them. i think part of the issue is the compact is very new so there is an intent on the state level to help military families but sometimes that hasn't filtered down to the local school districts. so we are working in that education effort to try to get more information out to the local school districts so that they do what their state has said they will do through the compact. host: joyce raezer is the executive director of national military family association. the website is militaryfamily.org. thank you for joining us. guest: thank you. host: military guests will be at the white house with the president. live coverage from the president at 1:35 eastern time on c-span3 and c-span radio. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

.. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., april 13, 2011. i hereby appoint the honorable rob woodall to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 5, 2011, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip limited to five minutes each but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. roybal-allard, for five minutes. ms. roybal-allard: mr. speaker,

this week during alcohol awareness month i believe is the next step in federal efforts to prevent underaged drinking. my bill, the re-authorization of the sober truth on preventing underage drinking act, builds on the successful public health efforts of the original bill, better known as the stop act. since the stop act became law in 2006, there has been increased community efforts to address underaged drinking as a public health crises and we have seen localized improvement in teen drinking statistics. while these positive results are encouraging, the fact remains alcohol still is the primary drug of choice of our youth. in 2009, about 10.4 million teens aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the past month. of these approximately 6.9 million were binge drinkers and

2.9 million were heavy drinkers. alarmingly, according to the latest publication of the monitoring the future survey, 53.7% of 12th graders believe drinking five or more alcoholic beverages once or twice each weekend is not a significant risk. these facts leave little doubt about the need to continue federal underage drinking prevention efforts to educate our society about the dangers of alcohol abuse among our act. the stop act re-authorization bill will continue the successful programs of the original stop act including the anti-underage drinking national media campaign directed to parties, the coordination of federal efforts through the interagency council and the grant program to help address underage drinking. as a result of the recent

research, the bill also directs the institute of medicine to report on the impact of drinking alcohol on the development of the adolescent brain and it establishes grants to train peed at rick health care providers on -- pediatric health care providers on how to screen and treat children and teens who've had alcohol exposures. mr. speaker, continuing the investment of the stop act is a cost-effective strategy to reduce the $53 billion annual cost of underage drinking to our nation. most importantly, it will reduce the suffering, the violence and death that far too often are caused by underage drinking. i urge my colleagues to co-sponsor the stop act re-authorization bill and keep our country moving forward in addressing this public health crises facing our youth. i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. and i rise this morning to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bay of pigs operation. on april 17, 1961, the anti-communist patriots of brigade 2506 were determined to help their homeland and their loved ones who were living under a repressive regime. even though the operation was not successful, the dedication and the commitment that these brave individuals illustrated during the conflict was exceptional. during the operation, one hero was asked if he wished to be evacuated and he said, i will never leave this country. these individuals shodse a strong sense of heroism as they were up against the repressive regime's armed forces. president ronald reagan was a long-standing supporters of

individuals taking action to free themselves from oppressive, socialist and communist regimes. when referring to the bay of pigs, president reagan stated, quote, by supporting courageous freedom fighters around the world we're shining a light on a path out from communism, end quote. these heroes reached the beaches of playa heron to fight against communism in cuba that was being supported by the soviet union during the cold war. the evil empire made a strong push into cuba that became a national security threat to the united states. a strong soviet union presence in cuba led to the cuban missile crisis. the intrusion cemented the dangers of the soviet union having very close ties to the cuban regime. democracy and liberty of the people in the western hemisphere were in severe jeopardy as the communist forces were looking to expand their control. but the will of the

freedom-loving people who seek a better future will not be deterred by the evils and the power of communism. the protection of human rights and freedom of expression are fundamental necessary its of a free society. as -- necessities of a free society. as a -- democracies throughout the western hemisphere flourished in open societies. however, the united states must remain vigilant that history does not repeat itself. at this moment russia is currently infiltrating the western hemisphere by joining forces with anti-democratic tyrants such as chavez, ortega and morales. recently, reports have indicated that russia has sold $15 billion worth of weapons and military equipment to chavez. in addition, senior russian military officials have mentioned the possibility of establishing refueling bases for russian bombers in cuba. russian activities in the

western hemisphere raise serious concerns as they are arming rogue regimes that are counter to the interest and the security of our beloved nation. the veterans of the bay of pigs symbolize this struggle between communism and freedom. the brave brigade 2506 patriots decided to risk their very lives in order to liberate an oppressed society. these men fought courageously on that historic day, came from many backgrounds but all of them cared about freedom and liberty for the people of cuba. even though the bay of pigs' operation was not successful, their call to serve rose again to protect our nation from enemies abroad. many of these veterans continued to serve the united states by joining our armed forces and fighting with honor during the vietnam war. i would like to acknowledge all individuals who consistently are working toward fulfilling the dreams of a free cuba which is the dream of the veterans of

the brigade 2506 who aspired and fought for a free and democratic cuba. i'd also like to recognize the veterans of the bay of pigs who are with us today in the gallery. gentlemen, thank you very much for your sacrifice and your commitment for a free cuba and a strong united states. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair would remind members not to make references to occupants in the gallery. the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. chu, for five minutes. ms. chu: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the memory of harry lu. he was a marine serving the operation of operating enduring freedom in afghanistan. freedom, however, does not come without a price. harry lu died in afghanistan on sunday, april 3, 2011. he was 21 years old. he was the son of sandy and

anna lu, the sister of carmen lu and was my nephew. he died in helmand protches. he joined the marines in august of 2009 and reported to his unit in february of 2010. he was based in hawaii with the third marine regimen, third marine expeditionary force. his unit was deployed to the middle east in november when they joined the marine combat team for counterinsurgencey work with the afghan national security forces. their goal was to provide security to locals and to promote development in the regime. he was set to return home on july, 2011, three months before his death. harry was a popular and outgoing student, both at santa clara high school where he graduated in june, 2008, and at

mission college where he took classes for a year. he was known for joking, smiling and for wanting to keep the mood light. one of his teachers said he brought life and laughter to the classroom. he loved physical sports, especially tricking a former breakdancing involving kicks, flips and twists. it combines chinese martial arts and gymnastics. as a member of the club called the sidestep break dance club, he performed several times in front of the high school. his friends said his best trick was the butterfly twist where one spins 360 degrees in a horizontal flip. upon his death, his friends honor him with a tricking session at his high school. harry's best friend, travis trotter, said everyone here has been influenced by him in some way or another. whether it be through dancing, his artistic talent, his

trishing or just being the person he was, friendly with everyone. his superior in the marines said, quote, only a small portion of our society volunteers to serve their country. lance corporal lu was one of those volume unfierce. within the second battalion, third marine, he was well liked by his fellow marines and was known for getting along with everyone because of his easygoing nature. he took his job seriously and performed his duties with enthusiasm. in afghanistan he volunteered for the difficult missions and demonstrated uncommon endurance on a four to eight-hour foot patrol. lance corporal lu also demonstrated his commitment and courage on two separate occasions when his unit came under enemy fire. one of these events is captured in the following. at approximately 7:30 p.m. on march 21, 2011, third squad of third platoon golf company of second battalion third marines

was engaged by small enemy fires in garagi village, helmand province in afghanistan. the enemy engaged with several bursts of automatic weapons fire. at the time of contact, the majority of the squad was in a small hole in the ground taking cover to eat evening chow. lance corporal lu immediately identified the enemy position approximately 200 meters to the southeast and engaged the enemy position initially with an m-203 grenade launcher located at his post. he took up his automatic weapon and engaged the enemy with an estimated 200 rounds until they had had enough and broke contact. his squad then continued with their mission. this is an example of lance corporal lu's service. it serves as a reminder of all those who today serve in harm's way. like lance corporal lu, they

serve to protect our country, our freedom and our way of life. i am grateful for the courage and sacrifice of lance corporal lu, unquote. he was a good friend to many, a great performer and a dedicated soldier. his ready smile and warm attitude will be remembered by all who knew him. his sacrifice for his country will never be forgotten. for his service, harry lu will be honored with the national defense service medal, the global war on terrorism service medal and the afghanistan campaign medal. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. desjarlais, for five minutes. mr. desjarlais: thank you, mr.

speaker. i pay tribute to lance corporal andrew paul carpenter who tragically lost his life while bravely serving our country. andrew enlisted in the united states marine corps on september 7, 2007, where he was assigned to the second battalion, eighth marine regimen, second marine division, second marine expeditionary force, camp lejeune, north carolina. in august of 2010 andrew was deployed to afghanistan for the second time where he bravely served on the front lines during combat operations. . while patrolling the helmund providence in afghanistan, he sustained fatal combat related injuries and died on february 19, 2011. andrew graduated in 2002 from columbia central high school in columbia, tennessee. he was active in the school's marching band where he played the trombone and helped the band win a state championship during

his senior year. andrew went on to further his education at middle tennessee state university. he enjoyed numerous activities such as playing golf, soccer, and paint ball and made friends easily through his dependable and loyal nature. he's remembered by those who knew him as someone who constantly was looking for ways to help those in need. it is no wonder that serving the united states marine corps was a natural choice for him. before joining the marines, andrew worked at the ymca fun company where he pursued one of the things he enjoyed most in life, working with children. andrew would often dress up in batman costumes to inter-- entertain kids at the ymca. he was known for his tender heart and positive impact on the children. on january 1, 2010, andrew

married the love of his life, christy. she was truly his best friend and soulmate. he would often say that their wedding day was by far the best day of his life. shortly before andrew was deployed to afghanistan, he and chrissie learned they would be blessed with a baby boy, born march 18, 2011. landon, no words can sufficiently express the gratitude or repay the debt that we owe your father for his selfless service in protecting our great nation. he laid down his life so that we may all be blessed with our nation's most fundamental tenets, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. your father simply put is a true american hero. as you grow up in this great nation, know that you are given

the -- that privilege because men like your father who make great sacrifices to protect our freedoms. chrissy, during this difficult time i hope you can find some so lace in the fact that your husband gave his life so that you and your son can continue to live in the land of the free. and finally, thank you to the andrews family for raising such an extraordinary young man. today we honor and remember andrew paul carpenter. we will never forget the sacrifices he made in order to ensure that we continue to be blessed with the precious gift of freedom. god bless america. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, for five minutes. mr. hoyer: thank you, mr. speaker.

we have heard from two members on each side of the aisle who without respect of course to any partisan differences raised their voices in sadness about the loss of two of our brave americans. in the defense of freedom. i join their sentiment. let me say this, mr. speaker, those two americans whose lives we have now lost showed extraordinary courage. extraordinary honesty in their willingness to serve. we in this body will now be called upon to show such courage and honesty as we address the extraordinary fiscal crisis that confronts us. today president obama is speaking on a plan to confront our nation's unsustainable deficits. i believe it will stand in stark contrast to the budget that's going to be offered by mr. ryan.

a budget of disastrous priorities, in my opinion, that consequence straits its plan on middle and working class -- concentrates its plan on middle and working class americans while creating another windfall for the wealthiest in our country. at a time when income inequality is at a height we haven't seen since the 1920's, the republican budget ends medicare as we know it. transforming a system of guaranteed health care into a system that provides seniors with less coverage and greater expenses. year after year after year. it dismantles medicaid putting seniors' nursing home care at very substantial risk. and in fact with an inability to pay. cutting off care for disabled and poor americans. these entitlements must be addressed. but we must address them in a way that both keeps them sustainable and makes them

available for generations to come. somehow, however, after undermining the social compact of medicare, after cutting care for the most vulnerable, after sending more than 30 million americans back to the ranks of the uninsured, the republican budget finds trillions of dollars to give as tax cuts to the wealthiest among us. republicans say we are too broke to afford the promise of medicare. but we are flush enough to spend trillions in tax cuts for those of us who are the best off. in fact, the republican budget spends so much on corporate subsidies and tax breaks for the wealthy and loses so many savings by repealing the cost controls in the affordable care act, that it fails to balance the budget for 10 years or even 20 years.

we have been down this so-called path to prosperity before. it leads to skyrocketing deficits because the supply side doing ma that lower taxes -- dogma that lower taxes leads to revenues has proven false over the last three decades. read the facts. if republican tax dogma made sense, then our debt would not have increased 200% under ronald reagan. or 115% under the second president bush. but they did. in fact, we have seen republican promises of prosperity proven wrong time and time again. over the 30 years that i have served here in congress. in 2007 now majority leader cantor said the bush tax cuts, quote, have spurred spectacular economic growth. that was in 2007. let me remind all the members of this body it was in december of

