charter97.org. the organization for security and cooperation in europe called the elections flawed and the united states and european union condemned the crackdown. with me i have some photos of the evening of december 19 with protestors, of course we see members of the security forces and in this photo here, you actually see them wielding their clubs and beating one of the . this is what we have in europe, the last dictatorship in europe is in a country called belaruse. and i would lend to the demand of a release of the representatives who are being held in k.g.b. detention centers in minsk.

in belaruse, they call the secret police the k.g.b. and stand in solid dart with those being held and still in hospitals and those who are in jails. the media of democratic movements in this country are great, especially being table use the twitter accounts, using facebook, using photos a lot of these were conducted through new media and it underscores the brutality of the belarusian leadership and the dictator lukeshenko. i would hope the international community, especially the neuropeen -- the european union government on record that they

should not hope to be able to join in the opportunities afforded to the atreat their citizens who are only asking for the right to have their voice heard and the right to choose representatives of the people. with that, madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. mcgovern: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcgovern: madam speaker, as we near the enofto talk about a issue that's critically important to the health and well-being of our country. it's an issue i care deeply about and that is rarely discussed that issue is hunger. i've said it over and over again, hunger is a political condition. we know how to end hunger in america. we have the resources to do it. what we need is the political will to make it happen. we've made some important progress over the last few years. we enacted historic

improvements in the food stamp program. w.i.c., the program that ensures that pregnant mothers and newborn and in fant children have access to nutritious food, has been fully funded. food banks receive the assistance they need to fill their shelves as they work to put food in the hands of hungry families. we passed the hunger-free communities act a law that provides globalized grants around the country. the farm bill. most importantly indexing snap to inflation. they increase emergency funds to snap beneficiaries, allowing them to buy more food at a time when their incomes were falling because of the economy. this law will increase the quality of food served at schools to our nation's children. madam speaker, i've been honored to share as co-chair of the house hunger caucus. i want to thank my colleagues

on the caucus, democrat and republican, for their commitment to this issue. i want to thank my friend and co-chair jo an emerson for her incredible work. but we have much more to do. the usda released their food and security hunger statistics. the simple and important fact is this, because of the economy, hunger is getting worse in america, not better. in twine, the number of hungry americans increased by one million over the previous year. according to the latest data, over 50 million americans, including 17.2 million children, went hungry at some point in 2009. madam speaker, these are the highest numbers ever collected by usda. if that weren't bad enough, future snap funds, money provided urn the recovery act, have been raided for other critical programs. madam speaker, i love this institution and i am honored to serve as a member of congress, but it is a peculiar place. none of my colleague, democrats or republicans, will tell you they are pro hunger.

you'll never see a congressman take a bottle from the mouth of a hungry baby or swipe a can of to fs donated but that's what we'll be doing if we choose to balance the budget on the backs of the hungry and this country. i want to tackle our deficit as much as anyone else but in order to dig ourselves out of the hole, we all need to sacrifice, not just the poor, not just the middle class. it is unacceptable to provide millions in tax relief for millionaires and billionaires while cutting programs that put food in the mouths of hungry ending hunger is not just the right thing to do, it's in the best interest of our nation's future. it's a national security issue, it's a jobs issue, a health care issue, it's a productivity issue, it's a fiscal health issue. we have a lot of work to do, madam speaker. the president said he committed to ending childhood hunger i've repeatedly called on the white house to convene a

meeting on hunger and groups and the administration and others to end hunger in america. we can end hunger in america if we have the political will to do it. i urge my colleagues in the 112th congress and i yield -- to join in this effort and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: mr. rangel of new york. mr. jackson of illinois. ms. kaptur of ohio. mr. defazio of oregon. ms. woolsey of california. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. gohmert: thank you, madam speaker. well, down the hall, we have the senate as they have been

taking up the start streety to help limit our defense of ourselves with a country that is not the country we're most concerned about. we seem to keep ignoring the fact that iran continues to move forward developing nuclear weapons and once they have them , then that is the game changer. of course, we know that even in and it's nothing to fear if we act appropriately and don't stick our head in the sand as the treaty apparently attempts to do. for example, we've got people in the senate that do not understand that the president

has the power to negotiate in advising and consenting, but they don't have the power to amend the treaty. our president. so they can make suggestions, but that language is not binding unless the other country agrees to it. so all this frivolous stuff, all this discussion, it is th preamble to this stark treaty, despite what the president says and despite what people in the senate are saying about it not affecting missile defense, the preamble says recognizing the e

strategic offensive arms and stra strategic defensive arms that this inter-- and strategic nuclear arms are reduced and the current strategic defensive gi arms do not undermine the viability and effectiveness of now, maybe from the legal training and judicial training, it helps to read and understand that better. but the russians make pretty clear they intend for this how do people down the hall not get that? seems pretty clear. we have an obligation to support and defend this constitution. we took an oath to do that. and madam speaker, i would ask that this place be made in

order, i know somebody started christmas celebrations back there early, but i would ask, madam speaker, if i could get your attention, the place is not in order. sounds like they've finally taken their party elsewhere. thank you. now back to the start treaty. we have never ratified a treaty in a lame duck session. and yet that's exactly what is being attempted down the hall right w. cause the majority in their state did not want them representing them anymore and they're down there cutting a deal with the russians. the election should have consequences. and people should have the decency to note that the majority of the people in their states have spoken and go home.

and not set a precedent of being the first lame duck session that people didn't want consenting the treaties providing consent to the treaties. it is so inappropriate what is going on down there. then to stand there and tell us, oh, no, this will have nothing to do with our missile defense shield. we have a president back in the 1980's that despite all the jokes, despite all the insults hurled at him, he insisted that the thing that was maddest of all was the concept of mutually assured destruction. that that was insane. that the idea of two countries saying, we'll both develop so much in the way of nuclear

offensive capabilities that one won't attack the other because they know the other will attack them. they'll both be wiped out. so along came president reagan and he would not leave it alone. we're going to defend ourselves. we took an oath to do as much. and if russian, iranian, thre united states, we have an obligation to defend ourselves. but not according to this president. according to this this -- according to this president, we're basically going to unilaterally mutually disarm which is what happened to the polish missile defense site. i understand it's now been revealed that the russians had hopes, according to their early documentation, that eventually in the final document they would get the united states to

agree to abandon their plans to put a missile defense shield in poland. however they didn't realize that they were negotiating with a president, new president of the united states who promised hope and change that he was bringing was a change unlike any negotiations in our past, we were going to unilaterally lay down our best leverage, not ask for anything in return, and think we'd somehow be better off. well that's not the way negotiations work. among individuals, especially for those of us who are christian, you treat individuals with respect, you follow the admonitions and teachings of jesus, but as a

national leader, we have a different obligation. t with our own money, not nk abuse the process of this body to go legalize stealing people's money to give to our favorite charity, let the people do that. it's one of the things that made us great. the charitable, big-hearted people in america. that helped make america great. but as people who were elected to come to washington, help lead this country, we have a different obligation. we're supposed to defend this nation. we're supposed to provide for the common defense so that people that lev -- that live in america can have a merry christmas, can have a happy hanukkah, can have the enjoyment of freedom of religion that operating under a

judeo christian system, as this was formed, that all people could worship as they chose. that people could be defended as they did so.e defended as th and we, i say we clumelatively, this president this -- just gave away our best cards. that isn't looking out for the american people. looking for the iranians, looking out for the russians, log koreans, the people of venezuela and cubans, who would like to see us gone and have said as much, but not looking out for america. now, this administration never been a fan of

of the plan president reagan proposed. but because the russians, the soviets at that time couldn't keep up, they were spending too much money, the soviet union fell. but clearly, this treaty links offensive reductions with missile defense. so these guys down the hall, they think they're doing a wonderful thing for america, but they are not. they may think, gee, the president has said this about the treaty, so maybe, maybe it's true. my friend, andrew c. mccarthy had a posting today, december 21, with "national review" quote online and it bears particularly

on this point so i'll read from his article, because it is so well written, patting himself -- these are mccarthy's words, patting himself and fellow senate republicans on the back for selling out on president obama's new start treaty, bob corker ex claims all is well, because despite treaty terms that patently disserve our national security, senators have held debate and because he and senator lugar have drafted a swell resolution of ratification that purportedly addresses new start's serial flaws, meantime an unidentified john mccain admirer says the maverick deserves kudos into pressuring obama into talking up missile defense. mr. mccasualtyy goes on,

whoopey, don't you feel good about the g.o.p. now? this is is the nonsense. he says these senators are trying to rationalize their inexcuseable approval of a bad treaty they lack the backbone to vote down. holding debates, it's as mmona general assembly as a debating society because the term says how inconsequential its exertions are. as for ratification, i defer to john bolton and john he one, they explained that the obama attention from the treaty itself. attention would be focused on the rament fix resolution, which they predicted would be loaded

with, quote, a package of paper promises unquote, called conditions, understandings and declarations that would purport to address concerns about of our nuclear arsenal, treaty other weapons. professor bolton continued and said senators cannot take these warpties seriously and not part of the text itself. former under secretary of state put it, such reservations and understandings have the same legal effect as a letter from my mother. they are mere policy statements that attempt to influence future treaty interpretation. they do not have the force of law. they do not bind the president of future congresses.

constitution supremacy clause makes the treaty's text the law of the land. bolton and pmp ew asserted, quote, to prevent new start from gravely impairing america's nuclear capacity, the senate must ignore the ratification and demand changes to the treaty itself. that is exactly the duty from which senate republicans are advocating. the ratification resolution is nothing. the presidential letter, senator mccain is said to have extracted. it lacks even the tenant of a legislative act and is about as enforceable as a presidential commitment to close gitmo or to televise the government's health care deliberations on c-span. mi secity policy and politically weakened by the mid-term thrashing, the treaty is awful, which is why there are

so many things to address in resolutions and letters. if you can't get republican senators to do the right things under these conditions, then when? one more related point, mr. mccarthy says based on my argument in yesterday's column that the senate may not unilaterally treaties or enact amendments, a friend suggests there is daylight between my position and that of bolton and hew. they recount senate action that resulted in treaties being altered. but, quote, when they approved the jay treaty in the 1790's which resolved differences with only on condition that president george washington delete a specific provision on trade. washington and britain agreed to the amendment and the treaty

entered into force. in 1978, the senate demanded changes to the text of the panama cafpble treaties as the price of its consent. mccarthy says this is no different than what i'm saying. the senate did not claim the power to change treaty terms or enact resolutions that pretended to fix deep problems withoutal tering treaty terms. to the contrary. senators told presidents washington and carter that there would be no consent unless they went back to the countries in question and got the problematic terms changed. that amplify america's understanding about a treaty. the senate cannot unilaterally alter the core understandings in an agreement.

