stamping plant in g.m., the plant that's a very close second is 70 miles away north of mansfield in carmo, ohio. those are the two top g.m.-rated stamping plants. it makes little sense to me and to the town of workers in mansfield that a company wouldn't want its best and brightest to be on a path for stkes. the auto crisis hit home in twinsburg, ohio, home to the most modern stamping plant in chrysler's network. it ranks among the highest in safety and productivity. yet, twinsburg workers and their families got the rug pulled out from under them last month. the crisis is playing itself out every day as auto suppliers struggle to find credit. it is not just mansfield and twinsburg, it is not just the loss of fewer than 100, but 80

or 90 people who represent families -- families in the columbus area who lost jobs when a g.m. plant -- a g.m. supply center is closing. it is also what's happening to the companies that supply the auto companies and they have -- they employ more workers than the auto companies themselves do. the crisis plays itself out every single day as auto suppliers struggle to find credit. the manfacturer has auto customers, banks seem to put them on a black list and don't want to extend any loans, even those backed by the small business administration. the crisis plays itself out in warren and dayton, where delphi salary workers who played by the rules are left without pensions that they deserve. from warren from dayton, from smaller communities are unfortunately not unique. there are stories from small ohio towns like trotwood, near dayton, vanwood, greenwood and other areas across ohio and throughout the midwest. that's why it angered me as i

sat in the banking committee as i chaired that committee as chairman dodd was working on health care issues, when i hear the restructuring proposals by g.m. and chrysler portrayed by my more conservative colleagues in this body, when they label it as everybody sacrifices but the workers. we have seen a $7 an hour cut in compensation for these workers, that's $14,000 a year hit that these workers are taking. they're far from giveaways, american autoworkers, their families an their communities are all in this together and have suffered -- and with their communities have suffered more than anybody. just three years ago there were a quarter million members of the u.a.w. after the g.m. and chrysler restructure -- in the auto industry. these are men and women who make up the nation's middle class, the heartbeat of america, if you will. they work hard and support their families. they watch as their chance at

the american dream just goes up in smoke. it's an american tragedy. anyone who dismisses it otherwise should abe shamed. -- ashamed. wages have decreased for entry level workers, key benefits have been cut. understand the much maligned legacy costs that companies are burdened with, if you will, these legacy costs, health care and pensions were negotiated at the bargaining table when workers said we'll take less money in salary and wages today if you put that money aside for pensions and health care -- for health care now and for pensions later, so they gave up dollars at the bargaining table. that's what these -- what these legacy costs are. these concessions combined with swatching g.m. contributions owed to the viva will save general motors billions, that's a good idea. that's a good thing because we

want this company to survive and thrive. every facet of this restructuring has an impact on hard-working families, on their communities, their states, their nation as a whole. mr. president, we should ask ourselves this: is the government doing everything it can to protect and create jobs? is the government -- aren't sacrificed because of expediency or politics or information gaps or favoritism. i held a conference call with mayors from the auto communities. nearly all raised the fact that they will need to eliminate police an fire and their other local government entities eliminating positions -- teaching positions and others because of shortfall and tax reeve -- on tax revenues from the closings. the worries from these mayors reminds us that we're talking about more than jobs and bottom lines, we're talking about the nation's manufacturing future. we're talking about our nation's

middle class. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: