i urge my colleagues to support it, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. petri: madam speaker, i don't believe there are any additional speakers on either side. i think that's correct. mr. costello: if chairman petri has no further speakers, we have no further speakers on our side and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back the balance of his time. mr. petri: madam speaker, i urge my colleagues to support the measure before us and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1893. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, this is to notify you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the house of representatives that i have been served with a subpoena for documents issued by the united states department of labor office of administrative law judges in connection with a workers' compensation claim pending before that office. after consultation with the office of general counsel i've determined that compliance with the subpoena is consistent with the privileges and rights of the house. signed sincerely, gene green, member of congress.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately

live coverage of the u.s. house when members return always here on c-span. >> follow the house and senate when you want. c-span pose a comprehensive resource on congress, congressional chronicle, makes it easy to find information about your elected officials. with the daily schedules, a full list of members, each day's committee hearings, a video of sessions, and progress of bills and votes. congressional chronicle. over the three-day memorial day weekend, commencement addresses from across the country. leaders from politics, business, and entertainment all offering their advice and insights to the graduating class of 2011. at 3:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. eastern. memorial day weekend on c-span. >> the u.s. special envoy for sudan warned of further fighting in the disputed province that borders north and south sudan. troops from the north seized

control over the weekend despite opposition from the international community. this is 10 minutes. >> good afternoon, and welcome to the state department. today, it is a pleasure to have the ambassador with us again, our special ambassador for sudan issues, here to talk about the violence. >> -- attack the u.n. convoy that was carrying northern soldiers. and the convoy was attacked. some people were wounded, and it

produced what we feel is an extremely disproportionate response by the government of sudan. they basically invaded abiya and have taken most of it over. they have taken over the town. the administration has had to flee. most of the people in abyei fled south. the government virtually occupies the town. this is a very serious violation of a comprehensive peace agreement, and is certainly jeopardize is the process of negotiation that has been under way to resolve the remaining issues before the south becomes independent on july 9. the u.s. has been heavily engaged over the past several

days and nights and a talking to the parties in the regional leaders, talking to the united nations, to the african union, and others, with several major points. first, we feel that the attack on the u.n. convoy was a deplorable and wrong, but we feel the response of the government was a disproportionate and irresponsible. we think those forces should be withdrawn. the civilian administration, which president bosch unilaterally dissolved, should be recreated. and we have urged that president by sheer -- bashear and the vice president immediately come together and calm the situation down and restore the level of

cooperation they talked about after the january 9 referendum. they have not been read -- meeting recently and have not been in direct touch. we feel that is extremely important. what happens is the u.n. security council was visiting sudan at this time. there were scheduled to go to abyei but cannot under the circumstances. there were in khartoum yesterday and they issued a statement, which i hope you have been able to see, basically saying some of the same points at the white house said, and condemning the attack on the u.n. convoy and condemning this overreaction and this occupation of abyei and urging that the troops be withdrawn, that the two leaders meet immediately, that they go back to the negotiations under the cpa.

others have been involved. the au chief mediator has seen president bashir and is seeing the vice-president today. we're trying to bring this crisis under control. it is the most serious one since the attack on abyei in 2008, and we feel that both sides must restore calm and cooperation between them. ironically, this is happening as fairly productive discussions were going on between the two parties and the economic issues between them. they had been going on in ethiopia at this very time. it indicates that there's so much to be done and so much negotiation that has been planned and is under way that this crisis really calls into

question how those negotiations can be finished on time and in the right spirit. that may stop there, and i would be happy to answer your questions. >> can you confirm or deny reports that the north this week populating the area of abyei? >> reno the people from the area have been seen in abyei town. whether they're coming in in the wake of this invasion actually selling, it is much too soon to get a fix on that. but since the takeover does happen over the weekend, it seems a little preliminary to make a judgment like that. >> the white house came in over the weekend and said they thought this situation may affect the process of normalization between khartoum and the u.s.. can you elaborate on that and discuss further 1 the u.s. will

have to do to get them to pull back? >> he is so glad you raised that. in our road map toward normalization, it includes a resolution of the abyei problem, which has to be negotiated solution. and it involves full implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement. so this action complicates both of those conditions. and what it means is that our ability to move toward normalization is going to be complicated as well. we had started the process, as you know, of looking at how to take them off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. we have been working with the world bank's and others on the debt situation. we have been looking at the prospect of naming a full ambassador after july 9 in khartoum.

all of these are important steps for normalization. they cannot be fulfilled if we do not have a successful cpa. >> [inaudible] >> well, the point is that these are all steps toward normalization. if we do not have a successful completion of the comprehensive peace agreement, if we do not have abyei being negotiated rather than occupied, it will be hard to move forward on those items, because that is part of the road map. so you cannot complete the road map if you cannot complete these conditions. >> what about the status of the referendum? we can that happen? how can that happen? and with the fleeing of some residents of abyei, how can that be accomplished any time soon?

>> the referendum had not taken place because the two sides cannot agree of who would be the eligible voters. whether it would be these groups and whether they would have the right to vote. because of that, many, many meetings to try and resolve it. attention turned to an administrative solution, whether the two principals could come to a negotiated solution on abyei. the former south african president who leads the au negotiated had put several administrative options to the two presidents some months ago. they were unable to agree on any of them and turn back to the international community and said, come up with some other idea. we have been working on trying to develop a new proposal for them.

it makes it difficult to do. but the attention turned from the referendum to see if there was an administrative solution. >> i was wondering if the u.s. has any indication about movements of the their arms or more soldiers that would back up the more widespread suggestion that these two sides are actually on the verge of going back to war? you think it is a realistic threat given where we are now? >> i think the danger for conflict in abyei is serious. there is some fighting going on now toward the southern border. the forces inside abyei are fighting sudanese armed forces. so the danger of further clashes is very great. i do not think that that means it will go to general warfare between the two, but any kind of

warfare, especially over an issue as the motion and difficult as abyei is a very dangerous prospect. >> do you yourself plan to head out there? >> the secretary of state, the national security council, myself, johnny carson, our assistant secretary for africa. we have all been in contact with parties and regional leaders constantly over the last several days. and of course, as you know, ambassador susan rice is there with the u.n. security council. and of course, we have people in khartoum and everybody has been involved. i am is scheduled to go out to the region this week. i have not worked out the exact day, but i will be going out

this week. >> sudan, i am sorry. >> yes, sudan. >> do you know boose secretary clinton has spoken to? >> she spoke to vice-president taha. dennis spoke to the foreign minister. the secretary spoke to the vice president. and so did i.. john kerry has also been making calls and issued a statement yesterday, which you may see. there have been a lot of calls. >> any further questions? thank you very much. >> thank you all. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> for a third time, the president of human gridley -- refused to sign an agreement ending his 30 plus years in power. we will also hear about a senior u.s. envoy meeting with opposition leaders in libya.

this is about 15 minutes. >> hello, guys. welcome to the state department. i have nothing at the top, so happy to take your questions if you have any. or we cannot just wrap this up right away. >> apparently, colombia and venezuela have reached an agreement that will facilitate honduras' return to the ois. response to that? >> i think we will have more to say about that a little bit later. but i will say that we welcome this agreement, and we certainly believe it paves the way for the reintegration of honduras, for the organization of american

states. that is something we believe is in the best interest of honduras and the region in general. we will have a more formal statement to address that. i do not want to preview it too much. >> on yemen, how are you planning to deal -- [unintelligible] >> that is a good question. certainly, the secretary issued a strong statement yesterday expressing our deep disappointment that president saleh's continued refusal to sign the gulf cooperation council's initiative. this is not the first and this has happened. efforts to bring a red listen -- a resolution to this situation in yemen have been tireless, and we have seen all sides agree on multiple occasions design their of initiative. and now it appears the president saleh is the only party that

refuses to match his actions to his words. it is unclear, frankly, the status of the agreement. the gcc issued a statement on may 22 that they suspended their mediation efforts, but we believe that president saleh still has the ability and opportunity to sign this initiative and break this deadlock. >> [inaudible] >> again, i think we are looking at a number of different options, but we believe that the gcc has really led the effort to bring a resolution to this crisis, certainly with the active participation and support of our embassy there and our ambassador. but it is clearly now in president saleh's hands. he has done this several times now, and we urge him to take action to resolve the situation.

>> are you still need the meeting between president saleh and the opposition? >> we remain in regular conversation with the yemeni government, which includes both and civil society. >> [inaudible] >> i imagine today there was additional contact. it was just yesterday, obviously. >> saudi arabia -- an activist arrested, and a ban on female drivers in the conservative kingdom. you have any reaction on that? >> we understand that the woman was detained under she posted a video on youtube in which she is shown driving in a saudi arabian city. we're seeking more information at this point about her status.

we understand there is an active debate on a lot of these social issues in saudi arabia, and we trust these -- the government of saudi arabia to give careful consideration to these voices of the citizens this big about issues of concern. >> how come the president did not mention saudi arabia in his major speech about the middle east? >> certainly is an important relationship. and it was a fairly wide- sweeping speech, but we cannot address all issues on such a broad region, but it is an important relationship to the u.s. and is key to the region and one that we value. again, you cannot obviously address every single issue and a relationship in the middle east. he was speaking about some of the changes sweeping across north africa in places like syria, bahrain, and elsewhere.

