just said, did not pay enough taxes. i looked it up one time, and the federal government members said that the top 2% -- this is federal income tax -- paid about 40-some-odd percent of the total taxes. the upper 10% pay about 74% of the total taxes. the lower 50% pay zero -- actually, i think it was 3%. host: ok, kathy, can you give us the answer? guest: the numbers are slightly different, but the upper 5%, $150,000 or more, pay 60% of all federal income taxes. as i said earlier, about 47% of americans, either because of lower income or because they get tax credits, paid no federal income taxes. those are not the only chance of even federal taxes that we

pay. we pay social security, things like that. we pay local taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and. there is no one in america who does not pay some taxes almost every day. but yes, the middle-class has also gotten a tax break over the last couple of years. while there has been a lot of talk about affluent households getting tactics they've gotten, they are not alone in getting those breaks. host: kathy deveny, we will have to leave it there. thanks for joining us this morning. guest: thank you. host: we are covering a lot of things on our website, c- span.org. we are covering the debate over military operations in libya. we will also be covering president obama's address to parliament, it 10:30 at c- span.org. and the house begins momentarily as they take up the national defense authorization act. we will see you tomorrow morning.

host: [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. speaker. it's been my privilege to work on issues of reduction of greenhouse gases for over 25 years. i have was part of the commissioner of public works. we became the first american city to have a comprehensive approach to deal with it. i was pleased to work on speaker pelosi's select committee on global change, global warming and energy independence where we had a chance to work with people around the world, looking at the impacts, dealing with hundreds of hearings, dozens of experts and working with the challenges for the future. yet, i would say in the years i've been working on it i don't think i've seen a better, more effective statement than what

appeared in yesterday's "washington post," an essay by bill mckibon entitled "see no climate change." he said, you know, you should not wonder is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in tuscaloosa or the enormous outbreak a couple weeks before with the most active tornado season in americans' history? you should not connect in your mind the fires burnings across texas, fires that have burned more of america at this point this year than any wildfires in previous years. or that thed a joining parts of oklahoma and new mexico are dryer now than they've ever before -- drier now than they've ever been, much more than the dust bowl. you just not wonder whether this year's snowfalls and

record flooding along the mississippi could somehow be related. there have been tornados before. there will be tornadoes again. that's the important thing. be sure to not let yourself wonder while all these record-breaking events are happening in such proximity. that's why there's been so many megafloods in australia, new zealand and pakistan in the last year. while it's just now the arctic has melted for the first time in thousands of years. he goes on -- because if you ask yourself what it meant that the apple scomblon has just gone through its second 100-year flood in five years while -- or that the forest across the west of this continent have been obliterated by bark beetles, you might have to ask other questions. it's better to join with the u.s. house of representatives who voted 240-184 this spring to defeat a resolution saying

simply that climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities and poses significant risk for human welfare. propose your own physics. ignore physics altogether. just don't start asking yourself whether there might be some relationship among last year's failed green harvest in the russian heat wave and queenland's worst harvest and then the drought-related crop failures. it's important, bill says, to remain calm. if the worst ever did come to worse, it's reassuring to remember that the u.s. chamber of commerce told the environmental protection agency in recent filings that there's no need to worry because populations can acclimate to warmer climates by a range of

physiological and technological adaptations. i'm sure that the residents in joplin, missouri, are telling themselves today. but, mr. speaker, i couldn't agree more. it is important for americans to think about how these pieces fit together. and members of congress should ask themselves two questions. first, even if you don't believe the experts on the danger of science -- of climate change, shouldn't we be taking extraordinary steps to stop wasting more energy than anybody in the world and exporting billions of dollars overseas to other countries for our energy? that's question one. the second question that i hope members of congress will ask themselves, what if 99.9% of the scientists are right and

we're doing it to ourselves? thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes -- the chair recognizes mrs. roby for five minutes. mrs. roby: leadership means that the buck stops here. instead, washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. quoting senator barack obama, march 16, 2006. mr. speaker, cutting spending is critical to creating jobs, and without bold action our budget situation will get worse, not better. house republicans are the only

group in washington showing leadership on this issue. we have voted repeatedly to cut spending. if we passed a budget to lower the deficit by trillions. it's been 350 days since senate democrats passed a budget. last week senator reid said to have a democratic budget in my opinion. it would be foolish for us to do a budget at this stage. by law we need to pass a budget. now they're asking us to raise the debt limit. secretary geithner said, nowhere in our history has congress failed to raise the debt limit when necessary but what good is a debt limit that is always increased? the truth is that democrats

spent this money. they made this mess and now they should help us clean it up. if the white house wants us to consider raising the debt limit, they should be at the table proposing significant reforms that yield trillions, not billions, in savings to the american people. so far that has not happened, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington, mr. mcdermott, for five minutes. mr. mcdermott: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcdermott: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor lee jones who passed away on the 23rd of april after many years of remarkable service to his country and to other veterans. lee jones was born in crockett, texas, september 24, 1942 and entered the u.s. army in 1963.

he served in vietnam as squad leader in 1965 and 1966. he fought in multiple engagements in vietnam including the first battle of trang valley, a bally that was recounted in the best selling book as well as in a hollywood movie, "we were soldiers." we consider this to be the prime source of the ptsd that inflicted him for the rest of his life. he recently died of physical health problems connected to his service in vietnam. the recognition of his military service, he was awarded the infantry medal. upon leaving the military in 1966, he received a b.a. in bellingham, washington. he went on to serve veterans as a counselor at the seattle vietnam veterans center created with other veteran centers by the act of congress in 1979. lee directed the vet centers as a team leader. the first african-american to

achieve this position in the western united states. by 1984 lee was increasingly aware of the culture and communication barriers that prevented many african-american veterans with ptsd from benefiting from therapy groups that were primarily composed of caucasian members. so he started an african-american veterans ptsd group that facilitated culturally sensitive and education, therapeutic interactions among its members. his efforts was recognized by the city of seattle when lee jones day was proclaimed on april 9, 1989. this ptsd group was such a success that it continued to meet at the vet center until lee retired in 1995. a group then convinced lee to return as a leader of the newly african-american stress disorders program at the v.a. medical center in seattle which continues to meet today.

from beginnings, this nationally unique program has grown to include hundreds of african-american veterans. it has been a great benefit to veterans and to the community. none of this would have been possible without lowe's leadership, therapeutic skills and compassion for fellow veterans. i had the privilege of making lee's acquaint assistance. in 2008 i asked him to share his views on a panel at a veterans town hall meeting in seattle. the purpose of the town hall was to increase awareness of the injuries of ptsd and traumatic brain injury and was also to honor soldiers and veterans and their families and to educate them on where they could get help. the african-american veterans group from washington state, which lee found in 1984, is having a memorial service. i know there will be an outpouring of grief and compassion for this soft-spoken hero.

he touched so many lives with his skills. our country is a better place because of lee jones. rest in peace. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. kissinger. -- kinzinger. mr. kinzinger: leadership means the buck stops here. instead, washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and our grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. americans deserve better. some things never change. that was senator barack obama in 2006 talking about the seriousness of the debt problem and the crisis that we find our nation in. and today, we spent over $1.5

trillion of money we don't have. republicans have put forward a budget, a proposal, a blueprint to begin to have the serious discussion that our country needs to have to make sure that the children and us are not left with an unrecoverable debt situation. americans expect leadership. even if you don't agree, americans expect leadership from us. and what do they get? they get demonization. they get accusations. they get fear tactics. you know, our senior citizens in many cases sit at their home and wonder what's going to happen. they find themselves concerned with their financial situation. and people and the other side of the aisle sometimes get together and figure out how they can take that fear and use it to a political advantage.

that's terrible. has it been done on both sides? it has. but today is the day that we get together and we have to hit the reset button and say for the future for our country we've got to have a real serious conversation about how to save this nation for the generation to come after us. this country is the greatest country in the world and we're not about to give that up. it will never happen. we'll be the strongest country for the foreseeable country. there are a lot of folks talking ourselves down thinking we'll be usurped by another country. we are not. we do need to come together if we are going to maintain our place in the world as a superpower and as a shining example to other countries all around the world. . i fully believe in what this country is and what we represent. but the days of demonizing each other and not leading have got to end.

it has been 756 days since senate democrats have passed a budget. the most basic job of a legislator is to pass a budget. we haven't done it. instead, we bicker. instead we argue. instead we run 30-second television ads and try to scare people so we can win a re-election. again, it's happened on both sides. but today, please, i implore my friends on the other side of the aisle, on both side of the aisle, -- both sides of the aisle, stop today and let's have adult conversations. america is too great, america is too important, and america is too excellent of an example for the rest of the world to be mired down in bickering and to be mired down in debt. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, for five minutes. mr. hoyer: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

mr. hoyer: before i start, mr. speaker, let me say i hope the words of my young friend who is now leaving the floor are adhered to by both of us. too infrequently that is the case. the problems are serious. we must address them in a serious way. mr. speaker, i raise a happyier point of -- happier point of discussion now. i'm a proud alumnus of the university of maryland and recent months have, however, brought some bittersweet news. an era is coming to an end in the terrapin athletic program as our successful coaches of basketball and football have left the school. i want to take this opportunity, therefore, to honor coaches gary williams and ralph fridgen, all they have meant to the university of maryland community, both on and off the court and field. both of them are good friends of mine, gary williams was my neighbor for a number of years. gary retired as maryland's basketball coach after 22

hardworking, successful years in college park. and 33 years in college coaching ranks. at his retirement, gary williams ranked as the fifth winningest college basketball coach in america. with 668 wins stretching over his remarkable career. he is also the third winningest coach in atlantic coast conference history, behind two legends, dean smith, and mike krzyzewski. gary williams inherited a struggling program and turned it into a perennial national contender. under his guidance, the terrapins reached the ncaa tournament 14 times. 11 times consecutively. won three a.c.c. regular season titles and championship. made seven sweet 16's. two elite eights, two final fours, and in a memory that all terrapins still treasure, and i

had the opportunity of alending in atlanta, won the national championship in 2002. coach williams was honored as national coach of the year in 2002 and acc coach of the year in 2002 and 2010. but numbers alone do not capture his impact on the lives of his players. or the life of the maryland community where he stood out as a leader and as a philanthropist. maryland's athletic director correctly summed it up best when he said gary williams is a ledgend. that is true. terrapins will also miss our football coach, ralph fridgen, who coached his last game with the program on december 29. fittingly it was a decisive win, a 51-20 victory in the military bowl in washington, d.c. the fridge, as he is

affectionately known, also took over a struggling program and led it to notable success. he guided maryland to the a.c.c. championship in his very first year as coach. and of the 10 years in his tenure, seven of them ended with postseason appearances. in both his first year as maryland football coach and his last, he was named a.c.c. coach of the year. coach fridgen won 74 games for the university of maryland, brought new energy to our football program, and left a lasting mark in college park. he was respected by his players , looked to as a role model. i was proud to call him a friend as well. he, too, will be missed by all who love maryland, who love football, who love basketball, and who love the principles that sports teaches.

