to answer that. host: ed schultz, we are out of time. author of "killer politics" and radio host onnmsnbc. thank you for watching. gues k your plain: we as blessings on these men and of the united states . use of representatives give them the wisdom of father edward flanagan, the founder of boys' town who once said, any enterprise that doos not have god at its heart is bound to fail. help them to clearly see the needs of america's family and

communities. father flanagan taught america there are no bad boys, only bad environment, bad train, bad examples. help them to understand there are no bad families, either. every family has at least one member who loves their children and wants them to succeed. . please inspire these members to work together. to strength yield back the balance of my time our families and communities so that our children can become stronger and in body, mind, and spirit. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved. . the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from vermont, mr. welch. mr. welch: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from nebraska, congressman terry, is recognized for one minute. mr. terry: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize our guest chaplain, a constituents of the second district of nebraska, father steven bayse, on july 1 he will celebrate five years as the national executive director of boys town, one of the largest nonprofit, nonsectarian childcare organizations in the united states. he is the fourth priest to secede father flanagan who founded boys town in 1917. a native of iowa, he holds a bachelor degree in sociology and master degree in theology anddy vinity. he also holds a master's degree in counseling from creighton university, in omaha. a priest of the omaha arch by sees since 1985, he previouuly

soifled as the director of st. augustine mission before coming to boys town. he has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration and youth advocacy and will be a great leader in carrying out boys town's mission in the 21st century. for 93 years boys town has helped at-risk youths and family through a variety of services and the organization has now%% expanded to 12 locations nationally. last year the organization served 370,000 children and adults across the u.s., canada, and the u.s. territoryings, as well as in several foreign countries. boys town has grown significantly since father flanagan's era. in 1977 boys town national research hospital opened its doors and has become a national treatment center for children with hearing and speech problems and other communication disorders. boys town is also opened its national hotline in 1989. currently boys town is implementing it's integrated

continuum of care which allows each child or family to make progress within the same treatment model while still getting individualized care. today i honor father steven bayse. he's dedicated to the children and families throughout our nation representing the true spirit and tradition of boys town. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair will entertain up to 15 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlelady from new york rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. maloney: mr. speaker, this past monday the "wall street journal" ran an excellent article on the challenges facing small businesses. it began with a question that small business all across america are asking, where is the money? the journal article cites a survey by the national federation of independent businesses that found that half of the small businesses that try

to get the loans last year were either denied the loans or they were not given the money that they needed. we found that small businesses in the joint economic committee report have been badly hurt by the tired lending standards that resulted from the financial crisis. that is why passing the small business lending fund act last week was such an important step forward and sending it to the senate. where is the money is an important question to ask and the answer is, it is on the way. we hope that the senate will act quickly and pass this important legislation. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the %%ntleman from south carolina rise? mr. wilson: i ask permission to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, it's an honor for me to thank john breweden for serving the second congressional district with distinction. for the past two years john has

ensured the residents received timely and accurate updates about happenings in congress. he's also been a key advisor on issues of science and technology, and welfare. john's dedication and creativity will certainly be hard to replacc as he heads off to law school at the university of south carolina. john is the son of jean and john of columbia, south carolina, two parents who have been instrumental in their son's success. he's the grandson of aalegend of integrity for the legal profession. i'm confident that john's education, his experiences as a sigma alpha epsilon have made john prepared for success in the field of la. he's a credit to the people of south carolina. i wish him godspeed. in conclusion god bless our troops. we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. congratulations to primary victors, nikkishaley.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for whht purpose does the gentleman from vermont rise? mr. welch: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. welch: mr. speaker, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. shuster, and i are speaking to you today about credit card relief for small businesses and merchants. as we are, credit card lobbyists are roaming the halls to water down a key provision in the legislation. they know if the conferees keep the amendment in the bill, small business and consumers will gain and the monopoly pricing of the credit card industry will lose. just yesterday several small vermont business owners told me how much the credit card and debit swipe fees are hurting their business, kathy who owns healthy living market in burlington, her business paid $250,000 in fees last year. this year it will be $350,000. cheryl who runs a mobile station told me she could take the money

she spends on better wages and more jobs. i call on my colleagues in the conference committee to put small businesses before the credit card industry and maintain the durbin amendment in the final package. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? mr. shuster: ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the ppgentleman is recognized. mr. shuster: i want to asoshate myself with mr. welch's remarks and urge my colleagues not to be suede by the lobbyists of the credit card companies trying to eliminate the amendment. the compromise reached in the conference committee does not eliminate aallow the federal government to set the exchange fee. it creates a level playing field or banks and small businesses to negotiate fees like any other business contract. this huge corporation which has 363 stores and headquartered in my district, last year the sheets corporation paid twice as much in interchange fees as they took in in net income.

their second largest expense after payroll is the interchange fee. that means that sheets pays its interchange fees eclipsed the cost of rend and they re paying 1.5 times the cost of providing health care to nearly 13,000 employees. the compromise reached by the conference committee retains flexibility of small community banks and credit unions and ultimately a benefit to the american consumer. i urge the conference committee and my colleagues to support the durbin amendment. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from washington rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. inslee: mr. speaker, we now are at a critical juncture to determine whether or not we will respond to a terrible problem in the ocean. that is not just the oil spill in the gulf, it is the acidfication of the ocean caused by the carbon dioxide caused by some of the fossil fuel indussries. i suggest members may want to

look at a report in science magazine published two days ago, the asocial -- american association for the advancement of science, their conclusion, the -- it breaks down the food chain, irreversible changes that have not occurred for several million years. we have a chance to restrict and restrain this pollutant, in a bill now pending in the u.s. senate. we hope in conversations with the president next week we come out with a firm clear cap on carbon dioxide so we can stop what will otherwise be irreversible changes our ocean. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. boustany: i rise to applaud the federal district court ruling yesterday overturning the administration's job-killing

moratorium on american energy production in the deep water of the gulf of mexico. this moratorium on drilling will ship thousands of jobs overseas, good paying jobs, overseas. it will also make us more dependent on foreign oil. and finally, it's contrary to and in fact distorts the recommendations by a panel of independent scientists and engineers that the administration put together and it distorts their whole view that this industrywide moratorium will in fact hurt safety. by pushing the most experienced workers overseas it actually ships all of our most advanced drilling rig technology overseas. it will hurt safety. i urge the administration to back down from this ill-conceived job-killing arbitrary moratorium on american energy production. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from pennsylvania rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute.

revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. dahlkemper: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the sisters of st. joseph of northwestern pennsylvania. this year marks the 150th anniversary of service to the diocese oferee -- of erry by the -- erie by the sisters. they have provided quality eddcation for our children, including establishing schools like my alma mater, villa ma raea -- maria academy. they started the st. vincent hospital and school of nursing. the dedication of the sisters of st. joseph has no bounds. they serve as nurses, teachers, social worker, and community leaders. as a former student of the sisters, i'm eternally grateful for their love and guidance. mr. speaker, it is my privilege to honor the sisters of st. joseph of northwestern pennsylvania today and i thank them for their 150 years of service to our community. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the

gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. pitts: mr. speaker, we have heard a lot lately about the need for a european style value aided tax in the u.s. to solve our budget problem. just yesterday the ruling coalition in britain announced it wants to raise their nation's value-added tax from 17.5% to 20%. it's estimated that this increase would cost 163,000 jobs and reduce consumer spending by $5.3 billion in the united kingdom. it's not a surprise that the v.a.t. tax is creeping up. the average rate is now 20% a. and greece raced their rate to 21% as part of their bailout agreement. this is yet more evidence that the v.a.t. taxee are easy for countries to raise during times of fiscal crisis. with so much discussion about an american v.a.t., we have to be aware of what the true cost of such a tax would be to our own job growth and consumer

spending. early proposals might calling for a 5% v.a.t. tax but in truth the seemingly easy revenue would take it all too easy for the u.s. government to quickly raise taxes to european levels. this seemingly easy tax revenue would have a great cost. american jobs. the v.a.t. tax is one tax we can't afford in america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. klein: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise to honor marma davidson a great educator and leader. varma has worked in the south florida office for the federation of teachers for many years and has run an extraordinary program for retired teachers in our community. after a total career of 45 years she's decided to retire this year and i would like to thank her for her service and wish her a wonderful retirement. people like her are what make south florida the best place to live in the contry. her lifelong dedication to

teachers and her commitment and have had a real and lasting impact. her decision to retire this year she said she wants to leave while i'm still in love. close quote. that sentiment truly captures her spirit and while%the boca raton office will surely be sad to see her go, we respect her wise decision and wish her the very best in the next phase of her life. thank you. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. fleming: from the bailouts to the failed stimulus bills to the government takeover of health care to the failure to respond timely to the b.p. spill disaster, americans are sick and tired of being ignored by their government.

