Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Our friends on the other side of the aisle said ``no'' to progress.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I thank the gentleman. I stand here this evening in strong support of H.R. 847. I want to commend my colleagues, Representatives Maloney, Nadler, Crowley and the entire delegation from New York in a bipartisan way for working on this bill. It is so essential. Just hours, days after the attack on America, 9/ 11, I was at the time serving in the New York State Assembly. The Speaker of the State Assembly and a delegation of representatives from the House traveled to that site to show support to the workers. I can still recall the pain and the anguish that surrounded that site. I can still see the determination in the eyes of the workers. I can still understand the sense of character, the efforts made, the strength, the courage, the bravery, the resilience of those workers. If, in fact, we believe 9/11 is an attack on America, then we as an American public need to respond to the workers who showed the strength and the bravery to aid us in that very, very dark moment. So I stand in support of H.R. 847 and ask that everyone in this House show support to the workers. They deserve our respect, our resources, and let's support this measure.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. When you talk about the $11.5 trillion deficit, when the Bush administration ended is when I arrived in Washington as a freshman, several months ago now, in my first term. I distinctly recall that economists of all stripes, from far right thinking to far left, found unanimity in that they thought we needed to invest in solving this deficit situation because the time had long but passed since something like that needed to be done. The denial under the deficit growth, which became a record proportion, could have been resolved if they had changed their policies, if they had looked at the failure and tried to turn it around. So, by the time the new administration took hold in January of 2009, the requirement was there. It was basic. Every economist was suggesting and was strongly urging that it took investing. So we really had to take additional moneys that drove the deficit a little larger, but it was to stop the bleeding of the recession because the likelihood of disaster was tremendous, so there was no choice but to further invest. That deficit really drove additional investment requirements, but because of the track record we are showing this evening, it did have its corresponding results. There were lucrative dividends that came from those investments, but they were the smart investments that, yes, grew the deficit slightly, but they finally stopped the bleeding and now show the growth.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Wasserman Schultz. It's a pleasure to join with you and Representative Ryan on the floor here to talk about what's happening. You talked about Representative Ryan's district and mine being about making things. I thought tonight I would share some numbers that personalize it to the 21st Congressional District in New York, the greater capital region. Let's look at some of the numbers. Beechnut, which produces baby foods, a tremendously powerful economic engine in our Mohawk Valley. Their total jobs right now, new positions, are at 106; 52 in the management position and some 54 in new factory positions. These are workers that will be producing on the line. It is a strength to our region. X-ray Optical. The X-ray Optical system says that they need to share with the world that throughout this recession they have maintained their workforce. In their order of business, they believe this is a monumental feat. So we are thrilled that they are able to survive throughout this economic climate without any layoffs, any firings. Certainly the jobs in the capital region are plentiful, or becoming more plentiful. The Albany Medical Center has more than 400 openings, including nurses, technicians and other specializations. General Electric company needs some 200 engineers, researchers and financial analysts. Certainly GlobalFoundries is hiring some 69 people, mostly engineers and technicians. Comfortex has hired 40 people since May and is looking for 15 additional workers. This time last year the State Labor Department in New York reported that there were some 3,800 registered job openings in our area. Now it's reporting that there are some 6,000 job openings. The unemployment in the Albany area is down to some 6.6 percent, and just recently 2,900 jobs were added to the regional private job sector this past June. So these are numbers personalized to one congressional district in one State. As we continue to see this sort of increase in jobs across the country, we begin to understand that the dynamics of the Recovery Act are indeed important. There are those who might bemoan that investment. We stop the bleeding of the recession; and for slightly less than a trillion dollars of investment, we see factors now like $18.5 trillion lost in the last 18 months of the Bush administration in household income that was just lost in that 18-month period. We have recovered some $6 trillion of that household income as a result of the Recovery Act. So when we talk about that, a down payment of under a trillion dollars has recovered some $6 trillion household wealth. I think that's an amazing return for the dollar. That's an amazing recovery, and so the Recovery Act is not only producing that private sector job growth, as my two colleagues indicated this evening with the chart that they have presented; it's also recovered some $6 trillion in household income and for a down payment, again, of under a trillion dollars. That's a great return. So I think America is poised for greatness. This cleansing process has been painful; but it allows us to go forward with the sense of commitment to innovation, to a clean energy economy, to the sort of emerging technologies and the innovative genius that is uniquely American. If we can move forward and take a number of these success stories, success stories in our R&D centers, in our basic research and allow them to be deployed into manufacturing sectors and into the workforce by taking those passions and making the investment that we need to make, we cannot only respond with a jobs agenda but respond to some socioeconomic ills out there. Our energy crises in this country, several crises under the umbrella of energy, can be addressed by investment in technology, investment in R&D and, certainly, job growth that comes into a new dimension that allows jobs to be created from the trades on up to the PhDs. It covers the full gamut, and I think that's the sort of investment we are talking about here. We are talking about advanced battery manufacturing. We are talking about smart meters, smart grids, smart thermostats. These are the investments that could be made, people that will install energy efficiency improvements in homes and make businesses more productive, maintaining homes at a cheaper cost by using less electricity and creating jobs in the process. I am thrilled to join you both as colleagues here this evening because we have a message, we have a great message to share and people need to know. The public needs to know that this investment was made in a very deliberative, laser-sharp focus-type manner that allows us now to begin to see the improvements that are taking hold. Had nothing been done, had the previous administration been allowed its way, we would have seen that straight-line decline continue until we hit the Great Depression. So I think we are on the right course; we are now bearing northward with that V formation and we are going to continue to grow north to make certain that we continue to grow the private sector economy.