both gary williams and ralph fridgen are good men and outstanding leaders. while i know that the maryland athletic program will build on the proud foundation they laid, their shoes will be tough to fill. good luck, thank you, and godspeed. to gary williams and ralph fridgen. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from washington for five minutes. miss beutler: thank you, mr. speaker. decades of spending party by both parties have led to the point where we are today. we are under crushing amounts of debt. now we are borrowing about $58,000 per second. $58,000 per second. you know, it's a quote for

those who can't see it. leadership means that the buck stops here. instead, washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today on to the backs of our children and our grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. americans deserve better. senator barack obama in 2006. now the president has asked those of us in this chamber to vote to increase the debt limit without any structural spending reforms. let me repeat that. he has now asked us to spend a bill to him that has no structural spending reforms. we are borrowing $58,000 a second. does that sound like a failure of leadership? i think it does. here's what that's like. it's like george highly taking out an irrelevant responsible

teenager, taking out a credit card bill, in your name, they fill it out. the bill will come to you. you get that bill and you see that your irresponsible teenager has run up that credit card and now the bill's coming due. you have a couple choice, you could pay that credit card, and let it be. that's what the president is asking us to do. pay the credit card and walk away. i don't think very many parents would say ok to that. or you could not pay the credit card, that's going to impact your credit. or you could pay that credit card and then cut it up. that's -- those are the choices before us. and i would agree with the 2006 senator barack obama when he said that the buck has to stop here. the buck does stop here which is why house republicans have put forward over $6 trillion worth of spending reform ideas. we actually don't need them to enact all $6 trillion of those. we can enact $2 trillion of those and avert a debt crisis.

the president and some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have said no, no, no. that's irresponsible. we are cut -- coming back to this quote, i would agree with the senator, then senator barack obama, that those bad choices are being shifted on to our children and grandchildren. and the buck does have to stop here. since 1964 congress has voted to raise the debt limit, debt ceiling 74 times. 74 times. and i suggest to you that unless we require a cut up of the credit card, unless we require structural spending reforms, 20 years from now if our economy can last that long, our children will be asking why did no one do something about this? because we are under crushing, crushing debt burdens and it's going to impact jobs, not just today. we are talking about our future and children's ability to grow and prosper and thrive in an america that we have those

opportunities. they are not going to have those same opportunities. i refuse to make it easier to allow our debt to get so crushing that economic recovery is permanently without -- beyond our reach. it's time for a culture change in washington, d.c., and that starts with real spending cuts. accompanying any debt limit negotiations. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr. donnelly, for five minutes. mr. donnelly: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as memorial day approaches, i rise to commemorate the men and women of the armed forces of the united states who have died in the line of duty to our country. this past year three sons from the second district of indiana lost their lives to preserve and protect the american ideals that have made this country great. to honor the legacies of these men, i'd like to share with this body, with the american people, a little bit about our hoosiers.

staff sergeant kenneth of logansport, indiana, a proud member of the united states army, died on october 21, 2010 in afghanistan from injuries sustained when his unit was attacked by small arms fire. kenneth attended louis cast high school and enlisted in the united states army in 2003. he was assigned to a company, first battalion, 506th infantry regiment, 101st airborne division out of fort campbell, kentucky. for his service kenneth was awarded the joint service commendation medal, joint service achievement medal, in addition to many other commendations. his loved ones remember him as a hardworking man and dedicated son. husband, father, and friend. kenneth was an avid artist and also enjoyed fishing and hunting. he is survived by his wife,

four sons, one daughter, his mom, and husband, his dad, and wife, his three sisters, two brothers, and his extended family and friends. he is missed by all. sergeant marvin calhoun of elkhart, indiana, died on september 21, 2010 in afghanistan of injuries sussstaped when his blackhawk helicopter crashed during combat operations. marvin died alongside eight fellow soldiers who were also his brothers. marvin attended elkhart central high school where he played football and enlisted in the army in 2006. he was assigned to b company, fifth battalion, 101st combat aviation brigade, 101st

airborne division out of fort campbell, kentucky. he was on his second tour of duty as a gunner on the blackhawk helicopter. his awards include the army commendation medal, army good conduct medal, in addition to many other commendations. marvin's english teacher told folks that he exhibited leadership qualities in the classroom and if any of his peers needed help he would jump right in for them. he was a happy man who always wanted everyone else around him to be happy. he leaves behind his wife, his daughter, his dad and stepmom, his mom and stepdad, his sister, his brothers, and his extended family and friends. he is missed by all. specialist justin shoecraft of

elkhart, a proud member of the u.s. army, died on august 24, 2010, in afghanistan of wounds sustained when his stryker vehicle was hit by a roadside improvised explosive device. justin was only five weeks into his first deployment. he graduated from elkhart memorial in 2001 and worked for u.p.s. for seven years before enlisting in the army. he was assigned to b troop, first squadron, second stryker, cavalry regiment out of vilsack, germany. his regiment had assumed control of tarincot in july of 2010. he was promoted to the rank of specialist, his awards include the bronze star, the purple heart, and many other commendations. he enjoyed working on old cars and motorcycles and stock car racing. he had always wanted to drive tanks for the u.s. army. he will be remembered by his friends, family, and fellow

soldiers for his generosity, work ethic, and sense of humor, he is survived by his wife, whom he married the day before he left for basic training. his parents, his brother, and sister, and extended family and friends. he is missed by all. we owe it debt of gratitude to these three great hoosiers and to all the sons and daughters, moms and fathers, who have fallen while serving our country. it is our duty to honor and remember their sacrifice, patriotism, and virtue. let us also remember those brave americans who are serving right now both here and at home. . on behalf of a grateful nation, we want to thank our three heroes, all the people who serve our country. god bless, indiana, and god bless the united states of america.

thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. reed, for five minutes. mr. reed: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to join my colleagues this morning to deliver a simple message, and that message can be summed up by reading a quote from our president when he was a former senator dealing with the issue that we will face in the upcoming months when it comes to raising our debt ceiling. then senator barack obama stated on the floor of the senate, "leadership means that the buck stops here. instead, washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a fileure of leadership. americans deserve better." mr. speaker, i stand firmly

here today to tell you that i do believe over the next 90 days that this will be the critical moment of this congress, that this will be the critical moment in our nation's history when we either succeed or we fail, and i will heed senator obama's words because the buck will stop here in this chamber. mr. speaker, the question we face with raising the debt ceiling is a very serious question. we cannot kick the can down the road any longer. we do not have any more road to kick it to. so what i ask of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is let us set aside politics, let us not worry about a re-election campaign, let us not worry about our own personal interests, let us come together as one nation and deal with this problem because it is a serious threat and a clear

and present danger to our very existence at a country. and let -- as a country. and let me also be very clear, that what we need to do with handling the debt is send the message that we have answered the call and send a message to the world and to all the markets that america is strong, america is the place that you can invest in again, and by that investment we will put people back to work, we will provide for families for generations not only now but for generations we do not even see. this is about putting people back to work and being the voice that leads this nation to greatness once again. i have no doubt we will succeed in this effort, but it will take true leadership, and there is no doubt in my mind that i join my colleagues on this side of the aisle and say, no more of the petty political

bickering. it is time to stand and lead and we shall. with that i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. woolsey, five minutes. ms. woolsey: i'd like to thank the gentleman from puerto rico for allowing me to speak out of order. thank you very much. we recently passed the two-month mark since the military campaign in libya began. this is significant because the war powers act requires that a president must receive a congressional mandate for any military action within 60 days. the deadline came and went without any resolution being brought before this body which is a signal that our engagement in libya is lingering without much accountability or checks. without a vigorous debate about the consequences of what we're doing there. who knows exactly what our

mission is and how we'll know when we've achieved it. what is the end game? what are the metrics or benchmarks for success? at the time this -- at the same time this week we'll debate an amendment to the defense bill that would expand the authorization for use of military force empowering the president, any president to firebombs and missiles against any nation or nonstate actor that appears to pose a threat. and without so much as a check-in or a consultation of congress. mr. speaker, i've had enough. i've had enough of the state of permanent warfare. i have five grandchildren and not one of them knows what it's like to live in a country that's not at war with someone and killing someone else's grandchildren. it's time to put the brakes on. it is time for congress to draw

some clear line and libya is the perfect place to do so. i'm proud to support the amendment offered today by my friend, the gentleman from michigan, mr. conyers, that will specifically prohibit the deployment of ground troops in libya. we can't not afford any further expansion of this engagement. we owe it to the american people who are footing the bill, and, of course, our service men and women who are already fighting on two fronts. to keep this mission from mushrooming -- and from mushrooming into a full-blown ground war and military occupation we must stop now. we must not put boots on the ground in libya, and we must close any loophole that allows any president to do so. we still have combat troops in iraq. we're spending a staggering $10 billion every month on an ongoing war in afghanistan that has been a devastating, moral

and stratenalic failure. we can't -- strategic failure. we can't keep doing this, mr. speaker. our military is at a breaking point. the american people's patience is wearing thin. two wars are already more than we can handle. let's define the mission in libya, let's complete it and let's get out. anything less is a replay of iraq and afghanistan where we must move as quickly to bring our troops home. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. paul, for five minutes. mr. paul: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. paul: thank you, mr. speaker. the last nail is being driven into the coffin of the american republic yet congress remains in total denial as our liberties are rapidly fading before our eyes. the process is propelled by unwanted fear and ignorance as to the true meaning of liberty. it's brought on by irrational

good sbeckses. the rule of law is constantly rejected and authoritarian answers is offered as panaceas for all our problems. runaway welfare is used to benefit the rich at the expense of the middle class. who would have ever thought that the current generation and congress would stand idly by and watch such a rapid disintegration of the american republic? it is the casual acceptance by the people and the political leaders of the unitary presencey which is granting dick torial powers to the president. our president can now on their own order assassinations, including american citizens, operate secret military tribunals, engage in torture, enforce indefinite imprisonment without due process, order seize yours gutting the fourth amendment, not reporting to congress any military operation

as required by the war powers resolution. wage war at will. treat all americans as suspected terrorists at airports with t.s.a. groping and nude x-raying. the federal reserve acome dates by giving the funds not paid for by taxation and borrowing. and all of this is not enough. the abuses and use of patience of the war power are soon to be codified in the national defense authorization act now rapidly moving its way through congress. instead of repealing the 2001 authorization for the use of military force as we should now that bin laden is dead and gone, congress is planning to massively increase the war power of the president. though an opportunity present itself to end the wars in iraq, afghanistan, pakistan, congress, with bipartisan support, obsesses on how to

expand the unconstitutional war power of the president he already holds. the current proposal would allow a president to pursue war any time, any place for any reason without congressional approval. many believe this would prevent military activity against american suspects here at home. the proposed authority does not reference the 9/11 attacks. it would be expanded to include the taliban and associated forces, a dangerously vague and expensive -- expansive definition of our potential enemies. there is no denial that the changes in section 1034 totally eliminates the hard-fought for restraint on presidential authority to go to war without congressional approval achieved at the congressional -- at the constitutional convention. congress' war authority has been severely sqund mined since world war ii, beginning under the advent of the korean war.

