-- floyd abrams, probably the most prominent first amendment lawyer in the united states. [no audio] host: and about 20 seconds or less -- is a significant the audio is being released today? guest: it is being released very -- a relatively quick ruling, that is why they scheduled it in the beginning, because they want to clarify the law in this area. host: robert smith, professor of law, joining us on board the c- span civics bus parked today in boston. thank you for the background. this reminder, on c-span3, 11:30 a.m. eastern time, it take to play back of the oral argument and you, listen to what on c- span radio and it will be

streamed live online at c- span.org. now we will take to the floor of the u.s. house of representatives and that it o'clock the president's address. 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., september 9, 2009. i hereby appoint the honorable tim holden 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, dr. benny tate, rocksprings church, milner, georgia. the chaplain: let us pray. our heavenly father, as we bow our heads in your presence, today we're reminded of the prayer of president lincoln who said, i've been driven many times upon my knees by an overwhelming conviction that i had nowhere to go. my own wisdom and all that about me seem insufficient for

that day. this morning we also come to you realizing we are insufficient and incapable. we come asking for divine protection for our men and women serving bravely in iraq and afghanistan and all over your world. we acknowledge that freedom is not free and the trees of every generation are watered with the blood of its sons and daughters. we ask you to preserve and protect us. you said righteousness exalted the nation but sin is the approach to any people. may we seek righteousness and lives that please you. we lift up our congress, senate and president. may our leaders acknowledge their dependence upon you and seek wisdom and direction from you. we pray this prayer respecting all faiths but we pray this prayer in the name of our lord and savior, jesus christ, until you come, we pray, 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. johnson. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. will you join me? 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 gentleman from georgia, congressman westmoreland, is recognized for one minute. mr. westmoreland: mr. speaker, i rise today to pay tribute to our guest chaplain for the day here in the house, the reverend dr. benny tate. dr. tate has served the members of rocksprings congregational methodist church in milner, georgia, for over 20 years. dr. tate is a leader among

god's followers. he's well-known in georgia for delivering powerful, informative and even life-changing messages from the pulpit of his church and from behind the microphone of his radio show which is broadcast statewide on 15 stations. rocksprings congregational methodist church has grown from 35 members when he took the helm 20 years ago to more than 4,600 worshipers today. the church has put those resources into the service of god's people and the church's community. every day rocksprings teaches the next generation to live by biblical principles at rocksprings christian academy. he conducts a prison ministry and a nursing home ministry and sponsors a medical clinic for the uninsured. georgia's third district is glad to have people like dr.

benny tate. it's an honor for him to be here today. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15 further one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. kilroy: i have been talking to small businesses in my district and one of the things i consistently hear from them, that they ask for help with, is the issue of the cost of health care for small business. small business is telling me that they can't afford to buy health care or they're precluded from buying it because one of the members in their small group has a pre-existing conditions and insurance companies doesn't sell to them. i'm here to tell them that we're listening to them and if health care reform passes this house and is signed into law it can reform dramatically the small business health care costs. it can help small businesses by providing an exchange that they can access which will provide a

bigger pool and shared risk and lower health care costs for them. and many small businesses would qualify for substantial tax credits to help small businesses make -- worker health care costs more affordable. this bill will not cost small business jobs. in fact, it will help save jobs giving them more opportunities to spend their money to help add to their jobs rather than paying extremely high health care costs. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. johnson: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. you know, rather than complaining about the 1,000-page, $1 trillion health care bill that rations care and increases cost, in my district i hosted a forum on health care solutions, a panel of experts shared some texas-sized solutions they have used to fix

what is broken in our health care system. these folks didn't rely on a government bureaucrat to solve their problems. they didn't wait for a washington bailout. they forged ahead with innovative programs that have improved the quality of life for texans, ideas that both democrats and republicans can agree on. my constituents have told me loud and clear, one, they don't want government controlled health care. two, the president and democrats in congress need to start over, listen to america, go for real bipartisan solutions. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise? ms. solis: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent -- ms. sanchez: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. sanchez: during this time

we will celebrate the culture of people who trace their roots to spain, mexico, central america, south america and the caribbean and their contributions to american life. the achievements of the hispanic community in america have affected so many aspects of our society. for example, there are now over 1.6 million hispanic-owned businesses in america. of these businesses, over 29,000 generate over $1 million worth of revenues every year. hispanics in america are also succeeding in a wide variety of challenging fields. there are currently over 79,000 hispanic executives, almost 51,000 hispanic physicians and surgeons, almost 49,000 hispanic postsecondary teachers and over 38,000 hispanic lawyers. and lastly, let us not fore get that there are over 1.1 million hispanic veterans of the united states armed forces.

thank you, mr. chairman. 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, the president continues to try to sell the false myth that the health care debate is only between the democrat bill of the stat -- over the status quo. this is completely inaccurate. republicans have offered different solutions and legislation to fix what is wrong with our health insurance system. unfortunately, democrats are unwilling to acknowledge that there may be other proposals, reforms that do not add billions to the national debt, cost millions of jobs or expand the size and power of the federal government. republicans believe we can make health insurance more affordable by giving americans more of their own tax dollars to purchase insurance, shop for plans across state lines and association health plans for small businesses. the debate should be built on the honest exchange over what proposals are best to expand health insurance coverage, not the false effort that we

enacted big government takeover or do nothing. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. 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. this was an important august for america and for members of this house. back in missouri, i had a large number and a variety of health care forums, from traditional town halls to telephone town halls to round tables of health care experts to kitchen table conversations with constituents. what we know is that the current system is broken, unsustainable and unaffordable. it's the number one contributor to our deficit, to personal bankruptcies and the cost of those who have insurance has doubled in 10 years. we also know we consider the source of the opponents peddling this information in this debate. the political gamers who just want to bring the president down.

the profiteers who are making massive profits off the broken system. we need to have important insurance reforms to reduce cost, increase competition and it needs to be deficit neutral. as congress reconvenes as as we prepare to hear the president tonight, we must continue this great debate, even a spirited debate, but we need to have commonsense solutions for the american people. that's what they expect and that's what they deserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: mr. speaker, my grandmother used to say, if you have your health you have everything. health is a personal and private matter with people. individuals want to control who their doctor is. now, we are embarked upon a new philosophy regarding health care. the government thinks it knows better how to take care of americans than individuals do. kind of like the old sarcastic statement, we're from the government, we're here to help

you. more government intrusion into personal lives alarms and scares people, especially seniors. they are afraid that additional government control of health care will take their personal choices away and give decisions and powers to unelected, unaccountable 23-year-old bureaucrats in washington, d.c. frankly, many of my neighbors in texas don't have the confidence that more big government can provide better quality of health for this nation. people are also worried about the billions of dollars to pay for this utopian illusion. money that will have to be borrowed and paid back in more taxes. the people i represent think this new plan will make matters worse, sort of like what my grandmother also said, if you think the problems government creates are bad, just wait until you see government solutions. and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? mr. pascrell: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pascrell: i have a quote from republican chief justice earl warren, no longer with us. he said many people consider

the things which government does for them to be social progress. but they consider the things government does for others as socialism. he said it. it is a message to everybody in this house. the fear mongering that's gone on in the last few months does not bring us any closer to resolution. look, private insurance companies are for-profit businesses. i can't blame them, you can't blame them for being in the business of denying access to needed care, avoiding and dumping the sick and confusing consumers. they are, after all, driven by profits, not patients. i aim in my business, what i have to do here in the house, is look out for my constituents. for the hardworking families in new jersey that are being tossed aside so that insurance companies can maximize their profits. i support america's affordable health choices act because it creates a rational marketplace where americans can find transparent information about their insurance options, guaranteeing coverage that

won't discriminate based on health, gender or job and meaningful coverage that won't leave families layden with debt. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. smith: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. smith: mr. speaker, in a speech before the american medical association, the president made a promise to the american people which he has often repeated. quote, if you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. if you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. no one will take it away no matter what, end quote. however, when asked about this, white house officials told the associated press that, quote, the president's rhetoric shouldn't be taken literally, end quote. so when it comes to serious concerns that most americans have about health care proposals, white house officials admit you can't believe what the president says. that's astounding.

if we can't take the president literally on his promises to the american people, why aren't the national media all over this? the american people need the facts about health care reform, not political cover for the president. . mr. butterfield: during the august recess not only did i tour town hall meetings, but i toured medical facilities throughout my district of the one has been etched in my mind. in elizabeth city, north carolina, i bet derek williams at the dialysis center, he tearfully explained to me he had received a kidney transplant from his sister. the kidney worked well, but he was required to take a variety of anti-rejection medicines. he liked his insurance. his insurance company started reimbursing for the medicines and he was very happy. but after just two years, the insurance company refused further reimbursement. unable to afford the medicines, the kidney failed, his back on

dialysis, the sister's without a kidney, derek is awaiting another kidney. what a tragedy. health insurers should work with us and their policyholders. instead they continue to rake in huge profits by raising premiums $1,800 per year and cutting back on coverage. i urge the insurance industry to embrace health care reform, please. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? mr. pitts: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, last friday the so-called green jobs czar resigned from his post after it was revealed he supported a 9/11 truth organization statements insinuating the government permitted the attacks to happen. this official was one of the many czars the administration has appointed this year. there's a car czar, a pay czar, science czar, great lake czar, plus 30 other czars. typically high ranking officials go through a senate confirmation process to ensure their fitness for the position, but nonof president obama's czars went through this process

required by the constitution. the constitution calls for the senate to give advice and consent for the appointment of his principal officers. a fitting definition for the power yielded by the czars. it is not too late for the president to properly vet his next green job czar and willingly submit all of these high officials to a transparent process that can only strengthen his administration. when he was senator, obama said, the biggest problems we are facing right now have to do with george bush trying to bring more and more power in the executive branch and not go through congress at all, that's what i intend to reverse when i'm president of the united states. mr. obama, it's time to keep your word. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from hawaii rise? ms. hirono: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. hirono: the most damaging aspect of the misinformation circulating about health care insurance reform is the use of scare tactics targeted at our seniors. the cynical irony is that the misinformation targeting seniors are largely perpetuated

by the very team people who fought the stashment of medicare and wanted to plifes social security. here are the facts about some common myths. number one, there will be rationing of health care. not true. the bill promotes effective treatment through research. myth two, medicare will be eliminated. not true. in fact, reform will lower prescription drug costs for people in the doughnut hole, allow them to keep the doctors of their choice, improve the quality of care, and eliminate billions in waste. closing the doughnut hole is especially important for hawaii's seniors with the highest percentage, 36% compared to 26% nationally, of our beneficiaries fall into this doughnut hole. our current health care system, the costliest in the world for what we get, with ever increasing costs year after year can't be sustained. i urge my colleagues to support reform now. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the

gentleman from florida rise? mr. stearns: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. stearns: mr. speaker, the recent controversy and resignation by one of president obama's policy czars highlights a very real problem. the president's use of unaccountable policy czars to circumvent the constitution. by one account the white house has 32 policy czars, including a science czar, a regulatory czar, and even a great lakes czar. these czars are tasked with leading major policy efforts for the administration and have simply been granted a great deal of authority. yet each czar unlike a cabinet secretary, is not subject to congressional oversight. members of the cabinet have to be approved by congress and they report to congress. policy czars have no such obligation. so what we have now is a situation where major policy decisions are being made by a group of people who are not approved by congress, not subject to congressional oversight, and operate without

any transparency or accountability. this is not what our constitution intended. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? mr. perlmutter: for permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. perlmutter: thank you, mr. speaker. we have a health care system that is ailing and is almost on life support and it needs a major operation. it needs it for three -- in three ways. first, we have to stop discriminating against people with prior illnesses. it's wrong and probably unconstitutional under the 14th amendment. second, small businesses and individuals can't get health care insurance because they are too small or they are by themselves and have no pool. we need to make insurance and health care financing available to small businesses and to individuals. third, we are on the cusp of some tremendous breakthroughs

