Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. You talked too about the caregivers, and it is theorized that nearly 60 percent of those caregivers who respond to Alzheimer's patients and those living with dementia are impacted with tremendous emotional stress, and they rate that as high or very high. And then of that 60 percent of caregivers, literally one-third is suffering from some order of depression. So the impacts here continue to sprawl and cause greater expenditure for those who are doing their good deed, responding to the needs of loved ones or friends or the patient population out there, and then they are impacted by this order of depression. It is assumed that has added additional cost to the system of our health care drain, and that is at $9.3 billion. That estimate goes over the year of 2013, so it is very easy to begin to do the calculus here on the cost of status quo, of not responding in deep measure or in wise capacity, so as to put together the sort of research that we require and the respite relief programs that are essential. Having talked to a number of caregivers during my tenure here, now closing out my third term, but before that in the State Assembly of New York, I would routinely hear from folks who would deal with these situations, these family issues in ways that they never imagined would be possible. I know of some spouses that indicated to me that, while they stayed home full time being the caregiver, they eventually sought employment and used every bit of that salary that came from that new employment to go toward the cost of caregivers. Now, they did that in order to save a relationship. It was a tremendous emotional drain on their relationship because it is not easy serving as a caregiver. Individuals have told me, as spouses, that they have gone out and sought full-time employment and again passed over that salary to the respite person. That is the sort of painful pressure under which individuals and couples--families--are living. It is a very difficult assignment many have chosen to keep their loved one at home. There are issues of safety, economic duress, and certainly our system has to respond to that, so the sooner we set our sights on a cure, on funding that is adequate and effective for research purposes and for developing the responsiveness of the medical teams out there, via perhaps pharmaceutical assistance and development there, the better our economic situation will be in regard to these struggles. Here is a chance for Congress to respond in very magnanimous terms that will allow us to state cumulatively that we get it, that we are there in order of compassion, that we understand it is about a dignity factor, it is about quality of life, and it is about providing hope to situations that may be rendered hopeless. Isn't that the best element of work that we can do here to bridge that order of hope to those who have been so stressed and who have been given a walk in life, a journey that is powerfully painful? I just appreciate the fact that we are utilizing these opportunities, such as this Special Order, to bring to the attention of those concerned with these issues to a laser-sharp focus and to allow for people to speak out there as the general public in support of measures that can be taken, of budget appropriations that can be secured, of opportunities that come in securing the resources essential to go forward and offer the fullest response that we can. Again, health care situations are driven by this. There are huge costs if we don't respond to the needs of individuals living with Alzheimer's, and then there is that ripple effect that is happening all too frequently for the caregiver community that is also worn thin because of this assignment, because of this mission that they embrace. It is honorable that they do these things, but we also have to work the system here on the Hill in Washington, to respond to them with a degree of reverence and common sense and fully acknowledge that there are efforts that can be made here that bend that cost curve and speak to the situations at hand in the most effective manner. Representative Garamendi, I thank you for bringing us together on this evening of thoughtfulness here concerning dementia and Alzheimer's as a particular stress.

