Fred Upton

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. I thank my friend from California. I'm from the great State of Michigan where our unemployment is, sadly, at 15.2 percent, almost twice the national average. Last night we learned from the National Association of Auto Dealers that, in fact, in just 3 days this program has brought about almost a quarter of a million new car sales, yet the cash is going to run out literally in the next couple of days without an infusion. It's important that we're not taking new money. This is existing money. This bill moves existing money from other accounts, so it will not add to this year's deficit, but it is going to run out without this legislation. Here is today's USA Today, a full page ad by Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, $4,500 back if you purchase a new vehicle, turn in your old one, and get something that's at least 10 miles per gallon better. A lot of our auto dealers can do it, whether it's the Big Three or the transplants too. Nationwide, one in 10 jobs are auto-related. In Michigan it's about one in four, one in five jobs. For the last 3 years, auto sales have declined by nearly 50 percent. There are 16 other countries that have done this. Whether it be Germany, South Korea, even Slovakia has done this. In all of those 16 countries, car sales have come back. This country lost one in five manufacturing jobs in the last 16 months. If we want to keep jobs here in this country, bring back some of those that we have lost, obviously it's got to be in the auto sector where 1 in 10 jobs are auto-related. This bill sends those dominos the other way. It brings people back in the showroom. We've demonstrated that just this week. It brings back the call orders. We've heard from a number of dealers across Michigan that they're, frankly, running out of cars. Guess what they're going to do--they're going to order them back, and that's going to bring people back to work. Let me just end on this, wouldn't you rather have people working and paying taxes than being unemployed and receiving benefits which, in Michigan, are becoming exhausted? I ask my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, let's face it: the recent events have shown us that the current system regarding food safety is not working. And I want to compliment those Members that have been actively involved in this, those from our Committee on Oversight and Investigations that exposed many of the problems, obviously the leadership on both sides, Republicans and Democrats, as we moved this bill through our subcommittee and then full committee by a voice vote. The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee found severe problems. We are very aware of those problems because those problems have been exposed nationally. Obviously, we have a number of very bad actors, but they have jeopardized the whole food chain. We remember the peanut butter issue and spinach and tomatoes. We need to be deliberate to tackle the issue and obviously be bipartisan to resolve the issue, and that's what this legislation does. As Mr. Shimkus indicated, farms are not required to register with the FDA. There are no large fees associated with this bill. There is no duplication with the USDA, as I understand it. My district in southwest Michigan has a whole number of different food sources from fruits and vegetables to giant food processors and great companies like Kellogg's. Industry is united behind this legislation. It needs to happen so that consumers will know for sure that there is a mechanism in place to identify when a product, in fact, is bad, that needs to be recalled. And this bill, as it has moved through committee, has shown that bipartisan support. I would urge my colleagues on both sides to support it.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: Congressman Fred Upton 1. Allegan County Facility Improvement and Bus Replacement, MI Department: Federal Transit Administration Account: Buses & Bus Facilities Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Allegan County Transportation Address of Requesting Entity: 3255 122nd Avenue, Suite 200, Allegan, Michigan 49010 Description of Request: This request is for the replacement of eight eligible transit vehicles. The requesting entity, Allegan County Transportation, will be meeting the required level of matching funding. Amount: $383,000 Financial Breakdown: Funding will be used to purchase eight public transit vehicles--six buses and two ADA vans. Allegan County will provide their required 20% match. Justification for the use of taxpayer dollars: This funding is consistent with the mission of the Federal Transit Administration.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, the question of the day is ``Where are the jobs?'' I will tell you where they're not. They're not in Michigan. Our unemployment is 15.2 percent. And sadly, in this House, we passed an awful energy bill a couple of weeks ago called cap-and-trade. That bill will add nearly a trillion dollars to the cost of businesses and homes across this country. Does that help with jobs? Absolutely not. In fact, one of my constituents in Michigan said their utility increases, their electricity costs will go up by nearly 40 percent by the year 2024. Is that going to help with jobs? Absolutely not. Did the Rules Committee allow us to add jobs with an amendment that would build perhaps as many as 100 new nuclear reactors in this country, tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of jobs? No. The Rules Committee said, You cannot offer that amendment. Now, where are the jobs going? They're going to India and China. Did you happen to see on July 16 The New York Times where Secretary Chu said that if China's emissions of global warming gasses keep growing at the pace of the last 30 years, the country will emit more gasses in the next three decades than the United States. Where are the jobs?