americans have heard this outcry -- republicans have heard this outoy cy and believe it's time to allow the americans to have a voice. america speaking out was created as a platform for americans to share their priorities and ideas for a national policy genda. in addition to open forum town halls across the country, we've launched americaspeakingout.com, an online tool where american cans go and express their opinion about what issues they believe government should be addressing, regardlees of what party affiliation. through initiatives like america speaking out, americans can make their voices heard in washington. now is your time to speak out, america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. for what purpose cause the gentlelady from texas rise? >> to address the house for one

minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> i rise today to address an important matter, job creation. america is slowly getting back to its feet in terms of recovery. the newest job numbers indicate over 419,000 jobs were created last month. according to the re-- recent associated press release, texas has the greatest job creation in 2010. texas employers expanded payrolls by 43,600 in the month of may, making it the state's largest monthly gain in more than three years. companies like american airlines, at&t and texas instruments are creating jobs in our district because north stks a good place to do business and as a country, we're getting stronger and stronger. we still have a long ways to go. we must continue to invest in

american businesses and the american people. i urge my colleagues both in the house and senate to come together to enact policies that create and encourage job creation. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> request ppr millings to -- permission to address tte house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. poe: a federal judge stated yesterday the administration's ban on deep water drilling was improper and iilegal. the government imposed a six-month moratorium after the b.p. disaster, nonb.p. businesses sued saying it would put them out of business. the government tried to -- tried to justify the ban but the judge said, quote, the government's explanation abuses -- abuses reason and common sense. the government claimed its engineers supported the ban but that's not true. the judge granted the injunction saying the ban was punitive. in other words, the

administration had no scientific basis for the moratorium. the judge stated the oil industries would suffer irremember rabble harm. of course the administration doesn't care. determined to stop deep water drilling, the administration will appeal. why does the administration hate the energy industry in the gulf. why do they want to purposely destroy american jobs? reagan was right, the government is the problem. that's just the way it is. the speaker ro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from maryland rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. edwards: mr. speaker, i rise with reeret today to express my concern about proposed changes to the disclose act i co-sponsored. one particular change is deeply troubling both on the politics and the policy. having worked on campaign finance and ethics reform for many year, i didn't come to this conclusion lightly or uninform. i was the first to say the supreme court decision in

citizens united was wrong and shouldn't give corporations a blank check in our elections. we have fallen prey to bullying and threats from one of the most powerful special interest lobbying groups in the country. carving out exceptions for one big group like this is -- shame on us. this corporation would be required to disclose if they receive more than 15% from any corporation or from donors that contribute more than $100,000, regardless of thh number of mmbers or whether they're on the right or left. we shouldn't draw arbitrary lines, we should be looking at influence. we need to know who owns our election, and we need to know who owns us, the n.r.a. or the they were -- or the american people you decide. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired.

for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, yesterday we heard washington won't have a budget blueprint this year. for the first time in modern history, congress won't perform one of its most important responsibilities. i think it's wrong to do this. is this decision to forgo thiss just to pass on this problem? this failure to govern and lead is especially alarming as spending, deficits, and debt continue to spiral out of control. the treasury department reported recently that the federal government is now $13 drl in the red, marking the first time the government has sunk that far into debt. the united states simply cannot continue on an unchecked spending sfreespree that will put the future of our economic

strength in jeopardy in the short-term and for the next generation. we have to control spending in washington and must start now. american individuals and families are looking for leadershipism ask leaders of this house today to reconsider this decision and perform the duties we are elected to do. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute? the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> i understand the republican party's love affair with fossil fuels. after all, fossil fuel industry has dominated the direction of energy policy in this country for the last generation. but the american people know our future is not with fossil fuel, it's not with oil, it's not with coal. it's with alternative and renewable energy. they know also that this is the way we will help create new jobs in the economy. mr. yarmuth: almost 70% of people in a recent poll said they thought an emphasis on renewable fuel, like we've done in our act, will create jobs

for the american economy. one estimate, up to two million jobs. in my own district, general electric is bringing about 800 jobs to build energy efficient appliances, 400 of them coming back from china. energy reform is a job creator. the american people know it. i hope the republican party will join us us in bringing the energy situation in this country into the 21st century and creating new jobs for the new american economy. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: weather, -- without objection, so ordered. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. the difference couldn't be any clearer. as tar balls continue to roll onto the beaches of gulf coast states, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are apologizing to b.p. for the government holding them to account. while they can't to chant

drill, baby, drill, the democrats move in another direction. i rise to stand with the families and communities of the gulf coast and our country to say we can no longer be held hostage by our gluttonous dependence on foreign oil. instead we must change our priorities and stand up to special interests by continues to promote a clean energy economy and creating jobs for american families. 87% of americans support requiring utilities to produce more energy from renewable sources, sources that can't be outsourced or imported. a clean energy economy will make our country safer, more energy independent and create jobs. in the meantime, let's be strong and steadfast and hold b.p. accountable. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington rise? >> to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore:

without objection, so ordered. mr. mcdermott: mr. speaker, i rise today out of disgust over recent comments by rush limbaugh about child hunger. a few days ago, i was sent mr. limbaugh's response to the news that more than 16 million children will face, quote, a summer of hunger, quote, because they won't have access to free or discounted meals they usually get at school. mr. limbaugh ultimately recommended these children dumpster dive. dumpster dive. to find food until school starts back up. in the midst of a deep recession, that has forced millions of americans to face the daily fear of losing their homes and failing to provide food for their kids, all mr. limbaugh can contribute is another awful example of shameless and ka louse commeetary. ask yourself -- and callous

commentary. ask can yourself, when this is last time rush limbaugh missed a meal. take a look you judge for yourself. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the jeament is recognized. ms. waters: when president obama addressed the house as an invited guest speaker and his remarks are interrupted in %% defiance of the rules of the house by a member of the house shouting, you lie, and no amount of apology can remove the scar on this house's dignity, when the commander of the united states forces in afghanistan, general mcchrystal and his ubordinates feel free to make mocking criticisms of their command for the chief, barack obama to the national media, and when these acts of disrespect and insubordination are openly directed at

president obecause mark our nation has entered into an era of negativity and cynicism unprecedented in this republic's history. ms. watson: only one question comes immediately an painfully to mind as outrageous words and accusations which would once have been universally deplored as far beyond or beneath the pale of what americans and america are all about. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a railroaded -- 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 pentlelady from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5551 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the cllrk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5551 a bill to require the secretary over -- secretary of the treasury to make a certification when making purchases under the small business lending fund program. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from florida, ms. kosmas, and the gentleman from texas, mr. neugebauer eric each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: i ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. kosmas: i yield myself three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for three minutes. ms. kosmas: thank you.

last friday, the house approved the small business lending fund act which creates important programs designed to increase access to capital for small businesses and allows them to create new jobs. i would like to thank chairman frank, congressman peters, congresswoman bean, and chairwoman nydia velazquez for their hard work and effort on this legislation. the bill will encourage new lilleding -- lending by financial institutions which will help small businesses access the capital they need to continue innovating, growing, and creating jobs. during the debate in the bill, the minority offered a good suggestion for the oversight of the small business lending fund, specifically regarding disbursement of the funds. today we are here to take action on their suggestion to enhance this oversight. i'm pleased to sponsor, like with mr. driehaus, h.r. 5551, which will require the secretary of the treasury to certify under oath to the

inspector general that disbursements from the small business lending fund are based on economic need, not political consideration. we believe this enhanced oversight to be a good addition to the oversight of the program and believe it will go further to make sure the necessary funds are made available to the small businesses in the areas of the country and the economy that need it the most. h.r. 5551, together with h.r. 5297, will provide much-needed assistance to small businesses across the nation. i urge my colleagues to support this effort. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from texas. . mr. neugebauer: i did offer a motion to recommit that would certify every transaction made from the $30 billion tarp lending fund be made on the basis of economics and not politics. as we pointed out during our debate last week, there are several examples of lending to banks out of the first tarp fund that raise questions of whether

political considerations were involved in deciding which banks received this money. when we voted on the issue last week, 237 members of the other side of the aisle voted against having treasury certify that each transaction usinn the taxpayers' $30 billion is based on economics and not politics. those same members also voted against putting an experienced and effective regulator over the new program simply because the regulator has tarp in his title. when the treasury department lists $30 billion of the taxpayer money not the banks, the taxpayers deserve better protection than they are getting. the majority last week exposed the taxpayers to greater likelihood of waste, fraud, and abuse and added to the cost of setting up a new regulator while we already had one. today the majority is back on the floor trying to make amends for their vote against the taxpayers. during the debate last week chairman frank said we'll go you one better in this effort. let me repeat that, we'll go you

one better. if the bill on the floor today is one better than our proposal, i would hate to see what would happen if the majority tried to dooone less. the bill today does not require certificate for each investment transaction as our motion to recommit would have required. instead this bill only asked treasury to certify that the purchase decision process has been designed to ensure decisions are made because of political -- let me repeat that. the certifying that the purchase decision process is designed so that decisions are made based on economics and not political is not going one better than certifying that each actual purchase with the taxpayer money was made based on economics and not politics. i'm sure the purchase decision process for the original tarp was not intended to bring any

