to enter into offers and compromise with the i.r.s. i'm glad that our legislation was included in the bill and i appreciate chairman lewis' reaching out to me in a bipartisan manner to find ways to make it easier for taxpayers and the i.r.s. to resolve their disputes amicably. this bill instructs the i.r.s. to notify taxpayers when it discovers evidence that those taxpayers might be victims of ilet theft. for -- identity theft. for example, when criminals attempt to claim tax refunds in the name of law-abiding taxpayer, amazingly the i.r.s. does not currently notify taxpayers when it discovers suspicious activity conducted in their names, and this bill includes a study on whether the i.r.s. can provide tax refunds on debit cards. that sounds reasonable to me as it could result in more efficient delivery of tax refunds to taxpayers who need their money right away to pay their bills. for these reasons and more i'm happy to support this legislation today.

. but my support does not reduce my disappointment in the antitaxpayer legislation that this majority has enacted into law over the last 15 months. nor does it change my belief that we could do much more for hardworking american taxpayers. if we really want to do some good for taxpayers today, we might eliminate all the powers given to the i.r.s. under the new health care law, like putting the i.r.s. in charge of enforcing a new requirement that every american family purchase government-approved health insurance, taxing families that don't have government-approved health insurance at least $2,000 for a family of four and if a family doesn't pay the tax, allowing the i.r.s. to impose civil penalties in interest and even confiscate that family's tax refund. mr. speaker, if we really wanted to do some good for taxpayers today, we could make permanent the important tax relief enacted in 2001 and 2003. which provides relief to every

american that pace income -- pays income taxes and which are set to expire at the end of this year. and we could find a permanent solution to the growing reach of the alternative minimum tax which threatens to engulf millions of middle class families if congress fails to act. but this bill does not provide such relief for american taxpayers and although i think the bill takes some very positive steps, it also represents a missed opportunity. i intend to support this bill, mr. speaker, but i believe we could have and should have done so much more for hardworking americans who send us here to conduct the nation's business and who entrust us with such a large portion of the fruits of their labor. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. the gentleman continues to reserve. the gentleman from louisiana. >> at this time i'd like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, mr.

johnson, a distinguished member of the committee on ways and means. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i'd like to thank the ways and means chairman for making my commonsense cell phone fix the cornerstone of the taxpayer assistance act 2010. members may recognize this provision as a bipartisan bill, h.r. 690, the mobile cell phone act, which i've introduced with mr. poll row. as we all know -- pomeroy. as we all know in today's 24/7 economy, cell phones and blackberries have become the modern version of landline office phones and yet unlike landline phones, workers and their employees are supposed to keep detailed call logs or else they'll face the wrath of the i.r.s. this means a business can lose its deduction while a worker can face taxes for making personal

calls. that's just wrong. we don't want to nickel and dime workers for making the occasional personal call from a desk and we shouldn't for cell phones either. times have changed since the congress passed this rule in 1989 when people carried phones in a suitcase. i used to carry one myself when i was in the air force and i could hardly carry it it was so heavy. they were used by the likes of high-flying corporate executives and cost us a small fortune. even the i.r.s. gets it that times have changed. in fact, last june the i.r.s. commissioner said in a statement, the passage of time advances in technology and the nation of communication in the modern workplace have rendered this law obsolete. there you have it. even the i.r.s. commissioner believes that this law needs to be changed. this provision will especially help our nation's small

businesses, according to an nfib poll, nearly four out of five small businesses use a cell phone for work. now, more than ever we need to stop penalizing our job-creating entrepreneurs with this ridiculous tax rule. startup small businesses and their employees have better things to do with their time than track each and every call they make. and they shouldn't have to spend time worrying that the i.r.s. will hit them with taxes for perm calls. even the administration -- personal calls. even the administration agrees, as they included this proposal in their budget. so how about let's doing awhich this -- away with this outdated tax rule once and for all? thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back who seeks recognition at this time? the gentleman from florida.

mr. hastings: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. roskam: thank you, mr. speaker. this is a fine bill and, you know, on face value there's some good elements to the bill. let me give you a kind of a behind the curtain look, though, at what could have been. there was an amendment that was offered in the ways and means committee that i thought was thoughtful. what it was trying to do is create a sense of fairness for families that find themselves being bumped up into tax brackets just sort of through inflation essentially. i offered an amendment that would have had the office of management and budget determine the spending growth rate by comparing the previous two years nonsecurity discretionary spending without regard to whether spending was offset and in a nut shell it would have insulated families and taxpayers from being boosted up into what

is known as bracket creep. now, there are some folks that say, well, you know, all this would do is accelerate deficits and create more of a problem. but if the federal government simply lived within its means and followed what president obama is proposing as it relates to the capping, freezing of nondiscretionary spending, then we wouldn't have this type of problem. so, you know, like all speakers i think today were speaking in favor of this bill, but my sense is that we can do better. so, my hope, my expectation and my heartfelt desire is to have a sense of protection, mr. speaker, for taxpayers. i think this bill is a little bit of a swing and a miss. i still support the underlying bill but we can clearly do better. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from georgia.

>> i'd like to inquire dr. boustany if he has any more speakers? mr. boustany: i don't have any other speakers at this time. i'm prepared to close if the gentleman -- and i would inquire if the gentleman has other speakers as well? mr. lewis: i don't have any other speakers. i'm prepared to close after your statement. mr. boustany: i thank the gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. boustany: as i stated earlier, this legislation contains provisions that will make april 15 easier for american taxpayers so i intend to vote for the bill. simplifying the treatment of cell phones used by employees, eliminating 209% down payment requirement for offers in compromise, notifying taxpayers of suspected identity theft and studying whether there are more efficient ways to get tax refunds into people's hands all make sense and will make a positive difference in people's lives. but it's also important to recognize what's not in this bill. repeal of health care mandates and taxes, protecting taxpayers

from automatic tax increases scheduled to go into effect next year and finding solution to the ticking timebomb known as the a.m.t. hopefully the majority will listen to the american people and move forward on those priorities so that taxpayers will have an easier time on future tax days. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to vote for this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i want to pass one very valuable member of the ways and means committee, i'm prepared to yield to him for a minute and a half. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for a minute and a half. >> i thank the chair for yielding. i've just come from the ongoing committee deliberation taking place now and i apologize for not being here earlier. i'm here to talk about the cell phone provision of this bill, pleased to work with my friend, sam johnson, on the other side

of the aisle in addressing what really is an inac roism in in the tax code. maybe at time this technology was just coming into being this made sense. but presently to have exhaustive record keeping of every business provided cell phone out there, especially given basically the unlimited minutes usage plan to common in the marketplace, makes no sense whatsoever. you know, the longest journey begins with a single step. we've got a long journey ahead of us in terms of simplifying the tax code in ways and means that make it much more sensible and clear and i'd like to think we can do a lot of this in a bipartisan basis. so let's take this step today on cell phones, working together across the aisle, let's make this ridiculous requirement go away, let's end the confusion at the i.r.s. in terms of what they're spotioned to do, tryinging to enforce a provision that's virtually unenforceable

and ridiculous, let's pass this bill, clarify a law and use this as an example that even in this day and in this place we can work together to make small -- to make sense of the tax code and let's increase our ambitions from here. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, in closing i want to thank my good friend and colleague, dr. boustany, the ranking member of the subcommittee and all members of the committee and all staff on both sides for their help in bringing this bill before the floor. i fully support the house bill. i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote yes for this bill. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time having been yielded back the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4994 as amended. those 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. the gentleman from georgia. mr. lewis: i ask for 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 oklahoma rise? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass house resolution 1237. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1237. resolution honoring the life of wilma pearl mankiller and expressing condolences of the house of representatives on her passing. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. boren, and the gentlewoman from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oklahoma.

mr. boren: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. boren: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the memory of a great woman, a lady who has been an inspiration to women and also throughout indian country. chief wilma pearl mankiller. on the morning of april 6, 2010, chief wilma mankiller, the first female leader of the cherokee nation, steward of native american cultural traditions and an advocate for advancing the role of women in tribal affairs, passed away at her home in rural oklahoma. chief mankiller was a passionate activist for the continued enhancement of native peoples and one of the country's most visible american indian illuminaries.

from her birth on november 18, 1945, at the small hastings indian hospital in oklahoma, to her service as principle chief of the cherokee nation, they celebrated and nurtured her intense tribal heritage which was deeply rooted in a connection to the rural community of mankiller flats where she spent a large part of her life. as an accomplished social activist for indian prosperity, she devoted all her energies to the well-being of native americans and to expanding roll -- roles for women through her participation in organizations like the ford foundation, the seventh generation fund and the freedom fund. she also reinstated dialogue between the cherokee nation and the federal government which ultimately helped establish the office of indian justice. wilma received numerous accolades for her tireless efforts at improving the general welfare of both indian country

and our nation. not the least of which was the presidential medal of freedom awarded to her by president bill clinton. you know, despite all of her personal accomplishments, chief mankiller desired only to be remembered as the person who helped us restore faith in ourselves. you know, to fulfill that wish and to honor her, i have introduced this resolution in gratitude to chief wilma mankiller for her significant contributions and service to the nation. she will remain an inspiration to women across the country and she leaves behind a profound legacy that will continue to motivate all who carry on her work. finally, i'd like to express our deepest condolences on behalf of the u.s. house of representatives to her friends, her family, especially her husband, charlie soap, and the entire cherokee nation, for the loss of this wonderful lady.

i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from washington, for what purpose do you rise? mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i rise in support of the legislation. i'd like to yield to the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. cole. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. cole: i thank you, mr. speaker. wilma mankiller led a remarkable life. as my friend, congressman boren, so eloquently stated, her beginnings were awfully humble. and frankly, they didn't get much better for a long time. she traveled to california, unlike a lot of oklahomans, did not find the prosperity that so many found there, returned home and went to work for the cherokee nation and worked through a succession of posts over a decade of increasing responsibility. eventually she became a principal chief of the second largest indian tribe in america, first woman to do so and arguably the best leader

that the tribe has had since moving to oklahoma from tennessee. she tripled the number of cherokees, she doubled tribal employment. she added dozens of programs in nutrition, social services, education, cultural awareness and, frankly, she made the cherokee nation more than it was, a force to be reckoned with. not only in northeast oklahoma, not only within the lives of its citizens, but quite frankly in indian country and in american politics. she was recognized for extraordinary achievements over her lifetime. honorary degrees, boards and foundations and, of course, again as my colleague and friend, mr. boren, said, the highest civilian award that any indian can receive, the medal of freedom. i newmanman very well. she led a life based on principles. the first one was just absolute personal integrity. one of the most honest and honorable people i ever met in

my life. the second was humility. she was the most approachable person that you would ever want to know. a total lack of pretension. and she believed very profoundly in service to others. service, yes, to her tribe, service, yes, to native americans, but service beyond as a creed and as a value that she lived and acted on every single day of her life. she was a remarkable person to talk to because she was completely candid in her conversation, which is very unusual, particularly for a political figure. if you are going to be chief of the cherokee nation, i say you are a considerable and skillful politician in your own right. i remember on many occasions getting advice and i remember her speaking in a very unvarnished way. i can't count the number of times that i heard her say in speeches when she got up, she loved to speak truth to power that she identified herself, am or have been the principle

chief of the cherokee nation. if the united states had its way i would not have been chief. and that's where she began her conversation from. she was a role model, of course, to women and to native americans everywhere. particularly to my mother, who was the first native american elected to the state senate in oklahoma. close friend of chief mankiller's and somebody, like me, admired her quite profoundly. as a leader she was also principled, she was determined, she was visionary but supremely practical in her political pursuits. she was tough, she was shrewd, she was dedicated to the cherokee people and dedicated to native americans. she was an extraordinarily fierce defender of the concept of tribal sovereignty. she understood it in her bones and she advocated it. and frankly enhanced it not only for her own people but for native americans everywhere.

