>> what does that say about senator ted kennedy, who served for a very long time in congress starts >> there are exceptions to every rule, but you cannot carve up individual exceptions if we are going to fix a terribly corrupt and polluted system. the answer is that those individuals, including jack reed, who i have supported and have had many opportunities to do great work in the senate and house -- we have come to a point ere washington is so badly broken that if we do not do something significant it is never going to change. we are never going to fix it. i myself have said i would comply with this. the biggest and most important to to clean up washington is to impose term limits on people who go there. >> i go back to claiborne pell. the pell grant was done in his 12th year.

as good a statement as hamper, under this proposal, -- as good as him, under this proposal, it would not be eligible for the election. i have created a measurement tool that would be on the website. the citizens would be able to see immediately how other elected official is operating. within two years, if i am not delivering and results, forget about six years. forget about four. i would not seek a second term. i am so certain that with transparency for citizens mccann deliver a result they can see and measure. >> it is mr. lynch right? >> reform is an issue of work

long and hard on. i founded the rhode island chapter of a group called fair vote. i sat before the u.s. house and senate on the issue of electoral reform. i believe we need to do things to open up our systems of governance. i believe in passing a pair elections law that removes the influence of corporate tax dollars from our system. that is the thing into undertake first. that will provide drastic change to t way people feel about their government and about who controls the government. if we implement such laws and people are still feeling as cycal as the bill today, and i understand why, would be happy to reconsider a term limit. >> i have a different view of it. i believe we will not take washington -- we will not break what is broken in washington until we break the connection betweenoney and policy.

we need to pass the third elections act, which will remove the influence of bigoney in campaigns. we need to enact a ban -- a lifetime ban that you can never become a lobbyist if you were a member of congress. we need to mitigate as much as we can the decision of the supreme court so corporations cannot influence elections. if we do not fix that, being limited to six years or 10 years, you would still operate in a broken system because of the power of money over campaigns and a special interests. by breaking th connection, you will amount brokers to make decisions based on chores, free from this disproportionat influence of special interests inashington. i believe if the voters have that opportunity there will make the right decision.

i think it is wonderful of chairman went to talk about 12 years. the reality is we are allsking voters to give us a two-year term. if we do not give good results, we will be out that first term. [applause] >> mr. cicilline has said it is one or the other on term-limit or fair elections. >> what we have to realize, if we are going to be truthful about how to fix washington, is that is not going to solve the problem. what that will do is simply put people in a position where they can maybe run for office if they are not independently wealthy. it is not going to fix the problem. the problem is that we have career politicians to go there. they surround themselves with special interest money and

everything we know is bad in washington. that rests in what we see today. we are not going to fix that problem by saying we are going to have fair elections on its own. it is not going to work. >> this e-mail comes from a recent college graduate from 2009 who is struggling to make the student loan payments. she wonders if it was wortht. what would you propose a federal legislature to help outhe millions of students in the same situation to give more leeway to pay off loans? >> there have been some recent positive reforms that have removed the middle man from federal loans for higher education. i think that is a step in the right direction, to reduce costs by reducing the percentage of the moment goes toward private prof. i believe that in general we need further investment from

the federal and state government. i pushed against private education on the state level. i do equivalent work in washington right now . >> it is the middle class in rhode island that is suffering from the cost of higher education. i hear about it every day. there have been some good things the democratic party have done under president obama by cutting out the middleman. the bottom line is that we need to have families who can afford to send their children to college. right now i am convinced one of the reasons we have such a high dropout rate is because people are so frustrated at the fact that are not going to be able to afford higher education that it becomes a case where they give up. it i incumbent upon the congress and the federal government to make college more affordable.

one way to do that is to make sure there are adequate loan programs in place for everybody, not just those that have no money at the very bottom of the spectrum. clearly those at the top do not need the assistance. the people getting squeezed out are in the middle. >> i think i am the only one to have a specific plan on this issue. when i watch my campaign, and went to a university to talk about the proposal to amend the higher education act to provide college loans for college and a career technical academies interest free to middle-class families. we currently are not $23 billion in interest a year from the mound. some of the loans are at 7% or 8%. on average, a college graduate earns twice as much as a non- college graduate. if you look at the income that is generated, is in our best

interest as a government to have as many people have access to college as possible. weill make it up on the other end in texas. there will have lifetime earnings. it is good for our country. interest free is a smart investment. it will allow the children of many more families to have access to college. [applause] >> we are also in the process of putting together a plan with specific but not. think i am the only one who has a plan to get citizens back involved with their government. we are working for a plan that allows a 13th year of school to be paid for it for free so we can continue the education from high school into college so we can he further the education. there is a disconnect beeen what is happening at the state and federal level as far as education is concerned.

our state has 300,000 jobs available. we do not have an educated work force to take those jobs. fidelity has 1 jobs. we do not have the work force to go into this jobs. there is a disconnect from future plans and what has happened. that is unfortunate. [applause] >> we will move on to foreign policy issues. the israeli prime minister was in washington d.c.. should we look the other way if israel and bombs and tehran to take up a nuclear plant? >> i would say no. israel is an ally of the u.s.. we should use all forms of diplomacy to make sure that does not happen. they are an ally. we need to protect our relationsh with them. >> i do not think we should ever look the other way. that is obviously an important region of this world. we need to remain deeply

engaged. we also have to recognize that israel like every sovereign nation has an absolute right to defend itself. >> . israel is ou most important partner in that area of the world. they need to be able to defend themselves. looking away ihink is not appropriate. i would hope and expect the united states would monitor the situation. but it it got to the point where israel was convincedhere was an accurate intelligence that iran was moving forward with regard to nuclear weapons, i think israel has to be able to defend itself. i do not think the united states can tell them not to. >> should we lk the other way if the bomb and nuclear energy facility? >> i am talking about a nuclear weapon. >> absolutely not. i think we need to look more generally toward a diplomatic resolution of international crises.

i did not hear the question in full. >> let us move on to another of your question. the housing and construction boom that led up to the economic crisis has left providence which toured with half finished developments, empty lots, and foreclosed homes. how can you prevent these kinds of outcomes in the future? >> i have worked in the general assembly on a bill a pushed forward this year that would have required the developers who wanted to tear down historic buildings in downtown providence, which is in my current district, to put forward greater assurances there were going to move forward with the project that they had promised us. that is what allowed them to be permitted to tear down

buildings. i hope that rk continues at the local level. i am sure there is some federal plan. more broadly, i think we need to keep the economy moving, get it on its feet to the stimulus measures we talked about earlier, so some of these projects come to completion. >> what can a congressman do to help beat foreclosed home crisis? >> i do not think any one person here has the answer. that is one reason i am proposing an executive report for the state of rhode island. that would get congressional delegations together at the same table as our state delegations. there would be at the same table. collectively, they need to work. if you fail to plan, plans fail. in this situation, we have

failed to plan and therefore are failing. >> i think there is no question that the most important thing is really good financial regulatory rerm so banks are not allowed to do what they did in this case which led to these foreclosures and predatory loan practices. in addition, we want to do everything we can to keep people in their homes. there is a range of things to be done in this city, new programs that provide low-interest rounds -- loans, first-time home buyer assistance. one of the other challenges we face across the state more congressional action could help is in many of these properties more banks are out of state and for clothes, they abandon them but still have the title to them. you have a cdc or another organization that can take them over and bring a family into them. but there ia problem because of the title.

i think some legislation that could clear title in those situations nationally is one issue. another is to require a foreclosed property -- a requirement that people who are in those homes, paying rent, would be able to stay in those homes. that is a way to stabilize neighborhoods. >> i have had an issue that i have raised before that the mayor has been in the neighborhood of $500,000 per year being driven around providence but police officers. >> i will tell you exactly how. that total is millions of dollars of providence taxpayer money that could have been used to save taxes that would otherwise go into foreclosure. that is for you do it. to answer a question, nationally, we have to continue to be vigilant and move forward totop predatory lending practices that led to this. i would not have supported and

$800 billion bailout of wall street and big banks unless they also came to the table and agreed to unnecessary financial reforms that would have stopped these foreclosures. >> look forward. you would not have signed the tarp bill. >> the same theory holds true that lending has to be made available. it also funds to be increased oversight of these big banks who have engaged in this practice that have effectively ruined the housing market across the country. >> i somehow missed the foreclosure piece of that question. i heard the abandoned lots. i agree with a lot of what the others appear have said. we need a strong banking reform bill there is one moving forward that has passed the hou and is before the senate. the couple of senators are trying to break up the banks so we do not see a crisis like the one that precipitated the crash

of our economy. too big to fail could be something we need not worry about in the future. at the state level, i have worked on for closure measures. i give the city of providence credit for the measures they have undertaken. >> you are big opointing out your efforts to bring green energy to rhode island. i am sure everyone on the stage things green energy is a good idea. but at what cost? do you support an increase in gas taxes to fund green energy? >> that depends on the magnitude. the cost that we pay at the pump does not include the full cost of t production -- of the extraction of those fossil fuels or the remediation of bad health effects and environmental effects that follow. that

follow from the use of fossils that are not accounted for in the price we pay now, but that we end up paying poured down the line to increased health costs and clean up in the gulf. i think it is reasonae to pay more for energy me know is safe, is clean, that keeps jobs in rhode island. >> in what areas do we pay more for energy? are you talking about an increase in electric rate? >> i voted to support the wind farm project because i think it will position rhode island to be the hub of renewable energy that it should be through the northeast. if we are the first in the water, i think it will send clear signals to the rest of the country and the rest of the world that rhode island is serious about renewable energy. we have a geographic advantage because of the abundance of wind and water cure. i think that is worth spending a small premium.