that latter would render it no thus, messers bolton and hew concluded the senate has the final say. if 34 senators reject a unquote. voting to reject is the senate's duty when confronted with a treaty that disserves the dereliction on new start, or presidential letter can pay over. it does no good to pass resolutions saying we think it means this or that when the words clearly talk about the fact that missile defense is tied and part of this. it is affected. if the senate were to come back and say, we will only consent, as they did in the 1790's, we

will only consent if the president and great britain changed these terms, in this se it would condition precedent. but that's not what's going on here. we are writing letters and putting resolution. that doesn't make any people need to understand the role that they play in this government under our constitution because otherwise,. we have no business entering a treaty when we are still leaving iran hanging out there, developing nuclear weapons, cutting deals with other countries who also hate us. a than we in america, what are we doing? we are paying billions of

dollars that would like to see us fall. that allows the worst kind of abuses to go and puts countries. i will continue in the next congress to push my u.n. voting accountability bill we mean no ill will. the countries that hate our guts, but we don't have to pay any country that votes opposition, in one year will not get a dime of any financial assistance from us in the knicks year. those are the kind of things you do when you are representing a

country and your oath and your your defenses and think that the down your arms, not lay down wonderful goodwill of others will see how wonderful you are and unilaterally dropping your weapons. you don't do that. there are consequences. even going back to israel and i realize there are people like helen thomas who don't realize there was an old israel, but there was, but even before muhammad, there was an and chent israel. but if you go back to the days of the leaders of bablonia and

he said what did you do? these wonderful leaders came over and we showed him all our treasure and we showed them all of our defenses. and in essence, isaiah pointed out, you fool, because you have done this, you will lose your country. you don't show your enemies your in the cost of israel, it cost them everything. you don't do that. individually, you can love, care and nurture as national part of the government, we have an oath an an obligation to the people who live here to provide for the common defense. and that means you don't give away the defenses. you don't lay down your arms. you do what you can to protect

america. in fact and i pointed out before, but i heard our friends say today that people who consider themselves christian, especially this time of year, should be in favor of all kinds of bills, federal money being given to the wonderful charitable causes. well, individually, that's correct. but as a nation, we got a good zachekhius, after he met jesus, he was overwhelmed with guilt after he abused his taxing authority, that he gave back the money, in fact gave a four to one rebate to those from whom he took too much money. now that would be an interesting thing to see.

and and i advocated for a payroll tax holiday two years ago, it would have increased the g.d.p. more than any other proposal. i'm not for it $3 trillion in two years? my word, my first year in 2005, i was hearing people across the aisle beating up on us because we had at one point $160 billion deficit and that was outrageous, and my democratic friends were right. we shouldn't have been running $100 billion or $200 billion deficit. who would have dreamed that five short years later, they would have run up $$3 trillion deficit in two years? 10 times the deficit they were complaining about just five short years ago. well, those are some things that are great cause for concern.

did republicans not learn anything from the election? do people think that once the election is behind us, it was business as usual? do democratic and republican senators who are up for election in two years think that people across america are not watching? theyy'vewaver watched who is doing what? they're paying attention. and for those who have found -- who are found to have had one big last zesty giveaway pher, ta for those who rushed in and cut a deal with the russians and approved of a deal with the russians that the russians didn't agree with, therefore it is not binding, the only thing that's binding is what they consent to, that the president already agreed with russia on, that will be the treaty. and it limits our missile to anyone, someday, whoops,

incoming and we agreed not to develop our missile defense with the russians, sorry, these missiles aren't coming from russia, but the russians got us to agree not to develop missile defense, therefore we have no defense to what these enemies of america are sending. that's irresponsible. we should not be doing that. and i had hoped to end on a more positive note tonight, madam speaker, if i could inquire how much time i have left? the speaker pro tempore: you have 34 minutes. mr. gohmert: thank you, madam speaker. i would like to finish by going problem clamations by -- proclamations by u.s. presidents, i touched on some of these last week but i want to read some different messages this week because i think

they're helpful to americans who believe, unfortunately, as the president does, that we have never been a christian nation. i won't debate whether we are or not now, we may very well this country was established under christian notions that allowed people the freedom to worship as they choose. because heaven help us if we had a constitution based on there'd be -- there wouldn't be a don't ask, don't tell, because that's a capital offense to commit a homosexual offense under sharia law so no need for don't ask, don't tell. no need for appeal under sharia law. apparently a capital offense if no room for christians to worship any way they choose. the only way to have all religions worship as they choose is to have a country

based on christian tenets. we seem to be trying to get away from that. it seems to be eroding people's freedoms of religion, particularly christians. how ironic we seem to be coming that we can eliminate the freedom of worship, publicly, in the public square, which are the allowed us to have and become the greatest country on earth, in earth's history. so these words from franklin roosevelt, in 1933, roosevelt, 24, christmas eve, 1933, provided us these words. roosevelt said, this year marks

a greater national understanding of the significance in our modern lives of the teaching of him whose birth we celebrate. to more and more of us, the words, quote, thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself, unquote, have taken oa -- on a meaning that is showing itself and proving itself in our purposes and daily lives. may the practice of that high ideal grow in us all in the ou all old and young, a merry christmas and a truly happy new year and so for now, and for always, god bless us every one. harry truman, december 24, 1947

, and i won't read the entire message, but these are harry truman's words he sa those who will keep another christmas in poverty and exile, separation from their loved ones, as we prepare to elebratchrir th were indifferent to the flight of less fortunate people's -- peoples overseas. we must not forget that our revolutionary fathers also knew a christmas of suffering and desolation. te from valley forge two days before christmas, in 1777, quote, we have this day no less than 2,873 men in camp, unfit for duty, because they are barefooted and otherwise naked. unquote.

truman goes on, we can be thankful that our people have risen today as did our forefathers in washington's time, to our obligation and our opportunity. at this point in the world's history the words of st. paul have greater significant than ever before. he said, quote, and now abide eth faith, hope, charity, these three. but the greatest of these three is charity. truman said, we believe this. we accept it as a basic principle of our lives. the great heart of the american people has been moved to compassion by the needs of those in other lands who are cold and hungry. we have supplied a part of their needs and we shall do more. in this, we are maintaining the american tradition. in extending aid to our less

fortunate brothers, we are developing in their hitters the return of hope. beforeous -- because of our forts, the people in other lands see the advent of a new day in which they can lead lives free from the harrowing fear of starvation and want. with the return of hope to these peoples will come renewed faith. faith in the dignity of the individual and the brotherhood of man. the world grows old, but the spirit of christmas is ever young. happily for all mankind, the spirit of christmas survives travail and suffering because it fills us with hope of better things to come. let us then put our trust in the unerring star which guided the wise men to the manger of bethlehem. let us hearken again to the angel choir saying, glory to

god in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. with hope for the future and with faith in god, i wish all my countrymen a very merry christmas. christmas eve, 1949. president harry truman. he gave us these words. the first christmas had its beginning in the coming of a little child. it remains a child's day, a day of childhood love and of childhood memories. that feeling of love has clung to this day down all the centuries from the first christmas. there is clustered around christmas day the feeling of warmth, of kindness, of innocence, of love. the love of little children, the love for them, the love that was in the heart of the

little child whose birthday it is. through that child love, there came to all mankind the love of a divine father and a blessed mother so that the love of the holy family could be shared by the whole human family. these are some of the thoughts that came to mind as i gave the signal to light our national christmas tree in the south grounds at the white house. president truman goes on and says, sitting here in my own home, so like other homes all over america, i've been thinking about some families in other happy lands, in other once-happy lands. we must not forget that there are thousands and thousands of families homeless, hopeless, destitute and torn with despair on this christmas eve. family on the first christmas, there's no room in the inn.

we shall not solve a moral question by dodging it. we can scarcely hope to have a full christmas if we turn a deaf ear to the suffering of even the least of christ's little ones. since returning home, i've been reading again in our family bible some of the passages which foretold this night. it was that grand old seer isaiah who prophecied in the old testament the intlime event which found fulfillment almost 2,000 years ago. just as isaiah foresaw the coming of christ, so another battler for the lord, st. paul, summed up the law and the prophets in a glorification of love which he exalts even above faith and hope. truman says, we miss the spirit of christmas if we consider the

incarnation as an indistinct and doubtful far-off event unrelated to our present problems. we miss the purport of christ's birth if we do not accept it as a living link which joins us together in spirit as children of the ever living and true god. in love alone, though love of god and the love of man -- through love of god and love of man will be found the solution to all the ills that afflict the world today. slowly, sometimes painfully, but always with increasing purpose,me message of christianity. only with wisdom comes joy and with greatness comes love and the spirit of the christ child as little children with joy in our hearts and peace in our souls, let us as a nation dedicate ourselves anew to the love of our fellow men. in such a dedication we shall find a message of the child of

bethlehem, the real meaning of christmas. harry truman. and i'll skip forward several years. let me read this from 1976 from gerald ford. the message of christmas has not changed over the course of 20 centuries. peace on earth, good will toward men, that message is as inspiring today as it was when it was first proclaimed to the shepherds near bethlehem. it was first proclaimed as we all know then in 1976 -- as we all know, then. in 1976, america has been blessed with peace and restoration of domestic harmony. but true peace is more than an absence of battle. it's also the absence of prejudice and the triumph of understanding.

brotherhood of all peoples must be the solid cornerstone of a sulastaining force the celebration of the birth of jesus is observed on every continent. the customs and traditions are not always the same.ween friends and family members are equally strong and equally warm. and warm. god bless you. this is from president bush's message december 8, 1992, the christmas season, millions of people around the world gather with family and friends to recall the events that took lace place 2,000 years ago as we celebrate the birth of jesus crist his life offers us justice and compassion. thug example,

christ made clear the value of giving of oneself of others and differenn ce ithe world. many americans have made sacrifices in order to promote freedom and human rights around the global, the heroic actions of our veterans, life-saving rork of work of countless individuals who voluntarily give of their time and energy and affirm the importance of our heritage in shaping our president bush's message, he said throughout the christmas season we recall that god's love its found in humble places in god's peace is offered to us

all. for nearly 80 years in times of calm and times of challenge, americans have gathered for this ceremony. the simple story we remember during this season speaks to every generation. it is the story of a quiet birth in a little town on the margins of an indifferent empire, yet that single event sets the direction of history and still changes millions of lives. for over two millenium, christmas has carried the message that god is with us and because he is with us, we can always live in hope. our entire nation is always thinking of this time of the year of the men and women in the military, many of whom will spend this christmas at posts far from home. they stand between americans and grave danger.