politics into play. while i may not have supported tarp, the purchase decision process was aimed at investing capital in healthy banks to support banks in lending. however the individual investment decisions were made with the first tarp, legitimate questions have come up whether political and considerations + involving certain banks receiving funds were in fact taken into consideration. as we create this second tarp for smaller banks, we need to make sure our cash problems are not repeated. this bill falls short of a motion to recommit we offered last week. last week chairman frank said we'll come forward with further reinforcement of the oath we are taking, we'll even make them take an oath. having treasury certify under oath that the decision process for this new tarp fund for small banks is based on economics and not political is not federal reinforcement. it is not even the same as requiring treasury to certify each investment decision is based on economics and not politics. while i think the taxpayers are smart enough to see the

difference. mr. speaker, let me just make an example here. what this process, our colleagues on the other side have brought, is the same promise that every 16-year-old young woman or young man make their parents when they get their driver's license and borrow the car, promise me you won't get tickets. they promise. so basically what we are going to have is the treasury is going to take an oath we promise we won't let politics be involved in this process. but we'll have no certification of whether politics as these transactions play out, whether politics are influenced was used to how these investments were made. we are going to take an oath up front no certification during the process. i don't think that's goo% polcy. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: thank you, mr. chairman. i yield to mr. driehaus such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for whatever time he may consume. mr. driehaus: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the co-sponsor

of this resolution, ms. kosmas. last week we passed the small business lending fund act. i offered an amendment at that time that would create the office of small business lending fund oversight under the authority of the treasury inspector general. this office would strengthen accountability by helping ensure that loans are being put to use where they are most needed and put to use in a way responsible to taxpayers. the bill we are now considering would further improve oversight by requiring the treasury secretary to certify to the treasury inspector general under oath that loan disbursements are based on economic need and not political considerations. credit where credit is due, mr. speaker. this idea was brought to the floor last week in a republican motioo to recommit, however that measure would have required this special certification to the special inspector general for tarp. which is not the appropriate oversight body for this bill. the small business lending fund is not part of tarp and it isn't

reliant upon tarp funds. but it is critically important that these loans are helping small businesses to invest and create jobs. this legislation will provide greater assurance that the small business lending fund is most effective in aiding our recovery and i urge speedy passage. however i think i would be remiss if i weren't to comment on the gentleman from texas' comments. and that is that this comparison between this oath being taken by the treasury secretary, being compared to a 16-year-old driver. i do in fact believe an oath taken by the secretary of the treasury just like an oath taken before a commit of congress means something and it means something very serious. now, as much as the gentleman from texas and his colleagues would have us want to talk about the tamp, this is not the tarp. this was never the tarp. and i want to remind the members about the inspector general at treasury because we treat the inspector general at treasury as if he hasn't done this before. and several reference% were made

last week to his inability. i want to talk just a minute, the small business lending fund will not be a tarp program. it will not be fend -- funded with tarp money and the oversight body should not be tarp either. in fact we are giving it to inspector general at treasury who served as the inspector general for the small business administration from 2006 to 2008. in that short time, mr. speaker, his office uncovered what is believed to be the largest government bank loan fraud scheme in history. he's not an amateur. roughly $75 million were recovered in that investigation. as a result of their investigaaion they arrested 15 people in one day. and convicted the executive vice president of one bank and the vice president of another. again, this is not tarp money. i realize that doesn't fit with the overall political objective of the opposition to suggest that we+ are extending yet another tarp, this is not tarp.

this is about getting money to small businesses and getting jobs in the united states. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. neugebauer: mr. speaker, i appreciate the democrats wanting to bring a little bit additional oversight, so i would ask unanimouu consent that we take the language from the motion to recommit that the secretary shall have to certify every transaction and make that part of the text of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman offered, the motion will have to withdraw and offer a new motion. mr. neugebauer: i guess my colleagues are not really serious about making this oversight stronger. we are going to go with the watereddown language which says the secretary will certify we are going to put together a little process here and we think that it will -- one it will be not based on politics or

influenced from outside but we are not going to make himble accountable for each billion dollar investment or millions of dollars of investment of the taxpayers' money into these banks. so i wish my colleagues on the other side were actually serious about what we are doing here. i appreciate the majority trying to address these shortcomings, however i have already covered today's bill falls short for taxpayers. at the same time they say though protections were another bureaucratic layer in the process. i don't think the taxpayees see it that way. just like the capital purchase program within tarp, this new $30 billion lending fund will make capital investment in banks with taxpayers dollars. unlike the tarp program, however, this new program will lack a strong oversight provided by the inspector general for tarp or sig tarp, they announced last week announced ad 2 billion fraud indictment by a bank to obtain tarp money. the regulator put in charge of

this new fund the treasury inspector was not involved in this case. according to the g.a.o. and treasury inspector general's report, the treasury inspect juror general is currently focused on material loss review on failed banks. adding oversight of a $30 billion lending fund will require more resources. creating more bureaucracy. when we already had in place an agency that can do this job. sig tarp has considered experience, overseeing the program in which government purchases preferred stocks and bank. tarp and tarp 2, both the same program f we create a new taarp program that will also purchase shares in bank, we should use the same oversight agency that has a proven track record. this is a disservice to the taxpayers. merely requiring certification of the process, the treasury intends to use, will prevent politics from coming into play is not the same as requiring treasury to certify that each

transaction made was based on economics and not politics. the majority can't have it both ways. you can say you are going to do one better and put one forward that protects our -- is better than our motion to recommit or you can do one that does one less and basically is the bill that they brought before us today. with that i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield to mr. driehaus as much time as he might consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he might consume. mr. driehaus: thank you. this is a straightforward amendment. if you want to make sure politics isn't involved in the small business lending fund, you want to make sure that the treasury is sticking to their oath and making sure that these are based on economic position, then you vote for this bill. if you believe politics should be part of it, vote against it. we keep missing the mark here in terms of the republicans. the republicans want to talk about sig tarp. this isn't about tarp. no more should it be overseeing

the department of defense than should they be overseeing small business lending. this is about treasury. and making sure that politics aren't part of the decisions being made at treasury. if the republicans think politics should be part of the decision, they can vote no. but we took them at their word they didn't think that politics should be part of the treasury function. we have taken it away through the inspector general. the inspector general has an incredible track record. we respect that track record. and if the republicans don't respect it, they can with all due respect vote against this. this is not tarp money. as much as they would like to have us believe this is again another tarp, it is not. i realize that doesn't fit into the political rhetoric that is so often used throughout here, but it is the reality. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. neugebauer: i remind the gentleman that the original tarp program was the federal government investing taxpayers' dollars into the preferred stock of banks. i would encourage the gentleman

to read the text of this bill we passed last friday and what does that say? the federal government will take taxpayers' money and provide preferred stock. you can try to call it something else but it's a tarp program. and i want to go back to something that happened last week during that debate the gentlewoman from new york, ms. velazquez, said that those of us on this side of the aisle wanted to keep tarp going. let's go back to the record here. i didn't get a chance to respond then. tarp was supposed to expire on december 31, 2009. and there was strong support for allowing tarp to expire. in fact more than 100 of us on this side of the aisle sent a letter to treasury secretary geithner that urged him to let tarp expire. in fact we introduced legislation to force the expiration of tarp. we voted against the majority's legislation to divert tarp funds for other spending. but the treasury secretary extended tarp to this october

and the majority did nothing to stop it. just as we are again getting close to having tarp expire, the majority brings up a bill that creates what is essentially a second tarp program and it will last for years. so who wants to keep tarp going? rather than doing something that creates more certainty for small businesses to grow and add jobs to this economy, the majority is repeating the same failed initiatives that helped grow our national debt to over $13 billion -- trillion in the past two years. we have had record bank failures, including four that were tarp recipients. when those tarp recipient banks failed, the taxpayers and vestment of $26.6 billion -- 2.6 billion was wiped out. more have missed their dividend payments. these missed payments have cost the american taxpayers more than $200 million. the sad thing is there are things congress could do to help small businesses. instead the majority has chosen to pass a bill that will cost

the taxpayers billions of dollars and do nothing to help small businesses. and today the majority has chosen to provide fewer taxpayer protections than we offered last week. mr. speaker, i wish that the -- i appreciate the fact that the majority felt we had a good idea. i wish they had used our idea. so the vote today is do you want to make sure that the taxpayers have a strong oversight or do you want a watered-down version. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the ballnce of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5551 as amended. . those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rule is suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the

table. ms. kosmas: i request a recorded vote, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlelady request the yeas and nays? ms. kosmas: yes. the speaker pro tempore: all those in favor of take this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? ms. kosmas: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass house resolution 1434. the speaker pro tempore: clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1434, recognizing national home ownership month and the importance of home ownership in the united states. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from florida, ms. kosmas, and the gentleman from california, mr. miller, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida.

ms. kosmas: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five + legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. kosmas: mr. speaker, i yield myself two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. kosmas: mr. speaker this bipartisan resolution supports the goals and ideals of national home ownership month and reaffirms congress' commitment to helping working families fulfill a fundamental part of the american dream. importantly this resolution recognizes the vital role that home ownership plays together with safe and affordable rental housing in building strong communities and families and it affirms the central role responsible home ownership plays in our economic recovery. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this resolution to send a message to the american that creating fair and responsible home ownership

opportunities requires commitment and cooperation and that washington is up to the challenge. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from california. >> mrr speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> today i rise in support of h.r. 1434. every year this body comes together to designate june as national home ownership month. to honor this, h.r. 1434 provides recognition for national ohm honer -- home ownership month. mr. miller: owning a home is part of the american dream and is the largest investment most americans will ever make. owning a home is the back bone of the american way of life. in addition to providing financial benefits to individuals, it provides communities.