even today we're waging war in libya without even consulting with the congress. similar to how we went to war in bosnia in the 1990's under president clinton. the three major reasons for the -- for our constitutional conventions were to guarantee free trade and travel among the states, make gold and silver legal tender and abolish paper money and strictly limit the executive branch's authority to pursue war without congressional approval. but today federal reserve notes, gold and silver, are illegal. the interstate commerce clause used to regulate all commerce at the exspans of the free trade among the states. and now congressional responsibility for the war power, delivering this power completely to the president, a sharp and huge blow to the concept of our republic. in my view, it appears that the fate of the american republic is now sealed unless these recent trends are quickly reversed.

the saddest part of this strategy is that all of these horrible changes are being done in the name of patriotism and protecting freedom. they are justified by good intentions while believing the sacrifice of liberty is required for our safety. nothing could be further from the truth. more sadly is the conviction that our enemies are driven to attack us for our freedoms and prosperity and not because of our deeply flawed foreign policy that has generated jfble grievances and has inspired the radical violence against us. without this understanding our endless, unnamed and undeclared wars will continue and our wonderful experiment with liberty will end. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from puerto rico, mr. pierluisi, for five minutes. mr. pierluisi: mr. speaker, government's most solemn

obligation is to protect the people it serves. since 9/11, our government has rightly placed much of its attention on defending the american people from terrorism, but we should not forget that government has the responsibility to safeguard the public from all forms of public, including violent crime. violent crime exacts a terrible price. its costs are measured not only in the number of lives lost but in the number of citizens who live in fear that they or someone they love might be the next victim. data released on monday show that violent crime in the united states has fallen over the past 10 years, however, we cannot become complacent. despite the trend lines, certain american communities have been less rather than more secure. the federal government has a particularly strong duty to protect its citizens from violence when that violence is linked to a crime that crosses state or national borders.

that is why our government has worked hard to stem the flow of drugs entering the united states through mexico and to combat drug-related violence along the southwest border. but these efforts, while essential, are not enough. to protect the american people we must protect the full length of our southern border. federal programs like the merida initiative, choke off routes through central america. narcotraffics going to the caribbean like puerto rico. puerto rico, being the point of drug consumpinging, the islands has one of the highest murder rates in our nation. given the unacceptably high level of violence in puerto rico and its close connection to the drug trade, one would expect that most federal law enforcement agencies would have the opposition fields there. but that is not the case.

almost 50% of a.t.f. positions are vacant. 22% of i.c.e. positions are unfilled. and 20% of d.e.a. agents are vacant. they have 40 officers for every 1,000 residents, well below the average of 36. this mismatch between the severity of the problem in puerto rico and the scale of the federal response prompts this question -- why do federal law enforcement agencies have such high vacancy rates in such a high need jurisdiction? the budget shortfall is certainly one reason. the departments of justice and homeland security are being asked to do more with fewer resources, including fewer agents, but the problem goes beyond money. . fewer workers are entering law enforcement than in the past. those who do seek employment are more likely to be denied

because of health problems such as obesity. and military recruitment which has risen is competing with law enforcement for the same talent. in the face of this challenge, the federal government is not without tools. for example, executive agencies can pay recruitment incentives to newly hired employee if the position is difficult to fill. but our government must go beyond piecemeal efforts. it needs a comprehensive plan to recruit, assign, and retain law enforcement officers in those jurisdictions that have the highest rates of violent crime. puerto rico's one example of a jurisdiction where an increased federal presence is needed, but there are also many other jurisdictions with high crime rates and too few federal law enforcement agents. the primary reason for high crime in these states or cities may be the nexus with the drug trade. regardless of the cause, the harm that is the same.

the communities beset by violent crime, residents become hostage to fear, fear that makes them to think twice before walking to the store to buy milk, fear that makes them hug their kids for an extra moment before leaving them or sending them off to school, fear that prevents children from using the neighborhood playground. it is imperative that the federal government reduce personal shortages in federal law enforcement agencies in high need jurisdictions. i recently introduced legislation to direct the departments of justice and homeland security to establish a program he to recruit, assign, and retain agents to serve in location that is have experienced high rates of violent crime. the federal government cannot be passive in sending law enforcement -- filling law enforcement shortages hoping the right candidates will volunteer. nor can it simply expect agents to remain with the government, particularly when the private sector often pays more. instead, the federal government must proactively address

personal challenges by dedicating staff to recruitment and retention. i urge the departments of justice and homeland security to take action now, to make recruitment and retention a priority. vacancies at law enforcement agencies are not a minor administrative hassle, but urgent public safety program. too much is at stake to accept the status quo. for every moment we wait, we risk losing another american citizen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. dold, for five minutes. mr. dold: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to talk about a very serious problem. a problem that faces all americans and win that is not new here in washington. if i can start, i'd like to read a quote that some of my colleagues have also used during this morning's debate.

if i may, let me just quote it once again. leadership means that the buck stops here. instead, washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today on to the backs of our children and grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. americans deserve better. that was done by senator barack obama back in 2006, and i frankly agree. just to put it in sperspective -- perspective, back in 2006 we were running a deficit. we had an administration that was running a deficit of about $400 billion. just highlighting the point that this spending problem that we have here in washington is on both sides of the aisle. this doesn't rest with one political party or another. it just outlines the problem that washington has a spending problem. the debt that we have today we are up against our debt ceiling. it's about $14 trillion. the real debt, however, is much

greater than that. it's closer to $100 trillion. the deficit that we deal with, it was about $400 billion back in 2006, today it's about $1.5 trillion. now, what does that mean? my daughter, who is 9, she knows what 1.5 is, it's a little more than one not quite two. but $1.5 trillion works out to be about $3.4 million a minute. to put that in better perspective, $58,000 a second. we can't even say it fast enough. this is a problem. how do we get out of this problem? we have to map out a correspond. it's a budget. the republicans passed a budget, the house passed a budget. outlining a way for us to be able to cut back over $6 trillion over the next decade. i would argue that american

families and households all across the land operate on a budget. businesses do the same. yet we happen to not be able to do that here in washington. the united states senate has not picked up or passed a budget in over 750 days. the american family wouldn't operate like that. i know as a small business owner i couldn't keep my doors opened if i didn't have a budget to outline where our priorities were going to be. it is a blueprint, it's not a final standing bill or thing that's going to say exactly how we are going to spend it, but it is a blueprint going forward so we can get those in the senate and elsewhere to be able to come together so we can map out how are we going to get out of this mess? i do agree with the president when he says that the choices that we are making today, the bad choices of today, are going to be placed on the backs of our children and grandchildren. for me that's unacceptable.

i decided to run for congress largely because the amount of money that we were spending in washington was going to be unconscionable for me to pass along to my children. i have a 9-year-old, 7-year-old, and 4-year-old. by the time they are my age, we are going to have to pay exactly double in taxes just to service the government. we pay 42 cents of every single dollar we have just to service our debt. the administration now is asking us to raise the debt ceiling. this is an important issue. but i'm here to tell you that we need to have some leadership. leadership is critical at this point in time. what is the plan? i don't want to talk about bickering. i want to make sure that colleagues on both sides of the aisle come to the table. we know that there are negotiations going on right now, but i still would like to

have a plan articulated to the american public, what is the plan? simply raising the debt ceiling out a plan on how we are going to pay down this debt is like, well, it's like sitting around the given table and not worrying about the credit card debt of any responsible teenager. you wouldn't do that at home. we wouldn't do that in business. you should expect that your government does the same. now, when we look at this debt crisis that we have, as a small business owner i look at it somewhat like a business. i look at it that we have just purchased a business and we think it's the greatest business in the world with the united states of america. that business has some debt and we are obligated to pay that debt. we just have to figure out how it is that we are going to restructure that business so that we can pay down that debt and make it a strong viable business going forward. that's what we have to do. to simply raise the debt ceiling and not have to

restructure would be a violation of everything that we hold dear. so with that, i call on leadership, leadership here in washington from those on both sides of the aisle to come together to solve the problems of our time and put our country first. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. dold: i thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. butterfield, for five minutes. mr. butterfield: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. butterfield: mr. speaker, this past saturday in my hometown of wilson, north carolina, the wilson community college held its annual commencement exercise. from all accounts it was a wonderful occasion but for one family in the community there was great sadness on this occasion, because their loved one was due to graduate but sadly she passed away on january 14, 2011, at the young age of 45. and so i take this opportunity today to honor the life and

memory of that individual, miss bernadette mcarne. the youngest of four children, she was born on july 12, 1965 to isaiah and wynomia mcarne. she was a graduate of high school and but for her passing would have earned an associates degree from the college. it is fitting to note that last spring bernadette distinguished herself and pleased her family when she made the deans list. this has been a very difficult time for the mcarne family. they were very proud of bernadette and her memory will live within their hearts forever. i ask my colleagues to join me in offering our deepest condolences to the mcarne family, friends, and loved ones. mr. speaker, i want to use my remaining time to talk about the issue of hunger. in this same community where bernadette mcarne lived her

entire life, many are suffering from what i call, food insecurity. at 11:00 p.m. last night, a line began to form at the wilson o.i.c. to receive food commodities on today. hundreds, hundreds of citizens in this small community, black, white, and brown, stood all night long to be positioned to receive the basic commodity of food. earlier this year, a study by the food research and action center showed that the district ranks as the second worst for food insecurity in the country. last thanksgiving about 2,000 people waited overnight, again, for a 25-pound bag of groceries at this same community-based program. for those of us living in eastern, north carolina, this comes as no surprise and underscores the need for a strong, nutrition safety net.

unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident in our country. as a state, north carolina ranks sixth worse in the country for food security with a food hardship rate of 25.5% and the numbers are even worse in my district in eastern north carolina. the food bank of central and eastern north carolina is called on to serve more than 500,000 people annually in 34 counties in central and eastern north carolina, and about 73,000 different people receive emergency food assistance in any given week. of those people, the food bank reports that 40% choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heat. 33% choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage. 37% choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care. and 38% choose between paying

for food and paying for transportation. mr. speaker, as we continue our work, we must keep in mind that as many as 50 million americans are struggling with food security. the federal government certainly needs to find ways to cut costs and reduce spending, but that burden should not fall heaviest on the people with the greatest needs. as i close, let me just encourage our citizens to stay strong in their faith and know that democrats will fight for you. i want to thank mr. howard jones of the wilson o.i.c., his staff, and all of the volunteers for their extraordinary contribution to the wilson community. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado, mr. gardner, for five minutes. mr. gardner: thank you, mr. speaker. creating jobs and growing the economy. that is the number one goal of

the 112th congress. everything we can do to create jobs and help this country move forward and get our economy back on track. the long-term economic growth and job creation is only possible if we control the uncontrolled debt and deficit situation that is driving this country into bankruptcy. last week i had the opportunity to visit with a number of voters in my district who were very concerned about the direction of our country. and i read the following quote to them. leadership means that the buck stops here. instead, washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today on to the backs of our children and grandchildren. america has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. americans deserve better. i didn't tell them who had said that. i just asked them if they agreed with that statement. everybody clapped and cheered. i mentioned that this was said by then senator barack obama in

