for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. lee: thank you, mr. speaker. the repeal the republicans have sided with the insurance industry from day one, ignoring the need for reform when they controlled congress and opposing reform at every step as democrats fought for reforms that served the needs of the american people. the repeal republicans really haven't changed. they now want to repeal the reform and they will use every deceit, every piece of information and even outright lies to oppose reform and in the process try to protect the industry's margin profits. when the democrats fought to close the doughnut hole and strengthen medicare by extending insolvency, the repeal republicans sided with the insurance industry and opposed it. now, they want to repeal it. when democrats fought to allow children up to the age of 26 stay under their parent's coverage, the repeal republicans sided with the insurance industry and opposed it. now, they want to repeal it. and when democrats fought to

ban caps on coverage, the repeal republicans sided with the insurance industry and opposed it. now, they want to repeal it. we really shouldn't be surprised. the repeal republicans are the same ones who wanted to dismantle medicare, as we know it, and who want to privatize social security. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. . mr. thompson: now we must deal with an oil spoil. the gallon capacity of an owe lum pick size swimming pool is 648,000 gallons, at the current spill rate it will take 15 1/2 days, the equivalent of an olympic sized pool. the u.s. consumes about 19.5 million barrels a day. there will be those who will

say this bill is reason enough to cut off future offshore oil production. that would be disingenuous. until this accident the industry has had an impeccable record in the gulf. according to an energy expert at rice university in the last 15 years there was not a single spill of more than 1,000 barrels among the 4,000 active platforms offshore. she said offshore drilling was considerably safer for the environment than the tankers used to import oil. we need to clean up this spill not use it as a political football. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. far too long the executives on wall street reaped reward by bending the rules and dodging financial regulation. then they turned to the american taxpayer to dig them out.

with wall street reform, average americans will never again be on the hook for wall street's mistakes. we simply put an end to the taxpayer funded bailout. our legislation will make big banks accountable for their own failures and give regulators the tools they need to put the interest of working and middle class americans first. wall street reform stands up for working and middle class families by putting a stop to the unregulated greed of wall street executives who took big bonuses while gambling with our homes, jobs, and economy. additionally democrats are continuing to make investments in small businesses and rebuilding america's infrastructure. small businesses are the engine of job creation in this country and will be the birthplace of our economic recovery. that's why we are working to partner with small businesses to help them grow and to expand. they can hire more workers. thank you. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. 7 >> thank you, mr. speaker, when the health care bill was moving through congress i repeatedly made the argument that the legislation was flawed because it failed to fundamentally address the problem with our current health care system. rising costs. mr. paulsen: guess what? a new analysis just put out by the center for medicare and medicaid services confirms that disturbing fact. according to c.m.s. the new health care law will actually increase our nation's health care costs rather than decrease them. here's some of the staggering numbers. health care spendling is projected -- spending is projected to increase by $311 billion. health care will now increase to 21% of our gross domestic product by 2019. so costs are going up not down. these numbers are alarming and they are further proof that the health care bill missed the mark. real reform would have lowered

health care costs for individuals, for families, and for small businesses. unfortunately the partisan bill that was signed into law has failed to address this great need for ouries. -- -- for our constituents. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. moore: congress should have passed something on health care reform 40 years ago. we can't change what didn't happen for 40 years. this year we had an opportunity to do something and congress finally did it. when people in our country get sick and they don't have health insurance they stay home, they stay home, they stay home until they are deathly ill. then they go to the emergency room where they get the most expensive kind of health care there is in our country, and we all end up paying for it. we can and should do better. we did better this year by passing health care reform for our people and our country. the congressional budget office, c.b.o., says this will end up saving money on health

care for people in our country. they are a nonpartisan entity that provides reliable information to both sides, republicans and democrats, and they are saying we can save money by this. we will do that. we did the right thing for our people and our country by passing health care reform. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. president obama stated on february 7, 2010, if we can start bending the cost curve on health care that's the most important thing we can do to deal with deficits for a long time. we always agreed that he was bending the cost curve but our position was it wasn't being bent down it was being bent up. the chief actuary of c.m.s. report supports this and states that health care costs will accelerate by over $300 billion because of this bill. mr. shimkus: the health reform

law will not extend the life of our entitlement program because severe cuts to the programs are used not to strengthen medicare but rather to finance other outlays. and medicare cuts could lead to providers to end their participation in the program. this is not republicans. this is a chief actuary of c.m.s. who is saying, this bill is a dog and we better redo it because it's going to raise costs and decrease benefits. this' an old saying, if you broke -- there's an old saying, if you broke it you have to keep it. we just broke health care in america. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise ? without objection. >> mr. speaker, sometimes it takes a woman speaking up for other women to make unfair and inappropriate health care practices a thing of the past. last june i introduced the women's obstetrician and gynecologist medical access now act. the woman act, to ensure that

every woman has direct access to her own ob/gyn. as a state assembly member i offered the law allowing women direct access to their ob/gyn in california. unfortunately many women have not had that access. but i'm happy to say that similar provisions were included in the final health care package. patients, employees, primary care physicians, and health plan providers all save money and time if women are allowed direct access to their ob/gyn's. across the nation women will no longer have to contend with a gatekeeper system that can prevent or delay lifesaving care. women should not need a permission slip to receive ob/gyn care. no questions asked. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker.

it's always fund to listen to the debate because clearly both sides are saying the same thing but disagreeing to it. i'm actually going to reference some of the things we are speaking of. we are told that the health care bill is going to create jobs in addition to its primary goals of increasing access to quality care and affordable price. the medicaid will ensure 21 million across the nation. a combined federal-state program. now the problem is is that medicaid is not providing access to quality care at an affordable price. there are two articles from "the new york times" recently one that speaks out how people with medicaid can't get in to see a physician. they have to go to the emergency room because physicians don't see medicaid because it pays so little and has so much hassling. the other is about how a woman with cancer in michigan cannot find a physician, she also has medicaid, because her problem it pays so little, has so much hassle, all the other things we

expect. and lastly regarding cost, despite paying less so it doesn't give access to quality care, according to articles in politico it's going to increase the deficit by $1 billion for states like california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i have some excellent news to share. just last week the c.m.s. independent actuary released an analysis of the health care reform legislation that we passed last month here in this chamber. their report shows that we are strengthening medicare. indeed, according to the office of the actuary the affordable care act will help extend the life of the medicare trust fund by an additional 12 years, to 2029, compared to 2017 today. it closes the prescription drug doughnut hole by 2020 with an immediate rebate this year of

$250 and a 50% discount on brand name drugs next year. it lowers annual premiums by nearly $200 per beneficiary. it lowers annual co-insurance by over $200 per beneficiary. and it provides preventive wellness care visits for free. when we passed health care reform democrats stood up for seniors by strengthening medicare and closing the prescription drug doughnut hole that was wide open and would be left wide open unthe republican plan. under their radical plan to repeal health care, we will move in the wrong direction. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. west moreland: thank you, mr. speaker. last week the centers for medicare and medicaid services confirmed what we already knew. that health care spending will increase. it violates a pledge made by the president last year and it leaves the hardworking american taxpayers to pick up the bill.

the report estimates that $311 billion increase in total health care spending. while this may be chump change for this administration, it's a lot of money to the american taxpayer. there's one area of interest for me and that is the high-risk pools for the uninsured. back home in georgia we have been talking about the democrats' approach to the high-risk pools. it is clear that their approach is not the best and this report confirmed that. the democrats want to setaside $5 billion for high-risk pools but this report says that is not enough. and it will run out within one to two years. plus, it only covers 375,000 americans. what happens when the funds run out? premiums will go up. services will be cut there will be waiting lines formed. our states like georgia are forced to pick up the cost. this is unacceptable for all americans and taxpayers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to

speak out of order for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. andrews: i thank the speaker. the c.m.s. report the minority references to stands for medicare, c.m.s. is in the business of counting and accounting for the medicare program. here's what they said. under the law before the health care bill passed, medicare was going to run out of money in 2017. we have extended the life now to 20209 and can build on that -- 2029 and can build on that to save medicare. the bill also says they made estimates subject to interpretation about health care costs and the rest of the system. here's what they assumed. they assumed that medical records sharing and technology won't save any money. most people think it will. they assumed that wellness programs that stop people from smoking and start exercising won't save any money. most people think it will. they assume that insurance companies having to compete with each other will save -- will not save any money, most

people think it will. the fact of the matter is the health care law extends the life of medicare by 12 years. something the ears while majority never did when it was in the majority. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. burgess: ask permission to rise and address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. burgess: thank you, mr. speaker, for the recognition. american business owners large and small have been telling the majority in this body for months that these health care bills were flawed and there is going to be a cost. there is going to be a cost in money, a lot of it, and cost in jobs. at&t had to restate earnings lowering their earnings projections to $1 billion the first quarter. john deere, $150 millionp, and it goes on and on. the national federation of independent businessmen have said the complicated and restrictive tax credits in the bill helped no one. and paperwork and increases in medicare cost also cost small businesses millions of dollars and in fact costs the country

millions of jobs. democrats claim that because of this new law small business also no longer have to choose between hiring new employees an offering health insurance. that's fantasy, we all recognize that. right now, small businesses across the country are making the decision right now is not the time to hire. there is simply too much uncertainty that's created by this bill. it should be no surprise that this bill will cost american companies millions of dollars. it will cost americans millions of jobs. but -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman's time has expired. mr. burgess: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? . >> to request to speak for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

mr. garamendi: i was meeting with the realtors in my district a week or two weeks ago and they had read all this propaganda from the republican party and they said, well, we can't afford to buy insurance. i said, are you buying it now? they said, yes, you are. you are aware there is up to a 50% tax credit for every insurance policy you buy? no, we didn't know that. are you also aware that if you have a child who is 23 that would drop off your insurance they would be able to stay on your insurance until they're 26? no, we didn't know that. how about the cap on the yearly expenditures and the lifetime cap, do you realize that there will be no cap, you'll be able to -- whatever you need, you'll be able to have it paid for? we didn't know that. you're a senior, did you know there is a $250 immediate tax credit or rebate if you are buying those drugs in the doughnut hole? we didn't know that. in the three years this disappears? we didn't know that.

why do republicans want to get rid of all that stuff? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> the democratic bill will not reduce costs but increase them. according to c.m.s., the cost will increase over $300 billion. brings to mind yogi berra's line, this is deja vu all over again. of course, taxpayers and families knew this would happen. anytime you have a big government, washington-based program it costs more than advertised. the c.m.s. findings underscores what taxpayers and families across this great country understand, we need to repeal this bill and replace it with the right kind of reform. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> every day that republican senators block wall street reform another day goes by that our middle class and our

economy is at risk. heads i win, tails you lose. i'm sure you remember that game. well, those are the same rules that goldman sachs rigged up to routinely bet against its own customers. heads they won, tails their customers and the american people lost. and a.i.g., who the taxpayers bailed out, was a full partner in this fraud. my constituents are angry. they want their money back. they want commonsense protections that will end too big to fail and make sure they never get stuck with the tab again. the house has already acted to protect hardworking middle-class families from the abuses of wall street. it's time for the senate to do the same. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to pay tribute to two fine american business owners, joel and ruspira, for

that i donation of significant collections to the smithsonian of natural history. the items they're donating notes the technological advancement and energy-saving inventions in the history of electric lighting. the collection tells the story of american innovation and the 50-year history of a company that has transformed the use of electricity. joel is the inventor of the electronic dimmery device and chairman and founder of his company located in my district. a family-owned business, lutron has five principles, take care of the customer, take care of the company, take care of the people, innovate with high-quality products and deliver value to the customer. it is known to creating energy-saving products each year. the installation of their products saves approximately $1 billion in utility costs. mr. speaker, i ask you and my

colleagues to join me in congratulating joel and ruspira for this record of accomplishment and for their many contributions, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. payne: mr. speaker, the radical reactionary republicans are at it again. they want to repeal everything. the radical reactionary republicans want to repeal the fact that children can can stay on their parents' care for up to age 26. the radical, reactionary, repeal republicans want to repeal the fact that there will be no pre-existing condition. the radical, reactionary republicans are the repeal republicans. any steps forward, let's repeal them and turn them back. the radical, reactionary republicans are the new repeal

