include u.s. peacekeeping. and legislation that will increase military and nonmilitary aid to pakistan. the house could vote later this week on a conference report on additional or spending. now live cause coverage on c- span. .

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by cap lane father coughlin. chaplain coughlin: eternal god, yet ever present to your believing people, give us the wisdom to use the time you give us wisely. may we divide our time according to priorities, always in fair and appropriate ways. may we share our time with those who bring out the best in us or need our attention the

most. and, lord, may we waste time only while reflecting on your many blessings or with those we love. for everything and everyone it is such a gift. amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from alabama, congressman griffith. mr. griffith: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio rise? mr. kucinich: mr. speaker, i request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. kucinich: it's good our administration is reaching out to the muslim world. it's bad to spend another $100 billion to keep wars going which will kill innocent muslims in iraq, afghanistan and pakistan. it's good we try to create an incentive for people to buy efficient cars. it's bad the car vouchers will not be expressly for the purpose -- and purchase for cars made in america. it's even worse that we tie such an incentive to a war-funding bill. cash for clunkers and bunkers in the same bill. cash for more war in iraq, afghanistan and pakistan. cash to help china sell its

cars to americans. meanwhile, back in the u.s. of a, factories and dealers are closing. people are losing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their retirement security. who are these people who are coming up with these innovative ideas to keep wars going and to move jobs out of america? who are these people? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. blunt: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, republicans are eager for this discussion, this debate on health care to move forward. we are eager to talk about health care in committee, on the floor, at hearings, at news conferences, wherever people want to talk about a health care system that ensures more quality, widespread coverage and accessibility.

in fact, we have a plan that will be based on five principles, and today i want to talk about one of those principles which is just to simply make quality health care coverage affordable and accessible for every american regardless of pre existing health conditions. that's a statement that i think every member of this house would agree with. our debate is how we get there. we need to be committed how we get there. we need to ensure that everybody has access to health care because of everyone can get into a health care environment if there's a crisis. but we want to be sure that they have coverage that gets them into health care throughout their entire life and throughout all the needs of their health care. affordable, accessible, quality health care is something we are eager to debate. we have the plans that will get there and we hope a competitive marketplace allows more choices. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from arizona rise?

>> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. kirkpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise in support of a bill i have introduced to help our brave firefighters continue to protect us in these tough times . the safer grant program helps our fire departments hire the staff they need by funding some of the salaries of new firefighters. in a district like mine where we are fighting five wildfires as we speak, this program is crucial to ensuring our firefighters are well staffed. with tight budgets, the cost sharing requirement has become too tough for our fire departments to meet. congress waived that requirement in the recovery act but did not include grants from fiscal year 2008 which are still being distributed.

my bill would extend the cost sharing waiver to fiscal year 2008, allowing our fire departments the flexibility they need to keep us safe. especially during our fire season. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise? mr. pence: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pence: later today president barack obama will push democrat lawmakers to follow pay-as-you-go budget rules. now, pay-go rules, as they're known, in theory would require new federal spending or tax cuts be offset by spending cuts or even tax increases elsewhere. now, this may sound reasonable to some americans, but the devil's always in the details. the american people have reason to be skeptical about new found calls about fiscal responsibility under this

administration. the budget deficit is projected to approach $2 trillion. in the last several years, nondefense spending has increased by 85%. the president and the democrats' budget just passed will double the national debt in five years and triple it in 10, and now calls for new budget rules? with democrat plans for more borrowing, more spending, more bailouts and more debt, the democrat dem anything of pay-go is all too clear to the american people. you pay and they go on spending. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? ms. sanchez: mr. speaker, i wish to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. sanchez: thank you, mr. speaker. i recently learned of a situation concerning a constituent of mine, randy collins, whose ex-wife abducted their son and went to japan. the last time randy collins saw his son, christian collins, was on june 15, 2008. according to the united states

