs. Further, by delaying the Cross-State Air Pollution Control Rule this bill would allow highly polluting facilities located upwind to continue to pollute major metropolitan areas with impunity. Such sources of pollution have made it unattainable for major metropolitan areas like New York City to be in compliance with federal standards for smog pollution even though most pollution is generated by large upwind sources. The Cross State Rule would make polluters control pollution at the source rather than continuing to shift the cost burden onto local governments and local taxpayers. This bill requires an unnecessary, duplicative, and biased study of specified air quality and hazardous waste regulations without assessing the benefits of environmental and public health standards. Impeding these EPA rules jeopardizes the health and well-being of the American people. I encourage my colleagues to vote against this legislative train wreck.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill which is an attack on the fundamental rights of working men and women. We are debating this bill at a time when roughly 13\1/2\ million Americans are unemployed and the labor force participation rate is still at a low--not seen in over a generation. This House should be focused on paying our bills, creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and protecting workers rights. Instead, the Republican Majority has brought a bill to the Floor that does nothing to help our economy or create jobs, but instead makes it easier for corporations to send American jobs overseas and allows employers to punish their employees for exercising their rights to organize and ensure a full day's pay for an honest day's work. H.R. 2587 will strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of its authority to enforce basic labor protections, and will allow employers to openly discriminate against union workers. With this bill, companies will be allowed to outsource jobs and intimidate and fire workers without repercussions in retaliation for American workers who exercise their rights under current U.S. law. Mr. Speaker, the assault on union employees is happening across the country from Wisconsin, to Ohio, and now right here in the House of Representatives. We must not let it continue if we want to preserve our nation's middle class which is in serious decline. There is no question that the unions have contributed to building the middle class in this country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, union workers are more likely than non-union workers to be covered by health insurance, and receive pension benefits and paid sick leave. We must not ignore the critical role that unions have played in building America by helping improve the wages and working conditions of union and non-union jobs alike. I urge my colleagues to stand up for working families, for a stronger middle class, and a growing economy. For more than 75 years, federal law has provided Americans the right to join together in unions and bargain for fair pay and benefits and safer working conditions. I pledge to fight to maintain those rights and protections and urge a no vote on this harmful legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that while 14 million Americans are looking for work, there are only 3 million job openings. This means that if every single job was filled outright, there would still be 11 million Americans unemployed and looking for work. Passing the President's jobs bill will help these people and help our overall economy. According to Mark Zandi, Moody's economist, the President's plan would add 2 percentage points to the GDP growth next year, add 1.9 million jobs by next year, and cut the unemployment rate by 1 percentage point next year. Published reports indicate that economists across this country are giving the President's plan a thumb's up. This is a clear chance for all of us to say ``yes''--yes to growth, yes to a middle class tax cut, and, most importantly, yes to jobs and our overall economy.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the ranking member and chairman for their leadership on this important bill, the Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act. This act includes a clean 6-month extension of our Nation's critical highway and transit programs. The funding provided in this extension to State Departments of Transportation and local transit agencies will keep Americans working and our economy moving while Congress acts to reauthorize these critically important programs. This extension is necessary to our Nation's economic health and to getting Americans back to work. I applaud the bipartisan work of our Chamber's leadership in bringing this to the floor. However, I believe that, once the extension is passed, we should focus on bringing true high-speed rail to the Northeast Corridor. As a representative of the citizens of the great city of New York, I understand the significant economic and transportation value of having a high-speed rail option that would serve the Northeast mega-region. Such an initiative would not only create high-paying construction jobs in the near term, but would spur economic development and growth throughout the region in the long term. The Northeast region contains 20 percent of the Nation's population and just 2 percent of the land area. This density is evidenced by the fact that 70 percent of all chronically delayed flights originate in the New York-area airspace while 60 percent of the Northeast region's road miles are considered heavily congested. At a time when highway and air modes are nearing capacity levels and jobs are at a premium, high-speed rail for the Northeast corridor must be a serious consideration of this Congress. It would help our economic development and move our country forward in the 21st century, competing in the global markets.