rise, and the chair will n administer the oath of office. if all members could raise their right hands. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of each nation, that you will well and faithfully dischae the duties of your office of which were about to enter, so help you god? >> [all] i do. >> congratulations. [applause] >> up next, today's session of the house of representatives beginning with the opening gavel

of the 112th congress and comments by nancy pelosi. >> now today's house session to open the congress. it includes 93 freshmen members . republicanlicans for thei gain this after the minority party. this includes the swearing in of congress, election of the speaker and the house rules. speaker and the house rules.

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[gavel sound] >> the constitution of the united states for the meeting of the 112th congress of the united states, the house will come to order. a prayer will be offered. >> let us pray -- hong holy spirit, rekindle with them than the fire of divine love.

respond to your word and the needs of your people. lord, set forth on the face of arth from here may come fourth good news for the pork, healing for the broken hearted, and renewed hope in the nation. let their go forth a proclamation to the people that captivity is ended and the action of to politics will set of this nation free. putting self-interest aside in the search for the common good, made a just society flourished with the gifts of your spirit and the recognized by elders for its equal justice community, and

peace. lord, made a 112th congress of the united states of america to be an instrument of your goodness with abiding laws and grace and clarity and policy statements reaching beyond institutional banking and public opinion polls. may every human life in this country be renewed with dignity and purpose. so it may truly be the glory given to your name as the three children of god, made in your image and conform to your saving grace both now and forever, amen. [applause] >> members and their guests, please remain standing and join in the pledge of allegiance. >> i pledge allegiance to the

flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> you may be seated. as directed by law, the clerk of the house has prepared the official role of members elect. certificates of the election covering 4356 in the 112 congress have been received by the clerk of the house and the names of those persons whose credentials show they were

regularly elected as representatives in accord with laws of their respective state for the united states will be called. the representatives of-an elective will record their presence by electronic device and their names will be recorded in alphabetical order beginning with the state of alabama to determine if a quorum is present. representatives-elect will have a minimum of 50 minutes to record their presence by electronic device. representatives-elect to have not obtained their voting id cards may do so now in the speaker's lobby.

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the new rules packers brett live coverage of the house on c-span.

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[sound of gavel] >> representatives- he lacked in the chamber which to record their presence. if not, all time has expired.

434 member-citizens elect have recorded their presence, a quorum is present. credentials, regular, and formal have been received showing the election of the hon. pedro r. peroluisi from the commonwealth of puerto rico for the term of four years beginning january 3, 2009. the hon. allan r. holmes norton has a delicate -- eleanor holmes norton from the district of columbia. the honorable madeleine z. ordayos , the delegate from haslam. the hon. donaldm.

christenson as delegate from the virgin islands. the hon.movaya from a somewhat. the hon. seblong as delegate from the commonwealth of the northern mariana islands. pursuant to law and precedent, the next order of business is the election of the speaker of the house of representatives for the 112th congress. nominations are now in order. the house will be in order. [gavel] the clark recognizes the gentleman from the great state of texas, mr. henson. >> madam clark, every congress represents a sacred responsibility to write a new

and greater chapter in our republic's history. the providence or destiny, a unique man of uniquely american values is now called to lead this effort. at that time when far too many of our countrymen remain unemployed, a former small businessman will leave the house to pass policy to encourage job creation. at that time when all agree our nation is on an unsustainable fiscal course, a fiscal reformer will ensure that this house never mortgages the torch of liberty in order to pay our debts. at a time when too many doubts that their children can enjoy a brighter future in our country, he has lived the american dream and well protected for our posterity like few others before him. this proud son of ohio, one of

12 children born into a working- class family, has waited tables, multifloras, tended bar, or construction, worked his way to a college degree at night school, led a thriving company and through his state, is hard work, his values is now poised to become the next speaker of the house of representatives. he knows firsthand that unlimited opportunity can only arise from limited constitutional government. madam clerk, as chairman of the republican conference, i am directed by the unanimous vote of that conference to present for election to the office of the speaker of the house of representative for the one hundred 12 congress, the name of the hon. john a. boehner, a representative-elect of the state of ohio.

[applause] [applause] \ [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> the clerk now recognizes the gentleman from connecticut, mr.

larsen. >> thank you. madam cler5k, as chairman of the democratic caucus, i am directed by vote of that caucus to present for re-election to the office of speaker of the house of representatives for the 112 congress a person that gives me great honor and privilege who has led with decency and dignity. i submit on behalf of this caucus, the name of the hon. nancy delassandro pelosi, a representative from the great state of california. [applause] [applause]

>> the name of the hon. john n. boehner, a representative-elect from the state of ohio and the hon. nancy pelosi, a representative-elect from the state of california have been placed in nomination. are there other nominations? there being no further nominations,the clerk appoints the following tellers. the gentleman from california, mr. lundgren, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. brady, the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. captor, the gentle woman from florida, ms. leighton. the tellers will take their place in front of the rostrum.

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>> the role will now be called and those responding to their names will indicate by surname, the of their choosing. the reading clerk will now call the roll. [no audio] >> mr. ackerman -- [laughter] mr. ackerman of votes policy. perlosi.

mrs. adams the votes john boehner. akin votes john boehner. alexander votes john boehner. offmeyer votes shuler. amash boats john boehner. andrews votes nancy pelosi. austria boats john boehner. bacca votes of nancy pelosi. bachmann the john boehner. baccus votes john boehner. baldwin votes nancy pelosi.

barletta boats john boehner. of georgia. lewsis bartlett lotus john boehner. barton of texas about john boehner. basque of california votes nancy pelosi. basque of new hampshire votes john boehner. basera votes nancy pelosi. benicek load john boehner. berg boats john boehner. berkley boats nancy pelosi. berman the notes nancy pelosi.

biggert votes john boehner. filbrqay the john boehner. filraccus about john boehner. bishop of georgia votes present. bishop of new york votes nancy pelosi. bishop of utah and boats john boehner. black but john boehner. blackburn votes john boehner. blumenauer votes nancy pelosi. john boehner -- boehner

bonner boats john boehner. bonomac both john boehner. borin votes shuler. boswell votes nancy pelosi. bestani about john boehner. brady of pennsylvania but nancy pelosi. brady of texas votes john boehner. braley of iowa votes nancy pelosi. brooks notes john boehner. brown of georgia boats john boehner. brown of the florida votes nancy pelosi. buchanan about john boehner.

buchan boats john boehner. berkel both john boehner. burgess boats and john boehner. burton of indiana about john boehner. butterfield "nancy pelosi. -- about said nancy pelosi. hocalvert had the john boehnerchamp of michigan votes and john boehner. campbell of california about john boehner. canseco votes john boehner. cantor votes c john boehnervotesaptio about john boehner. capp the it's meant to policy.

