the health of families and raising our children in a way that has respect for all of them. it's very interesting that we are taking this bill up now when the american people are calling out for jobs. their number one priority is the creation of jobs. and once again we come to the floor of the house with a major distraction that ain't going nowhere in order to cater to an extreme agenda of the republican majority. . the american people want us to take up jobs, they want us to take up the american jobs act which 3/4 of the american people want us to consider. or we could vote on the china currency legislation which would save a million jobs and has the support of a majority of the members in this body but again we're instead pursuing

the republicans' ideological agenda, forcing us to relitigate a very divisive issue. every woman in america should be very concerned about this assault on women's health. let us begin the debate with a very clear understanding of the facts. the federal funding of abortion is already, and has been for a long time, prohibited under the hyde amendment. except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. furthermore, the affordable care act prohibits the use of u.s. taxpayer dollars to fund abortion. that is why the catholic health association said, we are confident that the health care reform does not allow federal funding of abortions and that it keeps in place important

conscience protections for care givers and institutions alike. i repeat. the catholic health association said, we are confident that the health care reform does not allow federal funding of abortion an keeps in place important conscience protections for care givers and institutions alike. this bill is a radical departure from existing law. it represents an unprecedented and radical assault on a woman's access to the full range of health care services. for the first time, this bill places restrictions on how a woman with private insurance can spend her own private dollars in purchasing health insurance. as a result of this bill,

millions of women using health insurance exchanges are likely to no longer have access to insurance policies that cover all reproductive services. furthermore, supporters of this bill falsely claim that this bill is simply a restatement of the stupak amendment considered by the house in 2009. it is not. this bill is very different from the stupak amendment. it appears that health care providers could withhold care for women with life threatening conditions. in other words, a woman could be dying on the floor of a hospital and when you vote for this bill you will be saying that care givers would not have -- would not allow medical professions -- professionals to treat that woman. and keep her from dying. the obama administration has come out strongly against this legislation, rightly saying it intrudes on women's reproductive freedom and access

to health care and unnecessarily restribs the private insurance choices that women and their families have today. so just a few points again. public funding of abortion is prohibited under the hyde amendment except in cases of rape, incest, life of the mother. the american catholic health association says, we are confident that the affordable care act does not allow federal funding of abortion and that it keeps in place important conscience protections for care givers and institutions alike. and third, it is not the stupak amendment. this legislation is bad public policy. it is the wrong priority for congress. it is an assault on women's health and women should know that. it prevents them from using their own dollars to buy their own private insurance should they be part of an exchange.

i urge my colleagues to vote no and implore the republican majority to turn their attention to what this country needs, and that is jobs, jobs, jobs, and more jobs. with that, i yield back the mans of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. mavepls, i want to remind my colleagues across the aisle that they are entitled to form their own opinions, but they're not entitled to form their own facts. which are in opposition to what is true. our colleagues across the aisle know that the hyde amendment applies only to discretionary spending, has to be introduced every year into the appropriations bill, and has never aplide to mandatory spending. the affordable care act is mandatory spending.

and if the protection for life were in the affordable care act, then why did president obama issue his executived offer -- executive order saying he was clarifying the issue -- i will not yield. i think it's very important that we get the facts out here again, several of my colleagues have pointed those out, the gentlewoman has time on her side, an she is able to go ahead and make her points. i now would like to yield three minutes to my colleague from mississippi, mr. nunlly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. nonely: -- mr. nunl lee: -- mr. nunnelee: thank you, madam speaker. thank you, ms. foxx. i rise in support of h r. 358, the protect life act which would prohibit the federal

funding for abortions and would end abortion coverage under president obama's health care law. as a member of the mississippi state senate, i introduced similar legislation that would have prevented hard-earned tax dollars of mississippians from paying for abortions under obamacare. that legislation specifically allowed mississippi to opt out of using the tax -- state tax money to pay for abortions in the state health care exchange. and i'm proud to say that in may of 2010, our governor, haley barbour, signed that legislation into law and mississippi became the third state in the nation to approve the abortion subsidy opt out. for 16 years, it was my privilege to stand up for life on the floor of the mississippi senate. i'm proud to say that as a result of that effort, mississippi is now one of the safest states in the nation for unborn children and one of the

strongest pro-life states in the nation. today, i'm proud to take that voice to the floor of the house of representatives in our nation's capital. -- to the floor of the house of representatives in our nation's capitol. opaw macare should not have served as a vehicle for abandoning or weakening federal policies on abortion funding. health care is about saving and nurturing not about taking human life. even though president obama signed an executive order to address abortion funding concerns in the health care bill, an executive order is not law. the protect life act would strengthen long standing federal policies on abortions and more importantly would codify the principles of the president's executive order. as i stand here today, i have the privilege of serving the first district of mississippi

in the united states house of representatives and i will continue to fight to protect the lives of the innocent an serve as a voice for those who cannot speak for thems. americans recognize the value of life. as a co-spon or of this legislation, i urge my colleagues in the house of representatives to support this bill as we work to defend the morals of our taxpayers and give the needed protections to the unborn. thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: i yield to the gentleman from california for unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i ask unanimous consent to place my statement in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hastings: at this time i'm pleased to yield one minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from california, mrs. davis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. davis: thank you, madam speaker. since my colleague on the other side of the aisle did not yield to my colleague from colorado, i want to yield her my time initially and then i will take

it back. >> i thank the gentlelady for yielding. i wanted to point out that -- ms. degette: while the gentlelady is correct that hyde amendment is in annual appropriations bills if she looked at section 1403 b of the health care act it says no federal funding will be used to pay for abortion, so the democratic leader is correct, under the affordable health care act there are no federal funds used under that act to pay for abortions, period, end of story and i thank the gentlelady for yielding and i yield back. mrs. davis: thank you, i thank my colleague for clarifying that. we have had this discussion many times on the floor and that's why my colleagues and i want to get back to the issues at hand today. which is jobs, and enhancing and supporting the middle class in this country. but i want to just speak very, very quickly.

mr. hastings: i yield the gentlelady 15 seconds. mrs. davis: to remind us all what we are talking about here is the anyone millions of women -- is denying millions of women from purchasing comprehensive coverage with their own private funds. with their own private funds. this would up end the promise of health care reform for many, many women across this country. we need to put a stop to these attacks on women's health and i urge my colleagues to join me as well in strong opposition. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: madam speaker, i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. haste spgs: how much time is remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida has 15 3/4 minutes remaining, the gentlelady from north carolina has 13 minutes remaining. mr. hastings: i yield one minute to the gentlelady.

ms. woolsey: when you askmens -- americans what congress' focus should be, guess what they don't say? they don't say, forget about jobs what this country needs is an assault on women's primary care. this pill tells women if they use their own money and using their own money they can't purchase insurance that includes abortion coverage. isn't it the majority party that is constantly saying that they trust people with their own money? i dwess that applies if you're a c.e.o. but not if you're a woman making a wrenching decision about your reproductive health this bill has no chance of becoming law. it is a dog and pony show designed to please the far right fringe. i say do it on your own time, republicans, not on the american people's time. i ask us, vote no now and get to the job that -- job at hand,

which is to put america back to work. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. does the gentlewoman from north carolina wish to continue reserving? ms. foxx: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: i yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman, my good friend from florida, mr. deutch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is reck nighed for one minute. mr. deutch: it's not news the majority refuses to address the jobs crisis but passing time by attacking women's health is appalling. despite overwhelming support for the american jobs act, today we have before us h.r. 358, a cruel attack on women's health. we could help jobless workers feed their families today. instead this bill grants hospitals the right to deny abortions even in life or death cases. we could cut taxes for small businesses today. instead, this bill forebids americans from using their own

dollars to buy private health insurance that includes abortion coverage. we could put teachers back to work today. instead, this bill denies abortion even for the thousands of women each year who develop breast cancer while pregnant and need an abortion to start chemotherapy to save their lives and retain the hope of childbirth. americans don't want a war on women. they want a war on joblessness. they want us to work so that they can work. they want us, madam speaker, to take up the american jobs act, oppose this rule so we can get to work on their behalf. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. foxx: madam speaker, our colleague across the aisle i think was not here earlier when we talked about the fact that the jobs bill, which he says has overwhelming support by the american people, was introduced by request and has not a single

co-sponsor and i'm curious as to why he is not a co-sponsor if he thinks we should be bringing up that bill? i'd also like to point out again this bill this rule, it's not a war on women. and if we are -- if this is such a cruel act i want to point out that this is a bipartisan bill and that the support for not giving taxpayer funding for abortions has always been nonpartisan or bipartisan in this house. this is not purely a republican issue. i thank god every day for our colleagues on the other side of the aisle who are pro life. with that, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: madam speaker, i yield to the distinguished woman from maryland for

unanimous consent, ms. edwards. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. edwards: thank you, madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in opposition to this bill that doesn't create jobs but shorts women of appropriate reproductive service. mr. hastings: i yield to the distinguished gentlelady, ms. chu, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. . ms. chu: it allows doctors and hospitals to refuse treatment even if women will die without their help. this bill is so extreme it would prohibit women with cancer to get an abortion so radiation can save their life. every day and every week of treatment could be the difference between life and death. if this bill passes we will see thousands more women abandoned by their doctors. women like stephanie who is pregnant at 19 weeks. she came to the hospital with a 106-degree fever. the whites of her eyes was

filled with blood. she was dying before her doctor's eyes. but they considered the life of the fetus more important than the life of the mother and refused treatment until the fetus died. because they delayed stephanie almost lost her life. this bill should really be called the don't protect the life of the mother act. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to yield one minute to the gentleman from maryland, mr. harris. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for one minute. mr. harris: thank you very much, madam speaker. you know, much has been said on the floor about perhaps taking out for a jobs veand to pass this bill. this bill corrects the problem with the bill that shouldn't have been discussed by the last congress. they should have spent time dealing with the jobs issue instead of leaving it to this congress. madam speaker, this one very important correction is the conscience protection in this bill. i know someone who has worked in the hospital where abortions are done but they never forced

me to do it because we have conscious protections in the state of maryland. we need those conscious protections for everybody in the country. if you don't believe in abortion then you don't have to participate in it. it's a basic reliegeous freedom, basic self-freedom that we should protect for every single american health care provider. madam speaker, i'd like to introduce in the record four letters from people who work in facilities, from on stay trigses who work in facilities that the conscious clause will not hurt anyone in this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. harris: the conscious protection clause is needed. it's a correction from the work of the last congress. we should pass this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: madam speaker, i'm very pleased to yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from new york, mr. nadler. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for one minute.