they serve in the cause of peace and freedom. they wear the uniform proudly and we are proud of them. that's george w. bush december, at this point, we know from our declaration of independence, we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights and among them is the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. then why, some would ask, if we're endo youed, if these are given as an inheritance why do people all over the world not have life, liberty and the opportunity to pursue happiness. it is an endowment. the founders had that right.

but as with any inheritance, it's left to hires, if the hires are not willing to protect their inheritance and not willing to fight the forces of evil, forces of greed, the forces of lust ant from them. as it comes to ed obligation that we owe this nation to ensure for our common defense so that the generations. we don't have these freedoms because we earned them. we were not born to freedom because we deserved it. we were born to freedom, others came to this nation for freedom, because of the sacrifice of

others who went before us. and so we enjoy the freedoms and inheritance the endowment we have today. we can protect this freedom. we can uni avoterally disarming and protect the american people in this blessed country so future generations can enjoy that same inheritance. another christmas message from george w. bush was this. during christmas, we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our satisfy i don't remember, jesus cries, as god's only son, his actions and his words remind us that service to others is central to our lives and that sacrifice and

unconditional love must inspire us to lead lives of compassion, mercy and justice. the true spirit of christmas reflects a dedication to helping those in need, to giving hope to those in despair and to spreading peace and understanding throughout the earth. as we share love and enjoy the traditions of this holiday, we are also grateful for the men and women of our ampled forces who are working to defend freedom, secure our homeland and advance peace and safety around the world. this christmas, may we give thanks for the blessings god has granted to our nation. we took an oath topride the protection of this constitution,

in essence, this country, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. we did not take an oath to legalize theft from people who earn money to give to our favorite and many extremely deserving charitable causes. not what we we were supposed to do. we need to defend this nation so that others can be as charitable as only americans seem to reach the full height of doing. in this christmas season, we want all people of all religions to be able to worship as they choose freely, so long as they do not threaten the freedoms of this country. we have an obligation. we took an oath, an oath below

god, well, the people have entrusted us not to shirk our duties to defend this nation. and so that means individually, we should be charitable. individually, we should serve and help others. but as a congress and as a nation, we should provide incentives for people to reach their god-given potential. we shouldn't be paying people for every child they can possibly have out of wedlock so that we encourage nearly 45 years of people having babies out of wedlock. no one cares for dead beat dads. it's terrible to have fathered a

child and to not help in any way with the upbringing and success tenance of a child that a father helped bring in a world. and the answer lies not in providing a financial incentive to lure young single women into a rut which they cannot get out themselves. it's i am moral to lure young women into ruts with no hope of getting out. and as a judge, i was prompted to leave the bench when i first started thinking about running for congress, as i saw these young women who came before me for welfare fraud or for selling drugs and their stories seemed so hopeless, but they were told, if you just have a child, forget high school, you can start

getting a check. and there were young women around the country who are going into this christmas week feeling they have no hope. i saw them in my courtroom. and this congress is to blame. the ones that preceded us are to blame. you meant well. congress meant well, but instead of helping, we hurt future generations, not just one, future generations. it's time we undid that. it's time that in the spirit of christmas, we don't legalize taking somebody's money that doesn't want us to have it and giving to our favorite charity. what we legalize is incentives for people to reach their full god-given potential, regardless of their race, color, national

religion, gender, we make sure that they have their opportunity. that's our obligation. and as we go and approach christmas, close with the words of benjamin franklin in 1787, suffering from gout, 80 years old, the constitutional convention was falling apart, they seeing no hope, 80-year-old franklin, brilliant and witty as clever as ever who had to have help getting into independence hall. was recognized by president george washington and he pointed out, we have been going for five weeks and have more nos than ayes. franklin said, how has it happened, sir, that we have not thought of once applying to the father of life to illuminate our

understanding in the beginning contest with great britain when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room. our prayers were heard and they were graciously answered. he went on and eventually said, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without his aid. we have been assured that unless the lord build the house they labor in vain to build it. he said, firmly, believe this. he said, i also firmly believe without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in our little political building no better than the builders of builder. and we are going to be a

by-word. he moved and henceforth we begin each day with prayer and then mr. randolph added, not only that, since this was the end of june, he added a provision that everyone in congress be required to hear a crist tan evangelist on july 4 before they begin in the constitutional making and after entering in joint prayer led by a local minister, there was a new atmosphere, there was a new spirit. and as a result, we got the constitution, that is the greatest founding document of any nation in the history of the world. now that is something that we have to thank god for. so this

this time of bletsings and thanksgiving and this christmas season, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: senate 118, an act to amend section 202 of the housing act of 1959 to improve the program under such section for support of housing for the elderly and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, the gentleman from texas, mr. edwards, is recognized for 30 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. edwards: madam speaker, as i leave congress after 20 years i would just like to share a few personal observations about our democracy and our country. first and foremost, i believe we still live in the greatest

country in the world. we are a blessed nation and we have more freedoms and opportunities than most citizens of the world could ever imagine. the proo in our country today is that our immigration challenge is not that people are trying to leave our country, it is that millions of people from all parts of the globe would do almost anything including risking their lives to come here. several years ago, i learned a lot about our country from a d.c. taxicab driver. in hearing his him when he first came to our country. he answered 20 years earlier. then i asked him if he had a family and he said, yes, a wife, two sons and a daughter. i asked if theco three years earlier. he went on to explain, imagine this, for 17 years, he came to our country for 10 months oout of every year, working two jobs at a t ime, w

other minimum wage job he could find here. he said he'd save a little bit every year for his family nest egg and enough to return to his home and be with his family two as a father of two young sons, i was floored. for me i only would agree to be -- he could agree to put were away from my wife and sons as much as he within hb and it wouldn't be enough. i asked why he did it he said, i had a hope and dream to raise my couldn't -- my children in a country where they hold had two things. religious freep dom and the opportunity to be whatever they want to be. he said, now my family is here. my sons are studying to become engineers and my daughter will be a doctor. this hardworking immigrant

taught me a lot that night in his taxi -- taxicab about the american dream and what is so special about our country. i realize our democracy is not perfect. i am well aware of the imperfections of those of us who serve in it. but sometimes in the midst of citizens of this great country. in a time of widespread cynicism toward government, i believe it is also worthwhile to ask ourselves what is the role of our federal government. foundation for that answer than the prepre-amble to our constitution. we, the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice. ensure domestic twan quillity. provide for the common defense. promote the general welfare. and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity. do ordain and establish this constitution of the united

states of america. as with any statement of principle, our founding fathers left honest room for disagreement on the specifics of interpretation. but i would like to make several personal observations. the preamble first begins with the words, we, the people. those words make it clear that the cornerstone of our democracy is the people. not politicians, not presidents, not any institution or special interest. i believe one of the frustrations toward government don't feel government is listening to or working for us. there's a sense that the voice of the special interest is too often drowning out the voice of everyday citizens. there's much truth in that observation. and i have concerns that the recent supreme court decision to let corporations and unions spend unlimited, unaccountable,

untraceable amounts of money in campaigns will make the voice of everyday citizens even less audible. if outright bans don't meet the limits of a flawed judicial decision, then at the very least, transparency must be required. we the people have a fundamental right to know whndg to influence who is elected to our congress. in order to form a more perfect union. i believe the greatness and goodness of our country is that ours is a history of each generation trying to reach ever closer toward the ideals of liberty and justice for all. rights that were once just the domain of white male landowners have surely but surely been expanded to more and more americans. the barriers of race, religion,

jend every and sexual -- gender, and sexual preferences have been with great pain and sacrifice slowly been knocked down. this road of progress has been paved with detours and roadblocks along the way but it has inevitably been a road of progress toward a more perfect union. i am proud that in 2008, our nation broke the racial barrier in the highest office in our land. but i temper that pride in 2010 with the disappointment that the issue of race is still an issue for anyone over a century and a half after the signing of the emancipation proclamation. let us not, however, let the imperfections of our union blind us from seeing our blessings and our progress toward becoming a more perfect union. establish justice. in a society that is often

critical of our legal system, i am grateful that we live in a country that presumes innocence until guilt is proven and that offers the fundamental right to a jury trial. while frivolous lawsuits do occur and should be stopped whenever possible, reason should dictate that we not limit the constitutional right of a citizen to a jury trial and that that right should not be based on one's wealth. it is not fair to begin the work of congress in this house on this floor with the words of our pledge, with liberty and justice for all, and then proceed on the house floor moments later to cut legal aid for low income citizens. ensure domestic fran quillity and provide for the common defense. in a world where evil and greed will always exist, defending our citizens' lives and property must always be a top

responsibility of government. that is why i'm so grateful for the noble calling of those who choose to serve our nation in law enforcement and in military uniform. those who defend us from criminals here at home or from threats from abroad have chosen a noble calling in life and should always be treated with our words and our deeds as the true heroes they are. the record will show that in the past four years under the democratic leadership of speaker pelosi and with the leadership of chairman obi and chairman filner and others this congress has made unprecedented strides in our investments in better health care and benefits if our veterans. we did so while recognizing that we can never fully repay our debt of gratitude. that we owe those who have served our nation in uniform and their families. promote the general welfare.

on this principle, there can be much honest disagreement and i respect that fact. perhaps what is most important in this idea to me is that it underscores that we americans are not just individuals, separate from one another, but that our founding fathers recognized the welfare of one is not distinct from the welfare of all of us. we the people. truly have common bonds as american citizens. my personal view is that government cannot ensure success for individuals. that requires hard work and solid values. those come from our families and our faith, not from the government. yet, i do believe that the general welfare of we the people is enhanced if government and private enterprise work together to give those willing to work hard and play by the rules a fair a good job, a decent home in a

safe neighborhood, affordable health care, quality education for their children, and retirement security. government cannot guarantee these outcomes, but it should work to provide a fair opportunity to all willing and able to work hard for them. government should provide a helping hand to those who are willing to help themselves. the general welfare to me really means opportunity. it is my belief that the ultimate goal of government should be to provide every child in america, every child, a fair opportunity to reach his orr her highest god-given potential. that is what head start, public stool funding, college student financial aid, and many other federal programs are all about. these programs are helping hands, not handouts. they're investments in

opportunity for our citizens and our country's future. for those who cannot help themselves because of their physical or mental health care problems, we the people are a compassionate people and the general welfare along with our basic sense of decency and faith dictate that we help those who cannot help themselves. that is a proper role for the federal government. for those who believe there is virtually no role for the federal government much beyond national defense, i would point out that our founding fathers realized over two centuries ago that the failure of the articles of con feld fed ration was that they committed ourselves to being a country of separate states more than one union. that's why our founding fathers committed to adopting a new constitution with stronger powers vested in a federal government.