>> we cannot afford, and our businesses cannot afford, higher taxes. we also, unfortunately, cannot afford to keep sending billions of dollars overseas to countries that wt to hurt us because we need their oil. we have to, in a reasonable, realistic path, move forward to green energy. i am happy we are starting to do that in rhode island. the important issue that cannot be lost if we have to do it in a way that makes financial sense. penalizing businesses in rhode island with higher energy costs at a time when we cannot afford to lose a single additional job here is of great concern to me, and should be to everybody. >> i think this is an example where we have done this work and not just talk about it. we developed plan ich is underway right now to support sustainabl energy and the

development of sustainable energy in our city. we absolutely have to invest in renewable energy -- solar, wind, etc.. >> at whatost? are we looking at higher gas tax >> we have to do it. it is one of the most important ways we can retain our position as an economic world leader. there was recently a chinese company that came to rhode island. everybody was celebrating because there were manufacturing wind turbines. this is technologically -- this is technology we developed. our universities developed it. it is something w should be manufacturing. this is a key strategy for this country and our state, to rebuild our economy, to create jobs that ultimately will ensure the long-term health. >> the original question is -- >> you have to do it in a way that is balanced and that

targets the right level of investment. there will be an upfront cost, but the benefit in the long term is greater. >> did you like what you heard there? >> if you fail to plan, plan to fail. the renewable energy that is available, there are other alternatives that allow us to lower the costs so that are not passed back to the taxpayers. we need to embrace green jobs. we talked about lessening our dendence on foreign oil forever. there are ways to do it. we need to do it now. >> if you would push back on an increase in gas tax or a higher electric rates to fund green energy? >> i would. >> thank you gentlemen. we are out of time. i will give it back to my colleague. [applause] >> thanks, tim.

thanks gentleman. that is going to wrap things up on this debate. we are going to have complete analysis coming up at a time clock following the game and at 11:00. we want to thank the province performing arts center, the audience here, and the audience at home. you can see this debate beg on our website. have a great night. [applause] 11 >> c-span is now visible in over 100 million homes, bringing you a direct link to public affairs, politics, history, and all created by america's cable companies. >> c-span, our public affairs content is available on

television, radio and online. if you can also connect with us on twitter, facebook, and youtube. and sign up for our scheduled over to e-mails x c-span.org. >> the house is taking a break now. earlier, members considered five bills, including one concerning adult education and another considering job awareness month. among the issues members hope to deal with this week, unemployment benefits, additional war spending, and a couple of oil drilling bills. more house coverage at 6:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. until then, today's white house briefing with spokesman robert gibbs. this is just under an hour and we wish for you as much as we can until the house returns at 6:00 p.m.

>> is this for me? is this kind? of your book is up here. -- is this signed? your book is up here. >> [inaudible] somebody else did. i did not. >> you did not discourage anybody from putting it up there. >> what do you want me to do? >> [unintelligible] >> i am or chuck is? >> two topics. on unemployment, it looks like we will be able to understand

the law. >> we are obviously hopeful that we have the votes. obviously, with the appointment of a new senator from west virginia, that is certainly important. and we have the support of senator collins and senator snow from maine. if you look at the past, this has tended not to be a controversial thing to do. we have hundreds of thousands of americans each week that exhaust whatever stage of their unemployment benefits they are in. these are people that are having

to make decisions not just this month, but next month and we do not take any of that for granted. >> those giving a statement like this in the rose garden, is it intended in any way to actually try to win one of the lawmakers? >> i think to ensure that people are clear where the president is. the president in june talked about this. 77jfagain, we have tried on thre occasions to get wet i do not think in the past has been that controversial. if you had 8.5 million people that have lost their jobs in the deepest recession that this country has faced since the great depression, extending unemployment benefits you would

not normally think of as something that would require a filibuster. it certainly has not in the past. in the recent past you have not needed 60 votes and we have 60 there to clear it. >> [unintelligible] >> it is important to the 2.5 million americans that we have already seen. that number will grow to 2.8 by the end of the week. understand, this is not the end of the road. this piece of legislation is passed, tomorrow goes back to the house. we hope to get it back to the president's desk.

>> you do not think that this will stop? >> i would love to tell you that when the bill first came to the senate -- i do not have the date with me. something again, that if you look back as far as i can remember has tended not to be controversial, but it would have passed. i think if you would have stopped people in this town six weeks ago or two months ago or six months ago and said, but if you take four different votes, do you think the explanation of 2.5 million americans and their unemployment benefits to see this go through the senate? i hazard a guess that most people would not think that is a common-sense way to study economics. >> can you give us an update on

how the cap is working? is containment so the way to go? >> as you heard carol browner endured thad allen yesterday, there are three different areas that we continue to closely monitor. there is seepage about 3 kilometers away from the well head. there are marvels that are visible -- bubbles that are visible on the underwater camera. there are some leaks on the upper part of the well head. there is another set of anomalies that we want to continue monitoring.

when you cap as well, you want to continue to take those pressure readings to see if you are if the pressure -- if the pressure on industry certain point and then continues to drop, the concern is that there is a ruptured disc or some structural damage. we had some concerns over the past 24 hours about some commitments that bp had made that we did not feel their radically living up to in terms

of that monitoring. that was done last night on a call late in the evening were we believe that we can look at the several steps. originally, in gauging the pressure you could make a few different determinations. first and foremost, in bad weather, which we have seen more of in recent memory, could you cap the well with a pressure sustained event. through what -- to what degree is the structural integrity of the well, how can that be sustained consistent with a kill operation as it relates to the

relief wells? or, can you drive a separate kill operation using this cap and this blowout preventer? that monitoring continues and we will continue that each day. about 1:00 p.m. there is a conference call with the scientists. based on the pressure readings that we are seeing, are we ok to move to an additional 24 hours of testing, that will be determined. all the while monitoring, as i said last week, we do not do any harm to the wall itself. >> after all of this time the government still has to get on to bp to play its role. >> sure, sure, but that is the role that we have to play. we have to make command decisions that authorize bp to

make the changes necessary. we have to work with the science team in order to make sure that we have the best apparatus available. and the good news is that we have a containment architecture that we believe is likely to contain all of what could come out

of that. our viewpoint on the lockerbie bombing was well known. we oppose the release of the lockerbie bomber. we made that opinion known. the government made that -- prime minister camerons government also oppose that released. i anticipate that in some form, yes, this will probably come up. >> do you believe an investigation will happen? >> i think in many ways that will be up to the british government to determine. i do not know the role that bp played. certainly, we were aware -- unaware of rendering a will that be played. -- that we played.

>> the treasury department is saying that the administration may have acted hastily in demanding? the close of dealerships -- in demanding the closing of the dishes. >> i think it is safe to say that without the decision that the president and the audit team made, it is not likely that those two auto companies would exist today. and if there had not been assistance for the ceo of ford, it is not likely that company would be in existence today there. it is not like you have dealerships that are supplied by autumn manufacturers. if an auto parts supplier has been building steering wheels for three different companies and two of them disappear, it is not likely that the company

could in any way make up for the decline itself. because of the president's actions today, there are tens of thousands of auto manufacturing jobs that exist. auto dealerships jobs that exist and of parts manufacturing jobs that exist. since mid 2007 with the decline in auto dealerships improvement, it is about half of the decline in auto manufacturing decline. whether it is taking a greater hit in that supply structure for the manufacturers in the parts suppliers.