-- about its nancy pelosi. cardoza votes costa. carnahan votes nancy pelosi. carney votes perlosi. carter votes boehner. cassidy votes boehner. castor of florida that it's nancy pelosi. shabbas votes boehner. chaffin the john boehner.

chandler about nancy pelosi. chu, pelosi,. ciccolini pelosi . clark of michigan,pelosi. clark of new york, pelosi. clay, pelosi. cleaver, pelosi. clyburn, pelosi. coball, boehner. kaufman of colorado, boehner. cohen, pelosi.

cohen, pelosi. [laughter] cull of oklahoma, boehner. cobnaway, boehner. connally of virginia, pelosi. conyers, pelosi. cooper, shuler. costa, cardoza. costello, pelosi. courrtney, pwelosi. cravak, boehner.

crawford, boehner. crenshaw, boehner. critts, pelosi. crowley, pelosi., cuellar, pelosi. culbertson, boehner. cummuings, pelosi. davis of california, pelosi. davis of illinois, p [elosi.. davis of kentucky, boehner. defazio, defazio --- degett, pelosi.

delauro. >> [unintelligible] >> pelosi. denham, boehner. dent, bnoehner. dejonnes, boehner. deuttsch.

doyle, pelosi dryer, boehner duffy, boehner duncan of south carolina, boehner. duncan of tennessee, boehner. edwards, pelosi ellison, pelosi. elmers, boehner. emerson, emerson, boehner. engels, pelosi. eschu, pelosi. serenfold, boehner.

farr, pelosi fataa, pelosi. filner, pelosi. fincher, boehner. fitzpatrick, boehner. flake, boehner. fleischmann, boehner. fleming, boehner. flores, boehner. forbes, boehner. fortenberry, boehner. fox, boehner. rank of massachusetts. pelosi.

frank of arizona, boehner. uyesen, boehner./ gallaglee, boehner. garramindi, pelosi. arnder,. boehner garrett, boehner. erlach, boehner. gibbs, boehner. gibson,. boehner. giffords, lewis of georgia.

giingrtey of georgia. boehner. gomert, gomert --- gonzalez, pelosi. goodlatt, boehner. gosar, boehner. gowdy, boehner. granger, boehner. graves of georgia, boehner.

graves of missouri, boehner. al green, pelosi. gene green, pelosi. griffin of arkansas, boehner. griffith of va, boehner. grihalva, pelosi. grimm, boehner. ginta, boehner. guthrie, boehner. gutierrez, pelosi. hall, boehner. halibusa, pelosi. hanna, boehner,.

harmonm, pelosi harper, boehner. harris, boehner. hartsler, boehner. hastings of florida, pelosi. hastings of washington, boehner. hayworth, boehner. hecht, boehner. heinrich, pelosi. b.ller, henserling, boehner. herger, herger-- boehner herrera butler, boehner.

higgins, pelosi. hines, . p. henschi, . p. hinohosa, p. hirono, p pelosi holden, shuler. holt, p. pelosi. honda -- [unintelligible] pelosi. hoyer, pelosi but.

juleskamp, boehner. hurt? boehner. inslee? pelosi. israel? pelosi. issa? boehner. jackson, jr.? pelosi. jackson lee? pelosi. jenkins? boehner. johnson? of georgia? pelosi.

johnson of illinois? johnson of illinois? johnson of ohio? boehner. eddie johnson? pelosi. sam johnson? boehner. jones? boehner. jordan? boehner. kaptur? pelosi. keating? pelosi. kelly? boehner. kildee? pelosi. kind? cooper.

king of iowa? boehner. king of new york? boehner. kingston? boehner. kinzinger? boehner. kissell? schuler. kline? boehner. kucinich? pelosi. labrador? boehner. lamborn? boehner. lance?

boehner. landry? boehner. langevin? pelosi. lankford? boehner. larsen? pelosi. larson? pelosi. latham? boehner. latourette? >> [inaudible] [laughter] >> boehner. latta? boehner. lee? pelosi. lee? boehner. levin? pelosi. lewis? of california? boehner.

lewis of georgia? pelosi. lipinski? kaptur. is that what you heard? [low and indistinct chatter] lobiondo? boehner. loebsack? pelosi. lofgren? pelosi. long? boehner. lowey? pelosi. lucas? boehner. luetkemeyer? boehner. lujan? pelosi. lummis? boehner. daniel e. lungren?

boehner. lynch? pelosi. mccarthy of california? boehner. mccarthy of new york? pelosi. mccall of texas? boehner. mcclintock? boehner. mcdermott? pelosi. mcgovern? pelosi. mchenry? boehner. mcintyre? schuler. mckeon? boehner. mckinley?

boehner. mcmorris rodgers? boehner. mcnerney? pelosi. mack? boehner. maloney? pelosi. manzullo? boehner. marchent? boehner. marino? boehner. markey? boehner. -- pelosi. matheson? schuler. matsui? pelosi. meehan? boehner. meeks? pelosi. mica? boehner.

michaud? schuler. gary g. miller? boehner. geroge miller -- george miller? pelosi. miller of florida? boehner. miller of michigan? boehner. miller of north carolina? pelosi. moore? pelosi. moran? pelosi. mulvaney? boehner. murphy? pelosi. murphy? boehner. myrick? boehner.

nadler? pelosi. napolitano? pelosi. neal? pelosi. neugebauer? boehner. noem? boehner. nugent? boehner. nunes? boehner. nunnelee? boehner. olson? boehner. olver? pelosi. owens? pelosi. palazzo? boehner.

