we will be going to the u.s. house of representatives, the floor. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [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 house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, august 1, 2012. i hereby appoint the honorable daniel webster to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, i hereby resign from the office of the united states representative for the fourth district of

kentucky effective at close of business on july 31, 2012. enclosed is the letter i have submitted to the fworchor. i think the people of kentucky's fourth district for the honor of serving their congressman over the last eight years. when i was a cadet at west point i internalized the words of the u.s. military academy's motto, duty, honor, country. next, i learned that is was based on honoring god and family in that order. in december of 2011, i decided i needed to retire from congressional service so i could more effectively serve my family as a husband and father. those priorities continue to guide my decisions. recently, a family health issue has developed that will demand significantly more time to my -- of my time to assist. as a result, i cannot continue to effectively fulfill my obligations to both my office and my family. family must and will come

first. i have served with great men and women in congress in both parties and leave knowing that the house is filled with people who love this country and are working to make our future better. i am grateful to have been blessed by being part of this great institution. signed sincerely, geoff davis, member of congress. the speaker pro tempore: under clause 5-d of rule 20, the chair announces to the house that in light of the resignation of the gentleman from kentucky, mr. davis, the whole number of the house is 431. pursuant to the order of the house of january 17, 2012, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for the morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with each party limited to one hour and each member other than the majority leader and minority leader and the minority whip limited to five minutes each, but in no event shall debate go beyond 11:50

a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. speaker. the house of representatives is a unique and special place. there are many political offices in america where one can get office via accident or appointment, but every man and woman on this floor had to be elected by friends and neighbors to deal with the fiscal and economic health of the nation, for giving voice to people's fears, aspirations, futures and dream. i count every day in congress as a gift. our friend and colleague, steve latourette's announcement that he would not seek re-election should give pause to each one of us. you often hear a person say they don't always agree with somebody but they respect them. with steve latourette, that's true. despite being in in different political parties, i respect him for having the resources to

rebuild and renew america is as refreshing as it is important. he's willing to call to call for an increase in fees while right sizing government in a way that's going to pinch almost everyone. his approach is courageous and consistent and ultimately we will follow that balanced path. he has a sense of justice and regular order as when he took to the floor as a lonely voice arguing for due process on behalf of a disgraced former member. he does what he believes in. another overused phrase in this body is wake-up call, but steve's decision and announcement should be a wake-up call, a wake-up call to the majority party to think about what this portends for their ability to govern and what will happen when the political winds shift just a little which they surely will. it's a wake-up call for the people on my side of the aisle as we fight against what we think are shortsighted and destructive policies, we need

to do so in a way that is fair. we all should look for opportunities to make a little progress on second and third-tier issues that will help do some good while we build the capacity of this institution in bipartisan problem solving. most of all, this should be a wake-up call to the american public. too many of us have allowed our political decisions to be outsourced. as a political process increasingly has taken over by smaller and smaller groups of extreme opinion in primaries of both parties. the tea party activists have gotten headlines this weekend in the texas senate primary, but the dynamic is known by both parties and potentially distorts the choices of candidates and of issues in the fall. some members of congress gain a little note right by virtue of vision and policy. usually we get it by being outrageous and stark. perhaps we're known at home and for groups that have interests

that we work with, but the vast majority of us wouldn't register above margin of error on the larger stage of american national politics. steve, despite two decades of solid distinguished service, his wit, good humor and effectiveness is an obscure member of congress, but i argue that steve latourette should be on the radar screen of every american. steve, his family, especially the younger children, will do just fine. i think he'll have a better job, spend more time with family and friends. i think he'll live longer. but make no mistake, everybody should pay attention to his story, his career and why he's leaving. in a lifetime of solid, productive public service, if this leads to people reconsidering how we do business, how the american public assesses who they reward

or punish, then our loss due to his retirement may be the most important contribution in his distinguished career. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama rise? >> mr. speaker, i rise to present a privileged report from the committee on ethics for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title.

the clerk: in the matter of allegations relating to representative laura richardson . the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. the chair will recognize the gentleman from minnesota, mr. paulsen, for five minutes. mr. paulsen: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. paulsen: i rise to recognize minnesota native and u.s. olympian rachel. she competed sunday for the women's 100 meter backstroke. she has made her community proud. it is no small feat to have made it to her very first olympics and in the coming weeks rachel will make another important step when she leaves minnesota for her freshman year in college and be able to swim for olympic coach terri

mckeeber. i don't think this will be the last we will see of this tenacious swimmer. go, team u.s.a., and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. mr. gutierrez: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gutierrez: mr. speaker, i believe there is no greater cause for celebration in america than when we expand right to more of our people. we are never truer to our american values than when we look at a group of people and demand they be treated with dignity and respect. we are never more patriotic than when we protect and expand the honest and hardworking people. when we live up to our original

promise of liberty and equality and give meaning to those american words -- we hold these truths to be self-evident, all men are created equal. right now we have reasons to celebrate because shortly the department of homeland security and the white house are scheduled to announce guidelines on the dream eligible immigrants to defer deportation and get work permits so they can take a vital step toward living freely in our nation that has never -- that has always been their only home. today, i want to congratulate the dream act eligible youth who have fought so hard for this right, the one million of them that will be taking a step forward. and i want to remind dream eligible youth that because of the intelligent action by president obama on august 15, they will be able to apply for work permits and protection from deportation. on august 15, mr. speaker, they will take a step out of the shadows and into the light.

i encourage them to take this step and i want them to know that health and resources are available, but first a warning. any progress on immigration is soon followed by some unscrupulous attempt to make money off the backs of deserving immigrants. so i say to my friends today, be careful. there is no reason that applying for relief through president obama's use of prosecutorial discretion should be expensive or cumbersome. if someone says for a dreamer to apply is to write a big check, my advice to the dreamer is they should run in the other direction. they are being lied to. about dreamers should run toward help because help is on the way. in chicago yesterday, the illinois coalition for immigrant refugee rights announced a workshop that will be held on august 15. the very first day the one million young people can apply for work permits and come out of the shadows and get defered action from deportation.

the event will be held at navy pier in chicago. mayor emanuel and myself and senator durbin will be there. we will have all the resources anyone needs to apply that day. it will be free. we will answer questions and we will provide the resources necessary to thousands of young people that we expect will attend. and we are not alone in chicago. all across the country, plans are being made by immigrant advocates and elected officials for how to help dream act eligible youth to apply for their work permits and a stay of deportation. tomorrow i will be joined by my colleagues to talk about resources available coast to coast. as one important step, i encourage people to visit this website. dreamrelief.org. that's dreamrelief.org.

to find out more about who is eligible, how to apply and where people can receive assistance is dreamrelief.org. on august 15, across america thousands of honest, hardworking, law-abiding, dream eligible youth immigrants should be celebrating by lining up and taking that historic step toward equality. it's a day of long overdue fairness for our young people, and i don't want one eligible young person to miss this opportunity. i want our young dreamers to demonstrate to america on august 15 what they've demonstrated to their communities and their families and friends their entire life. they worked hard and earned this right by excelling in school, by helping their neighborhoods and by serving our nation. i mow who you are. you are the next generation of leaders of our great nation. on august 15, show all of america who you are, and we need your example because it's vital to remember that every time we've expanded civil

rights in america, every time, someone tried to stand in the way. from women suffrage, to voting rights, to african-americans, to americans with disabilities, to marriage equality, someone will raise their voice against expanding the rights enjoyed by some americans to all americans. there is always someone who says these rights, these liberties, this equality, it's for me, it's not for you. so i ask my dream eligible friends, one million strong, on august 15 show america who you are and remind america that freedom and equality is for all of us. . the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from north carolina, ms. foxx, for five minutes. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, my heart is heavy for the family and friends of roy taga county sheriff's

deputy, william mass jr. who gave his life in the line of duty on july 26. in his 23 short years he made an imprint on the communities he served and called home. he was a graduate of the high school and member of bible way baptist church. he cherished the north carolina way of life. hunting, fishing, offroading, and riding horses in our beautiful country. the thoughts and prayers of thousands remain with his beloved wife, paige, their unborn child, his parents, his extended family, and the entire county sheriff's office. may each be comforted and find peace in the midst of this tragedy. and may we be faithful to remember that the safety we experience in our communities is maintained in part because people like deputy mass volunteer to place themselves in

harm's way for our protection. for that caliber of service and sacrifice, we are grateful. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from west virginia, mr. rahall, for five minutes. mr. rahall: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rahall: mr. speaker, i rise today to urge lemming action on a widespread public health crisis. i want to thank first of all my colleagues, especially my good neighbor and chairman of the house appropriations committee, the gentleman from kentucky, mr. hal rogers, congresswoman mary bona mack, -- bono mack, congressman bill keating, all tremendous leaders in our fight to stop this epidemic. the c.d.c. has confirmed what local leaders and professionals across the board have been struggling with dailing. prescription drug abuse -- daley, prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic. a term the c.d.c. does not use

lightly. it is no slonger a silent epidemic. it can be seen at any hour of any day on street corners and schoolyards. every day there are news stories reporting overdoses, deaths, accidents, and tragedies of families torn apart by the vicious cycle of prescription drug abuse. and the cycle is certainly vicious. unlike cocaine or heroin, prescription drugs are legal and frequently prescribed by caring physicians who are led by the principal oath of first do no harm. yet alarming statistics show that children and adults are blind to the harmful consequences of these drugs, even as they become addicted. paying upwards of $150 per pill to buy them on the black market. distressingly my home state of west virginia has our nation's highest rate of drug related deaths. in fact between 2001 and 2008, more than nine out of 10 of those deaths involved

prescription drugs. incredibly drug overdoses now kill more west virginians each year than car accidents. but the aharming use and deaths by prescription drugs is not just in west virginia, it is other distinguished members will tell you, drug abuse has hit everyone whether you are 9 or 90, whether you are rich or poor, living in big city or small towns, whether you are democrat, independent, republican, whatever, anywhere in our great united states. we know there is no one single answer norks single action, or no civil -- silver bullet in the fight against prescription drug abuse. i met many times with law enforcement, community organizations, educators, physicians, and many other constituents and i know fighting back against prescription drug abuse will take the work of an entire village. we must strengthen drug diversion, educate children and adults on prevention, work with the medical community on addiction and pain treatment, and treat and rehabilitate those

affected by vicious addiction before they succumb to the death spiral. i and my distinguished colleagues put forth and supported legislation that aims to combat prescription drug abuse. we know that will something more must be done from a federal level. and that's why i have introduced h.r. 1925, the prescription drug abuse prevention and treatment act. this bill would implement multiple measures essential to combating prescription drug abuse. education and training, monitoring, evaluation, and enforcement. and it provides a good guideline to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to fight this epidemic. the bill establishes mandatory physician and consumer education, and authorizes federal funding to help our states create and 345eu7b tain -- maintain prescription drug monitoring programs that all states can access. it would also set up a uniformed system for tracking painkiller related deaths, helping state and law enforcement professionals manage and report data.

the west virginia state police, our states attorney general, and even physicians have all consistently stressed the need for access to a prescription drug monitoring system that is shared between statelines and updated in real time. i know my colleagues have authored and supported similar bills like h.r. 2119, which also seeks to implement targeted physician education on prescription drug abuse and addiction, and h.r. 1065, the pill mill crackdown act, which would help further eradicate pill mills throughout our nation. these bills address critical issues that ought to be part of this congress' effort to craft legislation to assist our states and communities combating prescription drug abuse. the toll of destruction and devastation and our economy by this epidemic demands that the u.s. congress must act and act swiftly. so i urge my colleagues to move forward and bring legislation to the floor that will enable our

communities to fight back against prescription drug abuse. let us act with dispatch and compassion and an acute understanding of the enormity of the challenge before us. the future of our families and children and entire health and well-being of local communities and our nation depend on us. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from kentucky, mr. rogers, for five minutes. mr. rogers: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i want to begin by thanking my colleague and friend from across the big sandy that divides kentucky and west virginia, and my good friend across the aisle, nick rahall, for organizing these special orders by the congressional caucus on prescription drug abuse. congress, the d.e.a., medical community, state partners, and particularly the food and drug administration must do more to

fight the medicine cabinet epidemic. the office of national drug control policy in the white house has identified prescription drugs as our nation's fastest growing drug problem. easily eclipsing cocaine and heroin abuse. as has been said the national center for disease control has said that prescription drug abuse is now a national epidemic . in 2010, 254 million prescriptions were filled in this country. that's enough painkillers to medicate every american adult around the clock for a month. our military soldiers are coming back from iraq and afghanistan hooked on these pain pills. in the last two years, over 150

of our soldiers have died from overdoses. in my home state, kentucky's losing roughly 82 people a month to prescription drug deaths. more than car crashes. our medicine cabinets are more dangerous than our cars. but these statistics of course are just numbers. so many americans, including members of our caucus, who have taken to the house floor today, have been touched by this tragedy and -- in some personal way. in some counties in my district, half of the children are living until a home without their parents. in large part because of prescription drug abuse. i have met single moms struggling to get through drug court and employers who can't string together a clean work

force. we have lost mothers, we have lost grandfathers, police officers, children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives. this epidemic does not distinguish between socioeconomic lines or gender lines or geographic lines. it's indiscriminate in its path of destruction and it has to stop. f.d.a. has to be part of saying no to the abuse of legal drugs. f.d.a. is the primary entity for regulating prescription drugs with its hands on the spigot. for years i have been -- i have pleaded with the f.d.a. to take a harder look at how these painkillers are allowed to be prescribed. congressman frank wolf, virginia, and i have implored f.d.a. to make these painkillers available only for severe pain.