>> is moammar omar dead? >> we have seen press reports, but no way to confirm it. >> i know that netanyahu has not spoken yet. is there a plan that the state department for a new special envoy or rethinking or somebody to go or not to go, put things on the back burner for now? >> quite a bit activity with the president's speech since senator mitchell's resignation. and i believe that we announced that david hale would be taking over interim responsibilities. he is a capable member of senator mitchell's team and highly respected and capable of the job. yes and aware that he is traveling to the region anytime soon. i will try to get an update on his activities. but we clearly have a plan. it was laid out by the president, that we want to see

negotiations move forward. we do not want to see the palestinians, you know, seek action in the u.n. we do not think that is constructive. we want both parties to return to the negotiation table where they can come up with a framework agreement. >> who of mitchell's team is staying? the team seems to be disbanding. is david hale getting other new people coming in? >> i would not think the team is a disbanding of all, but i do not have a full roster in front of me. >> most people are staying? >> the team is more and less staying in place, and that is my understanding. again, he built a strong team. we believe that their role- placed and ready to move this

process forward. new subject. >> i would like to know more about the visit to benghazi. >> we put up that statement. >> i am wondering if there's any more discussion about the possibility of any agreements that might be looking at? >> obviously, he arrived earlier today in benghazi. he is there until the 24th. he met with the traditional national council chairman as well as the minister for reconstruction and the minister for security and other members from both the south and west. he is going to will the withtable alater today civil society members. then he will hold a press conference tomorrow where he will address a lot of these questions. we have been very clear and very pro-active in trying to a stellar stronger contacts with

them but also talking with a wide range of figures in libya. we believe that they are a credible voice for the libyan people, and we are strengthening our contacts and a beginning them. while cracking mission remains an option on the table, we're not there yet. >> what about unfreezing the assets are getting access to money or weapons? >> i was trying to get a status report on the legislation coming in here. i get more information, i will let you guys know. my understanding is it is still in congress, obviously. we're trying to seek speedy passage of that legislation, working closely with congress. it is an emergency. >> he said we're not there yet. is that to imply that recognition is pending, but that is going to happen and it is a matter of time? >> well, no. we have always said that we're looking to assess the

capabilities of the tmc. but we believe there a serious group and a worthy of our support. we will continue to strengthen our contacts with them. but recognition is one of those measures that we're still looking at. no decisions have been made. >> how concerned are you in doing this review of the tmc about reports of reprisal attacks from rebel forces? connected to the political apparatus you're working with? >> actually, we are aware of those reports, and we have been consulting closely with members of the tmc. we have been, frankly, encouraged by some of the things they have said and some of the actions they have taken that we believe indicates there inclusiveness and their desire to speak for a broad swath of the libyan people, but those kinds of reports raise concerns. i do not know an answer to your second question, frankly, the links between senior leadership. something we are

assessing and addressing. >> officials are meeting with these guys. what will be the difference when they are officially recognized by the u.s. versus how you're treating the now? is it tangible? >> well, sure. i am not an international legal experts, nor do i play one on tv. but it is a matter of they would assume all of the requirements of statehood, which was representation in international organizations, and more. those are some of the obligations that would have to assume. again, we're not at that point yet. you know, there's a lot of talk, obviously, about the importance of recognition. it is also important to note we have to do a lot to support them, shorter recognition. that is one element. would we be able to provide, --

$25 million in and legal aid, no-fly zone. we're doing a lot. >> on thursday, you said that the tmc is a credible and legitimate interlocutor for the people. [unintelligible] >> no, it is not a formal recognition. >> but it is credible and lit jim demint interlocutor? >> that means that we believe that they clearly are represented of the aspirations of the libyan people, that they are a credible voice for the libyan people, and we recognize them as such, but it is not formal regulation -- recognition. >> is it until the become a government? >> it is not just that issue. there are a lot of elements. but again, we're not at that point yet. >> i have a random iran

question. the two hikers were able to call home. is there any update on their status or have there been any new -- >> we can confirm what we have all seen in the news, which is that they were able to call home to their families on sunday. we do understand from their families that both joshed and shane staged a hunger strike in prison after they were presented from receiving letters from home and that the family is about to continue their own hunger strike until the two men are released. and we urge iran to commit immediate consular access. that is obviously an issue. the protecting power in iran, the last regular consular visit was october 26, 2010, which was quite a long time ago. >> has there been any request for a consular visit since the

phone call? >> it is an ongoing request for regular consular access. but again, we have not had that since october 26. >> kim jong il in china, any word from the chinese? >> no, no updates for information. >> no changes to the plants to go in tomorrow? >> that is right. he has departed. he is due to go in, i think, tomorrow. and he will return in a few days. then the food assessment team may stay on the ground a while longer to complete the assessment. >> did you figure out how he was going? >> not know if i have any further updates. i remember we talked about him traveling to beijing. then i am not sure how people get into north korea. >> -- [unintelligible] following the attack on

pakistan and the taliban? >> no, i do not have any updates. is there until may 28. you're talking about the attack earlier today on the naval base. obviously, we condemned the attack. we can confirm that no u.s. citizens or injured or killed in the attack on the naval station in karachi. but we strongly condemn this terrorist attack and are committed to working with pakistan in a joint effort to combat this kind of violent extremism. and our thoughts and prayers are >> are we providing any additional help to pakistan to fight against terrorism? >> we are continuing our cooperation. we got a small military contingent of trainers that have

been in pakistan for some time working with the military in pakistan. that cooperation continues. we continue our counter- terrorism cooperation. this illustrates that pakistan is under enormous pressure and threats from these groups. they suffer considerably from this kind of violent extremism. speaking to the ongoing needs of close -- in spite of some of the questions raised -- >> [unintelligible] >> i can certainly look into it. >> do you have any information on mullah omar? >> there is no confirmation of those reports. >> the house will be returning

at 6:30 eastern for votes on bills debated earlier today. tomorrow, the house and senate will be in the house chamber to hear from israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu. he will address the chamber starting at 11:00. the house will consider defense programs for next year, including the patriot act and funding of -- >> now available, c-span's congressional directory. a complete guide to the first session of the 112 congress. inside, new and returning members, including addresses, twitter addresses and district of -- and committee assignments. you can order online at c- span.org/shop. >> coming up tonight, the budget

director of the white house will address the economic club of washington. we'll have live coverage starting at 8:00 eastern on our companion network, c-span3. live tonight, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu will speak for the israel -- american israel public affairs committee. live coverage will begin at 8:45 on c-span2. >> follow "washington journal" on twitter and get advance notice of guests, questions and links to key video clips of the highlights. you can also send your questions and add comments to that conversation. don't miss any updates from "washington journal." >> today, former minnesota governor, tim pawlenty, pledged

to be president of the people and accused president obama of the do you see opposite. he said it obama will even tell us the truth about what it's really going to take to get out of the mess we iran. he spoke at the state historical building where he formally kicked off his presidential campaign. this is just under one hour. [applause] >> good morning. thank you all of you for being here. in the fall of 1983, i met tim pawlenty and i knew at that time i had met someone extraordinary. and true, our lives together and more than 23 years of marriage, i have come to know well and love his family, his cousins and

aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters who, like tim, are the salt of the earth. these are folks who are from the heartland who have a strong work ethic and a deep love for family. i watched tim love and laugh with our children as they have grown and i have lived and breathed life with him as he has gone through his political career and watched him through the political battles with political opposition and had many moments where i thought how in the world will he find his way out of this?

but he has a heart that is so true he has always found a way to lead the people of minnesota to a better place. i have had the good fortune and opportunity to be alongside of him in many parts of the world, whether it was china, south america, europe, india or in a country particularly dear to our hearts, israel. through all of those experiences, i watched my husband we've and blend together his knowledge, his expertise with his ability to form amazing, lasting relationships. it's a tempting to assume his spouse of so many years would stand here and be supportive simply from the heart and, of

course, i am supportive from the heart. but all that i know and all that i have witnessed about my husband's -- about my husband, has me supporting him in equal measure with my heart and my head. i am completely certain he is the best person for the job. my husband is a man of great character. courage, good judgment, wisdom, discernment and, he has the experience to be the next president of the united states. he is a man who speaks truth to power, but always with a great fullness of grace. ladies and gentlemen, my husband, gov. tim pawlenty [applause] .