having said that, she was also willing to partner with anyone. didn't matter what your point was, your values were. she was a very devoted democrat. my mother was a very fierce republican. she found -- they found common ground on issue after issue. i want to join mr. boren in expressing my profound sympathy to her family, obviously to the great cherokee nation, to native americans everywhere. i mean this with all sincerity, i've not seen her like before in my life. i don't think any of us will see her like again. with that i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. boren: i'd like to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. miller: i want to thank my colleagues from oklahoma for this resolution. i had the great honor of working with chief wilma mankiller, my services on the resources committee and as chair of that committee.

she was a magnificent person. we honor the great women in american history. she was all of the things that my colleagues have said. but when she came through your door you knew you were about to do business. but she was always very quick to humor and would use humor as well as she would use knowledge in disarming those who opposed her. and i had a real opportunity to work integrally with her on the issues of sovereignty at a time when the supreme court was under attack at that moment. some very -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: very essential parts of tribal -- of tribal sovereignty. and i'm sorry to hear of her passing but have great, great memories of working with her, her leadership, her advocacy, her passion and her running so true to her values no matter what the situation. if she couldn't succeed today she'd be back tomorrow and very often she was. and thank you again so very much for this resolution, recognizing the contributions

of this outstanding woman to the history of our country. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. who seeks recognition at this time? the gentleman from oklahoma. mr. boren: i'd like to inquire of the gentlelady if she has additional speakers. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: mr. speaker, i am going to make some remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington is recognized. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this resolution, honoring the life of wilma mankiller, and i wish to associate myself with the remarks of the previous speakers. i express the condolences of the house of representatives on her passing. there are many of us who did not have the opportunity to meet wilma mankiller, yet as we deal with indian affairs in congress, all of us, nonetheless, touch some part of the legacy of her accomplishments she left the great nation -- the great cherokee nation and indian country. in a recent article on her death, cherokee chief chad smith is quoted as saying she was a, quote, patriot, for the cherokee nation. she received the presidential

medal of freedom from president bill clinton in recognition for her success as an indian leader. wilma mankiller is further honored today by house resolution. what stands out as the outpouring of grief from the cherokee nation upon hearing the news of her death. i think her greatest honor is in the esteem and respect in which she was held by her fellow cherokee people. i commend the gentleman from oklahoma for sponsoring this resolution and ensuring its consideration on the house floor today. i reserve the balance of my time. or i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. boren: thank you, mr. speaker. just a few closing comments. i have a quote from the president of the united states, barack obama. i am deeply saddened to hear the passing of wilma mankiller today as the cherokee nation's first female chief. she transformed the nation-to-nation relationship between the cherokee nation and the federal government. and served as an inspiration to women in indian country and

across the country. a recipient of the presidential medal of freedom, she had a brighter future to all americans. her legacy will continue to motivate others. michelle and i offer our condolences to her family, especially her husband, charlie, and two daughters. as well as the cherokee nation and all those who knew her and were touched by her good works. in closing i'd just like to say i knew wilma as a young boy. i got to meet wilma through many festivals, powwows with my father when he served in the u.s. senate. and she was always so kind. she was always lending advice to me after i was elected to congress, congressman cole was very correct, the term i would say was blunt. she was very blunt in her political advice. she would call me whenever something would happen within the cherokee nation or here in congress and give me some

advice. very direct advice. she was always right in her advice. and we're going to miss her deeply. so in closing i'd ask my colleagues to support this resolution and to honor this great woman, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time having been yielded back, the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1237. 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 the motion to reconsider is the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and

pass h. resolution 1236. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1236, resolution honoring the coal miners who perished in the upper big branch mine-south in raleigh county, west virginia, extending condolences to their families and recognizing the valiant efforts of the emergency response workers at the mine disaster. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. miller, and the gentlewoman from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in house resolution 1236 into the record. without objection, i recognize the gentleman from west virginia, mr. rahall, for seven minutes. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from west virginia is recognized for seven minutes. mr. rahall: thank you, mr. speaker, and thank you, mr. chairman, george miller. last week on monday, april 5, an explosion tore through the

upper big branch mine in raleigh county, west virginia, taking the lives of 29 good hardworking men. it was the repeat of a recurring nightmare that has haunted the coal fields of our nation for generations and it is a tragedy that never should have occurred. immediately upon receiving news of the explosion at the upper big branch mine, i rushed to the scene to be with the families. it was for me unfortunately not an unfamiliar circumstance. i have spent too many anxious hours in the aftermath of mine accidents in the midst of family and friends, co-workers awaiting word. praying for the survivors to emerge from the darkness is a heartwrenching exercise. but being surrounded by such warmth and love, generosity and faith is heartwarming at the same time. the people of coal mining communities, particularly those

of west virginia, are a central breed. generations of these families go into these mines. for so many of these miners it's not just a job, it's a calling. they live with the knowledge that there is a risk, but they are proud to take that risk, to labor in the company of good and loyal friends to earn an honest paycheck in order to provide for their families and themselves. the families of the mipers at upper big branch were such men. like coal miners throughout the ages, they did difficult work and dangerous circumstances. they labored underground in cramp conditions in the damp and the dark, but outside the mines their lives were full of life and love and joy. they had wives and children and grandchildren. they hunted, they pranked and they laughed together and they experienced many warm memories and gentle sorrows.

while most americans can scarcely imagine what a coal miner's day of work is really like will never really understand our coal miners. we certainly appreciate what their labors have meant in our daily lives. the toil of these coal miners, of all coal miners, have ensured our military security by providing coal, not just for the generation of power, but as an essential element in the steel making process. all coal miners are deserving of our gratitude and of our renewed commitment to ensure that such tragedies never occur again. countless individuals can be thanked for their help during this disaster. i thank our governor for his leadership, both of our two senators, our secretary of labor, hilda solis, who twice visited us during this week. her assistant secretary for mine safety health

administration there every day and night. our west virginia division mine health and safety director. jimmy, director of our west virginia homeland security. both of these individuals were there every day and night, 24/7, for an entire week. i thank our west virginia head coach, bobby huggins, for his uplifting visit to the families. by all accounts, the explosion that took the lives of these 29 miners should never have happened in this time, in this modern era. to quote mine safety administrator who fought every hour, 24 hours a day, to help find our coal miners and i state what he said, all explosions are preventable. it's just making sure you have things in place to keep one from occurring. it's quite evident that something went very wrong here, end quote. there are multiple lares of laws and regulations in place to prevent such a disaster. there are modern technologies.

there were repeated, insistent inspections and yet 29 men perished and one is hanging on in the hospital. that this deadly explosion occurred is infuriatingly frustratingly heartbreaking and i'm determined that we will get to the bottom it and ensure that steps are taken to prevent a recurrence of this type of explosion. we owe it to the miners who perished in raleigh county last week. we owe it to their families, we owe it to their co-workers. and so many strong and tough west virginiaans came together to pray and to help these families. our west virginia state police stood by every family's side to help in any way they could. the american red cross, billy graham's crusade, family members of previous mine disaster victims and most importantly, our ministers, our pasters, our west virginia council of churches, all who came from all over our great state to counsel,

to cry and to call upon god who above all else will guide these families through this healing process. with that inner strength that comes from the west virginia people, we will get through this tragedy together. we will hold accountable those who failed our miners. so help me god. today the house of representatives honors the 29 miners lost in raleigh county last week. we express the condolences of our nation to their families and we recognize above all the valiant efforts of the rescue workers, those who placed their lives on the line to save other lives who answered the call that day. our first responders, our paramedics, our law enforcement personnel all came together. may the good lord keep our lost miners, may he care for those families and bless those rescue personnel who risked their own lives in service to others and

may he want over each and every coal mine who are continues to work and walk in the wake of risk and service to ouration that. i yield back my time to the chairman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: every day thousands of men and women go to work in coal mines to bring electricity to our homes. to make our lives easier, more comfortable. the working conditions for these miners are anything but comfortable or easy. i rise today to honor their work and sadly the sacrifice of 29 men last monday in the upper big branch mine. this resolution offers our condolences to these miners' families as well as the nation mourns with them. it's also a time to pledge that we will work with the federal agency's task to investigate this accident, determine the cause and take the appropriate actions.

on monday we watched as mine rescue teams and mine safety officials descended on the upper big branch mine. the frustration was apparent as rescue teams attempted to reach chambers that night, but were unable to proceed far enough into the mine because of the dangerous levels of gases. mourning began for seven families who knew immediately that their loved ones were killed by the blast. and then the agonizing waiting began. for a week, families waited for those who might have made it to safety and those who had not. four missing miners had the slightest hope that they were safely barricaded in a chamber. the miracle that we'd hoped for did not happen. we cannot, however, forget the tireless efforts of the mine rescue teams and the government officials who worked around the clock to reach those trapped. mine rescue teams volunteered their time to train for the unthinkable. to put themselves in harm's way.

the burden of recovery falls on these miners as they try to bring closure to the families by bringing their loved ones home one more time. we honor their courage in these very trying circumstances. i urge my colleagues to vote aye on house resolution 1236, mourning the loss of miners in the upper big branch mine and honoring those participating in the rescue and the recovery operation. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield three minutes to mr. mollohan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from west virginia is recognized for three minutes. mr. mollohan: mr. speaker, mr. chairman, i thank the gentleman

from california for yielding. and i thank him also for his leadership on mine safety and workplace safety. mr. speaker, i would also like to thank the sponsor of this resolution, my colleague from west virginia's third congressional district, nick rahall. coal miners and the coal industry have no greater champion than the chairman of the natural resources committee, chairman rahall. mr. speaker, tragedy has visited west virginia's coal mines again. if a -- as a visitor, our state knows all too well the names of the communities changed with each visit and the years as well. monanga in 1907, farmington in 1968, sago in 2006 and now raleigh county, april, 2010.

