Thad McCotter

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I appreciate that from the gentleman. I just want to be clear on this. As we put forward in the Republican House Policy pamphlet, We the People, which you can view at Republicanhousepolicy.com, the government doesn't spend what it makes. It spends what it takes. When the gentleman talked about how, if you started a business, you would have startup costs. You would not be able to go out to people and simply take their money and promise them a product later and talk about what a wonderful profit that you have. What we're seeing here is some of the worst of government accounting, where the government goes out and takes your money on the promise of something later and then it tells you that it isn't as expensive as it's going to be. I yield back.

Mr. McCOTTER. Will the gentleman yield for a point of order?

Mr. McCOTTER. I will ask the Chair, is there a House rule against product endorsement or placement in speeches that are delivered here in the Chamber?

Mr. McCOTTER. I withdraw the request.

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The sky-thigh, 40 percent surcharge on health plans, in an attempt to capture, ``Cadillac'' plans, which we from Detroit prefer to call Lexus plans. The government in the Senate passed a bill that would tax these plans. What they did was, they caught up a whole lot of working people who have collective bargaining agreements from employer-provided benefits. You can imagine that coming from a district like mine, an auto-based district of people who still make things for a living such as cars, this was a very unfair tax to them. It went against the express position of many people in the Democratic Party who, like myself--and I believe the gentleman from Ohio--oppose putting a tax on employer- provided health care benefits. We've recently seen where the unions had to go to the White House to try to stop this unfair tax from affecting people that they represent. I, for one Republican, am glad that the administration has shown a willingness to back off this tax because I wish everybody would not have to pay this tax. I wish they would go back to the drawing board and get it right. But it goes back to the fact that in the rush to pass this, in a haste behind closed doors to do this, they actually hurt the very working people that so many of us on both sides of the aisle have promised should never have their employer-provided health care benefits taxed. And if I may very quickly in one moment, I wish to answer your question about vending machines. It goes back to our earlier point. The government is tying your health to the cost to the government. They want to control what you eat because if you eat improperly, it costs them ``money.'' Now I will just remind people, if you don't want the government in your bedroom, you sure don't want them in your kitchen either.

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman. One of the fundamental concepts behind this great Nation is that all power is vested in the sovereign people. It is simply delegated to us, as their servants, to do the work of governance on their behalf. You cannot defy the people who sent you here. You cannot tell your employer who is giving a 2-year, 6-year or a 4-year contract that they don't know what they are talking about, that you know better than they do, and you will take their money to convince them of it over a period in time. I think that what we have to remember here, the true Achilles' heel is not the American public's lack of understanding about this. It is the Congress' arrogant defiance of the wishes of the American people that have commonsense solutions to problems that affect their daily lives, especially in a very difficult time of economic recession, with high unemployment, such as in States like mine, Michigan. When we think about this, it is a very fundamental proposition. Lincoln laid it out a long time ago. Whatever happened in Massachusetts and throughout this country, it's not anger. It's not just frustration. It's not vexation. It's the fact that the American people understand what's happening. They have the information, and they do not give their consent to this radical government-run health care bill that was passed by this House or by the Senate or is threatened to be passed again, because Lincoln was right: Why should there not be patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in this world? The answer remains no, and I would encourage my Democratic colleagues to heed their wisdom. I yield back.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman. Madam Speaker, a quick point that was raised by our esteemed colleague from Massachusetts about how President Clinton left 4 years of balanced budgets: It was with the assistance of a Republican majority in the Congress, which is an exceptional precedent, you'll remember, as we head to the polls in 2010. As we address this issue of raising the debt ceiling, let us be charitable in this, the giving season. Let us recall that, as the Democratic Party's argument today is ``the same but more,'' let us look at what they have tried to give the American people over the course of the past year for stocking stuffers. First, Americans got higher unemployment, higher spending, higher deficits, and higher taxes. Secondly, senior citizens got a $500 billion cut in Medicare. Terrorists got new rights, new trials, and new cells on American soil, and Federal Government bureaucrats got raises. I think that we should question our priorities and the direction in which we are taking ourselves before we decide to spend more money on this. It strikes me that it is very justifiable for the American people to watch this debate, to watch the debt ceiling be raised, and to come to the distinct conclusion that the Democratic majority in Congress has proven itself too costly and too crazy too quickly.