others have had conversations with their counterparts. continue conversations through the appropriate diplomatic channels. obviously when it comes to germany, we made it clear we do regardk information with to the president's conversation with the chancellor. >> we will leave the white house briefing to go live to the house. at this briefing continues on our website, www.c- span.org. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in rder. the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. chaplain conroy: let us pray. eternal god, we give you thanks for giving us another day. on this day, we ask your blessing on the men and women, citizens all, whose votes have populated this people's house. each member of this house has been given the sacred duty of representing them. o lord, we pray those with whom

our representatives met during this past week -- weekend in their home districts be blessed with peace and assurance that they have been listened to. we ask your blessing now on the members of this house whose responsibility lies also beyond the local interests of constituents while honoring them. give each member the wisdom to represent both local and national interests, and responsibility calling for the wisdom of solomon. grant them, if you will, a double portion of such wisdom. bless us this day and every day and may all that is done within the people's house be for your greater honor and glory, amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1, the journal stands approved.

the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from maryland, dr. harris. mr. harris: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlelady from north carolina seek recognition? ms. foxx: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. promises matter. time and again president obama said, if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it. no one will be able to take that away from you. my constituent, michael, knows better. his family plan is being canceled. next year he and his expectant wife could see their monthly insurance payments rise from $324 to $895.

michael told me it is now impossible for our family to afford private health insurance. on january 1, as many as 16 million americans will have the coverage they are familiar with yanked out from under them. too many will be caught between a rock and a hard place, struggling to afford pricier plans without the guarantee of subsidies, but with the threat of tax. yesterday we all know better. if you like your insurance, you won't necessarily get it keep it because president obama and 279 congressional democrats chose to pass a flawed law that for many strips the choice away. i yield back, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, the augusta chronicle lead editorial on saturday hit the nail on the head pointing out that the real truths about the obamacare train wreck.

americans remember a, quote, soothing assurance from president obama in 2009 when he was hawking his affordable care act to the masses. if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. now tell that to the hundreds of thousands of americans who already have received letters from health plans essentially telling them you are on your own, end of quote. as the failed rollout of obamacare continues, american families are beginning to see its disastrous impacts, and this is just the beginning. in the coming weeks more reports will reveal their president's signature health care law will increase premium rates, force employers to cut back on workers' hours, destroying jobs, and terminate existing policies for needy families. congress must address this issue. the house has acted. the senate must do the same to protect every american family from an unsustainable disaster. in conclusion, god bless our troops and we'll never forget

september 11 and the global war on terrorism. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. . harris: mr. speaker, the white house website claims, quote, if you like your plan you can keep t and you don't have to change a thing due to the health care law. blue cross blue shield of maryland said that 76,000 customers in maryland will lose their current plans because of obamacare. in new jersey, 800,000, in florida, 300,000, and in california, at least 119,000 will see their policies terminated. it's happening everywhere. dana called my office to tell me she will not be able to keep her blue cross blue shield plan because of obamacare. the new plan she's required to get will increase her premiums by $350 a month. alex from manchester told me his letter from blue cross blue shield said, quote, the a.c.a.

requires you to pick a new plan because your current plan will cease to exist at the time of your renewal. alex's family will have to pay $300 more per month for the new plan. mr. speaker, the president made a promise to the p american people they'll be able to keep their plans. we now know that this is just not true. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. smith: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. the mith: mr. speaker, society of professional journalists has given americans some bad news about the state of the media. their previous code of ethics specifically affirmed that, quote, these reports should be free of opinion or bias and represent all sides of an issue, end quote. this line has been removed. in fact, a revised code makes no mention that news reports

should be free of bias. how can we expect journalists to cover events in a fair and objective way when their own code of ethics no longer discourages biased reporting? maybe that explains the slanted coverage we see so often today when news stories have become editorials. the society of professional journalists should reclaim their ethics and restate their commitment to fair and balanced reporting. the media should provide the american people with the facts not tell them what to think. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. there being no further requests for one-minute speeches, pursuant to house resolution 384, and the order of the house of january 3, 2013, the speaker on october 24, 2013, appointed the following members of the house to the committee to attend the funeral of the late honorable c.w. "bill" young.

the clerk: the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen. the gentleman from ohio, mr. boehner. the members of the florida delegation, ms. corrine brown, mr. hastings, mr. mica, mr. crenshaw, mr. miller, mr. diaz-balart, ms. wasserman schultz, mr. bilirakis, mr. buchanan, ms. castor, mr. posey, mr. rooney, mr. deutch, mr. nugent, mr. ross, mr. southerland, mr. webster, ms. wilson, mr. grayson, mr. desantis, ms. frankel, mr. garcia, mr. murphy, mr. radel, mr. yoho. other members in attendance, mr. cantor, ms. pelosi, mr. hoyer, mr. mccarthy of california, mr. young of alaska, mr. sfwren, mr. rogers of kentucky, mr. wolf, mr. visclosky, mr. bishop of georgia, mr. calvert, mr. mckeon, mr. frelinghuysen, ms. jackson lee of texas, mr. lay

them, mr. price of north carolina, mr. aderholt, ms. granger, mr. sessions, mr. carter, mr. cole, mr. king of iowa, mr. gohmert, mr. roe of tennessee, mr. nunnelee, and r. womack. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 4:00 p.m. toda house when members return at

4:00 p.m. eastern. off the floor lawmakers are holding a number of hearings ing problems with healthcare.gov. you can see the hearing live tomorrow morning at 10:00 eastern on c-span3. wednesday, kathleen sebelius appear before committee about problems on the website. 9:00 a.m. eastern on wednesday. this morning we spoke about several congressional reporters, and this is just over 40 minutes. host: a lot of activity going

on, and to reporters with us -- reporters with us. by a staff writer for the publication "cq roll call." let's start with some of the high points. what are we expecting this week? will: one of the things we see this week that we have not seen enough, two conference meeting, a jointt house-senate conference committee to try to hammer out a heel on how much money will be spent going forward. we will also see a farm bill conference kick off, and as a part of that, another attempt

for negotiators to get a deal done between the two chambers on farm programs and food stamps and how they will work going forward. it is been a long time since we saw the conference process or in both of these conferences. they have been blocked from happening over the last several months. we will see how that goes. that is one of the big items. host: this will be a chance to hash out sides. what are the main issues? guest: the same old stuff. you have republicans who want to make cuts in entitlement, and then regrets want to close tax loopholes and go after the wealthy to bring in more revenue. -- i'm curious to see how it will play out. we never have conference meetings anymore.

people make noise on the house floor and nothing happens. to see things get back to the regular process, because this is how it is supposed to work. fingers crossed or something the 16-dateen after government shutdown. host: you expect anything to happen? guest: the thing that came up last week, the senate majority leader harry reid did a local radio interview with a public radio affiliate in which he said there was not going to be a grand bargain out of this round of talks. we have heard that also in a bunch of interviews with print publications that paul ryan gave last week, that basically both sides are looking at a narrow were agreement to hash out

spending levels to fund the government to the end of september 2014 and not a whole at least in this round. there might be a deal, but it will not be a deal that will do much for us. is the value of lowering the expectations then? guest: they -- now that they are coming together, they can tackle a smaller bargain and fund the government through the end of september. they can actually have an appropriations-type process to fund the government until the end of the fiscal year. remember those days? we have not had those in so long. i would be a success for congress at this point. the grand bargain talks will take far more concessions, for more fighting, and will be much more dragged-out fiery debate. we have had so much fighting in

congress. if they could get a small deal just to fund the government to the end of the fiscal year that would be a win for everybody. host: both guests with us until issueso talk about these -- until eight: 30 to talk about these -- 8:30 to talk about these issues. because of the shutdown, does that over our cheney thing that happens as far as the specific covers committee talks? guest: the mood has changed somewhat. it was so tense around here and so hostile and there was fighting in the government was so close. he almost default it on our deck. there is at least hope -- the president hopes that to at least move past the major shutdown,

but get back to normal. he saw obama after this was over, the first thing he said, ok, congress, let's do a budget, a farm bill, and immigration reform. he drops the mike and leaves. changingee the tone is so much and the expectations in the house are changing, because we just got passed a major showdown in congress, so maybe people are worn down and want to get something done. host: what does it do when it comes to the topic of sequester or sequestration cuts that are supposed to affect next year? guest: that is the key of this whole deal. the house and senate spending numbers they have been working off so far are different in large part because the house, the republicans in the house are working off a number that accounts for the sequester cuts having. the democrats in the senate, not so.

as a result of that, what you have is they are looking for sequester replacement. they are trying to find savings elsewhere in the budget. these savings can either be spending cuts or this sort of closing of tax loopholes, these tax expenditures, and either way you are looking for some way to bridge the gap, it is about a $90 billion gap, so it is not easy. there might be some way to find ground in the middle, and the idea would be not to have the sequester kick in to effect in january. off with's start out rich from organ. go ahead. caller: hi. i am just happy to get in. congress'approval ratings are way down. you are talking about only relatives and close friends have

approval for them or something like that. a couple things i would be satisfied, it seems like it has been covered up, and the fact that congress had that inside trading thing going on. it seemed like that just disappear. being that i am upset with congress, it will mix a want to bring that up again about they got inside information on things. the spying that is going on in these other countries, i think a lot of that is actually them stocks,o find out what how they are moving, for inside trading. host: what would you like our guests to tackle? trading by inside congress. that came up in the news. host: does that come into play here? ,uest: they did pass this law

called the stock act, but there has been a mob of consternation that that did not go necessarily as intended when it was enacted. that is one of many topics that disappeared from the radar, because we have been dealing with these big budget which is -- budget issues. it is something that can make a comeback in an election year. that is something that you look forward to come up next summer as we approach the midterms. host: we are talking about the budget and time. the legislative days left in the session -- less than three weeks, but how does that factor going forward? guest: they have only so many days to be here, and the bar has been raised since they came out of the shutdown. there is a budget conference meeting, a farm bill conference meeting, and immigration reform,

as things that the president wants to see done this year. any one of those moving this year would be huge. as the days pass by, there is less time to get anything done on any of these things. if any one of those things advances, that is a huge win. duca --mes from china from chattanooga. ifler: i would like to know it would lower the egos of some of these people in congress if they could sit down and do a smaller appropriations bill, and that is what i would like to know. host: you want to start? guest: i am not sure it would affect egos. just an appropriations bill or a basic bill they are supposed to pass every year. that would thaw some of the tensions that have been brewing.

if they could accomplish something together, i think you would start to see people maybe trusting each other more and maybe willing to reach out more and that would spread to other issues. guest: the one thing i would caution would be the thought about the appropriations bill. we're likely to see a catch all appropriations bill that funds all of the various departments all in one fell swoop. that itself is not regular order. the caller is talking about what would be perhaps better is if you could get back to a point where you go through the normal process of moving the bills, the labor education bill, the defense bill, move them all individually. there is not enough time when we talk about the calendar.

there is not enough time to move all of the bills individually at this point. host: sarah from dover, pennsylvania. caller: good morning. i would like to change the subject a little bit if i can. i live on medicare. the medicare and food stamps -- i am surviving on $125 a week. if they take food stamps away from me -- the -- [indiscernible] he needs to feeds us first before he feeds anyone else. and also, we have a place to live. our guys come home from the service. they are losing because they

have no place to live. i would like to see that to happen, too. thank you. host: there is a story in politico. the headline talks about the farm bill that it gets no respect, referencing rodney dangerfield. why is this an important discussion happening? guest: the last time we had a farm bill, that law expired in 2008. what is it, 2013? it has been five years since we had a new farm bill passed. the fact they are going into conference to sit down in both chambers, that is huge. that is something. i know chairman lucas. he is beside himself with joy that this is happening.

this is a return to what this is supposed to look like. the caller is right. the bill that house republicans have for the farm bill would gut food stamps by $39 billion. another bill would cut it by $4.5 billion. huge difference. the food stamp issue is the most hotly debated piece of the entire thing. >> both conference committees are set to resolve differences. how does that play out? guest: i do not know. i think that is the biggest question ultimately that will have to be resolved in order for the farm bill to move. you cannot see the senate democrats and perhaps some of the senate republicans agreeing

to cuts in snap, the food stamp program, that are anywhere near akin to what is in the house bill. so the question, here we go again. the question may come down to what happens if something comes out of the conference committee that is much closer to the senate bill -- speaker boehner, what do you do? the question of a bill that gets put on the house floor. host: the house separated the food stamps from the farm bill portion and kept it separate. guest: this was an attempt that was made by the house republicans to divide the farm bill from the nutrition programs, food stamps, because

this has been a marriage that has been going on for a long time. you cannot necessarily get urban lawmakers, people in the house from democratic districts, inner cities, places where there are lots of interest in things like food stamps, school lunch programs, to vote for the farm bill without these programs that support their constituents because there are no vast corn fields in brooklyn. host: niels lesniewski joining us from roll call. jennifer bendery joining us from huffington post. carol is up next. hi. caller: the lady said earlier that when everything was over with, the president said, ok, let's get back to business. let's pass the farm bill and

this bill and that bill. i have been waiting a long time for the president to do something. i cannot see he has done nothing. he denies, denies. he doesn't know anything. it's like a child with his hand in the cookie jar. you want to find out what the child is doing -- "i do not know, i do not know." i am waiting for the president to do something. i just do not have any trust in him. guest: can you hear me? what do you think the president should do right now to get something moving on these things? caller: at least talk. at least tell the people the truth. i do not think he has told the people the truth about anything. nothing.

all he does is deny, deny, deny and put the blame game on everyone else. that does not get the ball rolling. stand up, be in charge. he is in charge. host: carol, thank you. jennifer bendery. guest: there are some people say the president needs to lead. you can apply that to just about any issue. i think the president would say, i am leading and congress has a job to do. members of congress are elected to pass bills. the president's job is to look over the whole thing and make calls to members, have private meetings with members. here we are in late october and there are some big items on the agenda for the next couple of months that the president would

like to see action on. i think it is going to come down to congress. what happens in the budget conference meeting? and on immigration, everybody is weighing in on that one. the president is calling for what he likes. particularly in the next couple of months, these key issues will come down to what members of congress have to work out. host: do you see the president standing back a little bit? guest: on immigration, the president has pulled back. he has been more removed on this issue than most issues. there are some real divides on it. any involvement my make make republicans back

off the deal. i think -- i guess i would ask people what they think he should do. especially with immigration. you have people like marco rubio in the senate hoping to get through a broader bill, and now he is backing off. he was kind of the face on this for many republicans. it is a constantly changing issue and very sensitive. it is probably wise on the president's part to stand back on this. host: what was the reaction when immigration came back to the forefront? guest: i think people knew it had to come back to the forefront at some point in the coming days or weeks. it was not entirely clear it would come up at the moment the president brought it up. the house has yet to pass any

immigration bill of any kind in this process. there has been some conflicting reporting about what the intention of the house is in the weeks ahead regarding immigration. there are some outside groups that do not want the house to pass any immigration bill at all, even like a narrow border security bill, because it might turn into what they would call stalking horse for a big deal that resembled what came out of the senate. that will be a big question, how the vote counting in the house works. that is a recurring theme of this congress. host: what will we see, one bill, a series of smaller bills? guest: it sounds like it would be a series of smaller bills. they are taking a step by step approach.

they would probably do a set of smaller bills. my guess is the senate would construe them all as being one big package, even if there are 10 bills. the senate would say, we are going to bundle those bills together. host: once it gets to committee -- guest: we are back with the farm bill and budget and everything else. we could have the world of conference committees for the next few months. there could be some busy lawmakers. there are some people who will be on all of these conference committees. host: there are still hurdles to be jumped. let's go to barbara from missouri, democrats' line. hi. caller: how do you know that congress has an agenda at all?

they want to accuse the president and accuse, always pointing fingers. no mission to get anything accomplished. how do you know what agenda they might have? is their agenda going to continue to attack the aca? guest: the continuing attacks on the affordable care act are here to stay. the rollout has been abysmal. these glitches that keep popping up are ready fodder for republicans to criticize the law and also for some democrats to have criticisms of the law. i had a story with my senate

colleague about what senator joe manchin has been up to, pushing a one-year delay of the penalties for not being able -- or not getting health insurance through the exchanges. that talk is going to continue and that is going to be up to the technical folks, the contractors. the person who has been brought in to be the overlord has been brought in to get the website to work. to make sure that work so the criticisms largely turn out to be unfounded by the time january rolls around. host: senator shaheen was on the shows yesterday talking about the affordable care act. we will get you guys to react to what she said. [video clip] >> i think our number one goal is to make sure the website is working and to make sure millions of people who want to

enroll in health insurance through the affordable care act can do that. there will be plenty of time to place blame on who was responsible for whether it should have worked on day one. but right now everybody's goal should be let's get this working. let's make sure people can get the health care they want and need. host: secretary sebelius will be talking about these issues. what does she face? guest: sebelius is going to face some tough questioning from republicans. i wait for signs that they may pull out a laptop and ask her to enroll in obamacare to see what kind of errors she runs across. it is a little premature to start calling for delaying things. it is late october.

the administration clearly screwed up. the website is a mess. there are people are enrolling but there are so many problems with it. the federal government has to try to work harder in those states. i think it is a little early to declare a major catastrophe. the administration has until mid to late november to get this fixed on the website. host: that is three or four weeks. guest: they made some real mistakes. the website is a mess. they have time to fix it so when january comes around they can get people actively enrolled. some are calling for sebelius to resign. "it is a disaster." these are the kinds of things republicans are declaring and putting out in all different

forms of messaging. i think it is a little early to declare this a huge disaster. give it a few weeks. the white house is pointing out, everybody can still enroll. we have other options. you can enroll in person or by mail or call in. give it a few weeks. host: apart from the website, what else do you think she will be questioned on? guest: there was a story in the "los angeles times" that talked about how the costs are higher for some people who are trying to get policies through the obamacare than they had previously. we are going to see more of that. some of that is justifiable.

the minimum essential coverage is higher than was in the insurance policy that the person was carrying. but still, if you like what you have, you can keep it talking point is one that keeps coming back to bite the obama administration in a big way. it's turned out not to be literally true, even if actual early it may be true. people do not read actuarial tables. host: here is chuck from florida. hi. caller: good morning. i would like to bring up social security. i see all the politicians are bringing it up. my question is, how do we get social security back into the trust fund? the government has borrowed almost $4 trillion out of social security.

that is 1/4 of the debt. nobody brings this up. social security has been broke since they took it out of the trust fund, put it into the general fund, and mingle it in with the general tax dollars. host: any response? guest: the social security situation we will see coming up is not the one that is related to how the dollars in social security are allocated in the trust fund. if there will be any social security cutbacks, cost-of- living changes that come up in any of these budget talks, i am citing senator reid from last week.

senate democrats say that is not going to happen. that is one of the cards in the deck of options how to deal with the budget woes. host: donald from maryland is up next. hi.i simply want to say the way things are going, the bureaucracy and the back-and- forth is only going to bring us to a point where we are at 100% of the federal tax receipts is going to be going straight to the interest on the debt, and at that point the game is over. i would like to know what is either of your guests' personal opinion about what needs to happen in sequence and more immediately than later in order for a negotiation to come about from the back-and-forth.

guest: i guess i would say that the fact that we are going into a budget conference is a good sign. we've got people in both sides talking about the possibility of passing something that could start to rein in the way we budget and that could address sequestration and get some of these numbers more in line with how people would like to see them. a lot of this is going to be waiting and seeing what happens. this week is a big week. when the budget conference happens, when people walk out of it, it is not we are looking for them to have a deal. even just the way they talk about the meetings will give some signs about, are people ready to fix the budget process and fixing the way we address sequestration? host: back to health care.

when the secretary appears before the committee, what will she be grilled about -- how many people signed up? guest: absolutely. host: will we hear a number? guest: no. i'd do not think the administration wants to get into specifics. people want to hear numbers. it is been a few weeks since the website launched. people want to know how many people are enrolling. at this point, given the glitches and the problems we're seeing with the website, i do not think the administration wants to get in any specifics. they will say people are enrolling with a general idea and they are enrolling in other ways besides the website. there will be a lot of specific type questions that i do not think she will want to get into. host: not having a number?

guest: she may have to give them something either in the actual testimony or it would not surprise me if the committee did not get the answers the republicans were looking for if they came in and tried to hit hhs with a subpoena a week after the hearing. there are different sticks that can be used in this case. the bigger question of how it is working. the other thing is it is never clear how many questions that the person testifying actually gets. so many members of congress have this habit of using up their entire allocated time giving a statement that there is little time for actually answering questions. in some ways that might be better for the administration.

if there are fewer questions to be answered. host: sherry up next from florida. caller: hi. the republicans are so hypocritical. the day this president took office and he was faced with the worst bush economy, the republicans vowed to oppose everything that he did. for two years, they were very busy voting to repeal obamacare 40 times. how many times did republicans vote for the american jobs bill? no. "we cannot leave this debt to our children and grandchildren." host: a question citing jobs as an issue. guest: jobs is always what

everybody says they are doing. it is particularly amusing in the house. they say their number one issue is jobs. there are nicely designed pamphlets and flyers they hold up in press conferences. you could talk about the jobs created by this congress and it is not good. it is not their priority. there is a real disconnect. many polls show the americans want jobs. there has been so much fighting and so much ideological fighting over obamacare. we have had 42, 43 house votes now to repeal it, gut it, defund it. the process to create jobs has taken a side stage for now.

host: the president has asked congress to pass the jobs bill several times. guest: a few weeks ago i was talking to senator lindsey graham, and he sort of unexpectedly to me and some other reporters threw out the possibility of a big budget deal including some infrastructure spending, providing there was some kind of offset to pay for with some sort of entitlement change or a tax code tweak. that surprised me a little bit. one of the things that comes up over and over are these chronic infrastructure problems, and that is one thing that really is by most people's standards of federal responsibility, to of -- have functioning ports and

roads and that is something that could create jobs. maybe they'll be some infrastructure spending. guest: i am surprised senator lindsey graham brought that up. it creates jobs and economists agree one of the first things you can do to create jobs, pass a bill that fixes our broken bridges and roads. that puts construction workers back to work. it is a well-known common, popular topic when it comes to job creation. the fact that lindsey graham mentioned that, that is noteworthy. host: rachel from chicago, illinois. caller: good morning. i was hoping you could lay out

for me the substantive issues in the farm bill and let me know which issued you think the republicans and democrats can agree upon and get something done and which issues might be a bit more difficult. host: i will let both of you weigh in. host: neils, if you want to go first. guest: the food stamp issue will be the largest issue. there is a disagreement, and i do not have all the specifics on the top of my head, but i know there is a big issue that has to be worked out related to how milk prices and benefits for dairy farmers are calculated because speaker john boehner has

been against some changes to the milk program that have been favored by democrats. particularly those that have been pushed by senator patrick leahy of vermont as well as collin peterson, the ranking democrat on the house committee. there are all sorts of thorny issues related to how you change payment rates for various crops. how the new crop insurance program will work. the farm bill is interesting because so much is regionally driven. it matters who your producers are and what their crops are. the cotton people versus the people who produced corn, soybeans versus those who produce specialty crops, which

are not always special. they are things you would buy in a grocery store. there are things that need to be worked out and you do not know how the final deal will look. guest: the thing that stands out to me is the food stamp fight. it is such a huge cut in the house bill. $39 billion. when you compare that to the $5 billion in the senate democrat'' bill. that alone is -- this is a huge bill. that issue really stands out as particularly egregious. i do not know -- there is a lot of things going on in this bill. and piece relates to giving subsidies to farmers -- it is like $5 billion a year in subsidies. they go to farmers who make -- i

wish i knew more specifics. a push to cut the subsidy for farmers who make more than $750,000. i am surprised that we even do this. there are big subsidies every year for farmers who are doing very well and those are tucked in there and protected by the house republicans in the bill while they are trying to gut the food stamp program. that is a shocking comparison. that is where they are putting their priorities. host: we will take one more call. martin from michigan. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. i wanted to ask a couple of questions. the health care bill will fall on its face. i think it is a great idea to

insure everybody. interesting we are getting numbers of people being dropped off their insurance but cannot find how many people are enrolling in this obamacare. i would think the st. jude's foundation has the best model of the country. they take anybody with a pre- existing condition, one hospital facilitates over one million people, which is just incredible. that kind of program would work. i would say obama winning the presidency was an argument that is as ridiculous as to say george bush's election for the second time was a mandate that we wanted more ridiculous wars. host: there is a story from fred upton. he said the committee had a high

profile hearing on thursday with contractors. this week the hearing with the secretary -- host: what does that suggest to you? guest: that portends that the house may be looking at taking something akin to what has been floated by marco rubio or joe manchin in the senate to delay the individual mandate. it would not surprise me to see the house of do that at some point in the weeks ahead, particularly if they move in the weeks before thanksgiving. at that point even the administration does not expect

the website to be working right just yet. guest: i think that is probably fair to say. there have been a faction of people rushing in a delay. i think the fact that the obamacare website is having so many problems, it just fuels this debate that has been out there for so long. "hey, that's right. we should delay this. we have a website that is a mess." they have got more people in the last few weeks who suggested maybe we should do that if things keep going at the rate they are going. host: that is a look at congress this week with our guests, jennifer bendery and niels lesniewski. thank you. set to return at