the names change, mr. speaker, but the grief and the sorrow, they stay exactly the same. the mother who lost her son last week is united with the sister who lost her brother in 1968 and the daughter who lost her father in 1907. mr. speaker, shy of two million people live in my state, maybe one in 90 earns a living as a coal miner in the coal fields. most west virginians have never been underground and most never will be. but every one of us lives with the knowledge and the full appreciation of what can go wrong whenever a new shift of miners goes underground. coal mining is not just my state's most important industry, it is central to our culture and our social identity. when tragedy visits one of our communities, it visits our

entire state. it brings us together, it reminds us in sometimes a difficult light, we can always look to that larger community for support. we saw those bonds in the rescue cruise last week bat -- crews last week. we see those bonds in the volunteers onsight in raleigh county today and we see those bonds in the churches and the union halls and the schools throughout the is it state wherever west virginians come together. there's hard work ahead of us and there's pragmatic work ahead of us. the engineers and the experts, they'll come and they'll analyze what went wrong in raleigh county last week. and this congress will debate what went wrong last week. we will assign responsibility and we will consider what actions are necessary to make the hard work of taking coal from the ground less dangerous,

to do all that is possible to prevent such future tragedies. that will be the most lasting test moan we can offer those who lost their live -- testimonial we can offer those who lost their lives in in raleigh county. we offer our deepest condole epses to the miners' families and we come together again in support of our community. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield to the gentleman from minnesota, the ranking member of the education and labor committee, mr. kline, for such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized for such time as he may consume. mr. kline: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentlelady for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today with my colleagues to honor the memory of the 29 miners who lost their lives in the upper big branch mine and to express our gratitude to the rescue teams who bravely pursued a tragic

recovery mission. the nation watched in collective apprehension last week as mine rescue teams rushed from the coal fields of appalachia to the small town of whitesville to help their own. for a week we all clung to the hope that four missing miners might have found refuge. it was not to be. over the weekend the mine rescue teams performed a more solemn duty, bringing these men out of the mine one final time. you understand the best conditions, mining is dangerous work. after an explosion the mines are even more treacherous. mine rescue teams undertake rigorous training and exercise valiant resolve. today we recognize their bravery in the face of danger and tragedy. h.res. 1236 honors their commitment to service. chairman miller has announced our intention to investigate this tragedy and seek answers on behalf of the families and the entire mining community.

our focus must determine what caused this devastating loss so we can prevent it from ever happening again. the cameras have gone elsewhere and this tragedy has faded from the hourly broadcast. for the families, however, the devastation of the upper big branch mine will never disappear. with this resolution, we offer our condolences and we honor their loved ones and we pledge pledge our commitment to get to the bottom of this. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield myself three minutes. as my colleagues have rounted on monday, april 5, an explosion rocked the upper big branch coal mine in west virginia killing 29 miners and injuring others. this is the worst mine disaster in the united states for almost for decades. for over two centuries, millions of west virginian livelihoods have been in coal deposits. coal has left a mark on the communities throughout west

virginia and appalachia. for many of these communities, the mine may be the only way to earn a decent living. these miners are proud of their work and their contribution to the american economy. coal is in their blood, it's in their tradition and it is their career. what we also know that underground mine something one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. every day miners show up for their shift knowing that there's a chance that they may not return to their families and yet they show up every day. at 3:30 p.m. during the shift change, a massive explosion ripped through the upper big branch mine and took the lives of 29 miners and sent others to the hospital. while the cause of this tragedy is still under investigation, today we me more yalingize those 29 miners who perished. our nation sends our deepest condolences to those. we sent our heartfelt sympathies to those who have lost someone. those thoughts are with you and your communities and your suffering these devastating losses. these losses will remain long after the headlines fade from national attention.

today we also recognize the valiant efforts of the many rescue teams who in many cases travel long distances or risk their lives in helps of saving their fellow miners. many rescuers had to evacuate the mine at least four times as a result of explosive levels of methane gas. these brave men and women who worked around the clock day after day had the appreciation of this congress and this nation for their selfless efforts. i would also like to recognize congressman nick rahall who grew up in beckly, west virginia, only a few miles south of the mine. congressman rahall sponsored this resolution and provided the much-needed rock of support for his constituents during this disaster. reports have come back to me of his con soling and listening to families, neighbors and friends in his community. i know how much these families appreciate his support and those efforts. over the last few years, i have met many families who have suffered similar tragic losses in mining disasters. and what i have learned is that the impacts of these disasters far ranged will be seen in the general society because of the

history of these communities, the culture of these communities, the work ethic in these communities, these tragedies spread across in an indelible way from the loss of a single miner. in the face of these overwhelming tragedies, these families are showing incredible strength and determination. i made a promise to the families of sago, to dashy, that we would do everything in our power to uncover the cause of these tragedies and do everything possible to prevent other miners from suffering these similar fates. i want to extend that same promise to these families of upper big branch mine and to the miners and the community that we will continue that promise to get to the bottom of this tragic incident. they paid the ultimate price in doing the job our nation depends upon. every mine who are goes to work every day must be able to return home safely to their families at the end of that shift and

congress has an obligation to ensure that that remains the case. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. does the gentleman reserve or yield back? the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlewoman from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield to the gentlewoman from west virginia, mrs. capito, for such time as she may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from west virginia is recognized for such time as he she may consume. mrs. capito: thank you, mr. speaker, and thank you for yielding me the time. i rise today with my fellow west virginians and those of us in this congress in support of today's resolution to extend our condolences to the families of the 29 miners who were killed in last week's mine disaster in virginia. i would like to thank my colleague, congressman rahall, for his steadfast support, his compassionate empathy for those in his district who have suffered an unimaginable loss. his strength and compassion was very evident to all of us who watched the activities as they unfolded in raleigh county. i'd also like to thank our governor, governor mansion. he was a stalwart comforter in

chief to many of us because as my fellow colleagues from west virginia had said, if one west virginian suffers, we all suffer. i'd like to thank the outstanding mine rescue teams and many volunteers. the accident that occurred at performance coal company's upper big branch mine has taken a toll on all west virginians and left a community shaurd, very sad and very -- shattered, very sad and very shaken. they found no survivors. while we were all hoping for a miracle, unfortunately we were left with the sad conclusion. too many families have suffered the tragic loss of losing a loved one in a mine disaster. last week's explosion was the worst mining disaster in an american mine in 40 years, and the third major mining disaster in west virginia in the last four years. an explosion at the sago mine

in my district on january 2, 2006, trapped 13 miners for nearly two days. by the grace of god, one miner survived. we cannot forget the grief and suffering of the families, friends and co-workers of all the miners who have survived. these deaths can be and should be prevented. the rescue efforts were valiant, working around the clock to help their workers, and to help the families in the horrible time of grief. following sago, congress rightly passed a stricter mine safety regulations to enhance inspector programs, improve emergency response and put in place protection to protect future mine disasters. to ensure that all mines receive regular inspection, congress has increased funding because itch that has been unable to get these funding. however, regulations are not

good if they are not enforced. the coal companies must be vigilant and must follow the rules in every case. no excuses. keeping our miners safe requires a collaborative approach between the regulators and the mining industry. both must expand their health and safety programs to prevent hazards from starting in the first place. otherwise, reforms congress clearly intended to address with the passage of the miner act will be rendered meaningless. congress has an important oversite role. -- oversight role. there will be and should be a thorough investigation into this tragedy to determine what further action must be taken to prevent this from ever happening again. i vow to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the safety and health of our coal miners. i join today with my colleagues and really the entire nation to extend our condolences to the families of the lost miners and to the communities surrounding. this is a devastating loss for

all of us, and the warmth and prayers that have been sent to those of us living in west virginia and particularly in the mount cole area. i ask my colleagues to join me in passing this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentlewoman has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield to the gentleman from california, ms. woolsey, three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for three minutes. ms. woolsey: this resolution -- the upper big branch mine in raleigh county, west virginia, this resolution supports those family members left behind. our deepest sympathies goes out to these families and we also hope for the speedy recovery of the two miners who were injured. miners are the basis for america's future.

and it's true that miners work in a very dangerous profession, but there is absolutely no excuse for a tragedy like this one. we don't know yet the cause of this explosion, but the investigations have begun. we do know, however, that massey engineering, the mine owner, was -- had 450 safety regulations in 2009 for the upper big branch mine. massey said -- kept msha that could have led to a shutdown of the mine and it could have increased scrutiny of this owner. and possibly preventing these disasters. these appeals filed by the companies like massey have created a tremendous backlog at the review commission.

a backlog that has increased from 1,500 cases in the year 2005 to 16,000 cases today. the review commission does not have the resource to resolve a backlog of this size in a timely fashion so we as members of congress must immediately provide the background and the legal authority for more funds to hire more administrative law judges so that we can expedite the appeals process. in addition to scrutinizing massey, we immediate to look at msha authority as well. does ms-ha nude more authority to carry out its -- does msha need more authority to carry out its mission? i will be working closely with chairman miller, ranking member kline and congresswoman mcmorris rodgers and

representative rahall and all of the others in this congress which is probably 435 of us knowing that we must take the steps that are necessary to prevent any future mining disasters. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentlewoman from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i will reserve until it's time to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from california. does the gentleman reserve? mr. miller: i can reserve. mr. hare is -- mr. hare for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized for two minutes. mr. hare: fathers, brothers, sons left home for work. they didn't return home. i stand in solidarity with my colleagues from west virginia and all across the nation in

recognizing the 29 coal miners that were lost. i would express my deepest sympathies for those who perished in the west virginia mine explosion. i know the loss you've experienced will stay with you forever and i hope you can take some solace that all americans share in your grief. i'd also take this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude for the rescue teams who so tirelessly and heroically saved others. your bravely does not go unnoticed and it is appreciated by all americans. the explosion was america's worst mining disaster in 40 years, and the toll on all west virginians has been devastating. it it requires us again to ask our colleagues on both sides of the aisle with four mine disasters in the last four years, how many more tragedies have to occur before we start taking mine safety more seriously and implement strong reforms to protect all of our miners? i ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work with chairman miller and chairwoman

woolsey to honor these miners through action. while we cannot bring back the men that were lost, we can do more to advance the cause of workplace safety across this country, and we should start by ensuring that msha has the tools, the staff and technology to prevent tragedies such as these. the report yesterday that a computer error prevented upper big branch mine being identified as a risk is deeply disturbing and completely and total low unacceptable. all americans deserve to work in a place that is safe and we must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the disaster like this will never happen again. i want to join my colleagues in expressing my deepest condolences to the families. i ensure that your loss will not be forgotten and the memories of these coal miners will inspire me and my colleagues to take bold action on mine safety. i thank you for your time and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. who seeks recognize snigs --

recognition? the gentlewoman from washington. mr. miller: will the chair advise us as to the remaining time? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california has three minutes remaining. mr. miller: i yield -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington has 12 minutes remaining. mr. miller: my understanding is you have one more. i yield one minute to the gentleman from west virginia, mr. rahall. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from west virginia is recognized for one minute. mr. rahall: i thank the chairman for yielding. i rise to simply thank my many colleagues on both sides of the aisle that have expressed their condolences this week in the debate that has just occurred or to me personally or in phone calls. i know that my colleague from northern west virginia, representative mollohan, called every day for a status update. and i appreciate the gentlelady from the second district, mrs. capito, for her comments. i recognize the work of the distinguished chairman of the education and labor committee, my dear friend, george miller. we worked together following

