awareness and readiness for undergraduate programs, was created by congress in 1998 to help increase the number of low income and underrved student whors prepared for and succeed in post-secondary education. this year, the gear up program provided college prep service to over 670,000 students in over 5,000 schools across 46 states. the district of columbia, american samoa, micronearbya and puerto rico. national gear up day sponsored by the community for education partnerships is an for us to recognize the continued success of gear up programs nationwide. it guarantees an entire cohort of students begin nothing later than the seventh grade and follows that group through high school. gear up funds are also used to provide college scholarships to

low income students, students participating in the gear up program, mr. speaker, are encouraged in a variety of ways to enter and complete post-secondary education. they may visit post-secondary institutions and survey classes that interest them, learn about financial aid and scrarship opportunities or meet with a counselor for career planning. i want to thank representative fattah for introducing this resolution and once again express my support for resolution 1638 which celebrates national gear up day. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: i rise today in support of house resolution 1638, supporting the goals and ideals of national gear up day. far too many students who enter

college fail to complete programs and attain credentials. the gear up program is to address both access and success changes to ensure a more low-income students succeed in the work force. gear up provides a six-year grant to states and partnerships at high poverty middle schools and high schools. gear up guarantees serves as an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow them through high school or through their first year of college. gear up funds provides scholarships to low-income students. nearly 77 million americans will retire over the next several decades, and the united states will face a worker gap. a skills gap and a wage gap. filling these gaps will require developing better trained and more skilled workers for productive jobs with upper mobility -- upward mobility. ensuring youth in the adulthood

are able to to integrate into society will ensure that we're able to fulfill these gaps. the gear up program provides preparatory services to approximately 67 o,000 students and -- 780,000 in over 5,000 schools trout the country. today we support the goals and ideals of national gear up day, recognize the contributions of teachers, counselors and program staff that encourage and prepare students for success in college and beyond. i urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from pennsylvania, congressman fattah, the author of this resolution, and the author of gear up, for four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for four minutes. free trade agreement i thank the gentlelady and -- mr. fattah: i thank the gentlelady

for yielding to me. the gearup program has had bipartisan support. on national gear up day we had governors lie haley barbour in mississippi and governors throughout the nation and we had mayors and school superintendents and college association all across our country celebrate the great achievements of young people who have been part of this program and the adults who have worked with them. the federal partnership with states and with higher education institutions and what i call an enlong ated conversation with young people over -- elongated conversation with young people, we've added a seventh year, has proven to be successful over its first decade of work. given the research that's been done and it has shown that there's been a remarkable success across the 40-plus states.

and now 46 states. and communities of outreach strife, gear up has worked to increase the number of young people graduating from high school, taking rigorous courses and going on to college. we saw a multiday series here in "the washington post" poe cussing on students from virginia and thankfully going to college in pennsylvania from gear up. i visited with gear up youngsters in wichita, kansas, and oklahoma city, in california, all across our land. it's an amazing and extraordinary feat to see young people who statistically others would have written off but now because of the work of the gear up program and because of their own work and parental involvement they have been written back in. the president has said we need to return our country to leadership in the world by 2020 with the number of adults with

a college degree. we now are ninth in the world in a number of our young people graduating from college. this is an important program. it is the largest college program in our country and in our country's history. and it began with bipartisan support. it continues to have that support because it is locally administered. it is a partnership program involving higher education institutions and in partnership with middle schools and high schools, community and civic associations. it's worked well in native american communities, in rural communities and urban cities. it has helped in terms of youngsters who have english as a second language. and my great partner in this, congressman hinojosa, who will be working and many others in this congress have been strong supporters of gear up. so i thank the gentleman and the gentlelady for yielding me this amount of time. i thank you for your support of

this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i'd like to make it clear, did the gentleman from tennessee yield his time? mr. roe: i did. ms. woolsey: thank you. so now we know. i am pleased to recognize the gentleman from texas, mr. hinojosa, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. mr. hinojosa: thank you, mr. chairman -- mr. speaker. i rise today in support of house resolution 1638, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of national gear up day. as subcommittee chairman for higher education, lifelong learning and competitiveness, i want to thank my good friend and colleague, representative chaka fattah, the father of the gear up program, for his

outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to ensure that low-income students enter and succeed in postsecondary education as well as in life. i am proud to have joined congressman fattah on the education committee back in 1998 to be an original co-sponsor of this great gear up program that he introduced. in supporting the goals and ideals of national gear up day, it's important that we recognize gear up teachers and counselors and program staff for their tireless work on behalf of our neediest students. throughout the year, these extraordinary individuals provide essential college preparatory services to over 670,000 students in over 5,000 schools across 46 states as well as in the district of columbia and samoa and

micronesia and puerto rico. i'm extremely proud of gear up students in the rio graunda valley of south -- grande valley of south texas for making their education a top priority. our region serves approximately 18,000 students, and these young people are studying hard, taking rigorous courses, graduating from high school and preparing themselves to earn a college degree. in my congressional district we are fortunate to have talented and committed individuals who have made gear up a huge success. i personally want to thank teen ea atkins, the director of the region one education service program as well as dr. martha cantu, the director of the gear up program. and business and community leaders in our region who have

done a terrific job in educating and encouraging gear up students and their families to reach for the stars. on march 30, 2010, president obama signed the health care and education reconciliation act of 2010 into law. with the enactment of this law, president obama and congress are taking bold steps to ensure accessibility and affordability in higher education. these investments -- may i have a minute and a half more? ms. woolsey: i yield the gentleman a minute and a half. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for an additional minute and a half. mr. hinojosa: these investments in education will undoubtedly provide thousands of gear up students throughout the country with the financial aid and support that they need to succeed in college. as our nation strives to build a world-class educational system, increased graduation rates at all levels, and to

meet the world in the proportion of college graduates by the year 2020 it's critical that we continue to invest in successful federal programs like gear up. today, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 1638, and our nation to encourage greater numbers of low-income students to pursue their dreams by supporting the goals and ideals of a national gear up day. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i want to thank representative fattah and representative hinojosa for their participation in introducing this resolution and once again i want to express my support for house resolution 1638 which celebrates national gear up day, a chance for all of us to recognize the gear up program's accomplishments and its success in increasing the accessibility

of college for those students who need it the most. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1638. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr. roe: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? mr. roe: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1598. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of

the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1598, resolution expressing support for the designation of the month of october as national work and family month. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, will each control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on house resolution 1598 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. with that i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 1598, which expresses support for designating october as national work and family month. over the past 40 years, the family dynamic has changed. women comprise nearly half of the united states work force. for most working women, their

responsibilities do not seize at the end of the work day but continue on at home as most women serve as their family's primary caregiver. and beyond caring for their own family, working women often take an additional caregiver responsibility by caring for their parents and/or their spouse's parents. but it isn't just women who face the challenge of balancing work and family, mr. speaker. more than ever before men have taken on a greater share of family responsibilities in addition to their workplace duties. with working families faking on extra hours to make ends meet -- taking on extra hours to make ends meet, the need for a work-life balance is more crucial than ever. employers who afford their employees with policies that help to balance work and family reap substantial benefits ranging from improving the employer's bottom line, increasing retention rates, decreasing absenteeism and improving productivity and

improving morale. a 2008 report by the families and work institute found that workers who were able to balance work and family are more highly engaged in their work and less likely to look for a job in the next year. they also enjoy better overall health, better mental health and lower levels of stress. finding a good balance between work and family is important to most important. a 2009 survey of students found that 2/3 of respondents cited a healthy work-life balance was an important career goal. in addition, research by the radcliffe public policy institute found that women in their 20's, 30's, and 40's, and 40's, identified the most important job characteristic to be a job schedule they -- that allows them to spend time with their families. according to research by the

sloan center for aging and work, a majority of workers age over attribute their success as an employee to job flexibility, which contributes to an overall higher quality of life. job flexibility often allows parents to be more involved in their children's lives and parental involvement is associated with higher child achievement in language and mathematics, improved behavior, greater academic persistence and lower dropout rate. families with working parents face many challenges when it comes to balancing family time with working hard to provide for the family and it is so important that we recognize this every day because it is such a challenge. but it's equally important to recognize that the substantial benefits accorded and afforded to parents, children, and employers when work verse access to policies of support

lead to a much healthier work-life balance. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of house resolution 1458 as support of designating october as national work and family month. establishing a balance between work and family is something men and women struggle with at some point in their careers. those who are able to balance family and work are less likely to report making mistakes or feeling resentment to employers or co-workers. 85% of workplace employees have

obligations outside of their work. today work this resolution, we support the designation of the month of october as national work and family month. through this designation, we recognize the importance of balancing work and family and urge public officials, employers, employees, and the general public to work together to achieve more balance between work and family. with that, i stand in support of this resolution and ask my colleagues for their support. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: i'm pleased to recognize thewoman from -- the gentlewoman from new york, congressman mccarthy, the author of this resolution, for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for two minutes. ms. mccarthy: i want to thank ms. woolsey, my colleague on the education committee who has been working with me on this also and i thank mr. roe on

tennessee for bringing this up. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h. resolution 1598 a resolution supporting the recognition of national work and family month. i think my colleague, ms. woolsey, really spoke about the essence of the bill so i'm going to speak a little bit shorter on this. i want to thank representative platts for introducing this resolution with me and i want to thank chairman miller and ranking member klein for bringing the resolution to the floor today under suspension. this resolution highlights the need to focus on healthy work and family balance. study after study has shown that finding the right balance between work responsibilities and family obligations is one of the most important things for all of our workers. workers who have a better work-family balance have better overall health, improved mental health and less stress. children also benefit from having their parents available

more often. employees who are able to spend enough time with their families are happier at work and more productive than those employees who do not have enough time to spend with their family. achieving a work-family balance is good for all employers, employees, and their families this resolution basically asks all americans to consider how to achieve a healthier work-family balance to increase the quality of the life of our employees and their families and improve productivity for all employers. thank you and i urge me passage of this resolution. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentlewoman from california reserves the balance of her time. ms. woolsey: i'm reserving the balance of my time, thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: i will simply say one of the great challenges of my

life is to balance a professional practice with my family and i will say also that you will never regret one minute you spend with your children or grandchildren. so i would encourage support of this, i i think the gentlelady from california and from new york for speaking about this. i think it's one of the most important issues we have today is time with our families as our families break down, our children are left alone so much, i would encourage everyone, especially at this time of year, to spend as much time with their families as they could. it would be the best investment you've ever made. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from -- gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. most children are lucky if they have a two-parent family these days, but if they even have one parent or two parents, both of those parents are in the work

force. they work long hour they commute long distances to put food on the table and quite often, they are not able to sit at that table and share that food with their families because they're -- their work life balance is so unbalanced. so families with working parents face many, many challenges when it comes to balancing family time with working to provide for their families and it's important that we recognize this as an everyday challenge. it's equally important to recognize that the substantial benefits are afforded to parents, children, and employers when work verse access to policies that support a healthy work-life balance. so i want to thank representative mccarthy for sponsoring this important resolution and i thank congressman roe for being part of this with us and i encourage my colleagues to join me today in support of house resolution