[applause] >> thank you. thank you for those tremendous remarks, very gracious and kind remarks, and for your love and support all these years. after serving eight years as the governor of minnesota, i was very much looking forward to life with mary and our two daughters and the midwestern home we love. but with her encouragement and wise counsel, we came to a different conclusion. that is what brings me here today with this announcement. i am tim pawlenty, and i'm

running for president of the united states. [applause] [applause] we lived in the greatest country the world has ever known. but as we all know, america is in big trouble. and it will not get fixed if we keep going down the same path. if we want a new and better direction, we are going to need a new and better president. president obama's policies have failed. but more than that, he won't even tell us the truth about what it's going to take to get us out of this mess we're in. i can stands here and tell you we can solve america's debt crisis and fix the economy

without making any tough choices, but we have heard those empty promises before for the last three years and we know where that has gotten us. fluffy promises of hope and changes do not buy groceries and gas in the car or pay for our children's school clothes or other needs. in my campaign, i am going to take a different approach. i am going to tell you the truth. the truth is a washington d.c. is broken. our country has gone broke and the pain of the recent recession will pale in comparison to what is coming if we don't get spending in washington d.c. under control. [applause] president obama does not have an economic plan. he just has a campaign plan and the united states of america deserves much, much better.

president obama promised spending $800 billion on a pork- filled stimulus bill would keep unemployment under 8%. he promised bailouts for well- connected business people were a good deal for the country. he promised federal takeover of health care would help keep costs under control. as hard as it is to believe, even promised he would cut the deficit in half during his first term as president. but the truth is, since president obama took office, the massive numbers of spending decisions he has made, the debt has gone through the roof, americans cannot find jobs, and we are four trillion dollars deeper in debt. and his health care plan is an unmitigated disaster for our country. [applause]

we have tried president obama's way and his way has failed. three years into his term, we are no longer just running out of money, we are running out of time. it is time for new leadership, a new approach, and it is time for america's president and anyone who wants to be president to look you in the eye and tell you the truth. so here it is. government money is not free. you and i either pay for the latexes or our children pay for it in debt. the reforms we need are not in the billions. they are in the trillions of dollars. the cuts we need to make, the cuts we must make cannot just speak to someone else's programs. that changes history is calling on america today to make cannot be shouldered by people richer than us or poorer than us. but by s to. politicians are often afraid that if they are too honest,

they may lose the election. i'm afraid that in 2012, if we are not honest enough, we may lose our country. [applause] if we want to grow our economy, we need to shrink our government. if we want to create jobs, we need to encourage job creators. if we want our children to be free to pursue their dreams, we cannot shackle them with our debt. this is the time for the truth. that is why later this week i am going to new york city and i will tell wall street that if i am elected, the era of bailouts are over. [applause] no more subsidies, no more special treatment, no more

fannie and freddie, and that no more to big to fail. [applause] success in our economy once again must be determined by the ingenuity of competing businesses and the judgment of market place. tomorrow, and going to florida to tell young people and seniors the truth about our entitlement programs. they are on an unsustainable path and inaction is no longer an option. our national debt combined with obama care has placed social security and medicare and dedicated in real peril. i will tell young people with trees that overtime and for them only, will have to gradually raise the social security retirement age. and i will tell the truth to wealthy seniors, that we will have to look at the social

security adjustments. medicare must be performed. we will do with incentives that reward good doctors and wise consumers and we need to block grant medicaid to the states. their innovative ideas and approaches closest to the patients are not only going to solve problems, they will save money. this week, i will be in washington d.c.. [applause] in washington d.c., i'm going to remind the federal bureaucrats that government exists to serve its citizens, not its employees. [applause] of the truth is, people getting paid by taxpayers should not get a better deal than the taxpayers themselves. [applause] that means freezing federal

salaries, transitioning federal benefits, and downsizing the federal work force as it retires. it means paying public employees not just for security, but the capital and everywhere in between, we're going to make public employees more accountable and their pay more in line with the taxpayers of this country. [applause] in the private sector, it means no card check, not now, not a [applause] ever. it means no more taxpayer bailouts just because she made big campaign contributions to politicians or because you give it away to special interests who tried to influence our government. we need to make sure the national labor relations board understands that never again will an american company be told

where they can and cannot do [applause] business. i am here today to tell you the truth. america is facing a crushing debt crisis, the likes of which we have never seen before. we need to cut spending and cut it big time. the hard truth is there is no longer any sacred programs. the truth about federal energy subsidies, including subsidies for ethanol is that they have to be phased out. we need to do it gradually, we need to do it fairly, but we need to do it. i'm not some out of touch politician from some other part of the country. i served two terms as governor of an agricultural state. i understand and respect the critical role farming plays in our country and society. i strongly supported ethanol

over the years and still believe in the promise of renewable fuels, both for our economy and our national security. but even in minnesota, when we face fiscal challenges, we reduce ethanol subsidies. that's where we are now in washington, but on a much, much larger scale. it's not only ethanol, we need to change our approach to subsidies in all industries. it cannot be done overnight. the industry has made large investments and it would not be fair to pull the rug out immediately. but we must face the truth -- if we want more competition, investment and innovation in the industry, we need to get the government out. [applause] we also need to get the government out of the business of handing out special favors and special deals. it's the free market, not

freebies from politicians that should decide a company's success. we need to phase out all subsidies across all sources of energy and industries, including ethanol. we simply cannot afford them anymore. some people are going to be upset about what i am saying. conventional wisdom says you cannot talk about ethanol in iowa or social security in florida or financial reform on wall street. but someone has to say it. someone has to finally stand up and level with the american people. someone has to lead. i will. [applause] when times get tough, there is a temptation among many people to turn americans against one another. some try to fan the flames of envy and resentment as a way to

deflect attention from their own responsibilities. we particularly situs from politicians. but that is not good enough anymore. our challenge is demand and our children's deserve more this time. nobody deserves to win an election by dividing the american people, picking winners and losers, protecting his own party spending and cutting only the other guys spending, putting classes and ethnicities against each other. the truth is we are all in this together, so we to work together to get out of this mess. i will unite our party and i will unite our nation because to solvay $14 trillion problem, we're going to need 300 million people. [applause] leadership in a time of crisis is not you telling people what they think they want to hear.

it is about telling the truth. president barack obama refuses to do that. he has a simple and cynical plan -- pretend there is no crisis and an attack those of us who are willing to stand up and try to solve it. in washington, they may call that smart politics. but i am not from washington. i grew up in minnesota. [applause] i grew up in the hard-working blue-collar town of south st. paul. when i was 2 years old, mom passed away of a varying cancer. a while later, my dad lost his job for awhile. in a situation like that, you see if some things and you learned some things. at a young age, i learned of my value of my faith in god in challenging times and all times. i saw the value of a loving family that rally around each other in times of crisis.

i learned the value of hard work and responsibility for doing my part. i learned education is the ticket to opportunity and i learned the value of a job and a paycheck. i have a chance to work in a grocery store for seven years. i was a union member. i was proud to earn money to pay for school costs and make ends meet. the values i learned are america's values. i know the american dream because i have lived it. i am running for president to keep that dream alive. [applause] the first step toward restoring america's promise is to elect a president who keeps his promises to america. how do i know conservative values can rescue our economy? in minnesota for the last eight

years, they have. i love my state, but let's face it. it is one of the most liberal states in the country. minnesota's big government legacy presented me with the same kind of problems barack obama found in the nation's capital. but my approach and my results were very different. when i became governor, the two- year budget had been increasing 21% every two years for over 40 years. during my eight years as governor, that changed dramatically. i passed a budget that reduced state spending in real terms for the first time in 150 years in my state. [applause] for decades before i got elected, governors tried to get minnesota out of the top 10 highest in taxes. i actually did it. minnesota also face health-care costs that are spiraling out of

control. does that sound familiar? i know how to do health care reform right. no mandates, no takeovers, and it is the opposite of obama care. [applause] i took on the public employee unions before was popular to do it. for example, our government bus drivers had benefits similar to those of breaking budgets in california, illinois, and all over europe. i wanted to bring those benefits in line. the union refused and went on strike. it became one of the longest strikes in the history of the country. people picketed by house, the media trashed me and the buses did not move, but neither did we. on the 45th day of the strike, the in came back to the table and the taxpayers one. -- the taxpayers won.