>> on the eve of the visit you have this cover story written by richard hawes, who has thomas credentials basically saying that the u.s. is not winning in afghanistan how does the president convinced the public that it is still worth fighting? >> as you know, these of denver 11 attacks of originated from that area. we know what exists and we know their intentions toward the afghan government. we know what would happen if those intentions were to come true.

obviously, this administration and the previous administration had the help of the british government. i think will -- a day and we have said we have to stand-up with the nash -- the afghan national security force. >> the vice-president on nbc suggested that essentially troops are coming out next summer. does not signal that the u.s. may been -- may not be in it for the long haul? >> no, it signals that we will get the afghan security forces trained. that those who sustain the areas

that are cleared have to get on with it. no one should doubt this president -- this presents is resolved in afghanistan. if you look at the resources then you would see that he is committed to winning the war on terror in afghanistan. >> does he believe that we are winning in afghanistan? >> i believe we are -- i believe he thinks we are in better shape than we were, but we have constantly been adding to the resources that we have added. i do not think anybody in this building or anybody depending on the decisions that we've had

to made that anyone thought this was going to be quick. >> it has been suggested that the intelligence committee has grown exponentially since 9/11. i know you have been on the job for a year-and-a-half. in the time of deficits now, what is the administration doing to ensure that this money is being spent wisely. >> first, we need to be sure that we are expressing our

gratitude to those who are fighting in this war. having said that, we do have to fight against excessive waste. we need to balance the necessity of the resources needed to fight our adversaries and at the same time balance that against waste. in some ways, you want the 9/11 commission -- the 9/11 commission spoke fairly effectively to this. the president talked about contracting during the campaign. in march of 2009 he issued a memorandum giving guidance on how to manage noncompetitive contracts, expanded that in

january of this year, issuing a memorandum to agencies detail in that contractors shourd nottie giving contracts to -- i would point out that the percentage of dollars are awarded this year dropped by 10% compared to the same year before. all this has rebounds with the capabilities to ensure that no tax dollar is wasted. >> the president said that republican leaders in the senate were bouncing a misguided

negotiation but the recovery -- the republicans were in favor of extending benefits, but not at the cross to whether programs? what is wrong with that? >> at a time of great economic emergency as we have seen in the past, it is necessary that we see the benefits that millions of americans deserve and are out of work you have heard the stories of people who are going to have to pay their mortgages in august when their benefits expire. i do not think that individual or any individual wants to watch while washington does its normal back and forth. you can look at the voting records of every one of those that just made the same statement that you read to me and in the past have done directly the opposite. we are in an economic recession

that we have not seen the likes of since the 1930's. we are in an economy where there are five job applicants for every opening. >> we could not have solved this instantly by simply saying we will extend unemployment benefits and pay for it by offsetting -- >> we could have paid for it if people despite their voting records in years past decided not to play political games. people who have lost their jobs are tired of the back and forth where people say one thing one day and do something totally different today. we have voted three times and tomorrow we will vote a fourth to simply extend the benefits for those who are unemployed for the long term simply to extend them for a few more weeks. that is what the american

taxpayers deserve. >> but we need to pay our own way. >> and i think this president has backed up that rhetoric by introducing a three-year freeze on non security spending. but there are certain things that are, and always have been considered emergency spending and expanding -- extending unemployment benefits during the worst economic recession since the great depression certainly qualifies for that >> there are certain people that are called 99 yearers benefits are not goio be extended beyond 99 weeks. >> first and foremost, we have to figure how to get those that

are currently unemployed to a position where they can even get close to being covered for that long. i think it is safe to assume that based on the games that are going on up on capitol hill that we are not going to see an increase in those 99 weeks. our focus is in getting individuals to that level. >> you s that we ought not to be playing politics, but the president himself has said that the republicans are playing politics. everybody knows that this is

going to pass tomorrow how can you say that the president is engaging in politics >> because if i had stopped to six months ago, or six weeks ago as i had said earlier, do think it would have taken you for extensions to see past the unemployment benefits that you have covered in this town for decades? i doubt that he would have said yes. but surprisingly to everyone in this town, political gains have come even into extending unemployment benefits to those that through no fault of their own find themselves unemployed in this economy. that when the senate votes tomorrow that we have 60 votes -- and as i said, when this goes back to vote tomorrow, that the votes are there to extend unemployment. >> [unintelligible] >> if ere is anything truly

noble in this town is -- it is that nothing is truly noble. >> do you have any problem with the way the book is published? >> i think there were some concerns about certain data can be a vote -- and the availability of some of that data. again, we are in a daunting act, as one should be. >> did you discuss it with the president? >> i'm not going to get into the concerns that we discussed there.

>> are you guys going to encourage them that they come back and brief the public again? >> we have encouraged bp to brief you all and to brief the public to take the steps that have been taking -- that they have been taking. from the very beginning, we encourage transparency. we encouraged that more information would be better. we have come to the conclusion

that american people are owed information on this. we will insure that there are conditions that authorized bp to take certain actions. we will make sure that those are met. that they are living up to what they have agreed to do and i think this is clear in terms of the monitoring that is necessary. we will ensure that all of the steps that are necessary. if we thought that depressurization test itself did

damage to the seafloor, we would stop that immediately. that is why several calls that happened several times a day -- look, i think we are gaining capability over the well. we would have the ability for a short number of days to cap that well. >> are you confident that bp is going about this with an open mind? >> i can say this, we will

ensure that at every step of this they are taking the steps that are -- our scientific team believes are necessary to ensure the safety of the area, to ensure the safety of the well and that no extra harm is done. >> is this really flow related to the -- the leaking of this relief well related to the capping? >> i was at a meeting with him for about an hour-and-a-half want and i thought that i should ataóod least be given a minor n physics. they're monitoring the pressure

and we are still continuing to monitor the pressure what some have assumed would happen on paper, we are trying to make sure it matches up with the pressure readings that are taken on the site now in order to fully understand the condition of the well, the structure, may be on the reservoir. a whole host of different scenarios. >> is there a line? when you stop extending unemployment benefits?

>> historically, 9.5% would be considered rightly so. but what you see as a result of this recession is that you see that people are out of work longer and you see not just lumber times of being out of work for those in manufacturing jobs, but you see it crossing over for those who have a college education, which in many ways you would normally think would ensure that in a recession

you would not likely be seeing soeone who is unemployed for a long time frame. the we see more and more of that happening this time. >> see you anticipate asking for another extension? if the unemployed -- >> if the unemployment rate stays where it is, we may need to extend those benefits, yes. >> would you come back to me? >> i may, yes. >> if the president bush for the reinstatement of pay as you go, at four. would you look at exemptions? or exceptions? >> we pass the recovery plan and

you passed emergency spending, much like a family sitting around a kitchen table. you make an investment in college education not because you have tuition and savings in your savings account, but because you make an investment for the next day. or if you came home and had a leak in the roof, but did not have money to pay for imported, and the only thing you could do is borrow the money, would you argue that everybody ought to just get wet until we can scrap together the money to pay for it? or do think emergency provisions

might exist so that we do not just get rained on? >> could you apply those on unemployment benefits as quickly as not? >> extending unemployment benefits in a recession has, i think in virtually every instance been considered the way. [unintelligible] what would be wrong with taking that on obligated money? >> it may be obligated as yet -- unobligated as yet, but we have found ourselves in an enormous hole as a result of the

recession of 2007. i have said here today, it is the greatest recession our country has faced since the great depression. the recovery act was intended to spur economic growth and invest in industries that we know can create the jobs of tomorrow. it would be enormously short started -- shortsighted to take money from that type of job creation to cover this now. it is just the game that washington likes to play. >> for the meeting coming up, what is uppermost on the president's mind that the president wants to speak about? >> i think on the list tomorrow will be afghanistan, certainly, no doubt our economic global recovery.

the middle east, all of those topics, i think will be something that goes to the vote leaders spoke about in canada just a few weeks ago and would likely continue those conversations. i would say the economy first and foremost. gregg's do you think that these issues would dissuade him? based on conditions on the ground we are moving some of the

troops to conduct operations there. the crux -- >> [unintelligible] >> i do not want to get into what the president and the prime minister will talk about. it was our strong belief then and continues to be our strong belief now that the lockerbie bomb or should not have been released. -- walker be bomber -- lockerbie bomber should not have been released. it would not have made a difference anyway, given where we ended up on the issue. >> will they do at a press

conference, or will it just be an oval office? >> i believe it will be two and two. >> do you believe the extensive coverage in the post today enhanced or undermine public awareness of security operations since 9/11? >> that is not for me to judge. >> for you, and for the public as it tries to understand what has happened and how effectively it has happened? >> those in the intelligence community, as i said, that work extremely long hours that we rarely, if ever, see. -- ever see their good work. but it keeps us safe danite.