4:00 eastern, dealing with hills concerning veterans benefits. shouldek lawmakers will -- will take up debt ceiling increase resolutions. see the house fly when members return at 4:00 p.m. eastern. high-l see a number of profile hearings dealing with healthcare.gov. tomorrow, there will be a hearing at 10:00 a.m. by marilyn tavenner. you can see that at 10:00 eastern on c-span3. wednesday, kathleen sebelius will appear before the house energy and commerce committee about the rollout of the insurance exchanges and the problems with the website. live coverage of that, with the hearing getting underway at 9:00

a.m. eastern. coming up tonight, the jack kemp town nation is honoring jeb bush with its annual leadership award. 7:30coverage starts at eastern on c-span3. bess wallacehip of and harry truman began here at her home in independence, missouri. >> when my grandfather visited independence, 26 miles from where he lived in 1910, he often stayed across the street at the nolan house. one afternoon he was over there with his cousins, with the family, and his and brought in a cake plate that i great- cakemother had given her a , and mrs. nolan had claimed the

e and asked if anybody wanted to take it back over. my grandfather ran over here and rang the bell on the front door, in the hope that my grandmother would answer the door, and she did. and she invited him in, and that is the beginning of their formal courtship in 1910. as we continue -- series on first lady ares first ladies, at 9:00 p.m. eastern. >> fortis the most important issue congress should consider in 2014 -- what is the most important issue congress should consider in 2014? for yourcumentary chance to win the grand plies of $5,000. this year we have doubled the number of winners. entries must be in by january

20, 2014. go to studentcam.org. washington, the mortgage bankers association today held its 100 annual convention with a focus on the future of the housing finance market. one of the discussions could andrks by richard cordray the acting director of the federal housing and finance agency, edward demarco. this is about 40 minutes. ♪ thank you. good morning, everyone. welcome to the are second session. it is an honor to be here this morning to begin my executive service during the year of the 100th anniversary of the mba.

our mentorshipat are served by so many professionals. we are the new rules incorporating into our operations were a result of the 2010 dodd-frank act. since we are celebrating the 100th anniversary in washington, the birthplace of the historic real estate finance in america, we thought it would be appropriate to hear from the policy leaders at the forefront of that change. their jobs and responsibilities are challenging, protecting but simultaneously creating an environment of economic growth and stability within the marketplace. we applaud them for the inclusiveness he had shown our industry during the rulemaking process. our speakers understand the importance of coordination and

input from policy leaders, consumer advocates, and industry professionals. it gives me great pleasure to introduce our first honored guest. on august 20 5, 2 thousand nine, president obama designated edward demarco the director of the federal housing agency. previously, he served as the officer sinceputy careereption in 2008. a civil servant, he joined the office of federal housing enterprise oversight and into thousand six as the chief operating officer and deputy director. years, mbapast four

and its members have enjoyed an open and collaborative relationship with fhsa. we hope this collaboration continues into the future. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the acting director, ed dimarco -- demarco. [applause] >> ♪ >> good morning, everyone. thank you for inviting me to speak this morning. byould like to start congratulating the mortgage bankers association on the 100th annual convention. it has quite a history. it went from a more limited housing access system to one that provided more access to credit while recovering from the nationwide trauma to housing. the good news is the

recovery is taking hold. the process of rebuilding it to a more resilient market is going forward. yet challenges are all around us. implementing an array of new rules, many developed in response to the recent market and regulatory failures, creates uncertainty as to cost and impact. we have an opportunity to rebuild the secondary mortgage the political and policy challenges of that legislation are numerous. inr the past five years which fannie mae and freddie mac were the enterprises in conservatorships much has been accomplished. the secondary mortgage market has continued to function. the financial positions have stabilized. we have made significant progress resolving conservatorship of the businesses. the enterprises have provided an important role in providing

options to borrowers. 's strategic plans, we have begun the process of building for a future housing finance system even with those accomplishments, much remains to be done. the single-family mortgage market remains heavily supported by tax lenders. the timing a broader housing finance reform remains uncertain. in 2008 when the conservatorships were established, the initial stage was to stabilize operations to ensure the secondary mortgage market continue to function. as market stabilized, the second phase focused on developing tools to assist troubled homeowners while reducing credit losses. the next phase is determining our responsibility to direct the conservatorships going forward.

the law establishes the appointment of the conservator or receiver for the enterprises for the purpose of reorganizing, rehabilitating, or winding up the affairs of a regulated entity. we're doing all three of these things. are rehabilitating, reorganizing, and winding up the affairs of fannie mae and freddie mac. this is the path we set forth last year with the strategic plan for conservatorship. we set for three strategic goals and that plan. the first is to build a new infrastructure for the secondary mortgage market. the second is to gradually contract their dominant presence in the marketplace while simplifying and shrinking their operations. the third goal is to maintain foreclosure prevention activities and credit availability for new and refinanced mortgages. we identified specific

activities to achieve these with the scorecard in 2012 and 2013. much progress has been achieved. as time moves on, the scale of the operations cannot remain static. as of the end of last year, the amount of taxpayer capital support for the outstanding debt and mortgage-backed securities became fixed limiting risk exposure is vital to maintaining the adequacy of the remaining capital support. that fannie mae and freddie mac will cease to operate in their current or print form at some future date, a date to be set by congress. strategic plan is designed to prepare the companies and market for that marketile maintaining stability and liquidity from now until then. the strategic plan aims to move forward with a transition to a

post--conservatorship market making the final transition from the conservatorships as simple and quick as possible. to more clearly define this willct, -- process, fhfa define targets to further achieve these three strategic goals of building for the future, contracting the footprint, and maintaining market stability and liquidity. in the next phase of conservatorship, we intend to build upon the accomplishments of the past two years while accelerating progress towards achieving each of the street -- three strategic goals. i have provided some thoughts on each line last week. today i would like to focus on the guarantee business. with an uncertain future and a general desire for private capital to reenter the market, the overarching goal is the enterprise's market presence

should be reduced gradually over time. we have three main tools to accomplish this objective. transactionsaring for reducing the taxpayer's long-term risk exposure. in 2013, we set a target for each enterprise to achieve $30 billion in risk sharing transactions using multiple structures. both companies are on track to meet this target. the transactions completed to date have been well received in the market. we are planning for the scope and depth of risk sharing transactions that continue to expand. these transactions and structures are positive. they do rely on the underlying infrastructure fannie and freddie. i expect to see work done on other types of transactions such as senior subordinated structures with certain portions of the mortgage guarantees. these alternative approaches will contribute to our efforts

to build for the future by helping to develop the securitization infrastructure that will be less reliant on the enterprises' traditional model. second, guarantee fees are double what they were prior to conservatorship. the reason for the increased fees is to bring the pricing for credit risk closer to what would be required to private sector participants. that level is difficult to evaluate precision. i believe we're getting closer to a level that would encourage more private sector purchase a patient. pursue more fee increases in the near future one of the most direct ways to increase private sector participation and reduce taxpayer exposure is through a reduction in the maximum size of loans the enterprises guarantee. this summer, the president specifically endorsed gradual inductions in maximum loan size. since then, there has been much

discussion about reduction of loan risk. last week, i made clear i understood the potential timing issues associated with such a change given the other regulatory changes scheduled to take lace in the markets market -- mortgage market. will follow the practice of announcing the 2014 limits in late november. at which time, further information will be provided on potential reductions in the size of loans the enterprises will guarantee going forward. to provide further clarity, fhfa will give market participants at least six months notice of any change. any reduction would be across the board, not just in some parts of the country. consistent with our practice of increasing guarantee fees, any change would be measured and rational -- gradual so as not to disrupt the markets. these steps are important and necessary to conduct -- carry

out our conservatorship response abilities. we are also working towards supporting the single-family mortgage market. fhfa is looking to reposition the activities in ways to support the various housing reform options pending in congress. one of these efforts is the common securitization platform with a focus on functions that are routinely repeated across the secondary mortgage market such as issuing securities, providing disclosures, paying investors, and disseminating data. these are all functions for standardization with a fair and if it to market participants. we recently announced the formation of an equally owned subsidiary. this new entity will have its own independent location and leadership. it will manage the development of the platform and associated data and legal infrastructure

for future securitization. a key objective will be to formalize a means for mba members and other market participants to participate in the development process of the common securitization platform. i am committed to ensuring broad industry input into this effort. i am also committed to an outcome that strengthens the ability of small and midsize lenders to access the secondary mortgage markets. fhfa wants to see a competitive marketplace. competition and in summer opportunities is enhanced -- consumer opportunities is enhanced when small and large lenders compete in offering orbiters to families and compete in servicing those mortgages. to get there, we must be willing to envision the mortgage market working differently than it has in the past. another example of where change is needed is in the loan originator space in selling

mortgages. the business practices of the past must be improved in this area. as purchasers and guarantors of mortgages, it has long served as the key risk control mechanism to ensure the loans meet the requirements set forth in the seller guides. it attracted less attention when times were good. the tremendous breakdown in loan origination quality during the boom of the last decade led to unprecedented delinquencies which has led to unprecedented loan reviews. believes inor, fhfa the enforcement of long-standing requirements as a necessary albeit painful process to and assignpayers losses where contractual obligation exists. this experience demonstrated the need for improved quality control, including better use of

technology to enhance the quality control on loan origination. we have been working to that end. earlier this year, i committed the enterprises would take two significant steps regarding this. all claims to be made on pre-servitor ship loans need to be made by the end of this year. it is time for us to wrap up the issues dealing with that time and move on. fannie and freddie are on track with regard to completing this. i am pleased with the cooperation of counterparties to resolve this challenging -- these challenging business matters in a professional way. i look forward to a speedy resolution of remaining claims in the coming months. second, since the start of this year for all new production, the model has been changed to rely upon the quality control review process taking place near the time of purchase rather than waiting until much later, such

as when a mortgage becomes delinquent. the. for which it remains active except for limited issues such as fraud is now limited to three years. in the future, we will continue to refine and improve upon this new framework. important strides have been implemented this year, but there is still a learning process going on. further developments and improvements should emerge over time. i anticipate, improved data systems and technological development to contribute to faster and more reliable loan reviews that lead to further relief in the future. this will take time. i hope the constructive dialogue between you as mortgage originators and fannie mae, freddie mac, and fhfa will lead to further enhancements that result in both improved mortgage origination systems and greater confidence that loans sold into

the secondary market will not come back some day due to origination defects. another area of progress is resolving securities losses on private mortgage backed securities. they also need to be resolved. fhfa has now settled four of the outstanding lawsuits in this area. we hope to build upon these cases to resolve the pending ones. expeditious resolution of these remaining claims will allow the conservatorships and companies involved to put the past problems behind him and devote their energies and resources to improving the housing finance system for the future. as policymakers think about the future, i would note our current housing system has its roots in the great depression. we should look at this as an opportunity to build a new housing finance system, not for

the next few years, but restructuring that could last for decades. this effort should not be about considering just what fannie mae and freddie mac do, but to consider the entire market, including the fha and other government programs that support housing funding. ing-term continued operation conservatorship is not sustainable because each company lacks capital and is operating on a remaining finite land -- line of capital from taxpayers. the taxpayer backed conservatorship provides a significant subsidy to the mortgage market that crowds out private capital and under prices risk in the market. it also places long-term decision-making in the hands of a government agency, decisions that should be made by private sector businesses based on reasonable returns on private capital. at some point, lawmakers will need to decide on the appropriateness and level of the

government subsidy for housing. such a decision should include whether a government owned corporations should undertake some or all of the activities of fannie and freddie or whether some or all options should be repositioned in the private sector. wille meantime, fhfa continue to carry out its mandate as conservator, accelerating efforts to ease the transition to a post- conservatorship market alternately defined by lawmakers. the employees of fannie mae and freddie mac will continue to ensure the company's bring stability and liquidity to the market while they contribute to the building of the post- conservatorship market. thank you and best of luck with the rest of the conference. [applause] ed.hank you,

we appreciate your time today. our next guest is the director of consumer financial protection bureau, richard cordray. he was appointed by president obama in january of 2012 and confirmed by the senate on july 16, 2013. he previously led the bureau's enforcement division. prior to joining the bureau, he served on the front lines of consumer protection as ohio's attorney general. he recovered more than $2 billion for ohio's retirees, investors, and business owners and took major steps to help tech consumers from fraudulent foreclosures and financial predators. the director also served as the ohio treasurer and franklin county treasurer, it elected positions in which he led state and county banking activities. earlier in his career, he was an adjunct professor at the ohio

state college of law. he served as a state representative. he was the first socialist or general in ohio history. argued seven cases before the supreme court including special appointment of justice s.partment' cordray.lcome director [applause] >> ♪ i am not "earth, wind, and but thank you for

asking me to come speak to the convention. those here represent the biggest consumer financial market in our nation and in the history of the world with the mortgage market topping $10 trillion in value. you know how closely tied the mortgage market is to our overall. economic stability and well- being. just over five years ago, we saw this to clearly as disruptions in the housing market precipitated the financial crisis that caused so much damage to the people of this country. the current recovery is occurring in large part because the housing market is showing increasingly strong signs of recovery. the credit crunch, financial collapse, and deep recession will likely stand as the most significant financial events of our generation. they cost americans trillions of dollars in household wealth. many lost their jobs and homes. almost everyone saw their retirement savings shrivel.

you had the graphic view from the frontlines as history unfolded with the boom and bust in the housing market. severe dysfunctions in the loans suborning mortgage-backed securities sent shocks reverberating throughout the financial system. the kremlin of the housing market destroy jobs across every sect and in communities throughout the country. the dimensions of the failure were astounding. the american dream of homeownership was shaken to its foundation. people lost hope and confidence in the future. the housing collapse crippled our economy in ways not seen in generations. in the aftermath, congress passed to the consumer detection broad range of a topics to address the problems that led to the crisis and ensure they would not happen again. among the steps taken was the creation of the new consumer financial protection bureau. part of our mission is to ensure

the recent meltdown does not repeat itself. the developments that led to the crisis were inconsistent with the fair, transparent, and competitive markets we are directed to promote. the aftermath of the crisis severely compromised consumers' access to credit which we are also directed to promote. congress gave us a number of tools to assure evenhanded oversight of consumer financial markets and to prevent that practices from taking root. when honest and innovative businesses can succeed on the merits, it drives growth and progress. appropriate oversight and evenhanded enforcement empower consumers to make sound financial decisions they can live with over the long term. we kept all of this in mind as we worked to develop and complete the mortgage rules we issued last january. as i'm sure you are aware, two of the rules will be extremely

important in addressing some of the most serious problems that undermined the market. the ability to repay or so- called qualified mortgage rule is to make sure the simple proposition that consumers are getting mortgages i can actually afford to pay back. our servicing rules contain provisions designed to ensure a fairer and more effective process for troubled borrowers who face the loss of their homes. committedeau, we are to open, inclusive, transparent decision-making. before we finalized our rules, we conduct research and solicit input from all stakeholders. thosest decisions will be that are best informed. there is no question our process, including the many meetings we took and brought input we received, led to better it outcomes on the mortgage rules. we heard overwhelmingly the

mortgage market in 2012 was vastly different from the market and required more focus on access to credit than in more normal circumstances. the constrained mortgage lending prevalent today was critical to our thinking about how to contour our rules, especially the ability to repay. by paying close attention to this input and obtaining and to moreg data, we came balanced conclusions about how to define a so-called qualified mortgage and tailor the legal consequences. ourfurther illustration of approach is the treatment of smaller creditors under the rule. through discussions with community banks and credit unions, and analysis and performance data for loans originated during the boom years, we came to recognize most of the traditional lending practices should not be put in question by the ability to repay especially where smaller

institutions make loans they keep in their own portfolios. they have every incentive to pay close attention to the parlor's --borrower's ability to repay the loans. their standards did not deteriorate before the financial crisis. they often lost market share to those engaged in irresponsible practices. the rules contain provisions that it would -- avoid a one- to meets-all approach the circumstances of smaller mortgage lenders. qualified mortgages cover the vast majority of loans made in today's market. but they are by no means all of the mortgage market. this is important and should not be misunderstood. there are plenty of good loans made every year. for example, loans made to a borrower with considerable other assets or whose individual circumstances and repayment ability are carefully assessed but do not meet the 43% debt to

income ratio or are not eligible 's but arese by gse based on solid standards and routinely perform well over time. lenders that have upheld standards have little to fear from the ability to repay rule. the strong performance demonstrates the care they have taken in underwriting to ensure borrowers have the ability to repay. nothing about that traditional model has changed. they should continue to offer the same kinds of mortgages to borrowers they evaluate as posing reasonable risk, whether or not they meet the criteria to be classified as qualified mortgages. another steptook to address concerns about their lending risk associated with offering only qualified mortgages. with other banking agencies, we explained our joint viewpoint that we do not anticipate a creditor's decision to only offer qualified mortgages would elevate an institution's fair

lending risk. is whetherue raised the law and our rule will deliver the assured and predictable legal protections. we strongly believe they will do so. there are two key points. the size of the space and effectiveness of the legal safeguard her. -- safe harbor. bikes pending -- by expanding the definition to loans eligible in purchase by the gse's conservatorship were eligible for guarantees from the fha, the qm space has been drawn broadly. the small creditor provision expands the rules even more. while no data is available to model the precise impact of the that ishold mandated, more than three times the

average lender origination fees bankrate.com in its most recent survey. based on other elements of the definition, we estimate more than 95% of the mortgage loans being made in the current market will be gm's. some have put out lower figures. by their own admission, those figures were not intended to take account of the expanded definition that will take effect in january. they were offered as projections of a more distant future when the temporary extension expires in some years. logic acknowledges as long as the temporary expansion remains in effect, which may be for several years, the impact of the regulations "will be minor." our rule does apply the legal

safeguard her to all prime qm loans which affords protection fornst legal challenges loans that satisfy the criteria. we left little room for legal challenges for whether a given mortgage is qm. sharprough -- we drew mortgage. qualified a large number of industry commenters asked for these bright lines. we agreed that approach made sense. if those lines were not drawn as sharply as they happen, much would have remained to be fought out in the courts for years before the definitions were made clear. we crafted the rule purposely to avoid that result, which is why critics are now forced to dream up hypothetical disputes about

whether debt and income were correctly calculated in their efforts to criticize the rule. the main provisions of the mortgage rules will take effect in january. we have a team developed the -- devoted to the implementation process. we are dedicated to assistance with institutions. we view this as a joint enterprise and want to achieve better results. we believe the bureau's responsibility for the rules we promulgate does not end with finalizing a set of regulations. it is not good enough for us to take the view that when the new rules are published our work is done and we can say to financial institutions that it is your problem now. if the whole point of regulations is to protect consumers and promote fair, transparent, and competitive markets, we should and do care about how the rules are understood and implemented, how

issues can be addressed, and the amount of effort required. we have shown we care deeply about these things. our regulatory implementation project goes further than responding to industry inquiries as we are doing every day. we have taken more affirmative steps to help the industry understand our rules. we published plain language compliance guides we will update as necessary. we launched a series of videos explaining our rules. we work closely with other financial regulators to develop examination guidelines that reflect a common understanding of what the rules do and do not require, which were published well in advance of the effective date and are available for your perusal. our goal has been to provide as much advance notice about what you should expect from the regulators as they engage in oversight on the mortgage rules. this work reflects" operation between the consumer bureau and

regulators and our mutual desire to conduct dissemination spread to conduct the process. we produced a joint agency statement addressing their lending concerns as i mentioned earlier. we are consulting with consumer groups on how to best educate consumers about how the new rules will affect them. as we become aware of issues with the rules, we have addressed them. to respondommitment to questions that significantly affect implementation decisions in writing. amendments over the course of the year with the single aim in mind, to ensure the effectiveness of our rules by making it easier for industry to comply. by addressing questions, we reduced the needs for individual

institutions to spend time reaching their own uncertain judgments on these matters. even though these beneficial amendments have responded to your requests to remove obstacles to implementation, they have required you to make further adjustments. we do not believe the implementation project should slow the readiness process of any lender. congress established a specific deadline for the effective date of the rules it directed us to write. we set the effective date to reflect that deadline. the ability to repay rule has been broadly expected since the passage of the dodd frank act in 2010 and requires little more than the sound underwriting practices that have become standard since the crisis. the general contours of the adjuste servicing rules the problems identified for more than five years. most were addressed in the standards adopted in 2011.

we believe it is critical to move forward so these rules can deliver the new protections intended for consumers and the certainty the industry has been seeking. that will encourage consumers to take heart in a mortgage market with improved confidence about how the market will function as responsible lenders will be enabled to conduct their businesses profitably. we understand this poses a challenge for industry, just as the writing for a set of substantial rules by last january posed a significant challenge for our new agency. had we failed to do so, many key provisions congress enacted in title 14 would have taken effect in their own right, which everyone recognizes would have been much harder on industry and much worse for the mortgage market. we are all in this together. we appreciate the urgency and resources the mortgage industry is bringing to bear in preparation for the approaching effective date. our oversight of the new

mortgage rules will be sensitive to the progress made by those lenders and servicers who have been squarely focused on making good faith efforts to come into substantial complaints on time. it is a point we've also been discussing with fellow regulators. our rulemaking process is designed to produce rules that deliver tangible value to consumers and make the financial markets work better. as we have shown over the past year, we recognize without effective implementation this cannot happen. that is why we share the industry focus with putting these rules and play successfully and why we work alongside you to help get it done. can be understood consistently and applied effectively, that will produce better outcomes for consumers, honest businesses, and the economy as a whole. at the consumer bureau, we envision a marketplace where reasonable oversight promotes welfare enhancing innovations,

where consumer protections and business opportunities complement one another, and where financial institutions lead by modeling responsible practices that benefit consumers and provide excellent customer service. we believe such a marketplace will be beneficial to all those involved and will lead to long- term sustainable financial conditions that strengthen the future of this country. thank you. [applause] atthe house is set to return 4:00 eastern for work on several bills dealing with veterans benefits with those after 6:30 eastern. tonight, the jack kemp foundation is honoring florida -- former governor bush. that is live at 7:30 eastern on c-span3.

president obama spoke today -- the courtship of bess wallace and harry truman began here at her home in missouri. >> he visited 26 miles from where he lived at the time. he often stayed across the street at the nolan house, which is where his aunt and cousins lived. one afternoon, he was over there with the family. his aunt brought in a cake plate givenat-grandmother had her with the cake. she had cleaned up late and was asking if anybody would take it back over. withandfather moved something described as the speed of light could he grabbed the pan and ran over here and ring the bell on the front door in the hope that my grandmother

would answer the door, and she did. she invited him in. that was the beginning of their formal worship. courtship. >> tonight at 9:00 eastern. welcome to the montana state capital. this building was built in 1899. it was completed in 1902. montana became a state in 1899. it took about 10 years before construction could begin. we added two wings on either side of the building in 1912. the building underwent a huge restoration project to replicate its grandeur from the 1902 period. what you see today is what it would have looked like 100 years ago.

among the discoveries of gold in the west, last chance gulch was one of the major discoveries with $19 million taken out. it is obvious this was a town where there was a lot of money. they say there were more millionaires per capita in helena than any other place in the 1890's, but that has never been proven. it is a legend. but it is a place where you can see the well that was poured into the community in the 1880's and 1890s's. it earned it the name the queen of the rockies because of it. purple mountains majestic ♪ >> spend the weekend exploring lookings state capital

at the life and history of helena. president obama spoke today at a for the head of the fbi who took over in september. he previously served as deputy attorney general in the bush administration. he replaced robert mueller. this was held at fbi headquarters. this is 20 minutes. >> good afternoon, everybody. and so proud to be here stand with so many dedicated men and women of the fbi. you are the best of the best. day in and out, you work tirelessly to confront the most dangerous threats our nation faces. you served with courage.