[applause] today, we have transit -- a transit system that takes commuters for a ride without taking taxpayers for a ride. i stood up to the teachers' unions and established one of the first systems for performance base pay in the country and appointed new conservative justices to the supreme court. they understand judges are supposed to roll to the law, the preferences of their party. you know something about that here in iowa. [applause] in minnesota and washington, the issues were the same -- taxes, spending, health care, unions and the courts. in washington, barack obama has consistently stood for higher taxes, more spending, more government, more powerful special interests, and less individual freedom. in minnesota, i cut taxes, cut

spending, instituted health-care choice and performance pay for people -- for teachers, and appointed constitutional conservatives to the supreme court. that is how you lead a liberal state in a conservative direction. [applause] the problems we face as a nation are severe. but if we can move minnesota in a common-sense direction, we can do it even in washington d.c.. but it is not going to be easy. but it is not supposed to be. this is america and we don't do easy. valley forge was not easy. normandy was not easy. winning the cold war was not easy. if prosperity were easy, everyone around the world would be prosperous. if security or easy, everyone around the world would be secure. if freedom were easy, everyone

would be free. they are not. but americans are because our founding fathers and generations before us shows to be and insisted, sacrificed, and risk everything so that we could be. that is their legacy and now it is our challenge. we are up for it. in 2008, president obama told us he would change america and he has. in 2012, we will change america again, and this time, it will be for the better. [applause] thank you, god bless you, and god bless the united states of america. thank you for coming today. i appreciate it.

[applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] i know the sun is hot and it is making a little bit, but i want to come down here to do a town hall meeting, so we've had a policy speech. now it is time to ask questions and see what's on your mind and make sure you get your questions asked about our campaign or the future vision of the country. there's a microphone to your right. >> you touched on this in your speech, so -- but i rehearsed this and feel like i have to ask. can you expound a more fully -- all want to be reassured because this is one thing that is holding back through the barrier. i have talked several times.

could you explain how you would go about to recommend a supreme court judge -- be specific about like would you recommend more ave scalia type? >> yes. thank you for coming and thank you for your question. i think the republican candidates for president will roll through town and they say i'm for cutting taxes and reducing spending and school choice and reform and accountability and a market- based health care reforms, i'm pro-life, pro traditional marriage, appointing conservative judges, i'm for being tough on terrorism and the like. the words of the various candidates will sound similar. there'll be some differences, but the real question for the people of iowa and the people of america will be not who says the words but who gets it done? who has the record to get these things done?

i have actually done it as an executive and a leader. i have appointed leaders to the minnesota supreme court. i support -- i promoted strict constructionist and i wanted to make sure they respected this fact -- they should interpret and apply the law as written and not substitute their political views. if the law is unclear, they should have the humility to say this is unclear and should be clarified by the legislature or a governor and not write the law on the back of a napkin. [applause] >> hello. you may be able to tell i am a legal immigrant, and when i came over here, i had to sign all kinds of papers saying i was not going to commit a crime and that

should i do so or become dependent upon the state, i could be deported. i wonder what your thoughts are on the illegal immigrants we have in this country that continued to bombard our borders, who are committing crimes by getting here. there are millions of people outside america who are trying to come here legally so they can be registered. they are just as eager to work and make themselves part of our american life. i wonder what your feelings are. >> thank you for your question and thank you for being here, thank you for being here legally. we appreciate that. on these issues it is important to start with first principles. we are a nation that has one of its founding principles role of law, so we need to make sure our

society probably respects that principle. if you have large segments of the population ignoring along and shoving aside, it not only represents legal violations, but he begins to erode the culture. you cannot have a country that says docca rule is so important as a paramount principal and then had people violate a law. go back to new york city in pre- giuliani. we need to make sure that the law is in force. let's start with a positive. this is a great nation and we have benefited greatly from immigration, but it needs to be legal and reasonable and orderly. [applause]

that is not what we have now. let's start with those two principles. let's celebrate legal immigration. on illegal immigration, the first is we have to enforce the border, from a immigration and security perspective. when president bush volunteered people to go to the borders, minnesota volunteer, and we sent troops to the arizona border to reinforce the border until they could get more people down there, and it worked. and forced the border. we needed better system to verify whether people are here legally or not, and it needs the quick and accurate and fair and not burdensome on employers. i issued an order that said if you want to do business with the state, you got to use this system called everify.

i also wanted the visa expiration date on driver's license, so we have a lot of people who come here legally but overstay their legal status. i've proposed during this campaign to put the bees at expiration dates on driver's licenses, and i issued an order and we got it done administratively. minnesota is one of the only states in the country to have that. those are some thoughts, but i had purses paid it in these issues as a leader, not just with words, but also as deeds. yes, sir. >> thank you, governor, and god bless you, and good luck. it is official, jimmy carter is no longer the worst president this country has ever had. what pushed it over the top for me was president obama throwing

israel under the bus. i'm not quite sure and clear and it is an issue that is in the middle of my heart. what -- how the you speak to that? what will you do when you become president to ensure that israel continues to exist as god promised those people? >> great set of comments. thank you very much. mary alluded to this in her introduction, but let me start with the and in mind. there should be no daylight in our words or deeds or actions between the united states of america and israel. no daylight. [applause] we stand shoulder to shoulder with them. they share our values, free

elections, the boxes, free information. mary and i had a chance to be in israel. in terms of the 2012 candidate with the exception of mr. huntsman -- have been to iraq five times, afghanistan three times, visiting troops and giving encouragement. i have been to bosnia and kozo all over the world, including south america and india and had an the other things into your. the point is we have been to the middle east, many other places. we need to make sure that president stands an important for the novel -- an important principle. when you deal with hugs and belize, they understand

strength, not weakness is. the words matter here. coming from the president. when he said the other day for the first time, for an american president of the words we're going to move forward with a palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, that sets off all kinds of messaging, not only to the enemies of israel, but also sends the message that there is a crevice or a break between united states and israel. that is dangerous for them. it is dangerous for our national security interests. it is dangerous for a america. to assure you if i'm given the opportunity and responsibility to lead this nation as president, america will stand shoulder to shoulder with israel. [applause] >> governor, health care

expenses are exorbitant. they are increasing exponentially on a daily basis. chronic disease is a huge cost driver of our health care system. what would you do to help reduce the cost of chronic disease? >> that is a great question. thank you for it. you should use some sbf, by the way. the question about health care, chronic disease. most of you know there are a few conditions in health care that most -- that consume most of the money, and they include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, and a few other conditions. there is a lot of the form that needs to be done in the health- care system, but one of the most powerful is this -- when people have chronic conditions that they need care for, it is in their best interest and our best

interest to get them to the places that provide the best care, because there are huge differences. if you have a chronic condition and the cost -- the good of the best places possible for your care, and people did not know that. if you think about how hard it is the find out rankings or measures of quality of health care providers and outcomes, and information about what it costs, it is very difficult. i would like one of the reforms to be in health care. we did this in minnesota. say to providers, we are going to pay you more if you have not just more volumes of procedures, but better outcomes and results, and we want to incentivize consumers, patients, to giet them to the best places. if you go to a place with higher quality, you will get your rebate check or something like that.

if its people to better care, health care outcomes, and it saves money for them. one example, we said to our state employees, you can go where you like, but if you pick somewhere that has that results or high costs, you will pay more, and he could do some place with better results, you will pay less. 80% of them migrated to more efficient and increasingly higher quality plants, and the premium increases in those plans have been dramatically below market during my time as governor. there is a powerful examples as well. type i diabetes and it does not get treated, you did not get the best care, it can lead to dangerous situations, organ failure, and the cases, and it is not good for the patient and the expense of to take care of once it reaches that level of morbidity. the better path is to make sure we have mayo clinic level

standards to treat patients to incentivize them and their providers to use the best practices and pay them more if they get better outcomes, and guess what -- it will save us money and people get hotter, and we will have a better health care system, and that is the direction we're headed. >> [inaudible] i was wondering what are your plans to do away with it the best that or to handle our economic crisis if i could comment on your teacher. there is a group in iowa and it is going to be a big part of that caucus discussion. it is led by a person who is an expert in something called -- how you make government more efficient, quicker, faster, more affordable. we used it in minnesota, and it works. i have raised my hand and said

i want to be the first candidate to sign up for the strong america now initiative. [applause] >> it was the first thing that ever gave me hope that our country can make it. >> i want mary to get it in our house for our daughters, get the grass mowed quicker, the whole deal. on the at large issue, the deficit and debt, let me be blunt. the number one responsibility of a united states federal government is national security. we've got to stay focused on that. right after that, if we did not get this debt under control, it will take down our country from within. i am running for president because i want to fix the deficit and get this economy growing again. [applause] on the spending side, if you look at the outlet of federal spending, apply chart, red means

things that are not discretionary, so medicare, medicaid, social security, interest, a few other entitlement programs, that read part is already over the halfway line, and the rate is growing it will be over the three-quarters line in the not too distant future. the rest of it is almost all defense. we got to look the american people in the eye and say there's no way out of this unless we're willing to reform the entitlement programs and the other spending programs. it will not be easy, but if we are not willing to say it and cannot get the country to do it, we're just wasting our time, and this is going to be one of the last chances we are right to get to do it because if you look at the set-aside of the political nonsense, it took over pretty hard for recent. we do not have 20 years or 15 years or even 10 years.

politicians say this is the collection that really matters. look at the numbers and you will see that that is true, and we need a new president. barack obama does not have the courage to do this or the political abilities to take it on. i will, and you will hear about that when we go to florida tomorrow and speak about these issues directly. >> governor, we have time for one more question. >> we got a lot of folks in the eye and say the retirement age for the next generation, people coming into the workforce, is on tap to go up. we are going to have like means testing, but we are at the point althy people who are wed are not going to get their cost- of-living adjustment. those two things can go a long way toward solving the social

security problem. on medicare, we have a 1950 system that pays providers based on volumes of services and regional cost history. we do not want to measure our system and pay for how much volume at how much he charged in the past. we want to measure our system on whether people that we want to take care of are getting better, whether there outcomes are improving. we want to introduce competition into that market and not have it be some mystery as to what the quality measurements are and what the prices are. medicaid, which should block grant the whole thing to the states, that they should use for health care to the poor, but shut off the autopilot feature, thingock grant whole to the states. you will see tremendous results. one more and we will leave. we in the back there. the last row.