the previous disasters that have been referenced during this debate, the sago and the other one that occurred in west virginia four years ago. references have been made to the miners act that was passed following past disasters. many good parts of that were put in place by our operators across the state and were in place at this particular time. unfortunately, due to the severe nature of this blast, these features did not have a chance to trigger or to come into play, and so something else needs to be done to prevent these disasters, and i salute the chairman again for his work. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. miller: i thank the gentleman. i yield myself 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. miller: just to say that i appreciate the remarks of the gentleman from west virginia, mr. rahall, but we tragically we have been through this before. it's clearly the intent of the chair to work with the entire delegation. i tried to state it maybe not as articulate as i hoped to but

we fully understand that these tragedies in the mining community are felt across the state, are felt across the region. the deaths may be isolated, but because of the history and the culture and the economy of these regions we know that they're felt across the region and we expect to work with the entire delegation and with the senate delegation as we try to uncover what has taken place here and what the tragedy existed. with that i'd like to yield to the speaker. one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker is recognized for one minute. the speaker: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i thank the chairman for yielding and thank him for his leadership on this important issue and the tension -- attention he's called to over time and the focus he's had since day one when we learned of this tragedy. i want to join our colleagues, chairman rahall, in his district this tragedy occurred. mr. hol man, mrs. capito -- mr. mollohan, mrs. capito, to

extend condolences to them. i know the griefs are felt throughout the state of west virginia. as it is being felt throughout our country. mr. speaker, today in towns across raleigh county, west virginia, flags are flying at half staff. their residents are mourning the loss of their fathers, sons, brothers in last week's deadly explosion. since then people across our country have cried for them, have joined in mourning, and today in the congress we officially join these proud americans in expressing our deepest condolences for the loss of 29 coal miners. 29 coal miners in the worse mining accident in four decades. we do so led by chairman nick rahall. congressman rahall has prayed with his constituents and has consoled them. he has committed to work for

better conditions, vigorous oversight of the mining industry and rigorous enforcement of safety standards for america's mines. in doing so he's worked with our chairman, mr. miller, in this regard. as congressman rahall and other west virginia leaders, including congressman mollohan and congresswoman capito often remind us this nation is indebted to our coal miners for the difficult and dangerous work they do. their contributions are a rich part of our nation's history. their labor makes our way of life possible. but last week 29 families received the phone call that every coal miner's family fears. as the communities of west virginia grieved, the nation grieved with them. now with the tragedy first in our minds we must redouble our efforts to minimize the risks to our mine workers and to ensure that they can do their jobs without a threat to their well-being. when this tragedy occurred i called mr. rahall and his

concerns were very personal about the families who were affected. i called the president of the united mine workers, a visionary leader in our country, and his concerns were about the families. but as we move away from that tragedy, our concern for the families must be reflected in our decisions here and the insistence that we have on upholding standards. . we must redouble our efforts to minimize the risk of the workers. today we recognize the brave efforts of their fellow coal miners who were part of the response team and other first responders who worked tirelessly in the hope of rescue and bravely on behalf of recovery. mr. speaker, many of the families who lost miners this week have spoken of their deep faith and how that has comforted them on this house floor this morning we were led in brare by

bishop sims from west virginia. mr. rahall's constituent. he chaired with us how faith can see us all through, especially these families. on this house floor today we join them knowing that 29 brave souls are now in a better place. again our condolences to every member of those families, to the communities. we are all one family here in the mining community. i know mr. rahall expressed that sensement -- sentiment to me as well. in a time like this it's important for the families of west virginia and coal mining community to know that information we are one family with them as well. i hope it's a comfort to them that so many people in our country are praying for them at this sad time. with that i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yield back. the the gentlewoman from washington. the gentlelady is recognized. >> i urge support for this resolution which honors the 29 men who perished in the upper big branch mine. these men were simply doing their jobs. extracting the coal that powers the nation. we recognize the red cross workers, volunteers, and others in this close n.i.t. community who banded together in a time of tragedy. we commend the rescue teams who went in after their brothers in the hope of bringing them to safety and with a commitment to bringing them home. and we express our condolences to the family members who lost those that they loved so dearly. it has been said today that west virginia -- west virginians stand together in times of tragedy. today we stand together with them. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back her time. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i encourage all of my colleagues to support this

resolution. i thank the gentlewoman for her presentation, for all those who participated in the debate, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time having been yielded back, the house -- the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.res. 1236. 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. mr. miller: on that i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of the vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition? >> i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1242. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1242, resolution congratulating the duke university men's basketball team for winning the 2010 ncaa division i men's basketball national championship. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. fudge, and the gentlewoman from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: thank you. madam speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend

and insert extraneous materials on h.res. 1242 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. fudge: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. miss fouge: madam speaker, i rise to -- ms. fudge: i rise to congratulate the duke university men's basketball team for winning the 2010 ncaa division i men's basketball national championship. when the final buzzer sounded in 2010 men's basketball ncaa championship game, two exceptional college basketball program seasons came to an end. both the duke university bull devils, and the butler university bulldogs played with exceptional talent and dedication. the ball pressure and stifling defense from both teams led to a low-scoring yet general taining game it included five ties, 15 lead changes, and two potentially game-winning shots. in the end, duke seized their fourth ncaa men's basketball championship, cementing its

legacy in college basketball history. with a 61-59 victory monday night, the duke university blue devils proved they are still one of the country's most elite college basketball programs. the blue devils finished their regular 2009 2010 season strongly with a 30-5-5 record followed by winning the 2010 atlantic coast conference tournament. in addition they were co-champions of the a.c.c. with a record of 13-3, while earning an ncaa tournament number one seed. in a tournament where the top seeds were falling and upsets were ample, the blue devils consistently dominated their opponents. this blue devils men's basketball season marked coach mike krzyzewski's 35th season at duke and his fourth ncaa men's basketball championship. better known as coach k, coach k has led duke to the final four

11 times during his time with the team, and this game was his 868th career win as a coach. the 2010 ncaa championship game marked his 77th ncaa tournament game. the most in ncaa history. he won his fourth national championship and tied adolph rupp for second most in ncaa history. kyle singler was named the most outstanding player. scoring 19 points and selecting nine rebounds while playing all 40 minutes in the championship game. he has been a leader and remarkable asset to the blue devils all season. kyle, don, and nolan smith were each named the all-tournament team. i congratulate these men and all the players on a great victory. the alumni, faculty, and staff have much to be proud of. with over a 75% winning rate in

the ncaa tournament, the rest of the country measures themselves to duke. once again i congratulate duke on winning the national championship. i thank representative price for bringing this bill forward. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from washington state. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise today in support of house resolution 1242, congratulating the duke university men's basketball team. the duke university blue devils men's basketball team has a national reputation for excellence. the team has won four ncaa division i national championships, and has been among the final four 15 times since 1980. 71 duke players have been drafted into the nba and 11 players have been named the national player of the year. duke has won the most atlantic coast tournament championships and has also had numerous

successful regular seasons. in the 010 ncaa championship game, duke took the victory over butler with a final score of 61-59. butler played a very competitive game, keeping the score incredibly close throughout the entire game. however duke pulled ahead by one point each half to take the victory. although we are celebrating duke's athletic excellence, we should take a moment to recognize the quality of duke's academic programs. duke university has two undergraduate schools and nine graduate and professional schools. in the 2010 edition, "u.s. news and world report" ranked the university's undergraduate program 10th among national universities and ranked the medical, law, and business schools among the top 12 in the united states. duke also is known to be among the nation's top research universities. i rise today to congratulate duke university's men's basketball team and coach k for winning the 2010 ncaa national

championship. i ask my colleagues to join in support of this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from ohio -- the gentlewoman ohio is recognized. ms. fudge: i am pleased to recognize the gentleman from north carolina, mr. price, for as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: mr. price is recognized. mr. price: madam speaker, i thank my colleague for yielding and i thank her and mrs. mcmorris rodgers for their support of h.res. 1242 and their help in bringing this to the floor. i am the proud sponsor of this resolution and it congratulates the duke university men's basketball team for winning the 2010 ncaa division i national championship. i have introduced the resolution as the member of this body privileged to represent duke university and i'm proud to say it has the support of the entire north carolina delegation. from its roots as tiny trinity college in 1838 to its current status as one of the world's

premier research and educational institutions, duke university, like its basketball team, is a testament to the virtues of hard work, determination, and excellence. in the classroom, in the community, and in cameron indoor stadium as well. i actually have the distinction not always enviable of representing both sides of college basketball's most intense rivalry. unc-chapel hill is just down the road from duke. it's also in the fourth district. i have had an interesting vantage point having attended u.n.c. and having taught at duke. trust me, i understand the importance of team loyalties to members of congress. and i also understand the need occasionally to balance these loyalties. but i think we can all agree today that the blue devils should be commended and they should be commended unanimously for reaching this pinnacle of men's college basketball. at the risk of stoking the flames let me talk about the record a little bit. i would be remiss if i didn't

remind my colleagues that the duke blue devils have a long history of success in men's basketball. they played in 15 final fours and this is their fourth title within the last two decades. despite this record, the team wasn't favored to win a national championship at the beginning of this season. but they finished the year with 10 straight wins. they won a share of the a.c.c. regular season championship. they won outright the a.c.c. tournament championship. and the national championship. and they finished the season with a 35-5 record, a tie for the most win this is season nationally. this improbable end to this season underscores that anything is possible in both politics and basketball. it's also a testament to the very idea of what a team should be, greater than the sum of its parts. and i -- an idea duke teams have long ex-im pifide. will enclose in the record at

the end of the statement the full roster of this remarkable team, the men on the team and their hometowns. special credit is due to head coach mike krzyzewski, known far and wide as coach k, who has built one of college basketball's most stellar programs since he came to duke in 1980. this season coach k brought his overall record to 868-279 overall. he won his 77th ncaa tournament game, and he won his fourth national championship. needless to say this places this hall of famer in elite company. only adolph rupp, and john wooten have won an equal number of national championships. but his achievements have not been bounded by the baseline of the court. coach k's success is about mentoring young men. by coaching them to succeed not just on the court but also in the classroom and in life. his teams consistently uphold a stand of excellence, achieving a

success rate of 92% and boasting a strong tradition of academic all americans. and each step of the way the team was buoyed by its fans, incredible fans. the cameron crazies they are called, who make duke's cameron indoor stadium one of the toughest places to win in the country. that again proved true this year when the blue devils went undefeated on their home court. this year's national championship game was considered by many to be one of the closest and most exciting title games in tournament history. it literally came down to the last shot. butler and coach brad stevens are also to be congrat lated for their strong season and their effort in a title game that reminded us anew of why the american people simply can't resist march madness. both teams deserve recognition for their dedication to sportsmanship and fair play throughout the entire season. so it's a unique privilege, madam speaker, to introduce i

have to say for the second year in a row the resolution in this body recognizing the ncaa men's basketball national champion. and i'd like, madam speaker, for the record to reflect that i'll be perfectly happy to introduce such a resolution again next year. in the meantime, i and duke's many friends and alumni in this body look forward to welcoming the blue devils to the white house and capitol hill. with that i yield back the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to yield to the gentleman from indiana, mr. pence, such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized and may proceed. mr. pence: i expect it would be prudent, madam speaker, for me to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pence: against the eventuality that is overcome with the passions of a week ago