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Michigan Division 1 State High School Football champions, the Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks. On November 27, 2009, the Shamrocks defeated a fine Sterling Heights Stevenson team 31-21. The victory earned head coach Tom Mach his 10th State championship in his 34 seasons leading the Shamrocks. The team's hard work, mental toughness, and burning desire epitomizes what it means to be a Shamrock molded by the Basilian Fathers and their mission to teach young men goodness, discipline, and knowledge. Truly this accomplishment is shared by the entire CC family. Madam Speaker, meeting the challenge with an undefeated record of 14- 0, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks upon winning their Michigan State football championship and for proving they are indeed men of Mary, Alma Mater, who inspires us evermore.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge Detroit Catholic Central Coach Tony Magni and the entire Catholic Central Shamrocks' Cross Country Team on their Division 1 State Championship. I am a proud graduate of Detroit Catholic Central High School. As a student, I learned how important it was to work hard, seek out knowledge, and fight for the less fortunate. I played sports at Catholic Central, so I know how important sports are in teaching our children the importance of teamwork and motivation. On November 7, 2009, at the Michigan International Speedway, Shamrock Ricky Galindo came in third at the race and led the Shamrocks all season. The Shamrocks suffered from several injuries early in the season, but Coach Magni never lost confidence in the team's ability to persevere in the end. Not surprisingly, Magni has won five cross country championships since 1983 and is known as an extraordinarily talented coach. Madam Speaker, Coach Magni and the entire Detroit Catholic Central Shamrocks cross country team worked tirelessly and productively to earn their state championship. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Coach Magni and the Shamrocks for reaching this milestone and recognizing the coach and team's contribution to the community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, as the health redistribution bill before us attempts to put its skid marks on history, it further proves Democrats are the party of the past. Their antiquated government-run takeover of Americans' health care is as ill-suited to our times as a leeching is to laser surgery. We do not live on a government-run globe. We live in a people-powered world, one belatedly awakening to America's revolutionary experiment in human freedom and self-government. Today, from the palms of our hands, we can traverse distant strands of Earth to access friends and goods. Why in the world would we put in the palm of a bureaucrat's hand our health care? Yet, this is precisely what the hoary voices of hidebound ideologues demand; namely, that our generation's innovation revolution and its unprecedented expansion of human empowerment be buried beneath big government. They are gravely mistaken. Amidst our constantly changing and challenging times during this age of globalization, our generation's innovation revolution is burying big government in the ash bin of history. Thus, the public and Republicans oppose the Democrat's fossilized model of a mammoth government-run takeover of Americans' health care. Instead, we embrace and harness our generation's innovation revolution to empower Americans as citizens and consumers and advance patient- centered wellness. Our plan will increase the supply of health care to meet rising demand and reduce costs through such sensible, affordable, and helpful reforms as ending exclusions for preexisting conditions, reforming medical liability laws, expanding Health Savings Accounts, allowing small businesses to band together to provide coverage for employees, permitting health insurance sales across State lines, and incentivizing preventative health care and wellness. All this can be achieved without trillions of dollars in new spending, taxes, deficit and debt, and without big government controlling your health care decisions. Trapped in the past, there are those who ignore behind closed doors the opportunities of our age. If Democrats impose their government-run takeover of health care on the American people, the consequences will be higher costs, lower quality, fewer choices, and lost jobs during this painful recession. But for those with an abiding faith in our free Republic's people and their future, there is a better way--maximizing America's innovation revolution to advance patient-centered wellness in our people-powered world. Pray we do.