2006 when our debt was $8.4 trillion. $8.4 trillion debt in 2006 and the president of the united states then said we have a leadership failure. the buck stops here. america deserves better. . well, if $8.4 trillion was a failure of leadership, what, mr. president, is $8.4 trillion of debt? the debt isn't republican, it is not democrat, it is both democrats and republicans that have put us in position we are in today. and this congress, our obligation is to clean up the mess. we're told, though, by the white house that we are to raise the debt ceiling in effect to do as i say and not as i do, according to the president. it is irresponsible to take the

steps of increasing the debt ceiling without finding solutions to our spending problems that put us here in the first place. i continue, along with my colleagues, to look for those solutions. we passed a budget to cut spending and to get our deficit under control. speaker boehner is negotiating in good faith. but what do we hear from our colleagues in the senate who have failed to pass a budget 756 days? they have failed to pass a budget in 756 days. there's no need to have a democratic budget, senator reid said. the president talks about caps but no real cuts. the debt ceiling is exactly that. it is a ceiling. it's not an arbitrary number that can be moved whenever it needs to. it has been moved 10 times in

the past 10 years. if the debt is to be raised again, this country needs and deserves an honest effort to control spending and make sure that we are not in the same position in the future. the past congress spent a lot of time dealing with credit card reform to help american consumers. well, perhaps it's time that we treat the federal government itself to a little bit of credit card reform. to make sure had a the federal credit card doesn't continue to increase over and over without an end. ladies and gentlemen, i am concerned that the future job growth in this country unless we reel in our nation's debt, unless we address the deficit, is d.o.a., debt on arrival. america deserves better, mr. president. it certainly does, and we are here to work with you to make sure that it gets better policies, a better future and that we protect america from

future economic catastrophe. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from california, ms. speier, for five minutes. ms. speier: thank you, mr. speaker. you know, i rise regretfully this morning and sadly this morning to discuss what i believe is a true transgression that took place in our house yesterday. i was appalled by the behavior displayed by the chairman of the subcommittee on tarp and financial services. after repeatedly changing the time of yesterday's hearing with professor elizabeth warren to discuss the republican majority's efforts to terminate the consumer financial protection bureau just weeks before it was to be born, the chairman began the hearing with a petty partisan swipe alluding to whether the witness may or may not be running someday for the u.s. senate. as if, mr. speaker, political

ambition is tab auto around here. while -- taboo around here. while the overall tone was contentious, it is to be expected. because the goal is to paint the consumer protection financial bureau is something that's bad for consumers. why? because this new consumer bureau's mission is to make wall street play by the rules. what a novel idea. but you see, wall street believes that it can take care of itself. as it turned out, the hearing was a wonderful opportunity for americans to see not only how far the influence of financial institutions reaches into congress but also how competent, confident and unflappable a public servant professor warren is.

hopefully the president can head the cftc. mr. speaker, professor warren answered every question posed to her the entire hour for which she was asked to testify. when members were called for two votes the chairman asked her to stay and wait and ms. warren said she would be released at 2:15 and had another meeting at 2:30. what followed was a scene had it happened in a junior high student council meeting would have been stopped by the faculty. our committee is without supervision. the chairman made the same requested a nuseyem by professor warren. she asked that the majority staff had changed the meeting several times including a 9:00 call the previous night to move the hearing from 1:30 to 1:15

to accommodate the congressional calendar. professor warren through her staff agreed to the change and was told she would be done at 2:15. pretty simple, right? this is when the chairman crossed the line and told professor warren, you're making this up. that's right. he called her a liar. a witness at his committee who juggled her schedule to accommodate him and advisor to the president of the united states who was given an oath at the start of the hearing to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, he called her a liar. mr. speaker, i ask today that the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mchenry, immediately and sincerely apologize to professor warren. i also believe he should apologize to the members of the subcommittee, both in the majority and the minority, for denigrating the proceedings of a body and pledge to never

allow the political agenda to interfere with the common decency and respect that the rest of us understand is absolutely necessary in order to do the people's work. however, i won't hold my breath because this is part of a much larger strategy by my colleagues on the republican side to paint everyone in public service as liars, cheats or otherwise as despicable. on the same day that chairman of the oversight committee did virtually the exact same thing to mr. hayes, the deputy secretary of the department of interior, advising him not to answer a question because he's under oath, implying that certainly anything the deputy secretary might say would be untrue. mr. speaker, we need to do better. regardless of political affiliation, the american people demand it. civility and common respect are not signs of weakness or capitulation.

they are hallmarks of a functioning democracy. you know, an apology probably won't be forthcoming but civility must be restored to this house or at least school monitors to prevent spitballs from being thrown around in committee hearings. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair decla >> the house returns for legislative work at noon eastern. members will finish a peal -- a part of the new health care law. the house begins debate on 150 amendments to the defense programs bill. live coverage of the house when members gavel back in here on c-span.

president obama is on day three of a six-day europe tour. right now he's speaking live in london to the british parliament. this started about 20 minutes ago. >> we should empower the same forces that allowed our own people to thrive. we should help the hungry feed themselves, the doctors who care for the sick, we should support countries that confront corruption and allow their people -- we should advance the truth nations prosper when they allow women and girls to reach their full potential. we do these things because we believe not in the rights of nations, we believe in the rights of citizens. that is the beacon that guided us through our fight against fascism and our struggle against communism, and today that idea is being put to the test in the middle east and north africa.

in country after country, people are mobilizing to free themselves from the grip of an iron fist. and while these movements for change are just six months old, we have seen them play out before us, from eastern europe to the americas, from south africa, to southeast asia. history tells us that democracy is not easy. it will be years before these revolutions reach their conclusion and there will be difficult days along the way. they never give up without a fight. particularly in places where their divisions of tribes and divisions of sect. we also know it can take dangerous turns from the extremism of those who would use democracy to deny minority rights, to the nationalism that left so many scars on this

continent in the 20th century. but make no mistake, what we saw, what we are seeing in tehran, in tunis, in tahrir square is a longing for the same freedoms we take for granted here at home. it was a rejection of the notion that people in certain parts of the world don't want to be free, or need to have democracy imposed upon them, it was a rebuke to the world of al qaeda which smothers the rights of individuals and thereby subject them to perpetual poverty and violence. let there be no doubt the united states and united kingdom stand squarely on the side of those who long to be free. and now we must show that we will back up those words with these, that means nothing in the future of those nations that

transition to democracy starting with tunisia and egypt, by deepening ties in trade and commerce, by helping them demonstrate that freedom brings prosperity. and that means standing up for universal rights. by sanctioning those who pursue repression, strengthening civil roits, supporting the rights of north -- minorities. we do this knowing that the west must overcome suspicion and mistrust among many in the middle east and north africa. a mistrust that is rooted in a difficult past. for years we faced charges of hypocrisy for those who do not enjoy the freedoms that they hear us espouse. so to them we must squarely acknowledge that, yes, we have enduring interests in the region

to fight terror, sometimes with partners who may not be perfect, to protect against disruption in the world's energy supply. but we must also insist that we reject as faults the choice between our interests and our ideals, between stability and democracy. for our idealism is rooted in the realities of history. that repression offers only the false promise of stability. that societies are more successful when their citizens are free. and that democracies are the closest allies we have. it is that truth that guide their action in libya. it would have been easy at the outset of the crackdown in libya to say that none of this was our

business. the nation is more important than the slaughter of civilians within its borders. that argument carries weight with some. but we are different. we embrace a broader responsibility. while we cannot stop every injustice, there are circumstances that cut through. when a leader is threatening to massacre his people and the international community is calling for action, that's why we stopped the massacre in libya. and we will not relent until the people of libya are protected and the shadow of tyranny is lifted. we will proceed with humility

and the knowledge that we cannot dictate every outcome abroad. ultimately freedom must be won by the people themselves not imposed from without. but we can and must stand with those who so struggle, because we have always believed that the future of our children and grandchildren will be better if other people's children and grandchildren are more prosperous and more free. from the beaches of normandy, to the balkans that is our interests and our ideals. if we fail to meet that responsibility, who will take our place? and what kind of world would we pass on? our action, our leadership is essential to the cause of human

dignity. and so we must act and lead with confidence in our ideals and abiding faith in the character of our people who set us -- sent us all here today. for there is one final quality that i believe makes the united states and the united kingdom indispinsible to this moment in history, and that is how we define ourselves as nations. unlike most countries in the worrell, we do not define citizenship based on race. being american or british is not about belonging to a certain group, it's about believing in a certain set of ideas. the rights of individuals. the rule of law. that is why we hold incredible diversity within our borders.

that's why there are people around the world right now who believe that if they come to america, if they come to new york, if they come to london, if they work hard they can pledge allegiance to our flag and call themselves americans. if they come to england they could make a new life for themselves and can sing "god save the queen" just like any other citizen. yes, our diversity can lead to tension. and throughout our history there have been heated debates about imgration and assimilation in both of our countries. but even as these debates can be difficult, we fundamentally recognize that our patchwork heritage is enormous, in a world that will only grow smaller and more interconnected, the example of our two nations says it is

possible for people to be united by their ideas instead of divided by their differences. it is possible for hearts to change and old hatreds to pass. it is possible for the sons and daughters of former colonies to sit here as members of this great parliament and for the grandson of a kenyan who served as a cook in the british army to stand before you as president of the united states. [applause] that is what defines us. that is why the young men and women on the streets of damascus

and cairo still reach for the rights our citizens enjoy, even if they sometimes differ with our policies. as two of the most powerful nations in the history of the world, we must always remember that the true source of our influence hasn't just been the size of our economies or the reach of our militaries or the land that we claimed, it has been the values. we must never waiver in defending around the world. the idea that all beings are endowed by our creator with certain rights that cannot be denied. that is what forged our bond in the fire of war. a bond made manifest by the friendship between two of our greatest leaders. churchill and roosevelt had their differences, they were keen observers of each other's

blind spots and shortcomings if not always their own, they were hardheaded about their ability to remake the world, but what joined the fate of these two men at that particular moment in history was not simply a shared interest in the battlefield, it was share and belief in the ultimate triumph of human freedom and human dignity. a conviction that we have a say in how this story ends. this conviction lives on in their people today. the challenges we face are great. the work before us is hard. but we have come through a difficult decade and whatever the test and trials ahead may seem too big or too many, let us turn to their example in the

words of churchill spoke on the day europe was free, in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but the world wherever the bird of freedom chirps in the human hearts, look back to what we have done and they will say, do not despair, do not yield, march straight forward. with courage and purpose, with humility and with hope, with faith in the promise of tomorrow, let us march straight forward together enduring allies in the cause of the world that is more peaceful, more prosperous, and more just. thank you very much. [applause]

>> mr. president, i think that

response described far more eloquently the many words that mine could do. how much that very memorable and inspiring address was appreciated by everybody who heard it here today. you spoke -- [applause] you spoke with great force and great generosity about the british parliament and the british people and about the links that bind us. the values and the traditions that we share. the history that we have experienced together. but more than that you spoke to

not just of the relationship of the past but the relationship of the future, and i think that was what made what you said so inspirational. it was a distinguished american governor of new york who remarked on the propensity of politicians to campaign in poetry but to govern in prose. the world you describe to us today was not just one that is prosaic, it is one where the challenges are difficult and sometimes dangerous. one that is fast moving, that is complex, sometimes contradictory , and that offers at least as many threats as opportunities.

