consumers, for whom it is primarily intended. insurance premiums are set through numerous factors that take into account driver characteristics such as age, gender, marital status, driving records and geographic aloe case. no brochure produced annually by the federal government can accurately gauge a new car owner's insurance premium cost. a recent survey by the national automobile dealers association confirmed what was expected. out of 00 new car dealers polled, an overwhelming 96% of the dealers answered that not a single customer had ever even asked for a booklet. i would like to make note that if this regulation is repealed, the data will still be compiled and nhtsa will still have the discretion to provide the information to consumers on their website. we have heard from witnesses like mr. jack fitzgerald, who has been in the car business

all his life. neither he nor his employees had ever been asked for a copy of this booklet. in my home constituent of mississippi, butch ocelont and his employees at their ford dealership said not one customer had ever asked for this booklet despite selling thousands of vehicles over the years. . when customers come into a dealership and ask what their insurance premium will be, they all agree that the best way to get an accurate quote is for them to simply contact their insurance agent. this simple and bipartisan bill, if passed, would show that congress is serious about efforts to alleviate burdensome and unneeded regulations for

businesses across this nation. the president states that it's a business of his administration to get rid of unnecessary paperwork requirements that waste time and money. i say congress should lead now with h.r. 5859. i'd like to thank subcommittee chairman bono mack, chairman upton and the energy and commerce committee for moving h.r. 5859. i would also like to thank congressman bill owens from new york for his hard work and leadership on this legislation, and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from north carolina. mr. butterfield: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from new york, mr. owens. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. owens: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you to my colleague. i'm having a little trouble with the microphone. here we go. mr. speaker, i rise today to join mr. harper as an original co-sponsor to offer legislation to repeal an outdated mandate on auto dealerships across the

country. under current rules, the national highway traffic safety administration is required to distribute a booklet on auto insurance costs to dealers. those dealers are required to keep the booklet onhand and made available to prospective customers. i had the honor to represent two dealers. working alongside them helped me better understand the automobile retail market and the pressures dealers are under to remain competitive. today, we have a chance to remove a regulation that we can all agree is outdated, for the benefit of taxpayers like those in my congressional district. i believe actions like this make common sense, and i urge more of it. over the past 21 years, nhtsa has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars distributing this information. much of which is unnecessary for an average customer trying

to make an informed decision in the showroom. recent surveys show few, if any, customers ask for this information in a given year. in fact, as much as 96% of auto dealers have never once been asked for this information at all. putting information in the hands of consumers is sensible. for the average american family, buying a car is a major expense. most people will consider price, safety ratings and other features and compare a number of makes and models before making a purchase. however, the data shows that few american families make nhtsa's relative collision insurance cost information booklet a part of that decisionmaking process. with that in mind, our legislation simply ensures that auto dealers will in longer make this be made available at the taxpayers' expense.

this information will be available online which hlbi said they will do. this is an example of commonsense bipartisanship we need to see more of working to reduce outdated or overly burdened information. i thank mr. harper for his leadership on this issue and for working with me to get this done for auto dealers across the country. moreover, i am pleased to have the opportunity to work with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to help make government work better. i urge a yes vote on this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from california. mrs. bono mack: i'd like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. kelly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for five minutes. mr. kelly: i thank the gentlelady from california. mr. speaker, i rise today to urge passage of h.r. 5859. this legislation repeals the requirement that auto dealers provide consumers with an insurance cost booklet. now, i actually know about this because i am an automobile

dealer. and i've spent 45 years in the showroom and on the lots and for the best of my recollection, nobody, and we service anywhere from 800 to 1,000 people a month, nobody has ever come into our showroom and never asked for that booklet. just never happens. now, this booklet is totally irvelarde rant for the average customer. this table presents vehicles collision loss experience in relative terms with 100 representing the average for all passenger cars. thus, a rating of 1 2 reflects a collision loss experience that is 22% higher or worse than average while a rating of 96 reflects the collision loss that is 4% lower or better than average. now, it also goes on to say, it's unlikely your premium will vary 10%. it goes on to say, if you really want to find out about the insurance, what you need to

do is contact the insurance carrier. and companies directly. you know what, i didn't want to base it just on what i know and what hundreds of my friends -- i talked to a lot of my friends in the automobile business also asking, have you ever had anybody walk in the store and ask for them, and to a person they say, absolutely not. never happened. we called the nhtsa hotline, the booklet hotline. this is nhtsa's representative. i have no idea about the booklet. and they said, you know what you need to do, you need to call your insurance agent. now, this is nhtsa's person. this is their hotline. last month i, again, not relying on my 45 years of experience, but went back into our stores and i asked our guys and girls that have a combined sales experience of 250 years. i said, listen, i never had this happen. but has anybody ever come in and asked for this insurance collision loss booklet?

nobody. nobody has ever come in. zero. nada. nobody has come in and asked for this booklet. now, here's the deal. dealers have to have this booklet available. if somebody asks for it, you can't provide it, there's a fine of $1,000 per occurrence with a max of $400,000. that's what the fine is capped at. if someone comes in the showroom, asks for the booklet, don't have it, you get fined $1,000. the government caps it at $400,000. so when you look at these things, again, the unintended consequences have such a dire affect on the american people. these are taxpayer dollars that are again being wasted on information that is irrelevant, never asked for, nobody cares about it. so i join my colleagues and i thank mr. owens and i also thank mr. harper and mrs. bono mack for bringing this forward

today. another waste of taxpayer money. i urge passage of h.r. 5859, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from north carolina. mr. butterfield: i don't have any more speakers on my side. i'll reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california. mrs. bono mack: we have no more speakers. i'm going to reserve and allow the gentleman -- mr. butterfield: if you have no more speakers then i am prepared to yield back. i will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina yields back his time. the gentlelady from california. mrs. bono mack: thank you, mr. speaker. in closing i want to strongly urge passage of h.r. 5859. it passed unanimously out of the energy and commerce committee and i'd like to again thank mr. butterfield for his hard work and thank the staff for their hard work and the bipartisan nature that we all approach this with. in 1993, the insurance reporting provision probably made sense, but today after being road tested now for

nearly 20 years, and so much information currently available to consumers simply on the internet, the kelly blue book value on this regulation is just darn near next to nothing. let's junk it and move on. with that, mr. speaker, i urge passage of this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5859, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill s. 1335. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 1335, an act to amend title 49, united states code, to provide rights for pilots, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from indiana, mr. bucshon, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. costello, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana. mr. bucshon: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on s. 1335. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bucshon: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bucshon: i rise in strong support of the pilot's bill of rights. s. 1335 is intended to restore fairness to airmen and federal aviation administration enforcement proceedings by providing airmen timely access to critical information and adding an additional level of

appeal for airmen disputing enforcement action. this bill also requires the f.a.a. to improve the system of providing notices to airmen and directs the f.a.a. to review and improve the medical certification form. pilots have expressed frustration and concerns about what they believe is unfair and inequitable to a treatment during f.a.a. enforcement proceedings before the national transportation safety board. they explain that the burden of proof is on the airman to prove his or her innocence rather than the f.a.a. proving guilt. to address this, the pilot's bill of rights directs that to the extend the ntsb finds practicable, f.a.a. enforcement proceedings should be conducted in accordance with the federal rules of civil procedure and federal rules of evidence. this is consistent with protections provided to defendants in other parts of our legal system. the pilot's bill of rights also

requires the f.a.a. to better inform and advise an airman who is the subject of an investigation of his or her rights. the goal is to provide an airman with better and timely access to information. this includes notifying an airman that the releaseable portions of the administers' investigative report will at the appropriate time be available to the airman. the bill also clarifies that air traffic data, collected by a government contractor that is available to the f.a.a., such as air traffic communication tapes, radar information and air traffic controller statements will also be available to the airman. however, it is important that the pilot community understands that when the data is to be obtained from a government contractor, time is of the essence. tapes contained -- containing air traffic data from contractors is ordinarily recycled after 15 days and would no longer be available to

the f.a.a. or the airman. s. 1335 eliminates language that expressably -- expressly bound the ntsb to all validly adopted interpretations of laws and regulations of the f.a.a. unless the ntsb finds an interpretation to be arbitrary, capricious or otherwise not according to law. the amendments are made only because they are redundant of what is already provided under law. the ntsb, when reviewing f.a.a. cases, will continue to apply principles of judicial deference to the f.a.a. interpretations of the laws, regulations and policies in accordance with the supreme court precedent. the pilot's bill of rights adds an additional way to appeal to the ntsb's decisions regarding f.a.a. enforcement action. currently, an airman goes before an administrative law judge at the ntsb and can appeal any decisions to the full ntsb board and ultimately

to the court of abeels. according to pilots, the courts generally defer to the ntsb's decisions. it's not a true or fair appelate process. the pilot's bill of rights allows an airman to appeal his or her case in the either the u.s. district court or circuit court of appeals. it is the intent of congress that courts not act in a way that is contrary to civil aviation safety and con-- in conducting their review of the ntsb's decisions. lastly, the pilot's bill of rights requires the f.a.a. to improve the system of providing notices to airmen and to undertake an assessment of the medical certification standards and forms. . the outdated medical certification process can lead to confusion and ultimately an f.a.a. than forcement