in medicine and in health care which will help us with heart disease, diabetes, cancer but in general wellness across the board which will save this country a lot of money. we have the most expensive health care system in the world. we deserve the best health care system and financing and that's the operation we are undertaking here in the congress. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? mr. fleming: ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. fleming: mr. speaker, before the august recess i introduced a resolution to hold members accountable for their health care reform decisions. house resolution 615 simply states that if members of congress vote for the government takeover of health care, they agree to give up their private insurance paid for by the taxpayers and enrolling in the government-run plan. so far 78 republican members have joined as co-sponsors but

not one democrat. over 750,000 americans from every state have contacted my office in support of this resolution. they are demanding that if government-run health care is good enough for americans, young and old, then it should be certainly be good enough for the members of congress and their families. how dare congress force government-run health care down the throats of our fellow americans and not be willing to choose it for theirselves. mr. speaker, you have heard people speak out on this, isn't it time for every member of this body to stand up and be accountable so people they represent by taking a dose of their same medicine if they -- that they prescribe to their constituents? to my fellow congressmen, won't you now join me and co-sponsor house resolution 615 and prove that personal accountability ninally does exist in washington. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from maryland rise? ms. edwards: permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. edwards: thank you, mr. speaker. throughout the august recess

like my colleagues i met with thousands of my constituents in maryland's fourth congressional district. i heard stories of so many who go to work every day but who also go without health insurance or with inadequate insurance to meet their family's needs. from seniors whose out-of-poke costs are soaring, families with insurance who have been broken and bankrupt because of a tragic illness, parents concerned about their newly adult children no longer eligible for health benefits. small business that is want to provide health insurance but can't because of the staggering costs. it's time for us to stop talking and start acting to provide quality, affordable, and accessible health care for all. we can't allow the loudest voices backed by corporate special interests, health insurance companies, drug companies to stand in the way of meaningful reform. and we can't just tinker around the edges of reform, either, without bringing down cost and providing ginlt. i join -- kibblet. i join my colleagues in congress in support of a robust public health insurance option that re-- relies on medicare

providers for real compe t. lower cost for all americans, and keep insurance and drug companies honest. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina rise? ms. foxx: permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. tonight president obama will address a joint session of congress to make yet another appeal for his health care plan. according to an analysis by cbs news, the president has already delivered 27 speeches on the issue of health care. tonight will mark speech number 28. yet with each passing day as the american public digs deeper into the details of the plan, they learn that the president's rhetoric doesn't always fit with reality. pushing for a government takeover of health care with new spin would not change the minds of the american people who strongly and correctly oppose a government-run insurance plan. tonight the president should reset on his health care plan and begin working with republicans on bipartisan reform that addresses the

concerns of americans and that the american people can support. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. yarmuth: maureen dowd had it right in her column when she said there is a lot of confusion and skepticism in the american public about the health care plan. there isn't a lot of opposition. what i found is once you spend time with the american people explaining things like the public option, they become very supportive as national polls now show. and why shouldn't they? there are lots of examples of public and private competition in this country. we spend billions of dollars as a society on bottled water every day when there is a public option, much less expensive public option, turning on the faucet. millions of americans every day face the choice, they can drive their car to work or they can take the public option, a bus or metro line. we understand in this country that sometimes competition and

choice make a difference for the american people. when we adopt the public option as part of our health care reform package, we will make a difference in the health care delivery system in this country and the american people will benefit from it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas rise? mr. boozman: permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. boozman: thank you, mr. speaker. during the august work period, i heard from thousands of arkansans about health care reform. i promised my constituents that i would bring their stories and thoughts back to washington so we can enact commonsense health reforms and have wide support throughout the country. while residents of the third district are supportive of reform to cut the cost of health care and make it more affordable and accessible to all americans, there is a consensus that the reforms currently under consideration by congress aren't what they want. the overwhelming majority of citizens i heard from don't want the government to federalize their health care. we can create a better plan for

health care reform that includes fixing the fraud in medicare and medicaid systems, implementing tort reform, and allowing americans to own their own health insurance like they own their own car insurance. congress needs to listen to what the american public is saying. do not support federalizing health care. don't destroy the good things of the american health system while trying to fix the bad. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? mr. cohen: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. i like other members of congress went home and had a town hall meeting on health care and met with many doctors. what i found is that the american public knows that the system is broken and that we need to change. the difficulty i've got in my district is i'm for a public option, but i'm not drawing a line in the sand to say i won't vote for a bill that improves the health care system, that takes care of the problem

concerning pre-existing conditions, that gives more wellness and preventive programs, and that sees that we have more family dogs and health centers. for that the liberals in my district, and i'm a liberal, are upset with me because i haven't said i won't vote for a bill that won't have a public option. on the other hand there are people against health care at all, if i vote for anything they'll be upset. tonight the president of the united states will address the nation. i plan to listen. and i plan to support the president of the united states in providing health care and making the greatest reforms and welfare moves for the people of our nation and improvement in health care since 1965 when medicaid and medicare were passed. those were great days for america. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i rise to recognize new jersey's superior court judge marilyn herr for her 15 years of outstanding service to our state. i was honored to be part after

celebration recently honoring jodge herr as her portrait was unveiled for permanent display in the new jersey courthouse. she was sworn into the new jersey sue superior court in 1989, becoming the second woman resident to be named to the superior court and first assigned to the bench in our home county. she was for many years in the family division, a court judge herr called the most important there is. more than a jurist she served for many years as a girl scout leader and two terms as president of the rolling hills girl scout council. she's a patron of the arts, avid reared of historical biographies, pilot, well traveler, and competitive tennis player. she's a resident of clinton township, and my wife and i are proud to call her our friend and neighbor. congratulations and thank you for your service to new jersey. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i want to take a moment to commend my colleague, representative paul tonko, for his work on the wind energy research and development act of 2009. a bill that i proudly co-sponsored and supported during the committee markup process. much of our clean energy future depends on our ability to harness renewable power ever wind. new mexico is in a position to be a leader in the new energy development and wind and solar energy have the potential to power the entire country. new mexico's wind energy resources are vast and is home to department of energy national laboratories in new mexico. new mexico's the hub of scientific discovery and innovative technology. we are also investing in clean energy job training and education programs. . in my district the community college has established curriculum and provided job training opportunities to create a strong labor force, to support a robust renewable energy economy.

still, we have a lot of work to do, and we must continue to invest in renewable energy research and development. investment in science and technology will be the key to our clean energy future. and i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois rise? mrs. biggert: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. biggert: revise and extend my remarks. mr. speaker, tonight when the president addresses the joint session of congress, i hope that he will turn a new page in the health care debate, setting aside demands for a government-run taxpayer-funded health care system and instead support -- he will want real support for reforms that will reduce costs and increase access to quality health care for everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions. i hope to hear that the president finally will fix the medical malpractice crisis that continues to drive costs up and drives doctors out of illinois and other states.

i hope the president will finally commit to our small businesses by allowing them to ban together in association health plans so they can provide affordable health care to their employees. finally, i hope the president will join members on each side of the aisle to end waste, fraud and abuse. it is my hope that after tonight's address the president and congressional democrats will focus on a bipartisan, commonsense reform that will actually increase health care affordability and accessibility for all. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from nevada rise? ms. titus: to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. titus: as congress returns to washington to focus on the nation's business, we bring back the many stories we heard while we were home in our districts. i spent much of august traveling around my district and southern nevada talking to folks about health care. i held roundtables, i convened

to them on the corner, i participated in teletown halls and i visited community health clinics. i shared my views on reform, i dispeled many of the myths that were circulating by those who want to protect the status quo, and i heard from people who cannot afford health care or found out that they don't have the coverage for the medical treatment that they need. it is clear that we can no longer afford business as usual. the worst we can do is do nothing. the current health care system obviously isn't working, so it's time to enact real health care reform. health care reform that provides people with choice, lowers the cost of care, expands access and provides nevadans and all americans with peace of mind should they or their families become il. thank you. -- become ill. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise? mr. pence: to address the house for one minute and to revise

and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pence: after a tumultuous month of town hall meetings across america, the american people have spoken and house republicans are on the side of the american people. as the president comes into this well of congress tonight to deliver a speech on health care reform, one thing is clear -- the american people don't just want another speech on health care. they want another health care plan. what i heard back home is that the folks want us to take action here in washington that will lower the cost of health insurance and lower the cost of health care in the long term. but the american people don't want us to launch a new government-run insurance plan that will lead to a government takeover of health care paid for with $800 billion in higher taxes. as the president knows, house republicans have a broad range of legislative ideas, and we hope to hear him reflect on some of them tonight. why not let americans purchase health insurance the way members of congress can across state lines? why not bring about reasonable restrictions and limits on medical malpractice claims to

end the era of defensive medicine? house republicans will welcome the president of the united states respectfully to the well of congress tonight, and we stand ready to work with the democratic majority to solve our health care challenges. the american people have spoken, tonight we'll see if washington is listening. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise? >> to dress and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. speier: mr. speaker, every since president truman proposed a system of keeping americans from going bankrupt because of medical bills, they have painted any effort of any reform as unamerican. i want to talk today about health and wealth. unlike then, there is now broad consensus that our system is unsustainable. premiums are rising at three times the rate of inflation, 4,000 americans are losing their coverage every day, and more and more are unable to get insurance simply because they have pre-existing conditions.

still, those who profit most by status quo, the for-profit insurers, continue to lie to the american people why they take -- while they take home between $70,000 a day and $300,000 a day. let me be clear, no one in congress is trying to nationalize medical care. on the contrary, providing americans a basic low-cost public option simply expands access so that consumers can visit the doctors of their choice. it's time we start caring less about making private insurance companies and their c.e.o.'s wealthy and get back to making americans healthy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. olver: thank you, mr. speaker. there are those in america who claim we can't fix our broken health care system during an economic crisis. the truth is we can't afford

not to fix it. health care premiums have risen every year for more than a decade at least three times as fast as family incomes have risen. if we do nothing, those rising health insurance premiums will eat up an ever larger slice of family incomes. businesses that provide health insurance as a benefit for workers and their families will be ever more competitively disadvantaged. those losses of jobs that america cannot afford to lose. others in america claim that reform will mean a government takeover of health care decisions. the opposite is true. every american will be able to choose their insurance plan and their doctor but dropping a person's coverage because of a pre-existing condition will be prohibited from all insurance plans. reform will ensure that the doctor and the family make the critical decisions on needed care. now, insurance company executives make those decisions, and they only care about their profits.

wake up, america. this is the time for health care reform. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. payne: mr. speaker, we have nothing but myths and scare tactics to our seniors about health care. what's one of the myths under the health care reform, a government panel will tell you when you can die. nothing can be further from the truth. it will be up to your doctor and your family. it simply provides reimbursement for medicare for doing this. another myth, health care reform will lead to rationed care. no such thing. we have it now. as a matter of fact, nothing will stand between you and your doctor to make the best decision. reform actually takes insurance company bureaucrats out of the decision and lets you make it. what about the myth about health care reform is a government takeover? just another lie.

