Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Yes. Not a civil engineer, but mechanical and industrial. But those engineers are powerful because they make the world spin. And that whole feat, today, if you were to visit the Erie Canal and see the lochs that were developed at a time when modern equipment and machinery wasn't available, it was not only an engineering feat, but a tremendous salute to the workers and the skill and the work ethic that they bore.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), and thank him for leading us in tonight's discussion on both physical and human infrastructure. Let me start by extending my comments toward the child tax credit that you made mention of in your last comments. The data now are available from July and August. As we all know, families received their first check in July, and what a bit of welcome relief. And as we look at where those dollars went, 47 percent, from July and August payments--those are the data available currently--47 percent went to put food on the table; 28 percent went toward utilities, including broadband. So we are talking about kids doing their homework. We are talking about parents having an opportunity to reach the outside world. Middle- income America to have cottage industries up and running. So 75 percent of that tax cut went to food and utilities, and other incidentals absorb the remaining amount of payments. Now, that is a staggering statistic. That should tell us something about the value added of this tax cut. Madam Speaker, as Representative Cartwright indicated, there is a stark contrast between Republican leadership in the House and Democratic leadership in the House. When the majority was run by the Republicans, they joined the former President in providing a tax cut for the 1 percent of the highest wealth in the country. This reaches across the spectrum of middle-income communities and those looking to ascend to the middle class. The statistic that I find most heartwarming is that one-half of children living in poverty in our country, one-half of those children, will be lifted out of poverty with this child tax credit. That is a moral standard that we should all embrace. If you want to really see a comeback in our economy, we support those families, middle-income families, those looking to ascend to the middle income. Those are the families that need the shot in the arm. And it is going to happen by further extending that tax program. So our heart is with children. Our heart is with those children who need early education, three- and four-year-olds that will be able to have advantages, too. The programs that will provide, not only educational training, but cognitive skill development, cognitive awareness, social awareness that will drive the factors that lead to a productive life. And so many times education experts will cite the availability of early education as the big factor in determining the outcome of a person's work career and the dollars that individual brings home; so that is very important. Access to quality childcare. So many families are not rejoining the workforce because they don't have access to healthcare. And if the schools are in this undecided state whether they are going to have virtually learning or in-classroom learning or part of each combined, they need the security of childcare. So the human fabric, the human infrastructure that is part of the Build Back Better Act introduced and envisioned by this President, President Biden, is tremendously reinforcing to so many families across the country. Powerful information and powerful reinforcements that enable them to dream their version of the American dream. Now, when we talk about the physical infrastructure, I would be remiss if I didn't equate that to the 20th Congressional District of New York. My district hosts the eastern mouth of the Erie Canal. And the vision for infrastructure in really difficult economic times, by Governor DeWitt Clinton, was to connect the great ocean, the Atlantic, with the Great Lakes. That inspired not only the development of New York as an entry port, and we now know what a metropolis it is, but it inspired the necklace of communities that were given birth to as mill towns; and then inspired a westward movement. That is infrastructure playing into our economic development into our future. It expanded the turf of this country. It gave so many people the opportunity to insert their skill set, their passion, their abilities into products that fed the quality of life around the world.

Mr. TONKO. Worker training, worker retraining, apprenticeship programs, skills development, childcare, so that families can comfortably go to work and know that their children are in good stead. We have many households that are headed by single-parent moms. We have many households that have both members of the household, couples, having full-time jobs. It is a different economy. These are different times. We need to adjust. We need to invest in America and into her people, and that is what this measure is about. I am also involved with the offshore wind industry. And making certain that my district, hundreds of miles away from any offshore wind project, is going to have many jobs because we are going to be building foundations. We are going to be building tower components. We are going to be building the ancillary pieces that are a part of it. We may be building some of the turbine blades that are then installed in the offshore capacity along the eastern network where everyone is going to prosper from this. And we are going to clean the environment, which is a demand of the generations behind us and those yet to be born. They have the right to demand clean air; to have made clean the air they breathe; and make safe the water they drink. It is a mission that is justified, and we need to be part of that justification.