mr. nadler: madam speaker, this bill seeks to undo women's constitutional rights under the guise of being about government funding for abortion. the law unfortunately already forebids federal funds from paying for abortions except in the case of rape and incest whether the woman's life is in danger. this bill goes beyond that. it would make it impossible for the health plans set up as part of the affordable care act to pay for abortions. it would make it virtually impossible for women to buy insurance with abortions with their own money. it would allow a doctor or hospital to perform an abortion whose life is in peril. they could die in the emergency room and the government would be powerless to do anything. madam speaker, i remember a time not that long ago when women had no options for legal abortions and had to resort to illegal back ally abortionist. women were butchered. many died. many became sterile because the

medical care they sought was denied to them. no women should be treated with this contempt. the real purpose of this bill which denies women to buy insurance coverage for abortion makes it impossible for women to have a right to choose for them self. this bill is an abomination. i urge colleagues to vote no. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: madam speaker, i would now -- i'd like to point out to my colleague across the aisle that if we have a constitutional right for taxpayer funding of abortions then we should have a right to taxpayer funding of guns, the second amendment, allows us to keep and bear arms. i would now like to yield three minutes to our distinguished colleague from louisiana, dr. cassidy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana is recognized for three minutes. mr. cassidy: i thank you, madam

speaker. if anyone is concerned about our jobs program go to g.o.p..gov/jobs. it's the bills we have passed. most of the time you have not participated but indeed it directly addresses the need for more jobs. secondly, i think we may have some common ground. it may we have not read the same bill. for example, folks keep saying this will not allow women to purchase coverage even with their own money. may i direct folks to page 6, line 8 -- premiums for such coverage or plan -- goes on to say, may be used as long as it is not government money. it can be the individual's own money. there is a myth that this will prevent women from paying pour abortion. medicaid doesn't pay for abortions. there are many medicaid women that get abortions. i suspect, although i don't know, that there are many women covered by the federal employees health benefit

program who indeed get abortions. impurecally we know what's being asserted is not true. then there is a question of whether or not they are going to be denied life-saving health care. if you go to page 4, line 20, this does not apply in the case where a pregnant woman suffers from physical disorder, physical injury or physical illness that would as certified by a physician place the female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. so i think we have common ground. the leader on the other side, next point, said this is dramatic departure from current law. but that's kind of a curious turn of phrase because we know that current law is the president's health care plan. it is current law that has turned upside down the equal libry up had a was -- equal libry up as to what to provide.

so she's right. it dramatically overturns current law. that's the point because the affordable care act dramatically overturned that balance. lastly, i want to point out something else. i was a physician. i work for a hospital for the uninsured and i teach medical students. i was there last monday teaching medical schools. you know 50% of the residents, probably 60% of the residents doing ob-gyn are women and many of them are concerned about issues like this? as we speak about women let's not also forget the women's right to practice her faith. and if she chooses to practice her faith in a way which preserves life, she should not be coerced by the overreaching state. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: madam speaker, at this time i yield to the distinguished lady from california, ms. lee, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for one minute. ms. lee: thank you and thank

the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, i rise in strong opposition to this rule and this bill. instead of focusing on jobs, republicans are continuing to wage their war on women with this dangerous legislation today. this bill forces comprehensive coverage for women to be dropped from the state exchanges cutting off millions of women from affordable comprehensive health care and you know that federal funds have not been allowed for abortion since 1976, to my dismay, and nothing has changed. this bill makes it virtually impossible for any health care plan to offer abortion coverage and allows hospitals to refuse, mind you, refuse to provide life-saving care to a woman who needs an abortion to protect her own life. this is unprecedented and should be rejected. we should not and must not let republicans to turn the clock back on women on choice and on our access to health care. i remember the days of back ally abortions. women died. women from injured for life. let's not go back there.

i urge my colleagues to reject this unnecessary and harmful legislation. health care decisions should be made by women and their health care providers, not republicans in the house of representatives who want to impose their own ideological agenda on women. we should be creating jobs, not interfering with women's reproductive rights. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: madam speaker, i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: at this time i'm very pleased to yield to the distinguished gentleman from connecticut, mr. murphy, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut is recognized for one minute. mr. murphy: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in strong opposition to the so-called protect life act. this bill is now egregious, over-the-top assault on america's women, their health and autonomy over their bodies. instead of doing here what we are sent here to do do, focus

on jobs, instead we're talking about an extreme right-wing agenda against women. what we are talking about is going to the dark ages here. we talk about ending federal support for birth control. a debate that women in my district thought ended a generation ago. and now we're going so far as to say that women can't even have access to information about the full extent of choices as to the respect of their health care. this is a war on women. this is a distraction from job creation. we should reject this bill. we should end this assault on women's health care and we should get back to the work that we have been sent here to do, to fix this economy for everyone in this country. women and men together. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: continues to reserve. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: madam speaker, i'm very pleased to yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from new york, mr. israel. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for one minute. mr. israel: i thank the

gentleman. madam speaker, i rise in opposition. i'm not surprised by this bill. in meamp they tried to close down the federal government over a woman's right to go to plant parenthood for health care, -- planned parenthood for health care and now they're trying to close down the government for treatment in their hospitals. they call this about proteching life. it's the opposite of protecting life, madam speaker. this denies preventive health care to women. it even hurts the victims of rape and sexual assault who have been hurt enough. madam speaker, the american people want a republican majority that will help create a climate for small businesses to create jobs, not create a climate of war against women's health care. they want a war on unemployment. they do not want a war on women. they want more jobs and less extremism. this bill is about extremism. and it ought to be defeated. i thank the gentleman. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. does the gentlewoman from north carolina wish to continue

reserving? ms. foxx: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: madam speaker, i yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from virginia, mr. moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for one minute. mr. moran: thank you very much. madam speaker, how much floor time do we have to spend on redundant legislation that will surely die in the senate and has already been threatened with a veto? we've had this debate. we know what the final result will be. federal funding of abortion is already illegal except in cases of incest, rape and life-threatening situations. we accept that. but while millions of americans are losing their jobs and seeing their life savings evaporate, the republican majority insists on wasting our time on publicly demagoguing a deeply personal issue. this bill also contains a refusal cause that will allow emergency room health professionals to deny life-saving care to a pregnant woman because of their personal

beliefs. evidence shows that it can increase maternal injury and death and the best way to reduce the number of abortions is with accurate sexual education and the widespread availability of contraception. yet the same people who oppose abortions also oppose appropriate sex education and family planning services. the supreme court has ruled, abortion is legal. federal funds don't pay for abortion. those policies are in place. let's move on for the help of the millions of unemployed individuals who need a good job and leave the women of america alone to control their own body and their own lives. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. does the gentlewoman wish to continue reserving? ms. foxx: madam speaker, i'd like to yield 1 1/2 minutes to my distinguished colleague from nebraska, mr. fortenberry. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. mr. fortenberry: thank you, madam speaker. health care is a necessary element to a good and orderly

and compassionate society. we all support health, but abortion is not health care. the vast majority of americans do not support using their dollars in support of the abortion industry, and americans should not be forced by the strong arm of the government to subsidize the abortion industry. here's the problem. the health care law passed in 2010 contains some serious flaws in this regard, namely, now the federal government will subsidize insurance policies that cover abortion on demand. the health care law also forces health care plans that cover abortion to pay for abortions obtained by others. the health care law also gives license to federal agencies to mandate abortion coverage. we have just seen that the secretary of health and human services, kathleen sebelius, under the guise of preventative care, has not promulgated rules that will force everyone to pay

for abortion drugs and not to mention sterilization. and this also tramples on the conscience rights of health care entities that do not perform or promote abortion. madam speaker, i believe this -- the protect life act is in the interest of the right type of health care for america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: madam speaker, i yield one minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from texas, ms. jackson lee. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: i thank the speaker for yielding. it's unfortunate that we have to come to the floor of the house to discuss the personal decisions that a woman has to make and i can assure you that

the question of choice, the question of abortion, the question of what one does to their body is not one that women make lightly. many occasions, there is the necessity of health and the health of the fetus that requires an action that would require the coverage of health insurance. just as the courts ruled unconstitutional and upheld the provision of the texas law that required a doctor to talk first to a woman seeking an abortion and to allow or force them both to listen to sounds that might discourage this needed action, this is going to be held unconstitutional. this is not a law that can pass. you cannot tell someone not to be able to secure insurance. it goes way beyond the pale, i

would ask my colleague to vote against this rule and protect the right of a woman to choose and the dignity of all people in this nation to make their decisions over their lives. i am saddened we are here today discussing such an issue. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the chair lays before the house an enrolled rule. the clerk: h.r. 2832, an act to extend the generalized system of preferences and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. i would like to recognize the gentlewoman from tennessee for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. mrs. blackburn: thank you, madam chairman. we all know that the obama care

