Jan Schakowsky

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would like to ask my friend, Mr. Whitfield, since we're now talking about mercury or methylmercury, if the amendment that I offered read, instead of the way it does, ``If Congress finds that mercury released into the ambient air from industrial boilers and waste incinerators becomes a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant's brain''--because that's what happens. The mercury, if you want to pick the semantics of it, becomes methylmercury--then we could make it that way.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Instead of saying that the mercury that's released is a potent neurotoxin, I say, ``becomes a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant's brain,'' because that is the science. That's what happens.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Last week I offered an amendment that gave us the opportunity to demonstrate that we are aware of the impacts of our actions. We failed to take advantage of that opportunity, and today we have another chance, and I hope we will take it. My amendment simply includes in the findings section of the bill, creates a findings section, if you will, the scientific fact that mercury released into the ambient air from industrial boilers and waste incinerators is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant's brain. That's what the amendment says. It inserts the following section into the findings, and it says the Congress finds that mercury released into the ambient air from industrial boilers and waste incinerators addressed by the rules listed in section 2(b) of this act is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant's brain. Mercury is one of the most harmful toxins in our environment. Forty- eight tons of mercury is pumped into our air each year, threatening one in six women nationwide with dangerous levels of mercury exposure. Pregnant women, infants, and young children are most vulnerable to mercury poisoning, which harms a developing child's ability to walk, talk, read, write, and comprehend. Developing fetuses and children are especially at risk, as even low- level mercury exposure can cause adverse health effects. Up to 10 percent of U.S. women of childbearing age are estimated to have mercury levels high enough to put their developing children at increased risk for cognitive problems. During the debate on my mercury findings amendment last week, my friend Mr. Whitfield stated, ``The scientific understanding of mercury is certainly far more complicated than is reflected in this finding that asks to be included in this bill.'' I really don't know what he finds so complicated. The science is very straightforward. In 2000 the National Academy of Sciences issued a report on the toxic effects of mercury. Over and over, the report details the toxicity of mercury in very stark terms. ``Mercury is highly toxic. Exposure to mercury can result in adverse effects in several organ systems throughout the lifespan of humans and animals. There are extensive data on the effects of mercury on the development of the brain in humans and animals.'' High-dose exposures can cause ``mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, and blindness'' in individuals exposed in utero, and sensory and motor impairment in exposed adults. ``Chronic, low-dose prenatal mercury exposure from maternal consumption of fish'' has been associated with impacts on attention, fine motor function, language, and verbal memory. Overall, data indicate that ``the developing nervous system is a sensitive target organ for low-dose mercury exposure. ``Prenatal exposures interfere with the growth and migration of neurons and have the potential to cause irreversible damage to the developing central nervous system.'' What is so complicated about that? The EPA industrial boiler and waste incinerator standards would reduce this major threat without undue burden to industry. The legislation we consider today will block EPA's efforts. It will send EPA back to the drawing board with new, untested, and legally vulnerable guidance for setting air pollution standards. And most troubling, it will indefinitely delay any requirement to actually reduce pollution from industrial boilers and waste incinerators. The gentleman said there has to be an end date. This legislation says there doesn't have to be an end date. My colleagues across the aisle talk a lot about not wanting to burden the next generation with debt. Where is their concern with burdening the next generation with reduced brain capacity? But even considering the very serious policy differences we have today, my amendment should be noncontroversial. It would not alter the goals or the implementation of the pending legislation. It simply recognizes what scientists and the public health community tell us about mercury. We will never be able to bridge our policy differences if we can't even agree on basic facts of science. H.R. 2250 patently ignores the scientifically proven fact that mercury exposure inhibits brain development, especially in infants. If we are prepared to pass legislation that would jeopardize the health of children, we should be willing minimally to acknowledge the scientific fact that EPA inaction poses a serious health risk. Last week we failed to meet our obligation to recognize the consequences of our actions. Let's not repeat this mistake. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment that simply puts a scientific fact into the legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Thank you, Madam Chair. My amendment is simple. It would include in the findings the scientific fact that mercury released into the ambient air from cement kilns is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant's brain. Let me just read the finding from my amendment. It says, ``The Congress finds that mercury released into the ambient air from cement kilns addressed in this act is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the development of an infant's brain.'' That is just fact. This is not up for debate. That is just a fact and should be acknowledged in the legislation, that mercury is one of the most harmful toxins in our environment. Forty-eight tons of mercury is pumped into our air each year, threatening one in six women nationwide with dangerous levels of mercury exposure. Pregnant women, infants, and young