you served with integrity. you protect americans at home and abroad. .ou lock up criminals you secure the homeland against the threat of terrorism. without a lot of fanfare or seeking the spotlight, you do your jobs. all the while, upholding our most cherished values and the rule of law. bravery, integrity. that is your motto. today, we're here to welcome a remarkable new leader for this one whole institution, lives those principles out every single day. jim, i want to thank all of the predecessors here today.

we're grateful for your service. i have to give a special shout who servedmueller longer than he was supposed to. but he was such a next ordinary leader through some of the most difficult times we have had in national security. i consider him a friend. i am so grateful for him being here today. thank you very much. [applause] jim has dedicated his life to defending our laws, to making sure all americans can trust our justice system to protect their rights and well-being. of thehe grandson prosecutor who helped ring down

the gambino's. he is the relentless attorney who helped to stem the bloody tired of gun violence, wipeout white-collar time, deliver justice to terrorists. impossible tout find a matter of justice he has not tackled. it is hard to imagine someone who is not more uniquely qualified to lead a bureau that covers all of it peered traditional threats like violent and organized crime to constantly changing threats like terrorism and cyber security. he has the resume. jim is also a famously cool character. the calmest in the room during a crisis. here is what a fellow former prosecutor said about him. he said you know the rigid kipling line, you can keep your

head when all about your losing theirs -- that is jim. there is a story during the time of his prosecution of the gambino i'm family -- crime family. during the trial, he won an award by the new york association. a note was passed across the aisle to the prosecutor's table. d, was handed to jim and rea congratulations, no one dese rves it more. you are a true professional. sincerely, lorenzo. we do not know how sincere he was. we do not know whether this was a veiled threat or a plea for leniency or an honest compliment. but i think it is fair to say jim has won the respect of folks

across the spectrum come including renzo -- lorenzo --, including lorenzo. the most effective weapon against crime is cooperation. he has worked with many of the more than 35,000 members of the fbi during his career. it is his admiration and respect for all of you individually, his recognition of the hard work that you do every day, sometimes under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, not just the folks in the field but also those working in the back rooms doing the hard work out of sight. his recognition that your whaton is important is compelled him to answer the call to serve his country again.

joins forces with our intelligence, military, and homeland security professionals to break up all manner of threats from taking down drug rings to stopping those who prey on children to breaking up al qaeda cells and forging their twharting their plots. your mission is changing because the threats are changing. i will keep fighting for resources produced by sequestration because our country asks and expects a lot from you. we should make sure you have the resources you need to do the job, especially when many of your colleagues put their lives on the line on a daily basis to serve and protect our fellow citizens. the least we can do is make sure you have the resources for it and your operations are not disrupted the cause of politics in this country -- because of politics in this country. [applause]

things likes is urge, leadership, judgment, and resources areose potentially inexhaustible. that is why it is critical we seek out the best people to serve. folks who have earned the public trust, who have excellent judgment in even the most difficult circumstances. those who possess not just a keen knowledge of the law, but that theyal compass and we can always count on. that is who we have got in jim c omey. i interviewed a number of extra were they candidates for this job, all with sterling credentials. what gave me confidence that this was the right man for the job was not his degrees or resume. it was in talking to him and

, aing his amazing family sense that this is somebody who knows what is right and wrong. and is willing to act on that basis every day. that is why i am so grateful he signed up to serve again. you another joke about how today no one stands taller. i simply want to thank jim for accepting this role. e, the to thank patric five remarkable children they have got, because jobs like this are a team effort. thank most of all the men and women of the fbi. i am proud of your work. i am grateful for your service. i am confident this agency will continue to flourish with jim at the home -- helm. if he gets lost in the building, i want you guys to help them out

because i guarantee he will have your back. make sure you have got his back as well. thank you, everybody. god bless you. [applause] gentlemen, itand is my honor to introduce the seventh director of the federal bureau of investigation, james b. comey. [applause]

>> thank you. , mr. president, for gracing us with your presence, for honoring us, and speaking so eloquently about the mission of the fbi in its great people. thank you to my friends and family gathered here today. my entire life is literally represented in this crowd. it is a pretty picture. these are the people i have known and loved literally my entire life and from whom i have learned so much. i'm especially grateful my dad and sister and brothers could be here today. mom could be here to enjoy this amazing day. ging in myl hear rinin tired teenage ears her voice as she snapped open the shades rise morning and said, "

and shine and show the world what you are made of." i found it less inspiring at the time. [laughter] but it made us who we are. i will never forget that. amazingve children and bride who talked me into being interviewed for this job, of course with the caveat that she would be ok because the president would never pick me. [laughter] i have to say this is your last chance to talk to him about it. [laughter] so gratefult, i am for this honor and opportunity to serve with the men and women of the fbi. they are standing all around this great courtyard and standing up on duty all around this country and world at this moment. i know already this is the best job i have ever had and will ever have. that is because i have a front row seat to watch the work of a remarkable group of people who serve this country, folks from

all walks of life who join the fbi for the same reason. they were teachers, soldiers, police officers, scholars, software engineers, people from all walks of life who wanted to do good for a living. they wanted jobs with moral content, so they joined this great organization. i thought about them as i stood in this courtyard a week ago and showed a visiting foreign leader the statute that overlooks the ceremony. it is an artist's depiction of the words from our shield of the president mentioned. the deli, bravery, and integrity. as i thought about that statue and those words, i thought i would take a few minutes to tell you about those words and why they along on the shield. the dictionary defines fidelity is a strict and continuing faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty. to my mind that word reminds us the fbi must abide two

obligations at the same time. first, the fbi must be independent of all political forces or interests in this country. in a real sense, it must stand apart from other institutions in american life. itond, at the same time, must be part of the united states department of justice and constrained by the rule of law and checks and balances built into our brilliant design by our nation's founders. there is a tension reflected in those two aspects of fidelity, those two dahlias i see in that word. i think that tension is reflected in the term i have begun. the term is 10 years to determine independence, but his days -- but it is a fixed term to ensure power does not become concentrated in one person and unconstrained.

the need for reflection and constraint of power is what led all neweeh to order agent classes visit the holocaust museum in washington so they could see, feel, and hear in a palpable way the consequences of an abuse of power on a massive, almost unimaginable scale. bob mueller continued that practice. i will again when we have agents graduating from quantico. the balance reflected in my term is also a product of lessons hard learned from the history of this great institution. our first half-century or so was a time of great progress and achievement for our country and the bureau. it also sought abuse and overreach, most famously with respect to martin luther king and others who were viewed as security threats. as i think about the unique fidelityepresented by on one hand and the rule of law

on the other, i think it also toers me the opportunity recommend all agents visit the martin luther king museum in washington. i think it will serve as a different lesson, one more personal to the bureau, of the dangers of becoming untethered to oversight and accountability. that word "fidelity" belongs on our shield. next, bravery. we have perpetrated a myth that being brave means not being afraid. that is wrong. mark twain said bravery is resistance to and mastery of fear, not the absence of fear. if you have ever talked to a special agent that you know well and ask about a dangerous encounter they were involved in, they will almost always give you the same answer. i did it, but i was scared the whole time. but that is the essence of bravery.

only a crazy person would not fear approaching a car with tinted windows during a late- night stop or pounding up a flight of stairs to execute a search warrant or roping from a helicopter into hostile fire. people,nts, like real feel the fear in the pit of their stomachs. the difference between them and most folks is they do it anyway, and they volunteer to do it for a living. what makes the bravery of the men and women of the fbi so special is they know exactly what they are in for. they spent weeks in an academy learning how hard and dangerous the work is. then they raise their right hands and take an oath and do the work anyway. they have seen the wall of honor that i hope my guests will get to see in the building with s to the livesink of those who gave the last full

measure of devotion to this country as fbi employees. general sherman said i would define true courage to be a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger and the mental willingness to endure it. i called a special agent a few weeks ago after he had been shot during an arrest. i knew before i called him he had already been injured severely twice in his career. once in a terrorist bombing and once in a helicopter crash. ien i got him on the phone, got the strong since he could not wait to get me off the phone. he was embarrassed by my call. mr. director, it was a through and through wound, no big deal. he was more worried about his bureau car he had left at the scene of the shooting. he felt ok because his wife who was also a special agent would go get the car, so everything was fine. thisen and women of

organization understand perfectly the danger they are in everyday and choose to endure it because they believe in this mission. that is why bravery belongs on our shield. finally, integrity. integrity is derived from the latin word meaning whole. a person of integrity is complete, undivided. sincerity, decency, trustworthy are synonyms of integrity. it is on our shield because it is the quality that makes possible all the good that we do, because everything we do requires we be believed. whether that is promising a source we will protect her, telling a jury what we saw or heard, or telling a congressional oversight committee or the american people what we're doing with our power and authorities. we must be believed. without integrity, all is lost. we cannot do the good that all of these amazing people signed up to do. the fbi's reputation for

integrity is a gift given to every new employee by those who went before. but it is a gift that must be protected and earned every day. we protect that gift by making bytakes and admitting them, making promises and keeping nothing, by realizing no case, source, or fear of embarrassment, is worth jeopardizing the gift of integrity. integrity must be on the fbi shield. those three words, fidelity, bravery, and integrity, capture the essence of the fbi and its people. they also explain why i am here. i wanted to be here to work tongside those people, represent them and help them accomplish their mission, and to just be there colleague.

it is an honor and a challenge beyond description. i will do my best to be worthy of it. installation ceremony from earlier today. live from the u.s. house as members began voting on veterans benefits. later, we can see some boats on changes to the dodd frank law. increase.bt limit very quickly, as the week progresses, we will see a number of high-profile hearings dealing with problems with health care.gov. tomorrow, the administrator for the centers for medicare and medicaid will testify. this follows website contractors last week to accuse the agency of waiting too long to improve integrated testing of the site. you can see that hearing starting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.

wednesday, health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius will talk about the rollout of the insurance exchanges and the some of the problems with the website. live coverage will begin at 9 a.m. eastern wednesday on c-span 3. jackquickly tonight, the kemp foundation will be honoring former florida governor jeb bush with its annual leadership award. the ceremony will include remarks i john boehner and south carolina senator tim scott. on c-spanve at 7:30 3. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. 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 alabama sook recognition? -- seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3304. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3304, a bill to authorize and request the president to award the medal of honor to bennie g. adkins and donald p. sloat of the united states army for acts of valor during the vietnam conflict and to authorize the award of the medal of honor to certain other eterans. e speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from alabama, mr. rogers, and the gentlewoman from guam, ms. bordallo, each will control 20s minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from alabama. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material to the bill, which i will have during this presentation, the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. the gentleman is recognized. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. rogers: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in strong support of h.r. 3304. this bill would waive the time limit for the president to consider awarding the medal of honor to a handful of american heroes. the battlefield actions of these brave americans have undergone a thorough review by the department of defense and have been determined to merit consideration for our nation's highest honor. among those heroes that would be considered under this bill are mr. bennie adkins of mr.

alabama. in 1966, while serving in valm, then sergeant first class bennie adkins was assigned to special forces attachment at special forces camp ashaw in the republic of vietnam. from march 9 to march 12 of that year, he discleared h played extraordinary bravery during a well-coordinated attack from a determined, vicious and highly lethal viet cong force. though recommended at the time by his chain of command for the medal of honor, he received instead the distinguished service cross for his actions. his citation read, quote, when the camp was attacked by a large viet cong force, sergeant first class adkins rushed through intense hostile fire and manned a mortar position. although he was wounded, he ran through exploding mortar rounds and dragged several of his comrades to safety. when the hostile fire subsided,

sergeant first class adkins exposed himself to sporadic sniper fire and dragged his wounded comrades. seriously wounded first class adkins maneuvered outside the camp wall to draw fire and covered the rescue. during the early morning hours march 10, 1966, a viet cong regiment launched their attack. he was the only man firing a mortar weapon. although he was painfully wounded and most of his crew was killed or wounded, he fought off a fanatical waves of attacking viet cong. after withdrawing to a communications bunker where several americans were attempting to fight off a company of viet cong, sergeant first class adkins killed numerous insurgents with his fire. running extremely low on ammunition, he returned to the mortar pit, gathered the vital ammunition and ran through intense fire back to the

communications bunker. after being ordered to evacuate the camp, all classified documents were destroyed. sergeant first class adkins and his small group of men fought their way out of the camp and attacked the viet cong for two days after being rescued by a helicopter. his extraordinary heroism against superior hostile force was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the united states army, closed quote. mr. adkins continued his stellar military career until he retired in 1977 at the rank of sergeant major. mr. adkins also served a term as the national commander of the legion of valor. following the thorough review of mr. adkins' actions in the battle by the department of defense, secretary of defense hagel recently wrote to congress that mr. adkins' actions merited the medal of honor and congress should waive

the time requirement -- if congress waived the time requirement, he would recommend to president obama that he should give the medal to mr. adkins. mr. speaker, i'm going to offer the letter from secretary hagel . the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. rogers: this bill would allow mr. donald sloat to be considered for the medal of honor. in 1970 while serving in vietnam, then specialist donald sloat, a machine gunner with company d, second battalion, first infantry regimen, 196th light infantry, american division, he was killed saving the life of his squad members by shielding them from the blast. for his ultimate sacrifice to save his fellow soldiers, the d.o.d. determined that mr. sloat's actions merited consideration for the medal of honor. mr. speaker, i'd like to commend the department of defense for completing the review of jewish and hispanic

american veterans going back to world war ii to correct an injustice to deserving members of our military who risked their lives for our country but whose actions were overlooked due to their ethnicity and religion. while conducting this review, the department discovered seven individuals who did not meet the exact criteria of the connelly mandated review but nevertheless were deserving of the medal of honor. this bill would allow them to be recognized with the nation's highest award of valor. it is important to note that none of these brave americans asked for this renewed consideration. it was through the advocacy and admiration of loved ones and those that served with them that led to this effort. for those brave americans who show such extraordinary heroism in defense of our lebrits, it's never too late to say thank you. mr. adkins and mr. sloat and all the brave americans like them to them i say thank you. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from guam is

recognized. mr. bordallo: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 3304, introduced by my friend and my colleague, mr. deutch from florida. h.r. 3304 authorized the president -- authorizes the president of the united states to award the medal of honor to bennie g. adkins, donald p. sloat, melvin morris, artie copus, jack weinstein, leonard kravitz, alfred nitzo, donald schwab and william leonard. these individuals, mr. speaker, have distinguished themselves in service to our nation in previous conflicts, ranging from world war ii to vietnam. the individuals were reviewed by the appropriate services and their nominations were given careful consideration by the secretary of defense and their names have been submitted to the congress. section 3744 of title 10,

united states code, requires the medal of honor to be awarded within three years after the date of the act justifying the award, which is why we are here on the floor to seek a statutory time waiver to allow the president of the united states to award the medal of honor to these particular individuals. so i urge my colleagues to support the passage of this important legislation, and thank you, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from alabama. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alabama reserves. the gentlewoman from guam, do you have additional speakers? mr. bordallo: mr. speaker, i yield four minutes -- ms. more dalo: mr. speaker, i --

ms. bordallo: mr. speaker, i yield four minutes to the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. deutch: i was pleased to work with my colleagues, mr. ogers of alabama, mr. rooney with their work on this bill. this legislation would waive the time limitation to allow the award of medal of honor, mr. adkins and mr. sloat. i sincerely appreciate my colleagues' support and the support of the house armed services committee in the effort to bring this legislation to the floor today. this legislation will also allow the award of the medal of honor to several other deserving veterans. this bill represents the culmination of a long fight to remedy discrimination who in spite of their acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty may have been overlooked in the deserving of

the medal of honor. this important effort began because mitch, a close friend of leonard kravitz, made it then that then private first class kravitz might have been bypassed. in sacrificing his life in combat in korea, he was awarded the distinguished service cross with the following citation, private kravitz voluntarily remained to provide protective ire for the retiring elements. traversing the gun and ignoring of the pleadings of his comrades to fall back, he moved. he swept the hostile soldiers with deadly accurate fire, killing the entire group. his destructive retaliation caused the enemy to enable the friendly elements to have an effective withdrawal. leonard kravitz bravely gave his life for the men fighting by his side and for his country. in spite of his acts of volume

ar, kravitz was not awarded the medal of honor. in fact, when mr. wittman came forward, no jewish american veteran had been recognized to receive the medal of honor in korea. congress required each military department to conduct a review f veteran files to see any deserving veteran who was overlooked. this was to be awarded based only on the acts of value or and courage displayed in battle and no veteran would be denied a medal of honor due to their ethnicity and religion. over half a million jewish americans fought for the united states in world war ii and 11,000 of them perished while fighting for this country. jewish americans have served with distinction in korea, vietnam, operation desert storm and countless other missions around the globe. hispanic americans have a proud

history of military service, stretching back to the revolutionary war. over one million latino veterans have served courageously in wars. hispanic americans and jewish americans are among the brave men and women who have stepped forward in the most recent attacks in iraq and afghanistan. they have fought for america's freedom and have fight to ensure they received the respect they are owed for their service. the review of hundred of service records -- award of the medal of honor to at least seven veterans, including mr. kravitz. i want to thank all of those at the department of defense who diligently reviewed their records, to make certain we properly recognize all of the brave veterans deserving of the medal of honor. the president of the united states, mr. speaker, has awarded the medal of honor to 3,471 of our finest americans over the course of our nation's history. with the passage of this bill, the president will be authorized to add bennie g.

adkins, donald b. sloat and at least seven other veterans whose heroic acts can receive the highest honor they so richly deserve. i strongly urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from alabama. mr. rogers: mr. speaker, at this time i have no further requests to speak so i'm prepared to yield back the balance of my time and close with an urging to my colleagues that they vote in favor of this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from guam. ms. bordallo: i have no further speakers but i want to commend the author of this bill, this very worthwhile piece of legislation, and i urge my colleagues to support it and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from alabama. mr. rogers: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the entleman yields back his time.

the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 3304 as amended? -- not as amended. just as was present. 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, without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas, mr. cotton, seek recognition? mr. cotton: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1742. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill.

caller: a bill to exclude from consideration as income under the united states housing act of 1937 payments of pension made under section 1521 of title 31 united states code to veterans in need of regular aid and attendance and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from arkansas, mr. cotton and the gentleman from delaware, mr. carney, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from arkansas. mr. cotton: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on h.r. 1742, currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, ordered. mr. cotson: -- mr. cotton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of of h r. 1742, the vulnerable veterans house regular form act, making sure that housing is made available to veterans who have borne the physical costs of serving our country.

t amends current law to exempt xpenses for a home ealtade and attendance care benefit when considering their eligibility for h.u.d. e programs help veterans who make less than $12,000 a year. they are provided out of medical necessity and should not be considered part of their income. limits housing assistance to those who need it. ensures that a family of four in a one-borm apartment will not receive less in utility allowance than a single

individual living in a two-bedroom apartment. these reforms have broad support from state and local housing agencies and for-profit and non-profit affordable housing providers. mr. speaker, of m of our current veterans' assistance programs are flawed. they spend too much and help too few. c.b.o. estimates this bill will save $15 million over five year while helping thousands of veterans obtain appropriate housing assistance. sadly homelessness affects over 60,000 veterans nationwide. approximately 1,000 in my home state of arkansas. these numbers are unacceptable. as a combat veteran of both iraq and afghanistan, i understand not only the difficulties faced while serving in the mill tear but also the struggles too many encounter returning to civilian life, especially with a life-altering disability. these men and women have putter that live thobes line for our country and we should be doing all we can to support them, not

making it harder for them to obtain assistance. i'm grateful to my colleague, congressman joe heck, for support on this legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from delaware is recognized for two 2i7bs. mr. carney: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. carney: thank you, mr. speaker. about a year ago i talked to a young marine from magnolia, delaware, in my district. he had been wounded in afghanistan and was home recovering. i called him to western him well and how he was doing, he wasn't focused on his injuries, all he could think about, and talk about, was get back to his base. we need to be worthy of this marine's sack feese, his selflessness and his dedication to fighting for his country. our nation's -- our new york yankees' most sacred only

fwation is to care for our men and women in uniform, both when they're serving abroad and when they come back home. unfortunately, today we're falling short of this duty. today, about 60,000 veterans are homeless. close to 13,000 of these are veterans from the wars in iraq and afghanistan. while veterans represent only 7% of the u.s. population, they represent 13% of homeless americans. these numbers are just unacceptable. that's why i was pleased to join with my colleagues an friends, mr. heck and mr. rene see in introducing the as a le -- mr. renacci in introducing the vulnerable veterans housing reform act. we're part of a bipartisan group that meets once a month that has come up with ideas like this. mr. delaney and mr. renacci

have another bill coming up today. the vulnerable veterans house regular form act ensures that veterans who need housing assistance get it. right now veterans struggling the most, those who are severelyties abled and receive virtually no income, receive a benefit from v.a. to cover the cost of their care. this benefit goes to care takers who help our veterans with the daily tasks of living, bathing eat, maintaining pross at the exs, when this list goes on. however when the same veterans go to apply for housing assistance this aid counts as income. making it harder for them to qualify for housing assistance. this policy just doesn't make sense and it's hurting our veterans. h.r. 1742, the vulnerable veterans housing reform act, fixes this problem. so that our severely disabled veterans aren't victims of homelessness as well.

it excludes this aid meant to address the health and daily living needs of severely tess abled veterans from the calculation of income in the housing assistance program. mr. speaker, often when members come in through the doors of the house chambers to vote, we're greeted by members of our military. who have been wounded in service of our nation. most have lost limbs. and all their lives are irrep rahably cheaged. despite all they've already given, these men and women come to our nation's capitol to continue giving back. and to inspear and thank us. we should thank them. as we approach veterans tai, i hope the house will honor their sacrifice by passing legislation that will make life just a little easier for those who have given so much to protect ours. i know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle recognize this is a critical issue.

a similar version of this bill passed the house by voice vote in the last congress. i urge my colleagues to pass this bill once again for the sake of our nation's most vulnerable veterans. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arkansas. mr. cotton: i'm pleased to yield five minutes to the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from nevada, a colonel in the u.s. army reserve, soon to be brigadier general, mr. heck. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. and eck: i thank my friend fellow veteran, mr. cotton for his support and mr. carney. as has been state this bill would remove an unnecessary barrier that prevents our disabled wartime vet -- veterans from receiving the housing assistance they so critically need. this body recognized the

importance of this issue when it passed a substantially similar bill, h.r. 6361, the vulnerable veterans house reform act of 2012 which i introduced last year. unfortunately, that wasn't considered by the senate before the end of the 112th congress. h.r. 1742 prevents the department of housing and urban velopment from considering the aid and attendance benefit when considering their housing assistance. aid and assistance is given to terans who have little to no income the veterans receiving this credit rerequire assistance for daily living. a veteran must establish his or her el jeble for a low-income pension, which requires an nnual adjusted gross income of

$12,263 for a single veteran where w no dependents. once that need is determined, they can receive aid and benefits to help defray the cost of their medical care. this is an important point. the aid and attend benefit is for medical care. it's not discretionary income, it can't be used for groceries or transportation. these low-income veterans struggle daily to keep lights on, put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. add to that, the cost of paying for a personal care attendant and it becomes increasingly difficult for them to stay in their homes. current regulations require that the aid and attendance benefit be counted as income when determining eligibility for housing assistance. mr. speaker, this makes no sense. the v.a. provides this benefit to ensure that our low-income, disabled wartime vets have the necessary resources to receive

the medical care they need and have earned. while $8,000 per year may seem like a substantial am of money, it doesn't fully cover the cost of a full-time aid but it's much more cost effective than placing the veteran in a nursing home or assisted living facility. continuing to count the aid and attendance benefit as income does nothing more than jeopardize our veteran's ability to live independently. it's the stated goal of this house and this administration to reduce homelessness in our veteran population and the need for this legislative fix is just as strong today as it was last year. most recent statistics estimate that 63,000 veterans across the u.s. are homeless. h.r. 174 will go a long way toward preventing homelessness for our nation's veterans and i urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time.

the gentleman from delaware. mr. carney: thank you, mr. speaker. i have no further requests for time. i just would like to thank the sponsors, mr. heck, mr. renacci, other veterans, mr. cotton, the members of the -- from the democratic side who have co-sponsored this and all the members of the house who supported this the last time and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from arkansas. mr. cotton: i want to thank the gentleman from delaware as well as the gentleman from nevada and everybody in this institution that helps serve our veterans every single day. i have no further requests for speakers and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1742? those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are -- the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on

the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 189 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. caller: union calendar number 171, h.r. 21 9, a bill to establish a commission or task force to evaluate the backlog of disability claims of the department of veterans' affairs. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, and the gentleman from maine, mr. michaud, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you very much. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five

legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material they may have on h.r. 189. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: one of the most challenging issues facing the department of veterans' affairs and the veterans it serves is the huge disability backlog. according to last week's backlog report there were 717,000 claims for disability compensation waiting for a decision. almost 57% of those claims were above the secretary's stated processing goal of 125 days. short, 57% of v.'s claims work is backlogged. although i'm glad we've seen some progress of late, 57% backlog is not acceptable.

