Michael Michaud

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor those who served in the Korean War and their families. Today, we are on the floor of the House of Representatives to consider House Concurrent Resolution 212 to pay tribute to the veterans of the Korean War and to support the goals of the Year of the Korean War Veteran. I fully support this legislation and ask my colleagues to do the same. Fifty-three years ago, this country asked its citizens to defend the freedom of the South Korean people from an invading army and 1,800,000 Americans answered that call. Joined by twenty-one allied nations, under the banner of the United Nations, these brave Americans fought through some of the most terrible and horrific conditions in the history of warfare to protect the freedom of people in need. Fifty years ago a cease fire brought the fighting in the Korean War to an end and allowed our brave soldiers to be reunited with their waiting and anxious families. Sadly, not everyone made it back home. Over 36,000 Americans died during three years of fighting and we honor their memory today. Those that did return home were not greeted with the proper `welcome home' that had been given to veterans of previous wars. Korean War veterans were not shown the recognition, gratitude and honor they deserved. For their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom and liberty, the brave men and women who served in the Korean War became veterans of the `forgotten' war. There are over 22,000 veterans from the era of the `forgotten' war living in Maine, and I rise today to let them know that their bravery and sacrifice, and the bravery and sacrifice of their families will never be forgotten. I am pleased that the House is considering this important legislation. I fully support House Concurrent Resolution 212 to honor the veterans of the Korean War and their families and to recognize and support the goals and ideals of the Year of the Korean War Veteran.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in strong support of H.R. 1516, the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003. I would like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Evans for their leadership on the full Committee. I also want to recognize and thank Henry Brown, Chairman of the Benefits Subcommittee, for his good work and bipartisan efforts in working with me to craft this legislation and bring this measure to the House floor. I am pleased that in H.R. 1516 we are authorizing the establishment of five new national cemeteries according to the VA's most current burial needs assessment report. Our veterans who served and protected us deserve nothing less than a proper final resting place. Fortunately, the veterans in my district in Maine are not wanting for additional cemetery space thanks to a new state veterans' cemetery recently established in Caribou, ME. However, far too many communities are in need of a new veteran's cemetery. We must provide the resources to meet this need--It is our responsibility. Mr. Speaker, this is a sound measure. I urge all Members to support its passage.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis).

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis).

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today I am offering a motion to instruct conferees on the child tax credit. I want to thank my good friend, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), for her leadership in offering the first motion last night. Mr. Speaker, the recent tax bill neglected 12 million children in America's low-income working families by cutting them out of the child tax credit plan. According to the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, in my home district in Maine 21,000 working families were cut out. There were 34,000 children in those families. These are families who work hard, pay taxes, play by the rules and who are still left out in the cold. This is just plain wrong. It is wrong that the wealthier taxpayers will start getting their checks mailed to them next week, and these families will get nothing. I find it completely ironic that the Congress is going on vacation on the very day that 12 million children will be left behind on this child tax credit. Between the child tax credit and the Head Start bill that the House may consider in the coming weeks, the leadership of the House is delivering a one-two punch to these children and their families, and then they are turning around and skipping town. What a disgrace. What does the congressional leadership have against working families? Why is it that 34,000 poor children in my district in Maine are not good enough for them? Their tax bill gives $90 billion of tax cuts exclusively to millionaires. It would cost a fraction of that to fix the problem and extend child tax credits, but they cannot seem to find a dime for the people who work and who are poor. This motion to instruct does a simple few things. It tells the conferees to agree to the Senate language that provides for tax credit checks to be mailed immediately to low-income families. It provides that the tax credit be extended to personnel in combat zones in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. It provides assistance for the families of those who died in the Columbia shuttle disaster, and it ensures that this minimal cost is fully offset. The conferees could easily accomplish these changes and bring us a final bill within 2 days, which is what this motion calls for. The right thing for Congress to do is to pass this motion to pass a child tax credit and to give working families the tax relief that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the good gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) and would just comment that this is not politics. This is the exact same motion that that House passed on June 12. (Mr. BERRY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), who is a proven fighter for working families and has been a leader in the whole health care area as well.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry. Who gets to close?