under the bill, there is no government takeover of health care. every american will still be able to choose their doctor and their health insurance plan, make decisions that they want. the fourth out of these five myths, health care will end medicare. untrue. as a matter of fact, it will strengthen medicare, and it will lower prescription drug benefits, take that doughnut out the middle. and finally, we can't afford to fix health care during an economic downturn? we can't afford not to. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will receive massachusettsage. the messenger: mr. speaker, a message from the senate. the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has agreed to s. res. 255, relative to the death of the honorable edward moore kennedy, senator from the commonwealth of massachusetts. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of

representatives, madam. this is to notify you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the house of representatives that i have been served for subpoena by documents received by the ohio elections commission. after consultation with counsel, i will make the determinations required by rule 8. signed, sincerely, jean schmidt, member of congress. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise? >> mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 723 -- mr. pence: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection

under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. tanko: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass -- mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3165. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 136, h.r. 3165. a bill to provide for a program of wind energy research, development, and demonstration, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. tonko, and the gentleman from texas, mr. hall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 3165, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tonko: thank you. mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized. mr. tonko: i am pleased that today we are considering h.r. 3165, the wind energy research and development act of 2009. the united states has enough wind energy resources to meet all of our electricity needs several times over. but experience over the last several years has shown that many significant technical issues remain before wind can serve as a major provider of base load electricity. this bipartisan bill will establish a far more comprehensive research, development and demonstration program for wind energy technologies at the department of energy than currently exists. it is based on several recent assessments of the challenges that need to be overcome for wind power to reach its full potential in the united states and has been fully endorsed by the american wind energy association. if enacted, h.r. 3165 would become the first law to set an authorization level for wind research and development since

d.o.e.'s immediate predecessor, the energy research and document administration was established in 1975. as we continue to develop a national energy strategy, this will provide crucial fwideans for the department in the years ahead. i would like to thank my colleagues on the science and technology committee on both sides of the aisle for working with me to make this bill as strong as possible. in particular, i have great thanks to our chairman of the committee who has been a stalwart effort in advancing our legislation. in addition to the two democratic amendments offered, we approved all five republican amendments offered by voice vote. thus, the bill ensures geographic diversity, coordination across the federal government and a merit reviewed award process among other important provisions. i ask my colleagues in the house to support h.r. 3165 and look forward to working with our counterparts in the senate to get this to the president's desk as soon as possible.

mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hall: i rise in support of h.r. 3165, the wind energy research and development act of 2009. wind energy has been and continues to be a very important part of the electricity generating portfolio in this country. and in particular in my state of texas, which i understand is the largest producer of wind energy in our country. however, the technology can be improved upon to make the wind turbines, the systems more efficient and more effective at producing energy. renewable energy from wind currently makes up almost 2% of the energy generated in this country, but industry experts believe that we think that number can be as high as maybe

20%. h.r. 3165 can help this country reach that goal. the bill addresses the key research areas needed to expand our country's production of wind energy, and i thank mr. tonko for his work on this important renewable energy source and for working with both sides of the aisle to move this bill unanimously out of the science committee and before the house today. with that i reserve the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from nebraska. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 3165, the wind energy research and development act of 2009. my home state of nebraska's 6th in the nation of wind energy potential yet lacks in transmission capacity and development for additional generation. as this legislation made its way

through the science and technology committee, we adopted my amendment which will allow for research and development into ways to efficiently and cost-effectively create high voltage transmission for renewable energy. america needs a competitive national energy plan an all-of-the-above approach one which includes offshore oil production as well as the advancement of technologies to develop alternative sources of energy needs to be on the table. thank you, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. >> i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york continues to reserve his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, as we continue to grow our dependency on wind power to meet this nation's energy needs, it is important, critically important that we move forward aggressively with all efforts towards energy efficiency. this measure will do that.

i strongly encourage our colleagues to support h.r. 3165. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3165 as amended. so many as are 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. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. tonko: mr. speaker, morph to suspend the rules and pass house resolution 447, recognizing the remarkable contributions of the american council of engineering companies for its 100 years of service to the engineering industry and the nation. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 447, resolution recognizing the remarkable contributions of the american council of engineering companies for its 100 years of service to the engineering industry and the nation. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr.

tonko, and the gentleman from texas, mr. hall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on house resolution 447, the resolution now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. tonko: thank you. i rise today in support of house resolution 447, recognizing the remarkable contributions of the american council of engineering companies for its 100 years of service to the engineering industry and our nation. i also want to thank the gentleman from north carolina, mr. shuler, for introducing this resolution. the american council of engineering companies is the oldest and largest business association representing america's engineering industry. it represents more than 5,000 engineering firms that employ 500,000 engineers, architects, land surveyors, scientists, and others. its members engage in a wide

range of engineering work, including designing the infrastructure, energy and technological projects that contribute to our economy and quality of life. the american council of engineering companies traces its roots back to 1909 when a group of engineers in private practice established the american institute of consulting engineers. today the american council of engineering companies is a large federation of 51 state and regional councils representing a large section of america's engineering industry. i congratulate the american council of engineering companies on its 100 years of service and urge passage of house resolution 447. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise today of course in support of house resolution 447, recognizing the very remarkable contributions of the american council of engineering companies

for its 100 years ever service to the engineering industry and the nation. acec is large federation of 51 state and regional councils representing the great breadth of america's engineering industry. this includes one of the largest councils serving 325 firms in my home state of texas. acet represents more than 5,000 engineering firms that employ more than 500,000 exnears, architects, lands surveyors and other specialists responsible pore more than 100 million of private and public works annually. it's an effective and growing advocate for advancing the practice of consulting engineering and the promotion of private enterprise, working to further the business interest and opportunities of the world's most respected engineering companies. those that design and build the roads, bridges, subways and airports. industrial facilities and water systems of america. these buildings and infrastructure have truly been

the backbone of american commerce and industry during the last 1 00 years. the acec members, companies that have helped to construct them will no doubt be on the frontlines of the economic recovery that lies ahead of us. i commend acec and its member companies and employees for the service and contribution to the contry. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from arkansas, mr. boozman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized for two minutes. mr. boozman: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.res. 447, which recognizes the significant contributions of the american council of engineering companies during its 100 years of service. the american council of engineering companies or acec represents more than 5,000

engineering firms across the nation who work to enhance and safeguard america's quality of life. these companies are involved in every aspect of our economy from highways and infrastructure to drinking water to new technologies. in 1909 a group of engineers in private practice established the american institute of consulting engineers, a. aice. the forerunner of acec. since then the organization has grown to encompass member firms that employ more than hundreds of thousands of engineers, architects, land surveyors, scientists, and other specialists responsible for more than $200 billion of private and public works annually. there are now 51 state and regional acec councils, including a chapter in my state of arkansas, the 2008-2009 arkansas chapter president,

jerry martin, vice president mack craffton, treasurer, and state director, brent massey, all are doing a tremendous job and i can attest firsthand to the arkansas chapter's hard work and the tremendous job that they have done in contributing to the state of arkansas. mr. speaker, the american council of engineering companies mission is to contribute to america's prosperity and welfare. i believe they do just that and i commend the council and their members for 100 years of outstanding service to the united states and urge adoption of h.res. 447. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i now call upon representative earl blumenauer of the state of of oregon to offer comments for three minutes. he's an outspoken voice for energy and environment matters and understands the role of engineers in that entire process. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon is recognized for three minutes.

mr. blumenauer: i appreciate the gentleman's courtesy and leadership. if you spend a little time around here and work on a variety of issues, occasionally the various awards and honorary memberships come your way. i am pleased to be an honorary fellow of the american council of engineering companies. nothing gives me more pride. in the fight to rebuild and renew america the acec is in the forefront. they provide as is referenced by my colleagues on the floor the technical know how to plan, develop, design projects and help manage them through construction. at least they are at the heart of the essential building blocks of the built environment. the bridges, roads, waters, sanitation, transit, rail, buildings, environmental protection, and cleanup. they are leaders in the policy areas as well. we have watched the engineering profession provide leadership and insight, counsel and advice

in dealing with the re-authorization of our transportation bill. dealing with recent legislation we have offered for a water trust fund. with the reinstitution of this superfund. the accountability that the acec is provided with an invaluable report card on the state of american infrastructure. they have done the study on a repeated basis, most recently issuing a new report that shows that we are still rated about a d in all the different categories. they do this on an ongoing basis to provide information that policymakers, businesses, the media can rely upon. and nobody else does it as well and systematically. for years congress has ducked the tough questions of accountability and finance. here again acec is in the

forefront. there are lots of jokes, mr. speaker, about engineers and the pocket protector crowd. but i am deeply appreciative of how the american council of engineering companies, the thousands of engineers across the country are playing a critical role in rebuilding and renewing america and making sure our communities are more livable, our families are safer, healthier, and more economically secure. i hope our members not only celebrate this 100th anniversary, but maybe use this as an opportunity to take the time to look at the resources that acec gives to us to help us do our job better. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from michigan, dr. ehlers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for three minutes. mr. ehlers: i thank you for

recognizing me. i wish to join in the accolades you just heard from the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, about the pocket protector crowd and i'm proud to say that i'm a member of the pocket protector crowd. although i'm not an engineering, i'm a physicist. but i rise to commend the engineers for the work that they do and to recognize not just the companies, you have already heard all the companies lauded and they do great and marvelous work, but the engineers behind it are are also essential. whenever you step on an elevator, whenever you drive your car, whenever you go down the road, or cross a bridge you are are using engineering products. throughout your entire life, everything you touch, almost everything you do is related to engineers who designed and built the objects that you are using. we failed to recognize the importance of this.

other consequence terrorist -- countries have not failed to. india for example, has a much bigger population than us, is now producing more engineers than we do. china, very large population, producing considerably more engineers than we do. if we want to maintain our pre-eminent position as a nation, we have to provide more emphasis and more incentives to eng nears and especially incentives to students to get into the engineering profession. and that is why it is extremely important that we improve our math and science curricula in the elementary and secondary schools because it is -- it has become true if students don't study enough math or science in the elementary and secondary schools, they will not go into engineering when they get to the university because they simply don't have the right background. so it is essential that we develop better programs and better trained teachers for elementary and secondary schools, math and science courses, so that we can once

again capture the lead in engineering, manufacturing that we had for many years and which we are in danger of losing. i urge as we celebrate what this particular organization has done, recognize that they need good engineers to accomplish their objectives and we as a congress have a responsibility to make sure that we train the people who will become the engineers of the future. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: than you, mr. speaker. as an engineer serving in the house, i want to commend representative shuler for his work on house resolution 447, which wreck are nieses the american council of engineering companies for its 100 years of service. obviously the impact made by engineers and related scientists on our society is profound.

we need them to continue through their professionalism to lead us along the ways of discovery, of creating new concepts and certainly designs that will lift us as a society. this nation relies heavily upon their professionalism and their services, and they will be those agents that transition this economy to an innovation economy. i would ask that our colleagues strongly support house resolution 447. i yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 447. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative the rules are suspended -- mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: 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, a recorded vote is ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass house congressional resolution 167, supporting the goals and ideals of national aerospace day, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 167, concurrent resolution resolution supporting the goals and ideals of national aerospace day, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. tonko, and the gentleman from texas, mr. hall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on house concurrent resolution 167, the resolution now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore:

without objection. mr. tonko: thank you. mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. tonko: i rise in strong support of house concurrent resolution 167, supporting the goals and ideals of national aerospace day. since it opened in 1986, the smithsonian air and space museum has been the most popular museum in our nation's capital with over six million visitors per year. this is indicative of our nation's love of flight and the importance of flight to our country's well-being. in this museum, you can see the wright flyer, which was the world's first powered airplane. you can see the x-1 that chuck ager passed the speed of sound, and the apollo 11 capsule that returned from the moon. these are truly great achievements and they deserve their hallowed space in our nation's history. the individuals that support our aerospace endeavors also deserve our recognition. because they are the ones that make the great achievements in flight and space exploration possible. the aerospace industry,

directly employs over 800,000 people in the united states with high-paying and high-tech jobs. in addition, the industry supports more than two million jobs in related fields. the united states is the unquestioned leader in aerospace technology and it is the leadership position made possible only through the dedication of the talented aerospace work force. i want to thank representative ehlers for introducing this resolution to recognize the contributions of the aerospace industry to our country and urge my colleagues to support its passage. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hall: i rise in strong support of h.con.res 167, supporting the goals and ideals of national aerospace day, introduced by my good friend, representative vern ehlers, and co-sponsored by a number of leading members from both sides

of the aisle. domestic aerospace products, services and technologies underpinned our nation's quality of life, our security and our economic vitality. these are fundamental to our ability to travel safely and conveniently throughout this country and the world. this enables our military to reach troubled spots quickly, to monitor those of us who wish to do us harm. just as importantly, aerospace makes it possible for people in industries all across our country to quickly and inexpensively be part of our economic mainstream. the capabilities made possible by aerospace products and outer space are just as extraordinary. these is sending men to the moon, sending all the satellites in our solar system, landing a street on an asteroid. building an -- a space station, providing instant communications to all parts of the globe.

