benghazi for some time due to the security situation on the ground. is that true? were all of our people out of benghazi and were we not letting anyone in benghazi? what exactly was happening then? >> the libyan government did not want any of our personnel to go to benghazi because of the security situation there. . >> when the f.b.i. went to bren ghazi is when the libyan government felt it was secure to go there. >> this hearing continues on c-span3. the house is coming back in. members have finished debating the comp. time bill.

the chair: on this vote, the yeas are 384, the nays are 482 and the amendment i agreed to. the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. , the yeas have it. the clerk: the bill to amend the fair labor standards to provide compensatory time for employees n the private sector. the speaker pro tempore: the -- for what

purpose does the gentlelady seek recognition? >> i have a motion to recommit at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: is the bill? ady opposed to the >> the clerk: ms. she porter moves to recommit the bill to the committee on the education and work force and report the same back to the house forthwith with the amendment, insert the following, guaranteed employee choice for use of comp time for certain purposes. an employee may not be -- for this specified date and time requested by the employee for the following family or medical purposes. a, to attend a medical appointment, including a medical appointment for a family member. to care for a sick child or other family member or because the employee is sick. c, to attend counseling or rehabilitation appointments

sustained by the employee as a member of the armed forces. exclusion of employees that violate equal pay protection for women, an employer that has been found to have violated section 6-d as added by the equal pay act of 1963 shall not be eligible to replace overtime compensation with compensatory nder this section. the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. the house will come to order. the gentlelady from new hampshire is recognized for five minutes. ms. shea-porter: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in opposition to this bill and to offer the final amendment which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. if adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final

passage as amended. the amendment i offer today would reject this bill's attack on workers and their families. the base bill brought to the floor today effectively ends the 40-hour workweek and offers comp time in lieu of overtime pay. >> mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will suspend. the gentlelady will suspend. the house will come to order. ms. shea-porter: the republican bill boils down to this -- more work, less pay. this continues the house republicans' no jobs agenda that undermines american workers, weakens worker checkbooks and harms the middle class. this legislation does not guarantee that workers will be able to use the time they have earned when they need it the most. instead, the comp time earned by workers would go into a pot that will be controlled by their employer.

this is not more flexibility for workers. it's less pay for workers. under this bill, employers could schedule excessive overtime hours and only offer overtime work to workers who agree to take comp time instead of overtime wages. an employer can refuse to allow a worker to take time off to deal with a family member or attend a parent-teacher conference. and under this bill, if employers choose not to allow the time off, workers will get paid at the end of the year having kindly provided their boss with an interest-free loan. and let's hope the year's worth of accounting is accurate. so this amendment presents the house with a choice. support hardworking americans and their families or side with interest groups. >> mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will suspend.

the house will come to order. ms. shea-porter: or side with interest groups and corporate lobbyists. this final amendment says that workers may not be denied use of earned compensation time to attend a medical appointment, care for a sick child or family member or for veterans to attend counseling or rehabilitation appointments for injuries suffered in combat. finally, if you are an employer that violated the equal pay act, my amendment ensures you can't cut worker's pay over time also. that's just common sense. today, as the gap between the very wealthy and the middle-class americans is widening, a pay cut is the last thing that hardworking americans who are struggling to provide for their families need. that's why president obama has pledged to veto this legislation, and that's why more than 160 organizations oppose it, including women's organizations, labor

organizations and civil rights organizations. now, i'm passionate about workers' rights because that's where i come from. i worked on the floor of a manufacturing plant to pay for college. i took -- >> mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will suspend. the house will please come to order. ms. shea-porter: i took all the overtime i could took, second and third shifts, and i needed that money. i remember the tough conditions in that plant. workers were afraid to question management. anyone who thinks this won't happen to many workers have tried to get comp time when they need it is fooling themselves. workers need the guarantees provided in this final amendment in order to make sure they're not trading overtime pay for comp time they might never be able to use. instead of asking employees to work more and get paid less, i urge my colleagues to adopt

this amendment and protect veterans, women and working families. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the entlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from alabama seek recognition? mrs. roby: mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to the motion to recommit. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from alabama is recognized for five minutes. mrs. roby: mr. speaker, here we go again. my friends on the other side of the aisle are again refusing to work with us to help american families. instead, they are spending their time taking political shots and in fact politicizing mother's day in order to do it. despite having taken the underlying bill through the committee process before bringing it to the floor, my democratic colleagues have made no real attempt to engage in meaningful conversation on this bill. in fact, what -- while they originally offered a related provision as an amendment to floor consideration, it was

quickly withdrawn. i guess they've decided in order to score more political points by waiting until now when the process is about to conclude and offering up meaningful suggestions during the months leading up to this. americans are tired of this game. they are tired of us fighting each other when we should be fighting for them. that is why it is time that we pass the working family flexibilities act. our bill gives private sector employees the same choice government workers have enjoyed for decades. so the choice to receive comp time instead of wages for overtime. again, this is something that the public sector has engaged in for many, many years, decades in fact. if it's good enough for the federal government, it ought to be good enough for the private sector. i'm a mom.

riley and i have two beautiful children. margaret and george. margaret is 8 and george is 4. i understand working families as we balance our workplace and our home time. this is about helping working moms and dads. this is about providing the ability to spend time at home that's so needed in today's hectic time. i know this firsthand, and this is important and will provide just help for many working families. this could change lives. >> will the gentlelady yield? mrs. roby: no. it is time to do the right thing for working families. it's time that we do the right thing for american families. let's pass the working families flexibility act. i encourage my colleagues to defeat this motion to recommit and i yield back my time.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit. the question is on the motion. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the noes have it. the motion is not agreed to. jeamplet -- the gentlelady from new hampshire. ms. shea-porter: i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a ecorded vote is requested. those in support of a request for a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: the yeas are 200 and the nays are

227. the motion is not adopted. the question is on passage of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the yeas have it. the gentleman from new jersey. >> i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. those requesting a recorded vote will rise. a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 223, the nays are 204 and the bill is passed. and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the unfinished business is vote on ordering the previous question on house resolution 202, on which yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 23, house sm resolution providing for consideration of h.r. 807 to require that the

government prioritize all obligations on the debt held by the public in the event that the debt limit is reached. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on ordering the previous question. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of epresentatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 227, the nays are 199. the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the gentlelady from new york is recognized. ms. slaughter: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes

by electronic device. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 226. the nays are 199. the resolution is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the chair lays before the house the following enrolled bill. the clerk: h.r. 1071, an act to specify the size of the precious metal blanks that will be used in the production of the national baseball hall of fame commemorative coins. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. the speaker pro tempore: ithout objection.