children are most vulnerable to mercury poisoning, which harms a developing child's ability to walk, talk, read, write, and comprehend. Developing fetuses and children are especially at risk to even low- level mercury exposure that causes adverse health effects. Up to 10 percent of U.S. women of childbearing age are estimated to have mercury levels high enough to put their developing children at increased risk for cognitive problems. Cement kilns are among the largest sources of airborne mercury pollution in the United States, and there is existing technology right now that would prevent that. When mercury is pumped into our air, very often it ends up in bodies of water and is ingested by fish. Mercury- contaminated fish are found in almost every American body of water, and eating contaminated fish is the dominant cause of mercury exposure in people. This is a serious problem in my home State of Illinois. In April, Environment Illinois issued a report showing that the amount of mercury in the average sport fish tested in 36 counties exceeds the EPA safe limit for regular consumption. Due to this contamination, the Illinois Department of Public Health warns women and children to limit their consumption of fish. Illinois is not unlike other States. According to the EPA, nearly every fish nationwide contains mercury. The EPA actually advises women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant to eat no more than 12 ounces of any fish per week, and to eat limited or no amounts of fish that have high mercury content. That advisory has also been issued for infants and children. That's because we know beyond any scientific doubt that mercury inhibits brain development in the fetal and early childhood development stages. EPA analysis and peer-reviewed studies show that mercury leads to increased incidence of neurological disorders, increased incidence of learning disabilities, and increased incidence in developmental delay. The EPA cement plant standards would reduce this major threat without undue burden to industry. The standards will lower the mercury exposure of more than 100,000 women of childbearing age in Illinois whose blood mercury levels exceed the recommended limit. When fully implemented, EPA estimates that mercury emissions from cement kilns will be reduced by 92 percent. The legislation we consider today will block EPA's efforts. It will send EPA back to the drawing board with new untested and legally vulnerable guidance for setting air pollution standards. My colleagues across the aisle talk a lot about not wanting to burden the next generation with debt. Where is their concern with burdening the next generation with reduced brain capacity? H.R. 2681 patently ignores the scientifically proven fact that mercury exposure inhibits brain development, especially in infants. If we are prepared to pass legislation that would jeopardize the health of children by increasing mercury emissions, we should be willing to acknowledge the scientific fact that EPA inaction poses a serious health risk. The previous speaker, my colleague from Illinois who spoke, said we have different philosophies. I hope not. I hope we agree that it is a rightful function of government to say that we don't want to overburden industry but we do want to say that our job is to protect the health and safety of the people of the United States, and mercury is a danger that is proven. I urge my colleagues to support this simple amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, Republican leaders have made the laughable accusation that the President is engaging in class warfare. What President Obama is actually doing is ending class warfare, the relentless war on the middle class. Since 1983, over 80 percent of the growth in income has gone to the richest 5 percent of Americans, while the bottom 60 percent has lost 7.5 percent in income, of real income. That's the majority of Americans that are doing worse. When I was growing up, a family could live a middle class life on one good job, often a good union job, public or private sector, with health benefits and a pension. That was the normal. Seems like the new normal in America, the one that I see the Republicans promoting is the rich get richer, the middle class is disappearing, and the poor get even poorer. We need to enact bold laws like the President's American Jobs Act and common sense and fair budget proposals, both of which would help restore the middle class, protect the poor, and keep America strong.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the end of the discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and to celebrate that qualified men and women who have the desire to serve their country can no longer be denied simply because of sexual orientation. Don't Ask, Don't Tell limited the ability of our armed forces to recruit and retain talented Americans. Hundreds of men and women with critical abilities, including language skills, have been discharged under this policy. Meanwhile, many of our closest allies have demonstrated that allowing open service does not harm unit cohesion or military performance. Most importantly, Don't Ask, Don't Tell institutionalized discrimination in our military. It was a policy that forced men and women to lie about their identity in order to serve their country. As of this week, no one is prohibited from serving the country they love because of whom they love.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The majority's assault on clean air continues and has culminated into what my friend and colleague, Mr. Waxman, has rightly referred to as Dirty Air Week. The effort to further delay EPA from protecting our air would damage our environment and the health of our citizens. Today, 60 percent of Americans live in areas where air pollution has reached unhealthy levels. The health care costs associated with air pollution are estimated at over $100 billion annually. But these statistics would be even worse without the protections of the Clean Air Act. According to the American Lung Association, Clean Air Act regulations prevented over 160,000 premature deaths in 2010. Over the past 20 years, the EPA estimates that the Clean Air Act prevented 21,000 cases of heart disease, 672,000 cases of chronic bronchitis, 843,000 asthma attacks, and 18 million child respiratory illnesses. Yet today we consider a bill the Natural Resource's Defense