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010. St. Joseph Harbor O&M Dredging Department: Army Corps of Engineers Account: Operations & Maintenance Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Berrien County, Michigan Address of Requesting Entity: Berrien County Administration Center, 701 Main St., St. Joseph, MI 49085 This request is for securing funds fur dredging both the inner and outer harbor of St. Joseph, Michigan, as well as performing much-needed structural repairs. The inner harbor is a key port for raw materials such as limestone, sand and gravel for state highways. Road and building construction projects in the area receive a majority of their aggregate materials through the three commercial docks located in this harbor. Additionally, it is a major hub for recreational boaters, with over 1,600 boat slips. This project has been authorized through many WRDA acts, is vital to the economic viability of Southwest Michigan, and has the support of the entire community. The St. Joseph Harbor is an integral cog in the region's economic engine. A recent study by Purdue University gauged the harbor's economic impact at more than $5.5 million dollars and more than 35 local jobs. The St. Joseph Harbor is among the top 50 in commercial activity among Great Lakes Harbors. Amount: $750,000 Funding Breakdown: The entirety of this funding will go towards dredging to the entrance, inner channel of the harbor and outer harbor. Supplemental funds will be provided by Berrien County and local municipalities. New Buffalo Federal Channel O&M Dredging Department: Army Corps of Engineers Account: Operations & Maintenance Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of New Buffalo, Michigan Address of Requesting Entity: City of New Buffalo, 244 W. Buffalo St., New Buffalo, MI 49117 This request is to secure funds for the dredging of the Federal Channel in New Buffalo Harbor, from the Whittaker Street Bridge to Lake Michigan. The floodwaters from the September 14, 2008 storm event discharged an immense amount of sediment into the federal channel which has restricted the access to Lake Michigan. The project would dredge the federal channel to remove the shoals (much worse then what normal dredging handles) which prevent boats from accessing Lake Michigan. Dredged material would be used to supplement a beach nourishment area established by the ACOE. The federal channel serves boat traffic for the south Lake Michigan area, including residents of Chicagoland and Northern Indiana. New Buffalo is a boating community with an economy that relies entirely on its harbor's access to Lake Michigan via the Gallen River. Without the dredging, the City and surrounding area will see a significant decline in tourism and related jobs. This project is authorized through the River and Harbor Act of 1962. Amount: $139,000 Funding Breakdown: The entirety of this funding will go toward the dredging of the Federal Channel in New Buffalo Harbor, from the Whittaker Street Bridge to Lake Michigan Western Michigan University Green Manufacturing and Energy Conscious Design Program Department: Energy Account: Office of Science and Biological Research Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Western Michigan University Address of Requesting Entity: 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008 This project will assist companies (small companies in particular) to take advantage of environmentally benign and energy conscious materials in their design and manufacturing processes. The proposal is a collaborative project involving WMU College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, industry partners and community participants and seeks to enhance economic and workforce development and technology transfer through the advancement and use of environmentally friendly materials, designs, products and manufacturing processes and systems, building upon the already successful manufacturing, environment and energy research centers and programs at WMU. Amount: $1,000,000 Funding Breakdown: One third of this funding will go to equipment, one third to educational materials development and delivery to employees and students, and one third to program support. Western Michigan University will provide supplemental funding for this S3 million project.