for what purpose does the gentleman from vermont seek recognition? mr. welch: i ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a co-sponsor from h.r. 1286. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the chair is prepared to entertain one-minute requests. r what purpose does -- without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in memory of mr. joseph gregory fandino, a residents of south florida and a hero who lost his life while serving our nation in vietnam in 1972. last friday on foreign affairs day, joseph was honored by the department of state and the american foreign service association who commem ratesed the colleagues who died -- commemorated the colleagues who died in the line of duty overseas. joseph was one of the first hispanic foreign service

despite being told by classmates that he had the wrong kind of ethnic background served the united states valiantly for many years. joseph also served in the air force during the korean war and as a foreign service officer in vietnam, the dominican republic, spain and canada where he worked with large numbers of refugees fleeing cuba. joseph put himself in harm's way, choosing to sacrifice his safety in order to assist others and advance freedom and peace around the world. his commitment to our american ideals, his courage and his good humor during difficult times will be forever remembered. mr. speaker, i'm proud to absolute our heroes. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island eek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute.

mr. cicilline: thank you, mr. speaker -- mr. langevin: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today in honor of foster care month and on behalf of the foster youth across this country. i'd like to commend representative karen bass, tom marino, jim mcdermott and michele bachmann for their leadership on the bipartisan foster youth caucus and for their work on this important issue. foster youth are some of the most at-risk children in our society. they often are the victims of abuse or neglect and too many face trials and tribulations beyond their years. so much of what we take for granted, a stable home, living with our siblings, or returning to the same school year after year are constant obstacles for these children. however, the month of may and day should serve as a reminder of the opportunities that we all have

to make a positive difference in their lives. growing up my parents welcomed many foster children into our family and provided them with a loving, stable and nurturing environment. mr. speaker, these children belong to all of us. and we are all responsible for them. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i had the privilege of serving as co-chairman of the congressional natural gas caucus, a bipartisan group working to identify challenges and further utilizing this clean, abundant energy resource. one of these challenges has to do with the swarm of misinformation that surrounds the process of hydraulic fracturing. the extraction process which is stringently regulated at the state level. on april 29, after a 16-month investigation, regulators in my home state of pennsylvania found that hydraulic fracturing, contrary to highly publicized claims, is not to blame for high methane levels found in drinking water in the

town of franklin forks. instead it was due to naturally occurring methane. the same incident was used by environmentalists as an example of the dangers of fracking and the subject of numerous media reports. mr. speaker, science and facts, not rhetoric and scare tactics, must guide our energy policy. the fact of the matter is that there has been no confirmed reports of groundwater contamination from hydraulic fracturing, even former e.p.a. administrator lisa jackson has testified to this fact. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the entleman from california rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the university of california-davis. this historic land grant university excels this a wide range of fields including medicine, physics, law and agriculture. today the university of davis agriculture and forestry

program was recognized as the best in the world. by q.s. world university rankings, a respected firm that measures publications and citations in scientific journals and the program's reputation among both academics and employers in the field. i offer my highest congratulations to the schools, faculty, student and staff. for decades the university of california-davis has cutting edge practices, research and local partnerships. right now they're studying genetics, nutrition and so much more. as epitomized by the toe mateow rvester and other in-- tomatee harvester and other in-- tomatoe harvester and other inventions, i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting agriculture studies and research. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. poe: ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. poe: mr. speaker, victor from huffman, texas, writes me this. i work, i pay taxes, in order to earn that paycheck i work on construction projects. every morning we fall into a job site like cattle. we are searched, scanned and tested. but the government hands out our money to those who don't work for free houses, cars, food and the list just gets longer. i work 84 hours a week just to make ends meet. the more i work, the more i get taxed. we have families that we only see at night, if at all. work outages, turnarounds and shutdowns. if i don't pay my taxes, i go to jail. if i don't do my job, i'm fired. we work extra to have extra. not so we can pay for more government programs. mr. speaker, workers are tired of their taxes going up just so that government can get more people dependent on government. and that's just the way it is. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today we rise in recognition of the high-tech high robotics team nicknamed the holy cows, who recently won a world championship robotics competition. high-tech high is located in the neighborhood of san diego in the 52nd district. the team beat out more than 2 10,000 other -- 10,000 other students to win the award for inspiration and recognition of science and technology event. this group of talented young students has used their expertise to develop a smartphone app for robotic and they even took time to help other robotics teams along the way. mr. peters: i'm proud that high-tech high and other high-tech companies in san

diego have supported these scholars as they won multiple regional championships on their road to the world title. the success of these students demonstrates what can be done in a school culture that celebrates stem education. investments in the fields of science, technology, engineering and magget must be at the forefront of our -- math must be at the forefront of our nation's priorities. thank you, mr. chairman, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this week marks police week. an annual tribute to those serving in law enforcement, with may 15 set aside as peace officers' memorial day as designated in 1962 by president kennedy. we honor those who dedicate their lives to safeguarding their fellow citizens, with may

15 the day to remember the fallen with deepest gratitude and prayers. we cherish the memory of all heroes and public servants and especially for pennsylvanians, montgomery county police officer brad fox who lost his life last september on the eve of his 35th birthday. mr. fitzpatrick: prior to becoming a police officer, brad fox was a united states marine staff sergeant who served this country for 10 years, including tours of duty in iraq. we join those who hold these honorable individuals in the highest esteem as we again acknowledge the service and sacrifice of all law enforcement officers throughout the commonwealth of pennsylvania and this great nation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i join my colleague, mr. peters, and rise to congratulate the remarkable

achievements of san diego's very own high-tech high robotics team. this past week the team participated in a large -- in the largest and most prestigious world robotics world championship and then came home taking the event's biggest prize. on behalf of san diegoans, we couldn't be any more proud of these remarkable and talented students who are destined to change our world with their ideas and innovations. mrs. davis: high-tech high represents all that is possible in k-12 education. some of these students never envisioned themselves in a stem field and now they have internships at some of the stem companies in the country. some of those top companies. i was able to visit and see the robotics team in action and it was clear to me that the spirit of teamwork and cooperation i witnessed will make them successful in stem feels -- fields and beyond. these students represent the best and brightest in our nation and we stand and congratulate their hard-earned

win and know that there is more to come. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. frankel: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm proud to say that on sunday , vietnam war veteran raymond clark thompson's name is being added to the vietnam war memorial wall where he will be remembered for his valiant service in the army and xtraordinary sacrifice for our country. a native of indiana and the oldest of six children, ray served in vietnam war as a adio specialist.

mr. speaker, i'd like to waive my time and i'll try again in a few minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady from illinois is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to talk about a commonsense bill that i will be introducing to give more flexibility to students eligible for the pell grant program. last month i had the privilege of spending a week on the road touring and meeting with educators, students, business people and others at the seven community colleges that serve my congressional district.