if we're going to reach the secretary's goal of ending the backlog by 2015, we'll all need a focused effort, and the provisions of this bill will help achieve that goal. now, h.r. 2189, as amended, reflects the committee's bipartisan efforts to bring additional transparency to have they troubling and decades' old problem. i know that other members are here to provide a brief description of the bill's provisions that they've sponsored or those that have worked closely on this legislation, but i want to highlight some of the key provisions. title 1 would commission a commission or task force to look at the backlog of the claims and the appeals. time is of the essence, so they would have a series of interim reports to congress and a final report to the president and to the congress 180 days after the commission's first meeting. the purpose of the task force

is very simple. we need the best and the brutal minds to put forward workable solutions that can be implemented immediately. even though v.a. has made recent progress, it's stilwell short of its own goals. we must not take our foot off the gas when it comes to ending the backlog once and for all. and ideas coming from this focused task force will assist in that effort. title 1 of the bill would also direct v.a. to provide a sublamental report to its strategic plan, to eliminate the compensation claims backlog within 60 days of enactment and every 120 days thereafter until the 25th of may, 2015. now, the purpose of this provision is to hold v.a. accountable for the full execution of its own strategic plan. too often, v.a. has made lofty promises and its efforts have

fallen short. this provision, authored by our majority whip, will verify progress every single step of the way. title 2 of the bill would extend and expand v.a.'s uthority to use contract examinations during its disability examination process. v.a.'s use of contract providers serves two purposes. first, because quality and timely exams are an essential component of the claims process, having additional providers to assist in the effort is critical. second, use of non-v.a. examiners frees up the time that v.a. medical professionals can treat patients at hospitals. title 3 would require the secretary of defense to catalog for purposes a -- of using service connection on

a presumptive basis for veterans exposed to agent orange. currently, on those serving in the inland waterways or brown waters of vietnam are eligible for compensation on a presumptive basis. the problem is some vessels, which served offshore in the blue waters of vietnam, sent smaller vessels inshore. without an accurate catalogging of these visits, compensation may unfairly be denied to deserving veterans. this provision will assist v.a. in making accurate decisions in this sensitive area. inactment of h.r. 2189 no not completely solve the claims' backlog but i do think it's a step in the right direction. i want to thank the subcommittee chairman, mr. runyan, and his ranking member, ms. tight us, for their -- ms. titus, for their hard work in moving through the subcommittee as well. everybody in the committee worked together on bringing

this piece of legislation to the floor tonight. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from maine is recognized for two minutes. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 2189, as amended, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 2189, as amended, is a bipartisan on muss bill addressing veterans' benefits and compensation. this bill includes provisions from nine other measures. this bill is part of the slate of commonsense legislation introduced in may of this year. it provides the department of veterans affairs with additional tools and reforms to assist in eliminating the backlog. included are provisions from h.r. 2086, the pay as you rate act, introduced by the disability, assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee ranking member, representative 1809, the vada, h.r.

faster filing act, introduced by representative o'rourke from texas, h.r. 1623, the claims efficiency through information act, introduced by nerkt of tive california, and h.r. 1805, the veterans claims efficiency through automation act, introduced by representative kuster of new hampshire, h.r. 1824, the v.a. regional office accountability act, introduced by representative ming of new york, and finally, h.r. 1521, the disability veterans red tape reduction act, introdutiesed by representative sean patrick maloney of new york. h.r. 864, which was designated at least one city in the united

states each year as an american world war ii city, introduced by representative mcintyre of california. and h.r. 1288, the world war ii merchant mariners act, introduced by representative butterfield of north carolina. collectively, h.r. 2189, as amended, gives v.a. real useful tools they can begin using now. these tools will assist the department of veterans affairs in making significant proimpress on its goal by eliminating the backlog by 2015. the legislation will require v.a. to pay veterans more quickly, it will provide them with information they may -- that may lead to veterans receiving a quicker decision on their claims, and it will formulate a task force to attack the growing appeals backlog, and it will require v.a. to start tracking them ation that will help

better understand the claims inventory. i want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their bipartisan effort to create a smart, programmatic solution. together, we'll help provide v.a. better benefits and services to our veterans. i also want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle for their work on this legislation. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 2189, as amended. i want to thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maine reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i yield two minutes to the gentleman who chairs the subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. runyan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for two minutes. mr. runyan: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank the chairman miller for yielding to me. as chairman of the house veterans' subcommittee on disability and memorial affairs, i'm keenly aware of the most critical issues impacting our nation's veterans

. it's the severe veterans claims backlog. recently, department of veterans affairs reported it had a backlog of more than 400,000 veterans' benefits claims as the fiscal year ended in september. this is simply unacceptable. to help speed the veteran claims process, we must look at every phase of that process. one of the first steps in this process is the medical exam to determine benefit eligibility. that's why earlier this year i introduced h.r. 2423, the disabled veterans access to medical exams improvement act, provisions of which are now contained within section 201 of h.r. 2189. this section would extend the authority of the secretary of veterans affairs to enter into contracts with private physicians and conduct veterans medical disability evaluations. with its passage, this bill would -- the successful program allowing physicians outside the v.a. to conduct contractor

examinations would continue for an additional three years, until 2016. this would allow v.a. to quickly facilitate access to care they need. this would extend license portability to contract examination providers, meaning that fwgses with an active state license may provide c.m.p. exams in other states because they're working on behalf of the federal government. although the v.a. and d.o.d. already provide license portability for physicians working directly for them, this authority is not extended to c.m.p. examination providers. this provision is designed to facilitate the c.m.p. process by allowing contract physicians flexibility to travel in areas that experience lengthy delays and scheduling examinations. finally, this piece of legislation would expand the number of v.a. regional offices that would utilize contract examinations from 10 to 15.

these medical examinations are a key component of the disability claims process. by expanding the authority and scope of the examination process, veterans would receive nearly necessary medical evidence for their claim. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. mr. miller: i yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds. mr. runyan: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. chairman. this will reduce the overall claim development processing time, resulting in the faster issuance of finer medical decisions for the claim. mr. speaker, i support h.r. 2189, as amended, to include my provision and include all members to support this important bill for veterans and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from nevada, representative titus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada is recognized for two minutes. ms. titus: thank you, mr.

speaker, and thank you, mr. michaud, for yielding to me. as the ranking member of the subcommittee of disability and memorial affairs, i support the omnibus bill h.r. 2189. this legislation includes my bill, h.r. 2086, the pay as you rate act, which would require the v.a. to pay benefits to veterans as individual components of their claims are reviewed rather than at the completion of the entire claim. currently, veterans typically receive payments when all medical conditions within a claim are fully adjudicated. veterans returning from iraq and afghanistan average 8.5 components in their claims. while some of these are very complex and time consuming, other components are simpler. the pay as you rate act will require the v.a. to pay veterans as individual medical conditions are adjudicated, providing tens of thousands of families much-needed financial support while the v.a. continues to work on the more

complex aspects of their claims. i thank chairman miller, preab michaud, and chairman runyan for including this provision and other democratic bills in this legislation. collectively, the legislation before us today should assist v.a. in its continued effort to transform the claims process from mountains of paper to a more efficient, effective electronic system. in just the past few months, the v.a. has made great strides in serving our nation's heroes by reducing the benefits backlog. the v.a. has set ambitious goals and congress should work to support those efforts. more needs to be done, and it needs to be done quickly to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they have earned in a timely fashion. i'm also pleased to have worked with chairman miller on some of the task force provisions of this legislation. at provision that i added the full committee markup would improve the proposed task force

by including a subcommittee to look at the appeals process. while the v.a. is making significant progress in reducing the backlog, it's important that we're not creating a new backlog of appeals in the years to come. this subcommittee would be charged with making recommendations aimed at preventing that future backlog of appeals. so i thank you. i support the bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. time i yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from the 17th district in the state of florida, the gentleman om okeechobee, the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> last year veterans groups came to my office with a problem called pension poaching. the targets retired veterans. currently, the v.a. only considers income at the time of

veteran applies for benefits, meaning it can't determine if a applicant has subverted assets to qualify for benefits. mr. rooney area under this scam, unethical financial advisors and firms prey on elderly veterans by promising to help them qualify for v.a. pensions benefits if they divert their assets into trusts or annuities and charge excessive fees for their services. g.a.o. has identified this fraud as a major weakness in the v.a. pension program, leaving taxpayers and retired veterans on the hook. my bill imposes a 37-month lookback period that would track veterans' incomes to determine if they are truly eligible. this will discourage financial predators from duping elderly veterans, helping reduce the claims backlog and ensure that low-income individuals for whom the program was intended are not robbed of their benefits. i want to thank congressman

schrader, bilirakis and barber for their work on this bill and especially chairman miller for including it as part of this package to improve services for our nation's veterans. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. . . the speaker pro tempore: the entleman from maine. . michaud: i yield two minutes to the gentlewoman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. >> i rise in support of h.r. 189, that encludes provegses through the tissue that will require v.a. to track time spent evaluating each medical condition in a disability compensation claim. s. mclod: v.a. vouf -- ms.

-- : -- ms. mcl mrs. negrete mcleod: veterans continue having to find work. this is needed so veterans can support themselves. the paper system has made it difficult to process claims of older veterans who need additional compensation later in life. claims of younger veterans can also take longer to process because they have multiple medical conditions. the claims become log is a serious problem for the v.a. and the u.s. department of veterans afares. since july, the los angeles regional office has reduced the average time to process claims from 600 days to 400 days. v.a. still has a long way to go to meet its own goal of 125 days and the back willing will not end overnight and may even go up as more men and women apply for benefits. no one is looking at directing

blame but enstead searching for a way to work together with congress and the v.a. must be willing to explore new methods for delivering services to veterans in the 21st century for the growing veteran population. i thank mr. miller for allowing my bill to be included in his. thank you very much and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: i yield to the chairman of the subcommittee for oversight and investigation, mr. coffman of colorado for a minute and a half. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is reck -- the gentleman is recognized. mr. coffman: i would like to thank chairman miller and ranking member michaud for their leadership on the committee and their commitment to main teening strong oversight over the v.a. and their goal to reduce the backlog. during my time on the house veterans affairs committee, i have enjoyed the strong bipartisanship and the committee's dedication to get

results for our veterans. whether it is between ranking ember kirkpatrick and i on the oversight subcommittee or chairman miller and ranking member michaud on the full committee, we all shear the same desire -- to help our veterans and do everything we can to help the v.a. operate more efficiently and effectively. fortunately for our veterans, this desire to help goes beyond the veterans affairs committee and is present in the entire house of representatives. earlier this year, i, along with 150 members of the house, sent a letter to the president urging his immediate action to reduce this backlog. today the house will have another opportunity to show its unify -- unity for veterans in passing houses relose 2189. this bill will aid the v.a. by establishing a task force to evaluate the backlog of

veterans' disability claims, ensuring the v.a. will find innovative ways to reduce the backlog. currently there are over 400,000 claims that have been waiting for over 150 days to process. although the v.a. has made some progress recently, the pace is still toow for many veterans. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. pll coffman: though the v.a. has made some progress, the it is still too slow for our veterans. i am plowed to -- proud to join my colleagues on the house veterans affairs committee to urge passage of h.r. 2189. there are nearly 400,000 veterans in colorado and these men and women need washington to step up and help the v.a. to reduce the backlog.

thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields become. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time, i would like to yield two minutes to the gentlewoman from new hampshire. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker, mr. michaud, mr. miller. i was proud that we drafted this borne legislation to help get veterans' claims settled faster and more efficiently. i am proud to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this. this commonsense legislation will push the v.a. to focus on the greater use of automation to boost efficiency and settle claims faster. as our service members and veterans transition back to civilian life, it is imperative that the v.a. and d.o.d. continue to collaborate on improving the deliry of care,

eliminating the claims backlog and mitigating the impact of sequestration. it's simply unacceptable that so many of our heroic veterans are unable to get timely access to the care and services that they earned. this bill is an important step toward addressing this problem and i will keep fighting to end the backlog until the job is done. we owe it to our men and women in uniform, to our veterans, and to our mill tear families to do all we can to enshower that -- that their benefits and other services transfer from the department of defense to the veterans' administration. i look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure effective and timely collaboration between the two departments and to eliminate this claims backlog once and for all. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield to the gentleman from

new york one minute, mr. bib -- mr. gibson. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. gibson: thanks, mr. speaker. i rise in support of the bill. i thank the chairman, the ranking member, all the members of the committee and staff for their work. our veterans deserve our very best effort and it's simply taking too long to process these claims. got to do better. i believe this bill will take a step in the right direction. i also appreciate the leadership of this committee including one of my bill along with this bill, working on supporting our vietnam veterans who have been exposed to agent orange. the chairman mentioned, if you served on the ground or navy you get coverage but if you served just offshore you don't get coverage. i have a bill to do that. until that policy changes i think the d.o.d. and v.a. can be better organized to work this on a case-by-case basis. the leadership was kind enough

to include that bill in this effort. i think we're going to make a positive difference. i want to give a shoutout to a couple of ladies in upstate new york, carol and suze, we're going to continue to work on this together. i urge support of this bill and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: at this time, i would like to yield two minutes , the gentleman from texas representative wallle the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. >> i rise in support of this bill. in el paso, texas, i have the honor of representing almost 80,000 veterans and their average wait time out of the regional office is 128 days. mr. o'rourke: i visited that

office not long ago and witnessed people carrying around the claims files in hand trucks with the files and paperwork measure throwing to four feet in some cases. that's why, along with paul cook, eintroduced borne legislation earlier this year to work with no cost to reduce that wait time by informing veterans of the average wait time to file a disability claim amongst all available methods, from the lowest, which is an incomplete, paper-based claim to the fastest a fully-developed claim filed online. i'm pleased this legislation in section 109 includes this bill called the faster filing act. i'm convinced it will help us to get our veterans the response and time they deserved. after all, they've act fice -- sacrificed their health, safety, and security for ours. we need to meet our end of the obligation. i want to thank chairman miller, ranking member michaud, i want to thank mr. brown from the committee staff and aaron

snow from my legislative team for helping write the legislation and i encourage my colleagues in the house to pass this without delay. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida. pll miller: it is my honor to recognize the gentleman from the 12th district of pennsylvania for one minute, mr. rothfus. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. rothfus: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 189. this legislation is an important step -- an important step forward in addressing and resolving the v.a.'s disability claims backlog. we owe our veterans a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. unfortunately, veterans in western felve around around the ation are forced to endure long wait times. that is unacceptable and veteran december serve better. finding better ways to serve veterans is one of my top priorities in congress. the legislation we are considering increases reporting and oversight, improves

coordination between the v.a. and other federal agency prorksvidse more training for v.a. claims offices and looks for other ways to address the backlog. together these will bring accountability to the v.a. all in an effort to improve customer service to our veterans and families. i thank chairman miller, ranking membermy should, and representative mccarthy for their ledership and i look forward to working with them to find better ways to seven our veterans. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. lynch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. lynch: i thank the speaker. i want to thank the ranking member for yielding me his time. and also i want to thank chairman miller for his hard work on this bill. mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 2189. this legislation takes

important steps to address the deplorable disability claims become log at the veterans affairs administration. it does so by establishing a special task force to evaluate the extent of the backlog and termine solutions to eliminate the backlog. we all agree, veterans deserve better. it is this same spirit i introduced h.r. 2185, the veterans day moment of silence act. this bill brings together all americans to observe two minutes of silence each veterans tai, it's a time when we all, regardless of ideology, can stop and reflect on the brave service of generations of u.s. veterans. i want to thank chairman miller and ranking member michaud for including the text of my bill into the text of h.r. 189, particularly i want to thank daniel and michael benson and their father, dr. peter benson. as a family they've worked to bring the moment of silence to fruition. i'm honored to present this proposal today on their behalf

in this 13th congress. again, i'm thankful to mr. michaud and chairman miller for enabling this provision to come to a vote today. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 2189. it is a very timely bill with hundreds of thousands of returning veterans from iraq and afghanistan and with over 700,000 veterans waiting for disability determinations, again it's an important bill. with that, i wreeled back the balance of my time. the speaker: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you very much, mr. speaker. at this time, i would like to yield two minutes to the majority whip, a strong supporter of veterans issues in this legislative body, mr. mccarthy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. mccarthy: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 2189, legislation that will provide relief to hundreds of thousands of our nation's veterans. i first want to thank chairman miller because this bill includes a provision that are a

result of the g.a.o. audit we requested on the department of veterans' affairs due to new mexico russ plaints from veterans in all of our districts who had to wait months and often years for benefits. the audit confirms these veterans' worst complaint about the severity of the claims and the backlog. the g.a.o. identified the los angeles regional office which serves many of my local veterans in my home district as one of the worst in the country. according to the current data, 61% of the over 160,000 claims are still back logged. recent data from the v.a. shows the department processed 100,000 less claims than they planned for fiscal year 2013. clearly the v.a. is unable to implement needed reforms themselves. this legislation today addresses the backlog problems in the v.a. by focusing on streamlining required paperwork and communications between federal agencies and ensuring

continued and if needed relentless congressional oversight of the administration timeline. to clear the compensation claims backlog. when called to serve the united states of america, our nation's veterans have answered. it is time congress and the department of veterans atears answers their call as well. -- affairs answers their call as well. i hurge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to end the backlog. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maine. . mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. i have no further speakers. i encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support h.r. 2189, as amended, to thank ain i want chairman miller and his staff for working very diligently on this piece of legislation, along with my staff on the minority side for bringing this forward. with that, mr. speaker, i'd yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maine yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida.

mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 2189 is a strong step forward in helping to resolve the severe backlog of disability claims that exist today at the department of veterans affairs. i thank all the members of our committee for their bipartisan work on this bill, and i urge colleagues to join us in passing h.r. 2189, as amended. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the amended? 2189, as those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from maine seek recognition? mr. michaud: i demand 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 florida seek recognition? mr. miller: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2481, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar 481, a bill h.r. 2 to amend title 38, united states code, to codify and improve the election requirements for the receipt of educational assistance under the post-9/11 educational assistance program of the epartment of veterans affairs. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, and the gentleman from maine, mr. michaud, each will be recognized -- each will

control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and add any extraneous material they may have on h.r. 2481, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: h.r. 2481 represents the collective work of our economic opportunity subcommittee. provisions of this bill streamline eligibility for veterans g.i. bill benefits that would ensure that surviving loved ones of service members who die as a result of service have all the educational assistance benefits they are entitled to and make improvements to the service members civil relief act. i know other members are hereby today to speak on provisions of this bill that they authored so i will focus on a few areas. section 4 and 5 of the bill

would establish within existing resources of veterans economic opportunity administration at the department of veterans affairs as an undersecretary to head the effort. the purpose of creating a parallel administration is to serve alongside v.a.'s veteran benefits administration, the veterans health administration and the national cemetery administration. it is to raise an importance the issues affecting veterans' readjustment to civilian life. too often these issues, such as education, job training and vocational counseling, do not deserve e focus they because they are within an administration that also have responsibility for disability claims processing. highlighting and emphasizing the importance of jobs and careers for veterans was an the ant reason why committee on veterans' affairs n economic itself a

subcommittee years ago. this would advance the same principles within the department of veterans affairs. it is my hope that the secretary for economic opportunity would be a powerful advocate for serving veterans' readjustment interests, whether at school, during t.a.p. transition classes for departing members or as a liaison for training service. the second provision i'd like to such was authored by the late c.w. bill young. it would permit the children of certain severely disabled service members who die shortly after their military service and who have received a purple heart to be eligible for the frey educational scholarship. it offers certain post-9/11 g.i. bill benefits for the children of those service members but only those who die on active duty. chairman young rightly believed that the kids of those who may

have been mortally wounded in service but who died shortly thereafter ought to be eligible for this benefit as well. i'm honored to say that section 7 of the bill carries forward bill young's provision, and that his memory lives on in our work today in this legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to support h.r. 2481, as amended, the veterans economic portunity act of 2013, and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. michaud: h.r. 2481, as amended, make significant improvements to v.a. structure as well as several benefits programs. this bill represents the worg of members on and off the veterans' affairs committee to improve veterans' lives.

i want to highlight two key provisions of this measure. mr. cummings of maryland originally introduced h.r. 1842, the military family home protection act. language from this measure is included in h.r. 2481, as amended, and aims to strengthen the service members civil relief act for closure protection for service members and their families during the course of deployment, regardless of when their home was purchased. military homeowners deserves these protections so they can have peace of mind while they serve. we all have heard the horror stories of families fighting for their homes and sadly losing their homes while family members were in harm's way in iraq or afghanistan. the five-year extension of the homeless veterans reintegration program in this bill is vital to veterans. there are still approximately 62,000 homeless veterans on the streets each night.

this program provides services to assist the reintegration -- reintegrating them into the meaningful employment in the labor force. the hvrp is the only nationwide program that focuses on assisting homeless veterans by connecting them to employment. if we were to meet the goal of ending homeless veterans by 2015, we need to extend the help that's included in this bill. i strongly support h.r. 2481, as amended, and i encourage my colleagues to do the same and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i yield for five minutes to the gentleman from texas, the chairman of the subcommittee on economic opportunity, mr. flores. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for five minutes. mr. flores: mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of h.r. 2481, as amended, and i thank chairman miller for allowing me to express my support for this bill today.