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, Pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of HR 2997, the Agriculture Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010. I would note that many of my Michigan colleagues signed a letter requesting these amounts. Apple Fire Blight Department: Agriculture Account: Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Michigan State University Address of Requesting Entity: Description of Request: Fire Blight is a major threat to Michigan's apple trees and has reduced apple acreage in Michigan by an astounding 24%. Michigan and New York researchers are taking aggressive measures against fire blight including development of blight-resistant varieties and new, environmentally responsible control strategies. Finding ways to control and curb fire blight is of critical importance to apple growers in my district and elsewhere. This research is very promising, and its results will help apple growers significantly increase their yields. Amount: $346,000 Financial Breakdown: Approximately, $148,000 is for the salaries of laboratory and field research personal; and $36,000 is for materials and supplies. Michigan State University has obtained funding from the Michigan Apple Committee and industry sources and will continue to fund the fire blight research at MSU at a level of $52, 500 in FY09. Phytopthora Research Department: Agriculture Account: Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Michigan State University Address of Requesting Entity: Description of Request: Researchers at Michigan State University are leaders in the fight to control Phytophthora capsici, a fungal-like pathogen that lives in the soil and causes numerous plants to rot. Phytophthora management has been complicated by its longevity in soils (10 or more years), its ability to spread in water, its resistance to key fungicides and lack of disease resistant varieties. Michigan State University has developed new techniques for control and resistant varieties. However, losses caused by Phytophthora have become so large throughout the nation in recent years that the economic viability of the vegetable industries in many states is at risk, and more research is necessary. Since 1996, researchers have leveraged private, state and federal funds to significantly advance disease management. The widespread crop loss caused by Phytophthora capsici will be lessened, keeping family farms and their communities viable. Spread of Phytophthora to new sites will be stopped. Ways to remediate/treat infested ground and water sources will be identified. Integrated management strategies that emphasize cultural methods and environmentally friendly practices will be developed. Amount: $346,000 Financial Breakdown: This money will provide $346,000 in funding for Phytophthora research at Michigan State University. Approximately 85 percent of the funding will go to researchers, technicians and students. Approximately 15 percent will be used for materials, supplies and administration. Michigan State University has received outside sources of funding for Phytophthora research as well. This funding is consistent with the authorized purpose of the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Lady Mustangs of Portage Central High School on being named the 2009 Division 1 State Soccer Champions. This team of young ladies, lead by 24-year Mustang Coach Pat Norman, has put in endless hours of hard work and dedication making them the first program west of Ann Arbor and Saginaw to win a Division 1 Women's Soccer State Title since the debut of women's soccer in 1971. Winning a state championship is a memory that will last a lifetime. It is a remarkable achievement that few teams ever experience, and it is a legacy that will live with the 2009 Lady Mustangs forever. This young team, lead by captains Shannon Bennett, Lauren Brown, and Courtney Havens-Mitchell, played a close game against the Utica Eisenhower Eagles and came out victorious beating the Eagles 3-2 in overtime. It is an honor to pay tribute to the entire Lady Mustang team: Lindsey Arnett, Mara Bennett, Shannon Bennett, Samantha Bowdirch, Lauren Brown, Lunden Carpenter, Natalie Hall, Katie Hamilton, Courtney Havens-Mitchell, Shelby Humphries, Jaime Morton, Taylor Peterson, Lindsay Shafer, Charlie Socia, Meghan Sokolowski, Colleen Unsworth, Katelyn Weissert, Paige Wester, and Jordan Wolf. We are so proud of all of you. On behalf of all the residents of southwest Michigan, congratulations again to the Lady Mustangs, Coach Norman and the entire Portage community--you are an inspiration to us all. It is Portage Central Pride at its finest. Go Mustangs!

