million next year, that that budget would give you a $200,000 tax break. our budget presents a stark contrast to the austerity proposals peddled by this republican congress in order to add $8.8 -- in order to add 8.8 million jobs to the economy over the next three years and provide americans an opportunity to get a good education and find a job and live in a safe and secure home and afford decent food. we raised revenue that is needed. we do so by asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. yes, we do. and by closing egregious corporate loopholes including incentives to ship jobs overseas. we would also cut $4 trillion from the deficit over the next decade. look, we can't build the economy for the many, not just the moneyed, unless we make significant investments in our future. those investments can and should be made by raising revenue,

growing our economy, and i urge my colleagues to support the better off budget. i yield back. the chair: the time of the gentlelady has expired. he gentleman from georgia. >> i yield three minutes to mr. rice. the chair: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for three minutes. mr. rice: thank you, mr. speaker. the congressional progressive caucus better off budget is really a bigger government budget. the progressive caucus substitute increases a total spending relative to the republican budget by $8.4 trillion over the next 10 years. american families and particular ly our children and our grandchildren cannot afford this. ext year, and absolutely not for the next 10 years. this bigger government budget creates new taxes, more

regulation, duplicative federal programs and will stifle progress across the board. people, this is not complicated. we need a budget that will grow our economy. higher taxes, higher deficits and bigger regulation will never grow the economy. if we put folks back to work, we solve a lot of problems. we solve unemployment problems, deficit problems, poverty problems, income inequality problem, crime problems, drug problems and problems across the board. the number one issue in my district, and a i believe the number one issue in this nation , is jobs. five years after the great recession, the economy continues to struggle and a far too many americans remain out of work. mr. obama's big government economy has failed. we can solve this problem.

it's not rocket science. we can build our economy and put hardworking americans back to work, if only we will take a few steps to make america more competitive. just like counties across the country compete for jobs, just like states lower tax rates and stream line regulations to attract industry and jobs, and you can look at states and see what they're doing, and how they're successful, we must adopt an attitude here in washington that we will compete in the world. if we expect to stop sending our jobs overseas and bring american jobs back home. if we retain the world's highest corporate tax rate, how can we expect to compete in the world? if washington continues to spend more than we take in, threatening our entire economy, how can we expect to compete in the world? if we continue to build upon

our already oppressive regulatory burden, how can we expect to compete in the world? this is where i believe my friends across the aisle miss the mark. they seem to believe and preach that somehow making this country competitive benefits only the wealthy. but the truth is that people with high assets and high skills do well when a global environment. hey can compete from anywhere. the chair: the gentleman is additional 30 an seconds. mr. rice: the longer we wait to enter the global competition for jobs, the more we damage the hardworking folks in the middle class. we will not grow our economy or put people back to work by expanding entitlements. we will never solve the problems of poverty and inequality through bigger government. if america will enter the global competition for jobs, our economy will accelerate, the sky's the limit. this is not a republican issue,

this is not a democrat issue. this is an american issue. if we are so blessed, if we simply decide to compete, no one can stop us. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. grijalva: thank you, mr. chairman. it should be noted that the republican budget, according to the economic policy institute, will slow the recovery, costing 1.1 million jobs in fiscal year costing nearly three million jobs the next year. that is not a budget of growth. let me yield two minutes to the co-chair, distinguished gentleman from minnesota, mr. ellison. the chair: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized for two minutes. mr. ellison: mr. speaker, our republican colleagues have been saying for maybe 100 years that if we don't regulate and have fair, good rules for health and safety in the financial markets and in other areas of our

economy, and if we don't tax people, the wealthy and corporations, then our economy will take off. they've been saying this for years. they didn't just start saying it with bush or reagan. they were saying it back in the 1930's and thank god the american people did not listen to them. because it was in the 1930's that we put up the s.e.c. and we put regulations on banks. we put other sort of health sand safety and commonsense regulations in place and because of that, between 1948 and about 1975 we had an expanding economy. sometimes the tax rate were way higher than they are now. they are wrong. they don't know economic history and so they continue to repeat herbert hoover-type myths that were dispeled decades ago. oh, but they came back and deregulated the economy in the late 1990's and then in the early 2000's they cut taxes on the wealthy and we have had a dismal jobs economy since that time. the better off budget is here to present a better alternative