this bill contains original text of the veterans g.i. bill enrollment clarification act of 2013, which i introduced in june, as well as the collective work of the subcommittee that i'm honored to chair the subcommittee on economic opportunity. i want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee on economic opportunity, mr. takano, as well as chairman miller and ranking member of the full committee, mr. michaud, for bringing this bill to the floor. finally, i also thank the other members of the committee who authored the provisions that are included in this bill for their thoughtful legislation. mr. speaker, sections 4 and 5 originally authorized by chairman miller would authorize using existing v.a. resources for the creation of a fourth administration v.a. which will improve oversight over v.a.'s education, vocational, rehabilitation and home loan programs and the center for veterans enterprise. too often these programs are overshadowed by v.a.'s efforts to reduce the disability claims backlog, and i'm hopeful this new fourth administration will

streamline oversight over these important v.a. programs that will help veterans reach economic success. section 6 includes mr. cook's bill that would extend the homeless veterans reintegration program which provides grant funding for job training services for homeless veterans. section 7 includes a bill authorized by our late colleague, mr. young of florida. this section would modify the frey's scholarship program to include children of certain veterans who die within 31 days of discharge from a service-connected cause. this is an issue i know mr. young was personally passionate about and i'm thankful we were able to consider it in this bill today. section 8 includes the original text of my bill that would clarify the process to assist veterans in choosing the best g.i. bill -- benefit to meet their unique education needs. i believe that by making this one small change, we can reduce veterans' wait times and

streamline their use of the benefits they have earned. section 9 reflects that bill introduced by mr. calvert and co-sponsored by mr. takano the streamline the reporting of student data by college consortiums. section 10 would extend several existing v.a. loan guarantee varyfying fees. sections 1 and 12 contain the provision -- section 11 and 12 contain the provisions of mr. cummings' bill to have mortgage and refinancing protections to surviving spouses and active duty members. this section would also clarify refinancing options available for service members as well as penalties for violations of the scra law. i want to thank mr. cummings and his staff for working with us on this section over the past year. i believe these provisions would go a long way to protect service members and their family. the final section would amend

scra to protect child custody agreements while deployed. this passed the house multiple times in the last few congresses and is designed to ensure that military service does not impact existing child custody agreements unless it is in the best interest of the child. once again, i thank all of the members for their thoughtful contributions to this bill and i encourage its passage. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. takano. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for three minutes. mr. takano: i thank the gentleman from maine, the ranking member of our committee, for yielding time, and i thank chairman flores of the subcommittee for his hard work. i'm pleased to see that the veterans economic opportunity act of 2013 is receiving a vote today on the floor as every member of this distinguished body has service members in his or her congressional district and all of us believe that taking care of these heroes

when they complete their service should be a top priority. bipartisanship in this congress is rare, but republicans and democrats all agree that congress should be making it easier for our service members as they transition back to civilian life. the house veterans' affairs committee has a strong track record of being the least bipartisan committee in partisan nd this bill committee in congress and this bill reflects this. my bill with representative calvert was included. riverside county having the eighth largest veterans population in the country, i'm proud that representative calvert and i joined forces to make it easier for veterans to receive their veteran education benefits. our legislation will help

decrease -- will help decrease education benefit processing times by eliminating unnecessary and duplicative paperwork for individual community colleges that are part of a group, district or consortium. it will allow a multicollege system, such as the riverside community college district, to verify the student class enrollment number with the department of veterans affairs instidsted of requiring each individual constituent college to do so. centralizing the reporting for veterans' enrollment at multicollege system will be a benefit as unnecessary paperwork delays increases costs to the department of veterans affairs and community systems such as the riverside community college district. this portion of the legislation will expand foirk protections to all service members

regardless of when they purchased their home and will stay home foirks for service members who are receiving hostile or imminent danger pay. t will will help those surslifing spouse who is are looking for home loans and mortgages. finally, it will double civil penalties for mortgage-related violations. the veterans who so bravely serve this country deserve every opportunity for success and every protection possible. i thank my republican colleagues from the veterans' affairs committee for pushing this legislation, and i look forward to its passage. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from florida. . mr. calvert: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of the veterans opportunity act of 2013. as our service members return home from war, it is incumbent

upon all of us and all americans to ensure that they are receiving the support and opportunities they need to succeed in civilian life. this bill establishes the economic opportunity administration which would focus its efforts entirely on veteran education, employment, small business and housing. the bill also contains a text of legislation i introduced earlier this year along with my colleague, representative takano, which is vital to mine and his congressional district. the community college district which is part of the district, the department of veterans affairs requires each campus to certify that their veteran students are enrolled for a specific null of classes before the vfment disburses student benefits. each college must write letters to other colleges within the district to verify their classes and meet regulations. riverside community college istrict says unnecessary

paperwork delays processing time and the cost to college districts as well as the v.a. this bill, which was wrapped into h.r. 2481, corrects that problem by permitting each college in the district to verify and certify veterans for all classes attended rather than just classes attended at that particular college. it would update the rules which would mean veterans would receive their benefits sooner and the v.a. would have less paperwork to process. thank representative flores, representative takano and their efforts to support our veterans and the veterans economic opportunity act. thank you. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from

maryland, mr. cummings. mr. cummings: thank you and i thank chairman miller, ranking member michaud, congressman takano and members of the veterans affairs committee to work together in a truly bipartisan way to include provisions in this legislation -- tend home forecast foreclosure benefits. for the last two years, i have adepress i havely investigated illegal foreclosures, inflated fees and other abuses by banks against our service members, veterans and their families. in my opinion, no one is more deserving of our help than our service members who have sacrificed so much, who have given their blood, sweat and tears and sometimes their lives. yet, under current law, certain

service members, veterans with disabilities and surviving spouses are not receiving the critical protections they need and truly deserve. a result, banks are foreclosing on homes at the very moment when our heroes and their families deserve our support. as a country, we can and must do better. that is why i introduced h.r. 1842, the military family home protection act, which the house veterans affairs committee included in the bill before us today and i'm most grateful. these commonsense provisions will better protect veterans and families by closing loopholes and providing needed reforms. these provisions are supported by the american legion, veterans f foreign wars veterans of

america, disabled american veterans, gold star wives of america and the iraq and afghanistan veterans of america, all of whom who have written strong letters of support. this legislation has overwhelming bipartisan support and i thank every single member of the committee for their continued support. with veterans day approaching, i believe one of the best ways to honor our veterans and those that serve is to help keep the roof over their heads after they have sacrificed so much for our freedom and for for our way of life and i ask every member to support this effort. and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: i would like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from dayton, ohio, home of the united states air force museum, mr. turner. mr. turner: i thank the chairman for his diligence on a provision of this bill that would include

protecting the custody rights of our service members. i want to thank the ranking member and the staff for being diligent to include this provision. this provision has passed the house five times as part of the national defense authorize age act and three times as provisions coming from the vfment committee. it is an essential provision that would provide confidence and protection of their custody arrangements once they are deployed. unpleefbly across this nation, family law court judges are taking custody away from service members using their time against them in deciding a custody case. there are even cases in our nation where the family law court judge took custody away based on the threat of possible deployment to service members. i don't think it's the best interest of the child for them to believe there is something wrong with serving our country.

we have men and women who are serving need to know what standard are going to be applied. many of these cases have multiple state cases. it retains the state's authority and provides a minimum standard upon which service members can rely that says that their custody decisions will not be based solely upon their past or future deloim. this is the minimum that we could do for our service members and this arises from a case of a kentucky national guard member. her daughter sarah she raised six years alone. upon returning from deployment, the court awarded her ex-husband custody and fought for two years and $25,000 to get her daughter back. she should be the type of service member who knows there is a standard when she returns that her time away will not be used against her. this is important also so that service members when they're making arrangements upon

departure don't have the ampingseyite that when they return they may not get their family back. slusher has said, when i return, they say i have to get my job back, i need to get my child back. she is required to get her job back when she returns and under this, she should be able to get her child act. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: i thank champlee miller for bringing this bill to the floor and representative flores and representative takano for their work on this particular bill and encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it unanimously. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i want to thank all the members of our committee for the bipartisan

effort in bringing this piece of legislation to the floor. i would ask all members here to support this as we go forward with a vote and pass h.r. 2481 as amended. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2481 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 n the table. without objection, the title is mended to read as follows. the clerk: amend the title a bill to make certain improvements in the laws made by

the secretary of veterans affairs related to benefits and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from seek recognition? mr. miller: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1405 as amended. the clerk: union calendar number 95, h.r. 1405, a bill to amend title 38, united states code, to require the secretary of veterans affairs to include an appeals form in any notice of decision issued for the denial of the benefits sought. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from florida, mr. miller and the gentlewoman from nevada, mrs. titus, will be recognized for 40 minutes. mr. miller: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. so ordered. mr. miller: i yield myself such time as i may consume.

i commend ms. titus for cleaning up the claims process. her bill also includes provisions authored by former sergeant major of the minnesota national guard, mr. walsh, to provide honorary veterans status to members of the national depaurd and reserves. h.r. 1405 would also improve access to veterans claims information by certain state and local government officials and the bill would revise the process by which fiduciary agents are assigned and limit the amount of bonuses that can be paid under chapters 45 and 53 of title 5. again, i know there are other members who wish to speak in more detail on provisions of this bill, so at this time, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from nevada seek recognition? ms. titus: i rise in support of

h.r. 1405 as amended and yield myself such time as i may consume. and thank you, mr. chairman. i introduced this legislation, h.r. 140 to improve the veterans claims appeals process. currently, a veteran must exercise his or her appeals rights before the appeals process formally begins and the v.a. sends the required forms. h.r. 1405 as amended requires them to include the appeals form with the notice of provisions and cuts out several steps and speeds up the appeals process. this change will reduce the time frame of the appeals process by 60 days. h.r. 1405 will also allow the v.a. to provide better customer service to those veterans who are struggling with significant delays and bureaucratic challenges. this legislation is a commonsense improvement that will result in veterans in

southern nevada receiving the benefits they have earned in a timely fashion. i constantly hear from those veterans in las vegas that the process is too complicated and takes too long. this will eliminate the bureaucratic process and speed up the process for our veterans across the country. h.r. 1405 as amended is supported by the v.a. and veterans organizes who came and testified. this piece of legislation also includes languages from three her bills, h.r. 679, honor america reserve and guard 733, the ct, h.r. access to veterans benefits improvements act and mr. johnson's bill h.r. 894 to reform v.a.'s fiduciary program. i thank the chairman of our subcommittee, mr. runion, for moving this legislation through

e subcommittee and the guidance. i thank the many veterans service organizations for their helpful input and for supporting this legislation. i will urge my colleagues to support passage of h.r. 1405. i thank you and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman nevada reserves. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: i yield two minutes to the subcommittee chairman for disability assistance and memorial affairs, the gentleman rom from new jersey. . . mr. runyan: thank you, mr. speaker. this legislation, included in section 3 of h.r. 1405, would provide certain local and state government employees access to case tracking information through the department of veterans affairs.

there is no doubt that we have a responsibility to veterans to ensure that every effort is made to simplify the claims process. key to this effort are the county service veterans officers whose expertise in claims development helps veterans in new jersey and communities all across america. veterans are also -- are often frustrated as they ask for help from accounting service officer that this person acting on their behalf cannot directly access even the most basic information about the status of their claim. however, while looking to remedy that complication and case tracking to information, consideration must also be given to protext of veteran's private information. mr. speaker, i support section 31 of h.r. 1405, along with all the other provisions contained in the bill, and i encourage all members to join me in support of the legislation. i thank you and i yield back

the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from nevada. ms. titus: yes, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from minnesota, mr. walz, who brings incredible expertise and compassion to the committee as a decorated veteran himself. mr. walz: well, thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing a package of bills to help our veterans in the best and smartest way we can. if the entire congress acted like the v.a. committee, i think we would be better serve. one provision recognizes the member and women of the reserve component. they take the same oath of office. they do the same training. their family stand on the ready at all times. they assist flood victims in colorado and minnesota. they fight fires across the

western united states and they stand ready to fight and defend this nation at a moment's notice. they truly are the minutemen. i would guess that the vast majority of americans, then maybe members of this body, don't recognize that you can serve 20 years doing that, and if you are not called to a specific title 10 service, you cannot be considered a veteran. you can go to the v.a. hospital, you can use the g.i. bill, you can be buried in a veteran's cemetery but you're technically a military retiree. this may seem like a small thing but it's not. being a veteran is something your neighbors know about. these people don't and should not have to explain that they're technically not a veteran. this piece of legislation, and i thank, again, the people who made this possible, simply corrects that. very seldom do we get a chance to do this. it doesn't add any cost and it does the right thing. so it's not an added benefit, which were earned by the way. it simply corrects this, puts it in line.

if you serve 20 or more years in uniform, you stand ready, you train people who went to war, we give you the honor of calling you a veteran. i ask my colleagues to support this important package of legislation. this provision is many, many years overdue. i ask for of 1405. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: thank you very much, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to a former member of the v.a. committee, a member of the united states air force, mr. johnson for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: i thank you, mr. speaker, and i thank the chairman for recognizing me. i rise in strong support today of h.r. 1405, which in addition to improving the disability claims appeals process for veterans, contains language from h.r. 894, lgs i introduced to provide necessary reforms to the department of veterans affairs fiduciary program. in response to an investigation by the oversight and

investigation subcommittee, which i chaired in the last congress, this legislation includes significant changes that will strengthen the v.a. standards for administering the fiduciary program and increase protection for vulnerable veterans. requiring background checks and lowering the fee of fiduciary can charge will increase scrutiny over fiduciaries and help root out potential predators. it allows veterans to petition to have their fiduciary removed and replaced. importantly, it would also enable veterans to appeal their incompetency status at any time. that's a right not currently granted to veterans. i'd like to thank chairman runyan and ranking member titus of the disability, assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee for their support of this legislation. i urge my colleagues to support it, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the

balance of his time. the gentlewoman from nevada. ms. titus: i thank you. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, we have no more requests for time, so we'll be prepared to close if ms. titus will go ahead and close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from nevada. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. i would urge my colleagues to join us in supporting h.r. 1405, as amended. i have no further speakers so i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, h.r. 1405, as amended, is yet another bipartisan bill that's been advanced out of our committee. again, thank all the members for their collaborative work on this bill, and i urge my colleagues to join us in passing h.r. 1405, as amended. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1405, 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. without objection, the title is amended. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2011. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 155, h.r. 2011, a bill to amend title 38, united states code, to provide for a two-year extension of the veterans' advisory committee on education. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, and the gentleman from maine, mr. michaud, each will control 20 minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: mr. speaker, again, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and xtend their remarks. and add any extraneous material they may have on h.r. 2011. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. miller: and mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. miller: thank you very much. having the right skills is one of the keys to finding a good job, and america's taxpayers are now providing the most valuable g.i. bill benefit to veterans and dependents since world war ii. to assist v.a. and the coping in making sure that -- congress in making sure that educational benefits are meeting the needs of our veterans, title 38 has established a committee to advise the secretary on the needs of veteran students. the committee's statutory term will expire on december 31 of this year. h.r. 2011 would extend that term for two years, and i thank

mr. delaney for bringing his bill forward to our committee. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 2011, the veterans' advisory committee on education improvement act of 2013, and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. the veterans' advisory committee on education provides advice to the secretary of veterans affairs on the administration of education and training programs for veterans and service members, reservists and guard personnel and dependents of veterans. the advisory committee is composed of veterans and persons who are imminent in their respective fields of education, labor, management and representative of institution and establishments furnishing education to veterans. the -- besides providing advice, they recommend new educational benefit programs

and services. it also plays a key role in the long-range planning and development of existing education benefits, programs for our veterans. mr. speaker, as our post-9/11 g.i. bill continues to evolve in being fully understood by v.a., colleges, veterans and their dependents, the advisory committee is crucial to full implementation to resolve lingering issues, the authority for the advisory committee on education is slated to end on december 31, 2013. h.r. 2011 would extend this authority for two years so that the advisory committee can continue to -- its important work in ensuring that veterans receive the full value of their educational benefits. i wish to thank representative delaney of maryland for sbroy deucing this bill -- introducing this bill and chairman miller for bringing it to the floor today. i wish also to thank the subcommittee economic

opportunity chairman flores and ranking member takano for their hard work on this legislation, and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: with that, mr. speaker, i'm happy to yield two minutes to the gentleman from the 16th district of ohio, mr. renacci. mr. renacci: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. speaker, i'm rising with many colleagues who worked in a bipartisan working group include mr. carney, mr. heck, mr. delaney and others in strong support of h.r. 2011, the veterans' advisory committee on education grofment act. it was a -- improvement act. it was a great pleasure in introducing this legislation with mr. delaney. americans' veterans sacrifice dearly for this country, and i believe it is our obligation to help them once their service is complete. the veterans' advisory committee on education was created in 1972 to advise the secretary of veterans affairs on education and job training programs. our legislation will not only continue the work of this

valuable committee by re-authorizing it for two years, but it will also expand the committee to include representatives for those that served after september 11, 2001. every military conflict has its own unique -- and every generation of veterans face a unique set of obstacles as they rejoin the civilian job market. for this reason, it is critical that we include members that represent those that served in iraq and afghanistan. as a member of congress, i believe there is no greater cause than protecting and caring for our service men and women. i ask my colleagues to support h.r. 2011. doing so will ensure that our troops receive the most effective education and training opportunities available. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from maine. mr. michaud: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield four minutes to the gentleman from maryland, mr. delaney. mr. delaney: thank you, mr.

speaker. i want to thank the ranking member for yielding. i also want to thank chairman miller and the rest of the veterans' affairs committee for their support during this committee process. the veterans' affairs committee does some of the most important work here in congress, and has long been applauded as a place where both parties work together. in that vain, our bill, h.r. 2011, the veterans' advisory committee on education improvement act, is bipartisan legislation which i was pleased to introduce with my colleague from ohio, congressman renacci. h.r. 2011 is commonsense legislation designed to improve the v.a.'s education and job training programs, and i'm proud it is being considered on the house floor today. mr. speaker, one of the real privileges of our work in congress is getting to meet so many dedicated servicemen and veterans and learn about the incredible work they've done to keep our country safe and defend our way of life. likewise, in our district, one of the most essential services in our offices is to provide help to veterans so they can

earn the benefits that they deserve. and when we travel across our districts, what we see is the deep appreciation the american people have for her veterans. there is a reverence in their heroism and gratitude for their service. mr. speaker, the american people feel strongly that our veterans deserve to be repaid for their service. i believe one of the most significant commitments that we can make to these servicemen is their education. going back to 1944 with the first g.i. bill, we've joined together as a nation and said when our veterans come home they're going to be able to receive the education they need. in today's high-tech global economy, that commitment is more important than ever. the veterans unemployment rate is too low, especially for post-9/11 veterans. to give our veterans the best chance to succeed, we need to make sure that they have a voice in the v.a. we need to make sure that our current benefit programs are working, and we need to make sure that our veterans' education programs are adapting

to an ever-changing world. mr. speaker, this legislation does two very important things. first, it re-authorizes the veterans' advisory committee on educations through 2015. absent congressional action, the veterans'ed a risery committee on education -- veterans' advisory committee on education will sunset this december. the committee will include post-9/11 veterans. there are over two million post-9/11 veterans in the united states, and their perspectives needs to be heard on the committee and at the v.a. h.r. 2011 are supported by several important veterans organizes, including the iraq and afghanistan veterans of america, the military officers association of america, the student veterans association and the veterans of foreign wars. i can't think of better endorsements than these.

helping to transition to civilian life is one of the most critical challenges of our country. they are heroes and deserve a world-class education. our constituents feel strongly that this is something that we get right. i thank the ranking member for his time and i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: we have no more requests for time. if mr. michaud is ready to close, we are. mr. michaud: i have no further speakers either, so i would urge my colleagues to support h.r. 2011 and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maine yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. miller: i ask our colleagues to join us in supporting h.r. 2011 and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill 2011. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the opinion of the chair --

mr. michaud: mr. speaker. 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 country. -- counted. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, further proceedings on this postponed. be pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 6:30 p.m. today.

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really you are eric

the year we have double number of winners and total prizes. entries must be in by january 20, 2014. for more information, go to student camp,.org. lex before the houseboats die, more details on what to expect from capitol hill, including work on the budget and farm bill in conference and the upcoming hearings on the health care law in the house. >> we start with a discussion on the week in congress, a lot of activity going on this week. two reporters joining us on what happens and what it means politically. from thebentley huffington post reports on the white house and reports on congress as well. frome also joined by neil cq roll call. inc. you for coming on this morning.

week as far as agenda is concerned. let's start with the high points. what are we expecting this week in congress? one of the things we are going to see is will have formal meetings midweek of a formal conferencenate committee, trying to hammer out some sort of deal on how much money will be spent going forward. we will also see a farm bill conference kickoff and, as part of that, it's another attempt for negotiators to get a deal done between the two chambers on the foreign programs and food stamps and other benefits going forward. it has been a long time since we've seen the conference process really work and both of these had been blocked from happening over the last several months, so we will see how that

goes. but that's one of the big items of the week. host: when it comes to these budget discussions, what are the main issues? talks, it'sudget the same old stuff. republicans want to make cuts to entitlements and democrats want to close tax loopholes and go after the wealthy to bring in new revenues and pay down our --nding bills. i'm not sure i'm curious to see how this is going to play out. conferenceve meetings anymore. everyone just makes a lot of noise on the house floor and nothing happens. see an exciting time to things get back to the regular process because this is really how it is most work. fingers crossed for something more normal to happen finally in congress after this 16 day government shutdown. >> do either of you expect

anything to happen from this conference? >> the thing that came up last week, senate majority leader harry reid at a local interview with a public radio affiliate in nevada in which he said there was not going to be a grand bargain out of this round of talks. we have heard that in a bunch of interviews with print publications that paul ryan, the chairman of the house edge it committee gave last week that basically both sides are looking at a narrower agreement to hash out a top line spending level to fund the government through the end of the number of 24 been. else, at least in this round. there might be a deal, but it's not going to be a deal that will do much for us. >> the political value of lowering expect haitians, that is what is happening if we read between the lines.

>> now that they are finally coming together, they can tackle a smaller bargain. through the end of september. we can actually have an appropriations type process to fund the government. those days? we haven't had those in so long. that unto itself would be a success for congress at this point. the grand bargain talk would take far more concessions, a much more dragged out, fiery debate that at this point, we've had so much fighting in congress, if they could even get a small ball deal just to fund the government to the end of the fiscal year, that would be a win for everybody. untilboth guests with us 8:30 to talk to us today. the numbers are on your screen.

because of the shutdown, does that overarching thing that happens as far as the specific conference committee talks? the mood hasthing, changed somewhat. it was so tense and hostile and it was fighting in the government was still closed and we almost defaulted on the debt. now that is behind us, i know the president certainly hopes that we have moved past the major showdown, let's try to get back to normal. you saw obama after this was all over, the first thing he said was ok, congress, let's do a farm bill and immigration reform. but do it this year. he dropped the mic and leaves. the tone is changing somewhat and the expectations and hopes are changing because

we just got passed a major showdown in congress. host: what does it do on the topic of sequester and the cuts that were going into effect this year? and senate, the spending numbers they have been working off of so far are different because the republicans in the house are working off a number of that accounts for the sequester cuts happening. the democrats and senate, not so. as a result of that, what you have is they are looking for sequester replacement and trying to find savings elsewhere in the budget. these savings can either be spending cuts or the closing of tax loopholes, these tax expenditures. way, you are looking for some way to bridge the gap, which is about a $90 billion

gap. it's not easy, but there might be some way to find ground in the middle and the idea is not to have the sequester kick income january. rich let's start off with joining us from springfield, oregon on our democrats line. good morning. go ahead. caller: i'm just happy to get in. congress has those approval ratings way down there. they are talking about only relatives and close friends have approval for them or something like that. thingsre a couple of that it just seems like have been covered up. congress had that insight trading thing going on. it seems like that just as appeared. being that i'm kind of upset with congress and everything, just makes me want to bring that

spying about getting information on things and spying going on in these other countries, i think a lot of that is actually trying to find out what stocks and how the money is moving in that type of thing. when it comes to activities of congress, what would you like our guests to tackle? caller: i would like to talk about the insider trading part of congress. they did pass a law that passed both chambers called the stop -- the stock act, but there's a lot of consternation that that did not go as intended when it was enacted. that is one of many topics that disappeared from the radar, frankly, because we have been dealing with these big budget issues. thatt is the kind of thing

could certainly make a comeback in an election year. that's the kind of thing you look to come up next summer as we approach the midterms in 2014. >> you are talking about budgets and time and chris in alabama says he thinks it's less than three weeks, but how does that fact are into things going forward? guest: the bar has been raised somewhat since they have come out of the shutdown. we've got a budget conference meeting at a farm bill conference meeting and we've got immigration reform back on the table as things the president wants to see done this year. anyone of those moving this year would be huge. as the days pass by, there is less time to get anything done. and here is james rochette . i am from tennessee.

i would like to know if it would lower the egos of some of these people in congress if they could sit down and do a small appropriations bill, and that is what i would like to know. host: you want to start? guest: i am not sure it would affect egos. just an appropriations bill or a basic bill they are supposed to pass every year. that would thaw some of the tensions that have been brewing. if they could accomplish something together, i think you would start to see people maybe trusting each other more and maybe willing to reach out more and that would spread to other issues. guest: the one thing i would caution would be the thought about the appropriations bill.

what we're likely to see a catch all appropriations bill that funds all of the various departments all in one fell swoop. that itself is not regular order. what the caller is talking about what would be perhaps better is if you could get back to a point where you go through the normal process of moving the bills, the labor hhs education bill, the defense bill, move them all individually. frankly, there is not enough time when we talk about the calendar. there is not enough time to move all of the bills individually at this point. host: sarah from dover, pennsylvania. caller: good morning. i would like to change the subject a little bit if i can.

i live on medicare. the medicare and food stamps -- i am surviving on $125 a week. if they take food stamps away from me -- the -- [indiscernible] he needs to feeds us first before he feeds anyone else. and also, we have a place to live. our guys come home from the service. they are losing because they have no place to live. i would like to see that to happen, too. thank you. host: there is a story in

politico. the headline talks about the farm bill that it gets no respect, referencing rodney dangerfield. why is this an important discussion happening? guest: the last time we had a farm bill, that law expired in 2008. what is it, 2013? it has been five years since we had a new farm bill passed. the fact they are going into conference to sit down in both chambers, that is huge. that is something. i know chairman lucas. he is beside himself with joy that this is happening. this is a return to what this is supposed to look like. the caller is right.

