the speaker pro tempore: 11 1/2 minutes. mr. lucas: i wish to yield to the gentlelady from the da coatas who understands the diversity of weather, understands the challenges that producers half for a minute and a half, the gentlelady mrs. noem. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from south dakota is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. mrs. noem: i thank the chairman for yielding and leadership on the farm bill and also ranking member peterson for all of his hard work and diligence in finding some common ground on a bill that's under -- been under negotiations for far too long. i'm so happy to be standing here with all of our members and colleagues to -- from the farm bill conference committee, which was honored to be a part of, an also everyone else who is supporting this bill, it is extremely bipartisan. it's taken a lot of hard work to get to this point, but i'm proud of the fact we have a product in front of us that's not only good for producers, it's good for consumers, it secures our food supply into the future which is one of the safest in the world. we make reforms, we save billions of tax dollars, it's accountable to the taxpayer in this country. we conserve wildlife had been tafment we provide a valuable

safety net for those who grow our food and for those who rely on food assistance as well. while congress was writing this bill, my home state got hit with droughts and blizzards that cost us tens of thousands of livestock. the livestock disaster programs that i authorrd in this bill and will provide much needed relief to those who are struggling so hard during this difficult time. our black hills national forest is going to gain some regulatory relief. and additional tools to combat the pine beatle that's destroying our -- beetle that's destroying our black hills. a permanent office of tribal relations a. real victory for alt tribes who need to have better communication within usda. thousands of hunters acrossed is and every year will be glad to know they have a provision in place that will help protect grasslands. whether you grow corn, wheat, soybeans, or cotton, producers will have more choices which at the end of the day is going to help them cover their risk that they take every year. i'm proud of the bill, i'm proud

of our work. i urge our colleagues to support the bill. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. without objection, the gentleman from oklahoma reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. peterson: mr. speaker, i'm now pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from north carolina, mr. mcintyre. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for two minutes. mr. mcintyre: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from north carolina is recognized for two minutes. mr. mcintyre: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this farm bill. this is a strong, reform-minded bill with bipartisan support. it will grow our economy, create jobs, provide certainty, reduce our deficit and save the american taxpayers $16 billion. the bill reforms the farm safety net, strengthening crop insurance and commodity programs. these risk management tools assure farmers that help is there when they need it. the bill also encourages conservation and develops export markets to help our farmers sell their products worldwide.

rural communities depend on the farm bill too. through critical programs, small towns can build hospitals, schools, fire departments and police departments. this bill helps create jobs and economic development. water and waste water programs, the most basic of public services that allow industries to come to rural areas, give access to healthy drinking water and sanitary sewers are part of this as well. this bill has important tools for new farmers, and i can tell you as one in a state of north carolina, we're -- where one out of every five jobs are depended on agriculture or agri related business, this bill is about jobs and our economy in a way that helps states throughout our economy. there's still some work to do, like bringing country of origin labeling in compliance with w.t.o. and reducing the gipsa rules. farmers in small towns across america have waited too long for a farm bill. our rural citizens are

taxpayers, just like those who live in urban and suburban areas. they deserve the respect of this congress. ey deserve a farm bill who live in rural -- for those that live in rural areas. we as americans enjoy our wonderful supply of food and fiber that the good lord has blessed us with and our farmers worked hard to supply. we ought to work with our farmers and with agriculture and have a strong farm bill that our citizens in all of america deserve to have passed. with that i yield the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i reserve our time at this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. lucas: mr. speaker, i would now like to yield to another one of our outstanding subcommittee chairmen, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i rise in support of this farm bill and also to thank chairman

lucas and congressman peterson for your leadership for agriculture. as many of my house colleagues have already said this morning, this legislation is long overdue. this bill is truly worthy of its name. the federal agriculture reform and risk management act because of the historic reforms it ledge slates. overall the bills repeals or consolidates about 100 programs. along with sequestration reduction that cuts mandatory spending by nearly $23 billion. and the conservation title alone reduces it from $23 billion to $13 billion. this bill saves $6 billion and does so without affecting the programs. we reform food stamps and we do so through thoughtful changes making sure that truly needs the assistance gets it. farmers providing milk for this nation, we help them. with the 2008 farm bill expiring nearly a year and a

half ago, i urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation and finally give our farmers and rural constituents the support they deserve, ensuring all americans -- mr. lucas: i yield the gentleman an additional minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. chairman. i won't take that much. overall this farm bill ensures all americans have access to affordable, high-quality and safe food and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from oklahoma reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. peterson: mr. speaker, i'm now pleased to yield one minute to the gentlelady from washington, ms. delbene. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington is recognized for one minute. ms. delbene: thank you, mr. speaker. this farm bill is bipartisan legislation that's good for our farmers and families. it's an accomplishment in a will create jobs, help our farmers and preserve access to healthy food. this bill includes unprecedented funding for specialty crops and organic farms. it's no understatement to say that this is the best farm bill

yet for specialty crop farmers. i'm proud the farm bill includes $200 million to fund my proposal to expand job training programs for snap recipients to find self-sustaining jobs. make no mistake, no one got everything they wanted. i'm disappointed that nutrition assistance is reduced at a time it's needed high, however it will not reduce snap eligibility for those in need. in addition, the reduction of the dairy stabilization is disappointing. this bill is an improvement but falls short of solving the entire problem. overall, this bill provides the certainty needed to grow our economy and bolster america's agriculture industry. i strongly urge a yes vote and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i yield an additional two minutes to the gentlewoman from connecticut, ms. delauro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from connecticut is recognized for two additional

minutes. ms. delauro: i thank the gentleman and just wanted to reiterate one thing. me may view that represent the state of connecticut, third congressional district of connecticut and in fact what do we know about farming. the fact is that we do. we have dairy farmers, people with specialty crops, and included in my history in this great body, i served as chair of the agriculture subcommittee of appropriations. also served as the ranking member and as i mentioned earlier, i had the opportunity to be part of the conference committee on the farm bill in 2008 and helped to negotiate the nutrition title. i might make one or two more points. congressional budget office, this farm bill says it's going to save $23 billion. they count savings frofere a year ago. they talk about $16.6 billion.