Mr. TONKO. If the gentlelady would yield, you talk about telling statements on the floor or the behavior in and around Washington that proves very telling, actions sometimes speaking louder than words. The activity that has taken place on this floor as it dealt with America COMPETES, here was a major bill invested in by the Science and Tech Committee, a number of groups overviewing this legislation, monumental to the future of America's workforce, to manufacturing, to investment in basic research, in R&D. And there were all sorts of efforts made to hear everyone, to be totally inclusive about that final package that was developed and then presented on this floor, approved in committees and travels to the floor, and then the game of ``gotcha'' politics takes hold. We use all kinds of stall tactics, all sorts of gimmicks to embarrass, to trap people, to really circumvent the real issue of how do you strengthen manufacturing, how do you put together a package that invests in the research monies that are required. How do you invest in the training of the future workforce, beginning in the educational networks, so that STEM--the science, technology, engineering, and math--concepts can all be learned in a way that will enable us to have the workforce of the future? That effort was so very important. It almost went to defeat. It was pulled as a bill on the floor, and a few weeks later we figured out how to get around the politics spirit that existed.

Mr. TONKO. Yes, I will.

Mr. TONKO. And I think the actions taken by the majority in this House--Speaker Pelosi and members of the Democratic majority--have been about job creation, private sector growth. What I don't think the other side realizes is that what we have out there is middle-class anxiety and uncertainty that's at an all-time high. They're concerned about paying their mortgage. They're concerned about paying for education, for credit card bills that they have, for medical bills. And they are impacted. They are losing jobs through no fault of their own, and now finally they will see hope growing as we grow that private sector situation. That is the dynamic that has really been avoided and not addressed by the minority in this House. When they asked to have control back--I think what we need to look at is the contrast, and we've mentioned this, Representative Wasserman Schultz, several times over in our frequent visits to the floor. But what we need to do is take the big picture, the big frame here and allow people to see the contrast. We're looking at a group that drove the car out of the ditch. We towed that car out of the ditch. When the minority in this House was in the majority working with the previous administration, they drove this car right into the ditch and couldn't get it out. And then up comes the new team, and what we have done, working with the President and with the leadership in this House, is towed that car out of the ditch, and now they want the keys back to drive. And we say ``no'' because we need to go forward, not backward. We need to continue to pursue a progressive agenda. I think when we look at those big picture issues, Social Security-- and where they are with that issue? They want to privatize. They want to put it at risk. Imagine the trillions of dollars that would have been lost had we enabled them in 2005 to have their way. I wasn't yet in Congress, but fortunately the Republicans did not get their way and they did not privatize Social Security. We are now here attempting to keep that out of their wish list of privatization. They also wanted to voucher out the Medicare program, a very successful program for our seniors. They want to put a voucher system in. We're trying to keep it and maintain it, develop the security of that system into the future. They liken our work on Wall Street reform akin to attacking an ant with an atom bomb. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. It's a deception that they're proud of. And a number of other things. They asked our President to apologize for coming down hard on BP for not responding effectively and efficiently and in rapid pace to make certain that we save our environment in the Gulf States area. So there are all these snapshots that we need to look at. And there is a contrast. There is a team that wants to go back to the failed policies of the past. There is a team that wants to promote an agenda for the future. I firmly believe that what we need to remind them is that there is this anxiety level, this uncertainty with our middle- income Americans, with middle-class America that is at an all-time high. And they are now beginning to see that there is a difference between the former majority and now this Democratic majority. I think we have a track record of history that will show that when we're in control, we deliver for America's working families. I think that's a record for which we can be very proud and which really speaks to the strengthening of America, her families, and her economy.