mrs. bustos: on this tour i learned more about the ways local community colleges and businesses are coming together. to address the skill gap, increase american manufacturing and put people back to work. however, the one disappointment i learned during this tour is that the pell grant program doesn't give students who want to go to school year-round enough flexibility. due to senseless changes in 2011, pell grants are no longer available for use during the summer semester under too many circumstances. the bill i am introducing called the access to education and training act would give more flexibility to the pell grant program to allow students to receive assistance year-round. this is important because many of the students i have met are interested in accelerated training courses that take place over the course of an entire year. many of those who would benefit most are nontraditional students who want to complete their courses faster. simply so they can get back to the work force. i want to make sure community

colleges are accessible and affordable for all americans who want to get an education, learn a skill and acquire the training they need to ac sell in today's economy -- excel in today's economy. giving more flexibility to the pell grant program would help ensure success for hardworking students simply looking to get ahead. thank you, mr. speaker, and i do yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from illinois. or what purpose do you rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today in recognition of national nurses week and to support one of the most important nurses i know, my wife, shannon. shannon is a mother to our three children and has been a nurse for 18 years. she now teaches our next generation of nurses in springfield, illinois, at st. john's college. it's important for to us recognize the more than 3.1

million nurses across this great country. mr. davis: they are truly the backbone of our nation's hospitals, clinics and doctors offices. i know firsthand that nurses work every day to ensure that their patients are receiving the quality care they need and deserve. in fact, most of the time they are the first and last contact patients and their families receive. this is not always an easy task, but one that is great -- that has greatly contributed to making our health care system one of the greatest in the world. this week we celebrate all of our nurses who work long, hard ours and go the compla extra mile to provide safe, -- go the extra mile to provide safe, high-quality care for their patients and pave the way for a more innovative and better health care system. thank you, shannon, and thank you to all of the nurses who care for our families each and every day. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. . for what purpose does the

gentleman from texas rise? without objection the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor eight exceptional students from my hometown of fort worth, texas, who are woodhaven scholarship resip yens. amber, carolyn, and rashida from eastern hills high school, maria at nolan high school -- nolan catholic high school, taylor at dunbar high school, kimberly at temple christian school and david at poly tech nick high school and sierra wilson in northside high school. mr. veasey: created to serve the needs of the east fort worth community, it helps students pursue their dream of

higher education. scholarships are awarded to students atending four-year institutions as well as those attending two-year colleges. the funds can be used for college tuition, educational feese, equipment, supplies, as well as on campus housing. the eight students chosen will spread their talents across different prestigious institutions in the great state of texas. i'm sure they'll continue to succeed in their pursuit of higher education. mr. speaker, again, i would like to congratulate these students on their accomplishments an the honors plened -- parened to them. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. who seeks recognition? for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee rise? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: today was one of the saddest day this is house of representatives has ever seen. 40-hour workweek, a great part

of our heritage since 1938, destroyed. don't get overtime, get tomp time. employer decides if you get comp time. when you get it. hen he wants you to have it. assuming everyone working 40 hours and wants extra time doesn't need that extra money that time and a half overtime, they've got time to go out and play 18 holes of golf or something. most americans need that overtime to take care of their families and get through day-to-day. today this house voted to take away that opportunity for employees to have a 40-hour week and overtime thereafter. it was a shameless day. we need to look out or our workers and not take control away from the 99%. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back.

without objection, the -- like to request without objection that the gentlelady's first one-minute be vacated. for what purpose does the gentlelady rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks? the speaker pro tempore: is there objection? hearing none, the gentlelady is ecognized. ms. frankel: i'm proud to say that on monday, vietnam veteran's name will be added to the vietnam memorial wall where he will be remembered for his extraordinary sacrifice for his country. a native of indiana and oldest of six children, ray served in the vietnam war as a radio specialist. on june 6, 1969, rocks were fired into raymond's base camp, causing shrapnel to explode into his body from head to toe as he showered.

despite suffering severe wounds, raymond at age 21 persevered and went on to have a full life, later married his wife patricia and fathered three children. he later worked as a technician in the v.a. medical center in west palm beach, my hometown, where he gave back to veterans like himself. sadly he felt ill in recent years, due to old war injuries, and passed in october of 2010. with raymond's name joining all other value yent men and women at the vietnam war memorial, we're reminded every day of the bravery of the men and women who serve in our military and who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our own freedom. thank you, mr. speaker and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the chair lays before the house a personal request. the clerk: leave of absence requested for mr. royce of

california for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request is granted. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. poe can, is recognize -- mr. pocan is recognized for 60 minutes as a designee of the minority leader. mr. po caan: i'm here on -- mr. po can: i'm here on -- before i start on my special order hour, i would like to yield to the gentlelady, ms. sinema. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady may proceed. ms. sinema: i rise today as a proud college instructor of over a decade and perhaps most importantly a proud sun devil from arizona state university in tempe, arizona. the largest and, yes, the

brightest university in our country. may 9 is graduation day for many of my students and while i cannot be with them on their special day, i bro deuce a bill today in their honor. in honor of their hard work and future contributions to our community and our economy. today, i have introduced the stability to ensure the american dreams for youth act. the steady act. he steady act extends the 3.4% rate for stafford student loans until june 30 of 2017. as we all know if congress fails to act by june 30 of this year, the interest rate on student loans will double, from 3.4% to 6.8%. 24 will have an enormous impact on the cash flow and economic participation of students entering the work force, starting a family or planning for the future. in college communities, like the one i have the pleasure of representing, the economics of higher education are directly

linked to every part of our daily economic activity. consumer spending, homeowner -- home ownership, and employment opportunities are inexorably tied to the cost of education. my bill ensures that those who are in college or planning for college can continue to do so are worried about cutting their paychecks by an additional $1,000 of interest a year paid to the federal government. the steady act ensures they can plan for their future, for their family's future and continue to contribute to our local economy. it allows added stability to get the education they need and find the job they want. our community sent taos congress to fight for them and get things done. today, i am thinking of my students who need a voice in this congress. it's my hope we will get this done for them. , my nk about ario carlos student at a.s.u.

