civil-rights movement. the co-founder of ben and jerry's ice cream on his support for the occupy wall street movement. we will also talk to a congressman about gas prices and the keystone pipeline. >> tonight is an opportunity for us to express our gratitude and to say once more, welcome home. >> 200 iraqi war veterans and their guests and joined the president last night the white house to be honored for their service in iraq for over 1 million members of the armed forces served. there was a parade about a month ago for iraq war veterans in st. louis that was privately

organized. hundreds of veterans marched and thousands of people attended. there's been a call for national politics for iraq war veterans. that's what we want to hear about from new this morning. what are your thoughts on an official permit for iraqi war veterans? 202 is the area code. contact us if you have a comment. email us, and there's twitter and facebook. this is the associated press article from last night's dinner. obama salutes iraq war veterans at the white house dinner.

>> there's a veterans group that is issued an open letter calling on the president to designate a national day of action to honor the iraq veterans with special events around the country. the pentagon says it will be inappropriate to have a big national level events like a parade when so many are still serving in combat operations in afghanistan. many of those just home from iraq no doubt will turn around and go to afghanistan before , that afghanistan before , that combat wrapsbefore

up. that's the associated press. and this is an article from early february --

we want to hear your views on whether or not there should be a national celebration for iraq war veterans. we begin with a democrat in the suburb of silver spring, maryland. you are on. good morning. >> good morning. i think this is one of the worst trivializing moves. they have been talking about the president a long time. what service members really need is good foreign policy. what they need when they return home is everything that other americans needed. they need a good economy, a good fiscal policy, jobs, health care. all the things the republicans are trying stop the president from accomplishing. president obama has really tried. the republicans -- at least the

romans understood that it was bread and circuses. the republicans want parades and statues but are totally irresponsible about what our service people really need. host: we have set aside a fourth line for iraq war veterans. a republican in kansas, ed. caller: it think we should do a parade and a national day of recognition. we cannot do enough for these veterans that left home, put their lives on the line while the rest of us stayed home. if we need to do everything we possibly can. host: cedartown, georgia, james.

caller: i think the president is the commander-in-chief. he and his wife have done a great job in working with military families. if it was left to the republicans, we would still be in iraq fighting. they are doing everything they can to try to undermine what president obama is doing. what you see is the difference in an intelligent person compared to president bush, it's totally different. these veterans need help care and jobs. if you listen to the republicans, they are all areshow. they will not try to do anything. he is been trying to get people jobs and health care assistance and housing. the republicans would still be in iraq, the war would not be over. mitt romney still wants to be in iraq. newt gingrich and all the republicans still want to be there.

congratulations to the president. host: thanks for your call. in other news, political news, fears the "washington times, bob kerrey, a vietnam veteran changed his mind and decides to run for senate.

that's a "washington times this morning. here is from the cincinnati inquirer newspaper online. it's all about ohio and the battle starts today. this is about super tuesday if. that's next tuesday. in this article, -- next call comes from nebraska. justin is an iraq war veteran. caller: good morning. i served in baghdad and then sadr city in 2004 and cut 2005, right after the invasion there

was no iraqi government, no army. everything was pretty hazy. that was at the height of the war and there were 160,000 troops there. i feel foolish in a way. i would do it over again. i'm proud to wear the uniform for my country. i did not figure we would spend a decade in that country and in afghanistan. i want to know what i did for my country when we were there in that war. i really don't feel we accomplished anything. it kills me to say that. host: are you still in the military? caller: no. i had a briefing this month, two years plus training, no i bill. i still get my benefits. i was with the 82nd airborne division and sustains a back injury.

i am a disabled veteran. i get my va benefits. nobody asked me for any parade and i cannot get any vocational to rehab. i was in the infantry. that does not leave many options on the outside world. i did not learn how to fix anything or a skill. host: thank you. this is a call from new york city. mike is a democrat. caller: thank you for c-span. a part of me agrees with all the callers so far, both republican and democrat. each caller, i find myself in agreement with them. but i think that we have heard many democrats and republican politicians look at the iraq war as we have heard people talk about it as the worst foreign- policy move that we have ever

ventured into. i think president obama is being true by pulling us out of iraq. he will get us out of afghanistan. by the next election, it can be seen as a vote on whether or not we want to continue fighting wars in the middle east. if you vote for republicans in the next election, you are voting for a party that wants to keep a strong military presence in the middle east and fighting and killing. if you vote for president obama, you are looking at a different way of handling our power pl. host: do you think the iraq war was any cause and effect between the iraq war and what is

happening now in the arab spring? caller: i think it is a m yth to say that the iraq war and we were in afghanistan before that, but it is not accurate to say that it was the first or second domino in a line of countries that began to fall after we invaded. had we kept out of it, we would be a better allied to these countries, that they would trust us more, and what has taken place in the arab spring would have happened naturally any way. host: thanks for your call. front page of the columbus dispatch shows mitt romney at a rally.

and here is the new york post and a map of super tuesday. the biggest prize is georgia with 76 delegates. all these states have primaries coming up on tuesday. randy is an independent in spokane, washington. caller: i agree with having a parade or celebration of some kind for veterans, because, iraq was not a popular war and just like vietnam. look at how we treated in vietnam veterans. we should celebrate those serving in our military when they do come back from combat. also, we have to remember this is not obama's victory.

this was a time line that was set up by bush to bring the troops home at that time. granted, people wanted to keep them there. but it was bush's timetable. host: thank you. quite a debate going on, on our twitter page. i want to read several of these very quickly. we will cycled through those pretty quickly. --honton ann timmer is jim --

if you want to participate in our twitter conversation. here's the president from last night's dinner at the white house. >> through the dust and fog of war, the glory of your service always shone through. we see the virtues and values that sustain america through your noble example, which keeps this country great. you taught us about duty. you could have opted for an easier path, but you know that freedom is not free.

and so, you volunteered and raise your hand. you took an oath of to protect and defend, to serve a cause greater than yourself, knowing in a time of war you could be sent into harm's way. we have a special line set up for iraqi war veterans today. now, a republican in rhode island, ruth. caller: my father served in the war. i think we should have a parade for them, because my mom also worked at the veterans home in my home state. i think that we should have a parade for them. they deserve it. my father was in the navy and

was in vietnam. i think we should honor these people who have fought and lost their lives for our country and fought for our liberty and justice and for the american flag and what it stands for. i think we should really have a parade for them. thank you. host: it was a month ago in st. louis that a privately organized parade happened. that kind of spurred a lot of the top. here is video of that parade in st. louis. and this is from "politico" --

next call on whether or not there should be a national grid for iraq war veterans comes from a veteran. this is jim in marquette, michigan. caller: i served in 2006 and 2007 in the northern part of iraq. host: what do you think about a national day of recognition or parade? caller: i suffer from traumatic brain injury from a suicide bomber and ptsd. i don't think we need a parade. fireworks like during the fourth

of july, i have a big problem .ith flashbacks becau i have had a lot of problems with the veterans administration tried to get the health care i need. if so that's what we need. health care and jobs. degree. bachelor's we need to be able to pick up our lives and be able to move on. host: thanks for calling. --m the washington times,

here's a report on television ad spending -- next call on whether or not a parade for iraqi war veteran should be held comes from milwaukee. scott is a democrat. caller: good morning. people need to remember it is the warrior and not the war. the politics or what happened and how things happen is

irrelevant. you should honor the veterans with a parade. a good example is that pbs will announce how many veterans have died on their television newscast. you don't see that nationally. you should be no thinking about the people that serve the country and welcome them back and let them know they have done a good job. the theory that we should not have another parade because there is another conflict going on, you have to think about the veterans. the knowledge about what goes on in iraq versus when you read the stars and stripes, so what the pbs specials to see what's going on. i feel many americans don't understand what's going on and it is a disgrace to say that we should not acknowledged veterans or have a great for them when they have served their country regardless of their political views. thank you. host: when the first galt war was over in 1991, a very large parade was held here in

washington, d.c. you can see that on your screen. that is from 1991, june. several facebook comments -- new york city, steve, republican line. caller: how are you? several comments. first, the thought of a parade

for the iraq wars is disturbing. it is on the same value to me of the troops wearing a lapel pin and putting a yellow ribbon on the back of your car. if you truly want to help a veteran, go out and help the homeless veterans, for work at a shelter a, get them a job in your establishment. but throwing a parade is comical and is the least that we can do. all also, a caller was talking about if you vote for republicans you are voting to continue wars. if you vote for president obama, you are voting to end them. when in all seriousness, when president obama was pushing to have an extension in iraq, we were kicked out. over 300 troops marched on the white house against the war. that was not mentioned on any news channels anywhere.

thank you. host: thank you. jeremy comments on our facebook page -- and this e-mail from alexandria, virginia -- and from california, on our independent line. caller: i think we should absolutely have a parade for these young men and women. i don't call these wars, i call them aggressions.

in addition to having a parade for the young men and women, since we usually go to these places to protect the interests of big corporations, i think they should come back and get a big parade and the big corporations should pay for it. no matter what your level of patriotism, i think that when these young men and women signed up for the armed forces, they are given brochures and showing they would travel the world and all the great things that will happen. but no matter the case, what they do is noble and there is no end result. put on the uniform, go over there, get your limbs blown off, and come back and everybody says you did a great job and then people walk away from them. if yes, they should get a parade and the big corporations they defend should pay for it. i should say that you and i should have dinner. because every time i call, i get you.