the bill that house republicans have for the farm bill would gut food stamps by $39 billion. another bill would cut it by $4.5 billion. huge difference. the food stamp issue is the most hotly debated piece of the entire thing. >> both conference committees are set to resolve differences. how does that play out? guest: i do not know. i think that is the biggest question ultimately that will have to be resolved in order for the farm bill to move. you cannot see the senate democrats and perhaps some of the senate republicans agreeing to cuts in snap, the food stamp program, that are anywhere near akin to what is in the house bill. so the question, here we go again. the question may come down to what happens if something comes out of the conference committee

that is much closer to the senate bill -- speaker boehner, what do you do? the question of a bill that gets put on the house floor. to at least interfere to prevent guest: this was an attempt to divide the farm bill from the nutrition programs, food stamps, because this has been a marriage that has been going on for a very long time. urbannnot necessarily get lawmakers, people in the house who are from for donna lee s, innerc district cities, to vote for the farm bill without these per grams

that support their constituents as well, because obviously there are no vast cornfields in brooklyn. host: niels lesniewski joining us from roll call. jennifer bendery joining us from huffington post. carol is up next. hi. caller: the lady said earlier that when everything was over with, the president said, ok, let's get back to business. let's pass the farm bill and this bill and that bill. i have been waiting a long time for the president to do something. i cannot see he has done nothing. he denies, denies. he doesn't know anything. it's like a child with his hand in the cookie jar.

when you want to find out what the child is doing -- "i do not know, i do not know." i am waiting for the president to do something. i just do not have any trust in him. guest: ma'am, can you hear me? what do you think the president should do right now to get something moving on these things? caller: at least talk. at least tell the people the truth. i do not think he has told the people the truth about anything. nothing. all he does is deny, deny, deny and put the blame game on everyone else. that does not get the ball rolling. stand up, be in charge. he is in charge. host: carol, thank you. jennifer bendery.

guest: there are some people who say the president needs to lead. you can apply that to just about any issue. i think the president would say i am leading and congress has a job to do. members of congress are elected to pass bills. the president's job is to look over the whole thing and make calls to members, have private meetings with members. here we are in late october and there are some big items on the agenda for the next couple of months that the president would like to see action on. i think it is going to come down to congress. what happens in the budget conference meeting? what happens in the farm bill conference meeting? and on immigration, everybody is weighing in on that one. the president is calling for

what he would like. particularly in the next couple of months, these key issues will come down to what members of congress have to work out. host: do you see the president standing back a little bit? guest: on immigration, the president has pulled back. he has been more removed on this issue than most issues. there are some real divides on it. any involvement might make republicans back off the deal. i think -- i guess i would ask people what they think he should do. especially with immigration. you have people like marco rubio in the senate hoping to get through a broader bill, and now he is backing off. he was kind of the face on this for many republicans.

it is a constantly changing issue and very sensitive. it is probably wise on the president's part to stand back on this. host: what was the reaction when immigration came back to the forefront? guest: i think people knew it had to come back to the forefront at some point in the coming days or weeks. it was not entirely clear it would come up at the moment the president brought it up. the house has yet to pass any immigration bill of any kind in this process. there has been some conflicting reporting about what the intention of the house is in the weeks ahead regarding immigration. there are some outside groups that do not want the house to pass any immigration bill at all, even like a narrow border

security-only bill, because it might turn into what they would call stalking horse for a big deal that resembles what came out of the senate. that will be a big question, how the vote counting in the house works. that is a recurring theme of this congress. host: will we see one bill, a series of smaller bills? guest: it sounds like it would be a series of smaller bills. they are taking a step-by-step approach. they would probably do a set of smaller bills. my guess is the senate would construe them all as being one big package, even if there are 10 bills. the senate would say, we are going to bundle those bills together. host: once it gets to committee

-- guest: we are back with the farm bill and budget and everything else. we could have the world of conference committees for the next few months. there could be some busy lawmakers. there are some people who will be on all of these conference committees. host: there are still hurdles to be jumped. let's go to barbara from missouri, democrats' line. hi. caller: how do you know that congress has an agenda at all? they want to accuse the president and accuse, always pointing fingers. no mission to get anything accomplished. how do you know what agenda they might have? is their agenda going to continue to attack the aca?

guest: the continuing attacks on the affordable care act are here to stay. the rollout has been abysmal. these glitches that keep popping up are ready fodder for republicans to criticize the law and also for some democrats to have criticisms of the law. i had a story with my senate colleague about what senator joe manchin has been up to, pushing a one-year delay of the penalties for not being able -- or not getting health insurance through the exchanges. that talk is going to continue and that is going to be up to the technical folks, the contractors.

the person who has been brought in to be the overlord has been brought in to get the website to work, to make sure that work so the criticisms largely turn out to be unfounded by the time january rolls around. host: senator shaheen was on the shows yesterday talking about the affordable care act. we will get you guys to react to what she said. [video clip] >> i think our number one goal is to make sure the website is working and to make sure millions of people who want to enroll in health insurance through the affordable care act can do that. there will be plenty of time to place blame on who was responsible for whether it should have worked on day one. but right now everybody's goal should be let's get this working. let's make sure people can get the health care they want and need.

host: secretary sebelius will be talking about these issues. what does she face? guest: sebelius is going to face some tough questioning from republicans. i wait for signs that repubicans may pull out a laptop and ask her to enroll in obamacare to see what kind of errors she runs across. it is a little premature to start calling for delaying things. it is late october. the administration clearly screwed up. the website is a mess. there are people enrolling, but there are so many problems with it. the federal government has to try to work harder in those states. i think it is a little early to declare a major catastrophe. the administration has until mid to late november to get this

fixed on the website. host: that is three or four weeks. guest: they made some real mistakes. the website is a mess. they have time to fix it so when january comes around they can get people actively enrolled. some are calling for sebelius to resign. "it is a disaster." these are the kinds of things republicans are declaring and putting out in all different forms of messaging. i think it is a little early to declare this a huge disaster. give it a few weeks. the white house is pointing out, everybody can still enroll. we have other options. you can enroll in person or by mail or call in.

give it a few weeks. host: apart from the website, what else do you think she will be questioned on? guest: there was a story in the "los angeles times" that talked about how the costs are higher for some people who are trying to get policies through the obamacare than they had previously. we are going to see more of that. some of that is justifiable. one of the cases cited the minimum essential coverage is higher than was in the insurance policy that the person was carrying. but still, if you like what you have, you can keep it talking point is one that keeps coming back to bite the obama administration in a big way. it's turned out not to be

literally true, even if actuarily it may be true. people do not read actuarial tables. host: here is chuck from florida. hi. caller: good morning. i would like to bring up social security. i see all the politicians are bringing it up. my question is, how do we get social security back into the trust fund? the government has borrowed almost $4 trillion out of social security. that is 1/4 of the debt. nobody brings this up. social security has been broke since they took it out of the trust fund, put it into the general fund, and co-mingled it in with the general tax dollars.

host: any response? guest: the social security situation we will see coming up is not the one that is related to how the dollars in social security are allocated in the trust fund. if there will be any social security cutbacks, cost-of- living changes that come up in any of these budget talks, and i am citing senator reid from last week. senate democrats say that is not going to happen. that is one of the cards in the deck of options how to deal with the budget woes. host: donald from maryland is up next. caller: hi. i simply want to say the way things are going, the bureaucracy and the back-and- forth is only going to bring us

to a point where we are at 100% of the federal tax receipts is going to be going straight to the interest on the debt, and at that point the game is over. i would like to know what is either of your guests' personal opinion about what needs to happen in sequence and more immediately than later in order for a negotiation to come about from the back-and-forth. guest: i guess i would say that the fact that we are going into a budget conference is a good sign. we've got people in both parties talking about the possibility of passing something that could start to rein in the way we budget and that starts to

address sequestration and get some of these numbers more in line with how people would like to see them. a lot of this is going to be waiting and seeing what happens. this week is a big week. when the budget conference happens, when people walk out of it, it is not that we are looking for them to have a deal. even just the way they talk about the meetings will give some signs about, are people ready to fix the budget process and fixing the way we address sequestration? host: back to health care. when the secretary appears before the committee, what will she be grilled about -- how many people signed up? guest: absolutely. host: will we hear a number? guest: no. i'd do not think the administration wants to get into specifics. people want to hear numbers.

it is been four weeks since the website launched. people want to know how many people are enrolling. at this point, given the glitches and the problems we're seeing with the website, i do not think the administration wants to get in any specifics. they will say people are enrolling with a general idea and they are enrolling in other ways besides the website. she will get a lot of specific type questions that i do not think she will want to get into. host: not having a number? guest: she may have to give them something either in the actual testimony or it would not surprise me if the committee did not get the answers the republicans were looking for if they came in and tried to hit hhs with a subpoena a week after the hearing. there are different sticks that

can be used in this case. the bigger question of how it is working. the other thing is it is never clear how many questions that the person testifying actually gets. so many members of congress have this habit of using up their entire allocated time giving a statement that there is little time for actually answering questions. in some ways that might be better for the administration. if there are fewer questions to be answered. host: sherry up next from florida. caller: hi. the republicans are so hypocritical. the day this president took office and he was faced with the worst bush economy, the

republicans vowed to oppose everything that he did. for two years, they were very busy voting to repeal obamacare 40 times. how many times did republicans vote for the president's american jobs bill? none. "we cannot leave this debt to our children and grandchildren." host: a question citing jobs as an issue. guest: jobs is always what everybody says they are doing. it is particularly amusing in the house. they say their number one issue is jobs. there are nicely designed pamphlets and flyers they hold up in press conferences. you could talk about the jobs created by this congress and it is not good. it is not their priority.

there is a real disconnect. many polls show the americans want jobs. there has been so much fighting and so much ideological fighting over obamacare. we have had 42, 43 house votes now to repeal it, gut it, defund it. the process to create jobs has taken a side stage for now. host: the president has asked congress to pass the jobs bill several times. guest: a few weeks ago i was talking to senator lindsey graham, and he sort of unexpectedly to me and some other reporters threw out the possibility of a big budget deal including some infrastructure

spending, provided there was some kind of offset to pay for with some sort of entitlement change or a tax code tweak. that surprised me a little bit. one of the things that comes up over and over are these chronic infrastructure problems, and that is one thing that really is by most people's standards a federal responsibility, to have functioning ports and roads and that is something that could create jobs. maybe there will be some infrastructure spending. guest: i am surprised senator lindsey graham brought that up. it creates jobs and economists

agree one of the first things you can do to create jobs, pass a bill that fixes our broken bridges and roads. that puts construction workers back to work. it is a well-known common, popular topic when it comes to job creation. the fact that lindsey graham mentioned that, that is noteworthy. host: rachel from chicago, illinois. caller: good morning. i was hoping you could lay out for me the substantive issues in the farm bill and let me know which issues you think the republicans and democrats can agree upon and get something done and which issues might be a bit more difficult. host: i will let both of you weigh in. host: neils, if you want to go

first. guest: the food stamp issue will be the largest issue. there is a disagreement, and i do not have all the specifics on the top of my head, but i know there is a big issue that has to be worked out related to how milk prices and benefits for dairy farmers are calculated because speaker john boehner has been against some changes to the milk program that have been favored by democrats. particularly that have been pushed by senator patrick leahy of vermont as well as collin peterson, the ranking democrat on the house committee. there are all sorts of thorny issues related to how you change

payment rates for various crops. how the new crop insurance program will work. the farm bill is interesting because so much is regionally driven. it matters who your producers are and what their crops are. the cotton people versus the people who produce corn, soybeans, versus those who produce specialty crops, which are not always special. they are things you would buy in a grocery store. there are things that need to be worked out and you do not know how the final deal will look. guest: the thing that stands out to me is the food stamp fight. it is such a huge cut in the house bill. $39 billion.

when you compare that to the $5 billion in the senate democrat'' bill. >> we will leave you now. the house is coming back in. first electronic vote 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 florida, mr. miller, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2189 as amended on the yeas and nays -- and the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 171, h.r. 2189, a bill to establish a commission or task force to evaluate the backlog of disability claims of the department of veterans affairs. 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.]

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the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 404, 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. without objection, the title is amended. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the the gentleman from florida, mr. miller, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2011, on which yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 55, h.r. 2011, a bill to amend title 38, united states code, to require the secretary of terans affairs to on education. the speaker pro tempore: members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a

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

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 404, the nays are two. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. sessions: mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 391, resolution

providing for consideration of the bill, h.r. 992, to amend provisions in section 716 of the dodd-frank wall street reform , consumer protection act federal assistance and providing for consideration of the bill, h.r. 2374, to amend the securities exchange act of 1934, to provide protections for retail consumers and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. the chair will now entertain

requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? mr. clarke: mr. speaker, i'd like -- ms. clarke: mr. speaker, i'd like to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. clarke: mr. speaker, my colleagues, we were all saddened last monday evening to hear of the passing of my predecessor, the honorable congressman major r. owens. and i stand here with colleagues to commemorate his life and his

record of dedicated service to the people of central brooklyn. congressman owens was committed to the children and families who had been mar -- marginalized and ignored by the body of politics. he looked and was a strong advocate for education as a member of the house committee on education and work force. his efforts were critical to the enactment of americans with disabilities act. congressman owens had always been dedicated to expanding access to information and the empowerment of the citizenry before being elected to new york state, he was a proud librarian at the brooklyn public library and he remains the only librarian to have been a member of congress and was a may oral appointee by the mayor, commissioner for community development agency, and fighting on behalf of impoverished new yorkers. congressman major owens retired from elected office, he devoted himself to training the next generation of leaders as a professor. he shared his experience with the students at a college.

mr. speaker, the example of congressman major r. owens' public service will remain an inspiration to this and future generations of elected officials and brooklyn and across the nation. mr. speaker, i ask the house stand and offer a moment of silence to honor the late congressman, major r. owens. hank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, wednesday the h.h.s. secretary, kathleen sebelius, is scheduled to testify before the house energy and commerce committee on the massive technological failures of the online rollout of the affordable care act. and while some of my colleagues would lead you to believe that these are only minor website glitches, i rise to talk about the basic fundamental flaw in the construct of the affordable care act. he structure of the design was to increase the rates for the young and healthy. while decreasing rates for the elderly or sick. the problem is this only serves to deter young americans from purchasing health care. when faced with the cost of education, first homes and the prospect of starting families. we all want americans to be covered but higher premiums for the young and healthy to subsidize those who are greater consumers of health care was not the bill of goods the american

people were originally sold. mr. speaker, young americans deserve better. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, achieving immigration reform is not just an issue of security or economics. it's also an issue of women's rights. it's women who disproportionately bear the brunt of our inability to fix the immigration system. undocumented women are more likely to suffer from domestic violence, poor work conditions or be victims of human trafficking. ms. duckworth: they're afraid to demand justice for crimes that are committed against them and they are afraid of the retaliation and deportation. a pathway to citizenship is critical to putting an end to a system that encourages the exploitation of women. far too many mothers have been separated from their children

because our immigration system does not value family unity and program rights. family values are american values. women waiting decades to reunite with their families is not acceptable. ensuring that our family-based immigration policies are strong and that they come with rights to employment are key to promoting the well-being of women. we benefit as a nation when women have the ability to reach their full potential. with the help of women, it is projected that comprehensive immigration reform will reduce the deficit by $1 trillion over 10 years. i know that my neighbors care about women's rights and care about keeping families together. that's why we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform now. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida rise? ms. ros-lehtinen: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, madam speaker. i'm pleased to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the

congressional hispanic leadership institute known as chili. through his vision and leadership, former congressman lincoln diaz-balart, has guided chli while preparing young hispanics to become the leaders of tomorrow. chli's programs and initiatives focus on a wide variety of issues, from public service to commerce and technology. this month i spoke at chli's trade, an international affair symposium, to highlight the importance of our community's contribution to the global economy. as the fastest growing group of both consumers and producers, hispanics can benefit from reducing trade barriers and opening new markets. chli has also helped many young people and provided them with the necessary tools to succeed in this increasingly globalized world. through chli's global leaders fellowship and internship programs, students from across our nation have expanded their

professional horizons and enhanced their understanding of the public and private sectors. as a chli board member, i'm proud of the opportunities that chli provides to our youth and its commitment to ensuring that we continue to prosper as a nation. thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: job. for what purpose does -- the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute. >> madam speaker, i rise today to recognize yvonne gonzalez, an extraordinary public servant who has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of south texas residents. as c.e.o., officer of the work force solutions, she has played a vitally important role in leading inspirational change in the rio grande valley and in the work force industry. in fact, due to her exemplary leadership, work force solutions has become one of the highest

performing work force boards in texas. prior to joining work force solutions as their c.e.o., ms. gonzalez served as founding president and c.e.o. of the r.g.b. empowerment zone. mr. hinojosa: it took a $40 million federal investment and leveraged it, an additional $416 million in local, state, national and private sector investment, into the empowerment zone communities. as a devoted public servant, ms. gonzalez has inpired others to striving for excellence and to put the needs of our community first. today i congratulate her on her tenure as president of the -- as the new president of the nap community care foundation and thank her for the many years of public service to the south texas residents. 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 minute. mr. poe: madam speaker, pakistan

is a disloyal, deceptive and devious ally of the united states. pakistan harbors the taliban terrorists that are at war with our troops and afghanistan. pakistan hid out osama bin laden. pakistan put the pakistani doctor that helped the united states take out the devil of the desert imprisoned for 30 years. pakistan is playing the united states for a nation of fools. otherwise why would our government just send $1,2 00,000,000 to pakistan? haven't we learned that pakistan takes our money and slyly and is he dishesly uses it for purposes counter to u.s. interests? pakistan has become the benedict arnold ally of america. why do we pay pakistan to hate us, madam speaker? they'll do it for tree. no american taxpayer money to pakistan. use that american money in america. freedom-loving nations that give pakistan money in the hope of fighting terrorism or sailing

the ships and the united states has become the admiral of the fleet and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom new york seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. tonko: thank you, madam speaker. oceans cover 70% of our earth's surface. they form an intricate food web, one that the world has relied on for protein for generations. but if we continue on our path, we will lose a source of protein in a few generations. we think of the oceans as too big to fail but we are altering their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics at

an increasing pace. our oceans are warming, is a lynnity and acidity are changing. fisheries are being overexploited. it is long pastime for us to address climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our impact on coastal waters in a sustained way. oceans have sustained life for millions of years, we should work to ensure they do so for thousands more. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise to discuss the importance of manufacturing to our economy. today i introduce the reducing employer burdens, unleashing innovation and labor development -- the rebuild act of 013. the rebuild act is aimed at increasing our global competitiveness. provisions included seek to redesign work force train,

achieve comprehensive tax reform, achieve access to energy, reform health care, reform trade policy, and open up more spectrum for technological innovation. pieced together, these policies will allow taos ensure the yeats of america remains the best place in the world to do business. i come from a small business manufacturing background and understand how federal policies can encourage or stifle innovation and job creation. i encourage my colleagues to join me in this effort to boost our global competitiveness. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> madam speaker, i simply wanted to rise and pay tribute to the memory of my dear friend

and colleague, major owens, who passed last week. mr. watt: and to express condolences to his family. we take for granted sometimes s new members coming in that there's a system in place to provide support and mentorship to new members. it's just not the way things operate. when i came to congress in 1993, major owens was already here. and he became one of the mentors and advisors and people who taught me the rules of how this institution operates, the rules of civility, respect, and honor and the rules by which we operate the floor of the house. i learned so much from him and over the years became a good, close friend of major wednesday

and the members of his family. all of whom we join in grieving with on this occasion. so, i simply wanted to say how much respect i had for him and how much appreciation i had for the advice and mentorship he provided to me. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from wyoming seek recognition? >> i rise to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute. -- rise to reck nice mrs. lummis: mary is one of 10

top level park managers in the united states and the only woman among them. before taking her current position in wyoming in 2004, mary held park management positions across the u.s., including fabulous carlsbad cavern, golden gate park, santa monica mountains and channel islands in the west. and in the east, the gateway in new york and blue ridge parkway in verge. over the course of her career, mary herbed a variety of ea wards including the department of interior superior service award, the intermountain region's superintendent of the year for natural resources, just to name two. to many of us in wyoming, madam speaker, mary gibson scott is a neighbor and a friend. immersed in the wyoming community, a valued and treasured public servant and the epitome of a leader in steward shitch of both natural resources and human relationships. i am proud and freezed to --

and pleased to call mary gibson scott my friend. madam speaker, i urge my colleagues to join me in congratulate, mary gibson scott on her ill lust res you career and wishing her the best for a happy and well-earned retirement. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for onemen. the speaker pro tempore: without objection -- for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and encollude extraneous material on ms. clarke's one-minute. thank you. i rise to joan my colleagues in celebrating the people's congressman. i'm so delighted we have the opportunity to share our friendship toward the late congressman major owens who loved his brooklyn district and

loved his family. my deepest sympathy to his wife maria and all his family members and to be able to indicate that major owens was truly someone who served the people, reminded of a story he told of his family when they heard that f.d.r. was providing funt for work in the 1940's, no one in his community were getting jobs, but his parents called f.d.r. or wrote f.d.r. and all of a sudden things cheaged. that's the kind of congressman, congressman owens was. he was a changemaker. educator, librarian. always there to say that his district and america's poor people needed to be represented. he was in fact the people's congressperson because he extended his hand, he loved the people, he provided resources and he fought the good fight. i want to thank you, congressman major owens for being my friend and a friend to those of nuss congress, republicans and democrat, but most of all, i want to thank congressman major owens for being the friend of poor people

around the nation who could not speak for themselves. i am glad that his giant footsteps had a great impact on the congressional district he represented but more importantly he had great impact on america. he was a soldier on the battlefield for those who could not speak for themselves. may he rest in peace. god bless him and his family. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for onemen and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today to commend and bring attention to the recent candlelight vigil held in minnesota, honoring the 28 deaths in minnesota from demest exviolence this year. it's organized as part of domestic violence awareness month by the local domestic abuse nonprofit, cornerstone, was held earlier this month. mr. paulsen: there was a

tremendous showing of support from our community and from law enforcement supporting those who are victims of domestic violence. this is an issue that affects those across the country and we must co-more to put an end to these acts. was proud to sponsor the violence against women act to help women find safe housing. more needs to be done to bring attention and an to end domestic violence in our neighborhoods. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask permission to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. green: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, like my colleagues, i will mourn the but i also or owens want to celebrate his life. and my purpose for rising

tonight is to do just this. to celebrate his life. he was a person of character who had a great reputation. his reputation i've had the honor of knowing by and through my chief of staff who was his chief of staff for 16 years and by working with her and hearing her explain to me all the many things that he was a party to over the course of the years, not only here in congress where he worked on legislation to help persons who had disabilities or have disabilities, but also back in his home district, where he was a person who championed the causes of people who were in need. and it means something to me to know that he had this great reputation but it's equally as

important for me to share with people that he did have character. when i met with him to discuss the hiring of jackie ellis, my chief of staff, because she was working with him and he was contemplating some other things and moving, he explained to me how important it was to, in this body, keep your word. he explained that among your friends and colleagues, your word is the thing that will give you the opportunity to continue to have support in the congress of the united states of america. his words about character and integrity are still with me. and i suspect that because he was a teacher and as you know, teachers impact eternity, what he has done, i will pass on to others because he passed it on to me and what his chief of staff has called -- caused me to learn from him vicariously

will impact my office eternally. i am grateful to him, i pay tribute to him, and i want his family to know that he has been a blessing to me and to my staff and to the people i serve. god bless you, and thank you, major. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, madam speaker. mr. barton: i rise to announce to my colleagues in the house that i just introduced h.r. 3348, the obamacare choice act of 2013. this is a simple one and a half page bill, it simply lets the american people choose for the next year whether they want to participate in what we commonly call odd bacommare. -- call obamacare. if it's as good as the

president says it is, people will join and get benefits from it. if on the other hand they can't get the software fixed and the policy mandates are unsustainable, the costs are too high, then the american people well choose not to participate. it's a simple bill. it makes participation voluntary by suspending the tax for nonparticipation. i would encourage all my colleagues to join as a co-sponsor of h.r. 3348, the obamacare choice act of 2013. with that, madam speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. caller: leave of absences requested for mr. aderholt of alabama for today and the balance of the week and mr. cooper of tennessee for october 28, 29, and 30. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the requests are granted. under the speaker's announced

policy of january 3, 2013, the entleman from florida, mr. mika is recognized as a designee of the majority leader. >> thank you, madam speaker, and my colleagues. mr. mica: i'm pleased to yield a -- to lead a special order in memory of the life ander is vess of our dear friend, our colleague from florida, mr. bill young. to lead off to lead off tonight in our special order, and we will hear from both members of the floo delegation, but leaders from the -- florida delegation, but leaders from the committees in which he was a leader himself. in that vein i'm very pleased to recognize first for a period of three minutes the gentleman from kentucky, the chair of the appropriations committee of the house of representatives, on which mr. young served so distinguishedly, mr. rogers from