our founding fathers so long ago understood that the general welfare of our citizens could not be effectively served by simply that loose association of states. there are some today who envision turning the clock back to a system that didn't work over two centuries ago and certainly would not work today, in today's more complex society and economy. despite its imperfections, i believe the federal government plays a vital role in providing for the general welfare of we, the people. at the same time, i would say that the general welfare of our children and grandchildren demands that the federal government do a better job of living within its means. while deficits are to be expected in times of war and recession, long-term deficits must be brought down. this should be one of the highest national priorities in the years to come. after having turned serious

deficits from the early 1990's into the surpluses of the late 1990's, congress, in my opinion, made an enormous mistake in letting expire the pay as you go rules, passing massive unpaid for tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. and in expanding medicare prescription drug programs in 2003. with none of these being paid for. this is not rocket science. it is simple math. massive tax cuts passed in 1981 in the face of a major defense buildup led to historic, unprecedented deficits. two decades later, two decades later, the same mistake was repeated when congress passed massive tax cuts, the first ever of their kind during a time of war. those of us who opposed those tax cuts predicted they would lead to deficits. we were right. unfortunately.

and they were wrong. it is my home that the free lunch philosophy of no pain balanced budgets has been discredited enough by now so that the next congress can realistically make the tough choices needed to get our fiscal house back in order. republicans in congress need to stop peddling the disproven myth that tax cuts pay for themselves. they do not. democrats in congress need to understand that spending must be cut that no cuts will be done without pain, but that ultimately uncontrolled deficits will harm low and middle income families even more through slower economic growth and the crowding out of education and health programs by increasing interest payments on the national debt. most importantly, the partisan finger pointing should stop and the bipartisan work should begin. it should begin to ensure the general welfare of we the people.

it's served by a fiscally sustainable federal debt level. the choices will be difficult, speaker tip o'neill worked together to save social security. social security. secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. our forefathers upped stood that freedom is god-given and should be protected as the divine gift it truly is. abroad. we must be stewards of the freedom of speech, press, religion and associating. no cow incidence of the first words of the bill of rights are related to the principle of religious liberty built on the foundation of what thomas jefferson called the wall between church and state. congress shall make no law establishing the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

religious freedom is the first freedom. it is the freedom upon which all other freedoms are built. mr. mad ison and mr. jefferson understood that religion should be placed high above the reach of politicians. i believe that america's model of religious liberty is the greatest contribution to the world from our experiment in democracy. it has been built upon the bedrock of church-state separation. and for those who misunderstood that principle, church-state separation does not mean keeping people of faith out of government, it does mean keeping government out of our faith. all of human history has proven that if politicians are allowed to regulate and get involved in religion, they cannot withstand the song of using religion as a means to their own political end

and stepping on the rights of religious minorities, of trying to ingrasheyate themselves of i could offer one piece of advice to the press, public and future members, it would be to be aware of those who are motivated by good faith or by political gain, would try to help religion by chiseling away at the swall of separation between church and state. god doesn't need their help or government's help. if he chose to give each of us the right to believe or not to believe, it would be terrible for politicians to limit that divine right. government can make a lot of mistakes that can be corrected, but if the pan dora's box of interming willing between

government and religion, it will unleash what we can't imagine. human history has proven that lesson over and over again. mr. mad ison and mr. jefferson got it right in the first 16 words of the bill of rights and it would be wrong to undo those words or the principle they represent. in the short run, i have some serious concerns about our democracy. partisanship is too prevalent, especially in solving the major challenges facing our country, deficit, health care, energy, immigration reform and competing in the world economy will require bipartisanship to not only pass effective legislation but secure public support for those laws after their passage. sound bite politics of television and radio interviews and talk shows and campaign ads make it difficult to develop

solutions to complex problems. 0-second campaign tv ads are seldom a temperatureplate of responsible solve-problemming. the stove piping where citizens are hearing the news they want to hear reinforcing their views is digger deeper the lines of political division in our country. demonizing of those who think differently and creating political discourse that neither serves our democracy or sets a positive example to our children. if adults don't treat each other with respect, can we expect anything different from our the loss of september terrorists will make it difficult in -- centrists, the republican government can work with one

party and another with few inbetween the party in the majority and that type of government has the power to implement its programs. in our american democracy biment on the principle of checks and balances, bipartisanship is needed to pass laws on major issues and earn september tans of those laws from the public. the financial problems at regional newspapers have reduced the impact of one of the key checks of our democracy, a vigorous and free press. financial powers especially under the citizens united supreme court case to spend unlimited, nontransparent, millions in congressional races without any accountability to the public as to who funded those races could undermine the integrity of not just campaigns but voting zigs made by members

of congress. despite all of these challenges in the short-term, i am confident of america's long-term future. our people and our democracy are resilient. when americans face hardship, we find a way to endure and joffer come those hardships. they always have. we always have and always will as a people. when our democracy gets off center, we, the people, find a way to bring it back in line. and every generation, including there have been predictors of doom and every generation, they have been wrong. americans have faced a revolutionary war, a civil war, two world wars and a great depression and in each case, we, the people, have found a way to meet those challenges and overcome them.

i have met some famous people over the past 20 years of my public service, i have seen the soul and spirit of america through the lives of everyday citizens and it is they who give me faith. it is the teacher who volunteers to help students after school, the military widow who asked how she could help others, the soldier who misses the birth of his two children while serving his country overseas, the veteran who continues giving back to country long after his or her service is completed and hard-working small business people, farmers and workers who work hard every day just to provide a better life and hope for their families. i will never ever forget aaron binger, a beautiful red-headed girl from bryan, texas, who came to washington to lobby me for

better health care, for research of rare children's diseases, she foit bravely against a rare cancer, yet you would have never known she had had a bad day in her life. because she was so full of life. erin won my heart and won my heart before she died at the age of 12, but her spirit will inspire me and those blessed to know her, inspired us to do heart of erin binger, who personified the american spirit, our nation's future will be bright. i would save the last words i for my family. throughout my years in congress, it was my wife leeann who always kept me me grounded.

throughout the years, it was the love from my family and my love privilege. for my family that always meant the most to me. it was their love that reminded t li and public service should be about. i can never say enough about the s responsibility that leea nmp n took on. she is my personal hero and i love her with all my heart with u.s.o. co-chair, boy scout leader. to our sons, j.t. and garrison, it is my hope in trying to make a positive difference for others, part of our mission here on earth. and if that mission begins with loving our family, serving the american family has been the privilege of my life, but the joy in my life has always been my family.

we the people are fortunate to live in the greatest nation in the world. god has truly blessed us and now up to us to be good stewards of those blessings. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january , 2008, the gentleman from cole, mr. polis is recognize as the designee of the majority leader. mr. polis: i would like to talk about the young people failure to find their path forward or some way of determining what they should do, what they should be, these face less individuals,

these young individuals. the dream act is not one of the the most important legislation that we discussed on the floor of the house, certainly for the individuals involved. it means everything, everything to hundreds of thousands of defacto americans. to them and to all of us, it is extremely important. we have a choice between forcing a brain drain from our country or retaining the best and brightest to contribute to our economy and make our economy stronger and our nation more prosperous. i'll discuss the moral, economic, educational and this congress failed to act on the dream act and it remains an issue that we simply must address with regard to these young people and cannot ignore. i want to pose two questions. one, is what would we ask of these young people. and the second, what action would they undertake that is

best for us and our talking about here are young people who grew up in this country, brought here by parents who were illegal immigrants when they were two years old, and made no choice to violate you are our laws and grew up in this country. the young people that we're talking about are the children that any parent would be proud of, our sons and daughters, our classmates in our schools, brothers and sisters of native-born america cabs cans, kids who stayed in school, who serve in our military, children of our great nation. and we in our country should be proud, not proud of the broken and dysfunctional immigration system, lack of enforcement that put them in this situation, not proud of their parents' violation of our immigration laws, no matter how out of touch those laws may be, not proud of

the discrimination and fear that these young americans have faced at every turn, but proud, proud of how these young americans have overcome adversity and demonstrated exceptionalism. their ambition, their drive, their creativity in pursuit as pursuit of happiness. they embody the best of our american values and we should be proud to call them our countrymen. i was touched by the great risk many of these great people put out there, allowing that i am r futures at risk simply to tell us the story we know we would upped fer understand, they are here and they are american. we are a great nation and we will be stronger with the full participation of these young americans each with the opportunity to go as far in life

with their ambitions and ability prior to our successful passage of the dream act out of the house and later it died in the senate, i talked on the phone to several of the young people in my district, my constituents, that would be directly impacted this debate is about young people like zendy. she was brought to the united states from zacatecas, mexico, when she was an infant. she didn't know she was brought here illegally, a friend's parents were going to montana and invited her, but her parents said she couldn't go because she didn't have papers. she went to the prom. zendy has a passion for law enforcement.

as she puts it, quote, i want to help stop the drug cartels. zendy is currently enrolled at the community college of denver. she wants to be a d.e.a. agent. our decision will determine if she engages in law enforcement to protect our laws or is pursued by law enforcement in violation of our laws. we will create either an agent of public safety or we will criminalize a young woman because of actions that were not her own. the question will face us in will we allow zendy to become someone who protects us or someone who we must spend money criminalizing and hunting? which benefits america more? zendy said, i want to be in law enforcement and doing what i want to do in my life. madam speaker, we want zendy as an american. this debate is about claudia. she's 21 years old, a third-year college student at the university of new mexico.

