Betty Sutton

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer this amendment in response to a concern that we have all heard and which was recently raised in a letter that I received from a constituent in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He wanted to know how Congress can help with rising gas prices, prices that are forcing him to spend less on taking care of his family and causing uncertainty and uneasiness. And it's with my constituent in mind that I offer this amendment today. Mr. Speaker, today we have an opportunity to join together to pass this amendment and do something for my constituent and for the middle class families like his across the country that exist in each and every district. At the outset, I want to be clear, this amendment, this motion, it does not kill the underlying bill. So regardless of whether you intend to vote for the legislation or against it, you will have the opportunity to do that today. This amendment simply offers us, Democrats and Republicans alike, the opportunity to speak up on behalf of our constituents loudly and clearly. What this amendment does is makes it clear that if the underlying bill passes, we want the President to take feasible steps to prevent gas prices from rising as a result of its passage and to take feasible steps to limit the seizure of American farmland. This should be an easy amendment for colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support. A vote for the amendment means standing up for American consumers to protect them against gas increases. A vote for this amendment means you are standing up for American families to protect them from unfair seizures of their property. These are the goals that all of us in this body, the people's House, should share. It is important that we act together to pass this amendment today because, make no mistake, at a time when gas prices are already too high, this bill in its current form will raise gas prices even higher, placing an even greater burden on American families and small businesses. We know this, Mr. Speaker, because TransCanada, the Canadian corporation that is building this pipeline, has admitted as much. TransCanada's own assessment from February of 2009 states that Keystone XL pipeline will increase the cost of a barrel of crude oil by $6.55 per barrel in the Midwest and $3 per barrel everywhere else. Mr. Speaker, this is simply unacceptable. It's unacceptable because far too many middle class families are already struggling. Without this amendment, this legislation amounts to salt in the wounds of working families, so many of whom have seen their jobs sent overseas and now they will see even more of their hard-earned dollars being sent out of the country and will have to pay more for gas to boot. And this legislation, in its current form, also stands to harm our small business owners, putting a larger financial burden on them at a time when we have called on them to create jobs and lead the way in our recovery. It will burden our family farmers who will now have to pay more to gas up their combines and buy fertilizer. But an increase in gas prices is not the only reason this legislation needs to be amended. From South Dakota to Texas, we have a situation where the non-U.S. energy company building this pipeline has been pushing American farmers and ranchers to give up their rights to their own property. And for those who have resisted, the company--in pursuit of billions of dollars--has been taking Americans to court to seize control of their land through eminent domain. TransCanada has been bringing these lawsuits even before they have the permits to build the pipeline. These outrageous acts are bringing Democrats and Republicans together to speak out on behalf of property owners and to ensure that their rights come before the rights of any big corporation. That is the way it should be--us standing together to protect American consumers and property owners. Mr. Speaker, our country needs to protect the rights of our citizens, not subject those rights to a foreign corporation. Mr. Speaker, our constituents pay high enough gas prices. They need us to stand up and do all that we can to prevent the admitted increases that will occur according to TransCanada's own study. With this amendment, we can join together to do just that. We can put the American people before politics and before corporate profits and ensure that the President takes any feasible steps to protect against gas increases and limit the taking of property through eminent domain that will result from this legislation. This final amendment will ensure these things while allowing for an immediate final vote on the bill. I encourage my colleagues to stand together and vote ``yes'' on this final amendment. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Thank you again for having this hour. It is so important that we do make it in America. I talked a little bit about jobs. I have a bill right now that is pending that I would encourage the Republicans to join me in passing. It's called the Keep American Jobs From Going Down the Drain Act. It says that as we rebuild our infrastructure here, our water infrastructure and sewer infrastructure, we do it with American iron and steel and manufactured goods. It's a jobs bill; it's a strengthening bill. It's good for America. This is a strong and great country. And I agree with my colleague, we can do better by it.