congressional budget office says even as we cut that $8.6 billion from the food stamp program, taking meals away from 1.7 million of the most vulnerable in our society, we are increasing spending on crop insurance by $5.7 billion in the farm bill. in case folks do not know, the fact of the matter is that americans subsidize crop insurance. we pick up over 60% of the cost of the premiums on crop insurance. we pay 100% of the administrative costs in terms of crop insurance. we have 13 or 26 individuals who get at least $1 million in the crop insurance subsidy and we can't find out who they are, and while the food cut -- the cut in food stamp benefits are going to be felt immediately across those 850,000 households, primarily made up of children, the elderly, disabled and veterans, few, if any of the congressional budget

offi projected commodity program savings may ever be realized if crop prices continue to fall. this is reflected in that c.b.o. score that the deficit would be increased this year with this bill. . only food stamps would be cut this year. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. delauro: we should vote against this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. lucas: thank you, mr. speaker. it is with the greatest of pleasure i turn now to the gentleman from michigan, mr. benishek, who is so focused on these issues. i yield him 1 1/2 minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. mr. benishek: i'd like to thank the ranking member as well. these guys have put a lot of work into this bill over the years. i rise today in support of the agriculture act of 2014. this measure is important for farms and hardworking families in northern michigan.

northern michigan is home to a number of centennial family farms. meaning they have been in the family for over 100 years. farms like the barredonhagens where they grow asparagus, apples and potatoes. a short drive down the road is another farm. they grow corn, wheat, soybeans, and raise beef calt for their neighbors. these -- cattle for their neighbors. these family operations are a vitalal and growing part of northern michigan's economy and it's been an honor to get to know them. they work hard to produce quality products that feed northern michigan and families around the world. this bill represents the hard work and input of stakeholders from northern michigan and across the country. while not perfect, it reflects the needs of our rural agriculture economy that is vital to michigan's first congressional district. i urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill and

yield the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from oklahoma reserves. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. peterson: i'm now pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minute. mr. scott: thank you very much, chairman. ranking member. agriculture, ladies and gentlemen, is the heart and soul of our nation. it provides the food we eat. it provides the clothes we wear. it provides the material to build our homes and our shelters. no committee is engaged in the entire crook and nannies of the fabric of this nation as the agriculture committee. this farm bill is the product of what makes america great. what makes america great is our democratic republic. the anchor of which is compromise. i want to commend mr. peterson,

our ranking member, for his job, mr. lucas, the chairman of our committee for his job. it's been five years that we have been on this. and i particularly want to thank mr. peterson and it was a pleasure working with mr. peterson on an issue very dear to him which is dairy, as we worked out the fabric of that. i commend our leadership on our committee. oufer, there is yet work to be done. mess delauro from connecticut was right. mr. mcgovern was ry. -- ms. delauro from connecticut was right. mr. mcgovern was right. ladies and gentlemen of the committee in this house and this nation, we have a serious problem with hunger in this country. and it's not going away until we realize the graphity -- gravity of it. our veterans, our seniors, the most vulnerable. we must address this issue.

my position on this bill is that i will vote for it. we have worked on it. is it a perfect bill? no, it is not. are we a perfect nation? no, we are not. but we are constantly striving, striving for that. and we will get closer to this perfect position as we bring all americans involved and let no american go hungry in this country. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. scott: i urge everyone to please vote for the bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i'm thrited to yield two minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. crowley. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for two minutes. mr. crowley: i thank my friend and colleague from massachusetts for yielding me this time. this legislation is commonly

referred to as the farm bill, but it's also a food bill. on that note it falls short. to be clear this is miles ahead of where we started with what i consider a truly heartless republican proposal, and i know that our conferees worked hard to make improvements to this bill, in particular i want to thank collin peterson and the members of the democratic side of the aisle who worked -- who are dedicated to work to improve this bill. but it still leaves too many families behind. the snap cut in this bill may seem on paper -- small on paper, but it's not to the families that it will affect. it's not to the food banks that are already stretched well beyond their means. in new york city, 280,000 households are expected to see their benefits drop under this bill. the benefits that don't go anywhere near far enough to begin with. we see every day in new york city how deep the need for food

assistance is. how food banks and community hunger organizations are doing everything they can to provide food to hungry families. and they are joined by citizen heroes like jorge who i was honored to host last night as my guest to the state of the union. jorge has been called an angel in queens for his work in feeding the hungry. he saw a need on the streets of queens and he jumped in to fill it. serving home cooked meals out of his truck to what started as a small group of homeless and unemployed new yorkers. as word grew of his generosity, so did the crowds eager just for something to get through that night. since 2004, jorge has served over 225,000 meals on the streets of queens new york. he and i know there are more people out there who are hungry or cold or need of every bit of

assistance that they get. could i have an additional minute? mr. mcgovern: i yield 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. crowley: we should be doing more not less. it's really trouble there are some on the other side of the aisle who think this doesn't cut food assistance enough. imagine that, there is $8 billion, $8 billion worth of cuts in this bill and still that's far less than i wanted to cut. the fact that in some ways this bill can be considered a compromise option just shows how unreasonable the cuts proposed by the other side were. what did we come to when we argue about how much of a cut to hungry children and family is reasonable? yes, this bill is not as bad as it could be, but it's not as good as it should be. that's why i'll be voting no against this bill today. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. lucas: mr. speaker, i would like to yield to the gentleman

from oklahoma who has some of the most productive agricultural land and some of the most amazing farmers an ranchers, the gentleman, mr. cole, two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized tore two minutes. mr. cole: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, it's a great personal privilege and pleasure for me to come down here on behalf of 14,000 farmers and ranchers in my district and 75,000 farmers and ranchers in the state of oklahoma. goodness knows how many tens of thousands of people beyond that in various phases of agriculture and ag industry. and thank my good friend, chairman lucas, for what he's accomplished. i think it's easy to be the critic, but i think all of us on this house floor know how long and how arduous this struggle has been to bring all the competing interests together, to bring both sides of the aisle together. to bring both chambers together, and to bring the administration together in support of this legislation. it's easy to see why the