monday. i rise today to begudgeonly support this resolution. i want to -- i would be remiss, since i will have been married this summer 27 years to a graduate of butler university, to fail to also rise and commend coach brad stevens and the small but mighty basketball team that america became enamored with in this year's tournament. simply known as them dogs back in indiana and the butler university bulldogs to the rest of the country. taking nothing away from duke. an outstanding university and has an outstanding program. coach k. i will tell you i was especially move when i think it was a day before the basketball game when there was all the

talk of david and goliath, all the talks of underdogs and coach k being the class act that he is went before the national press and said enough of this talk about underdogs. butler is a really good basketball team. and anyone who tuned in that night, and my ears are still ringing from mrs. pence's enthusiasm in the living room that night. ultimately duke carried the day. but as the news of coach brad stevens has signed a long-term contract to stay in indiana, and i think we're losing only one player next year. i say to my distinguished colleagues representing and speaking on behalf of duke, see you next year. congratulations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. >> i am pleased to recognize ms. richardson for three

minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for three minutes. ms. richardson: i rise today to congratulate the duke university men's basketball team for winning the 2010 division i national championship and in support of h.r. 1242. now, after listening to about them dogs and the blue devils being a bruin and trojan myself, i thought we needed to weigh in and extend our congratulations. this spectacular season by the blue devils capped by a thrilling hard-fought victory against the butler blue dogs in the ncaa finals last monday night is another proud chapter in duke's long history of success. as a graduate of both ucla and u.s.c., and that's university of southern california, i'm a former basketball player and i understand what it takes in terms of hard work, intense focus and a tireless dedication required by both players, team members and the university itself.

particularly when we look at the duke men's basketball team, as it has already been stated, has 15 final four appearances, 11, i believe, under the name of coach k. when you consider that an accomplishment, it will long fill the history of college basketball of the incredible commitment this team has done, not only on the court but off the court itself. when i look at coach k, and we hear about all of his commitment to his players and we consider his records, the fourth national championship and how coach k is now tied adolf rupp, i'd like to point out that he has six more to catch my alma mater, which is john wooden of ucla. when we talk about coach k, mr. price mentioned about his mentorship, and i read about his commitment of being a role model and the positive impact he wants to have on young men, not only with duke university

but the other young men who watches how duke plays and carries themselves. but finally, i'd like to commend congressman david price, not only for sponsoring this resolution but for his success, something many of us in congress could figure out how to do, how he can represent both the duke blue devils and the university of north carolina tar heels, who won the championship last year, as he mentioned. any college basketball fan knows that the duke-u.n.c. rivalry, is only second to the ucla-u.s.c. rivalry. and i say it's tough living in my household having those battles. it takes exceptional skill and diplomacy to successfully represent both ends of tobacco road, skills that my colleague from north carolina possesses in abundance. i urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating congressman price and in terms of the resolution next year, i'm willing to wager a bet. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington is recognized.

mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i would like to yield to the gentleman from indiana, mr. burton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized. mr. burton: i'd say i am a great admirer of duke university. i lean a little bit more toward butler since i'm from indianapolis, indiana. i thought duke played a great game. and i want you to know there is no truth to the rumor that butler intentionally missed that last basketball shot because they didn't want to hurt duke's feelings. are you listening over there? anyhow, congratulations to duke university and to butler university. butler's a very small school. it's a private school in indianapolis. and for them to reach the final game in the national championship is a real tribute, not only to the school and the players. we had great players. but to a great young coach who has only been coaching for three years. of course, the duke blue devils are always tough, always tough,

and i'm proud to say we want to congratulate them. but the bulldogs did a great job, they were a great team, and next year we're going to get them. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. ms. fudge: does the gentlewoman from washington have any more speakers? mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. ms. fudge: thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentlewoman from ohio. ms. fudge: madam speaker, the question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman -- i ask for support of house resolution 1242 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 1242. those in favor say aye. and those opposed say no. ms. fudge: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: in the opinion of the chair, 2/3

having responded in the affirmative, the -- pursuant to clause -- i'm sorry. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ms. fudge: thank you, madam speaker.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and agree to resolution house 1246. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1246, resolution expressing sympathy to the people of poland in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed the country's president, first lady and 94 others on april 10, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. delahunt, and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of this resolution, which expresses sympathy for the people of poland following the tragic plane crash last weekend that killed their president and so many others. and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. delahunt: i wish to thank my colleagues and friends, representatives dahlkemper, kanjorski and lipinski for quickly preparing a text that enables this house to add its voice to the condolences being expressed around the world on this sad occasion. last saturday we woke to the terrible news of a plane crash in western russia. this accident took the lives of polish president lech kaczynski, his wife, the deputy foreign minister, the deputy

minister, the chiefs of the army and navy, the president of the national bank, dozens of members of parliament, as well as civilian and military staff. today the house mourns the death of president kaczynski and his colleagues. we express our deepest sympathies to the people of poland as well as to the families who have suffered such a grievess loss. we know the americans' hearts are heavy. we plan to stand by the polish government as it seeks to reconstitute itself and reaffirm our enduring friendship for poland. madam speaker, what makes this accident even more tragic is that it occurred as president kaczynski's delegation was traveling to commemorate one of

the most brutal events of world war ii, the execution of more than 20,000 polish officers, prisoners and intellectuals by the soviet secret police in 1939. earlier in the week, there were encouraging signs that poland and russia were beginning to heal the deep wounds caused by these horrific wartime events. russian prime minister putin joined the polish prime minister at a ceremony recognizing the 70th anniversary of this massacre, the first time a russian leader has ever participated in this memorial. the russian people have been very supportive and responsive in the wake of the disaster with prime minister putin personally heading the inquiry

into the crash. the chairman of the international relations committee of the russian state described the death of the polish president as a great tragedy for both the polish and the russian peoples. observing that both countries were mourning together, he solemnly noted, and these are his words, katin took some more victims. if anything positive is to come from these tragic deaths it may be the development of closer ties between these two nations and their citizens. madam speaker, i urge 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. and the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you

very much, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i am saddened by the need of this resolution, the death of polish president lech kaczynski, his wife, maria, and 94 other polish officials and citizens in the plane crash in russia on april 10 was a sudden, unexpected and truly a tragedy for the nation of poland. . wreef seen the outpouring of grief and tributes since then by the citizens of poland in support and honor of their late president and all who died with him. there's little that we can here do today to add to the honors bestowed upon -- departed by their very own countrymen, but we can, however, offer our condolences to the strong and proud nation of poland which has

been and remains a friend and an ally of the united states. despite the loss of their president, we can be certain that the polish people will continue on the road toward democracy, prosperity, and security, the road that they have traveled since they broke free of the grip of communist authoritarian rule in 1989. how proud we were when they regained their freedom that america had stood by the people of poland during those times when they suffered under a communist dictatorship, domination by the former soviet regime in moscow. similarly the people of poland now offer their solidarity with those who seek freedom in my native homeland of cuba. having suffered in the not-too-distant past under the

crushing yolk of the -- yoke of the soviet regume, many in poland know all too well the struggles the cuban people face each and every day under the cuban dictatorship. poland's support for human rights and democracy in cuba illustrates it has not forgotten its past sufferings more the strength that it received from the solidarity of others. and how proud we are today that poland has become an important member of both the north atlantic alliance and the european union and that it has become a strong voice for those countries in the eastern europe that are working to ensure that they never again fall victim to the domination by a more powerful neighboring states. president kaczynski was in fact an important leader in an effort to ensure that the hard-won liberty and democracy today

enjoyed by poland and other nations of eastern europe is not bartered away. he recognized the temptation faced by other european states which eagerly expand their commercial and military exports to russia while increasing their reliance on energy supplied from russia. he would not succumb to those russian manipulations and coercions. the late polish president was a voice that may have been unwelcomed among some in the council in brussels, but it was a voice that was heeded. moreover, madam speaker, under his leadership poland continued as a strong friend and a staunch ally of the united states. supporting military operations against extremists in iraq and in afghanistan, supporting

america's efforts to create long-range missile defenses for both europe and the united states, participating as a full partner in nato, and supporting the expansion of democracy everywhere. there are those in europe who, while enjoying the security commitment provided by the united states through nato, nevertheless feel free to criticize america's initiative to fight extremism and address threats around the world. president kaczynski was not one of those voices. in fact, during his trip to the united states three years ago, he made a special trip to visit the reagan library as a sign of his country's appreciation for our former president's leadership in the efforts to free his country from communist

domination. president kaczynski valued the support and offered poe lapd's support in return. madam speaker, we express our condolences to the people of poland on the loss of their president, his life, and so many of the leading officials and countrymen. at this time and in the future, america will forever remain a friend of poe lapd. with that, madam speaker -- poland. with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. delahunt: i yield a minute to one of the original sponsors of this resolution, the gentlelady from pennsylvania, mrs. dahlkemper. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. mrs. dahlkemper: i thank the gentleman. madam speaker, i want to thank the leadership for allowing myself and my colleague, mr. lipinski, mr. kanjorski, to bring forward this very

important but very sad resolution. it is with heavy heart that i rise today to offer house resolution 1246, expressing sympathy to the people of poland in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed the country's president, first lady, and 94 others on april 10, 2010. president lech kaczynski, his wife, navy chief commander, governor of the polish central bank, other lawmakers, aides, and state officials were lost when their plane crashed in western russia. the delegation was traveling to a memorial service to honor 22,000 polish officers killed in russia's katen force by the soviet secret police in 1940. we offer our condolences and sympathy to the polish people and polish americans as we mourn the loss of president kaczynski, his wife, and others lost in this tragedy. the president was a distinguished statesman and leader in the solidarity movement. he will be long remembered for

his commitment to freedom, democracy, and human dignity. today we stand in solidarity with more than 38 million polls in poland and nine million americans of polish decent residing in the united states, including more than 42,000 of polish americans in my hometown of eerie, -- erie, pennsylvania. they have made great contributions to our nation's livelihood and culture and we are grateful for their presence in the united states. our hearts go out to our polish brothers and sisters throughout the globe who share in this loss. at this time of mourning let us remember the word of st. peter, and the god of all great who call to his eternal glory of christ, after he suffer a little while restore himself to you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. i urge my colleagues to stand in solidarity with poland and support our resolution. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you very much, madam speaker. at this time i'd like to yield such time as he may consume, to our esteemed colleague, the

gentleman from texas, mr. poe, wonderful member of our committee on foreign affairs. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from -- the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the ranking member for yielding time. i also rise today to join all my colleagues in mourning the deaths of polish president lech kaczynski and many others who died in that plane crash on april 10, 2010. poland lost some of its most famous political figures, they were heroes among the polish people. the 95 people that died that day included the president, a very plow u.s. and anti-soviet -- pro-u.s. and anti-soviet individual and his wife and numerous other political and government officials. it's interesting to know why so many officials were going to russia, why they were on that particular plane headed to a specific event. well, that polish delegation was traveling to russia to commemorate the 70th anniversary

of the cactin massacre. on september 17, 1939, the red army invaded the territory of poland from the east. they captured hundreds of thousands of polls and deported them to prisoner of war camps in western soviet union. once at the camps, the polls were subjected to lengthy interrogations and the prisoners could not be induced to adapt -- adopt a pro-soviet attitude, they were declared, "hardened and uncompromised enemies of the soviet republic." so on march 5, 1940, joseph stalin and three of his henchmen signed an order to execute over 20,000 prisoners, all polls, to weaken any future polish military. in the forest, soviet secret police executed more than 20,000 polish nationals who were mainly officers in the polish military.