Council has deemed the deadliest bill on the Republican agenda. The goal of the TRAIN Act is to undermine EPA's ability to protect our citizens from dangerous toxins through the dismantling of the Mercury and Air Toxics and Cross-State air pollution standards. As a mother and a grandmother, I have been a long-time advocate of clean air practices, especially with regard to mercury. Mercury threatens public health, but is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and children. Overexposure to mercury inhibits a developing child's ability to walk, talk, read, write, and comprehend and is one of the most dangerous unregulated toxins, which is why I led legislation in the last Congress to curb mercury emissions from various facilities. In my home State of Illinois, coal-fired power plants emitted almost 5,000 pounds of mercury into the atmosphere in 2009, making Illinois the seventh most mercury-polluted State in the Nation. But while Illinois has taken steps to reduce mercury contamination, air pollution doesn't stop at State borders. Federal standards are needed to ensure that every State makes a good-faith effort to protect its residents. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will prevent 4,500 cases of acute bronchitis and 6,800 premature deaths. And the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will prevent 400,000 cases of aggravated asthma and 34,000 deaths per year. My colleagues across the aisle claim to be in the business of eliminating burdens. But by my math, every year these regulations are delayed, over 40,000 preventable deaths will occur. And as much as Republican opponents to the EPA would like to disagree, these rules, like the previous Clean Air Act regulations, will grow our economy. Earlier this year, the Political Economy Research Institute concluded that the Cross-State and Mercury and Air Toxics rules will drive investments that could create 300,000 new jobs annually. The Mercury and Toxics Air Standard alone is expected to generate $7 billion in annual GDP growth. The numbers are clearly in favor of the Clean Air Act and I reject the Republican idea that Americans need to choose between jobs and health. The proven good news is that we can do both.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I want to thank you so much, Mr. Deutch, for organizing tonight's Special Order. Today, President Barack Obama clearly restated the U.S. commitment to negotiated peace and protection of human rights. In his remarks to the General Assembly of the United Nations, the President emphasized the importance not just of peace but of human dignity and economic opportunity. In particular, President Obama again demonstrated that he is a true and steadfast friend of Israel and reiterated that ``America's commitment to Israel's security is unshakeable, and our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring.'' Like the President, I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution. I look forward to a future in which a Palestinian state exists in peace alongside the Jewish State of Israel. But as the President emphasized at the U.N. today, a genuine, true, and lasting peace can only be reached through negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves. I strongly support the President's diplomatic leadership and efforts to convince the Palestinians and their international allies to abandon efforts to use the U.N. to bypass negotiations with Israel, and I join him in urging them to return to the talks with the Israelis. While we acknowledge that the conflict will not be resolved easily and that it will require difficult sacrifices from both parties, it is only through direct peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves that a lasting solution can be found. There can be no substitute for such negotiations. As the President stated today in New York, ``Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations.'' In his speech today, the President recognized the legitimate desires of the Palestinian people for a state with recognized borders and opportunities for economic growth. I share his commitment to working toward that goal. But, as he also emphasized, any peace agreement must acknowledge and address the ongoing security threats faced daily by Israel and the Israeli people and be based on a recognition that Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people. Instead of appealing to the U.N., the parties simply need to return to the table. A lasting peace cannot and will not be imposed by any external party. It must be reached by the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves, with regional and international support, including that of the United States of America. The Palestinians should abandon this effort at the United Nations. Our allies should stand with the State of Israel and a real peace negotiation. That means the Palestinians have to return to the bargaining table. I thank you, Mr. Deutch.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1852, the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Support Reauthorization Act. The future of pediatric health care cannot be compromised. As a supporter of the original legislation that established the CHGME program, and a cosponsor of H.R. 1852, I believe we must provide all the resources needed to guarantee that children's hospitals can continue to provide quality and timely care to their patients. As a mother and grandmother, I know how important it is for families in the Chicagoland area to know that Children's Memorial Hospital is there for them. Support for physician education and training is essential to ensure patient access to care. Multiple expert bodies have identified a need for more pediatric subspecialists and have recommended expansion of medical education for pediatrics. In a letter to members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, the National Association of Children's Hospitals wrote that ``thanks to CHGME, children's hospitals have enriched their training experience by providing greater community-based opportunities in underserved urban and rural areas. This has increased access to care and the likelihood that residents will practice in medically underserved areas.'' The funding from the CHGME program helps to ensure that children have access to the trained professionals they need. CHGME currently provides funding to 56 hospitals in 30 states to support pediatric residency training. Today, freestanding children's hospitals train over 40 percent of pediatricians, 43 percent of pediatric specialists, and most pediatric researchers. Taking care of the health needs of children must be a top priority-- we cannot afford to jeopardize their well-being and future. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1852, doing so will help to ensure that children have access to the trained pediatricians they need.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2587, which is a misguided attempt to intervene in an ongoing labor case and which has much broader and serious consequences for American workers and American jobs. Last April, the National Labor Relations Board general counsel issued a complaint in response to a petition alleging that Boeing Corporation had located an aircraft production line in South Carolina. The charge is that Boeing made the move to retaliate against Washington state union workers who had exercised their legally-protected rights. The April complaint didn't result in a final outcome--it just sent the case to an independent administrative law judge who is now considering arguments and evidence from both sides in the dispute. Even if the judge finds that Boeing did discriminate against workers for exercising their legal rights, Boeing could still argue that it would have made this business decision anyway or that moving production back to Washington state would impose an undue burden. The bill before us is a response to a case that has not even been decided and where the burden of proof is high. Congress--which passed the laws under which the case is being adjudicated--should not intervene to determine the outcome of this ongoing judicial proceeding. More than that, Congress should not pass a bill with impacts that would go far beyond the Boeing case and allow companies to ignore labor laws by shipping jobs not just to another state but to another country. In the past, the National Labor Relations Board has acted to prevent companies from shipping jobs to countries like Mexico in order to avoid legal organizing efforts by American workers. Such actions would be impossible if this legislation were to become law. Union workers who want to use legally-protected rights to improve workplace safety or to maintain middle-class wages and decent benefits could see their jobs shipped overseas--away from an American economy that is in desperate need of more jobs, not fewer. By creating these disincentives, H.R. 2587 would encourage a ``race to the bottom.'' Even the threat of a plant shutdown would be a significant disincentive to workers, who would have no remedy to ensure enforcement of their legal rights. Workers could face a Hobson's choice--either exercise legally-protected rights and risk their jobs being shipped overseas, or forgo those rights and accept jobs that may come with low wages, inadequate benefits, and dangerous working conditions. Rights are not rights unless they are enforceable. Workers will not have a voice at work if any time they seek to speak out, they can see their jobs disappear to another country.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. These are jobs that can be created right away. I'm from the Midwest, so we actually have a construction season; but for fixing schools, you can do that around the year, around the calendar. We can put these people to work within a few months. They can be on the job, earning money. This is such a sensible program.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. The sign you have there says that poor conditions of their schools interfere with students' learning. So we are also depriving our children of that sense of pride that will motivate them to be good students, to learn, to be ready to take over in this 21st century job market.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. May I say one more thing about it?

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Let me add a personal twist to all of this about jobs. When I grew up in Chicago--I was the daughter of a furniture salesman and a Chicago public schoolteacher--the American Dream was alive and well. On my dad's modest income, we could afford a little house in a quiet, middle class neighborhood. Back then, a man could work in the steel mills on Chicago's South Side--one good union job with family health care benefits and a decent pension--and really live a middle class life. The family could own a home and buy a car and even send the kids to college. That was the 1950s, and anything seemed possible if you were willing to work hard. Incomes were going up for everyone. Income inequality was shrinking, and Americans were experiencing the greatest growth in living standards in history. For most working families, that American Dream was in reach, and that was the normal. But today, after decades of attacks on organized labor, the passage of tax policies that favor wealthy individuals and corporations, the growing disparity of income, the squandering of a budget surplus, and the turning of a blind eye to Wall Street greed and recklessness, that dream is drowning in a sea of joblessness. I feel like the Republicans are pushing this as the new normal: that the rich get richer and the rest of the country gets poorer. Fortunately, our President, President Barack Obama, has made it perfectly clear that we are not helpless in the face of our daunting but man-made economic challenges, and he has proposed a jobs bill that will immediately improve people's lives and jump-start the economy. The answer to this jobs crisis is surprisingly simple. If you want to create jobs, then create jobs, good jobs--jobs that can provide people with a middle class life, that can rebuild our middle class, jobs like the 35,000 schools that under the President's bill will be repaired. There are children all over this country right now who are sitting in classrooms where the ceilings are crumbling, that have dangerous asbestos in them, that are leaking energy, that don't have the wiring for the new technologies that our children need to succeed in this world and to get those 21st century jobs. We don't have the kind of schools and classrooms in which our children are going to be able to compete in this 21st century world. At the same time, we have hundreds and thousands of construction workers and electricians and boilermakers and