republicans, the no republicans . let's keep the status quo as we move on to meet the foe. let's move forward with progress. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend and to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. petri: mr. speaker, over the past 18 months, the president repeatedly said about his health care plan, if you like your current health insurance you can keep it. the majority of americans knew that this was nonsense and now the department of health and human services confirms it. just released by the actuary of medicaid concludes that the health care law will lead many employers to stop offering health care coverage altogether. that means about 14 million people with job-based insurance

today will lose it and instead will be required by law to obtain coverage individually. further, seniors in my state of wisconsin have become big fans of medicare advantage plans, but the chief actuary for medicare estimates that the president and the majority party's medicare cuts will reduce medicare advantage enrollment by seven million people. but there's more. the medicare actuary reports that under the new health care law 15% of all hospitals, nursing homes and other providers could be operating at a loss by 2019 which will jeopardize access to care. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan rise? ms. kilpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. how can you help repeal law that better americans? the repeal republicans are offbase and not right in their

assumptions. millions of americans will benefit from the new health care bill. you and your doctor will determine your case and not the insurance company. small businesses will get tax credits with 50 employers or less to help them pay their premiums, so those millions of people who work in small business can now have health care. your children, who have graduated from college, find themselves with no job, will be able to stay on your health care until age 26. this was the same things they had in 1965 with medicare, health care for over 44 million seniors. medicare today is one of the best programs for health care for seniors, and this bill extends its lifetime almost a decade. social security in 1934, one of the most successful programs we have, it's a good bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. kilpatrick: the republicans

are wrong again. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> to speak to the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, this radcally republican texan rises today to highlight the c.m.s. analysis for the government takeover of our health care system. as many had predicted, c.m.s. concluded that the new law fails to contain cost increases in health care. c.m.s. projects health care spending will rise 21% of the -- to 21% of the g.d.p. in the next decade. these -- this place our country on an unacceptable path and getting less coverage for our money. even more alarming, the c.m.s. concluded that 50% of our medicare advantage patients will lose their coverage over the next decade when the law is fully implemented. thousands of seniors in my

district depend on medical medicare advantage. we need to repeal and replace this now. we need a new bill that will control health care costs while still allowing patients to keep the coverage that they have now and as they were promised. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. in the aftermath of health care reform, one can't help but ask rhetorically why there would be forces out there that would deny progress, why promote misinformation, why refuse to set up exchanges for the business community, why promote a repeal? i think it's pretty straightforward and easy to determine, that there were those who were fighting for the people's interest, the head of those profit column rises over the past 10 years. i think we need to ensure that

the doughnut hole would be closed, all children up to the age of 26 would be able so stay on their parents' coverage, benefit people in this insurance struggle that they have faced in the past. so this is pretty obvious, this is an effort by those who have wanted to dismantle medicare as we know it, those who want to privatize social security, those who want to protect the insurance industry's profit margins to yet score another victory with repeal. i think we have a solid effort going forward. i believe we should stay the course, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. herger: mr. speaker, in june of last year, president obama told a crowd of people, quote, if you like your doctor, you'll be able to keep your doctor, period. if you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period.

no one would take it away no matter what, closed quote. mr. speaker, it turns out that there is someone who will take your health care plan away and that person is president obama himself. a report done by the president's own administration concludes that under obamacare, 50% of seniors will lose their medicare advantage plans, and it says that some of the medicare cost control mechanisms may be unsustainable. our seniors are already struggling under the weight of the recession and they can't afford to lose the insurance that they depend on. house republicans have better commonsense health care reform plans that will help seniors and their families. house republicans will work tirelessly to repeal this harmful bill and start over. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? ms. woolsey: i rise to ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize world malaria day, which was april 21. malaria kills almost one million people every year and afflicts as many as half a billion. just think of the startling fact, mr. speaker, every 30 seconds a child in africa dies from malaria. we owe it to the children and we owe it to mothers to do more to eradicate this preventable and treatable disease. we must support programs that provide bed nets and safe indoor spraying. malaria doesn't just affect the sickness, mr. speaker, it keeps kids out of schools, keeps adults out of fields and the workplace and brings down the economy and sick parents can't care for their children. malaria prevention is key to promoting smart maternal health

policies worldwide. i urge my colleagues to support funding for international malaria and survival programs to keep the world's children and their mothers healthy. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. gingrey: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, last week the centers for medicare and medicaid released a new analysis of obamacare that confirmed what republicans have been saying all along, our nation's health care costs will increase on obamacare and this bill will hurt health care for seniors. mr. speaker, a few simple facts. first, on obamacare, our national health care expenditures will increase by $311 billion in the first 10 years. second, health care will increase to 21% of g.d.p. by 2019. and third, the government will spend $410 billion to expand medicaid under obamacare. and fourth, more than seven million seniors will be forced off their current medicare coverage, including 50% of

those who are currently on medicare advantage. speaker pelosi, this is not the reform you promised, this is not the reform the country needs. that is why i will be fighting to repeal and replace this legislation with real reform at lower cost and improves coverage and care without bankrupting our country. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. we just got yet another smoking gun in this latest report by the obama administration on this government takeover of health care. and the report confirms what many of us said. the bill actually increases spending over $300 billion. with all the new taxes on medical devices, drugs, and insurance it's going to increase the cost of health care for american families and small businesses. over $575 billion in cuts to medicare, they point out, will actually lead to reduced services for medicare

recipients and in fact 50% of all medicare advantage participants will lose that health care they like. the american people are asking us and continue to say why aren't congress focus on creating jobs. we should be. speaker pelosi and her lieutenants just want more government takeovers and more wall street bailouts. they are now trying to push this permanent bailout fund to wall street. the american people continue to ask where are the jobs? the tone deaf liberals running this congress just don't get it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? without objection. >> mr. speaker, the reports are in and sadly not only that this health care scheme costs the american people more than it provides and increases costs to health care, but at the same time it exempts anyone illegally in this country from having to be taxed or to buy insurance. everyone else who is legal in

the country is required to buy the insurance or be taxed. so illegal immigrants are now exempt from the responsibility but because the majority refused to put in the e-verification, to make sure that illegals don't get into the benefit package, we have create add situation where illegals now are not required to pay but they are guaranteed because the lack of verification that they have access to a system. sadly, mr. speaker, the fact is joe wilson was right. illegals do have access into a system that the president and congress promised the american people would not be available. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. fleming: mr. speaker, the government takeover of health care just celebrated its one-month birthday and we are already seeing the disastrous effect it will have on our

nation's economy. since the beginning of this debate, u.s. employers have warned that this bill would destroy american jobs and harm our fragile economy. over the past few weeks, we have seen the real life impact these job-killing tax hikes and health care costs are having on american employees. and employers. from at&t to catter pillar, to lockheed martin we have seen billions of dollars in job losses and dollar losses to american companies which will result in further job losses, hire prices, and less choice for the american consumer. and to add to insult to injury, actuaries at c.m.s. working under secretary see we'llous now confirm that most americans already knew health care costs will skyrocket as a result of this bill. the long-term effects of this bill are still not worth -- the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman's time has expired. mr. fleming: the time and effort we have put into it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. miss shultz: mr. speaker, -- ms. schulz: on march 20 the majority of this body passed a bill that the american people knew was going to cost too much and not really effectively address the problems with health care. but despite claims made to the contrary, this party did pass the bill. but just recently the president's own administration says that the massive government takeover of our health care system will actually increase health care costs not decrease them. and yet while costs increase, this administration admits that the health care will still

leave 23 million people, americans, without insurance. mrs. schmidt: the best way to increase the number of insured americans is to decrease health care costs. something this bill did not do. the president's own administration says the democratic health care takeover does just the opposite. increases costs and doesn't cover every american. this is not what the people want. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. latta: thank you, mr. speaker, i rise today to express my concerns with the recently release analysis done by c.m.s. with the health care bill that confirms the nation's health care cost will increase rather than decrease. the c.m.s. analysis concluded that the national health care

spending will increase by $311 billion. at a time when our unemployment rate continues to rise, how are american families supposed to pay these increases? the latest figures show ohio unemployment rate is 11.5% in some parts of my district it's 14%. my constituents are continuing to ask where are the jobs. in addition the small businesses in my district are asking how they are supposed to pay the new mandates placed under this bill. the c.m.s. analysis also shows that the recently passed health care bill will increase health care costs to 21% of the g.d.p. by 2019. in addition to these increased spending in the health care, the congressional budget office has stated under current spending levels the american taxpayers by 2020 will be paying $2 billion a day in interest alone on the national debt. it also estimates that the debt will be $20 trillion by that year. our nation's economic future requires that this administration in congress exercise serious fiscal restraint and stop excessive spending. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. green: i was there when the president signed the health care law into law. it became law. and i saw him sign it in ink, but my heart was heavy because i knew that while he was signing in ink it was written in prayers. the prayers of the some 46 million people who did not have insurance. signed in ink, written in prayers, will you also written in tears. the tears of parents who had children with pre-existing conditions who could not get insurance for their children. signed in ink, written in prayers, tears, as well as blood. because in this country 45 thousand people die annually because they do not have insurance. that's one person every 12 minutes. i do not stand for and will not stand for reinstating tears for reinstating those prayers, and

i will not have the blood of the 45,000 on my hands. i stand with the bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to share my constituents' concerns and frustrations over the health care bill that unfortunately is now law. last night i hosted a telephone town hall meeting. thousands of my constituents participated. i i -- i invited them to discuss any issue that they chose. every single one spoke about this new health care law. and they had concerns. one man who called in said i'm 72 years old, i'm retired, and i get my health insurance from my company. are they still going to provide prescription drug coverage?

that's a fine question. the wife of a family practitioner said, my husband's 62 and his patients are asking whether he'll be able to stay around. and he tells them, it will all depend on the government. it's sad to me that he doesn't even get to make his own choice about whether or not he retires. last week the obama administration's own experts confirmed what we have been saying for a year, this bill costs too much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. klein: it's time to -- mr. kline: it's time to repeal this law. the speaker pro tempore: the the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york rise? ms. velazquez: i now move that the house suspend the rules and pass s. 3253. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 3253, an act to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the small business act and the small business investment act of 1958, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. velazquez, and the gentleman

from missouri, mr. graves, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. velazquez: thank you, mr. 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 bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. velazquez: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. velazquez: our economy is showing significant signs of improvement. consumer spending is climbing, manufacturers are hiring jobs. retail sales rose substantially for the first three months of this year. all of these are positive signs. however if our recovery is going to produce the jobs the american people need and deserve, small businesses will be essential. in every previous recession small firms have served as job

creating catalysts. not only do small firms add jobs faster than big companies, but many dislocated workers launch their own ventures during economic downturns. those enterprises in turn often grow and create employment opportunities for the american people. for entrepreneurs to play this role, they need to -- they need the right tools. the legislation before us will extend the small business administration programs that help new ventures form and existing businesses grow. since the start of this congress, the house has passed 16 bills to strengthen s.b.a. initiatives. this includes legislation to modernize the s.b.a. capital access program so that small businesses can weather the credit crunch. however before the s.b.a. programs are fully updated, they must be extended. this bill ensures this initiative keep operating.

we cannot afford any of the s.b.a. services to lapse, just as our recovery is getting off the ground. i urge my colleagues to vote yes and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri rise? mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i stand in support of the chairwoman's request to suspend the rules and pass s. 3253. the bill is a simple three-month extension of all the small business administration's core programs until july 3 is, 2010. this bill is necessary because the temporary extension we approved in january is going to expire at the end of this week. over the past three years the house small business committee has worked in a productive bipartisan manner to author legislation re-authorizing improving the small business administration and its programs and i commend the chairwoman on her leadership and willingness to work in this fashion. by working together we have reported in the past several bills that would modernize the s.b.a., allowing it to better serve small business owners in the 21st century.

