measured in dollars and cents, but things like were we to develop nuclear rocket technology, how would that spin off the change everything in our economy? also fusion, what would that do for it? i want to know what you think in as far as what real economic growth is, how the program could get us out of this economic crisis, and there's a crisis in education. you hear hear from industry, but she told factories, that they do not have that they were forced to carry out this kind of aission, and were we to have robust space program, we would be more at >> a couple of really good points. when i think of them learning -- stem learning, one of the things iat occurs to me is that when

was in grade school, and some of the mere facthis, of a robust space program inspires people to want to do science and math. that generation that was created. then we had a lapse. people are no longer as inspired, not in the same kind of way. push moneyhing to out into the stem field, but another to sean young people -- show young people what they can aspire to. so much of what nasa does is about aspiration. when those aspirations are there, we will find the teachers. the students will come pouring out to learn, but not if they don't know about something on the other side. i think these things work together.

it's important for us to make the investment in stem learning so we can create the workforce that is needed. but we have to recognize that we have to have a vision to create that education stimulus for young people to grow and learn and develop. and then with respect to the it's really complicated to get policymakers to see on the other side of something. we have to tell the story about all of the great innovations that nasa has done. has 6400 patents, not to mention the patents held throughout the industry. that israel economic development and growth. economic development

and growth. when we talk about your sunglasses that are more protective than they used to be light, thoselet are stories that help people understand the true economic value of what this industry .roduces >> thanks for coming to talk to us. in the hearings about the subcommittees, mass authorization proposal, it has been clear there has been some disagreement. what changes are proposed? >> in television, they say state queued. -- stay tuned. i will be releasing a proposal this afternoon that is about a vision.

there are two minds here. on the one hand, the majority has drafted legislation that says, here are the constraints under which we are right now. i think that is one way. i don't think it's the way you do science. when you invest in science, you have to think aspirationally. thatpose a division recognizes that we have fiscal constraints, but that also plots the workout over a 15 year period that allows the funding profile that really will spur the kind of development at a pace and in a timeline that is responsible. one of the things that has occurred to me is a constant adding to the laundry list of things that nasa is supposed to do, and that the industry is

authorizationn thati will introduce recognizes the multimission focus of the agency, because i believe that those missions are incredibly important to all of the work and that they are connected to each other that will allow us to do space exploration in a responsible way. you will also see a funding profile that says, nasa, we believe in what you can do and what the industry can do and are prepared to make an investment in that vision. they will be bold -- it will be bold. >> we have two more questions. one in the corner over there. four moree time for questions? >> sure. >> i'm peter johnson.

with a goal such as 2030 or bust, how to protect non-mars focused nasa programs from being cut once we reach crunch time? i believe and i want to reaffirm a commitment to the multimission focus of the agency. countymy district, in my , the home of goddard space flight center, it is the home of an awful lot of work that is not necessarily focused on human exploration. yet it has great value to understanding the earth, great value to understanding and seeing the sun and everything in between. i believe in that and want to make an investment in it.

one of the things that sets nasa apart as this nation's space agency is the fact that we have taken on all of the big work to be done. astrophysics,s earth science, human exploration , all of the research and technology in between -- that is the value of the agency and the value of all of the industries that have grown up around this agency. it would be irresponsible for us to give up on that month -- .ultimission my name is herman. i'm a freelance for a newspaper.

host: [indiscernible] what is the difference between the current science commission and the congress and the past? >> is there a difference? one of the differences is that i'm on the committee now. [laughter] i think we have a number of new members on the science committee who really do have a deep understanding and commitment to our nation's space program at large and to understand that while human exploration is a significant component and should be of what we do, there are many other things that the agency does.

look at what happens now with weather forecasting and .rediction those fields have actually grown up around a robust and developed noah.along with i will share with you that over these next several weeks -- we will have a very robust ofcussion about the future space exploration. commitment we have a as a nation to make the investments that are necessary and required for us to remain at the top. we can either be content to look backwards and we can be content to be second, or we can strive for a vision that makes certain that we are first and that we lead. >> i think we have one in the

back all the way by the wall. >> my name is david. i'm with the space coalition. i was curious whether you have engaged in discussions with members of your subcommittee as to renewing or improving our [indiscernible]to drive innovation. >> we have. what you will see reflected in our authorization is a recognition. the commercial side, those of you have seen me evolve over the past couple of years understand that i was not a believer at first and the role of commercial companies and commercializing.

it is an evolution and process. i have been quite pleased with the process that has been made thus far and really look forward to the future. i think that risksharing is something we're going to have to come to grips with. says that if you have an industry that wants to engage in the commercial sector, it's really important that you do what other risktakers do in the larger economy. on the other hand, i also understand that some of those in thise unforeseen area that is emerging and .eveloping it's a conversation we need to continue to have. thank you. was that four?

[laughter] >> ok, the last question. >> jeff, space review. policy becoming more partisan that it has been in the past? yearsr the last couple of , it has been sadly quite .artisan i've had a chance to discuss already with some of my colleagues on the other side some of these issues. i think this will be a work in progress. what i will conclude by saying believe, and i think int americans really believe the agency, its workforce, its private sector partners, and the .cademic community

we have a challenge to make sure public can push off in a healthy way to do the right thing for our space program for the next generation. that doesn't have a "d" or "r" written behind it. it has an "s" for science. thank you very much. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] >> both chambers of congress returned today. bills, will debate a few including the amount of money that banks are required to hold in reserve. strong partner a and honest partner more than the american president, sheltered

and cocooned as he is in what harry truman called the great white prison. concluded after five years and hundreds of interviews, that those presidents with brave spouses willing to speak sometimes hard truths that others are unwilling to speak to the big guy, those presidents have a distinct advantage. been able to cut through her husband's paranoia, watergate might never have happened. but pat had long since given up on her husband by the time they reached the white house. they were leading virtually separate lives, as you will see in my portrayal of this saddest of all presidential couples. i don't give my husband advice, pat was quoted as saying, because he doesn't need it. is there a man or woman alive who doesn't need advice from the person who knows him or her best? >> as we continue our

conversation on first ladies, how the first ladies have helped shape american history. tonight at 9:00 eastern on c- span. the senate judiciary committee confirmation hearing tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. eastern. obama said that he is developing plans to make the government quote, smaller and more responsive. >> thank you, everybody. [applause] please have a seat. back in 2007, when i was first running for this office, i had the opportunity to visit google headquarters in silicon valley

to discuss ways we could use technology to allow more citizens to participate in their democracy and bring a government built largely in the 20th century into the 21st century. we had already built to start a new type of campaign. instead of bringing more people to the campaign, we wanted to bring the campaign to more people and let them determine its course and nature. if you want to make phone calls or knock on doors, you don't have to come into a field office , you could get the information you needed on your phone and go out there and do it. if you want to get your friends involved, we have the tools to help you connect. some of the things we were doing to help us get elected could also be used once we were

elected. if you want to share your story, we can help you get your story out. throughout this process we created one of the most inclusive and most successful campaigns in american history. washington,to instead of an operation humming with the latest technology, i had to fight really hard just to keep my blackberry. as anyone knows, dealing with the federal government is not always high-tech or user- friendly. over the past four and half years, we have worked diligently to change that just like we did on that campaign. we started by recruiting some of the smartest people from the private sector to work side-by- side with some of the smartest people in the public sector to help get it done. that day i visited google, i promise to appoint the nation's

first cto, chief technology officer. soon after i took office, i did. todd park, and our chief information officer, are working with their teams to innovate and apply the best technology to solve our biggest challenges. creating jobs, reducing healthcare costs, keeping our nation secure. progress does not always come quick. major challenges still remain. swaths ofe made huge your government more efficient and transparent and accountable than ever for -- before. we have done it by focusing on three areas. ways to deliver the services that citizens expect in .marter and faster ways until recently, when a natural disaster struck, teams from fema had to rely exclusively on in

person inspections to figure out which damage needed help. now they analyze satellite and and getmagery assistance to the areas that need it most more quickly. after working sandy, most folks were able to sign up for assistance using fema's mobile and web apps. fema agents went door-to-door in some areas with ipads, helping residents who lost power and internet access sign up for disaster relief without leaving their homes. making sure we are delivering services better, faster, more efficiently. second, we've identified new ways to reduce waste and save taxpayers money. to get rid ofg overlapping i.t. systems, we have identified more than $2.5 billion in savings across the federal government.

