they were in the office and she would steal them. iece?did not make the pe host: why? guest: it shows that gloria is like the rest of us. kky way bars.lyl wa she saw this movement as a group effort. she is on the cover of this magazine -- that does not thriller. i think she does not want to be the celebrity figure of the woman's movement. that has been inevitable and shoes on portable with it -- and she is on comfortable with it.

host: abigail pogrebin, thank you for joining us. the dozen for today. -- that does it for today. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., november 2, 2011. i hereby appoint the honorable eric paulson to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 5, 2011, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip each, to five minutes but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. miller, for five minutes. mr. miller: i ask unanimous

consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. miller: mr. speaker, members of the house, last week the united mine workers of america released the results of their investigation into the deadliest coal mine tragedy in four decades. the report describes the conditions on april 5, 2010, in the massey energy upper big branch mine that led to a colossal explosion that led to the deaths of nibe nine miners. it converted an otherwise manageable methane fire into a catastrophic explosion. the force of this explosion traveled more than seven miles underground destroying everything in its path. miles of coal belt were decimated. railroad tracks were twisted like pretzels. the report noted that in 15 months before the explosion,

the mine was cited 645 times for violation of mine safety laws. it states $1.2 million in potential fines. massey challenged 3/4 of the fines. in the month before the explosion, miners had asked that the accumulation of explosive coal dust be addressed 560 times. however, management only responded 55 times. the upper big branch mine was literally a powder keg. the mine workers investigation concluded that 29 miners died because of corrupt corporate culture that put production ahead of human life. massey's energy top management was well aware of the conditions at upper big branch mine. they knew the mountain of citations for dangerous condition. but all they had to do was file an appeal to get the federal safety officials to back off. massey also obstructed mine safety inspections by alerting operations of an inspector on the property so they can cover up any noticeable problem.

and management knew that workers were complaining by the conditions below ground, but all massey had to do was to remind the miners they were free to look for other employment if they spoke up. in the run the coal memo, c.e.o. don blankenship in 2005 said their only concern was to produce coal. their message was clear from the very top, produce coal or find another job. miners at upper big branch and other massey mines told congress of similar stories. to enforce their perverse philosophy, the top management demind a report every 30 minutes on how much their mines were producing. it's clear that massey management actively disregard their workers' health and safety. the unknowingly disregard is only a misdemeanor no matter how many miners are killed. efforts to increase sanctions have been stifled by the mining

industry's lobby. instead of being held accountable for the decisions that caused 29 deaths, massey energy executives got a massive $195 million payout when they sold off their company, according to the united mine workers report. even mow don was forced to resign following the upper big branch tragedy, he pocketed $86 million in the golden parachute when 29 of the miners under his jurisdiction and responsibility were killed. if you wonder why people are talking about the 1% and the 99%, the 99% in the mine had their lives put in danger every day. they went to work for massey. and every day they questioned it they were threatened with their job loss. but the 1%, the 1% walked away with $195 million for overseeing one of the most dangerous mining operations in the history of this country. what about the families of the breadwinners of the 99%? they lost their husband, they lost their father, they lost their brother.

now we understand the disparity why people are occupying wall street, while people are occupying home towns all over the country. we understand this. but we also know these miners had to simply go to work. this was a job that was available to them, but they were rode rough shot over massey. their families may receive scraps in some final determination. it's a familiar story in an era where wall street executives have big payout after wrecking the economy. the massey resulted in the destruction of 29 lives, 29 families. this makes massey's payout even nor disgusting. massey was sold to alpha natural resources. i have been personally assured that these corrupt practices won't appear with the new owners, won't reappear with the new owners. however, there's some troubling careful contradictions. despite saying to fully

cooperate with the executive, they have invoked their fifth amendment rights. and the right to fight sanctions doesn't sit well either. yes, mining is a dangerous job, but not every mining company operates like massey, nor should they, nor should we tolerate the masseys of the coal industry. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. jones, for five minutes. mr. jones: mr. speaker, thank you very much. couple weeks ago i had the privilege and the honor to visit our wounded at walter reed bethesda. it so happened that five marines from my district, camp lejeune marine base, were there. four of the five had lost both legs. double amputees. and the one kid that had just one leg blown off by an i.e.d., i went into his room as i did the other four, but this one had a question for me. his mom was sitting in the room

and he said, congressman, why are we still in afghanistan? and i told the young lance corporal, i do not know. i cannot understand it. i do not understand why we are not pushing the president to bring our troops home before 014. and that leads me to a quote by ronald reagan from his book "an american life: the autobiography" based on reagan's life. it was for the president of lebanon at the time. perhaps we did not appreciate fully the hatred and the complexities of the problems that made the middle east such a jungle. perhaps the idea of a suicide car bomber committing mass murder to go into paradise was so foreign to our values and conscious that it did not create in us the concern for the marines' safety that it should have. in the weeks immediately after the bombing, i believe the last thing that we should do was turn tail and leave.

yet, the rationality of middle east politics forced us to rethink our policy there. if there would have been some rethinking of policy before our men die, we would be a lot better off. if that policy had changed toward more of a neutral position and neutrality, those 241 marines would be alive today. i thank mr. reagan for his service to our nation, and i thank him for those words. i wish both parties would listen to leaders like ronald reagan who understood that you're not going to change the middle east no matter what you want to do or hope to do or pray to do. you can't do it and you won't do it. mr. speaker, beside me are two little girls, one named eden and one named stephanie. they are at the gravesite of their father, sergeant kevin, sergeant in the united states marine corps. about two months ago he was sent to afghanistan along with a colonel benjamin palmer from

cherry port marine station, which is in my district also. one night when they were having dinner with the iraqi -- excuse me -- the afghan trainees, one of the trainees pulled out a pistol and killed both of them. it is so ironic that the day before sergeant baldiff was killed he had emailed his wife and he said, i don't trust them, i don't trust them, i don't trust any of them. and yet we keep spending $10 billion a month. we're going to cut programs for senior citizens and children in america. we can't balance the budget. but old mr. karzai, he'll get his $10 billion a month. the congress needs to look at this and start bringing our troops home before 2014. mr. speaker, also, in sunday's paper, it says, "suicide bomber hits nato bus, 17 people including 12 americans are killed in the deadliest attack since the war began." mr. speaker, i hope that we

don't have to continue to go to walter reed, bethesda, and see all these broken bodies. if we are going to be there until 2014 there will be a lot more broken bodies and dead young men and women. i hope that both parties, the leadership of both parties will start joining those of us in both parties and bring our troops home before 2014. mr. speaker, again, i state to all the children like eden and stephanie, be proud of your moms and your dads. but for those of us who are poll see makers -- policymakers, we have the responsibility, not the generals, but we the policymakers of sending our men and women to die and lose their limbs for absolutely nothing but a corrupt leader. mr. speaker, i will close right now with the same i close i do all the time. god, please bless our men and women in uniform. please bless the family of our men and women in uniform. god in your loving arms, hold the families who have given

their life dying for freedom in afghanistan and iraq. god, please bless the house and senate that we will do what is right in your house. please bless president obama. god, please, god, please, god, please continue to bless america, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr. donnelly, for five minutes. mr. donnelly: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to commend the veterans from my state of indiana and across the united states for veterans day. we owe them a debt of gratitude to their -- for their service to our country, for their selfless devotion. they put their lives on the line to defend our freedom, and there is no way we can ever thank them enough. over 52,000 veterans live in the congressional district that i am honored to represent, indiana's second district.

meeting them is an inspiration because of their humility and professionalism. when you thank them for their service, they usually modestly say, sir, i was just doing my job. veterans embody the definition of patriot. selfless sacrifice in order to defend the freedoms that we enjoy in the united states. veterans such as mr. marion meeks from logeans port, indiana, who served as a p.f.c. with the u.s. army during world war ii. my office was honored to represent mr. minks and also to present him with the bronze star, the purple heart and the other military service medals that he earned. veterans such as mr. gary whitehead from elkhart, indiana, who served in the navy for more than 20 years and then served his fellow veterans as the elkhart veterans service officer. for over two decades my office

was honored to work with gary to open a v.a. clinic to serve veterans in north central indiana in his own county, something he had fought for for years and years. veterans as rich from laport, indiana, who served in the air force during the vietnam war and later became commander of his local v.f.w. post. i had the honor to interview rich for the library of congress' veterans history project. it is an honor and a privilege to serve the veterans of indiana's second congressional district. it is incumbent upon us to see our veterans receive the best quality care and the benefits that they have earned through their sacrifice to our country. we must see that those services are provided to our veterans with the promptness and the respect that they deserve. that's why while in congress i worked on legislation relating to veterans' health care, educational benefits, life insurance and the disability

claims process. we still have much more work to do on behalf of our veterans. i urge my colleagues in the house to pass the rapid claims act, which i introduced to take commonsense steps to improve the benefit systems and to provide our wounded warriors with the faster response to their disability claims. it's the least we can do. i also urge the house to pass the eserve act which i introduced to prove the efficiency of the current electronic health records system for military personnel and for veterans. we must seek to make the v.a. system work better for our military personnel, for our veterans and for their families. this veterans day i want to say thank you, again, to all of our vets and to all of our service members for their sacrifices for our freedom and our security. they always deserve the very best. god bless our veterans, god bless our service members, god

bless indiana and god bless the united states of america. mr. speaker, i yield back. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri, mr. long, for five minutes. mr. long: thank you, mr. speaker. i came to congress as a small business owner and as any small business owner will tell you, the government can't create jobs, only the private sector can. it's easy to forget but the united states government does not have any money it does not first take from productive citizens an businesses. when the government spends to create jobs, it has to take money from people who earned it and would have spent it otherwise. so the reality that -- so in reality government spending trades productive, private sector jobs for usually wasteful, public sector jobs, with unemployment affecting

families across the nation, now is not the time to increase public sector on the back of the private sector and increase burdens on our small businesses. small businesses are the engine that drives our economy. as part of the house g.o.p. plans for job creators, we've opposed the president when he wants to create new taxes or more regulations. so far, the house of representatives has passed many bills that focus on job creation. these are real jobs bills, not fake bills like the stimulus that didn't do anything but stimulate the national debt. bills that empower small business owners, fix the tax code, increase competitiveness in u.s. manufacturers, encourage entrepreneurship and growth, maximize domestic energy production, pay down america's unsustainable debt burden. some of these passed the senate and have gone on to become law.