space applications have enriched our lives and our understanding of the uniforce. the history of aero-- universe. the history of aerospace is long storied. from the wright brothers to the national committee on aeronautics and nasa, and led by the likes of companies sufficient as rockwell, groomman, north american, boeing, whitney, beech craft. that list could go on and on. these companies and many, many others have led the world to innovation and engineering excellence. it's because of their talented researchers, eng mears and machinists that our country leads the world in the production of aerospace products. before closing, it bears i think repeating that aerospace products and services are one of the largest sources of export income in our balance of trade. not only is aerospace a large source of domestic sales to our airlines and our government, it's also an extraordinarily

large source of foreign income. mr. speaker, h.con.res 167 designates september 16 as national aerospace day to highlight the industry's importance to our economy and our way of life and remind americans of the extraordinary achievements it has fostered and continues to provide. i urge all my members to support this very worthwhile bill and i reserve the balance of my time, simplet the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentleman from michigan, dr. ehlers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for five minutes. mr. ehlers: i thank the gentleman for yielding. as the author of this resolution and co-chair of the house aerospace caucus, along with co-chair congressman norm dix, i rise in strong support of house concurrent resolution 167 which supports the goals and ideals of creating a

national aerospace day in addition to recognizing the contributions of the aerospace industry to the history, economy, security, and the educational system of the united states. i thank the gentleman from new york and the gentleman from texas for their detailed recital of the many successes that the american aerospace industry has had. and i will not repeat those. but as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the apollo moon landing this year, it is appropriate that we pass this resolution recognizing the important achievements made possible by the aerospace industry. in addition to landing on the moon, some other noteworthy achievements include leading the international space station project, innovative developments in meterological forecasting, national defense communications and creating the

global positioning system, which has come to consumers throughout the world in guiding them where they go in their daily lives. the united states also maintains the largest, most complex and safest aviation system in the world. comprised of more than 230,000 general aviation aircraft, which use nearly 19,000 small and regional airports throughout our nation. and the more than 7,000 commercial passenger and cargo airline aircraft which utilize over 500 commercial airports. our aviation system, especially business aviation, allows u.s. companies to stay competitive because our workers can be more productive and more efficient. the united states aerospace industry is a powerful, reliable source of employment, innovation and export income, employing more than 840,000

people in the united states and supporting more than two million jobs in related fields. although unemployment remains high, especially in my home state of michigan, these high-value, good-paying jobs continue to be available because of the shortage of qualified workers in this field. therefore, in order for the united states to remain at the forefront of aerospace development, we must do a better job of educating our children in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. commonly referred to as stem education. flying and space exploration remain a powerful inspiration that captures the interest of young people. and i applaud the efforts by the aerospace community to get involved with children and schools to nurture this interest and improve our stem education programs. i am proud to report that in my hometown of grand rapids, michigan, a young gentleman who is a pilot has been working

with the children in the schools, particularly those who are lagging behind, has been helping them build model airplanes and fly them. and just about a month ago i was with him when we went to a local meeting of the e. aa chapter in my state -- e.a.a. chapter in my state, pardon me -- in my community. most of the children got to stand by the airplanes and hear an explanation of what different parts of the airplanes were like. and believe it or not, most of those children are now very interested in studying math and science, an occupation they had never thought of before. so this also has very important educational impacts, and i'm very pleased that the aerospace industry has completely helped schools, teachers learn more and teach more about aviation. and through that has inspired children to study science and

mathematics. i hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the aerospace industry for the good service by supporting the creation of a national aerospace day on september 16. i urge all members to vote for this resolution, h.con.res 167. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i yield back -- i reserve, -- excuse me -- the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i'd like to commend representative ehlers for his outstanding work on this resolution drawing our attention to a national aerospace day. it is no small feat to have seen the history of the aerospace arena grow in leaps and bounds over the last century. and certainly writing much of that history was america and

americans who have through their investment given great opportunities to careers, to jobs that have been developed in that arena of a high-tech capacity and have provided a great hope and inspiration to many. so with all that being said, i'd strongly encourage the members of the house to support house concurrent resolution 167 and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 167. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the concurrent resolution is agreed to, and without objection a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 445, the heavy duty hybrid vehicle research, development and demonstration act of 2009.

as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 445, a bill to establish a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. tonko, and the gentleman from texas, mr. hall, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 445, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. it is my pleasure to put before the house today h.r. 445, by mr. jim sensenbrenner. the house passed nearly identical bill in the 110th congress, and unfortunately that's as far as the bill got. hopefully we can get some

movement on this measure this time around. by enhancing the department of energy's research program in heavy duty hybrid trucks, this bill draws much-needed focus to a very critical component of the transportation sector, that being commercial trucks. we have repeatedly learned the hard way just how much the health of our economy can hinge on the commercial transportation sector. costly fuel translates directly into higher prices for consumers since the large majority of products we consume or use from food to building materials are at some point transported by a medium to heavy-duty truck. we must take measures to ensure that this remains a vibrant economic sector. the heavy truck sector also plays a role in our energy security and environmental health. approximately one-fourth of the nation's fuel use and the majority of transportation-based emissions can be attributed to heavy-duty trucks. one large tractor-trailer rig uses as much fuel annually as 48 passenger vehicles.

we can see how even small improvements in their efficiency can have a substantial impact. as we passenger vehicles, hybrid technologies hold the greatest promise for improving the fuel economy and emissions of commercial trucks, but considerable research and development is required to put these technologies on the road. while the technological requirements for hybrid trucks are very different, advances in this sector can benefit the domestic automotive sector as a whole by providing invaluable lessons learned in designing and manufacturing of these systems. mr. sensenbrenner's bill represents a commonsense approach to chipping away at our energy challenge. i believe this is an important piece of legislation in the large and complex puzzle that is our transportation sector. and i urge my colleagues to support the measure. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized. mr. hall: i rise today in support of h.r. 445, heavy duty hybrid vehicle research are, development, and demonstration act of 2009. sponsored by my good friend, congressman sensenbrenner. h.r. 445 was originally introduced in the 110th congress as h.r. 6323 where it passed out of the committee on science and technology with bipartisan support and input from both sides of the aisle and was passed by the house of representatives under suspension of the rules by a voice vote. i'm pleased mr. sensenbrenner reintroduced this bill in congress that we are debating on the floor today. while most of the attention on hybrid vehicles has been focused on passenger cars, large, heavy duty hybrid trucks have received limited funds for federal research and development programs. however because trucks generally use much more fuel per year than passenger vehicles, the overall potential on savings is very significant. the environmental protection

agency establishes that a typical delivery truck using a hydraulic hybrid system could save up to 1,000 gallons of fuel per year. in light of the proposed savings in fuel use and resulting emissions reduction, the heavy duty hybrid vehicle research development and demonstration act of 2009 aims to encourage the advancement of the needed technology to bring about these savings. the bill directs the secretary of energy to establish a grant program for the development of advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles. these grants are awarded in two phases. in phase one grant recipients are required to build or retrofit one or more advance heavy duty hybrid vehicles and to collect required data. phase two grant recipients are required to produce or retrofit 50 advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles, collect required data, and report on the results. in addition, the bill directs the secretary to conduct a study of alternative power, train

designs for use in advanced heavy duty hybrid vehicles, and further it directs the secretary to establish a pilot program through d.o.e.'s national laboratories to research and test the effects on the domestic electric power grid of the widespread use of plug-in hybrid vehicles, including heavy duty plug-in hybrid trucks. again i thank congressman sensenbrenner for his introducing this bill and chairman gordon for helping to advance it, i think it makes good sense. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hall: i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back the balance of his too many. the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: i again commend representative sensenbrenner for his work on h.r. 445 which will speak to heavy duty hybrid vehicle research and development. the deployment of the improvements that we can make in

that transportation sector will aid us tremendously in responding favorably to the environment and to our energy needs. for that purpose and many of the related energy and environment benefits that come from such research and development, i strongly urge our colleagues to support h.r. 445. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and passer h.r. 445 as amended. so many as are 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 the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 556. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 556, resolution recognizing the 75th anniversary of the passage of the federal credit unedown act and the vibrant credit union community that was created as a result of this important piece of legislation. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from connecticut, mr. himes, and the gentleman from new jersey, mr. garrett, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection. mr. himes: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. himes: mr. speaker, on june 26, 1934, president franklin delano roosevelt signed into law the federal credit union act, establishing the federal credit union system and creating the bureau of federal credit unions, the predecessors to the national credit union administration, to charter and oversee federal credit unions. june 26, 2009, marked the 75th anniversary of the passage of that act to create a not-for-profit financial institution formed for the purpose of promoting thrift among its members and providing them with a source of low-cost credit. given the presence of some of the oldest federal credit unions in my home state of connecticut and their important role they play in their communities, i'm pleased to offer this resolution. today there are more than 4,700 federally chartered credit unions. together they serve nearly 50 million americans and have nearly $500 billion in combined

assets. in my district alone, federal credit unions serve about 60,000 members and manage approximately $430 million in assets. private sector organizations such as pit any bows, the fairfield university employees, arnold bakers run, the bridge port police, hospital run successful credit unions. labor organizations such as the ufcw is running a successful federal credit union. in these turbulent times, the not-for-profit cooperative business model of credit unions has been an example of safety and soundness, providing credit at reasonable rates and important financial services to its members. federal credit unions continue to seek opportunities to extend crucial financial services to underserved areas. they are inherently invested in their members and in their communities and have helped their members in these troubling economic times by promoting financial security and economic well-being for all. i am happy to recognize the 75th

anniversary of the passage of the federal credit union act and to acknowledge their valuable services to their members and communities across the nation. mr. speaker, with that i reserve the balance of my time are. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. million garrett: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garrett: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in support of the legislation and commend my colleague on the other side of the aisle as well for his work on this piece and his support. if you look to the legislation page 2, i think this is interesting portion that really cuts to the quick of what we are talking about. it says whereas credit unions operate with the credo, quote, not-for-profit, not for charity, but for service. and have consistently reflected this tradition in the cooperative spirit of people helping people. that gave birth to the federal credit union act. when you think about it that is exactly what credit union

industry is in this country. not for profit, not for charity, but for service. when i think of my district back in the great state of new jersey and the 5th congressional district and the credit unions in that area, whether it was the very first credit union i ever joined when i worked for selective insurance company many years ago, and the services they provided to the employees of that company, or other credit unions that have grown up over time in various counties in the northwest new jersey and across the state of new jersey, working to fill a particular niche for their members that were perhaps not being met by the rest of the industries for those individuals, they were doing so in a manner that was not for profit. the people coming together and saying that there is a need to be fulfilled and they were going to make sure they served it. it's interesting as i come to the floor here to speak to the benefits of credit unions that our country has seen over the last several decades, i just returned from meeting with

officials from the european union and also from great britain where they right now in light of all the financial difficulties that they are experiencing in their financial markets, are looking across the atlantic to see whether they can learn some things from us to see what they can do to provide some services and some stability to their markets as well. the number one thing that the conservative party, the folks who i met with over there, said they wanted to do and that was, in great britain, to provide credit unions for the people of that country. so they have a problem that's a little different from our country. that is we have the traditional entrepreneurial spirit in the banking industry that we have so many banks across the country, which is a good thing. provides services from the small individual right up to the large. they don't have it quite as extensively as we do in this country. they have a need even greater than we do to provide that niche marketplace for the individual. they will be looking to the united states to take the lead