proceeding. i rise in support of s. 1335 and urge my colleagues to do the same and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. >> i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i rise in support of s. 1335, pile's -- pilot's bill of rights. i thank everyone for bringing the bill to the floor. it revises the process for the federal aviation administration enforcement action against pilots, mechanics and other airmen and directs to streamline information provided to pilots before flight. as i have said, the f.a.a. must have the authority and resources necessary to keep the skies

safe. to keep the skies safe, the f.a.a. must use its enforcement power to take action against those who act in an junch safe manner. this bill requires the f.a.a. to hand over at the earliest appropriate time that could be used against pilots and provides pilots with a new opportunity to test the f.a.a.'s enforcement orders in court. the bill directs the f.a.a. to streamline its notification to pilots and make sure they receive relevant safety information before flight. this legislation is strongly supported by the aircraft owners and pilots association and the general aviation community. i'm pleased to support this bill authored by my friend, senator inhofe, and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana is

recognized. mr. bucshon: i rise in support of s. 1335 and i thank the gentleman from missouri, mr. graves, and mr.la opinions ki -- and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i urge adoption and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from indiana. mr. bucshon: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 1335. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek

recognition? >> i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3742. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: house calendar number 149, h.r. 3742, a bill to designate the united states courthouse located at 100 north church street in las cruces new mexico as the edwin l. mechem united states courthouse the speaker pro tempore: the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana, mr. bucshon and the gentleman from illinois, mr. costello, each will have 20 minutes. mr. bucshon: i ask unanimous consent that members have five legislative days and include extraneous material. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. bucshon: i yield myself such time as i may consume. h.r. 3742 would designate the

united states courthouse in las cruces, new mexico as the edwin l. mechem united states courthouse. i thank the gentleman from new mexico, representative pearce, for his work. judge mechem served more than 30 years as a u.s. district judge until his death in 2002. prior to his judicial apoint meant, judge mechem served as governor of new mexico for four terms and served as a u.s. senator and a member of the new mexico house of representatives. in his career, he worked as a special agent for the f.b.i. judge mechem dedicated his life to public service. it is fitting to name this courthouse after him. i urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from indiana is recognized -- excuse me, illinois.

mr. costello: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i support h.r. 3742 and introduced by the gentleman from new mexico and it would designate the united states courthouse located at 100 north church street in las cruces, new mexico as the edwin l. mechem united states courthouse. he spent a lifetime in public service. earlier in his career he was a special agent of the federal bureau of investigation during world war ii and a land survare for the u.s. reclamation service. judge mechem was elected to the new mexico house of representatives and wept on to become a four-term republican governor of the state of new mexico and later he was apointed to the united states senate to represent the state of new mexico. in 1970, president nixon appointed judge mechem as a federal judge for the district

of new mexico, where he served for 32 years before he passed away in 2002. judge mechem will be remembered for his commitment to public service and his distinguished service as a federal judge. i encourage my colleagues to support h.r. 3742 and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from indiana is recognized. mr. bucshon: i rise in strong support of h.r. 3742. i wish to yield three minutes to the gentleman from from new mexico, mr. pearce. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. pearce: i thank the gentleman for yielding and i thank subcommittee chairmen for moving h.r. 3742. i rise in strong support of this bill. this bill would name the united states courthouse located in las cruces, new mexico as the edwin l. mechem united states

courthouse. governor mechem was a community leader who dedicated his life to public service and four-term governor of new mexico and the first governor born in new mexico post statehood. governor mechem served as a member of the new mexico house of representatives and the united states senate and as a united states district judge for the district of new mexico. he presided as united states district judge from 1970 until his death in 2002. he was born in new mexico shortly after new mexico gained state hood and attended the mexico state university in las cruces, new mexico and following graduation from the university of arkansas school of law, he returned to new mexico to practice law. despite having a successful law practice, he answered america's call and joined the f.b.i. during world war ii. after the allied victory, he returned to his practice but then ran for a seat in the house

of representatives, for which he was elected. he served two terms in the state house and made a successful bid for governor of the state of new mexico. he became the only four-term governor of new mexico. he then served two years as united states senator. on october 8, 1970, governor mechem was confirmed by the united states senate as united states district judge for the district of new mexico. he served in that position until his death in 2002. in a letter to my office, his wife wrote, he loved this state from one end to the other and vacations were rarely taken outside of new mexico. all of his life, he loved to spend his free time driving the back roads checking the water situation and seeing all was well with our crops, our business and our communities. this year marks the 100th anniversary of new mexico state hood on july 2, 2012, governor

mechem's birthday. naming this courthouse during 2012 is an honor befitting his life of service and i ask my colleagues to vote in favor of h.r. 3742 and strongly encourage quick action and passage by our friends in the senate. thank you, mr. chairman. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. costello: thank you, mr. speaker. i would ask my friend from indiana if he has other speakers. mr. bucshon: i have no other speakers. mr. costello: i have no further speakers and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana. mr. bucshon: i rise in support of h.r. 3742 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3742. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the

rules are suspended, the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? mr. bucshon: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3556. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3556, a bill to designate the new united states courthouse in buffalo, new york, as the robert h. jackson united states courthouse. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from indiana -- pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from indiana, mr. bucshon and the gentleman from illinois, mr. costello, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana. mr. bucshon: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and stepped their remarks and include extraneous material

on h.r. 3556. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bucshon: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bucshon: h.r. 3556 would designate the courthouse in buffalo, new york, as the robert h. jackson united states courthouse. justice jackson was an associate justice of the united states supreme court from 1941 to 1954. he had a long career in public service, including participating in the landmark desegregation case brown versus the board of education and serving as chief counsel for the united states in charge of prosecuting nazi leaders at newer yes, ma'am berg. he served the -- nuremberg. i believe it is appropriate to honor his dedication by naming this courthouse after him. i support the passage of this legislation and i urge my colleagues to do the same. mr. speaker, i reserve.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. costello: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 3556 introduced by the gentleman from new york, mr. higgins and at this time, i would yield five minutes to my good friend, congressman higgins from new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. higgins: mr. speaker, the new federal court house in buffalo opened last november. it opened with great fanfare and it is a beautiful building that enhances our community and will provide needed space for the crucial work that is done there. but the opening of the courthouse is also significant to western new york because it did not come easily. in the 1990's, federal judges began to make the case the michael dylan courthouse in buffalo and no longer suit tabble for the growing case load for the western district of new

york. the united states judicial conference agreed and ranked a new courthouse in buffalo near the top of the list of new facilities it annually sends to congress. yet, the two federal judges watched along as the rest of our community as congress repeatedly passed over buffalo to other facilities around the country, but the judges kept tighting and so did buffalo. we passed the funding through congress in 2007 and we now have a magnificent 10-story structure right on historic niagra square we can be proud of. the bill before us today would name this new courthouse for supreme court screws ties, chief u.s. prosecutor at the nuremberg trials, u.s. sole general robert h.j. -- jackson. he was raised in jamestown, new

york and spent most of his life in western new york. he lived in johnson park now in the shadow of the new courthouse and practiced law. he would often walk to work from his home passing the site where the new courthouse now sits. he was a proposal nement attorney in buffalo. when he was called to washington by president franklin roosevelt. as u.s. solicitor general he argued more than 30 cases before the united states supreme court on which he would later sit. and justice brandeis said jackson was so good that he should be solicitor general for life and as u.s. attorney, jackson focused on national security issues as united states headed toward involvement in world war ii. robert jackson served the united states supreme court for 14

terms and took part in the landmark decision prohibiting segregation in brown very board of education. united states constitutional scholar calls him the most eloquent writer ever to serve in the united states supreme court. at the request of president truman, jackson took a leave of absence from the court to serve as a chief prosecutor of nazi war criminals at the nuremberg trials. he was the driving force behind the trials bringing nazi criminals to justice and establishing a foundation for international law. . he spoke of freedom being the essence of man. he said, america's history and promise is to help other

nations to find freedom in their own terms. jackson's oral arguments at nurmburg is among the greatest speeches of the 20th century. shortly after the trials concluded, justice jackson was asked to speak at the university of buffalo's centennial celebration on october 4, 1946. with over 2,000 people in attendance, jackson's speech was delivered with power and eloquence. in it he said that education is humanity's hope, connecting his work at nuremberg to there. the leadership of the western new york district of new york has endorsed naming their building in honor of justice jackson. judge scrut knee called him the most -- scutny called him the most acclaimed legal mind to come out of western new york. he's the only justice from western new york making this

honor especially significant. i want to thank chairman mica and ranking member rahall for bringing this bill to the floor today, and i would like to thank the western new york congressional delegation, and the entire new york delegation, including our two senators, for their bipartisan and unanimous support of this bill. this is a proud day for western new york and i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana, mr. bucshon: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. costello: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask my friend from indiana if he has further speakers. mr. bucshon: i have no speakers. mr. costello: i ask support of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana. mr. bucshon: mr. speaker, i also urge support for h.r. 3556 and yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3356. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. and for what purpose does the gentleman from alaska seek recognition? mr. young: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4347. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: house calendar number 450, h.r. 4347, to designate the united states courthouse located at 709 west 9th street in juneau, alaska, as the robert boochever united states courthouse. mr. young: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from alaska, mr. young, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. costello, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from alaska.