>> as a high-school student, who goes to school only a couple miles from here, i've seen the worst and best of our educational system. can you tell us more about what you did in minnesota to help improve education here and what you would do as president to help education across the country? >> if you look at iowa and minnesota, we compete in a lot of things. one of those is who has the highest act scores and the country. it goes back and forth, but lately we have been doing well. we of other great statistics in minnesota. act scores highest in the country. some of the highest college attainment rates in the country. we took the international test scores as if we were a country by ourselves in the late 1990 toss in math and science and were approaching 20th in the

world. you might say that sounds pretty good. things are good in education in minnesota, and overall they are. that is only true if you look at the average. he peeled back the onion and look at the results for children who live in areas of concentrated disadvantage or come from challenging situations like broken homes or neighborhoods or committees that are disadvantaged, the results are not very good at all, and in fact they are awful. we need courageous in education reform. most of this is a state and local and care issue, not a federal issue. it is important we lend a voice to it. a couple ideas. we know the most important thing -- determining factor about how a child is gone to do in school is their parents. when wanted everything we can to encourage and to get people involved as the parents who are engaged and helpful and on task when it comes to parents and their children and being engaged

in their children's educational life. we know many parents struggle to do that for a variety of reasons. we want to support it as best we can with our policies. a lot of that does not have to be in government. there are many organizations that can help with that too. the number -- the second most important determining factor is the effectiveness of their teachers. who goes into teaching? the minimum requirement that we have for who we let into colleges of teaching, what they learned when they're there, rigorous, robust and relevant. do we have minimum requirements to let the good teacher? once they're teaching them what do we track and make sure that are producing good results, and if not, do we have the ability to support them, and if they do not and cannot, do we have the ability to remove them from the system? that is not the current system.

the whole teacher reform movement needs to happen. if you are fortunate not have a good teacher for your primary school several years in a row, you are going to do well. if you are unlucky and did not have this teachers, your results are not very good, and the likelihood of you catching up is not strong. we need to do something else. we need to break open the monopoly, the 1940 postindustrial one size fits all monopoly that is our public education system. i do not know about you, but i do not like things anymore at our top down, command and control, government-run monopolies and vision in the and if you do not like it, too bad. [applause]

we will close with this, but if you are fortunate enough to have resources and save your school is not serving your children, i will opt out. that is great if you have resources. for a lot of families they do not and they are trapped in the awful system, and if you want to see one of the most sad things you ever see in your life, when you watch "the for superman -- "waiting for superman," a young hispanic girl, they highlight how her and her mom are working so hard under difficult circumstances to keep her focus on her school, put in incredible amounts of time, and her hope is at the end of the year she might get a lottery number to go to one of the charter schools to as the first hole because it is so bad and so awful. she is trying her hardest and she is just a little girl. she is hoping and working and

doing her homework and working hard and they're taking buses and finally the day of a lottery comes, and the ball comes down the chute to see whose members can call. kerr number did not get called. by the end that movie, our hair was standing on the back and -- weand we were shorure should not have a country where a girl has to have her future hinge on whether she can escape her government's mindless monopoly school system. so i am for school choice in all forms. people want to stay in government schools, creeks. if you want to have charter schools and have another public option, great.

if you want to have home schooling, fabulous. some of the best students in our state, fabulous. we live in the ipad world when people get with their choice, as fast as they want it, and they tell the government to catch or get out of the way, because we are moving on. i want to thank you for coming. i was called to apologize for the sun beating down on you, but after the spring, it feels good to me. i hope it feels good to you. i am " excited about this race. i hope you continue to support our efforts and know we will be back here many times. let's get this country back on track and restore a merkel's --

the mayor of's -- america's promise. thank you very much. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> governor pawlenty announced his bid for their nomination last night. his announcement came hour after toch daniels' decision not run. content tour cal kicks off this weekend. a look at the book industry with local book sellers, and also american history events. the hidden history of angola,

the settlement of 750 former slaves who fought two wars against the u.s. watch it this weekend on c-span2 and c-span3. >> follow the house and senate when you want. the congressional chronicle makes it easy to find information about your elected officials, each day's committee hearings, and video of house and senate sessions. congressional chronicle at c- span.org/congress. >> tonight come jacob lew addresses the economic club of washington. live coverage at 8:00 eastern on c-span3. also, benjamin netanyahu will be speaking before the american

israel public affairs committee annual conference, along with john boehner and harry reid. live coverage at 8:45 p.m. on c- span2. >> no one succeeds in life by themselves. you must be willing to lead others, listen to others, and love of others. >> watch 2011 commencement speeches on c-span memorial day weekend. online at the c-span video library, where you can search and shared every event we have covered from 1987 through today. you are watching c-span, britney yoo politics and public affairs every morning. "washington journal," acting you

with officials, policy makers, and journalists. also, supreme court oral arguments on the weekends. on the weekend, signature kegras programs. you can also watch programming any time at c-span.org and it is all searchable at this season and video library. c-span, washington your way, a public service created by a mayor of moscow -- america's cable companies. >> the house returns. live now to the u.s. house.

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from north carolina rise? ms. foxx: mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privilege 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 269, resolution providing for consideration of the bill h.r. 216 to amend the public health service act to provide for

graduate education and teacher health centers to appropriations providing for the consideration of the bill h.r. 1540, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities for the department of defense and military construction, describe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2012 and other purposes and waiving a requirement of craws clause 6a of rule 13 with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the committee on rules. the speaker pro tempore: referred to house calendar and ordered printed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order, h.r. 1627y by the yeas and nays, h.r. 13 3 by the yeas and nays, h.r. 1467 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will

be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida, mr. miller to pass h.r. 2567 as amended. the clerk: union calendar number 45, h.r. 1627, a bill to amend title 3, united states code to provide for certain requirementers in placement of monuments in arlington national cemetery and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 380, the nays are zero. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1383 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1383, a bill to temporarily preserve higher rates for tuition and fees for freshmans -- programs of education at nonpublic institutions of higher learning, pursued by individuals enrolled in the post-9/11 educational assistance program of the department of veterans affairs before the enactment of the post-9/11 veterans educational assistance improvements act of 2010 and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the

bill as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 389, the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the bill is passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida, mr.

miller to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1657. the clerk: union calendar 112-146, h.r. 1657, as a small business concern owned and controlled by reference or owned and controlled by service disabled veterans. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill? members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 385rk the nays are one. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri rise? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to be removed as co-sponsor from h.r. 1380. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the house will be in order. please remove conversations from the floor.