Mr. TONKO. Do we have to?

Mr. TONKO. Representative Wasserman Schultz, if you will allow me to just make a comment here.

Mr. TONKO. To my colleague from Florida and my colleague from Ohio, I would say this: I believe, the sense I get is that there's a very thoughtful process now to provide the strong incentives to grow small business, to grow private sector jobs, done in a way that really shows respect, respect for the taxpayers' dollar, and wanting to pull us out of this recession that was so deep and so long. And I think it's happening. I know that the innovative genius will be inspired by the legislative route we're taking, by the priorities we're establishing, with the budget priorities that we have put into play. And it's about growing jobs. It's about giving people the chance again to feel the greatness of America, the greatness of America that allows us to know that we have it within our potential, we have it within our grasp. And I firmly believe that we will do our manufacturing, and our jobs will grow in the manufacturing sector because we do it smarter. We do it smarter. And, Representative Wasserman Schultz, thank you for the opportunity to share with you and Representative Ryan thoughts that I have and that we all share on how we're going down the right course.

Mr. TONKO. Oh, absolutely.

Mr. TONKO. If I might add to that, I think also--and history will show--that it was a partnership with big interests. It was with Big Oil, with big banks and with the big insurance industry. In the beginning stages of the Bush Presidency, we saw some of the attempts there for trade contracts, for contracts with China. When we look at the investment, when we look at the job market, it can be broken down into three elements--agriculture, manufacturing, and financial services. Well, it appeared as though the manufacturing was kind of pushed aside. We didn't see the kind of execution of these trade contracts to favor manufacturing. Instead, somehow, they were gripped by the special interests of big banks, and they ruled in these contracts that were developed. So I think that, you know, history will show that manufacturing didn't have a high priority with these groups. When you see the emerging technologies, when you see the innovation, the American innovation, there were many small businesses that were continuing to grow, which could have prospered with the appropriate treatment from Washington--policies, programs, resources--and that just didn't happen. Then we saw the further relaxation of regulation with the financial services sector. So tools were being developed to intentionally circumvent regulation, to relax regulation--perhaps avoiding an aggressive approach with drilling deeper in the Gulf States. All of this created a failure that brought America's economy to its knees, and it was all about partnerships with special interests--big companies, big industries-- that really had a grip on what was happening here, and it has caused a lot of failure.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today just a few weeks in advance of the 75th anniversary of Social Security. This bedrock promise, earned with a lifetime of hard work, should be available for our Nation's seniors and future generations. However, my friends on the other side of the aisle are once again attempting to privatize Social Security. Returning to previously rejected ideas, Republicans want to create a casino economy and play Russian roulette with your hard-earned benefits. If they had succeeded, for instance in 2005, seniors would have lost trillions more in the stock market meltdown of the Bush recession. Instead, nobody lost a penny of Social Security. In the area that I represent, many people are hurting. Families and seniors are facing uncertainty and anxiety ranging from their mortgage payments, to credit card bills, and more. Let us not add to that anxiety by returning to failed ideas of the past. We must keep America moving forward. There is a very clear choice here. We can hand the Social Security system over to Wall Street and continue raising anxiety, or we can strengthen the current system. I stand with our Nation's seniors to strengthen Social Security for the years to come.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Representative Garamendi, I like these lightning rounds. I think you are right on to the absolute powerful course to make certain that tax policy speaks in defense of American workers, American families. Absolutely essential, making certain that there is an agenda here to invest in education, because we are training the workforce of the future. But what we also need to do--and I am convinced that we can do it smarter. If we don't do it cheaper, we can still win if we do it smarter. I look at all of the opportunities that we can do through energy efficiency retrofitting, that we can take manufacturing and upgrade it so that we are creating a state-of-the-art facility. Energy costs are significant in production, in production costs, in manufacturing costs. When I look at the potential of providing, for that efficiency, retrofitting, I saw it NYSERDA. I served as president and CEO at the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority just prior to entering Congress. We saw many, many businesses coming to us to ask for programmatic help, to make their efficiency and on site as powerful as could be. We need to see that as our fuel of choice. We need to drill and mine for efficiency like you would drill for oil and mine for coal. It is that valuable a resource, and we have invested in that. We have invested in all sorts of innovation in the energy arena through the Recovery Act. This is a visionary policy-driven administration. The Democrats in this House, led by