the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 576 and rule 18 the chair is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration of h.r. 10. will the gentleman from kansas, mr. yoder, kindly take the chair. the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house for

consideration of h.r. 10, which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill to amend the charter school program. the chair: when the committee of the whole house rose, all time for general debate. pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five minute rule. pursuant to the rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee of education and the work force shall be considered as an original bill for purpose of the amendment under the five minute rule and considered read. no amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except printed in part a of house report 113-444. each such amendment may be ordered in the report by a member, shall be considered read and debateable equally divided shall not be subject to an amendment and shall not be subject for demand for division

of the question. the committee will come to order. members will remove their conversations from the house floor. the chair: the committee will come to order. the chair: it is now in order to

consider amendment number one printed in house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 1 printed in part a of house report 113-444 offered by mr. kline of minnesota. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. kline, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. he house will come to order. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. mr. kline: mr. chairman, i rise in support of the manager's amendment which makes important changes to the bill to support

the growth of high-performing charter schools. charter schools have choice and flexibility in education, reform-minded states and school districts have embraced this innovative educational model to transform underperforming traditional public school. it improves charter school programs and the underlying bill by clarifying the grant award language to make sure it is used for intended purposes. it adds quality authorizing provisions to include looking at school nutrition rates and ask states to discipline practices to promote student retention. mr. chairman, the act is an important piece of legislation that will streamline and modernize the charter school program to startup and republically occasion of high quality schools. it includes changes to improve the underlying legislation. i urge my colleagues to support

the manager's amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. mr. miller: i claim the time in opposition, although i'm not in opposition. the chair: without objection. mr. miller: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of this amendment. i thank the chairman working with me to include important improvements. i'm plosed this amendment includes provisions to promote the use of nondiscriminatory discipline practices as charter schools work to serve and retain all students. the overreliance in our education has success with minority students and students with disabilities. the negative impacts on unequal implement tages of these disciplines is impacting minority kids. i'm pleased this amendment understand and implements on the use of fair practices. i thank mr. davis, mr.âwilson,

mr. conyers, ms. clarke to make sure these improvements are included. and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. kline: i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill the chair: those in favor will say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 2 printed in house report 113-444. mr. cassidy: i have an ealt. the clerk: amendment number 2 printed in part a of house report 113-444 offered by mr. cassidy of louisiana. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentleman from louisiana, mr. cassidy and a member opposed each will control five minutes. mr. cassidy: the intent of my amendment is to provide greater accountability over the use and

allocation of administrative costs associated with the funds authorized in this bill. it is important we attempt to maximize the ability to reach the classroom. the amendment requires within three years of the enactment of h.r. 10, the government accounting office would provide a report on whether the amount of funding for state administrative costs is appropriate. if the funds are determined inappropriate, g.a.o. must provide a recommendation on what an appropriate level of funding would be. it is budget neutral with no additional reporting requirements. it is simple and straightforward ensuring taxpayer dollars will go to classrooms and not caught up in bureaucracy. it is easy costs to balloon. this amendment prevents this from happening. i reserve. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: i claim time in opposition, although i am not

opposed to the amendment. the chair: without objection. mr. kline: i rise in support of this amendment which will require the study on the money allocated for administrative costs. as the gentleman from louisiana said we need to ensure we are providing flexibility in the use of funds to run an efficient program and that means carefully balancing small administrative set-asides while supporting the underlying program purposes. i support this amendment and i urge my colleagues to do so as well and i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from louisiana. mr. cassidy: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time having expired, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from louisiana. those in favor say aye. thode in the opinion of the

chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 3 printed in part a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition. ms. castor: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 3 printed in part a of house report 113-444 offered by ms. castor of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentlelady from florida and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida. ms. castor: the castor amendment directs the secretary of the department of education to develop and enforce conflict of interest guidelines for any charter school receiving assistance. these guidelines must include disclosures that has a financial interest in the charter school. now we all know that a conflict of interest is a situation in which an individual who has an

obligation or duty to act for the benefit of the public, in this case students and schools, exploits that relationship for personal benefit, typically for money. the individual tries to perform that duty while at the same time trying to achieve a personal gain. now, in the context of charter schools, there have been serious cases all across the country involving conflicts of interests in charter schools. despite the duty to students and schools, individuals have acted to benefit or enrich themselves with public money, taxpayer money. in my state of florida, we have had a number of cases of conflicts of interests in the approval and operation of charter schools. florida's largest charter school management company raised serious questions about the department of education in an audit about expenditures of money and conflits of interests. the preliminary audit report

findings are very disturbing. it appears the charter school corporation entered into leases with development companies tied to the president of the company's family, they hired a firm that employs the president's brother-in-law and transferred public funds to another organization with the same board of directors. in arizona, the arizona republic has reported that board members and administrators from a dozen states are profitting from their affiliations by doing business with the schools they oversee. they reviewed federal tax returns, audits, corporate filings and records. the analysis looked at the 50 largest nonprofit charter schools in the state as well as schools with assets more than $10 million they found 17 contracts totalling more than $70 million and involving 40 school sites in which the money

from the nonprofit charter school went to for-profit run by board members, executives or their relatives. in colorado, an audit report took a certain charter school network to task for egregious impropriety. the report said that c.e.o. was paying himself over $340,000 per year and hired his wife as a chief operating officer and paid her $200,000 and the chief financial officer was paid over $320,000. this far exceeds what the standard salary for a charter school or when you look at the salaries for our larger districts superintendents. this charter school company then hired 20 members of their own family, according to the report and audit and racked up over $400,000 in credit card charges in one year. in california, state auditors

found the president of the american indian public charter schools in oakland gave improper pay outs to his wife and found another $350,000 had been spent on unauthorized construction projectson going to the companies owned by the c.e.o. also last week, a report was that found entitled charter school vullnicts to waste, fraud and abuse, that was borrowed from a section of the report that appeared in the department of education's office of inspector general recent report. the report stated that the o.i.g. experience had a steady increase in the number of charter school complaints, state level agencies were failing to provide adequate oversight to ensure that federal funds were

being properly used and accounted for. ver $100 million in taxpayer loss. we can do much better. the conflict of interest problems afflicting charter schools across the country endanger the outstanding work being done. the peppin academy is a tuition-free charter school for children with learning disabilities. they have a plan. they serve a very important population. and i believe in their mission. so if charter schools are going to effectively car question out their mission for students using public funds, it is clear we need more accountability and better procedures in place to protect taxpayer investments. at this time, i would like to ask unanimous consent that the report that i referenced are included in the record along with the letters of support from

school superintendents, n.e.a. and ask for approval of this conflict of interest. the chair: the gentlelady's request is covered under general leaf. the gentlelady's time is expired. mr. kline: i rise in opposition to this amendment and claim the time. this amendment would require the secretary of education to not only develop but also enforce guidelines on conflict of interest for charter schools. the gentlelady points out that there are charter schools and charter school managers who sometimes don't perform as they should. . we believe very strongly the underlying law and bill here addresses that issue. because this amendment is an overreach of federal authority. each state that allows charter schools has determined what requirements the schools must follow in creating, opening, and operating the schools. we address that authorizing responsibilities in the

underlying bill. simply put, this amendment is unnecessary. the underlying bill includes several provisions to have states help schools run more effectively and includes a setaside of each state grant for quality authorizing. quality authorizing will help each charter school run more effectively both in academics and in operations. we do not need the secretary of education getting more involved in these schools by layering on more burdensome requirements. these are issues best addressed at the state and local level and the underlying bill already provides support for these efforts. mr. chairman, i urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time having -- the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time having expired, the question is on the amendment by the gentlelady from florida. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have t the amendment is not agreed to. ms. castor: i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: the gentlelady seeks

a recorded vote. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from florida will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 4 printed in part a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlelady from wisconsin seek recognition? ms. moore: thank you. i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 4 printed in part a of house report number 113-444 offered by ms. moore of wisconsin. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentlelady from wisconsin, miss moore, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from wisconsin. ms. moore: thank you, mr. chairman. i'd like to yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. moore: i rise to offer an amendment to h.r. 10 which thorizes our nation's --

re-authorizes our nation's charter school program. i'd like to start out by saying this is a great improvement over the charter school legislation that we have seen in past times. when the charter school movement began, as many of you may recall, lawmakers exempted those schools from many of the rules governing traditional public schools in order to allow educators their ability to explore new innovative methods and models of teaching. exempting yielding of them from this rule has yielded some unintended consequences. there have been stories in many states, you just heard ms. castor of florida talk about financial waste, fraud, murky funders or managers, conflicts of interest, and it's a problem notwithstanding our desire to see innovation. this has got to be addressed

because taxpayer dollars are lost along with private funds as well as innovation. and the greatest cost, of course, is our children who become sometimes puppets of other folks' financial interest. a new report from the center of popular democracy and integrity in education released just this month examined 15 of the largest charter markets and found $100 million in loss to the taxpayers since charter schools entered these markets. it's very important to put sensible oversight into place to assure that public funds are not being wasted or misused. this amendment does just that. it simply requires that states receiving charter school grants must setaside 2% of that grant to provide financial oversight of charters of publicly funded

money, and to disclose private contributions that they receive. i just want to say anticipating some rebuttal that the funds would be setaside and the authorizing agencies of these charter schools be they the state or local education agency uld be able to use the set aside for appropriate financial oversight. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady reserves her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. klein: mr. chairman, i rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment. the clerk: at -- the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. klein: thank you this amendment would force states to reserve more funds for review of private and public charter school funding. the underlying bill, mr. chairman, includes audits as an important aspect of quality authorizing measures. in addition states already

require multiple audits of their charter schools. this amendment will take money away from the quality authorizing set aside where funds will otherwise be used to support measures to open and run schools with effective operations practices in addition to high quality academics. mr. chairman, i urge colleagues to oppose this amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from minnesota reserves. the gentlelady from wisconsin is recognized. mr. miller: would the gentleman yield? mr. kline: happy to yield. mr. miller: i thank the gentleman for yielding. unfortunately i, too, oppose this legislation, this amendment, of my good friend, ms. moore, for the reasons that the chairman has just said. that we believe that much of this is already taken care of in the underlying bill and that we are directing money away from the program for responsibilities that should, in fact, be the responsibility of the authorizers be they the state or local authorizers. that is their job. we are trying to strengthen that in this legislation to lead to high quality extension of these

programs with the caveat being you can only authorize those high quality programs that deal with the question of accountability and so forth. i, too, find myself in the unfortunate position of opposing my friend on this legislation. expect the states in response to continuing to receive these grants to step up to their responsibility to deal with these problems. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentlelady from wisconsin is recognized. ms. moore: i thank you so much, mr. chairman. i think it's unfortunate that the gentleman from california so posing this amendment as well. my republican friends opposing it, because we are often -- we find ourselves talking about unfunded mandates. and what my amendment does is try to make sure that we are providing not only the guidance and insistence that there be awe dis, -- audits, but that we

provide the waste and means for it to be done. it's one thing to say they are going to audit themselves. with what? audits cost money. i find it unfortunate that they would pass this unfunded mandate on to these chartering agencies. so i would urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment. i think it improves the bill. and i think it provides the needed resources for this accountability, these accountability activities. with that i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized to close. mr. kline: how much time do i have? the chair: the gentleman from minnesota has 3 1/2 minutes remaining. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. kline: i think the point's been made and i thank the ranking member, mr. miller, for making those points. what concerns me about the gentlelady's amendment is this is going to take money away from

the purposes for which we have designed it and put it in this bill. we are trying to make sure that good, high quality charter schools can be expanded and replicated, and this will detract from that ability. so i urge my colleagues to vote no and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time having expired, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from wisconsin. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have t the amendment is not agreed to. -- have it. the amendment is not agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 5 printed in part a of house report number 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? ms. bass: mr. chair, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 5 printed in part a of house report number 113-444 offered by ms. bass of california.

the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentlelady from california, ms. bass, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from california. ms. bass: thank you. i rise today to offer an amendment along with fellow congressional caucus on foster youth co-chairs, tom marino, jim mcdermott, and michelle bachmann. i also want to thank the chairman and ranking member for their leadership on this issue. this amendment will help ensure that foster and homeless youth are not unfairly disadvantaged in the enrollment process for charter schools. across the country charter schools often have requirements that don't exist at traditional public schools. for example, they may require parent interviews or parent involvement, volunteer service during the academic year. sadly foster and homeless students might not be able to meet that requirement because they might not have adults in their life that are available to meet these standards and foster parents may be unwilling or unable to do this.

in turn, these youth may not be able to attend charter schools. this really isn't acceptable, especially since the academic achievement gap between foster youth and their peers is quite significant. in fact, a recent study by the stewart foundation in california indicated that test results for students in foster care fell into the two lowest performance levels for language arts and mathematics at twice the rate of the statewide student population. additionally, the 2010 graduation rate for all high school seniors was 84%. but for students in foster care, it was just 358% -- 58%, the lowest rate among at-riskgloups. foster and homeless youth need more options not less and this amendment will provide the nearly 400,000 foster youth, and 1.7 million homeless youth in the united states with greater access to quality schools. in the spirit of the national foster care month this may, i want to thank the democrats and

republicans in the foster youth caucus who came together to author this commonsense but necessary amendment. i urge my colleagues to support the amendment and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady yields time to the gentleman from california. mr. miller: i rise in support of this amendment to ensure all students reap the benefits of the public charter schools. that's the purpose of this legislation. certainly including foster youth. i also rise to thank the gentlewoman for her just unrelenting effort to make sure that foster youth are not diminished because of their family status, if you will, because of the uncertain situation that they find themselves many times different situations throughout a given year, maybe in different schools, both at her time in the state legislature and here in the congress, she's just been remarkable in her advocacy on behalf of these students. we all know the difficulty that these students have the uncertainty, that they have to

deal with just the proximity to their families to be able to go to school, creates a great deal of hardship and difficulty for these students and we definitely owe them an extra effort to make sure that they get full inclusion in those academic official and participation in the charter schools in this country. so thank you so very, very much. ms. bass: thank you. i urge my colleagues to support the amendment. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: mr. chairman, i claim the time in opposition although i am not opposed to the amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: i yield one minute to the distinguished majority leader, the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor. the chair: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for one minute. mr. cantor: thank you, mr. chairman. i thank the chairman, the gentleman from minnesota, as well. mr. chairman, i rise today in support of the amendment and in strong support of the success and opportunity through quality

charters act. mr. chairman, a great education is the foundation that americans need to climb the economic ladder of success and to build a bright future. but america doesn't work when our students are trapped in failing schools or denied the opportunity to attend a school that meets their learning needs. for far too many children in our country, a quality education remains out of reach. and kids without access to a quality of education struggle to even see any opportunity to get ahead. they struggle to lift themselves out of a life of poverty. expanding education opportunity for all students everywhere is the civil rights issue of our time. fortunately, we have a chance today to bring more opportunities to students all over america who are looking for that chance to learn, to grow, and to succeed.

