destinations for millions of visitors every year. but there is no museum in the country that shows the full scope of the history of the amazing, brilliant, courageous, innovative and sometimes defiant women who have helped shape our history and make this country what it is. even though women make up 50% the population, a survey of textbooks found that only 10% of the individuals identified in the text were women. less than 5% of the 2,400 national historic landmarks chronicle the achievements of women, and of the 210 statues in the united states capitol, only nine are of female leaders. . as an example while nearly high school student learns about the midnight ride of paul revere, how many of them learn about sara luddington? she's a 16-year-old whose midnight ride to send word to

her father's troops that the british were coming was longer than paul revere's, just as important, and in many ways even more he remarkable. but her right -- even more remarkable, but they are right has been long forgotten. as was once described on the statue in the capitol rotunda for the three women who fought so hard for women to gain the right to vote, it is my hope on the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in 2020, that we will open the doors for this important museum. i urge the passage of this long overdue legislation and i eserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentlewoman from new york reserves. the gentlewoman from wyoming is recognized. mrs. lummis: i thank the speaker and yield five minutes to the the gentlewoman from minnesota, mrs. blackburn -- bachmann,

excuse me. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman minnesota is recognized for five minutes. miss bachmann: thank you, madam speaker. thank you to my wonderful colleague from the state of wyoming. i would like to state first of all that all republican women are pro-women and that all republican men that serve in this congress are pro-women. as are the democrat women and the democrat men in this congress. a no vote on the current legislation, which i advocate for, very simply is a vote to stand up for the pro-life movement, a vote to stand up for traditional marriage, and a vote to stand up for the traditional family. there already are 20 women's museums in the united states, including one affiliated with the smithsonian museum, and including one right next to the united states capitol. so why would we be building another? i rise today in opposition to this bill because i believe ultimately this museum that will be built on the national mall,

on federal land, will enshrine the radical feminist movement that stands against the pro-life movement, the pro-family movement, and pro-traditional marriage movement. the idea of celebrating women is admirable. shared by everyone in this chamber. no one disputes that. and a few of the museum's proposed exhibits are worthy. no one disputes that. i, for one, am honored to be featured in an join line exhibit about motherhood that highlights our 23 foster children and five biological children. however i'm deeply concerned that any exhibit worthy exhibits are clearly the exception and not the rule. a cursory review of the overall content already listed on the website shows an overwhelmingly -- overwhelming bhie ass towards -- bhie ass towards -- bias towards women which fails to

paint the actual picture of lives and women throughout our history. the most troubling example of the gloge review of the whom who embraced eugenics movement in the united states, margaret sanger. she's an abortion trail blazer and she is the founder of planned parenthood. which this body has sought to defund. yes, the museum glosses over margaret sanger's avid support for sterilization of women and abortion and for the elimination of chosen ethnic groups, particularly african-americans and classes of people. i find margaret sanger's views highly offensive. and yet she is featured over and over and over again as a woman to extol on this website and ultimately in this museum. adding a conservative woman to balance out sanger's inclusion does not alleviate the fact that the museum tries to whitewash her abhorrent views and props her as a role model for our daughters and granddaughters.

the list of troubling examples goes on, including the fact they leave out the pro-life views of the early suffragettes. let's face it, we wouldn't be here today if it wasn't the museum's ultimate goal to get a place on the federal mall of land and federal funding. if you look at their authorizing legislation, you'll see it was a template for this legislation. begin with a commission, then congressional approval, and finally federal funding. for 16 years this group has tried to raise financial support and the museum has only been able to raise enough to cover the current operating expenses and salaries of those trying to get this museum. nothing has gone toward the $400 million for its building. as it's currently written the legislation lacks the necessary safeguards to ensure the proposed museum will not become an ideological shrine to abortion that will eventually receive federal funding and a prominent spot on the national mall. i thank the leading pro-life groups like concerned women for

america, eagle forum, family research council, susan b. anthony list, heritage action among others who have been outspoken on standing out for the right to life for all americans and an accurate portrayal of american women. since these concerns have not been adequately addressed, i urge my colleagues to join me in voting against h.r. 863. i respectfully yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from minnesota yields back. the gentlewoman from wyoming reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: now, my colleagues, this bill as we all know, if you read it, will not cost taxpayers one single dime. it will not cost taxpayers one single cent. it didn't cost it in the past, it doesn't today. and it will not in the future use any federal funding. it is written into the legislation.