mr. young: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 4347. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. young: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. young: mr. speaker, h.r. 4347 will designate the united states courthouse in juneau, alaska, as the robert boochever united states courthouse. judge boochever served our country in the united states army during world war ii and moved to alaska in 1940 where he worked for the u.s. attorney's office and private practice. in 1972 he was appointed to alaska's supreme court and served three years as chief justice. in 1980 he he was the first alaskan appointed as judge in the ninth circuit court of appeals and served for more than 30 years until his death in 2011. his commitment to law and service made him a sovereign

jurist. i support passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. costello: mr. speaker, thank you. and, mr. speaker, youms. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. costello: mr. speaker, h.r. 4347 designates the united states courthouse located at 709 west ninth street in juneau, alaska, as the robert boochever united states courthouse. mr. speaker, judge boochever will always be remembered for his outstanding legal expertise and his extraordinary role in the juneau community making the courthouse to be designated as the robert boochever united states courthouse. mr. speaker, i support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to support the legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from alaska. mr. young: i reserve.

mr. costello: mr. speaker, i urge support of this legislation and ye. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the gentleman from alaska. mr. young: i urge passage of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4347. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from alaska seek recognition? mr. young: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass s. 2039. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2039, an act to allow a state or local government to construct levees on certain properties otherwise designated as open space lands. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from alaska, mr.

young, and the gentleman from missouri, mr. carnahan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from alaska. mr. young: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material for s. 2039. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. young: mr. speaker, at this time i ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from north dakota, mr. berg, be permitted to control the remainder of the time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. berg: thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. berg: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. berg: mr. speaker, senate bill 2039 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by senators from north dakota conrad and hoeven which passed the senate by unanimous consent in january of this year. this bill will provide a great deal of help to the citizens of our state. the text of 2039 allows for a process of building permanent

levees on federal land in north dakota. with the approval of fema and the army corps of engineers. i want to highlight the unique situation we have in north dakota. and this legislation tends to address just that. first of all, fargo, north dakota, it's faced repeated flooding along the red river which runs through the heart of the city. the city is constructed to permanent -- has constructed a permanent levee. however, over the years some properties have been bought out along the river bank with federal funds. as a result, we have a patchwork of properties that exist along this levee system with gaps in the system. recurring flooding along the red river requires temporary levees to go up nearly every year only to be taken down.

and what happens repeatedly over and over is the taxpayer waste of money. as my colleagues know, another place faced enormous flooding last spring. thousands of homes were lost and the community sustained hundreds and millions of dollars in damages. the city of minot now plans to rebuild. the major new flood protection system, including rebuilding the levees that were in place. this was in the middle of the city. this means that they will have the same frustration and expense of constructing temporary levees year after year as it is in fargo. the legislation is to permit a levee construction on federally purchased properties. in these areas of north dakota with the approval of fema and

the corps. both fargo and minot, a levee will be in place regardless of this legislation. what this commonsense bill is trying to prevent is the absurdity and the expense to taxpayers of building and then taking down a temporary levee every year every time there's a flood. this bill does contain important restrictions to ensure federal costs are not incurred. before approving a process, fema and the army corps of engineers must first determine that the levee will be effective in mitigating against the flood risk versus having an open floodplain. the permanent levee flood protection will be the most cost-effective nature to protect against flood risk. and minimize the future cost to

the federal government. also, that the state or local government seeking to build the levee has provided adequate detailed plans for maintenance of the proposed levee, and the state and local government has a detailed finance plan to pay for it. all of the above must be demonstrated before construction plan can be approved. and furthermore, this federal review itself must be paid for entirely by the local or state government. mr. speaker, the construction of a permanent levee is far more fiscally responsible than the annual cost associated each year with tearing down building and tearing down these temporary levees. and most importantly, this legislation eliminates the cost of fema and the corps of engineers already incurred time

and time again as they're forced to build these and tear them down. the temporary levees in the state of north dakota. this legislation provides better stewardship of taxpayers' dollars. it provides sound protections against future federal expense, and it will save the local, state and federal government money. and most importantly, it will ensure better flood protection for the communities of minot and fargo in north dakota. i ask my colleagues for their support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair recognizes the gentleman from missouri. mr. carnahan: yeah, mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. carnahan: mr. speaker, with respect to the gentleman from north dakota, there are some differences on this bill. and i rise to ask my colleagues to vote no on s. 2039, a bill that would increase the likelihood of flooding along

the missouri river that imfacts several states, putting millions of people at risk. this legislation has not had a hearing in either the house or the senate, nor has the american people or impacted communities had the opportunity to weigh in. the bill goes against longstanding federal policy that would still apply to the other 49 states, just not north dakota. once federal funds are used to relocate communities and buildings out of floodplains, that land is meant to be dedicated and maintained in perpetuity for use that is compatible for open space or wetlands management practices. this bill would stop that from happening in north dakota. despite the fact that the issue was already addressed in specific allowances for communities in north dakota in recently signed -- in the recently signed biggers-waters

flood reform act of 2012. but this bill that's on the floor today doesn't require local communities to reimburse the federal government and taxpayers for those previous buyouts. without a hearing, it's hard to even know why s. 2039 is even necessary. mr. speaker, floods are the most frequently occurring natural disasters in this nation. they happen in all 50 states. and according to noaa, there has been a steady increase in the u.s. of extreme flooding events. in fact, my home state of missouri has had its fair share. . in 2008, we faced a 200-year flood. in 1993, it was a 500-year flood. we are talking about abnormal levels of flooding that would only be exacerbated by this bill. last year, we faced millions of dollars in losses because of

weeks upon weeks of flooding. the army corps of engineers expects this to occur every 10 to 25 years. crops were delayed and river boat casinos were closed. estimates of crop damage was as high as $2 billion and missouri was not the only state to suffer. kentucky saw $5 million in damages. mississippi suffered hundreds of millions of dollars of damage. this devastation was not from rainfall. it was created by runoff a thousand miles north in north dakota. ip creased rainfall led to flooding in my state and others. this bill would allow levees to be created which would greatly increase flooding. rather than exempt north dakota from the stafford act we should

be returning it to marshes and wetlands and these areas absorb significant amounts of water. slow runoff water and minimize the frequency that streams and rivers reach catastrophic flood levels. rather than protecting the environment and letting nature do what it is designed to do, this bill would set precedent for other states, increasing catastrophic flood levels across the country and devastating our nation's businesses, farms and infrastructure. i urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north dakota. mr. berg: i want to make this perfectly clear. this is not affecting the missouri river. this is focus odd a very flat area in the eastern part of our state. as was mentioned this came to the senate with unanimous

consent. senators along the missouri river from north dakota all the way done were supportive of this. what the essence of this problem is, we have a levee. downtown levee in a city and there are gaps there. what happens when there is a flood and every year we have floods, a temporary levee is put in. trucks and they tear it up, build it and as soon as it is done, it is torn down again. this is disrupttive and impacts the natural habitat. this is where this is focused to be. and the other thing that is important that i would like to stress, this legislation requires the corps of engineers to approve it. and those of us dealing with the missouri river and the corps' management, nothing would be asked for, but if something were asked for, the corps wouldn't do anything to disrupt the missouri waterway all the way down. mr. speaker, this is an urgent

thing. our state has been -- we had 10,000 people that were dislocated from their homes. 4,000 homes, and these people have the uncertainty of not knowing where they can rebuild. this will help the city of mino t. there are 1,400 families currently not back in their homes and living with neighbors and friends. they aren't sure when the temporary levees go down what they should do next. and this is the urgency of this bill and that's why it is before you today. i do urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. carnahan: i would like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. blumenauer: i appreciate the gentleman's leadership. he comes from an area that has seen its own devastation in terms of flood. we are talking about a river

system where we have geared the area and we have been fighting for years to try and obtain an appropriate balance. this is not fiscally responsible approach. it is interesting that it is opposed by taxpayers for common sense. the national taxpayers' union, the american conservative union, the american enter prize institute who have joined with common cause along with a wide array of environmental organizations as well as the professionals who deal with the management of flood plains, the association of state flood plain managers and vast array of businesses, particularly those who are involved with insurance and reinsurance. this is a prescription for disaster. bear in mind that there was in the transportation bill recently approved, there were proposals that were part of the issues

that were for five parcels. as my friend from st. louis points out, has never had a hearing, would open it up to some 37,000 units of land in north dakota. it doesn't restrict it. additionally, it doesn't require that the federal government that paid for this land to be taken and put in a natural state where it could absorb the flood plain -- the floodwaters, that they get this for free. now, mr. speaker, i have worked in flood insurance reform now for over 10 years. the last major flood insurance bill, i was co-author with my good friend. we worked hard to try and make sure that we weren't going to

subsidize people to live in places where nature has shown where they repeatedly don't belong and we weren't going to be in a situation where one part of the federal government subsidizes to move the problem downstream. and what we see repeatedly is that major river systems that are fortified, that we try and fight against nature by putting in a series of levees. it channels that water. it accelerates and it moves it downstream and actually makes flooding worse. now, it also in a very perverse way increases the risk in some of these areas that get levees, because ultimately there are floods. and when you put a levee in, you give the illusion of safety. and then there's more