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Lady Vikings of Niles High School who recently won their first ever state championship in school history. These outstanding women were on a mission all season long, and this was a team of firsts--last season they were the first in school history to win a regional championship, and in 2009, they completed the mission and cemented their legacy as the first state champions in women's athletics at Niles High School. Winning a state title is something that will last forever. It is a truly remarkable accomplishment that few teams in southwest Michigan ever experience, and it is a legacy that will live with the 2009 Lady Vikings forever. While the Vikings were led by the best pitcher in the State of Michigan, Jenna Ignowski, they were a team that worked hard to improve every part of their game. These Lady Vikings improved their defense throughout the season and there were no easy outs up and down the Viking lineup. It is an honor to pay tribute to the entire Lady Vikings team and head coach Gary Collins. On behalf of all of the residents of southwest Michigan, congratulations again to the Lady Vikings, Coach Collins and the entire Niles community--you are an inspiration to us all. It is Viking Pride at its finest. Go vikings?

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Portage Northern High School Forensic Team on its eighth consecutive state championship at the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association state finals. Portage Northern's forensic program, led by Coach Laurel Scheidt, has a rich 44 year history with 11 state titles to its name. The team had a successful 2009 season with first-place finishes at every invitational and an excellent performance at both the district and regional competitions. At this year's state competition over 80 schools and 800 students participated. The Northern team dominated the Class A division, qualifying the maximum 28 entries to the tournament with 45 students. Northern collected a record 1,066 sweepstake points defeating second place finisher Birmingham Seaholm High School by over 330 points. It is an honor to congratulate the entire 2009 Portage Northern Forensic Team and pay special tribute to first-place finishers Andrew Beckner, Spencer Dudd, John Kramer, Kasey McSoley, Brennan Mange, Bryce Maurer, Nich Mueller, Nathan Novaria, Brady O'Brien, Caitlin Utt, Allyson Williams and Amanda Willoughby. On behalf of all residents of southwest Michigan, congratulations again to the Portage Northern Forensic Team, Coach Laurel Scheidt and the entire Portage Community--you are an inspiration to us all. Go Huskies!

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Lady Fighting Irish of Hackett Catholic Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan on being named the 2009 Division 4 State Soccer Champions. This team of young ladies, lead by Coach Tim Halloran and assisted by Coaches Erin Moore, Alyssa Chludzinski and Trainer Cailee Servais, has put in endless hours of hard work and dedication to bring home the their third state championship trophy since 2002. Winning a state championship is a memory that will last a lifetime. It is a remarkable achievement that few teams ever experience, and it is a legacy that will live with the 2009 Lady Fighting Irish forever. This young team, lead by captains Maddie Brennan, Julie Ross and Stephanie Johnson, played a close game against the Madison Heights Bishop Foley Ventures and came out victorious beating the Ventures 1-0. It is an honor to pay tribute to the entire Lady Fighting Irish team: Rebecca Farrer, Kalani Bates, Sara Howard, Maria Escamillia, Megan Putnam, Johanna Hamilton, Stephanie Walley, Christina Pinon, Aleks Svikis, Maddie Brennan, Ana Villalobos, Emma Forster, Neil Locke, Claire Sorek, Stephanie Johnson, Casey Lamp, Erin May, Mallory Busso, Maggie Wenzel, Ashleigh Reisterer and Julie Ross. We are so proud of all of you. On behalf of all the residents of southwest Michigan, congratulations again to the Lady Fighting Irish, Coach Halloran and the entire greater Kalamazoo community--you are an inspiration to us all. It is Hackett Catholic Central pride at its finest. Go Fighting Irish!