-- to have been the leader in this area and probably emulate much of what we have already learned and instituted with regard to the solvency issues and the like in the industry. so it's good to come back to the united states to say in this area we have been a leader. i stand in support of this legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: i thank the gentleman from new jersey. it's good to know that as we do the hard work of recasting the regulatory apparatus in this country that there are models, including the credit unions, others are looking to as things we do right. with that i yield three minutes to the gentleman from oregon. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon is recognized for three minutes. mr. blumenauer: i appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak on this bill. as we mark a year of near collapse of the american financial system, we are still trying to sort out exactly what

happened and how to assure it never happens again to allow reckless behavior to drive our economy into the ditch. with that as background, it is appropriate for us to commemorate the 75 years of service by one part of the financial sector that didn't add to the problem. america's credit unions. as starting 75 years ago as small scale, not-for-profit groups of people joined together to provide essential, affordable financial services, we have watched it grow over the years. personally i can testify as a satisfied member of credit unions for over 25 years, including two at current, i have had firsthand experience of the personal high quality service. while certainly they have grown and expanded their services and membership over the years, we have seen they still work well, managing to provide helpful competition. indeed when some of the largest banks in this country have

stopped lending, not so with credit unions. indeed most credit unions have continued to lend to individuals and small businesses around the country despite the challenging economic climate. unlike many other lenders, credit unions saw their loans increase by 7% to over $575 billion in 2008. up about $35 billion from the previous year. by providing financial diversity, credit unions lend strength to american communities. by providing competition for other financial institutions, credit unions help hold down costs for borrowers and provide greater access to capital, more choices for individuals. on a small scale, i have watched as they have worked with people who otherwise would have fallen prey to payday lenders to design short-term loans to help people in financial difficulty who may not be particularly financially

sophisticated. i thank the gentleman for introducing this legislation. i think it's posh to -- important to recognize the contributions of the credit unions and continue to work with them to provide their vital services to american consumers. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. garrett: thank you. i now yield such time as he may consume to mr. royce. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. i like to thank the gentleman from connecticut, mr. himes, for sponsoring this resolution. this resolution recognizes the 75th anniversary of the passage of the federal credit union act and the vibrant federal credit union community that was created as a result are of this important piece of legislation. the purpose of this law passed back in 1934 was to make credit available and to promote savings through a national system of

nonprofit cooperative credit unions. this act established what is now the federal credit union system and it created the bureau of federal credit unions which eventually became the national credit union administration and its intend was to charter and regulate federal credit unions. . while much of the economic downturn happened in the crisis, credit did not -- overleveraging, nor the lax underwriting standards. unlike many of the mortgage originators throughout the housing crisis, credit unions held them in their portfolio. as of late last year, roughly 70% of the credit union mortgage originations were held in portfolio with only 30% having been sold into the secondary market. because credit unions generally took a conservative approach to banking, they avoided many of the problems that we saw in other institutions.

this approach has left them well suited to play a significant role in the economic recovery. certainly the 90 million credit union members nationwide will continue to rely on these institutions for their everyday banking needs. i think it is worth noting the impact credit unions have had on communities around the world. credit unions provide a great opportunity for people to pool resources and thereby create an important source of liquidity for personal or capital investment. serving on the foreign affairs committee has given me an opportunity to work on issues impacting countries around the globe and to see credit unions at work around the globe. in this capacity, i have seen credit unions take shape and give hope to thousands looking for a better life. credit unions have helped and continue to help many african countries build a safe financial system for the first time. the fact of the matter is that credit unions work, whether it's in orange county, california, or johannesburg, south africa.

they help families save hard-earned money, purchase cars and let their children go to college. they help the 90 million members across this country and countless across the globe. i want to thank mr. himes for working on this legislation. hopefully they will continue to do great work. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman for his very good observations. clearly we are in agreement here that credit unions are unique entities to be studied for the fact that they better perhaps than other entities in our financial services in the world align the interests of their shareholders and customers. as the gentleman from oregon said, the first point of entry for families and people who otherwise would be using informal or shady mechanisms of

credit. and as my friend from new jersey points out, they're a model internationally and not just for foreign countries but for those of us who are really intent on studying how one balances prudence with the necessity for the availability of credit. with that i urge my colleagues to pass house resolution 556, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. garrett: the gentleman has no other speakers, is that correct? mr. himes: that is correct. mr. garrett: i close by thanking mr. royce for taking the lead role as republican sponsor of this legislation and also for his work in the past with regard on and on behalf of credit unions as well. and also for making the significant point that he just did, that with regard to during this time of financial crisis that the american public could look to the resounding strong support of the credit unions. so i thank mr. royce for his lead role, and i appreciate the role of mr. himes as well bringing this legislation to the floor. and with that i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 556. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas rise? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the house bill, h.r. 2664. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2664, a bill to require annual oral testimony before the financial services committee of the chairperson or

a designee of the chairperson of the securities and exchange commission, the financial accounting standards board, and the public company accounting oversight board, relating to their efforts to promote transparency in financial reporting. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from kansas, mr. moore, and the gentleman from new york, mr. lee, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. moore: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. moore: i rise today in support of h.r. 266 4, the promoting transparency in financial reporting act drafted by the gentleman from new york, congressman chris lee. i commend his work on this bill, h.r. 2664 is a bipartisan bill that's also sponsored by congressman david scott, congressman geoff davis, mike cassel and adam putnam. following the financial crisis our country faced last year

it's clear we need to improve oversight and transparency of the financial services industry. this bill would require the securities and exchange commission, the financial accounting standards board and the public company accounting oversight board to provide annual testimony to congress for five years. their testimony will help us understand and support their efforts to reduce the complexity and financial reporting, to provide more accurate and clear financial information to investors. again, mr. chairman, i commend congressman lee for his work on this legislation. i urge my colleagues to support it, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. lee: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lee: i rise today in support of h.r. 2664, the promoting transparency in financial reporting act. and i'd like to thank the co-sponsors of this bipartisan measure, including mr. davis of kentucky, who championed this proposal in earlier congresses, mr. putnam, mr. castle and mr.

scott of north carolina. every day i hear from constituents who are experiencing a great amount of anxiety over what is happening to their portfolios. from younger families who are trying to save for their first home or older workers who have had to put off long planned retirements. and while they certainly understand most of these losses can be attributed to the turmoil of our economy, we now know the role that faulty financial reporting, be it intentional or otherwise, played an effecting investors -- an effect in investors' decisions. we won't be able to fully restore investor and consumer confidence unless we have a system that allows for the clearest and most accurate financial reporting. that's why we need transparency. it's not enough, however, just to pursue and promote transparency for its own sake. having run a business, i know that if you want to have a healthy corporate environment you have to have sound

financial reporting. i also understand how time consuming and costly these accounting processes can be. so it's critical that in bringing information to light we also take care to identify the complexities that trip up everyone from small businesses to large corporations. and then pursue reforms that may simplify and improve the process. that's why with this simple, bipartisan measure we would require annual congressional testimony by the securities and exchange commission, the financial accounting standards board and the public company accounting oversight board on efforts being undertaken to reduce the complexity and cost of financial reporting and increase transparency for investors. specifically, h.r. 2664 helps congress exercise legitimate oversight authority to hold these institutions accountable for protecting taxpayers and making progress on the following critical issues.

first, reassessing complex and outdated accounting standards. second, increasing the useability of the existing accounting and auditing literature. third, developing principal-based accounting standards. fourth, encouraging the use and acceptance of interactive data. and fifth, promoting disclosure in plain english. this bipartisan promoting transparency in financial reporting act represents a critical step towards protecting taxpayers by creating a process where simpleifying and improving our financial -- simplifying and improving our financial reporting. i urge support of this bipartisan legislation, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: mr. speaker, we have no further speakers, so we will let the other side close first and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from kansas reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. lee: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: mr. speaker, the promoting transparency in financial reporting act will help provide greater clarity for investors. i ask my colleagues to support this bill. we yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2664. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas rise? mr. moore: mr. speaker, i ask that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2561. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2571, a bill to streamline the regulation of nonadmitted insurance and

reinsurance, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from kansas, mr. moore, and the gentleman from new jersey, mr. garrett, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and any extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. moore: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. moore: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 2571, the nonadmitted and reinsurance reform act. i co-sponsored this with many and i appreciate their support and the support of the bill's 2 co-sponsors. this bill will provide much-needed reform in the nonadmitted and reinsurance markets. in the 109th congress, this house unanimously approved the bill by a vote of 417-0. in the 110th congress our bill was unanimously approved by voice vote. unfortunately, the senate has yet to act. but i believe the third time

will be the charm. before he retires, senator mel martinez introduced the senate version of the bill with senators evan bayh, bill nelson. i another the other three will pick up where senator martinez left off to help enact this legislation into law. often called the safety insurance market, it provides for coverage when the traditional market's not available. under today's law, the regulation of the surplus lines market is unfortunately fragmented and come bersome. this situation -- cumbersome. it leaves poll see holders uninsured and leaving them without providers. similarly, the insurance market is outdated and needs to be improved. accordingly, h.r. 2571 specifies that only the tax policies, licensing and the home state of the policyholder governs surplus lines tracksans. it i will laos sophisticated commercial entities to direct access to the surplus line's access and prohibits states from avoiding a established

contractual agreement between insurers and companies. policyholders in a number states are facing skyrocketing rights rathes. the nonadmitted and reinsurance reform acts has -- helps in this. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. garrett: thank you, mr. speaker. i give myselves such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garrett: mr. speaker, i would like to begin by thanking several people who played a significant role in getting us to where we are today. starting, of course, that is the gentleman from kansas, mr. moore. the sponsor of the bill. you know, he has exhibited tremendous leadership and persistence as well, as he indicated, in moving this legislation to the floor today, and so he should be commended for his hard work. but i'd also like to congratulate the gentlewoman from florida, ms. brown-waite, she was the republican lead sponsor on this bill the last

two congresses. and she has worked tirelessly on this very important issue. so i'm pleased now to have the opportunity to take up the mantle from ms. brown-waite and move this legislation forward. and finally, i'd like to thank the national association of insurance commissioners and specifically dr. teresa bowean. for their efforts in working closely with all of the interested parties. you know, i believe that the inclusive and deliberate are a tif process -- deliberative process that this has undergone should serve as a model as we work toward revamping and modernizing other aspects of our financial regulatory framework. mr. speaker, h.r. 2571, the nonadmitted and reinsurance reform act of 2009 will reform and streamline the regulation of nonadmitted insurance market as well as the reinsurance market. now, title 1, which addresses surplus lines market, what that will do is to reduce regulatory jompe lap and clarify where the -- where the appropriate taxing authority really should lie with each market transaction. it also will establish the neic's eligibility requirements

as a standard for the participation in this surplus lines marketplace. you know, these provisions will basically increase in efficiency the work to reduce transaction costs and work to improve the access to the entire market for our consumers. now, if you go into title 2 of legislation, that section addresses several important areas within the reinsurance market. what the bill will do is create a procedure to establish a single solvency regulator for each reinsurer and eliminate the extra territorial application of state laws with regard to reinsurance. it will also provide for a more meaningful and really a simplified process in determining the credit for reinsurance that the companies will receive. so, both the surplus lines and the reinsurance titles are vital to promoting further harmonization for transactions occurring across state lines and eliminating unnecessary red tape which basically will help to reduce costs for consumers.

and so increasingly complex world it is essential that consumers and businesses be able to purchase insurance from risks outside of their traditional realm. and i believe that this legislation will further increase efficiency and reduce costs for these very important transactions. you know, similar variations of this legislation, as mr. moore indicated, have passed the house nst last two congresses by -- in the last two congresses by unanimous vote. it's my hope as well as mr. moore's as well, that this larp legislation will -- bipartisan legislation will pass again. so i ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from kansas. mr. moore: mr. speaker, i want to thank again my friend, the gentleman from new jersey, scott garrett, for his work on this bill. the nonadmitted and reinsurance reform act provides bipartisan, commonsense solutions to

improve the regulation of the nonadmitted and reinsurance markets. so i ask my colleagues to support this bill. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. garrett: i also will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2571. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and wowed -- and without objection a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. . for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina rise? >> i move to pass the bill h.r. 209 . the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2097, a political to commit the treasury of the secretary to mint coins of the centennial commemorating the "star spangled banner."