development behind the levee. so instead of having natural area absorbing the runoff and avoiding loss because the taxpayers are now off the hook in these areas that we have purchased and returned to a natural state, then you have the cycle repeating. there's a reason these vast array of organizations are opposed to it. it's not environmentally sound, it's not fiscally sound. it violates important principles of flood control. it's going to make it harder -- and bear in mind, these parcels were voluntarily purchased. but -- are people going to give up land in the future if it might be subject to a levee and development and a repetition of flooding? i think not. i would really hope that my colleagues pay careful attention

to this legislation. look at the vast array of groups and organizations that are opposed to it. question why it is coming to the floor without ever having a hearing. and most important, look at what the devastation will occur if we move away from these established principles. listen to the flood plain managers, listen to the environmentalists. listen to the taxpayer advocates. protect the system. reject this ill-conceived measure. and i yield back. i ask unanimous consent to put in the record a partial list of the organizations that are opposed to this legislation. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. berg: these are exactly why we need to do this. there's passion when it comes to floods, passion when it comes to

levees. what concerns me is people don't understand probably what the red river valley is like. this is flat. when there is a break in the levee, this isn't just a few homes, but will be miles and miles and miles. the levee is going to be there. the only thing we are doing here, right now, the federal government, when there is a flood, pays for it. month later, they pay for it to tear it down time and time again. if you are concerned about the environment and being disruptive, we need to have a permanent levee system that is already in place that has very little impact on the environment. as we work through these commonsense solutions, this will help build a relationship so we can solve these problems both in flood protection as well as the missouri river. just to reiterate that point,

this bill has nothing to do with the missouri river. and it passed under unanimous consent in the senate with senators up and down the missouri supporting it. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from missouri is recognized. mr. carnahan: again, i think we are seeing the complexity of this issue. and i just want to follow up on the gentleman from oregon's remarks that the groups that have weighed in on this bill from taxpayer groups on the conservative side to professional managers to more progressive environmental groups have weighed in against this bill. and under the previously agreed general leave request, i want to include letters in statement of opposition from over 30 national and state organizations, including the association of state flood plain managers,

taxpayers for common sense, the national taxpayers union, the competitive enterprise institute, american rivers, the national wildlife federation, the nature conservanc and republicans for environmental protection. not a group of organizations you often see on the same page. i would yield back -- i don't have any further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from missouri yields back. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. berg: there is 1,400 people in minot not living in their homes. every year there is an uneasyness where the people who

live in the red river valley. this is an important bill and critical for long-term planning and will save not only the federal government money but the local government money and save all the volunteer time that goes into building a levee and taking it down. you would agree that a permanent levee that ties into the landscape would really be a positive impact on the wildlife and the habitat in those areas. with that, i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate bill 2039. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- mr. carnahan: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking

this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? >> i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3870. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3870, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 6083 highway 36 west

in rose bud, arkansas, as the nicky "nick" daniel bacon post office. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york, ms. buerkle, and the gentlewoman from virginia, mr. connolly, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. buerkle: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks an include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. buerkle: h.r. 3870, introduced by the gentleman from arkansas, mr. griffith, would designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 6083 highway 36 west in rose bud, arkansas, as the nick question -- as the nicky "nick" daniel bacon post office.

this was reported from the goth and -- oversight and government reform in february. nick bacon was known for his heroism as he served in the vietnam war. in his second tour in vietnam, he assumed command of his company when his platoon leader was wounded in open ground. he led his platoon to defeat a gun crew. another platoon moved to the area, and its leader was lead -- was wounded. he didn't hesitate to take over that and continue -- platoon and continue the fight. we are truly grateful for the brave service of nirk bacon and for all of those who serve and defend our nation every dayism urge my colleagues to joan me in strong support of this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i thank the speaker. as a member of the house committee on oversight and government reform i'm pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of h.r. 3870, to dez ig nate the facility of the u.s. postal service located at 6083 highway 36 west in rose bud, arkansas, as the nicky "nick" daniel bacon post office. he served his tour of duty, maize colleague from new york indicated, during his first tour of duty in vietnam. a helicopter he was riding in collided with another. all but sergeant bacon and one other soldier perished. despite that fact, he did not shrink from the call of duty and would go on to volunteer for a second tour. his bravery and courage are something that was recognized by this country when he was atwheard medal of honor by then-president rich afford nixon in 1969.

i urge passage of h.r. 3870 and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentlewoman from -- the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. ms. buerkle: i would like to yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this legislation, mr. griffith. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. griffith: i thank the gentlelady, thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of my bill, h.r. 3870 to designate the u.s. post office located at 6083 highway 36 west in rose bud, arkansas, as the nicky "nick" daniel bacon post office. nick bacon is one of arkansas' finest sons and he dedicated his life to serving our country. mr. bacon was born in careway, arkansas, on november 25, 1945. in 1963, at the age of 17, he

forged his mother's signature so he could enlist in the army. he went on to serve two tours in vietnam. on august 26, 1968, while serving as a squad leader with the first platoon, company b, in an operation west of tanki, mr. bacon and his unit came under fire. he destroyed an enemy position with hand fwranids but his platoon leader was wounded in open ground. without hesitating, he assumed command and led the platoon in the stroying still more enemy emplacements. when the third platoon leader was wounded, mr. bacon took command of that platoon as well, leading both platoons against the remaining enemy positions. during evacuation of the wounded, he climbed up on the deck of a nearby tank and from that vantage point directed

fire into enemy positions. all while exposed to enemy fire himself. he personally is credited with destroying an anti-tank weapon and moving the platoons forward so they could eliminate the enemy positions and rescue soldiers trapped at the front. for his actions on that day, mr. bacon received the medal of honor, which was presented to him by president richard nixon during a ceremony at the white house in 1969. mr. bacon also earned multiple awards for his accomplishments, including the distinguished service cross, the legion of merit, two bronze stars and a purple heart. after retiring from active duty, he continued his service to america. he served as director of the arkansas department of veterans' affairs from 1993 until his retirement in 2005. during that time, mr. bacon was

essential to the development of the arkansas state veterans cemetery and the arkansas state veterans cemetery beautification foundation. he also helped establish the arkansas veterans coalition. additionally new york 2004, mr. bacon was appointed by then-spoker of the house, denny hastert, to the veterans disability benefits commission, an independent 13-member panel responsible for studying the military system of compensating veterans for their jers. the commission was charged with ensuring the compensation system was equitable and fair. mr. bacon passed away on july 17, 2010, after a long battle with cancer. he was the last living medal of honor recipient from the state of arkansas and he is survived by his wife tamara and children and grandchildren. mr. bacon spent his final years

as a resident of rose bud, arkansas, and we can honor his heroism, bravery and service by installing a perment -- -- a a permanent marker to his bravery. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to honor his legacy. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i echo the sentiments of our colleague from arkansas and urge passage of h.r. 3870 and with no further speakers on this side, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle smk thank you, mr. speaker. i urge -- ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge all members to support h.r. 3870. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house pass h.r. 3870? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair,

2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman in new york seek recognition? ms. buerkle: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5837. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5837, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 26 east genesee street in baldwinsville, new york, as the corporal kyle schneider post office building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. buerkle, and the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, each will control 0 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. buerkle: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise

and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under considering. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. my bill, h r. 5837, would designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 26 east genesee street in baldwinsville, new york, as the corporal kyle schneider post office building. this is supported by the entire new york delegation and was reported favorably by the committee in june. kyle schneider was born and raised in baldwinsville. he's a graduate of high school in baldwinsville and attended community college for one year in criminal justice. he loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman. in 2008 he joined the marine

corps and graduated boot camp in downof 2008. he attended the school of infantry in july and graduated in september. from september to october, he attended the marine corps security forces training. in october of 2008, he was with a guard company marine barracks in washington, d.c. in may, 2010, he was transfered to echo company second battalion, eighth marine reg meant, marine expeditionary force. he was assigned to third platoon and deployed to afghanistan in support of operation enduring freedom. in defense of our nation, kyle was killed in afghanistan on june 30, 2011, by an improvised explosive device. he was 23 years old. corporal schneider is an american hero. he was a proud and valiant marine. he was also a son, a brother, a grandson, a thian say, a friend