prescription painkillers such as oxycontin were originally intended to treat severe pain caused by cancer, but over the years based in large part on marketing practices, many physicians, dentists, other health care providers began prescribing opiate painkillers for moderate to severe pain. a toothache or a stubbed toe. has become an excuse for an oxy prescription. oxycontin is a wonderful drug, intended for terminally ill cancer patients, people in severe pain that need add time release capsule over 12 hours. it helped the patient, it helped the caregiver. but it's also a very addictive drug and very difficult to kick once addicted. so this is really a dangerous drug when not used in a

prescribed way. this f.d.a.-approved medication for moderate to severe pain can create the false assumption they are an effective treatment for chronic noncancer pain. on the contrary, more than 30 leading clinicians, researchers, and health officials recently petitioned the f.d.a. to strike the term moderate from the indication for noncancer pain, and a maximum daily dose and maximum duration of 90 days for continuous daily use. we were losing 16,000 people a year to these drugs. the f.d.a. must take this petition seriously. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson, for five minutes.

mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i will introduce today the verifying official totals for elections act, also known as the vote act. electronic voting machines are vulnerable to poor design and tampering and there's currently no way to verify the accuracy of the electronic vote count. the vote act will ensure the integrity of our voting machine systems by requiring any software used in an electronic voting system for any federal election to be deposited in the national software reference library. fossitting the software in the national -- depositing the software in the national library will allow the software to be available for review in the event of an election contest or recount. the vote act is definitely needed.

we are 97 days away from a crucial election and according to a recent report, half the states have inadequate postaudit election procedures for electronic voting machines. it also found that a quarter of states have postaudit election proceed yours that need improvement. further, the report found in every national election in the past decade, computerized voting systems have failed, machines did not start or failed in the middle of voting, memory cards could not read, and votes were mistallied. i'm sure that you all who are computer literate out there have had a computer and you were working on it and suddenly it froze up and in order to unfreeze it you had to reboot it. in the process you lost all of your datial that you were

working on -- data that you were working on. or some of you may have had a misfortune of a computer hard drive just freezing up on you and -- just crashing and you had to take it somewhere and try to get the data -- try to retrieve the data off of that hard drive. it cost as whole lot of money. . you may have manipulated your child's computer to prevent access to a dangerous website. or somebody may have installed unbeknownst to you some software on your laptop computer that you carry around so they can keep track of your whereabouts. these are the kinds of things we must be concerned about as far as our electronic voting machines. their accuracy and the fact they can be manipulated.

there have been several e voting inaccuracies in florida and pennsylvania. the vote act provides a peace of mind and requires the blueprint of the evoting system must be stored in the national software reference library and this will allow auditors to compare that code with the actual machine to determine if there has been any improper activity. this is an urgent problem, and the vote act is the solution. the right to vote is fundamental to our democratic process and protected by the constitution of the united states. the right to vote is protected by more constitutional amendments, the first, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th than any other right we enjoy as

americans. thus, it's vital to ensure the integrity of that vote. we must do everything in our power to ensure that every american who casts a vote in the upcoming election is counted. i think common cause florida voting, ville find voting -- villeifiedvoiting.org for endorsing this bill. i urge all of my colleagues to support the vote act, and i invite members from both sides of the aisle, democrats and republicans, to co-sponsor of this bill, protecting the vote and the integrity of the voting process is not a partisan issue but an issue that is important to all citizens and vital to the strength of america. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. thompson thompson thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today i rise to recognize and remember joe

heurtel, a friend and farmer in pennsylvania which is located in the commonwealth's fifth district. he was a distinguished leader in both the agricultural and fair industries and a staple in the center community. he sadly passed away in meamp of 2012. first elected at the age of 17, joe served on the county fair county for 60 years. joe heurtel served as president for the grange fair. he wanted it to be a showcase for agriculture with events to satisfy all ages. through his leadership and hard work, it's become the leading fairs in all the state. the fair has become the largest east of the mississippi and highlights pennsylvania's number one industry, agriculture. in addition to his work, family

was always very important -- a very important part of joe heurtel's life. he was married to his wife, goodlatte is, for 56 years. they had five children, linda, jan, tom, dan and bessey and 11 grandchildren. i want to thank joe for a life spent serving others and for a legacy that will live on for generations. rest with the lord, my friend. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from pennsylvania, ms. schwartz, for five minutes. ms. schwartz: august means high tuition bills. the offer cost of tuition fees top $12,000 for a public four-year school and $32,000

for a private university. these high costs for 70% of pennsylvania college students to take out student loans. one of the biggest decisions facing students and college graduates is not just the amount they borrow but who their lender will be and whether it will be a private lender or a federal loan. federal loans are simply a better deal. they offer lower fixed interest rates, consumer protections and manageable repayment options. private student loans, on the other hand, typically have uncapped variable rates, hefty fees and fewer consumer protections. from 2001 to 2008, the private student loan market exploded, increasing from $5 billion to $20 billion. lenders loosened underwriting standards and often cut school financial officers out of the process. well, if students need private

loans they should know the differences between private lenders and federal loans. and be informed of the difference of cost and obligation. unfortunately, right now a majority of student loan borrowers who are turning to more expensive student loans to private options do so without fully exhausting all of the federal student loan options available to them. this means that student borrowers unnecessarily take on great costs. that's why i joined with jared polis and tim bishop the know before you owe act, to ensure that students and families have access to vital information regarding their student loan programs. the legislation requires students -- schools to counsel students on the financial aid options available to them and requires private lenders to adopt commonsense steps to protect student borrowers. the know before you owe act will empower students and families to make informed

decisions about financing their education. access to higher education is a top priority for middle-class families. they know that higher education is one of the keys to being able to succeed in the competitive 21st century marketplace. they're willing to invest in their future by taking out student loans in order to afford college. we need to ensure thatents students have full and complete information about the most affordable student loan options available to them and to fight back against those who might take unscrupulous advantage of families facing tough financial decisions. i urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting this important legislation and better ensure that millions of americans can afford college without taking unnecessary, long-term financial hardship and risk. thank you very much and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. keating, for five minutes. mr. keating: thank you, mr. speaker. and i ask unanimous consent to

revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. keating: thank you, mr. speaker. and i'd like to thank congressman rahall for organizing this morning's hour on prescription drug abuse as well as thank chairman rogers for his work as well as congressman mary bono mack as well as the prescription drug abuse caucus. prescription drug abuse is defined now as an epidemic in this country and the cost of this epidemic is more than $70 billion a year. this is by no means just a criminal issue, and that's where the stigma sometimes makes this issue more difficult. it is indeed a public health issue, and for this reason congress needs to step in. painkillers amount for the country's fastest growing area of drug abuse. ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine. and throughout my 12-year

career as a norfolk district attorney in massachusetts, teenagers has been a recurring theme. i have seen as district attorney in concrete terms that this scourge goes across every social and economic boundary that exists. i have seen law enforcement officials who were involved in automobile accidents take painkillers, become addicted and go out and rob banks and other institutions to feed their habits. i've seen real estate professionals get involved and have open houses and search medicine cabinets to fulfill their habit. and i have seen young people begin an abuse of prescription drugs from their family's medicine cabinet finding later on they cannot afford that

habit and move to a cheaper pure form of heroin. and i have seen the public health affects of this as well. i've seen the h.i.v. disease spread to people i've seen 14-year-old girls with hepatitis c as a result of trying to deal with this scourge that's an epidemic around this country. in massachusetts alone, 1.7 people every day, every day die of an overdose. in 2010, the national institute of drug abuse showed that 2.7% of eighth graders, 7.7% of 10th graders and 8% of 12th graders abuse vicodin. almost 5% of 10th graders abused oxy cotin for nonmedical purpose at least once in the year prior to that survey. that's why i introduced the stop tampering of prescription

drugs act, or the stop act of 2012, with congressman rogers, bono mack. temper resistant mechanisms are in use for some drugs. but this bill is first of its kind, federal legislation to put a clear pathway for others to come to market type of drugs that will follow. the process outlined in the bill applies both to brand names and generic drugs, both to time release and to immediate release pills. initially we'll incentivize the use of these temper resistant processes. then in time it will be required. this bill is not a silver bullet by any stretch of the imagination but it's an important piece of preventing new users to abusing painkillers and safeguard against overdose. just like seat belts in cars

will not -- this is a necessary tool in protecting vulnerable populations like the adolescence i have spoken about. with this bill we're also preparing for potential onslaught of pure hydrocodeine pills. these are currently being developed and without proper, physical and pharmaceutical barriers in place to prevent the tampering of these painkillers, this pure hydrocould he doan will dramatically increase the already alarming rates of abuse and addiction. the bill would mandate the tamper resistance of these bills as well as many others. these pills provide great relief for many americans in terms of extreme pain. but we must do something about another type of pain, a terminal pain, a pain that family members and loved ones feel when they have lost

someone to the disease that results in this type of addiction. i encourage all my colleagues in the house to co-sponsor h.r. 6160 and further encourage the development of these tamper resistant mechanisms. it's not a silver bullet but it's an important first step. mr. speaker, i yield back the rest of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch, for five minutes. mr. lynch: thank you, mr. speaker, and i want to thank my friend and colleague, mr. keating, for his leadership on this issue. i rise this morning along with several others of my colleagues, mr. rahall, mr. keating, who you just heard and also chairman rogers to talk about the very important issue of prescription drug abuse in america. prescription drugs are responsible for the fastest growing area of drug abuse in this country. ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and other drugs. in fact, according to the

center for disease control in atlanta prescription drugs caused most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses that we see each year. but despite this alarming number, there exists a lack of knowledge about this particular type of substance abuse for people not adentfying the problem that it is and that makes it more difficult to achieve a real solution. prescription drug abuse is an epidemic in this country, plain and simple. and it must be dealt with as such. while prescription drug medication can help people suffering from a range of chronic and temporary conditions, for many, many others exposure to pain medication, whether prescribed or obtained through other means, can be the beginning of a long and tragic battle with addiction. now, as you heard from previous speakers, from massachusetts to west virginia to kentucky and to california, many of my constituents also struggle with prescription drug addiction and its consequences.

those people are home makers, they are professionals, they are students and laborers. addiction does not discriminate. abuse of prescription medicine, especially pain relievers, is a major problem nationally. and in massachusetts where emergency room episodes and admissions for treatments related to nonheroin has skyrocketed in recent years. in fact, 99% of individuals entering treatment facilities who report heroin use started with a prescription medication like oxy cotin. it is a narcotic painkiller which has started too many people on this terrible journey to addiction. it is a drug that by design is inherently so powerfully addictive that it actually changes the brain over long periods of treatment. and it creates customers for life. it creates addicts. oxycotin is a drug that has

caused so much grief to individuals and families, caused so much pain and suffering that earlier this year the nation of canada removed it from the market, and i commend them for that. . i filed a bill in may of 2005 to do exactly the same thing in the united states, but because of the powerful lobbying efforts of the drug companies, that legislation was not successful. that's a big part of the problem. in the united states we continue to put corporate profit ahead of personal loss. reports of the abuse of oxycontin surfaced soon after its in-- introduction in 1996 a year in which the manufacturer made $1 billion on the drug. in 2007, they pled guilty to criminal charges that they intentionally misled doctors, federal regulators, and patients in regard to the addictive nature of their gold mine drug in order to boost their profits.