Ms. SUTTON. Thank you. I thank my colleagues for being down here fighting the fight that the American people want us to fight. And that's a fight for jobs. The American people, the people I represent in Ohio, their number one priority by all means is about putting people back to work. As Representative Perlmutter just stated so eloquently, it is really about empowering people. They don't want a lot from their government, but they do want a government that works with them and for them, and to the extent possible plays that role that will help spur our economy, invest in infrastructure which puts people back to work, and levels the playing field for our manufacturers. I come from a place where we have a very strong manufacturing base, and it hasn't always been treated fairly. We have had a lot of unfair trade deals that have been passed that hurt the people that I represent, and we have a lot of policies that frankly didn't do them well. We can do better. But here we are 200-some days into this new Congress under this Republican leadership and not a single jobs plan to come before this body. It is quite amazing to think about. Instead, what are they talking about, imposing a budget that ends Medicare and protects the very tax breaks that end up shipping our jobs overseas. Well, I am proud to stand with you tonight and work on those policies that will put America back to work and strengthen not only our infrastructure but our economy which will keep our place in this world as leaders. And so as we move forward, I hope that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will get focused on what America needs, and that is jobs, jobs, and jobs. We have a role to play. We can deal with the deficit. We should deal with the deficit; but the kinds of cuts that they are talking about, ending Medicare, taking this out of our seniors instead of cutting those tax breaks that have existed for those oil companies and others at the very top that have been a burden to our middle class because they are the ones who have to make up the difference, let's focus on jobs. Let's encourage our colleagues in the GOP to get on board and start working on what America needs, and that is to put America back to work.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. SUTTON. Madam Chair, I rise today to shine a light on how America is spending defense dollars. This week, we will vote on a $530 billion Defense budget. Some of that money will go towards pay for our soldiers; some of that money will go towards ensuring our military families are cared for. But when it comes to buying everything from building materials to fighter jets, as much of that money as possible should go towards buying American. Every dollar we spend on a part or a piece of equipment manufactured overseas when we can easily build it at home is doing our men and women in uniform and our manufacturing base a disservice. This is a clarifying amendment that will increase transparency within the Department of Defense by having the Department indicate whether parts purchased overseas are available here in the United States. Taxpayers deserve to know where the Defense dollars are going. They want to see their taxpayer dollars used to purchase quality products and materials produced right here in the United States by American workers; and when that doesn't happen, they want and deserve to know why. Currently, the Department of Defense is granting tens of thousands of waivers to allow for taxpayer dollars to buy equipment made overseas. If our tax dollars are going to buy a part made overseas, taxpayers deserve to know if that part is available in Michigan or Ohio or anywhere else in the United States. My amendment simply uses the current Department of Defense data and the requirements set forth in this section and adds more transparency by highlighting areas where our government is sending money overseas instead of keeping it at home. If we are truly to put Americans back to work, we must make sure that Congress is doing everything it can towards that end. This amendment is one small step that we can take right now. This clarifying amendment will only serve to shine a light on taxpayer dollars being invested in the wrong place and show where those funds can be diverted in a way that can make a difference for jobs here at home. I encourage my colleagues to pass this commonsense clarifying amendment to ensure increased transparency for American taxpayers and encourage our Department of Defense to buy American, because that is what taxpayers want and that is what American workers deserve. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Point of Order

Ms. SUTTON. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the point of order. This is simply a clarifying amendment. It clarifies information that is already being gathered in this section. Since 2007, Congress has mandated that the Department of Defense begin tracking waivers that allow the Department to buy products from overseas. Currently, to qualify for a waiver from the Buy America requirements, the Department of Defense has to comply with one of eight criteria. One of those criteria is proving that there is no domestic product available. This section of the bill already requires the Department of Defense to report back to Congress on the amount of their purchases from foreign entities and the dollar value of items for which the Buy American Act was waived. My amendment simply uses the current Department of Defense data and the requirements set forth in this section and adds more transparency by highlighting areas where our government is sending money overseas instead of keeping it at home. As I said, if we are truly to put Americans back to work, we must make sure that Congress is doing everything it can towards that end. It would seem ashamed for this objection to stand to an amendment that just ensures transparency in a section that is already being used to gather information.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the efforts by the National Labor Relations Board to modernize their rules to promote efficiency and fairness in the labor organization process. The charge of the NLRB is to ensure that our workers get a fair shake; but for far too long, working men and women have had to deal with an outdated and lopsided system that puts the wants of big corporations over the needs of employees. At a time when our middle class is consistently under attack, these new proposed rules represent a positive step in restoring a more level playing field for workers. Our workers deserve a fair system. Those who work to make our world turn deserve the opportunity to make a living for themselves and their families. I look forward to the NLRB adopting and implementing these new provisions to bring their rules into the 21st century and give our working families a fighting chance to strive and achieve the American Dream.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman for bringing it up. It is called Keep American Jobs from Going Down the Drain Act. And what it says is very simple. It says that as we do what we need to do in this country to rebuild our infrastructure, our water and sewer systems, that we will make sure we do it using American iron and steel and manufactured goods because that puts the American people back to work. Other countries have similar procurement policies, and it's way past time that this country also do what it can to keep these jobs right here in Ohio, right here in America.

Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman. I thank you for your leadership. You gave us a little bit of background that I think is really, really important when we talk about where this deficit came from and how it came to be. I would just add a couple of other points that I think are significant. At the end of last year, we will remember that the same people who are now cutting indiscriminately, cuts aimed at seniors, cuts aimed at middle class Americans, cuts aimed at Head Start, low-income housing, heating assistance, Community Development Block Grants that add to economic activities in our communities, those same folks, some of them, were over there fighting to make sure that we had super tax cuts for billionaires that were also going to add exponentially to the deficit. Then they turn around and say, hey, we've got this horrible deficit, and so now everyone has to sacrifice. But whenever the American people hear the words, ``Everyone needs to sacrifice,'' chances are if you're in the 95 percent of the population that controls very little of the wealth in this country, they mean you. They don't mean that top 5 percent that controls most of the wealth in this country. They are all about protecting what they have and grabbing more power. It's very interesting when we talk about where the policies coming out of the Republican House majority are these days, because all of the cuts seem to be targeted at the people back in the district where I live, hardworking, salt-of-the-Earth constituents whom I am so honored to serve. Your point is well taken and very sad, that the one bill that they put out there--I mean, hey, you don't have to take our word for it--the bill that they put out there puts 700,000 jobs, more than at risk, it's been determined by their own Republican analysts that it would cost us 700,000 jobs. Frankly, our economic recovery, which is so fragile, is under threat. A group of 300 economists, including two Nobel laureates, wrote a letter warning that the shortsighted budget cuts to, quote, human capital, our infrastructure and the next generation of scientific and technological advances would threaten future economic competitiveness as well as the current recovery. So the path that the Republicans are on, and it's funny because we just saw the new budget proposal unveiled and they called it a path to prosperity. I think that the better name is a path to poverty. At any rate, the path that they are on is not a good one. We know that the answer to what ails our economy is we need to put the American people back to work. We need to have jobs that will create opportunities for the people that we are so honored to represent, that will keep our communities running, will have the revenue that we need to pay for those services, those firefighters, those teachers, those police officers, those nurses, those public servants that make our world turn. So everyone at all levels of government, regardless of party, should be focused on priority one--getting Americans back to work. That's where we come in with what we need to be focused on, which is: How do we make it in America? Manufacturing matters. So we are working in this House, as you know, Congressman Garamendi, to make sure we put forth an agenda on the Democratic side of the aisle, and we hope that our Republican colleagues will stop being deflected and will start focusing on what will help the people we serve, which would be focusing on these jobs, giving people opportunity, and creating real value by making things in this country. Not only will we make the products; we will then give a chance to the American people to make it in America, and America will make it again.

Ms. SUTTON. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. SUTTON. In addition to that, at the same time they're cutting Medicare and changing it and removing the guarantee that seniors have known, which is that they're going to have access to that care when they need it, isn't it also true that they're continuing to protect those subsidies to big oil companies, those billions of dollars in subsidies, and are continuing to protect tax breaks that ship those jobs overseas, which has led, in large part, to the decline of American manufacturing?

Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman and I thank the gentlewoman for her making the case about the fundamental unfairness about what is going on with the proposals coming from the other side of the aisle. And I think that the point that the gentleman just made about the union movement in this country, helping to build the middle class and frankly, leading us to a place where we had a strong middle class in this country--you know, it's that middle class that makes America so great, that people have a chance to aspire to that American dream. And so when you stand on this floor or you come here as we do, and you see attack after attack on those middle class families--from attacks on prevailing wage payments that are just living wages that are going to those folks who work in our trades. We see those attacks come up over and over again at the same time that those on the other side of the aisle are protecting that huge income disparity, it's really, really hard to take, I know for us over here, and it's hard for the people who I represent who work hard for a living and are just looking for a chance to take care of their families and make their way. We also see those attacks on collective bargaining to silence workers, to take away rights to even have a voice at the table, to be part of the solution, which they have been and will continue to be. You know, those power grabs, those attempts to disempower ordinary Americans, we have to fight against. There is a better way, and this Make It in America agenda offers us that better way. Manufacturing, we all know, is a multiplier in terms of jobs. We know that for every manufacturing job, it has a multiplier effect of four more jobs. And in some industries, the auto industries, it's as high as 10 additional jobs. We know that where people manufacture, if we manufacture in America, we do research and development in America. We maintain our capacity to be strong as a Nation--both economically as well as in our sense of national security. What happens if we can't make it in America? So here we are. We have a number of proposals, we know that we need a national manufacturing strategy in this country. Democrats are committed to making sure that we have one. Another area that we need to work on that I think the American people--honestly I think that they expect this, and I'm hoping that our friends across the aisle will see fit to join us in the effort to make sure that when taxpayer money is used to build our infrastructure, which in and of itself puts people to work, we will use that taxpayer money to buy American iron and steel and manufactured goods and get that multiplier effect as we build our streets and our roads and our bridges and our sewer systems and our water systems and our alternative energy products.

Ms. SUTTON. I will yield to the gentleman.

Ms. SUTTON. Absolutely. I introduced that legislation.

Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman. You know, again, this Make It In America agenda, it really is something that we believe that whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, that everybody can embrace, and frankly, everybody needs to embrace. We saw what happened when we had our economy relying on the financial sector, where you had a few people moving money around. And it wasn't real value that was being created. When that bubble burst, we had a big problem. But when you engage in manufacturing, you take something of lesser value and you turn it into something of greater value. That is something that we can rely on. So one of the things that we have to do is we have to have a national manufacturing strategy. And in that national manufacturing strategy, like on the agenda, the Make It In America agenda, we need to look at a number of things and how they all work together so that they will support U.S. manufacturing and U.S. workers. Why do we need a manufacturing strategy? Well, it's kind of obvious, but I do think it's worth noting that others have national manufacturing strategies. So Germany has one, South Korea has one. In fact, every other industrialized nation has a network of currency, trade, tax, investment, innovation, and skills policies that promote their domestic manufacturing. So right here in the House we encourage our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in this Make It In America agenda, to promote a national manufacturing strategy that deals with trade policies that are fair, and that there will be a reciprocity of trade that will no longer leave our workers and our businesses at an unfair disadvantage, where others will be forced to play by the rules in the same way that our manufacturers and our workers play by the rules. A program that also promotes tax policies that encourage manufacturing in this country and stops the outsourcing of jobs overseas, which we have seen take place for decades now. That will be smart with respect to our energy policies, our labor policies. We shouldn't be attacking workers. Workers are not the ones who drove our economy off the cliff. So that whole issue of disproportionate shared sacrifice, right? Just like we saw the disproportionate wealth accumulated in this country as it did with the help of the policies that were promoted by the last Republican administration. We need education policies as a part of that national manufacturing strategy to promote a workforce that will keep us competitive and on top. Policies that protect intellectual property and research and development right here. Because where you have research and development you have manufacturing, and vice versa. Of course, we need to strengthen and rebuild this country by investing in our infrastructure. It puts people to work, and it is what we need to do. Smart cuts make sense, but so do smart investments, and infrastructure is a good way to go.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, there are many times when we come to this floor and engage in heated debate, and we have heard some heated debate on the bill before us; but in this moment, Mr. Speaker, my amendment offers us the opportunity to come together and to do something extraordinarily important, and that is to protect our children. I happen to oppose the underlying bill, but regardless of how one feels about the underlying legislation, this amendment is something upon which we can all agree. Nothing is more precious, more valuable than our children, and when a child goes missing in a community, no one asks whether he or she is a Republican or a Democrat. We simply ask: How can we help find the child and return him safely home? When the unthinkable happens, we all seek in common purpose to do all that we can to ensure a successful outcome, and it is in pursuit of that successful outcome that this amendment is offered today. This amendment will ensure that, when a child goes missing, every resource available to find that child and to return him or her to safety will be utilized, including NPR's satellite. We all know that, when a child is abducted, a rapid and coordinated response can make a life-and-death difference. This amendment will make sure that we do not undermine the AMBER Alert System that has been effectively used to recover missing children. The AMBER Alert System was created after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl from Arlington, Texas, was abducted while riding her bicycle and then was brutally murdered in 1996. Her kidnapping and murder still remain unsolved. Amber's tragic story led to a partnership between broadcasters and police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. Named in Amber's memory, it stands for ``America's Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response.'' The AMBER Alert program began as a local effort in Texas, and it has since grown into a successful national program, saving hundreds of lives of children. Today, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have AMBER Alert plans. The AMBER Alert program instantly galvanizes the entire community to assist in the search for and in the safe recovery of an abducted child. Since its inception, the AMBER Alert has helped to find and successfully recover 538 children nationwide. Mr. Speaker, we go to great lengths to protect our children from sexual predators and abductors--and rightfully so. We talk to them about keeping themselves safe. We teach them how to recognize and how to avoid dangerous situations, and we talk to them about making smart decisions. Today, we have the chance to make a decision to ensure that, regardless of how we feel about the underlying bill, we will not undermine the effectiveness of our AMBER Alert network system. NPR is designated as a disseminator of AMBER Alerts via arrangements with the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The deployment of next-generation emergency alert systems is in progress, and NPR is positioned to play a vital, necessary role with its satellite-based capabilities. Recklessly eliminating funding critical to the effective functioning of the AMBER Alert System would be a tragic mistake. Children of every age, gender and race are vulnerable to child abduction, and when it happens, time is the enemy. Communities must mobilize quickly. The widespread use of the AMBER Alert network is the Nation's most powerful tool for bringing abducted children home. AMBER Alerts also serve as deterrents to those who would prey upon our children. AMBER Alert cases demonstrate that some perpetrators release the abducted children after hearing the AMBER Alerts on the radio or seeing them on television. In my hometown of Copley, Ohio, a 1-year-old little girl was taken by her father after a domestic fight grew violent. The father, known to have a drug problem, took the young girl from her home and drove erratically off with her in a car. An AMBER Alert was issued, and because of the continued press coverage, the man made the decision to return his daughter. Thankfully, she was brought to safety. Let's be clear. The passage of this amendment will not prevent the passage of the underlying bill. If the amendment is adopted, it will be incorporated into the bill, and the bill will be immediately voted upon. So, though we may disagree on the bill, today we have the opportunity to speak with one voice to protect our children. It is up to us. I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this final amendment.

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. SUTTON. I am opposed to the bill.