support, if you actually step back and take a look at what it does. first it does save $23 billion. and frankly those cuts largely don't come out of the safety net programs where actually there's simply -- relatively modest but important reforms, they actually come out of the production end of this business. changes need to be made there, but we ought to recognize those are tough changes in and of themselves. second, it preserves the capability of this country to continue to produce more food and fiber than anybody else in the world, not just for our people, but for all over the world, and deliver that at a cheaper price than anybody else in the world. it's worth reflecting that americans pay a lower percentage of their income for food than any other country in the world. guess what? with the additional income, they are able to do other things, invest in other things, and go on. finally, particularly pleased that the safety net has been preserved. important programs are in place. we ought to recognize that.

it wouldn't have been possible without my friend, chairman lucas. all he's done to bring us together, how hard he's worked. this bill, frankly, deserves the support of every democrat, every republican on this floor. i urge my colleagues to be supportive when the time to vote comes. with that i yield back the balance of my time. . mr. lucas: mr. speaker, i have no additional speakers. i believe i have the right to close and i'll reserve my time unless we're ready to close or when we're ready to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts will be recognized first to close.

mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close if there are no other speakers. my understanding is that mr. other n may have one speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. peterson: mr. speaker, we have one member that wanted to speak and we're trying to ascertain his whereabouts at his point. the speaker pro tempore: let me give an update on times remaining. the gentleman from oklahoma has 5 1/4 minutes remaining. the gentleman from minnesota has 3 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from massachusetts has two minutes remaining. the gentleman from minnesota is ecognized. mr. peterson: mr. speaker, i know that members want to get out of here and get on planes and so forth so we'll yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman reserves the balance of his time? mr. peterson: well, mr. speaker -- go ahead. you going to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for two minutes to close. mr. mcgovern: mau, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, first of all let me say that -- thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, first of all let me say that i'm grateful to mr. peterson and chairman lucas. i appreciate their dedication on these issues. it's good to be on the agriculture committee and proud to serve with them as well as with other members on each side of the aisle. unfortunately, i cannot support this bill. mr. speaker, let me speak to my fellow democrats. last night we sat in this chamber and we listened to the president give his state of the union address. and when he talked about raising the minimum wage, we all stood up and cheered. when he talked about the need to address income inequality, we all applauded, but cheers and applause are not enough. and i ask my colleagues to think back, to remember listening to their parents and

grandparents talk about how franklin roosevelt always stood up for the little guy. remember those pictures of bobby kennedy touring through appalachian and touching the cheeks of hungry children. that's why we became democrats in the first place. those are the people that got us into politics. those are our people. don't throw that away just to be able to say you voted for a farm bill. don't turn your backs on our heritage and our history by giving bipartisan cover to what i believe is a flawed bill. we don't have to do this. the price of admission to pass a farm bill should not be more cuts to snap. and make no mistake about it. my friends on the republican side are not through when it comes to snap. they're going to come back after this program again and again and again. we need to push back. we need to say enough. you know, some -- you know, some have rationalized these cuts. some have tried to explain them away as being nothing but closing a loophole. they are wrong. people are going to be hurt.

people all over this country, 1.7 million people are going to be impacted by this. there should be nobody in this country, the richest country in the history of the world, who should ever go hungry. that should be a nonparticipate issue. but to -- nonpartisan issue. but to my democrat colleagues, this is something we've championed over and over again during the existence of this country. so i urge my colleagues to vote no on this conference report. vote your conscience, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. peterson: mr. speaker, mr. airman, i'll close, i guess, as well. i again want to thank the chairman and all of the members on both sides of the aisle for their work and hanging in there all these months and years to get to this point and congratulate the chairman on what i expect to be a successful outcome in a little

bit of time here and with that i'd ask everybody to support this conference report and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. mr. lucas: mr. speaker, i yield myself -- the speaker pro tempore: 5 1/4 minutes. the gentleman is recognized. mr. lucas: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to join my colleague by adding to the congressional record a majority of the -- a list of the majority staff members. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. lucas: i say with the cooperation of the members of the committee itself, the cooperation among of house and senate members was exemplary. i'd also note that the work of our staff, those good men and omen, house and senate, over the course of these years cannot be underestimated or underappreciated. e hours, the spirit of comity, the focus on

accomplishing, trying to do good policy, it cannot be understated how important those ood folks have been. mr. speaker, let me close by saying this. no one cares more about agriculture policy, farmers and ranchers, consumers and everyone in the process that takes it from the seed to the plate or the bowl than i do. but i think in good faith i can say my colleague, mr. peterson, cares just as much as i do. members of our committee care just as much as we do. this bill, done in what i would like to define as regular order, through the committee process and the floor and the conference, may not have exactly everything my friends on the right would want or my friends on the left would want,

but it represents making the process work, achieving consensus, putting into place policies that are better than what were there before to drive this effort forward. i know that we sincerely disagree on many things, and i know some of my friends don't sometimes act like they care about what happens out on the farm or the ranch. i know that's not the case. they do care, but i would simply say this. no matter how much money we spend on supplemental programs to make sure our fellow citizens have enough to eat -- and that's important -- never forget, if there's not a product on the shelf, if there's not meat in the case, if there's not vegetables or fruit available, it doesn't matter how much you subsidize. the food has to be there.

and that's why i've said all along, a farm bill still has to have farm in it. this agricultural act of 2014 lives up to that. it makes a commitment to our fellow citizens who are in tough times. but it will also assure that the food will be there. don't take us down the path that many other countries have gone through in the last century of people lined up at empty shelves, people hording particular ag products because it's available that day because they'll trade it the next day when something might be available. let's continue to do this miracle called american agriculture. and oh, by the way, depending on how you define miracles in the environment we work together in, this farm bill might not be quite

conference report, let's complete our responsibilities, let's show the rest of this place how it's supposed to be done. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time for debate has expired. pursuant to house resolution 465, the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the conference report. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the conference report is adopted. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: on that i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, this 15-minute vote on

adoption of the conference report will be followed by a five-minute vote on approval of the journal, if ordered. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 251, the nays are 166. the conference report is adopted. without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid op the

table. -- on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the question on growing -- agreeing to the speaker's approval on the journal. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the journal stands approved.