he hopes to give back to the community as a social worker for seniors. he wants to help seniors who worked hard their entire life and help them continue to do so with help and support. he and his wife may have kids and support each other by working hard. worked pay for -- he hard for his entire college career, taking out student loans along the way so he and may could care for they fam hi while he stuyid -- studied. at the end of his college career, he found himself with a student loan debt of $45,000. i would be remiss to if i didn't mention that a new social worker in arizona is likely to start his career making about $30,000 a year or less. for ariel and his family an added expense of $1,000 a year means less money for child care, less money for groceries, $1,000 a year from his family's budget meansless spending in

our local economy and less savings for the nisme new york federal reserve recently noted that student loan debt is slowing our economy. those with large student loan debt participate less in the economy, delaying home ownership and for going long-term job opportunities. students who should be planning their lives are nervous about their future and concerned about debt impeding their ability to get ahead. we have the opportunity to set things right for them, to maintain a steady road for our economic future and to make certain that the hard work that go into our community stays in our community and pay office in our community. i ask my colleagues to join me today in support of the steady act of 2013. thank you. mr. speaker, i yield my time back to the gentleman from wisconsin. the speaker pro tempore: thank you and -- mr. pocan: thank you and thank you for introducing that important bill. today during the special order hour for the progressive

caucus, we are here to talk specifically about the income inequality in america and the growing gap between the most wealthy and the average person. just today, mr. speaker, while we voted on legislation, we voted on a bill, the ironically titled the working families flexibility act which in reality would mean more work and less pay for hardworking americans in my state of wisconsin and across the country. as many of my colleagues have spoken on the floor this week, what this bill will do is to deny workers compensation for overtime any hours they would work over 40 hours a week. this is in essence an attack on workplace flexibility, an attack on the hard-earned wages americans rely on. but what makes this bill even more onerous is that it is a topic of importance to our caucus, the congressional progressive caucus, and workers across america, the growing income inequality in our country. mr. speaker, it's hard to

imagine why some of our colleagues are interested in reducing wages for americans when multiple report this is week show that despite the fact that stock markets and corporate profits are close to all-time highs, wages in this country are stagnant at best. in fact, according to the st. percent , wages as a of the economy have hit an all-time low. what does that mean in real dollars? adjusted for inflation, an verage worker paid $49,640 akes $545 less now even before taxes an deductions. meanwhile, because companies have slowed down hiring to control costs, many are operating with fewer employees, meaning there's more work for those with a job even though their wages aren't moving upward. to summarize, americans are working harder while getting paid less.

even before the bill before the republicans put on the floor this week. given that our economy is still recovering from the recent resession and close to 12 million americans are still looking for work, it would make sense if all areas of the economy were facing tough times. but that's not the case. in fact, the stock markets and corporate profits are breaking records. standard and poor's 500 corporations hit a record in the first quarter of the year and last week including today the blue chip dow jones industrial average crossed 15,000 for the first time in quite a while. the wealthiest americans only are getting richer. according to a tax expert, david kay johnston, in the first two years of our recovery in 2009 -- from 2009 to 2011, close to 150% of the increased income in this country went to the top 10% of earners. why? because income fell for the

bottom 90% of americans. if you dive deeper into those numbers, the increasing inequity becomes even more staggering. just in the past two dwhreerks top 1% saw 81% of all this country's increased income. almost ho% of the increased income since 2009 went to the top 1% of the top 1%. or those making at least $8 million a year. what does that mean? our country, our nation, has 158.4 million households and only about 16,000 of those households have accounted for 40 cents of every dollar of increased outcome in this country in the last two years. unfortunately, mr. speaker, this trend of growing income inequality can be traced back to more than just the two years following the recession. you can go all the way back to 1966 to find the last time the average adjusted gross income was lower in this country than

it was in 2011. between this time, 45 years, the bottom 90% of americans saw their income increase by an average of $59. what about the top 10%? well from 1966 to 2011, their income increased by an average of approximately $116,000. what about the top 1%? their income increased by an average of $629,000. the top 1% of the top 1%, the most wealthy in this country saw their income rise $18.4 million on average in the last 45 years. let me say that again. in the past 45 years, since 1966, the vast majority of americans, 90%, have seen their average income increase by an

1% age of $59 and the top of the top 1% have seen their incomes increase by an average of $18.4 million. . it's almost incomprehensible -- it's almost impossible to comprehend. if you put this on a line chart and one inch is equivalent to $59, the top 10% would go to over 163 feet. 884 op 1% line would go to of the top top 1% 1% would go for five miles. one inch of increase, five miles of increase for the top

1% of the top 1%. so while a majority of us have gained only an inch over the last 40 years, the uber wealthy have gained not just inches but miles. put another way, for every extra $1 of annual income earned by the top 90% of americans, an extra $311,000 went to the households in the op 1% of 1%. this growing income disparity, what does it mean? it's bad for the economy. it's bad for our deficit and it's bad for the most vulnerable in our society and of course that's bad for the american dream. as mark zandy, chief economist for moody's analytics recently said, for the economy to thrive, we need everyone participating. when a majority of americans are left behind in the recovery, our economy will never truly thrive. in fact there have been a number of studies that have said that the way to get the economy going is to make sure

those who have the least have the money because they'll spend it. they'll put it immediately into the economy. when the most wealthy have the extra income it often goes into savings. but for the average person, that 90% when they get the money it goes right back into the economy and stimulates the economy. but when the average 90% of americans only see a $59 wage increase in 45 years, that just doesn't put money back into the economy. consumer spending which constitutes 70% of our economy is strained when wages decrease. this is particularly acute when low and moderate income workers spent nearly all of their paychecks, as those studies have shown. when there's a lack of demand there will be a lack of economic growth which means a lack of jobs, which means a lack of opportunities for americans. when we have vast income inequality, reducing our debt and deficit becomes nearly impossible. when people are making less, we collect less in revenue.

and at that point the only way to balance our budget would be to drastically reduce funding for programs that primarily serve those with, guess what, decreasing income. it's a lose-lose proposition. and we shouldn't pursue it. what else is this bad for? it's bad for college affordability. it's bad for health care costs. and it's bad for programs that help the elderly, including programs like social security. multiple studies have shown us that this huge income inequality makes americans more pessimistic and less likely to believe that they have a little in common with anyone else unlike themselves. the basic ten contaminants -- tenants of the american dream are at risswhk the income gap is so wide -- risk when the income gap is so wide. the top tears -- it's hard to make the case that if you work hard, you can get ahead. in fact, studies have demonstrated that the higher the income inequality gets in this country, the harder it is for people to move up and make a better life for them and

their parents. let's just look at c.e.o. pay. just to give you an idea how c.e.o. pay has increased. in the last three decades, c.e.o. pay has skyrocketed at a rate of 127 times faster than worker pay. in fact, from 1978 to 2011 c.e.o. compensation increased more than 725%. faster than the stock market and painfully faster than the 5.7% growth in working compensation in the same period -- worker compensation in the same period. the ratio has increased by 1,000% according to can at that from bloomberg and the -- data from the bloomberg and the afl-cio has found that c.e.o. pay has reached a high of 354 times that of the average employee. just decades ago that ratio was in the 20 times to 30 times

average and now 354 times. c.e.o. pay has absolutely taken off while everyone else's pay has been stagnant now for decades. i've recently started reading a book "who stole the american dream" by hendrick smith, a book that our whip, mr. hoyer, has often referred to for our caucus to read and it details exactly how the middle class has been under attack for the last 40 years. largely due to a corporate takeover of our culture. i highly recommend this book to every american. this is a book that says americans are willing to accept inequality in our society to a degree. they understand that if you work harder, you should be able to get ahead. but they want it within a percent that makes sense and we've had for this country for so long. this massive wealth gap in our country, where the top 1% captured 93% of the nation's gains in 2010, undermines our social fabric and the idea of