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

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Well, I thank the gentleman, and I thank you for your leadership. Boy, that poster says a lot: GOP continuing resolution destroys 700,000-plus jobs, possibly yours. And where did we get that number? Before we get to Ohio, where did we get that number? We got that number from a number of places. Ben Bernanke said that the plan would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. The GOP's CR, according to Goldman Sachs, would reduce economic growth by 2 percent and cause the unemployment rate to increase. And a study by the International Monetary Fund concluded that the idea that fiscal austerity stimulates economic activity in the short term finds little support in the data. We have a group of 300 economists, including two Nobel laureates, who wrote a letter warning that the shortsighted budget cuts to ``human capital, our infrastructure, and the next generation of scientific and technological advances'' would threaten future economic competitiveness as well as our current recovery. So that's where we begin. Despite all of this forewarning about what this path will lead us to, we still see a continuing resolution that indicates we're going to lose 700,000-plus jobs. In the State of Ohio, I'm sure that a number of people, most of the people out there, have seen at the statehouse where we're witnessing democracy in action, at least from the outside, because for a while there the statehouse doors were closed when all of the workers and fair-minded Ohioans descended upon our State's capitol to protest against what the Republican Governor there is trying to do to public sector workers. Under the guise of taking care of our deficit, an attack on workers' rights is being waged not only in Ohio but across this country, from Wisconsin to Ohio to the floor of Congress where we've seen attack after attack. And it's really a sad thing, because we all know we should be focused--and the other side should join us in focusing--on priority one, which is putting people back to work. In Ohio, the key to our budget problems is more people working than you have revenue to pay for the public services and the public sector employees who help to make our world turn. Can you imagine the idea? It was not the workers in Wisconsin or Ohio or across this country that drove our economy off the cliff. It was not those teachers or those firefighters who rush into those burning buildings when we run out of them. It was not the police officers who are out there on our streets protecting us and keeping our communities safe. It was not the workers. The workers are not the problem. They are part of the solution of where we need to go. But the bottom line is we need to be focused on creating jobs. And it's just amazing that not only are our friends across the aisle, the Republicans, not interested and focusing on that--10 weeks on the job, zero jobs--they're actually looking at cutting those people who do have jobs, their rights. It's just fundamentally unfair and it's counterproductive. We all know that we need to trim back our budget. We should always be willing to trim back the budget, but only by engaging in smart cuts, not just indiscriminate cuts. What happens when a person doesn't have a job? What happens when 700,000 people don't have a job? Do we think they just disappear, that they are no cost to our government, to our country? Not to mention the loss of dignity and the loss of opportunity, everything that our country stands for, having a chance to make a way for your family, to feed your family and take care of your family. It's a crazy idea to say that we can make cuts that cut hundreds of thousands of jobs and somehow that will lead us to prosperity.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, today people from across Ohio are gathering at the Statehouse in Columbus. They are gathering to speak up for workers and the middle class in this country. Last Tuesday, I went to Columbus and joined our brothers and sisters in our fight to protect the right of public employees to have a voice at the negotiating table. And as we gathered to oppose Senate bill 5, that backward effort of Governor Kasich and his Republican friends in the State legislature to eliminate collective bargaining, I was struck by the weight of the moment and by the weight of this fight. But I was inspired, too-- inspired to see thousands of people from across the State coming together to protest the radical measures that the Republicans were proposing. Though we can't be there today physically, we are there with those who gather at the Statehouse, and we stand with them from our place here in our Nation's capital. Last week, we were there shoulder to shoulder, people in common purpose, standing up for working families, standing together in the fight for the promise of the middle class. The unfair, backward-thinking attack on Ohio's firefighters, police, teachers, nurses, and other dedicated public employees must be stopped. And I'm proud to be standing with Ohioans that are fair-minded as we fight for progress, not for a return to old ways. Instead of pursuing this draconian measure attacking Ohio's working families, lawmakers at every level of government should be focused on the critical priority of getting people back to work instead of engaging in attacks on those who have chosen to teach our children, protect our communities, and keep us safe. Everyone should be working to strengthen our economy and create jobs. That, in turn, would generate the revenue we need to fairly compensate our public employees with the wages and the benefits which they have been promised and they have earned. The focus of all officials, as I said, across all levels of government, should be on creating jobs, not taking more from our workers. It was not our workers who drove the economy off the cliff. It was not our workers in Ohio. It was not the workers in Wisconsin. But it seems that the Republicans just can't stop themselves. Similar efforts to disempower working families and the middle class are occurring right here in Washington. It is not just collective bargaining for public employees that they're after. Two weeks ago, Republicans tried to pass a measure in Congress to prohibit the paying of prevailing wages and to stop local project labor agreements, which would put a hard hit on our trades people. They even tried to eliminate the National Labor Relations Board, the very board that exists as a referee to make sure that our workers get a fair shake. Yet they have not offered any job creation bills. And at the same time they are not creating jobs, they are defunding programs that have real benefits: their refusal to expand the trade adjustment assistance that helped workers who were displaced because of the trade policies that they pursued; the refusal of some to extend unemployment benefits to those who are out of a job through no fault of their own. At the same time they are working to not create jobs, they are also giving no assistance to those who are left without a job. It's issues like these that make it so important that we keep our heads up in Ohio. And to all of those who are out there in Ohio and across the country fighting this fight, it's an important fight, and what you do matters. It's important that we speak up and be heard so that the issues that matter to us so very deeply are well sounded. We have to stand together and work together and fight forward. Using the deficit as an excuse, there are those who are trying to convince the American people that a more fair economy would result in a much less efficient economy. But fairness and efficiency are not mutually exclusive. Using the deficit as an excuse to give a disproportionate hit to workers or unions is not the way to go. I would hope that the Republicans, both at the State level as well as here in Congress, would join with us to focus on what we really need to do, and that is to create jobs. And I would hope that they would stop the misguided attack on workers and the middle class.