Mr. TONKO. I would just like to attach my comments to those you have just closed your statement by. This bankruptcy that is driven by certain catastrophic situations with health care costs are impacting far too many families, and this order of work here in the Congress is about prioritizations. We have spent trillions on war, and we have really diminished the investment in domestic programming, including health care. We come up with all sorts of efforts called sequestration, which is a hidden attack on investments in our domestic agenda. We have to be cautious about how we are guiding those priorities that we are establishing in our budgeting here in Washington, but if we were to prioritize based on where the public demands are, let me suggest, in closing, that I have gone to the Alzheimer's walk in my district for the past several years, and every year, the same statement is made: ``This is the largest crowd ever assembled.'' It keeps growing. It tells me the consciousness of this country, that we want something done for this dreadful disease, doing something that will cure individuals who are walking and living with Alzheimer's and dementia. The people have asked for this by their participation in local fundraising events. Is that the way that we respond to a crisis, by hoping we have good weather on the walk day, that we reach our intended goal that given year, as people are strapped with expenses of caregiving and medications? There is a better way to complement that, to lead the effort here in Washington with the research, with the cure that can be found, with the advancements in the pharmaceutical industry to be able to extend life and enhance life and the quality of life. That is what I think is so powerful about the opportunity we have here. I believe we can be those agents of hope. I do believe firmly that the priority here is to address this crisis that is devastating our American families and our economy. Let's go forward and be those agents of hope. Let's provide for a better tomorrow, and let's show people that there is a compassion that accompanies the efforts here in Washington. Representative Garamendi, thank you for bringing us together on an important discussion that needs to be followed up with resources and public policy and certainly prioritization that brings us to the threshold of responsiveness that is so needed and so deserved and is so correct.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the New York State Bar Association's Law, Youth and Citizenship Program on its 40th anniversary. In 1974, the LYC was established to promote citizenship and law- related education in schools throughout New York State, imparting knowledge to 5,000 students per year for more than four decades. Under the current leadership and the tireless efforts of Director Eileen Gerrish, the LYC engages students in one of the primary statewide education programs of its kind. Although the institution officially turned 40 in October, this is truly a year of celebration as the school continues to meet its mission and improve communities in New York's capital region. Along with the teachers, the civic leaders, and the students touched by this work, I congratulate the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program and wish them another 40 years of excellence in civic education.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the time offered by the gentleman from Kentucky. If experience has taught us anything over the past two decades, it is that the Clean Air Act has been a success. New businesses have started, the economy has grown, and the air is cleaner and, beyond that, healthier for all of us. The adjustments to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards Act are about a large body of research on the impacts of air pollutants on human health and the environment. H.R. 4795 assumes we cannot continue that record of success. The predictions of dire consequences to our economy before and after Congress adopted the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act have never materialized. We have, however, grown our economy and have achieved cleaner, healthier air for everyone. So, contrary to its title, this bill does nothing to promote manufacturing. It is simply another of many attempts to undermine the Clean Air Act. Instead of bringing this partisan bill to the floor--yet another bill that has no chance of becoming law--we could be working together on legislation that would reinvigorate our domestic manufacturing sector. We could pass pending tax legislation or, better yet, tax reform, which would provide the certainty, provide the fairness, and provide the clarity that everyone needs and deserves. If it were enacted, this bill before us would be more likely to cause confusion and legal challenges than to generate new manufacturing jobs. States develop comprehensive implementation plans that take account of all possible pollution sources and balance the needs of all stakeholders in the effort to achieve cleaner air. H.R. 4795 would allow a new facility to operate under less strict air quality standards than existing facilities if the EPA has not issued all final regulations and guidance required for any type of facility that would be covered by a newly established standard. If the Agency would call a standard into question by issuing guidance at a time after a regulation is finalized, why would the Agency ever do that? Guidance is useful for the regulated community. As new or unique situations arise, the Agency can work with applicants to find the most appropriate and most cost-effective means for moving a project forward under the law. It seems to me that we want to simplify the regulatory process, not complicate it, and to encourage communication and flexibility, not stifle them. We should ensure that regulations are implemented fairly and consistently, and we should facilitate communication and encourage the Agency to work with regulated entities. H.R. 4795 is going to result in greater confusion, more legal challenges, and a less flexible regulatory process. H.R. 4795 will not provide more jobs, and it will not deliver clean air. I reject the notion that clean air and economic progress are incompatible. They simply are not. H.R. 4795 is a bad bill, and I urge its defeat.