but despite its troubled history, oxycontin is still available and in 2011, earned $2.8 billion in profits for the company. in addressing the problem, we need to consider the range of contribution -- contributing factors. we need to look at the composition of the drugs and marketing of these addictive drugs and regulatory approval process. there are two measures that i want to note here. one, there has been a significant effort to reformulate this drug so that it is less susceptible to abuse. i commend the drugmakers on that effort. the second issue is with blue cross blue shield which has instituted a limiting factor. it requires a robust re-evaluation of any patient who is being prescribed oxycontin over a period of time. that is one of the best decisions of a drug company -- insurance company in some time. i commend my colleagues on the

congressional prescription drug abuse caucus for their efforts and look forward to continuing to work with them on this important issue. i thank you for the time and indulgence, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado, mr. perlmutter, for five minutes. mr. perfect mutter: -- mr. perlmutter: good morning, mr. speaker, to the fell softball coach. columbine, the state flowler of colorado, a beautiful flower found in our mountins -- mountins, whites -- mountains, whites and blues, 13 years ago on april 20, 1999 at columbine high school we had a terrible tragedy. and i want to have all of us remember the names of the kids that were killed at that

shooting. cassie, steve, corey, kelly, matt, daniel, daniel, rachel scott, isiah, john, lauren, kyle, and teacher dave sanders. now, columbine just like this flower has recovered, sprouted. it's a beautiful school. strong academics. strong sports. good citizens. we are very proud of the kids in that high school. it's near where i live. but we still have suffered some scars from columbine in colorado, but we have learned some lessons. we learned some lessons that were put to good use 10 days ago in aurora, colorado. aurora, as many of you will remember from your mythology

classes, is the goddess of the dawn. we will, there will be a new day. we are suffering in colorado right now. it's a beautiful state. it is a wonderful place. we have had two very difficult tragic moments. and in this last 10 days, mr. speaker, i have had a chance to go to five funerals and visit with some people in the hospital. i want us to remember the names of the people that were killed a week or 10 days ago. jon blunk, alexander jonathan, a.j. boik, staff sergeant jesse childress, gordan couden, petty officer third last john layer mer, matthew mcquinn, micayla medic, veronica mosher-sullivan, rebecca wingo, alex teves.

beautiful people, good people, harmed in a very senseless moment in our history. but in the midst of this tragedy there were a lot of heroes. and from columbine we learned lessons to get in and move quickly to save lives. beginning with the aurora police force and the firefighters from aurora, tremendous acts of courage that saved lives. saved people from bleeding to death. we saw in our medical teams a coordination of effort the likes of which none of us would ever want to go through again. but tremendous effort on the part of the medical teams to save lives. and so yesterday i had a chance to meet with some of the people still in the hospital which gave me so much hope and inspiration. i want to start with the family with the husband and the wife, she's nine months pregnant, decides they want to go to a movie before they have their

first born. they want to get that one last date out. she suffers shots from the shotgun pellets. he's down on the first floor having surgery on his brain. she's up on the third floor at the hospital having a baby. baby hugo, who is like the biggest kid i have ever seen at that age. he's definitely going to be a baseball player. and the rockies came by to visit him and gave this baby two baseballs. she was so positive and so optimistic about her son's future and about the future of her husband, who has had great medical care. and they'll have long time and long lasting injuries, but he will be well. this wife was so positive. young woman. really optimistic about life. another young man shot in the side, he was in a coma, has come out of it. he's now planning to start his first year of college at western

state. and finally, one guy who had been in a difficult state, the president of the united states came and visited him. he woke up at that moment. whether it was because of that visit or not, who knows, but the -- he has a huge smile, the rockies came to visit him and he said i'm sorry, i'm a yankees fan. so he then to my chagrin, he also is a fan of the san diego chargers and oakland raiders when he should be a broncos fan, but he's recovering well, too. these people are recovering. our community will recover. we live in a great state. and i want to just finish with these words if i could, mr. speaker, ordinarily i speak off the cuff, but one of the staff members in my office, who is a coloradoan, wanted me to say this, i believe it, we must remind ourselves even after these tragedies, must remind ourselves and the world what it is to be a coloradoan. we are the cities and open

spaces, we are the mountains and the prairie, we are the mountains and the trees, snow, and the sunshine. we are loving families and long time friends. we are welcoming neighbors and kind strangers. we are coloradoans, we live in paradise and surround ourselves with loving, wonderful people who enrich our lives. this is what defines our state. we will always remember the victims. we will always honor the heroes. and we will grow stronger. i am proud of my state. i'm sorry for what happened. but we will grow from this. i thank you, mr. speaker, for the time to speak on behalf of my community. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from alabama, ms. sewell, for five minutes. ms. sewell: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise and recognize and pay tribute to a distinguished alabama educator and civil rights pioneer, professor thelma

glass. she was known for her efforts in the field of higher education and her tireless commitment to racial inequality. she was the last surviving member of the women's political council, the organization that was instrumental in planning and the organization of the montgomery bus boycott in the 1950's. she recently passed away in montgomery, al -- alabama, on wednesday, july 25, at the age of 96. she was born in mobile, alabama, on may 16, 1916, and at an early age instilled a level of learning that led to her lifelong pursuit of academic excellence. she graduated valedictorian of dunnbar high school in mobile at the age of 15. and earned a bachelor's degree from alabama state university and a master's degree from columbia university, both in geography. in 1942 thelma williams married the love of her life, arthur

glass. they were both professors at alabama state university for over 40 years. their love for each other was as strong as their dedication and commitment to the students they taught at alabama state university. after 41 years of marriage, her husband, professor arthur glass, passed away in 1983. professor thelma glass was an accomplished educator who taught geography at alabama state university for 40 years. she led by example. displaying the same exceptionalism, tenacity, and commitment to public service that she demanded of her students. after four decades of dedication to alabama state university, and her community activism, in 1981 the thelma m. glass auditorium was dedicated on the campus of alabama state university in her honor. professor glass was at the forefront of the civil rights movement showing great courage as she stood up to social

injustices at segregated montgomery, alabama, in the 1950's. she was a core member and secretary of the women's political council that formed at alabama state university to campaign against such abuses and the indignation of segregation. the activism of the women's political council laid the groundwork for the successful montgomery bus boycott. when rosa parks set the protest in motion with her arrest in 1955, after refusing to give up her seat on the bus, women like professor thelma glass was ready and willing to fight against such racial injustice. the women's political council was soon absorbed in the newly formed montgomery improvement association. professor glass continued to play an integral role in copying thousands of flyers and recruiting her students to spread the word.

she risked her life in organizing transportation for those participating in the boycott. the success of the montgomery boycott pushed the civil rights movement into full force as african-americans across the south fought against racial inequality and ultimately led to the signing of the voting rights act of 1965 by president run done b. johnson. it was women like professor glass who refused to sit on the sidelines and be a footnote in history that made it possible for all of us to enjoy the rights we do today. i know i would not be standing here as the first african-american congresswoman from alabama if not for the activists like professor thelma glass. the remarkable career of professor glass as an educator and civil rights activist has been recognized by numerous awards. in 2011 professor glass received the black and gold standard award, one of the highest honors awarded to an alumni to alabama state university. professor glass is an active member of a so report, the montgomery chapter of the links incorporated and st. john's

a.m.e. church. thelma glass was indeed an inspiration to all. i know on a personal note professor glass served as a role model and mentor to my mother who she encouraged as a student at alabama state university to pledge the so report. she was the epitome of a woman of grace and style and commitment and dedication who lifted as she climbed. i stand on the shoulders of these trail blazering activists and this remarkable woman who paved the way for the advancement of african-americans. our nation is eternally grateful to her, her commitment to racial equality and social justice that is a great example to all of us. she left an indelible mark on the state of alabama and on this nation and today i stand proud -- proudly stand to acknowledge her legacy and hope that we all remember it for generations to come. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from maryland, democratic whip,

mr. hoyer. mr. hoyer: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, this week's middle class tax cut debate is, unfortunately, an unnecessary sequel to december's fight over extending payroll tax cuts. . republicans campaigned but when faced with a bipartisan agreement in december of last year, they chose to walk away. unfortunately, they appear ready to do so again. when it comes to extending tax cuts for the middle class, democrats and republicans agree . both believe we ought not to do so. so we have agreement. that agreement has been

reflected in a senate-passed bill, mr. speaker, as you know. so with millions faced with the uncertainty of whether their taxes will go up next year, why haven't we acted? this should be an easy vote for an overwhelming majority of members to say, let's extend these tax cuts we agree on and then debate what we don't agree on. it should be easy. but the republicans, mr. speaker, are continuing to do what they do, so often have done best this congress. obstruct, delay and walk away. by holding an extension of the payroll tax cuts for 98% of our taxpayers, hostage in december, republicans walked away from the middle class. they walked away from their responsibility to seek compromise on job creation and

economic recovery. they walked away from negotiations over deficit reduction, setting up the dangerous sequester that now looms at the end of the year. the sequester exicses because republicans pursued a policy of placing the nation's debt at risk. today sadly we are walking away from the middle class and working families once more, demanding their way or nothing on tax cuts. no tax cuts for the middle class they insist without an additional tax break for the upper % of income earners. in other words, we agree on 98%. we don't agree on 2%. rather than doing that which we agree upon for 98% of the american taxpayers, we will hold them hostage until we get agreement on the 2%. of course if we agree on the 2% it will add $1 trillion over 10

years to our deficit and debt. republicans plan of tax cuts for the wealthy hasn't worked before and it won't work now. under president reagan and both presidents bush, deficits climbed. drants under president clinton we had the most successful economy, four years of balanced budgets and four years which we did not increase the national debt. i say to my friends on the republican sloil, mr. speaker, we have had many opportunities to work together this year to address our challenges, but each time our republican colleagues have walked away. in doing so they broke a central promise in their pledge to america. that is the promise to let the jord work its will. we could have extended the payroll tax cut without a fight. we could have found a big and balanced solution to deficits and we could be votinged to on

a tax cut extension for 100% of -- voting on a tax cut extension for 100% of americans who make up to $200,000 or if they're a couple $250,000. but in each case, in each case, mr. speaker, republicans moved not towards the center but to the right to place the extreme wing in their party. placate the extreme wing within their party. yesterday, mr. speaker, representative richard hanna of new york, a republican, said this about his party in congress, and i want to quote him. this is congressman hanna from new york, a republican, i have to say that i am frustrated by how much we, i mean the republican party, are willing to give differential treatment to our extremists in this moment in history. the gentleman from new york went on to say, quote, we render ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is

take severe sides. if all too do is go down there and join a team and the team is invested in winning and you have something similar to the shirts and skins, there's not a lot of value there. congressman hanna in this instance is right. republicans have been unable to govern. again and again this house of representatives received compromised bills from the senate but has been incapable of agreeing to legislation of passing a version that could become law. that was true in transportation. it's true on the farm bill. it's true on violence against women. it's true on this tax bill. examples include, as i've said, violence against women, the farm bill, postal reform, the highway bill, faumplet re-authorization and many others -- f.a.a. re-authorization and many others. instead of focusing on winning politically, they should be concerned about governing effectively. they could learn from our outstanding olympic athletes,

in team sports like soccer and basketball, people come together as one team. team u.s.a. they've won gold. they've been successful. we could be as well if we came together as team u.s.a. those athletes may harbor rivalries most of the time. they may not be used to working together and they all know when the calderon is extinguished they will once again wear different colors, but right now in london they are all wearing red, white and blue, and they set their differences aside to achieve victory together. we ought to follow their example. republicans ought to follow their example. we have the chance today to be one team and make possible what we agree ought to happen. again, we agree on 98% of the proposal. let's agree on that and agree to debate that on which we

don't agree. so i say to my republican friends, stop walking away from the middle class and start working with us to get things done on their behalf. now, let me quote someone that i don't usually quote, newt gingrich, when he was speaker of this house, when we were considering a compromise that he and president clinton had agreed to and so many of his republican colleagues, mr. speaker, as you may remember, opposed newt gingrich's efforts. he said, i would say for a minute, if i might to my friends who are asking for a no vote, the perfectionist caucus, as he referred to them. he concluded his remarks in urging them to vote for a compromise agreement. so the question is, can we cavity a bill which is a win for the american people because it is a win for the president and a win for the congress? because, he said, if we cannot find a way to have all three

winning we do not have a bill worthy of being passed. the president's indicated he will not sign the republican bill and the senate won't pass the republican bill. but, again, my friends, mr. speaker, as you know we have agreement on 98%. and we are hung up because we don't have agreement on the other 2%. mr. gingrich went on, the speaker. now my friends each are per fictionists could write a perfect bill. and he concluded, in a free society, in a free society we have to give and take. we have to be able to work. mr. speaker, americans must lament the fact that they see their representatives agreeing on 98% of a proposition and

will not pass it. will not pass it because the per fictionist caucus has promised in many respects to one individual american, we will not raise taxes ever. we won't pay for what we buy even if we think it's important. mr. speaker, both parties have an opportunity today to stand up and reflect agreement and do something positive for the american people, do something positive for the american economy, do something positive to grow jobs in america, do something that will give certainty and confidence to the overwhelming majority of americans who will say that congress can work. it can as families understand they must do every day reach compromise, come together, reason with one another, give

and take as speaker gingrich said. let us hope, mr. speaker, that we reflect the best in us today, not the worst, not the confrontational inclination, but the inclination to come together to america -- make america better, to make sure that the american people who are working hard every day don't see a tax increase on january 1 as a result of a perfectionist caucus unwilling to compromise, unwilling to pass an already passed senate bill that will give 98% of americans confidence that they will not receive any tax increase on january 1. what a good thing that would be for america, for the american people, for the american economy. let's work together. america expect us to do that