host: front page of the new york times --

our next call on whether not a parade for iraq war veterans should happen comes from missouri. steve on the republican line. caller: hi. thanks. i think that's the most disturbing thing yesterday when i heard this news come across the television that president obama wanted to have a dinner and some of the reasons given was he did not want something

that was real extravagant or what not and they decided to have this exclusive dinner for the iraqi veterans are. i thought to myself, how many iraqi veterans are actually going to know about this? i started talking to a few of my friends that served. and none of them had a clue about any of this. no one was told we are having an exclusive dinner in your honor. i honestly, i think that would come as a slight to them. i have seen a lot of response on facebook and on the internet that it was a slight. it's very disturbing that they would say all we are going to do is this exclusive dinner in honor of vyou. many of them did not even know about it. i think that's very bad. host: span covered as much of the dinner as was allowed. leon panetta was there and president obama spoke as well.

you can watch that on c- span.org, 31 minutes in length. by the way, here's the updated delegate count in the republican race. you can see mitt romney is in the lead with 167. 87 for a storm. 32 for gingrich. f 19or ron paul. 1144 needed for nomination. and here's the front page of the wall street journal this morning --

back to your calls. michigan city, michigan. ellis is a democrat on the line. caller: hello. host: where is michigan city? caller: actually, it is indiana. host: that's what i thought. caller: i want to speak on the silliness of a national parade. i just on see the logistics of it. where is it going to be held -- tin-tin, new york city, los angeles? -- washington? i think when they get off the plane they want to go straight home and see their loved ones.

the parade would probably only be for the people, to make the citizens feel good. host: ellis is no longer with us. we will move on to baltimore. kirk on our independent line. caller: i think the veterans put their lives on the line for us. i think that if godzilla came over, our boys would get in airplanes and tanks and do their thing. you have to give respect to the troops even if you don't like the missions. so as far as a parade, i think they deserve more than a parade. they should be packed inside the stadium and for the whole day and they should have places where you can set up and some people can get help and health care because they might be homeless or they need some help.

we need some people in there also with booths to examine people and give the training. people need jobs. they can set up maybe some hip- hop artists to give them a whole day of singing and appreciation just for one whole day at least to say you guys put your life on the line for us and we appreciate that and we will give right.e help and do your righ looking at president obama and some guys say you should have done will with the dinner, but it is a situation where you cannot win. if you look at him and mrs. obama, they have been going to bat for the troops. they have put their heart in it

when you see them with pictures of the troops, the picture is actually show the people they love them. host: thanks for calling from baltimore. defense secretary leon panetta also spoke at the dinner last night. >> this is not the end. it is the beginning of a long lasting tribute to you and all who served in iraq. this country was built upon the service and sacrifice of men and women like you. our very democracy depends on people like you who are willing to step for and defend this country, to salute and to fight, to give each of us a chance to pursue the american dream, giving our children a better life. just as you have recognized and fulfill your responsibility to this nation, we must do the same for your. it is now our responsibility,

the responsibility of communities at every corner of this country to embrace your return, to welcome you back, and to ensure that you and your families have the support you deserve. host: in the paper this morning, pressure on the senate after house kills health-care laws --

and this is in "politico" --

back to your calls on whether or not there should be a national parade for iraq war veterans. pat is a republican in cross plains, tennessee. good morning. caller: yes, i think a parade is fine, but if you really want to honor the enlisted man, every listed man should be given a thousand dollars a month raised. would't think anything make them happier or their families. if you want to honor the veterans, give every enlisted man a thousand dollars a month raise. host: thank you. more twitter comments --

and here's a facebook comment --

if you would like to continue this conversation, you can, sat facebook. next call comes from a democrat in maine. scott, what do you think? caller: it is tradition in this country to pretty much have the veterans' parade. in light of that, kind of brings me to, which i have not heard anything, the first amendment, the fourth amendment and fifth amendments have been totally destroyed. that is what they are over there fighting for. i don't get it. i have not heard anything. the people should be up in arms and going crazy about what obama is doing. i am a democrat and voted for

him. i seriously cannot get my head around what he has done and allowed to happen. as far as the veterans are concerned, that is what they are fighting for over there. we asked them to do a job, to defend america and the american way. in the meantime while they are doing that, we are being destroyed. that's all. host: this is from the hill newspaper.

this is from the new york times --

by the way, the senate will vote on an amendment to the transportation bill. the contraceptive amendment to the transportation bill. that vote will happen if at 11:00 a.m. this morning. you can watch that on c-span 2 if you are so interested. joe, washington, d.c., republican line. caller: i think they need a big parade right now. it ended with a whimper. there were no headlines in newspapers, no spontaneous

parades or community anything. if we need a huge parade for the iraq guys and a huge one for afghanistan. we need to celebrate hard-won victories. we still need to celebrate as a nation. we pay the price, worked hard. we need to celebrate. final lee, it gives a lot of these veterans a benchmark, lets them closing down and say it's over and it's time to move on. that also applies to the country. let's do a parade now and another one when afghanistan is over. host: this from the washington post --

and this is in the wall street journal -- and angela castro, 88 years old, here is her obituary. she's the sister of fidel castro. she died february 28 in havana.

and benjamin netanyahu will be in the u.s. on monday meeting with the president and speaking at aipac. and this are bed is by a former chief of israeli military intelligence. israel's last chance to strike iran --

that's in the new york times this morning. and finally from the new york times, saudi arabia may be tied to 9/11, say two former senators.

the house of representatives is coming in at 9:00 a.m. this morning so we'll have a two-hour "washington journal. representative doug lamborn, a republican was serves on the national resources committee and chairs the energy subcommittee will be talking about gas prices and energy policy with us. after ben cohen of ben & jerry's, talking about his political involvement in occupy washington. we will be right back with mr. ben cohen. >> louisiana governor bobby jindal schedule to reveal his proposal for balancing the state budget for the next fiscal year. a budget of $900 million in the red. it's mostly cloudy in shreveport, sunny, 70 degrees at the airport. you're listening to shreveport's

news and weather station. >> this weekend, "book tv" and american history tv explore the culture of shreveport, louisiana. saturday starting at noon eastern on c-span 2, on the union army's failure in louisiana. the red river campaign of 1854. and then a look at over 200,000 books of the john smith nobel collection housed at the lsu coach reports archive. then a walking tour of freeport with neil johnson. and on american history tv on c- span 3 sunday at 5:00 p.m. eastern from barksdale air force base, a look at 9/11 and a history of the b-52 bomber. also, visit the founding fathers autograph collections at the louisiana state exhibit museum. and from the pioneer heritage center, medical treatment and medicine during the civil war. shreveport, louisiana, this weekend on c-span 3 and 3.

-- 2 and 3. >> if you had said in 2006 the world would be begging for the u.s. to use force in the middle east within three and a half years, everybody would have said you were crazy. >> robert kagan is not only an adviser to the romney campaign but also serves on secretary clinton pose foreign-policy advisers aboard. >> what i have been writing for years is that there's a lot of continuity in american foreign policy, a lot of a broad consensus. i think what you are seeing is the kind of consensus that exists in the foreign-policy community and there's a lot of overlap between the two parties. >> more with him on foreign policy and his latest book sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span "s "q&a". washington journal continues. host: joining us from our new york studer is the co-founder of

ben & jerry's and a political activist. mr. ben cohen. what is your most recent political project that you are getting involved with? guest: i am working with the movement resource group.org. that organization is raising money to help support a lot of the work that's being done in the occupied and 99% movement around the country. host: why are you supporting those movements? guest: i have been working for economic and social justice for decades. it seems to me that the thing that has been missing in the struggle is a massive. massive. i think that is what occupy and the 99% movement have the potential to become. -- what is missing is the eight

massive grass-roots effort. host: what is your goal with the money you are donating to this campaign? guest: to keep the campaign going, to support it at this transitional time as it is transitioning from spontaneous occupations in parks to a more strategic campaign that is more coordinated around the country and that starts to to startssom pote -- us to talk about some potential solutions to the problem of economic disparity. host: what is one solution that you would like to see a? guest: there are several that are being discussed. one of them is the idea of a constitutional amendment that would finally get money out of

politics and recent corporate personhood. there are others that are very focused on making college education accessible to people so that students are not saddled with overwhelming debt in order to get a college education. and then there is the home foreclosure crisis and the idea of getting banks to renegotiate mortgages, to restructure them so that people can stay in their homes. host: joining us from our new york studio is ben cohen, political activist and co- founder of the ben & jerry's ice-cream chain. 202 is the area code if you would like to speak with him. you can also contact uscia e-

mail -- contact us via e-mail and twitter. has the occupy movement been successful in what they are trying to do right now? guest: the occupy movement has been incredibly successful in hrough andeaking tro getting america to understand that essentially our country is being run more and more for the benefit of the wealthiest and the corporations. it has now become fairly common knowledge that the top 1% of the population owns 40% of the well. there is something that is wrong with that. the problem is the direction, that it's getting worse. host: first call comes from st. louis. dee on our democrat line.