> mr. speaker.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair announces the speaker's appointment through the order of the house of the following members on the part of the use for the american interparliamentary -- the clerk: mr. mcintyre of north carolina, mr. delaney of aryland.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report to accompany h.r. 2642. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oklahoma. >> i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 3:00 p.m. on friday, january 31, 2014, and when the house adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet on

monday, february 3, 2014, when it shall convene at noon for morning hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. r. lucas: that's all, sir. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition?

he house will be in order. members of the staff, please take their conversations off the floor. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that i be removed as a co-sponsor of h.r. 1635, the national commission on the federal marijuana policy act of 2013. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm so pleased to rise today and extend my sincere thanks on behalf of all of us to a distinguished public servant, chief clerk of debates, trudie terry. that humble lady who sits behind us. after 15 years of serving the united states house of representatives and the american people, it is with sadness that we see such a fine and dedicated public servant retiring. terry began her tenure in the house in 1999 as the transscriber in the office of the official reporters. her diligence and commitment to her duties saw her promoted to chief clerk of debate in january of 2004.

trudie's outstanding contribution to the smooth running of this institution over the past decade has been substantial. and her warm demeanor will be missed by all of us who work in this chamber. i will remember trudie as a bubbly and energetic and warm personality who always went out of her way to help. i hope that trudie enjoys the added time so she can now commit to her hobies of attending the theater and bird watching. much better than watching members of the house. so i ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in thanking trudie terry for all that she has done for all of us in the house of representatives, and to truly wish her the best in the years to come. congratulations, trudie.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from connecticut seek recognition? ms. delauro: ask unanimous consent to address the house and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. delauro: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. what a joy it is to rise and join my colleague, congresswoman ileana ros-lehtinen, and to applaud the long career and the great contributions of a woman who has listened to countless speeches and addresses thon floor over the years -- on this floor over the years. our house chief clerk of debates, trudie terry, as she will soon retire. but she came to this house in 1999 as a transcriber and she has served as chief clerk of debates for the past decade. for 10 years, through early morning one-minutes, and midnight debates, she has sat on the dice behind this lectern, kept a record of all of our conversations and

colloquies and been of invaluable service to all of us in this body, no matter how heated it got down here. trudie has been helpful and patient and kind to each and every one of us. and, you know, she has lived an amazing life. before coming to washington, her experiences have run the gamut. born in amarillo, texas, teacher in alaska, new mexico, tennessee and virginia. an office manager in honolulu and a preschool director at a naval base in japan. trudie, we say thank you to you for your hard work, for your service both here on the house floor and across this great nation. we congratulate you on your retirement, many years of health and happiness so that you can travel, take the photos, go to the theater and, yes, bird watch. do the things that we kept you

from doing while we debate and try to legislate. you will be missed, my friend. you will be missed. and if you miss us too, you can always find us on c-span. but get a life, trudie, and enjoy it. thank you, i yield back, i ield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> we're not going to let trudie get off that easy because she's going to have to listen to some one-minute speeches. mr. speaker, i rise in support of the foreign conference bill report. as illinois farmers look forward to spring planning season this bill provides them with stronger crop insurance programs and gives them a choice of commodity programs that work best for their farm. mr. shimkus: it takes important steps to end direct payments,

streamline conservation programs, close food stamp loopholes and saves $24 billion over the next decade. however, one issue the bill does not address is country of origin labeling or cool. currently cool regulations could potentially put american live stok producers in violation of our -- livestock producers in violation of our trade obligations and could put u.s. meat under tariffs from canada and mexico. the w.t.o. announced just last week that they will be holding hearings on this issue. i've been told by the leadership of the house who had this provision in the house part of the bill that the bill would be filed, hearings will be conducted and we'll move legislation to address this concern. i want to thank chairman lucas and ranking member piecerson for all their hard work on -- peterson for all their hard work on the ag bill. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute.

s. schakowsky: mr. speaker, -- ms. duckworth: duck mr. speaker, we need congress to extend unemployment insurance now. mary has 16 years of experience in human resources, with seven of those as a manager. but yet she has been unemployed now for three years. but it's not for lack of trying. she sent out more than 500 resumes and gone through interview after interview after interview. with no success. she worries about losing her house and how she'll support herself in retirement. you see, she recently turned 60 and she knows how tough it can be to find work at her age. but that doesn't stop mary from looking for jobs for hours every day. it does not stop her from spending hours every week volunteering at her local church because she cares so much about her community. mary is not giving up and we shouldn't give up on her

either. many americans like her want to find work and simply can't. punishing them by taking away unemployment benefits is a terrible mistake. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. duckworth: duck let's put our partisanship aside and extends unemployment insurance now for our families and businesses. thank you. . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, today the house passed a new five-year farm bill re-authorization with bipartisan support. the federal agriculture reform and risk management act will provide food security for our nation's citizens, ensuring americans have access to affordable, high quality, and safe food. for my state of pennsylvania and many others, the farm bill was actually a jobs bill. in pennsylvania we have approximately 62,000 farms and agriculture supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. one in seven pennsylvanians owe their job directly or indirectly

toing a afplgt nary sector is the largest single contributor with about 7,500 farms as of last year. they rank fifth among the states. but pennsylvania agriculture is very diverse. we have beef, cattle, mushrooms, corn, poultry, and so much more. our forest products and timber industry is also critical in pennsylvania and provides jobs and needed forest management. this farm bill is critical in providing support and certainty to our farmers in rural communities in each of these areas. as a member of the house agriculture committee and as a strong supporter of agriculture in pennsylvania, i was proud to support the passage of this important jobs bill. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? ms. jackson lee: i ask to address the house for one minute, ask unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: thank you, mr. speaker. hunger is not an option. although there were many elements of the farm bill that over the years i have supported enthusiastically as a representative from texas, and i thank all of those who produce