and, and the commission is not at all about determining the content of the museum. that part would come much later if the recommendations were approved by this body. the content would be determined in the future by professional cure rators that would kron -- cureators that would chronicle the history of this great country and great women that are part of it. the commission would have 18 months to prepare and submit their recommendations to congress, and then congress, this body, would have the final say. so if congress decides favorably, then and only then would a second bill be needed to support the museum and move forward. so to vote no on this bill would basically be voting no on a cost free, no strings attached, conversation by a bipartisan

panel on the important contributions of women to this country. i now yield to the distinguished eleanor holmes norton, as much time as she may require. i thank her for her extraordinary leadership on this issue and so many, many issues. thank you,le nor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized for as much time as she may consume. ms. norton: thank you, madam speaker. i certainly thank my friend, the gentlewoman from new york. her persistence has been indominable, and without that persistence, we certainly would not be on the floor today. thank the to majority leadership. who have permitted this bill to come forward on suspension and i particularly thank the the gentlewoman from wyoming for her leadership. the remarks from the the gentlewoman from minnesota were

unfortunate. you would think you were voting on a museum. my colleagues, this is not a bill for a museum. this is a bill for a commission to study whether there should be a museum and under what circumstances. it is unfortunate, indeed, to have a bill for a study. the outcome of which we have no idea except for the following. the appointees to this commission will come from the leadership of this house and the minority in this house and from the leadership in the senate and minority if the senate. it seems to me it would be very difficult for this museum to be convrted into not a study of the women in the united

states, but a study of current women's issues that are highly controversial. that would -- to have a museum that featured controversial issues of the day flies in the face of what women's history has been all about. that's for this house, that's not for a museum. there's no neglect of the issues that the gentlewoman was concerned about, pro-life issues, traditional family where we find democrats and republicans both, on both sides of those issues. you could get lots of discussion of that, but, madam speaker, there is almost no discussion about the history of women in our country. there are lots of things we could disagree about, but i think that almost no one would disagree that the time has come to at least study whether there

hould be an institution, a museum, not about women in america, and i stress, this is not a women's museum, it's about the history of women in america. the gentlelady has spoken about how distinguished that history has been. but it should come as no surprise that women were not writing the history books, and so women like many others in our country have not exactly been included. .e are half of the population wherever you stand on women's issues, i am sure there is consensus in this house that half of the population should not go unmentioned in the textbooks of our country. in the ot be unseen memorials and in the museums of

our country, and certainly not in the nation's capital. if there is to be a museum -- we don't know what the commission will find. i would surely hope it would be in the nation's capitol wherefore the first time women's history, historical figures who are women, would be acknowledged and perhaps commemorated. i do want to say one thing about what these commissions do. if the women's museum made any mistake, it was being so enthusiastic that we went straight forward to try and set up a museum for no reason why there wouldn't be a unanimous consent, virtually, to have a museum about women's history in our country. that was a mistake. we should have gone the same route that many before us have gone. set up a commission to see whether you ought to have a

commission, a museum at all. do it in an entirely bipartisan way so as to make sure that if you do do a museum, it can't possibly be controversial. and that's what we have here. a fail-safe method of assuring that if you vote for this commission, you're voting for a study and nothing more than a study. you don't like the study, you're sure going to have another chance to say no. women, democratic and republican, deserve a then, isan commission to if they can agree, give our country -- i'm sorry, a bipartisan commission to give our country, if they can agree, a nonpartisan museum in the nation's capital. i thank the gentlelady, particularly for her hard work.

this is hard work that began when the president's commission on the celebration of women called for a women's museum in washington. i remind the house that the house has voted for this museum. the senate has voted for the museum. all that's been lacking is their voting for the museum, at the same time. today we are not voting for a museum. we ask you to vote only for a commission to study whether there should be a museum. we got so far last time as to actually find land for this museum, all of that is pulled back. put before the house today. do you believe that the history of women in the united states of america is important enough to appoint a commission to study that history? i thank the gentlelady. mrs. maloney: reclaiming my

time. i want to underscore that no taxpayer money will be used now or in the future. in fact, there is a national women's history museum organization with a 501-c-3 that is headed by joan wages and they have already raised well over $10 million privately to support the commission and the commission's work. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from new york reserves. the gentlelady from wyoming is recognized. mrs. lummis: thank you, madam speaker. at this time i would like to yield seven minutes to the gentlelady from tennessee, mrs. blackburn. mrs. blackburn: i thank the gentlelady from wyoming for her superb work on this issue and for her guidance. as this bill moves through the natural resources committee, you know, it's amazing we had two committees of jurisdiction that oversaw this legislation.