2007 we fell into the great recession, the deepest recession we have had since herbert hoover. the growth was spectacular only for the top 1%. but for the rest of america, the bush economy produced what the "wall street journal" called, and i quote, the worst track record for job creation since the government began keeping records. that's what the "wall street journal" said of the bush economic program which mr. cantor said would be a job creator. throughout the bush years, middle class income stayed stagnant and deficits soared. what do republicans say about a budget that helped create unprecedented prosperity, the 1993 clinton budget, here's what speaker boehner said, quote, how does this create any new real jobs? who does this spending stimulate? except maybe the liberal faculty at harvard or berkley.

of course contrary to the speaker's assertion, the clinton years saw the biggest production of jobs since i have been serving in congress. 22.7 million new jobs. in the private sector almost 21 million jobs as opposed to the private sector loss of jobs under president bush. about 7,000 loss of jobs per month versus 260,000 -- 216,000 new jobs every month on average under bill clinton. those words represent the same flawed priorities we see in this new republican budget. tax breaks for the wealthy, a failure to invest in the future, and a heavier burden on working families. our country deserves better, mr. speaker. let's reform our entitlement programs with a scalpel not an axe. let's look for savings in every part of the budget, defense included. let's close tax loopholes, but

let's also use the tax code to reduce the deficit and ensure that all of us, even the most privileged, pay their fair share. republicans have taken us down this prim rose path before, mr. speaker. it is demonstrably led to higher debt, stagnation for working americans, and most recently an economic implosion. we must not choose that dead end again. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. cravat, for five minutes. mr. cravat: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today and i would like to offer my congratulations to the players, coaches, and supporters of the minnesota bulldogs' men's ice hockey team for their historic victory this past saturday on april 9, 2011. the dramatic fashion of kyle

smith who grew up just minutes from duluth scored the game-winning goal with 3:22 into overtime and the bulldogs with their first championship in the school history won by a score of 3-2 over the university of michigan. the thrilling win culminated a fantastic season for u.m.d.'s fantastic hockey team with them amazing a record of 26-10-6. the ncaa hockey title win comes in the same academic year as the ncaa division two football title for the bulldogs, making the university of minnesota, duluth, just the second college ever to win both a hockle title and football title in the same academic year. mr. speaker, that's quite a feat . i now speak to the eighth district and for all minnesotans to say how proud we are of our bulldogs and have the ncaa championship trophy back in the state of hockey, minnesota. and i yield back, sir.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. sanchez. for five minutes. ms. sanchez: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm pleased to rise this morning to address the house and the american people regarding the korea free trade agreement and its effect on working families. let me start by saying that i'm committed to trade. trade can benefit our nation, our businesses, and our working families. in fact, i'm a member of president obama's port council. our goal is to double america's exports in five years, not to export american jobs. but the problem with our current trade policy and the one that started with nafta and has gone downhill from there is that it's benefits are screw skewed. the benefits are concentrated in a full multipowerful corporations and it's hardworking middle class families who pay the price. the korea f.t.a. doesn't fall

far from the nafta tree. a few stock prices and c.e.o. bonuses may go up, but the korea f.t.a. will kill jobs, push down wages, and drive small companies out of business. perhaps the biggest problem with the korea f.t.a. is that it opens the door for more illegal trade from china. members on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the f.t.a. debate have concerns about trading with china. we all know that china manipulates its currency, doesn't protect intellectual property and engages in illegal transshipment tomorrow escape u.s. tariffs. you can go on the internet right now finding websites bragging they can hide the source of chinese goods and thereby avoid paying duties owed to the u.s. the illegal transshipment mislabeling and duty evasion rob the american people of money that we are owed. they also drive u.s. businesses out of business.

u.s. businesses often go to great lengths and expense to prove that chinese goods are being dumped and receiving illegal subsidies. when the duties the u.s. imposes aren't paid, hardworking americans lose their jobs when their workplaces shut their doors forever. from new york to south carolina, to linwood, california, in my own district, american businesses have turned off the lights and sent workers home due to unfair chinese competition. and china doesn't even have to break the rules to reap the benefits of the korea f.t.a. this agreement which was negotiated by president bush only requires that 35% of a korean car be made in korea to be eligible for tariff benefits. that means 65% of the car can be made in china, by child labor, prison labor, and workers who lack the right to form free and independent union. america has lost about 7.5 million jobs since the recession began.

we cannot afford another job-killing trade agreement that ignores america's middle class families. we have learned some very hard lessons after more than 15 years of nafta-style free trade agreements. we have heard many promises just like the promises we are hearing about the korea f.t.a. but the fact is, that they are failures. nafta was supposed to solve illegal immigration by developing a robust economy in mexico that would allow hardworking people to provide for their families by staying home. that didn't work. cafta was supposed to include bold new safety and wage protections for workers but these protections are disappointingly weak, allowing countries to downgrade their own labor laws. . the administration actually negotiated a deal with a country that as our own state department reported, was experiencing a forced labor problem. forced labor.

how are our american families supposed to care for their families and send their kids to college when they're competing with forced labor? free trade was supposed to increase economic opportunity for everybody, for big businesses as well as small and for hardworking families at home and abroad. this has not happened. too many communities have been left to rot because corporations shut down u.s. plants to chase increasingly cheap labor and weak environmental standards abroad. after 15 years of living with nafta and its clones, real wages for american families are down. our trade deficit is in the tens of billions of dollars, our manufacturing base is falling apart. the american worker is now more productive than before, but that increased productivity has not led to higher wages. the truth is the nafta free trade models favor the wealthiest few and the corporate fat cats at the expense of small businesses,

workers, families and our communities. in the coming weeks and months, we will be asked to consider at least two of the bush administration's trade deals with korea and colombia. despite the long record of failed f.t.a.'s we're going to hear that there's a consensus of support for these f.t.a.'s. we'll hear that anyone that knows about trade will support these agreements. don't believe it because it's not true. advocates for america's families, both inside and outside of congress, have grave concern. we want a new path that creates real opportunities for workers and the businesses that employ them. we want trade agreements that don't sell our environment short, close doors for our children or substitute the judgment of -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. sanchez: i thank the chair and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia, mr. wolf, for five minutes. mr. wolf: i thank you, mr. speaker.

mr. speaker, i rise today to bring the attention of the house legislation i'm introducing to create and afghanistan-pakistan study group modeled after the iraq study group to bring fresh eyes to the war effort in afghanistan which is now in its 10th year. last august i began pressing the administration to convene an afghanistan and pakistan study group. president bush and secretary state rice, defense secretary rumsfeld came to support the iraq study group, ablely led by bipartisan chairs, james baker, lee hamilton. it has been my hope that the obama administration would come to view this bipartisan fresh eyes approach, which is all good for men and women in uniform and good for the country as well. aside from the specific policy recommendations, the iraq study group helped force a moment of truth in our national conversation about the war effort. it was apparent last summer and

still true today that with roughly 100,000 troops in afghanistan, no clear end is in sight to our nation's longest running war at 10 years and counting. a public support for the war is at an all-time low. a national conversation about afghanistan is what is urgently needed. before proposing this idea to the obama administration, i spoke with a a number of knowledgeable individuals, including former senior diplomats, public policy experts and retired and active duty military. many believe, all believe our afghanistan policy was adrift and there was near unanimous position that an afghanistan-pakistan study group was needed. among those distinguished individuals who embraced the idea was former ambassador to iraq, ryan crocker. sadly, the war has remained distant for many americans. it is rarely spoken of from the

presidential bullet post. in fact, a recent fox news piece reported, quote, the last time obama specifically devoted a full public speech to afghanistan was december 9, 2009, 16 months ago, when he announced at west point that he was sending an additional 30,000 u.s. troops to that war-torn country. and this congress ought to be looking at this also. further, the war is seldom covered in great depth in the news, and yet for the husbands and wives and mothers and fathers, sons and daughters who have sent off a loved one in uniform, the war in afghanistan is anything but distant. it is uncertainty and sacrifice. it is separation and worry and many times it is life and death. despite my several letters to the president and senior

administration officials calling for a vigorous debate and discussion about some of our nation's greatest minds, the idea for the study group has language wished. and so today after the obama administration has neglected this, i am introducing legislation to create an after began-pakistan study group comprised of nationally known and -- afghan-pakistan study group comprised of nationally known people who i believe serve to provide much-needed clarity to a policy that appears adrift at best and highly politicized at worst. i was deeply troubled by bob woodward's reporting which indicated discussions about a war strategy were infused with political calculations. woodward also wrote of an administration that wrestled with the most basic question about the war. what is the mission? what are we trying to do? what will work?

these are question that the man answers. i believe that americans of all political viewpoints can enbrace this fresh eyes approach for it is always, always to our national interest to openly assess the challenges before us and to chart a clear course to success. i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation. this congress, both political parties, cannot do what this administration is doing. we cannot ignore this issue. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from pennsylvania, ms. schwartz. for five minutes. ms. schwartz: permission to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. schwartz: for decades medicaid has been a lifeline for older americans, providing affordable health care for all americans. but this week, republicans are trying to strip this.

the republican budget proposal dismantles medicare as we know it, tell seniors they are going to be on their own to find insurance no matter what the cost or how sick they are. and it slashes medicare coverage for seniors who need long-term care, threatening the most sickest and frail americans in nursing home with no care at all. this absolutely the wrong approach to solving our nation's budget problem. every day 48 million elderly and disabled americans across this country count on medicare for their life-saving medications, doctor visits and hospital care. 69% of people over the age of 65, and they are both democrats and republicans, oppose medicare -- opposed medicare becoming a voucher program. seniors know that changing medicare to a voucher program means they will no longer have access to a guaranteed set of benefits. that a value of limited voucher won't keep up with rising health care costs. that the voucher would become

insufficient over time and the care they need could become unaffordable. that too many taxpayer dollars will be spent on advertising campaigns and administrative costs instead of actual medical expenses. and seniors know that privatizing medicare means limits on benefits, obstacles to care, uncertain reimbursements, co-payments for primary care or specialty care, exclusions for certain services, discrimination based on income, illness or age, and more uncertainty as a serious illness or long-term need for care occurs. voucherizing medicare will mean they will pay more in premiums or do without. and it doesn't end there. in addition to medicare cuts, republicans also want to take away medicaid for the nearly six million seniors who depend on it for nursing home or long-term care. they say proudly that they will cut funding to states by $1

trillion. this means that disabled and frail elderly americans will be placed on waiting lists for services or have no access to care at all. in pennsylvania, my home state, nearly 40% of funds spent on long-term care would be at risk. this includes 62% of nursing home residents and 25,000 pennsylvanian seniors who receive home health services. and yet when republicans had the opportunity to reduce costs while maintaining and strengthening care for our seniors, they demonized the plan. but stop important improvements in medicare. and they still want to repeal the law that prevents co-payments and makes prescription drug benefits more affordable and improves coordination of care and health outcome, reduces costs and care for our seniors. they repeal the care that saves taxpayers almost $400 billion -- almost $500 billion by

ending overpayments to insurance companies. and extends the life of the medicare trust fund for 12 years. instead, the republicans here in washington want to end medicare as we know it and put health care for american seniors at great risk. as a senior member of the budget committee, i know how important it is to find solutions to reducing the deficit. to do this right, the solution must include spending cuts, tax policy reform and economic growth. we should not fix our budget problems by failing to meet our obligations to our seniors. every day we hear how republicans are to slash billion of dollars from essential programs because we simply cannot afford it. they say we can't afford to make investments in the future, we can't afford to educate our children or fix our roads or fuel innovation or cover health care costs for seniors. yet, in the same proposal to slash medicare and medicaid for mfl seniors, republicans make permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of americans.

