20% to the health care bill in the country. now the president talking to the medical association the other day, and tip-toed up and said, i am for health reform, and with the boo's, but against capping awards under malpractice. that means he's not really for very much tort reform. and in the fact that's not surprising because the trial bar and lawyers are huge contributors to the president's party. host: as we close here, give people a glimpse into a day of your life. guest: when i first started writing a column, i asked my friend, bill, do you have trouble coming up with things to write.

and bill said, the world annoys me three times a week. and the world annoys me five times, or the columns i write. i think that the happiness of the columns reflect the public, and it's a great time to write. host: how do you stay up with it all? guest: read incessantly, i read four hours a day. host: we thank you for talking to us, we are glad to have you. "washington journal" will be back tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. eastern time. and now it's time to go to the live coverage of the house of representatives. thanks for being with us this thursday morning. .

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., june 18, 2009. i hereby appoint the honorable jason altmire to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, rabbi solomon schiff, greater miami jewish federation, miami beach, florida. the chaplain: heavenly creator, bestow the blessings upon those

here who have accepted the sacred responsibility to legislate within these hallowed halls, to foster the noble ideals of our sanctified democracy. grant that these deliberations will be ruled by wisdom, purpose and dedication. the prophet malachi said, have we not all one father, have not one god created us all, why do we deal tresh russly one brother against another? help hunger and bib ottry. view us with a commitment to sew the seeds that will turn selfishness into civility, hate red into harmony, loathing into love and bigotry into blessing. help us always to work for the least, the last and the lonely. may we remain committed to work with renewed energy, to elevate the status and dignity of all of thy children so all can

enjoy the blessings and benefits of our bountiful society. 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 texas, mr. poe. mr. poe: please join me in the pledge. 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: without objection, the gentlewoman from florida, congresswoman ros-lehtinen, is recognized for one minute. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to commend my good friend, rabbi solomon schiff, for the uplifting prayer that

he delivered for all of us today as well as for his tireless effort to strengthen our religious communities in my home district of south florida. rabbi schiff serves as a director of chaplaincy emeritus. in this role rabbi schiff offers educational support and comfort to those in the jewish communities in the united states, in israel and indeed throughout theorld. i have long been aware of rabbi schiff's commitment and contributions to academia, to the jewish community and to the social welfare of all residence of south florida. his spirit of optimism and determination that rabbi schiff possesses can be seen in this week's torah portion. after returning from the land of israel, caleb reports to the jewish people that we should surely go up and inherit the land for we are certainly able. rabbi schiff's hard work on behalf of the jewish community has been tireless and always with contagious optimism.

no task is too large and no cause is without merit. but his greatest achievement is his family, including his lovely wife, shirley, and his three adult sons, elliott, his wife alyssa, and their children michael and brook, jeffrey, his wife,riesa and their children. steven, his wife jacqueline, and their children, jennifer and jeremy. the opening prayer rabbi schiff presented today reflects his intellectual fiber as well as a determination to improve our community and our country. i thank rabbi schiff for his invocation and look forward to working with him in the years ahead. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 10 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from massachusetts rise? ms. tsongas: to address the

house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. tsongas: no one was more worried about the national debt than my late husband, paul tsongas. during the years of the clinton administration, fiscal responsibility prevailed and the debt clock started to roll back. but we have seen a stark reversal of that success with spending on two wars, tax cuts for the wealthy and a massive new entitlement program none of it paid for. as a member of the budget committee i was proud to co-sponsor legislation this week that would reinstate statutory pay-as-you-go rules. pay-go is not an untested theory but a commonsense tool with a proven track record that requires we in washington to make tough choices. throughout the 1990's it paved the way for balanced budgets and responsible government and it can do it again. as we tackle two of the most important issues of our time, energy and health care reform, it is critical that we enact

pay-go rules that signal to our creditors that we are finally serious. we have a responsibility to pay for what we do. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina rise? mr. wilson: mr. speaker, i ask permission to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, democrats tell the american people that only government can save america's health care system. i'm not sure what gives them assurances that big government is uniquely qualified to raise the level of health care in this nation or any nation for that matter. nevertheless, republicans are not giving up on the american people's right and ability to decide for themselves what level of quality they desire. we believe in a commonsense set of health care reforms and makes sure that ensures accessibility, protects the doctor-patient confidential. the american people need to