but in the eloquence of your address, you reminded us of the importance of maintaining the poetry in government. because to lead, that poetry is necessary. necessary not only to articulate the challenges as you did so marvelously, but also to bring others together to face those challenges with common principles and with shared purpose. mr. president, it has been a privilege for all of us to hear you speak today. it is a privilege for me to have the responsibility of thanking you on behalf of both houses of

parliament for coming to westminster and to wish you and mrs. obama, a very happy and pleasant rest of your stay in the united kingdom. thank you so much. [applause]

>> in his speech to the british parliament, president obama saying american and european influence remain as dominant as ever even as rising powers like china and india assert themselves. you can see the entire speech at c-span.org. london is the second stop on his tour of europe. tonight he'll hold a dinner in honor of the queen in winfield house, home to the u.s. ambassador to the united kingdom. tomorrow the president leaves britain for the g-8 summit in france. while there he'll meet with russian president on nuclear security, land sanctions. then he'll hold bilateral meetings with the french

president and japanese prime minister. the president is due back in washington saturday night. in a press conference earlier today, president obama and british prime minister david cameron vowed that military operations in libya will continue until muammar gaddafi stops his attacks against civilians and surrenders power. here's part of the news conference. >> apologies for keeping you waiting. it's a pleasure to welcome president obama here today. we have just been having a barbecue in the gardens of number 10 downing street with some of our armed service personnel from the united states and u.k. and it was a great reminder of the incredible debt that we owe all of them and their families for their service, for their sacrifice,

for all they do to keep us safe. it was a great event and it was wonderful to have barack and michelle there. it was also probably the first time in history as we stood behind that barbecue that i could say a british prime minister has given an american president a bit of a grilling. so i'm going to hold on to that. over the past year i got to know the president well. and whether it's in routine situations like sitting around the g-8 table or less routine of getting a phone call in the middle of a night, i have come to value not just his leadership and courage, but the fact that to all the big international issues of our time he brings thoughtful consideration and reason. and i know that today, mr. president, you'll be thinking of the dreadful tornado in missouri and all those who have lost livelihoods and lives and loved ones and our hearts in britain go out to all those people, too. barack and i know well the shared history of our countries, from the beaches of normandy to

the engine river our soldiers have fought together. from labs in cambridge, massachusetts, to cambridge, england, our scientist vs. decoded d.n.a. and secured diseases together. and millions of interactions every day, including our massive business relationship, our people forge friendships together. that is what makes this relationship special, but what makes it essential is that it's not just about history or sentiment, it is a living, working partnership. it is essential to our security and it's essential for our prosperity. and i feel every day just how important this partnership is. the president and i together with my deputy prime minister have just had some excellent discussions. we have been talking today about the two things we care about most, getting our people jobs and keeping our people safe. because every night millions of british and american people take the same worries to bed with

them. they are asking if they can find a good job, if they are going to get a paycheck next month, and if there will be work for their children when they grow up. the stark truth of the world today is that no country is owed a living. we've got to pay our way and we've got to earn our way, and that is what the president and i are determined to do. barack and i did not come into politics to cut public spending, but neither did we seek office to see our great economies decline our land our children with unsustainable debts. that is why in the second half of this decade we are making sure that debt ratios will be falling on both sides of the atlantic. at the same time, we are investing in our roads and railways, in science and innovation, and above all in our young people. and the success of all this won't be measured in export figures or trade flows but in the feelings of the factory worker whether they are in phoenix or the shopkeeper in liverpool or engineer in ohio, the people who know if they work hard then prosperity will be there for them and the promise of a better life there for their

children. as well as the economy, the president and i had some very good discussions on security. now americans and brits do not need to explain terrorism to one another. both our people have suffered at its hands and indeed they have died together. my wife was in manhattan on 9/11, and i'll never forget the five hours of trying to get hold of her and she'll never forget the new yorkers that she met that day or the sense of solidarity that she felt that day and that we felt ever since that day. and today as we come up to its 10th anniversary, we should remember the spirit of that city and the sympathy we feel with those who lost their loved ones. there are those who say that this terrorist threat is beyond our control, and we passionately believe that is wrong. we can defeat al qaeda and the events of recent months give us an opportunity to turn the tide on that terror once and for all.

i believe there are three actions we must take. first, we must continue to destroy their terrorist network, and i congratulate the president on his operation begins bin laden. this was not just a victory for justice but strike right at the heart of international terrorism. in this vital effort we must continue to work with pakistan. people are asking about our relationship. we need to be clear, pakistan has suffered more from terrorism than any country in the world. their enemy is our enemy. so far from walking away we've got to work even more closely with them. at the same time, this is a vital year in afghanistan. british and american forces are fighting side by side in helmund right at the heart of this operation. we have broken the momentum of the insurgency and even in the taliban heartland in kandahar and central hell mummed, they are on the back foot. now is the moment to step up our efforts to reach a political

settlement. the taliban must make a decisive split from al qaeda, and join a political process that will bring lasting peace to this country. we are agreed to give this the highest priority in the months ahead. second, we must reach a conclusion to the arab-israel peace process. again i congratulated the president on his recent speech on the middle east which was bold, his visionary, and set out what is needed in the clearest possible terms. an end to terror against israelis and the restoration of dignity to the palestinians. two states, living side by side, and in peace. yes, the road has been and will be long and arduous, but the prize is clear, conclude the peace process and you don't just bring security to the region, you deny extremists of one of their most profound and endearing and recruiting sergeants, weakening their calling and crippling their cause. that is why whatever the difficulties we must continue to press for a solution. our third action must be to help

elevate the changes in north africa and the arab world from a moment in history to a turning point in history. we have seen some extraordinary things, protesters braving blitz, blue doggers toppling dictators, people taking to the streets and making history. if global politics is about spreading peace and prosperity, this is a once in a generation moment to grab hold of. it is not a time for us to shrink back and think about our own issues and interests. this is our issue and this is massively in our interests. those people in tahrir square and tripoli just want what we have. a job and a voice, and we all share in their success or failure. if they succeed, there is new hope for those living there and there is the hope of a better and safer world for all of us. but if they fail, if that hunger is denied, then some young people in that region will continue to listen to the

poisonous narrative of extreme-i. -- extremism. the president and i are agreed we will stand with those who work for freedom. this is a message we'll take to the g-8 tomorrow when we push for a major program of economic and political support for those countries seeking reform. and this is why we mobilize the international community to protect the libyan people from kohl no gaddafi's regime. why we continue to enforce u.n. resolutions with our allies, and why we restate our position once more. it is impossible to imagine a future for libya with gaddafi still in power. he must go. in all these actions we must be clear about our mission, barack and i came of age in the 1980's and 1990's. we saw the end of the cold war and the victory over communism. we saw the invasion of kuwait by saddam hussein and the world coming together to liberate that country. throughout it all we saw presidents and prime ministers standing together for freedom.

today we feel just as passionately about extending freedom as those who came before us, but we also know that idealism without realism does no good for anyone. we have learned the lessons of history. democracy is built from the ground up. you've got to work with a grain of other cultures and not against them. real change takes time. and it's because of this we share the view that our partnership will not just continue but it will get stronger. and this is a partnership that goes beyond foreign affairs. at home we have similar goals to bring more responsibility to our societies and to bring transparency and accountability to our governments. in all these am bigses our countries will continue -- ambitions, our countries will continue to learn from each other and work with each other. as ever it was a pleasure to talk to the president and have him with us today. mr. president. >> thank you, david. thank you, mr. prime minister. i am very pleased to be back in

the united kingdom. i note that you have arranged for a typical london weather these past two days and i'm very grateful for that. i want to thank her majesty, the queen, and the british people, for the extraordinary welcome that has been extended to me and michelle. it's a shining example of the genuine warmth and affection our two nations feel towards one another. since david took office last spring i believe we have now met or spoken at least two dozen times. we may be leaders from different political traditions, but on a whole host of issues we see eye to eye. we even took the same side in an epic match of doubles table tennis against some local students yesterday, and we won't rehash the results of that. the relationship between our two countries is one that's not just

based on warm sentiment or common history, although those things exist, it's built on shared ideals and shared values. as david said, it is a special relationship and an essential relationship. i believe that it is stronger than it's ever been and i'm committed to making sure that it stays that way. the successful meetings we have had and what we are announcing today represent the depth and breadth of our relationship. we discussed our efforts to strengthen the global recovery and create good jobs for our people. investment in relationship between the united states and united kingdom is the largest in the world, one that accounts for nearly one million jobs in each of our economies. we believe we can make that relationship even stronger with deeper cooperation in areas critical to our future prosperity like higher education and science and innovation, areas critical to our national security like cybercrime, and

areas vital to the stability of the world, including international development. during our discussions today, we reviewed our progress in afghanistan where our brave service men and women have fought side by side to break the taliban's momentum and where we are preparing to turn a corner. we reaffirmed the importance of beginning the transition to afghan lead for security this year. and completing that transition by 2014. we discussed the opportunity that exists for promoting reconciliation and political settlement he which must be an afghan-led process. president karzai has made it clear he will talk to anyone who is willing to end the violence, split with al qaeda, and accept the afghan constitution. and we welcome the positive cooperation between afghanistan and pakistan on that front. at the same time, the prime minister and i both agree that our nations have a long-term interest in ensuring that afghanistan never again becomes the launching pad for attacks

against our people. so alongside our nato allies and partners we are committed to a strong and enduring partnership with the people of afghanistan. as you saw the change unfold across the middle east and north africa, we agree the pursuit of self-determination must be driven by the peoples of the region and not imposed from the outside. but we are both committed to doing everything that we can to support peoples who reach for democracy and leaders who implement democratic reform. tomorrow we'll discuss with our g-8 partners how those of us in the community can support nations to make the reforms necessary to build the framework for democratcy, freedom, and prosperity for their people. at the same time we will continue to strongly oppose the use of violence against protesters. and any efforts to silence those whoern--- who yearn for freedom

and dignity and basic human rights. that's one of the reasons we are working together in libya alongside with our nato allies and partners to protect the libyan people and we will continue those operations until gaddafi's attacks on civilians cease. time is working against gaddafi and he must step down from power and leave libya to the libyan people. we also discussed the situation in syria where the syrian people have shown great courage in their demands for a democratic transition. the united states welcomes the e.u.'s decision to impose sanctions on president assad, and we are increasing pressure on him and his regime in order to end his policy of repression and begin the change that people seek. we discussed yemen where the yemeni people called for greater opportunity and prosperity and a nation that is more unified and more secure and we expressed our joint concern of the deteriorating situation on the

ground there. we applauded the leadership of the gulf cooperation council in seeking an orderly and peaceful resolution to the crisis and we call on the president to move immediately on his commitment to transfer power. at a time when so many in the region are casting off the burdens of the past, we agree that the push for a lasting peace that ends the israeli-palestinian conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent than ever. i appreciate the prime minister's support for the principles that i laid out last week onboarders and security. which can provide a sound basis from which the two sides can negotiate. as increasing tensions in the region threaten to detail sudan's comprehensive peace agreement, we are working closely together to encourage the parties to recommit to a peaceful resolution to the crisis and calling on the rapid reinforcement of the u.n. peacekeeping presence in the region. we also reviewed our close cooperation when it comes to

counter terror threats, preventing the proliferation of w.m.d., and the means of their delivery to states like iran and our unrelenting efforts to keep our people safe. finally, we launched a joint initiative to exchange the best ideas and practices when it comes to supporting our veterans and our military families. today before we came here, michelle and i joined david and samantha for an outstanding barbecue. active duty members of the military were there along with spouses who make extraordinary sacrifices as well. it was a wonderful event and a moving reminder of the long line of american and british service mens who made lots of sacrifices in the joint defense of our shared values that our people hold so dear. mr. prime minister, thank you. >> it you can see all of the press conference at c-span.org. going live now to the u.s.

house. members today beginning debate on the 150 amendments to the defense programs bill. live here on c-span. each of heaven's treasures, faith, family, and freedom. let your grace touch each need present here today. may every family member represented know the love of the -- love of the father, the presence of his son an the guidance of the holy spirit. protect an guide our soldiers in the field and all of those who uphold law and order across this country and around the world. cause the muddy waters of the mississippi, arkansas and ohio rivers to recede rapidly and do no additional harm but allow the rivers of living water to flow freely throughout this land. let providence be evident in our actions today and may we possess your talking points you heart, your mind in the matters of national importance. final by, we -- finally we pray, as we were tructed by your word, for the peace in

jerusalem and throughout the middle east, pay maye thy will be done today. in the name of the father, the son an the holy spirit. amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. the pledge of allegiance will be lead by the gentleman from michigan, mr. clark. mr. clarke: i ask all staff, members and visitors to remain standing and join me in declaring the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: without objection the gentleman from louisiana, mr. scalise is recognized for one minute. mr. scalise: thank you, mr. speaker.

i want to thank my friend, pastor gene mills, for opening us up in prayer today. i've had the privilege of working with gene mills for years now and his -- in his role as head of the louisiana family forum, which has been a beacon of light defending family values throughout our state and working with ministers all across the country to spread the good word of the lord jesus christ. i want to commend pastor mills for the work he did after katrina, organizing faith-based groups all around the state and around the country to go in and do the lord's work when government couldn't get there to help people. the pastors and the faith-based organizations around this country came together and they got that work done. so i want to thank gene mills for being here with us today, for leading us in prayer, and with that, i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15 further requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle.

for what purpose does the gentleman from kohl seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, many of us in the great state of kohl have answer -- many heroes in the great state of kohl have answered the call to serve their country and i honor -- of kohl raw doe have answered the call to serve their country. he deployed with his unit in support of operation enduring freedom and fought in kandahar province, afghanistan. on maye 18, 2011, his unit came under fire and he gave his life fighting for he -- against the taliban. he is remembered not only for his heroics on the battlefield

but for the tremendous impact he had on his family, friends and community. his dwegs to family and his trademark sense of humor were characteristics of the young man for all who knew him he personifies the selflessness of service in the united states army my deepest sympathies go out to his family, his fellow soldiers and all who knew him. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. moran: despite a slow recovery, the republican leadership has failed to bring a jobs bill to this floor in the first 100 days. we now learn that one, in name only, is under consideration

tsms called the job opportunities and benefits services act, which has the acronym jobs, but it's not going to cut job -- create jobs. it's going to cut off unemployment benefits, it's kind of a cruel hoax to call a plan that cuts aid to working people a jobs bill. it enables states to divert more than $32 million in federal unemployment trust funds that's intended for unemployment benefits into block grants that can be used to cut taxes for businesses, pay off states' debts or back fill their own state unemployment funds but not necessarily pay out benefits to those on the unemployment rolls. in fact, it grants some states permanent waivers to divert future unemployment funds. our unemployment rate has gone from 10.6% when president obama took office to 9% but it's still too high. we ought to be in the business of creating new jobs, not

forcing bread winners to default on their mortgages and loan but to provide for their families. that's agenda we ought to be about. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? >> to address the house for one hin. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. broun: it is long past time to stop rewarding irresponsibility. if we continue to give the democrat administration everything they ask for they'll never learn fiscal discipline or how to control their outrageous spending. taxpayers do not want to write the administration another blank check out of their own checkbooks only to see it bounce and further worsen our economy along with job creation. merps have said loudly and clearly that they want serious spending cuts and i will not support raising the debt ceiling unless this

administration begins to practice some self-control. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today because i fear that lost amidst the controversy in statements surrounding the middle east peace process, while amidst the hopeful events of arab spring and lost in other events lies a nuclear iran. we must never forget that iran is hurtling toward a nuclear weapon. it would set off an arms race and expose our closest friend and ally, israel, to the gravest danger. the threat is real as prime minister netanyahu noted yesterday, they can put a bomb

anywhere, on a missile a ship, a suitcase, or saabway. we stutetrong sanctions against iran but more must be done to close loopholes, ensure enforcement and take additional steps to stop a nuclear iran. no matter the challenges that arides in the middle east, we must never forget the most dangerous threat of all, a nuclear armed iran. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina rise? mr. wilson: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. wilson: it was an honor to have prime minister netanyahu speak to a joint session of congress yesterday. the partnership between our countries is vital. the prime minister is correct that reinstatements of the 1967 borders makes the country indefensible. i am grateful to the american-israel public affairs

committee for two tours of israel where i saw the importance of the go lan heights to stop hezbollah and i learned of the inhumanity of rocket attacks. israeli families are vulnerable to cowardly murderers. israel should not have to negotiate with those who refuse its right to exist. the united states must remain committed to israel to promote peace and democracy in the middle east. i look forward to continuing to work with israel in promoting peace and stability. ronald reagan was right, peace through strength. in conclusion, we will never forget september 11 and the globe war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend may remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this morning as a member of the house homeland security committee, i heard testimony that was very compelling.

even though bin laden is dead the threat to our country exists and it's a threat that's increasingly coming from within the united states. mr. clarke: my message to congress, this is not the time to cut back on homeland security. our local police, fire and medical providers are our first line of defense against any national emergency and against terrorist attacks. they need the funding right now toup grade their communications systems so that they can better address this issue that faces americans. again, let's protect our citizens by investing more in homeland security, redirect the money from afghanistan to protect our people here at home. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from missouri rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. hartzler: i rise today to

express disappointment with president obama's proposal for israel to return to its pre1967 borders. president obama's call for israel to make more sacrifices in pursuit of peace in the middle east is unacceptable they feel borders established in 1967 followed three wars launched against israel. for israel, acceptance of those borders would mean that israeli sacrifices were for nothing. the territory acquired by israelis after they were subjected to unprovoked attacks serves as a buffer against enemies intent on destroying her. we all want to see peace in the middle east but it's naive to think that peace will come as a result of israel make manager concessions. restoring the 1967 borders would be a victory for hamas. this is not the path to peace an the president should acknowledge this. president obama must stand by our most steadfast ally in the

region and acknowledge that peace cannot be achieved through israel weakening its ability to defend itself against terrorists. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. defazio: many residents -- citizens have canceled travel plans an others are paying $4 to fill -- a gallon to fill up. the government filed its first suit against wall street. the republican sachs to cut the budget of commodity futures trading committee. while families across america are struggling to keep their lifestyle, fill their tanks and have fun with their families,

the wall street speculators can ride down in their private elevators, relax in the back seat of their limousines while the chauffeur wisconsins them out to their third house in the hamptons because the republicans have their back and will protect speculators at any cost. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> yesterday, in this chamber, we listened as prime minister netanyahu outlined a viable plan for peace in the middle east. a plan that includes a free palestinian state and a secure israel. earlier president obama used the phrase, the united states believes to articulate his beliefs that this peace should be based on the 1967 borders. this is not how the united states feels or has ever felt about israel, an ally and close

friend. mr. nunnelee: one based on security interests and values. as a friend we cannot force israel into indefensible borders ultimately leading to its destruction because israel is surrounded by people who want to see it wiped off the face of the earth. israel is our friend and we the united states of america believe in standing with our friend. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. cicilline: i rise today to recognize the 15th anniversary of the korean war veterans association in rhode island. as we look forward memorial day we remember all our nation's heroes who put their lives on the line because our country asked them to. more than 54,000 deaths resulted from the korean war which occurred between 1950 and 1953 and more than 103,000 were

wounded n rhode island more than 12% of our veterans served in the war. because of these service members, we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have here at home today. we owe our veterans an their families our utmost gratitude and respect for the great sacrifices they made on our behalf. in honor of their sacrifice, we must fulfill our promise to our veterans and their families by providing access to the highest quality health care, education, mental health services, housing, and employment. i commend the korean war veterans association of rhode island on its achievements and hard work to support veterans and organizations like the veterans of foreign wars, and the ladies auxiliary veterans. i wish all veterans and their families a happy memorial day. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from the marianas islands rise? mr. sablan: to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, in the northern mariana islands,

modern day mayors do a tradition that dates back thousands of years. these individuals and their forebears represent an enduring line of local government in our islands. they deserve recognition for the important roles they have filled, particularly during the local self-government after world war ii which was essential to remaining and presiffing our cultural identity. this process began soon after american troops freed our islands in the 1944 battle for saipan. chamorro survivors of the war elected a high chief, roughly equivalent of the mayor, in the first exercise of democracy. it served a role now customarily identified with the office of the governor. today mayors are charged with more traditional responsibilities such as administering government programs, service, and appropriations in their respective municipalities. please honor me in recognizing the past and presents mayors of

the northern marianas islands. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise. without objection, so ordered. mr. burton: i was disturbed this morning when i saw the president and the prime minister having a press conference in england and the president in his comments indicated that we are in a war and we are going to be all together to win this war in libya. as far as i know the congress of the united states has not declared war. we have not been consulted about libya. and yet we are spending probably a couple billion dollars over there right now. and with the president's remarks you might wonder if we are going to have boots on the ground and be involved not only in the middle east now over in libya. and we don't have the money to do that. nor has congress been consulted. section 3 of the war powers act says, i quote, the president in

every possible instance shall consult with congress before introducing united states armed forces into hostilities. he shall, he didn't, and we ought to be very concerned about that. whether we are democrats or republicans. the power to go to war must be vested in the congress of the united states, not only -- not just the president but the congress. he is not a king. he's the president. we must make sure that congress is involved in the decisionmaking process. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise. without objection, so ordered. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. the road to ruin republican budget will end medicare. it would end the program that 46 million seniors and disabled individuals depend on for their health care. in fact, the end of medicare would mean seniors are forced to pay more for prescription drugs.