1598. with that, i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from -- both parties have yielded back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1598. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are are suspended and the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr. roe: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee. mr. roe: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california sec reck -- seek recognition? ms. woolsey: i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1576 as amended.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. ms. woolsey: -- the clerk: house resolution 1576, resolving that a day to recognize parents of special needs children should be established. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: i request five legislative days in which member mace revise and extend and insert extraneous materials on house resolution 1576 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection so ordered. ms. woolsey: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. woolsey: i rise today in support of house resolution 1576 which supports the establishment of the national day of recognition for parents of children with special needs. parents of children with special needs seaverb critical

role in the development of their children and in preparing them to succeed in school and in life. through selfless dedication and sacrifice, these parents work with their schools and communities to ensure their children are granted equal access to a free and appropriate education that recognizes their individual learning behavior and mental health needs in a healthy and supportive learning environment. we know that the number of parents raising children with special needs is significant and it is growing. a national day of recognition for parents of children with special needs not only serves to honor the dedication of these parents, but to highlight resources that they can turn to for information and support. mr. speaker, i want to thank representative burton for -- of indiana for introducing this resolution and once again express my support for house resolution 1576, which supports the establishment of a national day of recognition for parents

of children with special needs. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. with that, i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: i rise in support of house resolution 1576, expressing the sense of the house of representatives that a national day of recognition for parents of special needs children should be established. parents of special needs children must be given their children -- must give their children extra time, attention, care and love for the reason they deserve recognition for their selfless dedication and compassion and sacrifice. according to the department of health and human services, 14% of children between age 1 and 17 years of age in the united states are diagnosed as having special health care needs. children with special needs are

defined as those that have a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition that require special services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally. those of us who have children recognize the time, effort, and sacrifice having a child requires, however having a child with special needs requires additional time and effort. parents must find and manage treatment, atend doctor appointments, handle conflicts at day care or school and most importantly seek the right educational choices for their children. in addition the advocate for the child must be proactive and take necessary steps to make sure their child receives appropriate services. active and supportive parents of children with special needs play an integral role in their children's development and preparing them for school and life. parents of children with special needs often work tirelessly on behalf of their children in the face of financial hardship and

maintaining a work-life balance. although these parents often have additional stress, it is indeed a labor of love in which the rewards are many. in recognition of the day-to-day love and sacrifice by the parents of children with special needs and for the exemplary example of courage and devotion these parents provide, in many instances a lifetime of care for their children, i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: would the gentleman like to close, any of further speakers. mr. roe: i would just close by saying in 30-plus years of practicing medicine and deliver manage thousands of babies, many of those special needs children in the small community where i'm from, i've seen the stresses personally that this has put on families and have so much respect for these families and what the children offer the parents and the community and

i've had my own daughter work in high school in the special needs classroom, i've attended many special needs classrooms while i've been in congress and so i would urge support for this, it's a terrific resolution and i appreciate very much the support of this house and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: i want to thank again representative burton of indiana for introducing this resolution and representative roe for his support of this resolution and i want to express my support for house resolution 1576. which supports the establishment of a national kay of recognition for parents of children with special needs. i urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time.

the question is -- the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. the gentleman from tennessee yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 15 6 -- 1576 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. mr. roe: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 further proceed thonings question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1313. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1313, resolution expressing

support for designation of may as child advocacy center month and commending the national child advocacy center in huntsville, alabama, on their 25th anniversary in 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, and the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, will each control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on house resolution 1313 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house resolution 1313, which supports the designation of the month of may as child advocacy center month and commends the national child advocacy center for 25 years of service and leadership in confronting the epidemic of child abuse.

tragically, mr. speaker, five children die each day as a result of child abuse and neglect in the united states of america. in 2008, a total of 1,740 children died as a result of such abuse. the national chilet advocacy center provides critical training, prevention, intervention and treatment services to fight this urgent national problem. in may of 1985, the national children's advocacy center in huntsville, alabama, was founded by a young district attorney from madison county named robert cramer jr. mr. kramer, who went on to be a member of the house of representatives, from 1991 to 2009, organized the center to improve assistance to abused children and worked to end child abuse. since then the national child chirn's advocacy center has become a national leader for

training children -- training child abuse specialists since their doors opened. after that the center has trained more than 54,000 professionals from the united states and 20 other countries altogether. the work of the center has helped many children overcome the emotional distress that results from the frightening experience of abuse. this year child advocacy centers nationwide will celebrate over 25 years of providing invaluable service to the hundreds of thousands of child abuse victims each year and -- which is an opportunity for us all to recognize the contributions of child advocacy centers. mr. speaker, i express my support for child advocacy center month and thank representative griffith for bringing the bill forward. i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves the balance of her

time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of house resolution 1313, recognizing the month of may as child advocacy center month and commending the national child advocacy center in huntsville, alabama, on its 25th anniversary. recognizing child's advocacy center month allows us to not only raise awareness of the abuse and neglect our children face every day but also recognize the important work that child advocacy centers do in providing training, prevention, intervention and treatment services to combat child abuse and neglect so that our nation's children can live without fear. child abuse may include physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and emotional abuse and often children are the victims of multiple forms of abuse. one in four girls and one in seven boys will be sexually abused before age 18. this highlights the need for

child advocacy centers and will provide a place for various members from the community to provide the abused child with appropriate treatment and prevent further victimization while also deciding the best ways to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases. in may of 1985, the national child advocacy center opened in huntsville, alabama. it was the first center to utilize the resources of not only law enforcement and criminal justice professionals but also child protective services and medical and mental health professionals in one comprehensive group. in the 25 years since the creation of the child advocacy center model, more than 900 centers followed in those important first footsteps. research has shown that education and support for communities has been successful in preventing child abuse. therefore, it is imperative that as members of the community we know how we can help prevent and stop ongoing child abuse. child advocacy centers provide an important element in these prevention activities.

this is why i stand in support of this resolution and ask for my colleagues' support, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: mr. speaker, i don't have any further speakers. does the gentleman from tennessee? mr. roe: i do not. may i close, mr. speaker? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i think one of the greatest tragedies in america today is child abuse. the stories that you read, the horrific stories that you read in the newspapers to me are beyond comprehension. you see children die or children are abused. and this abuse will affect them. i have seen this as a physician. 30, 40, 50 years after the abuse. i find it incomprehensible that an adult or anyone would abuse a child. you're only a child for a very short time in your life. i was blessed with a loving mother and father to be raised in, so i can't comprehend the

situation that many children find themselves. i want to encourage our colleagues, i want to thank all the people in this country who get up every day and deal with these tragedies. this is very hard for the caregivers and the people who deal with this. law enforcement personnel, the nurses, the doctors, the social workers who deal with this on a daily basis. it's very difficult for them to. so i want to from the bottom of my heart, i absolutely support this and i want to encourage everyone in this house to wholeheartedly support this resolution. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. and i once again want to thank representative griffith for bringing this bill forward and for representative roe for his support of this initiative. and i support it. i ask my colleagues to join me in support of resolution 1313. with that i reserve -- i yield

back the balance of my time. thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to resolution 1313. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr. roe: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? mr. mccarthy: i ask unanimous consent that the house suspend the rules and agree to h.con.res 323. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution.

the clerk: house concurrent resolution 323, supporting the goal of ensuring that all holocaust survivors in the united states are able to live with dignity, comfort and security in their remaining years. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, mrs. mccarthy, and the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. mr. mccarthy: mr. speaker, i request five legislative days during which members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on house concurrent resolution 323 into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. mccarthy: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. mccarthy: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of house concurrent resolution 323 which supports the goals of ensuring that all holocaust survivors in the united states are able to live with dignity, comfort and security in their remaining years. during the holocaust, which took place between 1933 and 1945, the nazis murdered an

estimated six million jews and other targeted groups. those who survived torture under nazi occupation continue to live with the scars of this horrible tragedy. this resolution supports the goal of ensuring that all holocaust survivors in the united states are able to live with dignity and comfort in their remaining years. i applaud the nonprofit organizations and agencies that work extensively to honor and assist the holocaust survivors in their communities. this resolution urges the administration and the department of health and human services in conjunction with the administration of aging to provide holocaust survivors with needed social services to existing programs. lastly, the resolution encourages the administration on aging to develop and implement programs to ensure holocaust survivors are able to

-- in their communities and avoid being institutionalized during their remaining years. mr. speaker, i want to thank my colleague, representative wasserman schultz, for introducing this resolution. and once again express my support and i urge my colleagues to support this important resolution. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of house concurrent resolution 323, supporting the goal of ensuring that all holocaust survivors in the united states are able to live with dignity, comfort and security in their remaining years. 67 years ago a brave group of jewish resistance fighters rose up against their german occupiers in the warsaw ghettos when the nazis transferred them to a camp.

launched on january 18, 1943, the balk of the uprising took place from april 19 through may 16. it was the largest single revolt by the jewish people during the holocaust. the united states officially commemorates the holocaust during the days of remembrance which is held each april marking the anniversary of the warsaw ghetto uprising. while the holocaust survivors admitted orem grated to the united states during world war ii, these events are a stark reminder of the darkness and hate they endured on a daily basis for more than 12 years. today, there are more than 36 million people in the united states who are over the age of 65 making it the fastest growing age group in the country. more than 127,000 are holocaust survivors remaining -- remaining in the united states. all holocaust survivors are at least 65 years old and approximately 3/4 of them are older than 75 years of age and

majority in their 80's and 90's. as more of these survivors age every year our federal, state and local governments must provide them with the needed services they need to maintain their health and independence in their homes and communities. the u.s. administration on aging, part of the u.s. department of health and human services, in responsible for the older americans act, it is the first stop for seniors and their families to eye departmentify home and community-based long-term care options as well as transportation, knew rigs and referral to home care, health and other social services. when congress, led by the education and labor committee, last re-authorized the law in 2006, we strengthened the act to promote consumer choice as well as home and community-based supports to help older individuals avoid institutional care, improve health and nutrition programs and educational and volunteer

services, increased federal, state and local coordination and reform employment based training for older americans. these important changes will ensure that quality and effectiveness of federal programs aimed at assisting the elderly and those holocaust survivors living in the u.s. we honor 127,000 survivors of the holocaust currently living in the united states, and we pay tribute to those brave souls who have passed away over the last six decades. we applaud the work of nonprofit organizations and agencies that have worked and continue to work tirelessly to honor and to assist holocaust survivors and their local communities and we must commit to providing those survivors with needed social services so they are able to live with dignity, comfort and security in their remaining years. i urge my colleagues to support house concurrent resolution 323 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee

reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. mccarthy: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wasserman schultz, who is the author of this resolution, for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida is recognized for five minutes. ms. wasserman schultz: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to offer house concurrent resolution 323, ensuring the holocaust survivors live with dignity, comfort and security. this important resolution recognizes the plight of holocaust survivors, honors their unique needs and pledges to help survivors attain the utmost comfort during their remaining years. at the end of world war ii, jutish population of europe had been -- the jewish population of europe had been decimated. the atrocities perpetrated by the nazis to other minority population, it was previously unknown to this world.