in the very same budget proposal where republicans take away guaranteed benefits for seniors, they protect billions of tax subsidies to the oil and gas industry. in the very same budget proposal where republicans give seniors a limited voucher to pay for higher insurance premiums, they protect the pentagon from spending cuts on unnecessary weapon systems. $1 trillion in tax expenditures, $700 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy few, $40 billion in tax breaks for oil companies, and billions of dollars to continue in efishencies it the pentagon. all of this is protected by the republican budget. and instead they choose to slash benefits to our seniors and our disabled americans. budgets are about priorities and they are about our values. yet, we should get serious about our nation's deficit but let's be sure that our priorities are right and we do not threaten our obligations to

our seniors, to our children or to our future. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri, mr. long, for five minutes. mr. long: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to honor one of the cornerstones of american capitalism and my profession for over 30 years, which is auctioneering. they sell about $20 trillion in assets each year in the united states, and this figure does not include the millions of transangsts that occur online with online auctions. it's estimated that there are 20,000 auctioneers in the nation, the vast majority of which are small business owners. auto auctions make up the largest volume of auctions with over $80 billion in vehicles being sold by auctioneers annually in the united states. if you drive a used car, chances are it's been across the auction block.

auctions and auctioneers have been here over 2,000 years. it was the formation of commerce here in the united states. auctioneers first arrived in the united states when the pilgrims arrived. you go to an auction in kalamazoo, michigan, portland, oregon, tucson, arizona, miami, florida, anywhere you go to an auction in this country we all go by one handle. that handle is colonel. you can walk up to an auctioneer in any auction in the united states, you don't know that auctioneer's name, you say, hey, colonel, they'll turn around and answer you. why colonel? that dates back to the civil war in this country. after the civil war they needed a way to get rid of the mules and tact and things they left over and supplies so they did that by matter of public auction. they nominated the army occurrence to serve as the auctioneer. now, they didn't have professional training as auctioneers. however, they would just have a dollar for this saddle, $1.50. so when you hear the turn

colonel, that's where it originated, back in the civil wars war. they sold crops, imports, livestock, tools, tobacco, fur and farms. even president george washington was an avid buyer at public auction. for over 30 years, i had the honor of selling real estate at public auction and i'd sell depressed, stressed real estate. once in a very great while. but i sold real estate as people's first option. not their last resort. so keep in mind auctions can be a way to achieve the highest value in the shortest amount of time. you get a hot property, instead of having it listed and sold in one day, two days, put it up at public auction and see what happens. they work with banks, attorneys, accountants, businesses, individuals and government agencies to liquid ate property seized. they create a competitive marketplace and connect buyers

with sellers every day. the national auctioneers association and its members strive to advance the auction methods of marketing and upholding the highest standards of professionalism to the national public. . for over 20 years national awkeer day has been observed by state and local governments. for those reasons and more, jeff duncan, another freshman auctioneer member of congress and myself, want to make this the third saturday in april national auctioneers day, we'll drop a bill to that effect. this will heighten the awareness of the people of the united states of the contributions made by auctions and auctioneers to the history of the nation and its economy. auctions are the last stronghold of competitive free market enterprise system and continue to be the most effective means of establishing a fair market value. also one other thing, being an auctioneer in congress, the way our debt is running out of control they find it very handy to have jeff duncan and myself here in washington. we are one of the few people

that can actually keep up with the national debt. $5 trillion, now $2 trillion, now $4 trillion, $4 trillion. $8 trillion dollar. $10, $10, $11 trillion, $13 trillion, $14 trillion, now $15 -- i have sold at $14 trillion. thankfully, mr. speaker, we also can say those numbers backwards so we get the spending under control here. i'll be back. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york mr. rangel for five minutes. mr. rangel: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rack rangel: i thank you for the opportunity -- mr. rangel: i thank you for the opportunity to greet a group of ministers that have come to the nation's capitol in order to support the resources to eliminate hiv-aids virus infections.

it is strange how god has made us forget the blessings we have with good health until, of course, we -- that health is endangered and then we recognize that what we have depended on may be threatened or may be gone or may not even exist for the 40,000 people that don't enjoy health insurance. because this disease has such a stigma and millions of americans suffer from it and 500,000 americans have died from it, it has been a very costly situation in terms of providing the medication it is to stop the disease and prevent death and death is certain without treatment. these ministers have formed some 20 years ago in a group headed

by deborah howse and today directed by c. virginia fields. pastor calvin butts from the abet senior baptist church, a landmark in harlem, new york city and the country have brought together ministers from all over the country as well as the national medical association and other outstanding people to make people aware of the fact that this disease is not only caused by the infection of the virus, but is caused by reckless sex, unprotected sex, actions of men in prison. actions that when they come home they transmit through sexual activities to their wives. so to a large extent it is the ignorance of people that have

caused this disease to explode and to spread beyond the communities that it was initiated. it's cost a lot of money in order to make certain that we control the spread of this disease. but it doesn't really take that much money to be active in making certain that people are educated by the threat of those diseases. and that is why they come to washington today when there is a belief that medicaid that provides health care for the very, very poor, that it is not in jeopardy by people who want to transfer a federal, a national responsibility to the states as we find proposals coming up this week. that is why medicare, which is a national program, is being threatened by the idea that

people can get a voucher and go out and get insurance from an insurance company. imagine going to an insurance company, being infected with aids, a terminal disease, and seeing what costs the private insurance company would ask you for without federal assistance. and so it seems to me that all -- old people, black, white, catholic, and protestant could come together in terms of answering the question, how do you treat the lesser among us? how do you treat the poor in our community? and isn't it a fact that if you reach out a hand and provide the medicine and the support for those people who are infected with h.i.v. and with aids in the longer sense what we are doing is allowing americans to be more productive.

healthy, having healthy families, and healthy children so that they will be able to get an education, a decent job, and provide america with the type of talent that is so important if we are going to meet the obligations of this new age where technology is going to be so important if we are going to be competitive. so now is the time where these ministers have come to our nation's capital, perhaps to reach out to people of all faiths, whether they come from the mosque, from the synagogues, whether they come from our churches to go back to the biblical writings as we look at what we are faced with today. and that is how does a great nation as the united states of america, how do we treat our powerless? how do we treat our poor? what opportunities do we have

for people who are poor to leave poverty and move to the middle class? the answer to those questions, mr. speaker, is in our hands and i do hope that we vote and do the right thing. thank you so much for this opportunity. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california, miss speier, for five minutes. ms. speier: thank you, i rise today once again to highlight the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military. as i said last week the department of defense by their own calculations estimates that over 19,000 service members, mostly women, but some men, are raped or sexually assaulted every single year. and furthermore, only 13% report these rapes or sexual assaults. why is that?

because the system of justice assigned to adjudicate cases of rape in the military is in complete shambles. victims are blamed. assailants are promoted. unit commanders whose promotions are dependent on the conduct and performance of the soldiers they supervise have an incentive to that allegations are few and convictions are fewer. meanwhile, what are we doing here in congress? over the last 16 years there have been reports and there have been hearings, 18 of them, and we make lots of choys but then nothing is done about it. as a result of this code of silence, the overwhelming majority of cases gets swept under the proverbial rug. last week i told the story of technical sergeant mary gallagher. the feedback i have gotten is

considerable. a woman named katie wrote on my facebook page, quote, i am one of those victim soldiers. jackie, thank you for fighting for a basic right. i have no idea why this is still not being handled properly. i dream that soon women and men will be able to serve our country without the threat of rape that will go unpunished, unquote. but stopping military rape should be more than just a dream. it must be a reality. we owe our service members the same protection that they provide to all americans. today i want to share the story of seaman basicus. served in the coast guard from november, 2005, to may of 2007. her allegation is as follows, on may 30, 2006, seaman was raped by a shipmate when she was stationed in burlington, vermont.

during a hike, her rapist threw her on to the ground, punched her in the face, and raped her. she reported the rape to command who told her to cease speaking about it or she would be charged with the military equivalent of slander. she later obtained photographs and admissions made by her rapist through the freedom of information act that command failed to bring him to justice in any way. instead, they forced the'man to live on the same floor with her rapist where he would remain a constant threat. command also told the seaman to work with her rapist and use the time together to, quote, work out their differences, unquote. command was well aware but did not stop further assaults and harassment of the seaman continued. instead she was transferred to boston where coast guard personnel called her a quote, liar, unquote, and a quote, whore, unquote.

when she was on base performing her duties, a group of coast guard personnel cornered the seaman and tried to rip off her uniform. they called her a crazy lying whore and said she would pay for snitching on their friend. they threatened to rape her again. when she reported this harassment, the coast guard's quote, victim advocate, unquote, told her not to pursue disciplinary action because she would be seen as difficult. in addition, her appointed attorney said if her rapist did not have a history of sexual assault, quote, why would he assault anyone now? the seaman was denied rank because of the pending investigations. despite the fact that she had met all the necessary requirements. she described her horrific ordeal this way, quote, if i told them that my house was broken into, not one person would question me.

blame me, or say that i was lying. but when i say that body was broken into, people automatically feel that they have the right to judge me, to doubt me, and to blame me. unquote. what a profound statement by the seaman. she has now started the military rape crisis center to help her fellow colleagues and victims. turning pain into purpose. she is truly an american shero. her story shows the urgent need to protect service members from abuse. on the same day i delivered my floor speech last week, the austin -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. speier: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until 12:00 noon today.

>> a may 1, in-depth, your questions for the university professor and co-founder of reason magazine, tibor machan. his books, "the promise of liberty" and "the man without a hobby." he'll take your calls, emails, and tweets, live sunday, may 1, at 12:00 noon eastern on booktv. >> secretary of state hillary clinton says for the first time in history there's a real opportunity for change in the middle east and north africa. she spoke yesterday at the u.s. islamic world forum here in washington. her comments last about a half-hour.

>> let me thank you, strobe, for that introduction and your many years of friendship. it is such a pleasure for me to join you at this first u.s.-islamic world forum held in america. his highness, the emir, and the people of qatar have general russly hosted the forum for years. as strobe said i was honored to be a guest in doha last year and now i'm delighted to welcome you to washington. i want to thank martin, ken, and the saban center at the brookings institution for keeping this event going and growing. and i want to acknowledge all my colleagues in the diplomatic corps who are here tonight. ing including the minister of state for foreign affairs of qatar, the foreign minister of

jordan, and the secretary-general of the organization of the islamic conference. over the years the u.s.-islamic world forum has offered the chance to celebrate the diverse achievements of muslims around the world. from qatar, which is pioneering innovative energy solutions and preparing to host the world cup, to countries as varied as turkey, senegal, indonesia, and malaysia. each offering its own model for prosperity and progress. this forum also offers a chance to discuss the equally diverse set of challenges we face together. the need to confront violent extremism. the urgency of achieving a two-state solution between israel and the palestinians. the importance of embracing tolerance and universal human rights in all of our

communities. and i'm especially proud that this year the forum is recognizing the contributions of the millions of american muslims who do so much to make our country strong. as president obama said in cairo, islam has always been a part of american history. and every day american muslims are helping to write our story. i do not need to tell this distinguished audience that we are meeting at an historic time for one region in particular. the middle east and north africa. today the long arab winter has begun to that you -- thaw. for the first time in decades there is a real opportunity for lasting change. a real opportunity for people to have their voices heard and their priorities addressed.

now, this raises significant questions for us all. will the people and leaders of the middle east and north africa pursue a new, more inclusive approach to solving the region's persistent political, economic, and social challenges? will they consolidate the progress of recent weeks and address long denied aspirations for dignity and opportunity? or when we meet again at this forum in one year or five years or 10, will we have seen the prospects for reform fade and remember this moment as just a mirage in the desert? now, these questions can only be answered by the people and leaders of the middle east and north africa them selves.

the united states certainly does not have all the answers. in fact, here in washington we are struggling to thrash out answers to our own difficult, political and economic questions. but america is committed to working as a partner, to help unlock the region's potential and to help realize its hopes for change. now, much has been accomplished already. uprisings across the region have exposed myths that for too long were used to justify a stagnant status quo. you know, the myth that governments can hold on to power without responding to their people's aspirations or respecting their rights. the myth that the only way to produce change in the region is through violence and conflict. and most pernicious of all, the

myth that arabs do not share universal human aspirations for freedom, dignity, and opportunity. today's new generation of young people rejects these false narratives and as we know and as we have seen, they will not accept the status quo. despite the best efforts of the crenors,-censors, they are connecting to the wider world in ways their parents and grandparents could never imagine. they now see alternatives. on satellite news, on twitter and facebook, in cairo and twonies -- tunis. they know a better life can be within reach and they are now willing to reach for it. but these young people have inherited a region that in many ways is unprepared to meet their

growing expectations. its challenges have been well documented in a series of land marked arab human development reports. independently authored and published by the united nations development program. these reports represent the cumulative knowledge of leading arab scholars and intellectuals. answering these challenges will help determine if this historic moment lives up to its promise. that is why this january in doha, just weeks after a desperate young two nearbyian street vendor tunisian street vendor set fire to himself in protest, i talked to the leaders in the region about the needs to move faster to meet their people's needs and aspirations. in the 21st century the material

conditions of people's lives have greater impact on national stability and security than ever before. it is not possible for people not to know what is happening beyond their own small village. and the balance of power is no longer measured by counting tanks or missiles alone. now strategists must factor in the growing influence of citizens them selves -- themselves, connected, organizationed -- organized, and often frustrated. there was a time when those of us who championed civil society or worked with marginalized minorities or on behalf of women or were focused on young people and technology, we are told that our concerns were noble but not urgent. that is another false narrative.