equal opportunity. this has been caused by the way corporate interests have taken over our lives, our laws and our elections in the last several decades. according to "who stole the american dream," until the 1970's the middle class thrivinged and increases in prosperity were matched by increases in wage. when prosperity was shared that was stable relationship between business and government and labor. everyone pitched in and everyone benefited and gained. then, around the time president nixon was in, when he put in place some very good business regulations, corporate interests decided to fight back. and we've seen over these decades how they've fought back. one, they started importing cheap foreign workers for a wide range of occupations. they've moved jobs offshore so many of our nation's previously unionized blue collar jobs, even in calling centers have been sent overseas. and they've changed our laws from bankruptcy laws to tax

code changes so that just in cacks code changes alone, -- just in tax code changes alone, workers can substitute plans and corporations got rid of the robust pension plans to help people when they retire and now workers carry 50% of their retirement costs compared to 11% in the 1950's. and finally, there's been a race to the bottom. we compete now with asian sweatshops, with -- we import cheap foreign goods that undermine american small businesses and there are major u.s. business operations that have moved overseas. so, the bottom line is, we need to have a thriving middle class. not the inequality of a $59 increase in the last 45 years for the bottom 90% of the population. and the top 1% haven anincrease

of 628,000 and the -- have an increase of 628,000 and the top 1% of the 1% received an increase that's equivalent of five miles to the one inch of crines -- increase that the bottom 90% have made. what do we need to do? the center for american progress said a middle class can promote the development of human capital, it creates a stable source of demands for goods and services. one of the key findings of that book is that people, when they had that income matched by their productivity, it went back into buying more goodes and -- goods and kept the economy stable and when those changes took place, since the nixon administration, that's what's helped to create this strong inequality. it incubates the next jean ration -- generation of entrepreneurs and it supports economic institutions to make sure we have solid economic growth. so what do we need to do differently? one, we need to have tax rules that are fair for everyone. we immediately make sure that

everyone pays their fair share. we don't incentivize companies to ship jobs overseas and we promote the creation of jobs here at home. we look at things like capital gains, like any other way we would tax. not differently for those with the most money who make money off of money rather than off of to r hard work, but we need make sure there's equal tax treatment for everyone under the laws and those companies that want to outsource their headquarters to overseas, to avoid paying taxes, aren't allowed to do that. it's an important part of changing our tax code, to get the equality back that we need to. next we need to invest in american workers. that means investing in education, investing in research and development and investing in job training. especially at a time that we have 12 million americans out of work. we need to give people the skills they can get back to work and work in jobs back here in america. we need to establish a livable, not a minimum, but a livable wage. thank people who are in that

90% -- that people who are in that 90%, who are making so little gains now, can put that money back into the economy and stimulate the economy from the bottom up, from the grassroots. that's what we need to do. and bottom line, we need to have trade policies that reward jobs in america and not reward jobs overseas. we've lost way too many jobs through many of our trade agreements overseas and fundamentally we need to change the way we finance our elections in wisconsin -- and across the country. i can tell you from my practical viewpoint of spending 14 years in the wisconsin leggetsure and my time here, there's no -- legislature and my time here, there's no question we've seen a lurching corporate influence and big-dollar influence in our elections that have influenced the bottom line policies that have created this sort of inequality. so to summerize, we need prosperity over austerity in this country. and those are some of the things that we need to move toward. i could talk more about income inequality but i just want to address for a minute if i can

another part of this inequality which is going to specifically -- which is going specifically to the sequester. the sequester we have talked about now for a number of weeks , the ill effects on the economy of the sequester. we know 700,000 jobs between now and september 30 are at risk, including almost 36,000 jobs in the state of wisconsin. the verlander on the sequester is clear and predictable as we said. these mindless, reblingless cuts are slowing our economic -- recless cuts are slowing our economic growth and taking away valuable resources to get our economy up and going. congress continues to deny logic in this area. we're dealing with the sequester piece by piece. here in the continuing solution, we fixed met a inspectors -- meat inspectors. what we haven't done is addressed those who aren't as well connected in this country and the problems that they're seeing on a daily basis with sequester. that means for wisconsin's seniors, they're receiving fewer meals on wheels, that

helps seniors, for many of who which it's 50% of their daily nutrition comes from the means on wheels program. close to 1,000 wisconsin children and families will lose access to head start services. just last week i was in beloit, wisconsin, which is in a county, rock county, that representative paul ryan and share. and while we were down visiting that head start program they told us that they are going to have to have fewer students in the program next year and they already have a waiting list for low-income families to participate in these programs, to give them a fair start in education. and in bay view neighborhood of madison, wisconsin, one of my very first county board districts in local government, this neighborhood center, one of their very first programs was the head start program and that program will be closing because of the sequester and what we've done to that. cancer patients and h.i.v. patients are being turned away from cancer clinics and other clinics because of cuts to medicare payments caused by the sequester.

and nearly 125,000 low-income americans will not receive rental assistance and in dane county that means people are going to lose that critical assistance right back in my district. and finally, over the easter break, i visited with people at uw-madison, one of the world's premier research institutions, and they're going to see $35 million cut in funding, $17 million just in research alone from n.i.h. cuts. so the f.a.a. solution that we did a few weeks ago was anything but a solution. it was merely a band-aid. in fact, that band-aid will only get us through september 30 and we're going to be back to long lines in airports and not having meat inspectors for companies that need to have meat inspectors, to have people going to work every day. the bottom line is, we need to fix the sequester now, holistically and we need to deal with that in this house. this piecemale approach is irresponsible and inadequate and offensive to the people who are caught in the political

crossfires of washington, d.c. and it does nothing to help our economy or create jobs. in fact, just the opposite, it will be shrinking the economy between now and september 30. the people of this country deserve a comprehensive national budget, i don't know why we can't get the republicans to appoint conferees so we can have that budget, but until they do, we're going to continue to have the squabbles that you find all too often in congress that don't address the sequester and don't give this country a road map for our finances, a budget. once again, we are likely not to have a national budget. apoint the conferees immediately and replace the sequester cut tore everyone, not just for those the most well connected. with this, mr. speaker, i would like to yield -- oh, not yet? i would like to talk just briefly in closing about the

income gap that we have. there's another way of talking about this chart and when you talk about the bottom 1% to the five miles represented by the top 1.1%, let me share another statistic that was shared with me. if you talk about that one inch eing a football field, the top 1% of the top 1% is equivalent to 86 football fields. one inch of a football field to 86 football fields, that's the gap in wages that we have with this inequality. so with that, mr. speaker, the progressive caucus is glad to be able to talk about income equality and yield back the remainder of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman have a motion?

mr. pocan: i would move that we djourn, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. . the

[applause] the speaker: members of congress i have the high privilege and istinct honor to you the president: of the republic f korea. [applause]

>> speaker boehner, vice president baden, distinguished members of the house and the enate, ladies and gentlemen. i'm privileged to stand in this hamber, hallowed ground of freedom and democracy, to speak about our friendship and our future together. after i arrived in washington the day before yesterday, i went to the korean war memorial near the banks of the potomac. read the words eached in

granite. our nation honors her sons and daughters who answer the call to defend our country. they neefer knew and a people they never met. time and again, i'm moved when i read those familiar words. [applause] >> let me express on behalf of the people of the republic of korea our profound gratitude to merica veterans. they are -- their blood, sweat and tears helped safeguard the freedom and democracy.