and that's what we ought to do and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess >> just announced this morning in fact during morning hour the house ethics committee says california democratic congresswoman laura richardson should be reprimanded for misusing her staff. the committee also found she improperly compelled staff to perform campaign work and obstructed the internal investigation by altering or destroying evidence failing to

produce subpoenaed documents and attempting to influence testimony witnesses. >> just a short while ago at the cannon house office build the transportation subcommittee held a hearing on transportation security administration screeners. testimony this morning from deputy add add smrtor -- administrator john helsinki. he started serving as the new deputy administrator last month. we will show you as much of this hearing we can until the house gavels in at noon. >> this meeting will come to order. the subcommittee is meeting today to exam t.s.a.'s efforts to examine misconduct in the screening force. i welcome everyone here and

thank john halinski for testifying and congratulations for your new appointment. i'm sure you'll do a combat job. to oversee and direct aviation security is undeniable. they have proven time and again to attack our nation's aviation systems. the government has a duty to protect the citizens against these attacks. the majority of americans do not support the government's current probes and when they hear that some people at t.s.a. who are supposed to enforce and assure their security are engaged in gross misconduct, it only makes matters worse. speaking from luggage, accepting bribes, sleeping or drinking on duty, this kind of negligence has contributed to t.s.a.'s shattered public image. it's true that other federal departments struggle with criminal cases against their employees, but t.s.a. unlike

most agencies interacts with the general public in a frequent and personal matter. the fact their high-profile criminal case have contributed to problems and growing lack of support. i believe t.s.a. oversized work force which only increases the likelihood of this behavior. the number of employees could be reduced dramatically with more attention paid to qualifications and training. it is just a small percentage of the overall work force that is involved in criminal or negligent behavior, but only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch. at the end of the day perfect screppings is reality. i did not convene this hearing to rehash all the details nor is it my intention to vilify every employee. rather this hearing is a chance for t.s.a. to describe the efforts to more quickly identify and remove employees whose behavior or lack of judgment can further damage t.s.a.'s already troubled image. i believe the american taxpayers are owed this information. more importantly i believe the frequency of t.s.a. employee misconduct is a symptom of a larger problem.

with the exception of s.t.a., they are responsible for both overseeing the screening and conducting the screening. in some cases we have seen poor screener performance go uncorrected or even worse being encouraged or covered up. bun of the most disturbing examples occurred last year in honolulu airport where screeners and supervisors were letting luggage go through without screening for explosives. t.s.a.'s own federal security director was in on it. one of these casesle is disturbing but there have been others including one at florida, j.f.k. newark. today i look forward to receiving information on the efforts to tackle these issues and how congress can assist you in those efforts. t.s.a. has taken action under the leadership, including the creation of the new office of responsible responsibility. while i regularly support the administrator adding bureaucracy on top of bureaucracy is not good solution. with that i recognize the

ranking member -- sitting and ranking member of the subcommittee, mr. davis, for any opening statement he may have. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. as the ranking member, ms. lee, could not be in attendance today and i'm sitting in in her stead. so i will read her opening statement at this moment and she may join us before the end of the hearing. i first would like to take this opportunity to thank mr. halinski for joining us today for the first time in his new role as deputy administrator at t.s.a. mr. chairman, as you know this congress, we are focused on the efforts by the federal government to empower and strengthen our frontline employees. transportation security offenses working at our airports across the country are our first line of defense against terrorism. through our work as -- on the

oversight committee and the previous congresses the committee has found that these workers suffer from high injury rates, attrition, and exceptionally low morale. until recently there was no hope for them to obtain the necessary workplace protections. collective bargaining rights and whistleblower protections that other federal employees enjoy. however today we are closer to achieving this goal and in turn establishing a work force that can place greater focus on the security mission and end. the lack of workplace protections for screening personnel, combines with poor work force management increases costs and decreases security. selective bargaining rights will ensure that t.s.o.'s are recorded with the same standard and authority as other critical security personnel. and we can have confidence these rights will not interfere with

the proper steps being taken to address criminal activity and our failure in the training program. mr. chairman, as we explore today's hearing topic, i must caution you that we must make it clear as to what type of misconduct we are referring to. in one instance we may be discussing alleged criminal activity that t.s.o.'s engage in and therefore must face legal consequences. on the other hand, we must take a closer look at instances when t.s.o.'s fail to comply with standard operating procedures at the checkpoint and what steps are taken by t.s.a. to identify this activity and address vulnerabilities in the training and enforcement programs. this hearing is an opportunity to question t.s.a. about how it ensures that screening procedures are followed and how it determines whether the remedy for misconduct should be

discipline or remedial training for t.s.o.'s. proper training of t.s.o.'s is criticalle to security of our aviation system. that is why i along with my democratic colleagues of the committee have consistent called for providing t.s.o.'s with additional training whenever egregious screening operations and missteps occur. i look forward to hearing more from t.s.a. about how the most recent reorganization it has undertaken will address these concerns. in recent hearings my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have stressed the importance of determining adequate staffing numbers in order to create efficiencies that do not compromise security at our airports. in these tight budgetary times, it is incumbent upon all of us to find ways to be more efficient without compromising security. we cannot, however, cut corners when it comes to transportation

security. i look forward to hearing from mr. halinski on t.s.a.'s staffing allocation model and determination to adequately staff or security checkpoints. i would also expect to hear from him on the cost of outsourcing of screening operations. finally, i hope mr. halinski can solve a mystery we have tried to unravel for over a year. that is how will t.s.a.'s headquarters reorganization reduce costs and create efficiencies. with that, mr. chairman, i thank you. and yield back. >> i thank the gentleman. we are pleased to have today with us a distinguished witness, mr. john halinski, the t.s.a. deputy administrator. he's assumed his new position on -- in july of this year. he previously served as the head of the office of global strategies in europe area management he served 25 years in

the marine corps in a variety of distinguished positions. we thank you for your service. the chair now recognizes mr. halinski for his opening statement. >> good morning, chairman rogers, congressman davis, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. thank you for the opportunity to testify today. since t.s.a.'s inception, commercial aviation has been a priority target for al qaeda and its affiliates. as evidenced by repeated unsuccessful attempts to attack our aviation system. in recent years t.s.a. has mitigated threats related to liquid explosives plots in 2006. the christmas day underwear bombing in 2009. the cargo explosive attempt in 2010. and concerns about surgically implanted explosives and renewed threat of explosives concealed on the body this year. the threat continues to evolve which is why t.s.a. uses intelligence as a key driver of all we do. our transportation security officers, or t.s.o.'s, screen

more than 1.8 million people per day. our work force is dedicate the to the security of all passengers and our leadership is committed to employing risk-based spence driven operations to reduce -- to reduce the system to terrorism. 10 years after federal screening operations began, our work force is one of the most diverse in the federal government. the t.s.a. work force exceeds the civilian labor force participation rates for the three largest minority groups. approximately one quarter of our work force, or 15,000 personnel are veterans of the united states armed forces who bring to t.s.a. the same dedication of serving their country that they did while in military uniform. our work force has considerable on-the-job experience with the average t.s.o. serving with us for nearly six years. we train and expect our work force to carry out our critical security mission with professionalism and respect. overall, most travelers have a positive experience at the

airport. of the six million passengers screened each year, we are contacted by roughly 750,000 travelers, and of those contacts less than 8% are from passengers registering a complaint. this fact belies the near constant criticism and frequently embellished allegations of improper screening reported in the media and repeated as fact by many individuals despite the evidence to the contrary. since the creation of t.s.a., we have been focused on evolving the skill of our work force to proactively mitigate potential threats. through efficiencies created in our operations and use of technology, we have invested in more specialized screening approaches, enhancing our layered security system as recommended by the 9/11 commission. also since the inception of t.s.a., we have used intelligence in our experience to make adjustments to the prohibited items list. these changes allow our work force to focus on high threat items. we base these decisions on a careful analysis of intelligence

and our commitment to mitigating risk. in addition to add mindor pistols' expectations of hard work, professionalism, and integrity from everyone who works at t.s.a., he's also committed to provide the most if he effective security in the most efficient way. we are looking to bert allocate resources and streamline functions. we require specialized skills that can adapt as threats evolve of the maintaining and enhancing our capability is a high priority. to be successful in our commission we hold ourselves and work force accountable for committee meeting our expectation for lard work, professionalism, and integrity. like any large agency we'll have employees that don't meet our expectations. it's matter of loyalty to tens of thousands of employees who take pride in carrying out our mission and do it well that we take prompt and appropriate action when we identify employees who do not meet our standards. administrator piss tal shortly

after coming to t.s.a. established the office of responsibility, o.p.r., pat earned after a similar function within the department of justice. the purpose of o.p.r. is to ensure that allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and that discipline is appropriate and fair across the agency. in closing what, ue 90's everyone at t.s.a. is our mission. we are accurately aware of why t.s.a. was created. our employees, some of whom are your neighbors and constituents, choose public service to ensure that the horror of 9/11 never happens again within our country. our work force's commitment to serve and protect the traveling public is both genuine and admirable. i'm proud to serve with t.s.a. and i'm committed to supporting to make them better. i'm committed to defending them when they are criticized for doing the right thing. i'm last committed to holding them accountable when they fail to meet our standards. this is what our mission requires to be successful. thank you. i look forward to answering your questions. >> thank you, mr. halinski.

the chair recognizes himself for five minutes. questions. mr. halinski, do you believe that the criticisms of t.s.a. by many americans are reasonable? yes or no. >> sir, i would say when i looked at the statistics that we have, which is -- we screen approximately 600 million passengers a year, and we have engagement who actively come in contact with about 750,000. about 8% or less than 8% are actually criticisms of t.s.a. when you look at the large amount of passengers going through, i think that statistic speaks for itself. i will say in any large organization, if you have a large organization of 60,000 people, that's like a city, you are always going to have crime in the city. you are always going to have people in a city who don't do things that are proper or make mistakes. i'm not saying we are any different from any other group of americans, i'm saying we are exactly like every other group of americans.

but we will hold them accountable when they do something wrong. and i think we have demonstrated that recently with the creation of our o.p.r. and trying to streamline the process when we identify problems in our organization. >> do you think the criticisms by the american people are reasonable? >> sir, i haven't seen a lot of -- i would ask you, sir, if you provide us what the criticisms are. i haven't seen a lot of statistics about criticisms. >> have you been out in public lately? i hear them every time i go to wal-mart or church. >> yes, sir. understand, sir. i saw an interesting fact the other day on the media and the press the t.s.a. gets. we have actually tracked since 2009 negative reporting in the media of t.s.a. and found that there were almost 13,000 reports in the media of t.s.a. and 47% were negative. an interesting fact that i find is that we looked at the number of blocks and there are about

5,000 blogs out there. of the 5,000 blogs, about 80% are negative towards t.s.a. one interesting piece i find as a former marine officer is the fact that it's very easy to put a negative comment in a blog and not put your name on it. and i think that's a point -- when we see criticism, we are going to address criticism. we are going to address vulnerabilities. i give you my word on that. >> you talked about the office of professional responsibility. can you tell me more specifically what you, now that you are in charge, to more rapidly try to eliminate this problem to the extend possible. >> i will tell you we are very committed to -- when we see an issue with an employee, we are very committed to resolving it. i would like to take one moment to -- >> but i mean specifically, what do you intend to do differently than has been done before you took this position to ensure that speedy resolution? >> when we have personnel that have committed -- let's say

stealing drugs or lack of security, we can immediately identify those personnel are terminated. they are walked out the door. >> that's a new development. i'm glad to hear that. >> yes, sir. number two, we do -- when we cannot conclusively identify bad behavior, we conduct an investigation. we have created the office of public -- professional responsibility to ensure that there is consistency. that investigation is held. we have consistent review of the process, and if appropriate, our employees are held accountable for misbehavior. i think it sends a strong signal and i would like to go back to your opening comment, sir, when you identified some issues in some of our airports. i view that as a positive thing, sir. we are policing our own. we are identifying problems and we are conducting the appropriate action, in some cases it is terminating employees, who have misconduct. i would also categorize -- >> let me ask, is the new contract you are about to sign

going to in any way inhabit your ability to terminate employees for improper behavior? >> at this point because it is a very sensitive negotiation i think it would be inappropriate for me to discuss that because it might have effects on that negotiation. i don't think it's appropriate to discuss it, sir. i would be more than willing after the negotiations -- negotiation's completed give you more detail on that issue. >> after the negotiations are complete rather than a briefing, i would rather do it in public because the public needs to know. one of my concerns all along with t.s.a. has been when they do have somebody that, for example, makes serious errors in judgment, like when people are going through magna tomorrow mitter, they aren't terminated, they are aren't disciplined in a significant way. and there's been some pretty egrogeous action it is they were in the private sector i think they would have been terminated. i'm concerned there might be

some effort to inhibit your ability to get rid of bad apples, because the truth is the overwhelming majority of t.s.a. screeners are good employees, good people trying to do a good job. we can't let the whole organization be tainted by bad folks you can't seem to get rid of. my time has expired i recognize mr. davis for five minutes for questions. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. mr. halinski, welcome again. let me ask you, in 2006 the d.h.s. office of the inspector general reported that aviation security officials at san francisco international airport compromised o.i.g. covert security testing. they did so by informing their contract screeners that testing was occurring. do you believe that such misconduct by a companyle with a contract for screening services constitutes a breach of the public trust?