pallone jr.? pelosi. pascrell jr.? pelosi. oastir i -- pastor of arizona? pelosi. paul? boehner. paulsen? boehner. payne? pelosi. pearce? boehner. pelosi? pelosi. pence? boehner. perlmutter? pelosi. peters? pelosi. peterson? pelosi. petri? boehner.

pingree? pelosi. pitts? boehner. platts? boehner. poe? boehner. polis? pelosi. pompeo? boehner. posey? boehner. price of -- georgia? boehner. quayle? boehner. quigley? pelosi. rahall? pelosi. rangel? pelosi. reed? boehner. rehberg? boehner.

reichert? boehner. renacci? boehner. reyes? pelosi. ribble? boehner. richardson? pelosi. richmond? boehner. -- pelosi. rigell? boehner. rivera? boehner. roby? boehner. roe? boehner. rogers of alabama? boehner.

rogers of kentucky? boehner. rogers of michigan? boehner. rohrabacher? boehner. rokita? boehner. rooney? boehner. roskam? ros-lehtinen? boehner. roskam -- roskam? boehner. ross? schuler. ross? boehner. rothman? pelosi. roybal-allard? pelosi. royce? boehner.

runyan? boehner. ruppersberger? pelosi. rush? pelosi. ryan of ohio? pelosi. ryan of wisconsin? boehner. linda t. sanchez? pelosi. lorettasanchez? pelosi. sarbanes? pelosi. scalise? boehner. schakowsky? >> my hero, nancy pelosi. . >> pelosi. schiff? pelosi. schilling? boehner.

schmidt? >> the the been thomas irwin moral -- gentleman who grew up in ohio. boehner. >> boehner. schock? schrader? hoyer. schwartz? pelosi. schweikert? boehner. austin scott? boehner. david scott? pelosi.

tim scott? boehner. bobby scott? pelosi. sensenbrenner? boehner. serrano? pelosi. sessions? boehner. sewell? pelosi. sherman? pelosi. shimkus? boehner. shuler? shuler. shuster? boehner. simpson? boehner. sires? pelosi. slaughter? pelosi.

smith of nebraska? boehner. smith of new jersey? boehner. smith of texas? boehner. smith of washington? pelosi. southerland? boehner. speier? pelosi. stark pete? pelosi. stearns? boehner. stivers? boehner. stutzman? boehner. sullivan? boehner. sutton? pelosi. terry? boehner. thompson of california?

pelosi. thompson of mississippi? pelosi. thompson of pennsylvania? boehner. thornberry? boehner. tiberi? boehner. tierney? pelosi. tipton? boehner. tonko? pelosi. towns? pelosi. tsongas? pelosi. turner? boehner. upton? boehner. van hollen? pelosi. velázquez? velazquez?

visclosky? pelosi. walberg? boehner. walden? boehner. walsh? boehner. walz? pelosi. wasserman schultz? pelosi. waters? pelosi. watt? pelosi. waxman? pelosi. webster? boehner. weiner? pelosi. welch? pelosi. west? boehner. westmoreland? boehner. whitfield? boehner.

wilson of florida? pelosi. wilson of south carolina? boehner. wittman? boehner. wolf? boehner. womack? boehner. woodall? boehner. woolsey? >> our neighbor, nancy pelosi. >> pelosi. wu? pelosi. yarmuth? pelosi. yoder? boehner. young of alaska? boehner. young of florida?

boehner. young of indiana? boehner. >> but reading clerk will now call the names of representatives elect to did not answer the first call of role -- who did not answer the first call of the roll. >> ok. [inaudible] >> defazio?

[inaudible] next one? >> yeah. go ahead. [inaudible] >> gohmert? boehner. velazquez? pelosi.

johnson of illinois? boehner. >> if there are any representatives-elect to did not answer the roll call, they may come to the well and vote at

this time.

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[gavel] >> the tellers agree in their telling that the total number of votes cast by surname, 432, of which the honorable john

boehner. -- honorable john boehner of ohio has received 241, the honorable nancy pelosi has received 73, dennis cardoza of the state of california has received one, the honorable jim cooper of the state of tennessee has received one, the honorable jim custer of the state of california has received one. the honorable steny hoyer of the state of maryland has received one. the honorable marcy kaptur of the state of ohio has received one. the honorable john lewis of the state of georgia has received two. the honorable heath shuler of

the state of north carolina has received 11. with one recorded as present. therefore, the honorable john a. boehner of the state of ohio, having received the majority of the votes cast, is duly elected the speaker of the house of representatives. [cheers and applause] [applause]

[applause] [applause]

[gavel] >> the clerk apoints the following committee -- but points the following committee to escort the speaker to the chair, mr. cantor, ms. pelosi, mr. mccarthy, mr. hoyer, mr. hensarling, and mr. clyburn. mr. sessions, mr. larson, mr. price. the gentleman from california. the gentlewoman from california, miss mcmorris rodgers. mr. van hollen. ms. nome. mr. george miller.

mr. tim scott. ms. del oro. mr. walden. mr. cuayar. mr. dreier. ms. wasserman-schulz. mr. roskam. ms. bass. the members of the ohio delegation -- ms. kaptur, mr. latourette, mr. kucinich, mr. ryan, mr. turner. mr. jordan. ms. fudge. mr. shabat. mr. gibbs. mr. johnson. mr. stuyvants.

the committee will retire from the chamber to escort the speaker-elect to the chair.

the 112 congress as the u.s. house select john boehner as the 61st speaker of the house. >> or speaker-elect, john boehner, a representative from ohio. [cheers and applause]

[applause]

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[applause] [cheers and applause]

[applause] [cheers and applause] >> it is a high honor to welcome all members of congress and

their families to the house of representatives. to the members -- new members and their families, it is a special welcome and congratulations. we all wish you great success. [applause] congratulations to you. we all come here to represent our constituents. our respect for each other is founded in our respect for the people that we represent. this month, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of john f. kennedy as president of the united states. as a student, i was there in the freezing cold. for some of you, you have read about it in the history books. to us, it was our youth. i was there and i heard his

stirring address which inspired generations of americans to public service. in his 1962 state of the union address, right from the status -- dais, reza and kennedy said the congress, "-- president kennedy said the constitution makes up all the trustees of the american people -- custodians of the american heritage. today, as we take the oath of office to support and defend our constitution, we do so as trustees of america's best hopes and as custodians of america's highest values. however we may differ, let us never lose sight of our common laws -- love for this exceptional nation and are shared obligation to the way forward. [applause]

i started off by an acknowledgement, welcoming, and congratulating the members and their families. our families have always felt like the way forward -- helped light the way forward to all -- for all of us. i want to thank my family, my husband of 47 years, paul pelosi. [applause] my children, nancy, corinne, christine, and my grandchildren. i am proud to be from a large family, the youngest of seven. i want to acknowledge my brother, the former mayor of baltimore, md..