bill allows for implicit and explicit taxpayer funding of abortion and we all know the executive order signed by the president is not worth the paper it was written on. it repeats the accounting gimmick that allows for federal subsidies to go to insurance plans that cover abortions. that's why we need to pass the protect life act, which would alie the -- apply the principles of the hyde amendment to every component of obamacare. the protect life act eliminates that accounting gimmick and ensures that americans are not forced to pay an abortion surcharge if you will, in order to get a health care plan. it ensures state laws are not preempted by federal law. this is the right move, the right bill, americans deserve to have this assurance and i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: thank you, madam speaker. i'm pleased to yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from washington, mr. mcdermott. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. mcdermott: madam speaker, this is nothing more or less than an attack on poor women. i stood beside the bed of a couple of women in the buffalo general hospital in 1963 and watched them die because of back alley abortions. i was in the state legislature in 1970 when we in the state of washington granted by referendum, a vote of all the people, the right of women to have an abortion. now the question is, how do you get it paid for? when it came to seattle, if you wanted an abortion you went down and bought a ticket to japan, flew to japan, had an

abortion, had a day of shopping in tokyo while you made sure you were ok medically, and then you came home. rich women never had any problem. but the women that i stood next to, as they died, and left 12 kids without mothers, were poor. and that's what this is really all about. it is an attack by the right wing who consider that they wrap themselves in theological ray meant and then attack -- ramente and then attack poor women. christ wouldn't have done that. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: i have no further speakers, i ask of the gentlelady if she's prepared to close. ms. foxx: i am. mr. hastings: thank you, madam speaker, how much time? the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from florida has 5 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. hastings: i won't take all that time but i do wish to assert into this debate, it's been said often on the other side and my distinguished friend from the rules committee made the point, that people came here and said that jobs were more important than life. i didn't hear anybody say that. and i don't believe anybody believes that. but what i do believe that most of us understand is that this is not going to become the law and therefore what we are doing in the final analysis is a waste of time and we could have been trying to do as we have not done in this session of congress, address the subject of jobs. madam speaker, what we have before us is an extremely flawed bill. contrary to the self-professed commitment to an open process this particular provision being

considered is under a closed rule. furthermore, i'd like to call into question how it's possible for us to consider this bill on the house floor when its sponsor, mr. pitts of pennsylvania, failed to provide a statement citing congress' constitutional authority to enact it. mr. pitts' statement of constitutional authority for the protect life act cites no provision of the constitution or any amendment to the constitution. therefore, i'd like to request of him or members on the other side to share with us the basis for this bill which violates the fundamental right to policy upheld by the supreme court. it restricts women's access to health care and imposes further regulations on health insurance coverage. it's clear that the the protect life act lacks both constitutional and moral integrity. let me insert additionally some

feelings that have been expressed in public and i take the prerogative of using them here on the floor. h.r. 358 comes on top of votes by the republican-led house to eliminate all federal funding for title 10, the national family planning program, to eliminate funding for all other reproductive health programs offering breast and cervical cancer exams, well woman and primary health care and family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies and to reduce the need for abortion. they've led measures that eliminate requirements in health care reform, covering maternal health care, mammograms, breastfeeding support and other essential health services. in addition, they've made it impossible for women to speak to their doctors about abortion using internet-based telemedicine. now these are just a few examples.

the republicans are full of fuzzy facts. i set my day, almost every day, by reading the cartoon after other parts of the newspaper, "yet fuzzy." the cat in that particular cartoon constantly comes up with fuzzy facts. if you put all the fuzzy facts together and all the things that the republican majority has done including tea party led efforts to gut environmental protection agency rules that keeps the air we breathe, the water we drink and the environment in which we live safe, efforts to virtually eliminate child nutrition and i can't believe that 20 years i'm here and i hear republicans talk about cutting out the head start program the one documented program that's benefited american society over and above what was thought. they've done things to eliminate programs to help the unemployed to survive. to slash medicaid and medicare.

to effectively abrogate any social contract and tear to shreds any social safety net. i have to ask, exactly whose lives are we protecting here? i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, our position to taxpayer funding for elective abortion is bipartisan, bicameral and supported by the majority of the american people. we all know that i'd like to point out to my creags across the aisle when they keep saying we need to be talking about jobs, is when the democrats took control of the congress in 2007, the unemployment rate was 4.6%. between then and the time that republicans regained control in the house this january, the unemployment rate rose to over 9%. 6.9 million more americans

became unemployeed in that period of time. i'd also like to point out to my colleagues that the constitutional authority for this bill, for 35 is in the congressional record he knows it's required when the bill is introduced. madam speaker, the american people are probably a little confused by listening to this debate because they hear two very conflicting stories. i would like to urge them to go to thomas.gov, h.r. 358 is only nine pages long, it's very simple to read, it's not like what they call the affordable care act which we had to get passed before we would know what was in it. there's nothing more important, madam speaker, than protecting voiceless, unborn children and their families from the travesty of abortion. therefore, madam speaker, i urge my colleagues to put aside all this rhetoric that has been

spoken of in this debate today and vote for life by voting in favor of this rule and the underlying bill. i yield back the balance of my time and i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the noes have it. the resolution is -- ms. foxx: madam speaker, i ask for a vote. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlewoman ask for the yeas and nays? ms. foxx: i ask for the yeas an nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the

u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the ayes are 248. the nays are 173. the resolution is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. pursuant to house resolution 419 and rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 2250. will the gentlelady from missouri, mrs. emerson, kindly take the chair.

the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 2250 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill to provide additional time for the administrator of the environmental protection agency to issue achievable standards for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers, process heaters, and incinerators, and for other purposes. the chair: when the committee of the whole rose on wednesday, october 12, 2011, request for recorded vote on amendment number 22 printed in the congressional record by the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen, had been postponed. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment 22 printed in the congressional record offered by

the gentleman from tennessee, mr. cohen, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 22, printed in the congressional record, offered by mr. cohen of tennessee. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 174. the chair: the nays are 250. the amendment is not adopted. the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is adopted. accordingly, under the rule the committee rises.

mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h.r. 2250 and pursuant to house resolution 419 i report the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration the bill h.r. 2250 and pursuant to house resolution 419 reports the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. under the rule, the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. the question is now on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: a bill to provide additional time for the

administrator of the environmental protection agency to issue achievable standards for industrial, commercial and institutional boilers, process heerts and insen rate -- heaters and incinerators. the speaker pro tempore: further consideration of h.r. 2250 is postponed. after consultation among the speaker and the majority and minority leaders and with their consent, the chair announces that when the two houses meet in joint meeting to hear an address by his excellency, lee myung-bak, president of the republic of korea, only the doors immediately opposite of the speaker and those immediately to his right and left will be opened. no one will be allowed on the floor who doesn't have the privilege of the floor of the house. due to the large attendance anticipated, the rule must be strictly enforced. children of members will not be

permitted on the floor. the cooperation of all members is requested. the practice of reserving seats prior to the joint meeting by placard will not be allowed. members will reserve their seats by physical presence only following the security sweep of the chamber. pursuant to the order of the house of tuesday, october 11, 2011, the house stands in recess subject to the call of the chair.

>> earlier today, the south korean president, lee myung-bak, a arrived at the white house for his state visit. we will show you comments from the president and from president obama guest. ♪

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, at the national anthem of the republic of korea, followed by the national anthem of the united states.

♪

["star-spangled banner" playing]

[applause]

[laughter] >> good morning, everybody. i hope everybody is in joining the weather -- enjoying the weather. [applause] i am told there is a korean proverb which says "words have no wings, but they can fly 1000 miles." i hope my words will be felt in

the hearts of all south koreans when i say to our allies, our partners, our dearest friends, please accept our warmest welcome. [applause] >> [speaking korean] >> today we welcome a leader whose remarkable life embodies the life of his nation. from an impoverished child who drank water to fill his hungry stomach to a student who cleaned the streets to pay his tuition to the activist sent to jail for protesting dictatorship to the leader died in his country to

new heights, my good friend and partner -- the leader guiding his country to new heights, my good friend and partner, president lee. >> [speaking korean] >> today we celebrate an alliance routed in the shared values of our freedom. the students, workers, and entrepreneurs who work together to create opportunities and prosperity. and our families, bound by the generations, including many who are here today, proud and patriotic caribbean-americans --

korean-americans. >> [speaking korean] >> president lee, our two nations have stood together for more than 60 years. over the past two years, but deep in our cooperation. the alliance between the united states and the republic of korea is stronger than it has ever been. >> [speaking korean]

>> our alliance reflects a broader truth -- the united states is the pacific nation and is leading once more in the pacific. we are creating more jobs for our people and preserving our edge as two of the most dynamic economies and the world. -- in the world. >> [speaking korean] >> as president, your visit marks a new chapter in our lives. because of the south korea, the

united states has a global partner that is embracing the responsibilities of leadership in the 21st century. as we go forward, let us draw strength from the same solidarity that i saw during my visit to korea, our very brave armed forces. we go together. >> [speaking korean] >> we will go together, investing in our societies and the skills of our people. we will go together reaffirming the alliance between the united states and the republic of korea is unbreakable. and we will go together as a

partner to meet our global responsibilities so that our citizens and people around the world may live in security and prosperity. >> [speaking korean] >> president lee, first lady kim, members of the korean delegation, on behalf of meshaal and myself, on behalf of the american people, -- michelle and myself, on behalf of the american people, welcome to the united states. [applause] >> [speaking korean]

>> good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> [speaking korean] >> mr. president -- >> [speaking korean]

>> mr. president, whom i consider one of my closest friends, madam first lady, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, thank you for your warm welcome extended to me, my wife, and my delegation. it is always a great pleasure of visiting this great country. i would also like to convey the warm greetings from your friends back in korea, mr. president and madame first lady. the journey began 60 years ago, a journey that brought together two people from different sides of the pacific. what brought us together more than anything was the value that all of us hold so dear, freedom. >> [speaking korean]