unfortunately our counterparts in the other body have not worked as diligently and unless we pass this extension many of the s.b.a. programs that our small businesses rely on are going to expire on friday. small businesses are the backbone of our economy. and it's because of them we have seen nominal gains in our economy recently. still the national unemployment rate hovers around 10% with some states experiencing as much as 14%. if we are serious about our recovery efforts, helping our small businesses thrive has to be our first priority. the programs run by the s.b.a. provide a critical found case small businesses depend on to succeed. whether it's designing a business plan, acquiring financing, or looking for technical assistance, the s.b.a. is off the first place entrepreneurs turn to in helping build and growing their businesses. it's essential we keep these programs running while main maintaining our efforts to work on full re-authorization. while we continue to work with our colleagues in the other body, we need more time to

complete these programs. again i support the chairwoman's request to pass 3253 and urge my colleagues to do so. i reserve the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. velazquez: mr. speaker, i'd like to inquire if the gentleman has any more speakers. if not i'm prepared to yield back the balance of my time. gavesgaves i don't have any more -- mr. graves: i don't have any more speakers. i urge my colleagues to support it. ms. velazquez: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: all time has expired. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 3253. those in favor say aye signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, and the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1240 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1240, resolution supporting the goals and ideals of global youth service day. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, will

each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 1240 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. woolsey: with that, mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 1240, a resolution to support the goals and ideals of global youth service day. global youth service day is an annual worldwide event that highlights and celebrates the ongoing contributions of youth of their communities through volunteer service and service learning. global youth service day is the largest service event in the world and over the past 21 years it has brought together more than 40 million people and thousands of communities worldwide. this past weekend it was observed for the 22nd

consecutive year in the united states and for its 11th year globally in more than 100 countries. mr. speaker, service learning extends the classroom into the community, providing young people with the community to give back locally. it is also an academic tools that builds real-life applications into student curriculum, keeping students engaged in their education. high-quality service learning that is integrated with an academic curriculum increases students' cognitive engagement, motivation to learn, school attendance and academic achievement. global youth service day takes that one step further by promoting projects that encourage youth to work collaboratively across national borders to address global issues, to increase cultural understanding and promoting the sense that we are all global citizens. there are countless benefits associated with volunteerism

and service. evidence shows that there exists a correlation between youth service, character development, lifelong adult volunteering, philanthropy and other forms of civic engagement. opportunities like global youth service day provide avenues for youth to apply their knowledge, idealism and energy creativity and unique perspective to improve local communities by addressing crickcal issues such as poverty, hunger, natural disasters, climate change and so very much more, mr. speaker. as part of global youth service day here in the district of columbia, greater d.c. cares organized 7,000 volunteers as part of its annual service bond and to restore national monuments, landscapes, parks and playgrounds, paint murels in schools in 100 locations within the metro area.

in detroit, michigan, more than 125 students from inner city detroit school educated their classmates and families about having a healthy diet and nutrition and incorporating exercise in their daily lives. in atlanta, georgia, mr. speaker, the local ymca coordinated with over 100 community partners and 1,000 young people in feeding the homeless, in yard work for the elderly, community gardening with the atlanta community food bank, among many other things. both young people and their communities will benefit greatly from expanded opportunities like these which allow youth to engage in volunteer community service and service learning worldwide. mr. speaker, this resolution serves to recognize and commend the significant contributions of youth of the united states and to support the goals and ideals of global youth service day 2010. i thank representative rosa

delauro from connecticut for introducing this resolution, and i urge my colleagues to support this bill. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. petri: i rise today in support of house resolution 1240, supporting the goals and ideals of global youth service day. global youth service day supports and encourages community throughout these united states and enables millions of students to make contributions to their communities. america's young people from kindergarteners to college students have the desire, energy and ability to make a real difference in their communities. global youth service day is an opportunity for them to convert their ideas and energy into action. through community service and service learning, we can inspire, empower and celebrate young people who recognize the need to do something for their

communities, believe in their ability to get it done and then take action. service learning engages students in the educational process, using what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems. service learning and community service enables students to not only learn about democracy and citizenship, but to become active, contributing citizens and community members through the service that they perform. there are a growing number of opportunities for youths to get involved in service activities through schools, service clubs, religious affiliation, base volunteering. the goal is to maintain youth commitment by showing them the benefits of the community that they're serving and to themselves. i stand before you today to commend the significant contributions our youth are making in our communities. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentlewoman's time has expired, who is the -- the gentlewoman, who is the author of h.res. 1240, ms. delauro from connecticut, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from connecticut is recognized for three minutes. ms. delauro: i rise in support of this resolution, hong and supporting the goals and ideals -- honoring and supporting the goals and ideals of global youth service day, which took place this past weekend. i want to thank congressman ehlers in co-sponsoring this resolution. global youth service day is an education campaign led by youth service america with the national youth leadership council and the global youth action network. it emphasizes the importance of public service. it highlights the valuable contribution that young people make to their communities all year long. in the words of gauppedy, quote, the best way to -- gandhi, quote, the best way to find yourself is to lose

yourself in the service to others. that is a simple truth that animates global youth service day. by mobilizing young people around the world to identify and address the needs of their neighbors, by supporting their community service and by civic engagement efforts, we not only help our communities to thrive, we help the next generation to find themselves through service and commitment to a greater good. this past weekend, young people all around the world designed and carried out community service projects in areas ranging from literacy and mentoring to the environment and energy conservation to hunger and homelessness. this year saw 2,631 projects and 87 countries and all 50 states. we often say that service is its own reward, but it actually have the benefit of being true. in addition to the positive results these projects have on our communities, research shows that young people who participate in community service also enjoy civic engagement, they do better in

school. by recognizing the interdependence of their community, they become more independent, more grounded, more cognizant of the world around them. they become better citizens. this cycle of service and citizenship is why we passed the edward m. kennedy serve america act one year ago last week, to offer young people more opportunities to serve their nation. it is why we continue to encourage our young men and women to become deeply involved in the lives, health and education of our community. through such programs as americorps, teach for america, summer of service. it is why we honor the passion and the sacrifice of those young americans who choose to make a difference in distant lands such as members of the peace corps and our armed forces. all of us in this room today, we know firsthand the value of public service. global youth service day helps to transmit that priceless value to the next generation. all around the world it encourages boys and girls to get involved, to give of

themselves, to use their enthusiasm, their energy and their passion to help our community. i urge my colleagues to honor these values of civic and community service and to support this resolution and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i yield to the lead co-author of this legislation, our respected colleague from the state of michigan, vern ehlers. the speaker pro tempore: for -- mr. petri: such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. ehlers: i thank my colleague for yielding. i think volunteers makes the nation tick. i think it's important to educate children and young adults at a very early age to become involved in volunteer work. global youth service day is a major means of implementing

that and bringing to the awareness of children the importance of volunteer work and also developing ways to make it seem interesting and fun to the youth of our nation. i do have to warn them, however, because as i've learned myself, volunteer service can lead to the halls of congress. i would not have ever been elected to office, never even would have become politically active without my volunteer activities. but i soon learned when engaging in volunteer activities and helping people that much of the problems i was trying to solve should have been solved by the local elected officials. and with some friends we got together and got some very good people elected. never did i suspect that i might myself someday be called upon to do the same thing and follow the path that led to congress. the edward m. kennedy serve america act is a wonderful device to give recognition to

the youth of this nation and gives an opportunity for us to recognize the service that they have rendered and also calls on the president of the united states to encourage people of the united states to observe this day and make it clear to young people the marvelous opportunities for volunteerism they have. there are many different ways in which the youth can contribute to the functioning of the nation. but two of that comes to mind is being especially useful. one is to help the elderly who have problems adjusting to a new home or doesn't know how to handle the electronics. but another method is working with the young people of this nation, the very young people, the children who are having problems learning how to read or math. and this is a wonderful opportunity for younger people

who have more opportunity with science and mathematics and are able to communicate their love of science and mathematics to the young people around them. so it is with pleasure that i rise, it is with great pleasure that i am a co-sponsor of this -- of this resolution. i think it is an extremely important issue, and i thank ms. delauro and ms. woolsey for their work on this as well. this is a golden opportunity for all of us to express our gratitude to the young people of this world to continue to act as volunteers in so many different ways, in a meaningful way that will direct their career as well as help the nation. and with that i yield back. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: does the gentleman from wisconsin have any further speakers? mr. petri: i have no further requests for time and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. again i'd like to compliment congresswoman delauro and congressman ehlers for their amazing effort in this regard. and i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1240, a resolution to support the goals and ideals of global youth service day. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. all time has expired. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1240 as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, morph that the house suspend the rules and agroo to house resolution 1293, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1293, resolution expressing support for the goals and ideals of national child abuse prevention month. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the

gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 1293 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 1293, which supports the goals and ideals of national child abuse prevention month. our children are our most precious resources, and they need our support to thrive and grow into healthy, productive adults. during national child abuse prevention month, we raise awareness of the critical necessaryity of responding to child abuse. promoting healthy families, and nurturing our children in safe virmentse free from abuse, negligent, or fear.

the effects of child abuse and negligent have -- neglect have enormous consequences on our nation's children. on average five children every day are killed as a result of child abuse or neglect. in a report of child abuse is made every -- a report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds in the united states. the wealthiest nation on earth, i must remind us. in 2008 an the number leaves out many more deaths not properly reported for their actual cause. tragically sexual, emotional, and physical abuse threaten too many of our nation's children every single day. studies have shown that abused or neglected children have a higher risk in adulthood for developing other health

problems, including scholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, obesity, suicide, certainly other chronic diseases. our entire community, parents, guardians, relatives, neighbors, and organizations all share the responsibility to prevent the crime of child abuse. and our government plays an important role as well. we must support families to help them stay together and raise children into happy, stable, and successful adults. national child abuse prevention month is about increasing awareness of the problem so that we can stop child abuse and neglect before it starts. together we can protect children. we can strengthen families. we must ensure that every child grows up in a safe, stable, and nurturing environment. national child abuse prevention month highlights the roles of

important prevention resources such as early childhood programs, family resource centers, parent support groups, respite and crisis care, and educator training which can help reduce the risk factors for child abuse and promote healthy families. mr. speaker, this resolution in support of national child abuse prevention month serves to remind us of our collective responsibility to protect our children from maltreatment and to ensure that all of our kids have a childhood free from abuse, free from neglect. i thank representative petri for introducing the resolution and i urge my colleagues to support this bill. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. petri: i rise today in

support of the resolution before us expressing support for the goals and ideals of national child abuse prevention month. child abuse is an unfor the reality for many of the nation's children. no child should have to experience abuse or neglect, but cases of such are reported every day. recent data from 2008 indicates that 772,000 children were victims of child abuse and neglect and 1,740 children died as a result of child abuse and neglect, 80% of those children were under the age of 4. besides the immediate physical and emotional pain that abuse and neglect can inflict on a child, these experiences can have long-term effects on the victims as well. data shows abused and neglected children are at a higher risk of developing health problems such as alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, and obesity in adulthood. the national institute of

justice study indicates that children who are abused or neglected are 11 times more likely to be arrested for delinquent behavior as juveniles and 2.7 times more likely to be arrested for violent and criminal behavior as adults. national child abuse prevention month aims to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage individuals and communities to support children and families. community awareness and involvement is paramount to the prevention of child abuse and neglect and the goals of national child abuse prevention month encourage members of every community to support children in that community. i'd like to thank my colleague, congresswoman judy biggert of illinois, for introducing this important legislation. urge all of my colleagues to support house resolution 1293, supporting the goals and ideals of national child abuse prevention month. no requests for additional time. and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the

gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support h.res. 1293 authorized by illinois' congresswoman judy biggert, i gave congressman petri the credit, but he does so many good things i just made that mistake. and i ask my colleagues to support the goaltenders and ideals of national child abuse prevention month by voting for this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1293. as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1131 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1131, resolution expressing support for designation of the week of april 18, 2010 through april 23, 2010, as national assistant principals week. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 1131 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: with that, mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 1131, which supports

the goals and ideals of national assistant principals week. with this resolution we recognize the critical role that assistant principals serve in our nation's schools and we honor their hard work and dedication. many of us have fond memories of the assistant principals who served in our schools. they were the ones who made sure we were safe in the hallways and that we didn't miss our bus. they stopped by our classrooms to make sure we had all the supplies we needed, and they counseled us through mistakes and successes to help us grow and learn as students and citizens. assistant principals are the unsung heroes of our schools. they serve as a behind the scenes link between every sector of the school community. their job description has expanded significantly over the past decade and they are the backbone of a school's

administrative team. they interact with students, with teachers, with staff, and with parents on a daily basis to ensure that every child is receiving the best education possible. national assistant principals week recognizes their important contribution. since 2004, mr. speaker, the national association of secondary school principals and virco have partnered to applaud secondary school assistant principals in their dedication and success in school leadership as part of national assistant principals week. the national assistant priss pal of the -- principal of the year program recognizes high school assistant principals who have demonstrated success in leadership, curriculum, and personalization. i would like to congratulate mr. nathan mccann, assistant principal at flowing well high

school in tucson, arizona, who has been named the 2010 national assistant principal of the year. mr. mccann is lieding an effort -- leading an effort to reform his school's curriculum in response to students' feedback. and has worked closely with school counselors to help the graduates of flowing well pursue their goal of postsecondary education. i thank mr. mccann for his hard work and his dedication to his school and for being the role model he is for assistant principals nationwide. mr. speaker, once again i express my support for national assistant principals week and thank the nation's assistant principals. i thank representative fudge for bringing this resolution to the floor and i urge my colleagues to pass this resolution. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin.