the free trade agreements, of which i'm especially proud, when 95% of the world's customers are outside of america, it's no surprise that jobs will be created as our companies are allowed to compete and expand on the world stage. it's estimated that by pursuing those agreements, we're creating up to a quarter million new jobs, good jobs, that will be created right here in america when jobs are badly needed. house republicans have also tried to fix the tax code. complying with our tax code costs americans billions every year. over $160 billion in 2009 alone. we need to get washington out of the way by simplifying the tax code and lowering tax rates. a tax code that creates jobs by making america more competitive, that's why i'm proud congress passed a small business paperwork elimination act which eliminated the 1099 mess. the 1099 form created an unprecedented accounting and

paperwork burden on small businesses across the country. a national federation of small business survey determined it's the most expensive burden placed on small businesses by the american government. another bill that's become haw is the america invents act, so three free trade agreement a tax reform bill and a patent reform bill if you're counting. out of the many jobs bills, only those escaped the graveyard of the united states senate. it seems some would rather campaign and complain instead of doing what we know will create jobs. we know that throwing money at problems doesn't solve a thing. if it did, all our problems would have been solved with a stimulus. we know that eliminating burdensome overregulations on job creators is a sure fire way to create jobs. we need legislation to encourage entrepreneurship and growth. america has been -- has

historically been on the cutting edge of technological development but we are increasingly falling behind our global competitors. that's why the senate needs to pass the reducing regulatory burdens act, the clean water cooperative federalism act, the consumer financial protection and soundness improvement act, the protecting jobs for america government interference act, transparency in regulatory am sis impacts on the neigh, the cement sector regulatory relief act, the e.p.a. regulatory relief act, the coal residuals reuse and management act and we need to fix the tax code. the gettysburg address is 272 words. deck are will -- declaration of independence, 1,500 words, the constitution, 7,20 words. the federal tax code, 10 million words. our tax code needs to be fixed that's why the senate needs to pass the withholding rule repeal.

that would repeal the withholding with federal, state an he call fovets this job-killing rirpte would create costly new work and hold money hostage from government contractors. the inch r.s. needs to learn that hurting businesses, cities, towns, and consumers in a recession is not going to get our economy back on track. much like the costly 1099 -- the form 1099 requirements, the 3% withholding rules would put more burdens on cash-strabbed employers. business and local governments will have to focus on enormous administrative and financial channels. just today we learned the leadership in the senate has been burning the midnight oil figuring out a way to even gum up this 3% repeal. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr.

visclosky, for five minutes. mr. visclosky: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. visclosky: in northwest indiana, the steel industry provides middle class jobs and economic security. it supplies products with which a strong economy can be built and a powerful national defense maintained. china understands the value of steel and a strong manufacturing base and has aggressively acted to support and subsidize its domestic industries. for example, china has acted contrary to international trading standards in order to help their domestic manufacturers by routinely manipulating its currency in order to keep prices low on its finished products. as an effect, china's steel production has more than doubles since 2003 while u.s. production has dropped by nearly 40%. we've also lost a third of our manufacturing jobs as china's

manufacturing sector continues to grow, nourished by the cupry' blatant disregard of international law and the abusive consequences visitted on other nations and people. most importantly, those who live and want to work in the crites of america. for example, it is estimated that china has the valued its currency anywhere between 12% and 50%, giving its own exports a government subsidy and in effect taxing american made imports this policy has cost the u.s. upwards of $2 tissue of 2.5 million manufacturing jobs over the last decade and a staggering annual trade deficit of $273 billion. the chinese have dialogued and dialogued and dialogued for years about allowing their currency to appreciate. but have continued the practice of devaluing it. our nation is facing a jobs crisis and we can no longer

afford to stand for this destructive policy. h.r. 639, the currency reform for fair trade act would address the issue of this manipulation by recognizes in law what we already know. that currency misalignment is an export subsidy. the measure would take common sense steps to ensure our treasury department appropriately tie deptfis countries that engage in this unfair policy and allow the united states to place countervailing duties on imports from offending nations. this act has 230 co-sponsors, more than enough to pass the house. in fact, just over a year ago, drawing on support from american labor and manufacturing, the house supported a similar bill. on september 23, 2010, the house arrived in currency reform for fair trade act by an overwhelming, bipartisan vote of 348-79.

unfortunately, the senate failed to act. more than 260 of the members who voted in favor of that measure remain in the house. in this congress, in october, the other body did pass a similar measure by a bipartisan vote of 63-35. it is time for the house to pass this bill. those who oppose efforts to punish china insist the measure would start a so-called trade war. we are in a war, a war for jobs, and we are losing. china continues to fight to win jobs while america's government dawdles. this cannot continue. according to a report by the economic policy institute titled unfair china costs local jobs, thanks to our trade imbalance with china, 2.4 million jobs were lost in the united states between 2001 and 2008.

unfortunately, currency manipulation is far from the only trade disrupting policy practiced by china. this summer, the new american foundation convened by a task force led by leo girard of the united steelworkers, leo henry of "new america" published a report that confirms the myriad activities that china engaged in that undermine ours jobs. china employs a complex and far-reaching set of pellcies, environmental and labor rules we take for granted are rare to nonexist innocent china. china disregards intellectual property protections such as trademarks, copyrights and patents and steels technology from us and other countries around the world at an annual cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. it does this in part by shamelessly forcing foreign countries to divulge intellectual property as a price for market access.

further, china uses state secret laws to protect commercial interests and is pursuing a policy of disingenuous innovation, whereby it manufactures and maneuvers to increase domestic production of high value added goods. the house must pass and act on the china currency manipulation bill. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. poe, for five minutes. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. in the dangerous border region between mexico and texas, in the year 2008, the outlaws from mexico were caught smuggling marijuana into the united states and they were caught by the border patrol agents. border patrol agent jesus diaz actions later that day have resulted in him being sentenced recently to two years in a federal penitentiary. on october 20 of this year, district judge latham sentenced

him to 24 months in prison because he is alleged to have been too rough in his handling of one of the drug smugglers and he allegedly later ride about the incident to investigators. what he's accused of is pulling the suspect's handcuffs back and pushing this suspect to the ground while passing the suspect's back with his knee in order to get him to comply with the border patrol agent's orders. prior to the incident, the suspect had illegally crossed into texas by boat with a large shipment of marijuana and he was accompanied by a member of the notorious ms-13 gang. the u.s. government had a choice to make. prosecute the illegal drug smuggler or prosecute the border patrol agent. the united states government chose poorly. the mexican government demanded that diaz be prosecuted by our

government and he was. to top it off, the suspect was told he would not be prosecuted for illegally coming into the united states or for the marijuana he brought into the united states in return for his testimony against border patrol agent diaz. now mr. speaker, i'm not here today to comment on whether or not jesus diaz used proper police procedure or whether the jury or judge made a mistake. those issues will be dealt with on appeal. however, it seems to me that this case should not have been prosecuted as a crime. it should have been dealt with and handled administratively within the u.s. border patrol and the drug smuggler should have been prosecuted. the u.s. federal government had its priorities wrong. the national border patrol council which represents 17,000 of our border patrol agents, our border protectors, they agree. they argue that the situation

like this should have been handled administratively and did not rise to the level of criminal conduct. but millions of taxpayer dollars and thousands of man hours were expended to obtain a 24-month sentence and a conviction for diaz who had already spent eight months in custody. there is more. an internal investigation by the department of homeland securities office of inspector general and u.s. immigration and customs enforcement office, of professional responsibility, both cleared agent diaz of any wrongdoing in the 2008 incident. . but mexico would have none of this and demanded and got its way. the u.s. attorney's office went after border patrol agent jesus diaz, and his case was tried in the we were district of texas, a jurisdiction that has a history of, in my opinion, of unfairly targeting border protectors for prosecution. you remember, this is the same

jurisdiction that prosecuted border patrol agents ramos and compean for allegedly shooting a drug smuggler as he ran away from the agent. it took a presidential communtation to finally end the persecution of these two agents and millions of federal dollars were wasted on this case. and there was another case where gilbert hernandez was prosecuted for firing his weapon at a fleeing vehicle that had drugs in it. same jurisdiction. but the question we must ask ourselves is why the federal government is spending time and money to prosecute our border patrol agents who put their lives on the line every day down there on the border of the u.s. and mexico instead of spending time and money and resources to enforce immigration laws in this country. when i.c.e. director morton and secretary napolitano from homeland security recently testified in front of the judiciary committee, they both said they just didn't have the

money or the resources to fully enforce immigration laws. they, in essence, in my opinion, granted amnesty or parole to thousands of illegals in the united states. but they have the money to go after border patrol agents, and maybe they should use some of that prosecutial discretion they are so proud of to use discretion to prosecute people who cross the border into the united states with drugs over prosecuting border patrol agents. in the case, the united states government is on the wrong side of the border war. the u.s. attorney's office needs to quit being the voice of mexico and need to be the voice of america. we should secure the border and keep the drug smugglers from having their free and don't give them a get out of jail free card. we need to get our priorities straight. let's spend time and money going after the bad guys and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. rangel, for five minutes. mr. rangel: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rangel: mr. speaker, my colleagues, as we see in the nation going through such pain, i rise once again to see why we can't get along, my republicans and democrats -- why republicans and democrats find it almost impossible to try to raise some solutions to the problems we face. there is no question that there are many republicans in the house and senate that believe that the most important contribution that they can make to our country is to get rid of the president, but at the same time we have 14 million people that have lost their jobs, many have lost their homes, their savings, their hopes for the future, probably double that

number, we find underemployed and the millions and millions of people in districts like mine where people who are actually giving up hope that they can restore the dignity and get the resources necessary to provide for their families. yesterday, the house overwhelmingly passed a bill that would support the motto, "in god we trust" and i reluctantly supported it because i didn't want anyone to believe that i didn't trust god. but i felt awkward because i didn't see where that was the question. the real question, i would think, is, does god trust us? does god trust us to do the things that every religion say we should be doing? are we -- aren't we trusted to

provide care and compassion for the vulnerable? are we trusted to know that we have a responsibility to the sick, to the aging, to the disabled? that's where god really counts no matter what your religious background is. and to talk about our motto and sharing that, i don't think that has to be challenged. what is challenged is, what are we going to do about it? why do we find people young and old around the country protesting against the disparity that exists between the poor, who god said through his son, jesus, they should be

taken care of, and the scriptures are not too kind, at least not as kind as i am to the rich but common decency -- and when we find that less than 1% of americans controls 42% of the national wealth, when we find that our educational system is definitely not going to allow us to be competitive in the future, when we see that the american dream -- and that to me -- that to me is the most important part of my pride in being an american. you don't have to succeed in america, but the hope and the dream that people from all countries can come here and

have an opportunity to break out of their class system, out of poverty and join the middle class. even those who came as slaves and had their backgrounds just eliminated, their names, their culture, their songs, their history, but nevertheless because of the congress and trust in god they, too, have been able to achieve even to the extent of becoming president of the united states and honored members of the congress through the congressional black caucus. and so once that hope is challenged by anybody, then it means for the whole world the symbol that america is supposed to be is not one that improves your quality of life but finds us having people losing hope in the system. the fact that we don't speak

out when thousands of young americans, brave warriors are being killed and have been killed in countries that their families have no idea where the country is located or what the issues are and the necessity of protecting oil is has no longer be the issue. so i say, yes, in god we trust, but we have a few days left to see whether we can have god trust in us. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, for five minutes. mr. mcclintock: thank you, mr. speaker. the international monetary fund estimated that as of halloween night, the debt of this nation surpassedth entire economy for the first time since world war -- surpassed the entire economy for the first time since world war ii. you have to live below your means tomorrow. that's the tomorrow that our generation has created for the