i have proposed and signed into of federalmination programs that were duplicative, not working, or no longer needed , saving billions of dollars a year. the basic principle is simple. taxpayers reserve the biggest and for their buck, -- deserve the biggest bang for their buck. anyone can visit whitehouse.gov to see your taxpayer receipt, a literal receipt that tells you how and where your tax dollars are being spent. finally, for the first time in history we have opened up huge amounts of government data to the american people and put it on the internet for free. you can search through and download more than 75,008 a sets. sets.000 data

what is happening, entrepreneurs and business owners are using that data, the people's data, to create jobs and solve problems byre government cannot solve itself. there's a company that is used (data -- has used government data on energy trends and whether to help families save more than $3 million on their energy bills. there's another company, founded by two emergency room doctors, that is using freely downloadable data about health care providers from the department of health and human services to help more than 9 million people find closest doctors and hospitals that meet their needs. the list goes on. these companies have hired hundreds of people and they are still hiring. already of people have

used these applications that were created. we've made some good progress on all fronts. but now we need to do more. met with all my cabinet, including new cabinet members, some of whom have extraordinary private sector experience. adoptgoing to continue to good ideas from the private sector. sylvia was part of a team at the office of budget management in the 1990's. back to help us move this effort forward. she's not the only one.

we welcomed a new class of presidential innovation fellows. i would love for the press to meet some of these folks, because they are extraordinary. these are americans with fast rabbit sector technology -- private sector technology expertise. scott wu helped found a company that helps recent graduates turn their good ideas into businesses. used to manage product design, for mobile phones to video games. they and 40 other fellows are taking this private sector expertise and bring it into the government, making it smarter, more user-friendly. today many online shopping websites fill in your information so you don't have to

enter it every time you login. we're working on a project called my usa that will save you time by doing the same thing with government forms. if you're applying for federal benefits, you should be able to track the status of your application in real-time just like you can follow the location of a package all the way to your doorstep. these are things in the pipeline right now. when our government asks for bids on a project, it's usually written and complicated language that most people don't understand. we're working to make things simpler so it is easier for more small businesses across the country. we will help businesses create more jobs doing work that needs to be done, and by opening up more competition of government contracts, we will save taxpayers money and the process -- in the process. we relaunch and upgraded and easier healthcare.gov. americans will be able to log on

and comparison shop for insurance plans side-by-side, just like you go online and compare the best deal on cars or computers. you will finally be part of a new pool with millions of americans insurers will want to --pete for your business americans. insurers will want to compete for your business. when the prototype of an application to join the marketplace came in at 21 pages, we rejected it and said let's do it better. it is now three pages long. that is a lot shorter than the application you have to fill out for private insurance hardly. -- currently. i asked congress to consolidate the federal bureaucracy. we're doing a lot of this work administratively, but they're still a bunch of rules -- there is still a bunch of rules, a lot of legislation that has poorly

designed some of our agencies and forced folks to engage in bureaucratic hoop jumping instead of focusing on a mission and delivering good service to our citizens. what we have asked is, let's consolidate this. almost every president from herbert hoover to ronald reagan had this authority to redesign the federal government, the executive branch, to deliver services better. just like every business owner seeking to make sure that his or her company keeps pace with the times. currently we do not have that capacity. i'm going to keep on doing what we can administratively, what we could use congress's help, particularly at a time congress is saying they want more pushing government. in government. we are operating under severe fiscal constraints.

it makes sense for us to be able to redesign government so it can deliver on the functions the american people are looking for. we should all want a government that is that is smarter and more responsive to the needs of the american people. america is full of dedicated public servants who are working really hard every day to uphold the public trust. those of us who believe the government has a responsibility to guarantee some level of basic security and to mark sure everybody gets a fair shot at success -- make sure everybody gets a fair shot at success, we also have a responsibility to make sure that the government works. i'm glad we have people like scott and clara and so many other talented men and women who have signed up to help us tackle these changes. i'm going to be asking more people around the country, more

entrepreneurs and visionaries, to sign up to serve. we've got to have the brightest minds to help solve our biggest challenges. it's a reminder that in this democracy, we the people recognize that this government belongs to us. it's up to each of us to make it work better. we can't just stand on the sidelines. we can't take comfort in being cynical. a stake in government success because the government is us. we're doing things right. we're tracking whether more effectively. that saves lives for folks who are in the path of a tornado. when we are delivering effective data on improved healthcare choices, that is going to save lives and reduce costs.

we've got the potential to do so much better than we're doing right now. but we're going to need the help of the private sector, the not- for-profit's, and most of all we want to make sure we are empowering some of the folks were sitting here today to make sure that they can deliver on the 21st century government that the american people want. thanks very much, everybody. keep up the good work. [applause] the speaker pro tempore:

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered or on which the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes on postponed questions will be taken later. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1341 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar bill to , h.r. 1341, a require the financial stability oversight council to conduct a study of the likely effects of the differences between the united states and other jurisdictions in implementing the derivatives credit valuation adjustment capital requirement. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from tennessee, mr.

fincher, and the gentlewoman from california, ms. waters, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. fincher: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and submit remarks extraneous materials for the record on h.r. 1341, as amended, currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. fincher: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. fincher: i want to thank chairman jeb hensarling, chairman lucas and congressman garrett for helping me bring h.r. 1341 to the floor today. i'm pleased we're considering h.r. 1341, the financial competitive act of 2013. mr. scott and i have worked in a bipartisan manner to move this measure forward to ensure america remains competitive in the global marketplace. we need folks around the world

to know that america is open for opportunity, upward mobility. this country we promote jobs. i introduced the financial competitive act with my friend, mr. scott, for one reason, to ensure the law of unintended consequences does not place america at a disadvantage globally. our bill simply requires financial stability oversight committee to conduct the study of the impacts implementing the credit valuation adjustment capital requirement, or c.v.a., will have on end users and u.s. financial institutions. this study is in response to the recent bossle 3 accord which is a global regulatory standard for capital requirement for banks. unfortunately they decided to exempt their own european banks for providing certain requirements. specifically, european regulators have decided to

exempt transactions with sovereign pension funds and corporate counterparties which exempted. this means european banks will not have to put up capital like american banks. i have some serious questions about the impact the european exemption will have on u.s. financial institutions, consumers and larger u.s. companies. to me it will have a business advantage to european banks, european customers and european end users at the expense of american business, banks and end users. mr. scott and i are not alone. canada recently announced it will delay its c.v.a. capital requirement for one year even though it implement the rest of bozell 3 ackage.

canadian banks would be at a disadvantage because of european c.v.a. exemption. consumers share those same concerns and will be competitively disadvantaged which will affect how they serve consumers in a derivative business as well as the commercial loan business. our bill will clarify the impact the c.v.a. exemption for european financial institutions will have on the u.s. economy. the u.s. economy can't afford to wait while europe takes valuable market share away from u.s. companies. if the u.s. doesn't act, this disadvantage could potentially cost the u.s. economy billions of dollars and lead to jobs moving overseas. this bill is about america versus europe. i ask me to pass this to ensure the law of unintend ready consequences does not place u.s. consumers, end users and financial institutions at a

disadvantage. thank you and i reserve the alance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california. ms. waters: mr. speaker, yumeds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. waters: thank you, mr. speaker. the government made an important step towards repairing our financial system after the worst financial crisis since the great depression. we implemented basel 3 including new requirements to bolster capital. as losses mounted during the financial crisis the woefully inadequate capital cousins at banks and other nearly -- nearly brought our entire economy to a halt. i also appreciate that the bank regulators have taken a commonsense approach for which i have strongly advocated, related to community banks, including the treatment of residential mortgages. i applaud the banking

regulators for finalizing these critical rules, which along with the other dodd-frank reforms, will create the conditions for robust and resilient financial sector. legislation before us today will conduct a stud eye of the potential effects of any differences between the u.s. and other jurisdictions implementation of one aspect of the basel 3 accords. the credit valueiation adjustment requirement related to derivative transactions. the countries agreed that banks should hold capital against the possibility that their counterparties be it an airline or other bank would default. however, despite agreeing to do so under basel 3, the european union has made a preliminary decision to exclude the credit valueiation adjustment from the

calculation of european banks' capital requirements. as a result of the e.u. dropping this requirement, some u.s. banks think they may be disadvantaged relative to their international counterparts. will he bill, the study study the implementation of this requirement. i agree it's important for u.s. regulators to ensure the way by which the c.v.a. is calculated for domestic financial institutions includes an appropriate medology that will not inadvertently create an unlevel playing field relative to foreign competitors. at the same time we must be mindful not to engage in a global race to the bottom when it comes to capital requirements for our largest most globally interconnected financial institutions. after all, the strength of the u.s. financial system is and will be based on its stability

and transparency. importantly, during consideration of the bill, mrs. beatty of ohio added language balancing the study scope. as a result, the study will also consider the effects of failing to implement the c.v.a. would have on the stability of u.s. financial markets in market stress as well as how the regulators are fulfilling their statutory mandates to respond to emerging threats to financial stability. with the addition of this language, the bill study now balances, not just the implications for derivatives market participants of the specific capital charge but also the effects of our economic stability. undercapitalized derivatives exposures were one of the major drivers of the 2008 financial crisis. market participants should hold capital against the risk of a