-- a fiance, a friend and comrade. he is greatly missed and no words will diminish the grief of those who knew and loved him. in his death, he has earned the thanks of a grateful nation. let us honor the service and sacrifice of corporal schneider through the passage of this legislation to designate the bald ins vin post office in his -- baldwinsville post office in his honor. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the chair recognizes the gem from tissue the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i'm pleased to joan my colleague, ms. buerkle of new york, in support of h.r. 5837 to designate the facility of the united states postal service he kated at 26 east genesee street in baldwinsville, new york, as the

corporal kyle schneider post office billing. his sacrifice and bravery is worthy of this honor. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: i have no other speakers at the moment, i continue to reserve the -- i yield my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5837. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? ms. buerkle: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3593. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3593, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 787 state route 17m

in monroe, new york, as the national clan december tine service of the central intelligence agency ncs officer gregg david wenzel memorial post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. buerkle, and the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to yield such time as she may consume to my distinguished colleague from the state of new york, the sponsor of this legislation, representative hayworth. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. hayworth: i thank the gentlewoman from new york and i thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 3593, to designate the post office on state route 17m in monroe as the national clan december tine service of the central intelligence agency n.c.s. officer gregg david

wenzel memorial post office honors the life and service of gregg david wenzel who was from monroe and he is the son of gladys and mitchell winslow who still live in monroe. gregg graduated from monroe high school and the state university of new york at binghamton. he received his jures doctorate degree from binghamton. he received his jures doctorate degree from the university of miami school of law and served as a public defender in florida before beginning his career with the c.i.a. he did so because in his own words he wished to live for a greater purpose than himself. he was a member of the first post-september 11 training class and he was distinguished for his enthusiasm and leadership. he was assigned to addis ababa, eethyobea in -- ethiopia in 2002, losing his life there on

july 9, 2003. dwreg's c.i.a. affiliation was not revealed publicly for six years. in june, 2009, it was finally revealed when he was honored with a star on the memorial wall in the c.i.a. headquarters. then c.i.a. director leon panetta noted that, quote, we find some measure of solace in noting that gregg achieve what had he set out to do. he lived for a greater purpose than himself. i end that quote. when a man has gin his life as gregg david winslow did to protect our american liberties, honoring him through the tradition of naming a post office for his extraordinary service to our country is both fitting and inspiring. i think this gratitude -- our deepe -- our deepest gratitude goes to gregg's family, who i have had the pleasure of speaking with, for their sacrifice. while no memorial can remove the pain of parents and loved ones when they lose a child, i

hope that gregg's parents and family will find comfort in his receiving this eminently deserved posthumous recognition and mr. speaker, as ms. buerkle, i yield back. . mr. connolly: i thank the speaker and i'm pleased to join in support of my colleague from new york, in her urging us to pass h.r. 3593, to designate the facility of the postal service located at 787 state route 13-m in monroe, new york, as the national clandestine service of the central intelligence agency, gregg david wenzel memorial post office. as our colleague from new york indicated, this is a posthue mouse recognition of a -- posthumous recognition for the ultimate sacrifice for our country that finally can be recognized even though he served his country in a clandestine role. i urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and

with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. buerkle: mr. speaker, i urge all members to support the passage of h.r. 3593 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3593. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? ms. buerkle: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3477. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3477, a bill to

designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 133 hare road in crosby, texas, as the army first sergeant david mcnerney post office building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. buerkle, and the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include ex -- extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i would now like to yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the state of texas, sponsor of this legislation, mr. poe. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. poe: i thank the speaker and i thank the gentlelady from new york for yielding time. mr. speaker, it was the vietnam war. it was march, 1967.

45 years ago. army first sergeant david mcnerney's company was sent to recover a missing american army reconnaissance team. and as his company approached that reconnaissance team, they walked into heavy fire from the vietnamese army. mcnerney was soon wounded by a grenade and the commander was killed. but sergeant mcnerney took control of the situation. injury could not deter this patriot. he climbed a tree, exposing his position to heavy enemy fire, and called in close artillery fire. after that occurred he personally destroyed an enemy machine gun and always thinking of others he personally pulled wounded soldiers to safety and secured a landing zone for medical helicopters that were approaching. he had the chance to evacuate that evening but he refused and remained with his troops overnight on the battlefield

until a new commander arrived the next day. his actions stopped the enemy advance and saved many of his own men's lives. these actions of heroism earned david mcnerney the congressional medal of honor presented to him by linden baines johnson in 1968. mr. speaker, this is a fairly recent photograph of first sergeant david mcnerney. he kind of looks like clint eastwood to me. and he's just as tough because i knew him for a good number of years, until he died in 2010. this was not where sergeant mcnerney's service to america would end. on that battlefield in vietnam. he started really serving the united states when he joined the united states navy right out of st. thomas high school in houston, texas. he did two tours of duty in the korean war. and after leaving the navy in

1953, he joined the united states army and was one of the first 500 so-called advisors sent to vietnam by president kennedy in 1962. the acts that earned mcnerney the medal of honor came on his third tour of duty in vietnam. and after he received the congressional medal of honor, first sergeant david mcnerney from crosby, texas, volunteered for another tour of duty in vietnam. mr. speaker, amazing men that served america in the vietnam war. first sergeant mcnerney served with thousands of other vietnam troops and generally were not appreciated by america when they returned back home after doing what their country asked them to do. after he retired from the army in 1969, he worked in the customs service at the port of houston until 1965 or ex excuse

me, 1995. he served his country for 46 years in the united states navy, united states army, and the customs service. after all of his work and service he worked in the community in crosby. he led by example with his involvement in the crosby high school junior reserve officer training corps and the crosby american legion post of 658. first sergeant mcnerney died in texas on october 10, 2010, at the age of 79. still a patriot. he called his hometown crosby and they called him their hero. crosby american legion post 658 is named for him. mr. speaker, crosby, texas, like many of the towns mentioned in the last few resolutions and bills, is a small town in america. it's an old-fashioned flag-waving pat yotic town that -- patriotic town that honors our returning veterans from iraq and afghanistan. first sergeant mcnerney's bravery and commitment to our country and community is well worth the acknowledgment by

neaming -- naming a post office after him at 133 hair street in crosby, texas -- hare street in crosby, texas. men like army first sergeant david mcnerney are the reason our country, mr. speaker, has always had the best military in history. and that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i thank the speaker. again, i'm pleased to join my friend and colleague from texas in honoring this brave man and serving as many tours of duty in vietnam actually was a rare event in that era than the tours of duty in iraq and afghanistan. so, that was particularly noteworthy. so i'm pleased to urge my colleagues to join with judge poe and our other colleagues in support of h.r. 3477, in order to designate the facility of the united states postal service

located at 133 hare road in crosby, texas, as the army first sergeant david mcnerney post office building and i urge its adoption. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge all members to support the passage of h.r. 3477 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3477. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative -- mr. poe: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek

recognition? ms. buerkle: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2896. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2896, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 369 martin luther king jr. drive in jersey city, new jersey, as the judge shirley a. tolentino post office building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. buerkle, and the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 2896, introduced by the gentleman from new jersey, mr. payne, would designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 369 martin luther king drive in jersey city, new jersey, as the

judge shirley a. tolentino post office building. the bill is co-sponsored by the entire new jersey state delegation and was favorably reported by the committee on oversight and government reform on june 27. although representative payne passed away earlier this year, it is our privilege to consider h.r. 2896 today. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to join me in strong support of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 2896, which would name the post alpha silt located in 2 -- the postal facility located in jersey city, new england, after the late judge -- new jersey, after the late judge, shirley a. tolentino. this was a bill favored by our late colleague, donald payne of new jersey, and it's an honor and privilege to carry that bill on the floor today.

shirley tolentino was born in jersey city, served in the judicial system and lived a life of great accomplishments, graduating with a degree in latin, with honors from the college of st. elizabeth. judge tolentino taught latin and english when first starting law school. judge tolentino is the only african-american female in the graduating class of 1971. she became a deputy attorney general for the state of new jersey where she remained until being appointed to the jersey city municipal court in 1976. becoming the first female appointed to that position. judge tolentino received her master's in law degree in criminal justice from n.y.u. graduate school of law in 1980, while continuing to serve in the municipal court. she later was elevated to the position of presiding judge at the municipal court of new jersey, again as the first female to hold that position. with all those great accomplishments, she viewed her appointment and time served on a commission which would later

become the new jersey supreme court task force, a minority concerns, as her greatest accomplishment. during her time on the commission, she became chairman of the subcommittee on juvenile justice, as a member of the jersey city urban league, the girl scouts board, delta significant ma pheta sorority inc., she served in prominent roles and loved being part of a community and served as a role model for future generations, especially among young women. i urge passage of h.r. 2896 to honor a -- honor the life of judge tolentino and to remember our distinguished late colleague, donald payne of new jersey. and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: mr. speaker, i urge all members to support the passage of h.r. 2896 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2896.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? ms. buerkle: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1369. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1369, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1021 pennsylvania avenue in hartshorne, oklahoma, as the warren lindley post office. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. ms. buerkle: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. buerkle: mr. speaker, i urge all of my colleagues to join me in strong support of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i certainly am pleased to join my colleague, especially my colleague from oklahoma, mr. boren, urging our colleagues to support h.r. 1369, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1021 pennsylvania avenue in hartshorne, oklahoma, as the warren lindley post office, and am pleased to yield to my colleague, mr. boren from oklahoma, such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. boren: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 1369, a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 1021 pennsylvania avenue in hartshorne oklahoma, as the warren lindley post office. a bill that has the support of the entire oklahoma delegation. .