since homeowners are investing in not only themselves bus their community, they have a bigger stake in education and other services. americans are looking to leaders in government to end the housing ituation without placing additional burden on the taxpayers. my home state of california has been heavily impacted by the mortgage crisis with thousands losing their homes. homeowners in my stake currently have negative equity in their homes. it is important to recognize the problems in the housing market to ensure that equity and liquidity return to the market. despite all this occurring in the housing market, home ownership has been the single largest creator of wealth for most americans. as someone who has been involved in the industry for many years as a developer, i've seen my fair share of doubts.

it is important that liquidity continue to increase market function. it is important to provide affordable, safe mortgages for homeowners in areas where they were forced to resort to risky loans. in addition to encourage responsible home ownership, i sponsored legislation to allow home owners going through foreclosure to stay in their homes and have the option to buy them back in the future. it is more important than tover provide relief to americans. in the first quart over 2010, the home ownership rate decreased to the lowest home ownership rate since 2000. additionally in the first-time buyer age group of under 35, the home ownership rate fell to the lowest level since 1997. assisting home buyers and homeowners and increasing limits to allow people to stay

in their homes must be a prrority for the body. these efforts will help maintain the nation's home ownership level and speed up the overall reeovery of the housing market. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to recognize the gentleman from texas for four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. mr. hinojosa: i rise in strong support of h.r. 1434, recognizing june 20 10, as national home ownership month. i'm proud to be an original co-sponsor of this important resolution and i commend my good friend and colleague, congressman miller of california, for its introduction. this year's theme is protecting the american dream. american families deserve the opportunity to achieve and sustain the dream of home ownership. this administration and

congress have been taking the necessary measures to help existing homeowners stay in their homes, offer a second chance to millions of responsible families, encourage wise and affordable home purchases and to stabilize our households, neighborhoods, and communities. the house of representatives passed the federal housing administration reform act of 2010. sponsored by chairwoman maxine waters of california, the bill also helps families realize the american dream of home ownership prork tects americans from mortgage fraud, and -- protects americans from mortgage fraud and saves taxpayers money. the legislation ensures that the federal housing administration remains viable and continues to provide qualified borrowers with access to prime credit. f.h.a. insurance has been particularly important for minority communities for

low-income families and for first time home buyers and will continue to help my congressional district which is 80% hispanic and poor. the home buyer tax credit, the house -- the home buyer tax credit the house has extended several times has increased home sales and helped stabblize the housing market. estimates suggest that this credit and several extensions will have resulted in one million additional home purchases and saved an additional $25,000 in equity for american homeowners who indirectly benefited from the stabilization of house values. mr. speaker irk ask unanimous consent to enter into todd's record a copy of a letter i co-signed by congresswoman berkley requesting that the june 30 deadline be extended for those home oners who enter into a binding contract by

april 30, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. hinojosa: i have managed to collaborate with my colleagues in obtaining a substantial amoont of funding for the single family direct loan program. i worked closelyywith the usda's department of rural housing service for the steps in 502 single family guaranteed loan fleasm house of representatives and usda's rural housing service have done our jobs. it's my sincere hope that the senate will act quickly on 502 single family guaranteed loan program so bank cans close on loans. the house has passed anti-predatory lending legislation and is now in conference with the senate on legislation that will increase consumer protection by reforming our financial services regulation and legislation. moreover, the house of representatives has passed legislation re-authoriiing the national flood insurance program that will help americans in their times of

need. hundreds of thousands of first-time home buyers will be unable to close on their homes if they are located in floodplains and require flood insurance. i humbly ask that the senate re-authorize the national flood insurance program as quickly as possible. mr. speaker, dozens of communities across the nation have planned events and activities throughout june to highlight the benefits of home ownership and share information on ways families can remain successful home owners. i'm glat we're here in congress -- i need 10 seconds. ms. kosmas: i yield. mr. hinojosa: i'm glad we are here in congress acknowledging their work and i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield myself the balance of our time.%% owning a shome a fundamental part of the american dream. i have been honored to introduce this resolution for, i think, the past 12 years.

it is a fundamental part but that doesn't mean serve in position to own a home at any given time. that's something people need to strive for in their lives and if you look at the situation, my colleague was talking about f.h.a., f.h.a. and fannie and freddie were providing 92% of the loans, and if not for that, people n this country couldn't buy or sell because there's no % liquidity in the marketplace. however we understand that standards for f.h.a. and fannie and freddie need to be solid, thereby not putting anybody, agencies or taxpayers, at risk. f.h.a. has cone a -- done a good job, requiring people to be better positioned to repay their mortgages. this is essential. the national association of realtors is behind this resolution. though this is a statement congress is making that doesn't require any action, it's a significant statement. it's being made on behalf of the american people who believe

they have a right to own a home and if they're in a position to do that, we're encouraging that. the realtors say that 5.5 million taxpayers depend on the nfip, they also supported the resolution we're putting before us. this is two resolutions in a row very important to home ownership in this debate today. the one we have before us is the concept people should have a right to own a hem. with that, i'm ready -- to own a home. with that, i'm ready to yield back me balance of my time and i ask for an aye vote on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: i have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agrea to house resolution 1434. 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 -- ms. kosmas: mr. speaker, i ask for a recorded vote.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady asss for the yeas and nays? ms. kosmas: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? ms. kosmas: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5569. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5569, to bill to extend the national flood insurance program until september 30, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from florida, ms. kosmas, and the gentleman from california, mr. miller, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: i ask unanimous consent that all members have

five legislative days in which to rhett relt their remarks on this legislation and insert extraneous material thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. kosmas: mr. speaker, i yield to myself as much time as i might consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. kosmas: i want to thank the gentleman from texas who earlier spoke on this particular issue. i rise today to speak about this crucial bill, h r. 5569, the national flood insurance program extension act of 2010 which would extend thh national flood insurance program through the end of september, this year. the flood insurance program provides valuable protection for approximately 5.5 million homeowners. unfortunately, the lack of a long-term authorization has placed this program at risk. the program has lapsed three times now since the beginning of this year. for two days in march, for 18 tais in april, and again since june 1. these lapses meant that fema was not able to write new

policy rerks new expiring policies or increase coverage limits. this also means that each day, 1,400 home buyers who wanted to purchase homes located in floodplains are untable close on their homes. given the current crisis in the housinn market this instability in the flood insurance program is hampering the market's recovery and must be addressed. this bill will extend the current program through september 30, 2010, to address the immediate issue of individuals being able to close on their homes. . soon i will be able to support ms. waters in bringing comprehensive flood insurance reform to the floor. this bill passed out of the financial services committee on a simple voice vote in april. ms. waters' bill would restore stability to the program by re-authorizing it for five years and would address the impact of new flood maps by delaying the mandatory purchase requirement for five years and phasing in actuarial rates for another five years.

ms. waters' bill also makes other imppovements to the program by phasing in actuarial rates for farm policies, raising maximum coverage limits, providing notice to renters about content insurance, and establishing a flood insurance advocate similar to the taxpayer advocate at the interral revenue service. in the meantime, we must extend the current national flood insurance program. this country is reeling from major floods in tennessee, arkansas, and oklahoma and we are now officially in hurricane season. i urge my colleagues to stand with me innsupport of this important extension. i want to thank ms. waters and chairman frank and i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his tiie. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i rise to speak on another temporary short-term extension of the national flood insurance program, nfip which expires more than three weeks ago on may 31,

2010. this is the third time this year that the flood insurance program had expired causing disruption in the housing market in cases where individuals are trying to purchase a home located in a flood plain which requires them to buy flood insurance to close on a federally backed mortgage. it is very unfortunate the fate of the national flood insurance program has to be authorized on a temporary basis because of other unrelated issues. the result has created uncertainty and instability in the market at a time when this conry can least afford it. immediate action is needed to support homeowners and small business owners who depend on flood insurance for an important measure of financial security, especially during the june to november storm season. this bill provides for a temporary extension through the end of the current fiscal year, september 30, 2010. the bill would also make the re-authorization retroactive through may 31, 2010, and offset the cost of the nfip's borrowing authority from $27.5 billion to $20.7 billion. this bill would have no net

impact on the federal budget. congress also needs to move forward this year with serious long-term reforms of the flood insurance program. the nfip carries a debt of more than $18 billion. subsidized premium rates of nearly 25% of all insured properties. the program cannot continue in this path with a built-in shortfall. on april 27, 2010, the financial services committee reported this bill, the flood insurance priority act, to re-authorize and reform the nfip for five years. this bill includes several important provisions representing a good first step toward repairing the financial soundness of the nfip but more reforms are urgently needed. i support the extension of the nfip program and encourage my colleagues to vote for today. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes.