counterparty defaulting or entering bankruptcy. we can certainly consider how implementation of the c.v.a. could best be accomplished but, again, we cannot engage in a global race to the bottom when it comes to capital rules. fsoca hope that the will urge other global regulators to exper dishesly adopt standards that's strong as ours. i thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from tennessee. mr. fincher: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california. ms. waters: i have no additional speakers, mr. speaker, and i would close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from tennessee. mr. fincher: i urge passage of 1341 and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 13141, as amended. -- h.r. 1341, as amended.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. fiverage mr. speaker. -- mr. fincher: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this otion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. hurt: mr. speaker, i ask that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1564 as

amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 103, h.r. 1564, a bill to amend the sarbanes-oxley act of 2002 to prohibit the public company accounting oversight board from requiring public companies to use specific auditors or require the use of different auditors on a otating basis. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. hurt, and the gentlewoman from california, ms. waters, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. hurt: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to evise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the record on h.r. 1564, as amended, currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. hurt: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hurt: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 1564, the audit integrity and job protection act, a bipartisan bill i introduced with my

colleague, representative meeks. i thank him for his leadership on this issue. if enacted, this bill would eliminate the threat of mandatory audit firm rotation by prohibiting the public company accounting oversight board, a self-regulatory agency, from moving ahead with a potential rule making that would have serious negative consequences for american businesses, investors and consumers. in 2011, the pcaob issued a concept release to impose mandatory audit firm rotation, requiring companies to change their independent auditor every few years. implementing this proposal would significantly impair the quality of public audits, reduce the supervision, audit committees, impose significant unnecessary costs and impede investment and harm investors and consumers. in fact, a g.a.o. study conducted pursuant to sarbanes-oxley found that in initial year audit costs under

this would increase by more subsequent cost to acquire knowledge about the company. negative affects on audit quality during the initial years of a new audit firm's tenure. the consequences of the costs imposed by audit firm rotation would decrease access to companled investments in our communities that help our local businesses get people back to work. beyond harming the competitive position of the american public company, i have heard from private companies in virginia's fifth district, including many of our biotech firms and our banks, that mandatory audit firm rotation would create one more disincentive to go public in light of increased costs and an already complex regulatory scheme. both the s.e.c. and congress have previously rejected mandatory audit firm rotation. most recently, the jobs act explicitly banned audit firm rotation for emerging growth

companies. in exerting its legislative prerogative to ensure this harmful policy was not enacted on these emerging companies, congress took away this disincentive from companies exploring accessing the public markets. now europe is considering imposing an audit firm rotation regime in part because it believes that the united states would move forward on pcaob's concept draft. despite the overwhelming opposition to the concept, over the 90% of the 700 comments filed, the pcaob has left this issue unresolved. to my knowledge, the concept release has not been withdrawn nor has there been any statements from the pcaob that it will be moving forward for this -- with this proposal. detrimental a effect. this is best left to companies' committees, not regulators who are trying to impose a one-size-fits-all approach. h.r. 1564 would make clear that congress will not believe this

will provide additional protections to investors or consumers and will stifle growth and job-creating small businesses while reducing audit quality. i'd like to thar chairman hensarling, the ranking member of the financial services committee for their support and leadership on this issue as we're able to achieve a unanimous bipartisan vote from the committee. i ask my colleagues to join me in voting yes on h.r. 1564 and pass this good bill from the house that we may strengthen audit quality, remove the threat of unnecessary costs and refocus the pcaob on its mission to protect investors and the public interest by promoting informative, accurate and most important, independent audit reports. thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california. ms. waters: i yield myself such time as i may consume. thank you very much, mr.

speaker. the 2008 financial crisis cost americans more than $13 trillion, $13 trillion, leaving many families unable to make ends meet as they lost their jobs. five years later as we begin to pick up the pieces of the mess largely caused by deregulation the american public is now much more cautious when investing savings. as a member of the financial services committee, i see my job to ensure that there are appropriate rules in place that will hopefully prevent such a debacle from ever happening again. one such initiative to improve the functionality of our markets is to improve the independence of the markets fact checkers. the public company auditors. these companies play a vital role of validating the company's financial statements and kepping companies honest when reporting

to eninvestigators how they have performed. i applaud the government regulator of the auditors, the public company accounting over sight board for its efforts to identify structural changes in the current system that may improve awed ter independence. after all, we know that auditors germly performed poorly leading up to the 2008 financial crisis failing to warn investors of the outside risks posed by bets on the housing markets. having said that, i understand one such proposal floated by the pcaob, there are serious concerns that will increase costs for companies as well as diminish the quality of information upon which investors base their investment decisions. for these reasons, i support h.r. 1564, which prohibits this proposal from being implemented. it is not clear to me that

requiring a public company to change auditors ever so many years would contribute to auditor independence. once more, given the time it takes an auditing firm to understand the business of a company, there will be at least a few years of less than ideal audits as an auditor has to learn everything they need to know about the new firm. additionally, the small number of major auditing firms coupled with specialization within the auditing industry means that requiring rotation in many cases will not leave companies with much choice at all. in my view, while enhancing auditor independence is a crucial goal, i do feel there may be better ways to accomplish it. i would also note that this bill does not in any way limit the ability of a company's audit committee to rotate its auditors. such committees as investors

have pointed out are best suited to select their own auditors. having said that, i do have concerns about tampering with the authority of a regulator when it raises an issue we disagree with. he pcoab asks the public for feedback on a range of proposals on the concern that auditors have been too close and dependent on the companies they are supposed to examine. it's not unreasonable for them to include them as one of a large range of issues it's examining. to address this concern with the bill, i offered an amendment during our markup of h.r. 1564, that requires the g.a.o. to update its previous study regarding auditor rotation. the previous g.a.o. study completely shortly after the passage of the sarbanes-oxley act of 2002, found that mandatory audits may not be the

most efficient way to strengthen auditor independence and improve quality. however, the g.a.o. noted that several years' experience with implementation of the sarbanes-oxley act reforms is needed before the full effect of the requirements can be assessed. the g.a.o. needs to update this outdated study. this amendment requires the g.a.o. to evaluate the potential costs and benefits of mandatory audit firm rotation now more than 10 years have passed since the passage of sarbanes-oxley. the amendment requires consideration of various factors, including whether rotation would actually mitigate against conflicts of interest against audit firms and issuers and audit quality could suffer due to audit firm rotation and the study would also include an assessment of the i will akistan of sarbanes-oxley --

assessment of sarbanes-oxley and will inform future congresses on auditor rotation. with the adoption of my amendment, i and every member of the committee voted for this bill. allow me to reiterate i'm supportive of the role and mission of the pcaob but believe the regulator would do will to look at the benefits as it examines auditor independence and doing so it would take them away from auditing rotation and towards other areas that provide more meaningful improvements in auditing and financial reporting. thank you, mr. speaker. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from virginia. mr. hurt: we are prepared to ose and reserves the balance

of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from california. ms. waters: i yield to the gentleman from new york, my colleague, mr. meeks, who has put so much time and work in researching this whole issue about auditor rotation. he's worked very closely with mr. hurt and helped to educate the members of the committee about the difficulties and the complications of this whole issue of auditor rotation. i yield to mr. meeks from new york. the speaker pro tempore: how much time goes the gentlewoman yield? ms. waters: such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: i thank the gentlelady from california for all of her hard work and i rise to support h.r. 1564 which i co-introduced with mr. hurt, and this bill will ensure we maintain strict auditing standards without imposing

overly burdensome requirements on our public companies. but i want to point out the hard work that the gentlelady from california put in in regards to the g.a.o. study and why it is important so we can continue to make sure that our markets are strong and sturdy and that amendment as she so indicated is what unabled us to have a unanimous agreement coming out of our committee and it was us working together across the aisle to make sure it happened. it is good for our markets and helps to remove the uncertainty that the markets would have now had we not had this removed and have the study going forward. i think it's important for me to emphasize that this bill does not first weaken our auditing and accounting standards which were reinforced under the sarbanes-oxley act and this bill does not weaken nor do i want to weaken or remove the regulatory powers of pcaob, but we want to

remove the uncertainty and this bill does not any circumstance provide an opportunity for more fraudulent accounting gimmicks. i want to remind my colleague, that we have supported and enacted here in the united states, one of the toughest pieces of legislation against accounting fraud and that our existing laws ll embrace rotation by requiring the replacement of the lead auditing partner. this selective review is unbiased and do not remain under the same individual for prolonged periods and this provision puts us ahead of most developed countries when it comes to anti-fraud accounting rules and remains the right and smart approach. imposing mandatory retation of the entire auditing firm in an industry where auditing companies have none or one or two to retate to is simply

unworkable and disruptive and imposes expenses on our public companies. studies conducted here in the united states showed that requiring mandatory rotation would increase costs by 20% in the subsequent year and additional 17% of costs for selection process alone. in additio t costs, it is possible that it may actually force public companies to select less credible auditing firms that may not have the required expertise or it may encourage the auditing firm to charge excessively high fees because mandatory selection may impose the qualified auditing firm. mr. speaker, as i stated before, we did not introduce this bill simply because we are against rgs inciples of rotation but rather we introduce this bill because imposing rotation at all costs by any means regardless of market conditions would be irresponsible and detrimental. many of my colleagues do favor a

more competitive auditing industry where companies can have more choices in the selection of their auditing firms. eventually, market conditions may evolve and we may have new auditing firms that emerge and gain the confidence of markets and investors. as that happens, firm rotation, i believe, will naturally happen through market forces, but not through legislation. it is therefore and for that reason, mr. speaker, that i urge my colleagues to vote in support of h.r. 1564 and support this commonsense regulation of our auditing industry and i thank the chairman and ranking member and my colleague, mr. hurt, who co-sponsored this in bringing this legislation forward. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia. mr. hurt: mr. speaker, we are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california have any additional speakers? ms. waters: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from virginia.