[applause] let me thank my constituents in san francisco who i am proud to represent in the spirit of the anthem of our city, the song of st. francis. i am so pleased that was recited by all of us at the interdenominational service this morning. i am grateful to my colleagues for their commitment to equality, which is both our heritage and our hope, giving me the historic honor of being the first woman speaker of the house of representatives. [cheers and applause] and now more doors are wide

open for all of america's daughters and granddaughters. [applause] i am also honored is to be the first italian-american speaker. [applause] like many americans, our heritage is a source of great pride and a deeply ingrained patriotism summons us to build a stronger nation. we recognize that the proudest titles we will ever hold are not supported on this floor. it is the simple dignity of the title "american." part of our great democracy that continues to be the greatest hope of liberty and progress for the entire world. [applause] when i was first elected as speaker, i called the house to order on behalf of america's children. now, as i prepared to hand the

gavel over to speaker boehner, i know one thing above all else. thanks to you we have stood with those children, for their families, for their health, for their education, the safety of the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the food they eat. [applause] thanks to you, for those children and their families, we have made the largest ever commitment to making college more affordable, enacted wall street reform with the greatest consumer protections in the history, and passed a strong patient bill of rights. [applause] that means that children with pre-existing conditions can get care. young people can stay on their parents' policy until they are 26. pregnant women or cancer patients can no longer be thrown off of their insurance. our seniors are paying less for their medical prescriptions. taken altogether, it will save

taxpayers $1.30 trillion. [applause] thanks to you, to all of us, we advanced at defining the american cause of equality for all. from the first day of congress, with the passage of the lily ledbetter fair pay act to the last days with the repeal of the don't ask, don't tell policy. thanks to you, we achieved more for america's veterans than at any time since the passage of the g.i. bill of rights in 1944. [applause] because of our courageous troops and our veterans, we will always be the land of the free and the home of the brave. let us now salute our men and women in uniform. [applause]

to honor them, we must build a future worthy of their sacrifice, which includes a good-paying jobs when they come home. it is not enough that we staved off a depression. much more needs to be done to open up the american dream and looked up the american economy -- lift up the american economy. the only acceptable outcome is to restore prosperity and good- paying jobs. our most important job is to fight for american jobs, to make it in america. democrats will judge what comes before congress from either side of the aisle as to whether it creates jobs, strengthens the middle class, and reduces the

deficit, not when the new speaker of the house, john boehner, and the new republican majority -- and congratulations again, come forward with solutions that will address these american challenges, you will find us a willing partner. [applause] as we congratulate speaker boehner and our republican colleagues, as we wish them success, we must stand ready to find common ground, to solve problems, and to build a more secure future for all americans. and as we take the oath of office today to support and defend the constitution, we must be ever-mindful that it makes us trustees for the american people, with an obligation to do what is right for them, and custodians of the american

heritage, our great values. thank you, my colleagues, for the honor of serving in that tradition as the speaker of the house of representatives. i thank you, my friends. [applause] again, i want to congratulate all of the new members of congress, all of you who have been reelected, but especially the new majority and the new speaker of the house, john boehner. now the house will be led by a proud son of ohio, a man of conviction, a public servant of resolve, and a legislative leader of skill. speaker boehner is a leader who has earned the confidence of his conference and the respect of his colleagues in the congress. [applause]

he is a man of faith, faith in god, faith in our country, and faith in his family. it is very important for us in acknowledging that, for us to a knowledge his family, his wife -- mrs. boehner is -- there. [applause] >> as we congratulate them, we congratulate and thank debbie for sharing him with us and lindsey and trisha and the entire boehner family. thank you, and congratulations

to all of you. now, recognizing our roles under the constitution, united in our love of our country, we now engage in a strong symbol of american democracy. the peaceful and respectful exchange of power. i now pass this gavel, which is larger than most gavels here that the gavel of choice by mr. speaker owner -- i now pass this -- [laughter] i now pass this gavel and the sacred trust that goes with it to the new speaker. god bless you, speaker boehner. [cheers and applause] god bless you, congress, and god bless america. [cheers and applause]

[bangs gavel] [applause] thank you. >> it is still just me. [laughter] speaker, thank you for your kind words, and thank you to your service to this institution. secondly, i welcome all of our new members and their families on what is a very special day.

all of us who have been here remember vividly that first day that we served here. i think any of us can tell you that you will never forget today. my own family is here as well. i think you have just met debbie. next to debbie r. lindsey and trisha -- next to debbie are lindsay and trisha, our two daughters. thank you, and i am glad that you are here. [applause] 10 of my 11 brothers and sisters and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law are here as well. my brother who runs a restaurant in georgia was unable to be here, but i wanted to a knowledge him. i also wanted to let knowledge some of my close friends that are here from the other side of

the capital. mitch mcconnell, the senate republican leader is here. two of my best but, richard burt from north carolina, and my friend from georgia, along with my buddy lathem, thank you for being here, gentlemen. i appreciate it. [applause] i am honored and humbled to represent a great, hard-working community in congress. the peoples of ohio's eighth congressional district continue to afford me the privilege to serve, for which as we deeply grateful. we gather here today at a time of great challenges. nearly one of 10 of our neighbors are out of work, health care costs are still rising for american families. our spending has caught up with us, and our dead soon will eclipse the entire size of our national economy -- and our debt will soon eclipse the entire

size of our national economy. no longer can we fall short, no longer can we kick the can down the road -- the people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin to carry out their instructions. [cheers and applause] in the catholic faith, we enter into a season of service by having ashes markdown our head. it reminds us that life in all its forms is very fragile. our time on this earth, fleeting. but as the ashes are delivered, we hear those humbling words. remember, you are dust, and to

dust, you shall return. the american people have humbled us. that refresh our memories just out temporary the privilege of serving as. they reminded us that everything here is on loan from them. that includes the gavel, which i accept cheerfully and gratefully, knowing that i am but its caretaker. after all, this is the people's house. [applause] this is their congress. it is about them, not about us. what they want is a government that is honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs, a government of respect to individual liberties, honors our heritage, and valves before the public that it serves.