mr. hinojosa: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 5569, extending the national flood insurance program until september 30, 2010, making it retroactive to may 31, 2010. i commend chairwoman maxine waters for introducing this important and timely bill. congress must, tend authority for the national flood insurance program to aright renewed flood insurance policies which are required in order to obtain a mortgage in a 100 year flood plain. now that the national flood insurance program authorization has lapsed, property owners and federally designated areas across nearly 20,000 communities nationwide are unable to obtain a mortgage or flood insurance to protect their roperties. we are well into hurricane season. congress must pass this legislation. congress must re-authorize as soon as possible the national

flood insurance program to provide my constituents in texas and all our constituents across the united states access to a program they will need should they become victims of a hurricane. i encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation and i yield back the balance of my time% the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. >> i yield 2 1/2 minutes to the gentlelady from florida. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i thank my good friend for the time. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of this bill to extend the national flood insuraace program as administered by fema until september 30, 2010. about 90% of all flood insurance policies nationwide are provided through the national flood insurance program. and nearly half of those policies are held in my home state of florida. flood inhurens in a hurricane-prone state is not only a necessity, it is a

requirement for those homeowners with mortgages. for nearly one month prospective homeowners in my congressional district of south florida has been in limbo. unable to secure the required flood insurance, these individuals and families have been unable to close on their homes. their frustration is palpable. new buyers in the housing marke% are needed to help my congressional district recover from this economic down dust turn. at a time when the federal government is increasing incentives for homeownership, it is utterly bizarre that congress would fail to extend a program that is required for many mortgages to be finalized. the national flood insurance program is a necessity annd its extension should not be subject to partisan politics. this little extends the program until the end of september, but it must be extended for several years so that homeowners can buy and sell their properties without worries. this uncertainty produced by

band-aid extensions of flood insurance programs is hurting an already ailing housing market. i am a co-sponsor of congressman cao's bill which extends the program for three years and i encourage my colleagues to co-sponsor the bill. the gentleman from louisiana, h.r. 5553. i will also be introducing a bill to further extend this popular flood insurance program. mr. speaker, we have extended this program three times since it has expired. let's get this right. flood insurance is critically important for homeowners. also let's reform it so it does not face continued financial shortfalls. in conclusion, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to join me in voting yes for this much needed way overdue important extension. thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from california for the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself just a moment to

make a closing comment. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yield for one minute. ms. kosmas: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker.% i want to suggest how important i think this legislation is and to also say, as a member of the national association of realtors myself for over 30 years, and having been an active member of the real at this -- realty community assisting friends and names in my community to achieve the american dream of homeownership, i'm pleased to offer a letter of support from the n.a.r. and ask it be inserted into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. kosmas: i have no further requests for time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady rrserves her time. ms. kosmas: ccntinue to reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time of the the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield four minutes to mr. cao from louisiana who is fighting for the needs of the district he represents. i praise him for doing this. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. mr. cao: thank you, mr. speaker.

i would like to thank the gentleman from california for yielding me time. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 5569 to focus attention to an important issue that affects our constituents financially and economically. the national flood insurance program, nfip, has lapsed for the third time this year, meaning that life decision vs. to be put on hold leaving our constituents to wait out congressional action. i was in new orleans over the weekend, a constituent came up to me and sadly stated, i could not sell my home because the buyer could not purchase flood insurance. today i also read in new york news and world reports, that home sales have slipped 2% in may even though federal stimulus efforts kept%real estate actions unofficially elevated. one of the contributing elements is the lapse in the nfip.

many potential sales are being delayed by an interruption in the national flood insurance program. according to the national association of realtors. mr. speaker, the most recent nfip lapse could have come at a worse time. as we deal with the worst oil spill in history, we are facing what is predicted to be an active hurricane season along the gulf coast. now more than ever we need to be supporting our constituents during these difficult times. many of the fishermen and others who have had their livelihoods turned upside-down because of the oil spill often live in flood prone areas. therefore we must act not only to extend this program in the% short-term but ensure that in the future communities devastated by the oil spill will have affordable access to insurance. that's why on thursday i introduced h.r. 5553 that would extend the nfip for three years and would include a sense of

congress that the program should not expire again. this extension would remove uncertainty and show our desire to see real reform to an inefficient -- an efficient program. i appreciate the gentlelady from california's attention to this important issue and i hope that we can work together in reforming this critical program for both of our people in the future. i would urge my colleagues to support h.r.5559. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: i have no further requests for time. continue to yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i yield three minutes to the gentlelady from michigan, mrs. miller. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for three minutes. mrs. miller: mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise today to express my very serious concerns about this program and to remind my colleagues that this program is actually a very bad deal for my constituents in the state of

michigan and many other states in the great lake basin as well. for the past few years fema has been engaged doing what congress did direct them to do, that's updating and modernizing our flood maps across the entire nation, and we all recognize that with new technology we can and we should update the mapp+ reflect our best science and convert existing outdated maps into this format. let me make clear i totally support that effort. however, property owners in the great lakee are being treated very unfairly by these new maps which have taken effect in my district and through the basin. during the past several years. the net effect is we can show how these property owners whose property very rarely floods, nor have the potential to flood, are being treated badly because in fact they are being abused by the national flood insurance program. my constituents, many of them on the water, obtain very, very high flood insurance premiums yet we very rarely even claim or receive any money for a claim.

esentencely michigan and other states in the great lakes basin are being forced to subsidize those in other states who are prone to severe weather events. if that's what we are going to do, we should just call it what it is and have a national catastrophic fund as opposed to this national flood insurance fund. in other words, what everybody pays. why should the people in the great lakes basin have to subsidize this particular program? a g.a.o. repoot on this program that was published in april found that nearly one in four property owners pay subsidized rates for their flood insurance that do not reflect the full risk of flooding. you have to ask no wonder this program $19 billion in debt. to add insult to injury, this program keeps paying claims year after year so some americans can continue to live in floodprone areas. that's fine if they want to live there. i don't know why those people in the great lakes have to keep paying for these repetitive claims year after year. it's only 1% of the policy, but

it is 25% of all of the claims. i think it is well past time this program ought to be scrapped entirely or reformed. my constituents in michigan with little risk of flooding, again who have experienced little or no funding, are funding the national flood insurance program at astronomical rates. states we see flooded year after year and allow people to keep building and rebuilding in the flood pain, keep experiencing hurricanes are he seengsly using this fema fund as a a.t.m. machine. i don't think it's fair and it really -- if we are going to have a national flood insurance program, i think again most states -- everybody should be paying pairly. again i think a national catastrophic fund would be the most fair approach to this. i think if this situation considered that michigan and other states should consider opting out of this national plan and self-insuring, i have written in a letter to our governor and i hope she considers that. in michigan i would say this.%% we look down at the water. i thank the gentleman for yielding me another 30 seconds.

in michigan we look down at the water. we don't look up at the water. and we just think it's very unfair that we have to keep subsidizing all of the other areas just because we live on the water as well. i think this program needs to be revamped and i say again we should have a national catastrophic fund. we have great empathy and sympathy for those who want to live in a flood-prone area but i don't know why those of us on the shores of the great lakes have to be the only ones in the nation to subsidize this. i think it's unfair. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentlelady from florida. . ms. kosmas: i adopt reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. miller: it's very unfortunate the fate of the flood insurance program has to be on a temporary basis because of unrelated issues. what we need today is certainty and stability and we should do whatever we can to accomplish

that and i ask for an aye ote and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from florida. ms. kosmas: i yield back. the sspeaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5569? 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 bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to senate bill 2865. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2865, an act to re-authorize the congressional award act s.c.

8281. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne and the gentlelady, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, each will control 20 minutes. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i ask for five legislative days for members to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. payne: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of senate bill 2865 which re-authorizes the congressional award program. the congressional award is a public-private partnership created by congress in 1979 that works to recognize the initiative, achievement and service manufacture america's youth age 14 to 23. participants earn recognition and bronze, silver, and gold

congressional award certificates or medals based on their involvement in four key areas, volunteer service, personal development, physical finance and exploration. participants in the congressional award receive -- set personally challenging goals, based on their spring needs, interests and abilities. because these participants set their own goal the program is open and inclusive of youth of all ability levels. senate bill 2856 provides for the re-authorization of the congressional awards program until october, 2013. it will allow the congressional awards foundation to confer awards to many youth who have completed their goals and service. we recognize the outstanding contributions of over 27,700 individuals who have participated in the congressional award program since its inception.