mr. hurt: i would close by saying i think this is a good bill, a bill that not only strengthens investor protection and reduces unnecessary costs and reduces uncertainty in the marketplace. we need certainty in the marketplace and that helps reduce that for public companies. it is my request that this body pass this piece of legislation. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1564 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. mr. hurt: we would request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted.

a sufficient number having arisen having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this otion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1171. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 91, h.r. 1171, a bill to amend title 40, united states code, to improve veterans service organizations access to federal surplus personal property. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the ntleman from florida mr. desantis and a member opposed each will control 20 minutes.

mr. desantis: i yield myself such time as i may consume and all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material under the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. mr. desantis: our nation's veterans serve sacrifices for the freedom and protection we enjoy every day. 'm proud of all who defend our nation. h.r. 1171 permits veterans service organizations to obtain surplus personal property as electronic equipment and vehicles. there are countless individuals and organizations who want to help our veterans yet sometimes the law and the bureaucracy will present stumbling blocks to these groups doing all they can trying to help our veterans and we can't repay the veterans but

this bill is a small and necessary step to provide essential services to those who serve. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia. . the gentleman from virginia. >> i yield -- mr. connolly: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: i'm happy to rise in support of this legislation. the bill would amend current law to provide qualified veterans service organizations with qualified federal surplus property. the bill enjoys bipartisan support. in may of this year it was considered by the fwoth and oversight reform committee and passed unanimously. a rarity in our history. in december, 2010, president obama signed the original four

vets act into law which established the eligibility of veterans organizations to receive surplus property under the program. e wording suggested that the organizations should show that they are acquiring the property for veterans or public health. is wording really hurt these organizations as education and health programs are not their core function. this legislation corrects any confusion and if you will that error, to allow veterans organization acts to benefit veterans. mr. speaker, we need to do better for our veterans and thing bill, h.r. 1171, is a good step forward. i urge members to support the bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from florida.

mr. desantis: i yield such time heas may consume to the distinguished colleague from the state of michigan, mr. benishek. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. benishek: i thank the gentleman from florida. i rise in support of h.r. 1171, he for vets act of 2013. this will allow veterans organization access to federal surplus property. president obama signed the original for vets act into law, that added qualified d.s.o.'s to -- v.s.a.'s to the list of those eligible to receive surplus property under the federal surplus property program. however the wording of the statute requires all organizations to demonstrate they are requiring -- acquiring the property for purposes of public health or education. unlike many of the other organizations on the list, most v.s.o.'s are not set up to administer a health or

education program. a strict interpretation of the law by the general services administration has prevented v.s.o.'s from accessing federal surplus as congress intended. this bill would correct the error in current law and ensure that qualified v.s.o.'s have access to surplus they have earned. this bill has been scored as having no significant impact on spending and in this difficult economy, veterans service organizations can use valuable item that are considered surplus property to better serve those who have given so much to our nation. these items could be a refrigerator for everyday use at a lowal post or a vehicle to be used to take disabled veterans to appointments. last year i spoke to a veteran in michigan who told me the rohr in current law was preventing amvets post for using surplus computers for unique veteran service tasks.

this bill will help him and others like him put federal surplus property to work for our nation's veterans. i'm proud to be part of this effort, i'm grate to feel chairman issa and ranking member cummings and members of the oversight and government reform committee for the unanimous support this bill received in markup on june 25. i also want to thank the national association of state agencies for surplus property as well as the american legion and disabled american veterans for their support and assistance in getting the legislation to this point. i urge the house to adopt this bipartisan legislation to help veterans service organizations in every state better serve our nation's veterans. i thank the speaker and yield back the remainder of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from virginia. mr. connolly: i want to congratulate the gentleman on his legislation, it is correcting an error and will make a positive benefit to many veterans organizations

including those who enumerated. i'm proud to support the legislation. we have no other speakers on this side and i yield back our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. desantis: we have no further within witness -- witnesses, i urge all members to support the passage of h.r. 1171 and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the howls suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1171. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed -- mr. desantis: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. desantis: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered.

pursuant to clause of rule 20, further proceed option this otion will be postponed. pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house >> and>> in a staff writer and. back tomakers he get work this week. helmet spending is in the bill? billion, less then

connected last year. it is less than what rock obama has requested. it has taken money out of clean energy funding and has highlighted the differences between the democrats and the president on that issue. what programs are covered? ,> the army corps of engineers clean energy programs, and it covers the nuclear regulatory commission, which is a big take , money that isll given to that agency. it underscores the connection in the differences between the nuclear field. >> what has the obama administration said about the house bill? if it gets too it his desk.

i do not know how the two will meet, but the chambers will pass the bill. >> what can you tell about the amendment process on the house bill? >> it is an appropriations bill. it could be a loss of messaging bills. republicans have come out in favor of fossil fuel energy, natural gas, coal, oil. they want more funding for that type of research. less for clean energy. look for bills -- for amendments to that effect. >> it is an open amendment bill. what does that mean?

anything that is germane to energy, the water issues can be filed as an amendment to this bill. there could be a lot of things coming down the pike, but we will have to see what those might be. >> you mentioned the levels in past years from this he built. what are the differences? >> the spending level is about $2.8 billion less than what was enacted last year, and it is about $4.1 billion less than what the president has proposed in this year's budget. to differences come down clean energy and overall cuts to get under sequestration levels spending. the house has significantly increased the spending in the defense bill, so they are looking for cuts in other areas, and energy is one of them. they're coming about $900 billion in clean energy

programs, something that the president and democrats do not like and it will be a sticking bills arehese adopted. see in will we debate. --? call for theg will ability to issue loan guarantees, that also could come up, a response to the solyndra wasdal of 2011, whereby doe asking for money from investors to keep this company afloat, and it said if you invest here we will make sure you will get paid first before taxpayers. sure --ital will make the house bill will make sure that will not happen, an issue of contention, but clean energy

funding, a difference on how that should be handled between democrats and republicans. another will be yucca mountain, a big difference between democrats and republicans, or so between republicans and the president. $25republicans have given billion to the nuclear regulatory commission to complete its reviews of using the nevada site as the nation's sole nuclear waste dump. president obama wants to keep that off limits, wants to start with a different plan that house bill does not fund. we appreciate your time. >> thank you. thank you for having me. bill is expected to come out in the house later this week. today we expect a couple of votes debated earlier in about 15 minutes at six: 30 eastern. we have heard about the role of

religion in american politics and culture this morning in "washington journal." a busy first few weeks in your job. thank you for taking time this morning. explain what your role is with the southern baptist convention. commission is to speak to church is about moral and ethical concerns, about what ofmeans to be a follower jesus christ, and to speak for our churches in the larger arena about those things we believe are important. one issue you speak about is the supreme court's recent ruling. talk about the reaction to the result of these cases. not many were surprised by the actual rolling. any of us were surprised by the

language in justice kennedy's majority opinion on the joedoma case, which said there was no reason to define marriage between a man and a woman except for hostility, which we did not believe is the case. we believe there are good reasons for the government to see marriage as distinctively a union of a man and a woman. that was surprising and disappointing. i was here in washington when >> whening company down the ruling came down. host: you are not surprised by the ruling, but the language? yes, that the line which i did, using language of each goal protection. scalia is right for the court to allow us eights to define marriage in the way that they currently do.

the language there is setting the court up for roe versus wade type of decision in the future. this say something about the role of social conservatives is today? guest: it says something to social conservatives. for long-time social conservatives had a silent majority view of ourselves, and they had a moral majority of a view of ourselves, that we represent the mainstream, most people agree with us, except for elites. that is not the case. i think we need to start seeing the fact that we are similar to the way the christian church was in the beginning of its existence, a minority of people who are so beginning to the areer culture in ways that going to sometimes seem freakish to that larger culture. that is not a thing that should panic us or cause us to be outraged or despond it.