-- day and night. . .

following order. h.r. 1472, house concurrent resolution 126, and house resolution 1219. in each case by the yeas and nays. proceedings on house are resolution 1491 will resume later in the week. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic volts will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from iowa, mr. loebsack to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1472, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title. the cler house resolution 1472, exprsing support for designation of the week of september 13, 2010, as national adult education and family literacy week. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution? members will record their votes

by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, theeas are 369, the nays are zer 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the are resolution is agreed to and

without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from iowa, mr. loebsack to suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 126 as amended on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will read the title of theoncurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 126, recognizing the 50th anniversary of title vi international education programs within the department of education. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution as amended? members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five 46-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: the yeas are 355, the nays are 16. 2/3 being in the affirmative therbling rules are su send --

suspended the concurrent are resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. enthe unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from iowa, mr. loebsack to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 219 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house are resolution 1219, expressing support for designation of september as national childwareness month. 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 373, the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, thare suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. clirkclirk h.r. 5051, an act to designate the facility of the united states post alpha silt located in honor ell new york as the zachary post office building. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: house of representatives, madam, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-a of rules of the house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on july 19, 2010 at 3:33 p.m.,

that the senate passed with an amendment h.r. 2765. with best wishes, i am signed sincerely lorraine c. miller, clerk of the house. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise. >> by direction about of the energy and commercial i present privileged resolution. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 1466, resolution of inquiry requesting the president and directing the secretary of energy to provide certain documents to the house of representatives relating to the department ever energy's application to use of yucca mountain as a high level nuclear waste repository. the speaker pro tempore: refer to the house calendar and ordered printed. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable, the speaker, house of representatives, madam, pursuant

to section 1-k-2 of house resolution 895, and section 4-d of house resolution 5, 111th congress, i transmit to you notification that laura cole has signed an agreement to not be a candidate for the office of senator or representative in ordeal gait or resident commissioner to the congress for purposes of the federal election campaign act of 1971 unless at least three years after she is no longer a member of the board or staff of the office of congressional ethics. a copy of the signed agreement shall be retained by the office of the clerk as part of the records of the house. should you have any questions regarding this matter contact ronald bell thomas, signed sincerely, lorraine c. miller, clerk of the house. the speaker pro tempore: the

house will be in order. the chair will entertain one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from washington rise? >> address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcdermott: madam speaker, i rise today to once again thank my republican colleagues in the other body to restore the unemployment insurance program. yesterday, i read a story in the "washington post" that noted that montgomery county, maryland, one of the five richest counties in the united states is now serving 15,000

free meals a day to children who would otherwise go hungry. this is an increase of nearly 15% from previous summers and i'm sure most of these children come from families who have lost their unemployment and have no other way to buy food for their families. nationwide, an estimated 16 million children will go hungry million children will go hungry this summer. i'm not sure what it will take for the republicans to wake up and recognize that there are literally starving american families. we cannot wait one second longer. george bush said he was a compassionate conservative. very simply thrown away, the word compassionate. they are just conservative. they will not take care of working people in this country. he e i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida rise? ms. ros-lehtinen: unanimous

consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. the united states must stand by our commitment for humanitarian compassion for camp ashcroft in iraq. when we transferred security to the iraqi government, we sought and we were provided with iraqi assurances that the residents would be treated humanely and would be safe from any actions against their lives and well-being. however, madam speaker, repeated conduct by the iraqi security forces has called these guarantees into question. we must that the iraqi must ens government adheres to its obligations. i call on the majority here in the house to bring house resolution 704 to the floor for immediate consideration. further, the united nations high

commissioner for refugees must take all necessary a appropriate steps to extend the residents the humanitarian protections to which they are entitled. there is no time to waste, madam speaker, i thank you for the time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise? >> address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i pay tribute to pay special tribute to must ell madon in a grenade attack in an army convoy. he was assigned to the first squadron of the 173rd airborne combat team in germany. specialist madden joined in 2008 and 2000 graduate of bell view high school. in addition to being a father, he was a model citizen. he served our country abroad and

committed to his community as a football coach and dedicated husband to his wife michelle. according to his troop commander, fellow soldiers could rely on his attitude to make things happen when tipings were tough and known as someone who would never leave his buddies in a bad situation. my thoughts and prayers with his family and friends were deeply indeaded to specialist madden for his service and sacrifice. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: the sonoran antelope 61 minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: the sonoran antelope are in danger. the protectors have stopped construction of seven border patrol observation tours they

feel are too intrusive for them. never mind the border patrol can protect them and secure the border as well and the crafts haven't gotten the word out to the illegals. drulling cartels and human traffickers trample through the home on the range and running through the wildlife refuge every day. they leave trash on the preserves. the cartels are erecting cell phone tower relay stations. the border is closed being too dangerous for americans to enter because it has become a sanction tu area for drug cartels. prohibiting the border patrol is not helping the wildlife but endanger the areas more. the illegals don't care about its home on the range. and it's just the way it is. >> for what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute revise and

extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i rise today to ask that the iran refined petroleum sanctions act be implemented in an expedited as well as rigorous fashion. this law requires the president to impose sanctions on any entity that provides iran with refined petroleum resources or engages in activities that will contribute to iran's ability to import such resources. the government of iran must suspend and dismantle its nuclear weapons program and stop all uranium enrichment activities and comply with its commitments. there can be no doubt that iran poses a significant threat to the united states and our allies in the middle east and elsewhere and it is proceeding with an aggressive nuclear weapons program despite its claim that the iranian program was designed for peaceful uses. madam speaker, this law provides a powerful stick to force the

iranians to take concrete action to end their nuclear weapons program. the time for iranian delay, denial and deception is over. mr. president, i urge you to begin the implementations of the sanctions without delay. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? without objection? mr. paulsen: madam speaker, i aplowed president obama for making an important commitment to completing a free trade agreement with south korea. korea is the united states seventh trading partner and sixth largest market for u.s. agricultural goods. it will grow business and create jobs here in the united states. and madam speaker, the time for action is now. the european union has recently complete add trade agreement with south korea. and canada is working on one as well. while the united states has continued to sit on the side lines. we cannot continue to let america fall behind by

withholding approval on crucial trade agreements while other countries move quickly to finish their trade deals. exports mean jobs. it is the right policy to boost our economy and exports. i stand ready to work with my colleagues and the united states to pass a free trade agreement with korea. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for ms. bordallo for today and the balance of the week, mr. capuano for today and the balance of the week, ms. kilpatrick and mr. moran of kansas for today and july 21. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the requests are granted. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek reckniss? mr. poe: i ask unanimous consent that today following legislative business and any special orders heretofore entered into the following members may be

permitted to address this house revise and stepped their remarks and include extraneous material. mr. moran, july 26, myself, july 26, mr. burton, july 23, mr. jones for july 26, mr. flake for july 20 and 21. mr. bilirakis for today and ms. ros-lehtinen for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. objection. for what purpose does the gentlewoman rise? >> i ask unanimous consent that fol logue legislative business and any special orders heretofore entered into, the following members may be permitted to address the house for five minutes and are revise and extend their wrks. mr. kaptur of ohio. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, and

under a previoused orer of the house, the following members are are recognized for five minutes each. ms. woolsey of california. mr. moran of kansas. ms. ros-lehtinen wishes to take mr. moran's spot and will be recognized for five minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker this past sunday, thousands gathered around the world to commemorate the grim an verse throif deadly attack on the jewish community center of buenos aires, argentina. i was particularly honored to participate in a special ceremony in mame organized by the american jewish committee to share in the solemn occasion and recommit ourselveses to holding the iranian regime

accountable for such death and destruction. 16 years ago, on sunday, the world saw firsthand the ruthless cruelty of the iranian regime and the extent to which it would export its violent extremist views worldwide. the government of argentina found that the heinous attack was organized by some of the highest past and present leads of the iranian regime. the state prosecutor of argentina found that these iranian leaders had turned to hezbollah to carry out the regime's murderous adventures. at a ceremony this weekend, a relative of one of the victims told the crowd, and i quote, we accuse iran of being behind the death of my brother, of your friends, your neighbor, that country that denies the holocaust and threatens to erase another nation of the