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, we do not live on a government-run globe; we live in a people-powered world. The massive, radical change that is presented by the health care bill brought forward by this majority constitutes the policies of the past. Within the communications revolution in the globalized marketplace, one thing is certain: human beings, at a greater extent than at any other time in history, are now able to control more of their lives and their own decisions. True health care reform must not resist these times; they must meld with these times. We need patient-centered wellness through transparency, technology, and a humane and compassionate understanding and help for our fellow citizens. This bill will not do it. Fundamentally, this bill will bury the American people beneath Big Government at the very time they have a greater chance of empowering themselves and making their own decisions. Let us go forward; let us not go backward.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the distinguished gentleman from New York. In fact, all truth be told, one of the reasons that I'm here is a conversation we once had. The gentleman, Mr. King, said to me, If John McHugh and I left Congress tomorrow, you probably wouldn't have a single good thing to say about either one of us. And I said, No, I would have a lot of good things to say about John McHugh, and I do. When you first come to Congress, it's a very daunting experience, and as you go on you find out that you are rightly daunted. This is a town where everything is a crisis, everything has to be done in a hurry. And yet there was always one person you could rely on to exemplify Hemingway's definition of grace under fire, which is, ``keeping your head when all those around you are losing theirs.'' John McHugh is the type of person who always could keep his composure and was always open to give you counsel, especially as a young Member of Congress, as to what was going on, why it wasn't always the end of the world, and the way that you could work in a principled, bipartisan fashion to get the job done. It was sad to see John go, we all know that. But we have all been enriched by our ability to work with him. Our country is certainly going to be well served by him as Secretary of the Army. As he left, I was reminded of something my father said--I can't say it's an Irish saying; my father was Irish, and he said it, but I don't know that anybody else ever did--he said, Son, as an Irish Catholic, there are three things you usually wind up: You can wind up a priest, you can wind up a teacher, or you can wind up a soldier, but under no, no circumstances should you ever wind up a politician. It is nice to see that at this late stage of his life, John McHugh has improved himself and gone on to leave this Congress and serve with the men and women who defend us. In closing, I would just like to say, Johnny, we did know ye. We will daily miss you, and we dearly love you. Godspeed in your new role serving our country. Thank you.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. In Michigan, the people know what the most important issue facing this Congress is: It's called jobs. My State has a 15.3 unemployment rate; it is expected to rise. And yet what we see in Congress is an unwillingness of the majority to listen to the concerns of the American people. They want this economy fixed; they want to provide for the livelihood of their families; they wish to pursue their happiness. And yet they watch a Congress that is willfully intent upon passing a partisan, government-run health care bill despite the voices of the American people. I suggest that if we are to restore sanity and prosperity to these uncertain times, that this Congress start to listen to the voices of their constituents and start to act accordingly. That is why we have a representative government.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to Congregation Beit Kodesh, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In 1958, a small number of intuitive individuals started hosting Shabbat services at the Clarenceville Central Elementary School. This same year, over 200 people attended High Holiday services at the Botsford Inn in Farmington. The following year, the Livonia Jewish Congregation was formally organized. Over the next few years, the Congregation met at several different locations until negotiation with the Jewish Welfare Foundation allowed them to move into the May and Samuel Cohn Building. Importantly, the Congregation has been served by three Rabbis over the years: Rabbi Nathaniel Steinberg (one year), Rabbi Martin Gordon (twenty-two years) and Rabbi Craig Allen (seven years). When no Rabbi is available, the lay people of the congregation carry out services. Currently, Rabbi Jason Miller, the associate director of the University of Michigan Hillel Foundation in Ann Arbor, is the Rabbinic Advisor. In 1990, the congregation officially changed its name to Congregation Beit Kodesh in order to recognize members who live throughout the Tri- County area. Two years ago, they combined efforts with Bet Chaverim and began to hold Sunday School classes and activities together at Congregation Beit Kodesh. Notably, students play an important role in these congregations. For example, students attend regular Bar and Bat Mitzvah classes and volunteer at Yad Ezra. In addition, they contribute actively in the community by participating in the Matzos Factory at the Junior Community College, the annual Penny Harvest, and assisting the elderly with various projects. Finally, the synagogue also has an active Sisterhood, which sends relief packages to our soldiers and seeks to advance tolerance in the community. In addition to being the only conservative synagogue in Western Wayne County, this distinguished congregation was the first in Metropolitan Detroit to elect a woman as president. While receiving very little financial assistance or recognition from the Jewish community, they remain very active and play an important role in the community. Madam Speaker, for fifty years, Congregation Beit Kodesh has stood as a tribute to the strong efforts of Metropolitan Detroit's Jewish community. As their members commemorate this tremendous milestone, they embody a legacy of distinction and determination. While observing their Jewish customs, this small but significant family synagogue will continue to contribute to the community. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating Congregation Beit Kodesh and recognizing their contributions to our community and country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman. I know we are heading toward the witching hour, so I will try to put some remarks in a very succinct fashion. First, I would like to point out some of the principles which undergird our position in support of the Honduran people. One is that we, as Americans, understand our self-evident right to liberty is from God, not the government, and no tyrant nor terrorist can interfere with it. We also understand, as Americans, that our security is from strength, not surrender, and that our greatest strength is the expansion of liberty to others to ensure freedom for ourselves. We also understand, as is painfully evident with Honduras, that the United States and all free people are targets of tyrants and terrorists, not because of our actions, but because of our existence. The existence of free people, the rule of law, the pursuit of one's happiness in accordance with one's inalienable rights is a threat to all tyrants and despots throughout the world, for their thrones are unstable in the presence of free people and oppressed people who are inspired by such examples. With the Honduras situation, we see crystal clear that the United States, in many ways in our foreign affairs, has gotten away from these foreign principles and the concepts. The danger, not only to our allies like Honduras, is great. I pose one example. Can this administration, for the edification of individuals like myself who may not grasp the intricacies and the genius of their foreign policy, explain one thing. What is the difference between women being shot in the streets of Iran for trying to be free and the difference between a constitutional democracy in Honduras following the rule of law to protect itself from a would-be tyrant? This administration said these situations are distinguishable, because in the instance of the Iranians' murderous regime, that is an internal affair for the Iranian people; yet, when the free people of Honduras through the rule of law in defense of their constitutional democracy exercised their means of self-defense, we are told that that is of the utmost interest to the United States and we must demand an outcome in accordance with our will and the will of the OAS, which now includes Mr. Fidel Castro, no fan of elections. Can you tell me why the freedom of the Iranian people is to be left in the hands of their murderers and why the freedom of the Honduran people is to be taken from theirs and put in the hands of butchers like Fidel Castro and others such as Chavez? I eagerly await a response, although I do not know that I will find it edifying, let alone satisfactory. I yield back.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, right now, people are fighting and dying for a free Afghanistan. They deserve an answer to the crux of the matter: Are we in to win? I believe we must be. My answer stems from a broad strategic vision focused by three fundamental principles: One, America's security is from strength, not surrender; two, our greatest strength rests in expanding liberty to the oppressed to ensure freedom for ourselves; and three, we are targets of tyrants and terrorists not because of our actions but because of our existence. Helping the Afghans free themselves from the Taliban's tyranny and al Qaeda's terrorism is a moral good unto itself. To retreat from or compromise this noble goal in the cause of human freedom will not only be a betrayal of the Afghans, it will endanger our own birth right as a free people. Our allies, our rivals, and especially our enemies will witness our lack of conviction; and, by so dishonoring ourselves, we will squander our allies' trust, lose our rivals' respect, and incur our enemy's emboldened depravities. Our primary nation-state enemy, Iran, imperviously continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to wield them. A defeat in Afghanistan will condemn generations yet born to the capricious terrorism of an Iranian regime protected by a nuclear umbrella. Alternately, victory in Afghanistan will further Iran's necessary containment by democracies opposed to terrorism. Unable to expand its sway, Iran's ability to coax our rivals into opposing sanctions and, worse, aiding its nuclear pursuits, will ebb and end; and, within its own borders, the regime will falter and, like the Soviet Union, ultimately implode between the weight of its own oppressed people's aspirations for freedom. Regarding Afghanistan particularly, General Stanley McChrystal has affirmed victory remains within reach. What form will it take? My view is the richly diversified people