[applause] heart felt fer my appreciation to four men in particular. they served in that war and now serve in this chamber. heir names are congressman mr. conyers:or. [applause] -- congressman john con years. congressman ring ell. -- sam johnson.

[applause] >> gentlemen, my country thanks you. when the guns fell silence in wereummer of 1953, koreans surviving on $67 that year. six decades later, korea is one of the top five car producers and the eighth largest trading

nation. some call this the miracle on the river. [applause] in korea, it was anything but a miracle. and it wasn't just to build from win. koreans worked tirelessly in the mines of germany, in the jungles of vietnam, in the deserts of the middle east. these are the people, the proud korean people that i'm so honored to serve as president. [applause] >> they are the ones that made korea what it is today.

rise to their ll stories. a second miracle on the river. this time, it will be written with our revived economy, with our people that are happy, with a flourishing culture and on a pathway to a reunified peninsula. [applause] these are the full tenets that guide my government. we also know that we didn't come this far on our own along our journey. we have been aided by great riends and among them, the

united states is the second to none. [applause] america, i thank you for your friendship. if the path is anything to go by, our new journey will also be filled with excitement. this year, we honor the 50th anniversary of our alliance and today, i would like to cknowledge one iconic family that captures those years. it is the family of lieutenant olonel david morgan.

[applause] >> his grandfather, the late warren morgan fought in the korean war. the senior morgan was a commander in the u.s. naval reserve. his father, john morgan, also served in the korean war. he was a battery commander of artillery. colonel morgan himself has

erved two tours in korea, in 1992 and 2005. living an family is a testimony to our 60 years together. ree generations of americans helping to safeguard korea. [applause] >> that family is here with us today. as president of our grateful nation, i salute the morgan amily and the commitment and friendship of the american people. [applause]

>> looking forward, our precious liance is setting our sights on a better world, a better future, bound by trust, guided by shared values. we are cooperating across and beyond our own boundaries. korea has stood by the united . ates in iraq and afghanistan together, we supported peace building and construction in those nations. the washington conference in 2010. hosted the second nuclear security summit. there, we reafffirmed our

commitment to the vision of a world without nuclear weapons. [applause] >> our world without nuclear weapons must start on the korean peninsula. [applause] >> for the peninsula is the home to the only divided nation state and directly faces the threat of nuclear weapons. a is an ideal test bed for future free of nuclear arms. if we can pull it off on the korean peninsula, then we can pull it off anywhere else. [applause]

>> korea has been pursuing the peaceful use of nuclear energy. it is also firmly committed to the principle of nonproliferation. korea and the united states are rtnering to build in other countries. in this regard, we need a modernized beneficialy out mutual successor to our nuclear civil agreement. section accord will bring huge advantages to related industries in both our countries.

>> the united states and korea send the largest numbers of aid volunteers abroad. work side by side to help lower-income countries. signed a r agencies document to facilitate these efforts and korea's aid agency will soon be signing another with the u.s. peace corps. [applause] >> in march of last year, the free trade agreement went into effect. it adds an economic pillar to our alliance.

a has moved us closer to comprehensive and strategic alliance. if the visasn more on korean nationals is passed in this congress. both our economies will benefit for it would help create many more jobs. [applause] > if it should show our people what the f.d.a. can do for them, i ask congress for its understanding for its support. r f.t.a. connects east asian

most america and provides a key platform for building up common asia-pacific markets. the agreement also helps under n washington's rebalancing towards the region. collectively, these developments aint a forward-leaning alliance. the point to 21st century partnership that is both comprehensive and strategic. ladies and gentlemen that is our present. the foundation on which we stand. future sh to share my together, a future that we will

build together as partners. [applause] following our meeting yesterday, president obama and i adopted a joint declaration building on the extraordinary accomplishments of the last 60 years. we determined to embark on another shared journey towards peace on the korean peninsula, towards cooperation in northeast asia and finally towards prosperity around the world. it is my hope that as we make this journey, our partnership three parts.d by

the first is to laid groundwork for enduring peace on the korean ninsula and overtime for reunification. [applause] >> that future, i know feels distant today. north korea continues to issue threats and provocations, firing long-range missiles, staging nuclear tests that undermine peace on the peninsula and far beyond it. the korean government is calmly. regularly, but we are maintaining the highest evel of readiness.

we are stressing our cooperation with the u.s. and other international partners. korea's economy and financial markets remain stable. companies, both domestic and foreign see this and are expanding their investments. korea's economic fundamentals are strong. its government is equal to the test. and it is backed by the might of our alliance. so long as this continues, you koreant assured no north provocation can succeed. [applause]

>> i will remain sfed fast in pushing forward a trust building on the korean peninsula. i'm confident that trust is the path to peace. the path to a korea that is whole again. the republic of korea will never september -- accept a nuclear-armed north korea. [applause] >> pyongyang provocations will

be met decisively. [applause] >> at the same time, i will not link humanitarian aid to the north korean people such as infants and young children to the political situation. [applause] >> and with the trust that builds up through exchange through cooperation, we will cement the ground for durable peace and eventually peaceful reunification. but as we say in korea, it takes two hands to clap. [laughter] >> trust is not something that

can be imposed on another. the pattern is all too familiar and badly misguided. north korea pro vokes a crisis. he international community a certain period of sanctions. later, it tries to patch things up by offering concessions and rewards. meanwhile, pyongyang uses their time to advance its nuclear capabilities. and uncertainty prevails. it is time to put an end to this vicious circle.

