José E. Serrano: “This is really a mean amendment to single out one city, one city that is hurting; to single out labor when, in fact, it…”

“This is really a mean amendment to single out one city, one city that is hurting; to single out labor when, in fact, it is not labor, but it is the people that have those pension plans and now may not have a pension plan, to single them out. With all due respect to the gentlewoman, I am sure there have been many instances throughout history and in recent years when your area, your State, has been helped by Federal dollars when it was hurting, and we all got together and did that, be it a flood, be it a fire, be it a natural disaster. Whatever it may be, we came together to help. Detroit has its problems, and Detroit might have made some mistakes. But to single it out in an amendment and to say that we cannot help in any way, shape, or form is really mean, mean-spirited and wrong. It may look good to single an urban center out. It may look good to single out a place that is hurting. But that is not the American way. The American way, I can tell you, as a New Yorker, when New York was hurting, people came to its aid. When we were attacked, we came to its aid. Sure, this is different, but Detroit, it's hurting right now. And to single it out on this House floor at 10 minutes to 8, at this time, to single it out as not being worthy of Federal help, is really just wrong. And then to take the opportunity to attack organized labor by suggesting that somehow they are to blame and therefore they should not get any help is also mean-spirited.…”