all of us who knew waen knew him for his caring heart. he proved time and again that he would go to great lepts to assist his community. the naming of a post office facility after this great man would not only honor his accomplishments, but also those in the community tissue also the community he cared so much about and worked hard to improve. after purchasing a grocery store in hartshorne, oklahoma, in 1989, he realized he could greatly cribblet to the improvement of the town. he brought in a convenience store, a laundromat and other opportunities to improve the community. during a historic ice storm, he worked to secure food, water and other necessary items for his townspeople, even personally delivering the goods to those that were most in

need. in addition to hiring many local students for their first job, warren provided numerous employees with a -- with the guidance and encouragement needed to earn scholarships for college and grow confident in their future. he was a self-made businessman a respected community leader, a beloved friend and admirable citizen. a post office named in his honor will serve as a reminder to the hartshorne community to live in service to one another. i know his widow is watching, and his family, and they are very proud that his legacy will go on. we will miss warren lindley and i urge passage of this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is -- the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: i join my colleague in urn -- in urging passing of h.r. 1369 and i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1369? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order. h.r. 2362 by the yeas and nays. s. 2039 by the yeas and nays. h.r. 3477 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 5-minute vote resm maining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlewoman from washington -- of the gentleman from washington, mr. hastings, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 236 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered.

the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2362, a bill to facile tit economic development by indian tribes an encourage investment by turkish enterprises. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules an pass the bill as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 222, the nays are 160. 2/3 not being in the affirmative, the rules are not suspended, the bill is not passed. vote vote -- the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from alaska, mr. young, to pass the rules senate 2034.

to suspend the rules and pass s. 2039 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2039, an act to allow a state or local government to construct levees on certain properties otherwise designated as open space land. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 126, the nays are 254. 2/3 not being in the affirmative, the rules are not suspended and the bill is not passed. unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlelady from new york to pass h.r. 3477 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3477 a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 133 hare road in

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

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 379, the nays are zero. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain one-minute requests. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas rise? mr. crawford: permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. mr. crawford: i rise today to honor george dunclan. he has worked tirelessly to maintain a wildlife population in arkansas. after being apointed by the governor, he has been a devoted public servant and one of the

plirments he is approved of is restoring water habitat. and it will make for a better environment for the many ducks. he worked on working with the army corps of engineers to provide minimum flow in the north fork water. he maintained a healthy balance. i appreciate his efforts and wish him well. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. engel: the tragic events that happened in aurora, colorado, just shows us in this country that if we don't have sensible gun control legislation, nen shame on us and we are the fools.

no one is against second amendment rights and no one is letting legitimate people the right to own guns. but what the shooter was able to obtain on the internet or in a gun shop, without any kind of background check whatsoever makes no sense whatsoever. i think that this congress has to come together and find out what language we can put in sensible gun control legislation to make sure that when someone buys weapons, they don't have 100, 200, 300, 1,000 times the amount of ammunition that a reasonable person would need to any reasonable event. my heart goes out to the victims in aurora and their families of which this tragedy should never happen again. thank you, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina

rise? mr. wilson: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. mr. wilson: todd harrison, a defense analyst at the center of strategic and budgetary assessments warned the impacts that sequestration will have if action is not taken. civilian employees, quote, could see 10, 15 or higher percentage being laid off shortly after sequestration goes into effect, end of quote. over 200,000 jobs are at risk in the state of virginia alone. i support armed services committee chairman to protect our national security and also to protect up to one million jobs that will be destroyed as a result of sequestration. job loss could be as high as 2.14 million. with record unemployment rate

now over 8% for over the past 41 months, the president and senate should adopt bills that have been passed by the house. in conclusion, we will never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. over the last three years the number of regulations imposed on small businesses has grown considerably. mr. paulsen: this year alone the federal register has ballooned to a staggering 41,662 pages, bearing our nation's small businesses in -- burying our nation's small businesses in paperwork and red tape. but it's not all about page numbers. there's real implications to our economic recovery as a result of the increased burden on small business. nearly half of all small businesses say they aren't hiring because of red tape. they're spending vital time and energy and money on navigating

the title of -- tide of regulations that are coming out of washington. these are resources that could be used to invest in new equipment and expand in their payrolls. mr. speaker this week the house will take action. action aimed to freeze onerous regulations, streamline the permitting process for construction projects and create transparency within regulatory agencies so that employers can have more time and more energy and more resources to growing and expanding their businesses and ultimately creating jobs. mr. speaker, it's time to help small businesses get out from under the red tape coming from washington. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas rise? the gentlelady is recognized. ms. jackson lee: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we all came together prayerfully last week as a tragedy in aurora, colorado, took place. the state of texas has a relationship with colorado. we probably will have won

territory some time ago but i rise today to extend my sympathy to congressman perlmutter and the entire congressional staff, congressional delegation in colorado, both house and senate. and i also rise to offer sympathy to the victims and those fallen, families, innocent, babies, children that were injured. and i reach out to say this. tell the n.r.a. to come and sit down with all of us, that this congress can work in an effective manner, that we can begin to look at issues such as buying 6,000 rounds of ammunition on the internet. not against the second amendment, but the fact that the internet sellers did not even have to give notice that one person was buying 6,000 rounds of ammunition, there's no federal law on that issue. there's not even a federal law to give notice on that issue. we can find common ground. something has to be done, whether it is a disturbed person or not. whether it's a terrorist act. and for me this issue was a terrorist condition because of

what happened. but i want us to come together as one. we can do so and we can come together to do what is good for the american people, respect the second amendment, but find ways to protect the american people, whoever they are, wherever they live, from these dangers. may god bless the people who have now fallen and those who suffer and god bless the united states of america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania rise? >> mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the dedication and hard work of the staff and volunteers of the centre county women's resource center which has addressed the harms of domestic violence while promoting community safety and centre county, pennsylvania, since 1975. the women's resource center provides vital services to women, children and men who have been victims of sexual assault and/or domestic violence.

the continuing services includes prevention, crisis intervention, education and advocacy. in 2010, 2011, ccwrc served more than 1,000 victims with 24-hour confidential and free services for those victims of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence. the emergency center also provides counseling, legal and medical advocacy and prevention programs. much of the federal support for ccwrc receives has been through the violence against women act and the violence against victims of crime act, both of which i'm proud to support. mr. speaker, domestic violence is a national epidemic. the professional and caring staff for the centre county women's resource center is doing their part to raise awareness, assist victims and make positive strides towards further prevention. their efforts have not gone unnoticed or underappreciated and set examples for how other communities can address domestic violence. and yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. are there any further one-minute requests? the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. farr of california for today and mr. honda of california for today and mr. reyes of texas for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the requests are granted. under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentlewoman from the virgin islands, mrs. christensen, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mrs. christensen: thank you, mr. speaker. and again it's my pleasure to lead this special order this evening and i thank again our democratic leadership for giving us this time. before i yield to the majority -- minority whip, i want to also

add my condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the shooting in aurora, colorado, and to those -- and those who are recovering from their injuries, both physical and emotional injuries. and i want to add the condolences of the people of the virgin islands to all of them. they're all in our prayers. it happened that i had taken my granddaughter to a preview of the movey the night before and i really shoulder to think of what everyone in that theater went through that -- shoulder to think of what everyone -- shudder to think of what everyone in that theater went through that night. it could have been one of us unless we ban assault weapons and turn back what some of the congresses have passed. one of the weapons used by holmes was an ar-15 rifle, a semi-automatic weapon. if the assault weapon ban of the violent crime control and law enforcement act of 1994 had not been allowed to expire, it might have been perhaps that 12

people, including a little girl, might still be alive. our colleague, gabrielle giffords, was at home, making thankfully a recovery, but the six people who died that day might be alive. and a young man in st. croix who lost his life yesterday and many others in the u.s. virgin islands and across this country might still be alive if that ban was in place. and so again on behalf of myself and my family and the people of the virgin islands, i offer condolences to the family and again say that the family of those who were lost and the families of those who are recovering are in our prayers. at this time i would like to yield such time as he might consume to our democratic whip, a true leader for all americans, leading us on many issues. tonight i believe he's going to talk about voter protection. but he also has been working very hard to make sure that we

make it in america and that everyone is able to make it in america. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. mr. speaker, i want to thank my friends in the congressional black caucus for organizing today's special order. as my colleague, mr. engel, as my colleague on the republican side, and as dr. christensen has pointed out, our hearts and thoughts go out to and with those people who by happenstance of going to a movie have lost their lives. been injured badly. have lost family members. have had the confidence of going out and about in this country put at risk.