that has been washed away. because these issues among others are at the heart of smart power and they have to be at the center of any discussion attempting to answer the region's most pressing questions. first, can the leaders and citizens of the region reform economies that are now overly dependent on oil exports and stunted by corruption? overall, arab countries were less industrialized in 2007 than they were in 1970. unemployment often runs more than double the worldwide average and even worse for women and young people. while a growing number of arabs live in poverty, crowd food slums without sanitation, safe water, or reliable electricity, a small elite has increasingly

concentrated control of the region's land and wealth in their hands. the 2009 arab development report found that these trends, and i quote, result in the ominous dynamics of marginalization. reversing this dynamic means grappling with a second question, how to match economic reform with political and social change. according to the 2009 global integrity report, arab countries almost without exception have some of the weakest anti-corruption systems in the world. citizens have spent decades under martial law or emergency rule. political parties and civil society groups are subject to repression and restriction. judicial systems are far from

either free or independent. and elections when they are held are often rigged. and this leads to a third and often overlooked question -- will the door to full citizenship and participation finally open to women and minorities? the first arab human development report in 2002 found that arab women's political and economic participation was the lowest in the world. successive reports have shown little progress. the 2005 report called women's empowerment, and i quote again, a free requisite for an arab renaissance inseparably and causally linked to the fate of the arab world. now, this is not a matter of the role of religion in women's

lives. muslim women have long enjoyed greater rights and opportunities in places like bangladesh or indonesia. or consider the family law in morocco or the personal status code in tunisia. communities from egypt to jordan to senegal are beginning to take on entrenched practices like child marriage, honor crimes, and female cutting. all over the world we see living proof that islam and women's rights are compatible. but unfortunately there are some who are actually working to undermine this progress and export a vir rently anti-woman ideology to other muslim communities. now, all of these channels, all of these challenges from deep unemployment to widespread corruption to lack of respect and opportunities for women have

fueled frustration among the region's young people. and changing leaders alone will not be enough to satisfy them. not if cronyism and closed economies continue to choke off ure opportunity and participation. or citizens can't rely on police and the courts to protect their rights. the region's powerbrokers both inside and outside of government need to step up and work with the people to craft a positive vision for the future. generals and imams, business leaders, and bureaucrats, everyone who has benefited from and reinforced the status quo has a role to play. they also have a lot to lose if the vision vacuum is filled by extremists and rejectionists. so a fourth crucial question is how egypt and tunisia should

consolidate the progress that has been achieved in recent months. former protesters are asking, how can we stay organized and involved? well, it will take forming political parties and advocacy coalitions. it will take focusing on working together to solve the real big problems facing both countries. in cairo last month, i met with young activists who were passionate about their principles but still sorting out how to be practical about their politics. one veteran egyptian journalist and dissident expressed concerns this week that a reluctance to move from protests to politics would, in his words, endanger the revolution's gains. so he urged young people to

translate their passion into a positive agenda and to use political participation to achieve it. as the people of egypt and tunisia embrace the full responsibilities of citizenship, we look to transitional authorities to guarantee fundamental rights such as free assembly and expression. to provide basic security on the streets to be transparent and inclusive. unfortunately this year we have seen too many violent attacks from egypt to iraq to pakistan. that have killed dozens of religious and ethnic minorities. part of a troubling worldwide trend documented by the state department's annual human rights report released this past friday. communities around the world are struggling to strike the right balance between freedom of expression and tolerance of

unpopular views. each of us has a responsibility to defend the universal human rights of people of all faiths and creeds. and i want to applaud the organization of the islamic conference for its leadership in securing the recent resolution by the united nations human rights council that takes a strong stand against discrimination and violence based upon religion or belief but does not limit freedom of expression or worship. in both equipped and tunisia, we have also seen troubling signs regarding the rights and opportunities of women. so far women have been excluded from key transitional decisionmaking processes. when women marched alongside men thrume tahrir -- through tahrir square, they were part of making the change that equipped was seeking.

when they recent walked again through the square to celebrate international women's day in their new democracy, they were met by harassment and abuse. you cannot have a claim to a democracy if half the population is left out. and we know from long experience that building a successful democracy is a never-ending task. more than 200 years after our own revolution, we are still working on it. because real change takes time, hard work, and patience. but it is well worth the effort. as one egyptian women's right activist said rerecently, we will have to fight for our rights, it will be tough and require lobbying but that's what democracy is all about. in a democracy you have to persuade your fell citizens, men and women alike, to go along the path that you wish to take.

and we know that democracy cannot be transplanted wholesale from one country to another. people have the right and responsibility to devise their own government, but there are universal rights that apply to everyone. and universal values that undergird vibrant democracies everywhere. one lesson learned by transitions to democracy around the world is that it can be tempting to fight the old battles over and over again. rather than to focus on ensuring justice and accountability in the future. i will always remember watching nelson mandela at the luncheon he hosted after his inauguration as president welcome three of his former jailers because foe him -- to him they were as important to any king or

president or prime minister who was there, because when he was powerless, when he was imprisoned, they treated him with dignity. they looked upon him as a fellow human being. it helped him to move beyond what he had suffered. he never looked back in anger but always forward in hope. the united states is committed to standing with the people of egypt, tunisia, and the region to help build sustainable democracies that will deliver real results nor people -- for people who deserve them. we want to support the aspirations that are so important. on this, our values and interests converge. history has shown that democracies do tend to be more stable, more peaceful, and

ultimately more prosperous. but the challenge is how we get from where we are to where we want to be. so the fifth question for us as americans is, how can america be an effective partner to the people of the region? high can we work together -- how can we work together to build not just short-term stability but long-term sustainability? with this goal in mind, the obama administration began to reorents u.s. foreign policy in the region -- reorient u.s. foreign policy in the region and around the world from our first days in office. we put partnerships with people not just governments at the center of our efforts. the administration moved quickly to respond to recent events and to affirm the principles that guide our approach. the president and i have spoken about this on a number of occasions, most recently just late afternoon today, and i know that the president will be speaking in greater detail about

america's policy in the middle east and north africa in the coming weeks. we start from the understanding that america's core interest and values have not changed. including our commitment to promote human rights, resolve long-standing conflicts, counter iran's threats, and defeat al qaeda and its extremist allies. this includes renewed pursuit of comprehensive arab-israeli peace. the status quo between palestinians and israelis is no more sustainable than the political systems that have crumbled in recent months. neither israel's future as a jewish democratic state nor the legitimate aspirations of palestinians can be secured without a negotiated two-state solution. and while it is a truism that only the parties them selves can make the hard choices necessary for peace, there is no substitute for continued active

american leadership. and the president and i are committed to that. we believe our concerns are shared by the people of the region. and we will continue working closely with our trusted partners, including many in this room tonight to advance those mutual interests. we understand that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't make sense in such a diverse region at such a fluid time. as i have said before the united states has specific relationships with countries in the region. we have a decades-long friendship with bahrain that we expect to continue long into the future, but we have made clear that security alone cannot resolve the challenges facing them. violence is not and cannot be the anti-. -- answer. a political process is one that advances the rights and aspirations of all the citizens

of bahrain. and we have raised our concerns publicly and directly with bahraini officials and we will continue to do so. the united states also strongly supports the people of yemen in their quest for greater opportunity, their pursuit of political and economic reform that will meet their aspirations. the president needs to resolve the political impasse with the opposition so that meaningful political change can take place in the near term in an orderly, peaceful manner. and as plom has said -- president obama has said, we strongly condemn the violence committed against peaceful protesters by the syrian government over the past few weeks. president assad and the syrian government must respect the rights of the syrian people who are demanding the freedoms that they have long been denied. going forward the united states

will be guided by careful consideration of all the circumstances on the ground and by our consistent values and interests. but also by something else. we believe in this region. we see no reason that it can into the be among the most -- it cannot be among the most peaceful, successful regions in the world. when we look at other regions in the world that have undergone change, sometimes violent, sometimes difficult, we see no reason why this region cannot succeed. wherever we can we will accelerate our work to develop stronger bonds with the people themselves, with civil society, business leaders, religious communities, women, and minorities. we are rethinking the way we do business on the ground with citizens and we want the sit

zention themselves to help -- citizens themselves to help set the priorities. for example, as we invest in egypt's new democracy, we are soliciting grant proposals from a wide range ever local organizations. we want new partners. we want to invest in new ideas. we are exploring new ways to use connection technologies to expand dialogue and open lines of communication. as we map out a strategy for supporting transitions already under way, we know that the people of the region have not put their lives on the line just to vote once in an election, they expect democracy to deliver jobs, sweep out corruption, extend opportunities that will help them and their children take full advantage of the global commifment -- economy. so the united states will be working with people and leaders to create more open, dynamic, and diverse economies where there can be more inclusive prosperity. in the short run the united states will provide immediate

economic assistance to help transitional democracies overcome the early challenges including $150 million for equipped alone. in the medium term as equipped and tunisia continue building their democracies, we will work with our partners to support an ambitious blueprint for sustainable growth, job creation, investment, and trade. the u.s. overseas private investment corporation will provide up to $2 billion to encourage private sector investments across the middle east and north africa. especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. and we look forward to working with congress to establish enterprise funds for egypt and tunisia that will support competitive markets, provide small and medium-sized business was access to critical low-cost capital. our global entrepreneurship program is seeking out new partners and new opportunities and we want to improve and

expand the qualified investment zobes which allow egyptian-zones which allow shipment companies to export duty free. we are looking for partners for a new beginning. an organization led by former secretary madeleine albright, and walter isakson of the aspen institute. it was formed after president obama's cairo speech and includes the c.e.o.'s of companies like intel, cisco, and morgan stanley. these leaders will conseen a summit at the end of may to connect american investors with partners in the region's transitional democracies with an eye to creating more jobs and boosting trade. under the auspicious of partners for a new beginning, the north africa partnership for economic opportunity is building a network 6 public and private partners and programs to deepen integration among the countries in north africa.

this past december in algiers, the partnership convened more than 400 young entrepreneurs, business leerds, venture capitalists -- leaders, venture compappists, and diaspora leaders. these people to people context have already helped lay the groundwork for cost border -- cross border initiatives to create jobs, train youth, and support start-ups. there will be a follow-up meeting this year later in morocco. for the long-term we are discussing ways to encourage closer economic integration across the region. as well as what the united states, europe, and the rest of the world. the middle east and north africa are home to rich nationings with excess capital as well as poor countries hungry for investments. forging deeper trade and economic relationships between neighbors could create many, many new jobs. and across the mediterranean, europe also represents enormous

potential for greater trade and investment. if we were to reduce trade barriers in north africa alone, just that one act could boost g.d.p. levels by as much as 7% or 8% in tunisia and morocco. it could lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in new wealth across the region every year. the people of the middle east and north africa have the talent. they have the drive. to build vibrant economies and sustainable democracies. just as citizens have already done so in regions long held back by closed political and economic systems, from southeast asia to eastern europe to latin america. now, it won't be easy. there are many, many obstacles. and unfortunately iran provides

a powerful cautionary tar heel for -- tale for the transitions under way. the democratic aspirations of 1979 were subverted by a new and brutal dictatorship. iran's leaders have consist tenly pursued policies of violence abroad and tyranny at home. in tehran the security forces have beaten, detaped, and several recent cases killed -- detained and several recent cases killed peaceful protesters, even as iran's president has made a show of denouncing the violence against civilians in libya and other places. and he is not alone in his hypocrisy. al qaeda's propagandas have tried to yoke the region's peaceful popular movement to their murderous ideology. their claims to speak for the dispossessed and downtrodden have never rung so hollow. their arguments that the only

way is violent change have never been so fully discredited. last month we witnessed a development that stood out even if this extraordinary season, colonel gaddafi's troops turned their guns on their own people. his milltary jets and helicopter gunships unleashed a rain of terror against people who had no means to defend themselves against the assault from the air. benghazi's hundreds of thousands of citizens were in the crosshairs. now, in the past when confronted with such a crisis, all too often the leaders of north africa and the middle east averted their eyes or closed ranks, but not this time. not in this new era. the o.i.c., the g.c.c. issued strong statements. the arab league convened in cairo in the midst of all of the

commotion of egypt's democratic transition to condemn the violence and suspend libya from the organization even though colonel gaddafi held the league's rotating presidency. the arab league went on to call for a no-fly zone, and i want to thank qatar, the u.a.e., and jordan for contributing planes to help enforce it. but that's not all. the arab league affirmed and again i quote, the right of the libyan people to fulfill their demands and build their own future and institutions in a democratic framework. that is a remarkable statement and that is a reason to hope. all the signs of progress we have seen in recent months will only be meaningful if more leaders in more places move faster and further to embrace

this spirit of reform. if they work with their people to answer the region's most pressing challenges, to diversify their economies, open their political systems, crack down on corruption, respect the rights of all of their citizens, including women and minorities, those are the questions that will determine whether the people of the region make the most of this historic moment. or fall back into stagnation. the united states will be there as a partner working for progress. we are committed to the future of this region and we believe in the potential of its people. we look forward to the day when all the citizens of the middle east and north africa, in fact all around the world, have the freedom to pursue their own god-given potential.