caller: chocolate fudge brownie is a wonderful invention. thank you very much. and i would also like to point out that they just announced an article on "politico" of republicans csalivating over jeb bush possibly running for president. last year they talk about the legacy of. of they had the discussion on the the legacies of families of politicians in this country. all of them seemed to be extremely well the and have some economic influence or spin in the game and have children in politics. my encouragement for occupy wall

street is the level of social equality that is required is can we please get a president who is not a family legacy of millionaires, so that we can actually get somebody in there? clinton and president obama were the first two in my lifetime. but that is the crux of it. we have too many people with interest -- a financial interest in our politics. host: ben cohen. guest: that's absolutely correct. when you look at congress, i believe 50% of our congress people are millionairess. that is not representative. so i agree with the caller wholeheartedly. and, personally, i believe that

public campaign financing would help to eliminate that influence of money in politics. host: jeffery tweets -- what do you say to people who say you benefited from this capitalist system and now are you trying to take it down? guest: you know, it always amazes me that the assumption is that people are always going to operate in their own narrow self-interest. my concerns before i ended up with a bunch of money was about equality and economic justice. and my concerns continue to be about that. they of not changed.

i try to use my time, myself, and my money to try to work for more economic and social justice in the world. host: ben & jerry's social mission goals as a corporation -- since you sold the company about 10 years or so ago, have you continued those goals? guest: definitely have. in terms of some aspects of being owned by unilever, the and

ice cream is available now all over the globe. when we decide to source are ingredients in a fair trade manner that supports farmers in the developing world and pays them a decent wage for their products, it has a whole lot more effect. host: jim tweets -- guest: well. i still have very high hopes for the occupy movement. there was a time of hibernation in the winter, but there is a tremendous amount of plans for the spring. i am personally very supportive of the effort to get a national outdoor-facing website up so people are able to engage with the occupy movement throughout

the country. and i think the best is yet to come. host: next call comes from hairy in pittsburgh on the republican line. caller: i am glad to see someone with money is putting their name on this. we have someone to go after and hold their feet to the fire. i am sure you can be front and center. thank you for everything you are doing. host: mr. cohen? guest: we have been very clear, and i hope if you visit our web site, you will see that we are adamantly opposed to violence. i do not believe that violence

-- and, really, there has been some property destruction in terms of broken windows at the fringes of the movement, but that is certainly not part of the movement that i support. it is not a way to accomplish the objectives of the movement. we need to represent the 99% of americans and they do not believe in violence. host: in november, there was a gallup poll about the occupied and its -- the occupy movement, and its goals. people were confused about what the goals were. you think they have been clear in spelling out the goals? guest: actually, yes.

the movement is clear that they want all world that works for the 99% instead of just the 1%. i think one of the reasons why there has not been demand or a few demands is because what is needed is a total change in terms of outlook and perspective. along the way to that change in outlook, occupy has supported this effort to get a constitutional amendment to finally get money out of politics, to state that corporations are not people. they have been active and support of in terms of keeping people in their homes and ending the foreclosure crisis, and they have been successful in getting

banks to renegotiate mortgages and restructure them so people can stay in their homes. so, there are a whole bunch of things that are needed. i would say that we need to reinstall the separation between banks and investment houses in terms of the glass-steagall act, but occupy is saying it is not just one, two, three, or four things. it is a bunch of things that need to change. host: what is your "get the doe out" campaign? guest: getting the doe out of politics, and passing a

constitutional amendment to do that. i have not found anyone that says we should keep the current system, which is essentially legal bribery. i think there is tremendous support throughout the country and we need to start holding to the fire. feet in vermont a resolution has been proposed to pass the constitutional amendment. i think we ought to be occupying politicians' offices until they vote for that amendment. host: this tweet, will ben & jerry's be contributing to super pacs supporting president obama? guest: absolutely dr. ben and jerry's has never supported a political candidate, and i do not believe they ever will.

host: what is your enthusiasm level about the 2012 presidential election? guest: my enthusiasm is about changing politics as usual. my enthusiasm is about using this presidential election season to start addressing some of the major issues in our country that are non-partisan, and they are non-partisan because neither party is addressing them. so, that is where my enthusiasm comes from. i think it is a tremendous opportunity to finally talk about money and politics, and maybe even start talking about raising the minimum wage. host: are you a enthusiastic about the reelection of president obama?

guest: by believe president obama is the best alternative we have, and that is what i think. host: wisconsin, thomas on our independent line, you're on with ben cohen. caller: good morning, ben cohen , and good morning senator and i applaud both your efforts in this country. -- c-span. i applaud both of your efforts in this country. i think the biggest problem with the occupy movement has been the lack of a coherent plan which rightly or not invited criticism from the right. if i could make a suggestion, perhaps they reawakening of henry george's tax theories would be an excellent base to start from. i do not know if you are

familiar with henry george, but he still has probably the most widely purchased book on was 100 years ago already.d it anyway, thank you for everything you do. i tried to get in earlier. veterans did not need another parade. that is the last thing we need. we just need to not be used and thrown away. host: that was a reference to our earlier segment, but if you want to address what he had to say first -- guest: i am interested in reading the book. i have not read it yet. occupy occupied started out as a spontaneous movement and spread -- occupy started out as a spontaneous movement and spread

across the country, and there never was planning and strategy, and it is starting to be done now. the national coordination is starting to be worked on. i think we're moving in the right direction. host: will is a democrat in baltimore. caller: none good morning, mr. cohen. it is refreshing to see someone of your wealth to speak for the pains of the working man. my concern with the occupy movement, which i support, but i think the negative image -- they have been subjected to brutality, but a lot of us are looking at it and saying day-in and day-out, they are staying

there, and most responsible people have to go back to their jobs, and what is left is maybe some people out there having a good time. i would like your comment on that. one more quick point. i think president obama made a strategic error in his first term by going after health care reform instead of tax reform. host: mr. cohen? guest: i agree strongly that the occupy movement needs to start looking more like the 99% of the population. one of the big problems is that there was no way for the millions of people around the country that supports the occupy movement to engage with it and get involved. that is the idea of this website that we are trying to get out,

and an e-mail system that will allow people to communicate and get involved. i agree with the caller, and i also need to set -- say i spent a bunch of time and scooping ice cream and in the parks with the difference occupy's in the country, and the people there, the court activists, are dedicated, intelligent, and creative people, and i am involved with the movement because i support them. it is true that, you know, on tv, you see people that are at the fringes of the moment, but that is not what the core of the movement is about. host: ben cohen, what do you

think about tax reform, and there has been political discussion about the so-called buffett tax role -- what do you think about that? guest: i am totally in favor. warren buffett puts it in words that are easy to understand. after all the loopholes and discussions, the bottom line is the effective tax rate the warren buffett pages and other wealthy people pay is less than the secretary in his office, and that is on american and on just. host: do you think -- not american, and not just. host: do you think you pay enough in taxes? [laughter] guest: i am in favor of increasing -- it is an interesting question. nobody wants to pay more taxes,

but i am in favor of increasing tax rates on people in my practice because i believe that they can afford it, and we are essentially paying the lowest tax rates when you compare it to other industrialized democracies, and when you look at the tax rate that the wealthy have been playing -- pay in in terms of the history of this country, -- paying in the history of this country, we are at a low point. the country needs money. you will get out of the people more able or less able to afford it. host: ben & jerry's started in vermont, and place 510, and in 2000 was purchased by unilever.

south carolina, john, and our republican line. caller: i think this man is somewhat of a hypocrite. he went to work -- my son went to work in clemson, south carolina, and went to work one day and found a notice that there were no longer in business. guest: i am sorry to hear that that shop closed and that the people who worked there did not get more notice. the individual ben & jerry's a supreme scoop -- ice cream scoop shops are usually owned by a local person in the community, and ben & jerry's,

the corporation, does not really have control over whether they decide to close or not, and how much notice they end up giving. i would have hoped that there was more notice given to their employees, but, you know, the other thing the need to realize is that these scoop shops are independent small businesses and people are not making a whole lot of money running them, and they put their lives, time, and money on the line, and pretty much the only reason they close is if they're losing money and it cannot afford to keep it in business. so, my heart goes out to both

your son that did not get enough notice and to the shop owner who put in a lot of sweat and tears and a did not work out. host: this tweet -- where do you stand on the tea party movement compared to the occupy movement? guest: i think the commonality between the tea party movement and the occupy movement is an understanding that the government, as it stands now, is not working for the majority of americans. i believe that there is an agreement between people who support the tea party and people who support occupy that

one of the root causes of the problem is money in politics. i would like to see and help come into being some kind of joint effort between tea party people and occupy people that would be working to get money out of politics. host: with regard to public financing of campaigns, this tweet from ed -- another bill from the government for the privilege of listening to politicians running for office, just what i do not need. guest: i understand that nobody wants to pay more money. the reality is it is not going to cost more money. it is going to cost about $3 billion to finance all federal elections.

we can pay for that by cutting any one of dozens of loopholes. so, it does not need to cost the taxpayer any more money, and the end result will be that the individual taxpayer in this country will be doing better because it will end all of those subsidies and tax breaks that are going to their rich and corporations that are currently financing the elections. host: massachusetts. bob, on our independent line, you are on with ben cohen. caller: i agree with you on several of the points he made regarding the election, and we have another candidate running

here in massachusetts, and i did not know if he has any money or not. when you mention economic justice, i did -- given my age, i lean toward the tea party people, and i worked near east champlain saint in burlington -- street in burlington. back in the day, i assume they made ice from -- ice crane from cows. you mentioned economic justin. i could not afford it. it was by far the highest priced

the screen. -- ice cream. guest: that is the major problem and one of the big reasons it costs more money is there is a lot of -- a lot more air and cream and higher quality ingredients all around. i wish it were not as expensive. host: the last call for ben cohen comes from michigan, john on our republican line. host: i apologize -- caller: good morning. host: i apologize, the line is so bad it is not worth our time. again, ben cohen, what is your

website? guest: it is movementresource group.org, and hopefully if you want to support the occupy movement, you can donate. host: ben cohen we appreciate you coming on and talking with our viewers, thank you. up next, congressman doug lamborn, chair of the energy subcommittee at the natural resources subcommittee will be with us to talk about energy policy after this update from c- span radio. >> more violence today from afghanistan. officials believe three attackers killed two u.s. troops, the latest in a series

of attacks following the protests -- the burning of korans. in syria, the british embassy will be closing the united kingdom is closing its embassy and withdrawing diplomatic staff amidst a worsening diplomatic situation. the secretary went on to say the movement would not reduce in his words "the uk and's commitment to active diplomacy to maintain pressure on the president assad rushing to finish until the violence there." syria as the subject of a hearing this morning on c-span radio. president obama talks about domestic energy production and the economy today in new hampshire, his second trip to the state in about three months. those are some of your latest headlines on c-span radio.