>> yesterday i take it tribute - -- i paid to bid at the korean war memorial just a short distance from here, to the soldiers who fought and died at defending this value. is it written on the wall at the memorial at these american soldiers "answered the call to defend a country they never knew and the people of they ever met." these simple yet poignant words describe how great and good they were. mr. president, madam first

lady, ladies and gentlemen, the korean people have never forgotten what these fallen soldiers and their families gave up. we will always remain grateful to all of them. >> [speaking korean] >> our alliance is the bedrock of stability, peace, and progress, and our relationship is evolving. our countries are working together to fight disease and poverty, climate change and natural disasters. we are addressing the issues of energy security and eradicating terrorism and extremism and stopping proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. we are working together to

promote universal values such as democracy and human rights. we face these challenges both as a nation and as a partner. we will prevail and we will come out stronger. our two countries will ensure peace and stability of the peninsula and beyond. >> [speaking korean]

>> last night, the united states congress ratified the korea- u.s. free trade agreement. this historic achievement will open up a new chapter in our relationship, and i would like to take this opportunity to thank president obama for his steadfast leadership. this agreement will create more jobs, it will expand mutual investment into both of our countries. it will become a new engine of growth that will propel our economies forward. ladies and gentlemen, it will be a win for both of our countries. >> [speaking korean]

>> our two peoples walked alongside together with common values, pursuing the same ideals and a cheap and common goals. this is making our security -- achieving common goals. this is making our security and alliance stronger. we are true partners and close friends, and we will remain as such in the 21st century. our alliance that was born out of the charges of war will continue to blossom. it will become stronger. >> [speaking korean]

>> mr. president, madam first lady, ladies and gents,, korea and the united states or global partners now. we are a force for good. i look forward to constructive an enjoyable time in washington, d.c. with president obama and the first lady. my aim is to strengthen our common values and a partnership. once again, thank you, mr. preston, madam first lady, people of america -- mr. president, madam firstly, people of america, for this warm reception. [applause]

♪

>> the south korean president arrived at the white house this morning just after 10:00 eastern. shortly, the house chamber will prepare for a joint meeting between house and senate members for an address by president lee. we expect the house to reconvene at 3:45 or for that address, which is scheduled for 4:00. we will carry it live on c-span. later tonight, president obama will hold a state dinner for president lee and his wife. live coverage of that will be on c-span3, 6:30 eastern. at a joint news conference earlier today with the two leaders, president obama called the free trade agreement for south korea a win for both countries. congress approved the deal late wednesday. this is just under 40 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, the

president of the united states. >> please, everybody, have a seat. but afternoon. -- good afternoon. >> [speaking korean] this day visit reflects the fact that korea is one of our strongest allies -- state visit reflects the fact that career is one of our strongest allies. they are one of our strongest trading partners, creating jobs and opportunity for both our

peoples. because we stood together, south koreans were able to build a strong and thriving democracy and become a safe partner in preserving security and freedom, not only on the korean peninsula, but beyond. as i said this morning, this visit also recognizes south korea's emergence as one of our key global partners. south koreans have served bravely with us in afghanistan and iraq. south korean forces have partnered with us to prevent piracy off the shores of africa and stem the spread of weapons of mass destruction. once a recipient of aid, south korea has become a donor nation, boarding developments from asia to africa. supporting developments from asia to africa. they will host the next security summit next year. south korea's success is a tribute to the sacrifices and

tenacity of the korean people. it is also a tribute to the vision and commitment of president lee. mr. president, you have shown how the international community should work in the 21st century, more nations bearing the responsibility of meeting global challenges. in the face of unprovoked attacks on your citizens, you and the south korean people have shown extraordinary strength, restraint, and resolved. i would add that, in all of our dealings, presently has shared my focus on what matters most common -- president lee has shared my focus on what matters most, the security and prosperity of our citizens. we agreed to move ahead quickly with a landmark trade agreement that congress passed last night and which i will sign in the coming days. it is a win for both our countries. for farmers and ranchers in the united states, it will increase our exports of agricultural products. it will increase american manufacturing exports, including

those produced by our small businesses. it will open korea topos lucrative services market. i am very pleased that it will help level the playing field for american automakers. as a former executive, the president will understand when i say that, just as americans buy kia's, i hope more south koreans will buy --d's, chevy's, and this will boost exports by billions of dollars and support thousands of jobs. it has groundbreaking protections for labor rights, the environment, and intellectual property. so the trade is free and fair. it will promote green jobs and clean energy, another area where we are deepening our cooperation. and it keeps us on track to achieve my goals of doubling american exports.

so, president lee, i thank ou for your partnership -- thank you for your partnership in getting this deal done and i look forward to working with you to bring this into force as soon as possible. we're deepening our security cooperation. we agreed to continue strengthening market abilities to deter any threat -- strengthening our ability to deter any threat. our commitment to the defense of south korea -- the republic of korea will never waver. we will maintain our strong presence in asia pacific, which is the foundation for security and prosperity in asia in the 21st century. in this regard, we discussed north korea, which continues to pose a direct threat to the security of both our nations. on this, president lee and i

are entirely united. together, we have succeeded in changing the equation with the north, by showing that provocations will be met not with rewards but by even stronger sanctions and isolation. the choice is clear for north korea. if young and continues to ignore its international obligations, it will -- if pyongyang continues to ignore its international obligations, it will continue to face isolation. if it moves towards denuclearization, it will see new opportunities for its people. that is the choice that north korea faces. given the global nature of alliances, we have discussed the full range of challenges to our security and prosperity. i thanked the president for south korea's continued support for reconstruction in afghanistan. i have updated them on the transition toward full afghan responsibility for security. we agreed to continue our support for democratic transitions and in the middle east and north africa, including libya. we have agreed to coordinate

more closely on the development that can lift people and nations at a poverty. i appreciate hearing the president's plan for next year's nuclear security summit, which i look forward to attending. as we approach the g-20 and it backs summit next month, we agreed on the need for coordinated -- and apex summit next month, we agreed on the need for coordinated efforts. we agreed to strengthen the ties between our people. south korea is one of the top sources of international students studying in the united states. and the number of american students who are studying in korea has been soaring. we have directed our teams to sustain that momentum and expand educational exchanges between our people, not unlike the one that once brought a visiting scholar named lee myung-bak to an american university. again, mr. president, i thank you for your partnership in your friendship. because of the progress we have made today, i am confident that

your visit will mark a turning point in the enduring alliance between are two nations. thank you very much. thank you. [speaking korean] -- >> [speaking korean] >> thank you, mr. president. first of all, i don't know president obama again for inviting me to visit the it -- i thnk president obama again-- i thank president obama once again for inviting me to visit the united states. i met with seven obama six times over the last three years -- i met with president obama six times over the last three years. our meetings were always constructive, allowing us to reaffirm the strength of our alliance, an alliance that is firmly based on shared values and mutual trust. this alliance guarantees the peace, stability, and prosperity

on the korean peninsula, the asia-pacific region, and beyond. we will continue to strengthen what is already a powerful and far-reaching alliance. in particular, we welcome the ratification of the u.s.-korea free trade agreement by the u.s. congress. i am confident that the korean national assembly will soon ratify this very important agreement in the near future. i take this opportunity to sincerely thank president obama, the congressional leadership, and the members of congress for their support and commitment.

the korea-u.s. trade agreement and the d.c. historic achievement will become a historic milestone in our 130- year relationship , it would create more jobs, generate more trade and stimulate our economy. this free trade agreement will bring numerous agreements -- numerous benefits to our workers, companies, and consumers alike. furthermore, a mutual investment will increase and our economic partnership will become stronger. of course, fta will bring benefits beyond korea and the united states. it will be in a way to enhancing ties between north america -- be a gateway to enhancing ties between north america and the

korean peninsula. it will allow us to get ahead and stay ahead. the global economy is undergoing many challenges. korea-u.s. free trade agreement will show to the world that we can create good quality jobs and stimulate growth. the passage of the fta has issued -- opened a new chapter in our alliance. we have maintained strong political and to -- and military alliance. the fta symbols that bill beginning of an economic alliance -- symbols the beginning of an economic alliance. our alliances and future- oriented partnerships become stronger. president obama and i adopted joint vision for the future of the alliance in 2009, agreeing to expand the depth and scope of our strategic alliance. today, we have reaffirmed our common commitment to a common

future, a future of ensuring peace and stability on the korean peninsula and beyond, including the northeast asian region. our alliance will continue to play a pivotal role in overcoming the many global challenges that we face today. recently, we were deeply shocked when we read the reports on the attempt to harm the saudi envoy here in washington, d.c. i and the korean people strongly condemn all forms of terrorism. and as you can see, our countries are working to bring peace and stability around the world. we are partners in the iraq and afghanistan. we are sort safeguarding -- are

safeguarding the sea lanes near somalia. we agree to continue our work towards promoting universal values such as human rights, democracy, and freedom across the world. in particular, we agree that korea and the united states will contribute to the economic development and the administrative capacity-building in libya, provide a cushion and -- provide vocational training for its young people camera and rebuild and reinvest in its infrastructure. -- young people, and rebuild and reinvest in its infrastructure. we also talked about the state of the global economy and how to overcome the perils that emanate from the euro zone. the situation in europe is a source of grave concern. we agreed to strengthen

international cooperation through the g-20. the fiscal situation will not endanger the recovery of our real economies, in particular our two countries agreed to work together to bring back stability to our financial markets, similar to what we did back in 2008. as we have done for the past three years, president obama and i will remain in complete agreement when dealing with north korea. our principled approach will remain steadfast. we agree that north korea's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons poses a serious threat to peace and stability of the korean peninsula and the world. we will continue to work towards the denuclearization of the peninsula. the second nuclear security summit will be held next march in seoul. during the summit, we will review the progress made since the first summit in 2010, which was convened under the

initiative of president obama. the leaders will have one goal -- to achieve our collective vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. ivan thank president obama and his able team for giving us -- i thank president obama and is able team for giving us their support. i look forward to welcoming president obama and mrs. obama in seoul next year. thank you very much. >> all right. we're going to start off with ed hennry. >> thank you, mr. president. president lee, when he mentions north korea, what concrete steps to you think the obama administration has helpd to -- have this -- has taken to help contain kim jong-il?