that involves investment in our nation's economy to put americans back to work. the better off budget puts 8.8 million americans back to work by doing something that everyone, democrats and republicans, and independents, and greens and everyone needs. we invest in infrastructure. we put $820 billion into fixing our roads, our bridges, our smart grids, into our transit systems, our wastewater treatment systems, we invest in our nation's infrastructure and just like under the great republican president, dwight eisenhower, as we invest in infrastructure, we make our -- we put people to work building it, and we make our economy more productive as we use it. and this is exactly what this version of republicans, my goodness, doesn't understand. that you've got to invest in the economy in order to reap benefits from the economy. the better off budget puts 8.8 million people back to work. the ryan budget puts three

million people out of work. vote yes on the better off budget today. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from georgia. mr. price: mr. chairman, may i request the remaining time on each side? the chair: the gentleman from eorgia has 5 3/4 minutes remaining. and the gentleman from arizona has nine -- 9 3/4 minutes remaining. mr. price: thank you, mr. chairman, we'll reserve at this time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from arizona. mr. grijalva: thank you, mr. chairman. yield two minutes to the gentlelady from california and the leader in the progressive caucus, ms. barbara lee. the chair: the gentlelady from california is recognized for two minutes. ms. lee: thank you. want to thank our co-chair, congressman grijalva and ellison, for their very hard work on this budget. which is a better off budget. and as former co-chair of the progressive caucus, i rise in proud support of this budget

because each year this budget continues to get better and better. as a member of the budget and the appropriations committee, i was really once appalled, once again appalled by the devastating cuts that the ryan republican budget makes to the safety net. the number one priority of our budget is fixing the job crisis. and that's exactly what the c.p.c. budget would do. the progressive caucus budget asks the wealthiest 1%, big oil, and huge corporations, to pay a little more, just a little more, so that we can afford to invest in the american people and create over eight million jobs over the next three years alone. the c.p.c. budget replaces the disastrous sequester by supporting critical spending in education, infrastructure and rejecting benefit cuts to medicare, medicaid and social security. while the republican budget continues to keep the american dream out of the reach for all

americans, it would increase spending for the already bloated pentagon budget. chairman ryan's report on poverty refuses to acknowledge the facts that head start and all of the great society initiatives have kept millions out of poverty. they have worked. and raising the minimum wage for single mothers provides a pathway out of poverty. mr. ryan's report does not acknowledge the facts. taxpayers, for example, subsidized corporations to the tune of over $200 billion. just to keep people in the ranks of the working poor. the c.p.c. budget eliminates the overseas contingency operation slush fund and supports a modern military able to face real 21st century threats. once again, we provide economic growth and jobs in our budget and we require the pentagon, the largest single federal agency with the highest, waste

-- with the highest waste, fraud and abuse, to pass an audit and to pass it now. can i have 10 seconds? mr. grijalva: i yield an additional 10 seconds. ms. lee: i just want to conclude by saying we can't continue to write a blank check for spending on war. if we're really going to have any chance of getting our fiscal house in order. we can't do this to america's struggling families and the working poor. that's what the american people deserve, our budget, the better off budget, our country will be better off. the chair: the gentlelady's . me has expired the gentleman from georgia. mr. price: i'll continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman from georgia reserves his time. the gentleman from arizona. mr. grijalva: i'd like to yield to the gentleman from california, mr. honda, one minute. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. mr. grijalva: excuse me. a minute and 30 seconds. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. mr. honda: thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank my friend, the

gentleman from arizona, mr. grijalva, for yielding. mr. chairman, many of our democratic colleagues have already spoken about what's wrong with the house republican budget. how it slashes our investments in education, infrastructure, research and development, job training and medical research. how it repeals all the benefits of the affordable care act, how it leaves seven million americans without health insurance, ends the medicare guarantee and institutes massive cuts to our most vulnerable populations. how it pays for a new tax cut for millionaires by taxings away tax breaks that help the working poor and the middle class. and that's all true. i want to talk about the alternative for this country that we in the progressive caucus have crafted. the better off budget meets the challenges of our communities face-on, head-on. it expresses our belief in -- that america's future is bright and worth investing in. one of the pieces i'm most proud of is the application of

the cpie to all federal retirement programs. the cpie uses the most accurate and sensible measure of the real cost that seniors face for programs like civil service retirement, military retirement, supplemental security income and the veterans pension. seniors deserve a cost of living that accounts for the rising cost of retirement such as health care. i urge my colleagues to support a better deal for our seniors, support a better future for our middle class and support a vision that will leave us all better off. the better off budget offers all of this. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from georgia. mr. price: thank you, mr. chairman. i'm pleased to yield two minutes to a productive and active member of the budget committee, the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. ribble. the chair: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized for two minutes. mr. ribble: thank you, mr. chairman. they call it the better off budget but i'm wondering who is