and beginning on april 3, the killings were methodical. after a condemned person's information was checked, that individual was handcuffed and led to a secret cell that was insulated with felt to make sure no noise could come from that cell. the sounds were also heard -- masked by the operations of loud machines that were working in the factories. after being taken to the cell the victim was immediately shot in the back of the head. his body was taken out through an opposite door in the cell and laid in one of the five or six waiting trucks where upon the next condemned poll was taken insaid and the same procedure was followed again. this occurred over 20,000 times. and the procedure went on every day, every night except ironically for the mayday celebration. in the end, those 20,000 p.o.w.'s and prisoners were

executed without a trial, just a summary judgment. those who died include an admiral, two generals, 24 colonels, 79 lieutenant colonels, 258 polish majors, 650 captains, 17 naval captains, over 3,000 noncommissioned officers. it included even seven chaplains, three landowners, a prince, 43 public officials, 85 private, and 131 other refugees. also among the dead were 20 university professors, 300 doctors, several hundred lawyers, engineers, teachers, and more than 100 writers and journalists, as well as about 200 pilots. all leaders in the polish community, the effort of the soviet union was to destroy those leaders and destroy poland as well. these were all polls, all

victims of terrorism communist. for over half a century moscow even denied this ever occurred. the soviet government had depressed all the information about the shootings and blamed it on the nazis. and in 1992 russia finally released the documents showing that the entire politburo, including joseph stalin, sooned an order dated march 4 to kill these polish officers. poland had a rough history in the last century. they were invaded by the nazis and many of the polls were taken to germany and died in concentration camps. and then the soviets invaded the same country trying to drive out the nazis and they, too, took many polls and put them in concentration camps where many of them died. in the united states we celebrate the end of world war ii in 1945. but the polls, they don't celebrate the end of world war ii in 1945. they celebrate it in 1989 when

the wall finally fell and the soviets left town. it was a long war for our friends in poland. so now, madam speaker, we know the rest of the story. and why president kaczynski and so many polls were on that plane that crashed in russia. now, they, too, ironically have died on the same land where thousands of other polls died over 70 years ago. it is appropriate today that we pay homage to all of those polls who have lived and died in a quest for polish liberty. those polls who have always been an ally of the united states and we grieve while they grieve in poland. that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. delahunt: yes, madam speaker. i now yield a minute to another original sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from

illinois, mr. lipinski. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. lipinski: madam speaker, i rise to share my deepest sympathies and condolences with the people of poland and all those impacted by this tragic plane crash. president kaczynski will be deeply missed. he was trying to ensure the strength and prosperity of poland. it was a strong ally of the united states. chicago also mourns the loss of one of our own who perished in the past. the polish and american people have shared a value of independence. today over nine million people of polish ancestry in the u.s., poland remains one of america's

closest aisle -- allies. we remain close on national security, democratization, and human rights. our friendship and partnerships have been and will continue to be steadfast. nothing will be say today will make up for this tremendous loss that poland has suffered and continues to grieve. . i hope by sharing our grief, our sympathy with the polish people we will be able to help them gather resolve and strength needed to get through such difficult times. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: madam speaker, i know that mr. delahunt has about 10 speakers so i am going to continue to reserve for a while. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts.

mr. delahunt: yes, madam speaker. i now yield -- madam speaker, i now yield a minute to the dean of the house, chairman john dingell. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for a minute. mr. dingell: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dingell: madam speaker, i commend, congratulate and thank my good friends on the committee for their kindness, and i thank my good friend from massachusetts for yielding this time to me. i rise in strong support of the resolution expressing the sympathy of the united states for the people of poland in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed the country's president. the first lady and 94 other poles. my thoughts and prayers are with the polish people at this difficult time. as an american of polish

descent, proud of my heritage, i grieve at this loss and what a sad time it occurs when the poles were going to smolensk, russia, to commemorate the killing of 20,000 polish officers and intelligence under the direct orders of the soviet dictator, josef stalin. and i am grieving about the situation in poland, but i am proud that the polish people have established a democracy which is not only a friend of the united states but which is able to survive these difficult times and maintain not only its friendship for america but its leadership in the world and its superb work in maintaining a democracy for which the poles have learned so -- yerned so long. i yield back the -- yearned so long. i i yield to. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida continues to verve. the gentleman from

massachusetts. mr. delahunt: i thank the gentleman. i now yield to the speaker of the house, the gentlelady from california, ms. pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker of the house, the gentlelady from california is recognized. the speaker: thank you, madam speaker. i thank mr. delahunt and congresswoman ros-lehtinen for giving us this opportunity to come to the floor to express our sympathy to the people of poland. our country is blessed with many polish americans. it is a blessing to our country . they are mourning this loss and all americans join them. and today congress officially joins in that mourning. the united states and indeed the entire world mourn the loss of president kaczynski and first lady, maria kaczynski, and those who perished in last week's crash. we stand by our friend and ally, poland, as they mourn the president and first lady, the chiefs of the army and navy,

the president of the bank, the deputy minister and dozens other parliament officials. the pain of the loss is unimaginable. and our thoughts and prayers rest with the families, friends and loved ones of the victims. their loss strikes a blow to the hearts of polish citizens, all polish americans. my niece is a polish american. and all who believe in a future of peace and prosperity for poland and for every nation. i'd like to talk about the president. few leaders have proven greater champions of progress and human dignity than president kaczynski. he was a true advocate of liberty for poland, for poland's families, workers and citizens. his life was defined by a long struggle for freedom, and by the ultimate victory of democracy and human rights. as a leader in the solidarity

movement, he helped turned the tides of history against the tyranny and oppression of communist rule. as mayor of warsaw and as president of poland, he worked to make the promise of a more just future a reality for the polish nation. together with so many who lost their lives in the tragedy, president kaczynski sought to rebuild poland, to make his country safer and more secure and to write a new chapter for future generations. again, as i say, we have been blessed in our country with a strong polish american community. and i know all of them join us in this resolution which remembers the lives lost in the -- in this horrible tragedy. the president, so many polish military leaders, past and present, and civilians.

it recalls the president in exile who led the charge to close the doors of political oppression in an open age of democratic freedom. this resolution honors the life of the former dockworker whose actions changed the course of polish history. the resolution reminds us of the polish american artist from chicago who just finished a memorial to the victims of the katyn massacre where his father perished. the united states congress joins poland and countries across the globe in mourning the death of such extraordinary leaders. in the words of this resolution, we express strong and continued solidarity with the people of poland and all persons of polish descent. and we're so blessed that the dean of this delegation and this congress, mr. dingell, shares that honor, brings luster to his polish heritage as well as other members of our congress as well.

the resolution offers our unwavering support for the polish government as it works to cover -- to overcome the loss of many key officials. let us strive to live up to their legacy of hope for a brighter future for poland, europe and all humanity. this morning i had the privilege of joining congresswoman marcy kaptur and congressman mike quigley, who was there before us and others who have gone to the polish embassy to sign the book of condolences. we're very proud in doing so we join president barack obama, who had earlier a few days ago signed that book. and i know it is a comfort to the people of poland and the ambassador, who may be with us here shortly, will join us in the gallery, who told us how the people of poland were so pleased and comforted by the fact that president obama would be attending the funeral in

poland on sunday. he will bring with him all the sympathy of the american people and all of the prayers to help mourn the loss the people have suffered. thank you again, mr. chairman, madam ros-lehtinen, for giving us the opportunity to share our grief over this terrible loss. thank you, mr. chairman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to ask for unanimous consent that for the remainder of our time judge poe would be allowed to manage our time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: i thank you, madam speaker. i now yield one minute to the gentleman from new york -- ohio

-- i apologize to the gentleman. mr. quigley. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized for one minute. mr. quigley: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, last night i spoke of the great tragedy that had befallen poland. today i rise to recognize a great polish artist. one of my constituents, severn, was aboard the plane to participate in a commemorative event to plan to honor those 20,000 poles who died in katyn some 70 years ago. a polish artist and influential member of chicago's polish community, his father died at katyn and himself speer headed the construction of a memorial to the event at a cemetery in niles, illinois. he was on hand last year when the monument was dedicated. as he was at many important events in chicago's polish

community. poles in chicago make up the largest ethnically polish population of any city outside of poland, second only to warsaw, the capital of poland. the polish american community will not fill the void left by many, but particularly mr. severn and those lost a few short days ago. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: i yield to the gentlelady from new york, ms. velazquez. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from new york is recognized for one minute. ms. velazquez: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. velazquez: i rise in strong support of the resolution. all of us mourns the loss much those who help spread the light of freedom during the cold war. our nation enjoys deep ties to

poland. one group in my district has one of the most vibrant polish american communities in the nation. during the 1980's, many poles took refuge in this little poland where marshal law was -- back at home. president kaczynski went to green point. he worshiped in our churches, he met with local leaders and he visited with the people of little poland. his trip there was an inspiring moment for many new yorkers. today, there are heavy hearts in green point as well as in polish american communities throughout the nation. in the coming weeks, the polish people will grieve their loss. we join them in mourning, but we can be confident that poland will recover, carry forward and grow stronger. the fact that this crash while traveling to a ceremony for another tragedy is a sad irony.

however, it reminds us of the polish people's strength in the face of adversity. that unyielding spirit shall remain an important part of poland's identity and of her many sons and daughters who reside in the united states. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. delahunt: yes, madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the gentleman from ohio, representative kucinich. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized for one minute. mr. kucinich: thank you very much, mr. delahunt. on saturday i received a call from the leader of cleveland's polish community, john borkowski, who informed me of the tragedy that befell the nation of poland. cleveland has a very large polish american community which is very proud of its heritage and very involved in promoting the social and cultural aspects

of polish ethnic heritage. the loss of the humble citizens on that plane was a great tragedy for poland. the total loss is a tragedy of monumental proportions. i'm glad to see the united states congress recognizing the tragedy that has befallen the polish people and also joining in in mourning the loss of president kaczynski, the first lady and 94 others. this is -- i would -- i ask unanimous consent to insert in the record a column by roger cohen that i think puts an appropriate frame on this important -- important discussion today in which we recognize the grief of the polish people and show solidarity with them. timely, i'd just like to say thank you.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas continues to reserve his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: yes, madam speaker, and i now yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pascrell. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for one minute. mr. pascrell: i ask for unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pascrell: thank you. the very people who stand on this floor today, mr. delahunt, 10 years ago when we fought to make sure that poland was a member of nato. in your career, ironically as you stand to manage this resolution, resolution 1246, has been filled with building bridges between community. it is ironic that this tragedy hopefully will lead, and the signs are there, to greater relationships between russia and poland.