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, the horror of 9/11 struck this great Nation. But in its aftermath I have never seen this Nation or this Congress so united and so determined to make sure that we protect our citizens and that it does not happen again. We came together with such a strong purpose. We need to come together again with a strong purpose behind the President's jobs proposal. Fourteen million Americans are out of work. He has a plan. Let's unify, let's work together, and let's put Americans back to work building our crumbling infrastructure, repairing our schools, investing in innovation, education, and working together. We did it after 9/11, that great crisis. We can do it again. The President has a plan. Let's get behind that plan. If the Republicans have a plan, then put it forth. Let's look at it. Let's work together and put Americans back to work.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the ranking member for his leadership in so many ways before this Congress, and Chairman Rogers for his lifetime commitment to protecting Americans even as a former FBI agent. I want to underscore what the ranking member said. The best defense against terrorism is intelligence, and we need to support this bill in every single way. We were reminded of the need for intelligence yesterday when Mayor Bloomberg announced there was a credible threat against New York and Washington. And where did this information come from? It came from the intelligence community. After 9/11, the 9/11 Commission report said the biggest failure in preventing 9/11 was a failure in our intelligence system. This Congress came together, and I was proud to have worked with and helped author a bill that was the first major reorganization and the most fundamental since 1948, where it brought all 17 agencies together under Homeland Security and one director to gather information to make us safer. This bill very critically supports the task forces, the joint terrorism task forces that are sharing information and protecting our citizens, and this bill approaches and focuses on cyber attacks, which are one of the most serious attacks that we have in our country now on the Pentagon and on financial institutions. Foreign countries are hacking into our information systems. This bill addresses that and focuses resources and oversight in that area. I congratulate this bipartisan effort. I consider it one of the most important bills that we have an opportunity to vote on, and I support it completely.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, our unemployed are hurting, and America's infrastructure is crumbling. It would seem morally indefensible and fiscally irresponsible not to take the opportunity to help solve one problem by addressing the other. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 14 million Americans are looking for jobs while the total number of job openings is just over 3 million. So if every single job is miraculously filled overnight, there would still be 11 million unemployed Americans looking for work and needing jobs. At the same time, all across America, there is work that urgently needs to be done. Our bridges, our roads, our schools, and other infrastructure are structurally deficient. The two most important responsibilities this Congress faces are keeping Americans safe and helping to create jobs. This is our chance to do both. Let's choose to build a stronger America through making it in America and building it in America with American workers.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, if this had been a clean vote to raise the debt ceiling, I would have supported it--as I have in the past, and as our nation has done 78 times since 1960. But this was far from a clean vote. The cuts were too large, there were no revenues, no plan for job creation, and thus it was an unbalanced approach to the deficit problem. Although cuts to Medicare and Medicaid were averted in the first round of cuts, the `sequestration trigger' included cuts to Medicare providers which would hurt my district, and ultimately Medicare recipients as well. What's more, making such large budget cuts now, in the midst of a struggling recovery would lead to a further loss of jobs--at a time when there are already five Americans out of work for every one job opening. This deal makes things worse; it would slow economic growth. The process by which this deal was reached was no less ugly. This issue was taken hostage by the most extreme parts of the Republican Party, who put forward non-negotiable demands, which is not how democracy works. By refusing to even consider closing tax loopholes and ending special-interest subsidies, the Republicans made clear who should pay for their extreme agenda: those who can least afford it. I will not be a party to a plan which is likely to hurt the interests of my district, my city and my country as it struggles to emerge from the worst economic crisis since the Depression.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce bipartisan legislation along with my colleagues on the Human Trafficking Caucus, Reps. Chris Smith and Jackie Speier. Most Americans are unaware that many of the goods they use each and every day have passed through the hands of a slave at some point. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor identified 128 goods from 70 countries that were made by forced and child labor. We write to invite you to join us in becoming an original cosponsor of the Business Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act, which will increase transparency in supply chains in order to remove slavery from business operations and products. The Business Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act doesn't tell businesses what to do, but rather to tell consumers what they are doing to end human slavery. This bill will help raise awareness for consumers who want to know where and how their goods are being made. While there are good actors, there are businesses operating in parts of the world that rely on enslaved humans to produce their products. We believe American consumers have a right to know who these companies are. This legislation creates a market-based solution rather than relying on prescriptive action by the federal government. Companies simply have to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) what they are doing to rid their supply chains of human slavery and post this information on their company Web sites. Consumers will be able to research a company and determine their purchasing decisions based on the information provided. Very simply, this bill creates competition to improve practices to end slavery by providing the public with information about what companies are doing to address slavery. Human trafficking is the slavery of the 21st century. It is estimated that nearly 12.3 million people are working in some form of forced labor worldwide. The International Labor Organization estimates that for every person trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation, nine people are forced primarily into labor exploitation. We must use every tool available to help these men, women, and children around the world who are enslaved. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, on July 30, I attended the service and funeral of a family member and missed rollcall vote 682. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 682, a bill to cut spending and maintain existing commitments.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am reintroducing an important piece of legislation, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act with my colleagues Mr. Meeks, Ms. Lee, and Mr. Serrano. The benefits of breastfeeding, to both mother and child, are significant. Scientific studies show babies who are breastfed the first six months of life have a greatly reduced risk for acute and chronic disease, yet only 10 percent of all infants in the U.S. are breastfed. A 2001 USDA study found that if just half of the babies in the U.S. were exclusively breastfed for six months (as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics), our Nation would realize a savings of $3.6 billion in health care costs for the three leading childhood illnesses alone. According to the United States Breastfeeding Committee, if we replicate that study based on current breastfeeding statistics, the savings could reach nearly $14 billion in health care costs for all childhood illnesses in a single year. I was so proud to partner with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to pass into law a provision of our bill, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act (H.R. 2819, S. 1744), in comprehensive health care reform legislation signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010. The provision requires that employers provide breastfeeding employees, who are hourly workers, with ``reasonable break time'' and a private, non-bathroom place to express breast milk during the workday, up until the child's first birthday. Our bill will build on our past successes and encourage and promote breastfeeding by removing common obstacles to breastfeeding and expressing milk in the workplace that many women face by: (1) amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding in the workplace, and (2) expanding the requirement under current law for employers to provide break time to express breast milk, as well as make reasonable efforts to provide a private place for them to do so, to salaried workers in traditional work or office environments. Public opinion and awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding continue to grow, and the momentum we've recently gained presents the perfect opportunity to build on that progress in achieving our goals. We urge all of our colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Presidential Dollar Coin Efficiency Act of 2011.'' This bill makes some changes to a law I was proud to cosponsor back in 2005, the ``Presidential Dollar Coin Act of 2005.'' At the time, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would reduce the deficit by $280 million over the life of the program. However, since the law has been in place, it is clear that demand for the dollar coins has not been as high as predicted. The Federal Reserve is now spending its resources to house excess coin stock that comes back to the reserve banks after they have been in circulation. The bill I am introducing today will address the problems of a lack of coordination between the Fed and Treasury and will remove some of the statutory restrictions in the law that keep the two agencies from running the program efficiently in an environment of lower demand. But the bill will maintain the program which numismatists, citizens, and businesses have invested in and which should continue. The bill seeks to make changes to the program that will allow it to function more efficiently with the goal of reducing the number of coins that have to be stored at the Fed. It will also require the Fed and Treasury to coordinate administration of the Presidential Dollar Coin program by: requiring the two agencies to come up with a plan to reduce excess reserves; eliminating the introductory period for unmixed coins; capping the number of coins that the Mint can produce based on numismatic demand from the year before; removing the requirement that the Mint spend money on marketing the coin; and moving up the reporting requirement under a law passed last year that gives the Mint the authority to research and develop new metals for coins. By removing some of the statutory constraints that were placed on the Fed and Treasury in the original law, I believe that this worthy program can continue in a more limited manner which will reduce excess coin stock being housed at the Fed. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.