>> rick santorum delivered a full-throated defense of religion in public life, appealing to the social conservatives that revived his presidential campaign. on the talk shows and in speeches, mr. santorum responded to comments made by john f. kennedy. >> i believe in an america where the separation of church and state is absolute, were no catholic fellow could tell how to act or who to vote. where no church or church school is granted public funds or political preference, and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him. you can watch more of president kennedy's speech

cspan.org/videolibrary. >>" continues. host: we want to introduce you to -- "washington journal" continues. host: we want to introduce it to congressman doug lamborn who is here to talk about energy prices. how much effect can the government have on controlling prices, and in your view how much control should the federal government have? guest: the federal government has a big role to play. they cannot make a difference overnight with a silver bullet, but we could have policies that if they were put in place and we were to access american energy or even use canadian energy through the keystone pipeline, we would have the supply of energy that would allow for lower gas prices over time.

it does not happen overnight, but unfortunately we are seeing the results of poor policies. when barack obama came into office, gasoline was $1.85 around the country, and now it is exactly double that. we have policies in place that make it harder to excess american energy. host: what are some of those policies? guest: the new draft offshore leasing plan. we have fewer acres available for exploration and development of energy than we did before barack obama came into office, and on shore it is not good either. we have fewer leases. we lost 11% last year. if you look at 1984 and compare that to 2010, we have fewer on

shore leases, so the trend is downward under this administration. unfortunately, that catches up to us. that is a big reason why prices have doubled. we cannot determine what happens overseas. there are tensions in the air around and the strait of hormuz -- no one can -- in iran and the strait of hormuz -- no one can effect that, though we are not doing enough with our own energy. host: how much potential energy in the u.s. is not been kept at this point? guest: huge amounts. in alaska, there are 10 million barrels if we were just to touch the 3% that the latest bill we set to the senate would do. offshore in alaska has many more

billions. we have areas on the east coast light in virginia where on a bipartisan basis -- like in virginia, where on a bipartisan basis in virginia the legislature and would like to open that up as well. that is off-limits as well. we have areas in the gulf of mexico that are not being used. we're talking about tens, or hundreds of billions of barrels of oil. host: you can talk to congressman doug lamborn. host: we have about 40 minutes in this segment. today in "politico" -- "obama avoiding the ghost of jimmy carter."

host: how much of the talk around gas prices is political positioning? guest: i do not know. maybe there is a little bit of that with any subject. you will have a bias with a democrat or a republican that wants to emphasize certain things, but we do get back to certain truths. let me make a bipartisan statement. i applaud former president bill clinton. when he was in office he opened up a lot of the gulf of mexico, and that is why what good

production we are seeing in the gulf goes back to bill clinton and the early years of george bush because those major projects take five-to-10 or more years to bring on line. you have to go back to previous of ministrations when you see something good happening like that. -- administrations when you see something good happening like that. unfortunately, the president is taking credit for his predecessors, and that is disingenuous. host: here are some facts and figures about energy and oil used in the u.s.. our petroleum production -- host: it goes on to say that we use of 19 million barrels of oil

a day in the u.s. when you look at the array of available oil in the u.s., are we able to be self-support of, because 49% right now is on imported petroleum products? guest: i do not know if every single drop of oil has to come from our own shores. we could certainly use some from canada and mexico. saudi arabia, their contribution is about 1 million barrels a day. that is what we could replace, almost, with the keystone xl pipeline from canada. that would be a hundred thousand barrels of oil a day. you could -- 800,000 barrels of oil a day. you could offset, but i do not think we need to replace every

drop. host: the first call comes from mr. lamborn's home town, a colorado springs, colorado, republican line, heather. caller: you have to control the supply. you can stop refining it, you can't cut it back. speculators dried it up. -- dried it up. we have oil coming out of public lands that no one is paying royalties on. you can buy up leases, and not develop them. that is not a way to run. i think the keystone pipeline -- no one has been telling the truth about that. they do not want public input on that. that oil is not for us. that will go to china. all of the oil produced in our

own country goes to the open market, so our developers are not really even keeping the supply back for this country. so, i do not know. guest: i did not catch a question in there, heather, but about the keystone pipeline, president obama said the latest move from canada to build a southern portion to taxes is -- to kansas is something that he approves of, and they do not have the authority to disapprove. they have the permits. congress has not been able to repeal the law of supply and demand, basic economic principles. if you have more supply, you will have lower prices. host: waterford, new jersey, the gallery on our independent line. caller: good morning.

i am glad your first caller covered some of the points i was going to make. it is important for people to understand what the politicians are doing with the story. they want to dump it down and have people believe that we just need to start drilling and our problems will be solved. when you look to the issue of rising gas prices, a few years ago studies showed that speculation investment on wall street was the cause of the upswing in prices. it is a fossil fuel and it is on its way out. we have to go to a cleaner economy. these politicians want to make political issues in a political year and blamed obama for the problem. just like when they credited obama practices that led

to getting bin laden, they want to credit his practices before he left his second term as to why obama is now reaping the rewards. guest: i did not catch a question in there once again, but i disagree if anyone says supply makes no difference. the more supply you have, that makes prices go down and needs demand. that is why president obama said it is a good thing that canada is building southern portion of the keystone pipeline. host: joseph has this tweet. oil production in america is higher than under the bush administration -- true? guest: there is credit we can give even going back to bill clinton. the number of leases is down. the number of acres available

for permitting offshore is down. the one area of production that is going on up is on private land, where the federal government can not restrict through over-regulation. in north dakota, they are producing massive amounts, 1 million barrels of oil a day -- half of 1 million barrels of oil a day. that is a huge shot in the arm. that is on private land. production on federal land is down. host: mr. lamborn, why is it colorado had an energy boom in the late-1970's and 1980's? guest: under president carter there was a big push for the government to get involved in a corporation, and allowing for

the government investment in oil shale and some nonconventional oil sources that have not yet been developed. when you get the government involved as opposed to the private sector, you can have huge swings when you have a change in policy, and overnight we had a big change from boom to bust. host: this tweet -- you want to help mandate that all leases from federal land includes requirements that petrol be sold here? guest: i am more of a believer in the free market than government mandates. i have no doubt that if the oil is produced here, most will be sold here. you might have specialty products that are refined to certain specification and sold

overseas if that makes sense to someone who does not have capability overseas, but it costs a lot to ship oil and gas overseas. i do not see that happening. i would rather stay away from government mandates. as well-intentioned as they are, they caused unintended consequences, the store in the marketplace. host: c-span democrat tweets in -- five-to-10 years, so, drill, the drill is pointless." guest: until we reach that point, whether we going to rely on? we may not reach that point. if we have gotten rid of hydrocarbons in the meantime, we are stuck with nothing. let's let the free market work. let's work on alternatives. where they are commercially

viable, let them come forward, but in the meantime why throwaway conventional fuels when they are available? host: doug lamborn is chair of the energy subcommittee in the natural resources committee. he got his law degree from the university of kansas and served for several years in the colorado state legislature, where he also served as state senate president pro tem pour in as last several years. jackie, a democrat. california. caller: thank you for taking my call. the first two callers kind of said what i was quite deuced -- it has been widely reported by congress that the keystone pipeline oil would be exported, so it would cost the u.s. the same as any other country on the

open market. we already export 45% of our oil and it does not do anything to change the price, so how do you think this keystone pipeline will do anything to help us? guest: i disagree with anyone who says it will be all exported. maybe bits and pieces will be. i have no control over that. i do not think we want to mandate and disrupt the free market. i think the bulk of it will be used where it is cost-effective. it is expensive to ship it around. it does not make sense economically. host: mr. lamborn, you referenced a bill passed recently, but the house of representatives. what are the main points of that bill? guest: we wehr-3408 and it started out as an oil shale bill

and it later became a package for opening of the keystone pipeline and 3% in alaska and the continental shelf, areas mandated to be off-limits by president obama. host: do you see it passing? guest: unfortunately, i do not think it will pass really soon. harry reid has not cooperated with house republicans. we past 30 or more jobs bills. this is just the -- passed 30 or more jobs bills. we hope he will take action. host: the u.s. uses 19.1 million barrels of oil a day.