maintenance workers who are jobless right now, who are sitting home, unemployed, who are more than willing to roll up their sleeves and give our schoolchildren the kind of classrooms that they deserve. So here we have a tremendous need, and we have the people who can answer that need. Not only will they be back to work, but it will jump- start our economy and be good for everyone. It is not rocket science. We can do this, and we need to do it now. As the President said, the election isn't until 14 months from now. The Republicans seem to want to adjudicate this issue at that time, but this isn't about politics. This is about all those families who simply want a job. They don't want to be receiving unemployment benefits. As a matter of fact, they want to pay taxes. If we want to reduce the deficit, jobs are the answer once again. Jobs equal deficit reduction. That's why we can't wait to pass this American Jobs Act. We need to enlist the help of all Americans to call their Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats--I'm talking about the people out there regardless of party--to say, ``We need to pass this right now.'' This is the way that we can get back to what the normal was when I was growing up, when there was opportunity. People lived a middle class life. Instead, we're watching that middle class disappear and that American Dream slip through our fingers. The economy needs to be revived. The President has the answer. We need to do it now.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ground-breaking Women's Business Development Center and the two remarkable women who founded it. In 1986, Hedy M. Ratner and S. Carol Dougal saw a need: the lack of support for women eager to participate in the business world. Then, through their vision and persistence, they worked to address that need by creating the Women's Business Development Center (WBDC). The goals they set were ambitious to say the least--to accelerate the growth of women-owned businesses and microenterprise ownership, to increase the economic impact of women business owners on families and communities, to build awareness of business ownership as a path to economic self- sufficiency, and to help stimulate policy and system changes to empower women in the economy. Today, 25 years later, the achievements of the WBDC are evident, even as it continues to be an innovative national leader in expanding opportunities for women. The Center already has helped more than 65,000 women in the greater Chicago area start, improve and expand their small businesses. Its success has spurred the creation of 14 other centers in 6 states. The oldest and largest women's business assistance center in the country, the WBDC is constantly developing and implementing new approaches to help potential and current women business owners. The Center and its amazing staff give women the tools, the needed support and the confidence to know that they can become successful entrepreneurs. Whether you are a woman with a glimmer of an idea for creating a business or an established woman business owner who wants to take advantage of new opportunities, the WBDC is there to help. The Center provides a full range of programs and services: financial literacy and entrepreneurial trainings, workshops, one-to-one counseling, and capacity building. Its programs include Women's Business Enterprise, Women's Business Finance, Procurement and Technical Assistance, Child Care Business Initiative, and Latina Business Development. Hedy and Carol are recognized leaders who have advised business groups and public officials at all levels about ways to help women improve their families' well-being and our nation by creating new business opportunities. I am one of many who have been fortunate enough to receive their advice on ways to improve federal contracting and lending policies and to learn about the barriers that must be torn down so that more women can enter realm of business ownership. I congratulate Hedy, Carol and the extraordinary staff of the Women's Business Development Center for 25 years of success. I know that they will help many, many more women become business owners and leaders in the years to come.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to S&C Electric Company, an exemplary business and essential community partner, which will be celebrating 100 years of service on September 25. In 1909, after a dangerous fire at Commonwealth Edison's Chicago Fisk Generating Station, the utility asked Edmond Schweitzer and Nicholas Conrad to create a safer electric switch. In 1911, the men invented the Liquid Power Fuse and founded Schweitzer & Conrad, kicking off a century of job creation and technological innovation. Today S&C, under the direction of C.E.O. John Estey, is a leader in smart energy solutions for our increasingly complex electric grid. The company has pioneered electric power switching technologies that manage consumer demand aberrations as a result of plug-in vehicles, address peak energy crunches, and integrate clean and renewable energy into utility companies' existing electrical framework. Its commitment to quality has established the company as the industry leader in long- term value. And its commitment to its employees, including a benefits package that provides tuition reimbursement, has kept 350 employees at the company for over 25 years each. These traits will ensure that S&C remains a leader in electric power solutions for the next century. The next century will compel our country to conserve precious energy resources, create new technologies to enhance efficiency, and incorporate clean energy alternatives. Companies like S&C will be instrumental in that process and will enable the United States to lead the world in energy innovation. I am proud to count S&C among the companies in my district and its employees among my constituents. I congratulate them on this major milestone, and I look forward to their continued success in the 100 years ahead.