mr. petri: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. petri: i rise in support of house resolution 1131, expressing support for designation of the week of april 18 to the 23rd of this year as national assistant principal week. successful operation of an educational institution requires competent administrators. an assistant principal, sometimes called a vice principal assists the pribs pal in the general -- principal in the general governance of the school. they are often responsible for student discipline, classroom observation, teacher evaluation, and supervision, facilitating parent meetings, maintaining schedules, and handling logistical matters. additionally, the assistant principals frequently serve as testing coordinators, training, staff or procedures related to standardized assessment, as well as accounting for testing materials. in addition to these duties, assistant principals are

inchstrucksal leaders. assistant principals are members of a school's administrative team who interact with virtually every sector of the school community, including support staff, instructional staff, students, and parents. as a result of being a center of activity, they are able to foster positive relationships and resolve conflicts among all stakeholders throughout the school community. these administrators play a key role in the leadership of the school by mentoring teachers, encouraging collaboration, and monitoring student achievement while ensuring all students thrive in a safe, inviting , and orderly environment that is conducive to learning. . for their dedication to the educational advancement of our children. we honor them for the contributions that they have made ensuring that every child has access to a high quality education. i urge my colleagues to support

this resolution, no additional requests for time and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support h.res. 1131 authored by congresswoman marcia fudge from ohio. and i urge my colleagues to support the goals and ideals of national assistant principals week. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1131 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 -- ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, with that i would request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. -- 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 gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 375 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 375, resolution supporting the goals and ideals of workers' memorial day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i ask request five legislative days during which members may revise and extends and insert

extraneous materials on h.res. 375 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: with that i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 375 which supports the goals and ideals of workers' memorial day. a number of recent tragedies serve to remind us of the importance of occupational and mine safety. in early february, six workers were killed and 26 injured in a national gas explosion at the clean energy power plant in middletown, connecticut. on april 2, seven workers were killed in an explosion and fire at the tesoro refinery in anacortes, washington. on april 5, 29 miners lost their lives in a massive explosion at the upper big branch mine in west virginia. this incident was the worst u.s. coal mining disaster in 40 years.

and finally, mr. speaker, today our thoughts and prayers remain with the friends and family of those 11 miners who went missing after an explosion last week at the deep water horizon oil rig in the gulf of mexico. 17 workers were also injured and we wish for their speedy recovery. too many workers in this nation are subjected to dangerous conditions at work and have sacrificed their lives and health as a result. everyone is entitled to a safe and healthy workplace. every family deserves to know that when they send their loved one off to work that loved one will come home that evening. mr. speaker, with this resolution we remember and we honor all of these fallen workers and we redouble our commitment to make our nation's workplaces safe and healthy for all workers. i thank representative johnson for introducing this resolution,

eddie bernice johnson from texas, and i urge my colleagues to support this bill. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. petri: today we honor the men and women who have lost their lives on the job. with this resolution we honor their sacrifice and offer our condolences to their families. and as ever we use this occasion to recognize the importance of policies and practices that will encourage safe workplaces and prevent on the job illnesses, injuries and fatalities. bringing this resolution at this time is particularly important given the recent tragedies, loss of life in the mining accidents in west virginia. our diverse economy sometimes places workers in challenging

situations. some jobs are inherently more dangerous than others. that all workers should know the utmost precautions are being taken to limit dangers on the job. employers must work diligently every day to provide safer work sites free of hazards to ensure that all employees come home to their families at the end of the day. this resolution speaks -- speaks to preventing actions and injuries on the job. a proactive approach to safety creates a safe working environment. by working together, employers, employees and the government safety officials involved can ensure safer work sites. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from texas, the author of h.res. 375, eddie

bernice johnson, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from texas, ms. johnson, is recognized for three minutes. ms. johnson: thank you very much, mr. speaker, and thanks to the providing member -- presiding member. on wednesday of this week, which is tomorrow, millions of people worldwide recognize workers' memorial day. each year in this country thousands of workers are killed in workplace-related injuries and tens of thousands more die of occupational illnesses. it is staggering to think that every day an average of 14 workers are killed due to injuries on the job. worldwide more than two million workers die of occupational illness and injuries annually. that means more people are killed on the job each year than in wars. the bottom line is that everyone deserves a safe and healthy workplace. many of us take this basic right for granted, but for millions of

americans the threat of being permanently disabled or even killed on the job is very real. workers' memorial day not only recognizes and honors those who have been killed or injured on the job, it also reminds us of the overwhelming need to improve health and safety standards in our nation's workplaces. it has been 40 years since the creation of osha and over this time worker health and safety standards have vastly improved. however, there is still work to be done. as evidenced by several recent workplace disasters. the month of april has been particularly devastating for workplace deaths in the united states. april 2 seven workers were killed by a devastating fire at tesoro refinery in washington and just last week as has been mentioned we also saw a large explosion of fire on the deep

water horizon drilling rig 50 miles off the coast of louisiana. 17 workers were injured and 11 are missing and thought now to be dead. april 5, as has been mentioned, the explosion at the upper big branch coal mine in west virginia, where 29 lives were lost. additionally, a miner was killed this past week in west virginia. both of these mines had a pattern of repeat safety violations. it appears that these companies were not dedicated to the safety of their employees, rather they were dedicated to staying open by doing the bear minimum to meet regulations. chairman miller, congresswoman woolsey and congressman rahall have been diligent in working to bring to light repeated violators and holding those who continue to operate unsafe mines accountable. i'd like to express my deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who were

killed and injured in these tragic events as well as all those workers who were injured and killed worldwide. these are our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. they left home for work in the morning like all of us do, only never to return. 30 more seconds. ms. woolsey: i yield the gentlewoman 30 more seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady has 30 seconds. ms. johnson: thank you. we hear again and again that those who died knew the risk of what they were doing, a risk many felt was necessary to provide for their families. yes, accidents do happen, but often accidents are preventable. and we must do all that we can to prevent injury and death on the job. i'd like to thank house leadership and chairman miller for their support in bringing this resolution to the floor today. and i'd also like to thank congressman bruce braley and

congresswoman linda sanchez in their assistance in bringing this resolution forward. i urge my colleagues to support the recognizing of this workers' memorial day. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i continue to reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from iowa, mr. bruce braley, who has played a significant part in making this bill come forward, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from iowa is recognized for two minutes -- the gentleman from iowa voiced for two minutes. mr. braley: i rise today in strong support of this resolution honoring workers' memorial day. the recent mining disaster in west virginia serves as a strong reminder of the millions of americans who put their lives on the line every day they go to work. workers' memorial day commemorates those who have been injured or killed on the job and, mr. speaker, this is personal to me because when i was 2 years old my father was

severely injured in a workplace accident and one of the things i'm proudest of is sit setting up a scholarship fund in his name to help injured workers and their families in iowa get a new start on life. over the past several decades in the united states we have made great progress in preventing injures and deaths in the workplace. however, there's still much work that needs to be done and each year more than 5,000 americans are killed due to workplace injuries and millions more experience occupational injuries and illnesses. work-related accidents are still too common in the united states. on average, 16 americans are killed every day due to workplace injuries. we need to continue to work to ensure that every workplace is a safe one. while in the united states we've improved workplace safety in recent decades, the numbers across the globe are overwhelming. it's estimated that nearly two million workers die each year due to work-related accidents or diseases worldwide. more people are killed due to workplace injury or disease than

are killed in war. as a founder of the pop us will caucus, dead -- populous caucus, i will continue to fight for workplace safety. i'm also committed to recognizing this holiday and the millions of workers across the world who have given their lives on the job. that's why i was proud to work with my friends, congresswoman eddie bernice johnson and fellow populous caucus member congresswoman linda sanchez, as we continue to honor the men and women who have given their lives for the continued progress of human kind. i urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution and i yield back the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i continue to reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased and honored to recognize the chair of the education and labor committee, the number one champ for workers in our

congress, the gentleman from california, mr. miller, for four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for four minutes. mr. miller: i thank the gentlewoman from for -- the gentlewoman for yielding and thank the chair for all her work on behalf of workers in our country. and her leadership on not only workers' issues but also family issues. as workers struggle to keep family and the workplace together and in sync from time to time. i also want to thank congresswoman eddie bernice johnson for her introduction of this resolution, for workers' memorial day and to all of the members of the committee who have supported it, mr. petri, for his support. this is a day to honor workers who have lost their lives or become sick or injured because of the unsafe and he unhealthy workplaces -- and unhealthy workplaces in the past year. our nation's workers have had a tough year. last sunday our nation paused to remember 29 fallen miners. the worst u.s. coal mining accident since 1970.

upper big branch was not only a horrific workplace -- was not the only horrific workplace catastrophe this year. last week 11 workers died in an explosion in the deep water horizon oil rig in the gulf of mexico. and three days before the blast at upper big branch, seven workers perished in an explosion in a refiner in seattle. this comes after devastating explosion at a power plant under construction in connecticut which cost six workers their lives. these explosions are a remind that are while we have made strides in workplace safety, unacceptable risks still remain for our workers. 14 workers in america die on the job every day, we have to do better, take the upper big branch mine. two months ago my committee learned about how many mine operators had managed to avoid some of the tougher sanctions implemented after the sago mine explosion. while some have made safety a priority, others have responded by indiscriminately challenging nearly every safety citation. by flooding the system with

unwarranted appeals, these companies have been able to avoid full accountable for their actions -- accountability for their actions. the consequences for these delays can be deadly. last august 48 mines were identified that were able to escape possible tougher scrutiny because of the unresolved appeals. upper big branch mine was one of them. so was the nearby poke hon as it mine where a worker was killed last week. . sadry pements of companies that violate safety laws are outdated. multimillion dollars are little more than a slap on the wrist for potentially fatal violations. without effective enforcement it's easy for bad actors to become repeat offenders. whistle bloyer protection, workers who want to report hazards off live in fear of retribution. according to "the new york times" bun big branch foreman recalled, quote, i have come guys come to me and cry because they were too afraid to report

concerns about high methane levels in the mine. workers shouldn't have to choose between losing their lives and losing their jobs. these tragedies call for immediate reform that will make all workplaces safer. first we must allocate funding that will start to clear the backlog of the mine safety appeals. second we need to look at outdated and ineffective laws that continue to allow companies to put workers in harm's way. in 2008 i authored legislation that would strengthen the mine disaster prevention efforts, improved emergency responses, and rue dues long-term health risks to miners. the s. miner act. it was passed by the house but died in the senate because of a veto threat. we don't know yet if it would have prevented the big branch tragedy, but it certainly would have helped. finally congress should pass protecting america's workers act. this bill will modesh -- modernize safety protections for workers across all industries through stronger penalties, effective whistleblower protections and accountability when employers break the law. four years ago i made a promise

to the families who lost their loved ones at sayingo -- sago disaster. i told them we would do everything we could to heed the lessons of those disasters and keep miners safe. unfortunately i have had to make the same promise to families at crandell canyon mine disaster and now upper big branch. this has got to stop. on this worker's reformial -- memorial day, we should remember all workers who lost their lives on the job. we cannot afford to let another year go by without meaningful reform. i thank the tolerance of the chair and the gentlewoman for yielding time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i continue to reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from illinois, mr. hare, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois, mr. hare, is recognized for two minutes. mr. hare: i want to thank chairwoman woolsey for her leadership. i have had the pleasure of

serving with her. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of h.res. 375. on april 28 we observed workers memorial day when people all over the world gather to remember and mourn the workers who have been killed or injured on the job. april 28 also commemorates the creation of the occupational safety and health administration. since its inception in 1970. osha has been a driving force in improving workplace safety and health conditions across the country. over the past several decades through the work of osha we have made enormous strides in protecting workers, yet there is still much work left to be done. mr. speaker, worker safety has been at the forefront of our social conscience lately. we have seen devastating tragedies from west virginia to connecticut to washington state and now louisiana. while we grieve, we should never forget those who were killed on the job but never make the front pages. their families' paint is no less substantial and our obligation to protect them is no less important. each of these deaths should