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. As we continue to banter on this importance of trade--of free trade versus fair trade--I can't help but be reminded of the pioneer spirit that has taken this Nation to moments of greatness, where that greatness was written by the American worker, oftentimes by the immigrant who came to this country to pursue the American Dream. What we need to do here is have history instruct us. Let us understand what the greatness of this Nation is about. Our best days lie ahead of us if we do that, if we are willing to take lessons from American history, where our sons and daughters who, as our ancestors-- many of them immigrants--came to these shores. It was their creative genius. It was their integrity. It was their ingenuity. It was their work ethic. It was their passion as they tethered that American Dream that grew these opportunities of manufacturing in our mill towns. They were undeniably the impetus. Today, we need to be instructed by that pioneer spirit. We need to understand that, if given a fair shot, we can continue to grow upon that greatness, but if we suffocate that American Dream, if we suffocate the American worker, if we deny just remuneration for their sweat equity as they pour themselves into that job, if they are denied that job because of these trade deals, these negotiated outcomes that are denying again the worker across the world, then we all lose. It is important for us to understand that we need to invest in the manufacturing base. This is a walking away from history. This is allowing greed to take over the equation of job creation. This is about providing for greed for a very few. Look at the relationship between the worker and the owner, the manager of these situations. We have reduced the worker. We see what the average income is looking like. We see what the household income is looking like. We have destroyed this. We have put people into lower-paying jobs as they have lost those manufacturing sector jobs. We have not allowed for the job growth. We look at the chart that Representative Kaptur has displayed for us here this evening. It is overwhelmingly convincing. When you look at the activity in one direction versus the activity in the opposite direction, it is absolutely, blatantly, obvious that we need to do better, and we don't do that. We don't begin by relinquishing the role of Congress in this process. A Fast Track, as it has been talked about here this evening, denies the opportunity for fair debate. It denies the opportunity for amendments. It requires a simple up-or-down vote. We don't need to put public policy in for worker protection, environmental standards, child labor issues, consumer protection, public safety. All of these items are tossed into these agreements where there isn't the appropriate discussion and where the worker is held down--25 cents for the minimum wage in Vietnam, 75 cents for the average hourly wage, and then tossing people out of the American Dream here that they wanted to tether. That pioneer spirit needs to be fed. That pioneer spirit needs to be nurtured. That pioneer spirit needs to be respected. That pioneer spirit needs to be revered. When we do that with sound trade opportunities, we will prosper because we have the intellectual capacity as a nation--we have the work ethic as a nation; we have the creative genius as a nation--to prosper. Give us the fair opportunities to grow our economy and allow for trade policy to initiate a new era of greatness for this country. That is when we are going to respond in justice and in fairness--in social and economic justice--that will allow us again to write these new annals of history that will show yet another era of greatness for the American worker.

Mr. TONKO. I was just going to add to that statement, Representative, that there was a GAO study, a report that was called for by Representative George Miller and Representative Sandy Levin. That report clearly indicated that the provisions of these trade agreements have not been carefully and well-enough monitored and enforced. Also, violations that were discovered which require investigations were not done expeditiously. There are huge delays. That ought to raise some concern to Members of Congress who might just casually dismiss this authority that we should have to review these agreements. These agreements, again, are far beyond tariffs and trade barriers. They include public policy components that would range from worker protection to environmental concerns to food safety to consumer protection. These are all given dynamics that should not first and foremost be part of these agreements, but because they are, can have devastating consequences. Again, I think this effort here is about greed. It is about providing for those that can control and manipulate that economy at the expense of diminishing the worker. We have seen what has happened here as we have lost American jobs in our manufacturing base. The people who have been displaced from the manufacturing centers are now working in jobs that are providing for far less dollars-- remuneration--for the hard work that they invest into that new job. We are also watching the developing nations and their workers getting paid with a minimum wage of 25 cents or an average hourly rate of 75 cents. That is really destroying the workers not only this in country, but around the world. To this Nation and her needs, it is about growing our middle class, growing our economy, protecting our middle class, and when we are sending off jobs in this casual, dismissive type of agreement concept called free trade, it is not a fair outcome, and fair trade is where it ought to be. We need to go forward. I agree with the comments made by Representative Slaughter. We need to make certain there is not a Fast Track opportunity where we circumvent the responsibilities of Congress, where we should have debate, where we should allow for amendments, and not just move to a single up-or-down vote. That is dangerous, that is far reducing the involvement of Congress. It is relinquishing Congress of its responsibilities and its duties and the empowerment that it can bring to the American worker. So there is much work that needs to be done here. And as one who represents many manufacturing towns that in their heyday provided for great jobs and great opportunity and for the tethering of the American Dream, we need to move forward with progressive responses rather than this attack on working families in this country and around the world.