that is according to the u.s. energy information association. do you support opening up reserves? guest: we should open it up for emergencies. host: have you ever visited the strategic petroleum reserves? guest: i would love to. i do not know how easy it is to see because it is underground. host: jamestown, new york. you are on with doug lamborn. caller: i think there reason oil prices have gone up so high is because of the devaluation of the dollar and the reason is because we print money out of thin air, and everyone should listen to ron paul. he is the smartest one running

for president and he knows about the monetary system and the reason for our decline in the dollar. host: barbara, -- guest: barbara, there is no doubt that there is some truth to what you are saying. the dollar has been going down. we see that in the oil as well. there is a lot to what you are saying. thank you. host: dayton, ohio, kathleen, democrats line. caller: first, c-span is a national treasure for the public to have these conversations. i have changed my views are lot on extracting fossil fuels in the u.s. over the years because of wars, for instance in iraq, for oil, and i am also looking at my own use of fossil fuels,

taking a hard look at my own patterns. how important do you think it is to enforce existing regulations in regard to extracting, as well as creating unnecessary regulations like, for instance, this hydraulic fracturing. on cnn and on msnbc, they both head economist. one was mr. stockman, an economist, and they both talked about speculators buying up oil at this point based on the possibility that if -- is real will attack around -- israel will attack iran. host: a lot to work with there. guest: good questions. to enter the first part, i think

regulations to protect -- answer the first part, i think regulations to protect the environment are important and we have good regulations in place. we have good safety regulations in the gulf of mexico for deep water building, -- drilling. it is important to have regulations and we do. when it comes to hydraulic fracturing underground, the states are doing a great job. we learn that ohio's geology and water is different than other states. so, i would rather have the various states that know their own location and geology better than washington does to stay in control and not impose a federal layer of regulation on top of what the states are already doing a good job of.

host: you held a field hearing. what was the purpose? guest: it was to talk about fra cing. the testimony we heard pointed out that we do not need a federal role. the states are doing a very good job. in colorado, if you have a well , and you think it may have effected your water, the fracking, they come there the same day or within 24 hours. they take it seriously. they have found problems where it has effected ground water, but if there is potential, we want to know about it. host: more facts and figures from the energy administration -- information administration.

again, the u.s. total worldwide production, 86.7 million a day. i have lost my place. we use about 19 million parent i apologize. i've lost my -- million. i apologize. i've lost my place. we will get back to this after we get to michael, a democrat in baton rouge.

caller: no one is addressing what we can do now. why has no one talked about the money we have given in subsidies to the oil companies and the federal tax that we pay at the pump? why can we not put a referendum on their to freeze the federal tax for four, six months, to bring prices of fuel down, and the subsidies given to big oil companies, why can they not been returned because of the tax money going to subsidies -- in return because of the tax money going to subsidies, bring prices down? guest: a couple good questions there. the gas tax comes to washington and goes back out to the states to fund highways and bridges. until we find a different way of

paying for that, that seems like a legitimate use of those tax dollars. it is like a user fee. i am not in favor of raising the gas tax. if we cut it out completely, we would have trouble funding highways and bridges. oil companies make a lot of money because they have a lot of volume, but on a percentage basis, they do not make as much money as some companies do that are much more profitable on a per dollar basis. they take tons of taxes. they paid a lot more than they making profits. the big winner when it comes to oil companies already is the government, federal, state and local. i do not think they're getting tax treatment that anyone else is not getting. some people say let's signal them out and give them strict

treatment. i am not sure that is the american way. i think everyone should be treated equally. if they are getting a tax break, is think we should leave it for everyone to have a level playing field. host: this data from 2010 -- u.s. petroleum production, 7.5 million barrels a day, and that includes crude oil, natural gas and other oils. of that 7.5 million, 5.5 million per day is what the u.s. produced in 2010, and our imports are 9.1 million barrels a day. the federal gasoline tax, 18.4 cents per gallon. new jersey. tom, you are on with congressman

doug lamborn. caller: i am a frustrated taxpayer, sick and tired of both republicans and democrats blaming everyone else. i came up with a potential solution i never heard discussed. when we give leases to petroleum companies to lease federal property, taxpayer property, why is it we do not require a certain percentage of the petroleum pulled out of taxpayer property to stay in this country and be used domestically? just a percentage, so we do not have senior citizens and veterans on fixed incomes not being able to afford to buy prescriptions or food because they're worried about filling their tanks because our politicians are not doing the job they're sent to do?

guest: the more you have government mandates, you will have distortions, unintended consequences. it is expensive to ship oil or gas. most of it will stay here already. we do not have to make a law to require that. it is basic economics. if it is cheaper to sell locally, you will not send it overseas. i think the market can take care of itself without government intervention. host: columbus, neb.. pam, a democrat. caller: thank you, c-span. i am tired of hearing about the keystone pipeline. i lived in nebraska. a couple months ago, -- i live in nebraska. a couple months ago, some man

talked about this and the effects on their land. the oil companies want to make money, but they do not think about people who live on their private land. the oil is going to go to china and india anyway. host: we got the point. thank you. guest: pam if that oil goes down to oklahoma, louisiana, most of it will stay in the united states because of basic economics. it is cheaper to use it locally. if we do not build a keystone pipeline, we do not just lose the 20,000 jobs that would immediately be created putting in the pipeline, but that oil is going to be sold to somebody, and then it does go to china and

is sent across the ocean instead of in a pipeline down to our refineries in the u.s.. sending it across the ocean, a tanker-by-tanker has a larger carbon emissions henpecked. host: -- impact. host: this tweet -- guest: none of that is true. one thing that we learned in our field hearing in ohio -- groundwater in ohio is in the tens or hundreds of feet below the surface. natural gas is 1 mile to 1 mile and half is below the surface. there is a mile of solid rock between the ground water near the top and the natural gas way

down here. there is 1 mile of rocks in between. how could guess it from here to here? you need to make sure regulations are in place so you double and triple-wall any pipe within 50 feet of the ground water, and you make them put in cement and seal it off, but you do have to have regulations. if that is done, you will not have earthquakes, radioactivity, and things in the ground water. host: another jim tweets, what is the time line between permitting and pumping it? guest: it could be years and years. you have to put in environmental impact statements, sometimes yet to get your planned -- plan approved -- there are many ways

the federal government can slow things down in this process, and it can take years and years. it depends on the location. obviously, deep water is more intense in terms of planning and permitting, but it takes years and years. host: the house of representatives is coming into session in about five or six minutes. brooklyn, new york. republican line. caller: might concern is the -- my concern is the question we should be asking is are we smarter than a fifth grader? martha stewart went to prison for inside trading. why are speculators -- [unintelligible] host: i think we got the point

about oil speculation. we have a couple of tweets about that as well. our oil speculator is contributing to the cost? guest: peter, i've not seen hard evidence that buying futures or hedging your bets has a big effect on gasoline prices. tensions in the middle east, that could drive prices, but people buying and selling futures in gasoline or oil -- i've not seen hard evidence. i'm still skeptical. host: another call from colorado springs, mr. lamborn's district. independent mind, you are on the air. you have to -- line. you are on the air. you have to turn down your television. you know what? we are going to have to move on to michigan.

john, republican. go ahead. caller: i would like to try it again. i had a crack in line -- crackling line the first time. i was on a speakerphone. i want to follow up on a previous caller. in alaska, they take some of the oil profits and give it back to people in alaska. i'm thinking if we are using federal lands for oil, why do we not take those profits and use it for infrastructure, and we can lower the tax on gas prices? back in the 1970's, when gas prices started to rise, everyone said it would take 10 or 15 years for us to get oil production up, so they forgot about it. we are in the same situation. maybe in 10 years, we will be in good shape. i would like to hear your comments.

host: alaska does have a permanent fund as a state, but we have a debt. states are not allowed to go into debt. we have a debt as a national government. maybe we could use that money and pay down the national debt. that would make the economy better and give us more jobs and a better future. i like that idea. john, that is a great idea. peter, if i could address something brought earlier, people talk about exporting oil or gas from the keystone -- the u.s. president has the power under law to prevent exports of petroleum products is that is in the national interest, so there will not be exports as the president says it is a national security risk. that is an issue we could put to bed. barack obama has the power to stop that tomorrow if it hurts

our national interest. host: body is a democrat in elbertville, alabama. caller: i would like to tell the representative the same thing senator wilson told obama in congress, you lie. in the hearings, the question was asked about the keystone pipeline, and the answer was they had already signed a contract with exxon mobil. that was in the hearings. i'm 77 years old. the way the alaskan pipeline was sold to the american people was it will solve our problems, it will be run into montana, and

that will solve our problems. what did they do? cut it off in seattle. it is all exported. host: congressman lamborn? guest: the keystone pipeline, if any of it is exported, the president can step in tomorrow and say no more because it violates national security. the president has the right under current law to stop any oil or gas exports. i could see a scenario where there are blends that are hard to make that other countries cannot do, and our refiners might want to send that to another country because it is highly profitable. as long as all lot of it stays in this country, and i know it will because of basic economics. it is cheaper to use it locally. the keystone pipeline will help

prices and supply in this country. bill clinton came out yesterday, and he said he approves of the keystone pipeline. barack obama approves host: doug lamborn has been our guest. he's the chair of the natural resources subcommittee on energy & mineral resources. thank you for being on "washington journal." the house is in session. we're ending at 9:00 eastern time. there will be debating a few things. the senate will be holding their vote on the so-called blunt amendment. that will be in the senate and that vote will take place at 11:00 a.m. and you can watch that on c-span2. [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] guest: we will be working on some suspensions. host: do you foresee any energy bills getting through congress? we have talked about 34-08. >> certainly not this week but hopefully soon. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., march 1, 2012. i hereby appoint the honorable kevin yoder to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy.