by candice chaired miller and with natural sources chairman doc hastings. this bill came through these committees on a unanimous vote. something deemed impossible in washington but everybody agrees that it is time that we come together and that we have an appropriate bipartisan approach to addressing the collecting and the enshrining of what women have done in the fight and the cause of freedom. now, madam speaker, i do want to highlight just a couple of things. there's been so much misinformation distributed about the bill. this is a 10-page bill. i should say nine pages and about three lines, and i think

that congresswoman maloney, who has worked so diligently on this effort -- as she and i discussed this morning. we basically have come forward and agreed on a new approach for all museums that could possibly want to be considered. and that approach is congress, not a presidential commission, but congress, having the ability to determine in a bipartisan way who serves on the commissions to review these museums and do a feasibility study, which is something those of us in business always do before we embark on any project. it's appropriate that the federal government do that also. this is a fiscally conservative approach to addressing the cost of a museum. now, the duties of the commission, my colleagues are going to find on page 4, and you will see there are several things that will be covered in the feasibility study.

the availability and cost of collections, the impact of the seum on women's regional history-related museums, potential locations in washington, d.c., whether the museum should be part of the smithsonian, the government, organizational structure, best practices for engaging women in the development and design of the museum and the cost and construction of operating and maintaining. in other words, they got to have an endowment. they got to pay their operational costs, their upfront costs. all of it with private funds. never, ever, one penny of taxpayer money into this project. now, after 18 months of work, the commission will report back to congress and an independent review will be done of their work and then there will be a determination by congress on whether or not to proceed with this project.

that is at the point there will be a vote on whether or not to carry forth with a museum. but i would highlight with my friends, this is about chronicling the history that women have participate -- cron caling the history that women have participate -- chronicling the history that women have participated in this country. we talk so much about how we work with other nations, and especially some of these nations that have struggled in eastern europe, in the middle east, and with he show what freedom can do for hope and opportunity for women and children. wouldn't it be great if we had a museum that told that story? like the story of the suffrages . seneca falls, that convention which by the way it was republican and conservative women and the quakers who called together the seneca falls convention to start

looking at the issue of suffrage. you probably are also interested to know frederick douglass was the one gentleman invited to speak at that convention on suffrage. and then of course the suffragists who led the fight. usan b. anthony, elizabeth statan, anne dallas dudley, strong republican women. it is time for that story to be told. the ratification of the 19th amendment with women receiving the right to vote took place in nashville, tennessee, my state at our state capital where i had the opportunity and the speaker has also had the opportunity to serve. we know that it is important to tell that story of what women have done in the cause of freedom. that is why we have come together to agree on the

structure, to work to put a commission in place that will do the necessary due diligence, that will put the safeguards in place and will guarantee that in perpetuity, forever there will not be federal taxpayer money that is spent on this. you know, madam speaker, working to highlight what women have accomplished is a worthy goal, and it is something that in a bipartisan manner we should be able to come together and to agree. this is a goal, and washington, d.c., is an appropriate place that we can recognize this history, we can chronicle this history and for future generations our children, our grandchildren, for other nations as they come to see us,

they can see how women find victory through freedom and opportunity and the doors that open and what it allows them to experience in their lives. i thank the chairman from wyoming for yielding the time and i yield back to her the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from tennessee yields back. the gentlewoman from wyoming reserves. the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: i want to thank the gentlewoman from the great state of tennessee for her statement on the floor today and her hard work in passing this bill. my good friend, mrs. bachmann, said there were 20 other women's museums. well, there is not one comprehensive women's museum that chronicles the achievements and the contributions of women. there are many niche museums. there is a museum in seneca falls that pays tribute to the founding women of the

abolitionist movement, the right for women to vote. there are museums in the capitol for women artists. there is part of the smithsonian that focuses on the first ladies and the gowns that they wore at their inaugural. there are niche museums out west for the women -- the pioneering great women who led the effort in the west. but there is not one comprehensive museum -- and i find it astonishing in the united states that chronicles the many outstanding women contributions. if you google all the women that have won the nobel, it's astonishing, that there is no place that displays this. and so i think it's long overdue to have a national women's history museum and quite frankly i can't even find one in the entire world that chronicles women's contributions. i would now like to yield to my distinguished colleague from the great state of new york, congresswoman ming, for one minute which she requested but

she can have more if she wants it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york is recognized for one minute. ms. new england: i want to thank congress members carolyn maloney and marsha blackburn for championing this issue. i rise in support of h.r. 863 to establish the commission to study the potential creation of a national women's history museum. this bipartisan legislation is a small step to ensuring women's stories are shared, celebrate and inspire future generations of americans. unfortunately, women's stories and accomplishments have consistentry been forgotten or presented only as a footed note. despite the great strides women have made in america, we're still underrepresented in essential sectors such as business, government and the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. research has demonstrated that one of the factors limiting success for women and minorities is the lack of both celebrated peff role models and