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you very much, Representative Kaptur. Thank you for leading us in this discussion. We are going to be joined in a minute with our representative from Rochester, New York, Representative Louise Slaughter, and she and I, we can suggest, live along the Erie Canal Corridor, she at the western end of upstate New York, I at the eastern end. That corridor became the birthplace of a necklace of communities dubbed ``mill towns'' with the development of the Erie Canal. Product activity, product discovery, product development was the theme ongoing in that region. People tethered their American dream in these mill towns. They came, they worked their fingers to the bone, they came up with product ideas, and that was the pulse of our community. Manufacturing was alive and well. Then we saw this onslaught of what was called a trade negotiations process, where we would get into this concept of providing for negotiations, but those negotiations have grown a far distance from trade barriers and negotiations on tariffs. It became a way to encourage public policy in a very veiled kind of concept, so that you were addressing far beyond the tariff measures and the trade burdens. What we have today, as you indicated, is trillions of dollars in trade deficit where these manufacturing jobs have left our home communities in upstate New York and are now, in many situations, in underdeveloped nations or newly developing nations. When we look at the Trans-Pacific Partnership that is looming as one of the largest, if not the largest, most complex trade negotiation ever, you are going to look at situations where you have a minimum wage of 25 cents, for instance, in Vietnam, or an average hourly salary of 75 cents. This is not what we want to bring as a condition for our American workers. We can't compete with that, nor should we. We are holding down the workers' rights, the human rights, of these people in developing nations by agreeing to these sorts of agreements. I think that we can do better. We must do better. I stand for fair trade. This free trade concept where we sacrifice American workers, we find the rusting of manufacturing towns as a result, is not what the doctor ordered for the American economy. We need to be fair to the middle class. This is the great many of us who have found our American prosperity developed in manufacturing centers where we were able to raise a family and grow a community and develop a neighborhood simply by a just salary, sound benefits, and the security of knowing that your job was your grounding in that community. Free trade has taken away that American Dream for far too many, and we need to do better. We cannot continue to endure these trade deficits that are of the trillions of dollars and watch the many, many millions of jobs lost in the ensuing efforts because it is an unsustainable outcome. I have watched as so many manufacturing centers left our area. I represent the Mohawk Valley Capital District region of New York. We witnessed a huge exodus of jobs. I have people telling me today, as they are closing down factories, they cannot compete with situations in China, for instance, where there are many conditions that favor those businesses because of these sound partnerships that they have with their government, where they will buy the factory and, perhaps, pay the utility bill and then further manipulate the currency. There is a lot of work to be done on these issues. We need to make certain we go forward and have a sound overview by Congress, so that there is an investment by Congress and we are not circumventing our responsibilities and going forth with sound policy that will strengthen the great many of us called the ``middle class of America,'' provide for the American dream to be tethered in these mill towns, where we have manufacturing opportunities that are paying sound salaries, providing great benefits, and not destroying workers' rights. I thank you for leading us in this discussion and look forward to exchanging many thoughts here in the ensuing hour.

Mr. TONKO. The gentlewoman talks about the ownership--the pride of developing community and neighborhood, the investment that the worker made in growing a family, developing a household, building a neighborhood in a strong and powerful and meaningful way. Those are the mill town memories. Those memories guide my heart and soul. I am from a mill town. I still live in that mill town and represent that mill town here in the House of Representatives, and it was the clamor of that assembly line that resonated to people of all ages in that mill town. It was the activity. It was the hustle and bustle of manufacturing that resonated, that became the pulse of manufacturing, and that became the heart of a mill town. You knew which day the mill was shut--there was silence--but now the silence is deafening, and we need to bring back that resurgence, that opportunity which meant the American Dream, meant an opportunity to earn a paycheck--the dignity to earn that paycheck--and to be able to raise a family and develop and maintain a household. That is what it is all about. It is about economic and social justice. So we have work to do, and I believe that Washington needs to listen to small-town mill town across this country, to the middle-income community that reminds us it is about the dignity of work; that they want to invest their skill set, that they want to invest their professionalism, they want to invest their work ethic in building a product, allowing us to taste that greatness of manufacturing. We look at the data that are assembled that should guide us here, and we see CEO salaries and productivity rising steeply upward. Meanwhile, flattened, if not dipping south, is the average worker's salary. Something is fundamentally unjust about that outcome. Something is fundamentally unsustainable about that outcome. If we are going to enjoy prosperity, every strata of the income ladder is affected if we are not dealing with worker fairness. Then and only then, if we address worker fairness, can we rightfully hope to have a better tomorrow. Isn't that what we are about--providing hope, instilling hope into the hearts and minds and souls of individuals and families, of workers--of the mill towns of the American economy?