the legislation before us today will reform existing programs and will authorize grants so that high performing charter schools can expand and be replicated throughout the country. it will also give families and students more freedom, flexibility, and choice when it comes to deciding where they can go to school. currently, mr. chairman, there are almost a million students stuck on waiting lists for charter schools. . i say we help those students by expanding those slots so they can get off the waiting list and into the classrooms. taking such action would seem like the obvious and smart thing to do. however, there are some who are more beholden to special interests than the children's needs. in new york city, the mayor there recently attempted to deliver on his threat to kick

public charter schools out of the space that they share or were plng to share with other traditional public schools. this kind of activity completely undermines the essence of education reform. fortunately for new york city students governor cuomo did not allow this to become a reality. those kids that would have ended up without a school in the fall now have one and this bill provides even more opportunities for states like new york state to help high quality charter schools expand and replicate. those who choose to wage a war on kids stand on the wrong side of this debate and risk allowing themselves to become enemies of opportunity and roadblocks to success. bottom line, the expansion of charter schools will work. in my hometown of richmond, i toured the patrick henry school

of science and arts, one of only a few charter schools in all of virginia. there i met a retired public school teacher named gwen. her grandson had a particular interest in science. but she felt that the school he attended wasn't offering a strong enough science curriculum to match her grandson's needs and desires. fortunately, gwen had a choice and now sends her grandson to patrick henry. more families deserve that kind of choice. in visits to other charter schools throughout the country, i have met dozens of children o were once trapped in schools, but these kids are now attending charter schools and they are thriving. these are not isolated cases. nationally, charter school students do better than

noncharter school students in reading, math and science. while the growth of charters is relatively new, charter schools currently make up a quarter of best schools s" in america. shouldn't more students have a chance to attend a quality school that happens to be a charter school? mr. chairman, this legislation is about upward mobility and giving students and families more hope for their future. this legislation is about expanding education opportunity for more kids so that we can begin to create an america that works again and works again for everybody. this should not be a partisan issue. this is a bill we can all proudly get behind. so today, let's stand united and show our constituents that we understand a strong education is a first running in climbing that

economic ladder of success. i want to thank chairman kline, the gentleman from minnesota, for his tireless work in the area of education and in this bill on the area of charter schools. i also want to thank the gentleman from california, the ranking member, for his work on this legislation and i urge my colleagues in the house in a bipartisan fashion to support this legislation. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. kline: mr. chairman, this amendment ensures foster kids don't face barriers to enrollment. the amendment improves the bill. i see a note here. mr. polis seeking some time? i want to make sure before i yield time to mr. polis, that everyone knows that i want to thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. it does improve the bill and help foster kids and i'm pleased

to yield three minutes to mr. polis. the chair: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. polis: i thank chairman kline and representative bass for her leadership in working with homeless youth in particular on this bill. before i came to congress, i founded a charter school with the focus of serving homeless youth and youth in transitional housing, called of academy learning in denver. not every city or county might have a charter school with a particular focus of working with kids that are in transitional housing. so it's upon us to ensure that all public charter schools that are supported under this bill ensure that they don't have barriers for foster youth for youth in transitional housing. there are a physical needs for kids that are going through their home life and by adding

language that representative bass introduced in her bipartisan amendment, we can ensure any participant in the federal charter school program, make sure they don't have any barriers to enrolling kids. in a week in the house that has been characterized by partisan rankor, how wonderful the democrats and republicans can come together not only around this amendment by karen bass but also around the bill itself. the upgrade of the federal charter school program, taking into account the learning of the last 15 years to make sure our investment has the maximum possible impact in increasing student achievement and increasing transparency and accountability for public charter schools. i thank representative bass for offering her amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. kline: i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from minnesota yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from california.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 6 printed in part a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? mr. messer: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 6 printed in house report 113-444 offered by mr. messer of indiana. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentleman from indiana, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana. mr. messer: i want to thank the champlee and ranking member for their leadership on this bill. i rise today to offer a simple amendment that will encourage the opening, republically occasion and expansion of high quality secondary charter schools. too many students don't have the chance to attend the secondary

charter schools of their choice because there are simply not enough of these schools to meet the demand for them. many charter networks don't have a secondary school and where there are such schools, the demand for the spots in these schools exceeds the number of slots available. the underlying bill takes a big step in the right direction to meet this challenge by clarifying that state determined waited lotries are permitted under the charter school program. the bill allows for students to continue in the school program of their choice by ensuring students and affiliated charter schools can attend the next immediate grade in a charter school network. this is very important. it will help alleviate the need for students to essentially win the lottery twice. however, i believe more can and must be done. my amendment is designed to help

build on the progress made by the underlying bill. it would simply require state entities applying for charter school program grant funds to explain how they will work. with eligible applicants within the state to encourage the opening and expansion of high quality secondary charter schools. by encouraging grantees to open and expand high quality secondary charter schools, more students who want to continue attending such schools, will be able to do so. as the founder and chairman of the congressional school choice caucus, one of my top priorities is ensuring more families have access to educational opportunities. supporting the growth of successful secondary charter schools is critically important to this effort. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill. thank you, mr. chairman. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his

time. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado. mr. polis: i would like to claim time in opposition although i'm not opposed to the amendment. i rise in strong support of the messer amendment which encourages states to support the opening of charter schools this that are secondary schools. the area that impacts is one of the most important policy changes over the previous authorizing program. under the current federal charter program, only new schools can be funded and participate in this program. what we allow under this bill is the expansion of models that we know work. for instance, if there's a k.-8 school that wants to expand into high school or a school that wants to grow from 400 to 600 students if we have the evidence-based information that shows that school is transforming lives, we want to ensure we could make an impact with our limited federal dollars. states as part of their plan allow for the expansion of

public charter schools. i thank my colleague from indiana for recognizing the importance of charter schools and the opportunities that these models have to provide a flexible educational environment to prepare them for college and careers. the charter school models that are allowed gives schools the flexibility they need to meet the needs of students, longer hours, longer school years, additional support service, day care vouchers for pregnant or young mother teens. this flexibility can be critical to helping students succeed at the secondary level. this amendment improves the bill. makes sure that states encourage the opening and expansion of public charter high schools, having founded two public charter public high schools i can personally give testimony to the transformational impact it has on young people every day. young people that would be

dropouts or not even in the public education system are having a product that is around their world needs whether it is a charter school for pregnant teens or mothers or vocational school to give students the skills to compete in the work force. this is building upon the language which is already an improvement over the existing authorization and brings it to a better place that we can be proud of, democrats and republicans. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. messer: i thank the gentleman for his support of his amendment and his remarkable and leadership in charter schools across the country. and i have no further comments. yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. polis: in this week of partisan divisions here on the floor of the house of

representatives, we have a unique opportunity in this amendment and this bill to come together around supporting charter schools. this week is charter schools week and upgrade the federal charter school program with language that democrats and republicans and stakeholders can agree on and stakeholders were part of this, authorizers including districts and states, public charter schools themselves, teachers' unions were all at the table to ensure we can create a program that builds upon the successes of the two decades of the public charter school movement and allow it to reach greater heights in the next decade. on behalf of ranking member miller and myself, we are proud to support the messer amendment and we are proud to support the underlying bill. by ensuring that states explain how they will work with flicts to encourage expansion at the secondary level, we can ensure that the needs of all students are better meant where in many

areas of our country we have high schools that are failing with dropout rates of 50% year after year, where half the kids coming in the door don't leave in 12th. through upgrading with better opportunities for peapts to choose, we can turn it around and make sure kids have the opportunity to graduate and have a good job in an economy in the 21st century that increasingly relies on both a high school education and a college education. i rise in support of this amendment. i urge my colleagues to vote yes. and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time having expired, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from indiana. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is the chair: the chair understands that amendment number 7 will not be offered. it is now in order to consider

amendment number 8 printed in part a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas seek recognition? ms. jackson lee: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 8, printed in part a of house report number 113-444, offered by ms. jackson lee of texas. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentlelady from texas, ms. jackson lee, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlelady from texas. ms. jackson lee: let me thank the proponents of this bill. this is a very important bill. and i believe it opens the doors of opportunity for quality in excellence in charter schools. i hope as we move forward the issues dealing with charter schools that are located in minority communities and that are created by minority members

of the community like in texas where in some instances there is an unfair process that this h.r. 10 will bring an evenness and quality in excellence but also opportunity for the creativity of charter schools that can lift up at-risk children. i think that's one of the key elements of hopefully this legislation. i want to cite in my own district that we have, yes kip and harmony well-known across the country, and somewhat around the world. my understanding that kip is now moving to israel. but we also have a school like provision that i have known its work for over 20 years and it lists at-risk children -- lift at-risk children up to the levels of opportunity. my amendment is an amendment that directs the website publication of materials on the

website of charter schools preparing -- regarding student recruitment, orientation materials, enrollment cry tearas, student discipline policies, behavior codes and parent contract requirements would also include any financial obligations as fees for tutoring or extracurricular. that's transparency. that's allowing, if you will, the opportunity for parents to have full information in a different setting from public schools. my children went to public schools. i went to public schools. i believe in public schools. strongly believe in them. but i believe this new idea that partnerships charter schools, public schools should include a format of transparency. i should be clear that public schools have a challenge with transparency as well. as i interact with my constituents, many parents don't know the opportunities that they may have at a public school. vanguard or the special classes

that they may have or sufficient arts and music, which school has it. but as this is going to be a federally funded program, it is important to ensure that our parents have information. certainly they should have information regarding the kind of discipline atmosphere that is there. they should also know whether or not there are serious commitment to making sure that their child's holistic future is in front of them and that they are not subjected to -- that there are policies that would intervene on issues dealing with bullying. this is a very good amendment to h.r. 10 and ask my colleagues to support it. i reserve my time. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i want to say to my colleague that i really appreciate her effort to ensure that all

schools, both traditional public schools and public charter schools share the information needed by parents. we agree on that point and i believe that the underlying bill addresses it. so i must regrettably oppose the gentlelady's amendment, but i certainly thank her for the discussion. i reserve. the chair: the gentlelady from texas is recognized. the gentlelady has a minute and 3/4 remaining. mr. jackson lee: not often that we mention our great disappointment on the floor of the house. we usually battle it out, but i know i'm right on this amendment and i'm highly disappointed in the majority's representation. i'd like to ask unanimous consent to have the letter from the a.f.t. that is supporting the jackson lee amendment extremely enthusiastically, and the national education association that is endorsing the jackson lee amendment which

strongly supported by the n.e.a. which gives me pause as to why this amendment is an amendment that not agreed to. the chair: the request is covered by general leave. ms. jackson lee: i thank you very much. let me conclude my remarks by saying, across america children are bullied every day. and across america parents are baffled by the educational system. any time that you can reinforce this idea of transparency, i believe that it's an important step forward. and i would hope that my colleagues would be able to support this amendment. i believe it is a strong but positive amendment. i yield to the gentleman for an inquiry. the chairman of the committee. i'd like to raise an inquiry. what modification could occur with this amendment? it's a strong amendment supported by educational groups, and it just reinforces, i

believe, in a more specific manner the intent of h.r. 10. mr. kline: i thank the gentlelady. my concerns with the amendment is this puts additional reporting requirements on the charter schools that are not required of traditional public schools. we are trying to make it easier, we are trying to streamline the process. we are trying to expand the charter school movement of quality charter schools, and i don't think we should be adding additional burdens on to charter schools. ms. jackson lee: reclaiming my time. the chair: the gentlelady's time has expired. ms. jackson lee: let me conclude -- mr. kline: i would just say -- the chair: the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i do appreciate the gentlelady's efforts to get information out there. as i said earlier, unfortunately i want to be very, very careful in avoiding adding additional burdens or more red tape or more

requirements to charter school at the very time we are trying to streamline the system and make it easier to expand and replicate quality charter schools. unfortunately i encourage my colleagues to vote no on the amendment. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from texas. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. ms. jackson lee: mr. chairman, i ask for the yeas and nays. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from texas will be postponed. it's now in order to consider amendment number 9 printed in art a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 9 printed in part a of house report number 113-444, offered

by ms. wilson of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 5p 6, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wilson, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wilson. ms. wilson: thank you, mr. chair. i rise to offer an amendment to h.r. 10. although i have very significant concerns about charter schools, it is important to note that defeating h.r. 10 would not eliminate charter schools, it would just maintain the broken status quo. as lawmakers we must make laws better. we must shape the narrative to benefit the entire nation. so today i'm offering a bipartisan amendment to h.r. 10 to increase accountability, quality, transparency, and to put into priority order access and services for disadvantaged students who are currently

underserved by charter schools. it would require charter schools to disclose information relating to their demographic makeup. how well they educate students, school attendance, average class size, academic achievement gains, parental involvement, and discipline. it holds charter schools to the same disclosure standards as traditional public schools. we know when public charters are held to the same standards of accountability, equitable access and transparency are as traditional public schools, all of our students receive a better education. but when public charters are not held to these standards, student learning suffers and taxpayers' money is wasted. i want to thank chairman kline and ranking member miller for their leadership on this issue and their support of my amendment. i also thank co-sponsors of this

amendment, representative rodney davis, tammy duckworth, alan grayson, davis mckinley, marcia fudge. thank you for your commitment to provide every child access to quality education. i would appreciate your support of my amendment and i yield time o representative rodney davis. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. davis: thank you to my colleague from florida for yielding time. and thank you for your leadership on this issue. at first i want to commend my colleagues on the education and work force committee, chairman kleine, ranking member miller, and all those who serve on that committee on both sides of the aisle for their work on crafting this bipartisan bill that promotes quality charter schools. my district is located in central and southwestern illinois. we are fortunate to have many effective public schools and also charter schools, including the public schools of my three

children attended, taylorville, illinois. successful charter schools can partner with public schools and give children at all levels, in many of our areas of our country, more students to receive the quality education they deserve. over the last decade charter schools have more than doubled in number and now serve roughly 2.6 million students. as this number continues to grow, we must make sure charter schools are also, like our public schools, accountable and transparent to the taxpayers and most importantly to parents. the amendment i'm offering along with my colleagues would do just that by requiring charter schools to collect the same data required of public schools by our states. additionally, our amendment ensures this information is made public so parents can make the best decisions for their students. i want to thank my colleagues for their work on this amendment and again thank chairman kline for his leadership on this issue. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the gentlelady from florida is

recognized. ms. wilson: i'd like to yield now to representative polis. the chair: the gentlelady from florida has a minute and a half remaining. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. polis: i thank the gentlelady for working on this important amendment. public school choice only as good as informational options are placed before parents. too often only the already enfranchised parents have the ability to choose a school that works with our kids. what this amendment ensures is that all parents are able to find publicly available information consistent with state law about the quality of public school options in their area. to help make better informed decisions in the education marketplace. for public education to work and for competition to have a constructive impact on public education, parents and families need to be able to make informed decision. this amendment is an important step towards helping families have the information they need to make public school choice

work, to make sure that public charter schools that offer the transformational opportunity to help kids succeed have information placed in the hands of the most at-risk families, as well as families who are already franchised through active parents. i strongly support this amendment. i encourage my colleagues to include it in the bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida is recognized. ms. wilson: i request a recorded vote. the chair: the gentlelady has 30 seconds remaining. do you wish to speak or reserve your time? ms. wilson: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady yields back her time. does anyone seek -- mr. kwline: mr. chairman, i rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment although i do not oppose it. the chair: without objection, the gentleman from minnesota is recognized for five minute. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i very much appreciate the work that ms. wilson and the other co-authors of this amendment

have put into this. i think it helps the bill. i would urge my colleagues to support this amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. both sides having yielded back all their time, the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wilson. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. mr. kline: i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from florida will be postponed. the committee will rise informally to receive a message.