what specific steps will you take to hold iran account book? mitt romney charged last week, "if you do not want america to be the strongest nation on earth, i am not sure president. you have that president today." >> i did not know you were the spokesperson for mitt romney. [laughter] let me just talk about the plot in particular. we have a situation here where the attorney general has laid out a very specific set of facts. what we know is that an individual of iranian-american descent was involved in a plot to assassinate the ambassador to the united states from saudi arabia. we also know that he had direct links, was paid by, and directed

by individuals in the iranian government. now, those facts are all there for people to see -- those facts are there for all to see. we would not be bringing forward a case unless we knew exactly how to support all the allegations that are contained in the indictments. so, we have contacted all of our allies in the international community. we have laid the facts before them. and we believe that after people had analyzed them there will not be a dispute that this is, in fact, what happened. this is not just a dangerous escalation. this is part of a pattern of dangerous and reckless behavior by the iranian government'. one of the principles of international behavior is that

our diplomats -- we send them around the world -- that they are going to be protected, they are not targets for threats or physical violence. for iran to have been involved in a plot like this indicates the degree to which it has been outside of accepted norms of international behavior for far too long. this is just one example of a series of steps that they have taken to create violence and to be caving in a way that you do not see other countries doing. -- and to behave in a way that you do not see other countries doing. to respond, our first up is to make sure we prosecute those individuals that have been named -- first step is to make sure we prosecute those individuals that have been named in the indictment. i will lead to the attorney

general the task of describing how that will proceed. the second thing that we're going to continue to do is to apply the toughest sanctions and the -- and continue to mobilize the international community to make sure that iran is further and further isolated and that there is a price for this kind of behavior. keep in mind that, when i came into office, i think that iran saw itself as being able to play various countries against each other and avoid the kind of isolation that it deserved. since that time, what we have seen, whether it relates to its nuclear program or its state- sponsored terrorism, that more and more countries have been willing to speak out in force always, whether through the united nations or other avenues, to say this is not acceptable behavior. it is having an impact. we have seen iran's economy is in a much more difficult state

now than it was several years ago, in part because we have been able to unify the international community in naming iran's ms. behavior and saying that it has got to stop and there are going to be -- misbehavior and that they're going to be consequences. we do not take any options off the table when it comes to iran. the iranian government must make a better choice in terms of how it will interact with the international community. there is great similarity between how iran operates and how north korea operates. a willingness on their part to break international rules, to flout international norms, to not live up to their own commitments. each time they do that, the united states will join with its partners and allies in making

sure that they pay a price. i have to emphasize that this plot was not simply directed at the united states of america. this is a plot that was directed against the saudi ambassador to that and what you're going to see is -- ambassador. i think what you're going to see a spokes throughout the middle eastern region questioning their ability to work effectively -- see folks throughout the middle eastern region questioning their ability to work effectively with iranians. they have shown a willingness to prop up the syrian regime at a time when they are killing their own citizens. this is a pattern of behavior that i think increasingly international community -- i think increasingly, the international community is going to consider out of bounds and

punish iran for. unfortunately, the iranian people are probably the ones that suffer the most for this regime's behavior. we will continue to work to see how we can bring about an iranian government that is actually responsive to its people and also following the rules of the road that other countries and the international community follow. >> [speaking korean] thank you. to answer your question about north korea, first of all, president obama and i come up for the last three years, we and i, forained -- band i the last three years, we have maintained and applied a principled approach toward north korea. for north korea, the only way to

ensure happiness for its people and to embark on that path to development is to abandon its nuclear ambitions. and so, we have tried through peaceful means, through diplomatic means to strongly urge the north koreans to abandon its nuclear ambition. and in this day and age, we realize that no single country can be effective in achieving its diplomatic or economic aims on its own. we know that cooperation is vital in order for a country to become a responsible member of the international community, which is something that we want for north korea. and so we, of course, want north korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. of course korea and the united states will continue to consistently applied a principled approach so that we

can achieve our strategic objectives. when it comes to cooperation between the two government's, we speak with one voice -- two governments, we speak with one voice and we will continue to speak with one voice. it was a chance for me to reaffirm this today. >> i am from -- i know that the president is talking about a south korea, north korea, russia trilateral gas line project, but no. 3 is also under a lot of sanctions from the engine--- north korea is also under a lot of sanctions from the international community and the united states. having said that, if the gas line was to proceed as planned, we would have to provide or compensate north korea with a substantial amount of money or other form of compensation.

in your present -- in your opinion, president lee, do you think that gas line project will be able to continue without resolving the north korean nuclear issue? >> [speaking korean] yes, thank you. and i don't know if that's a question i should be answering here in the united states, but since you ask the question, i will try. in the far east, we have been discussing this issue for quite some time, trying to import russian gas into the republic of korea. we are discussing, right now with the north koreans, whether the russian gas, which is quite affordable, can travel through north korea and the implant -- imported and used in south korea. this is beneficial for russia, because they can sell their

natural resources. for north korea, it would be beneficial because they could use the natural resources. it also benefits south korea. south korea, north korea, and russia have not yet spoken together to discuss the issue in any detail . from an economic standpoint, it is beneficial for all parties involved. this issue, inevitably, involves security matters, which we will consider closely. also, let me remind you that this project will not be implemented anytime soon. of course, we're mindful of the progress that we are making with regards to north korean nuclear issues as well. >> jessica. >> thank you, mr. president. first, really, to follow on ed, if i may, on the iran allege in

terror plot, do you have knowledge, would you believe that the nation bosworth ringleader and president had knowledge of the plot? -- that the nation's supreme leader and president had knowledge of the plaot? which pieces of the american jobs act would you like to see congress take up first? given that so far you have been unable to force congress to an up or down vote on the entire bill and that new unemployment filings are not falling, why not sit down with members of congress to see if you cannot reach a compromise on something that could pass now and create jobs quickly? >> first of all, on the iranian issue, the attorney general has put forward the facts with respect to the case. i am going to let him comment on the details of those facts. what we can say is that there are individuals in the iranian government who are aware of this

plot. had it not been for the outstanding intelligence owork f our intelligence officials, this plot could have don forward and resulted not only in the death of the saudi -- could have gone forward and resulted not only in the death of the saudi ambassador but innocent civilians in the united states. we believe that, even if at the highest levels there was not detailed operational knowledge, there has to be accountability with respect to anybody in the iranian government engaging in this kind of activity. and so we will continue the investigation. we will continue to put forward all the facts that we have available to us. but the important thing is for iran to into the national -- the international community why anybody in their government is engaging in these kinds of activities.

which, as i indicated before, are, i think, out of bounds for not just a country like iran, in that, historically, they have been engaging in these kinds of activities, but violates basic principles of how diplomats are dealt with for centuries. with respect to the jobs bill. i have said repeatedly that the single most important thing we can do for the economy right now is put people back to work right now. and we have put forward a jobs bill that, independent of economists -- that independent economists have said would grow the economy substantially and would put up to 1.9 million people back to work. these are proposals that,

historically, have been supported not just by democrats, but also by republicans. as i have said as i have travelled around the country, i do not know when rebuilding our roads and bridges that are decaying suddenly became a partisan issue. i was at the jobs council meeting up in pittsburgh with ceo's from companies across the board, many of whom have been traditional supporters of the chamber of commerce, the business roundtable, other organizations that republican party has planned a lot of support for. they said, for example, when it came to the infrastructure, this is something that anybody in washington should agree to. the republicans have not given a good answer as to why they have not agreed to wanting to rebuild our roads and bridges and our schools. they have not given us a good reason as to why they don't want to put teachers back in the classroom. so, what we're going to do is we

are going to break each of these bills apart. airborne to say, let's have a vote on putting teachers back in the classroom -- we are going to say, let's have a vote on putting teachers back in the classroom. let's have a vote on our infrastructure. let's make sure we're keeping taxes low for small businesses and businesses that are willing to hire veterans. provide tax breaks for further investment that can create jobs. each time, we're going to ask republicans to support the bill. and if they don't want to support the bill, they have to answer not just to us but the american people as to why they would not. now, i think this trade deal that we just passed, the career free trade agreement, shows that we ought -- the korea free trade agreement, shows that we're happy to work with republicans where they are willing to put politics behind the interests of the american people. come up with proposals that are actually going to create jobs. career free trade act we believe

will create up to 70,000 jobs. it is a good deal. we have strong bipartisan support. we have not seen a lot of ideas coming forward from republicans that would indicate that same kind of commitment to that job creation. if they do, if senator mcconnell or speaker boehner say to me, you know what, we want to get some infrastructure built in this country. we think that putting construction workers back to work is important. i will be right there. we will be ready to go. if they are willing to renew the payroll tax, as we worked on together in december, i will be ready to go. i do not think the problem here -- here, jessica, is that i have been unwilling to negotiate with republicans. i have shown repeatedly that i am willing to work overtime to get them to do something to deal with this high unemployment

rate. what we have not seen is a similar willingness on their part to try to get something done. aroundot going to wait and play at the usual political games here in washington, because the american people are desperate for some relief right now. >> [inaudible] >> i think that any time and any place that they are serious about working on putting people back to work, we will be prepared to work with them, but we are not one to create a lot theater that then results in -- of going to create a lot theater that then results in them going to the usual talking points. we want action. the last time i was at a press conference, i said to you guys come and show was the republican jobs plan that independent

economist i said to -- the last time i was at a press conference, i said to you guys, show us the republican jobs plan that dependent economists agree with. i want them to put forward proposals that will put people back to work right now. follow-t have four ups. one is good. [laughter] >> my name is -- and i am a reporter of the korean broadcasting system, kbs. i have to the questions of president obama. yesterday, u.s. congress ratified the korea-u.s. fta, but the korean national assembly did not pass it yet.