holt 'cause is a stain on our history which our society has pledged to never forget. the jewish population around the world is still grieve neg less of six million. in the wake of this incomparable human destruction, thousands of survivors immigrated to america, here they hoped to secure a better future for themselves and their children. they saw it as a global example of freedom, liberty and justice. they left the wreckage of the -- of the holocaust and sought freedom on our shores. to these brave survivor -- these brave survivors embraced the american cream and enriched our society in fields from academia to arts and government. our country is stronger from their contribution and our children have learned much from holocaust survivors. now there is more we can and

must do to ensure that those who survived such atrocities live out their remaining years in peace. there are more than 127,000 holocaust survivors in our nation today. with more than 3/4 of them over age 75 and a majority of them in their 80's and 90's. roughly 2/3 of all survivors in america live alone and many lack financial resources for the most basic necessities, including proper housing and health care. many fall below the federal poverty line, making this fragile community most at risk for being forced into a group living situation. it's a little-known tragedy that so many survivors of the death camp have aged in poverty and destitution in the united states. as a nation that so strongly upholds the values of freedom and justice, we have a moral only dation -- obligation to acknowledge the plight of these survivors and uphold their well

being in their remaining years. we need to fulfill the promise of justice they sought in the united states. as victims of terror and torture, they have special needs that would benefit from further work to to the allow them to age in place. institutionalized settings have a disproportionatelya adverse affect -- effect on holocaust survivors as they are reminiscent of experiences in the holocaust. it is impossible for us to imagine the traumatic nightmare they still experience. that is why it is so important for us to secure alternatives to institutionalization to aging in place which may be more appropriate for a holocaust survivor. in introducing this legislation, we applaud the organizations that dedicate their tireless efforts to assisting holocaust survives -- survivors in their community. they strive every day to

improve the difficult situations facing viverors in our community. it is important that congress work with the administration to provide holocaust survivors with needed social services through programs such as the administration on aging. it is fortuitous that this resolution comes to the floor they the same week we celebrate hanukkah. this day is a time to dedicate ourselveses to ideals of justice. we must remember those in our society who have had so much taken from them in their lifetime. we must share these stories and proclaim these lessons in public that ours is a nation of freedom and justice for all. our children's generation will be the last to know a holocaust survivor and hear their stories firsthand. we must do all we can to honor their struggles and lives by granting them the utmost peace in their remaining years. i want to thank my colleagues on both sides of their aisle for their strong support.

102 members are co-sponsors of this resolution. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from florida yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: i'd like to yield to my distinguished colleague, mr. wolf, five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for five minutes. mr. wolf: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from tennessee for the recognition. i rise today in support hoff h.con.res. 37323 and thank the gentleman for yielding. i believe we have a moral obligation to ensure that all members of our society are able to age with grace and dignity and to speak out, to speak out if we notice a particular group within our society is facing unique barriers toward this goal. as many have noted earlier, there are approximately 127,000 holocaust survivors living in the united states today. despite being victims of unfa no, ma'am -- unfathomable crimes and crimes that unfortunately the world stood

by and looked the other way for years and years and years, these individuals immigrated into the united states to become vam usual members and contributors to our society. nursing homes and assisted care settings provide many of my constituents with invaluable services, however we are noticing that a disproportionate number of holocaust survivorsmark of them in their 80's and 90's are not able to transition to these facilities. this is specifically due to their horrific past experiences. just remember the movie "schindler's list." many facilities don't have the additional resources necessary to care for most of these survivors. ghiven challenge, it is important that we work to raise awareness of existing opportunities to minimize this emerging situation. many holocaust survivors and nonprofit organizations and agencies that work with them

daily have found that aging in place programs help alleviate the problem. i urge the administration, the department of health and human services in partnership with the administration of aging, nonprofit groups to work with the holocaust survivors to address their needs through existing programs and also to work on developing innovative and efficient solutions to address this challenge. i'm pleased to work again with my colleague from florida, ms. wasserman schultz to introduce this legislation to highlight this issue. again, as i said, for the longest time, in the 1930's and 1940's, the world looked the other way, just go to the holocaust museum and see. many times, people were crying out and the word was coming out of germany and people were looking the other way. i strongly urge support of this and i hope when it is voted on if there is a roll call vote, it is unanimous. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from new york is

recognized. mrs. mccarthy: i'm pleased to recognize the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. schakowsky, for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. schakowsky: i rise in support of this resolution to urge that all holocaust survivors in the united states are able to live with dignity, comfort and security and congratulate congressman wasserman schultz on its introduction. an estimated 120,000 holocaust survivors live in the united states today, include manage in the chicago area. the village of skokie is one of the -- home to one of the largest groups in the country. holocaust survivors are five times more likely to be living below the poverty level than other older americans. these men and women have survived the worst of human abuses -- abuses and many have special needs as they age.

it is critical we uphold the dignity of holocaust survivors and ensure their well being in their remaining years. i would like to applaud the efforts of this the jewish federation of metropolitan chicago and other such organizations that are working tirelessly tie cyst holocaust survivors in our community. we must do more to ensure that holocaust survivors can spend their remaining years in comfort, dignity and security. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expire. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is reck nizzed. -- recognized. mrs. mccarthy: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to recognize mr. quigley for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. quigley: i rise to support this resolution and thank its sponsor, the gentlelady from florida, and call for its quick passage. this important resolution

highlights the often forgotten special needs of the few remaining holocaust survivors and calls for assurances that their final years will be comfortable and dignitied -- dignified. over 100,000 holocaust survivors live in the united states with over 100,000 of them living in my city, chicago. 3/4 of those are in their 80's and 90's. a majority live alone and more than half live below the poverty line. as these individuals who survived torture, stashation and other unspeakable terrors age, they deserve to do so in their own homes rather than an institutional setting. after all they've endured and overcome they deserve access to social service programs sensitive to their unique needs this resolution will ensure they spend their last years with the same dignity with which they lived. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: i reserve the balance

of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. mccarthy: i want to recognize the gentleman from new york, mr. engel, for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. engel: i thank my fellow new yorker for recognizing me and i rise to support this resolution. everyone has spoken eloquently and i concur with everything that's been said. when i was looking at the resolution and the reasons for supporting it, i was absolutely shocked to see that there were still 127,000 holocaust survivors left in the united states. i would have thought it was much, much less. and of course as people are saying, many of them are in their 80's and 90's and the serve a little ed -- added help. this great country has been a refuge for so many people throughout the years of the great republic and certainly the holcaus survivors that -- holocaust survivors that came

here after the holocaust have been treated with dignity, have moved into american society, their children and grandchildren have achieved great heights but unfortunately, too many of them today are still live alone, are in their 80's and 90's, and immediate our help. i rise to support this resolution. i think this is the most noble thing we can do. it's a great testimony to our great nation and i urge my colleagues to support it. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to associate my last remarks with the gentleman from new york and the remarks that have been made. i think one of the greatest blights in world history is the history of the holocaust. the world stood by and watched the murder of millions of innocent men, women, and children. we just a moment ago spoke about child advocacy and look at the families that were dislodged, displaced, it's one of the most horrific events in

world history, i believe, and should never, ever be allowed to be repeated on this earth. i strongly encourage my colleagues to vote yes on this resolution. it's a privilege to be here and be on the house floor to speak on behalf of that. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. mccarthy: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate that. so the other side yields back? the holocaust was one of the most unspeakable tragedies in history. the amount of pain and suffering in those individuals who endured the terror of the nazi regime can never been quantified. h.con.res. lution 1413 calls on the nation to assure holocaust

providers have the means to live out their remaining years deccy a country that promotes freedom and has an unbreakable bond with israel. with this in mind, i was proud to introduce h.r. 6363, the supporting law enforcement through lessons of -- of the holocaust act earlier this congress. this legislation creates a new four-year grant at the department of justice, state and local law enforcement agencies to carry out the programs that will teach these officers about the implications of the holocaust for modern day law enforcement professionals. stories of personal struggle from the holocaust live on through our historic records, families, friends and survivors of that horrific time. our nation owes it to the

survivors to assure their security and safety of the utmost variety. with that -- i yield -- with that, i yield one minute to mr. klein. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. klein: i rise today to support h.con.res. 323, a resolution that calls attention to the thousands of holocaust survivors living beyond the poverty line. we know in florida we have a tremendous number of people that have come from that background, they deserve to live their lives in dignity. holocaust survivors have endured tortuous and unimaginable nightmares. all the more so they should be assured a life of comfort and security. it's truly tragic that holocaust survivors are five times more likely to live below the poverty line than other older americans. we are coming together today to

send a clear message that we need to lift holocaust survive oors out of poverty. we are human and must not allow suffer like this to reach those who have suffered so much. i would like to thank pli colleague, debbie wosserman schulte. south florida is lucky to have you. i'd like to commend the many good organizations in florida and around the country that provide stellar social services to holocaust survivors. they understand the unique needs of the survivor population and the urgent imperative to solve this crisis. i call on my colleagues to swiftly pass this resolution to tell holocaust survivors, you are not alone. i thank the speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expire thetched gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. mccarthy: mr. speaker, as we understand the other side still yields back. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 323.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. mrs. mccarthy: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will suspend. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. mccarthy: mr. speaker, with that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from new jersey seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to h.res. 1690, honoring american diabetes month as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1690, resolution supporting the observance of american diabetes month. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone, and the gentleman from nebraska, mr. tery, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i yield to myself sufficient time as i may consume -- myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.res. 1690, earlier this year the energy and commerce health subcommittee held a hearing on our collective battle against diabetes. the progress we've made so far and the challenges that remain.

over 30 years ago congress passed the national diabetes research and education act, the first significant legislation directed at coordinating and expanding the government's research and prevention efforts related to diabetes. while we've made tremendous progress in understanding and treating diabetes, it remaining a significant public health epidemic. it's staggering to realize that over 23 million americans have some form of diabetes today and the number is growing. even more troubling is that 57 million americans are at serious risk for developing type two diabetes, including women with gestational diabetes. until recently, kids were rarely diagnosed with anything but type one diabetes. but the increasing rate of childhood obesity is changing the face of diabetes and certainly not for the better. furthermore, diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney failure. as is often the case, diabetes disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities.

american indians have the highest privilege lance of diabetes nationwide -- prevalence of diabetes nationwide and hispanics and african-americans are close behind. moreover there's clear economic cost. over $220 billion in medical expenses in 2007 can be attributed to diabetes. there are serious problems which need aggressive and innovative action. the national institute of diabetes and kidney disease and the centers for disease control are both doing landmark research and surveillance work related to diabetes and have translated this into more effective prevention and treatment strategies. including the development of key therapies and technologies. i want to commend the sponsor of this legislation, the gentlewoman from colorado, not only for the work on this bill but all the work she does on the energy and commerce committee and also as the co-chair of the congressional diabetes caucus. i know i'm a member of it, it has well over 200 members, and it does a lot to raise awareness and increase education about the

disease. i urge my colleague does support this resolution -- to support this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. terry: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. thank you, mr. speaker. as a member of the diabetes caucus and a former vice chair and member of the regional board that included nebraska for the american diabetes association before i came to the united states congress, i rise in support of house resolution 1690, supporting the observance of american diabetes month. diabetes touches nearly every life in this country. there are an estimated 24 million americans today afflicted with diabetes. and that number is projected to double in the next 25 years.

diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose. it results when the body does not produce sufficient insulin or is unable to process insulin, a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into needed energy for daily life. type one diabetes results from the body's failure to produce insulin which allows glucose to enter and fuel the cells of the body. the most common form of type one diabetes is mediated diabetes in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing the cells of the pancreatic russ. the common name for type one diabetes is juvenile diabetes. even though juvenile diabetes is typically diagnosed during childhood or adolescents, it's a disease individuals must manage their entire life.

type two diabetes sometimes known as adult onset diabetes results from the body's inability to make enough or properly use insulin. type two diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is rising in number every year. approximately 57 million americans are thought to have pre-type two diabetes. the complications from both forms of diabetes can be devastating, life altering, ranging from heart disease, stroke and blindness to kidney disease. in the case of type two diabetes, people can take steps to avoid the onset of the disease and mitigate its affects. americans must understand that their health and the health of their families are in their hands. balanced diets and increased physical activity can prevent the disease and its complications.

those with histories of diabetes in their families must be especially vigilant. i'd like to thank the author of this resolution, the gentlelady from denver, the rocky mountain state, colorado, for her efforts to improve awareness of this disease and supporting all the education efforts. she's very vigilant on this issue, as i know, we're on the energy and commerce committee together. the issue and why it's so necessary to educate is to highlight the importance of early detection. i encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: mr. speaker, i'd like to now yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from colorado who is

the author of the resolution and also the co-chair of the diabetes caucus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from colorado is recognized. ms. degette: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i want to thank mr. pallone, the chairman of my subcommittee, who does such wonderful work on these diabetes issues, and also the gentleman from nebraska. we've served for many, many years together on the committee. i'm very pleased that we're able to bring this resolution to the floor while it is still in fact diabetes awareness month, november. because diabetes is one of the top public health threats in our country today. about 70,000 people are thought to have died from underlying causes of diabetes on an annual basis, with tens of thousands of more deaths related to the disease. the c.d.c. estimates that right now about 81 million americans either have diabetes or pre-diabetes and we know that many more will get it.

with better research, we can determine how people lose their lives to this disease and we can both cure, we hope find a cure for the disease and also to mitigate the losses. as well as a terrible public health threat in this country, diabetes is also an important economic issue. which is why the diabetes caucus works so hard to raise awareness in this body. diabetes will cost this nation almost $3.4 trillion through 2020, according to a recent study released by the united health group. one in every 10 -- $1 in every $10 in health care in this country is atrnted to diabetes and its complications and diabetes takes up more than 30% of our medicare dollars. what's more disturbing, mr. speaker, is that type two diabetes is increasing to epidemic levels and as previous speakers have mentioned, threatens to take up an even bigger budget, part of our

budget in the years to come and to affect millions more americans. families like my family see diabetes up close every day. we have been touched just in my family by type one diabetes, type two diabetes and gestational diabetes. this is not uncommon in america. as more and more families, particularly have experience with type two diabetes. even though diabetes is increasing so dramatically, though, because of the research that we have done at the national institutes of health, at the c.d.c. and in the states, the personal diabetes -- toll of diabetes is becoming more manageable, as we discover ways both to prevent type two diabetes and to treat and even find cures for type one and type two diabetes. advancements in lifestyle interventions, screening and testing can save money and save even more lives. this year marked the 60th

anniversary of the national institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases, which is the leading research organization at the n.i.h. dedicated to tackling this devastating disease. and so six decades later we continue to find different ways to approach this disease and help the millions of families that are affected by it. and so this year, as we support the goals of national diabetes month, let's also pass a bill separate from this bill that many of us have co-sponsored to fund the special diabetes program. as with all things, this research must be paid for. but the cost of inaction, both physically and economically, is too high. diabetes issues have consistently been addressed by this body with interest and passions on both sides of the aisle and we expect in the 11th congress that this will continue. the die -- 112th congress that this will kay cuss.

the diabetes caucus is in fact the largest caucus in congress with close to 250 members and i want to take a moment just now because two of our great leaders in this body on this issue are going to be leaving us at the end of this session. mike castle who has been an extraordinary co-chair of the diabetes caucus is leaving as well as zach space, a beloved member of our committee. who is the vice chairman of the diabetes caucus. i invite all members to join this caucus and also if anyone's interested in being a co-chair, let me know because it is important, important work that we do. do. so in the spirit of the bipartisan commitment that all of us have made, we need to come together and not just talk about how important research is, but actually commit ourselves in the next session of congress to working together on legislation. we can work together not just on recognizing diabetes month but

also working together on the special diabetes program which will help save countless american lives and not leave this critical initiative on the to-do list for yet another year. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. terry: thank you, mr. speaker. and the gentlelady from colorado mentioned the gentleman from delaware who wanted to be here and speak on this resolution, the co-chair, but was called back to his home since we didn't have any more votes tonight. at this time, i would like to yield two minutes to the new gentleman to house of representatives from the state of new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. >> i apologize, mr. speaker.

i thank my colleague and i thank him for the opportunity to rise in support of h.r. 1690 and the opportunity to speak. to me, it's been an honor and privilege to be involved with many diabetes groups, including the juvenile diabetes research foundation. this is a personal issue with my family. my son, will, is diagnosed with type one diabetes and i will never forget the day being rushed to the emergency room as i had to hold him down and look at him in the eyes, why are you holding me and letting the doctors hurt me. we were doing it in his best interest to take care of his situation. we have been living with this disease for well over six years. and i watch my wife every night get up at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in

the morning, testing his blood glue coast levels to make sure he is monitored. important for me to stand up and recognize there is no cure at this point in time for juvenile diabetes or diabetes itself. i hope in the near future and in my tenure as a member of this chamber that that cure will be found. in the meantime, i do join my colleagues in expressing my concern for the over 24 million children and adults that are living with this disease and the estimated 57 million americans that are at risk. today, we must become aware of this disease and its symptoms to make sure that everyone who suffers these symptoms of frequent urineation, extreme thirst and unusual weight loss, check with their medical providers and make sure they are checked for diabetes because it has life-threatening and life impacts that can be negative in regards to blindness, amputation

and kidney failure. i am here today to stand in support of this measure and i will do whatever is in my power to raise awareness for diabetes and finding its cure as my tenure in the house so allows. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. mr. terry: continue to reserve. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i would like to yield to the the gentleman from new york, who is the sponsor of the gestational diabetes act which passed the house earlier this year, mr. engel. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. pallone: i yield two minutes to the gentleman. mr. engel: i thank my good friend from new jersey, chairman of our subcommittee who does an excellent job for yielding to me and i rise today in support of h. res. 1690, a resolution

supporting the observeance of american diabetes month. as a member of the congressional diabetes caucus and co-sponsor of this resolution, i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of h. res. 1690. my colleagues may be aware, one out of every 10 americans suffers from diabetes. this is nearly 24 million people. additionally, according to the sinters for disease control and prevention, there are 57 million americans with pre-diabetes. even more troubling, the staggering numbers will continue to grow if we do nothing. we must continue to raise awareness and find new treatments and preventative measures. in october, the c.d.c. issued a report which states if current trends continue one in three american adults could have diabetes by the year 2050. the report states that the 174 billion currently spent on diabetes will at least double by 2050. these are costs that we cannot afford both financially and physically and the prospect of

these statistics jumping from one in 10 to one in three is frightening, but the good news is it is preventable. i introduced the gestational diabetes act. the act forces research, resources on reducing the insid dens of gestational diabetes in a pregnancy for both the mother and child. it passed the house of representatives in september and i call upon our colleagues in the other body to pass my legislation in the 111th congress so we can turn the tide away from these dire predictions. genetic risk factors or the aging process, we can fight the new causes of diabetes. we have the ability and responsibility to raise public awareness about the implication of diabetes and how to prevent it. that's why i stand in strong support of h. res. 1690. and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from nebraska. mr. terry: continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: i yield two minutes now to the the gentleman from ohio, who is also a member of the energy and commerce committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized for two minutes. mr. space: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. chairman and thank you for your leadership on this issue. i sympathesize with the new member from new york and he and i have something in common. we all have children who suffer from type i diabetes. and although it is a family tragedy when it happens and we all have those stark memories of

being told that your child is going to be for the rest of his or her life dependent upon insulin and it is life changing but it transcends the personal tragedy that it afflicts on millions of families. and we have heard the numbers. the diabetes association estimates north of $200 billion a year spent on diabetes on this country. that is billion with a b. those are war-like numbers and the real tragedy is we could avoid that if we had any kind of foresight envisioned as a nation, we will invest in a cure for a fraction of what we spend in this country on diabetes every year, we could cure the disease. it's within reach. this isn't cancer or some complicated disease of the brain. this is an auto immune disorder

that affects the pancreas. we have a small fraction on what we spend on diabetes every year, we could give every type i person in america a close-loop system, insulin pump, glucose monitor that works like a pan cree as. and we could save trillions of dollars over the next 30 years because as parents of children, we know what our children face. by the time my son is my age, he will be facing the prospect of blindness, kidney disease, amputation and our government is going to pay for it. there is an alternative. and i urge this body in the 112th congress to strongly consider investing here for every dollar you put in, you will receive hundreds back and you will save lives and advance

human life in ways that are difficult to even conceive right now. again, i want to tchanching my colleague from -- to thank my colleague from colorado and my chairman, mr. pallone, for this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from nebraska. mr. terry: continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from new jersey. mr. pallone: i yield two minutes to the the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. scott: ladies and gentlemen of the house, with nearly 23 million children and adults in the united states living with this disease, it is time to reassess our own fitness and nutrition choices to educate ourselves on the risk factors and then courage everyone, especially our loved ones to get tested.

in my home state of georgia, approximately 700,000 children and adults or 7.8% of georgia's entire population have been diagnosed with diabetes. raising awareness about this devastating effects of diabetes could have on people and their families must not go overlooked. many people do not realize that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults between the ages of 20 and 74 years old and contributes to serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. nationwide, 23.6 million people or 7.8% of the nation's entire population have diabetes. further, 17.9 million people have been diagnosed. 5.7 million are undiagnosed and at least 57 million people are pre-diabetic in this country and

