this rule and bring back a bill that we can adjust and cut spending. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york continues to reserve the balance of her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: i yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from michigan, mr. rogers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for two minutes. . mr. rogers: thank you, mr. speaker, i am disappointed with the majority for not allowing a fair and free debate on some very important issues. i mean, obviously this bill spends too much money. it has earmarks that have never been vetted. but we brought other issues of equal importance, thix that the american people -- things that the american people deserve to hear. i had an amendment that says we need to stopmy ran diesing terrorists in foreign countries, afghanistan, for attacking our troops and being detained. and miranda right, you have the right to remain silent, you have the right to a lawyer. it's happening now.

the worst part of this is that even the majority wasn't briefed either or if they were they're not talking about it. we had one opportunity to stand up today and say, enough. you can't criminalize the battlefield. we have f.b.i. agents who after our soldiers pick them up, after trying to kill members of the 82nd airborne or the 101 rt or our marines -- 101st or our marines, take them to a detention facility and read them their rights. they're nonunited states citizens, they're foreigners. we want the opportunity to tell america, we think that's crazy. you're going to tell a terrorist who just came off the battlefield that you have the right to remain silent. how much information will they not give that might save the life of one of our soldiers in afghanistan today? and the biggest trafficesty today ask you never gave us the opportunity to talk about it. to move the issue forward. we've had about three different opinions from this administration on if they are or

aren't doing it. ky tell you, i've been there and i've seen it. our soldiers are going to get frustrated, i know our f.b.i. agents are frustrated, our law enforcement community is frustrated and the best you can do is say, debate is inconvenient for us today and some things are just better left unsaid. like the billions of dollars in this bill that spends too much money that we don't have, that we're going to have to borrow from the chinese or the rush yab -- russians or the saudis. or the fact that we have to look in the eyes of those soldiers and say, we can't even have the opportunity to talk about it on the floor of the house. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, i yield four minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. hinchey. the speaker pro tempore: four minutes. ms. slaughter: four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for four minutes. mr. lynch: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i can't say how much i've been amused by the statements that we have heard from our dear friends across the aisle. they know very well what kind of

economic circumstances this country is in. they know very well that this administration and this congress inherited one of the largest national debts in the history of our country from the previous administration and from their 12 years in congress. and they are amusingly fighting to prevent us from trying to overcome the circumstances that they have brought about and we have to deal with. yes, we have to deal with this huge economic problem. and we are dealing with it. we're dealing with it by investing money in the internal needs of this country. by bringing about better systems of education and health care, creating new technologies and new industries and huge number of jobs as a result of those investments. all of which they are opposed

to. and you have to ask yourself, why would they be opposed to someone else trying to correct the problems that they initiated? well, i think the answer to that is very clear. they would like to see the efforts to correct these problems stopped. over the course of the next couple of years. and they would then be able to say that what we have tried to do was not successful. they wouldn't admit they stopped it if they were able to do it but that's exactly what they're trying to do. they're trying to prevent intelligent, economic investment in the internal needs of the american people. they're trying to stop intelligent, internal investments in the economy of our country. they're trying to stop the creation of new jobs, they're trying to stop the upgrading of the quality of the infrastructure of our nation.

they're trying to stop improvements in education, they're trying to stop improvements in health care. all of which they have the responsibility for bringing about over the course of the last eight years. so that's the situation that we're dealing with. this particular bill is a very strong investment in the internal needs of america. they want to halt it as much as they can. drag it out as long as possible and if they were successful with this appropriations bill, then they would try to do the same thing with every single other appropriations bill. the appropriations that the people of america need and need badly as a result of the huge debt that they brought about and what we are trying to overcome. and we will overcome it. we will overcome it in large measure with some of the things that have been done, the

economic stimulation bill which they were opposed to, which is having a very positive effect on the economy of this country, and furthermore, the economic stimulation that will occur in each one of these appropriations bills. so that is basically the situation that we're dealing with here and that is why we have to have this rule and this bill. because of the needs of our country and because of the intelligent, reasonable and effective way in which we are addressing those needs. i thank you very much, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair will remind all persons in the gallery that they are here as guests of the house and that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings or other audible

conversation is in violation of the rules of the house. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? mr. diaz-balart: i would ask my friend again if she has any further speakers. ms. slaughter: i do not. i continue to reserve. may inquire if my friend has any more speakers? mr. diaz-balart: a couple more. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: not the first time our states have been confused. got minutes to the distinguished gentleman from colorado, mr. lamborn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado is recognized for two minutes. mr. lamborn: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, lies today to oppose h.r. 2847, a bill that could use taxpayer dollars for a purpose the american people are adamantly against, housing guantanamo detainees in federal prisons in the united states. in a may gallop poll, 65% of americans were opposed to closing guantanamo. further, 74% of americans opposed moving them to their own state.

this bill leaves open the possibility for the bureau of prisons to use taxpayer dollars to house guantanamo detainees in our communities. in direct correction to the will of the american people. the amendment that i wanted to submit before the democrats in the rule committee issued their gag order specified that none of the funds appropriated by this act may be used by the bureau of prisons to incarcerate individuals currently held in guantanamo bay. mr. speaker, these detainees are not convicted criminals repaying their debt to society but rather the most dangerous people on the face of the planet, terrorists who will stop at nothing to kill any and all americans that they can. we cannot allow taxpayer dollars to be spent bringing these terrorists to live among the civilians they have sworn to destroy. also our prisons are already at capacity. in my colorado district, super max federal prison is at 99.7% capacity, leaving room for only

one additional inmate. yet there are 226 prisoners now at guantanamo. other maximum security facilities in the u.s. are likewise operating at 55% above capacity. the fact is, we do not have the capability to house terrorists on our own soil without endangering prison employees and posing a risk to the communities in which they are sent. the president simply does not have a plan. it is unfortunate that my democratic colleagues do not want to debate this vital issue. i urge my colleagues to defeat this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for one minute. mr. mccaul: i thank the gentleman. mr. speaker, every person in america has the right to have his or her voice heard.

no member in congress should be violenced on the floor. bills should come on the floor under the procedure that allows open debate, consisting of full amendment process that grants the minority the right to offerity alternatives. speaker pelosi, a new direction for america, this right has been denied, this is not a new direction, it is a wrong direction. my amendment would block taxpayer dollars from being used for monuments to me after sitting members of congress. i'd like to yield the remainder of my time to the chairwoman of the rules committee as to whether she agrees that tax dollars should be used to fund monuments to me after sitting members of congress? i would like to yield the balance of my toimto the chairwoman of the rules committee -- to the chairwoman of the rules committee to whether she agrees that taxpayer dollars should be used to defend monuments to me after sitting members of congress and if she does not agree with that, why my amendment was blocked when it's been ruled in order twice before. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from new york.

ms. slaughter: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: mr. speaker, i'll be asking for a no vote on the previous question so that we can amend this rule and allow an open rule consistent with tradition and with fairness. i urge my colleagues to consider what we're about to do and to vote no on the previous question so that we can uphold our tradition of allowing free and open debate on appropriations bills. mr. speaker, i believe if not the majority will come to regret this decision to close down the deliberative process of the house on appropriations bills. i ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. diaz-balart: and again, i ask for a no vote on the previous question so that we can uphold the tradition of openness on appropriations bills and fairness. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, i urge a yes vote on the rule and previous question and i will