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina, mr. watt, and the gentleman from new york, mr. lee, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina. mr. watt: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. watt: i rise in vong support of h.r. -- strong support of h.r. 2097, the star spankled banner commemorative coin act and applaud my colleague, mr. ruppersberger, for introducing the bill. the bill instructs the secretary of the treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins and $1 silver coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the "star spangled banner." the issuing of this coin would begin during the 2012 calendar year. the "star spangled banner" is set to music the poem entitled "in defense of fort mchenry." written in 1814 by francis scott key who wrote the poem after seeing the bombardment of fort mchenry in baltimore, maryland

by the british -- royal british navy during the war of 1812. the american victory and the site of the large american flag that survived the 25-hour british bombardment inspired the poem and the anthem. in 1916, president woodrow wilson ordered that the anthem which had been popularly renamed the "star spangled banner," be played at military and naval occasions. on march 6, 1931, president herber hoover signed a resolution -- herbert hoover signed a resolution of congress that officially designated the "star spangled banner" as the national anthem of the united states. throughout the course of american history, the "star spangled banner" has played a significant role in the democracy and freedom of this country and symbolizes our enduring respect for those who have fought and died to preserve the future of this great nation. in the 110th congress, similar

legislation passed the house and had 298 co-sponsors. i again urge my colleagues to support this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. lee: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lee: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 2097, the "star spangled banner" commemorative coin act introduced by the gentleman from maryland, mr. ruppersberger. this simple measure is designed to ensure that the united states properly pays tribute to an important moment in its history. namely the writing of the "star spangled banner." the story of francis scott key at fort mchenry is familiar to americans old and young alike, but it bears some retelling. it was on the night of september 13, 1814, in a mr. key negotiated the relieves dr. william beans, taken captive by the british and held onboard a vessel in baltimore harbor. not long after securing the

doctor's release, key and his party were not allowed to leave because they had become familiar with the british strength and positioning as well as their attack strategy. over the next 25 hours, they waited in the harbor as the british mercilessly bombarded fort mchenry, all while remaining out of the range of u.s. firepower. when the barrage ended, key period out through the clearing smoke at daybreak to see in the distance the flag of the united states, its 15 stars and its 15 stripes tattered but still standing tall. inspired, key scribbled down a poem that he later set to a british melody. more than a century later, an act of congress declared that tune was this nation's anthem. mr. speaker, as our nation prepares to mark the eighth anniversary of the september 11 terrorist attacks, we are reminded not only of the many challenges this nation has faced during its history, but the symbols and words that have

brought us together to endure these trials. five years from now the people of the united states -- the people of the state of maryland will be joined by all americans in celebrating the bicentennial of the writing of the "star spangled banner." h.r. 2097, the "star spangled banner" commemorative coin act, provides for the minting of coins in commemoration of this historic event. it ensures that surcharges on the sales of these coins will be used to support activities related to the bicentennial, including education and outreach activities. all of these will be done at no cost to the taxpayers. i want to again commend my colleague from maryland, mr. ruppersberger, for introducing this bipartisan measure. i urge its immediate passage and reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from north carolina. mr. watt: mr. speaker, i yield to mr. ruppersberger from maryland, the -- as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. ruppersberger: thank you, mr. speaker, mr. watt, mr. lee, thank you. i rise today to ask my colleagues to support h.r. 2097, the "star spangled banner" commemorative coin act. this legislation will create a commemorative coin to honor america's national anthem. i would particularly like to thank chairman frank for his support. the united states mint creates two commemorative silver coins each year. the topic is congressionally directed. all expenses of minting, design, production of the coin are included in the final selling price of the coin. this bill does not trigger any pay-go rules and is revenue neutral. this happens to be the second time i have gathered more than 290 co-sponsors and i have been on the floor twice to speak about this bill. the dollar silver coin will be minted in 2012 for the 200th anniversary of the war of 1281812. proceeds will help fund the war of 1812 bicentennial commission which will hold celebrations along the east coast, kicking off in june of 2012 and running

through september of 2014. these celebrations include a naval review, re-enactment, festivals, historical lectures, parades, and creation of a national curriculum for students and opportunity to honor the brave men and women who width stood the british during the war of 1812. my hometown of baltimore is proud to be the home of america's national anthem. during a night-long attack on baltimore by british forces, francis scott key was held captive aboard a british ship in the chesapeake bay. the morning after the bombardment by the british navy he looked out his window and saw a large american flag had survived the assault still flying proudly over fort mchenry. he knew the american forces had successfully defended the city of baltimore at the for the fort. the next day he was inspire ed to pen his famous poem. his brother-in-law set the poem

to the tune of a popular british melody. a few days later, it was printed in baltimore and quickly spread to newspapers from new hampshire to georgia. the song gained popularity and was often played at public events and fourth of july celebrations. however 2-t would be many years for the spar spangled banner became our official national anthem. in 1916 president woodrow wilson ordered that the song be played at military events and other official occasions. by late 1920's a consensus formed across the country that america needed an official anthem. judge philip sousa, a -- john philips sousa, a famous u.s. composer argued in favor of the "star spangled banner," on march 3, 1931, president hoover signed legislation adopting it as the national abthem -- anthem for the united states ever america. for more than 75 years the spar spangled banner has invoked pride and patriotism american

americans. i hope this coin will inspire more americans to learn the lyrics of ther "star spangled banner" and the role baltimore played in the history of our nation during the war of 1812. all americans are welcomed to come to baltimore to visit fort mchenry. right now americans can enjoy the rich history of this country , there are civil war battle 2350e8ds being preserved, a trail being created which runs through maryland, the district of columbia, and virginia. and the war of 1812 commission is being organized in states from new york to georgia. folks can visit the original "star spangled banner" flag on display here in washington at the american museum of national history. i ask that my colleagues vote for h.r. 2097 and join me in honoring frabcies scott key, the "star spangled banner," the war of 1281812 an event that changed the history of our nation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york.

mr. lee: i have no further requests for time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from north carolina. mr. watt: i simply encourage my colleagues to support this historic bill and thank mr. ruppersberger for his introduction. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2097. so many as are 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 -- for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina rise? mr. watt: i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: 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 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> mr. speaker, morph to suspend

the rules and agree to senate joint resolution number 9. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the joint resolution. the clerk: senate joint resolution 9, joint resolution providing for the appointment of france a. cordova as a citizen regent of the board of regents of the smithsonian institution. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. brady, and the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. brady: can i yield time to the gentleman, please, for unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina. mr. watt: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on h.r. 28097. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. brady: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. brady: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may

consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. brady: mr. speaker, this joint resolution will appoint dr. france cordova as a citizen regent of the smithsonian institute of a six-year term of the the appointment would fill a long-standing vacancy and bring the board of regents back to a full strength again for the first time in several years. dr. cordova, president of purdue university in indiana, has served as chief scientist at nasa in in the 1909's. the members of the committee met with her on july and found her to be very qualified to rent mesh people own the smithsonian governing body. i urge the approval of the joint resolution so that dr. cordova can assume her seat in time for the regent's next meeting later this month. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lungren: as a member of the house administration committee, i'm pleased to support the appointment of dr. france

cordova to be a citizen regent of the smithsonian institution. dr. cordova recently joined committee members to discuss her extensive educational background and ongoing work which will be of great benefit to the ongoing mission of the smithsonian. because she is so distinguished and is involved in many activities, i did ask her whether she could give the time to this appointment that it deserves. and she assured us that she could. she recognized the importance of the smithsonian institution and felt that this was aer more than worthy obligation on her part and felt it was a contribution she would make to the american people. in addition to the many national boards of which she's a member, dr. cordova serves as the 11th president of purdue university in indiana. .

she was the first woman chancellor of the indiana campus and youngest chief scientist at nasa. as a scientist, administrator and ongoing researcher, the richness of her background in academic exploration would be difficult to overstate. as the smithsonian institution continues towards achievement, dr. cordova will be a critical piece in ensuring that the original intent that the institution would be an establishment for the increase and difference use of knowledge is preserved with excellence. i would urge my colleagues to support dr. cordova's appointment to the board of regular ents and since i have no other speakers, i would yield

back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. brady: i thank the ranking member for his cooperation as always and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate joint resolution 9. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the joint resolution is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from district of columbia rise? ms. norton: i move to suspend the rules and agree to h. con. res. 136 authorizing use of the capitol grounds for celebration of citizenship day. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 105, house resolution 136, resolution authorizing the use of the capitol grounds for celebration of citizenship day. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from the district of

columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and stepped their remarks and include extraneous material on h. res. 136. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, house concurrent resolution 136 authorizes use of the capitol grounds for celebration of citizenship day. this eept will be sponsored by the national korean american service and education consortium. the bill is sponsored by congresswoman watson and has bipartisan support. the capitol hill event will be part of a national program for korean americans who will gather in washington on that day, the day for the event is planned for the -- the event is planned for

september 17, 2009. it marks the anniversary of the ratification of the u.s. constitution and is commemorated as constitution day and citizenship day. citizenship day was authorized by p.l. 108-447. as is required of all events on the capitol grounds, this event will be free and open to the public. i support this resolution and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that i might yield my time to the gentleman from florida, mr. diaz-balart. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so approved. mr. diaz-balart: thank you, mr. chair. the chairwoman has just explained this legislation and obvious one that i support authorizing the use of the

capitol grounds for celebration of citizenship and so many people take granted and we should not take for granted. this is the freest, the most wonderful, the most generous country that god has allowed men and women to create on this planet. and nothing is more say credit than citizenship of this wonderful land. and it's wonderful that we are going to be celebrating that along with constitution day. the constitution is that document that has allowed all of this this enterprise to take place. limited government, which our founding fathers understood was the key to greatness. so, again, as she already explained what this does, allowing the use of the capitol grounds for a celebration of citizenship day. and i would urge the adoption of this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserve his time? mr. diaz-balart: yes, sir.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from district of columbia. ms. norton: does the gentleman have any further speakers? mr. diaz-balart: i do not. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida yields back. the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: i yield the remainder of my time and ask the bill be approved by the house. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 136. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the concurrent resolution is agreed to. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlelady from the district of columbia rise? ms. norton: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2498 a bill to designate the federal building locate at 844 north rush street, chicago, illinois as the william o. lipinski

federal building. the speaker pro tempore: clorkt -- the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to designate the federal building at 844 north rush street in chicago, illinois as the william o. lipinski federal building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, ms. norton and the gentleman from florida, mr. mario diaz-balart, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 2498. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: i rise in strong support of h.r. 2498 and am pleased to speak in support of a bill that names the federal

building in chicago, illinois. representative lipinski was a leader on the public works and transportation committee and later on the transportation and infrastructure committee. throughout the time of his service in the congress when he represented the 3rd and 5th congressional districts of illinois. he served as a senior democrat on the railroads sque, the aviation subcommittee and the highways and transportation subcommittee. he had a lifelong passion to address transportation issues whether providing local airports with infrastructure improvements or providing public transit options to areas in his congressional district that lacked access. representative lipinski played a large role in national transportation policy by taking leadership in the past two transportation bills that