220 million people have diabetes worldwide. these are startling statistics and the numbers continue to rise. sadly, thousands more are at increased risk of getting diabetes because of advancing age and obesity and sed ten tear lifestyles and insufficient physical activities. diabetes not only affects the health of our nation but our economic well-being as well. in my state of georgia, the cost of diabetes due to medical care, lost productivity and premature death is over $5.1 billion per year. with 357 million lost in my own congressional district along. early testing is crucial to saving lives and even preventing the onset of disease in the first place. when diabetes is diagnosed in later stages, the treatments are more extreme, more difficult and

hospital visits more frequent. catching the disease in its early stages helps patients mitigate the harmful effects early. i want to do everything in my power, along with all of my colleagues, to ensure that americans are empowered to take control of their health and get tested. i will also continue to work -- mr. pallone: i yield an additional minute to the gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: additional minute is granted. mr. scott: i appreciate that. i also want to continue to work with my colleagues in congress to address juvenile diabetes. especially with our children, because it can be prevented at an early stage, which is testing and care and increased funding for additional research as a number of cases continue to steadily increase. again, i'm honored to observe november as american diabetes month and i'm hopeful with this

increased awareness of this devastating disease, we can save more people from being diagnosed with diabetes. we can lick this. there is a cure. all we have to do is put it as a priority. it needs to be. and we will save lives, millions of lives. and i certainly appreciate and commend mr. pallone and the gentlelady from colorado for authorizing this important resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. terry: if i can inquire to the gentleman from new jersey, how many speakers do you have left? mr. pallone: i have no additional speakers. i would yield mr. baca: the balance of my time. and urge passage. mr. terry: i yield my time back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska yields back. the gentleman from new jersey

yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass and -- agree to whose resolution 1690. i'm sorry, as amended. we'll do that again. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the resolution is agreed to. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr. terry: mr. speaker, i object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to s. 2847, the commercial advertisement loudness mitigation act. better known as the calm act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2847, an act to regulate the volume of audio on commercials. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, mrs. eschew, and the gentleman from nebraska, mr. terry, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. eshoo: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. eshoo: mr. speaker, i yield to myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman is recognized. ms. eshoo: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today or this evening to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of a bill designed to eliminate the ear-splitting levels of television advertisements and return control of television sound modulation to the american consumer. a vote for this bipartisan bill with 90 co-sponsors will send it on to the president for his signature and when he signs it it will bring relief to millions of television viewers across the country. i first introduced the calm act more than three years ago. in the previous congress. the premise of the bill then as now was simple. to make the volume of commercials and regular programming uniform so consumers can control sound levels. the problem of ear-splitting tv advertisements has existed for more than 50 years. not five, 50.

television advertisers first realized the consumers often left the room during commercials so they used loud commercials to grab their attention as they moved to other parts of their home. this has been one of the top complaints to the federal communications commission for decades. the bill directs the f.c.c. to adopt the engineering standards recommended by the body that sets technical standards for digital television within one year. these standards were developed when i introduced the legislation in the last congress. so now we don't have to wait another 50 years for a solution. with the passage of this les legislation, we'll end the practical -- legislation, we'll end the practice of consumers being subjected to advertisements that are ridiculously loud and we can protect people from needlessly loud noise spikes that can actually harm their hearing. this technical fix is long overdue and under the calm act, as amended by the senate,

consumers will be in the driver's seat. i look forward to the enactment of this bill but most importantly so do millions of consumers across the country. so i urge my -- excuse me -- my colleagues to vote for the bill and -- let's see, i will -- i don't think -- i don't know if there's anyone here that wants to speak on my side so i will yield the balance of -- parred me, i'll reserve the balance of my time -- pardon me, i'll reserve the balance of my time, thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. terry: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. terry: how many times a night does this scenario play out? you're on your couch, you're watching a nice program and the

program has people conversing and it's getting to that pinnacle point in the show and it fades and the commercial comes on and it's really loud and you reach for your remote and you can't find the remote, your spouse in the other room with her impatient voice says, turn that down, but you can't find the remote, you say, where is that blankety blank remote? and then you look between the cushions and there it is and you hit the mute button and peace and calm is now restored in the living rooms of thousands of american households. several of my colleagues, people in this house, have said that this act isn't needed, but for that living room on that night, it was sure helpful to restore calm. the commercial advertisement loudness mitigation or calm act is why we're here today.

some say, especially coming on the heels of the last bill, a diabetes awareness month bill, that maybe there's more important issues to deal with. well, not for that family and that -- in that living room on that night. i do want to point out one point or one thing here and that the industry has recognized there's an issue with the loudness of the commercials. on november 5, 2009, the advanced television systems committee, atsc, announced the approval of an industry standard, the atsc recommended practice technique for establishing and maintaining audio loudness for digital television, which provides guidance to creators and distributors of tv content, focusing on audio measurement, audio monitoring techniques and methods to control loudness.

it's not as easy as we may think to control that, especially when you come off of a calm show into a more boisterous commercial. now, this bill has been amended in the senate to codify that standard that has been developed by the experts. the industry will move to solve the purported concerns by simply moving to comply with that consensus standard and furthermore the act would create a kind of safe harbor by deeming an operator that installs, utilizes and maintains the proper equipment and software in compliance -- is in compliance with the act. now, while many members may feel that there are more important issues for this congress to deal with, this is the issue at hand and as a member of the energy and commerce committee where

this went through regular order, a subcommittee and committee, we stand in support and i reserve the balance of my time -- well, the gentlelady from california has no further speakers, correct? ms. eshoo: i don't believe so. mr. terry: at this time, mr. speaker, i yield back our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. ms. eshoo: mr. speaker, i just in closing would like to thank all of the staff both at the committee and certainly at my office that have worked hard on this bill over the last three years. i'd like to thank mr. terry for the remarks that he made about the legislation. this really is a really very simple bill. it started out as a one-page bill. it's now maybe two and a few lines. it was never drafted with the

intent that it would solve some of the great, great challenges that are facing our country. it's a small bill, but it is consumer friendly and it does recognize the complaints that the american people have registered with the f.c.c. over the last 50 years. in fact, it's been the top complaint. i want to thank the broadcasters for working with us, for those that came up with the technology, the technology standards that will be the national standard for broadcasters, satellite and cable and with that, again, i'd like to thank all that were involved in this and urge my colleagues to vote for this bill and i think that we'll have some more peace in homes across the country, as mr. terry described it. so i will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the question is, will the house

suspend the rules and pass senate 2847. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider -- mr. terry: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. terry: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, h.res. 1735. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1735, resolution condemning

north korea in the strongest terms for its unprovoked military attack against south korea on november 23, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. berman, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. berman: a little over a week ago, on november 23, north korea launched a brazen day-time ar tillary barrage on the -- south korean island inhabited by civilians. north korea fired over 100 rounds at the island, killing two south korean civilians, two young marines, injuring 19.

the shelling also caused considerable damage to the island. this provocative military act by north korea was one of the most serious attacks involving civilians since the end of the korean war and is in violation of the armistice agreement. this bipartisan resolution strongly condemns north korea's unprovoked attack, calls on the north to announce further acts of aggression and abide by the terms of the armistice agreement. i would also like to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the south korean victims and their families. this resolution expresses the house of representatives' firm solidarity with the people and the government of south korea. we stand shoulder to shoulder with them at this time of national crisis. this resolution also expresses support for the continued close security cooperation between the united states and south korea and for the alliance between our

two nations. indeed, a u.s. aircraft carrier strike group is currently conducting combersices with the south korean navy in waters west of the korean peninsula. this exercise demonstrates the strength of the alliance and of u.s. commitment to regional stability through deterrence. the united states is committed to the security of south korea, maintaining stability on the korean peninsula and ensuring peace in northeast asia. we are ready to encourage cooperation and dialogue with our allies and other countries in the triege promote peace and security in the asia-pacific. last week's ar till rrry attack was just the latest in a long line of prockcations by north korea. the recent revelations about a new north korean uranium enrichment facility are very troubling as it will enable north korea to again expand its nuclear arsenal. the construction of this enrichment facility is a clear violation -- violation of security council resolutions

that were passed in 2006 and 2009. we call on north korea to cease its uranium enrichment activities, take concrete steps to dismanltle awful its sensitive nuclear facilities and abide by the relevant security council resolutions. finally, this resolution urges china to restrain north korea from further acts of blidgerans and to work constructively with the rest of the world to promote lasting peace on the korean peninsula and stability in northeast asia. a long-time treaty ally of the north, china can clearly exercise significant leverage on that nation. no one wants to see another war on the korean peninsula. but north korea must understand that its actions have consequences, that it cannot violate the armistice, kill innocent civilians and break its international obligations. i urge all my colleagues to support this resolution and, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: i rise in strong vigorous support of this resolution condemning the continued behavior of north korea. pyongyang threatens the peace and security of not only the korean peninsula, but the whole region. the shelling of a south korean island last week was the first such attack directed at civilians since the korean war in the 1950's. we join our south korean allies in mourning the deaths of civilians and young marines and condolences to the victims' families. in addressing another korean crisis, as a presidential candidate almost six decades ago, dwight eisenhower said in this anxious autumn of america,

one fact looms above all others in our people's minds, one tragedy challenges all men dedicated to the work of peace. this word is korea. when the shelling which we condemn today in the attack on civilians is merely the tip of the north korean sphere of hostility. one came a week earlier of a secret nuclear uranium enrichment plant and one described it as stunning. the plant also laid bare the deceit and tretch erie which north korea has approached the whole issue for the past 20 years. the unconscionable revelations of classified information by wikileaks has opened our eyes to the full extent of north korean cooperation with the little tyrant from the deds earth

ahmadinejad and the iranian regime. thanks to pyongyang's proliferation, yirian warheads can now reach american jile eyes in the middle east and even as far away as europe. we have learned that air iran transports landed at the airport to carry missile equipment from north korea to iran. there is a north korean-iranian axis of evil with malice toward mankind and runs through the heart of beijing, china. china, a permanent of the u.n. security council have no shame when it disregards the sanctions directed at pyongyang and tehran? and in that anxious autumn of 1952, president eisenhower pointed to his world war ii experience as a road map for

dealing with the dictators of pyongyang. he said, i know something of the totalitarian mind, he said. through the years of world war ii, i carried the decision and the free world's crusade against tyranny threatening all of us. world war ii should have taught us a lesson. the lesson is this, to facilitate, to apiece by feeding the dictator's conquest and invite war itself. without firm resolve, more six-party talks as proposed by china will prove as meaningless as those that have occurred in the past. beijing must come to understand and clearly demonstrate that it will no longer provide economic and military cover for pyongyang's dangerously reckless behavior. from the mediterranean through

missiles and artillery, north korea is a threat to peace and stability of all nations. china must rein before it goes out of control. the risks are gave. our resolve must be firm and and stand with our allies. i urge my colleagues to give their support to this resolution, which i'm proud to be a co-sponsor and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield one minute to a very distinguished member of our committee, mr. tanner. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for one minute. mr. tanner: i want to express my appreciation for this resolution and i'm proud to be a co-sponsor

. after this event happened, this unprovoked attack by the north on the island, my son and i communicated with a good friend of ours in korea and learned of some of the devastation and so on. this is a serious matter. this resolution speaks in, i think, excellent detail as to what we expect in terms of activity by the north and i want to again thank chairman berman and mr. poe and others who have brought this to the floor. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i yield two minutes to the the gentleman from hawaii, mr. djou. mr. djou: i rise in support of this resolution.