>> sir, first let me say i'm not familiar with that particular case. i have not read that. i would say whenever, whether it's a private company or public company, we identify an issue in our screening work force. we try to take the appropriate action that's needed, sir. >> let me ask you, what would happen if that was found to be the case today? >> sir, i believe that if we found something like that going on, we would take the appropriate action. i believe that we would be discussing that with the company that's there. and we would take the appropriate action based on a review of the process. i can't say exactly what that would be because i wouldn't have the facts until i was able to sit across the table from them and discuss it. >> just a moment ago you and chairman rogers had some dialogue relative to the newly established office of

professional responsibility, which was created to ensure timely, fair, and consistent discipline throughout the agency. however, it is my understanding that most decisions on discipline are still made at the local level by federal security directors. if that is the case, then how will the office of professional responsibility be able to ensure fair and consistent discipline, and that it is being applied when it is not the entity making such decisions in what appear to be a majority of the cases? >> sir, i think it depends, number one, on the case. the office of o.p.r. will review all cases. there is a review panel that consists of two individuals from the office of o.p.r., as well as an f.s.d. and they do a paper review of

the case. once again i'd like to say, sir, we have 60,000 employees. our office of professional responsibility is a very small organization. we are concentrating -- it's a new organization. we believe it's the right approach. we are trying to be consistent across the board and there is a review process that does occur, sir. >> let me ask you, that being the case how will the office of professional responsibility coordinate with t.s.o.'s exclusive representative, the american federation of government employees, to ensure that the terms of the arbitration agreement between the parties are not violated? >> sir, it' like to say at this point we are -- i'd like to say at this point we are in a very sensitive negotiation. i'm collective bargaining. i think anything i say could be taken out of context and i don't want to jeopardize that

particular negotiation at this point. but we would love to do a public forum as chairman rogers said on all aspects of the agreement with the union, sir. >> thank you very much. i yield back, mr. chairman. >> i thank the gentleman. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. lungren, for five minutes. >> thank you very much. first of all let me thank you for your service in the marine corps. i appreciate that. i presume -- i'm confident that the dedication you showed as a marine is the same dedication you are showing us today. helping us with challenges. and i just want to put on the record, i think we are safer today as a result of the work that's been done by d.h.s. and by t.s.a. i think i'm safer when i go. and this weekend i'm going with my granddaughter on a flight out home. when they turn 5 they come with granddad out to visit from california. and i feel more confident and safer today than i did in the

days right after 9/11. i appreciate that work. i appreciate the work of the t.s.a. employees. i think the full body scanners may be one way of reducing some of the complaints you have. as who has had many, many bhoddy searches from t.s.a. -- body searches from t.s.a., it's not a pleasant experience and there are many ways i think can lead to complaints and i think the rapidity with which people can go through the body scanners and lack of having full body searches is an improvement. i am a supporter and have been of the screening partnership program. i was pleased in the announcement this last week that the major airport in my district, sacramento international airport, which has been striving for some time to get permission from t.s.a. to pursue that, if that's appropriate, that the announcement that they can

pursue that has gone forward. i appreciate that. is there any evidence whatsoever that there is any difference in terms of the level of complaints that you have from those airports that have t.s.a. employees versus those that have screening partnership program employees? >> sir, our analysis between the federalized work force and s.p.t. has found from an operational standpoint there are basically no difference. i would say that our analysis has also indicated there is a slightly higher cost. >> i understand. i want to get into that because we have had strong disagreements with your department on that because originally you came up and your folks forgot to put the additional costs of pension and so forth in there. we brought it down to 13%. down to 3%. so i don't want to get into that question because we have gone on and on about that. i don't think there's any

problem with examining it, but i have had real problems with the numbers i have gotten from t.s.a. over that time. let me ask you this. how do you recruit screeners? what are the key qualification that is t.s.a. looks for? have you changed it at all -- qualifications that t.s.a. looks for? have you changed it at all about some of the complaints about some who have been on the job in the past? >> we actually have a very good process to recruit screeners. if you'll allow me to walkthrough that process, we recruit our personnel through a variety of different processes. what we are looking for, because i think it is a key to good security, is we are looking for a very diverse work force. and i'm not talking about race, i'm not talking about age. i'm talking about a combination of many other factors. experience, several things. because it's very, very important because if you're going to be successful on security, you can't look through one lens.

you have to be able to look through multiple lenses. when we do our recruiting, our personnel come in and vetted against a criminal data base, they are vetted against a terror data base and financial records. once they come into t.s.a., they are given about -- a fairly extensive training regimen. they have to pass a series of tests, knowledge on screening, knowledge on standard operating procedures, and then they are given an extensive period of on-the-job training. as they progress they are given recurrent training on a continual basis. >> probation? >> i believe -- i have to go back and get back with you on that, sir. i don't want to give you the wrong answer. >> what about your recruitment of veterans? >> yes, sir. we actively recruit veterans. as i said 25% of our work force are veterans. >> how do you recruit them? >> we use a lot of the internet, sir, to be quite frank. we use -- we have programs where

we look at the transition assistance program with d.o.d.. i think that's a very good program. i my is he went through that program and it does identify opportunities for veterans. >> how many criminal cases do you have ongoing? >> i'll have to get back with you, sir. i'm not sure exactly. >> if you could. if you could give us the type of offenses. i appreciate that. thank you. >> the chair now recognizes my friend and colleague from minnesota, mr. cravaack, for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chair. welcome aboard, sir. thank you for your dedication and service. you definitely stepped in the breach. thank you for doing that. i couldn't think of a better guy than a marine. thank you very much. >> appreciate if, sir. >> you come from a very professional organization and i hope that what you have learned in the corps will definitely be trained for down into the troops. i think that being a marine corps will definitely help you on that way. i look forward to that and seeing a transformation in

t.s.a. like the chairman said, majority , members -- old saying that 95% of your work force is good. but 95% of your work is spent on 5% of your people. that's probably what you are experiencing right now as well. i also understand and appreciate your sensitivity regarding union negotiations. as a 17-year union member, going through negotiation process, i understand what your concern on saying something that may be taken out of context. and affect negotiations. i totally get that. understand that. one of the things when i went through negotiations strock proponents i have always said is that -- strong proponents i have always said is that you never negotiate safety. that's one thing i hope you take to bear when you go to the table and negotiate with the unions

that safety is not a negotiable item. it's either one way or the other. hopefully we'll lean on the side of safety w that said -- in your testimony you mentioned training for t.s.o.'s to effectively interact with passengers and de-escalate difficult situations. one of the things that -- one of the bills i have with the t.s.a. bill regarding making sure that our troops, our warriors who come back from overseas when they are in uniform with orders in the military i.d., that they get expedited screening. not no screening but expedited screening. do you have special training for t.s.o.'s to expedite screening for members of the armed services? >> yes, sir, we do. whenever we started a new program or we initiate a program, what we have is extensive training of our screeners. in this case military personnel, to recognize several things. we think the partnership we established with d.o.d. is very

good on a number levels. not just returning veterans but also wounded warriors and their families. i think we established a very good program. it's been great to work with d.o.d. in this capacity. having come from d.o.d. and we are very committed to supporting them and carrying that out, sir. >> ok. because the reason why i asked the question i have heard several stories from service members who were forced to remove their boots, service blouse, when they were traveling in uniform, and on orders, and this is really -- i take it personally. i just recently returning back to minnesota i saw a young major coming back from afghanistan, and i was all exsided because of the bill we had was able to press forward, i said were you able to get through expedited screening? he said, no. what's that? it wasn't even offered to him. he's in full military uniform, with about three c bags coming back from afghanistan. i was very, very disappointed that this bill that we fought so hard for is not being deployed.

we just had a hearing about that just a couple weeks ago. so anything that you -- especially as a veteran yourself, anything that you can do to get -- move this along. quite frankly you are in violation of the bill already because it was supposed to be fully executed. so anything that you can do as a marine and also the head, i would appreciate you expediting that. can you tell me if any steps have been taken since then to change any training for t.s.o.'s to account for risk-based security screening for members of the armed services act? are people aware of this act that is in place? are they aware when they see a service member in uniform that they are to offer expedited screening to them? >> as i said, sir, we are very, very committed to working with d.o.d. i think we have established a good partnership with d.o.d. we are in, as you know, sir, 450-some odd airports and we are doing our best to ensure that we get the word out to our work force.

on d.o.d. we look at the military as one of our models for the risk-based security program. in precheck. as we continue to move forward with that we will continue to conduct ourselves according to that, sir. >> ok, sir. you do understand it is the law. signed by the president. >> sir, i absolutely understand the law, sir. >> roger that. with that i yield back. >> i thank the gentleman. the chair now recognizes himself for a second round of questions. to make sure that the audience both here and on c-span understand, some of the instances i'm concerned about, i want to describe a few of them. last year in a honolulu airport, 45 t.s.a. employees were fired or suspended including the federal security director, for knowingly failing to screen checked bags and explosives. also last year in jackson, mississippi a.t.s.a. assistant federal security director was arrested for stabbing a co-worker to death in her apartment. the accused individual was

previously a screening supervisor at chicago o'hare airport. this year in newark airport, screening supervisors were fired for being called sleeping in front of monitors used to detect explosives and other threats and checked bags. this year also at fort myers airport, five t.s.a. employees were fired and 38 others, including supervisors, and the federal security director, were suspended for failing to conduct random screenings. this year at dulles airport a screened supervisor was arrested for allegedly running a prostitution ring out of a hotel in maryland. given these examples, can you tell me your thoughts about t.s.a.'s ability to oversee these supervisors who conduct the screening? >> yes, sir. i'd like to answer that in a couple ways, sir. first with the incidents in honolulu, newark, and fort myers, these are incidents where i believe the measures we have taken in place are starting to show fruition, sir. quite frankly why i say that because we are policing our own.

we have identified an issue. we conduct add thorough investigation. and the parties that were involved have been terminated from t.s.a. as they should have been because they were not in accordance with the way we operate. in the case of jackson and dulles, sir, those are criminal cases. i believe that was occurring when these individuals were off-duty. and they have been handled appropriately. i believe both individuals have been arrested and terminated from t.s.a. i would tell you on supervisory training sir, one of the things we have initiated in our transformation in the last year is the creation of the office of training and work force engagement. why is that? at one point we had training in several different areas. we have now consolidated training, become much more efficient. part of the training we are doing right now is fletc in georgia is what we call, i want to get it correct, sir, because i screwed up a couple hearings ago on an acronym. e.s.s.o., essential of supervising screening

operations. this particular train something new. and it specifically addresses supervisory screening techniques and operations. how they interact with the public. our culture of accountability. our culture of integrity. we are trying to get the entire screening supervisory work force trained in a very short period of time to that standard at fletc. >> what period of time? >> about 18 months, sir. > eefer supervisor will go to that training? >> absolutely, sir. we are putting a push on it and we believe the creation of this office of training and work force engagement is a major step to refocusing our efforts to become an efficient, counterterrorism organization where we hold our people accountable and increase integrity sir. >> i'm glad to hear the time of 18 months because the last i heard you were looking at a much longer timeline. that's a great improvement. in americans' minds, t.s.a. represents everything wrong about the federal government. bloated bureaucracy. if you put the chart up for me.

help me navigate this. when you look at the bottom right-hand side of the screen, there's a green box. and that's when somebody's identified as having done something criminal or inappropriate. kind of walk me through the process of what happens after that person, let's say caught stealing something in a bag, walk me through -- where do they go? this seems confusing to me. >> to be quite honest i have never seen that slide. it seems confusing to me. let me simplify the process, sir. we have a couple of different processes. if an individual in t.s.a. is identified as committing an act of theft, drugs, and we do test for drugs, or lack of screening, what we do immediately if we can prove it immediately, we terminate the employee. >> if you believe that that will be in any way inhibited by your new contract? >> sir, once again i'm going to go back to what i said before is that i feel that if i discuss any aspect of the collective

bargaining agreement at this critical time, i could jeopardize that negotiation. i would prefer to give awe full briefing in an open hearing like this after it's concluded, sir. >> i can just tell you, if you are not able to fire people for stealing under that new contract, we are going to have a problem. >> sir, the policy we have is if we catch an individual who is stealing, involved in drugs, or committing acts of lack ever security, is to terminate that employee immediately. if we cannot prove it immediately, what we do is we conduct an investigation. it either goes to the dhsig or internal in our office of investigations. if the allegation turns out to be true, it is taken to the office of professional responsibility. they have 30 days to conduct a consistent approach to dealing out appropriate action. that compacts the time frame much quicker. we believe this process is streamlined an more effective and more importantly it's consistent across the board.