remind us the families give osha the tools they need to regulate the workplace efficiently leaves our kids, the american work force, in jeopardy. government alone cannot fulfill and protect our workers. workers memorial day must also be a reminder to our nation's employers to keep our employees safe. the deeds of certain companies skipping safety just to save a buck must come to an end. for those employers that fail to comply, we must strengthen worker protections and make penalties more severe. on behalf of all those who we honor, i ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join chairman woolsey and me in the fight to modernize osha to protect the lives and health of american workers. let us stand together today in solidarity in recognizing member workers memorial day and all those we have lost and take the steps necessary to make every american safer at work. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i continue to

reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from connecticut, mr. courtney, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognize is the gentleman for two minutes. mr. courtney: on sunday, february 7, 2010, while a lot of families were returning from church, myself included, an explosion occurred at the clean energy power plant in middletown, connecticut, a plant that was under construction, a new natural gas plant, where workers, particularly from local 777 of the plumbers and pipe fitters, were there as almost an nonstop series of shifts to get the plants online since a lot of the power considered as read its had already been sold to the owners. it was an explosion which took place in the middle of the state of connecticut. it was heard as far away as long island sound. that was the size and vens of the explosion. they were purging the natural gas power lines. there was a buildup of natural

gas and unfortunately there was some ignition that caused the explosion to take place. six workers were killed, 26 more injured. among them was raymond of old table, connecticut. someone who was a father and grandfather. beautiful family. very active in the community. the other was ronnie crabb of cole chester, connecticut. he was a friend of mine. his wife is a probate judge there. a young family. he was somebody who was so deveeted to -- so devoted to his wife and child and would do anything in the community whether it was raising money for charity, being involved in little league, being involved in his union. the loss is something that is still felt so deeply in the community because of just what a wonderful person he was. the education and labor committee under congresswoman woolsey's leadership and mr. miller are going to conduct a study because there are certain rules that have now been recommended by the chemical safety board for these power plant constructions because there is a wave of natural gas power plants are under

construction because of the energy act. and the fact of the matter is, the law has not caught up with the technology that surrounds this very dangerous work. i again applaud congresswoman woolsey for bringing this motion forward, but honestly honor these individuals who are losing their lives, we need to make sure that the laws are enacted to make sure that there are real protections for workers and their families and that we don't have situations like the crabb family are experiencing today. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman fromis wisconsin. mr. petri: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. sutton, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from ohio is recognized for two minutes. ms. sutton: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this ex-- on this extremely important issue. i rise in strong support of this resolution. this thursday, april 28, 2010, millions of workers and their

families throughout the world will gather to commemorate workers memorial day. we will remember and honor those who were injured or killed on the job and we will renew the call for stronger workplace protection. since 1970 when the occupational safety and health act was passed, more than 410,000 workers' lives have been saved due to improvements in working conditions. however the number of workplace related illnesses, injuries, and deaths remain far too high. in 2008, more than four million workers were injured and 5,214 workers were killed. in ohio 168 workers lost their lives in the workplace in 2008. 168 ohioans who went to work and lost their lives as a result of workplace hazards. 168 men and women who went to work and never returned to their families.

this is about more than statistics. this is -- this workers' memorial day we pause and remember the lives of thousands of lives lost and workplaces around the world. and the past three months alone we witnessed four major workplace tragedies that claim the lives of 41 workers and workers are still missing after an oil rig explosion last week. we must act to ensure our workplaces are safe and our workers are protected. we must continue to fight to create well-paying safe jobs for the american people. we must continue to fight to protect our workers' safety and health and to hold those who put their employees at risk accountable. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: i continue to reserve, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the

gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: actually, this will be the close -- my closing remarks. we have no other witnesses. or speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: do you need any extra time? ms. woolsey: how much time do we have? the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady has 2 1/2 minutes. ms. woolsey: i doubt -- i think i'm ok. mr. petri: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, as we have heard every year about 5,000 workers are killed and four million are injured on the job. with an additional 50,000 dying each year from occupational diseases. there are about four million cases of reportable workplace injuries and 3.7 million occupational illnesses and injuries on an annual basis. what coal mining remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the

united states, every single day hardworking miners show up to the mine in order to provide for their families. we need to do whatever we can to ensure that they and other workers return home safely each and every night. to honor those who have sacrificed their life, their health, their loved ones have sacrificed, those that went to work and didn't come home, we must do more. we have to do more than talk. we have to bring osha and msha into the 21st century. that is my commitment to the workers of america. that is what i'm working on with the support of my subcommittee on education and labor, the work force protection subcommittee, and our chairman, george miller. that is what we know must happen. so i urge my colleagues in closing to support h.res. 375, support the goals and ideals of

workers' memorial day and thank congresswoman johnson and congressman braley and those that worked with her on this amazing resolution. it is so important. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 375, as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- the chair recognizes the gentlewoman. ms. woolsey: i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will suspend. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules -- the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i would ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlelady ask for the yeas and nays? ms. woolsey: 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 gentlewoman california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.res. 561. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 561. resolution congratulating the on none daga community college lady lazers for winning the national junior college athletic association, njcaa, division i women's la cross-examine tournament. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 561 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey cloon with that i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. . ms. woolsey: i rise today to congratulate the onondaga -- that's right, onondaga -- community college, lady lazers, for winning the national junior college athletic association division i women's lacrosse tournament. on may 10, 2009, the onondaga community college lady lazers team celebrated their national junior college athletic association division i championship title with a solid winning score of 9-7 over monroe

community college. this was an especially notable victory for the lady lazers, winning the national title in their first year of existence. winning the championship game was the conclusion to an outstanding season where their only loss all season was to monroe college during the regular season. getting to avenge that lost, resulting in the winning of the championship, made the triumph even sweeter for the team of young athletes. each lady lazers team member is a proud representative of the community college which is located in the heart of upstate new york, near the finger lakes, lake ontario and the st. lawrence seaway as well as the mountains. the community college takes pride in the history of excellence in athletics with more than 200 athletes who participate in one of the institution's 11 competitive teams. lady lazers attacker lauren

welch was named first time njaa all american in addition to being named the region three player of the year. midfielders amanda sazynski and emily pierson were also named first team all american. the three were also first team all region selections. i congratulate these residents as well as the fans all across the great state of new york for their support, dedication and pride in the lady lazers champion team and i wish them great success in the 2010 season. i thank representative maffei for bringing this resolution forward and i urge my colleagues to support this measure. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. pete -- mr. petri: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. petri: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 561, introduced by our colleague, mr. maffei, congratulating the onondaga community college lady lazers for winning the national junior college athletic association division i women's lacrosse tournament. noted for its hills, wooded terrain and expansive view of the surrounding countryside, onondaga community college is a college of the state university of new york system. onondaga is a diverse educational learning community committed to creating and maintaining an atmosphere where individuality is not only recognized by encouraged to contribute to the fabric of the campus environment. onondaga community college serves the educational and economic development needs of the region. their focus is on a student-centered environment, learning-focused institution with a community-oriented approach. in addition to its academic

success, onondaga community college has a history of excellence in athletics and is proud of their athletes in their 11 competitive teams. the past three years, onondaga teams have captured five national championships and in 2008 -- 2009 became the first college in njcaa history to achieve two simultaneous national championships in men's and women's lacrosse. may 10, 2009, the onondaga lazy -- lady lazers defeated monroe community college 9-7 in the finals of the national junior college athletic association division i lacrosse tournament. the lady lazers won the national title in their first year of existence. in addition, lawyer ren welch, amanda sazynski and emily pierson were named first team njcaa all americans. so today we congratulate onondaga community college, its students, faculty and fans on

their win. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves or yields back? mr. petri: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from new york, mr. if a may, who is the author of this -- mr. maffei, who is the author of this resolution, and recognize for him as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. maffei: mr. speaker, i thank the gentlewoman from california and the gentleman from wisconsin for their support of this legislation which i do sponsor on behalf of the community college teams in my district. i do want to -- the word onondaga is an iroquois word, iroquois con federation was a major -- confederation was a

major native american confederation of five and six native american indian nations. its capital was called onondaga. the word means on top of the hill and was very close to where syracuse is now, the city where i'm from. and the -- it's a very, very special place. and the college that indeed these teams are from is named after that original people. our community colleges are a tremendous asset that are too often taken for granted in our communities. in my community we have one of the best community colleges, onondaga community college, and today i rise to congratulate two great lacrosse teams from this college. before i do i want to congratulate this college for its academics. this college is becoming one of the best two-year institutions of higher learning in this country, thanks in large part to the leadership of the president. onondaga is at the forefront of providing education to its students, to exhibit excellence in the high-tech and cutting edge careers that are becoming the future of the economy in

central new york and indeed in the country as a whole. particularly in the areas of health care, environmental technology and high-tech manufacturing. it has become a center for art, music and culture in our community and with its extremely popular residence facilities, now offers the full college experience. after two or more years of study in onondaga, students have gone on to transfer their credits and continue their education in some of the most prestigious universities in this country, including columbia, n.y.u., the university of southern california and clarkson. but i'm here today to rise in congratulations of two of the college teams. i'm going to congratulate one team now because that's the subject of h.res. 561, and then -- hoping the gentlelady will yield to me when we consider h.res. 563 i will talk about the other team. mr. speaker, i want to congratulate the onondaga community college lazy lazers for winning -- lady lazers for win the athletic association

women's attorneyment. i'm incredibly proud to represent the lady lazers. they had an incredible season and this championship. in 2009, as mentioned, their inaugural season, the lady lazers defeated monroe community college 9-7 in the finals of the njcaa women's lacrosse tournament. this was the conclusion of a fantastic season by a fantastic team. three lady lazers were named first team njcaa all americans and all of the lady lazers were tremendous representatives of onondaga colonel and their community. the 2010 season is already well under way and the lady lazers are currently ranked number two in the country with a 7-1 record. i ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the o.c.c. lady lazers on a tremendous season and a 2009 njcaa national championship and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. the chair recognizes the

gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support h.res. 561, congratulating the onondaga -- onondaga, i got it, i could maybe graduate from that college now -- community college lady lazers for winning the national junior college athletic association division i women's lacrosse tournament. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 561. 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 agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise seek recognition? -- the gentlewoman from

california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: i ask that the house pass h.res. 563. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 563, resolution congratulating the onondaga community college lazers for winning the national junior college at let i, association njcaa -- athletic association njcaa men's lacrosse tournament. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, congresswoman woolsey requests five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous materials on h.res. 563 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlelady is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate the onondaga community college lazers for winning the national junior college athletic association division i men's lacrosse tournament. on may 10, 2009, the onondaga community college lazers men's lacrosse team defeated nassau community college with a score of 9-8 during the finals of the njcaa division i men's lacrosse tournament. the game that secured the lazers' victory was remarkable as it marked the third national title for onondaga community college's men's lacrosse program. the victory was also especially sweet as it concluded an undefeated season for the team. in addition to winning the njcaa division championship, the 2009 men's team also won its fifth

consecutive njcaa region three championship as well as its ninth consecutive midstate athletic conference title in 2009. i congratulate head coach chuck wolfer on winning eight consecutive midstate athletic conference championships, five consecutive region three championships and three national championships. chuck was named the njcaa men's lacrosse coach's association national coach of the year in 2009, the third time he was given that honor. i also wish to congratulate attack man injury home thompson and midfielder jeremy thompson for -- who were named the offensive and defensive players of the year respectively by the njcaa men's lacrosse coaches association. in addition to jerome and jeremy

thompson, midfielder ed prevose, defensivemen pete mumford and goalie john theorelo were all named to the njcaa all american first team. in 2009, mr. speaker, onondaga community college became the first college in njcaa history to achieve two simultaneous national championships in men's and women's lacrosse with both the men's lazers team winning the title along with the lady lazers team. onondaga community college is very proud of its athletes as well as its academic programs. i congratulate each member of the team and i congratulate the community college family on winning the njcaa division i championship and i wish them great success in 2010 for their lacrosse -- men's lacrosse

season. i thank representative maffei for bringing this resolution forward and i urge my colleagues to support this measure. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. petri: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. petri: i rise today in support of representative maffei's resolution, house resolution 563, congratulating the onondaga community college lazers for winning the national junior -- should be the men's lazers, it says the women's lazers, but that's all right, for winning the national junior college athletic association division i men's lacrosse tournament. onondaga community college is the college of the state university of new york system and one of 30 locally sponsored community colleges throughout new york state. they offer two-year degree programs that serve as transfer opportunities for bachelor

degree programs at four-year practices and they offer certificate programs that can be completed in one year. college currently has over 11,000 students enrolled and strives to provide the full college experience. the onondaga community college men's lacrosse team is an example of the college's excellence. with three national titles to its name, the team has included 35 all american and 47 lacrosse coaches association academic all americans. the 2009 men's lacrosse team completed the season 16-0, an undefeated season. the team captured the 2009 njcaa national championship against nassau community college on may 10, 2009, with a 9-8 victory, closer than the ladies who won 9-7.