food, but it is a question of taking a stand. first, $40 billion. then $11 billion, then $8 billion. it is not an option in terms of the closing off of the opportunity for food stamps for those who are working, as the young lady, maggie, in austin, texas, and the 48 million women living in poverty and the 22 million children living in poverty. so i took a stand today and i'm proud of it. not because the work was not there for the farm bill, but we have got to protect those who need us most. hunger is not an option. i take this time as well to thank trudy terry, my dear friend, for her service to this nation. she is professional and distinguished and as we say to each other on the floor, the distinguished gentlelady from texas, the distinguished gentleman from massachusetts, you're the distinguished gentlelady from virginia. along with irene, we thank you for sharing with us. i appreciate one thing, thank

you for being our friend and my friend. god bless you. and continue in prosperity and service. god bless you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. daines: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. daines: as a fifth generation montana sportsman, i know the importance of protecting and preserving montana's outdoor heritage. hunting, fishing, hiking on public lands are an important part of many montanan's way of life, something my grandpa and dad passed on to me and some we are passing on to our kids. almost two million acres of public lands in montana are inaccessible to the public. ree other states, wyoming, colorado, new mexico have more than 500,000 acres inaccessible to the public, that's unacceptable. i strongly believe we must ensure the public has access to the public lands we already

have. there are strong bipartisan agreement that the land and water conservation fund can play an important role in increasing access to these lands. and that's what the making public lands public access act will do. my bill seeks to increase montana's opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation and ensure that our public lands are truly public. i urge support for my bill and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition? mr. mcgovern: unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, it has been four long years since the supreme court's awful citizens united decision, and sadly this republican leadership has failed to take action to address the increasing influence of corporations and big money in our elections and political discourse. the house has repeatedly voted to repeal the affordable care act which, quite frankly, helps millions and millions of our fellow citizens get health care. we have vote the to weaken --

voted to weaken environmental protections. while i'm pleased most of this legislation has not become law, i find it troubling we have not addressed an issue so fundamental to our democracy, the empowerment of everyday americans over special interests. i'm proud to be the sponsor of two constitutional amendments, h.j.res. 20, empowers congress and the states to regulate political spending, while my people's rights amendment puts a stop to the growing trend of corporations claiming first amendment rights. 16 states, including my home state of massachusetts, and hundreds of cities and towns across the country, have taken action to support a constitutional amendment to overturn zints united and the fabricated doctrine of corporate constitutional rights. our democracies of the people, by the people, and for the people. we endanger that most sacred value when big monny, special interests, and corporations have unlimited power to buy and influence elections. mr. speaker, it is time for us to act. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition?

>> i rise to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. fitzpatrick: thank you, mr. speaker. the president on the -- mr. shuster: thank you, mr. speaker. the president is traveling to pennsylvania today. i invited him to travel 50 miles south to green county, pennsylvania. in my district, a rural county, struggling county, a county that produces coal. the president's wrong policies, out-of-control e.p.a. regulations have shut down the hatfield ferry coal-fired electric plant in green county, pennsylvania. over 100 jobs are gone. 100 good-paying jobs. to make matters worse, the small communities, the water authority, the rate payors are going to have to pay more because the largest user of that system was the hatfield ferry electric cold plant. so these 2,000 folks are going to have to pay more money for their water and sewer because of the president's wrong energy polcy. the president's energy policy is wrong and it's hurting hardworking americans. i yield back the balance of my

time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you. mr. lowenthal: inaction on climate change will be more costly in the long run than an investment in curbing emissions now. the nonpartisan intergovernmental panel on climate change recently urged policymakers, that's us in congress, to take immediate action on climate change to avoid not only costly damages to our planet but really the costly impact to our economy. report indicates that strong action to curb greenhouse gases emissions do not take place in the next 15 years, our last resort to avoid catastrophic global changes will be to rely on expensive technologies, to remove harmful greenhouse gases, and that would be unbelievably

expensive. the longer we wait, the costs go up and the impact on the economy is more devastating. if we wait until 2030, the costs go up, we reduce our ability to produce goods and services by up to 4%, if we wait until 2050 it's up to 6%. and if we wait until 2100 it's up to 12% loss of goods and services. the time to act is now. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. woodall: thank you, mr. speaker. i represent the northeastern suburbs of atlanta, but i voted in favor of a large farm bill today. we don't have too many farmers in our district, but we have folks who care about their children and grandchildren and moving this country away from debt and back towards prosperity. mr. speaker, i serve on the budget committee, and in my three years in this body i have never been able to send a bill to the president that changes

mandatory spending in the direction of savings as large as this bill does that we did today. over $3 billion in the first year. mr. speaker, the american people are tired of broken promises and they are tired of folks who promise the moon and can't deliver. today we took a small step in the right direction and you will see me back here tomorrow looking for one more. i was proud to vote in favor of the farm bill today. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that i be allowed to speak for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to honor one of my predecessors, former congressman george wertly, who served as central new york's representative during the 1980's for four terms. he passed away on january 21 at the age of 87. he was very well-known as being a very friendly, kind, and personal man, outstanding of our community in central new york, a

real neighbor to so many. he was born and raised in tele, new york. he graduate interested syracuse university in 1948. mr. maffei: he began his career as a newspaperman serving as publisher of seven newspapers spanning more than four decades. went on to dedicate -- to being a dedicated public servant in the house. while he served in the house banking and urban affairs committee, he was known for the development of the reverse mortgage anewity for seniors and was a significant force in reforming anti-money laundering laws to fight drug trafficking. he also served on the ethics committee which is a service to all. he'll be remembered across central new york for his genuine dedication to service. his services will be held monday. if any colleagues want any information on that, please see my office. mr. speaker, i would ask to have a brief moment of silence for congressman george wertly.