they will lose free wellness visits and they will be forced to pay more out of pocket. in fact, the republican plan would cause seniors to dip into their pockets twice as deeply as they do today by the year 2020. and three times more lie 2030. and what do we get with the end of medicare? where are these funds directed? to continue tax breaks for big oil. to continue loopholes for corporations that ship jobs overseas and provide tax breaks for the wealthiest amongst us. those who need them least. mr. speaker, americans oppose the efforts to end medicare and i ask my colleagues to work with us to strengthen the program not destroy it. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise? mr. yarmuth: request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. yarmuth: mr. speaker, yesterday on this floor a number of my democratic colleagues took the floor to talk about the republican plan to eliminate medicare as we know it. now, in response to that some of my republican friends stood up and said where's the democratic plan?

i don't know whether they were sleeping through the 111th congress or failed to read the bill that they voted against and now want to repeal, but the democratic principles were very much reflected in the affordable care act we passed in the last congress. we found savings in medicare. we extend the the life of the program for at least 10 years. we are closing the doughnut hole. we are providing new services for seniors. all of that in addition to saving $1 trillion in the second 10 year of the program. so the democrats have a plan for medicare. and we passed it in the last congress. the republican response, repeal what we did and end medicare as we know it. a very creative approach to solving one of the problems that faces this country and many of our seniors. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? mr. perlmutter: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. perlmutter: thank you. first i want to echo the words

of my colleague from colorado, mike hoffman, in expressing our sympathies to the family of corporal curtain from centennial, colorado, who died this past week in combat. and that's a loss to colorado. that's a loss to the nation. we just express our sympathies. i want to really turn to a big issue at hand and that is, over the last 10 years bill clinton, we had a surplus, revenues exceeded expenses. but after the bush tax cuts which was $1 trillion or more, two wars, $1 trillion or more, collapse of wall street, couple trillion dollars, that budget was turned upside-down, instead of focusing on the tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires or tax cuts for the oil company, want to take it out of medicare to try to get the budget right. well, that's just going the wrong direction. instead of at $1 a barrel we are going to maintain those tax cuts for oil companies, but,

no, we are going to stop programs under medicare? that's just wrong. that's a program that's worked for this country for a long time and i want to see it remain in place. i thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? without objection, so ordered. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. speaker. i was shocked yesterday at the exchange that occurred between our colleague from north carolina, patrick mchenry, and elizabeth warren, the woman who has been cast by president obama to establish the new consumer financial protections bureau. you know, to have a woman of impeccable academic credentials, a woman who for years predicted what was going to happen, had a potential solution, and who has been adamant in her support for trying to unwind this mess, to

have her being attacked, to have her at one point being accused of somehow doing too much to communicate with attorneys general who are trying to get a fair shake for homeowners who have been cheated, speaks volumes. not just sadly about the republican subcommittee, but about the republican approach. for heaven's sakes they shouldn't be blocking her nomination, she should be embracing it and working with us to make sure it never happens again. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from utah seek recognition? mr. bishop: by direction of the committee on rules, i call up

house resolution 276 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 40, house resolution 276. resolved that at any time after the adoption of this resolution the speaker may, pursuant to clause 2-b of rule 18, declare the house resolved into the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of the bill h.r. 1540, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the department of defense, and for military construction. to proscribe military personnel strength for fiscal year 2012 and for other purposes. no further general debate shall be in order. section 2, a, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on armed services now printed in the bill. the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read.

all points of order against the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. b, no amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution. c, each amendment printed in the report of the committee on rules shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to demand for division of the question in the house or in the committee of the whole. d, all points of order against amendments printed in the report of the committee on rules or against amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution are waived. section 3, it shall be in order at any time for the chair of the committee on armed services or his designee to offer

amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of. amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on armed services or their designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to demand for division of the question in the house or in the committee of the whole. the original proponent of an amendment included in such amendments en bloc may insert a statement in the congressional record immediately before the disposition of any amendments en bloc. section 4, at the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment, the committee shall rise and report the bill to the house with such amendments that may have been adopted. any member may demand a separate vote in the house on any amendment adopted in the committee of the whole to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the

bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> mr. speaker, i rise for a point of order against house resolution 276. because this resolution violates section 426-a of the congressional budget act. mr. garamendi: this resolution contains a waiver of all points of order against consideration of the bill. which includes a waiver of section 425 of the congressional budget act, which causes a violation of section 426-a. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california makes a point of order that the resolution violates section 426-a of the congressional budget act of 1974. the gentleman has met the threshold burden under the rule and the gentleman from california and a member opposed

each will control 10 minutes of debate on the question of consideration. following debate, the chair will put the question of consideration as a statutory means of disposing of the point of order. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. garamendi: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to this point of order not necessarily out of concern for the unfunded and unmet mandates, although there are many, many in this bill, i rise to this point of order because we have one of the very few opportunities to actually talk about one of the provisions in the underlying bill. . they've been denied the opportunity to to to the properly debate this provision and i believe we must illuminate what it actually does. section 1034 of this bill provides an unlimited opportunity for the administrative branch of government, the president, and the secretary of defense,

engage in war virtually anywhere, any place, any time on this planet. that is an unbelievably broad opportunity that this house should never give to any president at any time. there are three very specific problems that the authorization for the use of military force has and i want to make sure that we understand what those problems are. the provision is particularly dangerous because it does undermine the constitution. only congress has the authority to declare war. yet this authorization to use military force passes to the president the opportunity to engage in war anywhere, any time, really without any particular reservations. this thing was snuck into the

defense authorization act. no debate -- no debate in committee, and had i not somehow been going through the bill and thumbing through and finding page 133 of the legislation, it would never have been discussed in committee. but sometime near 12:00 or actually after 12:00 i was able to present an amendment in committee to strike this section of the bill. that amendment did not pass the committee and hopefully it will be before the floor as we discuss the entire legislation. so let me begin the discussion now. we ought not expand the executive authority to go to war. first of all this particular section, 1034 is harmful because of three reasons. one, it's unlimited. anywhere, any place, any time.

second, it is very unclear as to who we're going to go to war against. and thirdly, it's not necessary. first, section 1034 is unlimited. there's no geographic limitation in section 1034. all that needs to be found by the president or the secretary of defense is, there's a terrorist out there. somehow associated with the taliban or al qaeda. and we know that al qaeda is spread throughout the world including the united states. so the entire globe is the subject of this authorization to use military force. and it's not just force against an individual terrorist, or an individual terrorist organization, it's force against any nation that harbors, supports, or provides

some sort of aid to a terrorist organization. what kind of nation would that be? certainly we would consider yemen, somalia, maybe even pakistan. and we did successfully go after pakistan. not pakistan, but after bin laden who happened to be hiding in pakistan. but the point here is, unlimited authorization to go anywhere in the globe to go after terrorists of any color, any stripe, anywhere. i don't suppose we intend to declare war against ourselves, so maybe america is not included in this. thirdly, there's no temporal limit to this, meaning this authorization goes on forever. it's not limited in time. it can go for one year, two years, 0 years, one century, or amy -- 10 years, one century or a millennium.

we must never allow any president to have that unlimited opportunity to wage war on behalf of this nation. and thirdly, -- or secondly, this resolution and this section is unclear. it's unclear in several ways. what is an associated force? what's the taliban? what is al qaeda? we know al qaeda as it existed in afghanistan, we have a sense of what al qaeda is in pakistan, but now we have al qaeda in the saudi arabiaian peninsula. we probably have al qaeda in somalia and certainly according to the f.b.i. we have al qaeda in the united states. so this particular clause associated forces is one that we should never allow to go into law and allow any president over any time in the future to use it to undertake a war somewhere. finally, the provision is

unnecessary. the administration is not asking for additional power. we have a case in point, administration didn't need additional power to go into pakistan to get bin laden. the administration doesn't need additional power to go to yemen to deal with al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. nor did the administration need power back in the 1990's when president clinton launched tomahawk missiles into afghanistan to go after -- to go after bin laden and al qaeda in afghanistan at that time. the president, the administration is not asking for this authority. they claim, and the courts have provided them with sufficient authority to carry out the mission against terrorism as we know it today system of in conclusion, i want to raise this issue to this house, to

the senate and to the american public that in the defense authorization there is an unlimited opportunity for any president now and in the future to wage war anywhere in the world against any nation that has a terrorist in that nation. that we should never do. we should aggressively maintain our authority under the constitution to declare war and to authorize the use of military force and with that, mr. chairman, or mr. speaker, i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from utah rise? >> i rise to -- mr. bishop: i rise to claim time in opposition to the point of order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 10 minutes. mr. bishop: the discussion we've had on the floor is

enlightening and interesting there is much that i think is significant to what has been said by the gentleman from california. however, mr. speaker, if you would forgive me, i need to talk directly to the point of order itself. the question before the house is, should the house now consider house resolution 276. while this resolution waives all poifereds against the consideration of the bill -- waives all poits -- points of order against the consideration of the bill. the waiver is prophylactic in its nature, specifically the committee on rules is not aware of any violation of the unfunded mandates reform act nor has the congressional budget office identified any vigse of the unfunded mandates reform act. so in order to allow the house to move forward with its business of the day, i urge members to vote yes on the underlying question.

the speaker pro tempore: all time for debate having expired, the question is, will the house now consider the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the question of consideration is decided in the affirmative. the gentleman from utah is recognized for one hour. mr. bishop: thank you, mr. speaker. for purposes of debate only, i yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. during the consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only and i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. bishop: mr. speaker, this resolution provides a structured rule for the consideration of of 152 individual amendments to the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2012.

i'd like my colleagues to realize that the rules committee received 220 amendments for consideration of this bill and of the 220 filed, 75% of them, or a total of 152, are made in order. even more remarkable, the majority of those that were not made in order were either withdrawn by the sponsor or duplicative of other amendments filed or redundant restatements of provisions already included in the pace -- base bill or violated house rules. this is an overwhelmingly fair and generous rule and continues the record of the rule committees in this congress of making multiple amendments in order as long as they conform to the trials of house. one must commend chairman dreier for continuing this record of openness and i wish to commend the chame of the armed services committee, mr. mckeon, as well as the raking member of the gentleman -- the gentleman from washington, mr. smith, for bringing the bill to the floor under a continuing

tradition of bipartisanship and mutual cooperation. mr. speaker, sometimes the congress has a reputation of being contentious and partisan and that reputation is unfortunately occasionally deserved. however, as one who has been a member of the armed services committee and currently on leave from that committee, i have been pleased to note that when it comes for providing for the common defense of our country a core constitutional responsibility, partisanship has usually been checked at the door with regard to the conduct and product of the armed services committee in their annual defense authorization bill system of was this bill, having passed by a vote of 60-1 in committee this rule builds on that bipartisan position when it comes to the defense bill. as it makes more democrat amendments in order than republican amendments. yes, you're welcome. our nation faces some daunting channels. to provide adequate resources if our -- for our national defense going forward, to provide the promised benefits

of our all volunteer force, modernization of our infrastructure, our aircraft fleet, -- our aircraft fleet is slipping further and further behind and our pomers -- the demand is great for them in afghanistan, iraq and other places in the world. the infrastructure needs of our military is further and further mind. a strong national defense is directly related to a strong national economy, strong job outlooks and the national defense makes everything else we enjoy in this country, our cherished way of life, our freedoms, possible. the underlying legislation, h.r. 1540, does a remarkable job given all the fiscal restraints that have been involved and it continues to provide for our common defense. for that purpose, i wish to

inform my colleagues that this is a good bill and we are adding to that a good and fair rule for the amendments. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: i rise in opposition -- mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcgovern: i rise in opposition to this rule. all members of the house are strongly committed to protecting our national security regardless of party, reor political point of view. -- party, region, or political point of view. it has been the tradition to work in a bipartisan way to craft a defense bill. i recognize chairman buck mckeon and raking member smith for continuing that collegiality. fwiven that, it comes as a surprise to see so many provisions in h.r. 1540 that attempt to repudiate and attack several of the president's

policies. from warehousing detainees for an indeterminate amount of time to delaying the implementation of don't ask, don't tell to hamstringing the implementation of the new start treaty to seeking a so-called updated authorization for the use of military force that no longer references the devastating 9/11 attacks against america but instead gives broad authority to the executive branch to pursue military operations anywhere, for any length of time, such changes have all the appearance of a partisan agenda. yesterday, i expressed my hope the rules committee would make in order amendments through a -- so that a broad range of amendments could be considered and voted upon by this body. over 200 amendments were submitted for consideration. 152 amendments were made in order. but each amendment only receives 10 minutes of debate time. evenly divided between supporters and opponents.