the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. the chair will receive a mechanical. the messenger: mr. speaker, a message from the senate. the messenger: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform senate has at the pass s. 2197, an act to receive certain requirements regarding newspaper advertising in which the concurrence of the house is requested. . the chair: the committee will esume its sitting. the committee will come to order.

it's now in order to consider amendment number 10 printed in art a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. langevin: mr. speaker, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate. the clerk: amendment number 10 printed in part a of house report 113-444 offered by mr. langevin of rhode island. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentleman from rhode island, mr. langevin, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from rhode island. mr. langevin: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. langevin: mr. chairman, i'd like to, first of all, thank chairman kline and ranking member miller for their hardwork in -- hard work in bringing this bill to the floor. while it's not perfect, i certainly appreciate their bipartisan work on the public charter school program.

mr. speaker, my amendment basically adds comprehensive career counseling to the criteria that the secretary of education will take into account when prioritizing grants awarded under this bill. the amendment would provide school counselors with the most up-to-date information in training for current and future work force trends and needs as students plan their path forward. this knowledge will be invaluable. so i'm proud to be joined in offering this amendment by my good friend and colleague, congressman thompson from pennsylvania. as co-chairs of the bipartisan career and technical education caucus, representative thompson and i are committed to expanding skills training that would provide students of all ages with the capabilities necessary to meet the demands of the modern economy. it is a true partnership and i appreciate his leadership.

comprehensive career counseling is a vital part of skills training. it helps to better align school curriculum with local work force trends and available postsecondary opportunities. this amendment will help school counselors connect high school students to the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century work force. as we all can see, it's become clear that high school diplomas are no longer sufficient training for the modern job market. and while not every job will require a college degree, some sort of postsecondary education will be absolutely necessary. whether it comes from the community college, a skills training program, or on the job training, we need to change what it means to be college and career ready. we need to provide students with the knowledge and expertise that will truly prepare them for what's next. so comprehensive career counseling and training doesn't just belong of course to charter schools. it's a tool that all students should be able to access and i

look forward to working with my colleagues to expand this program to other schools in the future. but today we have an opportunity to take a step -- first step in that direction today and i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment. with that i yield to the ranking member of the committee. >> i rise in support of this amendment. mr. miller: all secondary schools should be equipped for bridging the divide between high school and college and career. i urge my colleagues voluntary vote in support of the amendment -- to vote in support of the amendment. mr. langevin: i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: mr. chairman, i rise to claim time in opposition, although i'm certainly not opposed to this amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, i want to thank

chairman kline and ranking member miller for their work on the bipartisan success and opportunity through quality charter schools act. this is a second bipartisan bill the committee has brought to the floor this week. i also want to thank the gentleman from rhode island, my good friend, representative langevin, who i'm proud to join in offering this bipartisan amendment. we co-chair the house career and technical education caucus together and opportunities like this amendment are really at the heart of education. preparing students for viable work force opportunities and to assist the american economy to be competitive in a global market. the amendment would put forth --ed the amendment we put forward -- the amendment we put forward would consider making grants to support high performing charter schools and their expansion. no matter the school, the further pro mofingse comprehensive career counseling -- promotion of comprehensive career counseling helps drive curriculum improvements that are better aligned with local

work force trends and availability of postsecondary opportunities. whether they be nondegree certificate programs, internships, apprenticeships or a two-year and four-year degree. in all schools trarksdigsal and charter, we must -- traditional and charter, we must enhance all opportunities that reflect individuals' talents and interests which includes offering them the support and counseling necessary to begin them on that path to mobility and success. it's not where you start off in life, it's where you end up. career counseling will help students maximize their individual potential to achieve during that journey. our amendment is supported by the american school counselors association, the association for career and technical education, the national education association, the american federation of teachers and the national alliance for public charter schools. i urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment that builds on the important and valuable reforms included in

the underlying bill. i thank the gentleman from rhode island and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves his time. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. mr. langevin: i thank my colleague for his kind words and support of the amendment and with that i urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment. again, it will give school counselors the most up-to-date information and training they need as they're advising their young students about their career path forward. so with that i again urge my colleagues to support the amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from rhode island yields back his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. thompson: mr. chairman, i urge support of this amendment and i yield back. the chair: yields back his time. the question is now on amendment offered by the gentleman from rhode island. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. mr. langevin: mr. speaker, i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the

gentleman from rhode island will be postponed. it's now in order to consider amendment number 11 printed in art a of house report 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from oregon seek recognition? ms. bonamici: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 11 offered by ms. bonamici of oregon. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the gentlewoman from oregon, ms. bonamici, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from oregon. ms. bonamici: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of an amendment to h.r. 10, but i want to start by thanking chairman kline and ranking member miller for collaborating on this bipartisan legislation. i also want to thank my colleagues today who have

offered amendments that will further strengthen the transparency and oversight of charter schools. we've heard a lot of remarks about charter schools expanding opportunity for students and transforming education across the country. but we need to remember that charter schools enroll about 5% of public school students. charter schools are not the only schools leading in innovation. when i'm in my district in oregon visiting schools, i'm always impressed by the great things they're doing. i visited a public middle school in forest grove, oregon, recently where every student has a tablet and educators are trained in the technology to improve instruction and track students' understanding in realtime. i visited a public elementary school in hillsboro, oregon, that created a school-wide stem curriculum that integrates the arts and creative exploration, where the students are engaged. and just recently lincoln high school, a traditional public high school from portland, oregon, won the national we the

people competition here in washington, d.c., by displaying their phenomenal knowledge of the u.s. constitution. so i'm a strong supporter of traditional schools, sometimes they're the community center in the town, the place where generations of family members have gone. so, mr. speaker, i'm going to support this bill today and will pass -- and we'll pass it, but congress needs to redouble our focus on the other 95% of in the students in traditional public schools who need relief from the punitive provisions of no child left behind. and i hope, mr. speaker, and, mr. chairman, and, ranking member miller, that we can come ack and find a bipartisan esca re-authorization. my amendment today recognizes that charter schools are meant to also benefit traditional public schools. and one way that charter schools support traditional schools is by sharing practices that are evidence-driven and recommend cabble. h.r. 10 asks the states entities overseeing charter schools to disseminate best practices from charter schools to traditional public schools.

and the bill already asks states to report on these efforts. but h.r. 10 does not ask states to measure if the sharing of best practices is benefiting traditional public schools. there's some positive examples of traditional schools and charter schools collaborating to create curriculum or rethink instruction and the department of education and some states are capturing this work. but we should also be focused on the sharing of best practices. and we should be especially focused on what we're getting out of it. my amendment has states include in their reports on charter school programs the extent to which best practices and instruction and professional development and curriculum programs are being adopted and implemented by traditional public schools. remember we spend taxpayer money on charter schools and we grant them autonomy and flexibility in exchange for them testing new models of teaching and learning. the goal has been for these educational laboratories to benefit other students in traditional schools as well.

so my amendment emphasizes the original intent of charter schools and simply asks the state to consider whether the best practices are transferable and adoptable, are the efforts to share best practices actually benefiting educators and the millions of students in traditional public schools? the amendment is a small measure, it doesn't create a new requirement for states. the report is already required. but it's an important reminder that innovation and -- in charter schools can also benefit all students as well. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment. thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. >> will the gentlewoman yield? ms. bonamici: bonn yes. mr. miller: i -- ms. bonamici: yes. mr. miller: i thank the gentlewoman for bringing this amendment. i think her amendment addresses something many of us are concerned about. we didn't intend to create two separate systems with public charter schools. we were hoping to be able to allow some flexibility for innovation and best practices and to develop different methods of teaching and learning but thorpse to be

shared with -- but those were to be shared with traditional schools. the traditional schools have also tacked in many different directions with the use of academies and career development programs that are best practices in those areas, those should be shared with the charters. but that hasn't happened. some of it for political reasons, some of it because they're both so busy that they haven't been able to get together. but we would all be enriched and all of the systems would be enriched if the sharing in fact takes place and i think this amendment is very helpful in getting that dialogue and that sharing and the outcomes started down a road that would benefit all students, whether they're in the traditional system or whether they've chosen to go to a charter school. so thank you very much for offering this amendment. ms. bonamici: reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: mr. chairman, i claim time in opposition although i'm not opposed to the amendment. this amendment improves the bill and i want to thank the

gentlewoman for offering this amendment and bringing it forward and explaining it so eloquently. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from oregon is recognized. ms. bonamici: thank you, mr. speaker. this amendment does improve the bill, collaboration between charter schools and traditional schools is a good thing. sharing of practices will be beneficial. and i urge my colleagues to support this amendment. thank you, mr. speaker. and i ask for the yeas and nays. the chair: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. and the gentleman from minnesota yields back his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from oregon. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, he ayes have it. pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from oregon will be ostponed.

it's now in order to consider amendment number 12 printed in house report number 113-444. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. sanchez: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate. the clerk: amendment number 12, printed in house report number 113-444, offered by ms. loretta sanchez of california. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 576, the the gentlewoman from california, ms. sanchez, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. sanchez. ms. sanchez: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for as much time as she wishes to use. ms. sanchez: innovation is important to our country and to our communities. innovation in education is a step up in our economic situation here in the united states.

a high quality education is the foundation, it's really a foundation not just for individuals but for families, for communities, for our nation. and that is one of the reasons why i believe that it's important to have charter schools and to have charter schools compete well, to have charter schools thought out well. they are an addition to what is going on in our public school system. mr. chairman, back in my area i have two very, very outstanding charter schools right down the street from where i live. one of them is the orange county school of the arts, performing arts, and aside from that it has one of the highest academic levels. in fact, it is in the top 10 charter schools in my home state of california. as you know we represent large amount of people, 38 million or so. so that's saying something.

i also have the el sol science and arts academy down the street from me. that is an elementary school. what it has seen is incredible achievement, the close of the achievement gap for lower income students. but not all schools are high quality, not all charter schools are high quality. what we need to do is recommit to ensuring that those schools we have both traditional public and charter schools, as well as private schools, do a good job for america. so that's why i will be voting for h. 10. my amendment, mr. chairman, would simply work to ensure that community involvement is happening with charter schools. that's incredibly important. i know that when i went to school community was involved in my public school, and that's why

it was one of the most outstanding elementary schools in our nation at the time. so i'm pleased to have worked with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle on the amendment that i'm offering today which will hold public charter schools accountable in fostering and promoting community involvement. simply said, the amendment requires state entities receiving funds through the charter schools program to report on how their allocations are supporting and enhancing community involvement. the voices in our communities matter. the voices of parents, of educators, stakeholders, let's not forget that it is those communities that send each of us here to the united states house of representatives. so i believe that charter schools must be engaged with the local community to understand the students they teach, and my

amendment will strengthen the role of community in the process. higher community involvement in schools is essential to the success of the students and it's also essential to the families of those students. so i believe that this amendment will help us in making that gap of achievement that we see in so many areas where charter schools are located, making that gap of achievement smaller. charter schools are not the final solution to the educational challenges in our country, let's ensure that all of our schools are positively contributing to the promise of a quality education for every child in every neighborhood. i urge my colleagues to support my amendment to improve this bill. thank you, mr. chairman. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady reserves her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: mr. chairman i rise

to claim time in opposition to the amendment, although i do not oppose the amendment. the clerk: at is recognized -- the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: i thank the gentlewoman from for bringing it forward. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. sanchez: mr. chairman, i would like to recognize the gentleman from colorado at this time for the time he might consume. the chair: the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. polis: thank you, mr. chairman. i thank the gentlelady, ms. sanchez, for bringing forward this amendment. this amendment represents a best practice for charter schools. it's an important upgrade to our federal authorization program to ensure that charter schools work to improve communities, disseminate best practices to public charter schools, and partner with businesses and nonprofits in the community to improve the neighborhoods. a great school can truly help transform a community. a community involvement is the key to a public charter school have a maximum positive impact on the community.

parents are important marters in for a child's education. one of the great things that well functioning, high quality public charter schools do is involve parents. by incorporating this best practice into the federal authorizing statute, we encourage states and districts to go even further to ensure parents and the broader community are involved in working with the public charter school as a component of transforming the neighborhood. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this and yes on the underlying bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentleman from minnesota. mr. kline: mr. chairman, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from california. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to.

the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18 of rule 18, proceedings will now resume on those amendments printed in part a of house report 113-444 on which further proceedings were postponed in the following order. amendment number 3, ms. castor of florida. amendment number 8 by ms. jackson lee of texas. amendment number 9 by ms. wilson of florida. amendment number 10 by mr. langevin of rhode island. and amendment number 11 by ms. bonamici from oregon. the chair will reduce to two minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote after the first vote in the series. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment number 3 printed in rt a of house report 113-444 by the gentlewoman from florida, ms. castor, on which further proceedings were postponed on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 3 printed in part a of house

report number 113-444, offered by ms. castor of florida. the chair: recorded vote has been requested. those in support of the request for 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 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: on this vote the yeas are 190. the nays are 205. the amendment is not adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment number 8 printed in part a of house report 113-444 by the gentlewoman from texas, ms. jackson lee, on which further proceedings were postponed and which the noes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the the clerk: amendment number 8 printed in part a of house 113-444 offered by ms. jackson lee of texas. the chair: recorded vote having been requested, those in support of the request for 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 two-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 179. the nays are 220. the amendment is not adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment number 9 printed in art a of house report 113-444. by the gentlewoman from florida, ms. wilson, on which the further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 9, house in part a of report number 113-444, offered by ms. wilson of florida. the chair: recorded vote's been requested. those in support of 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 two-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 chair: on this vote the yeas are 379. the nays are 32. he amendment is adopted. the yeas are 373. the nays are 32. the amendment is adopted. the unfinished business is the request for recorded vote on amendment number 10 printed in part a of house report 113-444 by the gentleman from rhode island, mr. langevin, on which the further proceedings were postponed and the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 10, printed in part a of house report number 113-444, offered by mr. langevin of rhode island.

the chair: recorded vote's been requested. those in support of the request for 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 two-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 -- the chair: on this vote the yeas are 378, the nays are seven. the amendment is adopted -- the nays are 27. he amendment is adopted. motion motion -- the unfinished business is the vote on amendment number 11 by the gentlewoman from oregon, ms. bonamici, on which the further proceedings were postponed and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote. the clerk will redesignate the amendment.

the clerk: amendment number 11 printed in part a of house report 113-444 offered by ms. bonamici of oregon. the chair: a resorted 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 vorded -- a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a two-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 363 and the nays are 41. the amendment is adopted. the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is adopted. accordingly, under the rule, the committee rises. the committee of the whole house on the state of the union -- the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the speaker: mr. chairman.