she attends college in new mexico because unfortunately, my own home state of colorado doesn't offer in-state tuition to residents who lived there 10 years, 15 years. states when she was 7 years old. in high school she was president of the latino youth leadership club and engaged in hundreds of hours of community service tutoring younger kids. she enjoyed tutoring younger children and wants to be an early childhood education teacher teaching preschool and kindergarten. she has no immediate family in guadalajara, mexico, where she was brought from. she was wrought up here and has no memories of her old country. she's a role model for her 11-year-old sister. she said, it's sad that we're looked upon differently than other people even though we've been here long enough to know everything. this law would help me be near my family. claudia, when this congress manages to pass the dream act

the question for us, put yourself in that situation. what would we do? what's the right thing to do? madam speaker, we want claudia as an american. this debate is about luis, brought to the united states by his parents in 2001 when he was 10 years old. i talked to him on the phone last week. he grew up as american as anyone else, active in the french club, on the soccer team at skyline high school. she was accepted into the university of northern colorado but couldn't attend because of his lack of status. he wants to be a psychiatrist but he's not in school because of immigration status. he was accepted to university of colorado, assigned to a dorm, went to classes for the first day, went up there and registered but wasn't able to attend because of out of state tuition. luis said, there's never a difference between me and my peers. luis also seems to have a potential career ahead of him perhaps as a pundit or in y heu

is in language that would translate to the members of this chamber, luis said, with understanding far beyond the average for his age of 19, he said, many of the republicans are looking into the money side of things. what i would tell them is that they should look at us not as a burden but as someone who will brighten their future. we are here and we're not going to go anywhere and we're going to make this country better career ate jobs and make the economy better. i would ask any of my colleagues, particularly those in this chamber, the other chamber, that have not yet been supporters of the dream act country better career ating jobs and making the economy better? or is there a disconnect and they don't believe that luis as a psychiatrist versus luis as a worker in the underground economy would make our economy better, create jobs and prosperity for america? luis said, ameris madam speaker, we want luis as an american.

this debate is about angel, a senior in high school, currently in my district in his parents brought him from mexico when he was 6 years old. in hollywood, he's very active and serves on student counciled on theater club. he won an essay contest and won a trip to new york city where he told me how excited he was to meet the mebs of the cast of "wicked." those four days in new york city showed angel a keen interest in the arts and he wants to go to college for the performing arts. he just turned 1 a role model for his brother, who is in the same situation and was brought here when he was 1 year old. yes old. her little sister had a skin disease caused by pollution in mexico city. she had a good life in mexico city. her dad was a lawyering her mom stayed at home. now both her parents clean

homes in the united states. michelle is in her first to fairview high school and won an award for greatest helps in the boulder community because of her community service. she credited one of her teachers, mrs. carpenter, for helping get her involved in community service including the rotary club. mexico city, she's now 18 years old she found out she was undocumented in eighth graded when she wanted to go on a school trip to washington, d.c., our nation's capital. michelle wants to transfer to study marine biology. she said, i would love to study marine biology but i'm not sure they'll love me because of my situation. she continued on the phone with me last week my life is here now. and try to make a good life for lives better than our parents' ourselves. they are stopping the dreams for students who don't have papers. i don't know if they want us to

work in mcdonald's or wendys, i don't know what they want us to do they aren't letting us reach our goal or our dreams. ski all of us, what do we want stitser vis is one of the most fulfilling components of our job on both sides of the aisle. out how to do it, but that's why we're here. there's little satisfaction as good as helping a veteran who served our country get the benefits he's entitled to but ngfuy turned down for by a faceless bureaucracy. we're fundamentally in this business to help people. when a constituent can stay in their home because of our work in finding an alternative to foreclosure, what thrill can top that for a member of this chi sun-kyou entered the country when he was 4 years old. he said, i was dropped off at my grandmother's boulder, colorado, as my mother left back for taiwan.

due to their negligence, they forgot to renew it. he was 17 years old before he knew it ex-pired. he's looked for several routes to renew his visa. i was impotent in my office to find any route to allow him to contribute to this country. he's a college graduate with a civil engineering degree from the colorado school of mines, our premiere engineering university in colorado. now, madam speaker, chi is serving in the tie what these military. due to their conscription policy and he's trying to readjust to his life there. this is how he describes his life. he said, i'm ill will the rat -- illiterate in chinese, which makes simple, everyday tasks in

the military difficult. i'm trying to learn basic spoken chinese but i can't understand their basic commands. i try to move when others move, i'll see how they'll utilize me after my basic training ends and i'm assigned to a new post. many superiors told me they're not sure what they're going to be doing with me. he contacted my help and i wasn't able to intervene. we lost this great mind this great contributor, this great engineer. you know, he wrote to me an email, he said he hopes his story helps paint a small piece of the larger picture for those who don't understand the situation and the feeling of helplessness many young people have. he said, it's a hard thing feel like the country you consider home doesn't want you in the country at home. visualize this, an image of a young man with an engineering degree from colorado's premier engineering school, forced to serve in the armed services of cauntry where he knows no one,

in with a language he doesn't know. we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to educate him only to force him to serve in a military in a couldn'ty where he doesn't speak the language. it's absurd and happens every day. the dream act will solve it. it will be the challenge for all of us in this body and the next congress to answer how we can help chi and others like him. we hold their futures in our hands, madam speaker. while this congress failed to act, the question doesn't go away. it puts all of us in a position of having to go back to these young people, claudia, zandy, chi, and say, not yet. when we all know it's inevitable. this debate is about how to make our country stronger, more secure, more prosperous. this debate is about our values. this is about zandy, luis, it's about our country, and our

future. we've invested over $70,000 of taxpayer money in michelle's education. now it's our choice. do we want her to be a respected marine biologist or an illegal immigrant cleaning buildings for $6 an hour? which is better for us? which is better for our nation? our shoes, what do we want them to do, these young people to better us and better our nation? is somehow consigning a future scientist who might discover the cure to cancer to clean offices at 2:00 in the morning at minimum wage or below wise? michelle crow, the president of the arizona state university, said there's a million dollar difference over a lifetime between the earning exass i have to a high school graduate and a college student. drew faust, the president of harvard, said the dream act would throw a lifeline to these students who are working hard in our middle and high schools and living in our communities by granting them temporary legal status to allow them to

pursue post-secondary education. by fixing this, madam speaker, we will not only help these young people, we'll help eliminate the achievement gap in our schools and inspeier other students to achieve by uping the ante in performance in our schools. in the words of secretary ion, the dream -- passing the dream act will unleash the values of americans, service to others and a deep loyalty to our what do i tell michelle? how do any of us answer these people? constituents of ours who are stateless individuals? the theme of mine in congress is human capital. taking on interes necessary to improve our human capital. but the flip side of education of developing human capital is immigration. not only do we want to grow the next generation of global

leaders here at home, we want toim port the best and brightest from around the world and keep shooting ourselveses in our own foot in this regard. we lost chi, not because of him, but because of us. we turned a highly trained taxpayer financed engineer into an incompetent enlicee enliss eye in a foreign military. doesn't sound very smart to me. we should want to provide students with powerful incentives to stay in school, do well and graduate. a 2010 stu study by the ucla north american immigration and development center estimated the earnings of the would be between $1.4 and $3.6 trillion for america. we want them working in america. we are causing a brain drain of our own making. a drain in which the very best of a generation, the college bount, the graduate school bound, the doctors, the servicemen, the scientists and

poets are given a terrible choice, go to a distant land where you have no connection, may not speak the language, or stay here and work in an underground, unskilled labor market? fixing immigration and the dream act would improve our national security. leaders from the armed services have been nearly unanimous in their support of the bill because they recognize it would help our military shape and maintain a mission ready all-volunteer force. colin powell spoke in support of the dream act as has defense secretary robert gates. i don't frequently make moral arguments in this chamber. i heard my -- one of the earlier speeches from mr. gohmert, but we try to find common grouped, the members come from the faith chris fan, various tradition go,

we like to consider ourselves moral people. let me quote, fathers shall not be put to death for their sons nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers. there is not a moral code that suggests that it is moral for humanity to visits the since of the father upon the sons. they are reflected in our legal codes. when someone dice, their debts aren't sent over and a that's exactly what in this debate some people are advocating, ticket the 2-year-old who is along for the ride, what he was doing was illegal, they were speeding, too, the child was speeding. but regardless of one's faith, punishing the wrong person of a crime because of blood relation

because of happenenstance defies our ethical stance. some have said this is some kind of amnesty, people can't grant amnesty to someone who hasn't violated any law. makes no sense to talk of amnesty for a two-year-old who is brought along on a ride that they didn't choose. ticketting a two-year-old makes no sense for being brought here. not only is it incompetent to make a choice to violate the law but if you assume there were and they were competent to make decisions, they are in practice unable to economically or socially separate from the family unit that provides for them. no one with any did he degree degree of common sense can say a six-year-old should leave their parents if their parents are

violating some law. a child has to go with their parents. there's nothing else a child can do. with our proposals, we were willing to say we don't go up to the age of 18. if you are 17, 16, then you are going to somehow be responsible, you should know better, leave your parents. that's a painful concession to make, because many of us know that 16 and 17-year-olds that we know, are they mature to leave their parents. some might be but many are not. so we set the maximum age of 15 in the dream act. that's the concession we thought to make this bill and get it passed. no one could argue that an 8-year-old or 12-year-old can do what a 17-year-old or 18-year-old can do. the lack of making these defactor americans and forces

underaged children to bear the cost of their parents' decision to violate our laws. you know, i wish we had passed immigration comprehensive reform and i'm proud to say i'm a co-sponsor of the house bill to have done that. we should reduce illegal immigrants close to zero, we know how and we can and did not. so we are where we are. we are talking with regard to these young people, one of the easiest, bipartisan, most economically important of immigration reform, recognizing the hundreds of thousands of defacto americans who were brought here as minors without knowledge or consent and our taxpayer dollars have educated and will be living here as legal entities with the potential to attain the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship. passing the dream act would

reduce the number of illegal immigrants by 500,000 people. those who oppose, support the presence of 500,000 more within our borders. opponents of the dream act make a travesty of the rule of law and facilitate undocumented foreign nationals inside our country which bursts the budgets and frustrates states with good reason. opponents of the dream act would make it criminal rather than a police officer out of za nmpdmpymp. states of arizona have taken actions against illegal immigration because of the size of this issue and congress' complete failure to do anything. with the dream act we had a chance the 5%, something we can be proud of, the first step to show the american people we are

serious at the same time, it strengthens our economy and makes money for our school, $1.7 billion restores the rule of law to our nation. the c.b.o. said it will deficit the deficit. that doesn't include the future income streems. i expect all members who are serious about reducing the deficit will support deploying the talent. 46,000 people would have be eligible to the dream act and i have to tell them not yet. be patient, keep playing by the rules, our cry but not yet. our decision before us was marine scientist out of claudia, or an illegal immigrant. last week i'm sad to say while our house would have made a marine scientist out of claudia, the failure of action in the il