Mr. TONKO. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TONKO. Representative Cartwright mentioned, Madam Speaker, the strength of manufacturing and growing our manufacturing jobs. The pandemic alerted us to a supply chain crisis. The Build Back Better Act speaks to addressing the shortages that we had for manufacturing. Supply shortages. That is critical. We also combined the efforts for manufacturing to be more profitable and provide more jobs by addressing retrofitting manufacturing, so it is energy-smarter as an outcome. Now, we know we have a very robust plan, a goal that is very robust by the year 2050 to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. If we are going to achieve that, we have to reach to every sector of the economy in order to attain those goals; so we need to look to manufacturing. Retrofitting manufacturing, making certain it is energy-smart, making certain it can compete in a global marketplace with all the tools at their fingertips is an important standard that is established in the Build Back Better Act. So the President says we are at an inflection point. I couldn't agree more. We are now in a focus mode where we are going to determine the best outcomes by combining legislation and resources that will speak to the most forceful, sharpest competitive edge for our business community, for our manufacturing base to address our supply chain, to hold down energy costs, reduce costs, reduce the tax burden on households, and provide a vision that will get us to where we need to be. It is about time that we had this sort of leadership; not just reducing programs, cutting down government, not seeing the effectiveness of sound government. Now we have a leader who understands the public-private partnership--business working with government--to address the needs of those businesses, their workers, worker training, and having the resources to be robustly competitive so that we grow a more fair, more just, more robust, and a more sustainable economy. It is a powerful opportunity.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I will also cite the fact that some of the greatest looking institutional buildings in our districts are from the FDR era: libraries that speak significantly to the cityscapes, institutional settings, schools that really laid out an image of importance to children of how great education is. We have been taught by generations before us that there should be a commitment to people across this country, especially children, to invest in our tomorrows. How dare we just pass by and cut everything and not help build? We are hurting ourselves by not investing in those resources that will get us to a stronger economy, research money that will be part of the $555 billion that is part of the investment in climate change, the response to climate change. It is much stronger than that, but there in the Build Back Better Act is the opportunity to advance that effort. Now, that will include a number of jobs in the trades, installing a lot of the renewable energy and innovative concepts, retrofitting manufacturing and the like. But then there are going to be the white collar jobs as engineers and planners go to work on investing in the newness of discovery. That will come with many people working in labs and research centers who will get us to a stronger outcome. Where there is no vision, the people shall perish. We learn that when we open our Book. That should speak to us. It is important for us to have a boldness of vision that will take an investment but certainly render lucrative dividends for the people in this moment and those generations that will follow us. Let them look 100 years from now at this moment and say they got it; they invested; they received great assets from those before them; and they saw that they had to do likewise and contribute to the tomorrows that that group will enjoy 100 years out and beyond. This is our moment to really shine. The gentleman talked about the fact that this effort is paid for. That is a good balance that we bring into the House. We tell people that we balanced it so that there is a payment mechanism for all that we choose to do. That was not the case with the huge tax cut of 2016. They expected a trickle-down and that it would pay for itself. What did we see happening to the deficit? It bloated from that tax cut. Then, Madam Speaker, you will hear debate on this floor about raising the debt ceiling so that America can pay her bills. What was their message? They want this money so they can spend more. No, we are paying the dollars off that you incurred as bills when you were President and you were the Republican leadership in this House. That is paying for bills that came from the last several years. This payment mechanism will make certain we go forward with an investment in America that is paid for and that will reach the great many of us, the great middle-income community. The strength of America lies in her middle class, and the strength of the middle class lies in union jobs, which is part of this package. Thanks to our partners in unionized labor, union labor, they have worked with us to develop a blueprint for a sounder tomorrow. Let's get aboard. Let's get this done. Let's go forward and show people that America is strong and that she is at her best when she embraces that pioneer spirit that I saw when I mentioned the Erie Canal. There has always been that pioneer spirit within us. It is part of our DNA. How dare we deny it as we come together in this crucial moment where we are asked to come up with a response to a global economy, where it is not the U.S. running the entire economy of the world, where we have to compete and compete effectively, and where we give the people of this country the dignity of work where they can earn a great and fair check so they can support their families, pay for the roof over their head, set some money aside, and enable their children to enjoy that future set-aside? That is what this is about. This is speaking to America, her families, and those in need. It will result in a stronger and healthier workforce and one that has a sense of hope. If we can deliver the commodity of hope to the doorsteps of Americans, we will have achieved. So, Madam Speaker, I thank President Biden; I thank the leadership in the House; and I thank Representative Cartwright for leading us this evening in this great discussion.