children who are dressed up as princesses and cowboys when they came calling on monday night. this is our generation's eternal shame, and it's something that our generation must act to set right. the house is expected to soon to vote on a balanced budget amendment that's critical to stop this plunder of our children. there are a number of excellent proposals out there, and i'd have no trouble supporting any of them. i do rise, however, to express the hope that the final product of these deliberations proves worthy of the wisdom that guided the drafting of the constitution. the beauty of the american constitution is in its simplicity and its humility. the american founders recognized cicero's wisdom that the best laws are the simplest ones, and they real o'sed they couldn't possibly foresee the -- realized they couldn't possibly foresee the challenges that confronted future

generation and they managed to micromanage decisions that might be made in the future. instead, they set forward a principle set of governance. in drafting a balanced budget amendment, we need to maintain these qualities. we shouldn't attempt to tell future generations specifically how they should manage their revenues and expenditures in times we cannot comprehend. the experience of many states that operate under their own balanced budget amendments tells us that the more complicated and convoluted such structures is the more they are circumvented. many quote lincoln's support for a balanced budget amendment. here's what he actually wrote. he said, i wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our constitution. i would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our

government to the genuine principles of its constitution. i mean an additional article taking from the federal government the power of borrowing. what is a balanced bument? it's simply a budget that doesn't require us to borrow. so why don't we just say so as jefferson did? instead of trying to define fiscal years, outlays, pecks pend turs, emergencies, triggers, sequestrations and so on, i hope we would consider 27 simple words. the united states government may not increase its debt except for a specific purpose by law adopted by 3/4 of the membership of both houses of congress. that's it. such an amendment taking effect 10 years after ratification would give the government time to put its affairs in order and naturally require future congresses to maintain both a balanced budget as well as a prudent reserve to accommodate

fluctuations in revenues and routine contingencies. it trusts that 3/4 of future congresses will be able to recognize a genuine emergency when they see one and that 1/4 of congress would be strong enough to resist borrowing for light or transient reasons. the experience of the states warns us that a 2/3 vote is insufficient to protect against proflagacy. now, some want to go forward. if borrowing is prohibited there exists a natural limit to the ability and willingness of the people to tolerate taxation and therefore spending. the real danger is when runaway spending is accommodated, made possible by borrowing, which is simply a hidden future tax and the best and most effective way to invoke that natural limit is a simple prohibition. at the end of the week, i'll produce this 27-word amendment and ask my colleagues to consider it with the many

others that is currently before the congress. as i said, i like virtually all of them. they accomplish the purpose of restraining the reckless deficits that our generation has produced. but in drafting an amendment to guide not only this generation but all those to follow, i would hope that we would do as the constitutional convention would have done had it had the benefit of jefferson's wise counsel, to set down the general principle only and allow future generations with their own insight to put into practical effect. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. ellison, for five minutes. mr. ellison: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the right to vote is under attack. it may not be easy to see, but in state legislatures all across this country we're seeing a quiet passing of law that will strip american citizens of their right to vote.

it may come as a surprise that this is happening in the united states. our great country is best known for its rich democratic tradition which is predicated on the right to vote, and this right to vote has been expanding over time, not retracting. throughout our history, brave men and women have fought and died for the right and has been denied to too many americans for too long. since its founding, the united states has been on a course toward infranchisement, not disenfranchisement. incredibly, that seems to be changing. state legislators are turning back the clock on decades of hard-fought voter protection. this year, 34 state legislatures introduced prohibited voter i.d. bills. if passed it could affect the voting ability of 21 million americans. two states have proof of citizenship laws which stand to

exclude even more voters at the polls. 14 states are working harder to make it hard to register to vote. these laws add up to the greatest afact on voting rights since the jim crow era. in all, they could strip more than five million americans of the right to vote. that figure alone is half the margin of victory from the 2008 presidential election. congress must act. today, i'm introducing two bills to push back against these laws and protect americans' right to vote. the first bill, the voter access protection act, will ensure that no american citizen is denied the right to vote because they don't have a photo i.d. on election day. the second bill, the same-day registration act, will allow americans to register to vote on the same day they cast their ballot. no american citizen should be turned back at polls because they didn't register weeks or

months in advance. these bills will help ensure that all americans are able to exercise their fundamental rights in federal elections. if you truly believe in democracy, you should be doing everything you can to increase the enfranchisement of american citizens, not taking it away. i urge all of my colleagues to support this critical and patriotic legislation. i yield back. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields pack. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: i request unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, rural pennsylvania, like other parts of the country, have not been immune to difficult economic times. but today, pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to become a source of growth and strength for our state, the region and the nation. through development of what could be one of the world's largest natural gas fields, the

marcellus shale, much of which is in my district. it is offering our region and the country expanded access to clean, reliable, afordable energy and a new source of economic growth and stable jobs. as congress tackles challenges regarding jobs and the deficit we must consider domestic energy production as a logical and obtainable solution to both of these challenges for the united states has enormous on-tap deposits of coal, oil, natural gas and other source that can offer good-paying jobs, new sources of revenue, affordable and reliable energy as well as national energy security. the economic success story of the marcellus shell can be recreated across the country by opening up all our resources and allowing new technologies to -- for exploration of

american-owned resources. we can create tens of billions of dollars in revenues only if the federal government encourages, not discourages, pruck. i'm not talking about a solindra style subsidies but government getting out of the way of accessing natural resources god has blessed us with. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. woolsey, for five minutes. ms. woolsey: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, a few weeks ago, i spoke on this -- in this chamber about the u.n. report that outlined the grew ma details of prisoner abuse at detention facilities in afghanistan. inmates beaten with electric wires, hung from their wrists and much worse. now additional report big "the washington post" has revealed that u.s. officials knew for some time about this torture of

prisoners by after gap security forces. and what did our top people in afghanistan do about these warnings? apparently, not a thing. for years, our special operations forces and c.i.a. officials had been in and out of these prisons, dropping off detainees, meeting with afghan authorities, taking advantage of the intelligence gathered there. we paid to rebuild one prison with a cold and chilling name, department 124. department 124. that sits behind a concrete fortress near u.s. military headquarters in kabul. it would be hard, actually it would be impossible to miss what was going on inside those walls. but for a long time, it was ignored, nothing said, no meaningful oversight exerted. it wasn't until a few months ago when the u.n. made it clear they were releasing a report

detailing the torture that our military commanders suddenly took notice and stopped sending prisoners to these facilities. in a flash, they instituted a monitoring program and human rights training. it's embarrassing, mr. speaker. but it seems like our leadership was more concerned about public relations damage control than adherence to human rights norms and international law. the american people have sacrificed a lot for this war. in return, they've been fed a lot of high-minded assurances that we're doing important work that advances american values. the name of this mation is operation enduring freedom. but apparently we're not practicing what we preach in afghanistan. because torture has no place in free society. no place in a campaign that professes to be about human dignity and the rule of law.

at a time when we're considering major cuts right here at home, in life-saving domestic programs, so that we can get our fiscal house in order, how can we possibly justify spending billions of dollars every week on a military occupation that seems to be promoting and encouraging torture. we cannot wash our hands of this. we cannot avoid responsibility because this is happening on or watch. torture, whether we're practicing it ourselves or just tacitly condoning it, isn't anything but reprehensible. it's bad national security policy as well. it represents the united states of america in the worst possible light. and it's surely a great recruitment tool for the terrorists. when it comes to international affairs this egatest currency

we have is our moral authority. but we don't waste it by acting like outlaws instead of the greatest superpower on earth. mr. speaker, time -- the time has come. it is time we had a national security approach that showcases the very best of america. one that demonstrates our decency and compassion. one that emphasizes diplomacy and reconciliation. one that puts civilian and humanitarian expert os the grown instead of 100,000 troops with guns. you don't need to invade a country to prove that america is strong or to keep america safe. that's the heart of my smart security plan that i've been talking about for many years now. we've tried belligerence. we've tried force. and over the last decade, well, actually, we've tried all this

forever, and it just has not worked. it's time, mr. speaker, for this war to end. it's time to implement a smart security platform. it is time now, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. nugent, for five minutes. mr. nugent: request permission to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. nugent: i rise today to honor a great son of trinity, florida, corporal justin geithner of the first battalion engineer company. i've had the honor of getting to know scruss tin over the last year and i'd like to shear his story. after being deployed to afghanistan, he took on one of the most dangerous jobs there is in the marine corps. he was lead sweeper, clearing roads of i.e.d.'s in advance of

u.s. vehicles. on november 26 of 2010, justin's unit was traveling with an eight-truck convoy. one of the trucks struck an i.e.d. following the explosion one of justin's good friends, corporal gabrielle martinez, lost both his leg willings in a second inch e.d. attack while he rushed to aid that downed vehicle. justin desperately wanted to help his friend. but his responsibility was to continue the mission to continue to sweep for i.e.d.'s to ensure the safety of the rest of the convoy. it was during the sweep that a third i.e.d. was remotely detonated as justin just entered that area. the explosion propelled justin into the air and took both of his legs and severely injured one of his arms. justin paid a terrible price that day while helping to

protect fellow marines. when i first met justin as walter reid army hospital in scran of this year, he was more concerned about his brother marines still in country than he was about his own safety. he wanted to return to that company of marines to help ensure the safety of his federal marines that were still left in afghanistan. that's what heroes do. he has since made an incredible recovery while at walter reed national military hospital medical center. that was with the help of dedicated medical staff, support of his mother and his family and of fellow marines. justin is getting stronger every day. when i first met justin in january of this year, he told me one of his future foals twows -- goals was to compete

in a marathon. today i'm proud to announce that this past weekend, less than a year since he was wounded in combat, justin completed the 2011 marine corps marathon in the hand cranked division in two hours, 50 minutes and 39 seconds. justin and his family have been an inspiration to me and proud to be an american because of their sacrifice on the battlefield. on behalf of a grateful nation, i want to take this opportunity to again thank justin for his bravery his sacrifice on behalf of his nation, and i want to thank all the troops that have been in harm's way that have volunteered to protect this great nation at great risk themselves. there is a poem that has been

penned in his honor by albert cozwell and we want to place this in the congressional record and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman's request is granted. the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne, for five minutes. mr. payne: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for five mins and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. payne: thank you. mr. speaker, nearly 25 million americans are currently unemployed or underemployed. yet despite this, efforts to strengthen the work force are being derailed by special interests. in wisconsin, governor scott walker has taken nearly all collective bargaining rights from employees.