>> office of professional responsibility at 30 days can then terminate or suspend or take whatever action necessary. there is no other step beyond that? >> there is no other step except we'll do an automatic review, sir, of that process. so there will be a letter, there will be a 14-day to 20-some odd day period where the person has the ability to respond. and then there will be a final adjudication. we are trying to streamline it. we do not tolerate in our agency misbehavior, sir. and i'd like to say again, we have 60,000 employees, sir. they are good employees. if i may make one comment, sir, we see a lot about surveys with t.s.a. employees and they have said this or that. there is one striking piece that every survey we have that stands out among our employees, and that is a commitment to our mission. and they truly believe, because they are not the best paid folks out there in the world, sir, that they are there to protect the traveling public. that's their mission, sir, and

we take it very seriously. we are not going to kohl trait, i'm going to sit here right now and tell you i'm not going to tolerate misbehavior or criminal conduct. we will take appropriate action. i give you my word. >> that's good enough for me. the chair now recognizes mr. davis for next round of questions. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. halinski. am i correct to understand that discipline is not one of the terms of the contract? >> i was in the marine corps for 25 years and we used to say name, rank, and serial number. i'm going to go back to what i said previously, sir. i believe that if i talk about any piece of this negotiation it could jeopardize it. i understand all of your concerns on this. and i will gladly come back and talk to you about collective bargaining in the future. we would love to do that. i just feel that we could jeopardize the sensitive negotiation at this point, sir. >> let me ask you what role does the newly established office of

training and work force engagement play in determining whether or not there is a need for discipline or a need for additional training? how do you separate -- >> yes, sir. we have created two new organizations within t.s.a. we created the office of training and work force engagement to reduce redundant training throughout the entire organization and centralized it to become much more effective. we are utilizing the facilities at fletc which we believe is demonstrating a cost efficiency. and they are focused on training and messaging internally to our work force. when i say messaging it's that messaging of accountability and integrity. the office of professional responsibility, on the other hand, is there to work with the leadership of t.s.a. and provide consistency when we talk about dealing with areas of discipline

or misbehavior within the organization. >> earlier this summer the house took several votes on amendments to the homeland security appropriation bills. and several of those amendments focused on policies and specifically targeted the screener work force. in one in particular would have banned t.s.o.'s from wearing badges and would have stripped the office of title from screeners. i'm trying to understand how prohibiting screeners from wearing badges and stripping them of their title enhance aviation security? >> sir, i really -- i don't have an opinion on that, sir. it never came to fruition. i don't have an opinion. i have a strong belief in our

screening work force. i believe when you have 60,000 people, one quarter of which are veterans, that are looking annually at six million people, and they have a very short period of time to do it. and to make a decision, go or no go, it's an enormous accomplishment for these people. i truly believe that. they are out there depending the public every day. and you hear stories, you see blogs, there are misconceptions out there. i'd say we are no more different than any other organization in this country and we are made up of americans who are committed to protecting this country. and that's the thing i truly believe in and want to work with the organization to make sure we gain that reputation in the future, sir. >> in your new role as deputy administrator, what do you see as the biggest challenge facing the screener work force? >> i think there is a couple of challenges, sir. one of the things that we would like to work on, quite frankly,

is the perception of our screening work force. we are looking at that, how we -- who we are and what we do. i believe it is a good story. so we want to improve the efficiency. i think that we are doing that. through training, through education. and we want to ensure that we are supporting the work force. i have found in previous positions of leadership when you talk about accomplishing the mission which i believe we do. the second piece is taking care of your personnel. do you that through training. you do it through defending them. and at the same time you do it through holding them accountable to a standard. that's what i plan to do, sir. >> thank you very much. i would certainly say that you demonstrate a tremendous level of training as well as tremendous level of discipline. i think you are going to manage this quite well. thank you very much t i have no further questions. >> thank you, mr. davis. the chair now recognizes mr. cravaack for second round of questions. >> thank you, mr. chair.

are you a breath of fresh air, sir. thank you very much. i appreciate you stepping into the breach. i truly think that you are going to be pride professionalism back to this organization by holding people accountable for what they do in their actions. what i think you are going to be doing is taking just exactly those great people that do work for the t.s.a., you are going to be enforcing them and making sure that they are recognized for who they are and what they do and bring a lot of bride back to this organization that we took so much -- bride back to this organization that we took so much pride in after 9/11 that brought this organization forward. i think you are exactly what they need right now. i appreciate that. just a little bit, in your testimony you say prior to 2006 we had about 45,000 full-time equivalent t.s.o.'s. the same functions were carried out by approximately 25% fewer personnel, while passenger volume remains about the same as

it was back in 2006, earlier information provided by the t.s.a. in the budget justifications would seem to indicate that the t.s.a. is not operating 25% fewer t.s.o.'s today. necessitating a congressal hard cap on the number of screeners at 46,000. can you comment on that scremcy? >> absolutely, sir. what i'd like to explain it as is when the written statement talks about 45,000 with a 25% less doing actual screening operations what, we have done and it is based on the comments by the 9/11 commission, is we have looked at trying to increase our security capability through a layered effect. so we have taken those personnel and created what we consider to be an exceptionally good layered security approach, including b.d.o.'s, our transportation security explosive specialists,

training officers. we are not going to receive that number. we now our limitations and stand by t we believe we have more effective in increasing that layered defensive effect by utilizing and not only that increasing the abled of our people to develop within the organization. to jump from a screener to a behavior detection officer. to look at other areas. so it's a two pronged approach, sir. one we believe we are more effective because we are carrying out the tenets of the 9/11 report which was a layered security effect. two, we are increasing opportunities for our work force to make them more of a professional work force by giving them opportunities to do other things. [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.] >> a bill extending the bush era tax cuts for another year. they are set to expire december 31. the bill also deals with the estate tax and alternative minimum tax that -- the house is

allowing a democratic version to be considered that similar to the tax cut extension passed last week by the senate. which applies to incomes of $250,000 or less. the house also has 10 other bills to debate today. including additional economic sanctions against iran and syria. last votes are expected about 5:00 p.m. eastern. over in the senate, another day of consideration of the cybersecurity bill that deals with regulation of internet traffic. follow live senate coverage on c-span2. now to the house here on c-span. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by our guest chaplain, reverend michael capp, sherwood baptist church, albany, georgia. the chaplain: lord god, i give thanks to live in a free land, blessed by you, since the days of the pilgrims who sought freedom from religious and political tyranny, you have blessed this land, you have guyed us through wars and recession and prosperity. we owe our existence to your sovereign hand. may these elected to represent the people follow the teachings of your word. we pray for all in authority that we may live in peace. please guide the congress regard lofse political persuasion to follow the words

of mica 6 -- of micah 6, he has told you old man what is good. what does the lord require of you but to love justice, love kindness and walk humbly before your god. the voice of the lord will call to the city, it is sound wisdom to fear your name. in the name of my lord jesus, i pray, amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approve the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from colorado, mr. perlmutter. mr. perlmutter: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: without objection, the gentleman from north carolina, mr. shuler, is

recognized for one minute. mr. shuler sprk mr. speaker, i rise -- mr. shuler: i rise today to recognize today's guest chaplain, dr. michael catt. he's the senior pastor at sherwood baptist church in albany, georgia. i'm honored to welcome him, his wife terry, his daughter haley to the united states house of representatives today. he's served as senior pastor at sherwood baptist since 1989. the church has 3,000 members and has averaged 100 baptisms each year. thousands of joined the church from albany and 29 surrounding community thesms church has evolved from a neighborhood church to a regional, multiethnic congregation with members from 11 nations. most notable, under his leadership, sherwood baptist developed an out-of-the-box

church outreach. his goal is to change the world from albany, georgia. while this may sound and seem a little radical or ridiculous statements from the pastor from southwest georgia, it's become a reality through sherwood pictures. he's served as executive producers of "fly wheel," "facing the giants," "and courageous." each of these major motion pictures serves to emphasize the work of christ. i am honor to -- honored to call him a friend and i look toward to seaing how the lord uses dr. katt in the future. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain 15 further requests for one-minutes from both sides of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to

address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman veck nighed. mr. -- is recognized. mr. poe: the last thing you want to do is raise taxes in the middle of a recession. that would take more demand out of the economy and put business in a further hole. that's what the president said in 2009. but that was then, this is now. if congress doesn't act, americans will face higher taxes when the clock strikes midnight on december 31 of this year. the president's solution is to raise taxes on some. that would eliminate 700,000 jobs in our country, 60,000 of those would be lost in my home state of texas. the tax increase will cost the average american a year's worth of groceries. $4,000. madam speaker, almost half of americans pay no federal income tax at all. what we need are more taxpayers, not more taxes. we need to renew the so-called kennedy-reagan-bush tax cuts new york tax increases on americans because the power to

tax is the power to destroy and the last thing we should do is raise taxes in a recession. that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from new york seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. >> thank you, madam speaker. don't forget the little people. that's what a gentleman said as he grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes at the sanborn farm museum breakfast on saturday morning. who are these little people? they are millions of moms and dads sitting at the dinner table. to give them the tax breaks they so desperately deserve. only in washington will people tell you they need to address a growing, out of control deficit

by spending $1 trillion on tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. not just that, that puts us into further debt with the chi demeeze. i got a problem with that. it seems simple to me. we want to cut our deficit, we cut spend, we also have folk who was benefited from tax breaks the last decade to pay their fair share. like many of us, i'm with the little people and i'm with the middle people. let's vote for a middle class tax cut today. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition >> -- seek recognition? >> annapolis consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> let me countdown begin. on january 1, the president plans to raise taxes on families and small businesses. instead of reining in out of

control spending, the president wants americans to hand over even more of their hard-earned money to the federal government. it's not smart to raise taxes ever, certainly not in a struggling economy. with three years of sky-high unemployment across the country, record-breaking deficits and countless new rules and mandates coming from the white house, the solution is simple. stop these job-killing tax hikes. it's time to rewrite the tax code, work on pro-growth tax reform, get this economy working again. stop the democrats' massive tax heeks to pay for their big government ageneral ta. the american people want, need, and deserve better. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> i request permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> article 1, section 8, clause 7 of the u.s. constitution gives congress the responsibility to establish and

ensure operation of the postal service. mr. kucinich: today, 243 years after the constitution was ratified, congress is pro pre-side thovering disestablishment of the postal service. today a default created by legislation is pushing the postal service to the brink. today they will not make a payment it should never have had to make in the first place to pay for prefunded 75 years of retiree benefits in 10 years. a manufactured default encouraged by banks and other interest groups. a move toward privatization of one of america's most vital services. the congress has a responsibility to stand up but here in the u.s.a., under citizens united, everything is up for auction including the postal service. wake up, america. universal service son the line. wake up, america and stand up for the constitution, 575,000 postal service workers and our obligation to the american

people to see to it that the postal service is rescued from those who want to push it into default or privatize it for their own profit. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise to say thanks to adam ross and his parents. he has been described as a well-mannered, good-spirited, all-around good american boy when he left his hometown to follow in his father's and brother's footsteps to fight for this country he loves so much. mr. gowdy: he told his parents, i know where i'm going, i know why i'm going and i know what this is. his body was returned to this country he loved and believed in last week in a flag-draped

coffin. his parents laid him to rest at age 19. he died making this country the last, best home for mankind. i rise to honor his service, to honor the sacrifice his parents made, to pray for peace and wisdom -- for their peace and wisdom, and pray that when adam ross looks down on the america in year -- of years to come, he may think his sacrifice was worth it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cicilline: i urge my republican colleagues to abandon their plans to hold middle class tax cuts hostage to their demands for another tax cut for millionaires and billionaires and to pass a balanced tax plan such as that contained in h.r. 15 that extends tax cuts for 98% of all americans and 97% of small

businesses. if congress fails to act, an estimated 400,000 families in rhode island could face a tax increase of $600. it will end the earned income tax credit and expanded child tax credit and eliminate the american opportunity tax credit. it's estimated that in rhode island 100,000 families would lose an average of $1,000 in 2013 if the child tax credit expansion is allowed to expire. the republicans' misguided plan would protect tax cutters in wealthiest and raising taxes on 25 million lower and middle income americans. i urge my colleagues to support a balanced plan that protects the middle class, strengthen ours small businesses and strengthens our economy. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> on monday i hosted a hearing on countertism and intelligence on which i serve as ranking member.

this was an opportunity for the committee to hear from local officials on the decision to eliminate buffalo, niagara, from the urban security area initiative prame. the niagara sheriff and others testified that the capability gains under this program cannot be sustained without fully funding this program. mr. higgins: the federal investment, the support the security gains achieved over the pasting ayears will be lost unless we fully fund this program. mr. speaker, the witness testimony made clear that the decision to eliminate buffalo, niagara, from the urban area security initiative program was ill-advised, shortsighted and counterproductive. congress and the department of homeland security must reverse this course and restore their eligibility for this all-important program. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition?