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank Congressman Levin for arranging this evening's special order. Today we honor the remarkable life of Richard Trumka, a person who poured his entire heart and voice and passion into what is right for workers and what is right for union workers. Rich emboldened that mission and fought with great fierceness in order to achieve. Rich taught us that anything worth fighting for deserves our efforts beyond belief, and he poured himself passionately into his mission. A fierce champion of the labor movement and fearless proponent of the rights of working people, Rich revolutionized collective bargaining and civil disobedience as a mechanism for meaningful change in our modern era. I was deeply saddened and stunned to learn of Rich's sudden passing back in August. A great friend to so many of us, myself included and my district, we worked together to build strong enforceable labor standards into the heart of the new NAFTA agreement, which gives American workers a fair shot and level playing field on the global stage. That kind of fight was at the heart of Richard's lifelong work, using unionism as a tool to build a fairer economy, a more just economy, a more robust and competitive economy for our society. We must honor his indelible legacy and deliver the kind of generational change for which he fought day in and day out by creating good-paying union jobs and tackling the climate crisis, racial injustice, and economic injustice that disproportionately hurts working people. My sincerest condolences go out to the entire Trumka family and all of his loved ones. May Richard rest in peace.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, in the engrossment of H.R. 2467, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, spelling, and cross-references, and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House, including striking lines 13 through 23 on page 20.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding and for his leadership on this bill. We know the health effects of PFAS exposure can be severe: cancer, thyroid problems, birth defects, and immune system disruptions, amongst others. Sadly, there are many communities and individuals across our great country who are suffering these health consequences. Despite knowing the dangers of these forever chemicals, the Federal Government has been slow to act. I say enough is enough. The PFAS Action Act would require significant steps to ensure that our Federal Government is responding comprehensively and reducing the risk of exposure through our air, water, and consumer products. It includes actions under numerous environmental statutes, including designating the two most well-studied PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, as hazardous substances and setting a deadline for a national drinking water standard to, at a minimum, ensure vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, infants, and children, are protected. The bill includes other critical provisions to reduce exposure, empower consumers, and expedite cleanups. Despite what some may want to suggest, designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA is not a ban. There are literally hundreds of hazardous substances that continue to be used in manufacturing processes and commerce broadly. What it will do is ensure that polluters are held accountable to clean up their messes when toxic releases occur and ensure that remediation is done to an acceptable level. We have waited far too long already for action. Despite promising initial steps from the Biden administration, I fear the EPA will not adequately address PFAS without clear direction from Congress. As the administration recognized, this bill supports the commitment across the branches of government to take on this challenge. This is the bill our constituents and those living with PFAS in their communities need. I thank Representatives Dingell and Upton for their commitment to addressing these dangerous forever chemicals, and I encourage Members to support this bill.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), who, along with Mrs. Dingell, has really brought great focus to this issue in committee.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 535, I rise to offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I stand, again, in strong support of the en bloc amendment and, certainly, the measure to which we are amending. Basically, we have here an opportunity to address ills that we see across America, contaminants, forever dangerous elements that cause all sorts of diseases and destruction, and it is important for us to move forward, I think, to take responsibility and make certain that these forever chemicals that don't break down, that cause cancer and other diseases, are addressed. We move forward with the opportunity here, assigning the great responsibilities to EPA so that we have a strong outcome. I think the amendment makes the bill even stronger. I have seen situations in my given region of Upstate New York where communities have been impacted. Madam Speaker, I encourage everyone to support the amendment and the bill at hand, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc of 10 amendments. As was done in the 116th Congress, the PFAS Action Act was subject to a subcommittee markup, a full committee markup, and debate and amendment on the House floor. During these processes in the 116th and 117th Congresses, there has been an effort to continue to strengthen the proposal at each and every stage. The ten amendments included in this en bloc, which includes several bipartisan amendments, would build upon this past work and make further improvements to the underlying bill. Several of the amendments help protect Americans from PFAS in their drinking water, especially those relying upon private wells, which would not be subject to the national drinking water standard required to be developed by this bill. We know communicating the risks of PFAS is challenging: What are safe levels? What is a reliable testing technique? And what do you do if your water is contaminated? These amendments would help ensure people have better, clearer, and more accessible information on this and other issues. This en bloc also includes amendments that would increase grant funding to community water systems and ensure all communities dealing with PFAS contamination can access these funds, including insular territories. And it would establish a new grant program to support PFAS testing and filtration at schools. We know the cost of PFAS remediation can be significant. Ensuring these costs do not fall squarely upon the households that rely upon these water systems, who are not responsible for the contaminations, should be a high priority of this effort. More Federal funding can help in this regard. Finally, the en bloc would expand the PFAS-free labeling program to cover food package material, luggage, and cleaning products. This will allow Americans to make certain that they have more informed choices on the products they choose to purchase. Overall, these are good improvements to the bill, and I do not believe they should be controversial. Madam Speaker, I encourage Members to support the en bloc, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), who has been outspoken on this issue.