jerome thompson and jon fiorillo were named the offensive and defensive players of the year and head coach chuck wilbur was named the njcaa men's lacrosse coach of the year. i stand to congratulate the on doinga men's lacrosse team -- onondaga men's lacrosse team, the fans and faculty at o.c.c. i urge my colleagues to support the resolution before us, and i reserve the balance of my time. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from new york, mr. maffei, for as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. maffei: i thank the gentlelady from california as well as the gentleman from wisconsin. we have had a very, very good year in lacrosse last year in upstate new york. a good portion of the bill i come to sponsor on the floor

frb congratulatory resolution. louisiana moy second in the division in lacrosse. of course, we mentioned the women. mr. speaker, i think the word that the gentleman from wisconsin used, excellence, is the only way to describe this particular team. these young men have just -- had extremely high expectations on their shoulders and yet they exceeded even those. and so i rise to congratulate the onondaga community college lazers for winning the 2009 national junior college athletic association men's lacrosse tournament. i am incredibly proud to be the congressman that represents the lazers, and i am incredibly proud of them for an undefeated season and their third national championship in the past four years. in 2009 the lazers defeated nassau community college 9-8 in the finals of the njcaa men's

lacrosse championship at herkimer community college. i will say that jerome thompson and jon fiorillo were named the offensive and defensive players of the year. and head coach chuck wilbur was named the njcaa coach of the year. all of the lazers are tremendous representatives of their school and their community. the 2010 season is well under way and the lazers are currently ranked number three in the country with an 11-2 record. i ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the onondaga lazers on a tremendous season and a 2009 njcaa national championship. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the lady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support h.res. 563, congratulating the onondaga community college lazers for winning the national junior college athletic

association division i men's lacrosse tournament. with that i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 563. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.res. 1280, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1280, resolution expressing the support of the house of representatives for the goals and ideals of national healthy schools day. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california,

ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. petri, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on h.res. 1280 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.res. 1280, a resolution recognizing the goals and ideals of national healthy schools day. every year we celebrate national healthy schools day to promote healthy and green school environments for all children. across the country, more than 55 million children and seven million adults spend their days in over 125,000 public and private schools in the united states. that's why it's essential that

we recognize the importance of healthy learning environments. this year, national healthy schools day, 2010, focuses on the importance of good indoor air quality, nontoxic cleaning supplies, and environmentally friendly building materials. the need for healthy schools is clear. scientific studies show that poor environmental conditions in schools harm students' health and academic achievement. on the other hand, healthy schools help students reach their maximum potential. according to the united states environmental protection agency, more than half of the schools in the u.s. have problems linked to unhealthy indoor air quality. too many school districts struggle with the poor physical condition of their facilities, and this reality has only become worse because of the fiscal crisis affecting our country. schools in urban and rural areas are often overcrowded,

unhealthy, inadequately maintained and rigorous quality learning. healthy school requirements encourage better student attendance and participation. kids who feel healthy are more likely to stay in school. healthy schools also encourage students to spend time at school for extra curricular activities which is a key part of president obama's goal to make our schools a community centers that they should and could be. all students deserve dry, clean and quiet facilities with good indoor air, lighting and sanitation. national healthy schools day highlights simple steps we can take that can improve school environments for our children. this year's healthy schools campaign focuses on the importance of green, nontoxic cleaning products. approximately 25% of chemicals in cleaning products used in schools are toxic and contribute to poor indoor air quality.

smog, cancer, asthma and other diseases simply are the diseases that result from those cleaning products. simply replacing toxic products with all-natural cleaners can immediately improve the health of our students. additionally, mr. speaker, the u.s. environmental protection agency provides guides and assessments on their website to help schools improve indoor air quality. national healthy schools day raises awareness to make our schools healthier and safer for kids. mr. speaker, this resolution in support of national healthy schools day serves as an -- serves as an important reminder of this.

i thank mr. tonko for introducing this resolution. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. petri: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.res. 280, expressing the support of the house of representatives for the goals and ideals of national healthy schools day. many parents strive to keep their kids healthy. national healthy schools day shows the important role that schools play in keeping children healthy and ready to learn. they spend 30 to 50 hours a week in our nation's school. local communities strive to make their school building places that support positive environments in which learning can thrive. for example, by taking steps to improve indoor air quality, school districts can decrease irritants in the air that may aggravate asthma and allergies in some children. districts are also responsible for ensuring that school buildings are safe from physical danger and that all children will be protected

during their time at school. national healthy schools day promotes schools that support parents' efforts to ensure their children are safe and healthy whether at home or at school. i ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring local schools that meet the commitment to keeping all children healthy and safe. i have no additional requests for time, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i am pleased to recommend -- recognize the gentleman from new york, mr. tonko, the author of this legislation, for as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank the gentlewoman from california, the gentleman from wisconsin. i rise today in support of house resolution 1280, a resolution that i introduced to recognize national healthy schools day. national healthy schools day recognizes the importance of

having a clean, healthy and safe indoor environment in our nation's schools. each day millions of students, teachers and staff go to work and school in our nation's schools. not all of these are healthy environments. especially for our young children. the e.p.a. estimates that up to one half of those schools have problems with indoor air quality, and 32 million students attend schools that have self-reported environmental problems with their facilities that can affect our children's health and learning. indoor air quality is one of the most common environmental problems in schools, which can aggravate children's allergies and asthma problems. 9% of our nation's schoolchildren have asthma, which is the leading cause of absenteeism in our schools. other common environmental problems in our schools include mold infestation, lead and

copper contaminated drinking water, playgrounds and classrooms with high levels of pesticides, unchecked furnaces and buses leaking carbon monoxide and exhaust from gasoline powered equipment. these problems affect the heaflt our nation's schools and the -- health of our nation's schools and the people in them and can contribute to absenteeism, sick building syndrome, staff turnover and liability issues for our school districts. research shows that simple steps can be taken to make our schools healthier. heating and ventilation equipment can be improved to enhance indoor air quality. new schools can be built with a healthy design at nonpolluted sites in more sustainable ways that reduce energy and maintenance costs. nontoxic products can be used for cleaning, maintenance and teaching. the use of natural light can indeed be improved. healthy and high-performance schools are designed to improve the indoor environment for the

students and staff members who go to work and school in these buildings each and every day. they are more energy efficient and lead to better overall health. many states, in fact, have already adopted guidelines for building healthy and high-performance schools, like my home state of new york. national healthy schools day draws the importance of having a safe and healthy school environment for our nation's students. national healthy schools day is supported by the healthy schools network, the e.p.a., the national education association and many more organizations. i am proud to be counted as a supporter of national healthy schools day and look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues here to ensure that every student as a healthy environment in which to learn. after all, our children are the foundation for this country's great future. shouldn't we be providing them with the safest and healthiest places to learn? thank you, mr. speaker, and i

yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution, recognizing national healthy schools day, authored by congressman tonko from new york, and recognizing the importance of ensuring healthy and green school environments for all of our children. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1280 as amended. those in favor say aye. 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 laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended.

for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5017, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5017, a bill to ensure the availability of loan guarantees for rural homeowners . the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. kanjorski, and the gentlewoman from west virginia, mrs. capito, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. cannon: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous -- mr. kanjorski: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and insert extraneous material throne. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. kanjorski: mr. speaker, i

yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. kanjorski: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 5017, the rural housing preservation and stabilization act. this legislation aims to preserve the u.s. department of agriculture's section 502 single family housing guaranteed loan program that helps low and moderate income rural residents obtain safe and affordable housing. since its inception, this program has helped hundreds of thousands of families realize the american dream of home ownership. managed by the usda's rural housing service, the program provides a vital source of mortgage credit in communities of less than 20,000 residents. usda currently guarantees rural home loans with the money that it receives through the appropriations process and the up front fees it collects on loan original nations. historically congress has also

sent through the process the statutory limit on the maximum loan commitment authority that the federal government will guarantee. these guarantees deserve the exposure of home lenders to default so they will underwrite more mortgages for low and moderate income families in rural america. in 2009 the 115,000 loans made under the program averaged 112 -- $112,000. the financial crisis, however, has created unprecedented demand for and spiked homeowner interest in the program. as a result, the program has more than tripled in recent years from guaranteeing about $3 billion in 2006 to guaranteeing more than $10 billion at the end of march, 2010. in march, usda notified its

state directors and participating lenders in the program that they would have to stop making conditional loan commitments at the end of april because they had exhausted their funding and would have to wait until they received additional appropriations. h.r. 5017 offers a commonsense solution to this problem by raising the up front fee -- problem. by raising the up front fee to up to 4% and increasing the usda's loan authority to $30 billion for the current year, usda confirms that these amounts would be sufficient for the program to continue to operate without interruption. moreover, by making this program self-sustaining, we will also reduce discretionary spending by $24 million in the current fiscal year. so this legislation represents a win for the american taxpayers and a win for the america's homeland or heartland. this legislation additionally enjoys broad support and passed

out of the financial services committee by a bipartisan vote last thursday. in this regard, i'm especially grateful for the work of my colleague, the gentlelady from west virginia, mrs. capito, who has worked closely with me on these matters. they are suggestions have helped make a good bill even better. additionally, many groups have called upon congress to act quickly to fix this problem, including the national association of realtors, the mortgage bankers association and the american bankers association. we should heed their advice and pass this bill. in sum, mr. speaker, to preserve the dream of home ownership in america's heartland, i urge all my colleagues to vote yes on h.r. 5017 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from west virginia. mrs. capito: thank you, mr. speaker, and i would like to thank my colleague, mr.

kanjorski, for his good, solid work on this bill and we've worked well together on h.r. 5017 and i think we see the results of that work together here today on the floor. this legislation extends the usda 502 loan guarantee program. this program is very important to home ownership tool for many rural americans, many of which live in my state of west virginia, providing a loan guarantee on privately issued loans. the 502 program has a very low default rate. over the last few years, demand for the program has increased and consequently loan commitment authority for the 502 program will be exhausted. without swift action, borrowers who rely on this program will run out of options for the affordable home loans. last week i offered an amendment during the markup of h.r. 5017 in the financial services committee that provides the 502 program with additional loan commitment authority and makes an important improvement to the program.

in order to make the program self-sufficient we are raising the guarantee fee up to 4%, granting the secretary the authority to choose the appropriate level. this ensures that the program will no longer be reliant on taxpayer funds to build capital reserves, a welcome part of the 502 program. although i'm committed to continuing to work with my colleagues on potential long-term modifications to the 502 program that serves the best interests of the homeowners and the taxpayers, i believe it's important that the language increasing the loan commitment authority to $30 billion be limited to the current fiscal year and not beyond that time period. we must be aware of the impact on the private market and ensure that private entities are able to regain appropriate market share. mr. speaker, with these changes we strike a balance of extending the program for the rest of the year and i'm sure many of my colleagues here have heard from numerous realtors, lenders and potential home buyers about the situation that the 052 program

has found itself in -- 502 program has found itself in. it has helped hundreds of thousands of families with low to moderate incomes realize home ownership. over the past several weeks, as i said, many constituents have contacted me stressing just how important this program is as they are on their path toward home ownership and want to see its continued funding. i want to thank mr. -- thank mr. kanjorski and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady continues to reserve the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. kanjorski: mr. speaker, i would like to recognize for two minutes the gentleman from connecticut, mr. courtney. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut is recognized for two minutes. mr. courtney: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, last friday the u.s. department of commerce released figures for march for the sale of single family homes. it increased by 27%, the biggest increase since 1963.