let's start with the release package that the house will consider today. if passed, it will change how this institution operates. with an emphasis on real transparency, greater accountability, and a renewed focus on our constitution. our aim will be to give the government back to the american people. in seeking this goal, we will part with some of the rituals that have come to characterize this institution under majorities, both republican and democrat alike. we will dispense with the conventional wisdom that bigger bills are always better. that fast legislating is good legislating. allowing amendments and open debate makes the legislative process less efficient than our forefathers had intended. these misconceptions have been the basis for the rituals of a modern washington. they, in my opinion, have not been served well to the american

people. today, mindful of the lessons of the past, we open a new chapter. legislators and the public will have three days to read the bill before it comes to a vote. legislation will be more focused, properly scrutinized, and constitutionally sound. committees, once bloated, will be smaller, with iranian mission, including oversight. old " -- with a renewed mission, including over said. old rules will be replaced by new reforms that make it easier to cut spending. we will start by cutting congress' own budget. [applause] but above all else, we will welcome the battle of ideas,

encourage it, engage it openly, honestly, and respectfully. as the chamber closest to the people, the house works best when it is allowed to work its will, and i ask members of this body to join me in recognizing this, in truth. to my colleagues in the majority, my message is this. we will honor our pledge to america, built on the process of listening to the american people. we will stand firm on our constitutional principles that built our party and built a great nation. we will do these things, however, in a manner that restores and respects the time- honored right of the minority to an honest debate, a fair and open process. to my friends in the minority, i offer a commitment, openness. once a tradition of this institution but increasingly

scarce in recent decades, will be the new standard. there and no open rules in the house in the last congress. in this one, there will be many. and with the restored openness, however, comes a restored responsibility. you will not have the right to willfully disrupt the proceedings of the people's house, but you always have the right to a robust debate and an open process that allows you to represent your constituents, to make your case, offer alternatives, and be heard. [applause] in time, i believe this framework will allow the house to be a place where the people's will is done. it will also, i hope, rebuild trust amongst us and the people we serve, and in so doing,

provide a guidepost for those who follow us in the service of our nation. to our new members, democrat and republican alike, as you take the oath today, i know that you do so mindful of this shared goal. and know that your constituents have placed much trust in you. as speaker, i feel part of my job is to help each of you do your job well, regardless of your political party. my hope is that every new member, and indeed every member, will be comfortable with approaching me in regard to matters of the house. we will not always get it right, and we will not always agree on what is right. there is a great deal of scar tissue that has been built up on both sides of the aisle. we cannot ignore that, nor should we. my belief has always been that we can disagree without being disagreeable. that is why it is critical that

this institution operate in a matter that permits a free exchange of ideas and results our honest differences through a fair debate and vote. we may have different, sometimes a very different, ideas about how to go about achieving the common good. it is why we serve. let's now move forward, humble in our demeanor, said in our principles, dedicated to proving worthy of the trust and confidence that has been placed in each of us. if we brace ourselves to do our duty and do what we say we're going to do, i do not think that there is anything we cannot accomplish together, again on behalf of the people we serve. more than the country, america is an idea. it is our job to pass that

austerity of the blessings that have been bestowed on us to those generations that follow. -- it is our job to pass that prosperity and the blessings that have been bestowed on us to the generations that follow. i want to wish you the very best. welcome to the people's house. welcome to the 112 congress. [cheers and applause] [applause] >> i am now ready to take the oath of office, and i ask the dean of the house, the honorable john dingell, of michigan, to a minister the other office.

>> i thank you. is the gentleman from ohio will please raise his right hand. do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god? >> i do. >> congratulations, mr. speaker. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you.

thank you. >> according to precedent, the chair will swear in a members- elect in mass bit of the members-elect will rise, and the chair will now administer the oath of office. if all members could raise their right hands. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of each nation, that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of your office of which were about to

enter, so help you god? >> [all] i do. >> congratulations. [applause]

the house will be in order. if members will clear the well, and if members will take seats -- >> the house will be in order.

the chairman of the republican conference is recognized. the gentleman will suspend. >> the gentleman from texas. >> as chairman of the republican conference, i am directed by that conference to notify the house officially that the republican members of selected as majority leader the gentleman from virginia, the honorable eric cantor. [applause] >> chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut. >> thank you, mr. speaker. and congratulations to you, mr. speaker, and congratulations to my colleague and chair of the reblican conference.