in ohio they look to strip workers of their rights. the state led the nation in safety force stoppages when the city and its safety forces had a dispute concerning wages an adequate staffing there was no way to resolve that disputeful that's why the collective bargaining law was passed. and it has worked. only through collective bargaining to american workers still have a voits. still this right is being attacked. in new jersey, state house passed a pill destroying the worker of public worker union sector to bargain over health care and pension issues. these efforts turned back the block of -- clock on public safety an on those who protect and serve our people an it's unacceptable. i rise in support of the workers of wisconsin, i rise in support of the workers of ohio,

i rise in support of workers in my home state of new jersey. i rise in support of millions of americans who stand as proud union members seeking fair labor treatment and a fair shot at the american dream. i have been protected by unions. i worked as a truck driver. i worked as a teacher. i worked on the docks of newark. i worked as a pater -- waiter, i worked in the breweries of newark. all of them protected by strong unions. that's what helped me get through college and to the united states congress. today, i stand with 99 of my house colleagues to speak on h.r. -- h.res. 452, which i introduced yesterday which will recognize the importance labor unions pay in assuring a strong middle class by advocating for more equitable wages, humane working conditions and increase civic engagement of everyday citizen the 99%. 99 members co-sponsor this

resolution and i'm proud to introduce it. unions have pioneered benefits such as paid health care and pensions and have helped strengthen access to the american dream by helping to establish government policies and efforts such as family leave, minimum wage, social security, unions have also been effective in supporting immigrants' rights, trade policy, health care and living wage legislation. unions have been the voice for everyday americans from consume brother text to health, safety and civil rights, the labor movement has fought to allow workers to negotiate on more equal footing with their employers providing for a healthy, balanced workplace. unions benefit emp, members and nonmembers. according to the economic policy institute if more than -- more of the 66 million american workers who want to join a union could join one tomorrow their paychecks and benefits would increase but so would millions of others, the

union premium it's called, succeeds in lifting wages of nonunion employees in the same industries while not being a deterring factor of the state's economic or its growth record. unfortunately there have been a decline in union membership due largely to unfair practices and scare tactics by union busing employers. between 1999 and 2007 more than 86,000 workers filed unfair labor trackties claims with the nlrb for pg illegally fired from their employees' just for -- from their employees just for union activities. as a result of such efforts to weaken unions among other things our economy continues to suffer and the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen. undermining the foundation of american middle class. contrary to police chief of union bashers yao uns do not increase unemployment or reduce job opportunities, rather they are a great deal effect that correlates the strength of the economy and middle class to the

growth or decline of union membership. it also infers the impact that union membership decline has on our economy and wealth distribution. the report found that from 1979 to 2007 average inflation adjusted after tax income group by 275% for the 1% of the population with the highest income. for those in the top 20% of the population, average real income grew only by 65%. however, the bottom fifth only by 18%. 3/5 of the people are in the middle and they grew by 40%. so that is not an equal distribution of growth wealth. the main reason u.s. companies are reluctant to step up hiring is scant demand, demand is scarce because wages are stagnant while profits are up. the chief investment officer at jpmorgan states u.s. labor

compensation is now at 50-year low relative to both company sales and u.s. g.d.p. while wages are done, profit margins are up. let me ask you to support this legislation. we will continue to march on the steps of -- we'll stand on the steps of ohio, march in the streets of new jersey, in our neighborhoods and the 99 members of the house who support this bill, we urge its passage. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. benishek, for five minutes. mr. benishek: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. benishek: mr. speaker, also' been a lot of talk about the partisanship and venom in washington this year, and while we certainly see fierce debates -- while we will certainly see fierce debates in the future, i

believe members of this body can still come together and find common ground. on the surface, my colleague, hansen clarke, and i are very different. he is a lawyer representing the city of detroit with a liberal voting record. i'm a conservative physician representing rural northern michigan in the upper peninsula. we are both new to this house, and share an interest in learning more about unique challenges facing michigan citizens. and after meeting hansen during freshman orientation we agreed to tour each other's districts. in august i had the opportunity to head down to michigan's 13th district in detroit. there we toured employers such as edward levy company, mercy primary care center and got to have some lunch on mac avenue. it was great to learn more about the district and be back in detroit where i did my medical training. next week congressman clarke will tour with me in michigan's

upper peninsula. we will be meeting with area employers in marquette and will be getting the chan to see the splendor of lake superior at the national lake shore. i hope we go out for lunch. mr. speaker, although hansen and i are from different parties and are from different parts of the state, we want to improve the economic conditions in the great state of michigan. we believe that by working together we can help share a better future for our children and our grandchildren. despite our differences and opinion on many issues, we both recognize that america remains a place in the world like no other and that with liberty, courage and hard work there is no limit to one's destiny. i encourage all members of this chamber to pair up and schedule a visit to a different district.

congressman clarke, i'm honored to have you as my friend and look forward to having you in upper michigan next week. i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. clarke, for five minutes. mr. clarke: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank congressman benishek for that wonderful invitation for me to visit your district. northern michigan and the upper peninsula, it's one of the most beautiful areas you can ever see in the country. it's got delicious food and has great people. i know i am going to have a wonderful time. but also, too, my visit to northern michigan will help dand and i have another set of common experiences that we can use to help serve our people together. with his area in northern michigan and with the area i am hired to represent, metropolitan detroit, we can focus on the common needs of

our people. let me give you an example. when representative benishek visited the east side of detroit with me this past summer, we found out we had a lot of things in common. i'm born and raised on the east side. well, he actually lived on the east side when he attended one of the finest medical schools in the country. we visited several places, but in particular we visited the mercy primary care center. and this is a health clinic located right in the heart of detroit. and first-hand we're able to -- and firsthand we're able to see the challenges our veterans are facing. our veterans. these are young men and women who because of their loyalty to our country were sent overseas. they risked their lives. they risked their mental and emotional well-being.

many of whom coming back to detroit only to face a place where they cannot even find a job. can't even find a home. they're out on the street with no place to live. no one should have to live in that type of indignity. representative benishek, as a physician and as a member of the house committee that oversees the department of veterans' affairs, he wanted to work with me to belter serve these veterans, so he -- better serve these veterans so he and i are now working together with the department of veterans affairs to better serve these homeless veterans in the city of detroit. that's an example on how republicans and democrats can work firsthand together to help all of our people. and you know what, it's not really that hard for he and i to work together. the folks that he represents

and the people that i serve in metro detroit, like all americans, we all want the same thing. we just want to have a chance to live a decent life. we want those rights that are spelled out in the preamble of the declaration of independence . rights of life, of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. just the chance to live your life as fully as you choose it. that's the american dream. so while this house many times in its deliberations it chooses to highlight the differences between republicans and democrats, right now he and i are choosing to underscore why we can work together to serve our people and make this country an even better place to live. it's my greatest honor to visit the upper peninsula and it's

also my honor to serve this country as a representative of metropolitan detroit. and, mr. speaker, i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas, mr. huelskamp, for five minutes. without objection. mr. huelskamp: mr. speaker, as i traveled across the first district of kansas to host more than 70 in-person town hall meetings during my first 10 months here in congress, constituents have reaffirmed our shared blofe that washington cannot be everything to everybody and nor should it be. they have told me they can and want to do more with less. they know that the more washington spends today the more their children and grandchildren will have to pay back in the future. and likely to a foreign nation. and while they scale back their

expectations, they want washington to scale back what they ask them to do, the ever tightening grip and the imposition of the federal bureaucracies, explosive and counterproductive and unnecessary burdens are killing america's agriculture industry. today i'll introduce the farm act of 2011, to bring agriculture to reap more act. i am unveiling it today in light of the pending ag discussions we hear are occurring in the supercommittee. the farm act reflects the conversations i've had with constituents and farm deprupes all across the first -- groups all across the first district and addresses their concerns. in essence, the farm act adds a regulatory title to the farm bill. given the consequences of overregulation, it merits its own title, amid others like trade, research, conservation or farm credit. farmers and ranchers arguably

pay some of the largest costs for washington's crushing burden of overregulation. whether it on youth involvement, on family farms, pesticide application permits, greenhouse gases, farm dust, farm commercial vehicles, livestock emission taxes, the federal government continues to insist it control the intory indicate day-to-day affairs of america's agriculture communities. the farm act prohibits this regulatory overreach. kansas family farms do not want washington writing detailed instruction manuals on how much fuel they can or cannot put in their tractors. they do not need washington prohibiting them from teaching their own children the value and importance of hard work by allowing them to work a few hours on the farm. and they most certainly do not need washington imposing taxes on them for supposed greenhouse gases emitted by their livestock. no. they need to let -- they need washington to let them run

their operations in a safe and responsible yet productive ways they have done for generations. the farm act allows our family farms to continue the family tradition without fear of expensive and unnecessary regulations. like the families that live in the farms that operate in rural america, small towns in the first district of kansas also have no need for additional instruction from washington. that is why the farm act prohibits funding for the newly established white house rural council. rural communities are the embodiment of familiar he a lot and entrepreneurial freedom and that council seeks to replace that freedom with centralized planning schemes. we simply cannot afford more of the president's failed approaches. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the farm act of 2011. it's time to stop the overregulation of america's farmers and ranchers and ag communities and rural america. it's time to put an end to

washington's distrust of america's growers, ramplingers and producers as well as all -- ranchers and producers as well as all of america. i yield back the balance of my time, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson, for five minutes. mr. johnson: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, ladies and gentlemen, nothing is more fundamental in our democracy than the right to vote. unfortunately, our right to vote is under attack. according to a new report by the brint center for justice, vote suppression lowers in states across the country could affect up to five million voters from traditionally democratic demographics in 2012. it's no coincidence that this number is larger than the margin of victory in two of the

last three presidential elections. these voter i.d. laws do nothing more than discourage and block eligible voters, especially students, the poor, seniors and minorities. these are americans who tend to vote democratic. recently, the media reported that a 96-year-old woman was denied a voter i.d. card in chattanooga, tennessee, because of one of these new laws. . her name is dorothy cooper, she's a retired domestic worker. in fact, she was born in my home state of georgia. and she relocated to chattanooga so that she could find work. she could not get all the tumets together and so therefore -- all the documents

together and so therefore her request for a government-issued inch d. was denied. after indiana's photo i.d. law was implemented, the media reported about a group of elderly nuns who lacked drivers licenses and current passports and they were turned away from the polls. up fortunately, if states continue to pass these restrictive and unnecessary voter i.d. laws, we will hear more of these stories. the tea party republicans are trying to hijack our right to vote so that they can steal the 2012 election. i don't know about you, but i'm disgutted with tea party republican attempts to use voter suppression laws to erode traditionally democratic voters by blocking their access to the polls. these voter i.d. laws do not

prevent fraud and in fact they do nothing other than suppress voter turnout. america has not seen this level of suppression since the days of poll taxes and literacy tests. more than 30 states introduced legislation last year, excuse me, this year, designed to impede voters at every step of the voting process. these laws do not combat fraud but prevent millions of hard working, tax paying americans, especially minorities, young voters, the working poor, people with disats and senior citizens, from casting pal lots in 2012 and beyond. making this the most significant setback for voting rights in a century. photo i.d. restrictions disenfranchise eligible registered voters, an estimated

11% of u.s. zens, 21 million people do, not have current government issued photo i.d.'s. while poll taxes were abolished more than 60 years ago, this new slew of voter i.d. laws is reminiscent of the days, or is reminiscent of the day when poll taxes were required, days which none of us want to revisit. these tea party republicans have been scheming from day one of president obama's term in office to make sure that he's a one-term president. they want to take share country back. so state legislatetures in accordance with this scheme, have passed a spate of laws specifically designed to block access to the ballot box by voters who tend to vote for

democrats. it's not fair, it's not right, and it's simply un-american. ladies and gentlemen, now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their country. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. flores, for five minutes. mr. flores: i request permission to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. flores: i rise today to recognize tharble recycling week. recycling and the return of recycled materials to the manufacturing process plays an important role in the competitiveness of u.s. industries. the use of recycled materials significantly reduces energy use, reducing the cost of producing goods. for example, in the glass industry, every 10% of recycled glassdz used to make new glass

containers means a 2% drop in energy use and 4% to 10% reduction in energy used. most used containers do not wind up back in the manufacturing process. next week, i plan to tour an owens illinois gas plant in my district. it's been part of the peko community since the 1940's and provides jobs to over 3, people. these are scrobs we want to keep in america but o.i. needs more recycled glass to keep up. congress should encourage all stake holers to take steps to improve data collection related to the recovery of recycleable materials to review ways to

increase use of recycled materials and increase the amount of recycled materials available for use by manufacturers. by improving collection of reseekled materials, we can make america more competitive and create high-paying jobs. this is another main street solution to grow american jobs. i encourage all americans to learn more about this plan at jobs.gop.gov. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.