make the choices that promote their health and well-being. our set of reforms will exfanned that freedom to americans who have not had affordability health care. while preserving the quality of health care, millions of americans currently enjoy. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> mr. speaker, to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. walz: thank you, mr. speaker. reforming medicare formulas that pay for quality and value is one of the changes that must be part of any discussion on health care reform. the congressional budget office recollection -- recognizes the problem on a simple fee for service schedule. regardless of the quality of care they preadvise. that means we pay doctors for doing more tests and the wrong treatments. in my home district the mayo clinic is a model practice of providing high-quality care at low prices.

but because of the way medicare payments are figured today the mayo clinic and others like them are penalized. we must reward those that save money and at the same time provide the highest quality care. this can be done by creating a value index within the formula in computing medicare physician fees. i urge my colleagues to support it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: 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, when government without the consent of the people takes control over independent businesses, it's an oppressive regime. the unelected, unaccountable auto task force gang continues to pick winners and losers in car dealership closings and they aren't telling why they're closing some dealers and not others. they don't have to. they're the government. in houston todd archer of archer chrysler has been ordered by these supremes to close all three of his chrysler

dealerships. he's been in business over 50 years. this has a payroll of over $9 million and pays annual taxes of $6 million. now, how does shutting down this business help anyone? certainly not the 250 workers who now join the over 150,000 fired by the administration. these profitable dealerships is not the reason why chrysler of detroit is a failed state. they need to be given the pink slip. this country is great for two reasons, personal liberty and economic liberty. we did not become great because government control over our lives and our businesses, yet the oppression continues. and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hall: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in strong support

of full funding for the state criminal alien assistance program, or scap. i'm pleased that the house has rejected calls to eliminate this prap. i hope the senate will do the same because in these difficult economic times it is more important than ever for the federal government, not local taxpayers, to pay when illegal immigrants are detained. last year the five counties i represent in new york's hudson valley received more than $1.2 million in federal reimbursement for costs associated with detaining undocumented aliens. funding that is essential for local law enforcement to keep our communities safe. scaap requires the federal government to step up to its responsibilities and foot the bill for its failure to enforce our immigration laws. we must continue to support this vital public safety and taxpayer protection program. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? mr. fleming: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. fleming: mr. speaker,

recently elections were held in iran with the iranian government declaring ahmadinejad the landslide winner over mr. subey. few saaby is claiming the -- musabi is claiming that -- people went to vote. he is calling upon his supporters to remain vocal and protest the results of this election, and they are turning out in the tens of thousands but many have been killed. in response, president ahmadinejad has tried to minimize anyone with an opposing viewpoint, physical threatening any form of dissent and shutting out the media and communications. the accusations of voter irregularities should be investigated, a fact supported by vice president biden. but until the selection is certified the people of iran should be -- should be able to protest, if they so choose.

and they should protest with violence without them. i call on our president to not be timid but to speak out firmly. it is either a democracy with a legitimate government or it is a tyrannical dictatorship. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from maryland rise? >> i ask permission to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. edwards: mr. speaker, i rise today to speak about the urgent need for health care reform. comprehensive health care reform is about addressing what i call the three c's, care, cost and continuity. americans deserve affordable, high-quality and portable care. now, some of our parents may have worked one job and had the same insurance plan for 40 years but that's not how we lead our lives now. we may have seven to 10 jobs over the course of our lifetime and health care reform must reflect how people lead their lives. people shouldn't feel trapped in a job because they fear they

will lose health care. health care reform is about expanding coverage, creating competition and meaningful choice. and right here in congress we're working to create a uniquely american system of health care that provides for affordable, high-quality care to all americans. now, you've seen firsthand why we should reform the health care. we should lower costs and help all americans. doing nothing to reform the health care system is catastrophic and the status quo is unsustainable. i cannot stress enough the urgent need for health care reform, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? there mr. speaker, ask for consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, the u.s. ambassador to vietnam recently held that the socialist republic of vietnam need not be put back onto the c.p.c. list because