the korean opposition party is requesting renegotiation on the fta. what is your opinion and perspective on the future of the korea-u.s. fta? my second question is about libya and north korea. in libya, there was a people's uprising and the change their government -- they changed their government. do you think such an event will be possible in north korea in the future? thank you. >> first of all, president lee assures me that the fta will pass through the national assembly. i have great confidence in his leadership. my expectation is that it will get done, because it is good for both countries. and, you know, businesses will be able to prosper here in the

united states as a consequence of lowering many of these trade barriers. the same will be true in korea. our workers will benefit. we can learn from each other. i think this is one more sign of the close cooperation and friendship between are two peoples -- our two peoples. you're absolutely right that we of seen in the arab spring, libya, tunisia, egypt -- we have seen in the arab spring, libya, tunisia, egypt, is this deep longing for freedom and opportunity. although the past from dictatorship to democracy -- path from dictatorship to democracy is always uncertain and fraught with danger, what we have seen also is that human spirits eventually will defeat

repressive governments. so, i do not want to predict when that might happen. i think that, obviously the people of north korea have been suffering under repressive policies for very long time. -- a very long time. none of us can look at the crystal ball and no suddenly when that type of government collapses on at -- and know suddenly when that type of government collapses on itself. people everywhere, whether in north korea, libya, the united states, africa -- what people everywhere are looking for is the ability to determine their own destiny, to know that if they work hard they will be able to be rewarded, that they can speak their mind, they can practice their religion in freedom, that they can enjoy the

free flow of information that increasingly characterizes the 21st century. the i don't think that people of north korea are any exception. i think when they see the extraordinary success and progress that has been made in south korea, i think inevitably that leads them to recognize that -- a system of markets and democracy and freedom is going to give their children, their grandchildren more opportunity than the system they are correctly under. thank you very much, everybody. [applause] >> coming up shortly, at about 3:45, 10 minutes from now, we will go live to the house chamber for a joint meeting. senators will be joining with their house colleagues for an

address by the south korean president. his speech is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. we will carry it live on c-span. later tonight, the state dinner at the white house, starting at 6:30 p.m. eastern, with the arrival of dignitaries and guests. >> of course i am delighted, but not surprised by the primary repeal of the 18th amendment. i have felt all along it was properly submitted to the rank and file so they would readily see it had no place in the our constitution. >> he served as governor of new york four times, though he never attended high school or college. in 1928, al smith became the first catholic nominated by a major party to run for president. although he lost the election, he is still remember to this day by the alfred e. smith for memorial dinner, and an annual fund-raiser for various catholic charities and the stop

for the two main presidential candidates every election year. he is one of the 14 men featured in the c-span's new weekly series, " the contenders -- "the contenders." friday at 8:00 p.m. eastern. >> i am the first to admit every day -- i have to get up and tell myself, i can do this. there is no one better to do this than i am. >> associate prof. of neurosurgery and oncology at johns hopkins university, homeless illegal migrant farm worker. >> i have to believe that i have someone's life in my hands and i am fully capable of getting this patient in and out of the operating room, because that is the trust that the patient has in me. i walked a fine line between confidence and arrogance. >> he shares his life story

sunday night on c-span's "q&a." >> it is a fact-based story on the topic of your choosing. every good story has a good beginning, solid metal, and strong ending. -- solid middle, and strong ending. >> c-span's studentcam competition. you do not need the best video equipment to have a winning project. today, cell phones and flip cams to a great job of capturing video -- do a great job of capturing video. >> this process is confusing at first, but c-span will help you. read the rules very carefully. make a checklist of what you need to do. do not worry, the process becomes clear once you get started. >> another great thing about the c-span documentary is you can work alone or in teams.

if you are a good writer, but not handy with a camera, get a friend to help out. you learn something. >> you do not need to be an expert at video production or interviewing to make this work. in his parents, students, teachers, and c-span as resources -- you can use parents, students, teachers, and c-span as resources along the way. with a little bit of effort, anyone can do this. >> again, a joint meeting of congress is coming up at 4:00 for the speech by the president of south korea. we will have that live starting at 3:45. before that, house minority leader nancy pelosi unveiled the deficit reduction proposal that house democrats will present to

march to the joint deficit reduction committee. other members in the democratic leadership joined her to discuss that plan in her weekly legislative briefing today. we will show you as much as we can into the joint meeting of congress -- until the joint meeting of congress. >> the morning, everyone. -- good morning, everyone. tomorrow is the date by which suggestions to the super- committee, we decided on a term, are due. i am very proud to report that our ranking member is on all the committees of jurisdiction -- ranking members on all the

committees of jurisdiction are submitting their reports to the committee. it is an excellent piece of work. [no audio] and balanced proposal put forth by the super-committee to the congress later this year. it is about creating jobs, the centerpiece of how we create groot that will bring money to the treasury to reduce the deficit -- create growth that will bring money to the treasury to reduce the deficit. there are proposals to grow small businesses. there are proposals on how we can find revenue and how we can reduce costs. i am very proud of the work of our members. as we do this, as we go forward, i think it is important to subject some of these suggestions to hearings. it remains to be seen what the republicans will be submitting.

we had hoped they could be partisan. in a couple of cases, they will be. they're not yet in this pack et, but they will be by tomorrow. that would be the agricultural and veterans committees. we are hoping they will have bipartisan proposals. what we're calling for from the federal committee are open hearings. we want open hearings. rule 5 talks about transparency. we want to honor that role by having -- rule by having much more transparency in the proceedings. we are calling upon the super- committee and the co-chairs to have hearings with the proposal from simpson-bowles and the gang of six. we think they provide a good

pathway for deficit reduction and economic growth, and would be a good place for us to start. i just want to add that when we passed the bill to avoid default, to honor the full faith and credit of our country, about some $2 trillion were cut. the bill called for an additional $1.20 trillion to be cut. this would take us to $2.50 trillion. this is going to happen. will it happen by the work of this committee -- it will happen by the work of this committee or by the treasury. i hope it will happen by the work of this committee. we hope it will go farther than that to go to $4 trillion -- big, bold, balanced. in the interest of achieving that, we want to have as much transparency as possible. we have excellent proposals from our members. joining me to talk about how we

go forward and what we're doing are steny hoyer, champion for jobs, mr. john larson, and our champion on small business in the house. steny has been a deficit hawk. he is here to talk to us about that. >> thank you very much, madam leader. on big, bold, and balanced, i hope that is what the committee is focused on, affectionately, the super-committee. it is a super-committee in the sense that it has been given extraordinary powers to come up with a proposal that will then be considered. 51 members of the senate can pass it. if the majority of the senate agrees, it will pass. if the majority of the house agrees, it will pass and go to the president. i am hopeful that they will be

successful. failure ought not to be an option. this is absolutely critical, in my opinion, for the fiscal health of america and for the economy of america and to restore america's confidence in our ability to face tough issues successfully. it will also come in my opinion, restore the confidence -- also, in my opinion, restore the confidence of the international community in the ability of america to manage its finances in to lead as the world surely wants us to do. the committee had the responsibility to set us on a course that will both make significant progress on our debt and speed our economic recovery. in the bulls-simpson report -- bowles-simpson report, the domenici-rivlin report, and the gang of six report, they all spoke about the need to reduce

the deficit and to grow the economy. we need to create jobs. we need to increase the revenue stream. not because we raised taxes, but because we have people working. the immediate focus may be reining in the deficit. the effect of the committee's recommendations will be felt across the economy. the most important thing, i believe, is that the committee have a real chance to succeed and to reach compromise. we'll all -- we are all working to that end. this reflects the need to help the economy grow now while setting a path to reduce the deficit over the longer term. house democrats want the committee's recommendations to be, as our leader said, big, and bold, and balanced. and we want to make sure they're balanced with the investments we need to grow jobs and strengthen our competitiveness. our make it in america plan includes many such investments

that could help create jobs right away and lay the groundwork for future growth. i also believe that it is important for the committee's recommendations to guarantee that all americans, each and every one of us, are paying our fair share and contributing to gather. we cannot afford to place the burden of deficit reduction not only on the backs of working families -- reduction only on the backs of working families and the most vulnerable in our country. i joined leader pelosi in congratulating our ranking members and those were working in the bipartisan way to say that we can address our deficits and our debt, and grwo jobs -- grow jobs and our economy at the same time. indeed, if we do not do both, we will not succeed. i am pleased to yield to the chairman of our caucus, who has been such, as the leader pointed out, a vigorous, focused, effective advocate of growing

our economy and focusing on jobs. john larson of connecticut. >> thank you. we do that by making it in america, of course. >> amen, brother. >> amen. let me _ what are two leaders have said with respect to the efforts put forward -- underscore what our two leaders have said with respect to the efforts put forward by our caucus. there is a consistent theme in everything they have said -- job creation equals deficit reduction. job creation does equal deficit reduction. the cbo has said so clearly. there is no other item from a silver bullet, that reduces the deficit by 1/3 other than the creation of a job. what we have witnessed across

america in the last several weeks are our citizens taking to the streets, borne out of frustration, born out of the desire for them to see the government respond to the simple dignity that comes from a job. the opportunity to look across the table at your spouse, children, family, and let them know that they are secured -- not only in the the fact that you have a job -- but secured in their aspirations and in their dreams for this great country of ours. as the leader has said, we have an unbelievable opportunity, as witnessed by the enthusiasm of the people in our caucus, and we dare say -- i believe, members of the other side of the aisle -- who truly do want to come together in this moment, in this opportunity, when the rest of the world is imperiled and

when the united states can be that shining example. we have an opportunity that will provide an up-or-down vote on something that is bold, something that is balanced, and something that is big. we all know that is the path forward to job creation. and this opportunity is one for us to come together, not as democrats, not as republicans, but as americans, and seize this opportunity that we have before us. that will continue to be our message. that is the message that our members have set forward to this committee. we have a very short. of time -- short period of time to enact. no one has led better than nydia velazquez in this -- >> we're leaving as the house

and senate are convened for a joint meeting to hear from the president of south korea, lee myung-bak. this is live coverage on c-span.