chaplain conroy: let us pray. eternal god, we give you thanks for giving us another day. we come to the end of a short week in which we have given thanks for and honored african-american men and women, whose labor, while in bondage, built this temple of freedom and democracy which we now stand. now, we approach a weekend during which many members of this assembly will gather to remember an historic event in selma, alabama. 47 years ago brave men and women, americans of all races, colors and faiths, walked together to help guarantee freedom still denied the descen those slave laborers. bless the members of this assembly and us all that we would be worthy of the call we have been given as americans to

nurture and guarantee democratic freedoms to all who dwell in our great nation. help us all to be truly thankful and appropriately generous in our response. may all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory. amen. the speaker pro tempore: 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 california, mr. farr. mr. farr: 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 will entertain up to five requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina

seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, earlier this week i was fortunate to chair a house armed services subcommittee on military personnel where we had a hearing in regard to receiving information concerning the administration's military personnel budget overview for 2013. the administration constantly preaches about fairness. over the next 10 years the administration is proposed to cutting our military personnel by 123,000 troops and cutting civilian employees by a mere 7,000 personnel, but destroying 130,000 jobs. it's absolutely unfair that the administration believes in drastically eliminating our troops with no substantial cuts to any other department of our government. even as we are at war, with an enemy that's obsessed with

death. additionally, the administration's proposal allows an increase of tricare health insurance enrollment fees by a possible 345% over the next five years. this kind of unfairness must stop. i urge the president and his administration to reconsider their budget request and to treat our military personnel, military families and veterans with the fairness they earned and the respect they deserve. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. mr. farr: i rise today to honor the 51st anniversary of the peace corps. in just 51 years, peace corps has been unparallel force for peace. listen to the numbers. 139 developing countries have been served. over 200,000 returned peace corps volunteers and four of those are members of congress.

and taken together, these volunteers have contributed more than 400,000 years of service in the name of peace. i am proud to be part of these ranks. peace corps changed my life and it continues to change the lives of both those who serve and the communities that are served. in 2012 this call to service doesn't show any sign of slowing down. 9,095 americans are serving in 76 countries, this includes my constituent case rollins of santa cruz who is working in ethiopia, helping women develop honey production and dry fruits projects to help their income. and that's the work of one volunteer. today, i honor case and other peace corps volunteers, past and present. peace, prosperity and friendship, truly your service is more important today than it's ever been. congress must fund the peace

corps. best job in america. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from rhode island is recognized for one minute. mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, as rhode islanders and men and women across america are hard at work trying to put our country back on the trite track, the threat of rising gas prices raises a spectrum of another difficult driving season ahead. while our government subsidizes big oil to the tune of $3 billion each year, they continue to run up record profits as hardworking families pay higher and higher prices for gas. in my home state of rhode island, there is an 11% unemployment rate and the regular price of regular gas is $3.79. rising fuel costs puts hardworking families at risk. the gouging prevention act, which my colleague, mr. bishop, introduced, should we face an

energy emergency, middle-class families are not at the mercy of wall street speculators every time they fill up their car. while we have to work together to permanently end our addiction to foreign oil, in the short term we must act on legislation like the price gouging prevention act that would help wall street speculators from taking unfair advantage of consumers at the pump during energy emergencies. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cohen: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. yesterday i had the pleasure of having some gentlemen from the railroad industry come and visit my office, and they let me know how their business has improved over the years. and one of the ways of improving the economy is having the railcars filled. warren buffett said it's the best indicator of how the economy is. railcars are being filled.

the automobile industry in our nation was saved because of the american recovery and reinvestment act and the work of president barack obama and the tarp. all of which has helped our economy get better, lower unemployment rates, and as i think of the good work president obama has done, i read yesterday about al qaeda arrested, stopped in cairo, egypt. besides osama bin laden, other members of al qaeda have been eliminated and our country is safer. the dow went over 13,000. another indicator of economic burgeoning economy that is getting out of the bush recession. so i want to say that i'm proud to support president obama, his jobs plan, his efforts to maintain the automobile industry that's strong in america and to support him in libya and root out can -- qaddafi and al qaeda. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, pursuant to the order of the house of february 9, 2012, i call up house resolution 562 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 562, resolution directing the office of the historian to compile oral histories from current and former members of the house of representatives involved in the historic and annual selma to montgomery, alabama, marches as well as the civil rights movements in general for the purposes of expanding or augmenting the

historic record and public dissemination and education. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of wednesday, february 29, 2012, the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, and the gentleman from georgia, mr. lewis, each will control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, i rise in support of house resolution 562, it directs the office of the historian to compile and disseminate oral histories from current and former members of the house of representatives involved in the historic and annual selma to montgomery, alabama, marches, as well as the civil rights movement in general. in march of 1965, a defining three-week period of the civil rights movement culminated with the historic 54-mile march from

selma to montgomery. led by the reverend martin luther king jr., it was the last of three marches that resulted in the passage of the voting rights act of 1965, recognizing the rights of all americans to participate in the electoral process. . original march 7, 1965, our colleague from georgia, mr. john lewis, and the revved ren williams led of00 civil rights activists in the first march from selma to montgomery to protest the shooting of jimmy lee jackson, killed just a few weeks earlier by state troopers while doing nothing more than registering african-americans to vote. the march lasted only six blocks before coming to a violent end on the edmund pet tiss bridge. in what has become known as bloody sunday, police used tear gas and clubs to beat the protesters back from the bridge. the upsitting -- upsetting,

horrifying images of peaceful marchers being brutally assaulted by authorities brought national attention to the plight of african-americans in the south and greater resolve to those seeking equality for all. two days later, the reverend martin luther king jr. led a second symbolic march where 2000 participants returned to the edmund pettis bridge and proceeded to kneel and pray. on march 21, this time with protection from federal authorities and the alabama national guard, the reverend martin luther king jr. led a 54-mile march to the state capitol building. three days later the group that started with 3,000 participants and grew to 25,000 strong arrived in montgomery where dr. king proclaimed we are on the move now, like an idea whose time has come, not even the marching of muddy armies can halt us. we are moving to the land of freedom. mr. speaker, the magnitude and importance of this historic event is undeniable and its

significance to american history must never be forgotten. to commemorate these marches, congress in 1996 created the 54-mile-long selma to montgomery national historic trail, along the route of dr. king's march. starting at the brown chapel a.m.e. church in selma and ending at the alabama state capitol in montgomery. since 1998, members of congress have participated in an annual civil rights pilgrimage on the selma to montgomery national historic trail. in march of 2009, i had the privilege of participating with my wife in this event. we marched across the edmund pettis bridge and we were inspired by those with firsthand experiences from the events of 1965. documenting and sharing the experiences of members who participated in the historic and annual marches from selma to montgomery is critically important to the recognition and preservation of the achievements of the american civil rights

movement. as i understand it, mr. lewis from georgia, the majority leader whip, mr. mccarthy, will lead the 2012 congressional civil rights pilgrimage starting tomorrow. it is fitting that we are here today with this resolution as another group of members begin their journey. i want to thank my colleagues from alabama, miss suewell and mrs. roby, for introducing this important resolution. i strongly urge all of my colleagues not only to support the resolution but also to take part in the annual congressional selma to montgomery march. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i want to thank my colleague, the majority leader, eric cantor, congresswoman terry sewell, and martha roby in offering this resolution today. and i, mr. speaker, yield myself as much time i may consume.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lewis: i'm so pleased that this resolution will preserve the oral history of current and former members of congress who participated in the civil rights movement. and it will also preserve the experiences of members who have come on the pilgrimage to alabama. together we have retraced the steps that will were walked so many years ago and spend time with some of the people who shaped the civil rights movement. some of the members who have gone on this pilgrimage were not even born during the civil rights movement. and they come to learn about our nation's history. many members have come away changed by this experience foreevery. this resolution will help us preserve a powerful and transformative period in american history. with -- with the brave and courageous souls who spread blood and tears in alabama an

throughout the south, this would be a very different nation today. it is really important that members of congress understand and acknowledge the debt we owe to ordinary people with extraordinary vision who, as dr. martin luther king jr. once said, injected new meaning into the very vain of our -- vein of our democracy. mr. speaker, on march 7, 1965, 600 peaceful nonviolent protesters attempted to march from selma, alabama, to the state capital in montgomery. to draumatize to the world that people of color wanted to register to vote. we left brown chapel a.m.e. church that morning on a sacred mission, prepared to defy the dictates of man it to demonstrate the truth of a higher law. ordinary citizens with extraordinary vision walk shoulder to shoulder, two by two

in a silent, peaceful protest against injustice in the american south. we were met at the foot of the edmund pettis bridge by alabama state troopers. some mounted on horseback, but all of them was armed with guns, tear gas, and billy clubs. and beyond them were deputized citizens who was waiting -- waving any weapons they could find. then we heard major john cloud, this is an unlawful march, cannot continue. you have three minutes to go home or return to your church. we were preparing to kneel and pray when the major said, troopers advance. and the troopers came toward us, beating us and spraying tear gas . that brutal confrontation became known as bloody sunday. it produced a sense of righteous

indig nation in the country and around the world that led this congress to pass the voting rights act of 1965. eight days after bloody sunday, president lyndon johnson addressed a joint session of the congress and made what i believe is the greatest statement any president has ever made on the importance of voting rights in america. he began by saying, i speak tonight for the dignity of man and for the destiny of democracy. he said, at times history and fate meet at a single time and a single place to shape a turning point in the inner search for freedom. such was at lexington and concord. so it was a century ago at appomattox, so it was last week at selma, alabama. during that speech president johnson condemned the violence in selma and called on the congress to invite the voting rights act.