Speaker Pelosi, working with the President, are visionary. They are bringing about state-of-the-art opportunities. We are bringing into play what was back-burnered by an administration that was too interested in working with powerful sources--big banks, big oil companies, all of the special interests of insurance--working with them, giving them the prioritization in government rather than allowing us to invest in all of the adjustments that were required so that our manufacturing could be as smart and as challenging to the global marketplace as could be. I see that as a value added that's part of the Recovery Act, part of the packaging that we do here. Another point that I would mention, SBIR, the Small Business Innovation Research program, I have a bill that will invest in tested prototypes that have been tested and are ready to be deployed into manufacturing. We can do that if we create a phase 3 revenue stream. Let's take those patented ideas that have been prototyped that are ready to go into manufacturing. Let's invest in that. That's jobs immediately. It's a no-brainer. So I would hope that we could advance that sort of small business agenda, because otherwise these patents are going to other countries. They are developing these patents into a manufacturing situation, and that scenario is providing jobs in their given country. We need to take our own patents here to the SBIR program and advance that agenda.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Garamendi. It is great to join with our Democratic colleagues here on the floor to share our thoughts on how we rebuild this Nation's economy. And it's absolutely the truth that what was inherited here was a huge loss in jobs, 8.2 million jobs lost in the Bush recession and $18.5 trillion lost in the last 18 months in American households of the Bush administration. So there was a huge comeback required. What we have here is an opportunity, I believe, to really express the strength of this Nation. The strength of our Nation is the intellect. The intellectual capacity of this Nation, when embraced, can inspire a wonderful, wonderful era of innovation, and we have seen it throughout our history. When we professed that we were going to land a person on the Moon, when we entered the global race in space under the leadership of President Kennedy, we made it happen because people saw the goal. They believed that we were the greatness of America, and that greatness was expressed by a Nation that invested in technology that landed us on the Moon. So we're at that same juncture. It is a repeat of history almost. As the President asked us in the Recovery Act to invest in basic research, to invest in R&D, in research and development, that allows us to develop all sorts of responses to basic needs. The energy dilemma in this country, in this world, can be addressed here in the United States. You look at what the investment in advanced battery technology means. I see it in my district. In Schenectady, GE is opening a facility that will manufacture all of this wonderful opportunity where this alternative battery technology will not only allow for generation of energy, but it will allow for heavy fleets to be equipped with alternative supplies that create efficiency, less carbon emission, and a stronger outcome. Job creation, job production, and then beyond that, this battery will be available for storage, for storage of intermittent power. So, as we look at the sun and the wind and the soil to produce our energy needs, there are concerns at times that there is an intermittent quality, that the sun may not shine, the wind may not blow. If we can store that supply, then we have created the linchpin to an innovation in the energy world. That is happening as we speak, and those batteries will be developed and manufactured here in this country. That's what we're talking about. Do we want to go from purchasing fossil-based fuels from unfriendly Nations in the Mideast to purchasing solar panels from China? Not at all. We can produce here in this country but it's about choosing the right policies. It's about relying on the right course. It's about placing trust and confidence in leadership. Do we want the failed leadership that continues to promote the policies of the past where Republicans in this House will stand on the floor and say privatize Social Security, put it to the whim of the investment market? What would have happened if we had transitioned that with the failure of Wall Street? We're talking about a party that continues to talk, continues to talk about providing vouchers for our Medicare system. I don't want to balance a budget on the backs of hardworking seniors who now earn their retirement years. They want Social Security and Medicare to stay intact. We're talking about a party that said addressing Wall Street reform is like attacking an ant with an atom bomb. Well, what a gross misrepresentation of the dynamics of reform that were required here in this country. So it's about going out to the past, reaching out to the past and all those failed policies, where a $236 billion surplus which was projected to grow into a $5.6 trillion surplus was destroyed. It was usurped by failed policies. Or do we choose to go forward with progressive leadership, with recovery that we're seeing, investment in our intellect, investment in our innovation, and putting together the resources that enable us to go forward to make it in America again, to manufacture here in the United States? We have that ability. We have the course established. Let's continue to maintain the recovery walk that is so very valuable to our economy. I know that Representative Betty Sutton has something she wants to say, and I will yield back, Mr. Garamendi. General Leave