that is the future that all of us should be striving and working toward. thank you all very much. >> madam secretary, i'm quite confident that i speak for everybody here when i say that as we listened carefully to what you had to say and we listened very carefully indeed, i think all of us appreciated that we were hearing for the first time a truly comprehensive, clear, and authoritative explanation of administration policy, purpose,

and hope for the arab awakening. i'm equally confident that everybody here joins me in being thankful that you would use this occasion to make these statements and to draw us into your thinking, to give us a little bit of sense what the president will have to say in due course, and i'm sure everybody here is hopeful you'll be with us again next year in doha. please join me in thanking the secretary. >> president obama plans to meet with congressional leaders this morning to outline his deficit reduction plan. he'll explain that plan to the public during a speech this afternoon at joverage washington university. -- george walk university. you can see the president's speech beginning at 1:35 eastern on c-span3.

the u.s. house begins work today on the 2011 federal spending agreement reached last friday. general debate and final vote will take place tomorrow. also today a repeal of a preventive health care program and the new health care law. live coverage when the house meets for legislative work today at noon eastern here on c-span. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> order online at c-span.org/shop. this weekend on book tv on c-span2, "afterwards" the politically incorrect guide to socialism, kevin williamson defined socialism and how it's at work in the u.s. today. he's interviewed by commentary

editor john pahoritz. and african-american elites living in 19th century new york sitty. also this weekend a look at first ladies barbara bush, jacqueline ken dirks and eleanor roosevelt. can you find a complete schedule on book tv.org. sign up for booktv alert. >> winner from our c-span student cam video. this year's theme asked students to produce a video on an issue, topic, or event that helps them better understand the role of our federal government. today we go to knoxville, tennessee, where we talked to andrea from farragut middle school. hello. >> thank you. >> why did you choose to focus on home foreclosures for your documentary? >> well, we realize that home foreclosures are everywhere. like we were reading the newspapers, listening to the

cradeo, and we heard a lot about home foreclosures. we understood that it was a big topic. >> how have you been personally affected by the home foreclosures? >> well, my family and i, we were fortunate enough to never experience anything of foreclosures, with things like that it could happen at any time. >> how has your community been affected? >> our community, knoxville in general, it's not one of the states with a bigger number of foreclosure rates, but the numbers have gone up really startling recently. it's getting there to where it's going to be a big issue. >> in your opinion, who has been hardest hit by foreclosures? >> in the united states i would say california. from my research in 2009, irvine, california, had around 900,000 home foreclosures, which is really high. >> you interviewed claudia who sells homes. what did you learn from her? >> i learned that -- she talks

about sort of home selling in knoxville, and she told me that 6% of homes in knoxville that are for sale are home foreclosures, about 24% that are actually selling are foam foreclosures. i learned that people in the market are really interested in home foreclosures and buying those. >> what has been the impact of the home foreclosure problem? >> it's pretty bad because people are losing their houses and people are going homeless. i think it's a really big problem that our nation is facing right now. >> what are some of the things people can do to prevent home foreclosures? >> the biggest thing is to analyze your financial situation. that's the biggest thing. because i think that people nowadays are spending money carelessly sometimes. that results to big problems. like a domino effect. >> what was one of the things

that you learned from doing this documentary? >> i learned so many things. from learning how to deal with people and learning how to research and patience. i learned basically to stay positive. >> thank you for joining us today, andrea, and congratulations again. >> thank you. >> let's watch a portion of andrea's winning video, home foreclosures. >> foreclosure is when a party cannot repay the bank for the loans the bank gave them. >> what happens is the bank will file a petition to foreclow on the property. after that the bank has to prove if the owner or holder of the note in the mortgage that they are foreclosing on. the person will go to court and once that is approved the bank will issue an order of foreclosure. broadcasting live with katie. >> the reason foreclosure rates have been alarmingly high, in

october, 2010, everyone in 389 housing units filed for foe clore sure. in our community there is a foreenclosure is 1,189 housing units. it's not as much nationwide but the numbers continue to add on. >> this has been feakting various neighborhoods due to the fact that most people don't want to live in neighborhoods full of foreclosure signs or one that is are empty. >> foreclosures are a huge problem for not only the families but for the lenders who give the foreclosure back. because they have to sell the property. obviously the main person affected is the family. they have to leave the house and the home is taken over. >> you can see this entire video and all the winning videos at student-cam.org and continue the conversation at our facebook and twitter pages. >> you are watching c-span, bringing you politics and public affairs every morning it's "washington journal" our live comment program about the news of the day. connecting you with elected

officials, policymakers. week days watch live coverage of the u.s. house and week nights congressional hearings and policy forums. also supreme court oral arguments. on the weekend see our signature interview proom. on saturdays the communicators, on sundays newsmakers, "q&a," and prime minister's questions from the british house of comments. you can also watch our programming any time at c-span.org and it's all searchable at our c-span video lie brarery. c-span, washington your way. a public service, created by america's cable companies. >> congress begins debate this week on the spending deal worked out last week by president obama, house speaker john boehner, and senate democratic leader harry reid. the house begins work on it this afternoon with the final vote expected tomorrow. this morning "washington journal" talked with a republican member about her stand on the measure. a portion of that conversation now. continues. host: joining us from capitol

hill is represented in vicky hartzler, a republican from missouri and a member of the republican study committee. thank you for being with us. guest: thank you, steve. host: your first appearance as a freshman. glad to have you. let me talk about the pulp budget -- the paul ryan budget plan outlined last week. as a member of the republican study committee, some in your caucus wanted to go even further. where would you go further? guest: i think it is a wonderful plan. it is a plan that our country needs to reverse course that we are on them. this -- it is unsustainable where we are right now. it is excellent in that it addresses the real reforms that needs to take place. i was disappointed to learn we could not get to a balanced budget within 10 years. that would have been my first goal. but when i see that that

situation -- debt situation, that will not be possible without getting into current entitlement spending for current seniors right now. i am not willing to go there. i do support the ryan plan. host: let me read to you what the "washington times" is writing. tax and spending, myth and reality.

how do you respond to that? guest: i am a small business owner myself, and i can tell you that if we have less taxes and were able to put more in into our business, we can hire more workers. most jobs in this country are from small businesses. i feel confident that if we can bring our tax rate down on individuals and on businesses, it will create jobs. and if we can get our unemployment rate down to 4% projected to do according to the heritage foundation, then we will have more tax revenue and that will help balance the budget. it as a pro-jobs plan, plus a cut spending. those of the things that we need right now. host: but can you bring down the deficit without increasing revenue? guest: you will increase revenue as people get back to work. you have to grow the economy and

get people working here, more manufacturing jobs, more companies coming back to america driven overseas through our tax structure and our regulations that we have here that are very onerous to companies. this plan encourages growth and that will increase our revenues. host: did the bush tax cuts in the first eight years-nine years create the economic growth that you and others expected? guest: it did create jobs and it did create economic growth. that is what our country needs now. to balance the budget, i used to teach home economics and personal family finance and we would talk about balancing the budget, increase the revenue or decrease the spending. that is what we need to apply here in washington, d.c. as far as i see. i am fresh highs here, been here three months, but we are spending money that we do not

have. 42 cents out of every dollar the government spends is borrowed. we would not do this in our homes. we do not do it in our work in in our businesses. why is it ok in washington? we have to discuss this spending and at the same time we need to increase the revenue, and the way to do that is to decrease taxes, a decrease regulations, get american companies coming back and having their businesses here and creating jobs. and then we will get to a balanced budget. host: where is the compromise between the republicans and the democrats and especially president obama proposing today? guest: in my opinion he was not leading when he introduced his budget a few years ago. it was the same old story, more and more increase spending, more debt, more deficits, more borrowing, more taxes. that is the road that we have been on for years that got us to where we are today.

we have come out with the bold, smart, courageous plan that is right for americans and will give us balanced at the end. and now the president is planning to play catch up. he is coming up tomorrow with the proposal because he sees that his first plan did not lead. we're the ones that are leading. we will see what he says, but i welcome his support of reforming the mandatory spending that is driving this budget. you cannot since this budget balanced unless you address medicare, medicaid, social security -- and so we have put forward a plan to do that for future generations, and now the president i guess is coming out with his version and i am interested to see what he will say. host: vicky hartzler, and if you are listening on c-span radio, she is joining us from the

office building. you can see people moving around in that house office building. she is a member of the republican study committee, representing missouri. ruth joins us from newport, florida. welcome to the conversation. caller: thank you for taking my call. i had a couple of comments here. i was wondering why are you allowing companies like general election who do not have to pay taxes when all the things are made in china? it makes no sense to me. and you have all the small businesses started up under another name so that they can get tax credits for small businesses. and why are we in a war that we cannot even afford? what are we doing over there when there are some of the biggest dope peddlers and the world.

they do not pay taxes than they do not do anything for this country and they sure as heck did not put money back into our budget. they do not do anything. they save all their money and they get all of these tax breaks and buy more cops, more property, or everything, and meanwhile in the middle class we have to pay for them that do not pay any taxes at all. i want to explain this one to me. host: we should point out that she is a republican. guest: well i share her dismay when i found out as well about g e not paying any taxes. that is ridiculous. she is spot on with that. and your right with the light bulbs being manufactured over seas. in my district, there is a light bulb distribution center. and they were saying you cannot buy american light bulbs.

the regulations are pushing a lot of smaller companies out. but back to ge, this budget and those close those loopholes. i was very glad to see that. that is not right. everyone needs to pay their. -- their fair share. these budgets will close the to loopholes for ge. as far as their rage not paying taxes, some would agree. but the average person who makes a lot of money in this country, as far as the numbers that i say, they pay the majority of the taxes that our country takes in right now, coming from a very small percentage. they are paying and most of them are business owners. so we need to certainly be fair, but most of the people i believe to make a lot of money to contribute more than their fair share to our economy. and as far as the war is, you know, we need to win them and come home. i think that has started with

iraq this summer, our men and women coming back from iraq and now will be transitioning over to their government, and in afghanistan, there are plans there to start winding down as well. it is a very dangerous world, and we are engaging the battle to support the troops and what they do, and we wish them well and hope that we can win there. and keep the battles over there and keep our country safe right here at home. host: our guess is a member of the republican study committee. you can go into their website. in your proposal, representative, one of the items is to balance the budget within the next 10 years. vice-president dick cheney said at one point in his administration, the deficits do not matter. was the vice-president wrong? host: deficits do matter. they are a dark cloud that hangs over the head of all of us, and

certainly government. any creates uncertainty here in the economic environment in our country, so that businesses and entrepreneurs are worried about whether there will be a recession again, and they are not willing to invest their money. hi no small businesses in the fourth district of missouri that tells me they are not starting a second location because of what washington is doing. and they're concerned about their taxes and are we going to have a recession because of all of this debt. as a result of that, they are not hiring workers. that is very concerning to me. we have to reverse course. we cannot keep spending money we do not have. we have to pay off our debt like we do at home and get back on sound fiscal footing so that companies feel comfortable -- confident hiring and entrepreneurs will invest and to confident they will get a return for their investment. host: chain on our twitter page.