the chair: the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h.r. 10, and pursuant to the house resolution 576 i report the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted by the committee of the whole. the speaker: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration h.r. 10 and pursuant to house resolution 576 reports the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. under the rule, the previous question is ordered. is a separate vote demanded on any amendment to the amendment reported from the committee of the whole? if not, the question is on the adoption of the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. and the amendment is agreed to. the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: a bill to amend the charter school program under the elementary and secondary education act of 1965. the speaker: the house will be in order. and members will please take their seats. for what purpose does the majority leader, the gentleman from virginia, rise? mr. cantor: i ask unanimous consent to speak out of order for one minute. the speaker: without objection, so ordered. mr. cantor: mr. speaker, americans have watched in horror this week the atrocious news reports coming out of nigeria. hundreds of young girls have been kidnapped with the intent to be sold into slavery or marriage simply because they had the courage to seek an

education and better life. just this past weekend i watched my daughter, not much older than these girls, graduate from college. as a parent i cannot imagine the suffering of the moms and dads who merely wanted a good education for their daughters. the obama administration has taken initial steps to help assist efforts to return these girls to freedom and to their families. i thank them for their efforts and i know all of us stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary. members should be aware that upon our return we will consider a bipartisan resolution being considered by the foreign affairs committee regarding boko haram and these kidnappings. additionally, when we come ack, we will also consider

five bipartisan bills to take steps toward our ultimate goal of ending human trafficking. together these bills provide resources and authorities to fight domestic human trafficking, provide services to the victims and take steps to deal with international human trafficking. the atrocities in nigeria have awakened the global conscience and have reminded us all of the evil of human trafficking. it is also important to note that the underlying threat posed by extremist groups in nigeria and throughout the region is growing. hether it is boko haram, hezbollah, hamas or al qaeda,

it is critical that we in the house work with the administration to confront the growing threat these violent extremists pose to international peace, security and the protection of innocent lives. in the coming days, as we focus on finding and returning these girls to their homes, m.i.a. may god watch over them -- may got watch over them and those seeking their return. and with that, mr. speaker, i will yield to the gentlelady from california, the democratic leader. ms. pelosi: thank you, mr. leader, for yielding. thank you, mr. speaker, for giving the house this opportunity to speak this afternoon about this despicable crime. in starting i will thank the distinguished majority leader for his remarks and i associate myself with his remarks and their entirety -- in their entirety.

that's how important all of this is. i want to commend congresswoman wilson for her resolution, h.r. 73, which says, condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as boko haram in the federal republic of nye screeria -- nigeria. mr. speaker, it is clear that what happened in nigeria is outside the circle of civilized human behavior. it is unconscionable and these demissble acts must be condemned -- despicable acts must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. the capture and captivity of these girls challenges the conscience of the world in a very specific, in a very different way. and perhaps that difference can make a difference. i wholeheartedly support the decision by president obama, secretary kerry and the

dministration to deploy aid, personnel, law enforcement and military experts to nigeria to partner with local authorities to find these girls and return them home. i commend the women members of , in a bipartisan way, 100% of the women, have signed a letter condemning these actions. i absolute the first lady for her -- salute the first lady for her bring back our girls tweet and hope that members will also be doing that. because the most horrible form of torture for someone who is held by terrorists is when their captors tell them, nobody knows you're here, who you are and is even worried about you. we want to remove all doubt,

every minute of every day. , d as we go into mother's day think of those mothers. think of those fathers, think of the siblings of these girls. our thoughts and prayers rest with mothers and fathers and siblings, of each girl kidnapped and separated from her family and all the victims of human trafficking around the world. as horrible as it is, unthinkable as it is, it's happening all the time, this trafficking issue. so maybe this horrible, heinous rime will give the attention that human trafficking needs in order for us to end it. and so let us all subscribe to #bringbackourgirls.

mr. speaker, i thank you again for giving us the opportunity to focus on this despicable action, but to do so prayerfully, hopefully and determined to bring back our girls. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back to the distinguished leader and yield back -- yield back? i yield back our time. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker: the house will observe a moment of silence for these young women. he members will rise. the speaker: without objection, five-minute voting will continue. question is on passage of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.

the gentleman from minnesota. >> request a recorded vote. the speaker: a recorded vote is 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 epresentatives.]

the speaker: the yeas are 360, the nays are 45. the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the chair appoints pursuant to -- the house will be in order. the house will be in order. the chair apoints pursuant to section 2-a of house resolution 567, 113th congress and the order of the house of january 3, 2013 the following members to the select committee on the events surrounding the 2012 terrorist attack in benghazi. the clerk: mr. gowdy of south carolina, chairman. mr. westmoreland of georgia, mr.

jordan of ohio, mr. roskam of illinois, mr. pompeo of kansas, mrs. brooks of indiana. the speaker pro tempore: the chair announces the speaker's appointment pursuant to section 201-b of the international religious freedom act of 1998, 2 u.s.c. 6431 and order of the house of january 3, 2013 of the following individuals on the part of the house to the commission on international religious freedom for a term effective ending may 14, 2016.

the clerk: mr. robert p. george of new jersey and daniel i. mark f villanova, pennsylvania. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable, the speaker, house of representatives, sir, this is to notify you formally pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the house of representatives, that the house office of payroll and benefits also the chief administrative officer of the united states house of representatives has received a subpoena issued by the office of compliance for documents. after consultation with the office of general counsel regarding the subpoena, i have determined under rule 8 that the subpoena appears i, not to be a proper exercise of jurisdiction.

ii, to seek information that is not material and relevant and/or iii not to be consistent with privileges and rights of the house. signed sincerely, ed cassidy, chief administrative officer. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourn today it adjourn to meet t 1:00 p.m. tuesday, may 13, 2014. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i rise today to honor the life of army command sergeant

major edward james o'neal and to commemorate his service to our great nation. o'neal was a great friend of mine and champion of fellow veterans in richmond county. he began his career at a young age enlisting in the army in 1956 at the age of 17. after basic training, o'neal rose up the ranks training and serving from fort bragg north carolina to vietnam. four terms in vietnam being awarded three purple hearts, he retired in november of 1976. his service to our country did not end once he retired. he became a fierce advocate on behalf of fellow veterans, assisted local veterans with help with his wife mary. he was one of the greatest american soldiers and patriots and he was a loving husband, a faithful if friend to many including me. we are forever indebted to him and all the soldiers who

dedicate our freedom, secure our homeland and protect our democracy. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i rise to support small business owners in south florida and across the country. the economic recession devastated the economy, hitting older americans especially hard. in fact, older workers once unemployed are more likely than others to remain unemployed, which is why we need to revitalize our economy by supporting those who found themselves out of work before retirement. earlier this work i introduced the bipartisan empowering entrepreneurs act which will support older americans working hard to start and expand small businesses. there is currently over seven

million self-employed workers in the u.s. 50 years and older and older workers contribute to our economy and create jobs when given the right resources. my bill, which is supported by the aarp will improve the capacity of entrepreneurs to begin small businesses and help successful small business owners make their enterprises even more prosperous. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i rise to speak in support of those fighting for freedom in venezuela. this morning, our house foreign affairs committee passed by bipartisan measure h.r. 4587, the venezuela wail an human

rights and democracy protection act to protect the individuals. human rights watch released a deeply troubling report that made clear that there have been, quote, a serious pattern of abuse by security forces of venezuela. and there are stories of a 40-year-old photographer for a local newspaper who said quote, i live in suspense because i don't know from where they are going to shoot at me, unquote. or a 17-year-old was shot by a national guardsman and was taken to a building and beaten and burned. even as this brutality continues the obama administration and congress have yet to act. i urge my colleagues to support bringing this important measure which is bipartisan to bring it to the floor immediately and

send a clear signal to the regime that his reign of oppression will have serious consequences. thank you for the time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from hawaii seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. . mr. gabbard: rhyme rising today ms. gabbard: thank you, mr. speaker. in hawaii we proudly showcase the world's most beautiful beaches, national parks, coral reefs and hiking trails. our robust and growing tourism industry is truly the backbone of our economy. generating more than $10 billion in visitor spending each year. , the he lush cliffs world's most active volcano, to whale watching around maui, my

home district hosts some of the world's most awe-inspiring natural beauty. every year we welcome more visiters from around the world for tourism, business, cultural and educational exchanges. hawaii is the leader in hospitality and we welcome all of our guests with the spirit of aloha. this week i'm proud to recognize all of those who contribute to our world-class tourism industry, will continue to work to strengthen this industry, and give thanks to those who show their aloha to our visitors every day. aloha. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. you can always identify them in a crowd. wearing blue, green, pink and yellow. and sometimes wearing a white coat. they have wings on their backs

and many times a tired, tilted halo over their heads. they often miss holidays and similar events with family and friends. they work during times the rest of us sleep. 24/7. they're educaters who provide a concerned ear and everyone hetic heart, a smile -- empath etic heart and, a smile. they are angels of -- heart, a smile. hey are angels of mercy. mr. bentvolio: mr. speaker, may i say to that special nurse in my life, i love you. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute.

>> mr. speaker, women in our military are contributing more than ever. they serve with distinction in afghanistan and at duty posts around the globe. women are an irreplaceable piece of the strongest and most capable military in the world. now it's time that we show them the respect they deserve. today i am introducing the mom act with my colleagues, congresswomen bordallo and noem it. will extend maternity leave for women in uniform from six weeks to 12 weeks. this bill would increase leave for military women to the same amount that the family and medical leave act guarantees their civilian sisters. ms. duckworth: duck women in federal service also -- ms. duckworth: women in federal service only receive six weeks after the birth of their child. mothers and fathers across the nation understand the importance of maternity leave more workers return to work if they're given sufficient time to recover and maternity leave gives us healthier babies and

stronger families. mothers in the military inevitably face separation from their children when they're deployed and serving our nation around the globe. extending maternity leave for these women is the least we can do for those who sacrifice so much for our country. mr. speaker, this mother's day let's stand up for the women who dedicate their lives to standing up for the rest of us. let's pass the mom act. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired -- the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. in recent weeks we've made some strides in the area of the veterans administration and what that means for the nation's veterans as well. addressing the huge backlog, the atrocious practice of assigning bonuses to the upper members of v.a. administration for not getting the backlog

done is an area we still need to continue to address. but we're also working on a project here that would allow our case workers and our congressional offices to have stronger jurisdiction in helping our veterans' cases. we have a situation where brokering happens, where one office may broker a case to a different v.a. office elsewhere, maybe in the same state, or in a different state. where we find that the one office can't help us, yet the new office where it has been brokered to doesn't believe it can talk to us and our staff either. put the word out to all the v.a., they need to allow us as a representative of the people to have that firsthand ability to help our veterans, have their cases solved and heard timely, no matter what the office jurisdiction is. o we are looking for that help and that pronouncement by the secretary to get this reform through. thank you, i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? the gentleman is recognized for ne minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today with a very heavy heart to honor and remember jenna hintman. jenna hintman was 26 years old and she and her husband, u.s. army sergeant brandon hintman, were thrilled to learn they were pregnant last year while brandon was stationed in new york state. tragically this past march during an emergency c-section to save the lives of her twin girls, doctors learned jenna was suffering from a very rare and serious form of cancer. teams fought the disease heroically for two months but on may 5 she passed away. her and her family's story touch the lives of so many people, strangers and friends alike who are devastated to her of her passing. there's no way to truly express the deep sadness that comes

from losing someone so young with such a bright future ahead. to think about the beautiful baby girls that will have to grow up without their mother physically on this earth. mr. speaker, the family gave me this bracelet to remind me to pray for jenna hintman while she was still alive. mr. maffei: it says, prayers for jenna, god protect this family. mr. speaker, i pray that god will protect jenna's husband, her parent, her brother and particularly these young girls and may god bless jenna hintman, a true american hero. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, this week members of the united states house of representatives went to the nigerian embassy to plead and to insist on the fight to bring our girls home. and as well, to establish a

victims fund and to find and bring the thugs, the leader of the boko haram terrorist group to justice. today i am going to read a few names of those girls that are missing for those mothers who are longing for their return. ebecca luka, laura bajan, mary osman, naomi zaquari, susana i will put seul, all of them in the record. and in honor of mother's day, i mourn with those mothers, i pray for mothers across america and i pray for the nigerian mother whose children are still missing and may i ask for prayers for all who are longing now for their children to return and may i offer my blessings to my late mother ith that i yield back my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leave of absence requested for mr. harper of mississippi for today, mr. hastings of florida on may 9, and mr. rush of illinois on may 9. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the requests are granted. the chair lays before the house the following communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. this is to notify you, pursuant to rule of the rules of the house of representatives, that the committee on ways and means has received an administrative subpoena issued by the nights security and exchange commission for documents. after consultation with the office of general counsel regarding this subpoena, i will make the determinations required under rule 8. signed, sincerely, dave camp, chairman.

the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir. this is to notify you, pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, that i have received, i, an administrative subpoena issued securities d states and exchange commission. for documents and testimony and , ii, a grand jury subpoena issued by the united states district court for the southern district of new york for testimony. after consultation with the office of general counsel regarding the subpoenas, i will make the determinations required under rule 8. signed, sincerely, brian utter, staff director. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from texas, mr. gohmert, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.

mr. gohmert: thank you, mr. speaker. r. speaker, i want to read background of an incredible woman. we have different religious views because i'm a christian and she is apparently an atheist at this time. but what an extraordinary woman. ayaan hirsi ali. she is a visiting fellow with the american enterprise institute. ayaan hirsi ali, an outspoken defender of women's rights in islamic societies, was born in mogadishu, somalia. she escaped an arranged marriage by emigrating to the netherlands in 1992 and served as a member of the dutch parliament from 2003 to 2006.

in parliament she worked on furthering the integration of nonwestern immigrants into dutch society and defending the rights of women in dutch muslim society. in 2004, together with director theo van gogh, she made "submission," a film about the oppression of women in conservative islamic cultures. the airing of the film on dutch television resulted in the assassination of mr. van gogh. .y an islamic extremist at a.e.i., ms. hirsi ali researches the relationship between the west and islam, women's rights in islam, violence against women propagated by religious and cultural arguments, and islam in europe.

her background, as mentioned, she was a member of the parliament in the people's party for freedom and democracy . in the netherlands, 2003 to 2006. she was a researcher at the beckman foundation in amsterdam, the netherlands, 2001 to 2002. and she had been an interpreter and advisor in the office of intercultural communications from 1995 to 2001. she has her master's from leighton university in the netherlands. so, this extraordinary woman should be paid tribute and it was wonderful to see recently that bran dies university was

paying tribute to her. we have had an interesting development in the united states of america from the time i was in college. i intended what was at the time a conservative university, texas a&m university. and a majority there had very conservative views. but we loved to have liberal speakers come speak in my college. not because it was liberal, but because we welcomed the exchange. there were always people coming my university that students disagreed with. time we t that

thought universities were a place where you could have those debates and you could have a liberal speaker come speak, even though you disagreed with them. but we have seen the rise of fascism in american universities. 30, 40 years ago, a student could get involved and listen to liberal speakers, conservative speakers, moderate speakers, far right, far left speakers at universities and then make their own conclusions because back then that's what we thought education was. ut now this new intellectual fascism that has arisen in our universities, some of them, far too many, says if you disagree with our position, we don't want you here.