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Let me just close. We as Members of Congress may have to declare these in our financial disclosure reports if we bought more than 10 of them.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, there's an old saying, ``Will the last one out please turn out the lights.'' Well, this bill turns out the lights for many Americans. And no matter what you say, this bill does not have the job protections that will prevent jobs from leaving our country and going to India or China. What do you tell that small refinery that came to our committee a couple of weeks ago, a small refinery that's got 1,200 jobs--that it's going to cost $150 million to ramp up the changes that they're going to have to do, and they're going to end up going out of business? That asphalt and that petroleum is going to be made someplace else--India. What do you tell that small company that I visited last month in Niles, Michigan, a company that figures out that their energy costs are going to increase by perhaps as much as $20,000 dollars a month? Well, they're thinking about it. They want to stay in business. They're thinking about telling the folks not to come to work anymore during the day so they can do the night shift, and they can maybe pay lower utility rates. There are more coal-fired plants in China than there are in the United States, India and Britain combined; and it's going to double by the year 2030. Emissions in China are going to grow by 86 percent. What does this bill do about emissions in China or India? It does nothing. Environmental restrictions in this country, protections, are the reason why steel, per ton, has one-third the emissions in this country than in China. We want those jobs to stay in this country and not go to China. Michigan, my State, we're already at 15 percent unemployment and headed maybe towards 20. We were told earlier this week that we're going to have as many as 100,000 people, unemployed folks, lose their benefits that they're receiving today because those benefits are going to be exhausted. I didn't come up with the figure that gasoline costs were going to increase by 77 cents a gallon because of this legislation or that diesel prices were going up 88 cents a gallon. It wasn't me. It was the CBO who said that. I hope and pray that they're wrong because I want to protect our workers here to make sure that we can grow jobs, not lose them. Consumers Energy came up with a study, a major utility in my part of the State, that shows that the estimate of the impact, including certain requirements in this bill, are going to grow as much as 38 percent by the year 2024. Some folks say that it's only going to cost a postage stamp. Well, I'm glad I bought a lot of promise stamps because these stamps are good for life. If they're not worth 44 cents, these may be worth thousands of dollars apiece based on what these costs are going to do to the average consumer.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. UPTON. I, too, extend my congratulations, as I understand it, in charge of arms control. And I think this is a particularly worthy day that you have this job still, as a Member of Congress, until the end of the day, because you're going to need to repair a lot of arms on that side of the aisle after this vote is over.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, this bill sure is an energy bill. This bill will turn out the lights on America. You know, there was a chance that we were going to have a bipartisan bill. But that chance melted away when the subcommittee failed to mark up a bill and we went right to full committee. We thought we might have a chance on the House floor. And I can remember when Speaker Hastert was in your chair, Madam Speaker, because 4 years ago we had an energy bill on the floor and there were more than 50 amendments that were offered under Chairman Dreier and the Rules Committee, many of them Democratic amendments. We spent a number of days on this. And at the end of the day, both Mr. Dingell, the former chairman, and Joe Barton, the then-chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, were able to vote for a bill because, in fact, it was bipartisan. Yesterday more than 200 amendments were filed up at the Rules Committee, many of them Republican, many of them bipartisan. Mr. Hill, Democrat from Indiana, and I offered a bipartisan amendment on nuclear. Nuclear is one issue that is absent from this bill. Don't ask me why. There are no greenhouse gas emissions from nuclear. It really is a jobs bill. I've got two nuclear plants in my congressional district. When they were both brought online, 85 percent of the components were made in America. Today for a new nuclear plant, 85 percent is going to come from someplace else because we turned the light from green to red on nuclear the last 20, 25 years. Yet no amendment on nuclear in this bill and in this rule. I woke up this morning and saw my friend and colleague Mr. Inslee speaking on C-SPAN. He said this bill was going to cost only a postage stamp. I looked at the paper this morning and saw a full-page ad: gasoline costs will only go up 2 cents a gallon. You know, I hope they're true. But I don't think that those statements are going to be true. We had amendments as a safety valve in case it does go up. The CBO and American Petroleum Institute say that gas prices are going to go up 77 cents a gallon, diesel prices 88 cents a gallon. Some energy costs could go up by 40 to 50 percent. We had amendments that said, hey, if gasoline goes up to 5 bucks a gallon, we're going to take off this cap-and-trade. If electricity prices go up more than 10 percent, we'll take off cap-and-trade. If unemployment reaches 15 percent, and it's almost there already in Michigan, we'll take off those job-killing provisions. Were those amendments allowed? No. Then we've got the whole issue of India and China, jobs going someplace else. That consumed a couple of hours of debate, I think, in full committee. Yet no amendment at all allowed on the House floor. Madam Speaker, my folks want to work and pay taxes. Yet they're going to find themselves laid off, and in Michigan a hundred thousand folks this year will run out of benefits. No amendments are allowed to help those folks. Not even a Republican substitute is allowed as part of this rule. Madam Speaker, your side has an 80-vote margin. I would like to think that at least we could have the same cards to offer positive constructive amendments and debate it on the merits, not on the politics.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, as dean of the Michigan Republican delegation, I have the sad duty to relay the news that our former colleague Carl Pursell from Michigan passed away this morning. He was the ranking member on the Labor-HHS appropriations subcommittee for many years. He retired in 1993. I would yield to Mr. McCotter who represents Plymouth, Michigan.