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As I mentioned earlier, the right thing for Congress to do is to pass this motion, to pass the child tax credit, and to give the working families a tax relief that they deserve. A lot of people out there are hurting. There are certain areas actually in the State of Maine, labor market areas, where the unemployment rate is over 38 percent. When we look at other labor market areas, they are in double-digit numbers. Working families do need this tax relief. So I hope this body would support the motion. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to rule XXII, clause 7(c), I hereby announce my intention to offer a motion to instruct on H.R. 1308. The form of the motion is as follows: I move that the managers on the part of the House in the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1308 be instructed as follows: 1. The House conferees shall be instructed to include in the conference report the provision of the Senate amendment (not included in the House amendment) that provides immediate payments to taxpayers receiving an additional credit by reason of the bill in the same manner as other taxpayers were entitled to immediate payments under the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. 2. The House conferees shall be instructed to include in the conference report the provision of the Senate amendment (not included in the House amendment) that provides families of military personnel serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat zones a child credit based on the earnings of the individuals serving in the combat zone. 3. The House conferees shall be instructed to include in the conference report all of the other provisions of the Senate amendment and shall not report back a conference report that includes additional tax benefits not offset by other provisions. 4. To the maximum extent possible within the scope of the conference, the House conferees shall be instructed to include in the conference report other tax benefits for military personnel and the families of the astronauts who died in the Columbia disaster. 5. The House conferees shall, as soon as practicable after the adoption of this motion, meet in open session with the Senate conferees and the House conferees shall file a conference report consistent with the preceding provisions of this instruction, not later than the second legislative day after adoption of this motion.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as cosponsor of H.R. 2407.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, tonight the House of Representatives considered a plan that would supposedly create a Medicare prescription drug benefit. While some touted the plan as an innovative approach, the fact is that when you look past the smoke and mirrors, it turns out to be a very bad deal for Maine's seniors. In fact, the House plan could make the current situation for seniors a lot worse: it will do nothing to control rising prescription costs, it will jeopardize the traditional Medicare fee-for-service plan that seniors enjoy right now, it has a large gap in coverage that will force seniors to pay thousands of dollars out of their pockets, and it may cause employers to drop their health coverage. We all know that drug prices are spiraling out of control. Maine seniors are forced to take bus trips to Canada to buy affordable prescription drugs. Our best hope for getting affordable medicines to people is to lower prices--that is why Maine passed the innovative Maine Rx law, and that's why I introduced a national version of the bill called America Rx. Yet, the House legislation does nothing to control rising costs. In fact, this plan expressly prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from ever negotiating with drug companies for better prices. Pharmaceutical companies are reaping huge profits while seniors are often forced to choose between medicine and food. Furthermore, this plan doesn't guarantee a prescription benefit for seniors and it actually jeopardizes current Medicare coverage. The proposed benefit is entirely run by the private insurance industry and has no fallback provision of areas with no private plan. Without a fallback provision, there is no guarantee that private plans will be established in largely rural areas like Maine--so our seniors will be left in the cold. This has happened before with Medicare Plus Choice, and it is very likely to happen again, meaning that Maine's seniors would get nothing from this bill. In addition, this bill also contains a ``premium assistance'' provision that aims to phase out traditional fee-for-service Medicare and replace it with a voucher program. This is just another step toward total privatization of Medicare and the elimination of the only plan available to seniors in areas such as Maine--the traditional Medicare plan. Forcing seniors into private plans, and making them give up Medicare, is not the right approach--but that's what this bill would do. This bill also has a very large gap in coverage seniors would have to continue to pay a monthly premium, but would receive absolute no benefit fro drug costs between $2,000-$4,900. Having this kind of a gap in coverage is like telling people that their auto insurance doesn't cover accidents in June, July and August. Finally, and perhaps worst of all, there is a provision in this bill that does not allow for retiree coverage to count toward the out-of- pocket spending cap. It has been estimated that the bill passed by the House would result in up to \1/3\ of employers dropping their retiree coverage, the seniors who enjoy these plans would be forced into a Medicare plan with fewer benefits. The House should not pass a plan that forces seniors to lose what benefits they have. For all these reasons, groups from AARP to the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare have sharply criticized this