we want you eliminated. we don't want you to have work. defide. our family we don't want you to succeed in any way what so ever. and when we see these kinds of receptions for conservatives, r jude oonch-christian believers, follows, people eliminated on television because they hold the view espoused by moses and by jesus of marriage being between a man and a woman, as moses said and jesus repeated. what god has joined together after he said to man will leave his mother and a woman will leave her home and what has

joined together let no one pull apart. now we find out there was a show yesterday that was we're told -- considered hateful because it believed what a majority of americans do and what moses believes and jesus believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. and people like me, villified, you are hateful, but the people whose show was canceled may sound like a christian response. look, we love home sex also. uals. homosex but it doesn't mean that you have to support support, embrace and encourage particularly lifestyles that you believe are

harmful to the individuals and harmful to society in general. so it is amazing that in the name of liberality, in the name fascist tolerant, this intolerance has arisen. people that stand up and say, i agree with the majority of americans, i agree with moses and jesus that marriage is between a man and a woman, now all of a sudden, people like me are considered haters, hate exactly evil, which is what we have seen throughout our history as going back to the days of the nazi takeover in europe. what did they do? first, they would call people aters and evil and buildup

disdain for those people who held those opinions or religious views or religious heritage. and then next came, well, those people are so evil and hateful, let's bring every book they have written that has to do with them and let's start burning the books, because we can't tolerate their intolerance. and as shrinks have testified before me during my days as a judge, called projecting, someone who has a characteristic and to die vert condemnation on themselves, -- divert condemnation on themselves, they project with whom they disagree. the most intolerant in america d especially people like me,

we get upset. can't stand to see our nation torn apart, can't stand to see our judeo-christian values on which our nation was founded demeaned, depicted as somehow evil. so we stand up for those things. there's no hate for individuals. and yet those who are the most hate filled, who do not follow the teachings of jesus, seek to impose or project upon those of some are christians and theist x jews and even ae ali their yaan hirsi

own hate, their own intolerance. we need to understand what is going on. it is not tolerance that becomes ntolerant and says a woman who was tortured -- i don't know what else you would call some of the procedures that were done to her most private areas in the name of religion -- what else you would call it. it was not voluntary. she was ordered into a marriage. she wanted no part of. she did not want to have to be covered up and stay in a back room and never own property and never drive. she kind of thought like we do most of us do in america, except r the intolerant fascist liberals, she thought we ought to be able to own property and

marry who we wish and espouse our own views without being called hate mongers and yet brandeis university chose to and turn intolerant against someone who went through and ng hell in somalia because she has stood up for what she believes, including in the netherlands, put together a a m with mr. van gogh, partner was assassinated, murdered and yet brandeis university, having some cowards in the administration without e fraction of the courage of ms. hirsi ali say we are going

to back off and not honor this woman who has overcome so much. to honor someone doesn't necessarily mean that you embrace everything about their lives. like i say, i stand in tribute to a woman who has overcome so much, who has been fighting against the true war against woman and i don't believe at all in her religious views as apparently an aetheist, but i can recognize this is a woman of courage, brilliant, who has overcome so much. and it is really heartbreaking that universities around this beacons which were once o debate and to disagreement

have now been taken over by so many liberal fascist cowards that if you disagree with something they think or you disagree with something somebody who is more violent than you thinks, then they are going to uccumb to the fascist violence and say, oh, we don't want to snub you really, but there's this other group over here that may get violent with us if you stand up for your rights and acknowledge your courage, so we are going to be cowards and we're not going to acknowledge your amazing courage. we are going to snub you because we are afraid of these people that may become violent. and you have to wonder if the state department of the united

states under the leadership of secretary hillary clinton, may not have succumbed to the same wantof fear, gee, we don't make the terrorists mad, so let's don't stir them up. you know, because there was a time, for example, when thomas jefferson was president and radical islamists in northern africa were attacking american ships and taking crews hostage, selling them back to america if we came up with the price required, the extortion fee. jefferson finally had enough and he sent this group -- well, at that time, group of men called marines. and they went to the shores of rip ollie and they fought --

tripoli and fought hard enough and showed that we were not weeklings that would lay down in the face of islamist terrorism. but we would fight -- and those marines fought hard enough that the radical islamists said, we'll leave you alone, because that's all radical islamists understand. but we have this article from the "wall street journal," may ayaan hirsi ali. she knows something about radical islam. she's had people she cared about killed by radical islamists.

she herself was physically harmed by radical islam. she knows a lot about it. and she also knows about intolerance, the type that was seen and the lack of courage at brandeis university. hopefully someday someone at brandeis will recall jewish influence in that university hat understood the threat of intolerance, like fascist intolerance and instead of sum umhing to intolerance, stand up and acknowledge courage and extraordinary human behavior. and those that may be tempted to say, how could you put radical nazis nd fascism and the

together? all one has to do is look back to the history prior to and during world war ii and the connection was already made. the alliances were made. one type of intolerance, nazi worksm, seemed to ally and well and become allies of radical islamic facists. in the "wall street journal" article since the kidnapping of 276 kidnappings in nigeria last month, the meaning of boko haram, the name used by the terrorist group that seized the girls h b has become more widel known. the translation from the language is given in english language media as western education is forbiden, though

nonmuslim teaching is forbidden might be more accurate. but little attention has been paid to the group's formal arabic name. this roughly translates as quote, the fellowship of the people of the tradition for preaching and hole war, unquote. group and its mission. far from being an aberration among islamic terrorist groups, boko haram and its goals and methods is, in fact, all too representative. the kidnapping of the school

girls throws into bold relief a central part of what the jihaddists are about. the oppression of women. boko haram sincerely believes at girls are better off -- enslaved than educated. the terrorists' mission is no different than that of the taliban assassin who shot and nearly killed the 15-year-old pakistani, as she rode a school bus home in 2012. how to explain this phenomenal, to baffles westerners, who these

days seem more eager to career the critics of jihadism as islamaphobes, than to stand up for women's most basic rights. where the muslim college student organizations denouncing boko haram? where is the outrage during friday prayers? these girls' lives deserve more than a twitter hashtag protest. as we saw from former secretary hillary clinton. back to the article, it says, organizations like boko haram do not arise in isolation. islamist establish groups, whether in africa, nigeria, somalia, mali, southeast asia, afghanistan, pakistan, or even europe, u.k., spain and netherlands, are members of long-established muslim communities, most of happy to lead re

peaceful lives. to understand why the jihadists are flourishing you need to understand the dynamics within those communities. and i might insert paraphernalia thetically -- parenthetically, the muslims who wish to live in peace can be and are our friends. though we disagree on our religious beliefs completely, we can be friends. my dear friend michele bachmann and congressman, dr. michael burgess, i turn to see a very surprised look on their face when we made it through the midst of the afghanistan people and there were

holding rocket-propelled grenades as we turned down the massoud get to the family compound, pulled in into the gate, drive there within the inner part, and i saw my muslim friends coming out on the porch and down the stairs. so i jumped out and i looked back and saw they looked a little surprised as i jumped ut and these well-known muslim northern alliance members spread their arms open wide as i did and we embraced, strong, heartfelt embraces. because i knew what they had been through in fighting radical islam. i know that they do not want radical islam taking back over afghanistan when we leave. i know that because this

administration has turned its back on those muslim nonextremists that we are putting their lives in danger to the radical islamist extremists poised and ready to take over in the vacuum that we leave. we owe our allies who fought and defeated the taliban by early 2002, we owe them better than that. and my heart breaks as i think bout the absolute horrors that will unfold in afghanistan as our former allies have to defend themselves against radical islam because they dare to be our friends and allies. that is no way to treat people

who fought with you, for you, for themselves, because of that common desire not to be under the yolk and threat and hate of radical islam. back to ms. hirsi ali's article. she says, imagine an angry young man in any muslim community anywhere in the world , imagine him trying to establish an association of men dedicated to the practice of the tradition of guidance from the profit muhammad. much of the young man's preaching will address the place of women. he will recommend that girls and women be kept indoors and covered from head to toe if they are to venture outside. he will also condemn the permissiveness of western society. what kind of response will he meet? in the u.s. and in europe, some moderate muslims might quietly

draw him to the attention of authorities. women might voice concerns about the attacks on their freedom. but in other parts of the world where law and order are lacking, such young men and their extremist messages thrive. where governments are weak, corrupt or nonexistent, the message of boko haram and its counterparts is especially compelling. not implausibly they can blame poverty on official corruption and offer as an antidote the pure principles of the profit. and in these countries women are more vulnerable and their options are fewer. but why does our imaginary young zealot turn to violence? you can count on some admiration for his fundamentalist message within

the community are we starts out. he might encounter opposition from established muslim leaders who feel threatened by him, but he percent see ares -- perseveres because percent veers is one of the most -- perseverance is one of the most important keys to heaven. as he plods on from door to door, he acquires a following there. comes a point when his following is as large as that of the muslim community's established leaders. that's when the showdown happens. and the argument for holy war suddenly makes sense to him. the history of boko haram has followed precisely this script. the group was founded in 2002 by young islamist named muhammad youcef who started out breaching in a -- preaching in a muslim community in northern nye screeria. he -- nigeria. he set up educational complex, including a mosque and an islamic school. for seven years mostly poor

families flocked to hear his message. but in 2009 the nigerian government instigated or i'm sorry investigated boke harm and ultimately arrested several members, including youcef himself. the crackdown sparked violence that left about 700 dead. youcef soon died in prison. the government said he was killed while trying to escape. but the siege had been planted. under one of youcef's lieutenants, boko haram turned to jihad. in 2011 boko haram launched its first attack in bornow. four people were killed -- borno. four people were killed and from then on violence became an spegral part, if not -- integral part, if not a central part, of its mission. the recent kidnappings, 11 more girls who were abducted by boko haram on sunday, join a litany of outrages including multiple car bombings and the murder of

59 school boys in february. on monday, as if to demonstrate its growing power, boko haram launched a 12-hour attack in the city, firing into the market crowds, setting houses aflame and shooting down residents who ran from the burning buildings. hundreds were killed. i'm often told that the average muslim wholeheartedly rejects violence and does not share the radical's belief that the western culture needs to be made an islamic one. that's ms. hirsi ali saying this. she says, well, it is time for those peace-loving muslims to do more, much more, to resist those in their midst who engage

in that. before they proceed to the phase of holy war. it should not have even required an f.b.i. or c.i.a. tsarnaev ion into the brother to find out he had been radicalized. it should never have required e russians tipping our intelligence and f.b.i., that they're ignorant of how tsarnaev had become. it shouldn't require the f.b.i. to go out to the mosque and , ke an inquiry about tsarnaev what muslim teachers he was he to, what muslim books was reading, it shouldn't have

required that. but it did. and unfortunately the f.b.i. didn't do those things. unfortunately the f.b.i. didn't even bother to notify the boston police as far as we can tell that tsarnaev had been radicalized or at least the russians said he was, because i'd be willing to bet if they had, the boston police would have gotten to the bottom of it before the boston marathon ombing occurred. ms. hirsi ali in her article says, it's also time for western liberals to wake up. if they choose to regard boko haram as an aberration they do so at their peril. the kidnapping of these school girls is not an isolated tragedy. their fate reflects a new wave of jihadist -- jihadism that extends far beyond nigeria and poses a mortal threat to the rights of women and girls.

if my pointing this out offends some people more than the acts f boko haram, then so be it. it should be also pointed out ms. hirsi ali is a fellow of the bellfour center at the harvard kennedy's school of government. she's the founder of the a.h.a. foundation. so, i commend harvard having the courage to have someone to he is pouse abuse -- to espouse abuse that ms. hirsi ali does. she's been there. she has courage. and i hope and pray that universities across the united states, even though many of them are offered major middle eastern money if they'll do this and have a seminar on eradicate a and help

anyone or any thought that radical islam is a threat, let's just suppress anything like that, i applaud universities that have the courage to do that. but too many don't. and they don't stand up as they should. and what's amazing is, we have people in this country and in who ity and in the media take the gutless position that they'll try to portray republicans or conservatives as hating women. why? because they know we're not going to kill them. we'll disagree with them, we'll debate them, we'll say they're wrong, but we're not going to kill them because of what they believe. in western society, in every state, federal law, it's always been true, except those that are allowing shari'a law to creep from, -- in, but it's

always been true, provoking words are never a defense to a physical assault. that's kind of 101 criminal law in most any law school. except of course if it is teaching shari'a law. under shari'a law, provoking words, no matter how minor, can be the basis for capital punishment. you offend a radical islamist, that's the basis for killing them. we've never believed that in western society. and as judeo-christian ideals have spread even among eighth yets, secularists, -- atheists, secularists, other religious believers, that has been a good sound doctrine, provoking words or a cartoon may eadvocate anger and may provoke anger but it should not provoke physical violence.

and it's time liberals rose up with enough courage to say, you know what? wow, there is a war against . men and it's killing women and there are laws in some places of radical islam that say, if you're a woman who is four if you don't have respected muslims, who can stand up and be eyewitnesses that you were raped, then we may need to stone you for -- to death for allowing such to occur. that is not an american ideal. that is a war on women. i have prosecuted and i have sentenced enough rapists, that

it is something that is very difficult for me to sit and listen to. and to think that so many of the rapists ch i sentenced to prison, could never have been brought and the woman would have to live in fear and horror if we were living under the kind of law where there really is a cultural war on women and sometimes a physical war on women. you know, in the united states, i know families where the parents of christians and the children chose not to believe in esus as lord and it breaks the hearts of the parents, but the thought would never ever cross

their mind to engage in violence . and yet been told about someone we're trying to help, whose islamist, radical, in another part of the world. and when he became a christian, that made him worthy of the death penalty. t made his child worthy of the death penalty in their opinion. other family members that have tried to help who were moderate muslims and didn't believe someone who became a christian should be murdered, have paid the price with their lives. these things are happening around the world. and it's time liberals fought a more courageous fight and stood

and instead of screaming islamaphobia, partsare radical islamist in this world that wants to kill, destroy anything, including what we consider to be innocent children, women, men. and until we confront that fact, this country is going to continue to be subjected to threats against american lives here and abroad. easier to attack americans abroad. americans, including this body -- i mean we were outraged at what happened to those nigeriaian children. boys killed, the girls threatened with being sold into hat basically would be a

slave-type marriage. it's outrageous. so you wonder why in the world the state department would not have the courage to take a stand and there was a -- an excellent article by andrew mccarty and he incorporates much of a fantastic article from "the daily beast." and it's dated may 8. says we must stand up to terrorism pleaded hillary clinton a few days ago in a tweet expressing outrage against boko haram, the jihadist organization that has abducted hundreds of young girls in nigeria. yet, when she was actually in a position to stand up to boko haram's terrorism as secretary of state, ms. clinton instead

protected the group. josh rogue and reports, the state department under hillary clinton fought hard against placing the al qaeda-linchinged militant group boko haram on its official list of foreign terrorist organizations for two years. and now lawmakers and former u.s. officials are saying that the decision may have hampered the american government's ability to confront the nigeriaian group that shocked the world by abducting hundreds of innocent girls. while she now issues indignant tweets, mr. rogue and alaboratories on her failure to mention, that her own state department refused to place boko haram on its list of foreign terrorist organizations in 2011 after the group bombed the u.n.

headquarters. the refusal came despite the urging of the justice department, the f.b.i., the c.i.a. and over a dozen senators and congressmen. the one thing she could have done, the one tool she had at her disposal, she didn't use and nobody can say she wasn't urged to do it. it's gross hypocrisy said a former senior u.s. official who was involved in the debate. quote, the f.b.i., the c.i.a. and the justice department really wanted boko haram designated. they wanted the authorities that would provide to go after them and they noticed or they voiced that repeatedly to elected officials, unquote. in may, 2012, then justice niko tment official lisa mo

urged clinton to designate boko haram as a terrorist organization. the following month, general carter ham m the chief of the u.s. africa command said that boko haram provided a quote safe haven unquote for al qaeda in islamic magreb and sharing explosives and funds with the group. clinton's state department still retuesdayed to put boko haram on its official terrorist roster. placing an organization on the terrorist listen ables the government to use various investigative tools for law enforcement and intelligence-gathering purposes and also squeezes the organization by criminalizing the provision of material support to it and the conduct of business with it.