overall restricted representation. in other words, simply having a museum showcasing women's accomplishments as an integral part of our history, whether it is individuals who broke barriers, social movements led by women or the demonstration that women were not necessarily defined by men in their lives will -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. ms. meng: striving to break the glass ceiling -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. mrs. maloney: i grant additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for 30 additional seconds. ms. meng: it hosting exhibits but a building complete with permanent access to resources would allow for further research and increased access for our citizens. this legislation allows for the creation of a commission to study the feasibility of creating a permanent museum and prohibits federal funds from being used for this project. i encourage my colleagues to support this long overdue

legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentlelady from new york reserves. the gentlelady from wyoming is recognized. mrs. lummis: thank you, madam speaker. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the entlelady from wyoming reserves. the gentlelady from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: i yield a minute to the distinguished leader, donna edwards, from the great state of maryland who is also the chair of the bipartisan women's caucus here in congress. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from maryland is recognized for one minute. ms. edwards: thank you very much, madam speaker. gentlewomen nk the from new york, tennessee and wyoming for your leadership and doing what women do in this congress, work together toward a common good. i thank so much for your leadership and i rise in support of h.r. 863, the national women's history commission act it would study the potential creation of a national women's history museum right here in washeds, and has

been stated before, not at any cost to the taxpayer, which showcases the contributions that women have made throughout our history, both in this country around around the world. contributions that have -- and around the world. contributions that have been underrepresented in books, museums and other stories of their great story. there are examples in maryland, the women's heritage museum in baltimore, that are leading the pushback in our state against the void of women's representation in our historical records. at the baltimore heritage center, it serves as a museum and a gathering place for events focused on impacting girls and women. when i visited the heritage center, number one, they said to me, are you supporting the national -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. mrs. maloney: i grant the lady 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for 30 seconds. ms. edwards: thank you, madam speaker. it tells the story of women at

the space flight center, women who are in science, technology, engineering, math, women who are engineers, explorers and innovators. i thank the people for their effort and i urge my colleagues to study the process. no cost to the taxpayer and to see into law finally telling the stories of women all across this country. thank you and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from maryland yields back. the gentlelady from wyoming is recognized. mrs. lummis: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady continues to reserve. mrs. maloney: how much time remains? the speaker pro tempore: two minutes. mrs. maloney: two minutes remain. i'd just like to point out and build on what my good friend and colleague, marsha blackburn, said. it was seneca falls in new york that was the birthplace of the suffrage movement to grant women the right to vote. and in 1920 when the 19th

amendment granting that right to vote was at last in the process of being ratified by the states, it was the state of tennessee that put that effort over the top. and now tennessee and new york have come together again, and we are working very hard to create a women's museum that will talk about this great achievement and many others in all fields that have empowered this country and moved this country forward. not only achievements by individual women but i would say collective acheefments by women and their hard -- achievements by women and their hard work, such as the effort by women to create pasturization of milk, the immunization of children, increased health care, improved health care and improved education, these are all efforts that collectively women have worked together on. so i ask my colleagues today to vote yes on this bill and to vote for allowing an idea to be

examined and to come forward before this committee again and let's see how it can work. a yes vote will cost this country nothing, and it could mean everything to our young people, to our girls and our boys and our children and their children to be able to come to their nation's capital and to learn many things, including the many important contributions of half the population, women, and i would like to remind my colleagues that this is mother's day week and i cannot think of a better present to our mothers than to recognize the contributions that they have made to the american family and to this country. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york yields back. the gentlewoman from wyoming is recognized. mrs. lummis: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. lummis: thank you, madam speaker. i want to congratulate the women who have participated in this debate today. these are dynamic american leaders. i want to thank each and every one of them, including the gentlelady from minnesota, who expressed the views that have concerned about this bill. they were well articulated she is someone who i'm proud to serve in congress and was very proud to see on the dias, participating in lively, strident debates when she ran for president, seeking the republican nomination in the last presidential election. these are all very formidable, important women, gentlewomen one and all. madam speaker, i rise in support of the study and in support of passage of this bill. i come from the equality state, the state of wyoming, the first

government in the world to continuously grant women the right to vote. so i come by my point of view honestly. but i am very excited about the opportunity to study and to report back to this congress the notion of having a museum the history of american women. the contributions to our society of american women are so extraordinary and are sometimes under-represented. and i particularly look forward to touting the opportunity to show the history of american women of the west, people like cattle kate. she was a criminal, a scoundrel, a cattle thief. she was the first woman hanged in wyoming. she's a historical figure. sack jawaia, who led the gentlemen of the lewis and