appropriate that senator mccain and our house member, a veteran of world war ii, ralph hall, are co-spon ors -- co-sponsor os they have legislation. it's ap honor to join them to pay tribute to the is00th infantry battalion, the 142nd regimental combat team and the military intelligence service. as a representative of san francisco it's a point of pride to me that so many awardees have -- are recipients. as others have said, the 44 -- the motto of the 4042nd was go for broke. today's awardees were willing

to go for broke in the fight against terny abroad and in doing so fight discrimination here at home. again, as others have mentioned, despite the injustices of the internment of japanese american they rose above being bitter, indeed, many felt empowered to prove their loyalty and love of our country. i want to consider some stories of heroism from my own district but before that, i want to acknowledge that general shinseki, now secretary shinseki is with us and we are honored by your patriotism. our former colleague, we called him chairman when he was here, and now secretary, secretary norm mineta, who led us on the repatriation fight.

now from my own district, yoshio uada, helped liberate da chow death camps. when -- dachau death camp. when we had a celebration here celebrating the labe ration of the camps and the japanese americans are in that march, imagine that coming together. frank masuoka helped negotiate the surrender of 600 japanese soldiers to american troops. several in my district were pat of the effort that rescued the lost ba toljan, an effort which had been failed and -- tried and failed twice before. in that single campaign, the 442nd suffered over 800 casualties. the i-company went in with 185

men and only eight walked out uninjured. simply put, the 100th infantry battalion, the 442nd regimental combat team and the military intelligence service saved american lives. they faced deadly combat in italy, france and germany. they intercepted radio transmissions, translated enemy documents and integrated -- and interrogated prisoners of war. it's another source of pride for me that many of these accomplishments are being memorialized in san francisco, thank you, senator, boxer, for your involvement in that. building 640 is right across from christy field, it was the first headquarters of m.i.s. senator inoueye was there the day we ground broke for it. we are grateful to the japanese

american historical society for their efforts to create a museum to honor those who served in m.i.s. consider that an invitation to visit us. every member of congress could tell stories of heroism from their own districts. indeed, we have stories of heroism within the congress itself, senator inoueye's valor and service earned him the medal of honor and today the congressional gold medal. our colleague in the house, mike honda, will accept the gold medal on behalf of his father, byron who volunteered to serve in the military intelligence service even though hi wife and children were behind barbed wire fences of the internment camp. we know this moment is not complete that many gold medals today will be awarded host cue

-- posthumously, we remember those for whom today came too late and we particularly honor those who never came home. in battle, today's rewardees proved they were great fighters in service they proved they were great patriots. your cause was not just the end of fascism but the end of discrim nays, the american ideal of equality which is our heritage and our hope. today as i said, you bring luster to this gold medal qurk bring honor to this congress. you have always brought honor to our country. thank you and congratulations. god bless you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the republican leader of the united states senate, the honorable mitch mcconnel.

>> of all the stories of valor that have come down to us if the second world war, the story the 100th battalion and 442nd regimental combat team is among the most powerful and hardest to explain. how did these men who had at first been excluded from service by their own country take up arms so valiantly in her defense? how did men whose families had been rounded up and confined by their own government go on to become the most decorated military unit in u.s. history? president clinton put it well, i think, when he said of these

men, that rarely has a nation been more well-served by people it had so ill treated. amopping them was our friend and colleague senator inoueye, whose battlefield heroics earned him not only america's highest military honor put also its eternal gratitude. then there was the military intelligence service. drawn heavily from the 442nd regimental combat team. the members of m.i.s. were in many ways america's secret weapon in the war with japan. because of them, general mckarr thur -- general macarthur cowl later say that never in military history did any army know so much about the enemy prior to an actual engagement. through their tireless efforts in the war, they hastened its end.

and therefore ensured that countless more lives were not lost. through their tireless efforts after the war, they laid the groundwork for the close relationship that the u.s. and japan has enjoyed against all odds ever since. if you ask those who remain, they'll tell you, like any good soldier, they were not looking for glory. yet taken together, the men of the 442nd and the m.i.s., through their matchless record of bravery ander is vess have secured a permanent place of the highest distinction in our history and in our hearts as americans. they volunteered to win a war and they defeated prejudice while they were at it. what a story. men of the m.i.s. and the 442nd , thank you.

congress honors you today with this medal but believe me, the honor is all occurs. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the majority leader of the united states senate, the honorable harry reid. [applause] >> in 1945, a few weeks before germany surrendered to allied forces, the united states army 92nd infantry division headquarters wrote to its commanders that letter was titled facts concerning the 442nd infantry. this is what the buffalo soldiers wrote about an all-volunteer unit of japanese americans who had proven their

valor in battle in the european theater. quote, they're as thoroughly loyal as german americans, italian americans or any other americans of foreign ancestry a category, of course, into which all of us fall, end of quote. and of course that was true. not only were the men just as loyal as the most distinguished american soldiers of every race or national background, they're also as sharp of eye, draw of aim and stout of heart. in the end the blood they shed defending american freedom on the battlefields of europe while fighting for the only nation they'd ever call home was just as red. although they were exempt from the draft, they volunteered to fight for our flag. many of them joined despite having family living in american internment camps along with 100,000 other people of japanese ancestry who were removed from their homes. 650 of them willingly gave their lives to protect the

freedom for which american stands though they were denied that freedom at home. these first generation americans 4,000 or more were missing or wounded in combat. senator inoueye fought famously with the 142nd and was grievously wounded in that battle. bravery like his is the reason the 442nd regimental combat team is likely the most highly decorated wruent in united states military history. its soldiers are thousands of -- earned thousands of purple hearts, more than 500 silver stars, 21 medals of honor an nine presidential unit citations. alongside the military intelligence service which is also honored with a presidential unit citation.

the 442nd helped win the war. as for that brave commitment if --s if for that brave commitment we award them. some may say it was a desire to prove that their loyalty and dedication to this country was beyond reproach that made the men of the 442nd such good fighters against fascism. but really they just shared the same patriotism that burned in the hearts of other soldiers. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the honorable, john boehner. >> since our founding,

americans have believed that our liberty, our constitution, and our way of life, even our flag, were things worth fighting for and dying for. we also believe that these ideas are not limited to up with race of people. that the struggle for these ideas can yaint all people around the world. but for japanese merps, the days and months after pearl harbor must have seemed like a giant and painful step backwards. removed from their homes and placed in camps, these loyal americans endured years of discomfort and disgrace. but out of the story of prejudice comes another story, that reaffirms america's worth and america's exceptionalism. today we honor the thousands of japanese americans who served in the united states army's three units we honor today,

most of whom were recruited during their internment. their baptism of fire began in the mountains of italy when the 100th battalion was atatched to the fifth army. the italian campaign was brutal, it cost the allies 320,000 casualties between 1943 and 1945. in italy, the 100th fought the rain and bitter cold, they fought sickness, they fought trench foot, all while fighting the germans. in november of 1943, the 100th joiped the attack on germans, their winter line. the soldiers quickly established a reputation as some of the best combat sole zwhrones front. this reputation was sealed

early on when two of their members were attacked on november 29, 1943. they were attacked by some 40 german soldiers. things turned out for those germans. 38 killed, one wounded, one catchtured. private hajimoto gave his life later that day but that two-man army earned medals of honor for their extraordinary heroism. their bravery and selfless dedication was demonstrated by all fighters wherever they engaged the enemy. they fought hard for this nation and held fast to their not low -- motto, go for broke. together the 100th and 442nd became the most highly decorated units in world war ii and in army history. they received more than ,000

purple hearts, thousands of bronze and silver stars an the list goes onful these units twished themselves in every operation in nearly every theater of world war ii. on behalf of my colleagues and all the american people thank you for fighting to make this the greatest nation on earth and god bless all of you for all your work. [applause] >> lange, please remain seated for the unveiling of the gold medal by member os they have united states congress and representatives from each unit.

[applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen a proud member of the second battalion of the 442nd regimental combat team during world war ii, the senior senator of the state of hawaii, and the president pro tem of the united states sthath, the honorable daniel inoueye.

[applause] >> mr. speaker, leaders of the congress of the united states, ladies and gentlemen, i thank you all for this extraordinary recognition. 0 years ago, pearl harbor was bombed by the japanese and as a result of the emotional upheefl that followed, japanese were the citizens of immigrants were declare -- whether citizen or

immigrants were declared by this cupry as being immigrant ail yeps. as such, unfit to put on the uniform of this land. but we didn't sit by and do nothing about it. we petigged egovernment to give us an opportunity to demonstrate our love of country and our patriotism. which was granted to us at the end of the war -- which was granted to us. at the end of the war, general macarthur said, as a result of the service of the m.i.s., the war ended by at least a year sooner. and then the two units were declared to be the most decorated units in the history of the united states. this has been a long journey

but a glorious one. and we western to thank all of you, all americans, for this reck necessary. it's heartwarming and i'm certain that i speak for all assembled here, but more importantly, i'm certain those who are resting in cemeteries are pleased with this day. god bless america. god bless you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the chaplain of the united states house of

representatives, the reverend patrick conroy, gives the benediction. >> lord, may the hands and hearts of this nation be raised in prayer and praise for these heroic members of the united states army who served our nation and the hope of free -- in the hope of freedom for all the world. our nation was defending itself from the attack of dangerous foes, yet these veterans chose to serve while they themselves and their families were under domestic attack pause of their ancestral roots. though never able to be remembered without considerable embarrassment, may the people of this nation now rise to celebrate the units we honor this day who bore no small

rejeck by their fellow merps, yet proved to be the most highly decorated unit in the history of the united states army. may the breath of god uphold their noble and heroic story. may it carry to other generations and even to other nations a message to inspire citizens everywhere to serve the mighty cause of public service while always seeking equal justice. may those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who etched out heroic victories, those whoed medals of honor and those who suffered personally the pain of rejection in those dark days of our world and our nation, be rewarded with success and find peace. bless all women and men in

military service, no matter their racial, cultural, or real jus heritage and their fam his. god, bless america, and fnt us piece both in the present and with you forever. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain at your seat for the departure of the official party, followed by the departure of our honored veterans.