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), who has great concern for this issue.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I rise to join you in marking 200 days since the start of the 117th Congress, and a productive 200 days it has been. Our majority in the House has risen to this challenge, delivering lifelines to millions of Americans, putting shots in arms and saving countless lives, and sustaining thousands of businesses, and helping our State and local governments keep our communities going.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Every life and every job depends on safe drinking water. Unfortunately, our water systems have been underfunded for decades, and the EPA has been unable to finalize new national standards since 1996. Division I will enhance our drinking water infrastructure, its quality, and its affordability. This bill includes the investments and the policy reforms that will make the Safe Drinking Water Act actually live up to its name. It significantly increases funding for the State Revolving Fund. It funds lead line removals to the full extent. It addresses PFAS contaminations, which are an endangerment to public health. This is a down payment on critical public health infrastructure that must be part of our infrastructure investments moving forward. We know our water systems need these dollars; and our constituents deserve to have safe, reliable, and affordable water, free from lead, from PFAS, and other dangerous contaminants. We need to be stronger partners with those at the local levels of government. So I encourage support of this measure. I thank Rick Kessler, Jacqueline Cohen, Anthony Gutierrez, Rebecca Tomilchik, and last, but not least, Brendan Larkin from the committee staff for their long hours put into this effort and their diligence as it relates to this division. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, nearly 40 percent of Americans before COVID couldn't cover an unexpected $400 expense without selling belongings or going into debt. And no one pays a greater price for poverty than our kids. I am proud of our work to pass the American Rescue Plan and deliver a lifeline for millions of struggling Americans. Starting July 15, that lifeline gets stronger. In a few weeks, and again every month throughout 2021, hardworking families will get a check of up to $400 per child. That check will help millions of parents buy healthy food, new clothes, shoes, and books for their kids, pay rent and utilities, and even afford childcare so they can get back to work. In my own home district in New York's capital region, these checks will reach more than 37,000 households and help lift more than 5,000 of our kids out of poverty. These are not just lasting investments in America's recovery; they are the downpayment on our brightest future. I urge every parent and family that has struggled to make ends meet during this pandemic to visit childtaxcredit.gov and make certain that you are signed up.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, we cannot unravel infrastructure from climate. As we consider bold new investments in America's infrastructure, our choices will shape our climate future for better or worse. Failing to address climate pollution and clean energy in our infrastructure work will force future generations of Americans to cover a blank check. And we are already passing on grave and growing costs for our past failures to act. But let me put this another way: seizing opportunities to tackle climate change in our infrastructure work will help us build legislation that makes America cleaner, safer, and more competitive as a Nation. It will save countless lives and create millions of good American jobs. If we make climate a priority, our workers will miss fewer days on the job, and our kids will miss fewer days at school. Our local budgets will suffer less strain. Our infrastructure dollars will go farther. The things we build will last longer. Climate is a growing threat that demands urgent, bold action. And doing nothing about it is doing something, it is condemning the United States to become a weaker, sicker, and poorer Nation. This is our path to choose. Do we allow America to further decline or choose a more sustainable, prosperous, and just future? To me, the decision is clear: Let's move forward.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, we must act swiftly and with boldness to renew America's failing water systems. We know the heartache of failing water systems all too well: lead, PFAS, disruptive water main breaks, and unaffordable bills. Yesterday, I introduced bold national drinking water legislation, written with my friend, the chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Frank Pallone, to restore America's most critical infrastructure, and one of our most basic responsibilities of government, our drinking water systems. The AQUA Act delivers on President Joe Biden's promise to remove every lead service line in the country, including removing lead from the drinking water systems of some 400,000 schools and childcare centers. Our bill invests heavily in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, to put resources in the hands of folks on the ground who know what their communities need. It delivers a financial lifeline to local water systems in return for a multi-year commitment that they will not shut off anyone's water because of financial hardship during this devastating and prolonged pandemic. Let's rise to meet the moment. Let's do our jobs. Let's build back the right way so every American can use and trust the water coming out of our taps.