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Wasserman Schultz. It's so encouraging to have people see the difference in how we approach reform here in Washington. There are those who will suggest that the 8.2 million jobs lost during the Bush recession were a tremendous blow to this Nation's economy, to working families, to households across this country. There are those who would suggest that the $17.5 trillion worth of household wealth lost in the last 18 months of President Bush's final stage of his Presidency, some of that's been recaptured, recovered, some $6 trillion. But that painful outcome is sometimes lost. People forget that there were these trillions of dollars lost to the household incomes, that there were 8 million jobs lost in this country. Why would people want to go back to those failed policies? And, today, we just do a litmus test based on other dynamics. Medicare, the Republicans suggest that we should voucher the system, allow people to have a voucher to go and invest in a private insurance plan. There are those in the Republican ranks, the leadership, talking about reforming Social Security, raising the age limit, providing savings so that they can pay for the war, wanting to adjust a system that's very much part of the security for our Nation's retirees. To balance a budget on the backs of our hardworking retirees, people who have invested in the system, is telling us what their philosophy is all about. They're not supporting Wall Street reform. Attacking it, demeaning it, that it was an atom bomb used on an ant, totally misrepresents the situation; the fact that they wanted our President to apologize for coming down hard on BP and the oil spill and the failures in the gulf. So we see that same thinking that brought about the failure of our economy, that brought this Nation's economy to its knees. They want us to go back to those standards? I think what we have here are improvements. There's a road to recovery. It's painfully slow, but it's moving in the right direction. It's a sweep upward after several months of a sweep downward. The V formation, that constant dip down south, southward with the economy, now transitions upward, has told the story, has told the story; and I see it in my district. I see the capital region of New York responding to an innovation economy, investing in opportunity, in innovation. Advanced Battery Manufacturing, they're to open a new facility in our district that will move to something that now transitions our economy because it will be able not only to store intermittent power; it will also be able to generate electricity and also be used for heavy fleets. This is the way we create jobs. This is the investment of the Recovery Act that invested in Advanced Battery Manufacturing, invested in renewable technologies for energy generation, invested in smart grid, smart thermostats, smart meters. These were the opportunities that really transition our economy and create a new day for America because we become more self-sufficient in our energy policy, with our energy policy. We allow for generation to be done here by embracing the American intellect. These are the dynamics of reform that were long overdue. They're creating American jobs to produce American power. A tour with the veterans of this country about American power, about how we can create jobs here and not send hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign-nation treasuries and those nations are unfriendly to the U.S. That's the changed thinking, not the failure of the past that drained household incomes by $17 trillion to $18.5 trillion, that lost 8 million jobs. Do we go back to those failed policies, or do we transition over to what has been the road to recovery, albeit not as fast as we would like, but it's progress, it's movement in the right direction, and it's innovation and it's embracing the American intellect.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support our Nation's seniors. The government programs upon which they most depend, Medicare and Social Security, are being threatened by congressional Republicans. Recently those on the other side of the aisle have been championing drastic changes to both programs. They want to cut Social Security benefits, raise the retirement age to 70, and turn Social Security benefits over to the stock market. They want to convert Medicare to a voucher program so that seniors would get a coupon to go out of their own way to buy a regular, individual insurance policy. And what do congressional Republicans propose to do with these savings? Certainly, they want to pay for the war. I will not stand for stripping senior benefits down. I will not stand for balancing the budget on the backs of hardworking retirees. Social Security and Medicare benefits belong to our Nation's seniors, and congressional Democrats will not stand for whittling them down or stealing them away. Social Security represents a promise, and that is if you work hard and pay into the system, you will have financial security in your retirement years. It's been that way for 75 years. Now is not the time to change it.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Madam Chair. I do want to acknowledge the great work done in bringing to focus the importance of Saratoga and its race course and its season to the local economy. I commend my colleague Scott Murphy, the Representative in the neighboring district. While he hosts the track in his district, I know the value to the entire region, to my district economically and certainly to his with this season. It is an important economic engine for the tourism economy. It strengthens our economy; and economic recovery is important, in whatever measure we can ascertain. Today, I want to join my colleagues in celebration of Saratoga Race Course's 142nd season. Saratoga Race Course, located just outside the southern Adirondack region of New York State, is the oldest organized sporting venue in the country. Since 1863, Saratoga Race Course has been a summer destination enjoyed by many families, racing enthusiasts, and individuals from across this Nation and, indeed, around the world. The history in Saratoga Springs and at the track provide visitors with a window into the vibrant past of upstate New York. Saratoga Race Course is also the home of the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in America, the Travers Stakes. The Travers Stakes, named after William R. Travers, the first president of the race course, has been exciting patrons since 1864. Travers Weekend, which is one of the most widely attended events at the track, attracts thousands of individuals and families to upstate New York. Each year, that dynamic is felt vibrantly in the economy, and it showcases Saratoga's rich horse racing history. Today, racing enthusiasts who visit Saratoga Race Course are able to enjoy dozens of graded stakes races and thoroughbred races, in addition to the region's local cuisine and rich history and culture. I applaud this important venue and the economic engine of upstate New York that it is for the beginning of yet another season of racing. Again, I want to compliment and commend Representative Murphy for his work on this commemorative resolution. It brings to focus the value added that is instilled into our regional economy with yet another season that will be falling upon us.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I most certainly will.