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Ten years ago, our nation experienced unimaginable tragedy when terrorists turned airplanes into weapons and killed thousands of Americans. Although a decade has passed since that horrible day, the wounds of September 11, 2001, are still fresh. We continue to grieve for the men and women who were killed in those brutal attacks. They are not forgotten, and our sincerest sympathies remain with their families and friends. As Americans, that day has become a critical moment in our shared history. We all remember what we were doing on September 11, 2001; how our own lives paused in the face of national tragedy. As we mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11, we also pay tribute to the brave public servants--firefighters, policemen, EMTs, and volunteers, who rushed to the scene of destruction that day, many of whom lost their own lives in their efforts to help others. Men and women who, instead of fleeing the danger, ran into the flaming buildings in hopes of aiding survivors. In the days and weeks that followed, men and women came from the Chicago area and other cities and towns across the country to assist in the recovery efforts. These courageous men and women, together with the countless more who have since worked to keep our nation safe, deserve our deepest gratitude. They also deserve our support. Last December, I was proud to vote in favor of legislation to cover the cost of medical care for the thousands of 9/11 first responders and others who became sick from breathing in toxic fumes, dust, and smoke after their heroic rescue work. This July, the World Trade Center Health Program began providing full medical screening and treatment benefits to eligible World Trade Center responders, recovery and cleanup workers, building occupants, and residents who were directly impacted and adversely affected by the events of September 11, 2001. And this year, we remember those who were killed that day with the knowledge that Osama bin Laden will never again be able to threaten American families with terror, thanks to the brave leadership of President Obama, the careful work of our intelligence community, and the extraordinary courage of a team of Navy Seals. We can celebrate that in the past decade, al Qaeda has been repeatedly thwarted in its attempts to perpetrate another 9/11-style attack on our American homeland. And while we remain vigilant in the face of ongoing global threats, we cannot and will not live our lives in fear. In the hours and days that followed the horrific attacks, Americans from all different backgrounds came together in a remarkable display of unity in the face of unspeakable violence and hatred. In my own community of Chicago, hundreds of people of all faiths--Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, and Sikh--came together to walk down Devon Avenue. We stood shoulder to shoulder during this difficult time, to remember those who died and to pay tribute to the American values of freedom, equality, and tolerance. We stood together in solidarity, and stated that as a community that we would not allow terrorist attacks to turn us against each other. Ten years later, we should aspire to rekindle this spirit of unity as Americans. Today, we come together to remember those who were killed, thank those who have served our communities and our nation, and celebrate the resilience of the American spirit.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise also to support the effort of my colleague Mr. Garamendi to require that materials made in America be used to construct and renovate the charter schools that we're talking about in this legislation. We have a serious issue in this country, in case the Republicans haven't noticed, that we need to create as many jobs as we can. And anybody who has made a speech about job creation these days, talking about making it in America is a definite applause line. I would just like to recommend that. Making it in America is something that really has resonated with people all around this country. Why would we take taxpayer dollars, when we could spend it on products that are made right here, including the building materials that we need to upgrade, to create more schools in our country, and buy products that are made overseas and support jobs that are outside of our country? The issue in this bill of creating more schools is so important. In the United States, schools on average are 40 years old and actually in need of an estimated $500 billion in repairs and upgrades. I'm actually introducing a piece of legislation next week that would provide $100 billion dollars to repair, renovate, modernize America's schools and would create 400,000 construction and 250,000 maintenance jobs alone. But in addition, what we should be doing is rejecting this previous question that's up before us so that we can make a good bill even better. This is a bipartisan effort. We've heard from the other side of the aisle that these are good ideas. Let's make it better. Vote ``no'' and let's add the Garamendi amendment.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. There is absolutely no excuse for this reckless, unpatriotic behavior on the part of the Republicans. The looming default crisis could be resolved in 5 minutes by simply raising the debt ceiling, as was done 7 times under Bush and 18 times under Ronald Reagan. This is the exact opposite of fiscal responsibility. The Republicans, led by their Tea Party radicals, are determined to cripple government and destroy Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security while leaving untouched a hair on the head of millionaires and billionaires or corporations that pay zero in taxes. I say to the Republicans, stop it. Seniors call sobbing about their Social Security checks. Our soldiers in Afghanistan repeatedly asked Admiral Mullen yesterday, Will we get paid? Will our families get our checks? Shame on the Republicans for making that happen. In battle, when you accidentally shoot your own, it's called ``friendly fire.'' When you deliberately shoot your own, it's called ``fragging.'' Republicans, stop fragging the American economy and the American people.