immigrant. we need more scientists and engineers. i want to pose two questions, what would we ask of them. that'st would you have us do, what is best. claudia posed it well. instead of going to college or serving in the military, are with we telling her to clean buildings at night or nanny or construction worker object r or go to a country she doesn't know anyone or hasn't been to in her memory? i want claudia to be the best darn marine scientist in the united states and make discoveries that benefit humanity and improve our knowledge of the oceans. what do you wantudlaiato do? these faceless young people will

be a credit to any nation. let's make it our nation. madam speaker, this debate is about ray, ray was brought here when she was 2 years old and her parents told her she was born here. she didn't know she was foreign-born. she wanted to be involved with fashion, her tough can-do attitude started her own lace business. she is no longer with us. she passed away. don't fret. this immigrant story ends happily. ray keller, migrate grandmother passed away at the age of 98 without immigration laws that allowed people to naturalize, i wouldn't be standing here. some there are future generations of ame to recognize their forebeerers

as the excellent members they are. ray keller was a proud american. this speech is not a eulogy for a lost opportunity to pass the dream act and replace our broken immigration system, but this is a challenge, a challenge to the next congress to give all of us an answer, an answer for what claudia should do. inance for what those young people, children of our country should do with their lives, should do with their lives to pursue their own dreams and should do with their lives to contribute to the only country they know, the united states of america. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2009, the chair recognizes the gentleman from iowa, mr. king, for 60

minutes. mr. king: it's a privilege and honor to address you here on the floor of the house and wanning hours perhaps of this 111th congress as many as are prepared to go home for christmas and some have gone home for christmas. and i listened to the remarks of the the le who spoke ahead of me and i'm not of the spirit to directly rebut each of the points that he's made. i want to stay within the christmas spirit here tonight, madam speaker and address that there is another viewpoint and that was heard. we have heard over the last four years in this congress seen significant majorities for

democrats and there were opportunities for democrats to seek to pass their i am gracious legislation which they refer to as comprehensive immigration reform and that has become what the american people understand, immigration reform is the word for amnesty. and even though there were opportunities along the way, there hasn't been a significant piece of their version of immigration reform that has passed and neither has there been a piece of significant immigr emover the last two years, president obama having made those promises that he would be supporting and working towards the passage of is type of comprehensive immigration reform and as we saw the ma the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. -- the majority shift here in the house of representatives dramatically where we ha new freshmen, 87 are republicans

and i don't think there is anyone out there that looks at the results of the election and believes that this house of representatives is going to be persuaded by emotional arguments the incoming house of representatives with the 87 republican freshmen that are coming in here and sworn in january 5 will be a congress that sets the rule of law and very high respect and is not swayed by individual anecdotes and more concerned about the imperical data and and what happens to a country that doesn't enforce its laws. the ranking member of the immigration subcommittee and twg eight hearings on immigration reform. it would have been an aagenda ave i would have apossessed.

only eight hearings two years, that's the activity that has been measurable. i think when the gentleman from colorado makes his case, it agenda for america as we move close to christmas time. i acknowledge that he has his view point and he would acknowledge i have mine and i would stand up for the rule of law and the implications of what goes along with the very well named, but not very good policy, dream act. became more and more aware to the american people. as they spoke and weighed in and made their calls in the senate, this vote that was held in the senate failed and when it did, that's the end of it for the 111th congress and unlikely it will be in the beginning of the 11th -- 112th congress. i'm looking forward to

we must address the immigration issue coming forward. there is something that is of bipartisan interest to us and that is, i hear on both sides of the aisle and i have heard this six years ago that concern about how employers were victimizing employees who were unlawfully here in the united states working unlawfully in the united states. how can we address this in a bipartisan way. and even though, it seems as though the obama administration and janet napolitano are unwilling to enforce immigration laws, they are willing to enforce it against employers. note some of the enforcement action that has gone in and gathered the information from the illegal employees but not started deportation but brought the charges against the employer instead. i look at this situation a few years ago and put together a

proposal. and this proposal takes into , republican viewpoint. both of us are opposed to employers victimizing employees, louting the law and ping comp. also it recognizes that this federal government has found itself sometimes where the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing and sometimes agencies within the government are working at cross-purposes to each other. one example would be a social security administration that deals with millions and millions of no-match social security numbers or social security reports that are duplicated multiple times, the same social security number is where we know it's impossible to be in two jobs at two places

at the same time. so it seems social security turns a blind eye to these reports because often the claims on the social security trust fund aren't ever filed, people are working -- walking away from it. if they're working illegally, often they will claim the maximum number of dependents so the withholding is zero but they pay the payroll tax, the social security, medicare and medicaid because they have no choice with that, but then they aren't going to be in a position to tap into that as an illegal worker in america. so the duplications that go on and the money that flows into the social security trust fund, a significant amount of that is rooting in -- rooted in illegal labor. social security trust fund happy enough getting those extra revenues coming in and the department of homeland security seems to want to secure some of the areas that are their due but not actually

reach out and put together a network to address this thing in a broader, holistic way. so i was looking at that thinking, which agency, which agency does an effective job of enforcing the laws they have and which one is most respected by the american people? i cast my mind across these agencies it came to the i.r.s. the i.r.s. has the respect of every taxpayer in america. they don't want to be audited, they fear an audit, was it 58% of the people would rather have a root canal than an i.r.s. audit. the root canal may or may not be all that painful but that's one of the measures that came out in a pollster's numbers, 57% would rather have a root canal than be audited, i'd be among them, i'd rather have the tooth pulled, myself. the i.r.s. does an effective job of enforcing the law and of going down through a person's books and accounting and coming

up with flaws that are there. i put together a proposal, it's called the new idea act. new idea. new idea stands for the new and the acronym idea is illegal deduction immigration act. what it does is, it clarifies that wages and benefits are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes if they are going to an illegal employee. and it gives the employer safe harbor if that employer uses e-verify, so if the employer in their hiring of employees runs the social security numbers, the identification information that's on the i-9 form, into e-verify and it comes back and they only hire those employees that are cleared through e-verify, we give them safe harbor. but if they have employees that are on the list, the social security numbers will be on the tax form, when the i.r.s. comes in to do a normal audit, we don't accelerate the audit, the i.r.s. would punch the social

security numbers of those employees that are on the tax form into e-verify and if it comes back that they're all lawful to work in the united states, no problem. if it bounces back that some of them cannot be confirmed to work lawfully in the united time to cure the -- the employee time to cure by -- and if the employer uses e-verify, again, they have safe harbor. but the i.r.s. then can conclude that the wages and benefits have been paid to illegals and therefore those wages and benefits are not tax deductible. what that does is kicks that business discount, the schedule c business expense, over onto the profit column and when it does that, it makes that income and the income that is taxable for interest and penalty. the net result will be roughly this -- if an employer is hiring illegals, roughly at say $10 an hour, i could do the math on this, madam speaker, and the i.r.s. comes in and does the audit and concludes

that an employee is illegal at $10 an hour, by tying the tax supply to that as a business income, as opposed to an expense and the interest and penalty is applied, the $10 an hour illegal employee becomes about a $16 an hour illegal employee causing the employer to make the rational decision with their capital and that is, clean up their work force before the i.r.s. shows up. there's a six-year statute of limitations, it's cumulative, the clock would start to tick on that when the bill would become law and then over the course of six year, there'd be a cumulative six-year statute of limentations. that means plorse the first year will see one year of exposure, second year, two, up to six years and the greater the ex-employee sure, the greater the risk of liability and the greater incentive to they move forward. it doesn't pull the plug on anyone, it is not a dramatic change, it is a business incentive plan that i think

will move thousands of employers into the legal employment business. today, it's new idea act, it's h.r. 3580, i believe it will become in the upcoming congress the most useful and effective piece of immigration legislation that this congress may consider. it's likely to be referred to the ways and means committee because there are tax components to it and i look forward to working with people to get the co-sponsorships on the bill and working through the process and earn a hearing and perhaps earn a markup and one day see it go over to the senate where i would be glad if they'd take it up and onto the president's desk. it's something that should have bipartisan support, again, madam speaker, h.r. 3580rk the new idea act, the i.r.s. coming in, it also requires the internal revenue service and social security administration and the department of homeland security to put together a cooperative team so that they are sharing information so that

when the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, we put them together and require that they cooperate with each other so that the right hand and left hand and the middle hand of the i.r.s., social security administration and department of homeland security all know what each other is doing, all are cooperating toward a common goal of cleaning up the illegal work force in america through the new idea act. and i think that that has some promise and an opportunity to one day become law in this congress and i intent to work it pretty hard. that's something i think can be proactive. now, the -- i wanted to speak, though, as i came here tonight, madam speaker, i wanted to address the situation of lame duck session. a lame duck io think didn't have any business being in the lame duck session. a lame duck session, is, of course for those listening in takes place after the election. so the election took place november 2.

there's a dramatic shift in seats here in this congress. and a shift iner gavels are changing hands, going over from democrats to republicans, including the speaker's gavel, and this will happen on january 5 of this upcoming jeer, -- year, not far from now. as that happens and this dramatic shift is taking place, it's because the people in america have spoken. the people in america have spoken up and said, we want to change course. they watched president obama digging this hole, economically, socially, i think a radical social agenda, i think a radical economic agenda. foreign policy agenda that i don't quite have a theme figured out for, but the president's ageneral dark the agenda of speaker pelosi, the agenda of harry reid, the american people said, stop. you've been digging a hole and digging a deep hole of roughly $3 trillion in spending that is

over and above what would be normal spending here in this congress. the american people went to the polls november 2 and they took the shovel out of the hands of president obama. by means of shifting the majority here in the house of representatives and changing the gavels from the hands of democrats into the hands of republicans. when the people of america say, stop, it's enough, the people that are serving in this congress in this lame duck session, this session between november 2, the election, and january 5, which is the swearing in of the new congress, the people serving in this congress need to understand, when the american people said, enough, that's too much, stop, this congress needed to respect the will of the american people and stop. stop digging, stop moving the radical social agenda, stop moving the radical socialist agenda. harry reid should stop, speaker pelosi should stop, barack obama should stop and this congress should have only dealt

with those issues that were necessary to keep this government functioning in its proper fashion between now, between november 2 and january 5. this congress could have passed a simple continuing resolution like this house did today that would have bridged the gap through november, december, maybe even january and february, but has gotten a smooth transition over into the next congress a respect for the voice and the will of the american people as the republicans essentially did in the late 2006 year. respected the will of the american people. this is not meant to be. one radical thing after another. don't ask, don't tell -- don't ask don't tell comes through here on the floor. they had two years to bring that through if that was the will of the majority. but the majority was afraid of the wrath of the american voters.