plan. I supported a number of alternative bills that would address the problems with this plan and vastly improve the benefit available to seniors. Unfortunately, the leadership of the House was more concerned about pushing any bill through as quickly as possible than with providing a quality benefit for seniors, and they weren't willing to fix the serious flaws in the bill that could hurt seniors. In fact, the House leadership refused to allow even one real amendment to the legislation. I want to pass a real prescription drug benefit--but I would not vote for a plan that hurts Maine's seniors. I am disappointed with the legislation that was passed by the House, however the fight for a real Medicare benefit is not over. It is my hope that this legislation will be improved in the upcoming conference with the Senate. I will continue to fight to make sure that all Maine seniors receive an affordable and real Medicare prescription benefit.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 1460, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Benefits Improvement Act of 2003, which I am a proud co-sponsor of. I also would like to thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith); the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans); and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Benefits, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), for their work in bringing this important legislation to the floor. This bill includes several provisions related to veterans who are owners of small businesses or who aspire to be. I appreciate the efforts of the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo); and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez); as well as the staff of the Committee on Small Business for their assistance with those provisions. H.R. 1460 would authorize the use of VA education assistance to pay for nondegree and noncredit business courses at approved institutions. This will enable veterans to obtain educational opportunities that meet their small business goals. This legislation would also improve the ability of service-disabled veterans who own small businesses to do business with the Federal Government. As a member of both the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am pleased that we are considering this legislation to help service-disabled veterans to obtain government contracts. These men and women who have sacrificed so much for this country, they are disabled as a result of their service to our Nation. The least that we can do is to say if you own a small business, then you should have the opportunity to obtain contracts from the Federal Government. I am particularly disappointed about the number of service-disabled veterans who are obtaining Federal contracts. The number is already unacceptably small, and it has actually decreased over the past year. As Angela Styles of the Office of Management and Budget testified earlier this year, the Federal Government's record for contracts to service-disabled veterans is abysmal. This bill will help improve that record. Section 4 of the bill includes provisions from H.R. 761, introduced by the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), and by the chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). These provisions would allow servicemembers such as those seriously disabled during the Iraq War to obtain special adapted housing grants before being discharged from military service. These grants are available only to the most severely disabled veterans. Under current law, servicemembers with severe disabilities may have their hospital discharge delayed if, for example, they do not have a wheelchair-accessible home available. But we can speed up the process by giving them their assistance immediately. Since they will meet the requirements as soon as they are discharged, there is no reason to delay providing them with assistance while their discharge is pending. This is a sensible, cost-effective and humane provision. Section 5 of the bill would reinstate a particularly effective VA vendee home loan program, and I am puzzled as to what the reasons were for terminating such an effective, cost-saving program; and I am pleased that Congress is taking action to reinstate it. H.R. 1460 also includes a provision of H.R. 241, which removes the time limitation on accrued benefits paid to the families of veterans who died while a claim for veterans benefits is pending. I have veterans in my district in Maine with claims which have been pending for many years. I hope none of them passes away while waiting for a decision. Should they do so, I want their families to see the full retroactive benefit to which the veteran is entitled. I urge all Members to support this bill. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I note with sadness the passing of a long-time friend of this Nation's veterans and former chair of our committee, Bob Stump. Although I did not have the opportunity to work with Mr. Stump, I appreciate the legacy of bipartisan cooperation he has left with the Committee on Veterans Affairs, similar to the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith). I would like to extend my sympathy and that of all members of this body to his wife and his children. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, this week we are prepared to debate a Medicare prescription drug package. We are focusing all of our energy on trying to pay for expensive prescription drugs. But one important aspect of this debate is missing; that is, finding a way to make drugs less expensive to begin with. The fact is that drug prices continue to rise and are spiraling out of control, forcing more people to choose between medicine and food. Talking about paying for prescription drugs without talking about prices is like going to a grocery store telling them to fill up your cart and handing them a blank check. We are letting the company decide how much to charge and then we are proposing to have the government foot the bill. Last month, I met with a group of seniors in my district in Bangor, Maine who were on a bus trip to Canada so they could buy the medicine they need at a price that they could afford. And guess what they saved? Out of 18 senior citizens, they saved over $19,000, just by crossing the border. That is a crying shame. Like most Members of this House, I believe that expanding access to prescription drugs is one of the most important issues that we face. That is why I have taken the creative Maine Rx approach, which just received a favorable ruling from the United States Supreme Court, and brought it to this Congress. Earlier this year, in an attempt to make prescriptions more affordable for all Americans, I introduced H.R. 1694, the America Rx Act of 2003. America Rx uses the power of the free market to negotiate lower prescription prices for all Americans who lack adequate coverage, similar to what they do in the Veterans Administration. We are the only industrialized Nation that does not negotiate lower cost for prescriptions, and it is time for a change. Like Maine Rx, America Rx is a fresh approach that will not cost the taxpayers a single dime. This approach is simple, it is fair, and it works. It is time for America's seniors to gain access to affordable, lifesaving prescription drugs. We will be doing all Americans a disservice if we do not include ways to contain the cost in the upcoming debate.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the TAA health care tax credit rollback provision included in the Taxpayer Protection and IRS Accountability Act. Make no mistake, I support taxpayer protection and IRS accountability. But something is wrong, rotten in Congress today. Why would the House leadership try to slip in such a harmful provision in a noncontroversial bill? It is clearly a sneaky attempt to destroy workers' protections and help leverage big insurance companies' profits. There is no doubt this unpopular provision would never survive unless it was tucked into a popular bill such as this. This measure would strip away the protections for dislocated workers and allow insurers to cherry pick healthy workers and exclude those who are older or in poor health, those who need the coverage the most. Many dislocated workers in Maine are currently enrolled in this program. Our State has been among the first approved program in the Nation. These hard-working men and women have lost their jobs; they deserve some type of health care protection. I would ask the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton) to reconsider this provision. There are some areas in the State of Maine where unemployment is over 32 percent. There are other areas abutting that high-labor market area with double digit employment numbers because we are getting killed by imports because of our trade agreements. Granted, this is a 65 percent tax credit. However, when you are on unemployment, you have mortgage payments to make, automobile payments and health care payments. To come up with the employees' share, it is difficult. I hope Members oppose this bill until the TAA health care tax credit rollback provision is excluded.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, the recent tax bill carelessly neglects 12 million children in America's low-income working families by cutting them out of the child tax credit plan. I asked the House Committee on Government Reform to investigate what this would mean to the State of Maine. They found that in my home district, 21,000 working families will receive no benefit. These are families who work hard, pay taxes, play by the rules, and who were still left out in the cold. Cutting these people out was just plain wrong. That is why I have introduced the Working Family Tax Credit Act of 2003, along with my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). This bill will fix the problem and assure that all working families get some benefit. In a tax bill that gives $90 billion of its tax cut exclusively to millionaires, making sure that working families who make $25,000 a year should be able to get some tax relief is the least this Congress can do.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with you the wonderful story of Toni Orestis and her lifetime of achievement. Marois Restaurant, a Lewiston landmark since 1919, is closing on May 31, 2003. Started by Antoinette Marois Orestis' grandfather, carried onby her father Leon, and now run by Toni for more than 35 years, Marois is a first class restaurant that has anchored the downtown area of Lewiston for almost 85 years. Marois started as a lunch counter business and expanded over the decades into the full service restaurant that it is today. During the Second World War, the restaurant was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, feeding the shipbuilders and other workers involved in supporting the war effort from home. When Lewiston and Maine had a need, Marois was always there to meet it. Toni started working in the restaurant at the age of thirteen. She and her three sisters worked for their grandfather and father all through the years. In fact, no one knows the restaurant business better than Toni. Throughout the past 65 years she has performed every role, from starting as a helper, to becoming a server, then cook, and now owner and executive. Toni and Marois are an example of downtown Lewiston at its finest. Along with her remarkable work ethic and business acumen, Toni has also been there for so many people in the community. From baptisms to bar mitzvahs, from weddings to anniversaries, from office and retirement parties to Christmas parties, and yes for funerals too, Toni is always there with wonderful food and hospitality. So many people remember fondly the food, the dessert cart, the French and Greek menus, the formal and correct table service, but most of all, the genuine and generous personality that is Toni Marois Orestis. No one ever went away hungry and everyone went away with a smile. Now Toni, at 78 years young, is finally retiring. When asked if she wanted to keep working, she said ``Yes, but part time, maybe 35 or 40 hours a week''. That is the true mark of dedication; a life lived purposefully and well. Mr. Speaker, please join me and the residents of Lewiston in congratulating Toni Orestis on her retirement and thanking her for all she has done for her community.