it is a realistic view of who we are. host: talk to the headline from june 26. guest: there has always been a group that has adapted itself to the ambient culture and it comes to issues of christian sexuality and seeks to revise christian sexual ethic to revise that. those who hold closely to the

teachings, are standing where the church has always stood. . piece, theinion response?says -- your guest: the issue is why the state to care about this at all, why our relationship is or is not, and when it comes to reason a manriage, the union of and a woman is different than other relations visits. bringsmale sexuality consequences of children, and the state has to be involved in that unless we have some kind of

"lord of the flies so" to were the state does not have an interest on whose children belong to whom. as a different recognition. we are saying not that the state should somehow stigmatize people. we say that children have a right to a mother and a father and there's something distinctive about that family structure that the state has an interest in. host: we are talking with dr. russell moore, president of the ethics and liberty commission of the southern baptist convention. the phone lines are open. we mentioned you are appointed to the post on june 1. what did you do before that? guest: i was dean at the school of theology so i was working to train pastors and missionaries. host: you worked as a practicing

preacher? guest: i did, and louisville, for 4 1/2 years. host: are you from originally? guest: biloxi, mississippi. host: you worked for a mississippi congressman? guest: dean taylor, a democrat from mississippi, a great man. host: back to the doma case, talk about how this ruling will impact how religious nonprofit groups do their work in terms of receiving money from the government? guest: that is one of the things we are concerned about there are potential religious liberty concerns that could come out of this larger movement, not this particular case. i don't think we yet know. we have seen some difficult cases already in massachusetts where catholic adoption agencies find it impossible to say we are going to place children only in families with only a mother and father married to each other. that is very concerning to those of us who care about religious

liberty, even people who disagree on questions of what marriage and sexuality ought to be. we should protect the free exercise of religion. there are many areas where several of us are concerned not only on this issue but across the board. host: we are taking your calls with dr. moore, william from ohio, democratic line. caller: the marriage contract is one of legality and not religion. it is issued by the state and the state also gives the power to priests and judges to enter two people into that contract. when you go to alternate marriages, you go to the courthouse to dissolve marriages. this is a conversation about

legality which has a religious component rather than just a religious thing. from a legal point of view, it is wrong to discriminate against people in any capacity in this country. let's get over it and move on and pick an issue that we can all really work on. guest: i think we would all agree that there are some limits as to what marriage is. we say that marriage is two people and not three or four. that is a limit. why we limit it this way? we think it is because of children. we are not trying to have the state affirm the love of two people. we don't need the state to do that. we can affirm love in many ways

without the state being involved. the reason the state is involved is because there is something distinctive about marriage between a man and woman that is different from other relationships. we think that is because the state does not create marriage for it does not define it. it recognizes something that already exists. that is the difference we have which is a debate and argument we can have among people with good will and american culture but that is distinctive. host: anthony is from new york, new york, on a republican line. caller: good morning to both of you. i have a question -- you had mentioned earlier in regards to children and how there is some of the benefit of having a mother and a father in a formal sense as a male and female. can you elaborate on that more? i did not fully understand your point on that. guest: the issue is not whether or not an individual person or couple can be good parents.

good parenting is good parenting. the question is whether or not a child needs a mother and a father and whether a mother and father bring something distinctive to the task of parenting. i believe that god did not design us to simply to be parents but to be mothered and a fathered and they bring something unique. i think that is the reason why every human civilization has recognized that the flourishing of the next generation comes about best when both a mother and a father, whenever possible, are present and active in the care of that child. host: respond to this tweet - guest: they were not when it comes to the question of racially mixed marriages. everyone agreed that these are marriages. this is the union between a man and woman and there were children who could possibly be the result of these unions.

that's what racist white supremacists were trying to do away with. they were trying to keep the rearing of children from happening. they were wrong. i don't think there is a connection between these two things. host: you talked about explaining the same-sex marriage debate to children. what did you tell your own children? guest: one thing i wanted to communicate is that this is not a question of good people versus evil people. sometimes people within conservative evangelicalism would view people on the other side as being the villains, a sense of outrage or a sense of persecution. that is not the case. i wanted to communicate that the people who disagree with us are people created in the image of god who bear the dignity and should be treated as such.

we also have a difference on what marriage is and why it is important. that gives us an opportunity for parents to talk to children about what they value. why do we care whether marriages are intact? why do we care whether or not families are stable? i agree that all people are created equal, and i understand different decisions that are made because you cannot legislate morality. i want to say this, and please do not cut me off. i will not be disrespectful. some day god all made he -- god mighty ordained their chum and one of these days people will answer for what they tried to believe gives them equal

rights. i will hang up. take you very. i am not sure what he wanted to argue there. we must give an account for our lives. as a christian i believe that sexual morality means the sexual expression is limited to the marriage relationship between a man and a woman and a lifelong bond of fidelity. and that is what the christian gospel is about. the christian gospel is speaking to all of us as those who violated the standards of god forays there is a need reconciliation. caller: a pleasure to take with you. i have a specific question about the catholic funds that are given for adoption and other services. you seem to be worried about that.

if you would depend more on god than the government, it seems to me like when the catholics and baptists and everybody depends on government funds, that they are being hypocrites in my opinion. thank you, and i will listen to your applied. are talking about the ability and messages for catholic adoption agencies to be able to place people for adoption. that is not a question of government funds. that is a question of government to carry out its own mission. with government funding, there comes all sorts of government meddling, which is one of the reasons why baptists have been sober lot that over the centuries to take government funds. there is always the appeal to sake caesar's coin, but with caesar's coin comes caesar's restrictions, and many of us

have been independent of the state. host: this comes in on twitter from r. harrington. guest: there are various polls. this is such an interesting conversation. the dynamic is changing. sometimes we are dealing with old data. someone should look and see where demographically americans are and what sorts of new alliances are forming. host: explain the southern baptist convention. guest: 16 million people, the largest protestant denomination states. a group of people who are committed to the gospel of jesus

christ, people who know christ and follow christ. host: another issue is the mandate of the affordable care act known as the contraceptive mandate. guest: we met with a group of religious leaders from every possible religious group. we would not have agreed altogether on almost everything but we agreed the government should not mandate contraceptive coverage through the affordable care act in a way that violates the consciences of religious organizations. we are trying to say with love and respect we appeal for them to back down on this.

if not, we would appeal for a legislative solution to this problem. host: what are the solutions the administration has put forth so far? guest: it has used some accounting games to try to say the money is free, when in reality it is coming from the employer. and to define what a religious organization is, which leaves lots of people having to choose. host: where is the line the administration drew on that? guest: houses of worship, churches, and not very much further beyond that.

religious organizations, those who carry out the missions of the church in other ways do. we are asking for an accommodation in the same way the united states has in other areas over the years. host: mark is from ashburn, virginia. caller: i am from a legal side of this definition that they redefine this. marriage like this and polygamy, what cases are coming forward? i would describe myself as i am a bisexual polygamist. how would the court define me? guest: that is an interesting

question. i am not sure where this is going to go in terms of expanding the definition of marriage. there are some polygamists who would like to see the definition of marriage expanded even further. i believe there is a distinctive good that comes to honoring the union between one man and one woman for life. host: does that speak to this >>estion on twitter from sean? the house is coming back now. house resolution 288, resolution providing for consideration of the bill h.r. 2609 making -- making appropriations for energy and water development and related

agencies for fiscal year ending september 30, 2014, and other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will rere-sume on motions to suspend the rules priestly postponed. votes will be taken in the following order, h.r. 1341, .r. 1564, and h.r. 1171. by the yeas and nays, all of them of the first electron exvote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from tennessee, mr. fincher, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1341 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 96, h.r. 1341, a bill to require the financial stability

oversight council to conduct a study of the likely effects of the differences between the united states and other jurisdictions and inch -- in implementing the derive ties credit valuating capital requirement. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this nays the yeas are 353, the are 24, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed

and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the the gentleman from virginia, mr. hurt, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1564, on which the the yeas and nays are ordered the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 103, h.r. 1564, a bill to amend the sarbanes-oxley act to prohibit the public company over the use d or require of different auditors on a rotating business basis. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house pass the bill as amended. 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 331, te, the yeas are the nays are 62. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida, mr. desantis, to suspend the rules on which r. 1171, the yeas and nays are ordered.