is there a difference? guest: i do not think so. i guess thought budgeting for years to our students. my husband and i also have a small farm as well as a small business. we budget. it is fundamental. you cannot spend more than you taken. yet washington has done it and done it and it has got to stop. that is why i ran for office and that is why we are here, to get back on the right course and to change the direction we are on right now. i think that we are off to a good start. it is not easy. people have been spending money here that we do not have for a long time. host: on next caller is from pennsylvania, robert is on the phone with a vicky hartzler, good morning. caller: good morning. guest: good morning.

caller: i've got the tv off so i guess i would just go by hook or by crook. host: we can hear you. caller: i really wanted to get on the show about a year-and-a- half ago. i am a first-time caller, because i have been calling for a year-and-a-half. this is the first time i ever got through. so -- host: one of the reasons you cannot here is is that you are -- you have the tv on. caller: no, i have the tv off. i cannot hear what is going on on this side of the conversation. host: how will put you on hold and make sure we get you back on the conversations and to have been waiting for so long. david is joining us from kansas.

caller: good morning. i have a question about nafta. i watched c-span yesterday and charles boulton, the administrator of nasa, was testifying what they needed on a 2012 budget. the proposal was $21.8 billion. senator kay bailey hutchison seemed receptive to him, that is the way it seemed to me. i do not have any doubt that mr. boulton will be approved. there was some conversation of bob the paul ryan project, and i heard senator hutchinson referred to it a couple of

times -- that it could not be discontinued. my question is, is there something in that project description that legally blinds nds them to keep that going. host: on the issue of nasa funding, representative hartzler, what is your view? guest: i am not as first as some others. i would defer to them when it comes down to a vote. i have not studied that part of the budget. i will be visiting with them on their opinion on whether it is good for nasa. host: we will go to leonard next in cleveland, ohio, republican

line. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i have a couple of questions. the constitution that everybody read one of the freshmen came into office this year, when protecting our borders, for the safety of the american public and the people that our founders wanted, i saw a conversation the other day were the saudi arabian -- they produce are oil, which we rely on, which we should not -- our country should have other alternatives, and we should have come out with the carburetors of 100 miles a gallon that the guess people put away and did not want out in the public. saudi arabia says they do not want to change their country

over there with egypt. they were upset. all of this would be apparent -- libya. i understand what the americans have been doing to protect citizens. we all do not want to see people hurt. since they do not want to conform or protect their people, why should we have an interest in their people, and send them money? i am interested in that. if they do not want to help end conform with things, why should we have no interest -- why should we have an interest, and spend >> house members will debate the spending agreement.

debate on the rule and vote on final passage expected tomorrow. members will sls consider repeal of a portion of the health care law providing money to states and local communities for preventive health care programs. and now to live coverage of the u.s. house here on c-span.

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, reverend dr. jack graham, prestonwood baptist church, plano, texas. the chair: let's pray. heavenly father, we are blessed by your presence, amazed by your grace and dependent upon your strength every day. we praise you for your abundant provision and we are forever grateful for your strengthening, sustaining love. we do not take these blessings for granted. we make it our holy ambition to glorify you as we offer our lives in devoted service to your kingdom first, to our beloved country. we pray for one another with the compliments you hear repentant hearts and those who

seek to humbly obey you and to live by your wisdom. we pray for personal renewal, for robust faith, and a vibrant vision for the future. remembering that righteousness, we turn to you and trust you to not only make us great but to make us good. we pray in the name of god and is able to raise his dear son, the lord jesus christ, and give us eternal hope in him. amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house her approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. >> madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> madam speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule 1, i demand a vote on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. the speaker pro tempore: the

question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the journal stands approved. mr. poe: madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: madam speaker, i object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. mr. cicilline: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from texas, mr. johnson, is recognized for one minute. mr. johnson: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, it is with great

privilege that i welcome my dear friend, dr. jack graham, pastor of prestonwood baptist church in plano, one of the nation's largest, most dynamic congregations, as ow guest chaplain for today's opening pramplete the mission at prestonwood baptist is to glorify god by introducing jesus christ as lord, to as many people as possible and to develop them in christian living using the most effective means to impact the world, making a positive difference in this generation. pastor graham is an amazing speaker, accomplished author, community service and bold leader who truly walks by faith. it is an honor to have him here in the people's house blessing our nation's business and government leaders in jesus' precious name. thank you, pastor graham, for all you do as a true servant of the lord. god bless you and i salute you.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. poe: madam speaker, arizona boarder ranchers tell me that when illegals enter arizona with their maps, their lists of churches that give sanctuary, they also know about u.s. courts. when some are captured, they ask the borders patrol if their case will be in the ninth court or 10th court. they want it in the ninth circuit court because they believe based on history it is more liberal, tolerant and lien yant regarding border security than the nearby 10th court. it proved the liberals correct when they wrongly threw out the arizona law allowing state law enforcement officers to enforce laws against illegal entry. arizona had to enact this law

because the federal government doesn't adequately secure the border. and how can a court possibly say it's unconstitutional for a state to protect its citizens? but there is hope. the ninth court has been reversed more than any court by the supreme court and hopefully the supreme court will rule that arizona and the federal government have constitutional authority to protect the border from illegal entry. and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? without objection. mr. blumenauer: thank you, madam speaker. the realities of the republican budget are starting to come into focus, especially health care. vouchers to insurance companies will cost seniors and society more. today, members of congress are being inundated by visits from hospitals and health care pro advisers who are in a panic -- providers who are in a panic about medicaid block grant that

would allow the federal government to shift its burden for the poor and the disabled to states who often cannot or will not make up the difference in the fund loss. most disappointing, republicans have abandoned the work on medicare reform. the reform provisions in the affordable care act used to be bipartisan. instead, to of increasing the total cost of health care and shifting the burdens to elderly, poor and disabled, we should be taking our medical spending, already the highest in the world, and show how we can get more out of it. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pitts: madam speaker, this week the house and senate will consider a bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, that reduces spending by $38.5 billion. considering the position of harry reid at the beginning of the year was that we shouldn't

cut a single dime, we have moved the conversation in the right direction. senator schumer called republican cuts extreme, but even the full $61 billion that the house pushed for would have only made a small dent in our huge deficit. the real extreme position is to do nothing. if we do nothing, interest ramentes and entitlement spending will consume the entire budget. if we do nothing we will lose the capability to defend our nation. if we do nothings our roads and rails will crumble. this week republicans will present an alternative to the do-nothing strategy. for that we will certainly be labeled extreme. we have a great nation, but as long as we're beholden to our creditors, foreign and domestic, we risk losing prosperity and freedom. we shouldn't wait any longer to get our budget in order. we can begin this week but we shouldn't stop until we pass long-term solutions. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from maine rise? ms. pingree: i ask unanimous

consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. pingree: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, later we are taking up a bill to repeal prevention of public health. members will have a simple choice. the choice is to pay now or pay later. in my state of maine, treating preventable, chronic diseases held a price tag of $1.4 billion last year alone, but there is a better way. we can invest in preventing these life-threatening expensive illnesses. we can invest in slowing the spread of hiv-aids and we can promote better nutrition to reduce obesity. that's exactly what the prevention in public health fund does in my state and throughout the country. it invests in prevention and good health and it reduces chronic disease. spending just $10 per person in preventative programs will save this country $16 billion a year in health care costs. madam speaker, our choice is not just pay now or pay later. it's pay less now or pay a lot

more later. and that's a choice we can't afford to make. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina rise? >> thank you, madam speaker. on this day in 1743 thomas jefferson was born. i rise today to talk about the national auctioneers association celebrating national auction week. i'm proud as an auctioneer for over 16 years to serve with fellow auctioneer in our auction caucus here in congress, representative billy long from missouri. auction and auctioneers have families, businesses sell trillions of dollars worth of assets every year. and so i'll leave you with this thought. 25, 30, sold and we'll sell it every day, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island rise? mr. cicilline: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cicilline: madam speaker, i rise today to recognize and honor the disabled american

veterans an organization representing our disabled vets. they work to ensure our government fulfills its promise to those who so bravely served our nation and i'm pleased to honor their service at the 67th annual convention this week in rhode island. the greatest tribute that we can pay to our disabled veterans is providing them access to quality health care and education and mental health services, housing and employment assistance. for their courage and commitment and for the burdens born by their families, our disabled veterans and their families must receive the support and services they so rightly deserve. these men and women of valor have made tremendous sacrifices in the name of freedom and in advancement of our nation's security. we live in a free society today because of this service these men and women and families have given to our nation. i applaud the work of the disabled american veterans for their dedicated service to our nation's heroes and their families. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from delaware rise? mr. carney: i seek permission

to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. carney: i rise to recognize the many fire companies that play such an important role in protecting public safety in my home state of delaware. like many delawarians who have seen or helped directly by one of our volunteer firefighters, i continue to be amazed and humbled by the professionalism and willingness to sacrifice to put the safety of others ahead of their own. today, i'd like to recognize the fire company which is celebrating 90 years of service to our community. for generations, members of the holloway company worked in new castle, delaware. no more than worked more than mr. bill maxwell sr. he served 50 years of service. he joined as a junior member and risen to become deputy chief, fire chief and now a member of the board of

directors. i'd like to thank every volunteer firefighter who works to protect delaware communities and encourage them to continue their service for many years to come. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> madam speaker, i ask this congress to address the grave public health crisis facing not only my district but my country. mr. clarke: too many of our young people are dying. many high school students in metro detroit, the area that i represent, many of whom are african-american, are being hit by an epidemic of hiv-aids. i urge this congress to support a piece of legislation sponsored by the national black clergy for the elimination of

hiv-aids to address this issue, save the lives of our young people and provide them with hope for a promising future. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise? mr. yarmuth: request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. yarmuth: madam speaker, i rise to honor a giant of kentucky's legendary bourbon industry. the recipe first got bourbon invited to the top shelf. his godfather was jim beam. bill's career path seemed obvious but obvious was never bill's path. everyone agrees distilling bourbon isn't rocket science but only he can make the claim with authority. he excelled for both. he graduated from vendor built law school. finally, four decades ago he decided to give the family business one year but he never left. when his time came, he didn't

merely take over. he took makers mark to unimaginable heights. then a little known brand, makers is among the world's sought-after icon, the red wax. and everything has the same recipe as the first batch in 1954. as co-chair of the congressional bourbon caucus, i urge my colleagues to join me in toasting bill as he passes the wax tip baton into the capable hands of his son, ron. he continues the family tradition, makes our commonwealth proud and is simply the stuff of legend. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> for permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, madam speaker. this week the republicans are rolling out their budget and some people say it's a new bold budget. mr. perlmutter: i'd say to my friends on the republican side of the aisle it's the same old budget. misplaced priorities, focus on

making sure we continue to have the bush tax cuts for the wealthiest people in america, tax cuts for oil and gas companies when we're at $110 a barrel and not focus the cuts on n.p.r. or planned parenthood or energy efficiency, those aren't what created the debt that this country faces. we obviously have a problem but those things came from big tax cuts, prosecuting two wars and not policing wall street. that's where this budget should be focused. let's get to the real issues that this country faces. so i would say to my friends on the republican side of the aisle, go back, start over with your budget and let's really hit the things that are important. we need to be making things in america, not giving tax breaks to send things offshore. so let's focus our real efforts, come together as a country and deal with this budget and with that i'd yield back to the speaker.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut rise? >> to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> madam speaker, i rise today to recognize the mentors and high school students participating in the ace mentor program headquartered in stanford, connecticut. ace brings together nearly 6,000 volunteers in the sbegrailted construction industry to mentor more than 10,000 students in 32 states each year. most of the high school students in this program come from disadvantaged backgrounds. ace matches teams of these young men and women with volunteers in the construction industry, creating career and education pathways for disadvantaged youth. mr. himes: each year leading companies in the construction industry contribute an estimated $22 million in volunteer time to this program. connecticut-based companies providing volunteers to ace include the united technologies and lane construction. i applaud the volunteers, students and companies involved in the ace mentor program and i'm encouraged by their commitment to create jobs and improve young lives. and with that i yield back,

madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tonko: thank you, madam speaker. tomorrow marks the 100-day celebration for congressional republicans taking control of the house. how will we celebrate? well not by focusing on jobs or the economy or growing the middle class but rather with a road to ruin budget that will end medicare while extending tax breaks for big oil. the road to ruin republican budget proposal will end medicare. it will end a program that 46 million seniors and disabled individuals depend on for their health care. rather than the path to prosperity as it's been designated this budget is more like the road to riches. a road pavinged in gold with lavish handouts for special interests, paid for and built with dollars from senior citizens who will see their hard-earned benefits rashed. we must stop this road to ruin budget, lest it lead to a cliff

of catastrophic -- catastrophe for our nation's seniors. thank you, madam speaker, and i do yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? without objection. mr. dreier: madam speaker, i was very saddened this morning to hear the news of the passing of the husband of our former colleague, jane harman. sydney harman lived to, as the report came out, to the ripe young age of almost 93. he was an amazing individual. i knew of him because of his great work in an organization called business executives for national security. he also very famously took on the responsibility of what he described as an american icon, "newsweek" d magazine when he made the decision to ensure that it could continue to thrive. and he has done a phenomenal job and i'd like to say that our

thoughts and prayers are with our former colleague, jane, and the entire harman family. the world is a greater place for sydney harman having lived and a lesser place for his passing. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. defazio: before medicare, 25% of the seniors in america lived in poverty. many driven there by the lack of affordable, deept health insurance -- decent health insurance. medicare passed with virtually no republican support. it solved that problem. seniors today are guaranteed quality, affordable health care, they pay about 27% of the cost. well, under the guise of fiscal responsibility, the republican budget wants to turn back the clock to the good old days, throw the seniors into the private health care market again and the estimates are seniors would have to pay 68% of their health care costs under the republican plan.