he closed his speech by echoing the words of the civil rights movement, saying over and over, and we shall overcome. and we shall overcome. congress did pass the voting rights act on august 6, is the 65, it was signed into law. this weekend starting tomorrow it is the 12th congressional privilege the civil rights act of birmingham, montgomery, and selma with the faith and politics institute, we will remember the distance we have come and progress made. we weigh -- we end our time together in selma by crossing the ed mupped pettis bridge. during this trip we see ourselves not as democrats or republicans or adversaries, but we see ourselves as americans on a journey to discover our history. we all come away from this privilege with a deeper

appreciation of our democracy and the of people to make a difference in our society. i'm so pleased that this story will be told. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. so much the gentleman from georgia reserves. the -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. lungren: i yield to the gentleman from mr. petri, a distinguished member on the committee on the work force. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized for two minutes. mr. petri: i thank my colleague from california. i support resolution 562 which recognizes the importance of preserving the oral histories of representatives' personal experiences regarding the historic selma to montgomery, alabama marches and the civil rights movement. as a student during the civil rights movement i had the opportunity to witness the impact the selma to montgomery marches had on shifting public opinion. an example of the influence the

marchers wielded is the fact that two days after witnessing the images of the initial march in the media, president johnson presented a bill to a joint session of congress which became the voting rights act of 1965. like so many others i tried to claim my own small part to support the civil rights movement as a member of the naacp and as a college student participated in a boycott of a woolworth's store in support of the desegregation of the lunch counters in the south. during that time dr. king came to our college and i had the honor to briefly meet him. my direct involvement in the civil rights movement is limited, there are many former and current members who have unique and inspirational stories to share about the historic is the 65 marches and -- 1965 marches and the civil rights movement. we have the honor of serving with representative john lewis, for example, who just spoke and who is an icon of the civil

rights movement. and i have been lucky enough to hear him speak to student groups and others about his experiences as he led the fight for racial and voter equality. it's important that accounts such as his be preserved in the historic record so they can be shared for years to come. i believe it's important to keep the history and heritage of the civil rights movement alive by collecting and sharing these oral histories with the american public. mr. speaker, i support this resolution and urge its passage by the house today. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from georgia, mr. david scott, for four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia, mr. davis, is recognized for four minutes. mr. scott: thank you very much. thank you very much, my distinguished colleague, john lewis, for inviting me to be a part of this resolution presentation. i think it is very important as

we commemorate this event that we realize those were some dark and dangerous days. and that there were both black and white people who gave their lives so that black people could have the right to vote. there was viola from detroit, michigan, a white lady who came down to selma to help african-americans get the right to vote. and she was shot and killed on the highway, highway 80, in selma, alabama. and need we not forget michael cherner and andrew goodman, along with james chaney, two young white men, two black men, both shot and killed. when we tell this story about the civil rights movement, it is important that we tell this story right. and that this is a true story of the greatness of america. that is not just a black story.

it is america's story. white and black people lost their lives, gave their lives for the right for us to have the right to vote. this is the greatness of this. and i just want to say, what a privilege it is for us to have a man like john lewis to serve with. let us not even begin to underestimate the significant contribution of this young man, and i call him a young man, whom i serve with and you serve with. i personally appreciate john lewis for taking me when i was a student with him, traveling through the south. and i saw firsthand with him what we had to go for. and john, i want to say to you, thank you for taking me through that baptism of the fire, for it

has truly made me the man i am today. i want to thank you for that. and the entire nation thanks you and all of those, and as i said i want everybody to remember miss viola from detroit who came down and michael and andrew goodman. these people that gave their lives. i also thank ms. terry sewell, who represents the area in alabama where so much of this sacrifice took place. this is an extraordinary pilgrimage. i was on it. have been on it. and i encourage everybody that can to go on this pilgrimage and see and experience what i call the greatness of america. thank you. .

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, at this time it's my privilege to yield three minutes to the gentlelady from alabama, mrs. roby, she co-sponsored this resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from alabama is recognized for three minutes. mrs. roby: thank you for yielding me time. thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to extend and revise my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. roby: thank you. today i am so proud to join with terri sewell, another alabama freshman, to offer house resolution 562, an initiative that will preserve a collection of accounts from members involved in the historic and annual marches from selma to montgomery, alabama. the oral histories preserved through this resolution will memorialize this historic event that changed the direction of the civil rights movement. what took place during three historic marches in alabama

over a three-week period in 1965 proved to be a powerful transformation in american history. the courageous actions of so many moved our country out of an era of misguided actions. participants marched towards a unified goal to provide equal voting rights for all americans. the first march on march 7, 1965, remains without a doubt one of the worst demonstrations of racial violence. participanting peacefully marching were met by a brutal and aggressive police force. this violence was captured by the news and broadcast to family room all over this nation. it sent a message of unforeseen consequences caused by segregation, such shameless violent actions unleashed on

nonviolent marchers revealed the immediate need for equal rights for citizens. without a doubt, the days that racial voting laws were enforced by our country were among the darkest and least honorable for this nation. even today, our country is still repairing from the wrongs inflicted decades ago from racial segregation. if it were not for the unwavering courage of those marching for civil freedoms, our country would be very different than the way we know it today. their brave actions will be forever memorialized by the selma to montgomery voting rights trail. our younger generations today did not witness firsthand the historic demonstrations that forged a unified nation, myself included. therefore, it is so important to record the testimonies in order to reveal the scope and

the relevance of these civil rights evens. i am proud to introduce this resolution with representative sewell to preserve the history of our democracy. the resolution instructs the office of the historian to compile oral histories from members of the house of representatives who were involved in the civil rights movements. it will tell every generation a detailed timeline of these hi toursic moments in the american -- historic moments in the american civil rights movement. many patriots envisioned a better america, one free from racial discrimination. i urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this resolution. i yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentlelady from california, the democratic leader, nancy pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. pelosi: thank you very much. thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise in support of the legislation and commend congresswoman sewell and congresswoman roby for their leadership and bringing this to the floor and giving us the opportunity to speak about the heroes amongst us. some of the darkest hours of our nation's history, as we all know, there are stories of great courage. by preserving these stories, which this legislation enables us to do, we ensure that those who come after us know that the cause of equality, both our nation's heritage and our hope. unsurpassed in courage in our midst is our colleague, the conscience of the congress, congressman john lewis. on march 17, 1965, as many of us all know, congressman john lewis was a leader of 600 peaceful orderly americans crossing the edmund pettis bridge. he was met by state troopers,

tear gas, bull whips and night sticks. although he faced discrimination, he was not bittered. he was embolden. it is a great privilege for each us f us to serve with john lewis in congress, an honor to call him colleague. and i want to speak about his leadership in taking so many members of congress and their families and friends across the edmund pettis bridge in recent years. i had that privilege to join him in the year 2001. after the visit i said to him, we were in your district, congresswoman roby, in montgomery, selma and birmingham during the course of the weekend. the experience was one that every schoolchild in america should experience. we talked about washington, d.c. and philadelphia and independence hall and baltimore and the -- fort mchenry and

boston with all of that history and new york and the rest. this is a very important part of who we are as a country. if you want to learn about america, it's important to visit these sites, to see the courage, to see the commitment to the values of our founders that were so courageously defended and advocated for. at this sad time and for many of us it was in our lifetime that this disaster was happening in our country. this ongoing disaster, but the culmination of it were it took so many people a longer time to see. we always talk about the inevitable in the minds of some and the inconceivable in the minds for others and how our work is to shorten the distance from the inevitable and the inconceivable, well, it took some people a longer time to

understand what was inevitable for america, that we would be moving, gravitating toward a more perfect union. that would not have been possible without the leadership of people like john lewis. there aren't many people like john lewis, but who followed his lead and other members of congress who also were leaders in our nation's civil rights movement and we honor all of them today. they include assistant leader john clyburn who was arrested several times for civil disobedience on behalf of civil rights. congressman barney frank and congressman john conyers who both volunteered during the freedom summer. congressman bob filner who spent several months in jail after his efforts of the freedom rider and he takes great pride being invited back. congresswoman eleanor holmes norton who was an organizer of the student nonviolent coordinated committee, and congresswoman terri sewell, who, along with congresswoman

roby, co-sponsor of this legislation, as congresswoman sewell is from selma and her family opened their home to travelers on the 1965 march from selma to montgomery. sure, there are more, but all of these people played a role. john lewis, of course, an icon in our country for his leadership at that time. these members of congress and these american heroes made history. they also made progress for our country. i urge my colleagues to join in supporting this legislation to ensure that our history and our -- and the heroes, that that history lives on long after we are gone. with that, madam speaker -- mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, at this time it's my pleasure to yield three minutes to the gentleman from indiana, mr. pence, a member of the foreign affairs and judiciary

committees. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is recognized for three minutes. mr. pence: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pence: i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise in support of this important legislation and commend ms. sewell and mrs. roby for their leadership in chronicling an extraordinary time in our march toward a more perfect union. it sometimes altogether fitting on the eave -- eve of the anniversary march commemorating what history records as bloody sunday and at the end of black history month that we consider this resolution which will create a process for preserving the valuable oral history of those members of congress who were early leaders in the american civil rights movement. you know, there are very few giants these days in public life, but john lewis is among