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to families across this country going without or simply scraping by as we enter the holiday season. Food pantries and organizations like the Hunger Action Network of New York State do a great deal to care for our neighbors who are cold, hungry, or homeless--but they cannot do it alone. These organizations need Washington's help, and the people these organizations care for need it even more. A uniquely American tradition is helping those in need. In my congressional district, one in 10 households lives below the poverty line. These families live each day with struggles that are reflected across our great Nation. These struggles can be fixed by a Congress that pursues policies that ensure a livable wage, that supports programs that help the less fortunate, and that invests in job creation instead of in cuts to critical programs like SNAP. It is my hope that this House will work together more than it has in recent years to make progress for all Americans, especially for those whom this Chamber seems to have forgotten about. We do not need to wait for the next Congress to take action. I can think of no better time than this holiday season to make progress on these critical issues.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is yet another exercise that explains why the public has such a low opinion of Congress. We have considered this package of bills before. The Senate will not take it up. The President and administration would not approve it. We are wasting valuable time on our last day in session before the lameduck period. This bill delivers more benefits to big fossil fuel and mining interests. It would allow them to extract fossil fuels and minerals from our coastlines and public lands with no serious consideration of public health, the environment, or of the many other business interests that rely on a clean, healthy environment to support their continued success. Our Nation has real challenges. We need faster, broader job growth in all regions of our country and in all sectors of our economy. We need a national energy policy that provides more energy security through efficiency and expanded use of renewable energy resources. We need an energy policy that recognizes and deals with the challenges of climate change. We need a thoughtful path forward that enables a transition to the energy sector of the future that brings workers and communities into this new model productively and profitably. We need to invest in our transportation and water infrastructure-- infrastructure that is in need of repair, in need of rebuilding, and in need of redesign--to meet our needs into the future. The financing structure in place today and the Federal resources being devoted to these essential systems is outdated and inadequate. We need to do more to address the lingering problems from the financial debacle that crashed the economy in 2007. Too many of our citizens are still struggling under heavy debt loads as a result of the housing bubble, the stagnant wages, student loans, unemployment, and underemployment. Our Tax Code needs revision to spur business investment, to bring down the deficit, and to make the Code fair for all taxpayers. We need to invest in research and development, the lifeblood of innovation and progress; instead, this legislation proposes to provide more to a sector of the economy that is already thriving. Oil and gas production are at record levels, as are the profits of these industries. This bill continues the same old energy policy that we have been following for decades and ignores the mounting social and environmental costs associated with its continuation. This package doubles down on carbon emissions because it is a fossil fuel only policy. With this proposal, we ask our citizens to accept greatly reduced public health and environmental protection not just to support our domestic use of these fuels, but to enhance our exports of fossil fuels. It is sad and ironic that, during the week of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and of the Land and Water Conservation Fund--laws that recognize all the values of public lands and resources to current and future generations and that have provided so much--that we are considering this bill. H.R. 2 represents a narrow view of natural resources as assets to be exploited for short-term profit by this generation with little regard for our stewardship responsibility to our children and to our grandchildren. If we do not act decisively and soon, our generation's legacy will be one of shortsightedness and wasted opportunity. We have ignored real challenges for far too long. We need to demonstrate the vision, the courage, and generosity of spirit that previous generations expressed on our behalf. We need to stop making policy in increments of months and do what we were sent here to do, govern by working together and compromising to find solutions with consideration of the present and an eye to the future with bold plans and initiatives. Generally, I am a big fan of recycling, but H.R. 2 is only suitable for disposal. This is a deeply flawed piece of legislation. I cannot support it, and I strongly urge my colleagues to reject it.