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, many of our constituents come to Washington, D.C. to meet with their elected officials, to gather for conferences and to attend events. It's not always easy to do--they have to find the funds, take time off from work and often arrange alternative care-giving arrangements for family members. For people with disabilities, there is another obstacle--a transportation system that is often inaccessible because of inadequate infrastructure, poor design or breakdowns. Today, I want to describe to my colleagues the experience of some Chicagoans who worked hard to surmount those barriers and to recognize Mr. Charles Idol, manager of Clyde's restaurant in Chinatown, who came to their rescue. This spring, six Chicago residents traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Paratransit Memorial Rally. It wasn't easy for them to get from Chicago to Washington but they were determined to be here to speak out for improved paratransit policies. Of the six persons, one is a volunteer from IMPRUVE (the Independent Movement of Paratransit Riders for Unity, Vehicles, Equality) and five are disabled. IMPRUVE is a national organization based in Chicago committed to meeting the transportation needs of people with disabilities. Dr. Ayo Maat, my constituent and President of IMPRUVE, organized the trip and arranged meetings with members of the Illinois delegation, including my office, to discuss paratransit solutions. Once in Washington, those six Chicagoans were confronted by a situation that underscores the need for improved paratransit policies. The group decided to have dinner in Chinatown and wound up stranded after their meal because there was no accessible transportation back to their hotel. For over two and a half hours, the group tried to find accessible transportation. They called taxi services, Metro Access, the police department and 911 and no one could help them. Despite the fact that the three in wheelchairs could not ride in a regular taxi, their situation was not considered an emergency. One person needed insulin, another needed her epilepsy medicine, yet they were unable to get back to their hotel room because there was no available accessible transportation in our Nation's Capital. Fortunately, they found Mr. Idol. Dr. Maat wrote to tell me of his generosity, ``Angels do exist and they walk among us as ordinary people with extremely big hearts and compassion and love.'' Mr. Idol worked to find a solution for these six stranded strangers in Chinatown, keeping his restaurant open to them while trying to find accessible transportation. When that attempt failed, he paid for a nearby hotel room for the three persons in wheelchairs who could not ride a regular taxi and sent those who could back to their original hotel so that they could retrieve needed wheelchair batteries and medicine. Meeting Mr. Idol helped avert a possible catastrophe. But it is unacceptable that people with disabilities have to rely on the kindness of strangers instead of being able to depend on a safe, available and accessible transportation system. The D.C. metropolitan area has experienced paratransit ridership growth of more than 10 percent per year from 2006 through 2009, a trend that is expected to continue. Here in our Nation's Capital and throughout the country, we still have a long way to go to make sure that growing needs are met. We have to make improvements in the infrastructure and availability of paratransit so that people with disabilities are able to travel freely--to go to work and school, visit their friends, and come to Congress to make their voices heard. Again, I want to thank Mr. Idol and I want to thank Dr. Maat and IMPRUVE for their leadership and commitment to paratransit.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the catastrophic famine that continues to unfold in the Horn of Africa. Eastern Africa is currently in the grips of the worst drought in 60 years, affecting 11 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. According to the U.N., Somalia now faces the highest malnutrition rates in the world, and some 3 million Somalis are in desperate need of immediate emergency aid. The U.N. estimates that tens of thousands of Somalis have died of drought-related causes in the past few months, and acute malnutrition rates in the country's southern region now exceed 30 percent. Thousands more are fleeing areas controlled by the al Qaeda- affiliated militant group, Al-Shabaab which, even in the face of such large-scale human suffering, refuses to allow major humanitarian groups to deliver aid. Some 50,000 Somalis have returned to the capital, despite continued violence and instability, in search of food and medicine. Others have sought refuge from hunger and warfare in neighboring countries. Nearly 400,000 Somalis have crowded into Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp, a complex designed to house only 90,000 people. Another 9,000 arrive in the camp each week, and thousands of other Somalis continue to flee Ethiopia in search of food. Many, particularly children and the elderly, do not survive the harsh trek. The warning signs of impending disaster have been visible for months, but the international community has been slow to respond. Aid is slowly now beginning to trickle in, however. The U.N.'s World Food Program has begun an emergency airlift of food. The first flight arrived in Mogadishu yesterday, bringing 10 tons of nutritional supplements for children. The World Food Program says that is enough to treat 3,500 malnourished children for 1 month. Clearly, the need is far greater. The World Food Program plans to increase its efforts in hope of reaching over 2 million people in Somalia's south. Likewise, the United States has provided much assistance to 4.4 million drought-affected people in Eastern Africa. Since last October, our government has given $383 million in life-saving aid, including 348,000 metric tons of food. Further, this week the Obama administration announced a further $28 million in emergency assistance for famine relief in Somalia. This aid is critical, and I commend the President for these steps. However, the scale of the current crisis requires a much greater response, as well as creative solutions tailored to the unique threats posed by Somalia's persistent instability and violence. For example, because al Shabaab is a terrorist organization, we continue to impose restrictions on aid organizations delivering assistance to the hard-hit regions under its control. We need to work with these humanitarian groups to ensure that, despite Somalia's continuing warfare and lack of governance, desperately needed aid can reach the most vulnerable men, women, and children. Mr. Speaker, we need to act quickly to fight famine and save lives. We also need to address the long-term underlying causes that have left Somalia's people so vulnerable to drought and malnutrition. Even before the most recent crisis, Somalia was locked in a cycle of warfare, lawlessness, and bitter poverty. One expert recently called Somalia's current plight a catastrophic failure of all the systems that people rely on to survive. That's why part of our response must be an investment in resilience and food security; part of our response must be an effort to address the long-standing violent conflict that has torn Somalia apart; part of our response must go toward long-term economic development and capacity building. We need to act immediately to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach the millions of eastern Africans who face imminent malnutrition and starvation that we're watching every day on television. I urge the United States and the international community to immediately scale up efforts to deliver urgent assistance to children and other vulnerable individuals.