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentlewoman, Representative Lowey's, amendment to restore funding for the title X family planning program. I also want to convey my strong opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana prohibiting Planned Parenthood from receiving any Federal funds, including any funds for cervical or breast cancer screening. These draconian proposals will end preventive and primary care for millions of American women--primary care services that are for so many women the only medical care they receive throughout the year. In fact, six in 10 women who access care from a family planning center consider it to be their main source of health care. What we are seeing here today is nothing less than an attack on access to women's health services. The real impact of these cuts is that 5 million women across this country will lose access to basic primary and preventive care services. Let's be clear, Planned Parenthood does offer needed family planning services, and they also offer preventive health care services. In 2009, in the State of Ohio, Planned Parenthood served 97,574 patients by providing primary health services like cervical and breast cancer screenings, birth control, along with general services including smoking cessation, flu vaccinations, and screening for diabetes and anemia. Planned Parenthood in Ohio provided 32,532 cervical cancer screenings in 2009. Planned Parenthood in Ohio provided 32,717 breast exams in 2009--32,717 women given piece of mind that they are free from cancer or put on the path to necessary further treatment for breast cancer; 32,717 women given access to preventive care services that each and every American woman needs. From the cuts to the Women, Infants, and Children program to these cuts targeted at women's health care, a pattern is quickly emerging. And it's unacceptable. It shows a disregard for women's health and safety. Rather than jeopardize the health of women and children across our country; rather than cutting heating assistance for those with low income; rather than cutting funding for Community Health Centers that help our most vulnerable; rather than cutting Community Development Block Grant funding that helps with economic development and job creation, this Congress can cut things like billions of dollars out of oil subsidies that go right to the profits of those oil companies. We can require the negotiations of lower drug prices to benefit our seniors and the bottom line. We as a Congress, rather than focusing on these draconian cuts to jeopardize the health of women and children, we should focus on job number one, and that is making investments helping Americans get back to work. We need to be working to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, rebuilding our infrastructure, and stopping the outsourcing of American jobs. I urge my colleagues to join us in these efforts. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Parliamentary Inquiry

Ms. SUTTON

Ms. SUTTON. Madam Speaker, we know Gabrielle Giffords as a colleague and a friend, a member of our congressional class of 2006, the majority makers. She is an outstanding public servant whose sole and constant commitment is to help make her district and our Nation as great as it can be. The shooting that has left Gabby fighting to recover and that has claimed the lives of her outreach director, Gabe Zimmerman, and five other innocent victims was horrific and stunning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gabby, her husband, Mark, and their family and to all of the victims and their families. In recent days the Nation has learned much about Gabby and her commitment to kindness and service. We've learned also of other extraordinary Americans present on that day. We learned of Christina Taylor Green, a child full of grace born on 9/11, taken away far too soon but who will be remembered always not only by her beautiful family, but by a grieving Nation that glimpsed her spirit, leaving her goodness impressed forever on our collective memory. America has learned of Gabe Zimmerman, a faithful public servant who used his life to make a difference in his country and for his community; and of Judge Roll, husband and father, committed to justice and the rule of law; of Dorothy Morris, beloved wife of George Morris, who also was critically wounded as he tried to shield her from the bullet; and of Phyllis Schneck, loving mother of three and beloved grandmother of seven; and of Dorwan Stoddard, who acted with great love in giving his life to save his wife. We remember these extraordinary people and the others who were injured, and we remember the heroes who came to the aid of fellow citizens, these ordinary yet great Americans reflecting the best of our Nation and its citizenry. And we join together today to condemn this violent rampage. But let us also join together to express our appreciation for those who offered themselves up in service, like Gabby, Gabe and Judge Roll, and all who were there participating in our representative Republic. Let us reach out one to another in common purpose. It has been said, God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through. Let it be so.