we are finally starting to see real signs of recovery in the housing market. but it didn't happen by itself entirely. prices have certainly gone down, there is available good rates out there, with programs that congressman kanjorski's legislation will protect and nurture has been a huge reason why we've seen the growth in numbers that the u.s. department of commerce reported last week. the 502 program in eastern connecticut has been a life line throughout 2009 and early 2010, where again the spike in numbers that mr. kanjorski described has been a reality and has allowed the market to thrive but also to provide people an avenue to obtain financing that otherwise they never, ever would have been able to get in the regular market. as was said by the congresswoman from west virginia, lenders are holding their breath, homeowners are holding their breath, the first time home buyer tax credit is about to expire in a few days, passing this legislation

which will provide an avenue to protect this program will continue the upward momentum that we're finally starting to see in the housing market and again i congratulate mr. kanjorski for his creative solution to this problem which will not cost the taxpayers additional funds but will keep, again, a growing real estate market moving in the right direction and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from west virginia. mrs. capito: i'd like to continue to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. mrs. capito: i have no further speakers. the chair: the chair -- the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. kanjorski: i have no further requests for time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from west virginia. mrs. capito: thank you. mr. speaker, i would just again reiterate my support for this bill. i think it's timely and it's something that we want to do in an expeditious and responsible manner and i believe that this bill addresses those concerns. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania.

mr. kanjorski: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5017 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 -- mr. kanjorski: mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, 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 gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5146. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5146, a bill to provide that members of congress shall not receive a cost of living adjustment in pay during fiscal year 2011. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. davis, and the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. davis: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extends their remarks on this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. davis: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlelady is recognized. ms. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, while there are positive signs of economic recovery around the country, the budget deficit is still an important issue. therefore it is appropriate that we continue to forgo a cost of living adjustment at this time. as we did for 2010. i hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of this legislation entitled providing members of congress to not receive a cost of living adjustment in pay in fiscal year 2011 sponsored by the gentleman from arizona, mr. mitchell. actually, mirroring language that the gentleman from texas, mr. paul, has had before our

body for some period of time. both gentlemen have worked on this together. across the country we know that there are serious issues plaguing americans. mainly a deteriorating economy and very high unemployment rates. in my home state the underemployment rate is at over 20%. in my district, sacramento county has an unemployment rate of 12.9%, which is actually lower than some of the cities in my district. the city of galt, for example, has an unemployment rate of 15%. so, it goes without saying things are not well in our economy. people are suffering. as americans around the country are struggling and sacrificing to make ends meet, it appears that we in congress should not be immune. other institutions are doing

likewise. the chief justice of the supreme court recently announced in his year end report for the judiciary that he would not be requesting the usual salary increase for federal judges given that, quote, so many of our fellow citizens have been touched by hardship, end quote. the president has also announced a pay freeze for top white house officials and other appointees in the federal government. mr. speaker, recently in this house, we passed h. resolution 1257, supporting the goals and ideals of national financial literacy month, 2010. now, this legislation sought to raise public awareness about financial education through highlighting the importance of maintaining and managing personal finances, increasing personal savings and reducing indebtedness in the united states. some would ask whether we in congress ought to undertake that same examination with respect to

our spending in this house and our spending overall on the federal budget. at a time when we are passing resolutions telling americans to be more cognizant of their financial situation, their debt, their savings, we do need to do the same in the house. millions of americans are not getting a pay raise this year, many unfortunately not even getting paychecks. under these circumstances, congress must forgo a pay raise to save the hardworking taxpayers and hard looking job seekers in this country a little of their money. relative to the overall federal budget, this single act doesn't have that great an impact, but any dollar, any federal dollar is something that we should treat with utmost responsibility because it comes to us in a sense involuntarily from our constituents. it comes through taxes or

future taxes that pay for current debts. so i think under these circumstances most my colleagues or all of my colleagues would agree that now is the time to forgo a pay raise. i ask my colleagues support this resolution, mr. speaker. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. mrs. davis: i'd like to yield to the gentleman from arizona for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona for three minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 5146, the cancel for pay raise for members of congress for fiscal year 2011 act, a bill to stop members from congress from receiving the automatic pay raise in fiscal year 2011. last week, the senate approved this same legislation, and i'm pleased that the house is now following suit. with unemployment high and so

many families under stress, it would simply unconscionable for congress to raise its own pay, but that is precisely what will happen in fiscal year 2011 unless congress takes action to stop it. this bill is simply the right thing to do. earlier this year, chief justice roberts announced that in a major break through tradition he will not seek a salary increase this year for federal judges. in light of the fact that, quote, so many of our fellow citizens have been touched by hardship, unquote. likewise, president obama has announced a pay freeze for senior white house officials as well as top appointees across the federal government. and as i mentioned last week, the snay approved legislation to block the next automatic pay raise for members of congress. it is time, past time for the house to act. the american people are not getting a raise this year. neither should congress. i want to thank representative ron paul for his steadfast leadership on this issue. he and i worked closely with

each other for several years now for block the annual pay raise, and today's vote would not have been possible without him. dr. paul, thank you. i also want to thank the national taxpayers union, the citizens against government waste, for their support in blocking the pay raise. and i want to thank representative jim matheson for his work on this legislation, as well as house leadership for allowing this important bill to come to the floor today. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: thank you very much, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield five minutes to the indom nable, distinguished gentleman from texas, mr. ron paul, who has worked on this issue for sometime. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas for five minutes. mr. paul: i thank the gentleman and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. paul: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this legislation, and i want to

compliment mr. mitchell from arizona for getting this bill to the floor. we've worked on this for several years, and i am pleased that this will be passed today. much has been said about the unemployment rate in this country and i saw one other take on unemployment today where it said low-income people, the unemployment rate is actually 31%. which shows how devastating this recession is and for some it's an actual depression. i'd like this bill to be passed but not just a symbolism. it is good symbolism and important symbolism. as was mentioned by the gentleman from california, it's not a tremendous amount of money, but it's important for us to recognize that we have a serious problem in this country and that we shouldn't be careless about the way we think about this problem. it shouldn't make us feel absolutely good. it is necessary. it does remind me of a piece of

legislation i introduced years ago in the 1970's where we had rampant inflation. back then we had 15% inflation rate, and my suggestion then was, the form of legislation was to get the members' attention to understand what inflation was all about, i said we should take a pay cut at the rate of inflation. even today we might suggest that. there is a lot more inflation out there than we admit to so maybe not only should we freeze our salaries, maybe we should be taking a pay cut so we can do a better job because we really can't brag about the job we have done for the country because of the condition the country is in. but i'd like to extend this motivation to freeze the pay -- the pay of congressmen to freezing of few other things. i'd like to see our budget at least frozen where it is. that would go a long way to solving some of our budgetary problems. and how about freezing the debt level? let's not raise the debt level.

instead, this next year our national debt is going to go up about $2 trillion when you add up all that we borrow from our trust funds. also, i'd like to see a freeze on regulations because regulations usually backfire. there's unintended consequences. they cost a lot of money and they act as a tax and they don't improve the economy overall. i would be in support of freezing the welfare transfer system. the system that most people think, well, transfer is going to help all the poor people. well, the transfer will help the rich people and they're the ones to get the bailouts and poor people don't. a freeze on welfare transfer would be a long way toward restoring a free society and a constitutional government. also, the consensus of the american people is we have not freezed the bailout. it looks like there will be a long time before that happens because we have a monetary system where we have somebody over there called the federal reserve saying we can print money at will and our job is to be the lender of last resort.

that means to bail anybody and everybody out that needs money and looks like that will be domestic as well as international. i'd like to freezeted ability -- freeze the ability of the federal reserve to print money at will. the fed can come in and increase the money supply. a sound monetary system would have frozen anybody's ability to just create money out of thin air. i'd also like to freeze the income tax at the 1912 level. and that indeed would be a real boost to the people of this country. all of a sudden there would be great wealth in the hands of the consumer. just think if all the money that we spent on the bailouts that just tightied things over, if a portion of that would have been used to get rid of the income tax, i think the money

would have been better spent because the people would have been spending the money instead of the bureaucrats and politicians and regulators that bail out the people who were making all the money in the first place. but i'd like to extend this freeze on to some other things too. i'd like to freeze some of our militaryism. i think we have enough fighting going on. i don't think we should expand the war. i'd like to freeze the sanctions on countries. i'd like to see a lot free trade. i'd like to see the bombing is not extended, that we quit allowing our c.i.a. to extend the bombing of countries that have not attacked us. i'd also like to put a freeze on this concept of preventative war. this whole idea of the prevented war means we can literally start the war. yes, it's good that we're freezing the salaries of us here in the congress, but if we really want to restore the --

restore it, we can freeze other things as well. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. mrs. davis: thank you. i'd like to yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from utah, mr. matheson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. math thank you, mr. speaker. as so -- mr. matheson: thank you, mr. speaker. as so many people look to find work, i'm glad that they have chosen to highlight this issue. they passed the measure to block a congressional pay raise for the current fiscal year. this past week, the senate continued the freeze on congressional pay without a single vote and i urge my colleagues to pass this bill. the need for this bill addresses the congressional pay raise system, because every system, unless both the house and senate actually vote against a pay raise, like we're talking about doing right now, we automatically receive a pay raise. it almost -- in almost every

profession, salaries are dependent on performance, tenure or a number of factors, other than merely showing up to work every day. this system, which sh rounds the pay increase in arcane procedures, needs an open debate on the issue. this is a straightforward measure for stopping the pay increase for 2011 and it has been supported in a bipartisan manner. i command congressman paul for his work. beyond this one-time issue we are talking about today, i would be remiss to say that i've introduced a separate legislation that would repeal the automatic pay raise and bring this issue to an open, up or down vote to let the public know where we stand on this issue every year. the senate has also passed this legislation, and i look forward to discussing this issue as we move forward to address our budgetary priorities. as i said for the past many years, spending priorities in a time of war and economic turmoil should not include an automatic salary increase for members of congress. i urge my fellow members of the

house to prevent a pay raise for 2011 and vote in favor of legislation on the floor today. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lungren: after listening to the gentleman from texas, mr. paul, i'm reminded of some freezes i'd like to see. in addition to this freeze on our pay for a year, i'd like to see us put a freeze on regulations on small business. and the previous speaker just mentioned that he believes we have somewhat of an arcane procedure for providing for pay raises to members of congress. that may be true. there are no more arcane activity that we engaged in than when we passed the health care bill in that having a new burden on business, particularly small business. and i speak of section 9006 of the health care bill, which has nothing to do with health, but has everything to do with

regulation. now, as opposed to the law which has existed for many years in which you had to file a 1099 on someone who provided a service for you, the purpose of which was to make sure that there was some paper trail to see if you were paying payroll taxes, we now have decided under this bill, the health care bill, section 9006 to require anybody involved in trade or business -- service, that is any type of business, who makes a purchase from some other corporate entity of any type that amounts to more than $600 cumulatively over a single year, that requires a 1099 to be filed with the person thaw purchased the product from and the federal government. and what this means is that now

if you purchase plane tickets and it amounts to more than $600 and you were engaged in base, you will have to file a 1099 with united airlines or american airlines and the federal government. if you purchase food for your company, and it amounts to more than $600, you will have to file a 1099. if you happen to be a rancher and you purchase bails of hay, you will have to keep a running tab all year long, and when you go over $600, you are going to have to file a 1099. if you in fact utilize fedex or u.p.s., if during the course of the year it is more than $600, you will have to file a 1099 with u.p.s. or fedex and the federal government. and this will require accounting procedures. but more than that, there is a double-edged sword to that, and

that is it is a dagger at the heart of small business because if you have this obligation, it is easier to deal with one single big vendor than to have a number of them. than going to your local hardware store, you are a small business, you ought to go to a big guys because their universe of product is greater. and so if you have everything you purchase from them, knowing it will be over $600, you only have a single, a single, that is, 1099 to file. so what we've done is make it difficult to actually operate with this new regulatory scheme. and on the other hand create disincentives for small business. now, when we contacted the internal revenue service to see how we'd interpret it, they said we have not interpreted it because we're waiting for h.h.s. to tell us, to give us guidance. now we have tax policy going to be determined by h.h.s. and all i'm saying is, if

people think we've had arcane procedures for means of pay raise for members of congress, it is nothing compared to what we've done in this health care bill with regulation on small business. i actually call that provision of the health care bill the universal snitch act because when you file this 1099 it has nothing to do with your obligation to pay taxes. it's got to be premised on the idea that every vendor you deal with cheats and the only way to catch cheaters is to have this new paper trail. and so i don't know. it just seems repugnant to me that we'd do that. and i happen to have a bill that i introduced yesterday that would repeal that. i just bring this up because the gentleman from texas prompted this thought in my mind about freezes that would be appropriate, and then when the previous speaker mentioned about arcane procedures, there was nothing more arcane than the health care bill we passed. they weren't sure this was in the bill.