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>> congress today honoring japanese american veterans of world war ii with a congressional gold medal first presented no george washington in 1776. the associated press writes that from 19 -- that some 19,000 japanese americans served in three units being honored today, the 100th infantry battalion, the regimental combat team, you can see all of this later in our program schedule and online in our video library. members will make their way, house members, back to the floor shortly as the u.s. house begins legislative work in

about five minutes. the house will gaffle in about noon eastern. bern bernanke will be holding a news conference following the meeting today in washington. we'll have that live for you at 2:15 eastern. we've got a preview this morning on "washington journal. s morning's show. neil irwin, economic writer, is joining us on the phone right now. he is here to talk to us about ben bernanke's upcoming fed meeting. what do you expect him to say? caller: the economy has gotten better since their last meeting. nothing great, nothing fantastic. there will be speculation on

what the economy will do over the next few years. those numbers probably will not be very good at all. they will talk about communication. what the fed is aiming for in the economy and what they might do to adjust their policies, going forward. even if we hear about what they are aiming for, it will be the subject of a special policy meeting. we will get a sense of whether or not they have arrive at consensus. host: what is quantitative easing? it could the federal reserve chairman talk about qe3? caller: their normal policy tool, short-term interest rates, has been in effect for three years now.

they have been trying to encourage growth, creating money to buy stocks and, in some cases, mortgage securities and treasury bonds. qe2 was launched last november. they did that in june. the question is, will they do it again? will the economy still be seen as weak and need to press forward further? perhaps oriented towards mortgages and housing. it does not look like they will have any decisions on that today. we will have to wait to see what they have to say in a crisis.

host: what impact will today's meeting have on the federal reserve board and the news conference? caller: certainly, the european crisis seems like something that will never end. every time you think it might be ending, another switch happens. that is what happened over the last few days. it felt like a stable place, then there was a question over whether greece was willing to overtake the changes brought by its creditors. the fed is not going to adjust monetary policy based on these headlines. that said, the fact that europe has been a mess and that that

ways and u.s. markets is very much at the center of what they have been dealing with. how do we try to keep the economy growing, even as things are kind of scary overseas? host: is this something -- is there something that the federal reserve chairman could say to try to ease the markets, given the news from greece? caller: they are very much in the one day reaction markets. they are not going to worry too much about what happens in one day's trading session. at the same time, but i want to do is, generally, if the u.s. economy is on the right track, we will do all right. part of the way these policies work is by strengthening financial markets.

part of how they may have helped, they would argue, helps the economy, is the strong rally that was seen before its completion. i do not think that the chairman will be too hung up on last few days of the stock market. but what has happened to the stock market over the last few months is very much important. >> just a reminder, you can see bern bernanke's news conference live on c-span.org. the house is coming back in now. god of the universe, we give you thanks for giving us another day. bless the members of this assembly as they work upon these hours of these days.

help them to make wise decisions in a good manner, to carry their responsibilities steadily with high hopes for a better future for our great nation. deepen their faith, widen their sympathies, heighten their aspirations and give them the strength to do what ought to be done for this country. may your blessing, o god, be with them and with us all this day and every day to come, and may all we do be done for your greater honor and glory. amen. the speaker pro tempore: thank you, father conroy. the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mcintyre,

if all will proceed. mr. mcintyre: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on november 2, 2011, at 9:19 a.m., that the senate passed with amendments h.r. 2112. with best wishes i am, signed sincerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 15

one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> thank you, mr. speaker. only in washington, d.c., is there -- are we debating whether it's a good idea to balance the federal budget. the american people tonight have the luxury of choosing. the federal government should be held to the same standard as living within their means. mr. sullivan: i believe a constitutional amendment to balance our budget is good and i'm pleased that congress will vote on one for the first time in 15 years. this is a critical time for our nation. over 14 million americans are unemployed, and our record-setting debt level of debt is over $14 trillion.

congress has a moral obligation to our children and grandchildren to stop the outrageous spending and restore fiscal sanity in washington to ensure we don't lead them under a mountain of debt. i will continue fighting for a constitutional amendment to require the federal government to live within its means just like families across oklahoma do every day. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island rise? mr. cicilline: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize whitmar house in providence, rhode island, a place for developmental disabilities and families for over 40 years. in recognition of the organization's commitment to excellence, they received a three-year accreditation on the -- from carf. they recognize an organization's demonstration of accountability and conformance to sper nationally acceptably

standard and rehabilitation services to its community. this accreditation comes to no surprise given the vital and quality of service they provide to families every day in rhode island. they've served hundreds of youths to programs that contribute to members of our society. i'm proud to honor whitmar house on receiving this important accreditation. i look forward to seeing its continuing work for the community in the coming years and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i rise to address the house for one minute and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. olson: mr. speaker, i rise with deep concerns about yesterday's vote to grant the palestinians full membership in the u.n. organization known as unesco. america has been crystal clear

about what the consequences would be for this kind of thing around a negotiated peace between israel and the palestinians seeking their own nation. this action by unesco emboldens the bid for recognition without the palestinians immediately recognizing israel's right to exist as a jewish nation state or even denounce their stated goal of israel's destruction. the united states had no choice but to refuse to make a scheduled $60 million transfer to unesco. mr. speaker, that $60 million should be used to pay down our federal debt instead of supporting an organization committed to thwarting peace in the middle east. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from new york rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered.

mrs. lowey: thank you, mr. speaker. on a cold, snowy night -- ms. hochul: thank you, mr. speaker. the cruel irony of 50 people, loved ones killed in a plane crash the friday before valentine's weekend is lost on no one near my district in buffalo. and that's exactly where the 347 plane crash occurred. hearings on capitol hill, ntsb investigations. finally we thought we had the answers. and it wasn't until a lawsuit was filed in federal court in buffalo and through the perseverance of a buffalo news reporter that we finally found out that the company did not give critical emails regarding the credibility of this pilot to fly this plane. those emails were never revealed until now. that's why i teamed up with our local delegation, congresswoman slaughter, higgins, gillibrand to call for an investigation by

the united states attorney general on what this company knew and whether they possessed critical emails at the right time, whether they gave them to us, whether there was other emails that would shed light what happened on that night. it's what those families need to know and what america needs to no he. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the charitable contributions and achievements of a business located in fort collins, colorado. this business manufacturers and develops covers for tech products like cell phones and ipads and employs 350 people in my district. they received national recognition by being named an honoree for national philanthropy day in colorado. mr. gardner: they helped the surrounding community. this wing was appropriately named cares.

it participates in many project like providing school supplies to low-income children and donating toys to less fortunate families during the holiday children. they volunteer at local food banks. they gave up 350 employees a $200 grant to give it to a charity or foundation to their choosing. the $200 was just a start. they encouraged their employees to raise and donate more. they raised over $40,000 for different organizations. the businesses utilizes this slogan, "throw a stone in the water and watch how far the ripple can spread." the ripple started is helping the entire fort collins area. it's with great pride i recognize otter box on the house floor. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from missouri rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. mr. faleomavaega: so ordered, without objection. mr. carney: thank you, mr. speaker. with less than two months left in 2011 this republican

corralled house -- mr. carnahan: thank you, mr. speaker. with less than two months left in 2011, this republican controlled house has not created jobs. i've seen firsthand how businesses, seniors and students are suffering because of political games in this congress. last week i met with business owners in my own state including a plumbing company in st. louis. bill's business was suffering by the poor economy. it's our responsibility to help to work our constituents who have built businesses that have been hard hit by these tough times. the president has proposed the american jobs act which will help put people back to work. an independent economist says this bill will help create more than one million jobs. it's time for action. we cannot retreat to our ideological corners and ignore the challenges we face. i will work with anyone, anywhere, anytime to grow the economy and help create jobs. i challenge my colleagues to work with that same spirit.

it's time we pull together and put our country first. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> this year mr. arnold de la paz, in corpus christi was named the lower rio graunda -- grande small business person of the year. mr. farenthold: he started his career with a small painting company and eventually through hard work and dedication founded the d d.l.p. group which is one of the largest paint manufacturers in america. he's one of many small business owners who work every day to live and realize the american dream. we must continue to foster an environment where job creators like mr. de la paz can succeed. we need to simplify the tax

code, getting the federal budget under control. i think he sums it up well when he said our nation has always been about the urge to dream and the willingness to do it. his contributions as a job creator who has worked tirelessly to put americans back to work is what this country is based upon. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina rise? >> thank you. i ask permission to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> thank you, mr. speaker. as we approach veterans day and are ever thankful for the veterans and service men and women who have made our country so great, i rise to pay tribute to jason thibpin. after his service in iraq, jason started the student veterans advisory group at the university of north carolina at wilmington to support student veterans and independents seeking a college education. . jason has shared with me his

concerns that the post-9/11 veterans education act disallows out-of-state students to receive in-state tuition thus making it cost prohibit tif for going to these public universities even though they otherwise qualify. mr. mcintyre: our returning veterans should not have to worry about whether it's in-state versus out-of-state tuition. these courageous individuals have been at the forefront, defending our freedoms and values. they should not be denied their opportunity to pursue an education. let's support our student veterans. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas rise? >> i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to address the topic of kesh for most americans at it that time and that's jobs. the house has opposed the administration when they've opposed hitting job creators with new taxes or more regulatory burdens and so far this year the house has passed a total of 17 job-creating

bills. this week the house will vote on two jobs bills that will enable small businesses and entrepreneurs to access more capital to create more jobs. jobs can't flow when the -- can't grow when the cash doesn't flow. smarter regulation and fewer roadblocks to capital will help job creators put more americans back to work. we in congress have the responsibility to give entrepreneurs and small business owners the business environment they need to unleash america's economic potential. that's what we're sent here to do and that's what our constituents deserve. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. clarke: thank you, mr. speaker. earlier this morning i spoke on how glad i was that the representatives from the michigan's first district was able to take a tour of the city of detroit and visit the mercy

primary care center. but when i visited that center i was also appalled. i was appalled by what i saw and what i heard. that our veterans from metro detroit, our veterans, young men and women who risk their lives, their physical and mental health for our country went overseas and came back home to only face no prospect of employment, no income to even provide them with decent shelter, little access to mental health and substance abuse treatment. so as a result, folks that we should be revering as heros ended up on the streets of detroit living like animals. no one deserves to live that way in this country. so right now i'm asking this congress instead of just focusing on cutting everything and cutting programs and funding an initiative, let's help put people back to work.

