Involved in the manufacturing of water heaters. I thank the chairman again. I thank mr. Aderholt and i also want to commend the gentleman and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. The gentleman from kentucky reserves. The gentleman from california continues to reserve. The gentlelady from kentucky is recognized. Mr. Whitfield mr. Speaker, at this time i would like to recognize for a period of three minutes dr. Roe of tennessee whos a member of the education committee, for three minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for three minutes. Mr. Roe i thank the gentleman, the chairman, for yielding, and, mr. Speaker, i rise today in support of h. R. 6582. This legislation would establish a uniform Energy Efficient descripter for all water heaters, walkin freezers and walkin coolers. The legislation also improves the testing methods that determine whether or not these products are Energy Efficient which will provide certainty for manufacturers and their products. In my hometown is one of the largest manufacturers who make up to 8,000 water heaters a day. And this is a real jobs issue in my hometown. These jobs have good retirement plans, Health Insurance and their competitors are both in canada and mexico and we need to do anything we can to help support these local manufacturers. This bill will make it easier for consumers to compare the Energy Efficiency of products and eliminate confusion that stems from having more than one type of label. The decision to invest in a largescale appliance of this nature is a big one. And during these tough economic times, consumers deserve information thats easily understood so they can make wellinformed decisions. Its also helpful for manufacturerser to clear guidelines for how products will be judged for Energy Efficiency. This is why, just to simplify whats going on, to make it easier for our manufacturers, let me tell you, ive walked through the plant, been through it. Its absolutely incredible to see a piece of sheet metal, to see our manufacturers take a piece of metal and produce 8,000 water heaters in a single day for consumption in the United States. And i have one in my home, thats what i use. And i have one in my apartment here in washington, d. C. , proudly i do. I would encourage support of this and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from tennessee yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Waxman mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for speakers on our side of the aisle to support this legislation. I know almost all democrats that ive talked to think its a good bill. Ive urged the others to join with them in supporting it. I think its a worthwhile piece of legislation. Its a small step but its a step in the right direction and it will clarify some issues that still need to be clarified. So lets get this done and in pursuit of that objective, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from kentucky is recognized. Mr. Whitfield i also want to urge everybody to support h. R. 6582, the small, modest Energy Efficiency bill, that will save some jobs. Certainly want to thank the members of the senate, the senate staff, mr. Waxman and his committee staff, and certainly the energy and power staff here on the house side for being involved in these negotiations and working this out. And with that, mr. Speaker, i would ask for a recorded vote and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 6582 as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. Mr. Whitfield i ask for a recorded vote. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from tennessee seeks the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 45 p when the house comes back at 1 45, theyll vote on the bill they just debated, changing federal Energy Efficiency laws. Well take you live next to the capital, the chair and cochair of the democratic caucus, just starting a briefing talking about the fiscal cliff and jobs. Its live here on cspan. And continues to preach the kind of message that i think the nation needs, one of compromise but one of assurity that we are going to be looking out tore the interest of the middle class and the protection of Social Security, medicare and medicaid for the people who are in such desperate need of those great programs that are the hallmark of our country. We have repeatedly said and our caucus again just confirmed that job creation equals deficit reduction, and we must put the country back to work. We have proposals that are on the floor. We still believe that even with the what little time remains and what little time remains when were actually working, this is still possible. This is still doable. This is not a democrat or republican issue. Republicans believe that America Needs to go back to work. Its just a matter of having the will to do it, the programs are out there. Compromise can be made around the streamlining of regulations to make sure that we are putting people back to work. If Chris Christy and barack obama can get Chris Cristie and barack obama can get together on that, and i know whats transpired and how the impact of our infrastructure has taken place along the eastern seaboard, its something we ought to be able to rally around immediately. And of course everyone, everyone deserves a 250,000 tax break. We all agree on that. So why not just simply adopt it and then come back and well have time to address the issues as it relates to bending the cost curve on health care and focusing on the vast inefficiencies, the fraud, the abuse and the waste that totals more than 750 billion annually . As for the chairman from my district said, list, it would be a way for us to bring down the deficit but also make health care affordable, accessible and functional for the American People. Something i believe we must do. With that let me introduce the chair in waiting, javier becerra. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Its been a pleasure serving with you as our chairman of the caucus. December, how many families do you know that are sitting down right now trying to do some quick math on their finances and figure out how they can stay on their budget and have a little left over to buy gifts for the kids and for the loved ones so it will be a merry christmas, Great Holiday for all of americas families . They dont have any choice but to figure out how to squeeze in some money to buy those gifts. Failure is not an option for them come the holidays. And on kris day for a lot of families, Christmas Day for a lot of families, you will have a lot of kids who want to wake up with bright eyes and ready to enjoy the day. Well, if americas families as tight as budgets have been over the last now years for them, can figure out a way to reserve a little bit to make sure its a Great Holiday, then we in congress should be able to follow suit. The American People are way ahead of the politicians when it comes to this stuff. Failure should not be an option. And we should get the work done that the people expect. Now, were not going to agree on everything. And i believe whether youre a democrat or republican, you would say amen to that. Before we get to the holidays, before we get to the end of the year and all these deadlines, then lets at least do what we agree on. As our chairman just said, i think both democrats and republicans alike will agree that were willing to make sure that for the middle class we let them keep Going Forward, helping us revive this economy. We dont want to set them back. And so why not do what the senate did several months ago in passing a bill bipartisanly that protects the middle class from seeing their taxes raised . We only need a few dozen republicans, quite honestly, to get that done because were about to sign a discharge petition that we are going to declare as democrats that we are ready to plass the middle class tax protection act which will make sure that middleclass families do not watch their taxes go up simply because republicans are intent on protecting millionaires and billionaires and are holding middleclass families hostage to that increasing tax. We believe we can end december, certainly before the holidays on a really good note, maybe still having some disagreement but at least lets agree that were not going to let the American People watch Congress Play this game of chicken right before the holidays where the American People are the hostages when we know that we have bipartisan agreement on protecting the middle class. And so we are thrilled that mr. Walz has taken the lead on this and i know were anxious to try to get this going. While we may have disagreements, that should not stop us from moving forward where we both agree bipartisanly. We can get things done. With that let me welcome the incoming vice chairman of the democratic caucus, mr. Crowley from new york. First thank you. I appreciate that round of applause. Let me thank both john and javier for including me in this press conference and for welcoming me to the leadership of the house of the democratic caucus. Im very pleased to be here at this very important moment in time in our nations history as well. I agree with both john, javier, and i should say as well with tim walz and i wont steal your thunder, tim, what you do today is important not only i think for we as a caucus in terms of setting where we are at but i think also a strong message that the American People sent almost a month ago had a they want to see this Congress Working to get things done. They reelected the president. The president ran on an agenda of giving a tax break to 98 of the American People, and that opportunity is before us. The senate has worked their will. Its now our opportunity to do that before the Holiday Season is over. The expression time is fleeting has never been more apropos than it is today. We have very few working days left in this 112th congress to actually act upon what the American People want us to do, and we have even fewer days now that the House Republican leadership has reduced the working days this week. We can still get this done, but its going to take an effort to work, as i said before, as the American People want us to do in a bipartisan way to move forward. And i know that we have the opportunity to really accept the agenda straight today, and with that ill turn it back to the chair, mr. Larson. Well, thank you, joe, and without further ado let me introduce the individual thats spear heading this effort from the great state of minnesota, tim walz, affectionately known in our caucus as a Sergeant Major and hes got a Sergeant Major drumbeat to the petition. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Javier, i thank you you, and joe, what you do. I represent southern minnesotas first district. It truly is the canary in a coal mine. Its a 50 50 district. It went 50. 5 to 49. 