we are in the arc of north korea's ballistic mivels. should anything happen to our soldiers, they will be the first one called to action. united states must make a firm and clear commitment not only to condemn these acts by north korea and commit our nation to unify korean peninsula under a free and democratic regime. our nation must free korea in the same fashion we committed to a united, free and capitalist germany. the korean -- north korean government has shown unprovoked attacks by seizing a fishing vessel and illegally sinking a vessel and shelling an island shows that the north korean regime cannot be trusted and

must be changed. this is why it is so important that the united states pass the free trade agreement between the united states and south korea and to the passage of this resolution and strengthen our bonds between the united states and south korea against the north korean government. i thank you for the opportunity to speak and i urge passage of this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from hawaii yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: i yield to my friend and colleague from the committee, the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: for one minute. mr. scott: thank you very much, chairman berman. this unwarranted attack by north korea on south korea demonstrates more than anything else the dangerous state that our world is in. it is extraordinarily important that we here in congress condemn

in strongest possible way this act, unprove indicated on the part of north korea and to let the people of south korea and the people of the world know just where the united states stands. we stand strongly and firmly with our ally, south korea, and condemn this unwarranted gross, unjustified attack on south korea. and i commend chairman berman for bringing this important resolution to the floor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i yield five minutes to the the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, who is the ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on africa and global health. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. smith: i thank and i rise in strong support of h. res. 1735 condemning north korea's

unprovoked shelling of the south korean island on november 23. i thank my good friend and colleague, chairman berman and congresswoman ros-lehtinen and i too with others am a proud co-sponsor. with this resolution, we extend our deep condolences and sympathy to the family of those killed and injured in the attack. it is fitting that we as americans do this with the tremendous sacrifices made by the people of south korea. we have lost tens of thousands of americans in that same cause. mr. speaker, since the shelling of the island, it was an act of aggression committed against an ally and reaffirms our alliance with south korea and supports further cooperation on security matters and calls on china to use its influence to restrain north korea. mr. speaker, it's important to remember that north korea's aggression towards south korea

has almost been nonstop since 1950. it has taken the form of either full-scale war or since 1953, sporadic shelling, shooting near the d.m.z. or tunneling near the dmz or seizing the pueblo in 1968 or kidnapping vouth koreans abroad or seizing the south korean vessel in march of this year. the north korean government has treated its own people with profound disrespect and outright hostility. it makes normal human relations impossible for them by creating a system in which parents and children, friends and relatives are forced to spy and report on each other, an atmosphere of total distrust, total fear and it terrorizes them into wore shipping, father and son as if

they were god, their personality cult is the only religion permitted in north korea. economic life is such madness that about 10 years ago, as many as two million north koreans starved to death. within this large ghoul ag, the kim family has created more severe prison camps and sent an estimated 200,000 people to live or survive in them. removed from the nightmare of every day life into hell ol earth where forced labor, near starvation, rape and the cruelest forms of torture prevail and forced abortion and chemical experimentation on inmates is commonplace. our government must continue to stand in solidarity with all those threatend and terrorized by the government of north korea and with the residents of the

island and with all the people of both north and south korea and i urge strong support of the resolution and i yield back to mr. poe. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey yields back. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. berman: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i yield two minutes to the the gentleman from tennessee, doctor roe. mr. roe: i rise in strong support of this resolution condemning north korea's act of aggression towards south korea. 37 years ago, i was stationed in korea within an artillery shell of the d.m.z. i have seen firsthand what freedom can do. and when i arrived it was a military dictatorship and you have a market economy with a freely market democracy is being attacked by the rowing nation in the north. i can't emphasize strong enough

how important it is to act decisively against this act of aggression against a free nation and i associate my remarks with all the speakers here today and i call on china to exert every bit of pressure on north korea and i urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i have no further requests for time and if the other side yields back the balance of its time, i will as well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: in closing, mr. speaker, the united nations reports that north korea trades in missiles and nuclear technology with not only syria and iran, but even burma. and this is a grave situation

since china won't do anything and north korea takes our western money with the empty promises of peace but still rattles its sabers and will rattle its nuclear weapons. the united states must adopt a policy that holds north korea and china for its actions against south korea and the free world. i do want to thank the chairman for bringing this strong resolution to the house floor. and i urge all my colleagues to adopt this resolution. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i join in asking for aa vote and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1735. those in favor say aye.. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being

in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: mr. speaker, i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i have a bill at the desk, i move to suspend the rules and agree to h.r. 6411.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 6411, a bill to prope provide for the approval of the agreement between the government of the united states of america and the government of australia concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. tanner, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. tanner: thank you, mr. speaker. i would ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. tanner: h.r. 6411 approves the u.s.-australia agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation, which replaces the current u.s.-australia agreement that expires in january. i know everyone here agrees that australia's a close friend and valued ally to our country. moreover, australia provides over 20% of the uranium used by

u.s. domestic nuclear power reactors. while the united states does not need a framework agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation in force to purchase and receive uranium fuel supplies, australian law does require such an agreement in order to export uranium. if a new agreement is not passed and come into effect this year, it will have to be resubmitted to the next congress, given the statutory requirement for 90 days of continuous session to elapse, it would likely be may before the new agreement could come into effect. if australia's therefore forbidden by its own law to export uranium to the united states, it would stand to lose some $250 million in revenue, but more importantly the bill would ensure that this new agreement comes into force and that we, the united states, can continue to purchase what we require in this nuclear domestic power reaction field.

with that, i would reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: this -- this is companion bill to s. 3844, and ensures that the proposed nuclear cooperation agreement with australia is approved before the existing agreement expires at the end of this calendar year. since the australia agreement was submitted on may 5, changes to the announced house schedule created the possibility that congress might possibly adjourn before the agreement met the atomic energy act's requirement of a review period of 90 days of continuous session. the direct result would have been a disruption of several months of our nuclear trade and cooperation with australia, which supplies the united states 25% of its ewe rage rainum. but now -- uranium. but now it appears that the lame duck session will be suffer to

meet the 90-day requirement. there are several reasons the house should vote to pass this bill. the most important is the opportunity to express our strong support and admiration for our close ally, australia. for seven decades, united states and as you traily have developed ever closer ties -- and australia have developed ever closer ties. beginning in world war ii, and extending through korea, vietnam, iraq and now afghanistan, united states and australiaia -- australian troops have fought side by sigh. in fact, mr. speaker -- side. in fact, mr. speaker, they've been in every war that we've fought in without its bedrock support, the defense of our interest in the middle east and asia would be undermined. reliable allies are rare in this world and close friends are even rarer. this bill also is a recognition of australia's exemplary record in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide. it has taken responsibility very

seriously and cooperated closely with the united states on nonproliferation issues across the board, most recently by joining with us to impose new and tougher sanctions on iran. there is another and equally important reason the house should vote for this bill, namely to demonstrate the contrast between this nuclear cooperation agreement with australia and that proposed for russia, which is also before congress and which also faces an expiration of the 90-day deadline. while australia has been a reliable ally and a partner and honest with the united states, russia has worked to undermine our interests around the world from iran to europe and venezuela, to syria. moscow's overt and covert snints -- assistance to iran's nuclear program has been crucial to tehran's progressing and developing -- developing a nuclear weapon's capability. it has built the nuclear facility which is scheduled to come online in january. and the russians have said they

are ready to construct several more. and russia has repeatedly acted to protect iran from international pressure aimed at halting its nuclear weapons program. its repeated threats to veto any significant u.n. security council effort to impose meaningful sanctions on iran have ensured that only weak measures have been adopted which tehran has laughed at ath and ignored. russia has also signed nuclear cooperation agreements with the rowing regimes in burma and events -- rogue regimes in burma and venezuela and sells to anyone who has a little money to spend. given this record, an intelligent observer might wonder why we are even considering a nuclear cooperation with the country so determined to undermine our interests that consistently does not tell the truth. well, the answer is that this nuclear cooperation agreement was offered to russia first by the previous and then by the current administration as one of a series of gifts in an effort to bribe moscow into cooperating

on iran. the strategy obviously has not worked and the agreement certainly cannot be sold on its merit. moscow sees this as way to make money, but it is difficult to identify how the united states might benefit from the agreement. by voting for this bill, the house will reaffirm its strong support for the united states alliance with our friends and allies, the australians. it will thereby demonstrate that we will support nuclear cooperation agreements only with those countries which have earned our trust, which have not aided our enemies and which have consistently acted to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. russia meets none of these conditions and we must not reward it for its actions. either recklessly or deliberately. they have greatly undermined the security of the american people and that of the world as a whole. i yield back or i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. poe: we have no other

speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will address the chair. mr. poe: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. tanner: we have no further requests, either, mr. speaker, and we would do likewise. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6411. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. tanner: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, h.res. 527,

as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 527, resolution commending the nato school for its critical support of north atlantic treaty organization efforts to promote global peace, stability and security. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. tanner, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. tanner: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tanner: mr. speaker, this resolution commending the nato school for its critical efforts to promote peace, stability and security is something long overdue in my opinion. last year i had the honor of

participating in a visit of the bipartisan house delegation to the nato parliamentary assembly, to the nato school in germany. the nato school's mission is to provide courses in support of the current and developing nato strategy and policy, including cooperation and dialogue with military and civilian personnel from non-nato countries. as such, the school serves as nato's premier operational level education and training center and it plays, i can tell you, a crucial role in preparing the united states and its allies to face the evolving security challenges of the 21st century. since 1953, more than 185,000 officers, nine commissioned officers and civilians from all allied and national military commands within the nato alliance have attended courses at the school. in addition, students from the alliance's partnership for peace

program and the mediterranean dialogue attend the school. i'm proud to report that ours was the first u.s. congressional delegation to visit the nato school in its 57-year history. the curriculum taught at the nato school offers our soldiers, civilian leaders and allies over 90 different specialized courses on subjects such as arm control strategies, counterinsurgent training, intelligence gathering, special operations and a host of other programs. courses are continually revised and updated to reflect current operations and developments in nato and in so doing, the school strivings for top-down clarity of vision in the educational process. with the unveiling of nato's new strategic concept earlier this month in lisbon, which details nato's evolving role in global affairs, it is especially important that we stop, take a moment to acknowledge and

support the work of the nato school so we can continue to operate as a truly unified alliance. i would ask our colleagues to support this resolution and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to first congratulate the gentleman from tennessee, mr. tanner, for sponsoring this legislation and i rise in strong support of house resolution 527 which commends the nato school in germany for its critical support of nato's alliance efforts to promote global peace, stability and security. the nato school in germany provides support and training for nato's operations, including the stabilization mission in afghanistan and the training of iraqi officers. the school offers courses and programs to individuals from different countries, focusing on peace support operations, arms

control and nonproliferation, civil military cooperation, governance and the building of military capacity in aspiring nato member states. as we all know, the nato alliance was the heart of transatlantic security during the cold war and is now transforming itself to address new security challenges. there is indeed a multitude of emerging threats and challenges that the alliance must play a role in addressing including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and piracy and the challenge nato faces in the stabilization mission in afghanistan. indeed, nato's performance in afghanistan will serve as a test with regard to the alliance's effectiveness and relevance in addressing the security challenges of the 21st century. as the measure note, the nato school itself has played an important role in ensuring that the nato mission in afghanistan is a complete success. again, i would rike low -- like to express my support of this

resolution and i urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it as well and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. tanner: thank you, mr. poe. at this time it's a great deal of pleasure -- with a great deal of pleasure i yield three minutes to my colleague, david scott from georgia. mr. scott is a member of the nato parliamentary delegation from the congress to the nato parliamentary assembly headquartered in brussels and he's made enormous contribution in that area. so, mr. scott, i'm pleased to yield three minutes to you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scott: thank you, mr. tanner, i appreciate that. i rise today in honor to commend the nato school for its critical support of nato's efforts to promote global peace, stability and security.