>> i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. >> i rise today to mark a key milestone in women's access to affordable health care services. mrs. capps: starting today, women have guaranteed access to a host of preventive services in new health care plans without additional costs. these benefits including annual well-woman physicals, birth control coverage and screeningings for -- and screenings for domestic violence among them are critical steps to ensuring women get the care they need to stay healthy and treat disease early. too often, women put off kneaded care because of the cost this new coverage benefit makes some of these tough decisions a thing of the past, decisions like will to pay for treatment or pay for groceries. as we celebrate, we must remember that these health care services continue to be po litized and -- politicized and face many attacks.

these are not only divisive but intrusive into women's private health decisions. we must stand up to these attacks and support health care benefits and ensure that wull women and their families have access to affordable health care services. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? . mr. perlmutter: thank you, madam speaker. it's been a hard summer in colorado but we have bright spots. one thing and two people. the thing is the patent office. in this country we have had one patent office. it's been here in washington, d.c., and now we are going to have three patent offices across the country, and colorado got one of those. we are going to have a satellite patent office in colorado and that will help us continue our innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. the two people i'd like to highlight, one is chief dan oaths. we have tremendous heroes in

this tragedy we had in colorado. but the chief andnies leadership of the aurora police department were fantastic. i compliment him on that. the last person i want to highlight and is a bright spot and will keep getting brighter is missy franklin who has won a bronze medal and gold medal in swimming and she's going to win a lot more. even though we have had a tough summer, there are a lot of bright things and a lot of bright people in colorado. and it's going to be better from here on out. thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. baca: madam speaker, this monday colton unify school district held a ceremony for the joe baca middle scol in california. next week 800 students from the surrounding communities begin to attend class there is. i'm truly humbled to receive this honor and thank the school district. i want to especially recognize

superintendent jerry, all of the school board members, and the beautiful art work which will be displayed at the school. and congressman gary miller for his bipartisan support. growing up the youngest of 15 children in a poorhouse hold, i never would have imagined i would have a school named in my honor. i never thought i would live to see this day. again i want to thank everyone involved, give special thanks to my family for the continued love and support. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition. >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. davis: our democracy flourishes when every citizen who wants to votes, but just once. and luckily there's just not much evidence that anyone voting more than once. but pennsylvania where one of the nation's strictest voter i.d. laws is on trial. the state can offer zero evidence that fraud has been

committed. they can offer zero evidence that future fraud is likely. so why would we require voter i.d. when we know one in 10 voters doesn't have i.d.? why would we close early voting sites or deny voters an absentee ballot when they can't make it to the polls on election day? madam speaker, the number of people hurt by barriers to voting is clearly higher than the number of illegal votes these methods purport to stop. so let's quit fooling ourselves and let people vote already. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from oregon seek recognition? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. >> this is an important day for women across this great country. starting today all new health insurance plans will include coverage for important preventive health care for women.

ms. bonamici: many have looked forward to date since the passage of the act and i'm thrilled it's here because starting today women across the country will have access to essential preventive health care without co-payments or deductibles. women who were effectively barred from these services because of the cost will now be able to receive annual visits, testing for diseases like h.p.v. and h.i.v. breast-feeding support and education. domestic violence counseling, and contraception. this is an important step in lowering our country's health care costs and making sure women have sufficient efforts to preventive health care. in my home state there are more than 633 women and 47 million across the country, who are going to benefit from this change. these are women who had unintended pregnancies because they could not access contraceptives. these are women who avoided going to the doctor because they didn't have the money only to end up in the emergency room. and these are women whose pregnancies were in danger because of lack of prenatal

care. today this changes. today now all women can take control of their health. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: thank you, madam speaker. sequestration, that's the bogeyman republicans created last year when they refused for the first time in american history to allow a clean debt ceiling vote. so they formed a supercommittee, which they doomed to failure when they refused to consider a balanced approach that included revenue and spending cuts. and now they decry the impending $1.2 trillion cuts they fashioned and voted for as a crisis for national defense. this gives chutzpah a bad name. if senators mccain, graham want to resolve this crisis in their town hall meetings that they helped create, join me in

calling our house republican leadership to cancel the five-week august recess and solve this solvable problem. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from vermont seek recognition? mr. welch: one minute, rend -- revise and extend. mr. welch: thank you, madam speaker, america needs a farm bill. america needs a farm bill. our ranchers, our agricultural conservation districts, our dairy farmers, commodity farmers, need and deserve a farm bill. it was passed by the senate. it was passed by the house agriculture committee in a strong bipartisan vote. but for the first time, literally the first time in the history of this country, a farm bill passed by the agriculture committee is not being allowed to come to the floor. there is no excuse for that. is it a hard job? yes. but is that an excuse for congress to duck its responsibility? no. are there contentious issues?

yes. some on the other side want to cut commodity programs. give them a shot. let them bring an amendment. my colleague, rosa delauro, receives we should -- congress must do its job. it must bring a farm bill to the floor for a vote so that each and every one of us is held to account to our constituents. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from connecticut seek recognition? ms. delauro: unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. delauro: 26 years ago i was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. i was lucky. i had excellent doctors. they detected the cancer by chance in stage one. if my cancer had not been caught early, i might not be speaking to you today. many women are not so lucky because they have never had access to preventive health care. that is why i'm so pleased to see that today.

thanks to the affordable care act, more lifesaving preventive services will begin to be covered for women all over the country. last year 54 million americans with private health insurance gained access to to preventive services without cost sharing, including over 700,000 in my state of connecticut. starting today, 47 million american women, including over 00,000 connecticut women, will now have access to well women's visits, screenings for gestational diabetes, h.p.v., and h.i.v. contraception and counseling, and support for breast feeding eafer domestic violence. a report until 2009 found that more than half of american women delayed or avoided unnecessary care because they could not afford it. this is why we passed the affordable care act. let's help americans get quality care. let's save lives. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from minnesota seek recognition? >> to address the house for one

minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. >> house democrats and president obama are fighting for families. by working to extend middle class tax cuts that will benefit 98% of americans. ms. mccollum: our plan will put $2,200 in the pockets of the average family. that's money that can be spent on your family on your family's needs. that money will help minnesota businesses grow and hire employees. but house republicans refuse to spend tax cuts -- extend tax cuts for the middle class, unless, billionaires and billionaires -- millionaires get an extra tax cut. that's wrong to borrow $50 billion from china so that millionaires and billionaires can get an extra tax cut of $160,000. the bush tax cuts for the superwealthy built a mountain of debt and failed to strengthen the economy. the bush years proved that the republican love affair with tax

cuts for the superwealthy are wasteful handouts. they fail to create jobs. the american economy soft money strong with the american middle class. i urge my colleagues to vote for the democratic middle class tax cuts. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. >> mr. speaker, today american women win. ms. speier: congress has finally done something right. no more co-pays for contraception. no more co-pays for mammograms. no more co-pays for well women visits. no more co-pays for diabetes screening, h.p.v. d.n.a. testing, or h.i.v. screening. so what does that mean to women in america? women in america today are saving money.

for contraception alone, $400 to $00 a year. for all women in this country, $1 billion worth of savings because the affordable care act was passed by congress and signed by the president of the united states. yes, president obama does care. and, yes, american women win. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cohen: unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cohen: thank you, madam speaker. today the house will take up the bill on the bush tax cuts. the republicans want to extend the bush tax cuts to everybody, but tax 25 million americans by not extending certain credits they get right now. the democratic proposal which i will support and here for today despite the fact that my election is tomorrow, will extend tax cuts to everybody and raise taxes somewhat on people who make over $200,000

individual or $250,000 married. they still get a tax cut but just not as much. 93% of the income growth in the last decade went to the top 1%. that's the people who can afford to pay more taxes. the fact is to deal with the deficit we have to have both income and cuts to wasteful spending. republicans and democrats have agreed, economists paul includingman called on growth revenue and cuts. so have martin felledstein, advisor to president reagan and hank paulsen, so did simpson bowls. they all said you need -- simpson-bowles. they all said you need both revenue and cuts. i urge support for middle class tax cuts. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, i hereby announce my resignation effective immediately from the house

committee on transportation and infrastructure. should you have any questions please contact my chief of staff. signed, sincerely, frank guinta, member of congress. the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, i hereby announce my resignation effective immediately from the house committee on budget. should you have any questions please contact my chief of staff. signed, sincerely, frank guinta, member of congress. the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, i hereby announce my resignation effective immediately from the house committee on oversight and government reform. should you have any questions, please contact my chief of staff. signed, sincerely, frank guinta, member of congress. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resignations are accepted. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> by direction of the house republican conference i send to the desk a privileged resolution

and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 751. resolved, that the following named member be and is hereby elected to the following standing committee of the house of representatives, committee on financial services, mr. guinta. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the resolution is agreed to. and the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. . for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina rise? >> by direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 747 and ask for its immediate resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 747, resolved that upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h r. 6169 to provide for an ex--- to provide for expedited consideration of a bill of

comprehensive tax reform. all points of order are waived, the bill shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in the bill are waive the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except, one, one hour of debate on the bill equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on rules. two, two hours of debate on the subject of reforming the internal revenue code of 1986, equally divide and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means. three, the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part a of the report of the committee on rules accompanying this resolution, if offered by representative slaughter of new york or her designee. -- or her designee, which shall be in order without any intervention of-pound of order, shall be considered as read and

shall be separately debatable for 20 minutes, equally divide and controlled by a proponent and an opponent, and four, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 2, upon adoption of this resolution, it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h r. 8, to extend certain tax relief provisions enacted in 2001 and 2003 and for other purposes. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waive the bill shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except, one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means. two, the ealt in the nature of a substitute pripped in part b of the report of the committee

on rules accompanying this resolution if offered by representative levin of michigan or his designee which shall be in order without intervention of any point of order, shall be considered as read and shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divide and controlled by the proponent and an opponent and three, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 3. on any legislative day during the period from august 3, 2012, through september 7, 2012, a, the journal of the proceeds of the previous day shall be considered as approved, b, the chair may at any time declare the house adjourned to meet at a date and time within the limits of clause 4, section 5, article 1 of the constitution. -- of the constitution, to be announced by the chair in declaring the adjournment, and c, bills and resolutions introduced during the period addressed by this section shall be numbered, listed in the

congressional record, and when printed shall bear the date of introduction but may be referred by the speaker at a later time. section 4, the speaker may appoint members to perform the duties of the chair for the duration of the period addressed by section 3 of this resolution as though under clause 8-a of rule 1. section 5. each day during the period addressed by section 3 of this resolution shall not constitute a calendar day for purposes of section 7 of the war powers resolution, 50 u.s.c. 1546. section 6, each date during the period addressed by section 3 of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative day for purposes of clause 7 of rule 13. section 7, each day during the period addressed by section 3 of this resolution shall not constitute a calendar or legislative day for purposes of

clause 7-c-1 of rule 22. section 8, it shall be in order at any time on the legislative day of august 2, 2012, for the speaker to entertain motions that the house suspend the rules as though under clause 1 of rule 15. section 9, the requirement of clause 6-a of rule 13 for a 2/3 vote to consider a report from the committee on rules on the same day it is presented to the house is waived with respect to any resolution reported through the legislative day of august 2, 2012. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for one hour. >> thank you, madam speaker. for the purposes of debate only, i yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlelady from new york, ms. slaughter, pending which, i yield myself such time as i may consume. during consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise

and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> house resolution 747 provides for a structured rull to consider h.r. 8. mr. scott: a structured rule for h.r. 6169, which provides the legislative path for true tax reform, and for other tools allowing the house to finish its business and continue to operate during the august district work period. madam speaker, i rise today in support of this rule and the underlying bill. madam speaker, why are we here today? my friends on the left will tell you we are here today to discuss the issue of fairness in our tax code. i would agree. america is the land of opportunity. we believe that the worst possible thing you can do during a fragile recovery that feels like a recession to me is

to increase taxes. why? because by increasing taxes, we jeopardize another 710,000 jobs, according to the experts. 710,000 jobs. one of those jobs could be held by one of my constituents a friend of mine, joe stringer. he's a middle class american, 62 years old. his wife, 67 years old, and on medicare. joe doesn't make $250,000. joe doesn't make $200,000. not even $150,000 or $100,000. but joe does have dividend income. like nine million seniors around this nation, who have dividend income. here's the interesting fact, madam speaker. when we hear the left talk about taxing the millionaires and billionaires, here's the new definition. of those nine million seniors