let's provide them with mental health and substance abuse treatment and give them the dignity that every american deserves. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north dakota rise? mr. berg: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. berg: north dakota has experienced devastating and unprecedented flooding this year, provide additional flood control storage, our state request that they lower the water levels at the lake. this could help prevent a repeat of this year's flooding. last night the corps denied our state's request. i strongly disagree with this decision. . the people of north dakota are more than just frustrated. they have lost so much to flooding. and they deserve more say in the corps' management of the water levels. i've called on the corps to testify before congress on what went wrong this last spring. and i'll continue to press for

an honest conversation about the missouri river and flood protection. the corps should do everything within its power to prevent another devastating flood next spring. unfortunately this recent decision suggests that the corps is continuing forward with the same management plan that failed so badly this spring. things need to change now, before the people of north dakota and other missouri river states are faced with another devastating loss. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from kentucky rise? >> request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. yarmuth: mr. speaker, this week at the university of louisville's mcconnell center, the speaker of the house gave a speech on the need to find common ground but without compromise. we've been testing the wisdom of that approach all this year. here's what we've gotten. stalemate, manufactured crises and an inability to act on behalf of the american people. in a government as polarized as this, insisting on common ground

while refusing to compromise is maybe the best way to guarantee that 90% of our nation's problems go unsolved. not coincidentally, that's the same percentage of americans who disapprove of this congress and its ongoing search for a hidden preexisting common ground. i encourage the speaker to hear the people out on this. they know the solutions on which we've already agreed are the easy ones and they didn't elect us to make easy decisions. they elected us to solve difficult problems. in other words, to lead. real leaders don't just look for common ground, they create it. our country was formed through compromise and has been strengthened by it for more than 200 years. until republicans provide leadership that values results over ideology and economic progress over antitax pledges this congress will continue to fail america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. sires: mr. speaker, it has

been 43 weeks since republicans took control of the house and we have had 817 recorded votes, yet they have failed to pass a single bill to create jobs. they have actually voted against blocked and ignored any real job creating proposals including the americas jobs act as well as segments of the americas jobs act. there were 14 million americans out of work that are counting on congress to pass legislation that creates jobs and improves the american economy. the americas jobs lact create and preserve jobs now, put money back into the pockets of working americans now and give businesses job-creating tax breaks now. unfortunately the majority's continuous no jobs agenda by refusing to hold a vote on the americans jobs act. the house in a jort will not even follow -- majority will not even follow the senate's lead by creating components of the bill like the provision that preserved the jobs of teachers and first responders up for a vote. mr. speaker, we must act now to

establish confidence in our economy and the jobs -- and the america jobs act is one way to achieve that goal. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? without objection, so ordered. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to commemorate the 70th anniversary of world war ii. ms. sanchez: and to commemorate the service of hispanic americans who served in world war ii and in all wars and to commemorate our latino veterans across america. during world war ii 500,000 americans of hispanic ancestry courageously answered our nation's call. including such latinos as ted williams, manuel ortiz, maria hernandez, jose limon, cesar chavez and guy.

the hispanic american soldiers fought with integrity and bravery, earning 126 distinguished service crosses, over 1,400 silver stars and 2,807 bronze stars for valor. they earned these medals sacrificing their lives and blood to preserve the united states and freedom around the world. and through the war, over 12,000 latinos were awarded the purple heart for wounds suffered in combat, 2,561 latinos were prisoners of war and 9,831 latinos were killed in action. because of the record of service, mr. speaker, i introduced house resolution 404 which recognizes the service and the sacrifice of the members of the armed forces and veterans who are latinos and i urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this legislation. i wish to remember these war heroes and the stalwart and selfless service of latinos in

military history. 70 years after world war ii. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. polis: here we are 4 weeks into the current congress and since republicans took control of the house and yet we have failed to pass a single bill to create jobs. 14 million americans without jobs, many millions more underemployed, worried about where their next paycheck is coming from. and yet the majority's continued to block and ignore a number of job-creating proposals advanced by democrats. including the american jobs act, which i renew my call for speaker boehner to bring to the floor of the house and allow the house of representatives to work its will to create jobs for the american people. now, the majority party will respond that there's a number of bills and just by calling a bill a jobs bill doesn't make it one. bills would increase childhood

asthma and make people of all ages more ill by preventing our e.p.a. from enforcing its clean water standards, the dirty water act, again, instead of creating jobs, the bill undermines the clean water act. it's not a zero-sum game. and by damaging our environment and making people sick, we're not creating jobs. i call upon the house of representatives to pass jobs bills now and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. across the country 14 million americans, i state, 14 million americans are looking for work. mrs. bachmann: and yet there's no jobs -- mr. baca: and yet there are no jobs that have been created and the republicans still don't have a jobs plan. in my congressional district,

the unemployment rate is 17%. people throughout our country are hurting. they're hurting. they can't wait any longer for congress to do the job. we must bring the american job act for a vote. it will provide an opportunity to put people to work. it contains bipartisan ideas, put our teachers, firefighters, first responders and cops back to work. provide a tax cut that will help small businesses create new jobs. put our veterans, our returning troops back to work when they return as heroes with tax credit. and provide immediate boost to our economy. republicans have supported all of these ideas in the past, it's time they support them again. we must work together and pass the american job act. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas rise? >> address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> mr. speaker, our economy cannot recover without tapping into the unlimited creative

talents of the american people. innovators and entrepreneurs all across the country are primed to be the spark that ignites the economic engine of america. putting millions of americans back to work. but these bright job creators face many government-made obstacles to success. mr. yoder: in our free enterprise system, access to private capital and investment is the lifewlood of -- lifeblood of our economy. with the threat of higher taxes on investment income and new financial regulations on community banks, it's no wonder that these small businesses -- these small business owners aren't expanding or creating jobs. h.b. 2930 and 2940 are two bills that remove government barriers to economic growth by helping american businesses gain access to the vital investment capital they need to create jobs and grow the economy. mr. speaker, together we can pass legislation that will unleash the energy and talents of the american people and restore the prosperity and promise of the united states of america.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. seeing no further one-minutes, the chair lays before the house an enrolled bill. the clerk: h.r. 368, an act to amend title 28, united states code, to clarify and improve certain provisions relating to the removal ofly the gation against federal officers or agencies to federal courts and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings on today's motion to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. recorded votes on -- record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. so for what purpose does the gentleman from utah rise? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2061. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number

96, h.r. 2061, a bill to authorize the presentation of the united states flag at the funeral of federal civilian employees who are killed while performing official duties or because of their status as a federal employee. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from utah, mr. chaffetz, and the gentleman from maryland, mr. cummings, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from utah. mr. chaffetz: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: you are recognized. mr. chaffetz: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. chaffetz: mr. speaker, h.r. 2061, the civilian service recognition act of 2011, was introduced by the gentleman from new york, mr. hanna, on may 31 of this year. h.r. 2061 enjoys the support of 21 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle and the government -- and the committee on

oversight and government reform reported this bill by voice vote on june 22 of this year. mr. speaker, each year a small number of federal civilian work employees tragically lose their lives as a result of the duties they pledge to fulfill. sadly nearly 3,000 federal civilian workers have died on the job since 1992. many civilian employees and veterans and thus entitled to military funeral honors. in addition, the department of defense and homeland security have regulatory authority over burial benefits related to civilian employees who die as a result of the service with an armed force in a contingency operation. the federal government lacks the policy authorizing the presentation of the united states flag to the families of federal civilian employees serving elsewhere who lose their lives as a result of their employment. for those civilian employees who make the ultimate sacrifice in the course of the service to their country, h.r. 2061 authorizes agencies to give a united states flag as way for the nation to formally express

sympathy and gratitude. h.r. 2061 is supported by a broad coalition of federal employee organizations including the federal law enforcement officers association, american foreign service association, american federation of government employees and the senior executives association. i'd like to thank representative hanna and hinchey for bringing -- representatives hanna and hinchey for bringing this important issue to the attention of this congress. i'd also like to thank the minority for working with us to bring this legislation to the floor for our consideration. i'd like to reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. cummings: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cummings: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 2061, civilian service recognition act of 2011, as amended. i commend congressman hanna for his work on this legislation.

this bill would authorize federal agencies to give the united states flag to the families of federal civilian and postal employees who lose their lives as a result of a criminal act, an act of terrorism, a natural disaster or in other special circumstances as determined by the president of the united states. there are more than 2.8 million federal civilian and postal employees. they are the men and women who gather in their lives intelligence that enable us to track down terrorists such as osama bin laden. they are our postal employees who deliver the mail to us. they are the scientists who conduct groundbreaking and life-serving research like those that i've seen at n.i.h. the food and water inspectors who ensure the products we eat and drink will not harm us. the correctional officers guarding criminals and terrorists and the nurses and doctors who care for us and our wounded veterans. many of these employees have high risk, dangerous jobs and

they put their lives on the line every day in the service to our nation. they give blood, sweat and tears for our nation. approximately 44,000 federal civilian employees have served alongside our uniformed service members in iraq, afghanistan and other combat-related zones over the last decade. they have performed jobs critical to our missions and they have been essential to successes our military has achieved. over the past two decades, some 3,000 federal civilian employees have died on the job. the gift of the united states flag to the federal employees who die in the line of duty is a small token of our very great appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice these public servants have made. that said, mr. speaker, these same civil servants that we seek to honor here today are the very same people who are

under attack from some quarters for simply doing their jobs. recently the majority of the house oversight and government reform committee recommended to the joint select committee on deficit reduction that federal workers who are already subject to a two-year-long pay freeze also be subjected to the following -- arbitrary 10% work force reductions, extended pay freeze through 2011, elimination of periodic step increases, increase in employee contributions to the civil service retirement system and the federal employees retirement system, and a change in the formula used to calculate federal pensions that may reduce benefits provided these many most. in addition, our committee has scheduled h.r. 2039 for consideration tomorrow. this bill would require a 10% reduction in the federal work force by fiscal 2015. it is appropriate and in fact

past due that we pay tribute to our civil servants who make the ultimate sacrifice and service to our great nation. and i am ep couraged that the legislation before us enjoys bipartisan support. but i remind my colleagues that it doesn't make any sense to turn around and attack these same workers' livelihoods as we consider further deficit reductions. such acts denigrate the value of the service these individuals provide to our great nation, the very services we are honoring in h.r. 2061. if they get our nation's flag upon their death, they need benefits for a lifetime of service to our country. therefore, mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this bill, to honor federal employees killed in the line of duty. i also urge my colleagues to join me in honoring all of our civil servants by opposing any further efforts to balance the

nation's budget on the backs of these dedicated men and women. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland reserves. the gentleman from utah. mr. chaffetz: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the state of new york, the primary author of this bill, mr. hanna. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hanna: i thank the gentleman from utah for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today in proud pour of -- support of h.r. 2061, the civilian service recognition act of 2011. first, i'd like to thank a few of my colleagues for helping to bring this bill to the floor. my friend and colleague and new yorker, maurice hinchey, one of the original co-sponsors of this bill. my name and friend in the cannon office building and someone who's been supportive of this effort from the very beginning, donna edwards, representative from maryland. oversight and government reform

committee chairman darrell issa and ranking member elijah cummings for their support on this bill. the entire staff of the oversight and government reform committee for its work on this bill. and in addition, mr. speaker, i'd like to thank the people who prompted the introduction of this bill, grant and terry. these gentlemen penned a joint opinion in an editorial page in the syracuse post standard suggesting that a legislation be introduced to honor civil servants who are killed in the line of duty. mr. speaker, this bill is quite simple. if a civilian federal employee is killed on the job as a result of a criminal act, terrorism, natural disaster or an extraordinary event as determined by the president of the united states, their kin would be authorized to receive

a united states flag. the congressional budget office reports that this bill would have no significant affect on the federal budget. mr. speaker, since 1992, almost 3,000 civilian federal workers have been killed while on duty, both in places like iraq and afghanistan and haiti, but also in places like oklahoma city and austin, texas. this legislation is widely supported by a variety of groups and individuals including the civil service organizations, former homeland security secretary, michael chertoff, and the american legion. i'd like to note for the record that the american legion raised some concerns about the language of this bill. i am personally very grateful and much appreciate their input. my office, as well as the committee staff have worked with the legion not only to listen to its concerns but to