of Afghanistan desire a decentralized democracy that is opposed to terrorism and is engaged with their neighbors and allies. To this end, America, NATO, and the U.N. must renounce the recent fraudulent election and schedule a scrupulously monitored, honest election. This is essential to reassuring the Afghans that their nascent representative government and the coalition's intentions in their homeland are legitimate and benevolent. As this process proceeds at pace, we must make clear the new democracy's governing principle is local control. Every Nation, especially one as tribal as Afghanistan, has traditional roots of order springing from and connecting the individual and family to the local community and larger country. Without an enduring history of or trust in a centralized, bureaucratized rule from Kabul, only an explicit, enduring commitment to local control will soothe Afghans' resistance to their federal government's existence. Moreover, local control also intermeshes with coalition forces' counterinsurgency operation. Emulating General David Petraeus' brilliant counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, coalition forces must be increased to provide the force necessary to defeat the enemy's violence and intimidation of Afghans. As the security situation is stabilized, coalition forces and steadily increasing Afghan national police and army personnel must live amongst the people to facilitate sustainable local economic developments and democratic institutions. In sum, the coalition will separate Afghans from the enemy by concretely proving the moral and practical superiority of locally rooted democracy over nihilistic terrorism and tyranny. Importantly, reconstruction efforts must not be limited to Afghanistan. With the enemy infesting western tribal regions of Pakistan, the coalition must also engage with that nation's people and government in ``preemptive reconstruction.'' Rolling blackouts, food shortages, and other persistent problems affecting Pakistanis must be ameliorated at the national and, critically, the local levels. This will stop Pakistanis from viewing themselves as unwilling conscripts into a ``proxy army'' being used by the coalition; it will stabilize Pakistan's Government; it will demonstrate the coalition's commitment to the well-being of Pakistan citizens; and will empower the Pakistani army to more actively and effectively coordinate with coalition forces to eradicate the enemy's safe havens in their Nation--safe havens which, I note, constitute an existential threat to democracy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Surrounded by free Afghans and coalition forces, the enemy will be uprooted from its havens with nowhere to hide and will be crushed. This is the synopsis of the broader strategic context and immediate recommendations of those who support victory in Afghanistan. May we all ever remember America's greatest security as liberty, and let us pray the Obama administration supports General McChrystal's plan for victory so that we and future generations in this world never confront the prospect of a wider war and endless threat from abandoning Afghanistan.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Because of its prestige in the history of our Nation, the Presidency and its occupants are often envied. This view is erroneous, because within the Presidency comes the requirement to make painful, agonizing decisions between war and peace, between life and death. Many of its past occupants have said that it is the loneliest of places in the United States to be in that Oval Office when the weight of these demands fall upon your shoulders. Understanding this and empathizing with our President and fully understanding our role as the servants of the sovereign citizens who sent us here, we have to offer the President honest advice for his consideration in just such circumstances. I do so today. We have seen the report from the commanding General on the ground, General McChrystal, who was appointed by the President to implement the President's counterinsurgency strategy. I applauded that move. I applauded the President's willingness to go to a counterinsurgency strategy. We have of late seen tendered to the President the recommendations of General McChrystal as to how we can, yes, still achieve victory in Afghanistan. The report said that we can have a status quo and not achieve victory. We can have 40,000 troops and a full counterinsurgency effort--or we could have more than 40,000 and a full counterinsurgency--to win. The President is now faced with a momentous decision. The decision is whether we shall have victory or we shall have defeat, a defeat which, however disguised, as a withdrawal or otherwise, will be viewed by our enemies, our allies, and the Afghan people as a defeat. It is my sincere hope that the President supports and implements the General's request for at least 40,000 additional troops and a full counterinsurgency strategy so that the United States, their allies, and the Afghan people can be free. You see, within the context of this decision, the President must consider, obviously, the lives of our troops in the field, our allies in the Afghans. The President must weigh the consequences to our Nation and the world of a revanchist Taliban return to power, an emboldened al Qaeda, and the dangers that it imposes not only for the people of Afghanistan and the United States, but to Afghanistan's