world with the consent of russia and brazil a country which shakes hands with venezuela, end quote. we must remain mindful that the same murderous ideology and some of the same perpetrators that spawned the attack then remain part of the iranian regime today. iran's current defense minister was issued an international arrest warrant by interpol in 2007 based on his involvement in the attack. the government of argentina also found several former officials to be responsible for the attack, showing us iran is more than willing to use its embassies abroad as tools of its extremist goals. the ongoing diplomatic infill ration of iran into -- infiltration of iran into the western hemisphere represents a threat to national security

interests. the argentine prosecutor concluded that the reason argentina was the chosen target was the argentine government's unilateral decision to terminate the nuclear materials and supply agreement that had been completed years previously between argentina and iran. 16 years later we face an iranian regime are on the verge of obtaining nuclear weapons capabilities and seeking support for its nefarious agenda. the state is stepping up its political, military and economic cooperation with countries around the world, particularly in latin america a defense department report this april stated that the elite core of iran's revolutionary guard is, quote, well established in the middle east and north africa and recent years have witnessed an

increased presence in latin america, particularly venezuela, end quote. similarly they have been -- there have been press reports in nicaragua that iranian operatives have been moving in and out of the country using diplomatic cover. the relationship between the cuban and iranian regimes is long-standing. the united states must work together with our democratic allies to address all facets of the iranian threat which goes well beyond the nuclear program and extends well past the middle east. with this in mind, i was proud to recently introduce along with many house colleagues in a bipartisan way house concurrent resolution 295, to both condemn the heinous attack in buenos aires and to serve as a reminder of the danger that iran and its proxies pose to all flee freeh dom-loving people. the members of the global

jihaddist network sponsored by tehran have demonstrated time and time again in word and action that they will stop at nothing to target and destroy the state of israel, its interests overseas and the jewish people wherever they may be. it is more important than ever for our government and our nation to stand unequivocally with israel and against the growing threat to israel's security and her very existence. i thank the speaker for the time and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: ms. kaptur of ohio. mr. poe of texas. mr. poe: thank you, madam speaker. it's summertime and families are having summer vacations,

they're taking their kids throughout the fruited plain in the united states to visit our historical nation. but i bring you sad news. our federal government has warned americans that there are parts of america that they should not travel to. it is too dangerous to travel in parts of america. because it's just not safe. here is an example. this sign is ereblingted on interstate eight in arizona. interstate eighth is an east-to-west interstate, highly traveled, anywhere from 120 to 130 miles north of the mexican border, 30 miles or so south of phoenix. in a section of 60 miles, there are 12 of these signs posted. here's what they say. danger. public warning. travel not recommended.

what does that mean? it means the federal government is telling americans, you can't travel america, it's just too dangerous. we, the federal government, we can't protect you. don't travel around here. here are some of the comments on this sign. the first one says, active drug and human smuggling area. what does that mean? that means the drug cartels and the coyotes, those human smugglers, are sneaking across the border because it's po rouse in arizona as well as my home state of texas and they're bringing in drugs and they're bringing in people and it's not safe because they don't do that in a kind and gentle way, the smuggling operation. it goes further. number two. visitors may encounter armed criminals and smuggling vehicles traveling at high rates of speed. that sounds serious you mean we can't take the kids down interstate eight because we have -- they have drug cartels in fast vehicles bringing drugs

in? yeah and the federal government says we can't protect you, don't come here. number three on the sign put up by the bureau of land management. stay away from trash, clothing, backpacks and abandoned vehicles. you see when the coyotes bring people in and the cartels bring in drug they abandon much of the stuff they bring narke throw it on on the interstates and throw it in some of our refuges, stay away from that we don't know what's in that property. the next one on here, number four if you see suspicious activity, don't confront, call 911. now i can tell you one thing, you pick up that foin and call 911, you won't get the federal government to answer that phone. when you call 911, it's always some local, like the sheriffs of arizona. what are they supposed to do? the federal government doesn't want them enforcing immigration and smuggling laws. they're going to call i.c.e. to come out there? the federal government has

already said they can't protect you. that's a useless call. the last one says, the b.l.m., the bureau of land management, encourages visitors to use public lands north of interstate eight because, see we can't protect you as the federal government. the lands south of interstate eight that goes all the way to mexico. has the federal government ceded that land to mexico, the drug dealers and human coyotes? sounds like it to me. what is the federal government's response besides putting up these signs, saying don't travel, america, don't take your kids across the country we can't protect you. the federal government has decided to send its lawyers to the courthouse and sue the state of arizona so they won't enforce and protect their own law. the federal government should spend less time sending lawyers to the courthouse and spend more time sending the national guard to the boarder to keep people from coming in this country without permission. s the federal government's responsibility to protect us and let us travel all our interstate highway, even

interstate eight in arizona. that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: mr. defazio of oregon. mr. jones of north carolina. mr. jones: madam speaker, thank you. tonight il8d like to bring up the issue of afghanistan. this weekend in the rah -- in the "raleigh news observer," they published 20 names of men and women who gave their lives for this country. i have written over 9,000 letters to immediate and extended families of the fallen. lately, the numbers have dramatically increased. more and more of our sons and daughters in uniform are paying the ultimate price. i would like to reference this poster beside me, the picture is of a flag-draped coffin being carried off a plane. this is war. this is the reality of war.

in a recent debate on the floor of the house regarding afghanistan, i made reference to conservative george will and liberal thomas friedman. both have stated in written editorials that there is nothing we can accomplish in afghanistan. in an article published in "newsweek" yesterday, richard haas shares this opinion. his article is entitled, we're not winning. it's not worth it. in my remaining time, i'd like to share some thoughts of a former general who is my personal advisor on afghanistan. these are his words, not mine. the basic mission of defeating al qaeda in afghanistan is a sham. our own intelligence tells us there are only about 50 al qaeda members in the mountains of afghanistan and pakistan. certainly nothing worth sending thousands upon thousands of our best young men and women to

fight. al qaeda is not a geographic entity. it cannot be pinpointed to a single area. attacking them in afghanistan or pakistan just pushes them to other locations. yemen is the perfect example. it's like playing the child's game whack-a-mole. stop al qaeda in one area, they'll show up in another. the war against terror is not to be found in the mountains of afghanistan and pakistan, as we have vividly seen in uganda recently. i mention that and i have this poster that shows, again, as i am being repetitive for just one minute, the number of men and women coming back from afghanistan and iraq in a flag-draped coffin. it's our policy, our responsibility on the house floor and in the senate to debate policy. these young men and women are doing exactly what they joined

the army, marine corps, navy, and air force to swear they will do for this kuhn country. they will go when -- when their leaders call on them to go. it is our responsibility on the floor of the house to debate the policy. policy on afghanistan has been proven from alexander the great to the english, to the russians to all the countries, you are taking a country with over 1,400 tribes and trying to make it a nation. it's not going to happen. it's not fair to our men and women in uniform to continue to send them back four, five, six, seven, eight deployments. we had a marine recently at camp lejeune in my district a sergeant, who committed suicide. right there on the streets of camp lejeune. we are wearing out our military. it's time to have another debate on the floor of the house and it's time to bring these troops home and rebuild our military and rebuild the

equipment and make america's military strong again. madam speaker, i will close with this. god, please bless our men and women in uniform. please bless the families of our men and women in uniform and god in your loving arms hold the family who was given a child diing for freedom in afghanistan and iraq. god give strength to the house and senate that we'll do what is right in the eyes of god and give stronte mr. obama to do what is right in the eyes of god and god, three times i will ask from the bottom of my heart, god, please, god, please, god, please continue to bless america and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: mr. burton of indiana indiana. -- indiana. mr. bill rassic -- bilirakis of florida. mr. bilirakis: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, for nearly 36 years the people of cyprus have endured an he will lisle

occupation and massive violations of human rights and fundamental freedom business turkey after it invaded a sovereign nation 36 years ago tomorrow. it breaks my heart to hear the stories of how the occupied north has been devastated. how the turkish occupiers have converted chapels into bars and tourist information centers, how once beautiful churches have been converted into mosques. how the u.n. peace keepers on the island have watched for 36 years as the turkish army has laid land mines and can only sit and note what's being done, a peace keeping force operating with no mandate to stop the lawlessness. it break mice heart that families forcibly removed from their homes had all of their personal and real property stolen from them. more heartbreaking than anything else are the persons missing since 1974, madam speaker, whose