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 128. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Allred (Wexton) Barragan (Beyer) Cardenas (Gallego) Costa (Correa) Crenshaw (Fallon) Donalds (Cammack) Gonzalez (OH) (Timmons) Gosar (Greene (GA)) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Khanna (Gomez) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Langevin (Lynch) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Leger Fernandez (Jacobs (CA)) Lieu (Beyer) Lowenthal (Beyer) Meng (Clark (MA)) Mfume (Connolly) Moulton (Perlmutter) Napolitano (Correa) Omar (Bush) Payne (Pallone) Porter (Wexton) Rush (Underwood) Sewell (DelBene) Speier (Scanlon) Stefanik (Katko) Trahan (Lynch) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Wilson (FL) (Hayes) Wilson (SC) (Timmons)

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, millions of America's restaurants are on the edge of financial collapse. If we do not get them a lifeline now, we will lose these pillars of community and economic vitality that have long stood throughout our Nation. And we will pay an even steeper price as millions more Americans lose their jobs and families are left stranded with nowhere to turn. More than 110,000 of America's restaurants have already closed during this very difficult pandemic. Restaurateurs have adapted, have reinvented, have dug deep to hold on this long. But more than one-third say they won't survive the next 6 months without Federal help. In my home State of New York, that figure is closer to more than one-half. We can and we must act to save these cherished Main Street establishments before it is too late. The House already passed a bipartisan bill that gets the job done. With more than 200 bipartisan cosponsors, H.R. 7197, the RESTAURANTS Act, would create a $120 billion revitalization fund that would rescue America's independent restaurants. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join us in this bipartisan effort and pass the RESTAURANTS Act. Our Main Street businesses have always delivered for us. Let us make sure that we deliver for them now, when they need it so desperately.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 2904) to direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to support research on the outputs that may be generated by generative adversarial networks, otherwise known as deepfakes, and other comparable techniques that may be developed in the future, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; the Committee on Education and Labor; the Committee on Oversight and Reform; the Committee on Foreign Affairs; the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of H. Res. 1250, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1049, the National Heritage Area Act. I thank Chairman Grijalva and the staff of the committee for their longtime support and effort here. And I thank Ranking Member Bishop for recognizing the value of this legislation and working with us on this. The national heritage areas connect us, and perhaps more importantly, future generations with the voices and places that have shaped who we are as Americans. These sites deliver more than just a significant economic return; they help us reveal the diverse and sometimes hidden gems of our cultural heritage and fill us with a sense of place that brings our complex history to life. For the first time, this bill establishes a standardized set of criteria for the designation of new national heritage areas and a rigorous process for existing national heritage areas to ensure accountability. H.R. 1049 has 221 cosponsors, and strong bipartisan, and wide geographic support that speaks to the value of this program locally and nationally. Members recognize what heritage area investment means to their given communities and regions, and similar proposals have been introduced and championed by both the Bush and Obama administrations. The National Heritage Area, or NHA, program is one of the Department of the Interior's most cost-effective initiatives, relying on public- private partnerships in which every Federal dollar is matched with an average of $5.50 in other funding. For my part, I greatly appreciate the good that the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Corridor have done for my district and for upstate New York. I commend the Alliance of National Heritage Areas and the National Parks Conservation Association for their hard work on this critical legislation. I also want to thank my friends, our former colleague, Charlie Dent, and Congressmembers McKinley and G.T. Thompson, for their hard work on this legislation and continued support for heritage areas. While the ranking member cited staff on both sides, I would endorse that. I also add to the compliments my legislative person, Emily Silverberg, for the outstanding work she has done and her longtime dedication and devotion to the effort. H.R. 1049 is a bipartisan, commonsense bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.