they were afraid of the wrath of the american voters, so they didn't bring a budget. that's required by statute since 1974, the first time this congress hasn't passed a budget since 1974, didn't happen this year. the process was shut down. madam speaker -- the process was shut down, madam speaker, so first the -- first thing that went away was the open rule to allow any member to offer an amendment on a spending bill to cut spending down or fluff spending up and make changes within the germaneness rule on the policy and appropriations bill. that was shut down in the second year of the pelosi speakership. then there was the appropriations bills themselves shut down, they began to run this government on continuing resolutions, omnibus spending bills, the omnibus spendin states senate, $1.27 trillion. full of earmarks, 6,600

earmarks. pork that just dripped with fat in the united states senate and the american people finally rose up and they let the senators know, it's no longer going to be business as usual. the american people have risen. they've packed this capitol people and they come with their american flags, their yellow gadsden flags, the don't tread on me flags, the constitution in their pocket, patriotism in their heart, tears in their eyes at what they see happening to this country. the american people have done everything you could ask them to do in a constitutional fashion, the american people have peacefully petitioned the government for redress of grievances. it's constitutional. excuse me. and madam speaker, this congress' heart was hardened. they refused to

american people. they rammed throughout of this house the cap and tax bill, cap and trade, some call it, a debilitating bill that punishes american city and american investment and american entrepreneurs and rewards other countries, puts us at a disadvantage with emerging economies such as india and china, passed the house, not the senate, thankfully. i am thankful for the filibuster that exists in the united states senate. there's a complaint that it's been used too much. and that something needs to be done to put an end to the filibuster. i would submit that the reason the filibuster is being used this much is because of the radical agenda that's been driven through the senate, promoted by the president, promoted by the speaker of the house and driven and managed by harry reid, the majority leader of the united states senate, who looks like he'll stay as majority leader in the senate. cap and tax out of this house

floor. obama care. we saw president obama come in and nationalize car companies, fannie mae, freddie mac, 23% of the formerly private sector economy swallowed up. and then obamacare, the nationalization of our skin and everything inside it. the american people came and circled around the capitol. ne helicopters up above taking pictures of the human ring, six and eight deep, around the capitol, that was formed to tell this congress stop, stop, you're spending too much, you're taking away our liberty, you're passing legislation that is unconstitutional or at a minimum is constitutionally suspect. all of that taking place before the election. and then at the election, the american people poured forth and filled up the voting booths and put their mark down on their ballot, no, no, no, no.

to the radical, social, leftist agenda that's been driven through this congress. that message should have been heard loud and clear. clear and the new day comes forward, the new day came forward and we have seen nothing but dig in, drive that agenda and drive that agenda. and i, madam speaker am here to speak up and that hopeful that in any succeeding in lame duck session whether it is republicans or democrats, that we respect the will of the american people and stand down and bridge the gap between the congress in the early part of january with just the minimal amount of legislation necessary to make that transition. if the majority holds the same and work needs to be done and

not many seats changed, it's a different question. when the majority changes, and changes dramatically as it did this time in a way more dramatic than 1994 and as previous election, there have been lee, four times has this congress turned around and no time has there been such an aggressive driven in a lame duck session. so, madam speaker, we have had the food safety bill today. food safety bill that is $1.3 billion bill that is another big reach in government that brings in about 17,000 new government employees and government inspectors. we need 17,000 additional

inspectors so we can satisfy the urge to expand the nanny state. inspectors to inspect the food and now goes the food safety bill, irresponsible growth in government in an unnecessary solution in search of a problem. don't ask, don't tell, the repeal of don't ask, don't tell, one of the few policies that bill clinton endorsed that i thought was a good policy that problem, a political agenda, a social sperment in our military and our military needs to be able to fight and we need to listen to them and hear the modified positions of our top military officers, one can only what would that mean if a multiple-star general was taking orders from the commander in chief and decided he would have tell that was less clear than it

might have been two or four years ago. the passage of owe bumea care - not in the lame duck session and i look forward to the repeal of obamacare. as it passed in late march of this year late into the night and i was the last one to leave here in the capitol, which isn't new. i'm exhausted. i spent weeks fightings this with everything i had and the rest didn't last very long, 2 1/2 hours i was up thinking about what we could do. it is extraordinary to have a piece of legislation like obamacare to see anyone introduce legislation to repeal

the legislation that has just passed. but i got up and i drafted a curiously without coordination, the same thing was going on in the office of michelle bachmann. identically, the same 40 to strike the last word that conclude with words close to this, i repeal abomba care as if it had never beenay to talk about repealing a piece of legislation. and those thought it was an act that neither one of us were statesmenmen that we could accept losing. but truthfully, it was coming to the same conclusion, the same conclusion that america cannot reach the next level of its destiny if obamacare is going to

be part of that destiny becauser options as individuals, because it mandates that we buy insurance. i think there are four places, four constitutional violations in obamacare itself and some of that is being litigated. the commerce clause is the easiest one. and i'm happy to see the judgment by judge hudson by the suit brought in va and others and i look forward to the form or another and i'm hopeful when our new governor is sworn in that one of the first acts he will have will be that the new governor will join in the litigation against obamacare. there are three ways to undo

obamacare and one of that is through the courts and that is, that path is following pretty well. going in, mccain-feingold was one of those pieces of legislation that was siped by the president. i don't know that, i say perhaps, but anybody that believed that the court was going to save us was disappointed in the short-term and mildly pleased in the longer term, but one should never vote for and ner because that leaves it up to the courts that we need to be doing as a legislature. the legislation needs to go forward in obamacare and if the courts find all components of it

unconstitutional we can wash our hands and pass a repeal to get it out of the books. but i'm looking to the courts for relief, short-term relief and i'm hoping all of it win ripped out by the courts. it has enough unconstitutional components, so that would tell me there is a possibility it would be removed as violations of our constitution. that is one way. states, our governors to refuse to implement obamacare and refuse to invest the tax dollars and increase the med kay dollars and throw a wrench in the works and resist the administration's determination to implement obamacare and do that across the

country. opposition that can be effective. the third one and one that is the most essential is the most certain is a statutory legislative repeal of obamacare. and since the tax bracket bill came through last week that extended the 2001 and 2003 tax brackets for two years that provided for a $5 million exemption for a 35% tax rate and caused a lot of other problems, but since the tax bill wept through and there even an agreement that is made, then i will submit that the most important legislation that the new congress can take up and i'm hopeful that incoming speaker boehner will elect to make h.r. 1 the first piece of legislation

, the stand-alone repeal of obamacare, legislation that would stand on its own and very clear and put up a vote on this. 1. and just to put a marker down and declare the approach that i support since i have taken this issue on in a personal way and filed a discharge petition where i have 173 signatures on the discharge petition, thought it was important that ithe 112th congress and in my consultation with congressman herger of california, looked into the language that he put together after i had introduced the repeal language and he did so after the reconciliation package that came from the senate. there were two pieces of legislation that came together to make up obamacare.

one was the bill itself and the other was the reconciliation package.ed to be included. so i needed the herger legislation repeal to the repeal language that i introduced and the same language that michelle bachmann introduced and she and i filed that bill last frida just to add unity to the language that we support for the repeal of obamacare and with complete agreement with congressman herger from california who agrees with the language and encouraged me to file the bill. so that there is a marker. anyone who wants to take a look at it and see, it's obamacare, it's the reconciliation package that came from the senate. they did that in order to circumvent that came from the senate. and it's what we got.

and i'm committed to the full r i beis-- repeal of obamacare coitted. and there will be a lot of different ways to look at this but beyond the repeal piece of legislation which i anticipate will be very early in the new congress, my proposal is that we language in every appropriations bill that no funds and no funds heretofore appropriated shall be used to implement or enforce obamacare. appropriations bills going through the 2011 calendar the 2012 calendar year, by the time of the presidential election in 2012, it will be pretty clear that obamacare has not been implemented or enforced and none of the dollars used to enforce that and i'm hopeful to

elect a president who runs on prident of the united states that would be inaugurated on january 2013 would be to have on his desk the reacare done. it isn't a futile effort. i have had some people say, why do you think you could repeal the obamacare. the president would veto it. there's no guarantee the senate would take it up but surely they up. t going to take i they need to pass it and build the pressure and find a way to take it up. if they do so and the repeal gets passed by both chambers and goes to the president yes, i like every other american could expect president obama to veto such legislation. we would have an agenda that

would be laid out and that lays the foundation to unfund obamacare and lace the anchor that is tied around our leg and continues who thinks the entrepreneurll rations care, prohibits us from buying the insurance policy of our choice. the list goes on. madam speaker, i'm well aware of the time of the season that we have here and i'm thinking about families of all of those who are on their way home tonight or might be on the way home tomorrow or the next day, all the staff that works here in this congress and the people here a the middle of this debate constantly, making sure that member of congress that are in everything is precisely, world. the team that's here, many of them i've worked with for years, i don't know if they're

democrats or republicans. i know that they respect the institution and the people that serve here and i appreciate them and i wish all of them a very merry christmas and a happy new year. i look around at my colleagues, both democrats and republicans, and know some of their families and our staff from in our offices that toil sometimes in oblivion and i think all of that contribution that's there, i'm grateful for them all. i also cast my mind's eye across overseas to some of the places i've gone to visit our troops and personnel. just so happens a little over a year ago i missed a family event of high importance to us because of duty here. and even though there were quite a number of calls of expressing sympathy for that, a month later i found myself in afghanista and as i was seated in a late night briefing, one of the

generals, i probably asked one too many questions that got a little too close to the personal side, he will know who it is but i won't utter his name into the record, though i have great respect for him as a patriot and warrior and servant for america. he said in that nighttime conversation in afghanistan, he said, i was deployed when they served divorce papers on me bo little boy is 5 years old, i've been deployed three of his first five christmases. i sat there and listened to that, it had been a about a month since i had missed a very, very important family event in my own family and i listened to that officer tell me that about being deployed when he received divorce papers, of being deployed for three of his son's first five christmases, i think he's deployed right now. i think about the men and women who put on the uniform and are

deployed in harm's way around iraq, afghanistan and other places around the world and i was watching as the u.s.s. harry truman docked here in the last day or so and the sailors that got off of that ship, that were seeing babies born, their children born, or that they had never seen since they were born. little babies put in their arms, they'd kiss their wife quickly and pick up and marvel at a little miracle that was two or three or 6 months old that they had never seen. they missed wed, they missed funerals, but they were deployed, they were at sea, they were serving america. that's true on the u.s.s. harry truman, that's true in places like afghanistan and iraq and other places around the world, when we have our men and women in uniform, our soldier, sailors, airmen and marines in harm's way every day, at risk of death, at risk of sacrifice,