>> pyongyang is pursuing a nuclear arsenal. you cannot have your cake and eat it, too. [laughter] [applause] >> the leadership in pyongyang must make no mistake. security does not come from nuclear weapons. security comes when the lives of its people are improved. it comes when people are free to pursue their happiness. [applause]

>> north korea must make the right choice. it must walk the path to becoming a responsible member in the community of nations. [applause] >> in order to induce north korea to make their choice, the international community must speak with one voice. its message must be clear and consistent. only then will we see real inter-korean relations. only then will lasting peace be brought to the korean peninsula and northeast asia. [applause]

>> 60 years ago, a stretch of rth bisecting the korean peninsula was cleared of arms. today the demill rizzed zone is the most militarized place on the planet. and the standup around the d.m.z. has the potential to endanger global peace. we must diffuse the danger, not just between north and south korea. the world must also get involved. liveemilitarized zone must up to its zone, a zone that strengthens the peace, not undermining it. it is with this vision in mind that i hope to work towards an

nternational park inside the d.m.z. it will be a park that sends a message of peace to all of humanity. this could be pursued with my trust building process. there, i believe, we can start trust. peace, to grow it will be a zone of peace bringing together not just the koreans separated by a military line, but also the citizens of the world. i call on america and the global community to join us in seeking the promise of a new day. [applause]

>> honorable members of cock honorable members of congress. all of northeast asia where we st build peace and cooperation. sadly today, the nation of this region failed to fulfill all that we achieve collectively. the potential is tremendous. the region's economy are imagining ever greater clout and becoming more and more interlinked. yet, differences stemming from history of widening. it has been said that those who

are blind to the past cannot see the future. this is obvious a problem for here and now. but the larger issue is about tomorrow. for where there is failure to acknowledge honestly what happened yesterday, there can be no tomorrow. [applause] >> asia suffers from what i call the disconnect between growing economic interdependence on the one hand and the political cooperation on the other. how we manage this paradocks, this will determine the shape of

a new order in asia. together, we must meet these challenges and so i propose an initiative for peace and cooperation in northeast asia. . cannot afford to put it off multi lateral dialogue process in northeast asia. together, the united states and other northeast asian partners can start with softer issues. these includes environmental issues and disaster relief. they include nuclear safety and counterterrorism. that will be built through this process. and that trust will propel us to expand the horizons of our

cooperation. [applause] >> the initiative will serve the cause of peace and development in the region. but it will be firmly rooted in the korea-u.s. alliance. in this sense, it could reinforce president obama's strategy of rebalancing towards he asia pacific. of course, north korea could also be invited to join if we start where our initiatives overlap. then later on, it will be easier to find the common ground on the larger challenges, easier to

find solutions through our mutual benefit. i firmly believe that korea and the united states will work hand in hand as we shape an emerging process for cooperation in the egion. [applause] >> the final leg of our journey extends even further beyond the peninsula, beyond northeast asia to the rest of the world. it is a contribution to the happiness, the happiness of koreans on both halveses of the peninsula, the happiness of all humanity. it is what i advanced at my

inauguration. the pursuit of happiness is enshrined in the american declaration of independence. it also occupies a special place in the korean constitution. i have long believed that our alliance should aim far. that it should ultimately seek a happier world guided by the by side instood side the frontier of peace and freedom. we are expanding correction -- cooperation on global issues, issues like counterterrorism, nuclear nonproliferation and the global financial crisis. our efforts will not stop there.

together we will spearhead the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law. [applause] we will march together to take on global challenges from fighting poverty, to tackling climate change and other environmental issues. [applause] >> members of the house and the senate, our journey since the korean war having led by our specific mission to respond their threats and provocations from the north and to defend the

freedom and peace on the korean peninsula. today, our alliance is called upon to go beyond that, beyond just the defense of freedom and peace. we are called upon to step orward on a new journey, a journey towards a korea that is made whole.t is our economic partnership must also aim higher and reach further into the future. president obama has outlined the startup america initiative. together with my strategy for a createtive economy, we can advance toward a common goal to help channel the innovative idea

the passion and the drive of -- toward brighter future. [applause] >> koreans and americans are rtnering in new ways where maybe towards hollywood films or at reconstruction sites in the middle east. together we can envision a future that is richer, that is safer and that is happier. our chorus of freedom and peace ceased tohope has not resonate over the last 60 years

and will not cease to go on. thank you very much. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> the president spoke to both houses of congress today. the house took the senate bill that would allow comp. pay instead of overtime pay. the white house has issued a veto threat.

when the house returns at tomorrow morning at 9:00, they will continue work on the bill that would require u.s. treasury to pay bond holders if the debt ceiling is reached. for more about the bill, we spoke with a capitol hill reporter. >> tax reporter for politico joining us from capitol hill. what's the purpose of this bill? >> gives the government to pay its bond holders in the case of the government or congress didn't increase the debt limit in time so you would avoid a default. >> what authority does the treasury department get under this bill? >> it would allow them to pay bond holders, which is where the democrats are coming in and saying those chinese bond holders own our debt. but given the treasury ability to keep paying bond payments and stop a default on our debt,

which is where you get into issues if you default versus paying out bond holders to avoid that. >> you mentioned the democrats called for paying off our debt and the chinese and they have been calling it the pay china first bill. what is the reasoning for doing that? >> a lot of our debt is held by the chinese and paying off our bond holders they are going to prioritize payments to those versus -- for salaries -- for the military and other more domestic-based priorities. but again, it comes down to whether or not you are going to default and to avoid a default you have to keep paying interest on the debt and the bond holders. democrats are saying you are paying off china first but it comes down to whether or not you want to avoid a default. and speaker of the house was explaining yesterday when he

talked about yes, we will be paying chinese bond holders first but to avoid a default. >> what's the best guess when we hit the debt ceiling? >> it is coming on may 19, but treasury can use those extraordinary measures to extend it -- some outside estimates are saying even until october 1 because the fiscal cliff deal gave more revenue and cuts with the sequestration. it is up in the air when the exact date will be. the treasury isn't saying when those extraordinary measures -- but anywhere between july and october is the best guess. >> and may 19, a little bit over a week away. we understand the house leadership has called for next week a closed door meeting with their members. what's going to happen there? >> that meeting is going to get it all out on the table and decide how to go forward or hear ideas how to go forward with the debt talks whether it is a

tie-in tax reform or leave it off the table, whether entitlement reform -- so it's going to let the republican members share their opinion and this has come up in the last week and a half, really even this week and decide on a plan to go forward. kevin brady is saying tying tax reform to the debt talks isn't enough. he wants to see it go further with entitlement reform. you have more moderate republicans -- really a lack of consensus right now of what the best package would be. it would allow the republican party to set or come up with an idea of how they want to go forward with these talks. >> as the tax reporter for politico, what's your assessment the news, as receive news rise, the agreement on the nation's debt has slowed to what. what is your take? >> it does give the treasury,

obama administration and treasury much more time. but that's one of the reasons that the debt ceiling was being pushed back but at the same time you are going to hit the ceiling no matter how much revenue is coming in from the payroll taxes or tax hike on top income earners. it is a fix to give the government a little more time and they will have to eventually raise it or further raise receive news. it's not going to last forever. >> couple of quick thoughts here on the road ahead, the white house what have they said about the house bill? >> they said it is an extremely irresponsible and the president promised to veto. almost a no-go with the white house and mitch mcconnell did say, this is what he wants to

do, but he is a republican and the chamber is controlled by the democrats. not going to see much more movement there. once it passes out of the house if it does on thursday, it is almost dead on arrival. >> tax reporter from politico. thanks for the update. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> taking a look at prime time, 9:00, today's entire house committee oversight committee surrounding last year's terrorist attack on the u.s. consulate in libya. on c-span2, a senate hearing examining the f.b.i. and justice department's resources and strategies for combating cyberthreats and c-span3, today's opening of the british of the parallelment. today's house hearing looking into the benghazi attack coming up at 9:00.