fter numerous boko haram atrocities, republicans attended clinton to designate the group or explain why she refused to do so. the state department heavily lobbied against the legislation. only after john kerry replaced clinton and after a series of jihadist bombings against churches and other targets did the state department finally relent and add boko haram to the terrorist list last november. the excuse now being offered for this and clinton on state department claimed that boko haram was a local group with parochial grievances that was not a threat to the united states. have a look though at the state department's list here. several of the listed groups are

waging local terrorist campaigns that do threaten our. the liberation tigers, the real irish republican army, et cetera. the significant reason of having the list is to promote international cooperation against terrorism. and discourage its use against anyone anywhere. the fact that a terrorist organization may have only local grievances and may not directly imperil the u.s. has never been a thought as a reason to exclude it from the list. fox news has further reported about another rationale of clinton apology gifts, she didn't want to raise their profile and the effected designation by the great satan. that is ridiculous. the main point of having the with a the sanctions

terrorist designation is to weaken the organization by depriving it of assets and material support. the logic of what clinton supporters are claiming is that u.s. counterterrorism law much of which was put in place by the administration of bill clinton, does more harm than good. does anyone think they really believe that? what happened here is obvious. although the commentary is loathed to connect the dots, boko haram is an islamic supremacist organization. ms. clinton like the obama administration believes that apiecing islamists and slamming americans who provoke them promotes peace and stability. see egypt for a good example of

how well this approach is working. furthermore if you have claimed to have decimated al qaeda as the obama administration was claiming to have done in the run-up to the 2012 election, the last thing you want to do is add jihaddists to the terror list or beef up security at diplomatic posts in jihadist hot spots or acknowledge that jihaddists rioting in cairo or attacks in benghazi are something other than protests inspired by an internet video. most of us on the national security right recognize that islamic supremism is an ideology rooted in muslim scripture, strict literal interpretation of slim scripture essentially that advocates the adoption of shari'a, islam's legal code and societal framework. it's not the only way of

construing muslim scripture and i had fortunately and he said i hope that more benign constructions become dominant but islamic supremism is far more mainstream than the west likes to admit, particularly in the middle east and growing swaggets of africa. t is an ideology that endorses violent jihad, sex slavery, child marriages and the horrible stuff that outfits like boko haram are into. even though these organizations quite naturally terrorize locally, their aspirations globally and they are a threat to us because their ideology units them and regards the west as the enemy. seems to believe that islamists which adherence of islamic supremism are motivated not by an ideology by scripture but by

american policies that promote national defense pursue u.s. interests and regard israel as a key ally. progressive, like ms. clinton are anti-anti-terrorists in the sense they portray the national security right as a greater threat than islamic supremism. ms. clinton do not den eye but they see them as separate categories not united by single ideology. any way, the article goes on and makes very clear that there are too many in america who think they'll just beat up on conservatives, beat up on republicans, beat up on conservatives who have the same ideas about marriage that barack

obama did during the campaign of contendy, ohn f. hubert humphrey, people that were considered liberal did in prior years, beat up on americans who hold those same in the bible. easier to beat up on conservatives because we aren't going to kill you. we'll argue with you, get frustrated with you, but real like e is found in people ms. hirsi ali who know that her life and their lives are at risk every day, every minute of every ay because to this supremacist ideology, provoking words are not only a defense, they are a

to on to kill people, brutalize them unmercifuly. and then we have this article may 7 by patrick goodneau, a man displays couples of newspapers calling on the government to rescue the kidnapped school girls outside defense headquarters on tuesday, may 6. this from cns news. secretary of state kerry underlined the issue of poverty as a recruitment tool for extremist groups like boko haram, although analysts and nigeriaian officials have been reporting that the organization scripting con civilians including children into its ranks. .

most of the challenge in confronting violent extremist groups like boko haram lies in fighting poverty, kerry said, at a council of the america's conference in washington -- of the americas conference in washington. quote, they all talked about poverty and the need to alleviate poverty and that much of this challenge comes out of this poverty where young people are grabbed at an early age, proffered a little bit of money, he said. their minds are bended and then the money doesn't matter anymore, they've got the minds and they begin to direct them into these very extreme endeavors, unquote. well, the islamist terrorist group has waged a violent campaign against nigerian christians and government targets since 2009. but shot to global prominent in -- prominence in recent weeks with its kidnapping of more than 200 school girls in the country's northeastern state. its leaders describe them as slaves and are threatening to sell them or marry them off.

in a new attack this week, as many as 300 people were reportedly killed. but it's interesting, this follows the obama dministration's ideology campaign rhetoric, gee, we're not at war with radical islam, the real problem here is poverty. if we can eliminate poverty then we can eliminate radical islam and that flies in the face of the facts. people that have looked, any at all, under the surface, are osama bin laden was wealthy. khalid sheik muhammad, who is credited as planning the 9/11 -- not tragedy as might be said here, but murders of thousands of americans and proud of it

and said in his own pleadings that he himself prepared and it had been declassified that if our efforts on 9/11 caused you then praise be to allah. and he points out in his pleadings that it is allah who has commanded them to be at war and kill people such as jews ians and jews, because they are never minute -- vermin and as muslim brothers have said, descended from aprils and pigs -- apes and pigs. but khalid sheik muhammad in his pleading points out that alsot' it's fine to kill christians because they believe in a holy trinity, they believe that -- and say that god had a

son, jesus. and khalid sheik muhammad in his pleading points out the verse in the koran that there is no authorization to combine anyone or anything with allah and therefore if you do that, as christians do, believing in the holy trinity, believing jesus is the son of god, then that justifies capital punishment, killing you, torturing, whatever they care to do, because under their way of thinking, you're worthy of death. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has seven minutes remaining. mr. gohmert: thank you, mr. speaker. well, because of this approach of secretary clinton's state department and of thised a administration, when the egyptian people went to the -- and y the millions

of this administration, when the egyptian people went to the streets by the millions, even 20 million would have been larger than any protest in the history of the world, morsi only claimed to have gotten around 13 million votes to be president, there were many who believed with all their hearts and had evidence, they say, that he got the vote by fraud, but the threats were made behind the scenes, if you contest this election people will die and we'll burn this country down. well, when the egyptian people, the moderate muslims, the christians, the jews, the secularists had had enough of radical islam, they rose up and demanded morsi's removal as he continued to usurp more and more power not given to him under the constitution and since the constitution didn't allow impeachment, the only thing the people could do was rise up before he got the kind

of power chavez had in venezuela. because when a dictator begins pulling power into himself, you've got to stop him early or it will cost so many more lives. and that's why this was one of the banners that egyptian . otesters held up on one half, american flag with a green check mark. on the left half, they had our great president's face with a red x. what they were saying and what they made clear in other banners and statements was that this administration is supporting the radical islamists and we moderate muslims, we christians, jews, secularists, we don't want the muslim brotherhood, these radicals that have been properly classified as a

terrorist organization. and this administration has kowtowed repeatedly, just as a university did, to the council on american islamic relations, care. who were cited by u.s. district judge and upheld by a fifth circuit court of appeals as being a front organization, having plenty of evidence to support, they were a front organization for the muslim brotherhood. and were related and working with the holy land foundation as it supported terrorism. it's time americans woke up. the egyptians certainly woke up as they raised their hands and said, we don't want radical islam. now, i don't agree with this, but this is what the egyptians were marching around egypt

with. and why would they say obama supports terrorism? it's because the united states under this administration supported morsi, supported the muslim brotherhood and the egyptian people had had enough. and they decried anyone in the united states that was supporting these terrorists. and as some of us travel around the middle east, leaders, moderate muslim leaders say, why are you not helping us in the war against terrorism anymore? you're helping the bad guys, you helped the al qaeda-backed rebels in libya. and as i speak there are training camps in libya like there were in afghanistan before we went in with less than 500 americans, but we helped the northern alliance muslims kick out the radical islamic taliban. my friend is coming to the floor, he and i have traveled

around those parts and he had been engaged with many moderate muslims in fighting the russians even, back before my predecessor, charlie wilson, was in congress. i'm very proud to consider him a friend. i'm proud of the efforts we've , it to reach out to allies was he who introduced me to so many of the moderate muslims that just want out from under oppression that radical islam brings. so, mr. speaker, we conclude is week, i want to encourage those in egypt who are standing up to radical islam, i want to encourage universities to stand up against radical islam and have the courage to recognize moderate muslims who will stand up and have the courage to

speak up against the real war on women in this world and it's not by conservatives, it is by radical islam. mr. rohrabacher: would the gentleman yield? mr. gohmert: my time's about expired but certainty. mr. rohrabacher: i will like to note the gentleman, as i understand him and i'm sure we'll have your support, we are starting today, loretta sanchez and myself, egyptian support, egypt caucus, which will be imed at supporting the right to make sure radical islam does not take over egypt and thus threaten the entire stability of the world. mr. gohmert: i greatly appreciated being with you and ms. sanchez in egypt as we talked to those and my dear friend from california knows good and well, i'm totally onboard, count me in. on that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the

balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. rohrabacher, for 30 minutes. mr. rohrabacher: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i rise today to discuss an issue that currently effects more than half the states in our nation. and that is the inconsistency etween federal and state predaning marijuana lawses -- pertaining marijuana laws and particularly medical marijuana laws. yes, mr. speaker, a majority of our nation's state, alabama, alaska, arizona, california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, hawaii, illinois, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, mississippi, montana, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, oregon, rhode island, utah and vermont, wisconsin, and washington,s withals with the district of columbia all have some form of medical marijuana law on the books. of course this means that these

states allow their residents to engage in activity that are prohibited by the federal government. to be exact, there are already 26 states who recommend the medical use of marijuana or its derivatives and many more states are expected to take this step and do the same thing in the near future. listed ly, the states a democrat or epublican issue. the legislators and their residents all have recognized the same reality. and that is the potential medical benefits of marijuana, marijuana's derivatives and we lieve that these derivatives

and the benefits of marijuana should not be denied to their people. unfortunately, however, the federal government continues to list marijuana and its derivatives as a schedule one substance, putting it in the same category as heroin, l.s.d. and other hard drugs. i have long supported rescheduling marijuana so that it can be researched, prescribed and used by legitimate health care professionals. but multiadministrations, both republican and democrat alike, have refused to seriously talk about this topic. instead, a heavy handed emotion-based policy continues. evidence suggesting that the federal government ought to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes has never had the serious discussion that it deserves. many desperate patients have defied the federal government's

ban on the use of marijuana as a remedy for numerous ailments. the absurdity of this ban was brought home to me over a decade ago when my mother, depressed after undergoing surgery, lost her appetite and was requiring me to spoon feed her. when i learned that medical marijuana might give her an appetite, the appetite she eeded, and, yes, the illegalality of this herb was abundantly clear to me as there seeing my mother had lost her appetite and seeing how her spirits were so low. and knowing that perhaps marijuana, if the doctor had so ordered, could have been something that could have helped her and helped other people's mothers and children who were suffering the same situation. the significance of changing or

at least altering this prohibition could no longer be ignored by me when i was confronted by this over a decade ago. since that time, the public's interest and support for medical marijuana has increased dramatically. half the states allow people to use marijuana for medical purposes. recent polls show that the vast majority of the american people support the medical efficacy and use of marijuana. 81% cording to pew and according to abc and fox news last year. just as interesting, 60% of the american people believe that the federal government should not prosecute people who are acting

in accordance with state medical marijuana laws and 72% think that government efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth. surprise. surprise. almost three-quarters of americans believe that it is costing us more -- that the cost of enforcing marijuana laws is far heavier than the benefits of having those laws or having those laws on the books. all those numbers include majorities of both republicans, democrats and includes the majority of independents as well. what's the driving force behind this surge of support for a change in federal policy? it is the realization by patients, researchers and physicians that marijuana and its derivatives may offer enormous releff to numerous patients. ast year, the famous physician

dr. grupta, a prominent physician, who released a documentary film in which he explored the benefits of medical marijuana. like so many americans, he is a relatively new convert to the this position. i quote, we have been terribly d systemically misled for 70 years in the united states and i apologize for my own role in that. this is what the doctor said in his documentary. the documentary explores a number of cases in which patients who have various disabilities. anyone watching will see the positive effect that marijuana and its derivatives can have on abling patients. dr. grupta is not alone in his belief that it may prove

beneficial. the new england journal of medicine found that a majority of the clinicians surveyed responded and i quote would recommend the use of medical marijuana in certain circumstances, end of quote. we have all heard anecdotes of the ability of marijuana to improve patients' appetites, calm those, reduce nausea for those who are extremely sick. most recently, there has been an increase on the potential impact of marijuana on patients who suffer from seizures as well as those with ptsd, some particularly conservative states in our country, utah, alabama, kentucky and mississippi, for instance, have recently passed laws allowing patients to access medical marijuana products such as oil that are rich -- what

hey call cannibas oil which is c.b.d., which has been helpful for so many patients who are looking for relief for children with seizures. they have found that the c.b.d. helps these children meet this challenge and the families that are suffering across the country watching their children go through this suffering with these types of seizures and disorders. ese laws vary somewhat as to how patients gain. laws differ. but they generally show that patients to be treated with this c.b.d. rich marijuana product when administered by a physician and in the course of a state-approved medical study that is proved to be helpful to many people's health. under current law, however, c.b.d., because it is derived

rom marijuana, is considered a schedule one drug and therefore it is prohibited to do the kind of research that is necessary to put that into service for our people and make sure that they have this available for their children and other people who are suffering. we can't even do the fundamental research as long as the federal government continues to label it the same as heroin and other type of drugs, cocaine and the rest. we know from what i have said so far, there are numerous people in our country that understand that people can benefit medley and the people who -- medically. medical professionals as well as scientists. also of particular and growing interests are the benefits that

marijuana has for those who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. ptsd. one of the most diagnosed for our veterans. those suffering from ptsd experience depression, nightmares and anxiety. and according to these patients, marijuana is the only thing that helps them alleviate these awful symptoms. yet because of our decades'-old policy of not allowing the legitimate use or even research into the legitimate use of the medical benefits of marijuana, many individuals that we're talking, many of these veterans, feel they have no choice but to break the law. our nation's heroes who are trying to escape the hellish nightmares of the war that we sent them off to fight are forced into a compromising

position of illegal activity just to receive some relief from the pain they are suffering. parents who want to treat their children with nonpsycho ex tracts from the marijuana plant are forced to engage in activities that if caught and convicted under federal law would make these parents who are trying to help their children, it makes them felons. felons. i would submit that this scenario undermines every moral and legal institution that we want our -- every citizen in the united states to respect. it puts our people in an impossible position. it requires them to choose between providing relief for a loved one or breaking the law. in many cases, that behavior is in compliance, we are talking about offering medical marijuana -- it's in compliance with state

law, but these people who need it, whose family may need, veteran coming home from the war, a mother in the hospital who has lost her appetite and is depressed may need it, even if it is in compliance with state law, what we have got now, there is still a violation of federal law. so we end up condemning these people to a crisis in which their loved ones must either suffer or they must break the law. this is cruel nonsense to put our people through this. patients and providers currently run the risk of having a federal s.w.a.t. team-like police force raid their homes or their place of business because of the consumption of a plant which could be growing right in their back yard. the mill rizzation of the police force in order to prevent grandma from using a medical