neighbors, such as Pakistan, and to our allies, who will continue to be the targets of terrorism, as will ourselves. In weighing this, he will also have to think about the honor of the United States, a Nation which throughout its history has posed a threat to tyrants and terrorists throughout the globe--not because of our actions, but because of our existence. It is our existence as a free people and a people large enough of heart to expand that liberty to others to defend it here for ourselves, that we have, throughout our history, faced challenges, both martial and ideological. Within the context of Afghanistan, a decision for a withdrawal that will constitute a defeat means that the United States of America will say to the people of Afghanistan: You will again be returned to the murderous regime of the Taliban. Women will be again treated as second class citizens. Children will again grow up in a culture of violence and hatred directed at other people, and the United States will have broken its word to them. Today, there are decisions even greater than the one the President faces being made. It is by our men and women in uniform, our allies in the Afghans, who every day wake up fully conscious and devoted to the cause of human freedom in Afghanistan, despite whatever the Taliban and al Qaeda and others may do to them. It is this type of decision, this type of bravery, this type of commitment to the God-given right to liberty that is possessed by every soul on this Earth that motivates ourselves and our allies in the Afghans. And I would urge the President that, in coming to your decision, you never forget that; that the strength of the United States is our willingness to sacrifice for the expansion of liberty to others to defend freedom for ourselves; that our security is from strength, not surrender; and that throughout our history and throughout the future of this free Republic we will never betray our word to oppressed peoples we have helped to come to emancipate, for in doing so we will betray our own birthright as free citizens and endanger our own security. Let us pray for our President as he makes this fateful decision and let us hope he comes to the right one--a victory in Afghanistan, a victory for the Afghan people, a victory for the cause of human freedom in our all-too-tortured world. I yield back to the gentleman from California.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia as they celebrate 50 years of serving the residents of southeastern Michigan. The hospital opened its doors in 1959 with 170 beds, 99 physicians, and 300 employees. Today, the hospital includes the innovative ``Our Lady of Hope Cancer Center,'' as well as a heart and vascular center, and an in-patient rehabilitation unit. An essential part of our community, St. Mary Mercy Livonia continues to provide superior comprehensive health care. Indeed in 2007, St. Mary Mercy Livonia received the Health Grades Clinical Excellence Award for the third straight year. Last year, the hospital was named a ``100 Top Hospital'' by Thomson Healthcare thanks to St. Mary Mercy Livonia's doctors, nurses, and staff who devotedly work to help and heal patients and their families. Mr. Speaker, St. Mary Mercy has served our community for over 50 years. I ask that we congratulate them on their devoted service in serving as a sanctuary for the sick and suffering of our community.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the extraordinary life of Judge James E. Mies, a retired Wayne Circuit Court judge, who passed away Monday at the age of 81. For almost 25 years, Judge Mies pursued truth and impartiality behind the bench and was well-regarded both as a lawyer and a judge. Judge Mies was a 1951 graduate of the University of Detroit law school and served in the Livonia law firm of Brashear and Brashear. In 1969, he was elected a district judge in Livonia. In 1981, Governor William Milliken named Judge Mies to the Wayne Circuit Court, where he served until his retirement in 1993. Judge Mies was perhaps best known for his handling of Wayne County's numerous asbestos lawsuits. Colleagues remembered him as, first and foremost, a decent man whose rulings were meticulously thought out. Outside the courtroom, Judge Mies was active in the Optimists, the Michigan Cancer Foundation and other civic organizations and in 1993, the Livonia City Council named a park in his honor. On September 21, 2009, Judge Mies passed away after a lengthy illness. A beloved husband and father, he is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary Patricia, his sons Edward, James, Gerald and Michael, his daughters Jean and Catherine (Diamond), as well as thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his son Thomas. The citizens of Wayne County were privileged to have been served by this erudite judge for a quarter of a century. Madam Speaker, Judge Mies is remembered as a philanthropist, mentor, and friend. As we bid him farewell, I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning his passing and honoring the contributions he made to society.