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 5057, the External Power Supply Service Parts Act of 2014. I thank my colleague Representative Gardner and Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman for their cooperation and support in bringing this measure to the floor. External power supplies have become regular fixtures in homes and workplaces around the world as we have expanded our use of rechargeable batteries to power the many electronic products we use every day. Because these products are so common, lowering their power consumption translates into substantial energy savings for consumers and savings for businesses. Earlier this year, the Department of Energy finalized a rule to strengthen the energy efficiency standards for these products. I support that rule. H.R. 5057 is not intended to undermine the new standard. H.R. 5057 simply creates a short-term targeted exemption to enable a smooth and orderly transition to the new standard for both manufacturers and for the current owners of equipment purchased prior to the adoption of the new standard. This narrow exemption enables manufacturers to continue to provide service and replacement parts for existing equipment. It allows owners of equipment to keep it functioning for the full intended life of that given product. The bill ensures the exemption included in this legislation will not result in a significant delay in reaching the new energy efficiency targets for EPS equipment. The bill provides DOE with the authority to establish a reporting requirement to track the number of parts that are shipped and of those that do not meet the efficiency standard. If the Department finds that this exemption is undermining the energy savings that are projected under the new efficiency regulations, the Secretary can issue a rule to limit or rescind the exemption. H.R. 5057 strikes an appropriate balance, I believe, that keeps us moving forward on efficiency goals for external power supplies while providing manufacturers and owners of current products the assurance that service and spare parts will be available. Again, I want to thank my colleague, Representative Gardner, for working with me and working with our colleagues on this bill. I urge all Members to support the legislation, and with that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support the American Falls Reservoir hydropower legislation, introduced by Senators Risch and Crapo of Idaho. The bill would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reinstate the license for a hydroelectric project involving Idaho's American Falls Reservoir, and it gives the project 3 additional years by which to begin construction. This bill allows FERC to get this project licensed expeditiously while ensuring that the appropriate environmental analyses are completed and considered. The noncontroversial legislation before us today has passed the Senate by unanimous consent in two consecutive Congresses. With that, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 15, a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill to properly address the humanitarian crisis at the border.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I hear you making mention of a long-standing skill set, that of shipbuilding. It is important as we look at that Make It In America agenda that the Democrats in the House of Representatives have put together, a very sound platform of initiatives, of policy and resource advocacy, a multifaceted concept of how to underpin the strengths of our manufacturing sector. As we move forward with those skill sets that are required to build these ships, we need to make certain there is an investment in skills development and training, retraining, so we are doing it smarter. It doesn't have to be the cheaper price delivered to the market; it has to be the most quality also. And so we can win several of these contracts through brain power, through the investment of our intellectual capacity. We are a Nation of pioneer spirit. I think that holds true to this day. Our humble beginnings taught us that we impacted not only the growth of this country with a westward movement, but through an industrial revolution. It affected positively the quality of life throughout this world because of that intellectual capacity, because of that pioneer spirit, because of that creative genius. And so it is important for us to include in our package as we do training and retraining, education formats, and research. We see it in the energy sphere. We see it across the board. It is important.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. I served as president and CEO before this work in Congress at NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and some of the partnerships that we inspired, public-private matches, where NYSERDA would have a piece of the action working with our innovator community and our entrepreneurial community and come up with these innovative designs that would allow for us to meet energy demands or to foster energy efficiency concepts which are very important to the outcome of energy policy and performance in this country. So, absolutely, I was involved in that. I know that that is a growing edge. It is a meteoric rise within our manufacturing sector with all of this challenge as energy consumers to not only provide for alternatives and more efficient and effective outcomes and perhaps, in many cases, reduce costs, which are important, but also embracing an environmental agenda that deals with carbon emission and methane emission through the concepts of climate change and global warming. So it is an across-the-board win, Representative Garamendi. I applaud you for H.R. 1524 and am supportive of H.R. 194, just recently spoken about by Representative Kaptur, where we have the opportunity, again, to govern the decisions to either sell American-made products in gift shops or not. One thing I would like to highlight here this evening, we have many traditions that have followed through the Halls of this Congress through the decades, one of which is the Export-Import Bank. So as we talk about product development and working within an international marketplace, there are those concepts in competing nations that help them with their export-import development. We have such a bank. The Export-Import Bank is at risk because it needs to be reauthorized, and, again, there is a sluggish outcome here where there is denial as to that concept. I can tell you that Export-Import Bank supports about $1 billion worth of sales in my own district. That is no small change. And so we need to make certain that we move forward with this concept of the Export-Import Bank being reauthorized. You