mr. maffei: thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states. i am pleased to transmit to the congress pursuant to sections 123-b and 123-d of the atomic energy act of 1954 as amended the text of a proposed third amendment to the agreement for cooperation between the united states of america and the international atomic energy agency. i am also pleased to transmit my written approval authorization and determination concerning the amendment and an unclassified nuclear proliferation assessment statement and p.a.s. concerning the amendment. the joint memorandum submitted to me by the secretaries of state and energy and a letter from the chairman of the nuclear regulatory commission stating the views of the commission are also enclosed. in the addendum to the npas

pursuant to section 102-a of the national security act of 1947 as amended is being submitted separately by the director of national intelligence. the proposed amendment has been negotiated in accordance with the act and other applicable law. in my judgment it meets all applicable statutory requirements and will advance nonproliferation and other foreign policy interests of the united states. in more detailed discussion of the iaea's nuclear proliferation and peaceful uses activities is provided in the npas and classified annex to the npas submitted to you separately. i have considered the views and recommendations of the interested agencies in reviewing the proposed amendment to the agreement, and i have determined that its performance will promote and will not constitute unreasonable risk to the common defense insecurity. accordingly i have approved the amendment and authorized its execution and urge that the congress give it favorable consideration.

this transmission shall constitute a submittal for the purposes of both sections 123-b and 123-d of the act. my administration is prepared to begin immediately the consultations with the senate foreign relations committee and the house foreign affairs committee as provided in section 123-b. upon completion of the 30 days of continuous session review provided for in section 123-b, the 60 days of continuous session review provided for in section 123-d shall commence. signed program, the white house. -- signed barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on foreign affairs and ordered printed. the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leave of absence requested for mr. westmoreland of georgia for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request is granted. under the speaker's announced the of january 3, 2013,

gentleman from texas, mr. poe, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker mr. poe: thank you, mr. speaker. before i get into my official remarks this afternoon, i too want to thank trudi terry for her service to the house. a lot of folks don't know, especially folks throughout america, that as chief clerk of debate, and all the clerks, they get here in the morning before we ever get here. and they don't go home until long after congress is over. because they have to make sure that everything we say is appropriately recorded in the congressional record. and that is prepared by the clerks during the night before the sun rises the next day. it is a tremendous job and our clerks do a tremendous job. trudi, when you told me you

were leaving yesterday i told you it can't be. just say it isn't so. we depend on you. now, you sit right in the middle of the house. right between the republicans, right between the democrats, right down the center of the aisle. making sure that you take care of all of us. and i personally appreciate what you've done for me over the last nine years, since i have been in the house of representatives, and know that all members appreciate the house staff for what you do. and if people ever watch c-span, occasionally they will see that the clerks are always here, mr. speaker. they're always here. they're never sick, they never miss, even when the house is closed down because of bad weather, there the clerks are. they're still here. so i appreciate their service. i know all members of the house appreciate the service of all of y'all. and you don't get near the credit -- you make us all look

good and i appreciate that very much. mr. speaker, i want to talk and address the house on a more serious note this afternoon. and it has to do with not the economy, doesn't have to do with money, the debt, all those things that many americans and all americans are concerned about. but it's dealing with something that to me is really as serious if not more serious. because it has to do with people. children, primarily. and what i'm talking about is something that we thought doesn't happen in this country anymore. and that's slavery. yes, we still have slavery throughout the world today in 2014. it's called human sex

trafficking and what we're talking about, what i'm talking about has consequences throughout the united states. it's not just happening in foreign countries, it's not just isolated and happening a little bit. the scourge is happening throughout the world and, yes, has even come to the united states. that's one reason why this is national slavery and human trafficking prevention month. and it's vital that mothers and fathers understand the crime of human trafficking. i have four kids, i have 11 grandkids. children are the greatest resource that the country has. and things are happening to them that a lot of americans are unaware of. and it happens in our neighborhoods. and here's how it happens. small example that happened in houston.

young girl goes to the mall like teenagers do. middle schoolers. parents drop kids off at the mall on a saturday, for example, and then come pick them up later in the day. the young girl was there with some others, she got to talking to a young male. and when we think of sex traffickers, a lot of people think of the old guy in the trench coat. no. many of them are young people. good-looking guy in his early 20's. he starts talking to this young girl and before you know it they hit up a good conversation. and he starts telling her things that she wants to hear. he buys a few things for her there in the mall. and before you know it, she's picked up and he and this young girl -- this middle schooler go somewhere in a car. but they disappear into the houston community. because now she has been kidnapped and is used

unfortunately in the sex trade. in the sex slavery trade. as a young teenage girl. they are located, these traffickers, they'll find young girls anywhere. they'll find them at salons, they'll go to massage parlors. they're human -- the human trafficking occurs in many different places. sometimes fronts, there are storefronts that are for one business but it's nothing more than a trafficking outlet of sex trafficking. and traditional businesses, some unfortunately are nothing more than fronts for forced prostitution of minors. and they are held and forced to have sex with others for money. so the trafficker can get money. and that filthy lucre goes to the slave trader. it happens in far-off places, it happens in america. and the victims, and that's the

ones i want to talk about today, they're domestic victims in the united states, like the girl i mentioned in houston. and they're international victims in other countries. and they are trafficking -- trafficked into the united states or throughout the united states for two purposes. for sex or for labor. forced labor. and i have recently been to central america and south america, honduras and guatemala , costa rica and panama and even peru and i have been able to see the sex trade, the sex trafficking business in those countries. it happens domestically in those countries, as well as other countries throughout the world. but some of those girls are forced to come to the united states. not all of them. but some of them are. and be mindful, we do have girls in the united states that

