Elijah Cummings

You could be looking for the next 10 years.

I want to briefly review the situation at MARAD.

Cummings, this is just as important to us that we have safety on our ships as it is to you.

Perhaps the single most important thing we can do to ensure the safety of the cruise industry in the United States... is to ensure that the hard one gains and the Coast Guard and Marine Safety Program are not lost.

I call them the thin blue line at sea, and also I express my concern and prayers and condolences for the losses that we have suffered here recently.

I chaired the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and I am sure you are familiar with the Deepwater Project.

We're not the far right who thinks that government doesn't matter and we can't be the far left that thinks we can tax and spend our way out of all of our problems, because we need to meet in the middle, streamline and consolidate our…

I am trying to figure out how we get off the merry-go-round.

I concluded that there is not one syllable that you stated that I disagree with.

I understand the position of the religious community on this issue.

In my opinion, this committee commits a massive injustice by trying to pretend that the views of millions of women across this country are meaningless.

The pill has a profound impact on their well-being, far more than any man in this room can possibly know.

We should not try to solve our budget problems on the backs of middle class Federal workers while we refuse to ask the wealthiest Americans.

I do not believe that the way to reform government is to attack millions of hard working middle class workers.

The majority's premise for today's hearing is that we need to conduct aggressive oversight to prevent unions from using the dues of their members to fund political activities.

And to hamper the weaker party in this debate, but not to require reasonable notice and reasonable chance to opt out from corporations is just not fair and it is not good for our democracy.

The intention of this committee is to concentrate on legislation after effective hearings that mandate in law greater transparency.

If you read today's hearing title, you would think that it is about protecting union workers. Unfortunately, the real purpose of today's hearing is to continue the majority's unprecedented year-long attack against millions of middle-class…

Let's start with the facts. First, Federal law already makes it clear that employment may not be conditioned on an employee's willingness to fund a union's political activities.

It does appear that we are moving in the right direction, not moving as fast as all of us would like.

The economic momentum that has occurred over the past few months seems to have carried into the labor market.

I find it interesting that the other side constantly brings up the CBO report. The much better report is the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. They have more experience at this, and they show that Federal employees were paid 26 percent…

I stand in strong opposition to this legislation, but I want to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). {time} 1240

The chairman has compared the Fast and Furious operation with Iran-Contra. This was a completely irresponsible comparison.

It is irresponsible to take that gavel to assume the grave responsibility of leading this committee and to wield the power to subpoena, the power to call and examine witnesses, the power to investigate like a political instrument.