families still grieve knowing they will never be at peace until their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers are accounted for and whose bones must be laid to rest. yet the turkish government still refuses to cooperate. to us their actions aren't acceptable. that is why we will continue to fight and persist in our efforts to reunify cyprus and make the island whole again and heal the wounds. a solution to the cyprus must come from themselves and must serve first and foremost the interests of the cyprus people. keet to a successful outcome of the -- the key to the successful outcome of the negotiating problem remains, since the solution to the cyprus problem cannot be reached without turkey's full and constructive cooperation. turkey must give the new turkish

cyprus leader the freedom to negotiate a solution. turkey must start with the removal of its occupation troops and illegal settlers from cyprus. the role of the u.n. and the international community is to provide assistance and support the process. the process should not be subjected to false time frames. the united states has publicly supported solutions to the cyprus problem and specifically a bicommunal, bizonal federation. as a close ally of turkey, the u.s. should use its influence to push turkey to actively support the process and the reunification of the island as a bicommunal and bizonal federation and u.s. must also push turkey to withdraw its occupational forces. the government of cyprus continues to work with a genuine reunification of cyprus and integration of its people and

economy in the context of a functional and viable settlement. a solution which will bring peace, prosperity and a better future for all the citizens of a united cyprus want e.u. -- within the e.u. something that unifies the island and its economy and its institutions in a federation is in the best interests of all cyprus people. madam speaker, i urge this body to pressure turkey to remove its troops from cyprus, remove its settlers and come to the negotiating table and good faith to find a solution that is just for the cyprus people. let's hope we are not recognizing the 37th anniversary of the invasion this time next year. i yield back the balance of my time. thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. fudge, is recognized for 60

minutes as the designee of the majority leader. ms. fudge: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members be given five legislative days to enter and extend remarks into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. fudge: thank you. the congressional black caucus is incensed that some would choose to politicize the proposed extension of unemployment benefits. as the conscience of the congress, the c.b.c. will spend this special order hour reminding them of the americans they seem to have forgotten. i will also be joined by a diverse cross section of members from a variety of caucuses all urging the senate to act now. madam speaker, i would yield two to my friend and colleague from the state of ohio -- i would yield to my friend and colleague from the state of ohio, ms. kaptur. ms. kaptur: i want to thank congresswoman funnel for taking leadership on this special order this evening on the subject of unemployment and the extension of unemployment benefits during

this critical moment for our country. i just got back to washington after spending the weekend in my district and i'm telling you, that is shoot. people come up to you whether you're in a parking lot, just leaving a food store, whether you're in a religious institution on sunday, people are asking, what's wrong with congress? i said, it isn't the house, it's the other body that hasn't passed the extension of unemployment benefits. i want to commend the black caucus for bringing this forward this evening. by the end of this week nearly 2.5 million americans will have lost their unemployment benefits because our colleagues over on the other side of the capitol chose to politicize, one employed workers trying to make some kind of political statement over there rather than extending benefits for people who earn them. you would think that work is -- as a value would be undergirded

by those that serve us as this level in our country and i think they really undermine the value of work itself, by not allowing people who have earned those benefits as a result of going to work every day to then when times get hard, reap some of the benefits that they in fact have earned. just in ohio congresswoman fudge and i know that 112,000 ohioans will lose their unemployment benefits as we wait for the senate to act. and on july 12 the toledo blade ran the following letter to the editor which i will summarize and it says, the cutting off jobless was act of cruelty and this writer, car lean, states, i do not want to -- darlene, states, i do not want to -- she writes, these former workers may

lose their homes, she says, adding to the foreclosure dilemma. she's right. they pay taxes into the system for years, she's write. and now the government says they've used up their benefits. i wonder when the government will tell third and fourth generation welfare recipients that they used up their benefits. and she was rather strident in her comments there, but she's asking, what about people who have been employed? whereas the week before that the newspaper ran an article saying, toledoans battle to survive as aid for unemployed banishes. area agencies get more requests for help. i met with the head of job and family services and they said that immediately they expect an influx of 3,000 individuals that represent 3,000 families. that's over 10,000 people just for the first influx of those quho have fallen off their

benefits. and the article talked about a 42-year-old single mother who had gotten two extensions but now she's on her own and she stated, the unemployment money was not paying the bills. i went to get food stamps because i had two kids in the house and everything's backing up and now i'm trying to find a job but there just aren't any jobs out there. so her problem is like that of many americans. we need to stop being partisan over there in the senate and work together to support those who have lost their jobs while joining together to create jobs and stabilize our housing market. i wanted to say to congresswoman fudge that i have other examples i could give but i don't want to not allow other members who have come this evening to also state their piece. and we know that we need to make things in america again and mrs. fitch was among knows our district who had a well-paying factory job polishing automotive

parts, a solid job that provided for her family, the kind of job that we need here in our country, we need less outsourcing we need fewer bank bailouts. in fact, no bank bailouts. while we work to create jobs and to sustain our unemployed sustains -- citizens. so i've voted to continue to extends unemployment benefits and i think the important voices that we will add to the record tonight include those individuals from our district who have been contacting us, pleading with congress to give them the benefits that they have earned. and if we had enough jobs in our country people wouldn't be asking. this is a time when we need a little extra cushion inside this economy to help people transition. if we begin producing more and more jobs per month and we had to dig ourselves out that have huge hole that the last president left this president. and i think that we've helped turn the corner now but we have

millions of americans who simply have not been able to find their footing in this economy. one gentleman that wrote has sent out 400 resumes and applied for over 400 jobs in 10 states and has only gotten three interviews in nine months and zero job offers. and he says it's aggravating that the people who caused this mess are still making several-figure incomes and the average joe is suffering. who know what is is going to happen after august when this gentleman's unemployment benefits run out. congresswoman fudge, i want to thank you very much for holding this special order tonight to encourage our senate colleagues to put partisanship and policies -- politics aside and to act to help those quho need these unemployment -- those quho need these unemployment benefits -- quho need these unemployment benefit -- who need these unemployment benefits, they're really not asking for very much. ms. fudge: thank you. i just want to say that the

gentlelady from ohio, ms. kaptur, has always been a voice for not just ohioans but for all people in need. and i thank you very much for your work. madam speaker, i'd now like to yield to the leader, the majority leader, the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentlelady from ohio for yielding. i thank her for taking this special order. and rise in strong support, as the house has already done, saying that we remember those who are unemployed, through no fault of their own. nearly 2.5 million out of work americans are without unemployment insurance today. that means they can't -- don't have dollars to buy food, they don't have dollars to pay their mortgage, they don't have dollars to pay gas to even look for a job. there's one reason, republicans are blocking those benefits in

the united states senate. period. it's the only reason. we've passed it. several republican members of congress and candidates have suggested that unemployment insurance makes americans too lazy or uninterested in looking for work. this is at time, frankly, when five unemployed americans are looking for work for every one job that is available. one republican member of the house even asked, is the government now creating hobos? is the government creating hobos? for those who through no fault of their own are unemployed. why? because the economy was put into a deep spin in the latter part of the bush administration.

if you believe, as i do, that the unemployed are suffering from an economic crisis they did nothing to create, then we owe them a strong policy on job creation. we owe them something better than the failed bush policies republicans want to return to. the same policies that resulted in the worst jobs record since herbert hoover. we owe the unemployed a hands. not just because it's the right thing to do but because economists agree that there are few more effective ways to stimulate local economies than extending unemployment insurance. why is that? because when somebody is unemployed and has no dollars and they get dollars, they spend them. they buy food, they buy prescription drugs, they buy other items for them and their families. they buy gasoline for their cars. and as they do, they help the economy grow.

failing to give them the resources to support their families also undermines our economic situation. my republican friends claim that they are for extending unemployment insurance but simply believe it needs to be paid for. however, frankly, such a claim rings hollow because after decades of treating unemployment insurance as emergency spending when they weren't in charge, when no democrat could determine what came to the floor, they passed unemployment insurance when bush's failing economy had large numbers of unemployed and they didn't pay for it. both parties, dating back to president reagan have passed unemployment insurance, why?

because it's an emergency. it's an emergency not to have a job, to be able to support yourself or your famalism it's an emergency when through no fault of your own, the boss says, i'm sorry, i can't keep you on the payroll, i can't afford to. that is an emergency. but at the very same time they claim we can't afford $34 billion for the unemployed, which will go right into the economy to try to stim late and grow the economy, they are pushing for a deficit busting $676 billion in extended tax cuts for the wealthiest in america. think of that. we cannot have $34 billion for those who are unemployed and struggling in our society but guess what? for those of us who are not struggling in our society, you get $676 billion and guess what? we don't have to pay for that. how does anybody think that makes sense? how does anybody think that's a moral judgment to make in our

society? republican leaders are even claiming that tax cuts should never be paid for and in the face of all evidence to the contrary, the tax cuts don't add to the deficit. alan greenspan, of course, put the lie to that. the he probably shouldn't have testified that the tax cuts would save money. in fact, he urged us not to cut taxes. my own view is that middle income americans working now trying to struggle and keep their families afloat we need to continue those tax cuts why? to don't grow the economy and not put them deeper in the hole. this is the political part on -- party on the other side that wants to reiterate and return to the bush era fiscal thinking that wiped out a record surplus of $5.6 trillion and replaced it with deep debt, large annual deficits, lost jobs and the worst economy since the depression. republicans have made their priorities crystal clear.