that would drive many into poverty. it's opening day of the 2012 fiscal budget year. and president obama has a chance to hit the first pitch out of the park by declaring medicare will not end during his presidency, on his watch, he won't stick it to seniors, he's going to stand up for seniors. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois rise? without objection. ms. schakowsky: the budget isn't just about a series of numbers. budgets fundamentaly are moral documents and i fear that republicans have made clear that their moral compass puts the wealthy and big business ahead of the american middle class, our seniors, disabled and poor. in order to pay for an enormous tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, they're ready to abolish the guarantee of medicare. in order to protect tax cuts for

the oil industry, they would cut medicaid resulting in seniors and disabled being forced out of nursing homes and causing poor children to lose health care coverage or pay more. in order to pay for tax cuts for businesses that ship american jobs overseas, they would cut investments in education and job training programs. the republican budget does not represent americans' core values and should be rejected. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> unanimous consent that address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you very much, madam speaker. i rise today to honor and pay tribute to two heroic officers from the naval air station in california that i represent, who tragically lost their lives on april 6, 2011. lieutenant matthew ira lowell and lieutenant nathan williams. these pilots were among our best

doing extraordinary things. lieutenant lowell, a plantation, florida, received his commission in 2002 and later was assigned to the strike squadron. throughout his service lieutenant lowell earned the navy and marine core achievement medal and was training to become a pilot for the blue angels exhibit team. mr. costa: lieutenant williams received his commission in 2004 and following his training served in afghanistan aboard the u.s.s. theodore roosevelt. returning home lieutenant williams became a flight instructor at l'amour naval air station, training our flight officers. madam speaker, the deaths of these two individuals, lieutenant williams and lieutenant lowell, are a tragic reminder that the men and women who serve our nation every day in harm's way throughout the world put their lives at risk.

please join me for a moment of silence as we honor the service of these two individuals for our country. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. polis: madam speaker, medicare is a guarantee that senior citizens, regardless of their economic circumstances, will have the medical care that they need in their twilight years. medicare plays a critical role in removing doubt from people's minds that if they have an ailment and are otherwise uninsurable, the marketplace, that their needs will be met. not to say that the program doesn't have its problems. we periodically need to do a, quote-unquote, fix. there's real issues with regards to the reimbursement rates and making sure that they're adequate so seniors can get their care. but the answer, madam speaker, is not phasing out medicare. there's a need to mend it, not end it. i think by improving the quality

of care for seniors, ensuring that seniors have access to preventative care, we can help decrease overall health care costs without abolishing and phasing out medicare as it's contained in the republican budget proposal. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> i send to the desk a privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 218. resolution providing for consideration of the bill h.r. 1473, making appropriations for the department of defense and other departments and agencies of the government for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2011, and for other purposes. providing for consideration of the concurrent resolution, house concurrent resolution 35, directing the clerk of the house of representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of h.r. 1473 and providing for consideration of the concurrent resolution, house concurrent resolution 36, directing the

clerk of the house of representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of h.r. 1473. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> i call up house resolution 218 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 29, house resolution 218, resolved, that upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 1473, making appropriations for the department of defense and the other departments and agencies of the government for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2011, and for other purposes. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. the bill shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion except one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the

chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations. and two, one motion to recommit. section 2, a, if h.r. 1473 is passed by the house is shall be in order to consider separately in the house the concurrent resolutions specified in subsection b, all points of order against consideration of each concurrent resolution are waived. each concurrent resolution shall be considered as read. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on each concurrent resolution through final adoption without intervening motion except 20 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations. b, the concurrent resolution specified in subsection a are as follows, one, the concurrent resolution, house concurrent resolution 35, directing the clerk of the house of representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of h.r. 1473 and, two, the concurrent resolution, house concurrent resolution 36, directing the clerk of the house of representatives to make a

correction in the enrollment of h.r. 1473. section 3, if the house received a message from the senate transmitting its passage of h.r. 1473 without amendment, then the clerk shall not certify ann an enrollment of the bill until notified by the speaker or message from the senate, that the senate has taken the question on adoption of each concurrent resolution specified in section 2, that the adopt -- that it was adopted by the house. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> i rise to a point of order against consideration of h.res. 218. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will state his point of order. mr. weiner: madam speaker, i rise to objection considering this rule because the rule in its final language that says that the clerk shall hold this, the enrollment of this bill, until the senate considers bills to defund health care reform and krs a bill to defund planned

parenthood. as such it violates the rules of the house which require that anything passed by this house be filed and with your permission i'll read that section. the clerk shall examine all bills, amendments and joint resolutions after passage by the house and in cooperation with the senate, examine all joint bills and resolutions that have pass the both house, to see that they're correctly enrolled and present those bills and joint resolutions that originated in the house to the president in person for their signature by the speaker and president of the senate, report the fabt and date of their presentment. in fact, what this rule does, it says that after this is passed it shall not be sent to the senate, shall not be sent to the president until the other body, the senate, takes an action, krs these two things which already have -- considers these two things which have already been considered here. this is clearly a violation of the rules and a very dangerous

violation of the constitution as well. because we believe in this house that our actions once taken trigger an action in the other body or by the president. if we are to say that bills when passed by this body are held at the desk by an officer of this institution, a nonelected officer of this institution, we are in fact violating this rule. it is very important, madam speaker, that you rule that this rule needs to be sent back and be cleansed that have language or else we are in effect saying that the passage of an act here shall be contingent upon the consideration of something in the senate and that -- that is a dangerous precedent, violates the laws and violates the constitution of the united states and i ask for your ruling. the speaker pro tempore: does any other member wish to address this issue? the point of order? the chair is prepared to rule.

a proposed act of congress is presented on parchment for presentation of the president. a house originated measure is read by the clerk of the house. a senate original rated measure is enrolled by the secretary of the senate. after the two houses have agreed to a text for a message -- for a measure they still may agree to alter that text before presentation -- presentment. the usual vehicle for this is a concurrent resolution. such a concurrent resolution typically directs the clerk of the house or the secretary of the senate to make specified changes to text previously cleared for enrollment. such a concurrent resolution might even be proposed in anticipation of the actions of the two houses to clear the presumptive text for enrollment. it is not unusual for the clerk

to take notice of such a concurrent resolution and to seek guidance from the speaker on the prospect that the concurrent resolution might be adopted by the two houses. the speaker, likewise, must assess the likelihood of adoption of such a concurrent resolution before seeing that the enrollment is signed by the providing -- presiding officers of each house or presented to the president. the two houses could even adopt a concurrent resolution asking the president to return an enrollment so they might change it. just as section 301 of the congressional budget act as a matter of rulemaking contemplates the possibility of holding an enrollment for a time so also might a proposed special order of business and able such an interim hold of enrollment. mr. weiner: further parliamentary inquiry, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. weiner: further

parliamentary inquiry, madam speaker. am i to understand this rule correctly that under the rule we are about to consider, if the house of representatives approves the continuing resolution that bill, despite the fact that the government is going to cease operating unless it passes, could theoretically sit it the desk, never to be sent to the president, never to be sent by the senated a inif i night up if the house fails to -- ad infinitum? the speaker pro tempore: it was about to be debated in the rule that is pending. mr. weiner: thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? mr. dreier: i yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from boulder, mr. polis, during which i yield myself such time as i may consume. during consideration of the rule all time is for debate only.

i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the matter before us. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for one hour. mr. dreier: thank you very much, madam speaker. this rule provides for consideration of three measures, h.r. 1473, h.con.res 35 and h.con.res 36. h.r. 1473 funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year 2011. h.con.res 35 and 36 are enrolled -- are enrollment correction measures that end federal funding for the president's health care plan and planned parenthood. as these measures represent a final agreement on this fiscal year's funding on par with a conference report, this rule provides simple up or down votes -- simple up or down votes on all three of these items. furthermore, this rule directs the clerk of the house to refrain from finalizing the enrollment of h.r. 1473 until the senate has acted on all three measures to ensure that

the enrollment corrections resolutions get full consideration. h.r. 1473 will be debatable for one hour. h.con.res 35 and 36 will be debatable for 20 minutes each. now, madam speaker, it has been a long, difficult, ugly, messy process, but we have finally achieved an important victory for the american people. today's underlying continuing resolution is a step toward -- a step toward the fulfillment of a fundamental promise that was made to the taxpayers. we will halt the practice of reckless and unchecked growth in federal spending and cricketcally important, madam speaker, we will -- crickcally important, madam speaker, we will re-- critically important, madam speaker, we will reverse the course we are on. it will impose the single largest cut in nondefense

spending in our nation's history. it also implements a number of reforms that will ensure greater accountability in how tax dollars are spent. madam speaker, this is not the end of our work to restore discipline and accountability to the federal budget. far from it. after fighting so hard to get to this point, it's important to point out that the truly difficult work still lies ahead for us. this resolution is also not the perfect measure we were all working for. many of us fought hard to have even greater cuts and more significant reforms. but today's action is so critical because it is the turning point. it is a turning point, madam speaker. it's that profoundly important first step. the american people have said enough is enough and this congress is finally responding. we're ending an era that has

seen growth in nondefense discretionary spending over the past few years of 82%. under speaker pelosi, madam speaker, we have had an increase in nondefense discretionary spending of 82%. we are making serious, meaningful cuts in the size and the scope of government. but as i said, these are only just the beginning. when we conclude this debate, we will turn directly to the fiscal 2012 budget. our very thoughtful budget committee chairman, mr. ryan, has put together a bold budget plan that seeks to tackle the fundamental reforms that are absolutely essential to the future viability of our economy. if the process we have just come through has been difficult, the task that lies ahead is herculean. a $1.6 trillion deficit poses

an almost unfathomable challenge. it demands a tremendous level of seriousness and resolve that each and every one of us must rise to. the consequences of failing to do so would be both disastrous and predictable. we've already gotten a strong dose of the economic challenges that would ensue. for months and months on in we've dealt with a very painful lack of job opportunities. the stifling nature of the national debt, the tax and regulatory uncertainty, the policies that favor government intervention over entrepreneurial empowerment, all of these have contributed to our economic challenges. it is increasingly apparent that the recent positive movement on job creation has been fueled by our effort to rein in wasteful government

spending and restore the certainty that businesses need to make new investment. as we continue our efforts to impose fiscal discipline, i hope and believe we will continue to see positive news on the jobs front. but these economic challenges are far from over for most hardworking americans. we know what difficult times we and the american people are facing. we know very well how painful these challenges have been, but they pale in comparison to the crisis that will come if we do not have the courage to fundamentally transform the way this government spends money. we need to look no further than the euro zone to see what's in store without a dramatic change in course. we've seen western european economies come to the brink of collapse, crippled under the weight of their sovereign debt and nearly dragged some of the world's largest, most stable economies along with them.