5 for president obama. Pretty centrist on issues. Very pragmatic. Its farming district. It has the mayo clinic and gunneder lutheran, spear heading reforms there. I tell you what came through loud and clear from the people in southern minnesota, and i would argue across the country was, why dont we try to focus on the politics of the possible we agree on, move on those things and come back later to the things we disagree . This issue of a discharge petition to move forward, this is an issue we all agree on. Theres not a single republican who signs this is violating any pledge they took to raise taxes. This is simply going to ensure that we fix that middleclass tax cut, the bulk of Consumer Spending falls within those people. It provides a certainty that you heard javier talk about during a very important economic time to spend some money during this and i think it sends a strong signal that the kaboogy dances that you have been covering, maybe theres another component of it. And its the 435 individual members who have to go back home, look their constituents in the eye and say, what did you do to make this different. So all were asking for that folks are going to vote for this. I would argue every Single Person in the house will vote for this anyway. We know it can be done. The senate knows they already did it. The president said hed sign it. Imagine if this was brought forward, we have an honest debate, we congratulate one another for agreeing on this, we send that signal that we can break this logjam and its set in stone. I think it changes the conversation Going Forward. Im certainly honored to be able to lead this forward. I think it comes out of that kind of a midwest pragmatism that we are all going to compromise for the good. But dont hold up and keep in mind thats 100 of the American Public that gets a tax credit on this on their first 250,000. So this isnt excluding anyone. This is the true 100 , and it does the bulk of that, 98 of all taxpayers, 97 of Small Businesses have that certainty. So im going to encourage my colleagues to go sign it. I think theres i know theres republicans over there that will take a hard look at this, hopefully go over there and do the right thing and move it forward. Thank you for that. Mr. Chairman. Thank you, tim. Questions. The republicans would like to see the medicare eligibility age on the table in these negotiations. Theyve suggested 67. Is that something you think democrats could support as part of maybe a bigger deal . Do you think its fair that its on the table . Well, i think the president has been very clear and clearly so has our caucus that while we think that everything should be on the table for discussion we do have very deep abiding concerns about where cuts would be made specifically and how fair and balanced it is. And so our criteria, as the president said, is that its got to be fair and balanced. If its fair and balanced its it should be part of the discussion. As for polling our caucus and terms of where it would be, i would say that that is something that is shall will be a big leap for our caucus. Why is that . Because i think first of all you have to see the devil is always in the details, and where is the balance . Wheres the fairness . Wheres the fairness in the wealthiest. 9 still not doing their fair share while we exact that out of people who are in need of medicare and medicaid . So i mean its a fairness argument. It always has been. And thats what it will continue to be. And we would note that in a number of their proposals i thought steny hoyer did a great job of putting forward the proposals of the president and the specificity that the president had outlined which is about if you put it on a fwraff would be like this graph would be like this and then the republicans proposals like this. Its a difficult time for the republicans, and we want to provide them with every opportunity that they can to save not only save face but to come up something which they can do reasonably which is why tims proposal that everybody agrees with that there be a 250,000 tax cut that this be preserved for everybody. 100 of the people will receive that. Not 98 . 100 of the people will received that. So why not go forward with that when we can all agree on it . Heres the president s proposal. Now its so small, its in small print because its so detailed and so specific. There are the republican proposals. Now i just want to point out i can read that. So thats our concern. I dont know if the other leaders wanted to ill just mention one quick point. I think democrats, as the chairman just said, have always been willing to put everything on the table. We found we reduced the cost of medicare by over 700 billion. We found savings of 700 billion in medicare, so no one should question whether democrats are willing to try to extract savings, reduce the cost of medicare. In fact, a lot of democrats lost their election because republicans went out there and campaigned accusing democrats of cutting medicare and even in this president ial campaign, the president was attacked by mitt romney for having socalled cut medicare. What of course mr. Romney forgot to mention is none of those cuts in spending in medicare cut benefits. When we did that we made sure that none of the reductions would come at the expense of american seniors who were receiving medicare. And the reason you could do that because theres enough savings to be had. You could get rid of some of the medicare mills, the replication of services and you get a ton of savings. Thats what we did. As mr. Waleds said, in his district walz said, in his district we have a lot of things we can learn from. Were willing to discuss on how to reduce spending on medicare, medicaid and so forth. What were not willing to discuss in the first instance how you pay for deficits that were caused by things other than these programs. We didnt pay for these two wars in iraq and afghanistan. We didnt pay for the bush tax cuts that went heavily towards the very wealthy. And so why all of a sudden seniors in america should take cuts to their services and benefits they paid for in america and Social Security so we can drawdown deficits and debt that was caused by