state department's deputy assistant secretary for overseas citizen services, the united states received notices of 73 cases ofarental abductions involving 104 children just for the country of japan. unfortunately, many people are not aware of the severity of this situation and how it affects so many american lives. once taken to japan, american parents are unable to see their children because parental visitation rights are not recognized, they're not protected by japan, and abduction by one parent is not considered a crime. as an ally of the united states, i urge the government of japan to sign the 1980 hague convention on civil aspects of international children abduction and respect the rights of our american parents. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? mr. fleming: i ask unanimous

consent to speak to the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. fleming: mr. speaker, in a recent interview with c-span, the president made the very telling statement, we are out of money. yes, mr. speaker, as of april 27, this country ran out of money. and yet that is not -- has not stopped the liberals in this congress from passing record-setting spending bills. these bills were sold to the american public as necessary to stimulate the economy. unemployment insurance claims reached a record high for the 17th consecutive week, and unemployment has reached 9.4% which he promise would not happen upon signing this infamous stimulus bill. the $1 trillion spending that was supposed to stem the economic recession was nothing more than the fulfillment of a very liberal political agenda. reckless spending, a total disregard for fiscal accountability, and rocketing us into another inflation death spiral is not the solution.

now, even socialists and communist countries across the world are rebuking us for excessive spending and government takeover of the economy. bigger government is never the answer to america's biggest challenges. american individualism, innovation and ingenuity will even after 200 years remain the only way to economic prosperity. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. carnahan: thank you, mr. speaker. it's been barely over 100 days since the recovery act was passed by this congress and signed into law by president obama. americans have worried about their economic future. because of the recovery act we've created and saved over 150,000 jobs, cut taxes for 95% of americans, made funds available for over 4,000 transportation projects across

the country. we've made progress in a short time but there's still a lot more to do on the road to recovery. i commend president obama on his efforts to speed up those efforts to get americans back to work even faster. the department of transportation is quickly putting 27.5 billion to creating jobs in my home state of missouri and across the country to rebuild and repave our highways, roads and bridges. by the end of 2010 the funds will create or save an additional 150,000 jobs. investments in international transportation system are critical to our long-term economic success and part of getting there will be putting people back to work rebuilding america on the road to recovery. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cassidy: thank you, mr. speaker. cap and trade threatens to be a well intended disaster.

under the ruse of reducing carbon emissions to help the economy, it will hobble the economy. it reduces g.d.p. by $9.6 trillion over two decades, illuminates 1.1 million jobs per year and increases the federal debt by 26%. electricity rates jump 90%, gas prices 74%, natural gas prices 55%. cap and trade is designed to disguise what it truly is. in the words of mr. dingell, a great big tax. it imposes higher taxes on producers so producers pass higher prices to consumers. the authors are targeting the producers so that the producers increase the price on consumers. if the authors' target producers rather than consumers it would connect them too much and, therefore, they must distance themselves from the families who bear the costs. the authors know the effects. it deserves to fail. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. mr. griffith: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the memory of sergeant jeffrey allen hall. on june 1, 2009, jeffrey was killed in action in afghanistan. as north alabama mourns the sudden devastating loss, i would like to recognize staff sergeant hall and his entire family's sacrifice. jeffrey was an eight-year veteran of the united states army, earning many well-deserved awards and declarations. including two army commendation medals, the national defense service medal, a nato medal and a global war on terrorism expeditionary medal. staff sergeant hall is an inspiring example of someone we can all look up to and inspire to be like. he put the safety of all americans before his own.