the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 91, h.r. 1171, a bill to amend title 40, united states code, improve veterans service organizations access to federal surplus personal property. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill? members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the .s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this -- on this vote, the yeas are 387, the nays are 1. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. he house will be in order. i ask all members to clear the

aisles, take their conversations to the rear of the chamber. take your seats. he house will be in order. for what pur d gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. >> thank you, mr. speaker. thousands and thousands of members have served in this for each of them it was an honor to serve but for a very small portion of those who

had the honor to serve in this house, they literally honored this institution by their service. i rise today to reference one of them, william h. gray, who served in the united states 19 -- s from the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. the gentleman is correct, the house is not in order. mr. fattah: i thank the gentleman. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman will suspend. will members please take their conversations to the cloakrooms r the rear of the chamber? the gentleman will proceed. mr. fattah: phil gray served, he was an extraordinary public servant. but this was not his only place where he served, but i want to

reference his leadership here in the house. as a member and then chair of the budget committee rising all an ay to majority whip, accomplished lawmaker, he also served as senior pastor of the church where his father and grandfather had served back home in philadelphia, he served when he left the house providing opportunities for hundreds of thousands of young people to go on to college as the head of the oldest nationwide scholarship fund, the uncf. bill gray served in so many different capacities but he did it extraordinarily well. i rise today to ask for a moment of silence in the house so that we honor this life of service. i yield to the gentleman -- >> will the gentleman yields to me? mr. fattah: i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman from pennsylvania, from philadelphia in particular. i had the great honor of serving -- the speaker pro tempore: the chair would ask the gentleman to suspend. we're having problems in the a-- with the acoustics in the chamber. mr. hoyer: do we have it back now? i had the honor of being the vice chair of the democratic caucus when bill gray was the chair of the democratic caucus and i had the honor of succeeding him as chair of the caucus when he became the democratic whip of our caucus. bill gray was a very good friend of mine. i had the this honor of serving withle him, saw him as chairman of the budget committee and all the roles as the gentleman from philadelphia said. i will have further things to say later in the week but i want to thank the gentleman for rising to honor a historic

american, first african-american leader in our party, but much more than that, an extraordinary individual as the gentleman from philadelphia has pointed out. adjourning with a moment of silence in honor of our friend a great american, great member of this body, and a great leader in his church and as the gentleman pointed out, the united negro college fund which gave so many opportunities to so many millions of young people in this country and i thank the gentleman for his remarks and i yield back the time. mr. fattah: may i ask the house to stand for a moment of silence.

fat fat thank you. >> of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. the resulting floods have deve stated communities across the fifth district of pennsylvania, including but quite possibly not limited to jefferson, clearfield, clinton, and centre counties. all which i represent. in the days following these events, i join with state and local officials and others to help those coping with loss

assessed damage and begin the process of rebuilding. i take the floor to offer my thoughts and prayers to those suffering from these events. these individuals need our support and the care of a helping hands more i yield back of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i rise today to announce to the house the loss of another of our former members of the house of representatives, the honorable arlen stanglin who served the

seventh district of minnesota prior to myself from 1970 to 1990 passed away last tuesday in our district he lived about 20 miles south of where i live, also before he came to congress he was in the minnesota house of representatives. . he served on the transportation committee and rose to senior level in both of those committees and he did a tireless job working for the farmers and for the rural people in the seventh district of minnesota. answered since 1990 has been enjoying living in the lake country of minnesota. he loved to play bridge and loved to spend time with as many of his family and his sons and daughters and grandchildren. so i wanted to let the house of representatives know that one of their former members had passed and would it be

appropriate for us to have another moment of silence? the speaker pro tempore: the member may lead the moment of silence. mr. peterson: would the house please rise? thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. paulsen: mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate a cancer survivor and true inspiration and that's minnesota's own kalea "shrek." later this week i plan to attend eden praily's check for life where kayla will share her story. she just grad from eden prairie high school was diagnosed with a tomb when are she was just 2

years old. after undergoing surgery, she heroically survived her struggle with cancer. through the ups and downs she's remained resilient and never lost hope. she chooses to focus on what she can do, rather than what she can't do. she will now turn this focus into raising awareness and supporting cancer funding to benefit cancer patients throughout the country. she and thousands of other cancer survivors are absolute testament to the value and importance of cancer research and treatment. i want to commend kayla for her courage and she is now an inspiration for all of those who are struggling with cancer and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. swalwell: this weekend in my district, we have a lot to celebrate. we will be celebrating pride and i'm pleased to recognize the pride and its organizer

billy bradford. we'll be celebrating the sweet sound of the wedding bells that will be ringing in our district now and thank our friends and loved ones in the lgbt communities can now be allowed to marry with the supreme court ruling. i was thrilled, as many were, across my state that the supreme court recently allowed same-sex marriage to resume in california. love is love. and this decision allows loving gay and lesbian couples to be treated the same as everyone else. these couples and married couples across the country will also benefit from the supreme court's decision to strike down doma. no longer will the federal government be able to treat all same-sex couples as second-class citizens. but the fight is not over. we must make sure that once you're legally married in a state, you don't lose your federal benefits just because you move to a state which does not recognize same-sex marriage. and we have to make sure that people are not discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. this includes protecting against housing and job description, for example.

more broadly we want to make sure that everyone is embraced and valued for who they are. no one should suffer hate or rejection for being gay or lesbian. our diversity is our strength and we must never forget that. i look forward to celebrating it this weekend. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. we lost nine back home this past saturday. bev carter. every thursday the paper would be laying in my driveway. usually on page 3, bev had a weekly column called "bev's burner" in which she would light a fire on an official

with whom she disagreed. mr. olson: occasionally i was one of those public officials. but i enjoyed and respected bev because we shared and still share a common bond. we both love sugarland. we both love our county. and we both love the great tate of texas. as we state in the navy, may you enjoy the peace you've earned. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. waxman: mr. speaker, my colleagues on behalf of the

safe climate caucus, i want to commend the president for his climate action plan announced on june 25. as the president recognized, we have a moral obligation to our children and our grandchildren and to this planet and for future generations. the history of the clean air act shows that we can have both a clean environment and a strong economy. since its adoption in 1970, the clean air act has reduced air pollution by 2/3 while our economy has tripled in size. in 2010 alone, the clean air act prevented over 160,000 premature deaths and millions of respiratory illnesses. the clean air act has also made the u.s. a world leader in clean energy technology. in 2008 the u.s. pollution

control industry generated $300 billion in revenue, $44 billion in exports and over $1.5 million -- 1.5 million jobs. this time will be no different. in fact, a new study shows the president's plan could create hundreds of thousands of jobs. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, we just celebrated our nation's independence day. as i reflected on this holiday, i wondered if our founding fathers would recognize america today. when i read over the weekend that less than half of american adults currently have no full-time job, i realized the answer is no. how is it that fewer than half the adults in this country don't have a full-time job? mr. collins: is for lack of wanting? have we lost our work ethic or entrepreneurial spirit?

absolutely not. no, what is standing between the american people and a new era of prosperity is a federal government that thinks it knows how to spend folks' money more than they do. that's why we need to embrace the free market principles articulated in the house republican plan. we need to reduce health care costs by repealing obamacare. we need to reduce energy costs by responsibly tapping into our nation's oil and gas reserves. we need to stop wasteful spending and reduce federal bureaucracy and finally we need to protect economic freedom. this plan will help make america the most vibrant and productive economy in the world and that's what we need to do. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: last week, houston lost a wonderful daughter and a great leader by

the name of doris marie jones hubbard. this morning we buried her finally in the veterans cemetery. and i rise today to pay tribute to someone who truly believed in democracy, who was an advocate for the poor and for people who did not have. shared her talents, was a pioneer in her own right by integrating and forcing opportunity in the democratic party of texas. some would think that is party politics. i would think simply that that is making sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate and share in the opportunities that this country gives you to have your voice heard. more importantly she loved her daughter, keisha, and she was a valiant champion in the acres home community. we will sorely miss doris, for she shared, she mentored, she

gave and she believed in america, with her husband, earnest, who served in the united states marines, she was honored today by being buried in the houston veterans cemetery alongside of her beloved late spouse. together i call them american heroes. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from west virginia eek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. mrs. capito: thank you. mr. speaker, in may i came to the floor to highlight the concerns small businesses in my state have with the looming implementation of obamacare. i spoke about a day cair center who had -- daycare sent who are had 74 employees, been in business 24 years, and they were struggling mightily with the uncertainty of how to meet the employer mandate. well, last week the administration announced that they will postpone the job-killing employer mandate until 2015. they admitted that aeryears of brach work, that t

fatally flawed employer mandate is unworkable. while the president's enactment is welcome news for small businesses in the short-term, it signaled just how problematic obamacare will be to implement. the employer mandate was forcing businesses like the daycare center in my district to lay off workers, cut employer hours and potentially close their doors depending on their financial status. businesses don't need a temporary reprieve to obamacare, they need a permanent one. a recent poll found that as a result of obamacare, 41% of businesses have put off hiring number have reduced the of employees in their businesses. pushing off one of obamacare's worst provisions for a year will do nothing but prolong the pain and increase the uncertainty. instead we should repeal and have a workable patient-centered reformed bill that will improve the affordability, access and quality of medical care. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition?