act on them which we have in this bill. in the end we made a better bill. mindful of the real differences between military and civilian service but also acceptable to all parties. legislative language aside, the spirit of this bill and the original intent of this bill is simple. if a federal civil employee is killed in the line of duty, whether at home or abroad, their life will be honored by this nation. their family will be presented a flag on behalf of the united states of america. more than two million federal civilian employees work within our country in countless overseas posts. many of them in dangerous jobs, at customs and border protection or the f.b.i., just to name a couple of examples. this is a modest but significant benefit in honor of these dedicated individuals who sacrifice on honor of our

behalf. until the september 11 attacks, the largest terrorism attack on american soil took place. in 1995, also, the oklahoma city bombings. employees showed up at the federal building that day like so many before to go to work to fulfill their oath of office and meet their obligations. ours is a grateful nation, one that values the sacrifices made in honor of this country. mr. speaker, a life can never be repaid, but it can be honored. mr. speaker, i urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. -- in support of h.r. 2061, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. mr. chaffetz: continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland. mr. cummings: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i again i wholeheartedly support this

legislation and i think it's a very, very important piece of legislation. i want to congratulate mr. hanna and all the co-sponsors for it. there is an old saying, give me my flowers while i live. we get the calls every day. when we sit in committees and we hear negative things said about federal employees. i think we forget and we take so many of them for granted. and so often when you take people for granted you just assume that things are going to work, that agencies are going to work. in my district, i have the social security administration and i get complaints from employees almost every day as they see downsizing, they see their workload increasing, but yet they're still being subject to pay freezes and things of this nature. and so i think again this legislation is extremely

important, but, again, i emphasize that i think it's so important that we not place these federal employees in positions where they are constantly told that they're not doing enough work or they are -- they're not needed in many instances and need to be downsized and need to have their pay reduced and need to have increases to their contribution to the retirement system. and with that, mr. speaker, i will continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from utah. mr. chaffetz: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume to just merely point out that since barack obama took office until now there are more than 141,000 additional workers on the payroll. so while this is' been some discussion about not appreciating federal workers, i fully appreciate the federal workers. they're patriotic people.

they work hard. i do think we have an expectation that people do a good day's work for a good salary. and there is nothing that's been brought up today that suggests we are doing anything other than recognizing those who are paying the ultimate sacrifice. we have been increasing the number of federal employees. some of us are concerned about that. that is a discussion for another day. at this time what i'd like to do is recognize the gentleman from virginia who has been very active on these issues and cares pasion ath lie about this and -- passionately about this and would like to yield to my distinguished colleague from virginia, mr. wolf. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. wolf: i thank the chairman and thank you for recognizing me. i appreciate it very much. i rise in strong support. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. wolf: i rise in strong support of the bill. the first person killed in afghanistan was a civilian employee from my congressional district, a c.i.a. employee,

michael spawn. i went to the funeral at arlington cemetery and he was the very first person and he was a civilian and gave his life there. i also about seven or eight months ago went out to the agency where they had a memorial service. the president was there as was director pennetta to remember the seven who were killed in that base there, and you could see the young families and just the pain and the agony and the suffering. also, the d.e.a. we lost three d.e.a. people in afghanistan fighting the drug wars. and you can go on. the border patrol and all the others. so i want to thank mr. hanna for the bill, thank the chairman for it and thank the ranking member. this is important, i think, to do. with that i will just yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from utah continues to reserve. the gentleman from maryland. mr. cummings: i'm very pleased to yield to the gentlelady from maryland, ms. donna edwards, four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for four minutes. ms. edwards: thank you. i'd like to thank my colleague, mr. cummings, and the chairman for yielding at this time. i want to congratulate congressman hanna. it's been a privilege to be able to work with mr. hanna on his efforts in resolving some issues that have held up the passage of h.r. 2061 and i'm glad we are here today. the civilian service recognition act. when federal civilian servants take the oath of office, they solemnly swear to defend the constitution of the united states from enemies, both foreign and domestic. this legislation would authorize the head of an executive agency to give a u.s. flag to the next of kin of a deceased employee who dies at home or abroad of injuries incurred in connection with his or her employment with the government. the bill specifies that the employee would have to die due

to injuries sustained with a criminal act, an act of terrorism, a natural disaster or other circumstance determined by the president. the legislation is a well-deserved reminder of the important work done by our civilian employees, particularly when federal employees have been so criticized and placed on the chopping block during the recent debates. h.r. 2061 is a modest but significant show of gratitude to our federal civilian employees and the families of deceased public servants for their duty to the united states government. according to the office of personnel management, over 100,000 civilian federal employees have served in afghanistan and iraq alongside our military forces. as a daughter of a career service member, i know well the numerous sacrifices that members of our armed services make. they're public servants. and this does not diminish the work they do every day. what it says is for those who serve in harm's way and who lose their lives that we value

their service as well. and very similar to members of the armed forces, members of the federal civilian work force often risk their lives to carry out owe fimble duties -- official duties. o.p.m. reports more than 3,000 federal employees have been killed in the line of duty since 1992. in 2008, as mr. wolf mentioned, a special f.b.i. special agent was tragically killed during a local police department raid. this special agent began his law enforcement career with the ocean city, maryland, police department, and served later on the baltimore, maryland, police department. another brave marylander, a d.e.a. special agent, graduated from the university of maryland, was killed in 2009 when the u.s. military helicopter he was in crashed while returning from a joint counternarcotics mission in western afghanistan. i want to recognize the dedication of these civil servants. this is a long overdue recognition to the 146,000

federal employees living in maryland's fourth congressional district and many of whom place their lives on the line every day. and i know that when i had the privilege of joining our service members and our civilians in afghanistan i found many employed with the department of agriculture, homeland security, the i.r.s., virtually every agency of the united states serving in that very dangerous and hostile theater. so, mr. speaker, i want to thank congressman hanna and the chair and the ranking member of the oversight and government reform committee for their work on this bill and i commend passage of the legislation and urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of h.r. 2061. the civilian service recognition act. and with that i'd yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland reserves. the gentleman from utah. mr. chaffetz: mr. speaker, i do not anticipate any additional speakers but at this time i'd like to continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland. mr. cummings: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cummings: just wanted to let the gentleman know that he mentioned that there had been an

increase in federal employees. there have been increases in d.o.d., d.h.s. and, but all the other agencies -- and v.a., but all the other agencies have been decreasing. with that, mr. speaker, i would urge passage of this legislation and would yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from utah. mr. chaffetz: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. chaffetz: well, the gentleman from maryland, i may disagree on the statistics of the number of federal employees. i think we can be united in supporting this bill, 2061. there are so many good people who are doing the right thing, they're working hard, they're patriotic and somehow, some way, unfortunately they pay the ultimate sacrifice. we simply urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this. it may seem trivial to some, but i guarantee you that for the families who have suffered a

loss of such consequence, of such magnitude, a flag presented from the united states of america is appropriate, it's something that we should do. i congratulate mr. hanna for bringing this bill forward and encourage all of my colleagues to pass it and with that i'll yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair asks the gentleman so, we have understanding, that the pendsing motion is to suspend the -- pending motion is to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? mr. chaffetz: that is correct. the speaker pro tempore: as amended? mr. chaffetz: yes. the speaker pro tempore: those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed -- the gentleman from maryland. mr. cummings: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman asks for the yeas and nays. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will remain standing and

counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20 further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona rise? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the h.r. 1965 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1965, a bill to amend the securities laws to establish certain thresholds for shareholder registration and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arizona, mr. slike earth, and the gentleman from connecticut, mr. himes, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arizona. mr. schweikert: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all

members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous materials on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. schweikert: mr. speaker -- mr. speaker, i reserve all my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. himes: mr. speaker, if we've learned one thing in the last five years, it is that the body of financial regulation which keeps us as a people safe must not be static, must not be dead, but rather a living thing that evolves and changes. not just to make sure that innovations and new products and new businesses don't get us into the kinds of troubles that we've experienced in the last five years, but also to make sure

that the financial services industry remains entrepreneurial. that people who want to start small banks, small asset managers, small businesses of any kind have an opportunity to get started, to raise capital and to do well. the securities laws that were established in 1933 and 1934 need to evolve and adapt to reflect the conditions in today's market. this is why i've introduced h.r. 1965. this bill would allow banks and bank holding companies to remain private to a point at which they believe it is in their interest to go public, undertake the fairly lengthy and complicated process of public registration at a moment when it makes sense for them to go into the public markets. the original securities laws stipulated that banks would have to register with the s.e.c. when they had more than 500 shareholders.

our small banks, our community banks experienced difficulties because as original investors move on or pass on and leave shares to their beneficiaries, very rapidly banks reach that 500 shareholder number and are required to undertake the very complicated processes but also the ongoing reporting requirements associated with public registration. h.r. 1965 would very simply raise that threshold from 500 shareholders to 2,000 shareholders. again, allowing these small banks to pick the optimal moment at which they go public, to allow them to continue to raise money in the private markets from private investors until such point that it makes sense for them to register and go public. now, it might be asked, is this prudent? and the answer to that question, of course, is that the banks and the bank holding companies are very heavily regulated by their prudential regulators. from the moment they are chartered they are overseast

seen by federal and state entity -- overseen by federal and state entities that are designed to keep them from any short of fraud from imprudent activities, so this is an industry that is already heavily regulated, even for these companies that remain private. i'd like to note that this bill provides relief to small banks by recognizing that unique characteristic, that they are regulated and that they should continue to have access to the capital sources that got them started until they choose to go public. i will note that this bill passed with broad bipartisan support in both subcommittee and committee and i'd like to close my statement by thanking chairman bachus and ranking member frank as well as subcommittee chair garrett and ranking member waters for their hard work and cooperation in putting this bill together and with that i would like to yield time to the minority whip, mr. hoyer of maryland.

mr. hoyer, i yield mr. hoyer four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for four minutes. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for yielding and i congratulate him for his leadership on this effort. i thank my friends, chairman bachus, for his facilitating the passage of this legislation. community banks, mr. speaker, are the lifeblood of our local economies. they are locally owned and operated. they know their local businesses and residents intimately and lend to them not just because it's sound business decision, but also because it benefits the greater community. with a credit and lending crisis we have experienced over the past couple of years, the small banks that operate our local communities, in our local communities, face numerous challenges just to stay afloat. these are the banks we need to see lending, to small businesses and homeowners. but they are ham strung in their

attempt to raise capital by outdated s.e.c. registration requirements. this one is over half a century hold. under the nearly 50-year-old 500-investor exemption rule, banks have to register with the s.e.c. if they have more than 500 shareholders. mr. himes, whose bill this is, explained why that is difficult and why it changes as people who have stock die and leave their stock to more people and to heirs. banks that have exceeded this low threshold must provide extensive and costly financial disclosure under our federal securities laws. now, over the years we have upped the threshold in terms of dollars that the banks' assets have, but we have not affected the number of shareholders. to reverse this registration they are then forced to lower their number of shareholders by buying back stock which all too often means losing local often means losing local shareholders