herb that will ease her pain during her last days on earth is the type of thing that out to make every person who believes in liberty and freedom, it should make them shudder as well as of course conservative conservatives that we should make every dollar counts and doing something that absolutely needs to be done. the harassment of the drug enforcement agencies is something that should not be tolerated in the land of the free. business people who are licensed and certified to provide doctor-recommended medicines within their own states have seen their businesses locked down, their assets seized, their customers driven away and their financial lives ruined by very, very aggressive and energetic

federal law enforcers, enforcing a law in which we are preventing something that doctors would recommend for the health of their patients that now some way distributing that material would result in the total destruction of that medical professional and his life. instead of continuing to finance this repressive and expensive approach, we should be willing to allow patients and small businesses to follow their doctor's advice under the watchful eye of state law enforcement and regulators rather than treating it like something that ought to be eradicated from our society. and yes, i'm sure there are plenty of people around who would love to just continue building our police forces, spending money but having them targeted or having them target people who are engaged not in

rape or murder or some type of aggressive action on the population but instead have them focus on a doctor who is trying to alleviate the pain of someone who has gone through an operation or one of our veterans who is suffering post trauma from being overseas? no. it's a total waste of money is an understatement. the 26 states i have named have gotten this message. they have been making great strides towards compassion and yes towards freedom and yes towards responsible use of limited government money in our country. now what we need after the states have done their job, we need the federal government to do its part. in the near future, i along with several of my colleagues in both parties will introduce an amendment to the commerce, justice, science appropriations bill to bring an end to this

disruptive, ill-advised and wasteful policy that we have pushed on our people and oppressed our people with for far too long. specifically our amendment would prohibit the department of justice from using any of its funds in the bill to prevent states from implementing their own state medical marijuana laws. i think my conservative funds could benefit from hearing what some of their idols have to say. milton friedman said it is dis graceful to deny marijuana for medical purposes. he spent a great deal of time talking about this very issue. he and george schultz, former secretary, milton friedman

advised ronald reagan. special assistant to president reagan and special assistant to president reagan for seven years. there was dr. milton friedman and advised us of the nonsense of making marijuana illegal especially for medical purposes. and william f. buckley who advised ronald reagan in the pages of "national review," he wrote, most politicians -- the stodgey inesh yeah most politicians feel and that is marijuana for medical relief is a movement attracting voters who are pretty asserttive on this subject, end of quote. william f. buckley was a visionary and saw the will of the american people would be

having and foresaw today that the vast majority of the american people do not want the federal government wasting dollars, destroying doctors' lives, preventing research and getting in the way of the people of the states who have voted to make this substance legal in their state for medical purposes. conservatives in this body, in this body, in this house who regularly call for a decrease in the size and scope of the federal government ought to seriously consider voting for my amendment. conservatives in this body who routinely talk about the need for the federal government to respect the 10th amendment of the constitution and those who believe that washington should not interfere with a doctor-patient relationship, which we have heard so much about, these people, my conservative colleagues, ought to seriously consider supporting my amendment as well.

in fact, if you are on the wrong side of milton friedman and william buckley and george schultz on the medical marijuana issue, i would suggest that they ought to reconsider their position they're taking because it may not be consistent with the conservative belief in freedom and individual responsibility and of course limited government. the difference this time around is if the american people are now demanding the federal government respect the majority of the states in our country which have implemented various medical marijuana laws. the question at this point is whether the american people's representatives in this house ll grant them the wish and accede to what their opinion is and understand that laws are

made for these people and their opinions have a right to be heard. i would hope that my fellow representatives hear the american people's cry, hear those people trying to take care of their elderly mother or veteran coming or their children who are suffering seizures and saying the federal government, it is a total waste. it is a travesty to use limited dollars to have a federal government stopping a doctor from -- and states that have declared that it is legal having a doctor prevent that doctor from offering a treatment for these people, these loved ones of our american people -- american family throughout our contry. my hope and expectation is that truth and common sense will prevail. i have faith in the american people and, yes, i have faith in my colleagues that both the american people and given the hoice in their lives they will

do the right thing for themselves and their family. i also believe, without the bureaucracy, without massive federal intrusion into their lives. and i also have faith that my colleagues, that they will begin to take a second look at this issue and see what what they are doing is consistent with their overall belief in american freedom and personal responsibility. one final point i would like to make is that as legislators who have the power of the purse, we have a responsibility to prioritize federal tax dollars and how they are spent. our debt is increased by trillions, trillions of dollars in just the last few years. this year's deficit is expected to add an additional $500 billion to this debt, and the c.b.o. estimates that the deficit will only slightly be lower next year before ballooning up again to unacceptable levels. what we are going through is already unacceptable to most of us. as we look for places to cut spending, why don't we begin

with by eliminating those expenditures in which the vast majority of americans believe to be an unjustified exercise of federal power. i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting a commonsense amendment that will be a step in the right direction in respecting state marijuana laws and respect the individual liberties that our country believes in. i would hope that the federal government also and finally that we in the federal government will understand, prioritizing spending so even if you have questions of how someone making a personal choice across the country whether to use medical marijuana to help the family member who is sick or not, or to stop their own seizures or whatever, yes, even if you don't believe that the individuals across our country or the state governments have a right to be able to make those decisions and

local voters should be making those determinations, which is what our founding fathers wanted, even if you don't believe in that, we should at the very least understand we do not have resources at the federal level to do everything for everybody. while showing compassion for thousands of ailing patients across our country, we can also do the right thing that is the right thing for us to do in terms of balancing our budget and having responsible spending patterns and taxing patterns here in washington. here's where it crosses. here's where the waste of taxpayer dollars and enforcing laws that they have already said they don't want at the state level, forcing this upon them, declaring that someone is not going to have the personal responsibility in his own life to make these decisions, even in states where they -- where people have voted to make this legal in terms of the decisions making, for using medical marijuana, even in those states and all of this -- in one

formula you still have to understand we have to deal with a budget and it is totally inconsistent with our responsible spending pattern to use such limited resources as we have going into debt in order to fence in doctors and other people who are trying to use medical marijuana around the country, and even prevent the research into medical marijuana to show that it might have some benefit. no, that is a travesty, a total waste of our limited resources. and i would call on my conservative colleagues and my liberal colleagues, my democrat and republican friends, and the people across the country of the united states, to look at this issue with an open mind, intelligently look at the issue, look with your heart and your brain, and we will come to the conclusion that medical marijuana, especially in those states in which the people have

decided to make the medical use of marijuana legal, that it is a total waste of limited federal funds for us to be focusing those -- use of those federal funds on that activity in the state and local levels by people who are being given the choice by doctors as to what medicine they will use. let's get the federal government out of the areas where it shouldn't be in. that should be something conservatives really support. my oday i would call on colleagues to support the amendment that i will be offering along with congressman blumenauer and others here in the body to make sure that we get back to the 10th amendment of the constitution and put into law that when it comes to the medical use of marijuana, the federal government will not waste its money trying to thwart the will of people throughout our country in the various state

legislatures throughout our country. with that said i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman from california have a motion? mr. rohrabacher: i now here do move that we do adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands

so ordered. mr. cantor: mr. speaker, americans have watched in horror this week the atrocious news reports coming out of nigeria. hundreds of young girls have been kidnapped with the intent to be sold into slavery or marriage simply because they had the courage to seek an education and better life. just this past weekend i watched my daughter, not much older than these girls, graduate from college. as a parent i cannot imagine the suffering of the moms and dads who merely wanted a good education for their daughters. the obama administration has taken initial steps to help assist efforts to return these girls to freedom and to their

families. i thank them for their efforts and i know all of us stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary. members should be aware that upon our return we will consider a bipartisan resolution being considered by the foreign affairs committee regarding boko haram and these kidnappings. additionally, when we come ack, we will also consider five bipartisan bills to take steps toward our ultimate goal of ending human trafficking. together these bills provide resources and authorities to fight domestic human trafficking, provide services to the victims and take steps to deal with international human trafficking. the atrocities in nigeria have

awakened the global conscience and have reminded us all of the evil of human trafficking. it is also important to note that the underlying threat posed by extremist groups in nigeria and throughout the region is growing. hether it is boko haram, hezbollah, hamas or al qaeda, it is critical that we in the house work with the administration to confront the growing threat these violent extremists pose to international peace, security and the protection of innocent lives. in the coming days, as we focus on finding and returning these girls to their homes, m.i.a. may god watch over them -- may got watch over them and those seeking their return. and with that, mr. speaker, i

will yield to the gentlelady from california, the democratic leader. ms. pelosi: thank you, mr. leader, for yielding. thank you, mr. speaker, for giving the house this opportunity to speak this afternoon about this despicable crime. in starting i will thank the distinguished majority leader for his remarks and i associate myself with his remarks and their entirety -- in their entirety. that's how important all of this is. i want to commend congresswoman wilson for her resolution, h.r. 73, which says, condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as boko haram in the federal republic of nye screeria -- nigeria. mr. speaker, it is clear that what happened in nigeria is outside the circle of civilized

human behavior. it is unconscionable and these demissble acts must be condemned -- despicable acts must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. the capture and captivity of these girls challenges the conscience of the world in a very specific, in a very different way. and perhaps that difference can make a difference. i wholeheartedly support the decision by president obama, secretary kerry and the dministration to deploy aid, personnel, law enforcement and military experts to nigeria to partner with local authorities to find these girls and return them home. i commend the women members of , in a bipartisan way, 100% of the women, have signed a letter condemning these

actions. i absolute the first lady for her -- salute the first lady for her bring back our girls tweet and hope that members will also be doing that. because the most horrible form of torture for someone who is held by terrorists is when their captors tell them, nobody knows you're here, who you are and is even worried about you. we want to remove all doubt, every minute of every day. , d as we go into mother's day think of those mothers. think of those fathers, think of the siblings of these girls. our thoughts and prayers rest with mothers and fathers and siblings, of each girl kidnapped and separated from her family and all the victims of human trafficking around the

world. as horrible as it is, unthinkable as it is, it's happening all the time, this trafficking issue. so maybe this horrible, heinous rime will give the attention that human trafficking needs in order for us to end it. and so let us all subscribe to #bringbackourgirls. mr. speaker, i thank you again for giving us the opportunity to focus on this despicable action, but to do so prayerfully, hopefully and determined to bring back our girls. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back to the distinguished leader and yield back -- yield back? i yield back our time. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker: the house will observe a moment of silence for these young women. the members will rise.

>> colder today, nancy pelosi helped brief reporters for efforts on the committee investigation of the political stunts. here is the briefing. >> this will not last long. some of the subjects i wanted to are here onabout the r&d tax credit.

there are some changes that necessitated it. republicans brought forth a bill that takes us 156 lien dollars in debt. the guise of making permanent r&d tax credit. this has been part of the innovation for a long time. every district in the country has that entrepreneurial spirit. it is no longer just look in valley. it is the whole country. it is very wrong but they brought it to the floor. i'm so proud that the recommendation that it should we hear.

bb10 should still come back to the floor. -- bb chose to still come back to the floor. there is an opportunity that is so much better in terms of a two-year bill. members have party voted on ffset, closings, o special interest loopholes. including not only the tax credit they have this morning but wind and solar for renewables, child tax credits that create jobs. event, a political move to bring that to the floor. the hypocrisy of it all to talk about deficit reduction and bring a bill to the floor that

takes is $156 billion in debt, unpaid for while they say we have to pay for unemployment insurance benefits. they threw us out of the room the other day. we had a room to listen to been unemployed through no fault of their own and telling their stories about how this extension has hurt their families and their prospects. we have the room for tuesday. we got here to do it and they said you no longer have it because we did not know the subject of your meeting. we do not allow you to have a room to talk about the unemployed. we took to the steps of the capitol. i thought that might invoke some entries. imagine if i had done that to them?

doinge what they would be if we said you cannot have a real because we do not like the subject matter that you are talking about. a matter before the congress of has passed the senate. that is what that is. the newlyterested in important committee that the speaker up until last friday was reject team in his own words. there are four committees that are investigating benghazi. i still new reason to write that work up. something happened in this process. the rumor was starting to spread last friday. we did not get any information ule was on tuesday night. they're a better terms under which they could participate. caucus it clear that our

is clearly among those that say to not have anything to do with it. it is a kangaroo court. personsay just send one so we can see what they are doing to the witnesses and have access to the testimony. is to see whatn they come back with in terms of engagement. we would have liked to have that. have standards. they have decisions to depose witnesses and interview witnesses and the report document.

regular order. we had been led so met this it magnificently in areas that do not get the proper respect of the minorities. is that are on that they so we are very serious about that. we want this to be no circus. we should sit down and come to terms on it. why doesn't the staff go back and forth on this first? when we sit down we will see what that is. we will make a decision as to how we proceed with that. they said do not take us down

this path again. it is really hard for them. it is very sad. when women succeed, america succeeds. on valentine's day we had the m&ms. equal pay for equal work. raising the minimum wage. learning, parent earning. that is what they want for moms. they certainly want flowers and roses and punch or whatever. we also want to unleash the power of women, whether they want to start their own business and create jobs or have a job and be treated fairly.

it is hard to go into mother's day without thinking about the little girls in nigeria. can you just imagine how it must be for those moms? wonderful it is that the whole world has taken up the cause of these little girls. this was submitted that will come to before, a resolution about the little girls. what a horrible thing. it is diabolical. we have to do whatever we can to make sure that the little girls get returned home.

it is a stunning thing. outside the circle of civilized human behavior, challenging the contents of the world against mother's day intensifying the concern and love for these girls that we all have. you have to know that i figure our regulars, those that are here all the time. >> can you walk through your mind this process? what it looks like. them to present themselves. >> i thought i just did. i thought i just did. .his is a stunt

this is a political stunts. issa is damaged goods. they had to move to a different venue. the question is, is there at least a level of decency in regular respect in the span of the committee? the minority has a right to call witnesses. will they try to use the climate and energy select committee, the four-year committee. as established so that we could get a couple of bills done.

the record is there is only one subpoena and four years issued and it was unanimous. it was unanimous. this is a completely different set up. the chairman has already called it an investigation. they called it a trial. does that tell you everything you need to know? what does it say here? says i do noter want this to be a certain is. i think your chairman is saying some things that are looking circus like. for example, i have evidence that not only are they hiding get, there is an intent to hide it. i cannot disclose it yet but i have evidence there was a systemic decision to hold it from congress.

a fair trial? i have a great respect for the speaker. to the extent he is able i think he will try to have it. it serves them better than to let them be themselves. that is what a lot of people say just let them show who they are." any of the witnesses can hold their own. they do not need is there to help them. we have seen how they operate. without we should be here. republicans stick with what the resolution was that was passed in the house yesterday, with democrats not participate in the committee? >> when i speak with the speaker

i will give you an answer as to what that will be. >> the guidelines do not change. when they spoke to the speaker the art he had the roles -- they already had the roles to their. there was more clarity to what the right might be. we will see. our members are on a spectrum of do not go in there. send one person. our rights. it doesn't matter what they do. there is a full range. said, this is interesting. we have our history. we understand what we are dealing with. we really do not know yet what

the speaker is going to say. let's find that out. you talked about the spectrum in your caucus. you are someone that has rather good judgment politically and otherwise. what do you think should be done? >> it depends on what the speaker tells us back. . let me read you another quote i think i have pretty well been satisfied if a given where the troops were, how quickly the thing happened, we probably could have done it more than we did. they issued a preliminary report. only run out of people to talk times, at some point we think we will have as much of the story as we are going to get and move on.