as chairman of the democratic caucus, i have been directed to report to the house that democratic members havselected as minority leader the gentlewoman from california, the honorable nancy the alessandro szollosi -- nancy pelosi. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. hensarling. as chairman of the republican conference, i am directed by the conference to notify the house officially that the republican members of selected as majority whip the gentleman from california, the honorable kevin mccarthy. [applause] >> trecognizes the gentleman from connecticut. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as chairman of the democratic caucus, i have been directed to report to the house that the democratic members of elected as minority whip, the gentleman from maryland, the honorable steny hoyer, and as assistant democratic leader, the gentleman from south carolina, the

honorable james cliburn. >> the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. >> i offer a privilege resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. >> the clerk will report a resolution. >> house resolution 1, resolve that karen's of the state of maryland be and is hereby chosen clerk of the house of representatives, that will send living good of the commonwealth of virginia be and is hereby chosen sergeant at arms of the house of representatives. then daniel j. frodel of the district of columbia be and is hereby chosen chief administrative officer of the house of representatives, and that father daniel coughlan of the state of illinois be and is hereby chosen chaplain of the house of representatives. >> the gentleman from texas. >> i, too, wish to congratulate my counterpart, the gentleman from connecticut, on his

reelection. at this time, mr. speaker, i yield to the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larsen, for the purpose of offering an amendment. >> i thank my friend and colleague from texas. i have an amendment to the resolution. but first, i request that there be a division of the question o the resolution so that we may have a separate vote as we traditionally do on the chapel. >> the question will be divided. the question is on agreeing to that portion of the resolution, providing for the election of the chaplain. those in favor indicate by saying it aye. those opposed, itno. the ayes have it. the portion is agreed to. the motion we considered is laid on the table without objection. the chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut. >> mr. speaker, and offer an amendment to the resolution offered by the gentlemen of texas. >> the clerk will report the amendment.

>> amendment offered by mr. larsen of connecticut, that john lawrence of the state of new jersey be and is hereby chosen clerk of the house of representatives. that the lexus brand of the state of maryland be and is hereby chosen sergeant at arms of the house of berbers and it does. and a member from the state of south carolina is hereby chosen chief administrative officer of the house of representatives. >> the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from connecticut. those in favor, and it by saying aye. those opposed. the no's have it, and the amendment is not agreed to. the question is on the remainder of the resolutions. >> those in favor, and -- oc without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. will the officers just elected

kindly present themselves in the well of the house. if you will raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic that you will bear ue faith and legiance to the same that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservations or purpose or evasion and that you willell and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god. congratulations.

will the gentleman from oklahoma please present himself in the well. raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic and that you will bear true faith and legiance to the same. that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservatn or purpose of evasion, that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter. so help you god. congratulations, mr. sullivan. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman fr virginia, the majority leader rise? mr. cantor: i offer a

resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 2, resolved that the senate be informed a quorum of the house of representatives has been assembled. that john a. boehner the gentleman from state of ohio, and karen l. haas, from maryland, has been elected clerkf the house of representatives of the 112th congress. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the mobile i laid upon the table. the marity leade mr. cantor: mr. speaker, i offer a privilegedesolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 3, resolv, that a committee of two members be appointed byhe speaker on the part of the house of representatives to join with a committee on the part of the senate to notify the president of the united states that a quorum of each house has assembled and congress is ready to receive any communication that he may be pleased to make. the speaker prtempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to. the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

without objection, pursuant to house resolution 3, the chair now announces the speaker's appointment of the following members to the committee on the part of the house to june the committee on the part of the sena to notify the president of the united states that a quorum of each house has asseled and congress is ready to receive any communications that he may be pleased to make. the clerk: the gtleman from virginia, mr. cantor. and the gentlelady from california, ms. pelosi. the speaker o tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan, the dean of the house, rise? mr. dingell: mr. speaker, i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 4, resolved, that the clerk be instructed to inform the president of the united states that the house of

representatives has elected john a. boehner, a representative from the state of ohio, as speaker and karen l. haas a citizen of the state of maryland as clerk for the house of representatives for the 112th congress. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia, the majority leader, mr. cantor. mr. cantor: thank you, mr. speaker. i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: t clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 5, resolved, that the rules of the house of representatives of the 111th congress, including applicable provisions -- mr. cantor: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read and printed in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed with. the gentleman from virginia is recognized for one hour. for what purpose does the gentleman from -- the gentlewoman from the district of columbia rise?

. norton: mr. speaker, i rise to offer a motion that is at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the motion. the gentleman from virginia. mr. cantor: i offer a motion. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will first report the gentlelady's motion. then we'll recognize the majority leader. the clerk will report the gentlelady from the district of columbia motion.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the gentlelady's motion. the clerk: ms. norton moves to refer the resolution toe a select committee of five members to be appointed by the speaker not more than three of whom shall be from the same litical party with instructions not to report back

the same until it has conducted a full and complete study of and made a determination on and constitutionality of the provision that would be eliminated from the rules that granted voting rights in the committee of the whole to the delegates from the district of combia, american samoa, guam, the virgin islands, and the northern mariana islands, and the resident commissioner from puerto rico. including the decision of the united states court of appeals of the district of columbia in michael vs. anderson, 14-f--d 1463, circular 1994 which upheld a constitutionality of these voting rights. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. cantor: i offer a motion. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the gentleman's motion. the clerk: mr. cantor of virginia moves to lay on the table the motion to refer. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to tae. so my as are in favor say aye . those oppose no. in the opinion of the chair, the aye vs. it.

ms. norton. mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady frothe district of columbia. ms. norton: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring the yeas and nays will rise. th. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from california is recognized for one hour. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: i yield the

customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from rochester, new york, ms. slaughter, and pending that i yield one minute to the distinguished majority leader. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman, madam speaker. it's a great honor to call up the rules package for the 112th congress. two months ago voters sent a clear message of repudiation against a government that failed to deliver results. government for too long has operated under the flawed assumption that growing bigger and controlling more is necessarily better. consequently washington has grown inefficient, unfocused and wasteful. spending has gone progressively higher while results for all americans have not been realized. our new majority stands for a different and better way. we believe in a government that

controls less and spends less but accomplishes more. we believe in a smarter government, a more efficient government, a more focused government. the new house majority will be about cut and grow. we're going to cut spending and job-killing government regulations and grow the economy and private sector jobs. madam speaker, each day we will hold ourselves accountable by asking the following questions. are our efforts addressing job creation and the economy? are they cutting spending? and are they shrinking the size of the federal government while protecting and expanding individual liberty? if not, why are we doing it? this rules package reflects these priorities. we establish a constitution-focused house of representatives which starts by reading the constitution of the united states on the house floor

and requiring that every bill be accompanied by a statement of constitutional authority. we make in order our first spending cut, a reduction of at least 5% to congress' own budget, including members, leadership and committees. we replace pay-go with cut-as-you-go to ensure that all spending increases are offset by spending cuts elsewhere in the budget. and on all appropriations bills members can now offer spending reduction amendments which will help ensure that savings actually go towards cutting the deficit rather than being spent elsewhere. in this spirit over the coming weeks we will pass a repeal of last year's health care bill to remove the strain on job creators. we will cut spending in the current fiscal year back down to