how we lament that loss of life, that loss of confidence, that loss of a sense of safety in their community. mr. speaker we need to address that issue -- mr. speaker, we need to address that issue. to instill confidence. to restore safety. to ensure that america continues to be a land in which people feel safe. mr. speaker, today i want to talk about an issue that is central to america. that is the right to vote. this is an issue that affects millions of americans from every walk of life. but it will certainly have a disproportional effect on african-americans, hispanic americans, seniors and youth. in 2008 we saw a record turnout

from minority communities and younger voters as more americans were energized to take part in our democracy. that democracy is our greatest strength. and the principle of one person, one vote has always been a vehicle for americans to hold their government accountable and it is responsive to the challenges we face as a nation. mr. speaker, we ought to be building on that progress we made in 2008 by encouraging more americans to register to vote and cast their ballots. indeed in my view the nation, states, counties, communities, municipalities, need to be reaching out to people to make sure they know how to vote and to full silltate their vote -- facilitate their vote, not to put stumbling blocks in the way. it continues to be deeply disturbing to witness a campaign of raising barriers to voting and voter registration by

republican-controlled legislatures in states across this country. a dear friend and colleague, a hero in american history, john lewis, is a veteran of the fight for voting rights in the 1950's and 1960's. he carries the scars, both physical and in his memory, of the great effort to secure not just the right to vote but the freedom to exercise that right. that's why he's helping to lead this effort in 2012, to prevent voter suppression. and make certain our elections are open to all who are eligible to participate. he can attest that today's effort is a continuation of the work he began as a young man. since the beginning of last year's -- last year, 22 laws and executive actions in 17 states

have restricted our citizens' right to vote. civil rights heroes like john lewis refuse to accept barriers to voting in the middle of the 20th century and all of us, each and every one of us, are here today because we refuse to accept these new restrictions in the 21st century. that's why many of us introduced the voter empowerment act in may. our bill strengthens americans' democracy by improving our voting system in three key areas, mr. speaker. access, integrity and accountability. it will re-authorize the election assistance commission, create a national voter hotline for reporting problems, allow same-day and online registration, remove obstacles to voting for military personnel, and prohibit

deceptive practices that encourage americans or discourage americans from casting their votes. each one of us in this house is opposed to voter fraud. each one of us is opposed to any voter voting who is not eligible to vote. but very frankly, the good news in america is that is a very, very, very small problem. and in fact when proponents of restrictions are asked to cite examples they hard put to do so. democrats, mr. speaker, are making the issue of voter access a major priority this year because we believe that all americans deserve to participate in this year's election. to have their votes counted accurately. we will continue to monitoror our voting system -- monitor our voting system and call attention to those who seek to undermine it. again i want to thank the congressional black caucus for its work on this critical issue

as well as ranking member of the judiciary committee, mr. conyers, who has been such a here o'on voting rights throughout his -- hero on voting rights throughout his congressional career. mr. brady and the assistant democratic leader, mr. clyburn. i'm proud that the fight for voter access has attracted a broad coalition of civil rights organizations as well as the congressional hispanic caucus and the congressional asian-pacific american caucus and that senior citizens organizations and, yes, representers of young people are very concerned about the fact that eligible voters are being discouraged and in some cases suppressed from exercising their precious american right to vote. . let us never forget that generations have held it to be a moral duty to preserve the most powerful guarantor of our

liberty. the right of every american to vote. we continue to stand up for it today and hopefully each day as we proceed. mr. speaker, i mentioned a couple of times about what democrats are doing. let me refer now to an article that appeared in the "washington post" today written by charlie crist, the former republican governor of florida. he says, and i quote from his article, as a result of serious political maneuvers, we in florida have been entangled in litigation. the courts and the justice department have been required to step in this summer to protect the integrity of the voting process against a sweeping voter purge that the florida department of state undertook under the guise of removing

non-u.s. citizens from voter rolls. among those caught up in the shameless purging and notifying a non-u.s. citizen is a 91-year-old world war ii veteran, who fought in the battle of the bulge and has proudly exercised his right to vote for many, many years. governor crist, as i said, the former republican governor of florida, concludes, the right to choose our leaders is at the heart of what it means to be an american. our history books are full of examples to the contrary. independent monitors have derived authority from the self-regard as the ideal. when we hear of corrupt voting practices in foreign countries where the ideal is nothing more

than lip service, we feel good about ourselves. he then went on to say, mr. speaker, it's time to look right under our noses. it's happening here at home. and it's our responsibility to honestly assess the root of the problem, which requires doing so with as little partisan bias as we believe belongs in the elections. he concluded with this statement, we can't be surprised every time it turns out that politics are involved in politics, but neither can be sigh lept when democracy is threatened in its name. there are lines that should not be crossed. meddling with voting rights is one of them. it's un-american and it's beneath us. i thank my friends in the congressional black caucus for their leadership, to make sure the most precious right that

every american has, every birthright, is the right to vote. let us not allow any steps be taken by the federal government, by the state government, by county governments or by municipal or local governments from impeding of the rights of the citizens to speak out in the most powerful way they can, voting. and i yield back my time to the gentlelady from the virgin islands. mrs. christensen: we thank you for joining us as you have done many times before and for your strong leadership and we look forward to working with you, mr. whip, to make sure that voting rights are preserved for all americans. i would now like to yield such time as she might consume to the congresswoman from cleveland, ohio, congresswoman fudge. ms. fudge: thank you for

anchoring this c.b.c. hour week in and week out. thank you, mr. whip, for supporting this very, very important issue. mr. speaker, this is america. this is the land of the free and the home of the brave. i see america, the example, a country built on democracy and inclusion. america, a country of men and women willing to give their lives to ensure the rights of all people to elect their leadership. but some right here in america are now doing all they can to restrict the ability for us to do the same. they are chipping away at the very foundation upon which all of our rights rest, and that is the right to vote. yet, the 31 american states have

begun limiting the rights of their citizens to participate in our dem's most important function, and that is voting. if things remain as they are today, mr. speaker, by the 2012 election, 11% or 21 million american voters may not be allowed to cast their ballots. 25% of them will be african americans and 18% of them will be our nation's elderly. this is a national shame. and the fact that this was a coordinated effort is a national scandal. recently, the pennsylvania house majority leader told the state's republican committee, and i quote. voter i.d., which is going to allow governor romney to win the state of pennsylvania, done. they can't win without cheating? have they no shame? he and others are blatantly and

boldly trying to encumber the rights of the american people. they do not want a level playing field. a trend that began in just a few states like pennsylvania have now started a wildfire. in texas, you can face prosecution for registering voters. five states, alabama, south carolina, texas, kansas and wisconsin all have passed laws requiring voters to produce a government-issued i.d. before casting a ballot. in florida, georgia, tennessee and west virginia, early voting and absentee voting have been cut short. even in my own state of ohio, we are still fighting. we are fighting restricted access taken by our state legislature. time and time again, ohio republicans have tried everything in the book to keep voters away from the polls.

ohio's current legislation will keep as many as 54,000 legitimate voters in my district alone from voting. it could restrict 4% of all voters in our county from voting. the county with the highest percentage of minorities. i'm a sports fan. and in sports, if somebody wants to change the outcome of a game, they do something that they call point shaving. and what this is is point shaving. if we shave off enough points in every state, even if it is one or two points, this election can be up in the air. it's point shaving. you know, sometimes, i think it is time for america to be angry. sometimes if someone needs to know we won't lay down without a fight and won't just throw in the towel and defeat. if we fail to act and ignore the vicious attack on the right to vote and if we don't do what we

need to do to educate voters and fight these aggressive laws, it will have an effect in november and many years beyond. if we stand by, how many voters will be disenfranchised due to the changes in voting rules? if we sit on the sidelines, how many people will come to the polls with a utility bill and they need a government-issued people? how many people will be purged from the county rolls, and in my county, that is many people. if we do nothing, how many people will be denied the opportunity to vote because religious groups can no longer hold voter registration drives. in the past year, more states have pun earned more voters out of the ballot box ever since the rise of jim crow. join my colleagues and me.

get angry, america. the time for action is now. i yield back. mrs. christensen: i thank you for joining us. the time for making this right is now. and i think we are also joined again by our colleague, sheila jackson lee, the gentlelady from texas and i yield her such time. ms. jackson lee: i thank the gentlelady for leading us on a very important topic, one i have worked on since i have been in the house. as i look to this side of the house and this sigh, we would all hold to the view that it is important to have one vote, one person and we hold to the view that i have been saying regardless of our ups and downs in the economy, that we do live in the greatest nation in the world. i say it all over in the world.

too many great men and women in the united states military, too many great stories of survival and small businesses and family farms. i live in a great state and i see urban america and family farms, small businesses. i get to see ranchers and people who are struggling against drought but still hanging in there. we have, in texas, the potpourri of the nation. i know we live in a great nation and i happen to have the privilege of serving in a district that the honorable barbara jordan first served in. this district wasn't first created before she served. bash rar jordan ran many times in a segregated and southern texas and many times she ran, she lost. but it was only after the 1965 voting rights act when they created the opportunity for districts that barbara jordan

was able to win a seat in the state senate. her picture now is in the state senate as the only african-american woman who served as a governor for a day. so this is great news of what the voting rights act of 1965 generated. she went on to become the first african american to become elected out of the deep south with andy young. and she added language to the voting rights act to create language which in essence provided extra protection for those who had been discriminated against. let me remind my colleagues, all i speak of is one vote-one person. that is what redistricting is about. and we in the congressional black caucus believe it is important along with the democratic caucus and i extend

my hand of friendship with all americans that we fight for one vote-one person and vote for extending, if you will, the doors of opportunity. let me take note of this note, 60 years after the american revolution, americans were expanding the right to vote. a legislator from rhode island led workers and art sans, white men who were being denied the right to vote because they didn't own property. he fought to choose his nation's leaderers and did not win until 1850. if we put ourselves in each other shoes, nonproperty owners, women who didn't get the right to vote until the 20th century, we would understand what it means now when voter i.d. laws are being passed across america, and voters who are americans, americans, such as the