kentucky, madam chair. mr. rogers: madam speaker, let me thank my colleague from florida for yielding me this time. and i rise today with a very heavy heart. to honor the memory and service of our dear friend and colleague, bill young. bill served in this house and he served this country for decades with compassion and distinction. i have not known this institution without him. most of us are in that same situation. and i believe it will take a long time to fill the hole that his absence has left. as an appropriator, he was a role model for all of us. when i became chairman of the committee, i knew i had some very large shoes to fill. following in the footsteps of

chairman young, among others. he fought with determination and enthusiasm to make this country better place. bill was a champion for our troops and veterans especially. both in the halls of the congress and outside. his fierce determination and dedication to our troops and veterans never wavered. as we all know, he and his dear wife beverly were to be found very frequently at bethesda or walter reed or at a hospital overseas where troops were sick. and they spent hours and hours helping these who were injured. he was, of course, the chairman of the defense subcommittee on the appropriations committee for many years. he also served on the military construction and veterans

affairs subcommittee. and his thumb print is very visible in the improved medical care and the quality of life of our troops. among the many other issues that he held dear to his heart. bill was a leader in this house. he was able to make his mark with grace and fortitude. he was a lion. about the things he cared about. but he was a gentle alonzo. -- lion and did things with grace and with a quiet voice. until you crossed him on the betterment of our troops. and then bill young would let .ou know where to get off i will miss bill young greatly. as i know all of us will. my prayers are with his family,

with beverly, his many friends, and all of those who had the privilege of knowing and working with bill young. he will be missed greatly. i thank the chairman for yielding and i yield back. mr. mica: i thank the gentleman. we're also pleased to have a distinguished leader of the florida delegation and now the dean of the florida delegation, our senior member, with us tonight to pay tribute to bill young. and i'll yield three minutes to the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much and, mr. chairman, thank you for the time. a good man, warm friend and a true patriot. bill young was an example for all of us here in congress and it was an honor and a privilege to serve with him. the loss of bill's experience and knowledge will be felt by everyone in this chamber. the consummate gentleman from

florida, he was always ready to listen to his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, greeting everyone with a smile. both principled and honest while maintaining civility with his colleagues, bill never allowed differences of opinion to devolve into partisan bickering and worked with republicans and democrats to balance our budget as chairman of the house appropriations committee. a tenacious public servant, bill dedicated his life to his constituents. his number one priority was ensuring those who serve our country get the help and the services they need to be successful. improving the quality of life for veterans and all active-duty personnel, including those in the reserve and the national guard, well, this was bill's mission. bill was always there for those returning from combat, visiting and helping our wounded warriors with his wife, beverly, and providing for our veterans at the medical facility in bay pines that now bears his name. as chairman of the

appropriations national defense subcommittee, bill oversaw spending by the pentagon and worked to ensure the readiness of our military in combat. his efforts helped not just those in his district, but americans across the nation. his legacy will be seen around every corner, from the beaches of the county to our fighting forces around the world. a genuine statesman, bill's accomplishments are as varied as they are numerous. he fought to protect -- florida's environment -- protect florida's environment by blocking drilling close to our gulf coast and helping restore eroding beaches. with beverly, bill helped create a national bone morrow registry with almost 10 million donors registered thus far. just as he fought for his own district, he could always be counted upon to help us with our constituent needs. in 1991, he saved mcdill air force base in his district from closure and the year later he

helped rebuild and protect homestead air reserve base in my congressional district after the devastation of hurricane andrew. through his vital effort, the miami river in my district, that raging project -- dredging project was completed, a project that continued to generate billions for the shipping industry, to create jobs and spur economic growth in south florida. it couldn't have -- it couldn't have happened without bill young. bill's instrumental in assisting tampa bay residents and those in my south florida community and indeed across our country. a true gentleman, a public servant ant a -- and a friend. bill young deserves all of our thanks, madam speaker. he will be forever remembered as a champion, not just for florida but indeed for our entire great nation. i thank the gentleman for arranging this special order. mr. mica: i thank the gentlelady. pleased now to recognize a member -- senior member of the florida delegation on the other

side of the aisle, mr. young was respected not only by his republican peers and colleagues but on both sides of the aisle. so, the co-chair of our florida delegation, mr. hastings, i'm pleased to yield three minutes. mr. hastings: thank you very much. and i appreciate you, mr. mica, my colleague, for arranging for this special order and it is special that we come here to speak about a gentleman who was special to us all. obviously we're here with heavy hearts and great sadness tonight , honoring a friend and a colleague, congressman bill young. bill was an acid white house public servant and a tireless advocate for all floridians. but out of all he was a man of integrity and a true statesman. the house of representatives will not be the same without

him. he served in congress for 42 years and i as well as others am deeply honored to have had the opportunity to serve alongside him for the past two decades. he dedicated himself to providing for our nation's service men and service women and was a powerful voice for america's best interests at home and abroad. his distinguished clear -- career has left its mark on the lives of countless americans. when i first came to congress in 1992, i met with bill young and sam gibbons. they were on opposite sides of the aisle but were dear friends dedicated to florida and to making the florida delegation strong. i remember vividly learning from both of them through the years. in addition, throughout all of

the travails of hurricanes and disasters, bill young stood with all of us that suffered during those periods and did everything he could to bring resources to florida and this nation during disasters. my first experience with an earmark was when bill became chairman of the appropriations committee and i didn't know much about the process but i knew that i wanted to get money in he budget to contribute to the african-american research center in fort lauderdale in my congressional district. when i went to him i was nervous because i wasn't sure how it would be handled. and he called me very easily by saying, it's done. and for sure it had a hand in the development of that particular research center of which stands and i honor him for

having assisted in bringing resources there. speaker boehner last week said it's only been a week since we began trying to imagine the house without bill young, an impossible task in its own right. and now he's gone. in our sorrow we recall how not a day went by without a colleague seeking bill's counsel as he sat on his perch in the corner of the house floor. i certainly have that distinction of going to that corner and consulting with him. president obama said in his statement that congressman young will be remembered for his advocacy and support for the armed services, service members and their families, as well as statesmanship and a long history of working across the aisle to keep our country moving forward. and secretary hagel said, he will be remembered as the

advocate for the welfare of america's service members and military veterans. though his loss will be felt by many, his legacy and commitment to a strong national defense will always inspire us. it is the height of irony that our friend would pass at walter reed hospital. no one in this body spent as much time with our military at walter reed and around this country. -- this country than bill young did. he of course has a legacy that is far excellent in that arena and also in bringing resources to the area that he served, as well as in other areas around this nation. tonight i join with the people of florida in keeping beverly, bill's sons, grandchildren, family, friends and staff in my

thoughts and prayers during this time of enormous sadness and loss and once again i thank you, chairman mica, for arranging for us to have the privilege of honoring this great american. mr. mica: thank you. now continuing in hearing from the leadership of our delegation, i'm pleased to recognize the chairman of the florida delegation, the gentleman whose district is adjacent to mr. young's, to the for three buchanan minutes. mr. buchanan: thank you, mr. chairman. for over four decades there's not been a stronger voice in this chamber for our brave men and women in uniform other than bill young. my district was just south of bill young's district. we have almost 90,000 veterans. there's nobody that's benefited

i think in terms of a district more than our vet advance have in terms of -- veterans have in terms of bill young's leadership and what he's brought to the county and to the state of florida. he was an inspiration to so many because he personified the most important virtue of public service. he did for others. as dean of the florida delegation, bill provided wisdom and counsel to members on both sides of the aisle. he served this great institution with devotion, civility and distinction. i'm honored personally to have served with this extraordinary man. his passing -- in his passing, florida and the nation has lost a great public servant. my thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. i yield back. mr. mica: i thank the gentleman. i'm completioned now to recognize another colleague -- pleased now recognize another colleague across the aisle, again, bill young's friendships and his service included everyone in the house of

representatives and in the congress. so i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentlelady from ohio, marcy kaptur. ms. kaptur: i want to thank chairman mica so very much for the privilege of extending the deepest condolences of the eople of ohio to the young family, to the constituents of congressman bill young's district in florida. it was such a privilege to know him. truly, he was not just a vigilant patriot, though that surely would have been enough, but he really was a man of the house. he belonged here. and his people knew that for over four decades. when i think of bill young i think of words leek courage, perseverance, insight. and fair play. he had a gentlemanly demeanor at any time i ever encountered

him. he had a respect for regular order, for the gavel, and for seniority, which i share. he had a fortitude about him that people in my part of the country call real spunk and he had a sparkle in his eye and an easy smile and an understanding. he was such a real human being. part of that is the fact that he grew up very poor in pennsylvania, in a coal town in an old shack. he really knew what poverty was and he didn't have an easy childhood and he never forgot that. yet he rose to be a master appropriator, but in that capacity, he was not imperious, but collegial, and he handled the gavel with fair play. he loved his wife beverly so much, i can still see her sitting in the gallery or coming unannounced into a

committee meeting, and he loved his family and he loved florida, and he worked so hard for the men and women in our armed services and our veterans, certainly in his own state, near him is the bay pines veterans medical center, the fourth largest veterans medical center in the country. but also all the operations of south ocom, dealing with all we have to in terms of the subcommittee in terms of the wars being conducted in afghanistan and iraq, he was engaged in all the intelligence at the highest level and kept his good measure. his endurance and his heroic battle in these last years that all of us witnessed showed the true measure of the man. in closing, mr. speaker, i would just like to say, i'll be seeing bill young in all the old familiar places, not just here on the floor but as we travel in codells to some of

the most god-forsaken places on earth, as we visit some of the highest level research facilities in our country and our men and women in uniform, i shall always remember bill young and be grateful for having been able to serve with him. i thank you, chairman mica, for yielding me this time. mr. mica: i thank the gentlelady. i'm pleased to yield three minute os to another florida colleague who is also a gentleman who served with mr. ung, distinguishedly, on the premises committee, the gentleman from miami, mr. mario diaz-balart, for three minutes. mr. diaz-balart: thank you. chairman mica, thank you for bringing us together today. you've heard of bill young, the statesman. and that he was. we all know how he was perhaps the best friend and strongest ally of our troops, men and

women in uniform, those in battle, those currently in uniform, and those who are our veterans. but those of us who worked with him and got to know him here got to know him frankly as almost leek a god father to all of us. there's not one time we didn't go to him that he would not be helpful. i remember after those storms in florida, when we had a bunch of hurricanes, i remember going to see bill young about getting help for the folks who had been hurt by the storms and his wisdom and his desire to help. it was always so present. he was always helpful. whether it was everglades restoration, because he was such a champion for the environment, and again, always with a smile. and then i got to know him better when i, again, served with him in appropriations and was eable to see how he mastered that appropriations process. frankly, potentially, nobody before him and i think

potentially nobody after him will again. but i will tell you, madam speaker, the part that to me was a real privilege is he was one of the reason i whipped, he was on my whip caffered. i would go to him on different issues, talk to him about different issues and find out if he was leaning one way or another. every time i wept there, what i got from bill young was a lesson he instructed. i was never able to inform him about what the issues were. he informed me. he instructed me like he always instructed all of us. and always, madam speaker, with hat encredible, warm, smile. with that warm, firm handshake, which he had until the very end. he never complained. we all know that for a long time he was in pain, yet he never complained. he always wanted to make sure that you were feeling good he

always wanted to know what he could do for you. every asking for himself. so i said recently, i wish i -- i've got to fiend out who said this i read someplace that to be a great man you have to be a good man. madam speaker, bill young was a great man. for so many reasons. for all that he did for this country, for all he did for the state of florida, for all that he did for our troops and the environment. the way he helped his colleagues. how generous and how humble and ow caring and loving he was. he was an incredible -- incredibly good man. and yes, if there's anybody that applies to, that before you can become a great man, you have to be a good man, if there's anybody that that describes, it's our chairman, bill young. to his family, to his constituents, to the troops and the veterans who are in essence is family as well, our deepest

condolences. bill young is irreplaceable. there will never be somebody like him again. and what a privilege and honor, one of the privileges and honors, greatest privileges and honored of my life was to be able to work with him, to get to know him, to be his friend. so again, to his constituents and his family, our condolences. we will miss him and he will never be forgotten. thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. mr. mica: i thank the gentleman from florida. i'm pleased to recognize the gentleman from california, mr. farr, again, reaching across the aisle with the respect and esteem with which mr. young was held, i yield three minutes to mr. farr from california. mr. farr: thank you, congressman mica, for yielding. i feel this is a very special privilege to be able to pay

honor to our colleagues here. i think of bill young as being one of the lions, one of the giants, of this institution. because he really used the institution for what we all get elected to do. first of all, he lembed -- he loved public service. he was in elected office for 5 years between state and federal government. he also served in the national guard as a reservist, national guard act i duty and reservist for 15 years. his life was about service. he used his service here in congress to be what i think this institution is all about. it's about leadership. it's about friendship. it's also about accomplishment. i don't think anybody has had a better record of accomplishment in so many different fields. had e here in 1993 and i'd the largest military base in the united states closed, fort hood in california, and i got to know the people on the defense appropriations

committee, on my side of the aisle was jack murtha. seems like jack's best friend was a republican on the other side of the aisle, bill young. jack said, you better go tell bill everything you told me about needing some help. we were trying to convert swords to plow shares by building a new university to serve the underserved ord and bill fort just jumped on it he knew the purpose, even though he was a strong warrior, he realized this was the future after a base was closed. so it was -- and then i invited him out to the district and he came to monterey, california, where we still had the military with the defense language institute and bill went in there and saw that all the language we were teaching were the old tape recorders you had to wind and rewind and he said, you need some modern equipment and he put in appropriations to get that equipment.

he visited the naval post-graduate school and got a lot of really interesting feedback from soldiers who had just come out of theater. but he and jack's friendship, jack murtha, who predeceased him was remarkable in this house and i think that's, you know if there's a legacy here, it's their legacy. it's how two people being on appropriations committee should and we all need to go back to what we're calling regular order, we come here to accomplish things. to fecks things that are broken. i mean -- bill young was probably the first of any who would talk about needing to ing back the ability to help areas that don't get form ma money ear it is marks. if you disclose and go through a process so that you don't

have the, you know, the clan december tine stuff, these things are good for rural america and particularly for areas where people are really poor. but i think my favorite story is that when he came out to the defense language institute, came on military air, and beverly, his wife, insisted, since i represent the area, that i get our former mayor, clint eastwood, to have lunch with him. we arranged that at clint's ranch. from the -- on the way, we passed by the beach and there's a stranded sea lion there. beverly gets out and says, we've got to take kear of the sea lion before anything else and has the entire crew of the airplane because she insisted they had to come to lunch with her, they had to help get the sea lion. we have marine mammal rescue and they eventually showed up. when we got to the restaurant, i don't think anybody thought that the whole crew was going to come and bill was insistent, no, everybody is equal here. didn't matter whether you were a congress member or just a

crew member, you were going to get a chance to have lunch with clint eastwood. we had a lot of laughs a will the of discussion about things and then that led to, and i hadn't realized it, bill was a big animal rights supporter. he and i authored a bill to -- with his friend bob barker who is -- i met bob barker through him, bob barker, wheel of fortune, dedicated a lot of his life to banning elephants in circuses. and bill said, i'm going to author that bill. so we did a bipartisan author and bill barker came and in fact we linked up with kim basinger, who is also the movie star who is also interested in that issue. we didn't win that bill but we won the puppy mill bill and some other humane treatment of animals. he was really interested in that.

best of all, i think he left a legacy that we need to get back to, a legacy of production, a legacy of camaraderie, where we really like each other. and a legacy that takes care of not only the -- all the soldiers. because they didn't care what rank you had, if you were a person in uniform, you were all equal, going to be treated in the most respectful way. but he also did that for people of less fortune and for animals who need a voice in congress as well. what a wonderful man. , and your sons, i just, i -- i really am going to miss going to appropriations committee and seeing bill there. so beverly and your three adult sons, rob, billy, and patrick, we all share your grief and

congress will sorely miss bill young, a great man in this institution. thank you and i yield back. mr. mica: i'm pleased to yield three minutes to another florida colleague, and he also hats a district that is ad-- also has a district that is adjacent to bill young's, the honorable gus bilirakis from the state of florida. mr. bilirakis: thank you, i appreciate it. i rise to honor someone who i recognize for his great intelligence and humility. i referred to him as the chairman -- as chairman because of the respect he commanded, he begged me not to use that term, insisting in his typical, humble fashion, as mr. farr alluded to, that we were all equal in this chamber. over the past five decades, the chairman graciously served florida and the tampa bay area, leading many projects and

initiatives to promote economic growth and create jobs back at home. his contributions to his district, the entire tampa bay area, and to the military in particular, are immeasurable. he was instrumental in saving mcgill air force base and helped grow tampa bay into a hub for our defense industry. in addition, he played a significant role in winning the critical funding for bay pines veterans administration medical center which supports a large number of veterans in our area. for his efforts, my colleagues and i have joined together in support of renaming this valuable medical facility in his honor. his contributions also extend to higher education with his role in developing centers of excellence in technology and marine science at the university of south florida, and finally, we'll all remember his work on behalf of sick children and creating a national registry for bone

marrow donors. he has left behind a rich legacy that we as members of congress must all aspire to achieve. the chairman was never afraid to reach across the aisle and worked for the greater good. i'm extremely thankful that i was able to express my gratitude to him last week when i visited him at his bedside and i told him how much all of his colleagues loved him and his constituents appreciated all that he did for them. in closing, my father, former sent ssman mike bilirakis to him. dear bill. since we are roughly the same age, remember i'm five months older, so we joked about

respecting your elders. we have expected that this day would come for both of us, but first for me and not so soon. we grew up in the same pittsburgh area at the same time, tough depression, poverty, which made us tough. we didn't know each other then, decreed we our lord would meet years later. we worked hard and became successful, the good old american way. bill, you have earned eternal rest, but our world will miss you. the florida corner in the house chambers will miss you as well. thanks for being my friend and in many ways, a younger mentor. thanks tore being a great american patriot. thanks for the good that you've done for all of us. yours has been a life well lived. may your memory be eternal.

we'll certainly miss you, mr. chairman. and i yield back. mr. mica: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mica: madam speaker, i would like to at this time yield back my time with the intent of giving the balance of the time to one of the leaders from florida and also a member of the appropriations committee, mr. crenshaw. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy, the gentleman from florida, mr. crenshaw, will control the remainder of the hour. mr. crenshaw: madam speaker, i yield myself three minutes.

i guess i'm recognized. the gentleman is recognized. mr. crenshaw: before i call on a couple of my colleagues, i would like to say a brief word about my long time friend and mentor, bill young. i first met bill when he was in the florida senate. he was the republican leader in the florida senate. he was the minority leader. i think my colleagues might be interested to know that he was the republican leader, minority leader, not because he gathered the votes of all the other republicans, he was the republican leader because he was the only republican in the florida senate. and you might say, well, maybe that diminishes that leadership role. and i would say that just the reverse is true. because bill young was such a

great leader, such a man of courage and conviction that he would stand up for whatever he believed, even if there was no one there to stand up with. and i think it's because of that conviction, because of that commitment that we are here tonight to honor his legacy. i found it interesting, madam speaker, 25 years later, i found myself in the florida senate and i became the first republican to be legitimated president of that body and i got a note from bill young, he said, we've come a long way. and of course, when i came to congress, he was there to help me become a member of the armed services committee, because he knew that i cared about the military, and helped me become a member of the appropriations committee and the defense subcommittee, which he loved so much. he taught me and all of us that

everyone has value, everyone has worth, whether it's a private first class or four-star general. and he lived and died by the belief that if we are to be the land of the free, it's because we take care of our brave. and so that's the way he lived his life. and we'll hear tributes tonight. we have heard tributes last thursday in largo at his funeral, but the lasting legacy that bill young leaves will be seen for generations to come and the greatness of our military and the compassion that we have for those who serve and those who have been wounded. madam speaker, i want to say

tonight that america lost a great, a great leader. and i lost a great friend. god speed, bill young. i would like to yield three minutes to one of my colleagues on the appropriations committee, the chairman of the state foreign appropriations committee and defense subcommittee, the entlewoman from texas, ms. granger. ms. granger: i thank the gentleman from for yielding me time. rise today to pay tribute and celebrate the life of an outstanding public servant, bill young. it's a true honor to know a man like bill young and call him a friend and role model for all of us. there is no one who is more respected, decent, gracious, dedicated and humble. everyone who crossed his path is

richer for the experience that is evident through the hundreds of people who attended his memorial service last week. his service was attended by over 30 members of congress. during a time of such partisanship, the respect for chairman young was illustrated through the attendance of members from both sides of the aisle including leadership. the respect the military has for his advocacy for our national security was evident through the attendance and heart felt condolences from gordon england and germ amos. the department of defense depended on him. before the service began, neral amos bestowed an honor honorary him an marine. as one of the first women ever

to serve on the subcommittee, i wasn't sure how i would be treated, but bill brought me in and treated me with respect and kindness as he did everyone. nder didn't matter, he was knowing about the commitment. over the years, we have heard many, many stories about the personal interest and assistance that he and beverly provided for our wounded soldiers, but never heard these stories from him. he never talked about what he did. he was motivated by doing what was right for someone else's health and well-being. when josh callahan spoke at the memorial service, it was the first time that we heard about the extraordinary efforts that the chairman and beverly took to help this wounded warrior. he had been shot in the back and

sustained significant damage to his spinal cord. with no family support system he was in bethesda and injured physically and emotionally. he met bill and beverly young. they stepped in and became his family helping him to recover. today josh called the chairman and beverly mom and dad. after many years of hard work, he is now married and expecting his first child. none of this would have been possible without bill young. i realized it was impossible to do justice to such an extraordinary man merely through words. he was truly one of a kind. the best way we can honor this man is redouble our efforts to our national security and to the treatment of our service members and their families. i ask that all my colleagues join me to make sure that we carry on his legacy. in closing, i want to let

beverly, their children, his friends and his staff, who were part of his family, know that you remain in our thoughts and our prayers. mr. crenshaw: i would like to another e minutes to member of the appropriations committee, the chairman of the homeland security subcommittee, the gentleman from texas, mr. carter. mr. carter: i thank the gentleman from florida for yielding. we can talk about bill young all night. a man who came from nothing and grew to be the head and shoulders above and champion for our american military. i think that the thing that strikes everybody who ever met bill young was his humanity. he was a kind, gentle, fineman.

he cared about every soul he met and took the time when i was a freshman, to meet me and talk to me and i told him i had some interest in appropriation and he said -- he sat down and talked to me about it. whenever i had any questions i needed to ask him, he was always very, very informative and very, very kind and explained things to people, to me and others. bill young was a very special man because he came from very, very meager means and rose up to a position of power but you would have never known with his interaction with humanity that he was a man of power in this government because everybody who draws a breath was important to ill young. and i wanted to share what i

think is a perfect description of the kind of man bill young was. i had the privilege to go on a trip to go with him to normedy. -- on the way, we landed in on an island. and when we arrived, it just so happened at least one or two brigades from fort hood, texas, in my district, were there. ordinary soldiers and their officers in transit, to afghanistan. and when bill young came in the room, ordinary soldiers, as if he were some kind of star that you would see at a rock concert, started moving over to have their picture taken with chairman young. chairman young at that time was in a wheelchair most of the time. he stood with every soldier and took a picture.