there is that. what is the manner in which they will proceed. that protecting the rights of the minority? we will make a decision about where we need to go. this is brand-new. it is one week old. he think we would have been talking about this for a very long time. thehey carried about presidential, they would be passing an immigration bill. this is all about them. it is pretty clear. they're focused on the affordable care act. it has run its course. now they have to find something else to talk about that is not about how we create jobs or build the infrastructure.

this is all part of how we honor our responsibility to the american old. they do not want to talk about that. they do not believe in governance or science. they want to stop barack obama at every step. i think this is about republicans in 2014. about thered presidential, we would have long ago passed. we have the votes to pass the immigration bill. we have the votes to pass gun safety. we have the votes to pass the

bipartisan votes with the voting rights act. what are we doing instead? getting attention on this subject, which by the way, the american people care about jobs. there's the education of the children and the health of their family. ozzy --et tired up and tired of benghazi or they never heard of it. this is all subterfuge. they do not want to talk about what our responsibilities are here. judgment toake a how dangerous we think they can be. the speaker says he does not want to go this place.

we have been there, done that. i'm going to have to go to the bow. -- to go to vote. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] today, a in subcommittee heard of a subcommittee on marijuana. >> the penalties for marijuana possession starting with federal section 844 has simple

possession that it can provide of not year or a sign less than $1000. that is the federal law. the new d.c. law is a civil penalty. penalties.and aree are 26 agencies that responsible for law enforcement. this is not a real one. it is a mock one. that theyby staff have one ounce or less.

one ounces 28 grams. is that correct? one gram.bout over 20 joint you can be in possession of in the district of columbia. here is a list of penalties, which i'm submitting to the record. for the record, i had staff do it. they have more experience. there are very serious implications into what step the district has taken. >> the entire subcommittee

hearing can be watched anytime on our website. go to c-span.org. >> let me be clear that i am not defending ms. lerner. i wanted to hear what she had to say. i have questions about why she was unaware of the inappropriate they werefter created. i want to know why she did not mention inappropriate criteria in her letters to congress. i cannot vote to violate an individual's fifth amendment right just because i want to hear what she has to say. a much greater principle is that date. today. the sanctity of the fifth amendment rights for all citizens of the united states of america. i have never alleged to goes to the president. i have said that the tea party would clearly be described as in the knees is first to the president's policies.

i think that is pretty comfortable to understand. whore targeted by somebody quite frankly was trying to the supreme court decision as citizens united in support of the president position using her power. with that, i yield back. >> this weekend on c-span, e-house debate on holding former content of congress for refusing to answer questions about targeting conservative groups. you argues tv, john it will harm regional and international safety. sunday at 7:30 p.m. on c-span two. a look at the newly unveiled restoration of george washington's mount vernon dining room. >> earlier today, a subcommittee

held a hearing look at space traffic management including debris. his office currently tracks the approximately 23,000 objects that orbit around the earth. >> the subcommittee on space

will come to order. good morning. welcome to today's hearing title "space, traffic management, how to prevent a real-life gravity. testimonye written biography for exposure for today's witnesses. the topic we are discussing is one that i know is of great interest to the chairman. he would be here leading the discussion today if he had not been pulled away by the death of a close friend this week. he will be including a statement for the record. i would like to offer my condolences to him and his family during this time. and recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statements. the focus of this hearing is how to prevent a real-life "gravity" as was it matches the portrayed by hollywood last week. this is a very real and serious issue. while the movie elevated it to the forefront of the public's

attention, this committee is no stranger to the topic. today we will continue assessing the key questions involved in space traffic management what congress may do to ensure the safety and security of the empire meant. there are two important facets. the first is an assessment of what we're doing right now to track and mitigate orbital debris. the second and what more needs to be done without burdening the space industry with unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles to success. it is trackingth approximately 23,000 objects in orbit around the earth including 4000 payloads of which 1200 r act it. the current systems available -- are active. the current systems available are not smaller than four inches. we cannot track a flight of paint traveling at 17,500 miles an hour which can cause serious

damage. 2007nti-satellite test in demonstrated how volatile this can be. it resulted in the largest creation of debris in history. 3400 individual objects have been catalogued in the list is still growing. aditionally, the collision of and inssioned satellite cause active satellite created a debris field that resulted in over 2000 uses of debris. combined these events account for all most a quarter of all the objects that a are tracking. while tracking existing debris is key to this discussion, we must also focus on preventing the proliferation in the first place. there are two key agencies in the mitigation of debris, the

federal aviation administration and commission. both of these agencies have developed regulations specific to the creation of orbital debris and i'm eager to hear from them today. the faa is responsible for the mitigation of debris as it pertains to launch vehicles. the policy released in november 2013 direct to them to execute the close of authority over these activities. neil testified before the subcommittee that his agency was ready to start a larger discussion on expansion of their authority to regulate. it is unclear what specific authorities they are asking for and how it would anticipate working with other agencies to implement the story regardless of the administration's plan. congress will need to weigh the costs and benefits of increased authority for the faa against the possible overregulation of a very young industry.

in 2005, the sec asserted jurisdiction to regulate orbital debris which would require licenses for the spectrum. "the larger and more effective use of radio in the public interest." congress is not provided authority. there has been some ambiguity to utilize the spectrum efficiently. the efforts of federal agencies should be viewed within the context of separate international and private sector efforts. the united states has the most advanced system in the world. tracking and cataloging the space environment were effectively may come from key partnerships. we cannot afford to ignore these important partners. as this increases in the coming decade, we must be sure that the nation can protect the health

care and safety of flight participants. it is imperative we secure key orbits that are critical to our economy. we cannot allow assets to be there and why the proliferation of debris. the debris of events caused by the cosmos in 2000 and demonstrated that the space environment is ever changing. we must be vigilant to ensure it these are protected. i appreciate the appearance of our witnesses and i look or to hearing from them. i recognize the ranking member. >> thank you very much. well come to today's hearing. the eventsccuracy of it is maybe public more aware of the danger of

orbital debris. that is probably a good ink. in the real world, the nature of [indiscernible] it is said to have created an estimated three -- debris population of 108,000 objects one centimeter in size. this has made the space environment more hazardous to military and commercial satellites and spacecraft for years to come. thisare we doing to make safe from orbital debris? a number of government agencies have a role in orbital debris mitigation. three are represented on the panel today. demand isgic responsible for tracking it. the sec has mitigation. the office of commercial speech transportation regulates global debris from the reentry vehicles. what is not quite clear is which

agencies have or could have legitimate roles in space traffic management. the authority to tell a space operator to move it should one require it. managemente traffic be carried out by one or more existing agencies or perhaps by a new organization? for theds to happen potential collisions to get to the people who needed and when they need it? is the current system working or doesn't need improvement? the consequences are international in scope. space traffic management require an international approach. lastly what liability should the agency or agencies in charge of space traffic management assume if it's direction to a satellite operator to move the spacecraft

results in a collision? these are just a few of the questions the subcommittee will need to address if we aim to lay the groundwork for ensuring the safety of the future spaceflight from orbital debris and other spacecraft. mr. chairman and these are complex issues and so i hope today's hearing will start to shed light not only on the important issue of the orbital debris but also on the approaches the congress might consider for the potential space traffic management and regulatory regime and with that i yield back the balance of my time. >> i now recognize the ranking member of the full committee from texas for a statement. >> thank you very much and good morning. i want to welcome our witnesses to this morning's hearing, and i look forward to your testimony. i will be brief in my remarks so that we will have enough time to year from experts.

orbital debris or space junk as it is sometimes called is not science fiction. it is a reality and something that has implications for the way we operate both in the spacecraft and our commercial and government satellites. it is a growing problem. dealing with the increase in orbital debris while to be easy. as the witnesses will testify,, the issues associated with this mitigation and as potential removal from the orbit or complex, a number of agencies are involved. not all of whom are represented at today's hearing. but i am pleased that the bipartisan authorization bill that we've recently marked up now contains several provisions related to the orbital debris. i believe that their inclusion is a start to addressing this complex set of issues. that said, i would caution against this area until we have

a better understanding of the issues involved. this morning's hearing will provide a good starting point for members to learn about the challenge as well as some of the potential approaches to dealing with that challenge. i'm pleased the subcommittee is holding this hearing. and in closing again i want to welcome the witnesses and i will yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you ms. johnson. if members wish to submit additional statements or statements will be added at this point. at this time i would like to introduce our witnesses. our first witnesses lieutenant general john j. raymond coming under 14 air force space command and commander of joint functional component command for space in the u.s. strategic command. as a u.s. air force operational space components to u.s. strike

stratcom he leaves her somehow responsible for providing missile warning, space superiority, space situational awareness, satellite operation, space launch and operations. as the commander, jscc space heater acts the stratcom space forces providing tailored responsive timely, local and global space effects in support of the national stratcom. the second witness is mr. george zamka associate administrator for commercial space transportation of the federal aviation administration. mr. zamka came to the faa directly from nasa as an instructor pilot of the johnson space center. he's a retired colonel and an anime core and has more than 5,005 hours in fighter attack

test research and training aircraft. he was selected as an astronaut in june of 1988 and spent more than 692 hours in space. the third witness is mr. robert nelson, chief engineer international bureau federal communications commission. he's responsible for leading the bureau's work on technical issues including satellite communications and cross-border technical issues. prior to serving as the chief engineer he was the chief of the satellite division and satellites division engineering grant to read before joining the commission mr. nelson had serious engineering positions in the private sector. our fourth witness is mr. pj blunt that jumped professor at a her and space law at the university of mississippi school of law is an adjunct professor in the department of political science at the university. previously he served as research council for the national center for air and space law at the university of mississippi school of law.

he teaches a security lock on international solid communication from human rights watch and cyber law. he serves as the assistant executive secretary of the international institute of space law. the final witnesses mr. o'brien technical adviser at the secure world foundation and as technical advisers he conducts research on space debris, global space situational awareness, space traffic management, protection of space assets into space governance. prior to joining, mr. weeden served in the air force working on space and intercontinental ballistic missile operations as part of u.s. strategic command joint space operations center mr. weeden directed at the orbital training program and developed techniques and procedures for improving space situational awareness. as the witness knows, spoken testimony is limited to five minute speech after which the members of the committee will have five minutes each to answer

questions. i now recognize general raymond for five minutes to present his testimony. >> chairman brooks, representative edwards and members of the committee began on her to appear as the united strategic commander of the joint functional component for space. i greatly appreciate the opportunity to address the committee and look forward to working to advance the space capabilities. before going further i would ask if i could be so bold as to ask for a favor and please pass my condolences to the general palazzo. it's my highest honor to represent the 3,300 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines and sailors that make up the component for space. these professionals along with exchange officers from austral australia, canada, the united kingdom and ensure the nation, allies and joint war fighters have continued access to the space capabilities that enable the american way of life. it's a world premier provider of

space situational awareness data and process. over the past few years, we have bolstered our partnerships and implemented sharing agreements and worked collaboratively to refine the sharing processes. additionally, we are on track to deliver a new command control system called the joint space operations intermission system or jms for short and additional space situational awareness centers. accommodation that will give increased capability and improve space situational awareness for the united states and partners. although maintaining awareness of the space domain is no small task, i am confident the men and women of jscc space are prepared with the dedicated innovation and devotion to duty providing the nation our allies and our joint war fighters assured access to the premier space capabilities. i thank the committee for your

continued support as we strive to preserve the space domain and enhance the space capabilities which are vital to the nation. >> thank you for the timely testimony. the chair recognizes mr. zamka for his testimony. >> chairman brooks, ranking member brooks and distinguished members of thank you for inviting me. this is my first opportunity to speak before the subcommittee and i am particularly fortunate to be able to speak about the faa efforts regarding orbital debris mitigation aside from launching reentry, orbital debris poses the highest risk of human spaceflight. during my space missions, we flew upside down and backwards to protect the shuttle goes from orbital debris and even doing that, we had debris strikes and cracks on the windows from the strikes. with the debris mitigation its hopeful to review the operations to which the faa authority

applies and where does not read the faa is the sole federal government agency with authority to license commercial space transportation activities. that authority is limited by the commercial space launch act, the reentry of the vehicle. under that authority at the end of the launch, the faa requires the operator to save their vehicle and ensure there is no post separation contact in order to prevent orbital debris generation. the faa also imposes a launch window limitations based on the launch collision avoidance analysis with spacecraft such as the international space station. the faa doesn't have authority to regulate on orbit. the only agency with any regulatory authority in between the launch and reentry are the satellites. they meet regularly through

payload reviews and primary partners in developing effective orbital debris rules are the department of defense and nasa. the debris program office has been a stone partner in the development of faa rules and is an invaluable resource. the dod space operations center provides tracking information and debris production data that we use to evaluate the effectiveness of the launch debris mitigation efforts. only the dod has legislative authority and capability to share space situational awareness information including notifications of impending collisions and near collisions to cooperating space operators but it lacks the enforcement authority. an issue of oversight and enforcement authority emerges with increasing numbers of commercial space transportation vehicles which will operate differently from communications or observing satellites. rather than travel to and remain in one stable orbit, commercial

transportation vehicles will move in between orbits and attach to and the liver cargo to people in other space vehicles. these orbital operations can cause collisions that would create a debris. as congress explores the issue, the faa urges the committee to consider at least two possible options separately or in combination. first, it should consider whether a regulatory agency should authorize transportation on orbit by license. and in that scenario in agency with the proper expertise blood as a part of a licensed evaluation review the operators plans and debris mitigation measures in advance of operations. in a second scenario that may require additional discussion, we would consider the benefits of an agency with enforcement authority providing notices of impending hazards and collisio collisions. that agency would serve as a referee advising impending high-risk events in facilitatind

facilitating a safer orbital environment for all commercial and governmental operators. the subcommittee is familiar with the debris environment that consists of rocket bodies and debris travelin traveling in dit directions and speeds five to ten times that of the bullet and carrying tremendous energy into any collision. because of the minimal drag they tend to stay in orbit for a long time. for example it was launched over half a century ago was recently added to the reentry prediction list. a collision between orbiting objects can cause a lot of debris. we talked about the cosmos provision that created over 2,000 of the 23,000 trapped objects on orbit. orbital debris affects human spaceflight as well. the iss has executed 18 and the crecrewmembers have been requird to shelter lifeboats at times when hazardous debris was protected with little warning to carry out the avoidance

maneuver. as the transportation capabilities and operations continue to advance, and as the risk posed by the orbital debris increases, plans for mitigation become ever more critical. it's time to explore the safety of commercial space transportation under the commercial space launch act. this concludes my prepared remarks and i would be pleased to answer any questions that you may have. >> thank you mr. zamka. the chair recognizes mr. nelson for five minutes. >> chairman brooks, ranking member edwards and members of the subcommittee thank you for inviting me to speak with you today about the fcc's role of orbital debris mitigation and how we fit into the government respecting this issue. in 1973 the fcc licensed the first private u.s. communications satellite and the first satellite began operation in the orbit in 1974 slightly more than 40 years ago. under the communications