really better off? certainly not the small businesswoman from california who under this plan, maybe she's earning $260,000 a year, not a billionaire and millionaire like they claim, and she will see her combined taxes, federal taxes and state taxes, exceed 51%. she's certainly not better off. how about the people that she might have hired if she didn't have this tax increase? well, they're not better off. or maybe the people who work for her now, who can't get a raise because she now has to send it here. they're not better off. certainly not the business owner who might provide a piece of equipment that the small businesswoman might buy but she no longer can afford. he's no longer better off. i can't see anybody who's better off under in system. and here i would ask, and i want to talk a little bit about freedom in this last minute. imagine this same businesswoman getting up on january 1 and going to work and working all of january, she gets her paycheck and it's zero. because 100% was sent to washington, d.c. she does it again in february

and it's zero because 100% gets sent to washington, d.c. she does it again in march and april and may. 100% of all her effort comes here. she doesn't get to keep a penny of it. all of it. all through the month of june, it all goes to government. this is not a free person. mr. speaker, i ask, is that free? or is it indentured servanthood? we have a country where people ought to be better off and the way is to let them keep what they earn and that's what the house republican budget does and that's why i encourage my colleagues to vote no on the progressive budget and vote yes on the house budget committee's budget and with that i yield ack. the chair: the time of the gentleman has expire. the gentleman from arizona. mr. grijalva: it should be noted that the ryan budget raises taxes for middle class families

with kids on average $2,000 in order to coddle, i guess, the very wealthy in this country. let me yield one minute to the gentleman from new york, a member of the budget committee, mr. nadler. the chair: the gentleman from new york is recognized for one minute. mr. nadler: thank you, mr. speaker. will make off budget our country more competitive and will create 8.8 million job rerks pairing our roads and bridges and educating our young people. it's the only budget that gets america back to full place of employment and does it in three years. it puts an end to the system where c.e.o.'s pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries. it restores full funding to food stamps and strengthens medicare and medicaid. it makes a clear choice to support working class families, seniors, and those in feed. -- in need. for the fourth year in a row,

the republicans choose to slash jobs and destroy the safety net they choose to slash aid to college students. they choose huge tax cuts for million belnaries and tax increases for the middle class. the republican budget makes a clear choice, billionaires before working class and seniors. the better off budget supports jobs and working class families not just the richest 1%. i urge my colleagues to invest in this country and support the better off budget. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from georgia. mr. price: may i inquire as to the time? the chair: the gentleman from georgia has four minutes remain, the gentleman from arizona has 4 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. price: i'm pleased to yield two minutes to mr. duffy. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. outduffy: the house has put

a responsible budget that balances in 10 years but this is an opportunity for taos see the vision of the democrat party. if they were in control, what would they give taos try to bring america to a more sustainable path? what they give us is $6.6 trillion in new taxes. if i had a dollar for every time i hear if we just had a balanced approach and we could raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires, if i $1 for each of those comments i think we could balance the budget. but if that was the case, raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires, you'd think they would come up with a budget that actually balanced. the bottom line is my friends across the aisle, even raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires, their budget never balances. in their ideal budget this emedicare trust fund still goes bankrupt in 12 years. if you're going to raise these taxes, let's fix the problems. this is rife with huge issues.

listen, i think the real secret here that my friends across the aisle aren't telling the american people is they do have a way to pay for this the way to pay for it is not through millionaires and billionaires. they're going to pay for it by taxes hardworking middle class families, raising their taxes in a way to pay for greater government spending. it's a budget that looks to government programs. government giveaways, instead of looking to the private sector to grow our economy. listen, i think you couldn't have a better example of two different views about what direction we take the country. one of big government and big taxes on millionaires and billionaires and middle class americans or a responsible budget that reforms the way we spend, makes government responsible and keep ours promises to the american people. with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: the time of the gentleman has expired. the gentleman from arizona. mr. grijalva: thank you, mr. chairman. budgets are about choices. we choose investment. we choose not to cut medicare benefits, to give tax breaks to

the very wealthy millionaires and billionaires in this country. it is a choice. with this, let me yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey a member of the caucus, mr. holt. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. holt: thank you. mr. chairman, the better off budget would create 8.8 million jobs over its first three years by investing in infrastructure, education, training and research. it would invest $100 billion in teachers and schools and $81 billion in science. a person or country invests with the hope and expectation that investing some resources now will give us a better future. give us savings, give us a better quality of life that we will be better off. america's optimistic outlook has made america great and strong. the ryan budget is a a very pessimistic document. it's based on the premise that we cannot afford to invest in infrastructure, science,