we can -- and the people of this nation will be forever grateful. he motivated and inspired those who were around him, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him as well as those who never had the honor and privilege of meeting him. our country has lost a great soldier and an even better son. all of us in north alabama are deeply saddened by jeffrey's loss. on behalf of the entire community in the tennessee valley and across alabama and the nation, i rise today to join huntsville mayor tommy battle, united states army and the family of jeffrey hall in honoring his service, memory and life. thank you, mr. speaker. . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gingrey: the government-run health care plan my democratic colleagues are pushing will lead to health care rationing and ultimately months of wait time for patients seeking treatment. today i want to read a testimony

from a canadian citizen who has experienced firsthand the ill effects of their government-run health care. when i came to a major hospital in downtown toronto with appendicitis, hi to wait overnight until the doctor saw me, but they did not have a cat-scan machine available and sent me home. i returned and they rated me less urgent. when i asked why they told me i received the less urgent rating because hi not died yet. again it took many hours before i was able to see the doctor. then hi to wait hours for an operating room before i was told that only those who would otherwise certainly die would receive surgery. however the veterinary care in canada is private so there is nothing like this when it comes to taking care of my dog. the doctor is always available for a dog but not for a human. mr. speaker, health reform must not preclude man nor his best friend from access to quality health care. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today the house will consider the cars act of 2009, this legislation is critical not only to spur growth in america's auto industry, but to save and create jobs throughout the economy. history shows that one of the quickest ways to end the recession is to sell more automobiles. new car sales constitute a major percentage of the nation's consumer spending and increasing vehicle sales also stimulates demand for raw goods from which automobiles are manufactured. production of glass, steel, plastics, and other primary materials will be increased as more new cars are sold creating jobs throughout the economy. similar programs have shown proven results abroad. in germany sales were boosted roughly 40%. many other nations have acted to strengthen their economies with policies designed to sell more automobiles and the u.s. should not be left behind.

we must pass the cars act today to create a recovery not just for our auto industry but for the entire economy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: mr. speaker, two american journalists, laura ling and euna lee are reporters for current tv. they were in china near the north korean border making a film about the horrible sex trafficking between north korea and china. the north koreans claim they crossed the border illegally. so the communist court sentenced them to 12 years at hard labor. that's some border enforcement polcy. the conditions in these prison camps are harsh. some reports say a quarter of the inmates die of starvation every year. the prisoners do back breaking work in factories, coal mines, and rice paddies. they are also used in experiments involving biological weapons. i he guess the communists didn't get the memo on human rights.

now we hear they may have actually been kidnapped and forcibly taken to north korea. anyway they are being used as political prisoners to try to force this administration to give more concessions and american money to north korea. north korea's starving. the communist regime is bankrupt. they want to be able to sell nuclear technology to terrorist nations so they are holding these journalists ransom until they get their way. mr. speaker, the journalists should go free and the north korean outlaws should take their place in that prison. that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new mexico rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, over the memorial day recess our nation lost two individuals that i consider be to be national treasures. two marines that were known as navajo code talkers passed away. john brown jr. of crystal new mexico and his compatriot, thomas claw, both were 87.

in world war ii marines recruited members of the navajo nation for the specific purpose of devising a code based on the half hoe language. the japanese were never able to break the code and the code talkers were credited with helping save lives and contributing to the military's success in the pacific theater. the code talkers' contributions were invaluable and we should always be grateful for their service. they did so much and their contribution can be summarized best by what john brown said when he was presented with the congressional gold medal. we have seen much in our lives, we have seen war and peace, and we know the value of the freedom and democracy that this great nation embodies. but our experience also reminds us how fragile these things can be and how vigilant we must be in protecting them. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the

gentleman from utah rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. chaffetz: thank you, mr. speaker. i hold in my hand the voting card of the united states congress. now this is the ultimate credit card. there is no limit and there is no penalties. and it's wrong. every time i hear a solution from the democrats, it's about spending more. we have got to stop running this country on a credit card. the problems that we face in this nation, the challenges that we face are not solved by charging things on the credit card. the american dream is not about overspending and being in debt. it's about hard work and perseverance and liberty. every time we add dollars to this card we take away that liberty. i urge my colleagues come up with solutions that don't include an increase in spending. cap and trade is one of the largest tax increases in the history of the united states of