as a member of the nato parliamentary group i have seen firsthand and support the many great efforts of the north atlantic treaty organization to maintain security and favorable relations between not only the nato member states but those states that are outside of the region and our 28 nation alliance. mr. speaker, for over 60 years, nato has been the foundation in maintaining transatlantic security and defense. it has successfully defended the territories of its north american and european member states from numerous external threats while promoting democracy and its values throughout the western world and eurasia. nato's beginning the nato school in germany has served as a premier educational opportunity and supplemented the knowledge, skills and experience of over 185,000

officers. noncommissioned officers. and civilians from nato allied and partner nations. mr. speaker, i have visited the nato school personally during a recent trip to germany and i have seen firsthand the extraordinary and effect i job they are doing. as nato continued to -- continues to evolve, the nato school's importance is all the more emphasized. its support role is critical to nato's ongoing operations in afghanistan and iraq, kosovo and else. where the nato school continues to provide much of the training for personnel serving in nato's stabilization mission in afghan stand -- afghanistan and conducts much of nato's training of afghan military officers. it is important to note that the training and education the school provides beyond strictly military strategies, including civil military cooperation,

crisis management, and peace support operations and arms control and nonproliferation, issues that draw upon a range of military, development, and govern -- military, development and governance tools. our recognition of the nato school today falls two days after confirmation that six nato troops for killed during training operations in eastern afghanistan. their sacrifices underscore the continued importance and relevance of nato and the nato school has einvolved in the 21st century, making our nation's commitment to its organization and efforts to promote global peace and democracy all the more important. so it is very important, this resolution, and i commend the gentleman from tennessee, mr. tanner, who is also the president of the nato parliamentary assembly, and i commend him not only for this resolution but i commend mr. tanner also for the

extraordinary service that he has given over the years to nato with. that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman's time has expire. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. tanner: we have no further speakers. mr. poe: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back. mr. tanner: we have no further requests, mr. speaker, we yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields as well. the question is will the house suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 527 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- mr. poe: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is

not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. tanner: i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, h.res. 528. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 528, resolution commending the george c. marshall european center for security studies for its efforts to promote peace, stability, and security throughout north america, europe, and eurasia. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. tanner, and the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. tanner: thank you, mr. speaker, i make the usual request for unanimous consent that members have five legislative days to revise and

extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the material under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: no objection. mr. tanner: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker this resolution duos -- goes hand in glove with the one we just took up and it commends the george marshall european center for security studies. last year, when we visited the nato school, we went then to the marshall center which is located in -- not far from the nato school in germany to highlight our interest as members of congress in what was happening and taking place in both the nato school and the marshall center there. the marshall center was formed in 1993 as a german-american partnership.

the marshall center is a world renowned international security and defense studies institute with the mission of creating more stable security environment by advancing democratic institutions and relationships,est prble he -- especially in the field of events promoting peaceful security and cooperation and strengthening partnerships along -- among nations of north america, europe and eurasia. it's named after the legacy and vision of george c. marshall, the marshall plan, as we all remember, after world war ii is a highly successful event, but this marshall center has a variety of unique courses and programs which involve officials from more than 110 countries. the center -- center contributes in our view to the national strategy of security and cooperation throughout the region through professional education, research, dialogue and the detailed and thoughtful

examination of issues that confront nations today. i am proud of recognizing these institutions, particularly the nato school and the marshall center because i think it's very important now, in this uncertain time internationally, we've been talking about it now for 30 minutes about the uncertainty in the world today, that we as the united states house of representatives, recognize and applaud what is taking place there in germany in these two institutions. i think that it is time well spent for us to debate and the critical role that the marshall center is playing, particularly in fostering peaceful transition to stable democracy

in the former warsaw pact communist states of central and eastern europe and ewe rashea, is particularly important today. so with that, mr. speaker, i would reserve the balance of me time and urge passage. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: i rise in support of house resolution 528 a measure that commends the george c. marshall european center for community studies for its efforts to promote peace, stability, and security throughout north america, europe and eurasia. the marshall center is named after george c. marshall, a general in the united states army who served as u.s. army chief of staff in world war ii and later as secretary of state under harry truman.

he is most remembered for his role in formulating the famous marshall plan which sought to rebuild and strengthen europe after world war ii. the center plays a significant role in helping the former communist countries of europe and eurasia to strengthen their democratic institutions while strengthening their ties to other communities. thousands of officers from dozens of countries have participated in programs and courses focusing on common security threat the building of defense institutions, and the fostering of partnerships aamong the nations of north america, europe, and eurasia. through its program the marshall center serbs as an important tool in strengthening partnerships aimed at addressing new and emerging challenges including the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

among other things this measure promotes -- commends the marshall center for its work throughout europe and injure arab yasm i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. tanner: i don't have any more requests. mr. poe: before i yield back the balance of my time, i want to commend mr. tanner for this resolution and the previous resolution and his longtime work with nato and his 22 years' experience here in the house of representatives, much of that time serving on the foreign affairs committee. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. mr. tanner: we have no further requests for time, we would be delighted to yield back as well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house

suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 528? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i move that the house spruelings and pass the bill h.r. 6398 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 6398, a bill to require the federal deposit and insurance corporation to fully insure interest in lawyers' trust accounts. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from texas, mr. gogette, and the gentlewoman from illinois, mrs. biggert, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. doggett: ski unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the resolution under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. doggett: i yield myself

such time as i may consume. i thank the chairman and ranking member of the financial services committee, mr. frank and mr. because commirks colleague on the committee, mrs. biggert, as well as leaders hoyer and bay for the for their assistance in expedite -- and boehner for their assistance in expediting this. when a lawyer receives funds on behalf of a client, the lawyer -- the funds are deposited in a trust account. many years ago, they determined that interest could be earned on such accounts and aflide finance legal services for those who otherwise might have no access to our justice system. they recognized, as we do today, the wisdom of learned hands writing, if we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment -- thou shall not ration justice. for decades, the interest on

lawyers' trust accounts have provided a key funding source for legal assistance for the disadvantaged in all 50 states. before coming to congress, i served as a justice on the texas supreme court which sets forth the rules and oversees the operations of these accounts in my state. i saw firsthand the benefits of these programs in ensuring access to justice for those who otherwise might be unable to secure justice. some of those who need legal assistance the most, veterans who have served honorably, domestic violence victims and persons with disabilities, are too often the least able to obtain it. in some states the funds are also used to reduce litigation by encouraging conflict resolution outside of the court system. after hearing a few weeks ago from the president of the state bar of texas and from a number of other local leaders, i introduced this bill to assure

continued full fdic protection for these trust accounts. this protection, which exists today under existing law, would otherwise have expired for these accounts at the end of the year, when the existing law is fully replaced by the extensive new wall street reform law. today's legislation simply extends existing federal deposit insurance corporation protection into the future. at a time when interest rates are at an all-time low, it is particularly important that there be a complete government guarantee against any loss on these trust accounts. such protection also ensures that small independent banks are on a level playing field with their larger competitors in securing these trust fund deposits. this bill is supported by a broad range of groups including the independent community bankers of america and the american bar association. i urge my colleagues to approve

it and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from illinois is recognized. mrs. biggert: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. biggert: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 6398 which would extend the current federal deposit insurance corporation, the fdic, guarantee of interest on lawyers' trust accounts, also called aola. i also thank mr. doggett for introducing this bill. this represents a significant source of financial support for legal aid programs for the poor. these programs operate in all 50

states, in 37 states, including my home state of illinois, they are mandatory. ioltas contain client funds held by a lawyer for a short period of time. interest generated from these accounts is paid to charitable organizations, not the lawyer or the client. in 1978 florida was the first state to establish an iolta program. illinois became the 11th state to establish ioltas and in 1983 the supreme court of illinois required interest from these accounts to be collected and administered by the lawyers' trust fund, a nonfor profit cooperation created in 1991 by the illinois bar association and the chicago bar association. since then these funds have supported civil legal assistance to the impoverished in illinois. when state legislators and state

supreme courts created iolta, the fdic carved out an exception to regulation d that allowed payment of interest on these demand accounts. the current term asset guarantee program or tag program, under which the fdic guarantees the total amount of client funds maintained in ioltas, expires december 31, 2010. the dodd-frank act creates an equivalent program running for two years, beginning january 1, 2011. but made several changes including a more narrow definition of a covered amount. in what appears to have been a drafting error, iolts were not covered under the -- ioltas were not covered under the new program and this bill corrects that omission so that ioltas are fully ensured. if the current guarantee were allowed to lapse, attorneys in 37 states with ioltas acted in

accordance with their duties to maintain the security of client funds might be forced to transfer iolta accounts from local community banks to larger, safer institutions. and attorneys in other jurisdictions might be forced to transfer funds from iolta accounts to noninterest-bearing accounts to qualify for the unlimited fdic coverage. if the coverage for these accounts is not extended, a critical source of civil, legal rights -- civil legal aid might unnecessarily and inappropriately shrink. in addition, according to the independent community bankers of america, and i quote, without this coverage, potentially hundreds of millions of dollars will be withdrawn from ioltas, adversely impacting liquidity in the banking system with a disproportion impact on the community banks, end quote.

this bill is supported by the icba and the american bar association and the congressional budget office has determined that although the bill costs $15 million over a period of five years, the bill would raise $2 million over a 10-year period. i again urge support for the legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. doggett: mr. speaker, i have no other requests for time and would close briefly if jeament is prepared to yield back -- if the gentlelady is prepared to yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has yielded back. the gentleman is recognized. mr. doggett: mr. speaker, our colleague from illinois has provided further explanation of the nature of this bill. it is a clean proposal. if we do not get this into law before the end of december, there will be some problems presented, so i would hope not

only that we would approve it here, but that the senate would act promptly to approve this narrow bill without attaching any other extraneous matter to it. in closing i would also extend my thanks to the staff of both the democratic and republican staff on the financial services committee for working with us to see that this measure is promptly approved. and i would move adoption of the bill. and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 6398 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and

agree to house concurrent resolution 325. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 325, concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of national homeless persons' memorial day. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from michigan, mr. peters, and the gentlewoman from illinois, mrs. biggert, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan. mr. peters: mee, -- mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days with which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and insert any extraneous material therein. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. peters: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. peters: i rise in strong support of house concurrent resolution 325s which supports the goals and ideals of national homeless persons' memorial day and i want to thank congressman

hastings for introducing this important resolution. an estimated two million people experience homelessness in the united states each year and every night more than a half a million people are homeless. these individuals are at a high risk for mortality, sickness and mental illness. the mortality rate among homeless persons is four times greater than that of the general population. furthermore, according to a 2010 study, published in the american journal of public health, over 70% of the homeless population has at least one unmet health need and almost half two or more. in particular approximately two million youth experience homelessness over the course of a year. and nearly 200,000 children and families were homeless according to a recent one-night count of homelessness by the urban institute. the problem facing the homeless is also why house concurrent resolution 325 is so important. it will recognize december 21,