at 8, highlights of the hearing. white house press secretary talked about the hearing at today's press briefing. this is 10 minutes. >> jay, in advance of today's hearing on benghazi, senator lindsey graham said i think the dam is about to break on benghazi and going to find people asleep at the switch, including hillary clinton, what do you say this allege from top republicans that hillary clinton was asleep at the switch? >> i say a couple of things. this administration has made extraordinary efforts to work with five different congressional committees investigating what happened before, during and after the benghazi attacks, including over the past eight months testifying in 10 congressional hearings, holding 20 staff briefings and preparing 25,000 pages of documents, another leading senate republican, senator

corker, says he feels he knows what happened in benghazi and he is satisfied. as the "new york times" reported, much of what the witnesses were expect todd raise in the hearings today has already been addressed both in hearings and in the accountability review board report. i mean, this is a subject that has from its beginning been subject to attempts to plight size it by republicans when happened in benghazi was a tragedy and the president has been committed by making sure that those who are responsible for the deaths of four americans are found and brought to justice and that we do everything we need to do to ensure that this kind of attack cannot happen again. and the standing up of the accountability review board by then secretary clinton with the full support of the president demonstrates the seriousness with which she took this issue.

that board, that review board, issued a report that was unsparing and highly critical in some areas and was led by two highly respected nonpartisan experts in the field of national security. admiral mullen and ambassador pickering. and that report issued, contained within it, a series of recommendations, every single one of which has been acted on or is being acted on by the state department. and i think that demonstrates the seriousness with which we took the true issues here. it also -- given the remarkable level of cooperation that we demonstrated with congressional committees and investigators thus far, demonstrates that we are at a place there are attempts to politicize this. >> why do you think they are going after hillary clinton?

>> i'm not sure that they are. i will note that in the report issued by chairman issa's committee that excluded democrats and highly partisan and included a main allege within it that was described by the "washington post" fact checker this way, quote, issa has no basis or evidence to show that then secretary clinton had anything to do with this cable anymore than she personally approved the cable on he can ket. giving confidence that his reckless language claire files as a whopper. that is issa. secretary ure that clinton acted appropriately? >> i point you to the accountability review board and the report they put out and point you to what the two heads of that board, ambassador pickering and admirable mullen,

each highly praised from both sides of the aisle, put out in a statement this week, quote, from the beginning of the process, we had unfettered access to e and everything and the documentation we needed. marching orders were to get to the bottom of what happened and that is what we did. this is an unsparing report done by two career professionals, nonpartisan career professionals that contain within it very serious recommendations, found shortcomings that needed to be corrected and the state department acted immediately on that. >> can i ask you about something you said on november 28. you said that the talking points that were prepared for ambassador rice and the compiled, ion were written up by the intelligence community, that there was no change that was asked for by the

white house or by the state department except for a single word. but now that the "weekly standard" has obtained three talking points show substantial changes that were done and asked specifically for by the state department. were you incorrect? >> what remains the case is the intelligence community, c.i.a., drafted these talking points and redrafted these talking points. the fact that are inputs is always the case. but the only edits made by anyone at the white house were style is particular and nonsubstantive. they corrected the description of the building where the facility in benghazi, the diplomatic facility and the like. and ultimately, this all has been discussed, reviewed and provided and enormous level of detail by investigators and

attempt to politicize the talking points again is part of after what chase isn't the substance here. the substance is the diplomatic facility in benghazi was attacked, four americans were killed. the president has been committed from day one to finding and bringing to just -- justice who is responsible and take every step we can to protect our diplomats in the future and make sure it doesn't happen again. in the hours after the attack, beginning with a press release party hasaligned, the been trying to malign and has been the case ever since and continues to this day. you have seen levels of cooperation that are rather extraordinary, 25,000 pages of documents, 10 congressional hearings and nothing we expect

to hear today in this hearing contradicts everything that hasn't already been discussed and revealed assessed by the accountability review board. if it is the position of critics that the review board and its two chairs are not being faithful to the facts and the truth, they have to discuss that with the chairs of the board. but the fact is this has been looked at exhaustively. >> jay, i'm specifically asking about what you said and even what you just said now about style changes. there are references to security concerns expressed on september 10, day before the attack, of being taken out. there's a reference to al qaeda -- >> what we have said and what remains true to this day the intelligence community drafted and redrafted these points and i think that's what the deputy director of the c.i.a. has said

and the fact that there is input from others doesn't change the fact that the c.i.a. or intelligence community drafts these points consistent with what they know. they provide information to members of congress as well as members of the administration so they can speak publicly about it. and again, if you look substantively in the information provided in the talking points about what happened in benghazi, that reflects everything we said. to this day, it has to be acknowledged that those talking points that ambassador rice used on those sunday shows and i used when i discussed it made clear, a, that we believe that extremists were involved in the attack, and b that we knew more information would come to light and our understanding of what happened would be affected as the information became available and every pit of information has become available about it in those days following and weeks following that was provided by us because we were committed

then and now to making sure we found out what happened, who was responsible and make sure we could take steps to prevent it rom happening again. >> you still believe an anti-muslim video sparked the terror attack then? >> no, ed, i think this has been adjudicated and assessed and litigated many times and when you look at the talking points the one reference there is to protests that turned out not to be the case. but i would remind you that on the friday before the sunday appearances, we had violent demonstrations going on in embassies around the world. we had a black flag raised at one of our embassees and breaches of wall at another. we had great concerns over the protests of these videos about

the safety of diplomatic centers around the world. and it is entirely appropriate that there was concern about that and i think under standable possibility s some of a connection between the kind of violent demonstrations we were seeing in cairo and what took place in benghazi. in the end -- let's just review the facts because it gets a ambassador riceat said on face the nation. it is clear that were extremist elements that escalated the violence, whether they were al , it is onetremists of the things we will have to determine. that is a simple statement. that was on a sunday about which so much has been discussed and misrepresented. >> in an hour at 9:00 eastern,