poland is our ally. in st. john's church in cliffton, in my district, in wallington and garfield, polish americans who send out their deepest sympathies to the families. a picture, a president of the united states got and all the dignitaries of the government, the f.b.i., the head of the c.i.a. going to 9/11 commemoration in new york city and the plane going down and the whole government wiped out. this is the magnitude that we're looking at today, and our prayers go to the polish people. we are all poles today and we wish them the best and their families the best. and in closing, this is -- this is a very special friend of the united states of america. thank you, mr. chairman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves

his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i now recognize the distinguished member of the foreign affairs committee, the gentlelady from nevada, ms. berkley. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada is recognized for one minute. ms. berkley: i thank the gentleman forgiving me this time to offer my condolences to the people of poland. madam speaker, i rise today to join the polish americans, our nation and indeed the whole world in expressing our deepest sympathies to the people of poland, following this weekend's tragedy that killed their president, the first lady and a number of other polish military and civic leaders and dignitaries. we remember these men and women who gave their lives while in the service of poland and we send our sincerest condolences to those families who have lost a loved one. president kaczynski fought for freedom during the cold war and brought our two nations closer

together during his ten pour that office. his legacy will not be forgotten. america stands with our allied poland and we pledge our continued support during this time of transition. as a member of the house foreign affairs committee and chairman of the transatlantic dialogue, i call on my colleagues to ensure u.s. support for poland's needs after this heartbreaking and breathtaking incident and to support this resolution expressing our condolences to the people of poland and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i continue to reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: reserves his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i now wand too -- want to recognize the distinguished gentlelady from ohio, mrs. capito -- capture. ms. kaptur: thank you for bringing this bill to the -- ms. kaptur. ms. kaptur: thank you for bringing this bill to the floor. i was emailed by a leader of the polish community informing me of

this tragic situation and i rise in support of this important resolution offering sympathy to the libblet-loving nation and people of the republic of poland. our great ally. poland is one of america's longest and most steadfast allies from the time of our own republic's founding made possible by the valuians of polish generals -- valuians of polish generals. poland's highest leaders, including its president and first lady, were among the victims of that terrible crash. as they went in their way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the katyn massacre when over 22,000 polish officers, intellectuals and leaders were murdered at the hands of josef stalin and the soviet army in and around that forest during world war ii. and the truth of that slaughter was hidden for over 70 years and now the entire world knows of that sacred ground. madam speaker, please allow me to extends condolences on behalf

of my constituents in ohio, to the friends and families of those who perished, to the people of poland, to the nation of poland, to the people of polish heritage throughout the world. let this moment be one of recommitment to poland's highest aspirations and full expression of its own, own history. so long as we are alive there will be a poland. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: continue to reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i have no further requests at this time and i'd ask the gentleman if he has any additional speakers? mr. poe: i'm prepared it to close. i reserve myself -- i yield myself as much time as i may consume, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: madam speaker, we sometimes forget how great an ally poland is to the united states. they have not only had a quest for freedom for their own people, but they have been an ally to this nation.

and as the united states and other nato countries are engaged in the battle against terrorism in afghanistan, there are over 2,000 members of the polish military that are there as well, side by side with the united states and other nato forces. freedom fighters that they are, helping to seek freedom and liberty in afghanistan and against those international terrorists who do us all harm. i think mr. pascrell, the gentleman from new jersey, said it well, today we're all poles and we honor them and we suffer their loss and their grief at this time because of the tragedy that occurred not only saturday but the massacre that occurred in that forest in the soviet union many, many years ago. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: yes, madam speaker, i would just echo the eloquent sentiments expressed by

my friend from texas. and i have no further requests 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 1246. those 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 resolution is -- mr. delahunt: madam speaker, on that vote i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays have been 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. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20,

proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. house resolution 1236 by the yeas and nays, house resolution 4994 by the yeas and nays, h.r. 3125 by the yeas and nays, house -- h.res. 2646 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from california, mr. miller, to suspend the rules and agree to house -- h.res. 1236 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1236, resolution honoring the coal miners who perished in the upper big branch mine-south in

raleigh county, west virginia, extending condolences to their families and recognizing the valiant efforts of emergency response workers at the mine disaster. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] sssssssscgggggooggoowwwgggggggg'

the clerk will resume. the clerk: whereas on march 4, 2010 the committee on standards of official conduct issued the following public statement, the committee, pursuant to rule 18 deps a is tfingting and gathering additional information relating to matters involving representative massa, whereas on march 8, 2010, representative eric massa resigned from the house, whereas in the days following representative massa's resignation, numerous confusing media reports that democratic leaders knew about and may have failed to handle appropriately allegations that representative massa's -- massa was sexually

harassing his employees, and what those individuals did with the information in their possession, whereas on march 11, 2010, the house of representatives voted 402-1 to refer to the standards committee house resolution 1164, the resolution would have directed the committee on standards of official conduct to investigate fully pursuant to clause 3a2 of house rule 11 which democratic leaders and members of their respective staffs had knowledge prior po march 3, 2010, of the aforementioned allegations concerning mr. massa and what actions each leader and staff or having such knowledge took after learning of the allegations, whereas house resolution 1164 also stated within 10 days of following the adoption of this resolution and pursuant to committee on standards of official conduct rule 19, the committee shall establish an investigative subcommittee and the aforementioned matter or report to the house no later than the

final day of that period the reasons for its failure to do so. whereas 34 days have passed since the house vote on the resolution that had it passed would have required the standards committee to create an investigative subcommittee, nevertheless, during that time the committee has failed to establish an investigative subcommittee and has issued no public announcements indicating its intention to do so. whereas during the past 34 days, numerous news reports have made public additional and disturbing information about mr. massa's actions and his staff's attempts to bring their concerns about mr. massa's conduct too leadership's attention, whereas they may have failed to confront mr. massa about such behavior and subjected employees to continue had rassment. whereas as recently as this morning, the "washington post" published an article on its

website, on page three of that headline, staff accounts paint more troubling picture of massa's office, whereas the same article contained the following subheadline, workers felt helpless, whereas in the wake of the aforementioned media accounts and a 402-1 vote by the house that should have signaled to the committee the seriousness of this matter, the continued failure by the committee on standards of official conduct to establish an investigative subcommittee has held the committee and the full house to public ridicule, whereas clause 1 of rule 23 of the rules of the house of representatives, titled code of conduct, states a member, delegate, resident, commission, officer, or employee of the house shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the house, whereas the committee on standards of official conduct is charged under house rules with enforcing the code of conduct, therefore be it resolved, one, the committee on standards of official conduct is directed to investigate fully pursuant to clause 3a2 of

house rule 11, which house democratic leaders and members of their respective staffs had knowledge prior to march 3, 2010, of the aforementioned allegations concerning mr. massa and what actions each leader and staffer having any such knowledge took after learning of the allegations. two, within 10 days of following adoption of this resolution and pursuant to committee on standards of official conduct rule 19, the committee shall establish an investigative subcommittee in the aforementioned matter or report to the house no mat later than the final day of that period the reasons for its failure to do so. three, all members, offices, and staff are instructed to cooperate fully in the committee's investigation and preserve all records, electronic or otherwise, that may bear on the subject of this investigation. four, the chief administrative officer shall immediately take all steps necessary to secure and prevent the alteration oor

deletion of text messages, emails or other messages resident on house equipment sent and received by the members and staff who are subjects of the investigation authorized under this resolution until advised by the committee on standards of official conduct it has no need of any portion of said records, and five, the committee shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations in this matter no later than july 31, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: the resolution qualified. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? >> madam speaker, i move that the resolution be referred to the committee on standards of official conduct. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for one hour. >> madam speaker, this is a matter that properly belongs before the committee on

standards of official conduct. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on referring the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it. the gentleman from ohio. mr. boehner: on that i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. those favoring a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having risen a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is -- pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 this 15-minute vote on the motion to refer will be followed by a five-minute vote on the motion to suspend the rules on house resolution

resolution house 1246. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution

1246, resolution expressing sympathy to the people of poland in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed the country's president, first lady and 94 others on april 10, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. delahunt, and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. delahunt: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of this resolution, which expresses sympathy for the people of poland following the tragic plane crash last weekend that killed their president and so many others.

and i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. delahunt: i wish to thank my colleagues and friends, representatives dahlkemper, kanjorski and lipinski for quickly preparing a text that enables this house to add its voice to the condolences being expressed around the world on this sad occasion. last saturday we woke to the terrible news of a plane crash in western russia. this accident took the lives of polish president lech kaczynski, his wife, the deputy foreign minister, the deputy minister, the chiefs of the army and navy, the president of the national bank, dozens of members of parliament, as well as civilian and military staff. today the house mourns the death of president kaczynski and his colleagues.

we express our deepest sympathies to the people of poland as well as to the families who have suffered such a grievess loss. we know the americans' hearts are heavy. we plan to stand by the polish government as it seeks to reconstitute itself and reaffirm our enduring friendship for poland. madam speaker, what makes this accident even more tragic is that it occurred as president kaczynski's delegation was traveling to commemorate one of the most brutal events of world war ii, the execution of more than 20,000 polish officers, prisoners and intellectuals by the soviet secret police in 1939.

earlier in the week, there were encouraging signs that poland and russia were beginning to heal the deep wounds caused by these horrific wartime events. russian prime minister putin joined the polish prime minister at a ceremony recognizing the 70th anniversary of this massacre, the first time a russian leader has ever participated in this memorial. the russian people have been very supportive and responsive in the wake of the disaster with prime minister putin personally heading the inquiry into the crash. the chairman of the international relations committee of the russian state described the death of the polish president as a great tragedy for both the polish and

the russian peoples. observing that both countries were mourning together, he solemnly noted, and these are his words, katin took some more victims. if anything positive is to come from these tragic deaths it may be the development of closer ties between these two nations and their citizens. madam speaker, i urge 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. and the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you very much, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i am saddened by the need of this resolution, the death of polish president lech kaczynski, his wife, maria, and

94 other polish officials and citizens in the plane crash in russia on april 10 was a sudden, unexpected and truly a tragedy for the nation of poland. . wreef seen the outpouring of grief and tributes since then by the citizens of poland in support and honor of their late president and all who died with him. there's little that we can here do today to add to the honors bestowed upon -- departed by their very own countrymen, but we can, however, offer our condolences to the strong and proud nation of poland which has been and remains a friend and an ally of the united states. despite the loss of their president, we can be certain that the polish people will continue on the road toward democracy, prosperity, and security, the road that they

have traveled since they broke free of the grip of communist authoritarian rule in 1989. how proud we were when they regained their freedom that america had stood by the people of poland during those times when they suffered under a communist dictatorship, domination by the former soviet regime in moscow. similarly the people of poland now offer their solidarity with those who seek freedom in my native homeland of cuba. having suffered in the not-too-distant past under the crushing yolk of the -- yoke of the soviet regume, many in poland know all too well the struggles the cuban people face each and every day under the cuban dictatorship. poland's support for human rights and democracy in cuba illustrates it has not forgotten

its past sufferings more the strength that it received from the solidarity of others. and how proud we are today that poland has become an important member of both the north atlantic alliance and the european union and that it has become a strong voice for those countries in the eastern europe that are working to ensure that they never again fall victim to the domination by a more powerful neighboring states. president kaczynski was in fact an important leader in an effort to ensure that the hard-won liberty and democracy today enjoyed by poland and other nations of eastern europe is not bartered away. he recognized the temptation faced by other european states which eagerly expand their commercial and military exports

to russia while increasing their reliance on energy supplied from russia. he would not succumb to those russian manipulations and coercions. the late polish president was a voice that may have been unwelcomed among some in the council in brussels, but it was a voice that was heeded. moreover, madam speaker, under his leadership poland continued as a strong friend and a staunch ally of the united states. supporting military operations against extremists in iraq and in afghanistan, supporting america's efforts to create long-range missile defenses for both europe and the united states, participating as a full partner in nato, and supporting the expansion of democracy everywhere.