them. and let me say what a privilege it has been for me these last 11 years to serve and to befriend my colleague, congressman john lewis, and i thank you for your leadership on this resolution. there's also an effort to -- in this resolution to give members of congress who have participated in the annual pilgrimage to sell manned montgomery to re-- selma and montgomery. i served as co-leader of the 10th pilgrimage sponsored by the faith and politician institutes in march of 2010. i can say, as my colleague mr. lewis knows, it was a life-changing experience, for my wife and three teenage children and i will be forever be grateful for the experience. we started at the home church of reverend dr. martin luther king jr. we sat in the pews as we heard dorothy cotton and others talk

about their years in that church and how their faith in christ sustained the cause of liberty and the cause of civil rights. we made our way to the civil rights memorial to honor and remember those who lost their lives in the struggle for equality, but the next day traveling with my colleague, john lewis, to selma to mark the anniversary of a day that changed his life and changed this nation, march 7, 1965, known as bloody sunday. we will always remember. the night before john had recounted that moment us day. told how he and several hundred courageous activists crossed the bridge in selma. it was part-enactment that touched our hearts as a family. -- it was that re-enactment that touched our hearts as a family. we made our way the few short miles to the edmund pettis bridge. for my part, i walked with the

pastor of the baptist church in selma at the time. as we strolled that historic route, i was enthralled, as dr. reese, 80-some-odd years young, recounted the day as if it had been the day before. he told me how the edmund pettis bridge crests at the middle so it was not until you all reached the top of the bridge that you knew what was waiting on the other side. and he described to me seeing, he said, quote, all you saw was a sea of blue when they crested the bridge. mr. lungren: i yield one minute. mr. pence: i turned to dr. reese and i said to him, did you think about turning back? and he said to me, quote, no, we had prayed at the brown chapel and we decided to go on regardless so he did. just extraordinary to think of the beatings that took place that day. our own colleague experienced a

notorious beating at the time, but as the march that day, the re-enactment came to an end, i extended my hand to dr. reese. i thanked him for not only had he done for the civil rights movement, what john lewis did for the civil rights movement but what he did for america. he put his hand on my shoulder, dr. reese did, and said, mike, god did something here. and so he did through these extraordinary and courageous americans we forged a more perfect union. and so i rise in support of this resolution, commend my colleagues who will participate this weekend in montgomery and selma in this historic re-enactment. i commend john lewis, dorothy couldn'ton, dr. reese, those great americans who on that day made the sacrifices necessary to further perfect this last best hope of earth. we should always safeguard this

history, cherish it and emulate their courage and bravery, so help us god. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. lewis: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to recognize the gentlelady from alabama, ms. sewell, for as much time as she may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from alabama is recognized. ms. sewell: mr. speaker, as the representative of alabama's seventh congressional district and a selma native, i am proud and humbled that i could introduce this bipartisan resolution with my colleague, friend and fellow alabamian, representative martha roby, acknowledging the significance, the historical significance of the selma to montgomery marches. by adding the voices of members of congress, current and former, to the history of the

civil rights movement, we are preserving an important part of the legacy that is the civil rights movement, a legacy that is important not only to black history but to american history and thus to world history. . it is truly a full circle moment for me. personally i stand here today before this august congressional body as a member of congress and a native of selma, alabama. i ask my colleagues to support house resolution 562. i am humbled because i know that my election last year would not have been possible had it not been for the courage of members of congress, present and former, like congressman john lewis. for that i say thank you.

this resolution directs the house office of historians to compile oral histories from current and former members of congress involved in the monumental selma to montgomery marches, as well as the civil rights movement. now, these documents will be used for the purpose of extending and augmenting the historical record for public dissemination and education. the historical accounts of current and former members of congress are living history. they offer an important perspective on the events of the 1960's. the state of alabama played a critical role and an integral part of the fabric of the civil rights movement and american history. it is a painful part of alabama's history. but today we stand opening arms and welcoming the commemoration of those events because without

those events and the brave men and women who traveled all across this nation, to bring about the change that we all enjoy, black men and white men, jews and gentiles, coming together in order to make sure that we had a more perfect union. and that america lived up to its ideals of democracy and civil liberties. i can't imagine what it was like to be congressman john lewis as he walked across the edmund pettis bridge. i grew up in selma. i lived my life in selma, alabama. my mom and dad are still in selma, alabama. i cross the edmund pettis bridge every time i go home to visit

them. it stands as a symbol for the world of what's possible when brave white men and black men, women and children decide to change the fate of history, and in doing so bring about significant changes for this country. i'm proud to represent selma, alabama, birmingham, alabama, tuscaloosa, alabama, the state of alabama in this congress. i do so humbly because of the courage and bravery of former and current members of congress who did the unthinkable. i can't imagine being congressman john dingell who first took office in 1955 from michigan. he sat in this very chamber and

voted for the passage of the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1965. against amazing opposition from his own constituents in michigan. he did the brave thing about voting in favor of this historical -- these historical legislations. he was not the only one sitting in this chamber in 1965. representative john conyers, a black congressman, who was elected in 1965, and who still serves in this chamber was in this room and casted that vote for the voting rights act of 1965. we need to remember, record the history of congressman lewis and

congressman dingell and conyers and so many members of congress, current and present, who are alive today. preserve that history for future generations to come. you know, over the next three years, congressman lewis, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of so many of those events of 1960's. in fact, the mayor of the city of birmingham is declaring 2013 the year of birmingham because we will be celebrating 50 years since the bombing of 16th street baptist church, when four little black girls gave their life so that i could enjoy the freedoms i enjoy today, that we all can enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today. over the next three years it will be 50 years for a lot of significant 1960 events, and i

am honored to join with my colleague, martha roby, who represents montgomery and is a native of montgomery. alabama has two women members of the congressional delegation for the first time ever. our elections in 2010 was only made possible because of the courage of so many people who sat in this body and made tough votes. the people of this chamber who decided that it was time to make a difference in america. i'm honored to share the co-sponsorship of this legislation with martha roby. we share a common history as proud alabamans, a history that should be recorded for

prosperity. now, this weekend i get the opportunity as well as martha roby, congresswoman roby, and congressman spencer bachus, to co-host with congressman john lewis the faith and politics institute's annual pilgrimage back to alabama. we will start this coming friday, tomorrow, in birmingham. we will visit the historic site of the 16th street baptist church. we will walk in kelly ingram park with congressman john lewis, and walk in his footsteps . we will visit the civil rights institute in birmingham, alabama, and then we will travel on saturday to montgomery, alabama, and we are see dexter avenue baptist church where martin luther king was a young

pastor. we will also enjoy in the evening a dinner, a dinner with -- in the state capital, montgomery, alabama, in the state capital, could you imagine that almost 50 years from 1965 that white members of congress and black members of congress would be able to sit and break bread with the governor of the state of alabama? we will do that on saturday. and on sunday i get to welcome a delegation to my hometown, selma, alabama, and we will go to my home church, brown chapel a.m.e. church, where i have been a member for 30 years, where my mother is on the board of trustees. we will sit in that church.

we will partake and experience that which people did 50 years ago. and then we will march hand in hand across the edmund pet tuss bridge -- pet us -- pettus, i know that i would not be here if it weren't for the fact that people marched, people died, people prayed. for the opportunity that we enjoy today. i could not imagine as a little black girl from selma, alabama, that i would be the first black congresswoman from the state of alabama, but i can because they marched. i can because they died. i can because people prayed. i ask my colleagues to join me and congresswoman martha roby and congressman john lewis and

so many others in supporting this house resolution today. thank you. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. lungren: mr. speaker, although obviously the efforts in the civil rights movement were the culmination of efforts by people of all faith, i find it instructive that this march takes place during the period of lent that in the christian faith is a period of reflection and sacrifice as we prepare for easter sunday. last sunday in my home parish out in california, i recall the readings at the first sunday of lent about the temptations of christ in the desert.

and we received a remarkable sermon at our church in which the theme was expressed with the words, the crown without the cross that the essence of the temptation of christ was whether he as god made man was able to make the decision or was tempted to make the decision to accept the crown without accepting the cross. that is, to accept the kinship that he as god had without going through the demands and the terror and the death of the cross. and i'm reminded of that today because i think of that question that john lewis and others had

as they crossed that bridge and as they reached the crest and they saw the troopers at the other side, do you turn back, and do you not accept the cross that is coming in order to achieve that which needs to be done to redeem this country and its promise of equality to all as contained in the constitution of the declaration of independence? and i would say that i was inspired as i was there with my wife and others on the march several years ago, standing with those on the democratic side. john lewis, of course, being a regular member and he wrote to those of us who reflected on that period that perhaps the most magnificent piece of literature that came out of the civil rights movement in my judgment is the letter from the birmingham jail by dr. king.

and i would commend to my colleagues and to others who might hear our words that they go back and take time to read those words. dr. king sitting in jail, without access to any texts, wrote a magnificent epistle of his generation and our generation to the conscience of the american people. and he found no difficulty whatsoever in utilizing his heartfelt religious values and principles in extending the promise of that prin message and -- christian message and the religions values found in our judeo-christian tradition to the underpinnings of our constitution and challenged us to understand the difference to understand the difference between