Mr. TONKO. Oh, absolutely. As stated on the floor, we know what people want. We know where they want to take us. And I just think the contrast needs to be shared, because that same thinking is prevalent in terms of economic recovery, of economic development policies, of the sort of stopping of the bleeding that we promoted here in the House by inserting a new order of thinking. You know, even with the energy crisis, with the devastation-- Representative Jackson Lee, you see it from where you sit, and Representative Wasserman Schultz, you see it from the Florida perspective, Texas perspective--the gulf has been impacted. And for people from the cheap energy voice in this House, coming from the Energy and Commerce Committee, required an apology, demanded an apology from the President for coming down hard on BP. And all of the devastation to the economy, to the people, 11 lives lost, the ecosystem being devastated. That's another sign of difference where there isn't trust, in my opinion, or confidence. So people, I think, are going to take a look at this and say, Let's continue this. The path out of the damaged zone may not be as quick as we would have liked, but it is happening. It is happening in a positive measurement and its growth in the private sector of job creation for 6 continuous months. So I just think that contrast is important in the discussion that we have here tonight on the floor of the House.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Wasserman Schultz, and thank you for bringing us together to discuss an important aspect of the work we do, creating jobs, providing the dignity of work for individuals and families across this great country. And it's great to join with you and Representative Jackson Lee, Representative Schauer. I know we are going to be hearing from Representative Murphy. But to be with everyone here and put our thoughts into a context that allows people to understand where we are headed with this recovery program, I think this chart expresses it in a very straightforward, simplistic way, a simple straightforward decline for many months, where we lost $17.5 trillion of household income, where 8.2 million jobs were lost. We were headed for a deep, deep depression. And then this sharp straight line upward, which now expresses a recovery. And I should point out that many of us believe, all of us here on this floor tonight believe, that we're not only recovering the economy, but we're restructuring the economy. That's an important aspect of the work we're doing. To create those jobs that will bring strength to the American worker, provide economic vitality for the American family. And so we see this clustering here of 6 months of recovery in the private sector area of job creation and job retention. This is an important aspect to the investment that has been made, the policy reforms that have been initiated and responded to by this administration and the leadership of this House. But there is more to come. We're not satisfied with this. But when we hear the critics from the other side of the aisle say where's that great number of jobs, where are those new jobs, well, we can point to these new jobs. They're there. They're a statistic. They're historic now. Where were you to decry the loss of those jobs? There was silence about the jobs being lost. There's huge contrast in their approach to the jobs. We heard nothing with job loss. Now we're hearing complaints, diminishing, of the efforts to create jobs, especially in the private sector, which is happening. I think rather than dwell on statistics, and all of my colleagues have done this very well tonight about statistically showing that we're making progress and that we've turned the corner and that there's been a sharp U-turn in the response as a Nation for job creation, but I think we need to put it in the big-picture framework of trust, of competence. This party, the Democrats, have come forward with a plan of action, one that has saved a lot of effort of further loss, economic consequences for American families. And we know who brought us that steep red line of decline: it was a party that continues to espouse privatization of Social Security, vouchering of Medicare, supporting tax breaks to ship jobs offshore, to call the response to Wall Street reform akin to attacking an ant with an atom bomb. What a gross misrepresentation. What a gross unawareness of the issues that brought this country's economy to its knees. And so I bring forth that sort of contrast because I think it's what's governing the response today. The positives, the optimism that we share, the reforms we're promoting are swinging us upward. The contrast is that continued effort to further push hard on the middle class, to not allow for Medicare--a system that has worked well for our Nation's seniors--to raise the age limit, the threshold for Social Security. All of these efforts coming, all of this denouncement of Social Security, of Medicare, that has stabilized people in their retirement years, are what they advance and what they promote. Are you going to trust that thinking, that party, to continually pull us into the red, or are you going to look at Democratic action where we've resisted this sort of behavior, where we are believing we can grow the economy, where we are embracing the theme that we are going to make it in America again? Let American workers know that we're standing for that turnaround.