based on his views, vietnam has made sufficient improvements to its human rights policies to warrant ex clues -- exclusion. but recent developments show how wrong the ambassador is. not to mention vietnam's other numerous human rights violations. just days ago the vietnamese government arrested a prominent lawyer in vietnam for openly defending human rights. vietnam's arrest contradicts its own alleged commitments to internationally accepted criteria on human rights. today i call upon the members of this body to urge vietnam to release him immediately and unconditionlly as well as all prisoners in detention for peacefully expressing their views. his immediate release will be a significant step in affirming vietnam's intention to respect the rule of law. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as our country embarks on a great national debate about health care, we are already seeing the fear mongering beginning, that people are going to lose their health insurance. let us be very clear. as president obama says, if you have health insurance in a doctor, if you like your health insurance and your doctor, you will keep your health insurance and your doctor and there is no group for which that is more true than our military personnel and our veterans. recently i was at the p.x. being approached by individuals asking if president obama was going to take away their tricare and veterans benefits. nothing could be further from the truth. in fact, we are going to be strengthening veterans benefits and tricare under the great leadership of the v.a. secretary. so, let the message be clear. before all the fear mongering and before all the misleading information begins. if you are serving our country, if you're wearing the uniform of our nation, your health care will be protected and strengthened under president obama's health care reform effort.

i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. critical to health care are reform is who has the power. currently the pair has the power. ask a medicare recipient if she has the power or the government agency which pays. ask a patient denied a procedure if he has the power or the insurance company which pays. reform must fix what's broken. what's broken is who has the power. real reform gives the patient the power. government already controls 50% of health care spending. by controlling dollars, bureaucrats control care. the president's plan doubles down on government control. it doubles down on what is broken. it invests in government, not in patients. how can we trust bureaucracies that broke health care to fix health care? trust government that is always overpromised and underfunded? until reform transfers power

from pair to -- payer to patient, there is no reform. give the power to the patient. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, every day my constituents share with me their personal stories. i often hear about their mortgage troubles but perhaps more than any other concern, they tell me of their family's struggle to stay healthy or get treatment when they become sick without health insurance. they tell me how they have worked all their lives only to lose their retirement savings when they need serious medical treatment. these stories ar't acceptable. it isn't acceptable that one in five americans are uninsured. for each day we delay, an additional 14,000 americans lose coverage. there are four items that must be included in the final legislation to fix the health care system. first, we must ensure coverage so that everyone has access to health insurance.

second, we must improve the quality of care. third, we must contain costs while investing to prevent the care and individuals must be guaranteed a choice of health insurance plans and doctors. if we can pass a bill that incorporates these four preaps we will have made a real and lasting impact on the lives of people and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tenness rise? >> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, yesterday on the house floor, i offered an amendment to fully fund president obama's budget request for the federal prison system and it was called a draconian cut. i'm sure president obama would be surprised to learn his recommended level to be greeted with such hostility by his own party, considering he proposed spending $384 million more in fiscal year 2009, an increase of 6.8%. only in washington, d.c., is a

6.8% increase called a draconian cut. back in johnson city where i was mayor we had a very simple philosophy. we spent less than we took in. when i arriving, i learned the president's philosophy was to spend all of that. apparently a congressional democratic philosophy is borrow even more than the president and then spend that. i hope it's apparent that we are addicted to spending. i hope we adopt my amendment today and send a message, a small message, that this congress is not entirely tone deaf to the fact that we have record deficits and runaway spending. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> for permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. perlmutter: good morning, mr. speaker. in just over 100 day, the recovery act is already at work. providing immediate relief for hard hit communities and families. creating and saving jobs and jump starting thousands of

shovel-ready projects all across america. our economic problems were not created in 100 days and they'll not be saved in 100 days. but thanks to the recovery act, we are meeting with the greatest economic challenges in at least a generation. there are early signs of progress across the country. for instance, the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit has helped get the housing industry back in shape. there will be work on 1,129 health centers in all 50 states. we'll begin work on 107 national parks, we're going to start rehabilitation and improvement projects at 98 airports and over 1,500 transportation projects. there will be 135,000 education jobs, improvements on 90 veterans' hospitals and medical centers. throughout the country the recovery act is working and with that i'll yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does the gentleman from nebraska rise? >> address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. the 2010 census will mark the 23rd census in our nation's history. although the manner in collection has evolved, an accurate account of our country's residents remains essential to rural communities. as competition increases for both government and private resources, it is imperative every rural american be counted during the 2010 census. in rural communities, especially door to door often counts time consuming and can result in undercounting which means rural areas get left out. it is important census funds are used as effectively as possible to ensure outreach into rural areas. this isn't the case of rural versus urban but it's the chance of those of us in rural america to stand up and be counted. thank you, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? >> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one

minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, this week "the new yorker" reported on the c.i.a.'s abduction rendition and torturing of an innocent man. a businessman named halid was abduct in one country, renditioned to another where he was stripped neighborhood and chained and given pute rid water to drink. a number of c.i.a. officials believed from the beginning that he was innocent. but his c.i.a. supervisor who has since been promoted twice overruled them of the funally, 149 days later, they went over the supervisor's head, insisting that his innocence be ac knowledged and got him released. another c.i.a. captive froze to death chained to a concrete floor and was buried in an unmarked grave. mr. speaker, as director panetta tries to restore the agency's reputation, it is necessary that he not only acknowledge the

wrongs of the past but that he not promote those who committed them. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? >> mr. speaker, i request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, in a few minutes we will begin voting on 26 amendments to the commerce state justice appropriations bill but the overriding problem is that this bill is a 12% increase to $65 billion. at a time when families and small businesses all over this country have been tightening their spending. at a time when foreclosures and bankruptcies are still at record levels. the federal government keeps going on its merry way. spending like we have just lots of cash. all this come after the $787 billion stimulus bill which "the washington post" said was a, quote, massive financial windfall for federal agencies. a 12% increase in times of 3% inflation, when our national debt is now over $13 trillion, is just ridiculous. we would not be having all these

problems if we'd had fiscally conservative congresses for the last 45 years. now we seem to have the most fiscally wasteful congress we have ever had. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i rise on behalf of consumers facing rising prices at the pump. how is it that demand for oil can drop, supply can rise and yet costs can increase? this defies the rules of the free market and the answer is the speculators who continue to drive up the price of oil. we hear talk here about protecting consumers but i'm sick of seeing crocodile tears shed for consumers that are filling up the swimming pools of our speculators. we hear an energy plan particularly from the other side of the aisle that has no long game, no short game and no medium game. it's like taking our country into the u.s. open with no short game on the greens, no long game

for the tees and trying to get out of the rough with a putter. the time we had the courage to protect consumers immediately by going after the speculators and developing a real energy policy that is in keeping with the courage of this country, the innovation of our private sector and the desire to step up as each generation to the challenge at hand. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute in. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. murphy: thank you, mr. speaker. think it will be easy for your doctor to make decisions to get the right carat the best price? congress doesn't think so. in the 110th congress, 452 separate bills were introduced to fix problems of medicaid and medicare. what if your doctor prescribes home care rather than send to you a nursing home at three times the cost? it takes an act of congress to change the rules. screening for glaucoma, well, it depends on who you are. otherwise, ask congress to change the law.

maybe you have multiple sclerosis that prevents from you working and you can't afford the medication. you have to wait two years to qualify for help unless congress changes the law. when less than one in four americans think congress is doing a great job, shod congress really be in charge of your health insurance? let's fix the problems, focus on value, not volume, quality, not quantity, and stop wasting hundreds of billions of health care dollars. there should be no bureaucracy between you and your doctor. reform, yes. oversight, yes. accountability, transparency, absolutely. but become an insurance company, let's think about it. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: permission granted. mrs. maloney: mr. speaker, i would like to echo what president obama said the other day.

something is happening in iran and it is something remarkable and inspiring. thanks to iranian citizen journalists and technological innovations in communications, the entire world has seen the pictures from iran of those who are giving their lives in the cause of freedom and democracy. the pictures show hundreds of thousands of people, men in green, women in shadores, young and old, parishioner and poor taking to the streets in unity in peaceful protests. they have used the universal human right to peacefully assemble and to seek redress of grievances in the full knowledge it may cost them their lives. they go out today in mourning for the scores of victims of shameful acts of repression. their determination and bravery their determination and bravery have the whole world watching,