billions for the well off. but no help for the longtime unemployed. 62% of the american people reject that reasoning and the neglect of families in need through no fault of their own. as we have in the past, let's help those families and our economy at the same time. let's extend the unemployment benefits. again, i want to thank the gentlelady from ohio for taking this time to focus on this issue. hopefully, hopefully, the other body and the republican members of the other body, will see their way clear to making sure that american who was worked hard, played by the rules and through no fault of their own are unemployed will get the help they deserve and need and that will help our economy as well as help those families and

i yield back to my friend from ohio. ms. fudge: thank you, it's always a pleasure to have you with us. thank you, mr. leader. i'm hoping that mr. mcdermott will also bring his views, and i yield to the gentleman from washington, mr. mcdermott. mr. mcdermott: thank you, congresswoman fudge. i was approached by one of the members on the floor, actually, marcy kaptur. she said, why don't we go out and tell the story of people? why are we being quiet about this? i was pleased when we presented this idea to you, you said, come on, i've got an hour, let's talk about it. over the past six weeks, we have fought to try to get benefits extended. we cite the statistics of 2.5

million people have lost their benefits since last june but we haven't heard much about the jobless workers themselves. i'm really grateful for an opportunity to come out here and talk about what we are all going through in our district. on the telephone, in the newspaper, in the grocery store, but i picked up "the new york times" on sunday and there on page 13 was the story of a woman named terry sandler. she lost her job in an automotive parts plant in october of 2008. she used to make $14.65 an hour and was able to make ends meet but since she's been laid off, she's had no luck in finding a job. she's like millions of people who have the same story, who can't get anybody to pay attention in the united states senate. now, there are five million americans, at least, competing -- five people competing for

every job. not five million, five smeesm told the newspaper when they asked her that she had three interviews, that's all she had in 18 months, was three interviews for a job and she spends as much as 12 hours a day look ogen the internet. when republicans in the other body blocked passage of the unemployment insurance she lost her only lifeline on june 5. she's had no money since june 5 and she's been able to cobble together some help from friends in the community in order to get by. a county ministerial association paid her water bill. imagine not having water in your house because they shut it off because you didn't pay the bill. and a local nonprofit pulled together enough money for her last two electric bills. imagine sitting in the dark in a house with no water and no

electricity through no fault of your own except the united states senate won't pay attention to your problems. now americans who have worked hard and played by the rules and lost their jobs through no fault of their own are going through this all over this country. she's rattled by the daily fear of losing her home, of not being able to afford food and told at times she has contemplated suicide. republicans have forced terry to flive purgatory for the last two months as they talk about the deficit. they now worry about the deficit. they spent like there was no end money when it was for people at the top of the pile but now we're talking about terry sadler and her problems. "the new york times" actually wrote this edtorial, deficits matter but not more than economic recovery and not more urgently than the economic survival of millions of americans.

the question you have to ask is, what will it take to make the republicans -- you'd think an election might have something to draw their mind. food, we read a story in "the washington post" that montgomery county, one of the five richest in the united states, is now serving 15,000 free lunches a day for children who would otherwise not have food. that's an increase of nearly 15% over previous summers and many of these families are unemployed families. now one failure to get this bill passed has had a very real and immediate consequence. tonight, thousands of people in every corner of this country will suffer because republicans in the other body have stonewalled against acting. i refuse to believe that we are going to tell terry sadler and the millions of americans like her that we'll let them fall through the cracks. i wore this pin tonight because i believe that anybody who has

lived in a home where somebody was out of a job or has been out of a job knows what it's really all about. i fail to believe there's anybody in the senate who has ever been without a job. i got this it's a cab medallion. when i was 21 years old my father lost his job for the second time. there was no money to pay the rent. we were going to lose the house. there was no money for the food or anything else. and i went to work driving a cab. that's what happens in families. people do anything. terry said to the newspaper, she is sitting at home now. one of her interviews was for a company that would pay her $7.65 an hour. remember, she was making $14 before. they're paying less than half that and she's sitting there waiting to hear if she gets a job. she knows that the money she gets from that lesser job won't

even meet her bills. won't make it possible for her to pay her house payment and pay her utilities and pay gas and pay the internet so she can stay on the computer and keep looking for a job. that's the dilemma that americans are sitting at home tonight living with. middle class people. it isn't people who haven't tried. it isn't people who haven't made an effort. it isn't people who somehow tried to get by on easy. they have been out there slogging along and they suddenly can't do it and the senate says, well, we have to worry about the deficit you know, we want to keep those tax cuts going for the wealthy in this country, that $700 billion. we haven't got $30 billion for the unemployed. there's something really wrong and it's really important that you brought this special order

together today so that people could talk about it and talk about what they're hearing on the phone when they go home on the weekend. it's no fun to the go to the grocery store because people come up and tell you -- and i don't live in a neighborhood. but people are telling me in my neighborhood what's going on. thank you very much and i yield back. ms. fudge: i thank you. you have pointed a picture so clear that every single person in the senate should understand it's not just about deficits. it's not just about what they think is right or wrong. government has a job. it is to take care of its people. if we don't do that, we have not done our work. i thank you for telling terry's story. i'm sure she does as well. madam speaker, i would now like to recognize my friend and classmate, the gentlelady from nevada, ms. titus. ms. titus: thank you very much

for recognizing me and thank you congresswoman fudge for bringing this issue to the attention of the country. we certainly need to be talking about it. i appreciate bringing the nevada perspective to the discussion. extending these unemployment benefits is critical to the constituents in southern nevada. i represent the most populous district in the country. there are a million people in the district compared to about 650,000 in most districts. we also have the highest unemployment rate in the country and the highest foreclosure rate. so it's a lot of people with a lot of problems. and we just heard today some rather dismal news that that rate is continuing to climb. now to unemployment rate in southern nevada is over 14% and it's probably higher than that. that's the official figure. if you look at construction unemployment, i'm sure it's at least double that. our recovery lags behind the

rest of the country because you have to have a job with money in your pocket and -- in iowa, in georgia, in vermont to come to las vegas for a holiday. the two economic main drivers in my state are tourism and construction. and they have been the hardest hit sectors during this recession. the fact is, many of these jobs are not going to come back right away. we know that already 38,000 people in nevada have lost their benefits because of this republican obstructionism that we've been talking about. when i see republicans stand in the way of this vital extension of unemployment benefits and i hear them make statements that people are spoiled, spoiled by unemployment benefits, or they aren't willing to take certain jobs, it just makes me angry. it makes me angry because nothing could be further from the truth.

it is an insult to the american people who are the hardest working people on this planet. these are the same people who build america, they keep it running, and they serve its citizen and visitors every day. we're talking about family members, friends, and neighbors who are worried and scared their benefits will run out. they've got homes they can't afford to pay for, doctors they can't afford to see, children they can't afford to send to college now, and time they just cannot afford to waste. every weekend, i'm in the district talking to people. we have housing workshops, congress on the corner, i'm just out in the district. and i repeatedly hear the same tragic stories from people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. and they seem kind of at a loss of what to do. they can't really understand what's happening. and they cannot believe that the republicans could be so

cruel and insensitive to their needs. they have worked all their lives, they've paid their taxes, they've contributed to unemployment, a they've followed the rules. and they just need a little bit of help right now a little bridge until the economy turns around so they can get themselves back together. you know, all they're asking for is just a little bit of help to kind of keep body and soul together until this economy turns around. you know, just this weekend, i heard from one family, a young couple, matt and his wife from henderson, with their young children. they had worked very hard to get out of kind of a rough neighborhood to move to a better area away from gangs so their children could grow up in a safer environment. lost his job and we're trying to help him with loan modification. if he can't get these unemployment benefits, he's not going qualify for loan modification. he's going to lose his house