2008 prebailout levels and we will identify and eliminate job-killing regulations that are impeding capital formation in america. madam speaker, these actions will send a credible signal to families, businesses and financial markets that we are dead serious about getting spending under control and regaining our competitive footing in america. our majority will return america to prosperity by returning a culture of success. our mission is not to redistribute wealth or tell people how to live their lives, but instead to lift people up by giving them opportunity and encouraging them to take responsibility. by passing this rules package we will take a significant step in the right direction. it will put us on the road

toward weaning america off government programs as an economic lifeline and help us build a new, more hopeful future, rooted in limited government, long-term investment, innovation and entrepreneurship. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: thank you, madam speaker. and i am pleased to say this morning i am delighted to be here. i want to give my congratulations to mr. dreier on reclaiming the rules seat, and we are very keen on our side to make our case before you today. actually, my head is somewhat spinning because not 20 minutes ago the new speaker of the house of representatives stood where you are and said he's going to be listening to people but the first order of business before the house came from the delegates who this rule disenfranchises, not only the

delegate of the district of columbia but all the teverers to -- territories, they didn't get to say a word. my head is spinning at that point. and we hope they can get unanimous consent so they can get some message into the record. but it's, again, part of the rhetoric of the last campaign that keeps spinning in our heads. all we want to do, they said, was to bring down the deficit. we're going over the cliff, we have to bring down the deficit. as we stand here today on the brink of a new session of congress, the concern of that deficit has since disappeared from everything except the press releases. the other side would gut pay-go and the pay-as-you-go rules adapted by the house and senate in 2007 under which cash cuts or increase in entitlement spending must be offset by increases of entitlement cuts and it gave us the biggest surplus we have ever had under president clinton. it was a hallmark of the

democratic leadership and we were proud of it. we adhered to responsible spending levels with affordable tax cuts and took sensible steps toward controlling the deficits but not today. the talk about deficit reduction is simply thrown out the window so they can free themselves and hand out more tax credits for their friends and corporations. under these proposed rules, notes "the washington post," tax cuts of the wealthiest are helpful but those at the other end of the income spectrum, forget about it. i will be reciting "the new york times" and "the washington post" and others that have crowd foul. they have slammed this hypocrisy at this attempt of fiscal as you taret. i'd like to ask unanimous consent to enter those columns into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. slaughter: what is crystal clear to me since they have double downed.

dick cheney responded to the 2002 mid term elections by advocating more than $2 trillion in tax cuts. quote, deficits don't matter. we won the mid term elections. this is our due. end quote, said the vice president. the other side now wants to adopt the posture of budget cutters. they want to make sweetheart deals without having to pay for them. nor is this slithe of hand an isolated event. less than a month ago, republicans successfully held unemployment benefits for americans hostage until they got their wish. more bush era tax cuts for the people making more than $1 million a year. that package added another $140 billion to the deficit, didn't seem to bother them, although they obviously they have told the world it's their number one priority. and just this week, republican new members ushered in the new congress with a $2,500 fund

raidser at the w hotel in downtown washington. and lobbyists and political action committee members and others were treated to a night of drinks by -- and singing by country singer leean rhimes. last month, the incoming chairman of the house financial services committee offered his own assessment of republican oversight. he told birmingham news in alabama, in washington, the view is is that the banks are to be regulated. my view is that washington and the regulators are there to serve the banks, end quote. and according to "politico," the incoming house government oversight and government reform committee, big oil, big farmer and big health will be helped. instead of all this business as usual and we are headed right back into where we were before

2006, what i'd like to see is an honest attempt to create a set of rules that provide for openness, transparency and good government. this set of rules is not that document. and i hope the other side, although i believe have good intentions, will join us in supporting this effort. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: madam speaker, congratulations, it's very nice to see you in the chair. let me ask unanimous consent that a section of section analysis of the resolution appear at this point in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i might consume and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. dreier: as we've seen here today, madam speaker, we are marking an important turning point in the history of the united states house of representatives. we have before us a package of reforms that will bring greater

transparency and accountability to this house and it will once again give the american people the opportunity, the opportunity to participate in the legislative process. they made clear to us that what their priorities are, job creation, economic growth and a smaller, more accountable federal government, must be done. the reforms included in this rules package are designed to ensure that those priorities are met and that we are held responsible for our actions to do the people's work. now, madam speaker, i want to thank each and every one of my colleagues who worked tirelessly on this rules package. never before, never before in history has there been the kind of member involvement, bipartisan member involvement in an opening day rules package. i particularly want to thank my good friends, greg walden, who

led our transition team, and rob bishop, who led the rules reform effort, as well as the other members of our transition working group. we had four new members of congress who right after the election got involved in working on this very, very important transition. and i want to express my appreciation. as i said, madam speaker, this has for the first time ever been bipartisan. now, i don't want to claim that my democratic colleagues are supportive of this rules package, but i will say that when we began the process, i'm happy that former speaker pelosi designated as liaisons to work with us through the transition process the distinguished former chair of the administration committee, mr. brady, and the gentleman from new jersey, mr. andrews. and i want to express my appreciation to them again for their hard work. as we looked for ways to chart a new course and reduce

congressional waste, we knew that we had to consider good ideas from both political parties. and that's why i'm happy to say we had input from both democrats and republicans in fashioning this opening day rules package. our democratic liaisons were tremendous partners and, again, i express my appreciation to my democratic colleagues for joining with us in this effort. now, having completed our transition work, we are now beginning a new congress. each of us faces the new beginning with the knowledge that congressional approval ratings are abysmally low. it's rare that the congress is held in high esteem by the american people. we all know that. but it is even rarer, it is even rarer to have an approval rating that is as low as it is right now. now, why is it that this body has become so unpopular? the reason is that the american