clark expedition across this great, vast country. annie oakley who was portrayed west odel of the american and freedom in buffalo bill cody's wild west shows. and particularly i would like to see dale evans recognized in this museum. let me tell you something about dale evans you may not know. dale evans was an actress, a songwriter, a mother. she was the wife of roy rogers. they were the king of the cowboys and the queen of the cowgirls. dale evans and roy rogers had a special needs child, among their many children. and back in hollywood, in the 1950's, and late 1940's, there was a cultural condition in this country that was particularly prevalent in

hollywood. and that was that people didn't want to see special needs children in public. people didn't want to face the fact that not everyone in this country is born exactly the same. but roy and dale took their special needs child with them everywhere they went. and they were ostracized and they ceased to be invited out into people's homes because they didn't want to see that child. it was a gutsy thing to do. roy rogers and dale evans chaminged the way americans -- changed the way americans viewed special needs children. and now when we see special needs people in our society, it puts a smile on our face. they're so integrated into our everyday, and they're important members of our society. when that child died, dale evans wrote the song "happy trails" to that child. she wrote "happy trails to you, until we meet again." and in my heart i believe they

. ll meet again, madam speaker i think those are the kinds of women that we want to see portrayed in american history. supportive of this study. i look forward into robust participation by republicans and democrats and look forward to receiving the study, not knowing how it's going to turn out, but with great hope and expectation for something to -- for something terrific, at least on paper, so we can determine at that point whether to move forward. this aker, i commend to 863 attention this h.r. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. --

mrs. lummis: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will suspend. those in favor of h.r. 863 as amended say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, -- the gentlelady from minnesota is recognized. mrs. bachmann: thank you, mr. speaker. i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from michigan seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and agree to house concurrent resolution 83. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 83, concurrent resolution authorizing the use of emancipation hall in the capitol visitors center for an event to celebrate the birthday of king kamehameha i. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from michigan, mrs. miller, and the gentlelady from hawaii, mrs. gabbard, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from michigan. mrs. miller: mr. speaker, i would ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the

concurrents remain lesion -- concurrent resolution. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. miller: mee, i yield myself -- mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. i rise in support of this bill which authorizes the use of the emancipation hall on june 8 to celebrate king kamehameha. commemorating the life and legacy of king kamehameha is an opportunity for the hawaiian people to celebrate their very, very rich history and culture, not just amongst themselves but with the entire world. such a celebration is fitting to take place in our nation's capitol where hawaiians and non-hawaiians alike can learn about this extraordinary ruler. on june 11, the people of hawaii will celebrate the annual kamehameha day, commemorating the life of kamehameha the great, who between 1795 and 1810 unified the islands into the kingdom of hawaii. the resolution before us today will authorize the use of this base for settle bracing of his life and great accomplishments. history, mr. speaker, documents

king kamehameha as a fierce warrior who fought for unity and independence. many people of his time and for centuries later have played a high regard on king kamehameha for ruling with fairness and compassion. he also opened up hawaii to the rest of the world through his leadership and encouragement of trade and peaceful activities. and he is actually remembered for his law which is nope as the law of the splintered paddle which specifically protects civilians in war time and is a model for human rights around the world today. so it is more than fitting that the statue of king kamehameha, which was added to the natural statuary hall collection by hawaii in 1969, is now prominently displayed in emancipation hall in the capitol visitors center and i certainly want to thank the gentlelady from hawaii, mrs. gabbard, for introducing this concurrent resolution and i certainly urge my colleagues to support it. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair will receive a message.

the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i'm directed by the president of the united states to deliver to the house of representatives messages in writing. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from hawaii is recognized. ms. gabbard: thank you very much, mr. speaker. aloha. i rise in strong support of house concurrent resolution 83 and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. gabbard: thank you very much. first i'd like to thank the gentlelady from michigan who i had the pleasure and honor of serving with on the house homeland service committee for her strong support of this resolution and her recognition history gacy and the of king kamehameha in hawaii and the lessons that we have all learned and that continue to remain relevant to the people's work that we do here every day and your support and recognition of this means a lot to me personally but also to the people of my great home state of hawaii. and i also have to mention my mother is from your state of michigan.

so i appreciate your home as well. rise today in support of h.r. authorize the use of the emancipation hall in the capitol visitors center to celebrate an event for the birthday of king kamehameha. he was a skilled military leader, monarch and statesman. he established his reputation and dynasty by uniting all of hawaii under one rule, thereby bringing and ensuring peace to the islands and protection to his people during a time of western colonialism. he was born in a small town in my district on the island of hawaii around 1758, descending from the royal families of hawaii and maui. as a young man he distinguished himself as a talented warrior and military strategist. by 1795, kamehameha had