look at the Ex-Im Bank and where it provides great services, and that is with the small business and medium-sized business community. Those are the up-and-coming efforts within the resurgence of our economy that need assistance. This program does it. Whether you are selling state-of-the-art energy innovative products or whether it is alarm systems or whether it is electronics, there is a great bit of assistance provided by the Ex-Im Bank. Just last month, the National Association of Manufacturers and the United States Chamber of Commerce, who don't always agree, came together supporting their togetherness in swiftly addressing reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank. So I think it is very important. You have an organization here that has supported $37 billion worth of sales through last year that sustains some 200,000-plus jobs with over 3,400 companies. The important thing to note is their track record is stellar. For 80 years, they have been performing without assistance from taxpayer dollars. Their default rate is below 2 percent. Who can argue with that sort of success story? So as we develop this Made In America agenda, we need the complementary efforts of the Ex-Im Bank so we can wholeheartedly go forward with every tool in the kit for our American manufacturers and our businesses, small and medium and industrial style, to be able to allow them the engine that heightens their export-import opportunity, and that is the way the work should be done, not denied here, not procrastinating about whether or not it should be reauthorized, not making it a political football, but really going forward and showing enthusiastic support based on tradition, on history, on performance, on success. Let's get it done. Let's do our Export-Import Bank reauthorization. It is the right thing to do. This majority in the House of Representatives, the Republican majority, ought not hold back that progress. It is a support network that is essential to the future, the soundness of our business community, from small to medium to large.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. Just underscoring your statement that when women succeed, America succeeds--when women succeed, that lifts all families, whether it is a single female head of family, whether it is a male-female household, two women in the household, whatever it is, across the board, that is a win situation. So families prosper, families succeed, and then, of course, America succeeds. Again, a multifaceted agenda that speaks to core needs. It speaks to social and economic justice. It speaks to the fact that pay equity and equal pay for equal work is a cornerstone to our women succeed, America succeeds agenda, the minimum wage being lifted, and certainly quality child care, affordable child care. That is what sustains the agenda, so that when women succeed, families succeed, America succeeds. We move forward with a vibrancy that began with its underpinnings of support here on the Hill in Washington, with Congress working toward the needs of workers and the business community and making certain that we respond to the present-day needs that exist out there that only build upon the richness of history and allow America to truly succeed.

Mr. TONKO. Okay. Well, some of those trends that saw decline in some of the manufacturing sectors in our economy over the decades are now beginning to close on that gaping bit of disparity. Labor rates, for instance--as countries had very, very cheap labor rates, they witnessed that their labor population began to demand more, which is a sign of civilization. When you are investing your skill set, your brain power, into the development of products and working on that assembly line, you will begin to understand that remuneration for what you do is important. An order of social fairness, social justice, comes into play, economic justice, so the discrepancy between the labor rates has narrowed. We have earlier talked about the energy supplies and energy costs. Many now are citing us as the millennium of Mideast here, with the supply of natural gas and energy issues that are being addressed significantly through innovation and alternative supplies and through natural gas supplies. So the energy quotient in that formula for manufacturing has been very much flipping, cycling favor for the U.S. economy. As these major factors begin to steady our way, there is a brighter bit of hope out there that is launched. If we accompany that with the appropriate policies and attached resources, if we can adopt, if you would, the Democratic agenda for Make It In America, great things can happen. It takes a vision, and it takes leadership, and it takes planning so as to get to that point where we are investing in that pioneer spirit of America. I earlier talked about my grandparents and the fact that they claimed the 20th Congressional District in New York as their home. They tethered their American Dream there. They went to work in those factories, on those farms, and made certain they could climb that ladder for economic opportunity. They shared that with their children and their grandchildren. They wanted to make certain that this American Dream was there for their family and then share it with others. That is us at our best. Why not invest in that American Dream, so that as families go forward, as they dream their dreams, as they tether those dreams, as they become all they can be, as they submit to an American agenda that has always been about opportunity, about taking your natural skills, talents, and abilities and investing them for your own growth, but certainly for the growth of community and the American culture--that has been us, that is our history. Let it speak to us. As we hear others who speak to us about the needs to grow the economy, let us respond. Let us do that with a keen sense of awareness, of empathy, of attachment to an American agenda for jobs.

Mr. TONKO. Go for it, Representative.