are transported throughout the country, domestic sex trafficking. but i got to talk to some of these young girls in these shelters about their lives. i met one girl, i asked her, how did this happen to you? and she said, well, when i was 9 years old, my mother sold me to a trafficker for a cell phone. nd she got sold for a phone, from mom, and then she goes into the sex trafficking business. after they reach a certain age, then they're just -- they just disappear into the society. is girl was rescued in guatemala. and there are shelters that help these young girls. i got to talk to several of these girls and we're talking about -- the youngest that i met was 7 and they go all the

way up to 17. to be minors. i got to talk to some girls, five of them in one shelter, that were 12 years of age or younger, five of them. there were other girls in the shelter. these five girls i talked to the, mr. speaker, all had -- talked to, mr. speaker, all had children that were the product of forcible rape by one of the customers that had abuysed them. it's sex slavery -- abused them. it's sex slavery, it's sex trafficking throughout the world. and they're forced into terrible abusive conditions, whether it's work slavery or whether it's prostitution. forced prostitution. but there are also young women and males too, but primarily young women, that are trafficked in our own neighborhoods for sexual servitude. as many as 100,000 children in the united states a year are at risk for sexual exploitation. and worldwide, mr. speaker,

trafficking is a $1 billion business. it's a $32 billion business a year. that's just a number. but what does that mean? that trafficking criminal activity is second only to the narcotics trafficking in the united states. or in the world. and the difference between trafficking of or selling drugs is that when you sell drugs, the product is sold one time. but when you traffic young children, the trafficker sells that young child numerous times . numerous times a day. and the consequences are much less for trafficking children than it is for trafficking drugs. that's another issue. -- issue we need to resolve. but the consequences are something that keeps this dastardly crime operating. mr. speaker, these traffickers

are so bold that they brand these young girls with tattoos so that other traffickers or pimps, which ever you want to call them, know that this property belongs to this trafficker. they'll brand them somewhere on their body. "the new york times," mr. speaker, has reported that a girl in new york city wases branded with a bar code -- was branded with a bar code cod -- code so her trafficker could keep up with her whereabouts. bar codes. bar codes are put on property. and i think this should be disturbing that this is happening to young children in the united states. traffickers, where do they operate? they operate wherever there's a business and unfortunately they operate at big sporting events. like the super bowl. new jersey and new york have done an excellent job preparing for this year's super bowl. by warning parents, warning children, warning people who

come to new york about the issue of sex trafficking, especially of children. so what can we do? what should we do about this issue that's taking place in other countries and the united states? the first thing we need to do is to treat these children like criminals -- excuse me, like victims rather than criminals. they are treated like criminals . when the police go out and they go into an area and they raid that area, they take the girls who are forced into prostitution, many times they file criminal charges on them. in all fairness to the police, there's not places to put trafficked victims, there's just not enough shelters. but they're treated and observed by communities as criminals, as opposed to victims. so we must change the mindset and the laws in this country to treat them as victims because that's what they are. they're victims of criminal conduct, they are not criminals themselves. the second thing we need to do is to prosecute those that are

involved and that includes not just the trafficker but that includes the demand. that includes the customer. that includes, as it is said in the trade, the john. who seems to get away with this miserable conduct. the third thing we need to do is to raise awareness in all communities about this scourge. it's unfortunate that my hometown of houston, texas, has become a major hub of this crime because of our interstates, our ports, airports in our proximity -- and our proximity to the southern border so young girls are smuggled into this area of houston and then farmed out throughout the united states. as property. and of course it's something that is -- people are aware of in our houston community and the community's doing a good job, law enforcement, to make folks aware of this crime. and are working together to close these places where these young children are trafficked. other communities throughout the country are following the example of law enforcement, the

media, government officials, nonprofits, churches and communities working together to stop this type of conduct. we need to be aware that it occurs. denial seems to be the biggest problem in the united states. people i talk to of all backgrounds don't believe that this is an issue. don't believe that this is a problem. don't believe -- do not want to believe that this criminal conduct is occurring. and it is. it's occurring right in the united states. i've recently introduced some legislation along with carolyn maloney from new york, bipartisan legislation, it certainly is bipartisan if it's -- carolyn maloney is from new york and a democrat and of course i'm a texas republican. we get through the language barrier but we have be been able to file this legislation that is excellent. it's justice for victims of trafficking act. and it's also bipartisan, the

senate's filed our same bill over there. senator corner from texas and senator widen from oregon has filed the same bill in the senate. and this bill looks at this problem on a broad scope and hopefully we pass this bill because it will go a long way to solving this problem that we have. and what it does, it focuses first on rescuing the victims of the crime. mr. speaker, it's my understanding, according to hope international, or shared hope, that in the united states here are 220-plus beds for minor trafficking sex victims. 220-plus. that's all. the spca says there's 5,000 animal shelters in the united states. as there should be. but there are no shelters, not even that many shelters for the young women that are trafficked throughout the country.

so we need to focus on the victims, take them out of the probation -- or take them out of the criminal justice system, and put them in shelters and find an avenue and funds to do that. i'll mention that in just a second. rescue the victim. that is our most important job, no matter where that victim is from, we must rescue them out of that environment that they have been forced into, into this modern-day slavery. what it does to create revenue, because we are always talking about money, where we're going to get money, this doesn't create new funds in the sense it's a tax requirement. what it does is allow federal judges when they had these people before them, they not only have the ability to put them in prison, where they should, but in similar crimes like trafficking, prostitution, and other types of crimes, federal judges can impose a fee on the defendant and that money

goes into a special fund that helps victims of crime. gives them the resources for those shelters. gives law enforcement resources to investigate this crimal conduct. so it makes those criminals pay the rent on the courthouse, pay for the system that they have created by imposing judges, imposing fines and fees on them and that money's specifically used not to bring down the debt. but it's specifically used to help victims of criminal conduct. and i think that is something that is important that we do. it also goes a little bit punishmentorcing our for these criminals. what i mean that the law of the country is pretty good to punish the trafficker, but the person that is getting away with all of this conduct is the man. the customer is getting away. if it wasn't a demand, this act wouldn't be happening. but the system just lets that

person, unfortunately, get away with it. but now the law will be changed, if it passes, that the man, the customer, the john, can get the same punishment as the trafficker. not only that, we apply the rico statute, racketeering statute, to let it be used in organized crime. ered in, you have the cab, the hotel clerk, the cabdriver, the pimp, the john all working together to have this victim abused, the rico statute can be applied to all those involved in that criminal conduct and they can be punished accordingly. hold all of those individuals accountable for their conduct because it is important that they be treated and punished for the conduct of sex slavery against victims of children. mr. speaker, slavery's supposed to end in the united states in