the house will be in order. will members please clear the well. the chair is prepared to entertain one-minute requests. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman will suspend. the. >> the --

mr. wilson: the price of gasoline has more than doubled. the president promised to skyrocket energy costs and that's what happened. house republicans are leading the way in implementing a sound domestic energy plan aimed to reduce gas prices. this plan seeks to expand domestic energy production while creating jobs here in america. republicans and the house -- in the house have successfully passed the starting american offshore leasing now act. this bill provides immediate relief at the gas pump while creating jobs for americans. it will increase domestic energy production and create jobs by conducting oil and natural gas lease sales. house republicans are addressing the need for more immediate relief from rising prices at the pump along with a long-term mission of a domestic energy policy plan. we need to work together for an all of the above american energy plan. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we'll never forget

september 11 my sympathy to the family of richard brian wilson, a dedicated patriot from columbia, south carolina. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas rise? ms. jackson lee: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. jackson lee: as we begin this week and look to the -- to memorializing our fallen soldiers, it's appropriate to think about osama bin laden. but the country in which this incident occurred deserves peace for its people. pakistan has had another incident of the taliban going on a base and killing soldier sms our sympathy for the loss of the innocent but we call upon the pakistani military to begin to address the terror of the taliban and work to help the pakistani people. as the money is being assessed

for how it will be distributed, there must be an aguess to this violence. i call upon our friends in pakistan to recognize that we in the united states are friends and we must work together to eliminate al qaeda and the terror terrorizing the people of pakistan. once and for all. there must be a unified effort to establish peace, tran quaility and democracy. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. poe: a failed attempt to pay solomon, the president decided to split the nation of israel in two. he wants israel to give away more land to the palestinians in the name of peace. israel has a history of giving up land and still has no peace. the president's proposal would make israel a land it could not defend. prime minister netanyahu has said no to the president. where does the united states

get the omnipotent power to tell any country it should give away part of their sovereign land? what if netanyahu told the united states we should divide up our land and swap it among our citizens? we should not stand for watch. the -- for such is. the disagreement must be solved by the two groups. we should not take the side of palestine over israel. that shows contempt for the people of israel. and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from north dakota rise? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. oodtide like to con garage late grant holdings a fargo-based company that received the e ea ward. it's the highest award the u.s. government gives in recognition of an american entity in its relationship to trade. north dakota is no stranger to

the benefits of trade. in the past year, exports have grown over 15% in north dakota. since the founding of our trade office six years ago, exports have nearly tripled. mr. berg: founded in 1992, grant holdings company has also become and had a steady path of growth. with consolidated offices in fargo, north dakota, the company is diversified and operates in four divisions, agricultural, construction, real estate and an entertainment division. i applaud grant holding companies for their efforts to increase trade in north dakota and also for the rest of our country and congratulate them on receiving this prestigious award. i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one

minute. >> i rise today to congratulate hopkins boys' basketball coach on being named espn's national coach of the year after leading hopkins to their third straight championship title. for ken jr. coaching basketball at hopkins is a family business of sorts. his father, ken sr., coached the hopkins royal for 19 years, including his son. but in 1990, ken jr. stepped into his father's shoes and began coaching at hopkins. mr. paulsen: coach novak would lead the team to a record of 542-74 record and six state titles. coach novak turned hopkins into a basketball powerhouse that had won only two state titles before his arrival. gration, coach novak, on winning espn's coach of the year title and for leading such outstanding student athletes. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: jiret.

for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. davis: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise to congratulate the providence st. male high school. small high school on the block where i used to live. that sends all of its young people to college and have been doing so for the last 20 years. i congratulate its principal, dr. paul adams, all of the students and their families, providence st. male, what a way to go. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. mr. lungren: thank you very much, mr. speaker. today the united states supreme court delivered a body blow to the safety of the people of my home state of california. today in an unprecedented action of judicial intell rans, the united states supreme court basically ordered that between 38,000 and 46,000 prisoners

currently in the california prison system be released. many times supreme court decisions are of mere academic interest. this one specifically deals with the safety of the people of my home state. as one who led a team of attorneys generals of the states of the nation in the 1990's to have prison litigation reform which was incorporated into a law that was passed by the congress and signed by the president this flies in the face of every piece of that bill. you rarely say this, but i fear that there will be murders, there will be rapes, there will be assaults, there will be unnamed and unnumbered crimes in my home state as a direct result of today's decision by the u.s. supreme court. since when did they take over all of the three branches of government? becoming the executive branch,

the legislative branch and the judicial branch. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: h.r. 793 arnings act to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 12781 sir francis drake boulevard in california as the specialist jake robert villanova post office. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives i have the honor

to transmit a sealed envelope received from the white house on may 23, 2011, at 5:15 p.m., and said to contain a message from the president whereby he submits a copy of an executive order he has issued with respect to further sanctions on iran. best wishes, i am, signed sincerely, karen l. haas, clerk of the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will read the message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states, pursuant to the international emergency economic powers act i hereby report that i have issued an executive order that takes additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared an executive order 12957 of march 15, 1995, and implement the existing statutory requirements of the iran sanctions act of 1996. as amended by interalia, the comprehensive iran sanctions accountability and divestment act of 2010, public law 197-195.

this order is intended to implement this statutory requirement to i.s.a., certain i.s.a. sanctions require actions by the private sector and the order will further the implementation of those i.s.a. sanctions by providing authority under ieepa to the secretary of the treasury to take certain actions with respect to those sanctions. i have delegated to the secretary of the treasury the authority in consultation with the secretary of state to take such actions including the promulgation of rules rulse and regulations and to employ all powers granted to the president by ieepa and the relevant provisions of i.s.a. and to employ all powers granted to the united states government by the relevant provision of i.s.a. as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order. all executive agencies of the united states government are directed to take all appropriation measure ofs -- measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of the order. i am enclosing a copy of the

executive order i have issued. signed, barack obama, the white house, may 23, 2011. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered printed. for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas voiced for one minute. mr. gohmert: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm about to file a bill, its number will be determined later but it expresses support for the state of israel's right to defend israeli sovereignty, to protect the lives and safety of the israeli people and to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by the islamic republic of iran, including the use of military force, if no other peaceful solution be found in a reasonable time to protect against such immediate and immediate threat to the state of israel. we have a president who doesn't know history as well as he should or he would be aware that

last thursday instead of saying with his spokesman, i guess, saying, gee, this was the starting point for all negotiations, actually the facts are that the clinton administration pushed the prime minister into basically that proposal and it's my belief that just as i believe that god hardened the heart of pharaoh when moses made his q he hardened arafat's heart, he rejected the offer and it does not need to be made again. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following personal request. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. ellison of minnesota for today, mr. frelinghuysen of new jersey for today, mr. hastings of washington for today and the balance of the week, mr. hinojosa of texas for today, ms.

mccollum of minnesota for today and mr. markey of massachusetts for today, mrs. napolitano of california for today, mrs. pastor from florida for today and tuesday, may 24, and mr. sutton of ohio for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the requests are granted. under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentlewoman from the sixth district -- i'm sorry, from vermont -- from the virgin islands, mrs. christensen, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee for the minority leader. mrs. christensen: thank you, mr. speaker. and i'm pleased to lead the congressional black caucus in this hour to talk about jobs and the need for job creation in communities across this country. and before i begin i'd like to

skrks mr. speaker, unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this special order which is jobs. amid reports of improvement in the economy and the april jobs report was one of those examples, we were in a steady, slow recovery. but that recovery has not been felt by the millions of americans who are out of work or working jobs that are well below their potential. and no more is the pain felt than in the african-american community where unemployment is high in good times but now remains the highest of all population groups in this country at 16.1%. and so along with saving homes, job creation remains a primary focus of the congressional black caucus and of house democrats. we are determined to build on the more than three million jobs created or saved by the american

recovery and reinvestment act. and so a key part of this effort before we left for last week's constituent work period, house democrats launched a make it in america agenda which we wholeheartedly support. over the past three years we've passed legislation to prevent multinational corporations from outsourcing jobs overseas, to give tax credits to small businesses to hire new employees, to restore the credit to small businesses, because they are the engine of our economy and of the job creation. our make it in america agenda continues and expands on that effort by a number of pieces of legislation introduced by members of the democratic caucus. legislation to support developing a national strategy to increase manufacturing, to invest in infrastructure and support the flow of commerce, to keep our country competitive in the global marketplace, to further support small business, to develop an innovative education policy and to put smart regulations in place which

protect our people and our environment while improving government efficiency. democrats have already introduced bills to further these goals and we're calling on the republican leadership to end the assault on health care reform and the blocking of the green economy. we need to build. asking them to support both of these important pillars of president obama's agenda which will create jobs and i ask them to bring on job creating legislation to the floor. at this time, mr. speaker, i'd like to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from georgia, congressman david scott. mr. scott: thank you very much and i want to commend you, congresslady christensen, for your leadership, and for what you're doing. ladies and gentlemen of america and this congress, our economy is struggling. and nowhere is it struggling more than in the area of unemployment and joblessness. and correspondingly with home

foreclosures and the value of our housing stock going down, those are the two very serious points on the compass that we have got to declare an emergency situation on. because they're both so very related. if a man does not have a job or a young laidy does not have a job, how can they stay in their home? and so, i want to just talk for just a few minutes about, one, how -- really can't figure how to get out of a situation unless you stop and you think of how you got into it. the one thing i noticed about people who have lost their sight, they may need a little help as they come to get into a room, but i tell you that person without hits sight -- his sight feels his way of how he got into that room and how he gets out of

that room, he can feel his way back out. so it might do well for us just to pause for a moment and we go back to our economic down jrn turn -- downturn, there were some failures that we made. we rushed, rightfully so in many respects, to bail out wall street, to bail out america's big business structure. we did that. we had to unfreeze the credit markets on wall street in order to keep it moving. but if there's one thing we learned from our previous very challenging economic difficulties and the most recent one being the depression, we got out of that depression by not only making sure that our big companies, makering sure that wall street and our -- making sure that wall street and our bankers and our investors and our multinational corporations

were able to survive, our failure was that we did nothing to help main street at the same time. and the one thing we learned in the depression is, yes, you got to do both. you got to put money at the top, you got to put it in the middle of the economic stream and at the lower end of the economic stream because you have to get people spending money. jobs are created when people spend money. we are mass consumption society. which means our economy moves not on the wealthy being able to go buy a car, our economy moves on being thousands and millions of people being able to buy the car, to buy the clothes, to buy the food and the restaurants. you are a failure to do that and so we had a top-down economic recovery instead of a top-middle