the speaker: the joint meeting will come to order. the chair appoints as members of the committee on the part of the house to escort president lee into the chamber, the

gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor, the gentleman from california, mr. mccarthy, the gentleman from texas, mr. hensarling, the gentleman from california, mr. dreier, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, the gentleman from michigan, mr. camp, the gentleman from california, mr. mckeon, the gentleman from illinois, mr. manzullo, the gentleman from california, mr. royce the gentleman from texas, mr. brady, the gentlewoman from texas, ms. granger, the gentleman from washington, mr. reichert, the gentlelady from california, ms. pelosi, the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larson, the gentleman from california, mr. becerra, the gentleman from maryland, mr. van hollen, the gentleman from new york, mr. rangel, the gentleman from michigan, mr. conyers, the gentleman from new york, mr. ackerman, the gentlewoman from california, ms. loretta sanchez, the gentleman from pennsylvania, ms. schwartz and the gentlewoman from california, ms. matsui.

the vice president: the president of the senate appoints the following members on the part of the senate to escort his excellencecy, president lee of the republic of korea, the senator from alaska in beg itch, the senator from virginia, mr. webb, the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnel, the senator from tennessee, mr. accident happeneder, the senator from wyoming, mr. boras smbing o the senator from south dakota, mr. une, the senator from texas, mr. cornyn, the senator from wrin, mr. lugar, and the senator from ohio, mr. port map. the speaker: members of the escort committee shall exit the chamber through the lobby doors.

>> mr. speaker, the acting dean of the diplomatic corps.

>> mr. speaker, the president's cabinet.

>> mr. speaker, the president of the republic of korea.

president lee myung-bak: thank you. thank you. the speaker: members of congress, i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you his

excellencey, lee myung-bak, president of the republic of korea. president lee myung-bak: thank you. will you please allow me to speak in korean, please. mr. speaker, mr. vice president, distinguished members of congress, ladies and gentlemen.

it is a great privilege to speak to you from this podium in this great institution representing democracy and freedom. and i am particularly grateful to the leadership of both parties and to all the esteemed members of congress for their support in ratifying the korea-u.s. free trade agreement last night in a swift manner. in a swift manner, which i'm told was quite unprecedented. i flew halfway around the world

to be here today among friends, thinking about and deeply grateful for the friendship between our two countries. for korea, america is not a distant land. america is our neighbor and our friend, america is our ally and our partner. there is a korean expression that describes our 60-year partnership. in english, it means, we go together. indeed, we have been going together for 60 years.

for the last 60 years, remarkable changes took place in both of our countries. for the united states, it has been a journey to new frontiers, on this planet and beyond. it has been a journey of achieving fantastic breakthroughs in science and technology which led to the advent of the informing age. -- of the information age. it was a journey of developing new cures and making advancements in machinery and throughout this journey you served as the greatest inspiration for peace and prosperity the world has ever known. for the republic of korea, the last 60 years has been an incredible time of transformation and renewal.

it was an epic journey from poverty to prosperity, from dictatorship to a thriving democracy. from a hermit nation to a global korea. ladies and gentlemen, korea's story is your story too, and that fact is clear in our capital city of seoul. during the korean war, seoul was almost completely destroyed. today, however, seoul is reborn. where there was once rubble, now stands the seoul tower, looking out over a thriving, modern metropolis. in the streets where women and children searched the wreckage

for fuel, soon vehicles powered by magnetic strips will roam the streets. seoul is also the most wired city on the planet. as you can see, seoul is also one of the most dynamic and most cosmopolitan cities in the world. last year, seoul was host to the g-20 summit and next march, it will host a second nuclear security summit which will be attended by more than 50 heads of state and government. to mark the 60th anniversary of the korean war, we invited american veterans back to see the land they helped liberate. and when they visitted korea, they found -- when they visitted korea, they found very few lapped marcs they

recognized from the war -- landmarks they recognized from the war. instead they found what you see here in the united states today. the pace and the pulse of modern life, a creative, entrepreneurial spirit that knows no bounds, a sense of self-confidence, optimism, and pride and an unshakeable faith in freedom, in free elections, a free press and free markets. oh, and yes, personally, our love for fried chicken. yes, ladies and gentlemen, these are the values that we share. your great president and statesman, thomas jefferson,

said that the only safe place to locate the ultimate powers of a society is in the hands of the people themselves. these same values can be found in korea too. one of korea's greatest kings said, approximately 600 years ago, that the people are heaven, the will of the people is the will of heaven, revere the people as you would heaven. here an ocean away in the people's house, these ancient words of our ancestors that cause us to revere our people still ring true. we also share a belief that political freedom and economic

freedom must go hand in hand. during the 1960's koreans demanded democracy and freedom. as one of the student leaders who organized protests calling for democracy, i was caught and imprisoned but this only strengthened my conviction that universal rights such as democracy, dignity of man and human rights must never be compromised. at the same time the korean people yearned for another kind of freedom, freedom from poverty . back then korea's per capita g.d.p. was less than $80 u.s. university graduates roamed the streets unable to find a job,

opportunities were scarce and it was difficult for people to have hope for the future. this is when i realized that even if we had political freedom and democracy, we would not be truly free without economic freedom. so after i was released from prison for my political activities, i joaned -- joined a small, local company. this company, which had less than 100 employees at the time, later evolved into a global conglomerate with over 160,000 employees and as one of its youngest ever c.e.o.'s i was privileged to be part of korea's remarkable economic rise as korea's economy grew into being near the global top 10.

along the way i was able to escape poverty myself, but being able to contribute to my country's growth will always remain one of my proudest moments. as you can see, we have won the fight to win two very important freedoms, our political freedom and our economic freedom. very few countries were successful in their quest to win freedom from poverty and freedom from oppression and koreans are proud and they also know that your friendship and our alliance has been indispensable throughout this remarkable journey of hope and this is why all of you here should be proud of what korea and the korean people have achieved.

nevertheless i still get asked by many foreign leaders, how did a country with no natural resources, no technology, no capital and no experience manage to achieve so much in just one generation? my answer to them is very simple , the power of education. the korean war, as i've said, completely destroyed my country. the people had nothing to eat and nothing to wear. for years we relied on foreign aid. but the korean people believed in one thing and that was education, even if parents had to work day and night and drink

nothing but water to chase away their hunger, they spared nothing when it came to their children's education. my parents were the same. they were determined to give their children hope by giving them a chance to learn. and i was determined to learn. i used to be a street vendor, selling anything and everything during the day and attended night school. after night school, however, going onto college was but a dream. yet i managed to get in through the help of many others around me, although i had to wake up every day at 4:00 a.m. to haul garbage, to pay my way through college, i knew that learning was the key. my parents, all korean parents, believed that education was the best way to break that vicious cycle of poverty. these children later became the lead actors in this great drama.

their sweat, their tears is what transformed korea from being one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the most dynamic today. our desire for learning continues. currently there are more than 100,000 korean students studying in your schools. these young students will become the leaders of tomorrow, they will become scientists, doctors, bankers, engineers, teachers and artists. they will continue to contribute to making both of our countries stronger and they will bring our two countries closer together.

distinguished members, today the united states and korea have one of the closest, most important economic relationships in the world. for both countries it has brought untold benefits and opportunities. our trading goods, services and mutual investments has grown dramatically. we invest in you and you invest us in. because we are interdependent. -- in us. because we are interdependent. when we trade together, we grow together. when we build together, we rise together. and when we work together we win together. we see this in the towns and cities and states this congress

represents. we see it in west point, georgia, where a new kia automotive plant is expected to create 1,400 new businesses and more than 20,000 new jobs nearby. we see it in midland, michigan, as well where dow chemical, a distinctly american company, and cochem engineering, a distinctly korean company, have worked together to make the world's most advanced battery, the building blocks for a new era of electric vehicles. i understand that vice president biden has been to the opening ceremony of this plant and we

have more than 10,000 korean companies, including global conglomerates, such as l.g., doing business and investing all across america. and of course we see such cooperation in korea as well. just west of seoul, a g.m.-korea joint venture is manufacturing and selling chevrolets to korean consumers. sales are up 27% in just the first six months since the brand was launched. and 55% of koreans say they would consider buying one. and our cooperation is not just limited to automobiles. many others from microchipping to biotech provide similar samples -- examples of such

cooperation. our mutual investment is yet another good example. mr. speaker, mr. vice president, distinguished members of congress, thanks to all of you in this chamber, our economic ties are becoming even stronger. the korea-u.s. free trade agreement was ratified by this congress here last night. here where the mutual defense treaty was signed by korea and the united states in 1953, a new chapter in our relationship has opened. our relationship has become stronger.

this agreement is a major step toward future growth and job creation. it is a win for our corporations. the korea-u.s. free trade agreement will be able to ensure continued growth and also create jobs. and this is a win for our corporations, it is a win for our workers, a win for small businesses and a win for all the innovators on both sides of the pacific. perhaps you have heard what the experts have said, that america's economic output will grow more due to the korea-u.s. free trade agreement than from america's last nine trade agreements combined.