people felt they were not being listened to. they have sent us here to conduct the 112th congress differently than any other congress of the past. i'm not just going to talk about the last two congresses, madam speaker. i'm going to say that they sent us here this year to perform differently than any congress of the past. what's more, they've given us, as speaker boehner likes to say, some pretty simple and clear and direct marching orders when it comes to our work. fulfill our constitutional duties in an open and transparent way. now, madam speaker, this rules package that we have before us provides us the tools to do just what the american people have asked, to perform our constitutional duties in a transparent and open way. because our highest priorities are job creation and economic

growth, we must rein in the government spending that has spiraled out of control over the past several years. we're taking several steps to meet that goal. for starters, we're requiring that any new spending be offset for five 10-year budget windows. if a bill increases the deficit by more than $5 billion in any of these 10-year windows, it will be subjected to a point of order. in other words, we're changing the rules of the house to ensure that we look at short, medium as well as long-term consequences to federal spending. we should not and cannot consider legislation that pushes the federal budget deficit and the problems down the road. we will also be reforming the spending process by replacing pay-go with cut-go. rather than parring with tax

increases, -- paring with tax increases, we will pare it with spending cuts. it's often been said we don't have rieff knew problem. we have a spending problem. -- we have a revenue problem. we have a spending problem. these new rules will reduce spending rather than increase it. in fact, the idea behind this package is to focus on ways in which we can increase the opportunity, reduce spending rather than increase it. now, madam speaker, we're also taking important steps to make us more accountable to the american people, the people whom we're so honored to represent. we won't be voting on bills unless they've been available for at least three calendar days. we will be returning much of the legislative work back to the committees where greater transparency will be required. the work product, the recorded votes and the video archives of all committees are required by these rules to be posted online

. no longer will massive legislation be written behind closed doors regardless of political party and ram through the house before anyone has the chance to review or amend the text. our work will be done in an open way that affords all members the opportunity to participate and scrutinize. another key reform by this rules package is the creation of an electronic format for legislation. this represents a dramatic change in how legislation is made available. not just to members but to the public and the press as well. now, madam speaker, to the last two centuries, legislation was considered available when a paper copy was dropped off in the document room across the street. now, it will be considered available when anyone with access to the internet can look it up. now, this new format will

evolve over time and there's work ahead, still has to be done as we implement these rules changes. but no member should consider this vote as the end of the reform efforts of this congress. again, what we're doing here today is simply the first step in what is going to be an onyear two-year process of reform. we will not be webbed to the way we do things. rather, we'll be looking for new and different ways to do our jobs and to do them in the most transparent and accountable way. and let me say again, madam speaker, it's very important for us to ensure that we have the input of my friend from rochester, ms. slaughter, and other democrats as well as other republicans in this process. madam speaker, this rules package is a very significant first step. we've learned the hard way that bad process enevidentably results in bad outcomes.

we need to look no further than our ailing economy and spiraling deficit, not to mention congress' abysmal approval rating to see that that's true. by reforming the rules of the house we set the stage for reforming the entire federal government. ultimately we ensure fidelity to the original rules document, that being the constitution. and i'm so pleased that tomorrow on the house floor led by our friend from virginia, mr. goodlatte, we will be having a bipartisan reading of the constitution. and, madam speaker, our founders understood better than anyone the importance of restraining federal power. i think that thomas jefferson put it best when he said in questions of power let no more be heard of confidence in man but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.

madam speaker, in the coming congress, this congress, we will focus. we will refocus our efforts on fulfilling our constitutional duties in a transparent and responsible way. we will be reform-minded and accountability-oriented. and we will be driven by the number-one concern of the american people, getting our economy back on track. madam speaker, form dictates function. and these new rules will set us on the path toward greater economic growth and confidence for the american people. and with that i urge support of this very important resolution and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: madam speaker, i want to yield one minute to the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, who as i said is disenfranchised by this rule, millions of americans will be

under-represented, ms. norton, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: i thank the gentlelady from new york for yielding. madam speaker, for myself and for the delegates of the american samoa, guam, virgin islands and northern mariana islands i offer the motion earlier that the house conduct a full and complete study of the constitutionality of the vote of the committee in the whole of delegates which are eliminated by this rule. this is the same motion that the republicans offered when we first were granted the right to vote on the house floor. it was challenged by the court and found constitutional. madam speaker this vote is a mere recognition of our american citizenship. delegates are no different from others in this house. it is one thing not to have the vote, it is quite another to be

stripped of your vote. the vote is said to be symbolic by some. well to us it is symbolic. it is symbolic of the american citizenship of our constituents. it meant everything to us. there are differences among us, of course. we ask you to think again about this vote and to restore the vote of the delegates on the floor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: madam speaker, at this time i'm very pleased to yield two minutes to our distinguished colleague, a member of the ways and means committee, the gentleman from auburn, washington. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington is recognized for two minutes. mr. reichert: i thank the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, i'm excited to be here today and i thank my constituents for the opportunity to once more serve them again as their representative here in the united states capitol. in the days ahead congress will debate and pass proposals that

will affect the health and the livelihood and the well-being of every american citizen. today as mr. dreier said we are setting the tone now for how well we will serve them this congress. our service should first and foremost be transparent and be respectful, be inclusive, work together. so i'm proud that legislation that i authored a couple of years ago is now included in this rules package that we're about to vote on today. my bill requires each of the 21 standing committees in this house to post recorded votes on their websites within 48 hours because americans deserve to know how bills take shape at every step along the way. they deserve easy access to votes taken not just on the floor but also in the committee. government transparency is essential to a healthy democracy. by using existing committee

websites we can offer this information in a fiscally responsible and easily accessible way and i'm pleased that my work was included in this bill and i thank the gentleman again for yielding and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from new york. ms. slaughter: mr. speaker, for the purpose of unanimous consent, i yield to the gentleman from puerto rico, mr. per lucy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. perriello: mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to the resolution and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. slaughter: i yield to the gentlewoman from guam. the speaker pro tempore: the delegate is recognized. ms. bordallo: madam speaker, i rise in opposition to the resolution and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. slaughter: i yield to the delegate from the virgin islands, dr. christensen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. christensen: thyo