in over -- over 1,500 youth from over 45 states who earned certificates or medal at one of the six award level this is current year. we congratulate them on their achievement and thank them for an outstanding 2.5 million hours of combined volunteer service. in fact, this morning, members of congress and community leaders will join together to honor 252 recipients of the congressional award gold medal. these recipients will represent the best of the best of the young people working to meet their goals. they will be congratulated by nfl star michael orr and deputy secretary of education anthony miller. and we wish these young people continued success in their personal, professional, and educational goals. we also thank congresswoman

sheila jackson lee and congressman gus bilirakis, who serve on the congressional awards board of directors. their contributions to the program are an important part of this congress' support of the outstanding youth who participate in the congressional awards program. once again, i express my support for senate bill 2865 and the re-authorization of the congressional awards program. i urge -- i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of the congressional award program re-authorize act of 2009. this bill -- the awards program is a public-private partnership

to recognize america's youth ages 14 to 23. applicants excel in service, personal development, physical fitness and exploration, receive various levels of the award, including bronze, silver, gold certificates and medals. it also provides scholarships to select winners for participation in the people to people program and the presidential classroom and for select incoming freshmen to drexel university. the congressional award program was founded in 1979 and has recognized outstanding youth since that time. to earn the award, youth are encouraged to set their own goals in one of four areas of volunteer service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition and exploration. it encourages adolescents and young adults to set and achieve their own challenging goals and recognizes them for doing such. i urge my colleagues to support

s. 2865 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i yield back the balance of my time. and i urge the support of the ppsenate bill 2865, the congressional award re-authorization act, to the full body. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 2865? 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% bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

ppfor what purpose does the gentlemannfrom new jersey seek recognition? mr. payne: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 285. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will read the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 285, concurrent resolution recognizing the important role fathers play in the lives of their children and famelies and supporting the goals and deals of the year of 2010 as the year of the father. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne, and the gentlelady from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes he %- gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i request five legislative days in which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on house concurrent resolution 285 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. payne: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. payne: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house concurrent resolution 285, which honors and celebrates the observance of the centennial anniversary, father's day, this past sunday, and to recognize the importance of fatherhood. this resolution highlights the long history of father's day, first celebrated on june 19, 1910, to honor the love and commitment that fathers give our children and their families. every year on the third sunday in june, families across this nation stop to thank fathers for their hard work and% dedication it takes to be supportive and to be involved parents. the tradition of father's day began 100 year ago in spokane, washington. the day was first recognized nationally by president coolidge in 1924, who urged states to follow suit. president nixon signed a

proclamation in 192 permanently observing father's day as the third sunday in june. support of father's -- %% supportive fathers play a significant and influennial role in their child development. children with loving fathers generally have healthier self-esteems, better peer relationships, more social behavior and an enjoyment of learning new skills. a positive environment at home also helps children thrive academically and get involved in extracurricular activities. by commending the hard work and dedication of fathers during the centennial celebration father's day we encourage responsible fatherhood and happy, successful, and stronger families and communities. i want to thank representative mcmorris rodgers for bringing this resolution to the floor and urge my colleagues to pass this resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlelady from washington.

mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. %% mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i rise in strong support of house concurrent resolution 285, recognizing the important role fathers play in their family and recognizing this year as the year of the father. father's day has an especially significant meaning to the people of spokane, washington. this past sunday, the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of father's day. it was started by sonora dodd. she recognized her father in 1909. a civil war veteean who raised six children on his own after the death of his wife. from there, the city of spokane established the first celebration of father's day at the local ymca in 1910 and in the year's following the celebration spread around the nation. the resolution that we are

considering today is a way to demonstration our appreciation to fathers everywhere and to recognize the critical role that they play in our lives. research in the field confirms that children whose fathers play a significant role in their lives are much more likely to lead productive and healthy lives. moreover, children with involved fathers are much more likely to have close, encluring -- enduring relationships. i'd like to congratulation spokane on its 100th anniversary and recognize the fatheers out there who have and continue to do so much for children and their families. i yield back the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. the gentlelady -- the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. mr. payne: oh, she yielded back. i urge support of concurrent resolution 285 as a father of

three, grandfather of triplets, grandchildren, and another being four grandchildren, and one great grandchild, i certainly am here o say that i think that father's day is a wonderful day and i was very privileged to have my children take me to a wonderful brunch, as they do every father's day and so with that, mr. speaker, i ask the house to vote in favor of this resolution. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields baak his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 285? those in favor say aye. those oppposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- mr. payne: mr. speaker.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: on that, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favorrof taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this otion will be postponed.+ for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? mr. payne: i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house rest 1034 as amend -- house res. 1034 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1034, expressing support for the designation of july, 20 10, as braille literacy month. the speaker pro tempore:

pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey,,mr. payne, and the gentlewoman from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, each ill control 20 minutes. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i request five legislative days in which member mace revise and extend and insert extraneous material into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. payne: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. payne: i rise today in support of house resolution 1034 which recognizes braille as important for the education of blind people. literacy or the ability to read and writeeis a key to this education. braille has been a recognized reading and writing code for the blind since its invention by louis braille in 1821. braille translate -- transplate

-- translates to most written languages and is ussd to convert figures in the area of math, science, and music. it's improved the lives of blind people by improving access to technology resources and given blind people the ability to read and write simultaneously. fewer than 10% of the 1.3 million people who are legally blind in the united states are braille readers. according to the american printing house for the blind, there are approximately 58,000 legally blind children in the united states bbt only 10% of these children are learning the code. the resolution honors, celebrates, and encouraging the learning of braille, but it also recognizes the need for more children and for more education in the teaching of braille so that america's blind children can learn thii important code. .

in 2006 the congress recognized the importance of this braille by authorizing the coin act. it authorizes the striking of a united states silver dollar marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of louis braille and emphasize the connection between the learning of braille and empowerment of blind people everywhere. a portion of the sale of each coin goes towards a braille literacy campaign that will help provide more blind youth and adults with access to this important code. mr. speaker, let us continue to emphasize the importance of learning braille by supporting house resolution 1034. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation which celebrates braille and pays much attention, needed attention to braille literacy in america. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey reserves his time. the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker.

i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of house resolution 1034, expressing support for designation of july, 2010 as braille literacy month. the braille language was developed by louis braille in 1821. unbeknownst to many each braille character is comprise of of six raised dots hat when they are put in various positions form 64 possible combinations. combination that is allow individuals to communicate in most written languages as well as mathematics and musical scores. literacy involves the ability to acquire information, understand it, and communicate it with others. it is the ability to gain access to written information, information that is stored so it can be referred to again and again. the braille code gives the blind the gift of literacy, the ability to communicate through reading and writing. despite the advantages of learning and knowing braille,

only 10% of blind children today are learning the braille code. in 1960, 50% ever legally blind school-aged children were able to read braille. the decline in braille literacy is a cause for concern. according to 2007 study, there are over 57,000 legally blind children in the united states. television and computers cannot replace the written word, technology cannot replace the benefits of learning the braille code for thousands ever blind children and adults. to claim the designation of july, 2010 as braille literacy month highlights the importance of braille literacy nd the benefits it offers to blind children. i urge all oo my colleagues to support house resolution 1034, expressing support for designating 2010 as braille literacy month. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pane -- mr. payne: i'm pleased to recognize the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from maryland, mr. sarbanes, as much

time as hemay consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. sarbanes: i thank the gentleman for%% yielding. mr. speaker, literacy is a fundamental building block for individuals to thrive in our society and in a constantly changing world. literacy can have an impact on an individual's ability to be self-sufficient and it is essential in overcoming social and economic barriers. low literacy skills, on the other hand, are associated with poor health, lower income levels, and social exclusion. braille is an internationally recognized mmthod of reading and writing for the blind community and is the key to literacy. it provides the blind community with the tools they need to succeed and improve their lives. yet braille literacy has declined to 10% in the united states compared to 50% in the 1960's.

house resolution 1034, which i was proud to introduce and which has co-sponsorship among both republicans and democrats, recognizes the importance of braille for success and adult independence. studies show that braille literacy leads to higher educational levels, better employment, and increased financial independence. while 70% of blind adults face unemployment, 85% of those who are employed are able to read and write braille fluently. i am pleased to work with the national federation of the blind in developing this resolution that calls attention to the need for renewed commitment to braille literacy. the national federation of the blind, which is the nation's largest blind membership organization, and is headquartered in my congressional district, helps blind persons achieve self-confidence and self-reflect

and acts as a vehicle for collected self-expregs -- self-expression by the blind community. the n.f.b. has been a champion for braille literacy over the years and i would like to congratulate them on their efforts. mr. speaker, literacy provides individuals with basic life skills that can lead to access to higher educational opportunities and economic success. by promoting literacy within all communities, we can help our nation and its citizens reach their full potential. i hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this resolution. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: mr. speaker, i'll reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: mr. speaker, then i would ask that we pass this + resolution, h. 1034 and that the house move in favor of it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. payne: with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1034, 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 rumes are suspended -- rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. without objection, the title is amended. for whaa purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. payne: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution

1373. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1373, resolution expressing support for designation of the week beginning may 2, 2010, as national physical education and sport week. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne, and the gentlelady from washington, mrs. mcmorris rodgers, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on house resolution 1373 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 1373 which recognizes the critical importance of physical education and physical activity for all of our nation's

children and youth by celebrating national physical education and sports week. participation in physical education and sports programs not only help children stay physically fit but also %% contributes to a broad range of academic, social, and personal gains. with the observance of this week, coaches, educators, and parents around the country will promote greater youthh participation in physical education and help tackle the growing problem of child obesity. since 1980, the childhood obesity rate in america has more than tripled. the increase in obesity is in parge part due to a decrease in regular physical exercise. fewer than one in five adolescence now meet the center for disease control recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. many children do not have the opportunity to participate in physical education. only a prack shun of the

nation's elementary, middle, and high schools are provided regular physical education classes. physical activity reduces the risk of heart attack, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. research shows that children who have opportunity to engage in physical activity regularly are more likely to thrive academically and graduate. in addition to improved academic ppperformance, participation in sports teams, and other physical activities can improve behavior, increase self-esteee, develop social skills, and help kids lead a healthy lifestyle as an adult. we are responsible for educating our children about physical education and for providing opportunities for fitness. national physical education and sports week reaffirms the importance of healthy bodies and healthy minds in our communities and schools. mr. speaker, i once again

express my support for house resolution 1373 for the national physical education and sports week. i thank congressman altmire for introducing this resolution and i urge my colleagues to support this fine resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the baaance of his time. the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield mmself such time as i may consume..% the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of house resolution 1373, expressing support for designating the week beginning may 2, 2010, as national physical education and sport week. toddy childhood obesity rates are alarmingly high and continuing to increase. over 33% of americans elementary school children are overweight or obese and 13% of america's high school children. these increasing rates are associated with increased rates of diseases in children that

will were only seen in adults recently. obese children have been shown to be at increased rate -- risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, respiratory problems, and numerous other debilitating diseases. in addition, childhood obesity can significantly increase the risk that a child will be obese in adulthood. physical activity is key to preventing these kind of illnesses in both children and adults. regular physical activity substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. it's important to treat and address obesity and begin and sustain the weight loss process. physical activity may not be strenuous to be beneficial but america's youth are participating in an ever decreasing rate. physical education and sports

encourage children to participate in physical activity on a regular basis in a group setting that can foster teamwork, competition, and sense of accomplishment. participation of hildren in organizing sports has grown in recent decades. however the percentage of children participating in daily physical activity has declined. the centers for disease control and prevention recommends that children engage in 60 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week. however only 17% of high school students are meeting this recommendation. national physical education and sports week highlights the benefits of physical education and sports in the lives of america's children. and highlighting the importance of such benefits encourages our children to begin healthy, physical activities and habits that can continue throughout their lives. i ask my colleagues to support this resolution. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i am pleased to recognize the gentleman from pennsylvania, the sponsor of 1373, mr. a.m.t. mire

as much time -- altmire as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. altmire: i thank the gentleman from new jersey. i rise in support of my resolution to honor national physical education and sport week. more han 1/3 of america's elementary school children are overweight or obese and more than 13% of america's high school children are overweight or obese. . they are now suffering from conditions once thought to affect only the middle-aged, such as type ii diabetes and high cholesterol. it's been shown that children who participate in physical activity perform better in the classroom. the centers for disease control recommend that children engage in 60 minutes of physical

activity five or more days a week. only 60% of children meet this. this resolution acknowledges that physical activity and sports create a central roll for children to build lifelong healthy habits. it's for this reason, mr. speaker, they introduced this resolution and i encourage all my colleagues to support it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i -- i yield one minute to the gentleman from maryland, mr. sarbanes. the speaker pro tempore: the sglelt is -- the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. sarbanes: i want to commend my colleague, mr. altmire, for introducing this resolution to designate the week beginning may 2 as national physical education and sport week. that'd president will be

launching at bell multicultural high school in columbia heights here in the texas d -- here in the district of columbia, a new physical finance challenge. it brings the kind of focus to physical finance and sports and nutrition that congressman altmire has signaled which this resolution. again, i commend him for bringing that attention to this issue and i urge support of this resolution. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i have no additional speakers but would like to urge that house resolution 1373 be passed. we also in my district on saturday will be having a community meeting dealing with obesity in line with president

-- with first lady obama's initiative to combat obesity. we have been doing this for the last decade. it's an epidemic proportion in some districts. we do urge the people to come out to metropolitan church on saturday to participate, but we believe that this is very important, the health of our nation is at stake and so i certainly urge support of the national physical education and sports week resolution 1373 and urge passage. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time.%% the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1373. 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 -- mr. payne: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is

not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: 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 5551, by the yeas and nays. house resolution 1434 by the yeas and nays. house resolution 1369, de novo. remaining postponed proceedings will be -- will resume later. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote resm maining electronic

votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion from the gentlelady from florida, ms. kosmas, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5551 as amended, on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5551, a bill to require the secretary of the treasury to make a certification making purchases under the small business lending fund program. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 411. the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida -- the gentlewoman from florida, ms. kosmas, and agree to house resolution 1434, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1434, resolution recognizing national homeownership month and the importance of homeownership in the united states.

the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 405. the nays are six. 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.

the unfinished business is the question on suspending the rules and agreeing to house resolution 1359 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: house resolution 13 69, resolution recognizing the significance of national caribbean american heritage month. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 -- >> madam speaker. madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california riss? >> i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote has been requested. the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. a five-minute vote.

[captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: 410. the nays are zero. 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. members will please take their conversations off the floor. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on which 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.

recorded votes on postponed questions will be taken later. members are again aaked to please along with their staff take their conversations off the floor. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. chu: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to s. 3993 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3993. a bill to require accurate and reasonable disclosure of the terms and conditions of prepaid

telephone calling cards and services. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. matsui, and the gentleman from kentucky, mr. witfield, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlewoman from california will suspend. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i yield -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california will suspend for another minute. members are asked to take their conversations off the floor, please. the gentlewoman from california virginia tech. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i yield myself as much time as i

may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 3993, the calling card consumer protection act. i want to thank mr. engel for introducing this important piece of legislation and chairman waxman and rush for their leadership in guiding the bill through the committee. i'm pleased the house is taking up this important bipartisan measure which will prevent fraud and abuse in thh prepaid calling card industry. the bill was voice voted out of the energy and commerce committee. american consumers spend billions of dollars on prepaid calling cards. these cards are generally marketed to a particular group of consumers, including immigrants, college students, seniors, and military personnel. unfortunately the prepaid calling card market is ripe with fraud and deexceptive practices. many prepay -- deceptive practices. many prepaid calling cards fail

to deliver the full number of advertised minutes. cards often contain%hidden charges suchhas connection fees, maintenance fees, annd disconnet fees. as well as inconsistent rates per minute. in short, consumers often find that because of misleading information, inconsistent claims, and varied disclosures they are left with insufficient card with little or no recourse. to address these issues and protect american consumers, h.r. 37993 will require calling card providers and distributors to clearly and conspicuously disclose all relevant information so that consumers can make informed choices. these disclosures would include critical information such as contact information for the provider, the number of minutes available, or dollar value of the card. importantly h.r. 3993 would mean the end of hidden fees in the

prepaid calling card market. entities would be required to disclose all fees, charges, limitations, changes in value, or other terms that impact the use of a card. consumers who purchase prepaid calling cards should get what they pay for. if they don't, consumers should have recourse and bad actors should face tough enforcement. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 3993. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from kentucky checked. mr. whitfield: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 3993, the calling card consumer protection act. we have a lot of students and military personnel around this country that depend on prepaid calling cards. unfortunately we discovered that the majority of prepaid cards only deliver 50% to 60% of the

minutes advertised. while a private enterprise certainly has the right to shape its business model as it sees fit, it does not have the right to misinform and mistreat customers. with hangup fees, maints nance fees, and as i have said -- maintenance fees, and as i have said many people who have prepaid cards simply do not know what it provides them. that's why h.r. 3993 is so important. it's going to go a long way toward preventing these occurrences in the future. this legislation will ensure that consumers are better informed by requiring the accurate and reasonable %- disclosure of the terms and conditions of prepaid telephone calling cards and services. under the bill, prepaid calling card providers would have to clearly disclose how many

minutes they offer and the price for those minutes. they would also have to clearly disclose any additional fees levied on the consumer, as well as the card's expiration date and other relevant information. i want to especially thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and certainly mr. engel who introduced this bill for working so closely with the minority on this important issue. because of our working together, we have a bill that i believe helps consumers without hampering unduly the industry. this legislation includes commonsense preemption standards, liability exemptions for retailers which is very important, and of course strong protections for the consumer. i would urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time.

the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, the sponsor of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. engel: i thank the gentlewoman from california, my good friend, congresswoman matsui. i thank the gentleman, mr. whitfield, for his kind remarks. madam speaker, i stand here in support of my legislation, h.r. 3993, the calling card consumer protection act. i want to thank my good friends chairman waxman, chairman of our energy and commerce committee, bobby rush, the chairman of the consumer protection subcommittee, as well as joe barton the ranking member of the full committee. as my colleagues have fence mentioned calling cards are an invaluable resource for a number of people who make frequent long distance or overseas calls. students, members of the armed forces, and those whose family is outside of the country regularly use these cards to

call home. the cards are also popular among people who choose not to subscribe to long distance telephone service or can't afford it. they are a necessaryity, they are a necessary tool for keeping in touch with friends and family members. calling cards that provide the services the company advertise can save consumers a great deal% of money when they call home. unfortunately, my colleagues have mentioned as we see all too often, a number of inscrupulous companies are failing to keep their advertised trms. i first learned of this issue about three years ago when i heard from a number of constituents%who said their prepaid calling cards were not delivering a number of minutes that they advertised. in fact, many were not even close to delivering the promised number of minutes. when i heard about these problems, i purchased a calling card to investigate the problem for myself. and what shocked me although it should come as no surprise to anybody now, is that i found the exact same problems my constituents were having.