and that the tariffs reductions and many of the labor -- fair labor provisions, rigorous environmental standards and strong protections for intellectual property rights will be beneficial for all of us, these provisions will improve our business environments, these provisions will allow us to widely share the benefits of trade more than ever. in this century much has changed but not this basic truth, open markets build strong economies. and in this 21st century, i firmly believe economies must be green to grow.

unfortunately this was not always our way. for far too long in my country growth came at a cost, rapid economic growth cast a dark shadow in our environment and the air that we breathe and the water that we drink. this is why when i was mayor of seoul i considered it my calling to restore seoul's stream which was neglected for decades. the restored stream revitalized the surrounding landscape, it revived commercial activity and enriched the lives of the people in countless ways and as president i announced a new national vision, one of low-carben -- low carbon green growth.

and it is our goal to become the world's seventh largest green economy by 2020. the benefits of green growth are real. this is why we are investing heavily in the research and development of next generation power technologies such as the smart grids. this is why we are trying to become the leader in renewable energy sources. this is why we've required our biggest carbon-emitting companies to set greenhouse gas targets this year and they will of course work to deliver on their promise. i am also aware that the u.s. is also taking measures to ensure a

sustainable future. some of those steps we are taking together. for example, in 2009 our government signed a statement of intention to work together on renewable energy, energy efficiency and power technologies. the chicago smart building initiative is a good example of our cooperation between our two countries. during my visit this time, our two governments signed a statement of intent on the joint research project on clean energy. the joint -- joint investments and cooperation will only increase. our work will lead to tangible results that will benefit mankind. as our countries move down this path, we will be moving even closer together and we will

move forward together. distinguished members, ladies and gentlemen, the strength of a country is not measured in dollars alone. our mutual defense keeps us strong and it keeps us safe. ours is an alliance forged in blood. that is how we koreans describe our mutual defense treaty. 58 years ago today, in october 1953, here in washington, d.c., the republic of korea and the united states signed the mutual

defense treaty. in the words of that treaty, we pledged our common determination to defend ourselves against external armed attack so that no potential aggressor could be under the illusion that either of us stands alone in the pacific area. but we know that defending freedom is never easy. it is never free of cost or free of risk. for this, i want to thank you. i thank you on behalf of the korean people were standing by us.

we also want to thank the 28,500 american men and women in uniform who serve today in korea. we want to thank each and every one of you for keeping faith with the generation of your parents and grandparents defending freedom on the korean peninsula. we thank you for your service.

today, i would also like to thank the korean war veterans who are here with us today. they are represented as john conyers, charles rangel, sam johnson, and howard coble.

you were just a young boy. >> we thank these gentlemen for their service. to millions on the korean peninsula, the korean war is not an abstract concept. it is not abstract for me either. my older sister and younger brother, both just children, were killed in that war. i will never forget them. i will never forget how my mother tried so hard to keep them alive. with the war raging all around us, there were no doctors. we couldn't afford to buy medicine. all my mother could do is stay up all night and pray to god. i recognize the reality that korea has been split in two but i will never accept it as a

permanent condition. the two koreas share the same language, history and customs. we are one people. in both koreas, there are families who have never spoken to their loved ones for more than half a century. my hope is that these people and all 70 million koreans will enjoy real happiness and real peace. for this, we must first lay the foundation for peace on the korean peninsula and upon this foundation, we must strengthen cooperation between the two koreas, we must seek the path that will lead us toward mutual

prosperity and achieve peaceful unification. a unified korea will be a friend to all and a threat to none. a unified korea will contribute to peace and prosperity, not only in northeast asia but far beyond. we therefore must achieve the denuclearization of the korean peninsula. and north korea must give up their nuclear ambitions.

korea and the united states stand united. we are in full agreement that the six-party talks is an effective way to achieve tangible progress. we are in full agreement that we must also pursue dialogue with north korea. however, we must also maintain our principled approach, a north korea policy firmly rooted upon such principles is the key that will allow us to ultimately and fundamentally resolve this issue.

north korea's development is in our collective interests -- interest and this is what we want. however this depends on its willingness to end all provocations and make genuine peace. we will work with you and the international community so that north korea makes the right choice. our mutual defense treaty has ensured stability and prosperity to flourish not only on the korean peninsula but across northeast asia. northeast asia today is a more dynamic region than ever. and economic change in this

region brings geopolitical change and it brings shifts in the balance of power that has long prevailed. the united states as a see player of theation pacific region and as a global leader has vital interests. for northeast asia to play a more constructive role in global affairs there must be peace and stability in the region. your leadership that has ensured peace and stability in northeast asia and beyond in the 20th century must remain supreme in the 21st century.

the ideals that you represent and the leadership that allows for such ideals to become true must continue. there remain many challenges in the world today and your leadership is vital. terrorism, proliferation of w.m.d. -- these are just a few things that require your leadership. our free trade agreement has significance because it will be a force for stability. because lasting stability, again, depends on economic opportunity being open and robust. our relationship can be the catalyst that generates growth and stability all along the pacific rim and in doing so, it will make clear how fully our fates are connected.

more than ever, korea is looking beyond the horizon. it will willingly embrace its international responsibilities and work to resolve demrobal channels. since becoming president of korea, my vision for korea in the coming decades is for a global korea. global korea has joined united nations peacekeeping operations in eastity mor, lebanon, and in -- in east timor, lebanon and in haiti. korea was the third largest contributor of troops to the coalition forces -- forces in iraq. we have centre construction teams to rebuild afghanistan. our -- our naval vessels

support the united states and e.u. in fighting against piracy off the coast of somalia. we will take part in the international effort in bringing democracy to libya and rebuilding a shattered economy. and we have pledged to double our overseas development assistance by 2015 and next month, the high level forum on aid effectiveness will be held in korea's second largest city. in these and countless other ways, korea will carry out its duties as a responsible member of the international community as we face the many global chams that lie ahead, we will promote universal values. in 2009, when president obama

and i signed the joint vision for the future of the alliance, we agreed to work closely together in resolving regional and international issues based on shared values and mutual trust. during our summit today, we renewed this commitment, we also reaffirmed our commitment to face the channels of today for the generation of tomorrow. our alliance will grow and it will continue to esolve -- evolve. and it will prevail. mr. speaker, mr. vice president, distinguished

members of congress, before i part, i want to thank you again for the honor of addressing this congress. i would also like to thank president obama and mrs. obama for their invitation. i also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the 1.5 million korean americans who have been contributing to this great country. as president of korea, i'm proud that they are giving back to the country that gave them so much, i am also deeply grateful to you and the american people for giving them the chance to make their dreams come true.

your ideals and aspirations have been ours, as they have been for much of the world. half a century ago young americans served in the korean war for duty beyond the seas. and today our peoples here the same call. -- hear the same call. it may not always be active combat, not always to brave the rugged mountains orbiter winters, but it is an important -- or bitter winters, but it is an important duty. in the 21st century, duty and destiny calls us once again. and as before, let us rise to

meet these challenges. let us go together, together and forward. thank you.

the speaker: the purpose of the joint meeting having been completed, the chair declares that the joint meeting of the two houses is now dissolved. the house will continue in recess subject to the call of the chair until 5:15

>> house speaker john boehner told reporters today that republicans have ushered in number of bills through the house that would help the economy. he also said the administration was not serious about pushing its jobs plan through congress.

this is 10 minutes. >> good morning, everyone. republicans remains squarely focused on jobs. this week, it was bills aimed at creating a better environment for job creation, putting americans back to work. despite long delays in the house and senate, we moved three free trade agreements, with colombia, panama, and south korea. those are ready for the president's signature. the house has passed numerous bills supporting the creation of jobs. two more of those bills will be passed this week. we have also passed several bills to increase american

energy production, to create jobs, and to allow our american energy cost. we are working on a bill to reform the tax code for individuals and corporations, while involving the base and closing loopholes. we are doing all these things because we said we would. they are all part of our plan for america's job creators, the plan we outlined in may. we have worked on many of these bills before. we actually put the plan together. our focus since may is getting the american people back to work and creating a better environment for job creation in our country. it is serious. some of the ideas have bipartisan support. we have made it clear for months we are willing to sit down and work with the president on many of these ideas. the president has taken a different approach. as one of the washington

newspapers reported yesterday, getting his jobs bill passed in congress was never really part of the plan for the white house. it was about politics. the president yesterday said he would not take no for an answer. the president's first stimulus bill failed to keep unemployment below 8%, as he argued. nearly three years later, with 9.1% unemployment, the president has shown he does not understand how private-sector job growth really happens. i have run a small business. i know how to create jobs. the fact is the president's plan, in our view, will not work as he has laid it out. i challenge the president to take yes for an answer. a month ago, republicans outlined the areas where we thought we could find common ground.

a bipartisan majority in the senate opposed the plan to raise taxes on american job creators, but we cannot find common ground on the barriers to job creation in our country. we passed a trade agreement this week. the house will soon take another step on permitting part of the jobs plan. we are working with small businesses to provide tax relief and to improve and repair or infrastructure. american families and small businesses are still asking where are the jobs. we have extended our hand and offered to work with the president, but the president has chosen to campaign instead of government. i think it is time for the white house to stop campaigning and start listening, working with bipartisan members of congress to do with the american people expect of us, and move ahead. >> new polls show the american

people favor the americas -- favor the president's plan by a two to one margin. >> where we can find common ground, we will continue to work with him. i would hope the president would give us the same consideration that we are giving to those parts of his plans that will be agreeable. >> you are saying no to the overall plan. >> we have had a plan. we have had a plan for months. the we will continue to work with this plan that we believe will help create a better environment for job creation, and help get the american people back to work. >> i know you are following the super committee very closely. last week, you said you expected it to achieve a result. how do you think it is going? the think it is a sure thing the think it is a sure thing they will get