and i have a portrait of that. he asked about their parents and where were they from, about their deployments and their needs, just gentle, kind, friendly man, with hundreds of soldiers gathered around him. and i heard one soldier ask another soldier, who is that guy? looks like everyone wants to have their picture taken? he said i don't know for sure, but the way i understand it, he's the guy that makes sure when we go to battle that we have everything we can to be victorious. that's a great statement about a human being, great statement about the man. and he cared about all who serve our nation, but in particular those who risk our lives. in honor of bill young, i will always remember that day when soldiers flocked to him just to

be seen with mr. young. i yield back. mr. crenshaw: thank you. now i would like to yield time to another member of the defense appropriations subcommittee, bill young chaired. and i yield two minutes or three minutes to the gentleman from alifornia. . >> thank you. i rise to honor bill young. i keep looking to my right, expecting to see him with that great smile but i'm sure tonight he's sitting at the right hand of god. the death of congressman bill young was a great loss for this chamber, our country and the millions of men and women in uniform who were bill young's priority for more than 40 years. mr. calvert: anyone who served with bill knew of his

unwavering dedication to our active duty military, our veterans, and their families as chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee and the appropriations committee he was both firm and fair. when it came to our troops, he was uncompromising and insisted on nothing but the best for the u.s.er is vess members. tharme young was motivated by his genuine and deep concern for the well being of the individual soldier, sailor, airman, marine and guardsman. his concern went far beyond politics and policies. as many of you know, bill and his wonderful wife beverly took special interest in our wounded veterans, visiting them regularly at walter reed national military center. whether in committee hearing or the military hospitals around the world, he was tireless in visiting, speaking with, and listening to these incredible service members. while we can't hope to replace bill young, perhaps we can

follow his example and get his integrity, his gracious manner, his firm commitment to the men and women who protect this country serve as an inspiration for this chamber as we continue to wrestle with the same issues to which he devoted his life. on a personal note, i was honored to work with chairman young on the defense appropriations subcommittee. i was continually impressed by his depth of knowledge. i think it's safe to say that no one understood the department of defense quite like bill young. his knowledge, expertise, and compassion will be sorely missed on the subcommittee. on my behalf, on behalf of so many former members who served with bill, like our mutual friend and former chairman jerry lewis, i extend my condolences to his wife beverly, his sons, and his entire family. mr. mica: thank you, and now i'd like to yield to another member of the defense appropriations subcommittee, the gentleman from oklahoma,

mr. cole. mr. cole: i thank my friend from yao -- for yielding. madam speaker, like every republican in this chamber until 10 days ago, every day i served in the house of representatives, i served with bill young. it's been noted here, he was a lion, he was a legend, at the time i was fortunate enough to come to this chamber in 2003, he was probably at the zenith of his influence. he was chairman of the house appropriations committee. he was the confidant of the president and our military leaders and frankly leaders around the world at a time when the yeats was at war. no one cared more about the defense of the united states of america than bill young. and no one cared and did more for the people who actually bear the burden, the men and women that wear the uniform of this country. past, present, and future, than chairman young. but you know, he was also a

role model for many of us and a mentor and a friend. and he was somebody who would reach out and help you and take care of you and look after you and give you the wisdom and advice that only he, with all his years of experience, could give. i remember on one occasion, not too long ago, the chairman was obviously ill the last several years of his life, still very active, chairing our committee, pretty busy man, a man dealing with his own problems and i had tornadoes that hit my hometown in moore, oklahoma. two days after those terneds hit, bill young was on the phone to me to tell me that i would be getting a telephone call from representatives of a new york investment bank called canter fitzgerald which had suffered grievous damage in 9/11 when they lost over -- over 650 of their 950 employees at the world trade center. that company made a commitment that it would look after all of

its people and all of their families and would reconstitute itself and it did. then they built on that commitment and said, we're going to help other people that are in tragedy by devoting all of our profits -- excuse me, all our revenues earned on 9/11 every year, not just profits, everything we earn, to help people in need. they've kept that commitment. bill young had forged a relationship with them because of all they'd done to help men and women in wrune form and the victims of disaster. he said, they'll be calling you and they want to help. and they did. they helped literally hundreds of families with millions of dollars worth of personal and directed relief. that probably would have never happened if bill and beverly young had not reached out to me at that point and i and the people of my community will be ever grateful for them. we've lost, arguably, i think the greatest republican member of this body in the last two generations. we've not seen his like before and it will be a long time again before we see anyone that

rivals his compassion, his character, his civility, his decency and his absolute devotion and commitment to our country and to the men and women who defend it. with that, i yield back. mr. mica: thank you. i yield two minutes to another member of the appropriations committee, mr. dent from pennsylvania. mr. dent: thank you. i, too, want to take a moment oto reflect on the life and service and dead keags of bill young. much has been said about him already this evening. i, too, like many, i look back to that corner and i want to see bill young there but obviously he's not with us. before calling florida his home, chairman young was actually born in harborville, pennsylvania new york allegheny county, western pennsylvania, that area best known for steel and coal. a lot of tough people came out of that area, and certainly bill young, i think, really had

a lot of character, character traits i associate with people there. he could be very tough when he needed to be, very firm. just like steel. but also, we should not forget about his compassion. he's a kind man. a gentle man. a patient man. he often -- i would often ask him questions or make a request of him from time to time and he always listened to me very patiently. he had served here for 22 terms. he didn't have to spend a whole lot of time with me but he did and i always appreciated that. he was a great mentor to me and so many other members here. just a pleasure to serve with him. but some of the things about chairman young, too, it's been stated too about his support of our troops. particularly our wounded warors and the impact that they had on him and frankly the impact he made on those wounded warriors. but you get beyond the defense and veterans policy though, chairman young played an

integral real in creating a national registry for bone marrow donors more than 25 years ago back in 1986. that registry helped save more than 50,000 lives over the years. so again, not having known bill young as long as some of my colleagues, i just want to say what an extraordinary privilege it was for me to serve with him, to know him, to call him a friend and really to be one of my mentors here in the house. my deepest thoughts and prayers go out to beverly and the entire young family during this difficult time. at this time, i would yield ack. >> now i would like to yield time to one of mr. young's colleagues from florida, mr. posey. mr. posey: i thank the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, i first met the man, the legend, really, known as bill young in 1974.

but it wasn't until i got elected to congress in 2008 that i realized what a larger than life true leader this man was and what a wonderful aened great mentor he was, not just to me and everybody in my freshman class but to everybody that's ever served in this place. wise. gentle. kind. honest. thoughtful. helpful. to anyone, just for the asking. i called him hero and you know, until his last days, he would blush. he was so humble. that anybody would address him reich that. just what a wonderful man. never, ever before and probably never again will every man and woman serving us in uniform have as great an advocate as they had in congressman young. my thoughts and prayers remain

with beverly, his family, and his staff. rest in peace, bill. i yield back. >> thank you. now i'd like to yield time to another colleague from florida a member of the rules committee, mr. nugent. mr. nugent: thank you, sir. it's with great humility i stand here tonight and i think you've heard from a lot of members tonight talk about bill young. he's had the same impression on so many members on this side of the aisle and on the other side about his humility, about his true caring about people. about the caring that he has for the members of the military. you know, it struck me so much about bill and his wife beverly was their true compassion, particularly compassion as it relates to those who serve us. as a father and a parent of

three sons who serve in the united states army, beverly was the fire behind bill in loot of these issues that relates to these veterans. bill led the way but beverly was right there carrying the flag alongside bill. madam speaker, they were a team together. they worked together for the betterment of all and that's why bill is such a great american and why you've heard tonight in this house talk you can't egacy that replace bill young. when i first met bill young here in this chamber three years ago he was on that side, sitting over there, and he had -- he had had a fall, he was injured, he'd been at walter reed army hospital and his health continued to decline over these last three years but i came in every day to these chambers to go see bill young.

because bill was such a good, kind hearted person. great, great grip when he shook your hand. but always had a smile. you asked him, mr. chairman, how are you feeling today? it was never about him. you've heard that from other members today. it was always about, how are your sons? how are your boys? because he knew they were serving in harm's way in iraq and had been in afghanistan. he was more worried about them than himself. i saw him and his wife beverlyed on an airplane ride back to tampa almost every week. and without fail, they would offer their better seats to a service man or woman who was in uniform walking down the aisle they'd get up and say, would you sit here. because that was just how they're built. bill and beverly were a perfect match. and bill has gone on to a place

that we can only aspire to go. i truly believe that bill is at the right hand of god, hopefully maybe talking about appropriations, but talking about what's right with america. and with that, mr. chairman, i do appreciate the time that you've given all of us to be down here to talk about our good friend c.w. "bill" young who will be missed by all. god bless america. >> thank you, mr. nugent. our hour is just about over. we could go on for hours but i think we've all heard tonight that bill young was a man that loved his lord, loved his wife, loved his family, loved his country. and you might say just seems like they don't make them like that anymore. but the truth is, they never did. with that, i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. under the speaker's announced

policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from new york, mr. -- from new york, mr. jeffries, is recognized for 60 minutes as a designee for the minority leader. mr. jeffries: i ask unanimous consent that all members be given five days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. jeffries: madam speaker, it's an honor and privilege to rise this evening and once again stand as an anchor for the congressional black caucus special order, this hour of power, where for the next 60 minutes, members of the congressional black caucus will have an opportunity to speak to the american people about building a budget to create rogress and prosperity for americans in this great country of ours. now earlier today, myself and several other members of

congress, including the distinguished representative from the ninth congressional district, yvette clarke and the legendary congressman john lewis, had an opportunity to attend the home going service of congressman major owens. who so proudly served in this institution for 24 years, first elected in 1982, having retired in 2006. and as i listened to speaker after speaker reflect on congressman owens' time in this great institution, it seemed to me that one of the things that became increasingly clear was his steadfast commitment to making sure that the funding priorities that emanated from this congress were decent, were humane, were humanitarian, and

were designed to stand up for and protect the least of those n american society. congressman owens consistently stood up for funding as it relates to early childhood education. he consistently stood up for funding for historically black colleges and universities. he consistently stood up for social safety net programs. he consistently stood up to open up the doors of the american dream for the greatest number of people possible. and so in that regard, on the day of his homegoing service, i think it appropriate to dedicate the pathway toward prosperity that we are endeavoring to put forth today in the spirit of

major owens, who more than two decades, fought for budgets that stood up for the least of those amongst us. i want to yield first to the distinguished chairperson of the congressional black caucus, who so ably and passionately and intelligently led the c.b.c. forward in this 113th congress. let me now yield to the distinguished gentlelady from ohio, chairwoman fudge. ms. fudge: i would like to thank my colleagues for leading the congressional black caucus special order hour. mr. speaker, the house and senate conferees will produce a budget for the first time in four years. mr. speaker, these deliberations, which are long overdue, are critical because they may provide a long-term

plan that will continue to move our country forward out of our economic recession and towards a stronger america. there is a long overdue discussion needed. for so many around this country, the barriers to economic opportunity and mobility have become insurmountable. the american people are looking to congress for leadership and turn our economy around. unfortunately, some in congress have put austerity before economic recovery, draining resources that might have otherwise improved economic outlook. while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are looking to shrink the government, the c b.c. is looking to make programs more efficient. it is time to prioritize projects that will open the doors for opportunity for future generations. no longer can we ignore high

level of unemployment for those living in poverty and the high unemployment rates of people of color. we cannot pretend that this is sufficient while report after report details our country's economic shortcomings. we must acknowledge the fact that one in five children is hungry. and nearly 50 million americans live in households suffering from food insecurity. we must face the reality of a scrumr crumbling infrastructure and cost rises. congress can hide from these truth and hoping for an improved economy that will fix these problems or we can directly address our issues through bipartisan cooperation and with the common goal to make our country better. congress can place a renewed

focus on investing in the american people through quality programs that promote access, equality and accountability. all this can be done while we cut wasteful spending, preserve the affordable care act and set the stage for meaningful tax reform. admittedly, that may seem like a lot of priorities for congress to tackle, but we can. we can do this if we move past the usual partisan bickering. of course, as they say, the devil is in the details. a very smart, ambitious and detailed plan is necessary to make it work. luckily, the congressional black caucus has the plan to make this work. the c.b.c. budget. the c.b.c. budget cuts wasteful spending, invests in education, provides the resources to rebuild our transportation infrastructure, addresses

crippling poverty, creates jobs now and ensures america is a leader in the high-growth industries of the future. and i want to thank congressman bobby scott for all of his work on the c.b.c. budget. by considering ideas and proposals from the c.b.c. budget, congress can stimulate the economy while expanding the middle class. this opportunity is now a bright spot for congress and this country. we can rebuild america using the principles on which our nation was founded, that everyone, no matter their background, should have the opportunity to achieve their dreams. to my colleagues in the house and senate, we have the opportunity and a blueprint. let's build a better america together. i yield back. mr. jeffries: i thank the distinguished chair of the congressional black caucus for her eloquent remarks. and i yield time to the architect of the c.b.c. budget,

the distinguished the gentleman from virginia, representative bobby scott. mr. scott: i thank the gentleman from new york for yielding and i join in your remarks. major owens, he led the congressional black caucus budget for many years. he showed how you can be fiscally responsible and address the scrit critical needs of our nation and the need to invest in education. i appreciate your comments. mr. speaker, as the conferees begin to negotiate a budget agreement to fund the federal government for the remainder of 2014, they should look at the congressional black caucus' budget. it makes tough choices, but not at the expense of the most vulnerable communities. it protects and enhances social

security, medicare, medicaid, snap, tan if and other vital -- tan of and other vital programs. reduces our nation's budget deficit by $2.8 billion over the next decade. mr. speaker, most of the ideas that have been presented over the past have canceled the sequester or reduced the deficit have involved proposals to cut social security and medicare. these ideas have included changing the way that social security benefits are calculated, the so-called chained c.p.i. that cuts the cost of living increases or raises the age of mr. ellison: gibblet of medicare from 65 to 67. these are cuts. the c.b.c. budget shows how you can be fiscally responsible without attacking those critical

programs that people have paid for. it is able to pay for the cancellation of the sequester and reduce the budget deficit and without harmful cuts to social security and medicare. it calls for revenue enhancements over the next decade, a budget outlines how the house ways and means committee and senate finance committee can reach this number by highlighting several options that total $4.2 trillion that could be used to reach the revenue target. some of these options include $1.1 trillion by he limb naturing corporate interest payments. they can sell stock or they can sell bonds. if they sell stocks, they make a profit and pay dividends to their stockholders, but they pay tax on the income before they pay the dividends. with corporate debt financing

with bonds, when you pay the interest on the bonds, that's tax deductible. why should there be a tax preference for debt financing instead of equity financing? if it was the same and you deny the deductibility of corporate debt interest payments, you could raise $1. trillion. you could close corporate loopholes by limiting deductions for upper-income individuals and closing some of the corporate loopholes like for gas and oil advantages that they enjoy. ise $800 billion by taxing gains and dividends as ordinary income. traditionally, they were taxed -- actually above ordinary income for dividends. if you tax them just the same,

$880 billion could be achieved. surcharge, 5.4% surcharge. gets you half a trillion dollars. trading speculation tax. you could limit the bush-era tax cuts to that portion of your income. cancel those tax cuts on that portion of your income over $250,000. only a privileged few make that, so that $200 billion could be achieved without being disadvantageous to very many individuals. almost another $13 billion could be raised by returning the estate tax exemption to what it was in 2009. could raise $$00 billion if you reduce it to what the rate was when president clinton left office. these are just some of the ideas

and we have listed them specifically, showing over $4 trillion of possibilities to make our budget add up. now that's a lot of money, but it is in stark contrast to the budget that we passed in this house because that budget calls for closing a gap of $4 trillion. i don't know how in the world they are going to propose a $4 trillion deficit because they would have to raise $4 trillion in taxes or if they aren't raising any taxes, spending cuts in the area in discretionary of ding in the area one-third across the board. we have trouble of dealing with the sequester. imagine how unlikely it would be to achieve one-third across-the-board cuts. this budget is real. they are real numbers. the revenue enhancements

provided in the c.b.c. budget would allow congress to stop the sequester and and it would end the recession by putting millions of americans back to work and provide millions more for long-term investments through education, job training, health care and advanced science and research. as i said earlier, these reforms contained in the c.b.c. budget would reduce the deficit when compared to the c.b.o.'s baseline. this would put our nation on a strong and sustainable fiscal path, all without jeopardizing programs that help our seniors and support our next generation of leaders in business, science and technology. the budget would be a wise starting point for the house and senate conferees, much better than the budget we passed

because there is a $4 thrillion gap that is unexplained. it is imperative that we expand economic opportunity and invest in the american people and reduce the deficit. the c.b.c. budget presents a concrete plan in stark contrast to the budget we passed in the house because it is backed up by actual numbers and it adds up and shows how we can reduce the deficit while not being forced to make vital cuts to our programs that support our nation's safety net. and the c.b.c. budget presents a clear path both to economic and fiscal prosperity to our nation. thank you, mr. speaker. and i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. jeffries: now my privilege to yield the floor to a very distinguished member of the house budget committee, someone who has consistently been a voice for the voiceless and

advocate for the poor and disen franchised and those aspiring to the american dream, let me yield to the representative from california, barbara lee. s. lee: thank ms. lee: let me thank you for your vigilance and ted case. every week you've brought forth these discussions to inform and educate the public about the very important work of the congressional black caucus, which of course is part of our work to strengthen our nation with policies and a budget that will reignite the american dream for all. i just have to thank you for the time you put into this. because this is so important and your voice and leadership is tremendously needed at this moment in our history. also, i just have to say, and salute, our phenomenal chair of the congressional black caucus, the gentlelady from ohio, congresswoman marcia fudge, for her very bold and very

brilliant leadership. by ensuring that the entire congressional black caucus continues to be the conscience of the congress. as a member of both the appropriations committee and the budget committee i have seen first hand the tea party republican vision for our country's future and believe you me it is not a vision of shared prosperity or economic growth. this was reaffirmed earlier this month when the tea party republicans held the government hostage in a failed attempt to take away health care for millions of americans across the country. this week as house and senate conferees meet to develop a broader budget plan, i'm pleased to join my c.b.c. colleagues calling on congress to adopt a fair and equitable budget such as the budget the congressional black caucus proposed earlier this year. i, too, must thank congressman bobby scott for his stellar and dedicated leadership in leading the congressional black caucus' task force in the development of this and it is a pro-growth,

pro-people and pro-american budget. now we've already seen through the republican ryan budget which was released earlier this year, what the tea party priorities are. their budget released -- their budget, released earlier this year, would shortchange 99% of the american people in order to give even more tax breaks to millionaires and to billionaires. it protects tax loopholes for special interests and big oil. and at a time when we need job creation the most, the tea party republican budget will kill more than two million american jobs in 2014 alone. the republican budget would take away food from hungry children and families, take thousands of children off of head start and close the door to college for thousands of students next year. in fact, mr. speaker, 2/3 of all tea party republican budget cuts target programs for people who are poor or low income and

communities of color, once again, would be hardest hit. communities that already bear the brunt of the last economic recession. and all this is taking place as income inequality only continues to grow. the tea party's vision san francisco ordinary care -- of america is very clear. their budget would shred the safety net, shatter our economic recovery and push millions of struggling families over the edge. in stark contrast, the congressional black caucus budget is a different way forward. s that document that shows our nation's priorities and values. a budget is a moral document. how we spend our money reflect ours values and the c.b.c. budget spends money where we value it the most. it protects and enhances social security, medicare, medicaid, and temporary assistance for needy families, better known as n of -- as tanf, and all the

programs that keep millions out of poverty. the c.b.c. budget also protects all our safety net programs including snap. while protecting these and other important anti-poverty programs, the c.b.c. budget also makes sound investments in critical areas like infrastructure, education, innovation and poverty reduction in order to create ladders of opportunity for all. finally, we must ensure that the pentagon will not be exempt from any budget deals. the pentagon should be audited and their bloated spending kept in check. billions and billions are spent and wasted every year that the american people deserve to know where their taxpayer dollars are going. not only will it bring accountability to the defense department, but those wasted funds could be used for programs like head start or meals on wheels. in closing, mr. speaker, let me remind all of my colleagues that a budget once again as i said earlier, it is a moral

document. how we spend our money reflects who we are as a nation. we must recognize that the choices we make impact real people and especially the most vulnerable people of color, women, and children. i hope that tonight, in honor and memory of our beloved, the late congressman major owens, who work sod hard, and i had the privilege and honor to work with him, with congressman scott, on our budget, every year, for a fair and balanced budget. i hope we will remember his legacy by recommitting ourselves to his values and his ideals by putting people first in every budget that we put forward. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: i thank the distinguished gentlelady from california for her very eloquent and thoughtful comprehensive remarks as well as the remarks of representative bobby scott

as well in noting, of course, the role that the late congressman major owens played in the context of the c.b.c. budget during the years that he served in this congress with such distinction. i want to now yield the floor to the distinguished gentlelady from texas who i have the honor and privilege of serving with on the house judiciary committee and who represents her district in houston so ly, but equillly of -- equally of significance has stood on the floor of the house of representatives and as a member of congress standing up for those who might not otherwise be able to stand up for thems in the context of making sure they get a fair shake in their pursuit of the american dream. let me now yield the floor to congresswoman sheila jackson lee.

ms. jackson lee: let me thank the gentleman from new york. it's a pleasure to be able to join you and my colleagues today and i thank you for beginning your remarks today, continuing the tribute that we've given to congressman major owens. he'd be proud that we were here tonight speaking for the voiceless, speaking for the poor, speaking for those who need educational dollars, speaking for those who with a little investment would again be able to reach for and grab the american dream. i want to thank the gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries, for again bringing us together. we all have different responsibilities, judiciary, homeland security, we're all concerned about comprehensive immigration reform, border security, and it's important,

however, that we give a challenge and a charge to those individuals who will be gathering to reform the budget and i cannot think you -- thank you enough for your leadership on these issues. i rise today joining my colleagues and adding again my appreciation to the charelwoman of the congressional black caucus, congresswoman fudge, who in a day or two will be joining the ag conference and will be raising her voice for individuals who simply want a good and decent meal. and to thank her for her leadership of the congressional black caucus and i repeat the words of my colleagues and that is, those words are, that we remain, i believe, the heart and conscience for the american people whose voices again and whose issues may be lost in the

conflicts of partisanship. the congressional black caucus speaks clearly and loudly to the issue of pain suffered by so many that are poor in this country. tonight i want to get a sense of -- give a sense of urgency d i want to raise thecy ren, i want to have a clanging bell, a loud noise -- to raise the siren, i want to have a clanging bell, a loud noise, a cull to the town by the town crier that we just can't live, we cannot suffer anymore in the budgetless, fundingless government that we're now in. the president of the united states has called on congress to do its job. the president provided great wisdom and leadership in the first beginning stages of his administration in 2009 when he wisely, through great sacrifice

and criticism presented the stimulus package to the congress and infused needed and important dollars to create growth and jobs some three million-plus jobsing closing the gap on some of the bleeding that was going on, having built on the restoration of the auto industry, president obama having continued to build on the restoration of wall street, all of the prime industry that were crying out to this nation. our president, along with the democrat, sacrificed to do what is right for this nation and of course as many know, it was a sacrifice for the congressional black caucus because at the same time we knew there were people who were suffering but we looked to the greater good, now we come to ask, is there anyone listening to the greater good? we don't have to go very far to look and see that the size of the middle class that my friends on the other side of

the aisle, republicans, keep talking that they're for the middle class, and all we need do is to look and to be able to see its decline. percent of households with annual income within 50% of the median. they don't need more cuts, they need dollars into education. they need dollars into r&d, research and development. they need to be able to ensure that the transportation and infrastructure of america is funded. that creates jobs. they don't need any more sequester. and so the budget that we're about to engage in, the conference, should be a serious conference about ensuring that there's investment because what we are suffering in the back drop of mindless sequester that continues on and on, because we cannot get our friends to come to the table, the nation has been operating on a shrunken budget, slashed $80 billion in

forced spending cuts since march 1. in the course of that, and while the middle class is gone, 57,000 children have been taken off the rolls of head start and the number is growing. poor families and working families that fall into the middle class or try to ascribe to the middle class. the kits have also cut into public defenders and cut into the justice system. the cuts have caused layoffs of lawyers. 's caused in essence a -- an overturning of liberty justice. and so in those ways we can see, pointedly, the loss of the growth of the middle class. sequester is across the board cuts that does not allow the dream of major owens and the congressional black caucus infusion of dollars for higher education, head start, pre-k, primary and secondary, title 1

funding, all of these fundings that are considered discretionary are slashed and burned. i want to see the growth of the american public, training for nurses, more training for medical professionals. all of that gets slashed in the sequester. so, mr. speaker, you would wonder, what has america become? i want to thank mr. garamendi from california for sharing this poster. what has america become? like the tale of two cities. it's not -- they've not listened to the thoughtfulness of the congressional black caucus budget that actually focuses on getting rid of the sequester so that we cannot have a tale of two americas. it hurt misheart to know that there are people in this country that are not benefiting from the greatness of the nation. let me pause for a moment to make a simple statement. america is not broke.

i am tired of people talking about how america is broke. a $4 trillion economy. a larger economy than the european union that includes many countries. the ability to service our debt. let me just say to you, i don't like get. i don't like the deficit. but in actuality, in a capitalistic system, part of what chushes -- churns the economy is the servicing of the debt. how do you have the money to service the debt? enfuse more capital. more dollars, into the economy. you begin to sensibly talk about tax reform. you raise the revenue. you pay your bills. you build new roads. you help higher education. you pay for the military. you create opportunity for people to invest and build businesses you create access to credit, build more homes. that's how you turn the -- churn the economy system of tragically from 2009 to 2012, the fraction of economic growth for the top 1%, the top 1%, not