there are those in europe who, while enjoying the security commitment provided by the united states through nato, nevertheless feel free to criticize america's initiative to fight extremism and address threats around the world. president kaczynski was not one of those voices. in fact, during his trip to the united states three years ago, he made a special trip to visit the reagan library as a sign of his country's appreciation for our former president's leadership in the efforts to free his country from communist domination. president kaczynski valued the support and offered poe lapd's support in return. madam speaker, we express our condolences to the people of poland on the loss of their president, his life, and so many of the leading officials and

countrymen. at this time and in the future, america will forever remain a friend of poe lapd. with that, madam speaker -- poland. with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. delahunt: i yield a minute to one of the original sponsors of this resolution, the gentlelady from pennsylvania, mrs. dahlkemper. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. mrs. dahlkemper: i thank the gentleman. madam speaker, i want to thank the leadership for allowing myself and my colleague, mr. lipinski, mr. kanjorski, to bring forward this very important but very sad resolution. it is with heavy heart that i rise today to offer house resolution 1246, expressing sympathy to the people of poland in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed the country's president, first lady, and 94 others on april 10, 2010. president lech kaczynski, his

wife, navy chief commander, governor of the polish central bank, other lawmakers, aides, and state officials were lost when their plane crashed in western russia. the delegation was traveling to a memorial service to honor 22,000 polish officers killed in russia's katen force by the soviet secret police in 1940. we offer our condolences and sympathy to the polish people and polish americans as we mourn the loss of president kaczynski, his wife, and others lost in this tragedy. the president was a distinguished statesman and leader in the solidarity movement. he will be long remembered for his commitment to freedom, democracy, and human dignity. today we stand in solidarity with more than 38 million polls in poland and nine million americans of polish decent residing in the united states, including more than 42,000 of polish americans in my hometown of eerie, -- erie, pennsylvania.

they have made great contributions to our nation's livelihood and culture and we are grateful for their presence in the united states. our hearts go out to our polish brothers and sisters throughout the globe who share in this loss. at this time of mourning let us remember the word of st. peter, and the god of all great who call to his eternal glory of christ, after he suffer a little while restore himself to you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. i urge my colleagues to stand in solidarity with poland and support our resolution. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you very much, madam speaker. at this time i'd like to yield such time as he may consume, to our esteemed colleague, the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, wonderful member of our committee on foreign affairs. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from -- the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. i thank the ranking member for yielding time. i also rise today to join all my colleagues in mourning the deaths of polish president lech

kaczynski and many others who died in that plane crash on april 10, 2010. poland lost some of its most famous political figures, they were heroes among the polish people. the 95 people that died that day included the president, a very plow u.s. and anti-soviet -- pro-u.s. and anti-soviet individual and his wife and numerous other political and government officials. it's interesting to know why so many officials were going to russia, why they were on that particular plane headed to a specific event. well, that polish delegation was traveling to russia to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the cactin massacre. on september 17, 1939, the red army invaded the territory of poland from the east. they captured hundreds of thousands of polls and deported them to prisoner of war camps in western soviet union.

once at the camps, the polls were subjected to lengthy interrogations and the prisoners could not be induced to adapt -- adopt a pro-soviet attitude, they were declared, "hardened and uncompromised enemies of the soviet republic." so on march 5, 1940, joseph stalin and three of his henchmen signed an order to execute over 20,000 prisoners, all polls, to weaken any future polish military. in the forest, soviet secret police executed more than 20,000 polish nationals who were mainly officers in the polish military. and beginning on april 3, the killings were methodical. after a condemned person's information was checked, that individual was handcuffed and led to a secret cell that was insulated with felt to make sure no noise could come from that

cell. the sounds were also heard -- masked by the the rules are suspended and the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? mr. mcgovern: i send to the desk a privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rule the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 1248, resolution providing for consideration of the bill h.r. 4715 to amend the federal water pollution control act to amend the naturalest you area program and with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the committee on rules and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? mr. brady: i ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a

co-sponsor of h. con. res. 849 the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. berkley: i ask unanimous consent to withdraw my sponsorship from h.r. 1549. without objection. >> i might be considered as the first sponsor of h.r. 610, a bill initially introduced representative wexler requesting reprinting pursuant to clause 7 of rule 12 the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona rise? mr. flake: i here by notify the house of a resolution of the question of the privileges of the house. the form of my resolution is as follows. the committee of standards of official conduct related to

earmarks and campaign contributions in the spring of 2009, whereas on december 2, 2009, reports and findings in seven separate matters involving the alleged connection between earmarks and campaign contributions were forwarded by the office of congressional ethics to the standards committee, where as on february 26, 2010, the committee made public its report on the matter where the committee found widespread perception exists among corporations and lobbyists that campaign contributions provided a greater chance for obtaining earmarks and no one considered contributions when requesting earmarks. the committee indicated that with respect to the matters forwarded by the office of congressional ethics, never the evidence findings or the record before the standards committee provided a substantial reason to believe that violations occurred. where the committee is prohibited from reviewing activities and lacks the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents.

whereas the office of congressional ethics noticed that documents were redacted or specific information was not provided and at least in one instance, they had reason to believe a witness withheld information and did not identify what was being withheld. they also noted they were only to interview six former members of the p.m.a. group and others refusing to consent to interview and obtain evidence. whereas "roll call" noted that the committee report was five pages long and no evidence collected in any interviews conducted by the committee beyond the statement that it included extensive document reviews with numerous witnesses. whereas it is unclear where the standards committee included any activities that occurred prior to 2008, it is unclear whether the standards committee interviewed any members in the course of their investigation. it is unclear that the standards

committee initiated their own subpoenas or followed the office of congressional ethics' recommendation to issue subpoenas. therefore be it resolved no later than seven days after the adoption of this resolution, the committee on standards of official conduct shall report to the house of representatives with respect to the activities addressed in this report of february 26, 2010, one, how many witnesses were interviewed, two, how many subpoenas were issued in the course of their investigation and three, what documents were reviewed and their availability for public review. the speaker pro tempore: under rule 9, the resolution offered from the floor by a member other than the majority leaderor minority leader has immediate precedent only at a time designated by the chair within two legislative days after it is properly noted the form of the resolution noted by the gentleman from arizona will appear in the record at this point. the chair will not at this time and at this point determine whether the resolution constitutes a privilege or

question of privilege. that determination will be made at a time designated for at a time designated for consideration of the resolution. the chair will requests for chair will requests for or one-minute speeches. what reason does the gentlewoman from california rise? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. chu: mr. speaker, republicans want americans to believe they are the party of tax cuts. sure they are. tax cuts for the rich. in these tough times, their brand of tax relief wouldn't help working parents raising three kids and trying to make ends meet. america's future can't be based on huge tax cuts for the

wealthy. we have to give real tax relief to real working americans and that's just what we have done. we have done it for 95% of working families, saving them up to $800 a year. we have done it by making it easier for young families to buy their first home and done it by making easier for parents to save up to $2,500 to pay for college. this congress has passed 25 different tax cuts saving american families over $800 billion and more relief is on the way. the overheated rhetoric of the republicans and taxes are lower today than they were under their leadership. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from from michigan arise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute revise and extend.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> every american must file by midnight tomorrow and the united states congress determines how much of their hard-earned money is taken for taxes and how it is spent. since the democratic majority have been in charge of taxing the american people, we have seen a massive increase in taxes of $670 billionp counting and here are a few examples. taxes on american families and bhisses that don't purchase approved health care, pace makers and artificial limbs, taxes on businesses that provide pharmaceutical coverage and taxes on those who go to tanning salons and yet with those massive tax increases the democratic and obama spreng spree has driven the deficit to $1.4 trillion last year. and to keep this spending spree going, they will be looking for higher taxes. just recently, one of the

president's top economic advisers proposed a european-style value-added tax that would hit every american rich and poor. enough is enough. it's long past time that this congress and this administration realize that we cannot tax and spend our way back to prosperity. how about a tax policy that we can believe in for a change. let's get spending under control and reduce the tax burden on the american people. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts rise? >> address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcgovern: after eight long years, hundreds of billions of dollars in deficit spending and most importantly thousands of our brave soldiers killed or wounded, it is time to re-examine our strategy in afghanistan. instead of nation building, i believe we should be doing more nation building here at home. people deserve accountability as to when and how troops will be

returned and how taxpayer dollars are being spent. we introduced legislation that will require the president to provide a plan and timetable for drawing down our forces in afghanistan and identify any variables that could require changes to that timetable. the bill does not set a specific date for withdrawal. the bill would safeguard u.s. taxpayer dollars which ensuring all u.s. activity in afghanistan be overseen by an inspector general. we must go after walk and their allies but i'm not convince that had a long-term occupation in afghanistan in support of a corrupt and incompetent government is in our best national security interests. i ask my colleagues to join us in that effort. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. kirk: two middle eastern newspapers report today that syria has transferred scud

missiles to a terrorist group in lebanon. this repeats actions by iran and syria when they gave cruise missiles to hezbollah. it shows that the syrians and iranians have no wish to control their arsenal and transfer any weapon they own to terrorist groups. these reports tell us two things. first, the u.n. army that we sent to lebanon in 2006 is in utter failure that makes no effort to stop the largest missiles from deploying next to their very own u.n. camps. and second, it shows once iran makes nuclear weapons, it will transfer them to terrorists, like hezbollah and who knows who else. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from nevada rise? ms. berkley: i rise to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. berkley: mr. speaker i rise today out of great concern about

the iranian nuclear threat. dozens of foreign leaders met here in washington to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. i'm worried that we are allowing the greatest nuclear threat in the world to go unchecked. iran has threatened to wipe israel off the map and die stabilize the middle east and the entire global community. in his last visit to the united states, former israeli prime minister sharon said that a nuclear iran represents a greater threat to the united states and to europe and to the middle east as it does to israel and the rest of the world should not expect israel to do its dirty work. i agreed with it then and i agree now. if we want to avoid a nuclear iran and want to ensure that israel does not have to take matters into its own hands we must have strong, effective economic sanctions that make it clear to iran that we will not tolerate this pursuit of nuclear tolerate this pursuit of nuclear weapons.