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Progressive Caucus to draw attention to the devastating effects that could be caused if the United States were to default on its debt. First, let's be clear that raising the debt ceiling will have no effect whatsoever on any new spending that the Congress might do. It's simply giving the government authority to pay its bills, to pay its bills for obligations that the Congress has already authorized. Second, while Republicans have attempted time and time again to pin the current deficit on President Obama, the facts cannot be denied: It was the policies of the Bush years that got us here. It was just a decade ago that President Clinton left office not with just a balanced budget but a surplus, and the Congressional Budget Office declared in 2001, ``The outlook for the Federal budget over the next decade continues to be bright.'' That quote, of course, came before the 2001 Bush tax cuts were signed into law; two wars that weren't paid for, put on the credit card; two tax cuts that weren't paid for and that mainly benefited the wealthy; and a devastating recession that may have been prevented, had government regulators not turned a blind eye to Wall Street greed. The Bush policies ran up the bills. Those are the bills that our country is committed to pay, and those are the bills that need to be paid if the full faith and credit of the United States is to be protected. So now this Republican-manufactured crisis could be solved in 5 minutes if we simply passed a clean debt ceiling increase, like we did seven, eight times during the Bush administration, 18 times under Ronald Reagan, and then turned our attention immediately to ways to put our fiscal house in order, focusing on the real crisis, which is the jobs crisis. Instead, Republicans are choosing to hold our Nation's financial standing hostage, with potentially devastating consequences. Allowing a default on the debt would essentially be a tax on every American family. Interest rates on everything, from mortgages and auto loans to credit cards and small business loans, would immediately soar. A conservative estimate suggests that the effect of an increase in interest rates could cost a homeowner with a 30-year mortgage of $172,000 an additional $19,100 more over the life of the loan. A drop in the stock market would hit the savings and retirement accounts of middle class Americans, less available credit for small businesses and consumers, and lower economic growth that could cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. In addition, if the country can't pay its bills, an unthinkable scenario becomes a reality, having to choose between what aspects of the government to fund and what bills to pay. Seventy million checks are due to go out next Wednesday. Those include Social Security and veterans and our military families, and these checks are threatened. That is the threat the Republicans are willing to make, holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage in order to push for extreme policies that would gut Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid and devastate the economy and the middle class in order to protect hedge fund managers and corporations that ship our jobs overseas. That is what the Republicans are advocating, but they are not willing to ask for one penny more for millionaires and billionaires. We need to deal with our fiscal challenges, and I have offered proposals for how to do that in a way that protects the social safety net and what is now the disappearing middle class. First, we need to create jobs. Putting people back to work will raise revenues and bring down the deficit as a proportion of the economy. Second, we need to eliminate spending we don't need, such as billions of dollars in waste spent by the Pentagon. But we need to protect spending on vital programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. And finally, we need to raise revenues in a fair way. I've introduced the Fairness in Taxation Act, H.R. 1124, which would create new tax brackets beginning at 45 percent for income over $1 million a year and rising to 49 percent for income at $1 billion a year; and yes, there are Americans who make that. And according to an estimate by Citizens for Tax Justice, my legislation could raise as much as $800 billion over the next 10 years. Those are the types of proposals that should be considered so that we can achieve fiscal responsibility in a way that protects seniors and children and the middle class and all those who aspire to it. Right now the American Dream itself is at stake. It is slipping through the hands of people that used to be middle class. We cannot tolerate that. We need to raise the debt ceiling.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, it's been 29 weeks since Republicans took control of the House, and yet they have failed to bring a single jobs bill to the floor. In fact, I just learned that their proposals are estimated to cost another 2 million lost jobs. Instead, they're wasting time pushing bills that will never become law but do make their position clear. Republicans are willing to hold the full faith and credit of the United States hostage in order to push for extreme policies that will gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and devastate the economy and the middle class while doing everything they can to protect millionaires and billionaires and companies that ship American jobs overseas. We need to raise the debt ceiling and then turn our attention to the real crisis, the jobs crisis. We can revive the American Dream. We must.