2010, as national homeless persons' memorial day and re-affirm the commit -- reaffirm the commitment of congress to end homelessness by creating a comprehensive, national respond to address the housing, health and economic causes and consequences of extreme poverty. preventing homelessness has been a long-time priority for congress and this administration. on may 20, 2009, president obama signed into law s. 896, the helping families save their homes act, which included the homeless emergency assistance and rapid transition to housing act. house concurrent resolution 325 furthers the mission of congress to help prevent and end homelessness in the united states. i commend congressman hastings for introducing this very important legislation and urge my colleagues to vote in support of house concurrent resolution 325. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentlewoman from illinois is recognized. mrs. biggert: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. biggert: mr. speaker, i rise today as an original co-sponsor of house concurrent resolution 325, supporting the goals and ideals of national homeless persons memorial day on december 21, 2010. i thank mr. peters of michigan for managing this bill and i'd also like to thank my colleagues, mr. hate havettings of florida, mr. davis of -- mr. hastings of florida, mr. davis of kentucky, and mrs. bernice johnson of texas, who all worked to bring this important measure to the floor. as many of you know, the four of us joined together this may to form the bipartisan congressional caucus on homelessness. as part of that effort, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of preventing and ending homelessness in our country through severts -- efforts such as the revolution before us today. i would strongly encourage any member who hasn't already done

so to consider joining this important new caucus. following our initial launch, we held a successful briefing in october to discuss ending veterans' homelessness. during the 112th congress we hope to hold similar forums to help facilitate changes among interested stake holders to raise national attention and discuss solutions to the challenges facing homeless families, veterans and especially children and youth. today was -- with this concurrent resolution we bring to the attention of our colleagues one of the most tragic realities that two often goes unnoticed among homeless americans. the loss of life. each year the national coalition for the homeless organizes memorial events on the first day of winter to recognize those americans who have passed away. last year over 150 cities held events to honor those homeless children and adults who died, many without any family, friends

or loved ones being give an chance to bear witness to their final moments or to mourn their loss. and while homeless individuals too often die in ananymority, their lives each held meaning, purpose and value. this resolution is an opportunity to recognize the fact and reflect on the lives that have been lost. this winter in the chicago area, church officials and members, homeless providers, volunteers, government officials and others will gather on national homeless persons' memorial day. in my home district, in due page public action to deliver velter -- shelter or dupage pads will host an event to recognize the lives of six homeless people in dupage county who passed away in 2010. in the city of chicago where an estimated 25 homeless people have passed away this year, the

spirituality project will sponsor a memorial service at st. patrick's church. whether in public or in prayer, i encourage my colleagues in congress as well as americans across our great country to take a moment during this holiday season to remember our homeless neighbors who have passed on. i also encourage every american to join together at local events this winter as we continue our national campaign to prevent and end homelessness. with that i ask my colleagues to support this resolution and if the gentleman from michigan has no further speakers, i would yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. peters: thank you, mr. speaker. i have no further requests for time and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 325. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- the gentlewoman from illinois is recognized. mrs. biggert: i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> i move -- mr. tanner: i move to suspend the rules and pass -- >> i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1566 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 5866, a bill to amend the energy policy act of

2005, requiring the secretary of energy to make nuclear energy systems more competitive to increase efficiency and safety of civilian nuclear power and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. gordon, and the gentlewoman from illinois, mrs. biggert, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. gordon: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5866, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gordon: i yield myself such time as may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gordon: the ongoing discussion on our path toward a comprehensive energy strategy raises questions about climate change, economic stability and security. most experts have come to agree any realistic strategy will

require a diverse portfolio of sources, renewables, clean coal and gas and nuclear power must all play a role while balancing our nation's economic interests. before us today is h.r. 5866, which amends the energy policy act of 2005 to modernize and improve our federal nuclear energy r&d program. i introduced this legislation with close collaboration with my friends from texas, mr. ralph hall, mrs. biggert and others. it is my belief we must continue to seek answers to the challenges of high capital costs for nuclear power in management and recycling of nuclear waste. our nation's 104 commercial reactors produce 20% of our electricity, 70% of our emissions free energy. clearly if we are to increase our energy independence, nuclear must continue to be a large part of our nation's energy mix. once the world's lead for the

nuclear energy technology, the u.s. is losing its competitive edge after decades of dom nan -- of being dormant. of the nearly 60 reactors currently under construction worldwide, most are in asia work china making up the bulk of the -- of that using its on cpr-1,000 reactor technology this trend will represent billions of dollars in foregone -- in for gone opportunities for the u.s. -- in forgone stunts for the u.s. this is the result of a bipartisan effort over the last eighth months that's won the support of nuclear energy suppliers and numerous trade associations. i would like to thank the committee staff who worked on the bill, specifically rob walker and kris king of the majority side and dan byers on the minority side. i would like to thank ranking member ingliss and committee chair baird for their efforts to bring this before us today

and i call on my colleagues to support h.r. 5866 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from illinois is recognized. mrs. biggert: thank you, mr. chairman. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognize. mrs. biggert: i'm pleased to be a co-sponsor of h. reform 5866 and i thank chairman gordon and ranking member hall for their leadership dusme to population, and ested ecomic growth over the next 20 years, united states demand for electricity is expected to rise by 30%. to meet rising demand for power for homes and businesses, we need to expand our domestic electricity production and create affordable, reliable electricity production in a environmentally responsible way. nuclear power is the only way to do this. my home state of illinois already leads the way, deriving half of its electricity from nuclear energy, but we need to

do more to expand nuclear here and across the country. that's why i co-sponsored this legislation which supports the development and deployment of small, modular nuclear reactors and re-authorizes nuclear r&d activities at the department of energy. a clement to -- complement to existing large-scale reactors, small modular reactors take less time and money to construct and are based on current reactor designs, thereby reducing the burdensome licensing process. this is an ideal solution for growing communities and cash-strapped utilities that need extra generation capacity at a fraction of the cost. more importantly, h.r. 5866 extends and modifies r&d activities that promote advanced research to close the nuclear fuel cycle and recycle spent nuclear fuel. my district scientists and engineers at argon national

laboratory lead the nation in research and development for nuclear fuel recycling. recycling is not just important for thery ducks of waste create but also for the conservation of worldwide uranium resources. it will also encourage the deployment of expanded nuclear power for industries in states that want to provide affordable electricity without unnecessary liability. in summary, h.r. 5866 is a strong, bipartisan bill. it will complement the current revival of they have nuclear industry by extending b.o.e.'s research and development activities to pursue longer term advances in three days. reactor design, fuel cycle r&d and cross-cutting areas such as materials and computer molding and simulation. i want to note there are a few minor changes made to the bill that was reported by the committee in section four and section 15.

these changes should in no way be interpreted to change the intent or purpose of the language. this bill is endorsed by comprehensive group of key stake holders, including the nuclear energy institute, the next generation nuclear plant industry alliance, the american chemical society, toshiba, westinghouse and g.e.-hitachi. i urge members to support h.r. 5866 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: i yield to my friend from california, mr. rohrabacher, such time as he may consume within reason are. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rohrabacher: thank you, mr. chairman, i'd like to express my deep appreciation of the ranking member as well as the chairman now of the committee. you've heard these accolades many times but you'll be missed in the next congress.

we worked together in a very bipartisan way for -- to accomplish things through technology through our country and our people and the people of the world. i rise today in support of h.r. 5866. nuclear power has been a cornerstone of american domestic energy policy for decades and it could have had a greater positive impact had we not succumbed to irrational attacks by environmental radicals who oppose any energy. they ended up costing us hundreds of billions of dollars for imports we ors would not have needed. we now, however, have a tremendous opportunity to use the latest nuclear technology developments to produce safe, clean, cost effective energy for our country and the world this bill updates america's nuclear energy research and funds those technologies that show the greatest possibilities.

we're on the cusp of a new era a new era of nuclear energy. small, modular reactor prossvide cost effective electricity without the risks evident in the current large-scale reactor system. the next generation of reactors will be using as fuel the waste of today's reactors. thus america's waste storage needs will be drastically cut. advanced gas cooled nuclear systems will meet industrial needs without relying on a lot of water sors, limb nating conflict over water use and leftover waste and other environmental concerns. new high temperature gas-cool red actor systems will leave behind less waste and it will be impossible for them to melt down this based on their pebble bed design. investments in such innovation now will provide long-term ben fits of energy production, waste disposal and environmental stewardship, all of these enhanced by this

legislation and the use of these reactors. the security implications, of course, of weaning ourselves off of foreign oil, is evident to all americans. obviously, a sustainable, long-term domestically produced clean energy future is in the best interest of all americans, investing in new nuclear techling ins can accomplish this and will put our country back on the path to energy self-sufficiency. when admonition, however. powerful interests would have us waste money on old technologies, like light water reactors or on nuclear fusion, which has had little demonstrable progress after decades of massive investment. so it is time for us to start building what is possible for us to build. especially when it has come so far already. and is ready to go. it is for these reasons that i strongly endorse the american nuclear energy industry and i ask all of my colleagues to

join me in support of h.r. 5866. thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: i have no further -- i ask the gentlelady if she has further speakers? mrs. biggert: i have no further speakers. i will -- i would just like to say before i yield back to thank the chairman for all the work he has done as chairman of the science committee and this bill is just another -- show what is you've been able to accomplish in research and development, the basic science and how this will benefit so much of our country and we thank you for the work you've put into this i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from illinois yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. gordon: i have no further speakers. i conclude by saying it's we, not you, mrs. biggert and mr.

rohrabacher have been a strong part and again a bipartisan effort to bring forth good legislation and i'm proud of the fact,s the 151st bill and resolution we've been able to bring forth here in a bipartisan way over the last four years, that's a record and i thank you for being part of that and i yield back the balance of he time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5866 as amended? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and the agree to house resolution 162 2. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1622, resolution honoring the historic cricks of veterans throughout all conflicts involving the united states. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. filner, and the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, each will control 20 minutes. the chair rick nices the gentleman from california. mr. filner: thank you, mr. speaker, i ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material

on h.r. 162 2. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. filner: the gentleman is recognized -- i yield myself such time as may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. filner: a few weeks ago we came together for veterans day, we have a proud legacy of commitment to the men and women who have worn the uniform and made great sacrifices. we know we owe the security of this nation to those who defended it. this resolution before us encourages americans to demonstrate their support for veterans also. no other group of americans has stood stronger and braver for our democracy than our troops and veterans. i believe that veterans day should not be observed for just one day a year but that our nation's heroes must be celebrated, honored and remembered for their service to our nation the whole year through. so i encourage all americans to reach out to veterans, thank them and their families for their amazing sacrifice, l