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and pay tribute to the doctors, nurses, and the entire staff of St. Mary Mercy Livonia, as they celebrate 50 years of providing compassionate care to the citizens of my district. St. Mary Mercy Livonia was built in the tradition of the Felician Sisters, who were founded by the Blessed Mary Angela in Warsaw, Poland in 1855 as a ministry of healing and service. Her selfless dedication to her fellow citizens played an influential role in the creation of the hospital. St. Mary Mercy Livonia opened its doors in 1959 with 170 beds, 99 physicians and 300 employees and the hospital has developed extensively since its origin. Today, the hospital includes an innovative Our Lady of Hope Cancer Center, as well as a Heart & Vascular Center and an Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. The hospital is an essential part of our community and continues to provide caring and comprehensive health care. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to say the hospital has received various honors over the years. In 2007, St. Mary Mercy Livonia received the HealthGrades 2007 Clinical Excellence Award for the third straight year. Last year, St. Mary Mercy Livonia was named a 100 Top Hospital for 2007 by Thomson Healthcare. Congratulations to the talented and erudite doctors, nurses and staff who work tirelessly to improve the lives of countless numbers of human beings every day. St. Mary Mercy Livonia has had a long and distinguished history as a sanctuary for those who need quality care. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating St. Mary Mercy Livonia on its 50th anniversary and venerating the institution's dedicated commitment to the community and our country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor and acknowledge Mr. Edgar Hagopian, a compassionate humanitarian and public advocate who has worked tirelessly on behalf of his fellow citizens. Edgar grew up in metro Detroit. As a teen in the 1950s, he began working for his father, Haroutun Hagopian, who ran a cleaning business. Edgar worked hard under the leadership example set by his father. Buoyed by the devotion and support of his wife Sarah, the Hagopian Family of Companies grew and earned a reputation for excellence in business. Presently, Edgar serves as Chairman of the Hagopian Family of Companies, which encompasses Hagopian & Sons, Incorporated, Hagopian World of Rugs, Hagopian Cleaning Services, Incorporated, Hagopian Fire & Flood Services and The Ghiordes Knot. The Hagopian name has long been associated with carpet cleaning and fine Oriental Rugs and their cleaning slogan, ``expect the best, expect the purple truck'', can be heard over local airwaves daily. As 2009 marks the distinct recognition of 70 years in business, it is with great gratitude and appreciation that I recognize Edgar Hagopian. His leadership stands as a fine illustration of Southeast Michigan ingenuity and innovation. He has assertively fostered economic growth, created jobs and inspired hope in a state ravaged by mass unemployment. Additionally, Edgar has been involved in numerous charitable organizations and his generosity is well known throughout the community. Edgar and his wife Sarah have worked to promote Armenian culture and unite the metro Detroit Armenian community. They have worked to help build a stronger Armenia by bridging the cultural gap and bringing people of all ethnicities and traditions together. Mr. Hagopian has spearheaded both large and small projects, each with qualitative impacts felt across all spectrums of life. Moreover, he has long worked tirelessly to better inform people of the Armenian Genocide on both a local and national level. These efforts resulted in the passing of Michigan Public Act 558 (2002) ``Armenian Genocide Remembrance Days'' signed into law by Governor John Engler. Madam Speaker, Edgar Hagopian is a spirited political activist, caring benefactor, compassionate citizen and cultural icon whose generosity has shaped the lives of countless people in our community. We are all indebted to the countless sacrifices and contributions he has made to strengthen the social fabric of our society. He personifies a legacy of distinction. Madam Speaker, today, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Hagopian and recognizing his years of loyal service to our community and country.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, I quote: ``For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.'' Every April, we Michiganders heard Ernie Harwell recite these lines from the Song of Solomon from his broadcast booth; and we welcomed him and another season of Detroit Tigers baseball back into our homes. Ernie Harwell is not only a part of our culture; he is a part of our families. For 42 summers around radios and sand lots throughout Michigan and America, Ernie's voice embodied and expressed the grace, skill, triumphs and travails of the greatest of American games--baseball. Everyone either tried or knew someone who tried to mimic his legendary calls of ``long gone,'' ``he stood there like a house by the side of the road,'' or ``that foul ball was caught by a youngster from''--and on pins and needles we'd wait to hear from what city the lucky fan hailed. Of course, down inside we knew no one, including Ernie, knew where the fan was from, but it didn't matter. We knew where Ernie's heart was. It was and is with baseball and with us. But a heart as big as Ernie's is not confined solely to Detroit or to baseball. Across the country, generations of sports fans grew up listening to Ernie. He announced games for both NCAA and pro football teams; for the Masters golf tournament in his native State of Georgia; for the Major League Baseball All Star Game and World Series; for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and