without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i would say that tonight has been interesting. we have talked about obamacare and we have talked about clean air and having these things. and yet what we have are two different things coming out of the administration. on the one hand, approximately two weeks ago the administration proposed large new increases in the regulations on coal as one of his aides said, the war on coal is something that we need. obviously coming from southwest virginia and representing central april lasha and the -- appalachia and the coal fields there, this is not a good idea. mr. griffith: then as we were about to leave town, the president came out with a new plan on obamacare and that was to delay the employer mandate. not the individual mandate. but the employer mandate. because they haven't been able to make the program work. and that's something -- and that's not the only thing.

on friday, right after the fourth of july, the president's folks came out with 606 pages of new regulations and in there was delay, delay, delay because they can't seem to make the program work. obamacare was drafted poorly. how do we think these new regulations on coal are going to work? they're going to be drafted just as poorly. mr. speaker, we should do away with obamacare and we should do away with the regulations and the war on coal and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. are there further the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. are there further requests for one-minute speechs? seeing none, the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: lees of absence equested for mr. horsford of nevada for today, ms. eddie bernice johnson of texas for today, mr. schweikert of arizona for today and tomorrow, mr. walberg of michigan for today and mr. young of florida for today and for tomorrow.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection the requests are granted. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. fattah, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. fattah: thank you. let me first thank the house for setting aside this time to appropriately reflect on and to celebrate the life of service of william h. gray. bill gray, as we know him. who represented my home city of philadelphia so very well in this congress. but we are going to have a number of speakers, i'll have ample opportunity to talk. i want to move to a process in which we can acknowledge some others who want to say a few words but i first seek the house's permission to unanimous

consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material into the record on the subject of this special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request is granted. the speaker pro tempore: thank you -- mr. fattah: thank you. i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from ohio who chairs the congressional black caucus for an opportunity to talk about bill gray and his service to our nation. >> i thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for leading this special order hour to talk about a man who was so important to many of us, william h. gray. on behalf of the c.b.c., i send condolences to the gray family. as you celebrate his life, know that we, too, will miss a great man. we celebrate the legislator,

the advocate and statesman. ms. fudge: a man whose accomplishments you will hear a lot about this evening. but if one thing about his life is certain, it is that he served god, his community, and the nation with a strong commitment to leadership, equity and justice he broke ground as the first african-american to chair the budget committee and the first african-american majority whip in the house of representatives. i did not have the personal privilege to serve with him, history supports the fact that he was a brilliant negotiator, bipartisan consensus builder nd i yield back. mr. fattah: i thank the gentlelady. representing the city of philadelphia was something that bill gray was born to do. he was an extraordinary member. we have one of my colleagues who knew congressman gray and

worked with him from her earliest days in public service and i want to yield two minutes to my colleague, congresswoman allyson schwartz. ms. schwartz: i thank my colleague for giving this time, and for setting up this special order, let me adjust my microphone here, bill was a tall guy he would have been able to handle this i want to offer my cob doe lenses to the family, his religious family, the community and all philadelphiaians who knew him, not only knew him but rped and admired him for the work he did on behalf of philadelphia, the nation, and the world. we have all heard a built about his extraordinary public service both here in the house and also then when he went on to of course help lead the

united negro college fund. what i wanted to say was a little more personal. i think my colleague know this is, congressman fattah knows some of this history but when i first the stide run for office, elected office, i went to first city councilwoman, marion tasco, who was part of the northwest coalition of elected officials who came out of the community that was bill gray and the people who he supported and provided inspiration. to she was interested in helping me run for the state senate and she said, well, i'll help you out but there's one really important person you're going to need to be on your side. the district in the state senate represented northwest philadelphia, mostly, where bill gray lived, his house there and how much the northwest coalition and part of northeast philadelphia and then

eventually part of the suburbs as well. it was an interesting, integrated community, about 40% african-american. i went to the -- i went to see , rst one of his chief aides to talk to him about who i was and why i wanted to run what i hoped to accomplish in the state senate and he thought it made some sense and gave me the opportunity to set up that meeting with congressman gray and came to see him here at the capitol, actually, to meet him, he was in the whip's office at the time, a very brand office, he was a grand man of real stature. and he -- it was a good meeting. it was a very good meeting. and he did agree to be supportive and we worked together, worked hard and won a very competitive primary, i was not the only one running in that primary, went on to win in the general election and congressman gray always was supportive and encouraging,

particularly when i decided to run for congress. when i got elected to congress, the dribblingt was very different tambings very different coalition i had to build for that but he met with me, gave me advice, gave me good advice about what to do here as a member of congress, he told me to serve on the budget committee, he was the first african-american chair of the budget committee, i took his advice, i think it was good advice, gave me a chance to rise here fairly quickly in congress. but what i really want to say is he was a man who brought great intellect, great commitment to public service, a real understanding of how relationships between people and how you forge those relationships and build on those relationships to find common ground and get things doe, he did that for philadelphia, he did that here in congress, he was as they say a spiritual leader and made such a difference in the city. i did get to hear him preach a

couple of times and when i went to bright hope for the first time to hear him preach, it was easter morning, a special time to be at bright hope as in many churches across the country and i remember i brought my son, now well grown, and he was only about 11 or 12 at the time and i asked him afterwards what he thought of the service what he thought of the preacher and my son, good jewish boy that he is, said, you know, mom, it kind of makes you want to believe. bill gray made us all want to believe not only spiritually but in the greatness of this country and what we could accomplish. for that, i will all be indebted to have known him, to honor his memory and to share in the sadness at his loss and to western his family condolences. great memories of the man bill gray was. i yield back. mr. fattah: let me ask that we

place into the record a number of letters from local elected officials back home in philadelphia, councilwoman arion tasco, city councilwoman vondell reynolds-brown, state representative dwight evans, and others, and let me yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, sanford bishop. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so order. mr. bishop: i thank the gentleman for yielding and i thank him so much for having this special order so that we can celebrate the life of our riend and mentor, bill gray. shakespeare wrote, all the world's a stage and all the men and women players, each has his entrance and his exit, one man in his time may play many parts. dr. was with reverend congressman bill gray.

he was a son, a father, a grandfather a preacher, union baptist in new jersey, bright hope in philadelphia, pastored my great, great aunt, aunt mini, for whom my mother was named. he was a businessman, a mentor, was a servant, he was a legislator, you've heard, budget chairman. majority whip of this house of representatives. he was a bridge builder, particularly in education, understanding that education is the escalator to upward mobility and he made it possible for thousands and thousands of young people to get a college education. he was a great corporate citizen. he was my friend, a confidant, he gave many, many items of sage advice and counsel. he was an avid supporter coming to georgia to support me when i was state leage slitor, supporting me when i ran for congress, continued to support me for re-election and of course he was a wonderful,

wonderful friend and we developed a wonderful relationship. i will miss him greatly. in 71 years is but a minute eternity but i have to just reflect and say that he did so much with his minute. the poet wrote, i have only just a minute on this 6 -- only 60 seconds in it, can't refuse it, didn't seek it, didn't choose it, i must suffer if i lose it, give account if i abuse it, just a tiny little minute but eternity is in it. we are so thankful that bill gray passed this way and touched all of our lives and made such a difference because he certainly did so much for so many for so long with his minute on the stage of this life. i yield back. mr. fattah: i thank the gentleman and for that recitation of god's prayer. now you'll hear from someone who actually served with bill gray, who was his colleague in

more ways than one because bill ray was also a member of the greatest college fraternity, he was an alpha, and i recognize now the gentleman from new york, congressman rangel, for three minutes. mr. rangel: let me first congratulate, thank, congressman fattah, for calling this moment. i know this is going to be one of a series of tributes that we're going to have, it reminds me how we all feel as we lose a dear friend that we could have done more, we should have done more, we could have kept in touch a lot more. chief of staff, patrick sweigert, was a good friend of reverend bill gray, pastor bill gray. and he got me involved in a couple of campaigns for congress, one was not too successful and very

embarrassing and the other one, of course, brought him to the house. bill gray, even though he was known throughout the world, had a personality that once you started talking with him, his charm and his wit would allow you to believe you'd known him all his life. he invited me a couple of times to visit bright hope and i listened to one of his sermons and it was the first time that i felt so utterly proud of being a member of congress, being a democrat, and knowing bill gray. because as he took this spiritual sermon and wrapped it and , he reminded me

should remind others in public service, that no matter what your religion was, that you should have some compassion for little children who are just a miracle of life that are born, the older people that have served and now are among the most vulnerable, the sick, the disabled, those that have these emotional problems, being able to get a decent education so at least you have the tools necessary to negotiate what is sometimes called an unfair world. of all this biblical things he was talking about, how he tied that into the projects, the educational projects that you became a leader in, congressman fattah, which nobody in the country has done more for education than you have and he united ght off with the