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

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I would ask for a moment of silence.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman another minute.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I would yield 2 minutes to the distinguished Republican whip, Mr. Cantor from Virginia.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Ohio and my colleague from Michigan, Mrs. Miller. This is not the perfect bill, but this is it. There is no plan B. This is not the original bill that Ms. Sutton and Mrs. Miller introduced, but this is the bill that passed our committee 50-4. One in 10 jobs in America are auto-related. In the last couple of years now, particularly through this tough recession, we have lost one in five manufacturing jobs, and certainly the Midwest has been critically hurt. The auto sector, we've seen auto sales plummet from 17 million car sales just 2 or 3 years ago to probably what will be less than 10 million, not only this year, but next year as well. Not only the Big 3 supports this, but Toyota, Honda, the Chamber, a whole number of different groups, the UAW, the Auto Manufacturers, the National Association of Manufacturers, the auto dealers as well. You know what this bill is? It's a jobs bill. But more important than that, it's an American jobs bill, and it's time to stop the dominos from falling the wrong way and beginning to turn the switch from ``red'' to ``green'' for auto jobs and get something in the hands of consumers that will boost their confidence. Now, who else has done this bill? Well, 16. And guess what? The sales are up. Germany, sales have increased by 40 percent; France, sales are up March through May; the UK, Japan, China, Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malaysia, Austria, Romania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands. Even Slovakia, auto sales have increased by some 18 percent. Madam Speaker, this is a very good bill. It's one that has bipartisan support. It's time to put American jobs first and begin to move this process forward. We know we have a majority in this House for this bill. The question is do we have two-thirds. I would like to think we do. This is it. We're not going to have another bill. It's not going back to Rules. We need to pass this. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, it is time to get America moving again, and that's exactly what this bill does. The auto sector is so important to our country in virtually every single community. It doesn't have to just be a community that has an assembly line. It's the communities that build parts, whether it be a gas cap or a part for a brake, a side panel, a piece of trim, a window. Auto dealers are in virtually every community across the country, and they average about 50 employees per dealership. So this bill impacts every single community across America. No one here today has talked about what this bill also does. We will rely less on foreign oil because the average consumer, by taking advantage of this program, will save $780 in fuel costs because they're going to trade in that old car and they're going to have a more fuel- efficient, better emission vehicle than they had before; $780 per household for those that take advantage of it. We have fraud and abuse provisions in here so that they won't be taken advantage of. And to my good friend Mr. Flake, yes, there is a sunset. This program doesn't go on forever. There is a sunset. It's a temporary Band-Aid to fix an economic problem that needs America's attention. Isn't it better, isn't it better to have people work and have a job and pay taxes than having them laid off and receive benefits? I think most Americans would rather have that job. They want to pay their taxes. This is a bill that helps America, and that's one of the reasons why it passed in our committee 50-4. I would urge all of my colleagues to support this. And, sadly, because of the procedure, it does have to pass tonight by a two-thirds vote rather than a majority. I would like to think that we can exceed that two-thirds and pass it. With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. UPTON. I will yield the gentlelady 4 minutes of my time to control.