who have dividend income, 68% of them have an income of less than $100,000. 40% have an income of less than $50,000. but my friends on the left would categorize these folks as a member of the rich with their tax cuts. being expired at the end of this year. we are looking at an increase in the dividend tax rate of 185% for millions of americans who are on fixed incomes, these folks aren't rich. they depend on their dividend income and yet, with the actions of the left, we would see their dividend income tax responsibility burden go up by 185%. this is definitely not right. it is definitely wrong. now this is on top of all the new taxes that we find as a

part of the affordable care act. another $804 billion of new taxes on americans throughout this nation and in addition to that, madam speaker, under their proposal, we see the death tax going from 35% with the $5 million limit to 55%. for farmers, folks in agriculture, for small business owners, their wealth is not liquid. you would have to sell your land to pay these taxes. it's what we call a fire sale. so my friends on the left would punish people who work all their lives and come up with wealth to pass on to the next generation. but in this instance, the taxes would go up significantly and that's wrong. in spite of the results of all the surveys, yesterday, we had a survey done in my district

that sent 61% of folks would like to -- that said 61% of folks would like to see the 2001, 2003, and 85 members of the democrats voted for these exact same tax cuts to stay in place in 2010. it was good in 2010, it's still good right now. 61% of folks say, let's extend the tax cuts to all americans and let's keep that 710,000 americans who would lose their job, emploid. but in addition to that, the environment we're working in right now matters. it matters significantly because we have over 41 months -- emplied. but in addition to that, the environment we're working in right now matters. it matters significantly because we have over 41 months of over 8% unemployment. it's devastating madam speaker. madam speaker, i hope all my colleagues will come together

here today and realize that the time for political points should be over. that my colleagues would come together today and realize that the time for trying to divide americans is over. that we could come together today, maments, -- madam speaker, and realize that the time for punishing success is over. in many ways, madam speaker, in many ways, this debate today is about the very soul of who we are as americans. are we going to lift everyone up as one nation? or are we going to push some down to bring everyone somewhere in the fuzzy middle? it's a misguided attempt to redefine fairness. are we going to let the foundation of this nation continue to crack, or are we going to strengthen it for

another 200 years. we encourage it. i encourage success in this nation. we have to assure our -- ensure our children can learn about america the same way all of us learned about the land of opportunity. that's fairness that i believe in. once again, madam speaker, i rise in support of this rule and the underlying legislation and i encourage my colleagues to vote yes on the rule, yes on the underlying bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentlelady from new york. ms. slaughter: thank you, madam speaker. i thank my colleague for yielding me the time. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. slaughter: under the rule before us today, we will choose between two starkly different visions for america. my democratic colleagues and i are proposing a simple and fair tax cut for the middle class.

this proposal has already passed the senate, if passed by the house, it could quickly become law. our tax cut is based upon a simple premise that it is time for the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share. no more, but their fair share. unfortunately, despite agreing with the tax cuts proposed in our bill, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are standing in the way of the tax cut becoming lausm instead of passing a commonsense tax cut, the majority is demanding that any tax cut from the middle class be accompanied by a tax cut for the richest %. it's based on the disproved theory of trickle down economics. a failed economic theory that's led to record inequality and a broken tax code that is riddled with loopholes an giveaways to the wealthy. for decades, our tax system has

been tilted in favor of the wealthy and the big corporations. a rigged system that isn't working for most americans. just one example, between 2008 and 2010, 30 profitable fortune 500 companies paid absolutely nothing in federal taxes and many more companies and wealthy individuals avoid paying taxes by sheltering the money in bank accounts overseas. this stands in the chair recognizes the gentleman from contrasts to other moments in american history. in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, a 30-year period, that saw the creation of the middle class and the realization of the american dream, top income tax rates often reached levels we wouldn't even dream of today. but despite these tax rates, we saw incredible economic growth and the creation hofe -- creation of the strongest middle class on earth. the middle class grew in part because we did not allow the most successful members of our

society to dodge their responsibility as american taxpayers. in years since, we have witnessed a purposeful and concerted effort by some to undermine the notion of shared responsibility which this government was based on. in years since, we've witnessed a purposeful and concerted effort to undermine that. starting with, quote, reaganomics, end quote, in the 1980's a new theory pervaded american politics, a police chief that our focus should be on helping corporations and the wealthy in hopes that they might in return help some of us. . we believe that will putting the powerful trillion first success would trickle down on to the middle class. what we now know is the theory is simply not true. today america's increasingly unequal. millions of jobs have been shipped overseas. the middle class has been gutted.

these results are strong evidence that trickle-down economics have completely and utterly failed. in 2001, president bush proposed a series of unpaid for tax cuts that exploded our deficit and put millions of dollars directly into the pockets of the richest families in america and that's where we are today. at the same time, president bush claims that these tax cuts would create jobs. and vice president cheney told us not to worry about the cost to the nation because, quote, deficits don't matter, end quote. a decade later we can see that president bush and vice president cheney couldn't have been more wrong. under president bush our deficit exploded to record levels and according to fact check organization, he created only 1.1 million jobs. in contrast, president clinton erased our deficit through the balanced tax plan and created 23 million jobs. quite a dimps.

which brings us back to the legislation we are considering today. today the majority proposes we continue the failed policies by extending the bush tax cuts for the richest 2%. doing so, madam speaker, it would cost us nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years. and it would force us to continue borrowing billions of dollars from china and force us to make cuts in vital programs like medicare and student loans. to continue the failed status quo is a acies service to the american people we -- is a disservice to the american people we represent. it is time we make the tax code fair for those who work hard and play by the rules, not just the wealthy who lobby hard and rewrite the rules. we can do that by passing a simple and fair tax cut for the middle class today. unlike the proposal for the majority, the democrat proposal to cut taxes for middle class is something that both sides

already agree on. the majority strategy of holding middle class tax cuts hostage in exchange for the tax cuts of the top 2% is outrageous and must end. far too off the majority's partisan and zero sum ideology that led this congress down dead end roads. we see it over and over again whether it's the majority's proposal to end medicare as we know it or inability to avoid a downgrade. the first in our nation's history in our credit. unfortunately their proposal today is yet another partisan piece of legislation that will never become law. indeed, the president has already said he will veto the majority's proposal if it ever reaches his desk. when faced with these two starkly different proposals, one, noncontroversial, and a commonsense tax cut for the middle class, the other a partisan tax cut to benefit the richest 2%, it's clear what we should do. i urge my colleagues to provide a fair and simple tax cut to all

americans because the rich will benefit, too, while standing up for the financial security and prosperity of the middle class. why would we continue a program we know has failed? i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from south carolina. mr. scott: thank you, madam speaker. i just want to make sure i note once again reinforce the fact that this one-year extension we are suggesting on the right is in fact an extension of not only the 2001, 2003 tax cuts, but also the tax cuts that passed this house in 2010 in a bipartisan fashion. there is no doubt an action not to extend these tax cuts is actually increasing taxes on many people in this nation. and in fact if we do extend these tax cuts, what we are actually doing is allowing current tax law to stay in place. if we don't do that, we are talking about nine million seniors, 68% of whom make less

than $100,000, seeing their dividend income go up in taxation by 185%. that's the middle class. we are talking about the marriage penalty will place a $591 hire tax on over 88 million families--higher tax on over 88 million families. that's the middle class. we are talking about a reduction in the child tax credit that will pose a $1,028 tax hike on 31 million families. this looks like to me that my friends on the left are willing to tax the middle class and the poor. i yield, madam speaker, to the gentleman from south carolina, mr. gowdy, up to four minutes. four minutes, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for four minutes. mr. gowdy: thank you, madam speaker. i want to thank my good friend and colleague, tim scott. i was in rapt attention when he was talking it was almost as if

he stole my thoughts. i don't mind because he's a member of the freshman class. many of us in the freshman class, madam speaker, we weren't here in december of 2010. when this body last decided to extend the tax cuts for all americans, not some but all americans. 18 months ago. so you can imagine, madam speaker, how intrigued we are by the debate on the other side. we are also intrigued at the number of our colleagues who not 18 months ago decided it would be bad economics to raise taxes on any american. which leads me to wonder why the rule was not fair 18 months ago. i know that's the campaign slogan that everybody has to play by the rules and everybody should pay their fair share. well the rule was not that 18 months ago? was everybody not paying their fair share 18 months ago? heavens knows they voted for it 18 months ago. it's got me wondering, madam speaker, what's different today

than it was 18 months ago? maybe the economy is better off. maybe that's the explanation. and then i saw gas prices are higher and milk prices are higher, and bread prices are higher, and inflation is higher which is the most insidious of all taxes and people's purchasing power is down. that couldn't be why they changed their minds. it can't be because people are better off because they are not. so then i thought, madam speaker, maybe it's because government has become a better steward of the tax dollars that we do get. maybe government's spending the money better. and then i thought, no. we have had solyndra. we have had a failed stimulus plan. and we have hadal g.s.a. scandal. no, it couldn't possibly be we are spending the money wiser. so why in the world, madam speaker, would so many of our colleagues who just 18 months

ago thought the rules were just fine and that 35% was enough to pay, why in the world would they change their mind in the course of just 18 months? and then it dawned on me, madam speaker, it dawned on me while i was listening to the president tell our fellow americans, didn't build that and promising more flexibility in the second term, we are in the middle of a re-election campaign. it dawned on me, no, the economy's not better. and no, government's not spending its money better. but i have to have something to run on so i'm going to pit one group of americans against another group of americans because god knows i can't run on my record. so let's try the politics of bringing people down and perpetrating this myth. to somehow pulling other impeachment down makes me taller. let's pit one group of americans against another group.

madam speaker, the economy is still struggling. heavens knows it is. people are suffering. if you want economic growth, why in the world are you talking about taking more money from people? even if you don't think they felt it, why has changed in the last 18 months other than the political cycle, madam speaker? then i got to thinking, well, congressman scott was talking, let's assume for the sake of argument, madam speaker, that we do what they want us to do. go ahead and raise it to 39%. it may be 39 this time. how about 50? if you didn't build it, how about take half of it? what about 60%, madam speaker? if you didn't build it, take 60% of it. where does it stop? i know i'm out of time so i'll

say this if i could have 15 more seconds. mr. scott: one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gowdy: what the democrats want to do, madam speaker, is bad citizenship. it is bad economics. it is bad for our fellow americans. it remains to be seen if it's good electioneering or not. that remains to be seen. but duplicity is duplicity no matter what the calendar says. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from new york. ms. slaughter: madam speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from connecticut, ms. delauro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from connecticut for two minutes. ms. delauro: i would just like to remind the previous speaker that 18 months ago it was the republican majority in this house that made a determination to bring this nation to its knees and to shut down the government because they would not raise a debt ceiling and were holding the government hostage and the nation hostage.

and quite frankly that's what they are doing again today. and this time it is about tax relief for working families and for middle class families. the duplicity is on the other side of the aisle which always is trying to bring this body and this country to the precipice. i rise in opposition to the house majority's tax plan. what it would do is raise its taxes on 25 million middle class and working families. people with incomes below $250,000. their taxes would go up by $1,000 each. why? in order to give another tax break to the rich. "the new york times" article said just a few days ago, the republicans were pressed to

extend tax cuts for affluent families, scheduled to expire on january 1. but the same republican tax would allow a series of tax cuts for the working poor and middle class to end next year. "washington post" said, i quote, republicans want to raise taxes on the poor. why? why indeed. in order to pay for an over $160,000 tax break for millionaires. the plan would slash the child tax credit, taking an average of $854 away from nearly nine million families. pushing two million children back into poverty. the earned income tax credit, which kept -- would the gentlelady yield another minute? ms. slaughter: another minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. delauro: if we get the earned income tax credit which kept 8.3 million people out of

poverty last year, this as poverty rates tend toward the highest levels in nearly half a century. we all know there is a better way forward. senate has passed a plan to fortify the president which cuts taxes for 98% of americans. 97% of small businesses in this contry. rather than holding treefl for the vast majority of american families and small businesses hostage to more tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%. let us take up that senate bill. i urge my colleagues to vote against the rule and this republican reverse robin hood tax plan and support tax relief for the middle class. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina. mr. scott: thank you, madam speaker. i just want to make sure that we reremember the facts as they are. there is no reason for us so quickly revise history to meet our political objective. in 2010 this house controlled by the democrats, the senate controlled by the democrats, and the white house controlled by

the democrats passed the 2001 and 2003 bush tax cuts. so what we are talking about is a bipartisan piece of legislation that would continue the current tax law because the previous congress in a bipartisan fashion decided that tax cuts were good for all americans. now we find ourselves as mr. gowdy said, in the midst of a political season. madam speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from florida, mr. nugent, the sheriff. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida for two minutes. mr. nugent: madam speaker, i want to thank my good friend and fellow rules committee member, tim scott, for allowing me to speak on this very important issue. this rule does something that is decades overdue. it puts the nation on a path to comprehensive tax reform. achieving a fair, simpler tax code isn't an easy goal. which is why we are considering today and tomorrow a multistep process. first we need t