provided funding for local priorities and highways, highway safety, mass transit and surface transportation programs. representative lipinski was born in chicago on december 22, 1937. he attended laross college in iowa and served in the united states reserve from 1961 to 1967. after serving in the armed forces, representative lipinski served in different public service capacities in chicago. was an aleder man in chicago, city councilman and held several different positions within the democratic party of chicago. he was eventually elect todd congress in 1982 -- elected to congress in 1982 and served in 10 succeeding congresses. he retired in 2005 and succeeded

by his son daniel lipinski. i udge my colleagues to support h.r. 2498, which names this building located at 844 north rush street in chicago as the william o. lipinski federal building and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: the honorable chairwoman described this very well. i want to add one more thing. obviously, he has a long and distinguished career in this body and in the transportation committee as well. but he was also in the united states army reserve. and one of the things we should never forget are those who are willing to serve in our nation's armed forces. he was willing to do so and did so honorably. naming this federal building in chicago after representative lipinski is an appropriate

recognition of his commitment to public service. and i do not believe that i have any other speakers. so unless the other side does -- i can either reserve or -- can i inquire are there any other speakers? ms. norton: i have no other speakers. does the gentleman have any other speakers? mr. diaz-balart: i have no other speakers. so i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i have no other speakers and yield back the remainder of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass house resolution 2498. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- ms. norton: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady request 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 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. . for what purpose does the gentlelady from the district of columbia rise? ms. norton: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2121 as amened, to provide for the transfer of certain federal property to the galveston historical foundation. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bip. the clerk: union calendar number 135, h.r. 2121, a bill to provide for the transfer of certain federal property to the galveston historical foundation. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from florida, mr. mario diaz-balart, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to

include extraneous material on h.r. 2121. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: h.r. 2121 as amended authorizes the administrator of the general services -- of general services to convey a parcel of real property located at 50220th street in galveston texas to the galveston historical foundation subject to certain requirements but not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of bill. the bill was introduced by congressman paul. the building is the u.s. custom house and is currently occupied by the historical foundation which has a long-term lease on the facility. in 1998 the historical foundation signed a cooperative agreement with the general services administration to permit the foundation to release and rehabilitate the building.

despite a deli cat -- despite a dedicated and unanimous commitment to preservation, the building is not well suited for federal tenants and the needs that we have for modern office space. this bill allows the galveston historical society to purchase the building outright at fair market value as determined by the administrator. the proceeds will be deposited into the federal building fund. the general services administration supports the bill. i strockly -- strongly urge its passage as chair of the subcommittee. mr. chairman, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: thank you very much, mr. chairman. again i also support this resolution by the gentleman from texas, mr. paul. i would urge my colleagues to do the same. seeing no other speakers on this

side, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: she'd yields back her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2121 as amended. so many as are 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. without objection, the title is amended. for what purpose does the gentlelady from district of columbia rise? ms. norton: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2053 to designate the united states courthouse located at 525 mcaufin avenue in texas as the albert armen dar i senior united states courthouse. the chair: a bill to dwegget the united states courthouse located

at 525 magoffin avenue in el paso, texas, as thal bert armendariz sr. united states courthouse. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from florida, mr. mario diaz-balart, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 2053. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: h.r. 2053 honors an outstanding american jurist, judge albert armendariz sr. always had a long and distinguished career of public service and was a true patriot of the united states of america. judge armendariz was a native

texan after he served his country in world war ii, he left the u.s. army and used the g.i. bill to continue his education, graduated from the university of texas at el paso. then the university of southern california law school where he was the only mexican american in attendance. after graduating from the u.s.c. law school in 1950, judge armendariz returned to el paso, texas. early in his career he tackled discrimination head-on while serving on the el paso civil service commission and pushing the agency to end discrimination against latino applicants for civil service positions. judge armendariz also served as immigration judge within the u.s. department of justice. he was the first latino judge to serve as a justice on the eighth judicial district court of

appeals for the state of texas. in addition to his service in the government, he also found time to serve in leadership positions in several influential civic organizations and helped form the influential mexican american legal defense in education fund in 1968. judge armendariz had a never-ending passion for service to his community and practiced law until his death at the age of 88 on october 4, 2004. given his extraordinary service it is fitting and proper to honor judge armendariz by designating the united states courthouse located at 525 magoffin avenue in el paso, texas, in his honor. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: thank you, mr. chairman. again the gentlelady has explained this resolution.

i obviously have no objection to the passage of this bill. i also want to thank the gentlelady for highlighting not only his distinguished career as a judge but also the fact that he was part of that known as the greatest generation. with that i would also yield the remaining part of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass house resolution 2053. so many as are 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. for what purpose does the gentlelady from the district of columbia rise? ms. norton: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3193, designating the

united states courthouse under construction at 101 south united states route 1 o 1 -- route 1 fort pierce, florida, as the aalto lee adams senior united states courthouse. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3193, a bill to designate the united states courthouse under construction at 101 south united states route 1 in fort pierce, florida, as the aalto lee adams sr. united states courthouse. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from florida, mr. mario diaz-balart, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on h.r. 3193. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 3193 and am pleased today to speak in support of a bill that names the courthouse located in fort pierce, florida, as the aalto lee adams senior united states courthouse. judge aalto -- alto lee adams was born in 1899 in florida and served as a member of the u.s. navy in world war i. judge adams later graduated from the united states -- university of florida law zool and began to practice in fort pierce in 1924. after practicing law in fort pierce county for 14 years, judges adams was appointed to the florida state circuit court in 1938. after serving as a circuit court judge, he served two stints as a member of the florida supreme court. he was an active member of his community, serving as president of the florida state elks

association and vice chair of the state welfare board. because judge adams exemplary career in public service as both a member of the military and as a florida supreme court justice was commendable, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 3193, which names the federal courthouse under construction at 101 united states route 1 in fort pierce, florida, as the alto lee adams senior united states courthouse. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to first thank representative rooney for his leadership and work on this bill and would like to also yield him over two decades ago the late

congressman, tom lewis, and his district director, ann derk, started the long process of bringing a federal courthouse to st. lucie county. one of my first events as a congressman was participate in the historic groundbreaking of this building. shortly thereafter i introduced legislation to honor the life and career of the late supreme court justice alto lee adams. by naming this new building in his memberry. this courthouse will fill a vital role for the city of fort pierce bringing much needed jobs and investment to the community with a greatly needed new federal courthouse to the area. it is only fitting this courthouse be named in honor of a man who himself gave so much to his community. chief justice alto lee adams senior attended the university of florida college of law and graduated in 1921. he practiced law in fort pierce from 1924 to 1938.

until he was appointed as a circuit court judge for st. lucie county. after florida voters adopted an amendment which created a seventh justice in the state supreme court in 1940, alto lee adams sr. was appointed to the court by then governor freed p.on. he served as a justice on the florida supreme court from 1940 to 1951. in 1967 and 1968 and as chief justice from 1949 to 1951. chief justice adams believed it was important to give back to his community and even served as president of the florida state elks association in 1937. his service to the st. lucie community served as an example to his children and those who knew him. in addition to his distinguished career, judge adams started a successful cattle ranch named adams ranch. in st. lucie county run by the

adams family. judge adams set a standard of integrity and community service that lives on today. i believe it's only fitting that a new courthouse be named in his honor. i would like to thank chairman oberstar, ranking member mica, mr. diaz-balart, and their staff for helping support moving this legislation. i'm proud to sponsor h.r. 3193 and ask my colleagues for their support. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from the district of columbia. ms. norton: we have no additional speakers. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. diaz-balart: mr. speaker, at this time i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3193. so many as are 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 the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? >> i move to suspend the rules and pass house resolution 623 the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: resolution requesting that the president focus appropriate attention on neighborhood crime prevention and coordinate certain federal efforts to participate in national night out which occurs the first tuesday each year by supporting local efforts and community watch groups and supporting local officials to promote community safety and

help provide homeland security. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. scott, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to include extraneous remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. scott: i yield myself such time as i may consume. this resolution supports this year's national night out coordinated by the national town watch and encourages the president to focus attention on neighborhood crime prevention, community policing and federal efforts to participate in various local events. the 26th annual national night out, america's night out against crime was held on tuesday august 4, 2009. the national night out is designed to promote crime and drug prevention efforts, create support for local anti-crime

programs and strengthen neighborhoods and police community partnerships. last year's night out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic gupes, businesses, neighborhood organizations -- groups, businesses, neighborhoods officials from all 50 states as well as the u.s. territories, canadian cities and military bases worldwide. in 2008, over 37 million people participated in national night out events. national night out has the support of in agencies and organizations, inyou had cling the national sheriff's office association, national conference of mayors and national league of cities. on august 4, people from communities from around the country sat on their porches with their lights to show support for crime prevention efforts. local sponsors organized events such as block parties, cookouts, parades and visits toll local law enforcement agencies as well as rallies and marches. national night out events is a

very popular way to build police-community relations and encourage people to volunteer in their communities. for those reasons, i urge my colleagues to support the resolution introduced by the gentleman from michigan, mr. stupak. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: so approved. mr. poe: i want to thank the gentleman from michigan, mr. stupak, for sponsorship of this legislation. on august 4, 2009, communities, businesses, local law enforcement officials and other individuals from all 50 states got together for what we call national night out. national night out, an annual event created to bring attention to the importance of community involvement in preventing crime and community awareness efforts throughout the country. it has successfully reached millions of people in thousands

of communities in every state in our nation. not only has the event grown in participation and size, but in production as well. the traditional lights on in which neighborhood families coordinate in turning on their porch lights has grown to include block parties, neighborhood walks, police meetings, cookouts and even parades. mr. speaker, this is the only time of the year that many neighbors see each other. my grandfather used to say people quit being neighborly when people quit building pompts on their homes. national night out gives the chance to visit with each other and be neighborly. house res. 623 calls on the administration to not only highlight and urge participation in this nationwide campaign, but also to coordinate federal efforts in other community crime prevention initiatives. crime is local. crime affects all americans regardless of where they live or who they are. in my 30 years as a prosecutor

and former judge, i saw for myself the terrible toll that crime puts on neighborhoods and on families and individuals. we all suffer. crime, especially violent crime, is a national health concern. volunteer organizations such as neighborhood crime watch groups, have been valuable not just in awareness and prevention, but in coordination with their local law enforcement. national night out was created in 1984 to help bring members of our communities to fight the scurge of crime in local neighborhoods. it has been the mission of national orks of town watch and national night out to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods and communities are united in their fight against criminal conduct. through the participation in local crime-fighting programs and organizations, every american can make a difference in the safety of their community. strong communities are safer communities. in today's world, crime and violence can be found everywhere

we look. urban communities, rural communities, parks and even our schools. and while federal coordination with local law enforcement plays a tremendous role in curbing criminal activity, the coordination of local law enforcement officials, volunteer groups and community leaders and neighbors is without a doubt the most effective way of attacking crime and protecting america's families. i urge all my colleagues to support this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of the resolution, a law enforcement officer himself, the gentleman from michigan, mr. stupak. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. stupak: thank you, mr. speaker and i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise in support of house resolution 623. this commemorates the national night out event which is sponsored by the national orks of town watch. i thank my law enforcement caucus co-chair, congressman

dave reichert for introducing this resolution with me. national night out, a grassroots crime prevention event took place on august 4 and will take place in texas on october 6, 2009. i appreciate the work of the judiciary committee and chairman conyers and scott on placing this on the house calendar. i'm disappointed in the partisan obstructionist tactics that precluded recognition in a timely fashion in july. this truly bipartisan resolution that has been introduced year after year and passed by this house urging citizens to take back their streets from criminals is hijacked by partisan politics. a month later we have to talk about this year's event in the past tense. it did bring together citizens, law enforcement agencies and civic gupes throughout the united states -- groups throughout the united states to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and

national night out is the largest, most cost effective campaign. whether it is stopping illegal drug sales, making schools safer, locating missing children or remaining vigilant against terrorism, local law enforcement officials depend on community networks to succeed. this high profile, high impact national night out sends a message to criminals letting them that neighborhoods are fighting back. the involvement of citizens and presence of law enforcement in our communities is a winning combination that makes and keeps neighborhoods safe. the stupak-reichert amendment expresses congress's support and asks that the president focus national attention on to this issue. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from

virginia. mr. scott: i yield to the gentlelady from ohio, ms. sutton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. sutton: i thank the gentleman for his time and leadership on this very important issue. i rise today in strong support of h. res. 62 3 and i -- 623 and i commend congressman stupak for bringing this resolution to the floor. the administration's support for the effort is critically important. this resolution sends a strong message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back. it also sends a strong message to volunteers and neighbors and block leaders that their hard work is not going unnoticed by this congress and this administration. when people volunteer in their community, they are telling the world that their neighborhood matters, that their neighborhood is important, and that it has value. and we hear them, mr. speaker. in these difficult times, volunteering is critical to supporting both our neighbors and our communities.