when the house is debating whether to significantly change and expand the authority under which the president, any president, may send our service men and women into harm's way without consulting congress and under the vague terminology of fighting global terrorism, is 10 minutes enough time to give this grave matter the attention it deserves? when military operations are under way in libya, is 10 minutes really enough time to debate whether ground troops should not be deployed under any circumstances? . a number of amendments focused on the future of our policy and operations in afghanistan. as most of my colleagues know i believe we need to rethink our strategy in afghanistan. it has demanded the lives of 1,57 of our service men and women and gravely wounded tens of thousands of our troops. suicide rates among our veterans from afghanistan and iraq have soared. and right now there is no genuine path aimed at ending our military footprint in

afghanistan. no exit strategy. the death of osama bin laden creates an opportunity for us to re-examine our policy in afghanistan and asks the president exactly how and when he will bring the last troops home to their families and their communities. this is a moment to bring fresh eyes to the question of what kind of defense priorities and budget best fit the need of our nation and national security. especially in these difficult economic times. this is a matter that touches every single american, and especially our uniformed men and women, their families, and their communities. how can we make any decision on budget priorities unless we know how much longer this war is going to last? already it is the longest war in our nation's history. it is bankrupting our nation. every day, every week, every month we see billions and billions of dollars charged to the national credit card, increasing the deficit, increasing the debt with no end

in sight. we see corruption everywhere within the karzai government in afghanistan, and we see the basic needs of our own communities, roads, bridges, clean water systems, education, health care, and hunger programs cut or eliminated for lack of funds. where does it all end? when does it all end? on a matter this important, shouldn't we be engaged in debate for more than 107 minutes? i'm pleased the amendment i submitted with co-sponsors walter jones, loretta sanchez, john lewis, ron paul, david cicilline, and peter welch was made in order. we have five minutes to describe why the president needs to clearly lay out to congress, to the american people, to our military men and women, and to our military families exactly how and when we will complete the accelerated transition of our military operations to the afghan authorities. five minutes, mr. speaker. not to mention why the president needs to accelerate talks to achieve a political

solution and reconciliation in afghanistan. and why we need to have a new national intelligence estimate, not just a report from the national counterterrorism center on the leadership locations and capacity of al qaeda. five minutes. this defense bill would give the executive branch carte blanche to fight global terrorism anywhere by any means, but we don't even have an up-to-date n.i.e. on al qaeda. that's not debate, mr. speaker. quite frankly, it's an unsult. not to mention that if we add up the time of all the amendments, at best the debate on the future of u.s. military operations in afghanistan might begin as early as 10 or 11:00 tonight. but most likely even later. mr. speaker, there is no reason to rush this bill through just because members were told that they could fly out of town at 3:00 tomorrow. we could stay on friday or we could continue the debate on the amendments next week.

libya, unchecked power granted to the executive versus the constitutional responsibility of congress to declare war or authorize specific use of our military might around the world. these are matters that deserve much greater attention than what is granted under this rule. i urge my colleagues to support the mcgovern-jones-sanchez- paul-cicilline-welch amendment when it comes up for debate late this evening. i ask my colleagues to reject this rule which denies this house the ability to debate these grave matters in the manner they deserve and require. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from utah. mr. bishop: i am pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from yip, mr. young. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. young: i rise in support of the rule and h.r. 1540. as the u.s. marine i understand the importance of a strong

national defense, especially during this time of war. that's why i'm glad this bill provides our troops with the resources they need and enables them to carry out the missions we ask of them. as a freshman member of the house armed services committee, i'd like to thank chairman mckeon for his leadership throughout this process. he's been very open to working with me and other colleagues on the committee in developing ways to restructure the quadrennial defense review process. this process informs the annual defense spending bill, of course. i'm proud of the bill we are debating today. i'm encouraged by our recognition that a restructured q.d.r. process will allow us to better identify d.o.d. priorities and that is the deto efficiently spending taxpayer dollars. in sum, this bill responsibly addresses military issues facing us today and it's being offered with an eye toward improving the defense funding process in the future. i urge my colleagues to vote yes, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from utah reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. andrews. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. andrews: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. andrews: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to commend the majority and minority for working together on a robust process that we have, but i am concerned about two deficiencies in the process. one, the gentlelady from guam will speak to momentarily, i think it's really a travesty that she's not able to present an idea this house has considered many times as part of this bill and i hope that would be reconsidered. secondly, we have all said forever that we agree that there's a problem has to be fixed for people who served our country in uniform. here's what happens. you have a person who is very seriously injured in the line of duty in the military.

age they retire and they get dis-- and they retire, and they would get disability day for their injury. let's say they would get deafened by a bomb going off near them and they are ill or disabled and they qualify for disability pay. they also qualify for a regular military pension. i think most of us on this floor would say, most people in the country would say, they should get both. if you're injured in the line of duty and you're severely disabled as a result, you should get both your disability pay and your regular pension. and for years people on both sides have said they want to do this. the problem has been it does in fact cost money. there's a couple of other variations here. the widows and widowers of these service members have the same problem with respect to their benefits, and then there's another problem where people who serve in the reserve get credit toward earlier retirement but they have to make it fit around the federal

fiscal year. so people over in iraq and afghanistan who have been deprived of earlier retirement, they have been shot at because they got shot at after october 1, it doesn't count. it's a bizarre rule and ought to be fixed. we had an amendment in the rules committee that fixed a great extent these three problems, and it had a way to pay for it which is controversial. it would take some of the internet gaming that's going on and say, a, it's legal, and b, that the money from it should go to help these service personnel injured in the line of duty. some people like this idea, some people don't. but i think it should have been brought to this floor so we could have a debate about it. if you talk to any one of our members, mr. speaker, i think he would tell you or she would tell you they are all for fixing this problem. but it has to be paid for. so we had a solution that fixed a large part of the problem and was paid for, would not result in an increase in the deficit, but it didn't find its way to the floor.

i know the tents -- technicalities of it, but i think the house should be given a chance to work its will on this question. it's as simple as this. the guy o who lost his hearing because a mortar shell went off next to him shouldn't have to choose between his disability pay and regular retirement instead of getting both. i think he should get both. and i think the house should be able to work its will on that question. i would urge us to consider during this debate process making that possible. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from utah. mr. bishop: pleased to recognize a couple of minutes, two minutes to the gentleman from indiana, to address one of the issues that's already been brought up here. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. mcgovern of massachusetts raised an issue a moment ago he should we should be discussing regarding the war powers act. mr. burton: i certainly agree with him. i would just like to inform him that right now the foreign affairs committee is holding

hearings on the number of pieces of legislation that will deal with and refine the war powers act and hopefully correct some of the loopholes in it so that congress is included in the loop. so i'd just like to inform him of that because although i would like to see this in this particular legislation that we are talking about and discuss this in some detail, i think the hearings going on right now will go into in depth the problems that we face with that bill. the one thing i would say is that i think we all agree, democrats and republicans alike, that this body and the other body ought to be involved in the decisionmaking process before we go into any conflict. and this issue of libya is a perfect example of where the executive branch has run away from the congress without consulting with us. and that's something that should never happen in the future, especially when we are risking american lives and

american money. thank you very much. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for his comments. although i do continue to believe that on these great issues that we need more than five minutes to be able to present our case. our entire policy in afghanistan we give them five minutes to debate the issue. i don't think that's right. at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. cicilline: i thank the gentleman for yielding. for more than nine years now our american troops have been executing the mission in afghanistan with extraordinary dedication and competence. they have done all we have asked of them. but what started out as a quick war on october 7, 2001, to wipe out al qaeda leader osama bin laden and other terrorists has turned into a campaign that seemingly has no end in sight. our brave men and women from oiler families and communities, and costing us more than $8

billion a month. the cost of this war, again, $8 billion a month, approximately $2 billion a week, is totally unsustainable. especially at a 250eu78 when we are being asked to make extreme cuts here at home. money by the way that we are putting on the american credit card. mr. speaker, my rhode island constituents understand that it's time to transfer responsibility for afghanistan to the afghan people and bring our brave men and women home. we should no longer send billions of american taxpayer dollars to the afghan people for their schools and hospitals, roads, bridges, and police at the expense of making those same investments in our own country. especially when the karzai government has shown itself incapable of governing effectively or honestly. a year-long investigation by a senate panel said mostly afghan forces of private security guards, our military depends on to protect supply convoys and bases in afghanistan, are rife

with criminals, drug users, and insurgents. more alarming the report alleges that some local warlords who have emerged as key labor for private security firms are also taliban agents. it's time to rethink our strategy in afghanistan so we can focus on rebuilding our economy and making sure americans can compete in the 21st century. we need to invest in job creation and reducing our debt instead of sending billions of dollars to a corrupt government abroad. and that's why i'm proud to support the mcgovern amendment and be a co-sponsor that requires the president to provide congress with an exit plan from afghanistan with a time frame and completion date. mr. mcgovern: 30 seconds. mr. cicilline: that will stabilize afghanistan by ending an unpopular presence there and imprf our country's flexibility to respond to more immediate and pressing national security challenges, improving our fiscal and economic situation at home. this is about setting the rye rightor for the american

people. i urge my colleagues to strongly support the mcgovern amendment. i yield back. i thank the gentleman from massachusetts. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from utah. mr. beneficiaryon: i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from missouri, mrs. hartzler. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. mrs. hartzler: i thank the gentleman. i rise in support of the rule and of h.r. 1540, the national defense authorization act. and i want to thank chairman mckeon and ranking member smith for bringing this important bill to fruition. the legislation we have demonstrates support for our troops. it is a good bill will that provide them with the tools and support they need as they protect our freedoms and liberties. in funding our military for 2012, we ensure our troops who are deployed in afghanistan, iraq, and elsewhere in the world have the equipment and resources they need to succeed in their missions. there is no higher priority than advocating on their behalf and they deserve nothing less than the best. we need to send a clear message to the men and women fighting