Mr. TONKO. It is interesting, as you highlighted the discussion, the dialogue with your advisers. The business of representing congressional districts, of representing any district in the halls of government, the key factor is listening, opening up to discussion, ideas, constructive criticism of what needs to be done out there, what is being done and what can be done better, what is not being done that needs to be done.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. And it is the way we keep our cutting edge as sharp and precision-oriented as possible. We know that it is three areas of investment. It is investment in capital infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and human infrastructure. Having that quality workforce, well prepared, skill sets that are at the cutting-edge quality so that we can continue to prosper as we compete, our companies compete, our businesses compete, at that international market. So it is important for us to constantly invest in that upgrading, in that training and retraining, and in that enhancement of education for our young people. So there is the cornerstone of our plan, along with research which, as we have seen through the last couple of decades, it is critically important. If we look back as far back as the global space race, that space race required an investment of research. Landing a person on the Moon first of any nation, with that American flag being anchored onto the surface of the Moon, didn't just happen; it took an order of planning and commitment and passionate resolve so that with that passion we could make a difference. Well, it happened, and America was energized and it was lifted in the eyes of nations around the world as that leader. We are at a critical juncture again, and can we afford to walk away from an investment in research? Can we afford to walk away from an investment in training and retraining? Can we afford to walk away from an investment in education, or the Export-Import Bank, or all sorts of incentives that provide for upgrades to manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, robotics, technology that allows us to build the best product out there, and we set the pace, we set the tone? It is about this wonderful agenda of Make It In America, established by so many people, including yourself, Representative Garamendi, the leadership in our House, Leader Pelosi and the Democrats in the House, advancing this cause of investment in tomorrow, investment in today. It is how we get there and how we always achieve by seeing the problem, meeting the challenge, and investing in America and her people. We don't get there by cutting our way to prosperity, by denial, by games on the House floor, by resoundingly defeating a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. It is absolutely essential that we do those building blocks that take us to the next generation of competition, the next generation of workers, and it can happen only if we plan accordingly and if we take that effort to lead rather than just hold back.

Mr. TONKO. Absolutely. They are more aggressive than our program. So why would we reduce the complementary force that we provide to Ex-Im Bank. Ninety percent, as you just pointed out, a great amount of the activity, is with our small and medium-sized community; 90 percent is with the small and medium-sized business community. So what gives? Why are we not going forward with great energy, with great passion to say we can't miss, we need to reauthorize. Instead, we are hearing vibes about not reauthorizing. We are having all kinds of groups coming together in nontraditional fashion, imploring us to do the right thing here. And again, it is being held back by the majority in the House. It is unacceptable, and it is unintelligent to do so.

Mr. TONKO. We were, and it is always a pleasure to join with you, Representative Garamendi, and with Representative Kaptur for the purposes of highlighting what can be done in this arena to cultivate a climate that grows private sector jobs and to be supportive of American-made products. So I stand here this evening in support of H.R. 1524, which would allow for us to prosper with the energy innovation and energy alternative technology which, as American produced, would be highlighted, would be the focus of attention with H.R. 1524.

Mr. TONKO. No, no. It is fine because you are just speaking to the point of listening and responding, learning from our constituents, learning from the front line of the business community and the worker community. Basically, when we travel this route, if we gather the information and then act accordingly, great things can happen. Prosperity blooms and blossoms. I believe that when the business community is speaking--from small to medium to large industry--when they are telling us we need workforce development investment, we ought to listen. When they are telling us they need immigration reform, we ought to listen. When they are talking about reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, we ought to listen. When they talk about incentives that modernize and transfer and transition traditional manufacturing into advanced manufacturing, we ought to listen. The list goes on and on. Just recently, I toured a manufacturing center, a factory in my district. My grandparents called the district I represent home. Ironically, a set of them worked in that factory. I am a product of immigrants--grandparent immigrants, who were dairy farmers and factory workers. Those factory workers worked on that same floor that we were visiting, those grandparents--my grandparents. One couldn't help but wonder the equipment changes that have come in those decades that have passed. While they wove carpets--they were weavers in that carpet industry--today, they are weaving fiber strands for defense contracts, for huge equipment out there. The owner implies and states to me that: I can't compete, I have to offer my product at a 1985 price level. Why? One would ask why? He responded rather quickly and theoretically: a, our foreign competitors are subsidized by their government--they oftentimes own the factory, the government owns the factory. In this case, China manipulates the currency. He said: you take away any of those factors, any one, and I can compete; you take all of them away, and I am a winner, hands down. When our communities speak to us--in this case, workers, businesses, management--when they speak, we ought to respond accordingly. I don't understand the lack of action on an Export-Import Bank reauthorization. I don't understand the dumbing down of research opportunity. I don't understand the lack of resources to provide for a Make It In America agenda fostered by the Democratic leadership of this House, understanding full well that we are at our best when we invest in our tomorrow. That pioneer spirit comes fully alive when we do that. Let's move forward with progress by committing to that order of agenda.