while neighborhood watch groups work tirelessly every night throughout this country, a special night is reserved to celebrate national night out. and on the first tuesday of every august, nearly 37 million americans gather together to participate in national night out, walking door to door handing out important safety information, greeting old neighbors and meeting some new people on their block. it takes a community to keep a neighborhood safe. and on august 4, people across america helped keep their neighborhoods safer. this august 4, i had the honor to participate in the 26th annual national night out in akron. it was a great experience and i hope to participate in it again next year along with millions of my crime-fighting americans. i commend the gentleman again for bringing the resolution to the floor. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: we have no other speakers, mr. speaker. i will close by saying this is a

bipartisan piece of legislation. this body here contains many former law enforcement officers, peace officers, sheriffs, prosecutors, former judges and victims of crime as well. crime knows no boundaries in this country and affects all of us. this legislation is a stand for the volunteers who support national night out and the good work that they do. and i strongly urge the adoption of this resolution. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman from michigan for his introduction of the resolution and urge the support of the resolution and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 623. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmativeu the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. towns: for the purpose tore recognize national day of service and remembrance.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 718, resolution recognizing september 11 as a national day of service and remembrance. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. towns and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. towns: i move that the house, suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 718. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 20 minutes. mr. towns: i now yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. towns: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks. i now yield myself -- the speaker pro tempore: without

objection, so ordered. mr. towns: i now yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. towns: as we take time today to remember the tragic events of september 11, 2001, let us also remember the great compassion the americans showed each other following the attacks. they donated blood, searched through wreckage and sat to comfort one another. the service of volunteers helped our country through its time of crisis as it has so often done during our history. this is the spirit that we observe the anniversary of the attacks by not only remembering those lost and injured on september 11, 2001, but by serving our fellow americans in their honor. this is the proper tribute to

those who served those in need on that day. i am proud that we are taking time today to recognize these heroic volunteers. i would like to thank the leadership for allowing us to bring this bill to the floor today. i also would like to thank the ranking member of the committee on governor oversight and reform, mr. issa of california, for his support of the bill and i urge my colleagues to join us in supporting it. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. unanimous consent, the gentleman from california -- without objection, the gentleman from california will control 20 minutes. . >> the resolution before us is a commitment to reaffirm a sense of urgency of reminding all of us of the crisis that occurred not so long ago in the crumbling

towers and the -- in new york, and the crisis in the pentagon and in pennsylvania. i appreciate the chairman bringing this item before us and as a representative of the minority on the committee, i want to strongly urge its support. i appreciate the fact that the gentleman has worked bipartisan. i think this is one committee where the chairman and the ranking member have proven that washington, especially the house of representatives, can work in a cooperative manner. i think if there is any place the american people not only expect but demand that we find that bipartisan ground, i think we have found it in this resolution and on this issue. at this time i will -- i reserve my time, mr. chairman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. towns: i'd like to recognize the gentleman from new york, congressman engel, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. engel: i thank the chairman and my good friend from new york for yielding to me. mr. speaker, september 11 will always have a special meaning in our hearts and in our lives. i guess the previous generation when you said december 7, pearl harbor day, that was something that stuck in their minds. but for us september 11 is a date that will live as president roosevelt said, in infamy. september 11 showed us the worst in people, the terrorists that killed approximately 2,000 people in new york, at the pentagon, and pennsylvania. but it also showed the best in people. new yorkers and others who came to try to save people, certainly at the world trade center. every week when i go back to new york i look at this skyline of

new york and something's missing. it always feels to me empty. it always feels wrong. of course the twin to youers of the world trade center are miss missing. as much as i have pain in my heart for the missing towers, it's nothing like the pain in my heart and grief i have for the thousands of people killed and their families. i was very proud to be a new yorker that day. i said it on the floor of this house soon afterwards eight years ago. i'm still very, very proud to be a new yorker. but there's still much more work to be done. we have been fighting for years for a health care bill that would enable first responders and good samaritans who came to the world trade center day in and day out, digging sometimes with their bare hands to try to find victims and very often did.

now who are suffering from ir represent prabble injuries to their -- irreparable injuries to their lungs and health. we need a bill, and the new york delegation has been fighting for a bill, who take care of these people who by the way come from all 50 states. this congress needs to do that. but we also, as mr. towns said, need to remember those people. the people who perished and the thousands of people who came to aid and help the victims, to save their lives, to escort them to safety, to come and try to find people in the rubble. and that again showed the best of humanity, the best of americans, the best of new yorkers, the best of what this country has to offer. again, mr. speaker, september 11 will obviously never be the same and will hold a special meaning.

i generally have not attended meetings or any kind of things on that day in the eight years because for me it's day of reflection, but i am very, very proud that this congress is taking up this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. engel: i urge my colleagues to support it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. bilbray: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield three minutes to the distinguished member from new york, the ranking member on homeland security, mr. king. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. king: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i want to commend chairman towns and ranking member issa for bringing this bill to the floor. i want to thank congresswoman matsui for the tremendous work that she has done in leading the way on this legislation. i am proud to be a co-sponsor of the legislation. mr. speaker, i listened carefully to my good friend from new york, mr. engel, and he really articulated the way all new yorkers feel. september 11 will be a day that

none of us will ever forget. it's a day that will be embedded into us because of the terrible horror, the tragedy, all that occurred on that day, but also because of the tremendous valor, tremendous dedication, and the tremendous sense of courage which was also demonstrated on that day. i lost probably 150 constituents, friends, neighbors that day, and that is just all throughout downstate new york, almost every member of congress can say the same thing about the large numbers of deaths in their districts, friends, neighbors, who were murdered that day. it's really important as we go forward that september 11 never just be a day, never just be a who day, never be a day where some people get off or some don't, or a day used to go shopping, it should be a day where we find a way to remind ourselves of the sacrifice of that day, of the police officers and firefighters and the e.m.t.'s and construction workers who actually ran into

the burning towers and suffered incalculable deaths, 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, number of e.m.t.'s, construction workers all of whom were killed rescuing people that day. mr. speaker, just as an historical note, this legislation initiated from an organization called my good deed, and this organization, one of the founders of it was jay, his brother, glenn, was a constituent of mine. glenn was actually working in manhattan that day as lawyer. he's also a volunteer firefighter. after he evacuated his own building he ran into the world trade center and was killed. this past week he was finally awarded the 9/11 med a.f.l. valor. but the family in honor of glenn personafide september 11 in that he was both a civilian and firefighter who in both capacities performed so brilliantly that day that he was

-- his family thought of this organization which is the genesis of this legislation. could i have additional time? is there a time problem? mr. bilbray: i yield an additional two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for additional two minutes. mr. king: also, for instance, tomorrow throughout my district there will be various types of service being carried out. for instance, in my own office, we have a blood drive, run by my sister, patricia. we'll have people lined up giving blood in honor of those killed on september 11. in my own school district, there will be a large commemoration and the coordinator, ken has cal, a firefighter who lost two brothers, he's coordinating where the students will show the good works that they did in honor of those who died on september 11. mr. speaker, this is a day which again as tragic as it was, as horrible as it was, it's also a day from which tremendous good

came from that. let's go forward. let's adopt this legislation in the spirit of what happened on september 11, both in memory of those who were murdered and honor of those who gave their lives and honor of those who in the days afterwards, con man engel said, not just from new york but all over the country, came to lower manhattan, the world trade center, came to the pentagon, went to pennsylvania to try to do what they could to help those and take part in the rescue operation, recovery operation, and really showed the unity of the nation maybe as never before. with that again i thank the chairman, i thank the ranking member, i certainly thank congresswoman matsui. i urge the adoption of the resolution. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. towns: i would like to yield five mints to the gentlewoman who really -- five minutes to the gentlewoman who is really responsible for us being here today. i want to thank her for her insight and making it possible

for us to recognize the people who really contributed so much on september 11. congresswoman matsui from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. matsui: thank you very much, mr. chairman. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 718, which recognize september 11 as a national day of service and remembrance. on april 21 of this year, with senator ted kennedy standing by his side, president obama signed into law the edward m. kennedy service america act. this landmark legislation makes historic investments in both national community service programs and helps to facilitate the extraordinary interest in volunteerism we are seeing throughout the country. and in my hometown of sacramento certainly, too. the serve america act also designates september 11 of every year as a national day of service and remembrance. this year and with this

resolution we are recognizing the observance of the first ever federally recognized national day of service and remembrance. this bipartisan legislation resolution calls upon all americans to engage in community service and contribute to local projects and their neighborhood on september 11. in tribute to those who selflessly serve their communities during the attacks. on that day as was mentioned by our new yorkers here, and people throughout the country, on that day and the days following, first responders, rescue and recovery workers, and perfect strangers came together to help those in need. their sense of patriotism and service truly made our nation great. this year we'll honor them not only by remembering their heroism, but by recommitting ourselves to bettering our communities and our country. this friday we'll join with americans across the country and

give back to our communities by volunteering to build houses, participate in literacy programs, lead neighbor cleanups, collect food and clothing for the coming winter. and really much, much more. as a result, extraordinary things will be happening all through this country. the service events taking place will hip address some of our nation's -- help address some of our nation's toughest problems from poverty and unmet education needs to preparing for natural disasters. as co-chair of the national service caucus, it's a pleasure to call attention to the tremendous work of volunteers participating in osh first ever national day of service and remembrance and partner with my colleague, peter king of new york, on this legislation. i also want to thank my good deed.org and the families of 9/11 who help make this a reality. and for promoting volunteerism and service in every corner of our country. i'm really proud that this body

has come together and has been a leader in recognizing the importance of volunteerism and community service. please join me in honoring the spirit of service by voting in support of this resolution. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. the gentleman from california. mr. bilbray: at this time i yield to the gentleman from california, mr. dreier, as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. dreier: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: mr. speaker, i thank my friend for yielding. i have to say that i'm rather struck as i listen to my california colleague mr. matsui, and mr. bilbray, we have had three new yorkers and now three californians who have stood here to recognize the significance of what unfortunately is one of the most tragic days in the history of the 220-year history of the united states of america. and all of the remarks have been extraordinarily thoughtful and they have focused on why it is

that we are here. and it is to remember those thousands of lives that were lost, but as was said by mr. engel, mr. towns, and mr. king as well, and mrs. matsui, i know mr. bilbray, the good that has come from one of the most tragic days in our nation's history is that we saw a solidarity the likes of which we have not seen in a long period of time. and we saw so many great things done by courageous people. now, we have heard about the new yorkers and no one sacrificed more than new yorkers as we for literally months watched the cleanup take place at the world trade center. but i'm reminded of the fire department in southern california. it was so moved they came together and provide add fire truck to the new york city police department.