conquered the islands of maui, hawaii, oahu. he later acquired kaui through a treaty, uniting all of hawaii under his control and creating a kingdom recognized and respected around the world. as king kamehameha focused on governing hawaii in a manner that perpetuated the native hawaiian culture, while also integrating foreign influences, he appointed governors for each island, made laws for the protection of all, planted tarot, built houses and engineering ditches, and promoted international trade. prominent european explorer otto wrote, the king is a man of great wisdom and tries to give his people anything he considers useful. he wishes to increase the happeniness and not the wants of his people. these words are as relevant

back then as they are today. one of kamehameha's enduring legacies is the law of the splintered paddle, which serves as a model for human rights policies on noncombatants during war time. it was created as a result of a military expedition in which kamehameha was violently struck by a fisherman trying to protect his family. chasened by this experience, kamehameha declared, let every elderly person, woman and child lie by the roadside in safety. this law, which provided for the safety of civilians, is estimated to have saved thousands of lives during kamehameha's military campaigns. it became the very first written law of the kingdom of hawaii and remains in the hawaii state constitution to this very day. in 1871 kamehameha day was established to celebrate an honder one of hawaii's greatest leaders. today it is observed as a state

holiday, attracting tourists from around the world, filled with parades and lei draping at the statues that exist in his honor. one of these statues is very proudly displayed here in emancipation hall in the capitol visitors center. kamehameha is depicted with a spear in his left hand as a reminder that he brought wars to an end, his right hand is extended with open palm as a gesture of the aloha spirit. for the last 43 years, we've celebrated kamehameha day here in our nation's capitol. i urge my colleagues to support h.c.r. 83, to authorize the use of emans -- 863, to authorize the use of emancipation hall, as we continue this tradition of celebrating birthday of king kamehameha i. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentlelady from michigan. mrs. miller: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and would ask the gentlelady if she's prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: is the gentlelady prepared to close? ms. gabbard: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is prepared to

close. the gentlelady from michigan. mr. miller:my i reserve my time and -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time is reserved. the gentlelady from hawaii. ms. gabbard: i yold myself such time as i may consume. just in closing, i urge all of my colleagues to support h.c.r. 863 so we can continue this tradition and remember and honor and apply the legacy and history of hawaii's -- one of hawaii's greatest leaders. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentlelady from michigan. mrs. miller: thank you, mr. speaker. i would just close by again thanking my colleague from hawaii for introducing this resolution and it was our great privilege to serve together on the house homeland security committee and i was somewhat sorry but glad at the same time for her to have her go be now a member of the house armed services committee and i want to thank her for her service to our country in the military before she came to congress and it was interesting for me, listening to your comment ps this great king and this great leader of the great people of hawaii. so certainly, mr. speaker, i would urge all of our

colleagues to support the concurrent resolution as well and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and degree to house -- house concurrent resolution 83. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the concurrent resolution is agreed to and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

pursuant to clause 8 and 9 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on questions previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order, house resolution 568. adoption house resolution 568, if ordered. ordering the previous question on house resolution 569 by the yeas and nays. adopting resolution -- house resolution 569, if ordered, and suspending the rules and passing h.r. 863. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on house resolution 568 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 103, house resolution 568, resolution relating to consideration of house report 113-415 and an accompanying resolution and providing for consideration of the resolution, house resolution 565, calling on attorney

general eric h. holder jr. to appoint a special counsel to investigate the targeting of conservative nonprofit groups by the internal revenue service. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on ordering the previous question. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 223, the ncaas are 192. the previous -- the ncaas are 192. the -- the nays are 192. the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote.

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

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 224. the nays are 187. the resolution is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on house resolution 569 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: house calendar

number 104. house resolution 569, resolution provided for consideration of the bill h.r. 4438, to amend the internal revenue code of 1986, to simplify and make permanent the research credit. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on ordering the previous question. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 225. the nays are 191. the previous question is ordered. the question is on adoption of the resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- the gentleman from

massachusetts. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, on that i ask for a recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: a recorded vote is requested. those favoring a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. again, this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 230, the nays are 188. the resolution is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlelady from wyoming, mrs. lummis, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 863 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 863, a bill to establish the commission to study the potential creation of a national women's history museum and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote.