yes, for the Detroit Tigers, who, in gratitude and admiration, placed Ernie's statue in the main concourse at Comerica Park. Yes, Ernie is also a part of the Detroit Tigers' family, as Tiger Hall of Famer Al Kaline affirmed: ``Ernie is probably the most beloved person who has ever been in Detroit with the Detroit Tigers. He is loved by everybody and rightfully so. He's a great broadcaster, but an even better person.'' Yet while we and the Tigers and sports fans across the Nation embrace him, no one, of course, loves Ernie more than his wife of 68 years, Lulu, and their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. So blessed with their love and support, and faithful and thankful to God for bestowing this bounty upon him, Ernie now courageously faces the recent diagnosis that he is afflicted with incurable bile duct cancer. Viewing his condition not as an end, but as a beginning, Ernie says, ``Whatever's in store, I'm ready for a new adventure. That's the way I look at it.'' Madam Speaker, may we all honor this man, savor his company amongst us in the time God grants, and greet all of our lives' challenges with the faith, equanimity and dignity of Ernie Harwell.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, recently we have seen the end of Islam's 40-day period of mourning for the martyrs of freedom that were killed on June 20, Neda Soltan, Taraneh Mousavi. And what did the regime do in response? They prevented people from attending their grave sites. They removed people who wanted to lay flowers. And in the end, as reported by msnbc.com, Brigadier General Abdollah Araghi warned against any further gatherings: ``We are not joking. We will confront those who will fight against the clerical establishment.'' Yes, Mr. Speaker, they will fight against rape and murder, martyrs such as Neda and Taraneh. But the world will mourn these martyrs, and soon Iran and all the world will rejoice when these murderers are brought to justice and the Iranian people breathe free.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, I come from Michigan where we have a 15.2 percent unemployment rate. And the thing that we hear in Michigan is where are the jobs? We come to Washington and we now hear that we are going to have a radical socialization of America's health care system, that we are going to rush to misjudgment, that we will not allow the American people's voices to be heard over the August break so that their Members can come here and accomplish health care reform, not merely in a rush, but most importantly, correctly. When I go home this August, I would like to be able to converse with my constituents about the best way to do this in our hard-pressed State. And I know for a fact that they will want health care done right, and they will tell this body to stop the insanity and fix the economy and do the job we sent you to do.

Mr. McCOTTER

Mr. McCOTTER. Mr. Speaker, tonight I have introduced H. Res. 680, calling upon President Obama to retract and apologize for his remarks regarding the conduct of Cambridge, Massachusetts, police officer James M. Crowley, Jr. Mr. Speaker, I view this as a Presidential issue. After admitting his bias and inadequate grasp of the facts, the President nevertheless stated Sergeant Crowley had ``acted stupidly'' when carrying out his duties as a law enforcement officer. Subsequently, in a public remark, the President said that Sergeant Crowley had ``overreacted.'' On his part, Sergeant Crowley has steadfastly denied any inappropriate conduct. Mr. Speaker, this is the crux of the problem, and it is a situation patently unfair to Sergeant Crowley and his standing regarding potential legal and professional consequences. Therefore, I ask the President to retract his premature judgment, apologize for it, and allow the appropriate authorities to resolve this issue through due process. With my view, Kenneth E. Grabowski, legislative director of the Police Officers Association of Michigan agrees. I quote Mr. Grabowski: ``After admitting a bias against the police officer and an ignorance of the facts, the President used his bully pulpit to help a well-connected friend by unfairly accusing an officer of misconduct in the performance of his duties. It must not stand. If it does, what officer will be next?'' And I would add, what citizen will be next? Mr. Speaker, tonight I have also introduced H.R. 3347, the Freedom Trade Act, which applies human rights as a criterion of trade with the United States. Mr. Speaker, I believe H.R. 3347 is most timely, for today, in the Ronald Reagan Building, President Obama stated how ``the relationship between the United States and China will shape the 21st century, which makes it as important as any bilateral relationship in the world.'' On my part, I believe it is therefore imperative that this relationship be built upon a common and unbreakable commitment to every human being's God-given rights to liberty, including the rights of the free exercise of religion and speech and to the ability to form free and independent labor unions. That is why this bill is necessary. It will show all our potential partners throughout the world that the United States remains a beacon of freedom that will never forget Natan Sharansky's warning that ``how a government treats its own people cannot be separated from how that government could be expected to treat other countries.'' Mr. Speaker, with this I wholeheartedly concur.