one of those companies promised me a certain number of minutes and i found it was a complete fabrication. i did not receive even close to the number of minutes that the card advertised. this is when i decided to introduce my legislation to ban this practice. i have read studies conducted by states attorneys general as well as by independent groups showing that many calling cards provide far fewer minutes than are advertised. one study by the hispanic institute found that on average the caller overwhelm received about 60% of the minutes guaranteed by the card. i ecently read the prepaid calling card industry takes in $4 billion a year in revenue. if the cards are only providing 60% of the minutes, each one of us can do the math, this deception is costing consumers and honest companies hundreds of millions of dollars every year. calling card fraud preys on segments of the population who

are vulnerable by unscrupulous companies seeking to make a target they have preyed upon our soldiers in iraq and afghanistan, this is unconscionable. as was mentioned there are so many waays that they use fraudulent terms. different fees if you call and don't get anyone home, there is a fee if you call and someone hangs up. there's a fee -- there are all kinds of hidden fees in terms of what time you can call, what day you can call. it just gets ridiculous. an article in business week magazine the author detailed one company that targeted spanish speaking consumers and spanish lag wang legislation. but the fine print was detailed -- detailed all the various fees they would charge the user was in english. when confronted aaout this deception, the company simply said we are in america. they have the audacity to claim even when they put spanish

language advertisements in markets with spanish speaking consumers, they can hide all their fees in english. .+ this legislation will put a stop to deceptive practices employed by unscrupulous practices. it will have calling cards to include a clear disclosure of all terms, conditions and fees in the language in which the calling card is advertised. just like the nutrition information on the box of cereal, consumers should be able to quickly and compare two products side by side. i would strongly encourage all the members to support this bipartisan, as mr. whitfield pointed out, well thought out legislation. i thank everyone for marking up this legislation today, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. whitfield: madam speaker, this issue is so important that i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from indiana, mr. burton.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for two minutes. mr. burton: i won't take two minutes, madam speaker. i'd just like to say ttat my colleague that just spoke, mr. engel, and i found out about the way some of these companies have been so unscrupulous in milking the public out of their -- the minutes that they pay for. i'm very happy that congressman engel has introduced this bill. i'd only wish i'd known about it because i would have been a co-sponsor on it. rest assured i will vote for it. it's unconscionable that people buy this, including military personnel, want to call their loved ones and then they are shortchanged.

we need to see if this is done intentionally there ought to be some prosecutions that needs to take place. with that i yield back the balance of my time. mr. whitfield: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky yields back all of his time? mr. whitfield: yes, madam. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. chu: h.r. 3993 will protect consumers. i want to thank congressman engel for his work on this legislation. this bill is bipartisan. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time has been yielded back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3993. as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is -- ms. chu: madam speaaer. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise?

ms. chu: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays have been requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 and the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. chu: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill s. 1660, the formaldehyde standards for composite wood products act.%% the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 1660, an act to amend the toxic substance control act to reduce emissions

of formaldehyde from composite wood products, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. matsui, and the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. radanovich, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. matsui: 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 record. the speaker pro tempore: so ordered. the gentlewoman from california. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. matsui: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of s. 1660, the formaldehyde standards for composite wood products act. i want to thank senators klobuchar and coble for their leadership in guiding this bill through the senate. madam speaker, this is a truly bipartisan bill with 10 out of the 19 senate co-sponsors being republican senators, including

senators isakson of georgia, senators corker and alexander from tennessee, senator cochran of mississippi, just to name a few. just last week this bill was unanimously approved by the senate. i, along with representative vern ehlers, introduced the house companion, h.r. 4804. i want to thank chairman waxman and rush for their leadership in guiding h.r. 4805 through the energy and commerce committee which is reported out in a bipartisan manner pi a vote of 27--- by a vote of 27-10 on may 26. during committee debate on this legislation, we worked collaboratively with the minority to address the vast majority of the concerns initially raised by the ranking member and representatives gingrey and scalise. and i thank them for their support during full committee's consideration. those changes are included in this legislation that we are considering today.

on the issue of labor, we expect there e.p.a. will take the steps to ensure that consumers will make informed purchases. at the same time it is not our intention to require what is more burdensome than what is required in california. madam speaker, the bill is the result of months of hard work and we have a strong bipartisan, bicameral measure that is widely supported by a diverse coalition comprised of industry, public health advocates, environmental groups and others. groups that have publicly endorsed this legislation include the american forest and paper association, the engineer wood association, the composite panel association, american home furnishings association, business and institution of funture and manufacturers association, kitchen cabinet manufacturers association, the sierra club, the united steelworkers of america, the

american public health association, the retail industry leaders association and others. i am pleased that the house is taking up this important bipartisan measure today. the bill would direct the e.p.a. to establish one national standard for formaldehyde and domestic and imported composite wood products. as we all know, the emissions of formaldehyde, which is a harmful chemical, widely used in a variety of composite wood product applications are known to have adverse effects on human health and resulted in cases of toxicity for the storm victims provided fema trailers following hurricane katrina. formaldehyde emissions from composite wood are largely the result of cheap, foreign products that enter the u.s. marketplace at much lower costs which place u.s. manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage. this legislation will level the playing field for a dough --

our domestic manufacturers by creating one standard for both our domestic industry and foreign manufacturers to follow. simply put, we must ensure that faulty foreign wood products do not enter the u.s. market anymore. in doing so this bill will protect and create americans jobs, boost competitiveness of our domestic manufacturing sector and ensure that american consumers are not exposed to faulty foreign products with high formaldehyde emissions. in closing, i'd like to thank chairman waxman's staff, in particular, robin applebery, for her hard work and effort and working with my office and the energy and commerce committee to ensure that the legislation will protect consumers as well as our u.s. domestic manufacturing industry. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california is recognized. radanovich -- mr. radanovich: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. radanovich: madam speaker, this resolution will set formaldehyde standard emissions for composite wood products based on the standards recently set by the state of california. excessive exposure to formaldehyde can cause health problems and the health risks imposed by formaldehyde may indeed warrant a federal emissions standard for composite wood products. although this bill has improved in several important respects when it was introduced, it has deficiencies. therefore, i ask my members to vote against the bill. before summarizing the bill's deficiencies, let me tell you some of the things we were able to change. the emissions standards that the e.p.a. must promulgate and

merchants seeking to sell retailed manufactured before the emission standards take effect. despite these improvements, the bill suffers from four deficiencies. first, the proponents of the bill fail to demonstrate that the emission standards themselves are reflective of the most recent scientific study and understanding. second, the bill sets forth a theoretical national standard because it does not preempt state and local regulation. third, the bill requires e.p.a. to promulgate the standards without making a determination that they are technically feasible, that compliance is not prohibitably expensive. and finally, the bill requires the e.p.a. to regulate consumer products even though the cpsc appears better qualified for this task. i will now address each of these four deficiencies in more detail. excessive exposure to formaldehyde can cause health problems and we are not here to debate that point. i'm concerned that this bill's state emissions standards do

not reflect the levels scientists tell us are necessary to prevent harm. instead, the bill relies on outdated assessment conducted by the state of california in issuing its own regulations. further, as explained and called into question by dr. mel anderson who is an expert in testimony provided at the march 18, 2010, hearing before the commerce, trade and consumer protection subcommittee, the california standards are much restrictive than necessary in protecting consumers from cancer risks. risks by formaldehyde, the bill raises concerns because it does not preempt state regulation. the preemption provisions in section 18 of the toxic substances control act would not apply to these standards. nothing in the bill would preclude states from imposing more conflicting standards than those mandated by the bill.

states could create a patchwork of differing laws and requirements, thereby, frustrating the stated goal of creating a uniformed national standard for formaldehyde emissions and composite wood products. in addition, the e.p.a. is currently considering a regulation under tasca addressed by this bill. if the e.p.a. completes its current rulemaking process, any resulting formaldehyde standard would preempt state regulation as provided in tasca. the bill would require the e.p.a. to issue the mandated emissions regardless of whether they ultimately prove technically feasible or reasonably affordable. congress lacks experience of these standards in the real world. we have learned through the consumer products improvement act that it can comply with them. we learned the hard way that well-meaning bills can lead to unemployment for small manufacturers and we should not repeat that mistake with almost

10% unemployment. this bill does not provide the e.p.a. with any discretion if ppone or more of these standard proves technically not feasible to meet or if the high cost of compliance with the standard would prevent any manufacturers from remaining in business. it does make sense to impose a standard which has not been road tests and that industry potentially cannot meet. moreover, the bill would provide for e.p.a. rulemaking and enforcement of the emissions standards under the tocks substances controlled act even though they would be in better position to handle the program under the federal hazardous substances act. they regulate industrial chemicals and mixtures rather than consumer products with the cpsc regulates consumer products under a different statutory framework. given that the bill addresses supposedly unsafe consumer products and provides for emissions standards as well as labeling and testing requirements, the cpsc is requirements, the cpsc is better than th