education. we have to cut, we have tostring, we have to reduce our efforts, we have to hunker down, we can't afford to do things, anything. the wealthiest nation on earth should invest as if we have a future. quite simply, the better off budget informses as if we will have a tomorrow. t ends the absurd, pessimistic cuts of the budget control act and the pessimistic ryan budget. the chair: the time of the gentleman expired. the chair would remind members, the gentleman from arizona has three and one quarter minutes remain, the gentleman from georgia has two minutes remaining and the right that close. the gentleman from queas. mr. gri -- from arizona. mr. grijalva: let me yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. pallone. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. pallone: thank you, mr. chairman. the progressive caucus' better off budget is optimistic. it's about investing in america,

in job growth, by investing in infrastructure, public works and education. by repealing sequestration cuts, restoring funding for snap benefits and unemployment insurance and investing in programs to hire police, firefighters and health care workers, the better off budget will create 8. million good jobs by 2017 and embody ours american values by including comprehensive immigration reform and it protects our environment by addressing climate change. we support veterans, protecting medicare and social security, and implementing a fair tax system. i urge my colleagues, be optimistic about america. make america better off by voting for the progressive caucus budget. the chair: the time of the gentleman has expire. the gentleman from georgia. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from arizona. r. grijalva: let me yield to

the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. pocan, member of the caucus and budget committee and a freshman that's been a great leader in our caucus. the chair: how much time. mr. grijalva: one and a half. chip the gentleman is recognized for one and a half minutes. mr. pocan: i think the gentleman from northwest wisconsin is right. let's put the budgets side-by-side. the better off budget will create 8.8 million jobs. the republican paul ryan budget will cut three million jobs, that's the equivalent of the entire work force of the state of wisconsin. if you have families with kids going to school, the better off budget invests in hiring more teachers, invests in our schools, invests in pre-k, invests in our college students. the paul ryan republican budget cuts $18 billion in early education, $89 billion in k to 12 education, $205 billion in higher education, and if you get pell grants, another $145

billion cut. senior citizens, we invest in medicare and medicaid and we make sure you can negotiate for your drug prices. seniors under the republican budget, you're going to voucherize medicare, you're going to lose $732 billion in medicaid, oh, yeah, and we're going to open up the doughnut hole and you'll pay more for prescription drugs. finally on taxes, we close corporate loopholes for gas and oil companies and we make sure people that send jobs overseas don't get tax breaks. the republican budget cu cuts taxes on millionaires on average $200,000 each and you know how it gets paid for? on the backs of the middle class, $2,000 per family. they said it's a win-win budget. it's a win for the top percentage, a win for the second per cren tile and the rest of is pay the difference. the chair: the time of the gentlelady has expired. the gentleman from georgia. mr. price: i reserve.

the chair: the gentleman from arizona. mr. grijalva: this budget is about choice. the better off budget believes in the american people, believes in investing in the american people in their future is the best road to economic health and economic -- full economic opportunity in this country. our budget does not look at government or the american people with disdain. we feel that government has a role, quite frankly, to stimulate, to support, and to take care of the american people as we grow our economies, we can't cut our way out of what we're. in we need to grow our way out of it. the ryan budget continues the same pattern of austerity that's sinking us deeper and deeper into unemployment, lack of jobs and lack of investment in the american people. i urbling you to vote yes on the congressional progressive better off budget. we feel it's a strong budget, represents the ideals of the american people, we trust the american people, we invest in the american people. i yield back.

the chair: the time of the gentleman has expired. the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. price: we have heard a lot about this budget a lot of information a lot of numbers tossed around. my friends on the other side say their budget will create $8 -- will create 8. million jobs. where does that come from? made up. they say our budget slashes three million jobs. where does that come from? made up. they say our budget will increase costs on the middle class. where does that come from? made up. what's a fact about jobs? the congressional budget office said the president's health care law will decrease jobs by to.5 million. my friends in the house here if you want to increase taxes by $6.6 trillion, vote for this budget. if you want $8.4 trillion in more spending over the next decade, vote nor budget. if you want to increase debt by $8.2 trillion more than the republican budget, vote for that

budget. we believe there's a better way. there are real solutions. we recognize this is a didges world and therefore we increase spending on defense and making certain that our men and women who stand in harm's way have the resources they need. we believe that opportunity needs to be expanded that pro-growth tax policies are the thing this is a get the economy rolling again and get jobs being created. we understand that medicare and medicaid are in difficult straits financially, something our friends on the other side of the aisle bury their heads in the sand about. we put in place a program to save and strengthen and secure medicare and medicaid, recognizing that patients need to be in charge of health care, not the federal government. we reck tries -- recognize that energy policy needs to be expanded to utilize the blessings provided so we can be energy independent as a country and not rely on nation this is a don't like us. we also recognize that balancing the budget is imperative to get our fiscal house in order and get our economy back on track. our budget is the only budget

ebb being presented on the floor of the house compared to the other side of the aisle that gets to balance. our budget not only gets to balance but pays off our -- gets us on the path to pay off our entire debt. i urge defeat of the progressive budget. i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from arizona. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. mr. grijalva: on that, we would like a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from arizona will be postponed. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18 prork seedings will now resume on those amendments printed in house report 113-405 on which further proceedings were postponed. amendment number one offered by mr. mulvaney of south carolina. amendment number two, by ms. moore of wisconsin. amendment number three by mr.