the coming budget debate will be a moment in which we must reject this failed economic model. today, with this historic spending cut, we are paving the way to do just that. now, madam speaker, this is not the end of our work, but it is, as i just, just the beginning. i urge my -- as i just said, just the beginning. i urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying resolutions. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? mr. polis: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. polis: madam speaker, i thank the gentleman from california for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. for all the talk of republicans' commitment to cutting spending, there were several odd things about this bill before us that would leave one to believe that it's more of a partisan political exercise, a serious attempt to get the nation's fiscal house in order which we deserve as americans. under this bill, critical

services that many americans rely on to educate our children, keep our streets safe, improve public health, keep our water and air clean, would face tens of billions of dollars worth of real and difficult cuts. times are tough. we know we have to cut spending. ok. so why does this bill then provide the pentagon with an additional $5 billion above the previous request at a time when the civilian and uniformed military, including thoughtful policymakers from both parties believe that we need to reduce spending across the board? admiral mullen stated that our national debt is our biggest national security threat. he also noted that the past duke aid's doubling of the department of defense's budget has led to undisciplined spending and waste within the department. secretary gates concurs saying that we can't hold ourselves contempt from the belt tightening. despite our military and those involved in the spending, two can't be spared. not only have they been spared by the republican majority but increased by $5 billion.

the recent bipartisan commission on fiscal responsibility, often called the simpleson-bowles commission, called for substantial defense reductions over the next 10 years. they had cuts that would have led to $60 billion in the first year and kept our nation safe. in fact, if we implemented the commission's recommendations around security spending we would save $100 billion in 2015 alone. but republicans didn't go after their favored areas of big government spending. instead, they went after our efforts to strengthen our schools, keep our water clean and keep our streets safe. and the rest of their so-called spending cuts don't seem to be saving much at all. in fact, yesterday we had an interesting discussion in the rules committee about whether this bill really even saves close to the $38 billion claimed. apparently most of the savings are from allocations of money that wouldn't be spent anyway. an associated press story yesterday called this bill budget fricks saying $23 billion of the $38 billion

aren't savings. this is unspent census money, the renewal highway programs that can't be spent because of restrictions that have already been set by other legislation. and one calls this bill a spending cut holcom. i would like to submit this for the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. polis: it is $18 billion in cuts and $28 billion in fake cuts. i asked the chairman of the appropriations committee if he could explain that discrepancy and he demeasured on that account. so in the end what have the republicans accomplished? i'd like to talk about this graphically and sort of show the american people what we're talking about. now, these charts -- i use "the

wall street journal" which credits republicans on spending cuts than the associated press. out of caution, i want to trust "the journal" to use their figures even though they have less than the a.p. but "the wall street journal" says the majority of the republican cuts are in fact holcomb cuts. this is the deficit. this is the deficit. ok. this is the c.b.o., congressional budget office's estimate of the deficit. $1.399 trillion. this is what we're talking about here. this is the continuing resolution savings. that's it. not one penny more. let me sort of take an example of an american family to kind of -- we have to take a few sdemrours off of it for most people to understand these figures. let's say the deficit is $139,000. so $139,000. in my business -- i was a small businessman before i came to congress. i understand how to balance a budget. i know most american families are trying to balance their paycheck, make their mortgage

payment. $139,000 you lose in a year. ok. that's tough. you have to take out a second mortgage, max out your credit cards. you try to cover that $139,000. ok. then you know you got to make some serious changes. what are you going to do? you talk to your credit card companies. you shut down your business. what do you do? you figure out how to lose $137,000 the next year. you know what? that $137,000 is going to put that american family out of business just as surely as that $139,000, but that is the republican approach to this bill. now, let me talk about some of the alternatives we have before us. mr. dreier: will the gentleman yield? mr. polis: you can discuss this on your own time. i want to go through this excellent chart. if we were serious about deficit reduction republicans could have supported several amendments offered by democrats and voted

on in the house when we debated h.r. 1. the democratic amendments alone would have cut spending by nearly $129 billion, more than three times the amount that's even claimed in this bill. here's some examples. congressman stark and congresswoman lee offered one amendment that would have deduced defense spending to its level three years agoment we were already in two wars at that time as well, saving $36 billion in the first year alone and that would have left in tact a defense budget of $688 billion more than enough to meet the security needs of our nation. congressman nadler offered an amendment that would have finally ended our support for the war in afghanistan, saving $90 billion. congresswoman woolsey offered an amendment that would have saved $415 million by bending the b-22 osprey program. just yesterday in rules i also proposed an amendment that would have deduce -- reduced our troop presence in europe. our european allies, madam speaker are some of the richest countries in the world. it's time they pay their fair way. what is the strategic rational for an ongoing presence in germany?

the nazis are gone, the soviets are gone. even former secretary of defense rumsfemmed has questioned the ongoing presence of our troops in europe. i also proposed an amendment eliminating the drug czar. they spend $21 billion a year yet drug use has gone up since its inception. we're never going to ballot entire budget by reducing the funds. clearly we all can agree we need to look at revenues and entitlements but year you're not going to make even the slightest dent in the deficit. if you exempt defense spending from any cuts. in this continuing resolution before us, republicans have exempted more than half of the domestic discretionary spending from any cuts and it becomes very clear that the republican plan isn't so much about serious deficit reduction than it is about protecting their favorite government, big spending, while simultaneously slashing away at

their favorite targets like education, the environment and the safety net. here's what we can potentially accomplish if we work together. this shows the republican cuts in this c.r., we even added for the sake of argument the hoe come cuts -- the hokem cuts and we included the proposed democratic amendments. i think this is something that we can be proud of. and you know what, madam speaker? i think more democrats would support a program that didn't only cut the programs that many on my side of the aisle feel strongly about but also made some of the difficult decisions with where the real money is with regards to defense and security spending you have the. just like that american family that we raised digging its way out of a $127,000 a year loss, we need to make real impacts on reducing the federal budget deficit. this will take actions across the aisle to make sure that we can leave our country in a better situation and help the next generation fight its way out from the burden of debt that we risk placing upon them if we

continue the big spending policies of the republican party. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. dreier: madam speaker, let me begin by congratulating my friend from boulder, my rules committee colleague, for his very thoughtful remarks and i'd like to respond with a few important points. first, i was struck with the fact that he went through the litany of amendments that were debated on h.r. 1. underscoring again that we have for the first time in decades seen a free and flowing debate and an opportunity for votes to take place here in this institution. it hadn't happened before on a continuing resolution as we saw it in our consideration of h.r. 1. i also want to say that while my friend continued to point the finger of blame somehow

characterizing this as a republican plan, i'd like to remind him, madam speaker, that this happens to be the result of a negotiation that has taken place with three democrats, the president of the united states, the vice president of the united states, the majority leader of the united states senate and one republican. the speaker of the house of representatives. by a 3-1 margin in the negotiating process republicans were outnumbered and so i think that it's a mischaracterization to describe this as somehow a republican plan that is before us. now to the issue that was raised about a cut being a cut. the former director of the congressional budget office made it clear answered called it that, a cut is a cut. i know this attempt is being made to somehow characterize the fact that dollars have not been spent so that means you're not actually cutting them.

well, last night in the rules committee the very distinguished ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations, my good friend mr. dicks, pointed out something that everyone in this institution should know and that is the process of reprogramming that takes place within government agencies. we know full well that the movement of money, since money is fungible, that takes place within these different agencies, is standard operating procedure. so, madam speaker, to claim somehow that if dollars haven't actually been spent that they're not being cut is just plain wrong. now, madam speaker, while i talked about the negotiating process that ended up with the president of the united states, the vice president of the united states and the majority leader of the united states senate and the speaker of the house leading up to that, we had our very, very diligent and hardworking

new chairman of the committee on appropriations, my friend mr. rogers, who has stepped up to the plate and taken on the responsibility, in fact some call it tongue in cheek but he has been very serious about being the enforcer of ensuring that we cut spending and he's actually renamed his appropriations committee the disease appropriations committee by virtual -- disproportions committee by virtue of the fact, madam speaker, that if we don't get our fiscal house in order we are going to be in deep, deep trouble. and so, madam speaker, i want to say that, again, he was one of the negotiators leading up to the final process here and i'd like to yield such time as he might consume to my very good friend, the chair of the committee on appropriations, mr. rogers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. rogers: i thank the distinguished chairman of the rules committee for the time

here. and to thank him for the diligent work that he continues to do as chair of the rules committee, the sort of traffic cop for the bills that reach this floor. i want to expand a bit, madam speaker, on a point that chairman dreier alluded to earlier and that is the historic nature of the bill that we will be considering on the floor. as the chairman pointed out, under speaker pelosi discretionary spending in those two years increased by 82%, a record. with this bill we not only are arresting that growth but we are receding actual discretionary spending by a record amount, nearly $40 billion in actual cuts in spending.

that has not ever been accomplished by this body in its history, in the history of the country. the cuts in this bill exceed anything ever passed by the house. it's the largest cut ever by four times. the large of the previous single cut was in 1995 when we cut around $9 billion. with this bill you cut almost $40 billion. now, i don't understand sometimes my friends on the other side of the aisle when they criticize this bill. it's being supported by your president. he says, pass the bill. it's what we agreed upon. it's being supported by senator reid, the leader on the senate side.

it's being supported by the speaker of the house and it's being supported by an overwhelming number of members on this side of the aisle and i predict a great number of democrats will likewise support the bill. now on the defense portion of this bill, let me briefly refer to it. the provisions in this bill about the defense budget is exactly like it was when all parties last december on both sides of the aisle in this body and on both sides of the aisle in the senate body agreed to the expenditures for the department of defense. we simply lifted that agreed upon provisions for the defense department and dropped them into this bill. there are two people in this body that know more about defense spending than any of the

rest of us. and that's the chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee on appropriations, bill young of florida, and my good friend, mr. dicks, the ranking member of that subcommittee and the ranking member oned full appropriations committee, norm dicks. he worked long and hard with bill young for these provisions. and i absolute him for -- salute him for it. it's good work. it does the right things. it cuts back on the president's request for defense by some $7 billion or $8 billion. below what he requested. it does increase in real dollars about $5 billion over the current spending rate. but we're in three wars and there's no reason at all for us to shirk from the responsibility to provide adequate funding for our troops in combat. and that's the reason why -- one

of the big reasons why we support this bill, why the president supports the bill and why senator reid in the senate supports the bill. and so let's focus on actual cuts in spending. we all profess that we want to cut back on the deficit for the year and for the ensuing years. the deficit this year, $1.4 trillion in just one year, largest in history, adding to a debt that exceeds all of our fears of some $14.2 trillion. we all say, let's cut back on spending. here's your chance. here's your opportunity. if you profess to be a fiscally responsible member of this house , you have a chance, an obligation, to vote for this bill. and support it. it's historic, we've never been

here before. we've reached a pinnacle. and a great opportunity for us to show to the rest of the country that we're serious about controlling the free spending nature of this body. this is your chance. don't miss it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i yield myself a minute to respond. the gentleman from kentucky called this a historic bill. i think much more of this kind of history and we risk making our country solvency history by drowning ourselves in development for a family business that lost $139,000, losing $137,000 might be nice, but it puts you out of business just the same. i continue to express our wish that we included some of the democratic cuts in this. that added up to four times the amount of the proposed republican cuts in this bill. as the bar put it, the cutting of this bill is a lot of sound

and fury signifying nothing with that it is my honor to yield three minutes to the ranking member of the rules committee, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. slaughter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york voiced for three minutes. ms. slaughter: thank you, madam speaker. and i thank the gentleman for yielding. and i want to talk about a different historic perspective. this bill is different, all right, and i want to try to explain that to you. but first i want to say, we weren't elected, any of us, to congress to prove that we can barely keep the government open and alive. that was never why we were sent here. we're here to make america stronger and looking at this bill we are utterly failing in achieving that goal. in addition to the unnecessary and politically driven cuts in the legislation, the process that brought the bill to the floor is a mockery of regular order. never before again, let me say in this history of our nation has this rule -- what we're doing here today are three bills doing here today are three bills under one rule.