-- top, middle and bottom at the same time. so here we are. and that's why right now our multicorporations are having staggering profits, our c.e.o.'s are making huge salaries and bonuses, all that we help and i don't begrudge them. i am a believer in capitalism. i graduated from the citadel of capitalism, the wateren school of finance. i'm a business man. so i don't begrudge that. but what i do begrudge is our failure to help the little fella. now we're beginning to do that. but what we must do is realize all this time, we're in this recovery almost three years and we have 13 million americans

without work. we have a national unemployment of 8.7%. it's coming down. some of our policies are working. in my own state of georgia, our unemployment rate is a staggering 9.9%. 563 georgians are without work. so that means that we're not doing enough. there are certain areas we can work in. for example, we need to evaluate the programs that we say we have put out there to help with the unemployment level. now we know we have put a program together which will give corporations a 6% reduction or reduction of their part of the payroll tax if they hire an unemployed person. well, where's the report card on that?

how is that doing? that's one of the things that we need to get -- we need measurement. to see how successful it really is. we need to also look to the future and look at what policies we can put together with corporations, because what we're doing is not enough. i would submit that wouldn't it be interesting and wouldn't it be worthy of consideration, we know, for example, that we have the -- just about the highest corporate tax rate in the world. clearly our multinational, our largest corporations, our largest employers want to see that corporate tax rate come down. many want it to come down to 25%. i am on the side of taking a look at that. because we don't want to have the highest corporate tax rate in the world. it hurt ours marketplace, it

hurts everything. we know that. that's an issue. but what we must do, we know these multinational corporations are having a record now of outsourcing jobs, should not we have a consideration with them at the table? ok, you want your corporate tax rate reduced, let's talk about how you can stop sending jobs out of this country. we need americans who are working at american jobs in america. i think that these large employers and corporations with these international markets will be willing to sit down and say, you know what? in exchange for us getting our corporate tax rate down, here's what we can do to start bringing in our manufacturing and bring it back to america.

so that we can make things in america. one of the reasons why we've got such a high jobless rate is because we don't make anything here anymore. manufacturing is the main source of jobs. we lost that. we can use this as an incentive to these companies. ok, we can bring the corporate tax rate down but we want you to bring those jobs back here and we want you to start making things in this country. let's look out for america. look out for us. that is something that we can do. and so -- so madam congress lady from the virgin islands, you're doing a wonderful job with this this is the number one issue facing this country.

i can't tell you how desperate people become when they can't find work sms -- work. i can't tell you how depressed people become when people are used to working and they wake up every morning with no place to go. or they have to make certain decisions and some can't find food or buy the food to feed their families. that is the situation we're in with these 13 million american people and we can do better, we've got to evaluate what we're doing and put more creative things on the table, such as the corporate tax. let us tie that to corporations bringing these jobs back. and doing what they can to help turn our country back into a

manufacturing base. when you lose your capacity, when this country lost its capacity to be the leader of the world in making things, we lost a lot. and by george, we need to get it back. and that's the way america will survive and that's the way we'll bring this unemployment rate down. thank you. mrs. christensen: thank you, congressman scott, thank you for calling attention to the need to restore manufacturing -- the manufacturing base in this country. as democrats are attempting to do with our make it in america ageneral ta. and thank you for reminding everyone that main street is still not taken care of and that there's a critical connection between the jobs crisis and the housing crisis. and why they need to be dealt with now as an emergency. and i would just call on our

leadership, the republican leadership to, you know, let's stop trying to unravel president obama's agenda, which is an agenda that creates jobs. we've been here almost five months and not one job has been created by any legislation the majority has brought to the floor. time to get busy. main street is calling on us. at this time, i would like to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from illinois, congressman danny davis. mr. davis: thank you very much. let me commend you for the tremendous leadership that you provide to this effort. each monday evening. you know, as i was thinking about it, i was thinking of the fact that people who observe racing often describe horses in two ways. sometimes they're the show horse, and then there's the work horse. i guess when it comes to working as a member of

congress, i don't think you have any peer. as a matter of fact, you have led our efforts. we came into the congress at the same time. we're classmates. and you've led our efforts on health care, you've led our efforts on making sure that natural resources were divided in a serious way, and you're leading our efforts as the first vice chairman of the congressional black caucus. so i'm pleased to join with you this evening. you know, as we consider policies to help americans, and our nation -- help americans and our nation recover from the worst economic crisis in our history, and i'll never forget this gentleman but i remember something that dr. martin luther king said at one time, he said that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

i agree with him. this is indeed a time of challenge for our country. with the current unemployment rate of 9.9% and expected rate over 8% for the next several years. and record levels of food insecurity and foreclosures. as in many other states, the average unemployment rate in illinois during 2010 for blacks was above 15%. above 13% for latinos. with persistencely high unemployment numbers, the need for federal unemployment assistance remains a vital lifeline for millions of our citizens. in january of 2011, the share of unemployed workers who had been without work for over six

months was 33.8%, one of the highest percentages on record, translating to about 6.2 million workers remaining unemployed for longer than six months. in april of 2011, just under 185,000 illinoisans received extended unemployment benefits with an estimated 100,000 illinoisans exhausting the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment assistance in 2010. although our economy is gradually gaining, we cannot ignore the fact that the economic crisis remains a daily reality for millions of americans. nor can we ignore the fact that the crisis unevenly affects african-american and latino americans. during times of challenge, i

sincerely believe that the mantle of responsibility for caring for the poor and struggling falls squarely on the shoulders of government, not primarily on the charity of individual citizens. in such times of hardship and strife, government leaders should extend help to the needy, not advance the wealth of the most secure. for this reason, i am deeply disappointed in the republican bill moving in the house that would hurt both our economy and the long-term unemployed. some of the most vulnerable citizens in our nation. the republican plan would essentially curtail assistance to americans struggling with prolonged unemployment so that states could lower their debt to the federal government. this approach is bad for the

economy and bad for americans. unemployment insurance is one of the most effective methods of stimulating the economy because the unemployed workers spend most of the money that they get on critical purchases such as food and housing. other than the alternatives offered by the republican bill. if we allow this $31 billion to go to state debt reduction, there's no new economic activity and millions of families will not be able to put food on their table or roofs over their head. it is not only the four million workers who currently receive long-term unemployment benefits who will suffer, it is our businesses as well. the retail sector has been hard hit by this recession. cutting unemployment benefits

for millions of people would take a tremendous toll on these businesses as well. the congressional budget office estimates that current law generates approximately $40 billion in economic activity and creates about 322,000 jobs. enacting the republican approach would dramatically reduce the economic stimulus of our federal government and cut jobs. unemployment benefits only provide on average $290 a week. which typically replaces only half of the average family's expenses. this support is not a free ride, or a boon for families. it is a critical lifeline during a national emergency to help our citizens who are suffering. "the wall street journal" reported that roughly one million people across the nation couldn't find work after exhausting their unemployment

benefits. there are about seven million fewer jobs now than at the beginning of the great recession and the department of labor day ta show that there are over four unemployed americans for every job. needing unemployment assistance is about not being able to find work in a weak economy with limited job opportunities. it's not about being lazy. the republican bill is not a jobs bill. it is a jilting the jobless bill. it pits states that are struggling with large deficits against the millions of americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. i urge that we continue the fight to secure improvements in this proposal to protect the hundreds of millions of hard working americans who need the government's help to weather the extended storm of economic

hardship. i commend you again for your tremendous leadership, thank you very much for leading this effort, and i yield back my time. mrs. christensen: thank you, congressman davis, for joining us this evening and thank you for your kind words. i am very proud to be part of the congressional black caucus made up of 43 work horses and just glad to be able to work along with all of them. thank you for calling attention to the need to extend unemployment benefits to the many who are still without a job. the jobs are just not there and the republican majority is not creating any. we need to continue this lifeline to our families and the communities they live in. thank you for raising that issue again. mr. davis: thank you. mrs. christensen: at this time i'd like to yield to the gentleman from virginia, congressman bobby scott. mr. scott: thank you, thank you. i appreciate you yielding time and appreciate you bringing to the attention of the american public the need for continued

support for those who are unemployed. the current economic climate has taken a toll on many families across the nation and while the economy may be growing, there's still almost 14 million unemployed people nationally and the unemployment rate is hovering at 9%. we need to take serious steps to address this crisis and create policies that create jobs. from the long-term perspective, we need to be investing in our work force, by investing in education and job training through early ed -- beginning with early childhood education and continuing through college and vocational education as well as adult education and training. unfortunately the republican budget makes huge cut ises -- cuts in our nation's education system by cutting investments in education by over 50% and zeroing out many job training investments. these cuts include services such as elementary and secondary education, educational

innovation, career and technical education, cuts to community colleges and post-secondary education. the budget also cuts the maximum pell grant, a vital program that makes college affordable for young students and takes away eligibility for over a million students. so we should be trying to work to get people back to work and increase innovation so we ought to be spending more, not less. but with these cuts fewer people will have a, access to education and training they need to fuel the economic productivity and compete for the good jobs that are occurring in our labor market today. so on a long-term basis we need to ensure that we're building a strong and capable work force. in the short-term we need to make sure that people who have lost their jobs during the recession are not left out in the cold. for every one job opening there are over four people applying for jobs.