1865. but this new form of slavery deals with destroying the dignity, the self-worth, the of certain ul people. women, primarily. young women primarily. if we don't do anything else in this country, in this congressional session, we need to understand that this problem, his scourge is affecting the quality of life of people. females and children. and we have an obligation to rescue them, let them understand that we are on their side, and

let them once again have some dignity, have some self-worth, and have some hope. because that's what we are supposed to do in life. le is to take care of people -- is to take care of people. i thank the speaker for allowing me to make these comments on the house floor. let's rescue the victims, treat them like they should be treated, and then punish the traffickers and those that seek to demand for this and treat them like they should be treated. and that means put them in the jailhouse for a long time because that's where they belong . and that's just the way it is. i yield back my time to the chair. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from texas, mr. gohmert, is recognized for 40 minutes as the designee of the

majority leader. mr. gohmert: thank you, mr. speaker. it has been an honor and privilege and pleasure to work with trudy terry here in the house. really hate to see her retire.

she's put up with me more times than most people have had to and ept a wonderful spirit and cooperative atmosphere in this body and this chamber, and i'll be forever grateful. thank you. i really hate to see you retire. so i guess to add to the bad news of trudy terry retiring, there's other things going on that hits home for me as someone with other friends like dana rohrabacher d steve king have met with leaders from the baluche area of pakistan.

it's the area where most of pakistan's minerals are located. it's an area where pakistan has or many years terrorized the baluche people, killed them, just persecuted them mercilessly. they want the area's minerals and assets to keep pakistan going and basically radicalized, but they don't want to let the people live in peace. i have proposed in a previous op-ed a couple years ago that rhaps it's time to look at encouraging a new state, a new as try of baluchistan independent of pakistan so that

the people can live in peace, so they don't have to be worried about pakistan officials and and ary coming through committing, really, crimes against these people. after i wrote that op-ed and included a statement that join in the time to encouragement for a new state, there was an article in the akistani daily paper that said in essence, maybe it is time to quit persecuting the baluche, reach out to them, and try to figure out a way where we could let them live -- they could let them live in peace because to pakistan that area was important and the op-ed from the

pakistan paper also indicated that perhaps they needed to quit funding and helping the taliban defeat the americans in pakistan -- i mean in afghanistan and just concentrate on their own country. that would have been wonderful. and would still be. this story is out from the "toronto sun" and since it regards the province in pakistan -- by the way, i heard from numerous military -- of our american military and from others in afghanistan that most of the supplies to the taliban are coming from pakistan through of southern, the bluche area

pakistan and that's why the thought was triggered, maybe if it was independent of pakistan that would cut off the supply to the terrorist taliban in afghanistan and would save a lot of american lives, but since that had been said, we have lost hundreds more american soldiers, lots more american blood has been shed because we have failed to neutralize the taliban and they have continued, apparently, to grow in their efforts to take over afghanistan shortly after we leave. this article, though, says it would have been inconceivable that any u.s. official, let alone a discriminate -- secretary of state, would host a delegation from serbia the day after mass graves were discovered in a brenica in 1995.

yet on sunday a day after bullet-ridden bodies were discovered in suspected mass graves in pakistan's military-controlled province of baluchistan, secretary of state john kerry was toasting a delegation of pakistan security officials at the state department tbaluchistan and human rights officials say 169 bodies have been uncovered so far. pakistani officials put the number at 15. victims and families of baluche youth who have disappeared and who are feared to be among the decomposed bodies being unearthed from the mass graves had hoped that kerry would raise the issue with his pakistani counterpart. instead they heard kerry say to

pakistanis, we are really delighted to you back and i look forward to our continued conversation. american looked the other way in 1971 when the pakistan army slaughtered a million of its own citizens and what is now bangladesh. what emerged was a country that hosted the master mind of the 9/11 attacks. allowed osama bin laden to operate on his soil for more than decade and whose terrorists have been involved numerous jihaddy attacks arne the world. ever the since many bombings of u.s. embassies in east africa and the attack of the u.s.s. cole. yet america continues to give pakistan billions of dollars in aid which is then turned around to generate more hatred towards the west and produce more ihaddy terrorists.

inserting parenthetically into this article is my oft quoted statement that you don't have to pay people to hate you, they'll do it for free. we continue to send billions of dollars to nations that hate us and want us gone from the map. they want to see us suffer, and we keep sending them money to hate us. we can use that money here. we could save raising some taxes, we could get some roads and some of the infrastructure that the president promised if we gave him $900 billion basically in a stimulus package right after he took office, and that was going to fix all the infrastructure, but maybe 6% of $900 billion went for infrastructure, and so the president's back out saying we got to build these roads -- we have been talking about this for five years, he has. so you didn't do it with the

stimulus money, why don't we just save some of the billions we are giving to people that hate us and then we don't help them kill americans. we don't continue as this administration is doing to are syrian rebels who killing christians. for anyone who happens to believe that there is a god as reflected in the bible, the question would have to be asked, if there is such a god, as reflected in the bible, which i believe, is it going to bode well for a nation which is funding and helping nations that are killing, torturing, kidnapping christians around the world?

this article goes on, now the u.s. has given the same pakistan army another pass as it carries out the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people from their homeland. in response they have taken up arms and are fighting their fifth war of independence since 1948 when the pakistani army invaded and captured the independent and sovereign state of kolate. . we have people in thised a a administration demanding that what they say are indigenous people, despite the fact that the children of israel occupied the promised land, 1,600 years or so -- 1,700 years at least, before a man named muhammad was born. yet there are people who say,