when we talked to congressional research service, they said, oh, it couldn't be and then we pointed out that the new language in the bill is property, not just services, but property. and that includes anything that you purchase, that it has an unbelievable obligation on small business with that i would reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. davis: i'd like to yield to the distinguished gentleman from new mexico, mr. teague, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico is recognized for three minutes. mr. teague: thank you, mr. speaker. as a small businessman in the oil and gas industry for over 30 years, i know that when times are tough we have to tighten our belts. that is why the very first bill that i sponsored in congress was the bill to stop the automatic pay raise for members of congress. last year we were able to get enough signers to stop this pay raise for this year and i was

proud to work to get that done. i am proud that our work has again paid off and that i'm standing here today in support of a bill that will again stop the automatic pay raise that members have taken advantage of for too long. while many working new mexicans are struggling to make ends meet, it is insulting that anyone would accept an automatic pay raise. something most of my constituents in my district will have to do without, if their earning a salary at all. mr. speaker, our constituents expect honest and responsible leadership from their congress. that's why i encourage my colleagues to just say no to the dough and we need to take -- take this a step further. i call on my fellow members of congress to co-sponsor legislation i have sponsored with my colleague from arizona, representative kirkpatrick. our bill would cut pay for all senators and representatives by 5% beginning january 1, 2011.

this would be the first congressional pay reduction since 1933. i think it's about time that congress see their pay cut just like the rest of the country. so i ask to you join me in this fight today. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the pride of the coast guard, mr. coble, the divisioned gentleman from north carolina. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for two minutes. mr. coble: i thank my friend from california and i'm glad to speak on behalf of this bill. some would say, well, it's just a symbolic gesture. it may be symbolic but it is symbolically significant. what better time to impose a freeze against ourselves than now? during these harsh economic times people have been beneficiaries of pink slips, being told their jobs are gone, and then they see that the congress gets an automatic core.

i think this is a good bill, i urge its passage and i thank the gentleman from california. we're on the right track here. this bill needs to be passed. we need to impose a freeze upon ourself in the next fiscal year. it would send a message that would be well received by our constituents across this land. i thank the gentleman from california and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. davis: i reserve the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, since i have no further speakers, i would just urge my colleagues to support this resolution. this is appropriate at this particular time. i think all members of congress recognize the difficult economic straits we are in. simple resolution, it forgos the pay raise for the year 2011 and i would urge my colleagues to support it. with that i would yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. and, mr. speaker, i just wanted to comment very briefly because my colleagues were asking for basically a freeze on the health care that we know today. they spoke of repugnant policies. i'm going to talk just for a minute about the repugnant policies we know of today which don't allow people to get insurance if they have pre-existing conditions, that have ratings which discriminate against women, which make it almost impossible for small business to be able to take care and help their employees when it comes to health insurance. so, yes, we have some policies that we have been trying to change. and unfortunately my colleagues are asking for a freeze. but i do want, mr. speaker, to applaud the fact that we are here on a singular effort today and that is to forgo the cost of living adjustments for congress. i think that's a good idea, it's a very timely idea and it's very important that we move forward

with it today and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5146. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- ms. davis: mr. speaker, i ask for 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 1131 by the yeas and nays, house resolution 5017 by the yeas and nays and h.r. 5146 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. uh-uh the gentlewoman from -- under the speaker's announced policy the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, to suspend the -- the unfinished business is on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title

of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1131. resolution expressing support for designation of the week of april 18, 2010, through april 23, 2010, as national assistant 23, 2010, as national assistant principals week. the

motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? mr. arcuri:, madam speaker, i send to the desk a privileged report for filing under the

rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 1300, resolution providing for consideration of the bill, h.r. 5013, to amend title 10, united states code, providing for performance management of the defense acquisition system, and for other purposes. mr. arcuri: thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. the house will be in order. members, please take your seats and take your conversations outside the chamber. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded or the yeas and nays are ordered or on

which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. the house will be in order. will members please remove their conversations outside the chamber. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from wisconsin seek recognition? ms. baldwin: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass house resolution 1259, a resolution recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of sexual assault awareness month. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the clerk will report the title of the resolution.

the clerk: house resolution 1259, resolution recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of sexual assault awareness month. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from wisconsin, ms. baldwin, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from wisconsin. ms. baldwin: thank you, 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. ms. baldwin: and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. baldwin: thank you, madam speaker. studies of the prevalence of crime and the victimization show that one in six women -- mr. poe: madam speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. please take conversations outside the chamber.

members, please clear the well. the house will be in order. the house will be in order. . on average, a person is sexual assaulted in the united states every 2 1/2 minutes. in my own state of wisconsin, we've learned that nearly 93% of sexual assault survivors are violated by someone they know and trust. . and trust. tragically, oftentimes as

youngsters before they reached the age of 15. nationwide, we know that children and young adults are most at risk. 44% of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18 and 80% are under the age of 30. it estimated that 20r% to 25% of women attending college are raped or assaulted over the course of their college career. these statistics are staggering and unconscionable. yet, as is often the case, statistics alone cannot adequately convey the urgency of a future where no child, no woman, no man is ever sexually violated again. last fall, i got a chance to hear from a courageous woman from wisconsin who was sexually assaulted in 1993.

i'll call her carry. she was walking from her home to meet her husband at a party in milwaukee. she was approached by three strangers with guns. the speaker pro tempore: will the house be in order. ms. baldwin: madam speaker, as she walked, she was approached by three strangers with guns. and she was raped for 45 minutes while two guns were held against her. she thought about screaming, but she was afraid that she would be shot. after the assault, carrie said, i laid there and i wished they had called me because this isn't going to go away. 15 years later, the memories of the assault have not gone away. but with incredible personal strength, carrie has channeled the horrendous fear in an

incredibly positive way. she has dedicated herself to creating the change necessary to end sexual violence and speaks eloquently about the need to support prevention programming and services for victims of sexual assault and their families. but maybe more importantly, she bravely puts a human face on sexual assault for those less familiar with the issue or its consequences. carie is a neighbor, a daughter, a sister, a wife and carrie is the reason to fight as long as it takes to keep other women from experiencing what she has endured. she is a true survivor and inspiration to me and should be to all of us. although like carrie most victims are younger women, the effects of sexual assault cut across all racial, social,

religious, ethnic and economic boundaries. whether the crime is rape, incest, child sexual abuse, stalking or sexual harassment, sexual assault impacts everywhere, our schools, our workplaces, our streets and our homes. sexual assault is a threat to both public health and public safety and it requires a coordinated response in the form of increased support for prevention, education, law enforcement, prosecution and services provided to survivors. this year, as our country faces difficult economic times, sexual assault service providers are seeing marked increases in reported sexual violence for a variety of reasons. yet, according to a 2010 survey of rape crisis centers by the national alliance to end sexual violence, fully 72% of sexual

assault prevention programs have experienced a reduction in funding over the past year. 56% have experienced a reduction in staffing, 23% currently have a waiting list for services. and funding and staffing cuts have resulted in an overall 50% reduction in the provision of institution national advocacy services. we still have far to go in eradicating the harm inflicted in our communities by sexual assault. there is a clear and significant need for more public education and awareness. the national sexual assault prevention and awareness month does just this. recognized each year in april, provides the special opportunity to educate americans about sexual violence and to encourage the prevention of sexual assault, the improved treatment

of its survivors and the prosecution of its perpetrators. as part of the national sexual assault awareness and prevention month, we recognize national and community organizations as well as private sector supporters for their work in promoting awareness about sexual assaults. and also applaud public safety, law enforcement and health professionals for their hard work and innovative strategies to increase the percentage of sexual assault cases that result in the prosecution and incarceration of offenders. along with my colleague, congressman ted poe from texas and congresswoman wasserman schultz from florida, i introduced house resolution 1259 to recognize april, 2010. by supporting this resolution, we highlight the efforts of individuals and agencies that provide rape crisis intervention

and prevention services. we also call attention to sexual violence as a major public health issue and raise awareness of the need for increased resources for preventing sexual violence. madam speaker, i extend my thanks to a number of advocates for their work on sexual assault prevention and tireless work to help victims cope with the trauma of sexual assault and transition from victim to survivor. in wisconsin, we are incredibly lucky to have the coalition against sexual assault working to create the social change necessary to end sexual violence. my thanks go to the coalition and the member organizations across the state for the important work that they do. and finally, i want to extend my sincere thanks to my colleagues, congressman ted poe and congresswoman debee wasserman schultz as the lead sponsors of

this resolution. thank you for your work and leadership. although we have made significant progress, we still have far to go in eradicating the harm inflicted on our communities by sexual assault. and i urge all of my colleagues to fully support this resolution recognizing national sexual assault awareness and prevention month. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: today the house considers house resolution 1259, resolution designating the month of april as sexual assault awareness month and i support this important legislation. i want to thank the gentlelady from wisconsin, for sponsoring this bill and bringing it to the attention of congress again this year. it is important legislation that we recognize the sexual assault

awareness month to bring awareness to this tragic crime that occurs throughout the united states. the goal of the resolution is to raise public awareness and educate communities about sexual assault and violence. it encourages the prevention of sexual assault and improvement of treatment of its survivors and prosecution of perpetrators. the numbers tell the story we cannot ignore. on average, a person is sexually assaulted in the united states every 2 1/2 minutes. according to the justice department bureau of justice statistics, individuals aged 12 or older experience an estimated 222,000 rapes or sexual assaults in 2008. the last year for which we have data. the rape, abuse, incest national network, provides statistics about incidents of sexual assault in this country. and according to the organization, children and young

adults are at greatest risk, 44% of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18. and 80% are under the age of 30. one in six women and one in 33 men are victims of rape or attempted rape. and over the course of their life times, 18% of all women in the united states are raped. thank iffully there are thousands of advocates who serve as a bridge to recovery and encourage survivors of sexual assault to report the crimes as soon as it occurs. and as my friend from wisconsin has pointed out, there are numerous victims' groups who is out to help victims of crime especially in the area of sexual assault. and we commend them for their work in this country. as we work to empower victims of sexual assault, we need to support the efforts of law enforcement officials to punish sex offenders and combat future occurances. unfortunately, only 41% of

sexual assault victims report their attacks to law enforcement. we must encourage victims to report the crime so we can prosecute rapists and remove them from our communities. that is why we build prisons to house rapists and people who sexually assault children. today's house resolution increases public awareness and works to combat it through education and punishment. as chairman and co-chair of the victims' rights caucus along with mr. costa, we support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from wisconsin is recognized. ms. baldwin: i continue to reserve. madam speaker, may i inquire how many more speakers remain? mr. poe: we have no other speakers and i'm on prepared to close. ms. baldwin: i continue to reserve.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. as my friend has pointed out, this resolution, sexual assault awareness month, the statistics really don't tell the story, because it's the story about people, real people. she mentioned one from her state of wisconsin. and there are too many to mention and to talk about. but i would like to talk about one person that impacted my life. before i came to congress, i spent all my time at the courthouse, first as a prosecutor and criminal court judge and every day for years, almost 30, i saw criminal cases, either prosecuting them or hearing them as a judge. one of those cases involved a young lady, i'll call her lisa. lisa was a student at the university of houston. she was married and had a couple

of sons. she worked in the daytime and went to school at night to get a second degree. she had left school one evening and driving down one of our highways headed home out in the suburbs. all the lights come on her dash, on her car and she had car trouble and pulls off to a service station she thought was open, it was not open, but she thought it was. lisa talked to the attendant and found out he wasn't, but she thought he was, trying to get some help late at night. first thing that happened, luke johnson pulled her out of that car, kidnapped her, took her to a remote area of east texas in the woods and sexually assault d, beat her so bad that he thought he killed her. he was mad he hadn't killed her. lisa was a remarkable woman. she survived even though she laid in the woods for a couple

of days before a hunter found her. she was rescued and physical needs were met. the person, luke johnson, was captured by the police and charged with aggravated sexual assault. he was tried in my court. lisa came and testified about the events. luke johnson was convicted and sent to the prison for 99 years. but you see, we would hope that would be the rest of the story and that life would go on and victims would recover, but that's not the world we live in. victims are people. and because they're people, things happen to them emotionally as well as physically. the first thing that happened to lisa, she didn't go back to school or that campus again. next thing that happened, she lost her job, she was fired because she could not concentrate based upon this crime. her husband, he decided he no