some losing their lives,al of is a sacrifice. madam speaker irk submit that wrapped up here and think ours ours is a duty ander is -- i submit that ours is a duty and a service and honor, sometimes it's a sacrifice, bu sacrifice over there, which is far greater, far more family time lost and missed, moments that will never be recaptured again, lives lost, never come back again and limbs lost and so with all of that in mind and with the christmas season upon us, i would like to close with a poem that was written by the greatest respecter of our warriors in this capitol building, burtwellaswho can be seen around this capitol giving tours to the wounded on a daily basis with eagerness

and enthusiasm and profound respect for those who have served us so well and especially those who have been wounded and those who have been lost. this poem sometimes, he sits up in the middle of the night and will write a poem. i think he gets started and this is a poem he's written just a few days ago, it's called this christmas. this christmas as the snow falls to the ground and all the children dance with songs of joy all around, with stockings hung by the chim knees with care, with hopes and dreams of santa there, with christmas dinners and fires all aglow, as before this family a feast lies whole, oholy night, a child was -- oh holy night a child was born for all to know, joy to nature sing, but remember, remember, remember all of them and all of those, those

families, those patriots of peace, the ones who will this christmas will not so together be, who upon battlelefields of honor fight -- who upon battlefields of honor fight, men and women of such honor bright, who for all of us so carry that fight, why there can be peace on earth, because of their light, who now so live with such heartache and death, who upon each new day their honor our lives so blessed, and they so blessed us one and all with all of their gifts of most selfless sacrifice and all of those lost loved ones who lie in soft, quiet, the price of freedom paid, appreciate daughters and sons, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers who gave their lives, that last full measure as for them we cry

whose loved ones' pain will never die who on this christmas morning sit with but tears in i with one less place at the dinner table this year, they all begin to cry and all of those who have come home without arms and legs who did not die, without eyes and faces, with burned in all places, in hospi making us all so see just how magnificent and inspiring a heart can be and remember all those whose loved ones lie far across the yhores, as with each new day sure. but waiting, but waiting for that knock on the door, that phone call that they now so pray not for, quiet heroes one and all, watching them from heaven the angels cheer, lord

god, lord god bless them all, bless them all, for these are the family who was paid the cost, bore the burden, carried that cross, that cross of war, this christmas as you hold your families tight and all seems so fine and all seems so very right, and you see all those smiles upon your children's faces so bright, give thanks, give praise as upon your knees as you begin to pray, for all of those families who have so sacrificed and remember their blessings, their gifts of freedom this night, christmas. madam speaker, i wish all of us a merry christmas and a happy new year. may we reconvene in the 112th congress with a new spirit, a spirit that keeps in mind the price of the sacrifice paid by our veterans and families that

support them, the legacy that they have left for us, the duty that we have to honor their in january of 2011, may we go home and give great thanks for their sacrifice and the blessing of our lord and savior jesus christ. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gt from iowa for a motion. mr. king: i move the house do now adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion of adjournment. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is agreed to. accordingly, the

that is followed by the fcc meeting on the new rules. and deputy prime minister hold a news conference. >> commerce secretary and census bureau director released the first set of 2010 census data. information includes the resident population for the nation and the state as well as the congressional totals for

each state operate from the national press club, this is over an hour. [applause] >> i am with the communications office spread i want to take care of a few housekeeping duties. with us today is the back seat -- acting deputy secretary. you'll hear from all three of them. he will have a presentation going through the details of the numbers we are releasing today. following that, secretary lot will be returning to their duties at the commerce department. four members of the press, we will alternate between the questions in the room and

questions on the telephone. we will be accepting questions via twitter. before we get started to capture is why we are here and why this is an historic moment and what happened in the past year to get us to this point. >> ♪ the census is not a modern innovation that has been thrust upon the american people. it is as old as the republic itself. when we look at data, we can watch the united states transformed from this fledgling republic with a relatively sparse population scattered on the atlantic seaboard and we can

watch it transformed into this continental superpower that is able to project how manyho we ad upon to stand up and be counted. once a decade, the census euro -- euro rises to that challenge. so that every day, of every this decade was no different. bureau -- e >> the u.s. census is kicking off its portrait of america. >> the u.s. census can make your voice heard.

>> we did it. >> the census creates a snapshot of for we are as a community. >> we will help your community to get the federal funding. please answer yet attend easy questions. -- the attend easy questions. ♪ ♪

>> i am your local census taker. >> open your door to your census taker. ♪ community's, we rely on a common knowledge that comes from a specific -- specifically assembled from the census. it helps -- it helps us hold our government to account. in the words of thomas jefferson, whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government. in the process, the census tells us much more about where we have

been and where we are going. the 2010 census, your new portrait of america. i want to introduce our guests today. [applause] >> happy to be here today. great to see all of you here. this is a big day. kicking it off, i am quite proud to introduce secretary rebecca blank. we will begin with a set of remarks. becky? [applause]

>> thank you. good morning, everyone. it is good to get to this point. i would like to echo what we have talked about many times. we really went into this with the intention of being a team. i am very pleased to say that over the past 18 months, we have been a team.it has been a pleasn honor to work with the census bureau on the 2010 census. it is in very good hands. i appreciate the work that literally thousands of census employees have done. hundreds of thousands, over a million, americans became temporary census workers and you helped collect the data. congratulations to you all. we are here today to do something that has only taken

place 23 times. we are complying with article one, section 2 of the u.s. constitution, which mandates the actual enumeration of the population every 10 years. the founding fathers had a bold and ambitious plan to empower the people over their new government. the plan was to count every person living in the united states and to use that account to determine representation in congress. it marked a turning point in world history. there had been censuses before, they'd been used to collect taxes or to confiscate property. that is not what the u.s. census is about. the genius of our founders was taking a tool of government and making it a tool of political empowerment for citizens over their government. we cannot be a representative government without being able tf representatives and a way that reflects a changing nation of

the past two centuries. that requires us to know who lives where. requires a population census. the first census direction of thomas jefferson. james madison recommended at least five of the six questions summer passed on the very set -- very first sentence. u.s. marshals were conducted -- were asked to conduct the first census. the 2010 census is a far bigger endeavor, it remains almost a symbol in one respect bridge for the 2010 census, we ask only 10 questions. just for more than in 1790. -- four more than in 1790. the founders of be astonished and amazed that the new nation had evolved.

they would be pleased that our constitution and our way of document has survived and thrived. this is due, in part, because the founders invented a new use for the census. it helped redistribute political power as the nation expanded westward. today, in reporting these first results, our great american democracy renews itself in the midst of a changing nation. i am not honor to introduce to you the man that was charged by congress with making sure that the department of commerce ken? its annual census. related decisions over the past 18 months. it has been an honor to serve with you. ladies and gentlemen, join me in welcoming the secretary. [applause] >> thank you very much.

it is really a pleasure to be with all of you this morning. some important news is about to be unveiled. this is an important day for the american people. earlier this morning, i findings to the president of the united states. this is a ritual that has occurred only 22 other times in american history. my report to the president included the national and state populations and the apportionment for the allocation of seats to the united states house of representatives. based on the official population count of the 2010 census. i told the president that the 2010 census was completed on time and under budget. before we get to the actual numbers, it is important to stress this achievement. it demonstrates that government can deliver a promise on time and within its budget.

before this since this began, experts inside and outside of the government predicted that longstanding operational and fiscal problems would doom the 2010 census to cost overruns and diminished participation by the american people. in 2009, the commerce department inspector general rank the 2010 census as one of the federal government programs most likely to fail. that did not happen. earlier this summer, i announced the census euro had spent $1.6 billion less than it was given by the census operations in 2010. with the final accounting completed, i am very proud to announce that the numbers have grown to 1.8 $7 billion. almost $1.9 billion under

budget. it represents 25% of the total th budgetary accomplishment can be attributable to better management, greater productivity among our census takers, and their successful effort to get more americans to mail back their census forms, which reduced the number of census employees of the had to hire to go door-to-door. the other half of the $1.8 billion is from reserves that we in set-aside to deal with operational problems, since his content -- concerned with our computer systems and other unforeseen circumstances. all of which never arise. ultimately, 74% of u.s. households returned to the census questionnaire by mail. exceeding the predictions of the experts. halting a three-decade decline in male back response since 1970. these are substantial

achievements that did not happen by chance. the senior management at the department of commerce and management at the census run a very tight ship. we constantly demanded accountability, rigorous internal management reforms, and constant monitoring of performance. we made sure that we stretched every taxpayer dollar as far as it could go. we also revamp our public outreach efforts and our average ticket -- advertising was more targeted than it ever been before. with concentrated advertising in hard to tell community. we also set aside resources to rapidly intervene if necessary with targeted advertising and outreach in areas with lagging response rates. the impact of this targeting effort was measurable and immediate. in late march of this past year, we had identified margins containing 17.7 billion

households that seriously allowed in mail that responses. after three weeks of more intensive care and targeted advertisement and public engagements, low performers for reduced to just 10 media markets with 1.6 million households. we could not have realized these savings without the american public's impressive participation in the 2010 census. we would like to express our deep, most sincere thanks to all those in return the questionnaire or even to a few minutes to answer the sime froms workers to followed up. all of you, that you have helped us paid the latest portrait of america, which would leave -- which we will start showing you in just a few seconds. the 2010 census has been a priority of mine since my very first day as commerce secretarys

secretary, even before is stepped foot into the contest -- into the building, was to attend the kick of building with cintas partners at washington, d.c. conference center. there were more than 250,000 partner organizations all across america who joined with us to inform and motivate their communities to participate. these partners range from community groups and non-profit organization to businesses large and small. many of them are represented here today. they also deserve our heartfelt thanks for their support and their commitment under tremendously successful efforts. much is riding on the results of your announcing today. over $400 billion is allocated every single year by the federal government. from everything from education to senior services, to housing

to law enforcement and to transportation. decide the allocation from the different states to the u.s. house of representatives. our business colleagues will also benefit enormously from the census data. this data will provide vital information that the business community will to use to identify new markets to decide where to make major capital investments and create more jobs and grow our economy. indeed, the 2010 census will serve as a backbone for our political and economic system for years to come. it has been a real pleasure to work with our great colleagues and professional spread is a pleasure to be here on this important day for our nation. i am so very proud of our entire management team.

with that, let's get on with the news and the statistics and the information that you've all been waiting for. [applause] [applause]