and he's worry head may have to move into his car with his two small children. he's relying on these unemployment benefits just to help him scrape by just for a short time so he can make those payments and stay in that house. so that his family will be safe. those are the kinds of stories that we hear and that's why the opposition's obstructionism is just so insulting and so hard to believe and understand. so we've got to stand up and fight for these people who are at the risk of losing these important benefits. you know, it's bad enough that the republican economic policies from the last administration, policies of lax regulation, of wall street bankers, policies that incentivized companies to take jobs overseas, policies that gave tax breaks to the wealthy, the very wealthiest, but now won't help working people, it's a shame that those policies, it's bad enough that they got us into the situation

we're in now. but when those same people turn their backs on the american folks who need a little help at this point, it's just unbelievable. it is disgraceful. i say to them, have you no shame? have you no shame? thank you for letting me join you tonight. ms. fudge: thank you and thank you for staying in the fight. this really is a battle and we are going to win it. madam speaker, i would like to yield now to my friend, my colleague, the person in this congress who i know, mr. speaker, the person i know who really indeed is the conscience of the congress, the gentlelady from maryland, ms. edwards. ms. edwards: thank you, madam speaker, and thank you to my colleague from ohio for keeping our focus on working people and on the struggles of working people, particularly this environment, this recession, coming out of this recession. people have lost their jobs. people who need unemployment. last week, madam speaker, i had the privilege of meeting a woman who represents workers all

across this country, she's a constituent in my congressional district in maryland. she was unjustly suffering from the loss of her unemployment benefits. she told me that after 28 years she lost her full-time job with a cooperation in october -- corporation in october, 2008. she was then offered a temporary position but it only lasted four months. for the first time in almost 30 years, i think since she was a teenager, she was unemployed and began receiving unemployment insurance. since then she has fought tirelessly to get a job, sending out hundreds of resumes, filling out countless job applications. and over a year later she's still without work and since june she's no longer receiving her unemployment benefits. benefits that she's entitled to as a working person. madam speaker, as -- mr. speaker, as of 6:00 this evening, i looked at the counter like americans can do across this country, just go online,

2,645,000,880 join louis in losing her unemployment benefits. right now 16 million americans are out of work and almost 50% have been out of work for six months. these are americans who have spent their entire lives working, they're americans who want to work, who are out every single day looking for an opportunity to work. they're not lazey, they're not shiftless and they won't become lazy by receiving unemployment benefits. the misperception bun employment is great but unemployment -- about unemployment is great but unemployment is insurance. take louise. she paid into the uninsurance compensation fund for 28 years and now she wants to draw on the insurance that she'd paid into. americans understand that.

it's an insurance funds. people draw on it. and you know what they're doing with than you employment, mr. speaker? they're buying eggs and bread and cereal. they're paying their rent and their mortgage, they're taking care of their children, they're paying their utility bills. it's money that's going directly back into the economy. now, republicans in both chambers and especially these days in the united states senate are keeping busy by arguing that we neither have the resources nor sufficient reason to extend unemployment benefits to these hardworking americans like louise strong. the fiscal resources they argue would contribute to the deficit and that's something they ideologically cannot allow. well, i tell you, when you have to put food on the table, it's not about ideology, it's about being able to go to the grocery store. and they know would know if they -- and they'd know this if they went into the grocery store. mr. mcdermott noticed that when

you go into the grocery store, people stop us and say, why can't you just extends unemployment benefits? i worked for. this yet if you believe the quotes from the republican party, they're willing to support tax cuts for the wealthiest of americans regardless of their budget impact. they argue that, quote, congress has the authority and if we decide we want to cut taxes we don't have to offset those costs for extending tax cuts to the wealthiest americans. they won't offset $680 million in tax cuts for people with incomes over $1.5 million in a year -- a year. this is really shameless because they can't find the heart or the will to extend unemployment benefits for the americans who are seeking unemployment benefits. shame on them, shame on them for not extending unemployment benefits. and americans are smart enough to realize the due policity in

these kind of tactics. they understand the difference between providing meaningful economic solutions and playing off of fears about a rising deficit. the budget impact is extending tax cuts far outweigh the cost of extending unemployment benefits. unemployment geffs right back into the economy -- benefit goes right back into the economy. senate republicans aren't concerned at all about the deficit. that's just their shameless politics and it needs to stop because it's being done off the backs of hardworking americans. and so there's a fundamental difference that we're fighting for and it's one that's worth fighting for. we're fighting for working americans and democrats in congress know that for every dollar invested in unemployment benefits the economy gets $1.50 back. that's 150% return on our investment for extending unemployment benefits. this is smart, especially at this time when so many americans are out of work. and so, mr. speaker, it's time to stop holding hostage workers

laid off in this recession and the political tactics to do what's right for the middle class. and not the wealthiest of americans. it's time to stop blocking emergency relief for those who are out of work and extends unemployment benefits -- extend unemployment benefits so americans who have worked all their lives like louise strong can get the benefit of the doubt, the benefit of the bargain of what they put into the unemployment compensation fund. people want to work, unemployment insurance is the bridge that get thems there while our country gets strong and it's time to extend that bridge to help americans get back to work. thank you, madam speaker, and, mr. speaker, and i thank the gentlewoman from ohio for making sure that we keep our eyes on the prize for working americans and with that i yield. ms. fudge: thank you very much. i just want to say to my colleague, the point you made is so very important. these are people who have been tax paying, law-abiding citizens of this country.

i just wonder, how do people sleep at night, if they want to pull the safety net, the rug from out from under the people who have always been a part of this nation's wealth? why do you now say that they are hobos or they're lazy quh they have worked and earned everything they have ever received? i just don't understand how we can now say to these same people who we applauded when they had a job every day that we no longer care about you anymore. and i just thank you for making clear that these are people who have paid into the funds. it's not a gift, it's something they've earned. i thank you so much for that. mr. speaker, i would now like to yield to my colleague and someone who join mess almost every monday night -- joins me almost every monday night, who brings a wealth of information to this body, the honorable sheila jackson lee from the state of texas, the gentlewoman from texas.

ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, it's a pleasure to be with you this morning and i thank you for your leadership this evening as we discuss with our colleagues a very important crisis that is now approaching that i hope our message tonight really provides the stop gap, the finger in the dike, if you will, that is about to overrun itself and that is the numbers of americans who are crying out to this congress to do the right thing. i thank the gentlelady from ohio for her persistent leadership and her timeliness, because this is a very, very important need that needs action and it needs action now. and i guess i would like to add to this definition of what unemployment benefits are and what it means to extends them and the numbers of -- extends them and the numbers of -- extends them and the number of

americans who are waiting for those benefits to be extended and the extension is simply adding to the 26 weeks that are now expiring and you mentioned that it was not a gift and i'd like to suggest something even more. i wonder if we have read recently the story of the good samaritan. and that story has traveled with me throughout my public life. in fact, i believe that we on this floor and we in this body are really public servants. we work for the people and we are to do the right thing, their bidding, as it relates to the enhancement of the quality of life that they have been promised under our constitution. in fact, the declaration of independence really says that we are created with inalienable rights of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that pursuit of happiness has a lot to do with prosperity and

the ability to provide for one's family. and so in this instance the good samaritan is the federal government but it is not in a position of handing out something. as the story goes, the good samaritan helped someone who had been violated by others and they could not help themselves. it's not that they purposely were laying alongside of the road, they had been violated by others. in this instance the individuals who are on unemployment now and are looking for an unemployment benefit extension did not create the atmosphere where they were not working. the very fact that they have ownership town employment benefits is the fact that they worked -- ownership to unemployment benefits is the fact that they worked and they created a trust with the federal government. they put their money in a trust while they are -- while they were work and in addition they made a contract, i will work and

you understand the present laws, you will help me when i am out of work and when there is evidence of --, of course, that there is no work for these individuals to secure at this time, we've made great strides. under the bush administration we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. we have gained jobs because of the stimulus package that the democratic leadership and members have voted for. and i am grateful that we took the risk under much accusations and criticism. but in that process we have elevated some to work. but even when that asset we find ourselves struggling because there are more people out of work than there are jobs at this time. and so what we're asking the obstructists to not do is to not block the bridge that these unemployed americans need.

do not dissolve the trust, do not breach the contract that we've made with americans who invest in their trust fund or in unemployment benefits by their taxes so that if they were unemployed through no fault of their own they could secure resources for what the many stories of americans will tell you. these are not resources for vacation, this is not resources for recreation, this is not resources just to stay home and take it easy, these people are taking these dollars to keep a roof over their head, to pay the next mortgage payment the health care bill -- payment, the health care bill, the utility bills in the heat of the summer, high utility bills, for some family quhoss have children with asthma -- asthma, they need