america. please let's stop running this government on a credit card, institute fiscal restraint, and remember it's the people's money it's not the congress' money. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from maryland rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, our current health care system is unsustainable. working people go every day without care or struggle to pay increasingly higher premiums and deductibles. in my home home state of maryland, 76ers 7% are from working families. if a single payer plan is not adopted by this congress, which i support strongly, then we must have a robust public plan option like medicare to be enacted to reduce costs for small businesses and individuals, provide true competition, and give patients the choice they deserve. a public plan option has to be available to all without

exclusions. it must retain patient choice and implement reforms that promote quality care, prevention, primary care, and chronic health care management. and importantly a public plan option must address health care disparities in underrepresented communities. mr. speaker, this congress and president will be judged by our ability to construct a health care system that covers all americans, lower costs for everyone, and provides real and competitive choice for health care. the time for reform is now. and we can't delay. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: mr. speaker, it's time we address the crisis in health care. we can ensure every american can get the care they need, protect individuals from costs that can bankrupt them, and make health insurance portable so they can move or change jobs without losing health insurance coverage. we can also stop insurance

companies from rewarding sick patients to pay for when people become healthier. enacting a public plan will not bring about this change. if you think you won't be affected by a public plan, consider this recent analysis estimated that 70% of individuals who had health care coverage through their employer would lose those benefits in favor of a public option. this plan could very easily be be a medicaid-like plan. in fact, senator kennedy is proposing expanding medicaid to families making up to $110,000 a year in legislation he dropped yesterday. when supporters of a public plan say they want a public plan to compete with ivate plans, the facts show what they are really saying is they want a washington bureaucrat to take over health care decisionmaking. buyer beware. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from hawaii rise? ms. hirono: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection. ms. hirono: mr. speaker, later today the house will consider h.res. 505 a. bill that condemns the tragic murder of dr. george tiller, and offers our condolences to his wife, four children, and 10 grandchildren. he was known as a doctor of last resort and a friend to women when they were in desperate need of support and care. his murder in his church in wichita where he served as an usher and where his wife sang in the choir was a violent and lawless and senseless act. at his memorial service this past saturday, he was remembered for his sense of humor and spirit. let us also remember him for his courage. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. royce: mr. speaker, news came yesterday that will laura

ling and euna lee, two american journalists held in north korea, and held there since march, have been found guilty of illegally entering north korea. they have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. these court proceedings were a cruel joke. nothing more than a kangaroo court. i know of no justice system in north korea. the two should be immediately released. as if there were any doubts, the north korean regime has shown its true colors. a hostile regime bent on destroying the lives of its own citizens and others. let's be clear. these two wouldn't have been near north korea were it not for the barbaric cruelty of its regime. ling and lee were convicted of so-called grave crimes. it is the north korean regime that commits real grave crimes against millions of north koreans every day.

president obama himself must make it clear that this action cannot stand. now is the time for urgent action. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. himes: mr. speaker, it is-t has become amply clear to all americans, north, south, republican, democrat, rich, poor that our health care system is not just a moral embarrassment to the greatest country on earth but a severe economic liability. our auto companies and our corporations stagger under cost increases. our small businesses choose between covering their employees or taking a step towards insolvency. of course health care costs are the leading cause of bankruptcy for american families. we cannot fix this economy without reforming our health care system. we cannot be fiscally responsible without addressing the stunning economic wliblets that we have associated with medicare and other promises we

have made. the reforms that we are offering will offer real choice of plans to small businesses in america. it will provide tax credits to small businesses and it will end the practice of insurance companies denying coverage to americans who need it. most importantly it will emphasize prevention, wellness, and patient centered care. the bottom line, reforming health care to contain rising costs is the most effective action we can take to return our nation's budget to balance and make our workers the most competitive in the world. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. price: unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. price: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today i draw attention to a vision for a new era of american health care. a clear path to provide access to affordable, quality care for all americans. there's no drought douth that our health care system is failing some of america's patients. now, some in this body believe that the solution is giving greater control over h