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. I am pleased that the House has taken up the extension of the unemployment benefits tonight. The unemployment in my congressional district is a glaring 30 percent in the Millinocket and East Millinocket labor market area, 13 percent in the Calais labor market area, 12 percent in the Jonesport labor market area, and the list goes on and on. Mill after mill are either shutting machines down or closing their doors completely. As far as the Statewide unemployment, it is in the single digits. But as far as the northern part of the State, as I mentioned, it is over 30 percent in some of the labor market areas. It is not as if you could drive an hour away or so to go to where there is low unemployment. You have to drive about 6 hours away. The aid we deliver tonight is desperately needed, but, Mr. Speaker, we can do so much more. We should be voting on a bill like H.R. 1652, the Rangel bill, of which I am a cosponsor. The bill would extend benefits by 26 weeks and give an additional 13 weeks for unemployed workers who have exhausted their benefits. This would help the 2,700 workers in Maine who have exhausted their benefits and who would be left behind, because this bill would not consider them tonight. These are people who are left stranded by the economic downturn, jobless through no fault of their own, and are desperately looking for work but cannot find the work. For those who do not know, I have worked in a mill, paper mill, over 30 years in northern Maine. I know what it is like to lose your job. These neighbors, they are neighbors of mine, they are family, and they are friends. They do not want a handout, but, with no other recourse, they do need a helping hand. Until we get this economy moving again and providing new jobs, instead of the 2 million jobs that we have lost over the couple of years, they will need this help desperately. But we can do much better for my constituents and people across this country, so I urge that we amend this bill to increase the unemployment compensation.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1257, the Selected Reserve Home Loan Equity Act, and I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for their leadership on this issue. H.R. 1257 would make the home loan program for members of the Selected Reserve permanent. Currently the program is scheduled to expire as of September 30, 2009. In 1992, the Congress granted eligibility for VA home loans to persons who served in the Selected Reserve, including the National Guard. This benefit is a useful recruiting and retention tool. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would also equalize the fees charged to members of the Selected Reserve and active-duty veterans for VA home loans. Currently, qualifying members of the Selected Reserve are charged a higher funding fee than other veterans. According to VA, members of the Selected Reserve have a lower foreclosure rate than other loan guarantee beneficiaries. This higher rate is not justified. Mr. Speaker, in recent years our Guard and Reserves have been increasingly called upon to participate on active duty for lengthy periods of time. As the recent military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq clearly demonstrate, the Selected Reserve is an integral part of America's total force. Clearly, reservists have earned the right to receive equal lower fees with other veterans. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 1257. This legislation will assist the many members of the Guard and Reserves living in my home State of Maine. I fully support H.R. 1257 and urge my colleagues to pass this measure.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the ranking member for yielding me this time; and I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1683, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2003. I would like to thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for their leadership on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Mr. Speaker, I fully support H.R. 1683 and am proud to be an original cosponsor of this measure. This legislation would provide important cost-of-living adjustments to the rates of disabled compensation payments for veterans with service-connected disabilities. Mr. Speaker, this bill would also increase the rate of dependency indemnity compensation for survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans. As in the past, the percentage would be equal to the increase for benefits provided under the Social Security Act, which is calculated based upon the change in the Consumer Price Index. Mr. Speaker, our veterans and their survivors deserve the full and fair benefits of a grateful Nation. By providing this modest cost-of- living adjustment, we take a small step in the right direction. But we must continue to ensure that our veterans' earned benefits remain at a respectable level. Our veterans and their families deserve more, and we must continue to fight for their well-being. This bill will help many veterans and their family members to keep pace with the rising cost of living. Mr. Speaker, I know that veterans and their survivors from my State of Maine will appreciate the efforts of our committee to bring forth this legislation. I fully support H.R. 1683 and urge my colleagues to pass this measure.