this means that whatever the job applicant does to help themselves, they'll still be -- there will still be many people left out in the cold to. add insult to injury, many africans are not getting consideration for jobs because they have been unemployed for too long. many employers will screen applicants and require that they are holding a job to be considered for a new job, if they find out that you're unemployed, many employers will not consider them for employment. so those who are looking for a job and have been looking for a job for a lightning time find that it's even -- for a lightning time find that it's even harder finding a job and these are people who have been unemployed for 60, 90 or even 99 weeks. they've been cut off from unemployment insurance and not giving a fair shot at a job that they're applying for. focus should be particularly on how to -- what to do about the long-term unemployed and keep the -- keep them on their feet.

in february congresswoman barbara lee from california and i introduced the emergency unemployment compensation extension act to provide 14 additional weeks for unemployment compensation for the chronically unemployed so that they can stay afloat during their job search, at least until our recession is over and jobs have returned. the emergency unemployment compensation act would if passed give these hardworking americans a little more time to find a job without having to worry about making ends meet. now, we have to note that receipt of unemployment compensation is continued first on the fact that you lost your job through no fault of your own and that you are actively looking for a job and will accept a reasonable job. so these are conditions of receiving unemployment compensation. unfortunately this compassionate bill has been stalled in committee and the majority of the house has not taken action

on it. to make matters worse, just a few weeks ago a new bill has been introduced in the house which will actually weaken the unemployment compensation program, they call it the jobs, opportunity, benefits and services act, they call it the jobs act, and it will allow states to divert federal funds received to pay for unemployment compensation to other purposes including tax cuts. that so-called jobs lact allow states to terminate payment of unemployment benefits, potentially eliminating $40 billion in economic activity according to c.b.o. estimates. so not only are we they failing to extend benefits during a time of constant high unemployment, some now want to cut off benefits altogether. critics of the unemployment compensation believe that providing unemployment benefits will give people an incentive not to work. if people receiving unemployment

compensations were merely collecting benefits as long as they have, can, without looking for a job, but a condition of receiving the benefits, one of the conditions is you have to be actively looking for a job. while that criticism may apply to a few badal annapolisles, the overwhelm magazine jort of americans who are -- a few bad apples, the overwhelming majority of americans who are unemployed want work instead of collecting a check from the government, many of these checks on a national average will average $260 a week. clearly not enough for a family to survive. the overwhelm magazine jort of chronically unemployed do not want a handout, they would like a job. and while we have -- while unemployment compensation helps the unemployed, unemployment benefits also help the economy. economists estimate that in the u.s. economy, the u.s. economy goes about $1.61 for every $1

the government spends on unemployment compensation because unemployed people will spend every dime right away. this is in stark contrast to the economic activity generated by tax cuts which in many of the tax cuts will generate about 17 cents of economic activity for every $1 of tax cuts. this is the $1.61 for every $1 in unemployment compensation. so simply put, the unemployment compensation is one of the most effective and efficient ways to stimulate the economy and we should be focusing on providing this kind of support and stimulus to the economy in conjunction with making bold investments in our education system and our work force. we need to make sure that we make those long-term investments in education and job training, we also need to make sure that we have a compassionate short-term solution by providing the safety net for millions of americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and haven't found a job yet. these jobs just don't exist and we also have to oppose the

elimination of unemployment compensation by redirecting those funds to whatever the states may want including tax cuts. that is simply wrong. so i thank you for pointing out the need for the unemployment compensation program to continue and even be improved and oppose those initiatives that want to sabotage unemployment compensation system. i yield back. mrs. christensen: thank you. thank you, congressman scott, and thank you for reminding us that we're really not out of a recession and this is a time to -- where we need to invest and to continue those unemployment benefits and thank you for talking about the people who are unemployed. we hear so many misconceptions spread about people who are receiving unemployment. they really do -- would prefer to have a job. they are actively looking, as you pointed out, to be able to receive those unemployment benefits. and it's a shame the way that some of our colleagues speak

about people who are really trying to find a job, where there's no jobs to be found, and need that extra help. so i really appreciate your coming and joining us this evening. one of the other things that the congressional black caucus has been advocating for is summer jobs for our young people. it's important for us to have meaningful -- to have them meaningfully occupied and employed during that summer vacation and it seems like we're going back to what we used to have to do in the previous administration and, you know, keep begging and begging for summer jobs for our young people. it's critically important. i don't understand why there's so much objection to our building a green economy. if we don't we'll be left behind the rest of the world in this important sector. creating that economy would build on the tens of thousands of jobs that were created with the american recovery and

reinvestment act. moving -- and moving from true renewable energy and the jobs that will create is good for our environment, it will slow climate change, it is good for our health and it's good for our economy. it would build jobs, sustainable jobs, and help us to build a strong and more sustainable economy for the future. it's good for profit, it's good for the planet and it's good for people. i want to just talk a little bit about the patient protection and affordable care act because -- will will the gentlelady yield? -- >> will the gentlelady yield? mrs. christensen: yes. mr. scott: it's so important you mentioned jobs for young people. it helps get them on the right track and used to a working environment and gets them set for their future life. but also with so many people unemployed today in the construction area and at a time when we have trillions of dollars in need in terms of

roads and bridges and tunnels and other infrastructure projects, this is a time where we really ought to be investing in those for our future, those projects would be coming in, the bids on those projects would be at the lowest they've been historically, so as you pay for them over the course of time with bonds, you'll be paying at a much lower rate and those needs are certainly there today. so we need to make those investments in job creation in terms of roads and bridges and other infrastructure, it's a great time to do it and the people need those jobs. mrs. christensen: thank you for adding that issue to the discussion this evening. and let me just go back to the patient protection aye and aforlble care act because despites its immediate and projected successes, our friends on the other side of the aisle continue their efforts to repeal and underfund the patient protection and affordable care act. despite the rhetoric to the contrary, this new law lifts

more than 30 million americans out of the ranks of the uninsured, protects the health care consumer from unjust practices that have occurred in our health care system for far too many decades and preserves and improves the health, health care and wellness of some of our nation's most vulnerable residents, our children and our seniors. my colleagues and i have and will continue to highlight the health consequences that would result if these attacks on health care reform ever moved from a policy proposal to enactment and we will continue to oppose any attempts to undermine this important law. it's critically important to remember, though, also, that while repealing health care reform will have very obvious, very negative impacts on health and wellness, repeal of any part of the law created by the affordable care act will also have a equally horrendous impact on the economy and more directly on jobs. the data is in, it's indisputable. there's no evidence that health

care reform hurts our elem nates jobs. in fact, -- or eliminates jobs. since the bill was passed, that has been private sector growth month after month after month, leading to the creation of a total of 1.4 million new private sector jobs. and we're counting. further of these 1.4 million new jobs that were created, both directly and indirectly from health care reform, 243,000 of them, almost a quarter of a million of them, are directly in the health care sector. and all of this job growth and job expansion has occurred in just one year. while that's good news, there's even better news that came out of a recent study out of harvard university which found that health care reform as enacted by the patient protection and affordable care act would create up to four million jobs over the next 10 years. compare that to eight years of policies under the previous administration that literally

eliminated 673,000 private sector jobs while at the same time christmaser baiting our nation's -- exacerbating our nation's plight one insurance and health disparities. once you make the comparison, which policy is better for american jobs, for the health and wellness of americans and for the nation as a whole? is repealing health care reform better when we know that the repeal not only would increase medical spending, the repeal would increase medical spending by $125 billion by the end of this decade and increase family insurance premiums by nearly $2,000 every year. but it will also destroy as many as 400,000 jobs every year over the next decade. the answer's simply no we need to stay on this path, one with an upward trajectory because it is a path that not only includes is a path that not only includes a transformed health care