95-year-old woman in pennsylvania that is not covered by the voting rights act because of a voter i.d. law can not vote because she doesn't have a birth certificate. my mother, who we looked for her birth certificate until her death, we moved and moved and moved to the place of her birth, which was the state of florida and could not find that birth certificatetive indicate but had a voter registration card. she was a proud citizen of this nation. who had seen her relatives be in the war and someone who loved america, who worked as a laborer. provided along with my father, for her family. but denying her the right to vote, this is not about a picture, about someone

impersonating a voter, it is a larger question of the constitution that provides us with due process, taking away your voting rights is not due process. i join my colleagues in supporting the voter empowerment act, same day registration, protecting voters having the right to sign up online and one sentence that says no provision passed by any state can intimidate or prohibit a person from voting. why would we not want to vote? and the argument i would make, as i have traveled on behalf of this great nation, remember one of my most distinctive trip as a new member of congress going into sorejevo and dick armiey and wept into croatia after

brave americans hat worked to bring peace to that region and wanted to see what was going onp and wept boo a city and my -- and went into a city and my eyes couldn't believe what we were seeing. books and the library were out on the streets, their heads were cut off maybe by a chain saw, because it was from the bombing. and as we walked the streets because there was no transportation, we were going to meet with the president then of that country, landed as i indicated, under a french flag and we went in. they told us that they just had a city election. city election sne meantime, as i was walking, a mother came up to me, in all black and said, have you seen my son. he wept off to the war and i haven't seen him. and he told me that 98% of the

city voted. what is happening to america? there is so much intimidation at the voting polls and so much headlines about who cannot vote that people cannot vote. that is not the great country that we love. . instead of saying, do you want to stay on the line, on the role, if you will, -- roll, if will you, they're not. a million people in florida, 1.5 million in the state of texas, a voter i.d. law that the votes -- courts are now reviewing because there is merit to the fact that these are prohibiters of people voting. in the state of texas they have a voter i.d. law that's tracked to the department of public safety. great organization that dest does not have offices -- that does not have offices in every county in that state. we have 254 counties and we've got 80 or 90 of them without the department of public safety offices. so i think it is important as we look to 2012, november election,

that we be reminded that this is not about party politics. it's not about who gets the upper hand. for the americans it is about one person, one vote. and it's to remind us in days past that, yes, those of white house came out of a history of slavery -- those of us who came out of a history of slavery could not vote, white men who were not property owners could not vote, women could not vote, white women, who were not property owners -- men, if you will, could not vote. and certainly asians at one time could not vote. but america has grown up and weapon recognize the value of that -- and we recognize the value of. that so i think it is enormously important that we join together to support the voter empowerment act, that we have worked on and that we recognize the issue of voter protection. this is crucial. and i do want to close by again expressing my sympathy to those

in colorado. we have had a litany of these tragic issues. remember how much we mourned the tragedy in arizona. and now we come full circle, where there are families in such pain. i think part of the pain is that when you send someone to a place of innocence, to a town hall meeting on the square, to the movie theater, which is really america's part-time pastime, everyone knows those friday-night movies and saturday movies, families, children, one couple with a baby. they said, we didn't have a baby sitter. i understand that. i was a young mother with my spouse in an area where we moved away from our families, hard to find baby-sitters. and so you take a sleeping baby to the movie. no sin in that. but it's an innocent place. it's a place where you can have joy and enjoy the talent of the genius of america in producing these films. and what happens?

someone who was intent on evil came and destroyed lives. someone who didn't want their mark to be only in the theater but they wanted it to be on the innocent neighbors who might by chance do what every neighbor does when you're too loud in your place and it's next door to their place, is to ask you to please turn the music down. just think, mr. speaker, if someone had asked to turn the music down or had asked by either knocking loud or entering that apartment, that door was cracked. maybe it was the kind of apartment where neighbors felt comfortable to do that. and if they just entered, the enormous disaster and havoc and carnage and bloodshed that would have been added to the bloodshed . and so i made a plea earlier today on the floor of the house. i am in fact going to do that. i'm going to invite the national

riffle association to one of my meetings. i want to sit down and talk to them about how we can work together. because i want an explanation on why someone can buy 6,000 rounds of ammunition on an internet without any oversight whatsoever. why is there no basis of giving notice? if they'd given notice to the local police, maybe someone would have knocked on the door and found out what was going on. not last thursday but a week back or last month. we can find a way to come together. this is not rocket science, to determine why you're getting 6,000 rounds. you know what pains me, mr. speaker? you know what causes me to bleed? it causes me to bleed that active duty troops lost their lives. as the story tells.

sitting in their own nation, unarmed, along with innocent civilians. and we know that those troops, if they could have stopped it, they were in there -- their armor, they would have been on the frontlines protecting the homeland. i'm saddened by the condition of this individual, saddened by what is represented to be this individual's circumstance. those of us who deal with terrorism sit on the homeland security committee, have to raise a question about this incident. i close by simply giving my deepest sympathy to the people of colorado, the congressional delegation of colorado, again our dear friend, congressman perlmutter, and all of the delegation, for those whose districts overlap those areas, and as well to say that the american people will continue to pray, to lift them up. as i started out, i said, this is the greatest nation in the world. i know we can find a solution to

the opportunities of democracy and we can find a solution to a peaceful way of co-existence so that people are protected as they walk the highways and byways, law enforcement officers, united states military, babies, young people and others similarly situated who come out for a simple opportunity of friendship and fellowship and fun. america is better than what happened last thursday and we're certainly better than denying individuals their right to democracy. i thank the gentlelady for yielding to me. i look forward to working with you and the congressional black caucus and the entire congress and the democratic caucus on standing tall for that constitutional right, precious right, to vote. and standing tall for the protection of america, her people, and the homeland. i yield back. mrs. christensen: thank you. i thank you again for joining us and offering your views and your

vision for what we could be and what we should be and for your strong words in defense of americans' right to vote. as was said, this is america. the america that goes around the world to monitor, to ensure that other countries, people in other countries exercise their right to vote. so we know that the right to vote is sacred. it's a sacred right. many sacrificed and some died for that right. as our democratic whip said, it is the most powerful guaranteer of our liberty and we must protect that right to vote and we must support the voter empowerment act. and i want to go back to the issue of guns and violence. and one might ask, well, what does guns -- what do guns, what does the gun issue have to do with the right to vote? but unfortunately it has been used to deny voting rights in the district of columbia, the place in which we meet.

the district of columbia has been the victim of the gun lobby, an overzealous gun support in the senate. instead of passing a bill to extend the voting rights that the residents of the district deserve, the senators had amendments that would have overturned some of the local laws that are meant to stem the tide of gun violence in this city. meant to restore peace and safety to its streets and its neighborhoods. so in addition to the violence that could follow from allowing concealed weapons as their amendment would do in just about envenue against the wishes and the rights of the district of columbia to decide, what they did would allow another sort of violence. it did untold violence to the district by holding its voting rights, the voting rights that it should have in this body, hostage. that is unfair, it's just plain wrong. but you know, in addition it is some of the poorer neighborhoods in this country where poverty

and other ills breed violence. it's in those neighborhoods that we see the voter restrictive positives are being placed. their ability to vote for individuals who would help them to quell the violence in their neighborhoods and keep their families safe. their ability -- it is their ability to vote that's being interfered most by these laws that are being passed by republican legislators -- legislatures and promoted and signed by republican governors. i hope that this congress, and if not this one, the next, will have the courage to pass strong and sensible gun control laws. and, yes, we're very concerned also, as we said, which is a subject of our special order, really, this evening, about voter protection in the face of the many states that are passing laws to restrict voting in ways that do particular harm to the rights of young people, seniors, people of color and the poor to

vote. and as we're reminded, it was made abundantly clear a few weeks ago by that republican pennsylvania legislator what the intent of these new restrictive voter so-called poll tax laws are all about. they're being passed to try to defeat president obama. well, i have news for them. those very groups that they're trying to keep from voting and the good people of this country are not going to let that happen . that brings us right back to the need for gun control legislation. the communities that need it most are also the ones that most need us to protect their right to vote. although everyone in this country must have their right to vote protected, these are the communities where there's violence, where there's poverty, that we must work very hard to protect their right to vote. and in too many communities

violent crime is rising. it's either the guns to the increase in assault weapons and it has to be stopped. it's time for to us come together to save our young people and to save ourselves. gabby's shooting shows that none of us are safe unless all of us are safe. my and many other communities are calling out for help. this is a crisis in many parts of our country. and we who are elected to provide for the welfare of our communities and our country have an obligation to do just that. so let's come together, let's all support the legislation that's before us, the voter empowerment act, let's pass gun control legislation, also. in the end, though, it's in the voter's hands to decide in november whether we're going to have safe streets and neighborhoods, whether this assault on voting rights will stop. and if we just protect their right to vote, i know that they will do the right thing.

with that i yield mrs. bachmann: -- with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. under the speaker's announced policy of january 5, 2011, the gentleman from colorado, mr. gardner, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. gardner: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you for the opportunity to address the house tonight, i appreciate the time and consideration that we will have, the opportunity to visit with the american people about some of the biggest issues we are facing as a nation. and i thought i would start with highlighting a article that appeared last week, late last week, july 18, to be exact, in "politico." the headline of this bill is, "president obama's jobs panel missing in action." and the first paragraph of this "politico" article says, president barack obama's jobs president barack obama's jobs council hasn't met