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

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 383, the nays are 33. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the chair lays before the house a message. the clerk: to the congress of the united states. -2 sistent with section 502-f of the trade act of 1974, i am providing notice of my intent to withdraw the designation of russia as a beneficiary developing country under the generalized system of preferences g.s.p. program. sections 5011 and 4 of the 1974 act provide that, in affording dutyman-free treatment under

the g.s.p., the president shall have due regard for, among other factors, the effect such action will have on furthering the economic development of a beneficiary developing country through the expansion of its exports and the extent of the country's competitiveness with respect to eligible articles. section 502-c of the 1974 act provides that, in determining whether to designate any country as a beneficiary developing country for the purposes of the g.s.p., the president shall take into account various factors, including the country's level of economic development, the country's per capita gross national product, the living standards of its inhabitants and any other economic factors he deems appropriate. having considered the factors set forth in sex sections 501 and 502-c of the 1974 act, i have determined that it is appropriate to withdraw russia's designation as the beneficiary developing country under the g.s.p. program because russia is sufficiently

advanced and economic development -- in economic development and improved in trade competitiveness that continued preferential treatment under the g.s.p. is not warranted. i intend to issue a proclamation withdrawing russia's designation consist went 502-f-2 of the 1974 act. signed, barack obama, the white house. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on ays and means and printed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, by direction of the committee on oversight and government reform, i call up he report, house report 113- 415 to accompany the resolution recommending that the house of representatives find lois g. lerner, former director exempt organizations internal revenue service in contempt of congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the government of the committee on

government oversight and re-- again, government reform. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: resolution recommending that the house of representatives find lois g. lerner, former direct york exempt organizations, internal revenue service new york contempt of congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the committee on oversight and government reform. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 568, the report is considered read. for what purpose does the gentleman from california, mr. issa, seek recognition? mr. issa: mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. issa: by direction of the committee on oversight and government reform, i call up oh the resolution, h.res. 4574, recommending that the house of

representatives find lois g. lerner, former director, exempt organizations, internal revenue service new york contempt of congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the committee on oversight and government reform. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 574, resolution recommending that the house of representatives find lois g. lerner, former director, exempt organizations, internal revenue service, in contempt of congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the committee on government and oversight reform. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 56 , the resolution is considered read and shall be debatable for 50 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member on the committee on oversight and government reform or their designees. after debate on the resolution, it shall be in order to

consider a motion if offered by the gentleman from maryland, mr. cummings, or his designee, which shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. the gentleman from california, mr. issa, and the gentleman from maryland, mr. cummings, will each control 5 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. issa: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include -- insert extraneous material into the record for the resolution made in order under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so oferede -- so ordered. the speaker pro tempore: the -- so ordered. the gentleman from california. mr. issa: i yield myself two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. 2013, : on march 29, the congress started an

investigation into whether the i.r.s. used a flawed process to find tax exempt organizations. to wit, i subpoenaed lois lerner because she was in charge of the office that executed and we believe targeted conservative group thesms two divisions of the i.r.a. most involved with the targeting were the e.o. determinations unit in cincinnati and the e.o. technical unit in washington, d.c., headed by lois lerner. before the hearing, ms. lerner's lawyer notified the committee that she would invoke her fifth amendment privilege and decline to answer any questions from our committee members. instead of doing, ms. lerner read a voluntary statement, self-selected statement, included a series of specific

declarations of her innocence. she said -- mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. the house will please come to order. the gentleman is recognized. mr. issa: she said, i have not done anything wrong. i have not broken any laws. i have not violated any i.r.s. rules or regulations. and i have not provided false information to this or any other committee. she then refused to answer our questions, she invoked her fifth amendment right. she wouldn't even answer questions about declarations she made during her opening statement. he said, that is not how the fifth amendment, mr. speaker, that is not how the fifth amendment is meant to be used. the fifth amendment is protection, it is a shield, lois lerner used it as a sword to cut and then defend herself

from any response. a witness cannot come before the committee to make a voluntary statement, self-serving statement and then refuse to answer questions. you don't get to use the public hearing to tell the press and public your side of the story and then invoke the fifth. additionally, mr. speaker, when asked about -- after invoking the fifth, when asked about previous testimony she made and document she answered and authenticated those and then again went back to asserting her fifth amendment rights. it is disappointing that things have come to this point. lois lerner had almost a year to reconsider her decision not to answer questions to congress. she gave a game -- -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. would the gentleman from california like to yield himself additional time?

mr. issa: i would be happy to any time the chair tells me my time is expired. the speaker pro tempore: your time has expired. mr. issa: i yield myself 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. mr. issa: in the meantime, after invoke, she gave a no strings attached interview to the justice department, this was sent to the press entirely, voluntarily, before a large gathering. her position with respect to complying with a duly issued subpoena has become clear. she won't. her testimony is a missing piece of the investigation into i.r.s. targeting. we have now conducted 40 transcribed interviews and reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents and mr. speaker, the facts lead to lois lerner. i reserve the plans of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. cummings: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cummings: just shy of a year ago, the secretary general

of facts administration reported the i.r.s. had used inappropriate criteria to review applicants for tax exempt status. the same day, chairman issa wept on national tv, before he received a single document or interviewed a single witness, and said the following. this was the targeting of the president's political enemies. targeting of d -- the president's political enemies and lies about it,ent end of quote. the republicans have spent the last year trying to prove these allegations. the i.r.s. has produced more than half a million pages of documents. we have interviewed 39 witnesses, 40 witnesses, i.r.s. witnesses, treasury department employees. and after all of that, we have not found any evidence of white house involvement or political motivation. yesterday, i issued a report