Mr. TONKO

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

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I think that the President was right yesterday when he called our friends on the other side of the aisle out of touch. In my hometown of Amsterdam, New York, there are neighbors who are hurting. In some instances, this recession has eliminated nearly half of their retirement savings. Others have lost their homes. Despite this downturn and Wall Street's recklessness, Republicans still want to privatize Social Security. They want to create a casino economy and play Russian roulette with our hard-earned retirement savings. Most of the seniors in Amsterdam have worked hard and have played by the rules their entire lives. Social Security, which they have paid into their entire working life, is their crucial safety net and financial security. Let's not gamble it away to appease Republicans, Wall Street, and big banks. Just a few days ago, the leader of the other side suggested slashing Social Security benefits and using those funds and savings to pay for the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. Enough is enough. Democrats in Congress are standing up for seniors and fighting to protect Social Security, to create jobs here at home and to support small business as the engine of job growth. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to fight for seniors because they are deserving of the respect that they have earned.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, the difference could not be any clearer. As tar balls continue to roll onto the beaches of the gulf coast States, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are apologizing to BP for the government's holding them accountable. While they continue to chant ``drill, baby, drill'' and to put forward ideas that benefit Big Oil, Democrats are moving America in a new direction. I rise today to stand with the families, the small businesses, the communities, and the economy of the gulf coast and our country to say that we can no longer be held hostage by our gluttonous dependence on dirty oil, most of which is imported from our enemies around the world. Instead, we must change our priorities and stand up to special interests by continuing to promote a clean energy economy and to create good-paying American jobs for American families. In fact, 87 percent of Americans support requiring utilities to produce more energy from renewable sources, sources that cannot be outsourced or imported. A clean energy economy will make our country safer, more energy independent and will create jobs. In the meantime, let's be strong and steadfast and hold BP accountable.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Well, simply said, the policies of the past gave us the catastrophe in the gulf; the policies of the present give us opportunities at home.