organization, college organization to make certain that education was such an important factor. when it came to medicaid and medicare, when it came to programs providing food for those people that were starving, all of this in that sermon, it made it sound like he was saying that these are the things that we campaigned for, these are the things that we fought for, and so i guess instead of just feeling guilty that we have not kept in touch on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, the work he has really started in philadelphia in the united states congress, in south africa, and throughout the world, there's so much that has not been completed and because such a great leader has succeeded him and comes out of that same family that was

brought together in philadelphia and you try to do it right here in the house of representatives, this work is still not completed this emission has not been accomplished, and so those of us that knew and loved him so much, if we missed saying fwoob when he was well, we can pick up where he left off and make certain that his destination is reached by as many people as he brought over the line. thank you so much for having this special order. i yield back the balance of my time. >> i thank the gentleman. he did travel a great distance in his life. mr. fattah: but he did so much in that period of time to make this world a better place. and i want the gentlelady from california, i want to yield to her three minutes so that she could talk about the life and legacy and service, the extraordinary public service of our former colleague, bill

gray. i yield to the gentlelady from california. ms. waters: thank you so very much. i want to thank you for putting together this moment for us to reflect on the life and legacy of bill. i want you to know that we're so pleased that you're carrying on in his style and his tradition. thank you very much for this evening. i rise today deeply saddened by the sudden passing of my friend and former colleague congressman bill gray. he was loved by everyone. and his legacy will continue to inspeier all who knew him -- to inspire all who knew him. i worked with him through the years. i join the people of philadelphia and americans across the nation in mourning the loss of an effective leader and passionate advocate of the public good. bill gray was certainly -- will certainly be missed.

first elected in 1978, congressman gray's 12 years in congress were marked by extraordinary achievements. not only was he the first african-american to serve as chairman of the house budget committee, he was also the first african-american to serve as majority whip in addition to his outstanding leadership -- whip. in addition to his outstanding leadership, he raised awareness about the talent of the congressional black caucus. during his tenure, congressman gray also authored legislation that implemented economic sanctions against south africa during apartheid. as our thoughts and prayers are with nelson mandela, we must remember and appreciate the fact it was congressman gray who spear headed federal efforts to eradicate apartheid. bill gray was a close friend, both to my husband and me, long before i entered congress. as at bill's invitation, i was honored to serve as guest speaker at a baptist church in philadelphia where bill served as pastor until his retirement

in 2007. my husband regularly played tennis with bill in washington, d.c., and many cities across this nation. bill was a strong and influential advocate for his constituents in philadelphia. and americans around the country. and i extend my sincerest condolences to his wife and their three sons, william iv, justin, and andrew, during this difficult time. ladies and gentlemen, i'd just like to share with you, when i first came to the congress of the united states, bill embraced me and he took me on my first could he dell. and we went -- codell and we went to the middle east. here's a picture of us in israel. it was the first one i went on. i watched bill, how he conducted himself. how he dealt with the dignitaries and the heads of states and i tried to model him all of these years. and so i have a lot to be thankful for and we're saddened but i am so pleased that i had the opportunity to learn from him and i certainly admired him

so very much. thank you very much for organizing this opportunity for us to share our thoughts about him today. thank you. mr. fattah: i thank the gentlelady. i'm reminded, i didn't get a chance to travel with bill gray as a member because obviously he was here before i arrived. and by the time i got here, he was gone. but i do remember flying on air force one with president clinton, we flew into the heart of africa and walked into a meeting with nelson mandela. president mandela. and in talking with the president i explained that i represented philadelphia. he says, bill gray's seat. and, you know, that will resonate for all of time, that bill gray has such an impact that this man was able to walk out of prison after 27 years and become president in part because of the leadership on this house floor, to do away with constructive engagement and say, no, we needed as a nation to take the right moment and position.

allowing this was a fight. rangel was in it. it was indispensable to helping south africa make that transition. so i want to move from california now to another little small tiny state, excuse me, texas. let me recognize the great gentlelady from texas, and i extend to her two minutes at this time. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: i ask to address the house, revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. jackson lee: let me thank my classmate and certainly owe him a debt of gratitude for the respect that he is allowing us to show on the floor of the honorable nor of the

william h. gray iii. and i too want to offer my sympathy to his wife, andrea, to bill gray who we often saw with him and he would be really at his side and bill and andrea and justin and andrew, i offer to them an enormous concern for the loss of this great, great champion. i too want to lift my voice and say that bill gray wore many hats. on behalf of the faith community in houston, the faith community in texas, i want the great family to know that my pastors recognize and respect bill gray. in fact, when we would see each other, and i did not, as shaka has said, have an -- chaka has is a -- has said have an opportunity to serve with him. but i'd see this pastor and that pastor and it gave me a

sense of friendship but also a sense of connectedness to bill by saying, they like you too or they said hello as well. because bill was so respected. if i might say on this floor that bill gray was a child of god. and although we're going to say so many things about him, i think it is appropriate to say that he loved his church and his ministry and my pastors across texas are praying for his family. i just want to cite a few things that i think are so much a part of his nadarkhani and his legacy -- dna and his legacy. to be able to be -- d.n.a. and his legacy. to be able to be a son of a mother and father who were prema -- premier educators in the life of historically black colleges. to see him carry their leadership and move it to the united negro college fund, which is how i came to know him, having not served with him, in his work, but i knew him earlier, to my good friend from pennsylvania, because he and mickey leyland were deer friends and -- dear friends and

you can be assured that mickey never left washington up here. whenever he would come home, he would share his stories with us who loved -- looked up and thought these stories of grandeur, of leadership, of good fights to make things better and we would hear about bill gray. i remember mickey leading the congressional black caucus and bringing them to houston and bill gray was there and they were talking about what a challenge it was to lead washington but they were glad to come to then -- not really the fourth largest city in the nation, but to come down south and show what the black caucus represented. i wouldn't say that we are grateful for the courage but also the asite toness of his success. 56 years in the united negro college fund, $1.6 billion, one half of that was raised under bill gray. he was serious about his work. and sometimes we don't understand or we don't -- and this is of course for the

congressional record, because my members do, but first are to be respected and it should be known that our colleague, bill gray, was the first african-american to rise to the level of leadership of which he did. we say the words majority leader, we say the words chairman of the budget committee, we say the words chair of the democratic caucus. but he was the first. he will forever be in the anals of history and i think it is absolutely key that that is the case. i want to cite the bills that, as my colleague from california said, i want to call them out. h.r. 1460, the antiapartheid action act of 1985, and the comprehensive anti-apardon tie -- anti-apardon tied -- anti-apartheid act of 1986. we mentioned the whole expanse of members at that time who stood resolved that this nation would not diminish its democratic ideals by engaging

with south africa. and i think courageously he took a stand that we are so proud of. of course respected in washington, appointed by the president as a advisor and received the medal of honor from a haitian president, he took leadership and he took it with a great sense of dignity. let me conclude my comments by indicating that bill gray always had a smile on his face. he never stopped working. there were many times he came to my office not as the former majority leader but for an issue that he may have had, as i know that he went into many members' office, d.c.ly members of the congressional black caucus, it was always uplifting, but bill gray always had a story of encouragement, he always had a smile, he had a deep laugh, he was a good man. and want to leave this floor by saying, good men, good people

die young. but what we will always remember is that bill gray walked in giant steps, not because of his height, but because of his service to america. his love of god, his love of people and his love of his family. he will be forever missed and he will be forever remembered. god bless him, god bless his family, god bless his service. i yield back. mr. fattah: thank you. all of us have expressed their condolences to the gray family. his lovell wife, his three sons -- lovely wife, his three sons. but i want the members to take note that we have with us this evening a number of bill gray's former staff members. who are here and they're in the gallery and i would just ask that we appropriately cknowledge their presence. i'd like to yield two minutes great gentleman from the state of new york, congressman

meeks. mr. meeks: i want to thank the gentleman for organizing the say thank you. first, thank you to god for sending us bill gray. thank you to god for having an individual who understands who he was. are we came from. and how he got here. and never forgetting about those least than he. bill gray knew what his purpose was in life. many individuals go through this thing that we call life and never find out what our purpose is. but all you have to do is to look at the works of bill gray and you know his purpose was to serve people. to serve people who needed a hand up. to serve people who sometimes

were forgotten about. serve people to make sure their tomorrow was better than their yesterday. when i think of bill gray, one of the first things that i was told when i got elected to congress, by an individual who looked up at him, my predecessor, the reverend dr. floyd h. flake, who said that reverend gray inspired him because like reverend gray, reverend frank had a large congregation, and he understood how he could take that skill of being a minister and help the masses. in fact, i can recall a statement made by representative gray when he was appointed -- when he was elected to the chair of the budget committee. they asked him, what do you know about budgets? he said, you have ever been the pastor of a baptist church?

. and he showed that he did understand budgets and money and how to deal with it. and he did it in such a masterful way. he also understood the world and the global world, even the last few conversations i had with him was about the world, was about going out to