with key portions from the nearly 40 interviews conducted by the committee to date. these were witnesses called by the majority. these interviews showed definitely, definitively, that there was no evidence of any white house direction or political bias. instead they described in detail how the inappropriate terms were first developed and how there was inadequate guidance or -- on how to process the application. now let me be clear, i'm not defending ms. lerner. i wanted to hear what she had to say. i have questions about why she was unaware of the inappropriate criteria for more than a year after they were reated. i want to know -- after they were created. i want to know why she did not mention the inappropriate criteria in her letters to congress. but i cannot vote to violate an individual's fifth amendment rights just because i want to hear what she has to say. a much greater principle is at

stake here today. the sanctity of the fifth endment rights for all citizens of the united states of america. i will not walk a path that has been tread by senator mccarthy and house un-american activities committee. in this case, a vote for contempt not only would endanger the rights of american citizens, but it would be a pointless and costly exercise. when senator mccarthy pursued a similar case, the judge dismissed it. the supreme court has said that a witness does not waive her rights by professing her innocence. in addition, more than 30 independent experts have now come forward to conclude that chairman issa botched the contempt procedure by not giving ms. lerner the proper warnings as a -- at the march 5 hearing when he rushed to cut off my microphone and adjourn the hearing before any democrat

had the chance to utter a syllable. for instance, stan grant who served as house counsel from 1976 to 1983, concluded that chairman issa's actions were, quote, fatal to any subsequent prosecution, end of quote. the experts who came forward are from all across the country and all across the political spectrum. jay richard bro began, a member of the -- brogan a member of the republican national lawyers association and a law professor, concluded that ms. lerner, and i quolet, would likely have a defense to any ensuing criminal prosecution for contempt pursuant to the existing supreme court precedent, end of quote. i didn't say that, the republican national lawyers association member said that. rather than squandering our valuable resources pursuing a

contempt vote that more than 30 independent experts have concluded will fail in court, we should release the nearly 40 transcripts in their entirety that have not yet been made public and allow all americans to read the unvarnished facts for themselves. with that, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. issa: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from ohio, mr. jordan. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. jordan: i thank the chairman for yielding, i thank the speaker. here's what we know. lois lerner was at the center of the scandal from the get-go. we know she waived her fifth amendment rights, on two separate occasions, she came in front of committee, as che chairman pointed out and made multiple factual statements. when you make fultpl factual assertions you can't say, i invoke my fifth amendment

privileges. she waived it a second time when she agreed to sit down with the department of justice. when you waive it in one proceedings, you can't ignore that in another. the new i.r.s. commissioner said it may take as many as two years for him to get us all lois lerner's emails and most importantly, we know that lois lerner and the internal revenue service systemically targeted american citizens, systemically targeted groups for exercising their first amendment rights. think about that, mr. chairman. think about your first amendment rights, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and speech in particular that's political. to speak out against your government, your most fundamental right. that's what they targeted. and so, to get to the truth, we need to use every tool we can to compel ms. learner, the lady

at the center they have scandal, to come forward and answer our questions so the american people can understand why their first amendment rights were targeted. because we know, we know, the criminal investigation department of justice is a sham. they've already leaked to the "wall street journal," no one will be prosecute. they already had the head of the executive branch, the president of the united states, go on national television and -- national television and say, no corruption, not even a smidgen, and the person leading the investigation is a maxed out contributor to the president's campaign. the only route to the truth is through the house of representatives and compelling ms. lerner to answer our questions. that's why this resolution is so important. that's why i'm supporting it. that's why i hope my colleagues on the other side will support it as well. it's about this most fundamental right and ms. lerner is at the center of the storm. we want her simply to answer the questions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california continue to reserve? the gentleman from maryland is

recognized. mr. cummings: i would say to the gentleman, as the professor said, it's explicit that a person does not waive a fifth amendment right by answering questions outside a formal setting or by making statements that were not under oath, when he referred to the issue of her making statements to the justice department. with that, i yield to the distinguished gentlelady, a member of our committee, ms. speer for two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the entlelady is recognized. ms. speier: i thank the gentleman for his leadership and to say a few minutes here on the floor. i'm not here to defend lois lerner today but i am here to defend the constitution and every american's right to assert the fifth amendment so as not to incriminate themselves. and every single member of this body should be as committed to doing the same thing. i'm also here to defend the integrity of the committee and the rules of that committee. lois lerner pled the fifth amendment before our committee.