grijalva of arizona. the chair will reduce to five minutes the time for any electronic vote after the first series of votes. the unfinished business is the question far vote on amendment number one printed in house report 113-405 by the gentleman from south carolina, mr. mulvaney, on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number one printed in house report 113-405 in the nature of a substitute offered by mr. mulvaney of south carolina. the chair: recorded vote has been requested. those in fare of a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having done so, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be 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 chair: the yeas are 2 and nays are 413. the amendment is not agreed to. unfinished business is request for recorded vote on amendment number 2, printed in house report 113-405 offered by gentlelady from wisconsin ms. moore and which the noes prevailed by vote. the clerk: amendment number 2 printed in house report number

113-40 in the nature of a substitute offered by ms. moore of wisconsin. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas are 116. the nays are 300. the amendment is not agreed to. the unfinished business is the record for a -- request for a recorded vote on amendment number 3 by mr. fwridge on which further proceedings were post -- mr. grijalva on which further proceedings were postponed. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 3 print the in house report 113-405 in the nature of a substitute offered by mr. grijalva of arizona. the chair: a recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise and be counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the chair: on this vote the yeas

are 89. the nays are 327. the amendment is not agreed to. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. price: thank you, mr. chairman. i move that the committee do now rise. the chair: the question is on the committee do now rise. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the ayes have it. accordingly, the committee rises. the speaker pro tempore: mr. chair. the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that committee has had under consideration house concurrent resolution 96 and has come to no resolution thereon.

pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is vote of the motion of the the gentleman from california, mr. nunes, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 44 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4414, a bill to clarify the treatment under the patient protection and affordable care act of health plans in which expatriates are the primary enrollees and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of epresentatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 257, the nays are 159. 2/3 not being in the affirmative, the rules are not suspended and the bill is not assed. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today, it adjourns to meet at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered.

the chair announces the speaker's appointment pursuant of 0 u.s.c. 204 b and order the house of january 3, 2013 the following member on the part of the house to the board of trustees of the harry s. truman scholarship foundation. the clerk: mr. dent of pennsylvania.

the speaker pro tempore: the ouse will be in order. members, please take their conversations off the floor. he house will be in order. the house will be in order. will members please take their conversations off the floor. he house will be in order.

for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? mr. blumenauer: i ask unanimous consent that i may hereafter be considered the first sponsor of h.r. 786 a bill originally introduced by representative markey from massachusetts for the purpose of adding co-sponsors and requesting reprinting pursuant to clause 7, rule 7. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. o ordered. the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the entleman from oklahoma rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to talk tax. every year americans approaching

april 15 with the dread and being reminded how our taxes are. a group has been involved. our small businesses, the backbone of our economy. why individuals prepare their taxes once a year, business owners have a different story to tell. by the time july arrives, my companies have prepared taxes four times. with hours spent on tax preparation and regulation compliance, small businesses are missing prime opportunities to focus energy on business expansion and job creation. over the past year, i have heard a message from small businesses across this country, taxes and overregulation are killing our businesses. at what point, mr. speaker, will this administration listen to the business owners of america? the success of small businesses set the tone for our nation's economy and it is my hope that their countless stories will

soon be heard. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> during this week we recognize equal pay day which marks the number of extra days in 2014 the average woman has to work to earn as much as a male counterpart did in 2013. ms. frankel: i rise for the women who are not here today because they are working hard to take care of themselves and their families and i'm going to keep it simple, mr. speaker, equal pay is about fairness and it is important and it is about survival. equal pay means safe, secure

housing, equal pay means saving for a child's college education, equal pay means building a pension that allows for a dignified retirement. equal pay means that everyone, regardless of their gender, gets a fair shot at living their american dream. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. . for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, ordered. >> thank you, mr. speaker, i rise today in recognition of the week of the young child, the national -- of the young child. the national association for the education of young children started the week of the young child in 1971 and since that time this week has focused attention on young children and young paraphernalias, two groups who don't have high-priced lobbyists to