Mr. MICHAUD

Mr. MICHAUD. Madam Speaker, I stand before my colleagues today to call on this Congress to pass an extension of unemployment benefits immediately. Just listen to the unemployment numbers from labor market areas in my congressional district; they are glaring: 30 percent in the Millinocket and East Millinocket area, 13 percent in Calais, 12 percent in Jonesport-Millbridge, 11 percent in Dexter-Pittsfield, 11 percent in Machias-Eastport. The fact is behind those figures are real people and real families, and they go to bed every night with the uncertainty that hangs over their beds. As a mill worker in northern Maine myself for nearly 30 years, I know the stories of those who have lost their jobs. I know the people. They are my neighbors, they are my friends, they are my relatives. They are the very men and women whose hard work fueled a decade of economic expansion, which they barely enjoyed, and they have now become the victims of a fallen economy. The Federal Government reported that 8.8 million Americans are out of work and that our country's unemployment has risen to 6 percent. Over the past 2 years, the economy has lost over 2.7 million private sector jobs, and our economy has suffered a net loss, on average, of more than 74,000 jobs a month. In Maine, over the last 8 years, we have lost over 22,000 manufacturing jobs alone from companies like Georgia-Pacific to Dexter Shoes to Fraser Paper Company to Great Northern Paper Company to Hathaway Shirts to Foster Manufacturing, just to name a few. Almost every week my office receives news of yet another company that has shut its doors or has laid off people. By the end of May, over 2,700 workers in Maine will have exhausted their benefits, and 10,600 workers in Maine could be helped by an extension, not to mention the nearly 4 million jobless Americans. How can this Congress turn its back on them? An extension would also do much more than provide just aid. At a time when we are trying to get this economy moving again, putting money in the hands of people who will spend it on consumption is one of the best investments that we can make. According to an independent research group, each dollar devoted to UI extension would boost the economy by $1.73. By contrast, each dollar that is connected with the tax reduction dividends would boost the economy by just 9 cents. I think the choice is very clear. But, despite these facts, last Friday this House passed a so-called recovery plan that is centered around reducing taxes on capital gains and dividends. Madam Speaker, 94 percent of the people in my district will get an average tax cut totaling only $52 from the cuts on capital gains and dividend taxes. How will that plan put money in their hands to spend and consume so they can stimulate the economy? How will this help get them jobs? After nearly 30 years working in a paper mill, I know what working people need, and the bill that was passed last Friday will not help working people at all. It will not help the people in Millinocket, Jonesport, Dexter or Bangor. By contrast, an alternative plan that I supported would actually deliver billions of new tax relief. It would give incentives so companies will hire the long-term unemployed, it would deliver $44 billion in aid to struggling States like Maine, and it would also extend unemployment assistance to those struggling to find a job. This would deliver over 1.1 million new jobs. We could do all of this in 10 years at zero cost, nothing; no additional budget deficits, no more borrowing from Social Security. This is the best course for the State of Maine. This is the best course for America. So let us take the first step, and that first step is we must pass an unemployment insurance extension today so those areas with high unemployment such as 30 percent unemployment in the Millinocket area will be able to benefit and get the economy moving again.